Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter Have questions? Contact Me Here Working to Hold the Government Accountable for its Illegal Bailout of Planned Parenthood Recently, I led a letter to Hannibal “Mike” Ware, Inspector General of the U.S. Small Business Administration, regarding his recent decision not to qualify Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) member organizations as affiliates for purposes of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This decision, which I believe was made in error, has very serious ramifications. The CARES Act established the PPP to help small businesses keep employees on their payrolls and their doors open through the darkest days of the pandemic. As part of the program, the Small Business Administration was supposed to be prohibited from issuing and forgiving loans to entities with more than 500 employees across their affiliates, excluding only hotels and restaurants. However, despite these affiliation rules, SBA has forgiven 38 individual loans totaling roughly $67 million in taxpayer dollars to affiliates of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), which well exceeds the 500-employee threshold for PPP eligibility. In this letter, I asked why the Inspector General determined that PPFA member organizations did not qualify as affiliates despite overwhelming evidence indicating otherwise. The American people deserve answers on why their taxpayer dollars illegally went to bail out Planned Parenthood for over $67 million in paycheck protection loans during the pandemic, when so many small businesses were suffering. I’m honored to lead this charge for accountability! READ MORE HERE: EXCLUSIVE: Claudia Tenney Demands Transparency on Planned Parenthood’s Massive COVID-19 Loans Advocating for Family-Owned Businesses and Farms with the Launch of First-Ever Family Business Caucus Exciting news this week! Alongside a bipartisan group of colleagues in Congress, I launched the bipartisan Congressional Family Business Caucus. Small businesses and family farms drive our economy – they invest in our local communities and provide good-paying jobs and opportunities. I am honored to advocate for them every day and this new caucus will only enhance my continued efforts in Congress to support small businesses and family farms. Earlier this year, you may remember that I launched a comprehensive survey of New York small businesses, which provided critical data on the business climate in our community. You can read my "Community Opportunity: A Vision for Renewal" report by clicking here. Family businesses and farms are the lifeblood of our upstate New York economy, and as a longtime small business owner of my family’s printing and manufacturing company, I am honored to launch and co-chair the first-ever Congressional Family Business Caucus. Elected as New York’s Regional Representative to the Republican Policy Committee for the 118th Congress This week I was elected by my colleagues unanimously to serve as New York’s regional representative to the Republican Policy Committee (RPC). It was created in 1949 as a forum for debate and to develop legislative proposals that promote commonsense conservative solutions. It also produces informational background materials for use by the House Republican Conference. I look forward to working with the members of this committee to represent our state. I will ensure the Policy Committee provides a robust platform for debate and that it lives up to its name of offering commonsense, conservative solutions to the problems facing our nation. I am eager to get to work and deliver real results for the American people. To read more about the RPC, click here. I joined Robert Finnerty to discuss the crisis at the border and ongoing protests in China Earlier this week I joined Robert Finnerty on Wake Up America to discuss the ongoing crisis at our southern border and the Biden administration’s lack of support for the pro-democracy protestors in China. As you know already, the Biden administration has completely failed to address the ongoing crisis at our southern border. In his latest move to send U.S. Air Marshals to the southern border instead of securing our skies, Joe Biden is deciding to address one security crisis by creating yet another. The Biden administration is desperate for a quick fix but the fact is, it needs a comprehensive and permanent solution. This is exactly what House Republicans will deliver when we take control of the House in January. You can read my full Border Security plan by clicking here. Regarding the ongoing protests in China, I am disappointed in Joe Biden's response. The White House has refused to take a strong stand condemning the actions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The United States must voice its support for the courageous protesters, who are risking their very lives to speak out against the CCP's brutal dictatorship and crackdown on human rights. You can watch the full video of my interview here or at the link above. I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor. While we may not always agree, you will always know where I stand on the issues and how I vote in Congress. This Congress my office has already explained more than 400 votes. Some of the key bills we considered this week are explained below. To read more about these votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House of Representatives, please click here. I voted “Yes” on S. 231, the Protection Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act. Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that are used in various consumer products, such as carpets, non-stick cookware, water repellent clothing, and firefighting foam. Studies have suggested that sustained exposure to some of these chemicals can result in negative health effects. In response, this bill will require the Department of Homeland Security to develop and publish guidance and best practices for firefighters and emergency responders to reduce their exposure to PFAS. They put their lives on the line to protect us and it is our responsibility to ensure they are safe and healthy. This bill passed the House by a vote of 400-22. I voted “No” on H.J.Res. 100, To provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees. This resolution would impose the tentative agreement between railroad companies and railway unions, regardless of whether they were ratified or rejected by each union. After President Biden failed to negotiate a new contract between the railroad companies and railway workers, he asked Congress to undermine the rights of these workers and impose his negotiated deal. Rank and file union members rejected this deal, and this resolution ignored their opposition to this deal. While it is important to avoid a rail strike, this should be accomplished by advancing good-faith negotiations, not by Congress imposing a deal supported by union bosses and railroad companies, but opposed by rank-and-file railway union members. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 290-137. I voted “No” on H.Con.Res. 119, Providing for a correction in the enrollment of H.J. Res. 100. This bill would amend the tentative agreement between railroad companies and railway unions to include seven paid days of sick leave. Instead of allowing the railway unions and companies to return to the negotiating table to amicably negotiate a new contract, Congress chose to impose the agreement rejected by the rank-and-file union members and make this change to the agreement. This is exactly the opposite approach that Congress should have taken. I believe both the rank-and-file railway workers and railroad companies should have continued negotiating a deal that both sides accept. By changing the deal, this disincentivizes dealmaking in future negotiation processes, and instead incentivizes both parties to simply have Congress impose the provisions that they support, the opposite of how the process should work. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 221-207. I voted “No” on S. 4003, the Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act of 2022. Every day, our brave law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. I will always fight to ensure they have the resources, training, and support to protect and serve with honor and integrity. Sadly, over the years, radicals on the left have acted to undermine officers’ safety and ability to do their jobs effectively. This legislation is yet another example of this dangerous trend. While it may be well-intentioned, practically speaking, this bill will require the Attorney General to create new federal policing standards that could then be used by the Biden Administration as a means of micromanaging and weakening our law enforcement agencies. These powers belong to our states and local governments, not Washington bureaucrats. This bill failed in the House by a vote of 247-160-1. Have your holiday prices increased from previous years? I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week! I'm sure you realized it as you were getting your holiday grocery shopping done, but did you know that families across New York’s 22nd District paid just about more for everything this Thanksgiving? According to the American Farm Bureau, prices increased for many of America’s Thanksgiving staples. This includes: Turkey is UP 21% Stuffing mix is UP 69% Pie crusts are UP 26% Whipping cream is UP 26% Dinner rolls are UP 22% Pumpkin pie mix is UP 18% 3 pounds of sweet potatoes are UP 11% Whole milk is UP 16% As we now head into the Christmas season, 70% of Christmas tree growers are expected to raise their prices, and even more families are going to have to cut back on gifts this holiday season. I want to know what you think: Are you changing your shopping habits this holiday because of price increases? Yes Select No Select Celebrating Small Business success stories across NY22 Small Businesses are the backbone of our economy and our nation. In addition to launching the Family Business Caucus this week in Washington, members of Team Tenney were also out across #NY22 to support our small businesses. This includes stopping by Standard, Heating, Cooling & Insulating Co. in Marcy to celebrate the company's rebranding with local officials. I send a heartfelt congratulations to the owners, Jenn Keida and Rich Waite, and wish them and their team nothing but continued success as they grow their small business. Need Help with a Federal Agency? If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, please contact my Binghamton District Office at 607-242-0200 or my Utica District Office at 315-732-0713. We are here to serve you! Have news or updates to share? Email me! If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 22nd District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY22 as we can each week. ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Tenney | 1410 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]