Delivering Real Results for our Capital Region & our Nation October 8, 2022 Dear Friends,As I returned to the Capital Region this week for the start of our October District Work Period, I find myself reflecting on all we’ve accomplished in just a year’s time. In the last 12 months, I’ve worked tirelessly alongside my colleagues in Congress to deliver significant investments that will cut costs, boost American manufacturing, accelerate our clean energy transition, and keep our communities safe. And I’m proud that in recent months, we’ve passed some of the most consequential legislation in recent history.Last November, we passed the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This bill includes historic investments in all aspects of our nation’s infrastructure, from roads, bridges, and public transit to broadband internet access and clean drinking water. This legislation will also help combat our climate crisis through funding for new electric buses nationwide, as well as the creation of a new Grid Deployment Authority to build a resilient, clean, 21st century electric grid.This June, President Biden signed our Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, representing the most significant piece of legislation to prevent gun violence in nearly three decades. With common-sense measures like incentivizing states to enact “red flag” laws to remove guns from those considered a threat to themselves or others, preventing domestic abusers from obtaining guns, and enhancing background checks, this bill will save lives by tackling the crisis of gun violence from every angle.Congress also passed the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, a transformative bill that will cut costs for consumers in our region and nationwide, all while taking the most aggressive action in U.S. history to combat our climate crisis and drive advancements in clean energy. Through this legislation, Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, protecting seniors from unjustified price hikes. And with the IRA’s historic investments in energy security, clean energy retrofitting, and electric vehicles, this bill will reduce our carbon emissions by an estimated 40 percent by 2030.And earlier this year, I was proud to play a leading role in passing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, an innovative package of legislation that will lower costs for Americans by incentivizing manufacturers to make semiconductors and microelectronics here in the U.S. With our Capital Region already a global hub for this emerging industry, the CHIPS Act will create good-paying jobs for our region while strengthening supply chains across the country and reducing our reliance on foreign manufacturing.I’m thrilled that these groundbreaking achievements are already paying dividends in our region and beyond. This week, I met with members of the Capital District Transportation Committee to learn more about the critical investments they’re making as they allocate more than $100 million each year from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for critical transportation projects in our Capital Region. And in recent months, major companies like Micron have announced plans to invest billions in semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Upstate New York, including at GlobalFoundries in Malta. Just this week, I joined President Biden in Poughkeepsie to celebrate IBM’s plan to invest $20 billion in the production of semiconductors, computers, artificial intelligence products, and more across the Hudson Valley region.These are significant accomplishments that will better countless lives in our region and across the nation. But, I know that there is still more work ahead. With fundamental rights under attack across our nation, it is essential that we pass legislation to codify these freedoms into federal law. That’s why I’ll keep pushing to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into law once and for all, and the Respect for Marriage Act, which will protect marriage equality for same-sex couples in every state. I’m also working to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a critical bill to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act at a time when many states are passing laws to suppress the fundamental right to vote.Looking back on the past several months, I feel a deep sense of pride in what we’ve been able to achieve. In less than a year, Democrats in Congress have delivered extraordinary investments that will enable us to tackle our climate crisis, reinvigorate America’s manufacturing sector, and upgrade our critical infrastructure. As these investments begin to make themselves felt here in our Capital Region, I’ll continue my efforts to bring more federal resources back to the Capital District, and I won’t stop working to protect our fundamental rights.As always, thank you for reading. Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:This August, President Biden announced plans to cancel up to $10,000 in student debt for borrowers making under $125,000 per year.Now, the U.S. Department of Education is releasing additional information on the Administration’s student debt relief plan.You are eligible for relief if you have most federal loans (including Direct Loans and other Department of Education loans) and your income for 2020 or 2021 is either:Less than $125,000 for individualsLess than $250,000 for householdsAdditionally, if you received a Pell Grant, you may be eligible for up to $20,000 in relief.This month, the Department of Education will launch a short online application for student debt relief.Once you submit your application, the Department will review it, determine your eligibility, and if you are eligible, work to process your relief. The Department will contact you if they need any additional information.Beware of scams. You may be contacted by a company saying they will help you get debt forgiveness for a fee. You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Make sure you work only with the U.S. Department of Education and their loan servicers to process your debt relief.To find out more, you can visit the Department of Education’s frequently asked questions page.
October 8, 2022
Dear Friends, As I returned to the Capital Region this week for the start of our October District Work Period, I find myself reflecting on all we’ve accomplished in just a year’s time. In the last 12 months, I’ve worked tirelessly alongside my colleagues in Congress to deliver significant investments that will cut costs, boost American manufacturing, accelerate our clean energy transition, and keep our communities safe. And I’m proud that in recent months, we’ve passed some of the most consequential legislation in recent history. - Last November, we passed the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This bill includes historic investments in all aspects of our nation’s infrastructure, from roads, bridges, and public transit to broadband internet access and clean drinking water. This legislation will also help combat our climate crisis through funding for new electric buses nationwide, as well as the creation of a new Grid Deployment Authority to build a resilient, clean, 21st century electric grid.
- This June, President Biden signed our Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, representing the most significant piece of legislation to prevent gun violence in nearly three decades. With common-sense measures like incentivizing states to enact “red flag” laws to remove guns from those considered a threat to themselves or others, preventing domestic abusers from obtaining guns, and enhancing background checks, this bill will save lives by tackling the crisis of gun violence from every angle.
- Congress also passed the sweeping Inflation Reduction Act, a transformative bill that will cut costs for consumers in our region and nationwide, all while taking the most aggressive action in U.S. history to combat our climate crisis and drive advancements in clean energy. Through this legislation, Medicare will finally be allowed to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, protecting seniors from unjustified price hikes. And with the IRA’s historic investments in energy security, clean energy retrofitting, and electric vehicles, this bill will reduce our carbon emissions by an estimated 40 percent by 2030.
- And earlier this year, I was proud to play a leading role in passing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, an innovative package of legislation that will lower costs for Americans by incentivizing manufacturers to make semiconductors and microelectronics here in the U.S. With our Capital Region already a global hub for this emerging industry, the CHIPS Act will create good-paying jobs for our region while strengthening supply chains across the country and reducing our reliance on foreign manufacturing.
I’m thrilled that these groundbreaking achievements are already paying dividends in our region and beyond. This week, I met with members of the Capital District Transportation Committee to learn more about the critical investments they’re making as they allocate more than $100 million each year from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for critical transportation projects in our Capital Region. And in recent months, major companies like Micron have announced plans to invest billions in semiconductor manufacturing facilities in Upstate New York, including at GlobalFoundries in Malta. Just this week, I joined President Biden in Poughkeepsie to celebrate IBM’s plan to invest $20 billion in the production of semiconductors, computers, artificial intelligence products, and more across the Hudson Valley region. These are significant accomplishments that will better countless lives in our region and across the nation. But, I know that there is still more work ahead. With fundamental rights under attack across our nation, it is essential that we pass legislation to codify these freedoms into federal law. That’s why I’ll keep pushing to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into law once and for all, and the Respect for Marriage Act, which will protect marriage equality for same-sex couples in every state. I’m also working to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a critical bill to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act at a time when many states are passing laws to suppress the fundamental right to vote. Looking back on the past several months, I feel a deep sense of pride in what we’ve been able to achieve. In less than a year, Democrats in Congress have delivered extraordinary investments that will enable us to tackle our climate crisis, reinvigorate America’s manufacturing sector, and upgrade our critical infrastructure. As these investments begin to make themselves felt here in our Capital Region, I’ll continue my efforts to bring more federal resources back to the Capital District, and I won’t stop working to protect our fundamental rights. As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW? My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you: - This August, President Biden announced plans to cancel up to $10,000 in student debt for borrowers making under $125,000 per year.
- Now, the U.S. Department of Education is releasing additional information on the Administration’s student debt relief plan.
- You are eligible for relief if you have most federal loans (including Direct Loans and other Department of Education loans) and your income for 2020 or 2021 is either:
- Less than $125,000 for individuals
- Less than $250,000 for households
- Additionally, if you received a Pell Grant, you may be eligible for up to $20,000 in relief.
- This month, the Department of Education will launch a short online application for student debt relief.
- Once you submit your application, the Department will review it, determine your eligibility, and if you are eligible, work to process your relief. The Department will contact you if they need any additional information.
- Beware of scams. You may be contacted by a company saying they will help you get debt forgiveness for a fee. You never have to pay for help with your federal student aid. Make sure you work only with the U.S. Department of Education and their loan servicers to process your debt relief.
- To find out more, you can visit the Department of Education’s frequently asked questions page.
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