New York City

November 16, 2009 – Washington, DC – Congressman José E. Serrano today announced that several local groups had been awarded matching grants by the IRS to fund their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Serrano helped to start and fund this vital grant program when he became chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees the IRS’s budget.

Included in the latest funding list are the following Bronx organizations: Food Bank for NYC/Food for Survival, Inc. in the Bronx ($115,000); The NYC Financial Network Action Consortium ($90,000) and SEEDCO ($50,000).    » read more »

Top 10 Ways NYC Benefits from Health Care Reform

11.08.09 -- New York City – Today, Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens), a member of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Caucus on the Middle Class, released a new study on the impact of the health reform bill which passed the House of Representatives late last night on New York City.    » read more »

Urge City to make commitment to keep Center in Coney Island indefinitely, beyond lease expiration of May 2010

October 16, 2009 -- NEW YORK, N.Y. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Councilman Domenic Recchia, State Senators Diane Savino and Carl Kruger, and Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny expressed thanks to Robert Doar, Commissioner of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), for his willingness to maintain services at the City’s Coney Island Food Stamp Center.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- The New York City Department of Education's test-based promotion and retention policy, which identifies and provides support for struggling students, has demonstrated positive effects for student achievement in fifth grade that continue into seventh grade, according to a new RAND Corporation study issued today.

Researchers found that the policy helped students boost their performance on state assessment tests, a critical step toward advancing to the next grade level. The study also found that students retained under the policy didn't suffer negative social or emotional effects as a result of repeating a grade level.    » read more »

Mayor Bloomberg proclaims New York City Wind Energy Day as AWEA rings NASDAQ Closing Bell

October 13, 2009 -- New York City – As the Honorable Michael Bloomberg offers an official proclamation declaring Wednesday, October 14, to be “New York City Wind Energy Day,” the wind energy industry descends on New York City’s Times Square for the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) two-day Wind Power Finance & Investment Workshop. Featured activities will include AWEA ringing the NASDAQ Closing Bell, as well as the premiere of a wind power video in Times Square.    » read more »

October 9, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- Reps. Mike Castle (R-DE) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), House architects of the Gun Show Loophole Closing Act (HR 2324), today praised Mayor Bloomberg's undercover investigation by the City of New York of illegal sales of firearms at gun shows in three states, and the report's recommendation for closing the gun show loophole.

Reps. Castle and McCarthy believe that now is the ideal time for HR 2324 to gain traction in Congress as Senator Frank Lautenberg introduced similar legislation and on the 2008 Presidential campaign trail, the concept enjoyed the bipartisan support of both candidates.    » read more »

Major Boost For High Threat Areas, Transit, And Ports; House and Senate Set to Approve DHS Funding Bill Next Weeks

October 9, 2009 -- (New York, NY) – In light of Najibullah Zazi’s efforts to stage a terrorist attack against New York City's mass transit system, U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that New York City is in line to receive millions in additional security funding to protect our city against terrorist attacks.    » read more »

NJ Senator Is Author of Legislation To Require Background Checks At Gun Shows

October 7, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC - Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), the author of legislation to close the gun show loophole, today applauded a City of New York investigation that exposed overwhelming evidence that criminals and terrorists can easily access firearms at gun shows.    » read more »

Green Taxis Act Would Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by More Than 296,000 Tons in NYC – the Equivalent of Taking 35,000 Cars off the Road

September 30, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – After losing the battle in federal court in late 2008, New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle and other major cities across the country would be able to create an all hybrid taxi cab fleet under legislation that will be introduced Thursday by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in the Senate and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) in the House of Representatives.    » read more »

Funding Represents a 14.6 Percent Increase from 2008 Funds; More Than $145 Million for New York City; Rochester Awarded a Record 57.4 Percent Funding Increase

June 18, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded New York State more than $283 million in federal homeland security funding, including more than $145 million for the New York City area.

This allotment totals $36,133,877 more than the 2008 funds distributed to New York, a 14.6 percent increase from 2008 funding levels. Each year, this funding helps communities and first responders across the State to better prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other emergencies.    » read more »

Thirteen Community Groups Will Receive Funding to Hire 1,338 AmeriCorps Workers to Improve Programs for Local Youth

June 2, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Corporation for National and Community Service will provide a total of $7,719,922 to 13 community centers in New York City. The funding will hire 1,338 AmeriCorps workers to help New York City students improve their education.

"This funding will bring real results to students in New York City schools," Schumer said. “Additional classroom staffing will provide each student the personal attention they need to succeed in school and in the future. I will do everything I can to ensure that programs likes these are funded so that our schools can provide the best education to their students.”    » read more »

Federal Dollars Will Advance Cutting Edge Research, Treatment for NYC

May 28, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $5,437,612 in federal dollars to support medical research and training programs at hospitals, universities, laboratories and research facilities in New York City.

These funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will help move forward on critical research and treatment to help improve the lives of all New Yorkers, and are part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Senators Schumer and Gillibrand helped pass earlier this year.    » read more »

Assists Parents, Improves Child Nutrition, Cuts Costs of Chronic Diseases

May 19, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. - As part of a broad agenda to assist parents and improve child nutrition, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wants the nation to follow New York City's lead and require nutrition facts on all chain restaurant menus.

The first New York Senator to serve on the Agriculture Committee in 40 years, Senator Gillibrand announced last week that she is working with Chairman Tom Harkin and co-sponsoring the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act to require all restaurants with at least 20 locations to post nutrition facts on all menus, menu boards and drive through lanes.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- “Today, I joined New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to announce that the New York City Health Department has recommended closing three schools in Queens after documenting unusually high levels of influenza-like illness. The schools will close tomorrow and remain closed for at least five school days.

“We will continue to work closely with New York City officials to monitor the situation at these three schools and schools across the State to ensure that we are taking all necessary precautions to protect our children and families. I continue to urge residents across New York to remain alert, but not alarmed.”

The three schools that closed in Queens include:    » read more »

MillionTreesNYC has Already Planted More Than 174,000 Trees Towards Million-Tree Goal, Exceeded First Year Planting Goal by 17,700 Trees

April 8, 2009 -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department of Agriculture has awarded a $2 million grant to create green jobs and restore urban forests in New York City. The grant will create up to 20 new jobs in horticulture and forestry over the next two years for graduates of the MillionTreesNYC training program. MillionTreesNYC is a public-private partnership between the Bloomberg Administration and New York Restoration Project (NYRP) that aims to plant one million new trees throughout the five boroughs by 2017.    » read more »