News From Congressman Joseph Crowley

Congressman Crowley, NYC Councilman Dromm, NYC Transit Authority President Andy Byford, MTA Announce Millions of Dollars in Long-Awaited Repairs to the 7-Line Train

  Congressman Joe Crowley, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, was joined by NYC Transit Authority President Andy Byford, and NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm  to announce a $45 million contract to begin the comprehensive repair and re-painting of the elevated 7-line train.

For years, Congressman Crowley, local officials, and Queens families have demanded much-needed repairs to the 101-year-old train line, particularly to remediate lead paint peeling from the tracks. Last month, Congressman Crowley secured a firm commitment from the MTA to comprehensively repair the 7-line on an expedited timeline. The project is expected to begin in July.

As part of his Better Deal for Queens and the Bronx plan, Congressman Crowley pledged to work with the MTA to address the lead paint associated with the 7-line and make any repairs necessary to ensure the train runs as efficiently as possible. Congressman Crowley was able to fulfill this goal in collaboration with New York City Councilmen Dromm and Francisco Moya (D-East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Corona), additional members of the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, and New York State Senate representing Queens, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Members of Community Boards 3 and 4, the District Council 9 International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, and families and community leaders residing in the borough.  

“This is an important moment for Queens residents, like myself, who have been dismayed by the quality of subway service in our borough,” said Congressman Crowley. “Throughout my life, I have relied on the 7-line to travel across the city, and today, we are embarking on an exciting new era for public transportation in Queens. I deeply appreciate President Byford taking the time to join us today and for working swiftly with his team to begin the process of repairing and re-painting the 7-line. This project will not only bring improved service to Queens, but will also remediate lead paint associated with the train line.”  

"Finally the #7 train is getting re-painted," said NYC Councilman Daniel Dromm. "This is welcome news for the thousands of people who live near the #7-line trestle and ride the train daily. For many years, I have worked diligently to hold the MTA accountable for the deteriorated condition of the #7-line trestle. I rallied with local residents and business owners last year to announce a lawsuit to force the MTA to repaint the trestle. Together we will carefully monitor the progress of this project and will make every effort to ensure that it stays on track. I am pleased to work alongside Congressman Crowley to move this important issue forward."

Congressman Crowley, NYC Councilman Van Bramer Announce $6.5 Million for Woodside Library

  Congressman Joe Crowley, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, joined NYC Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, Astoria, Dutch Kills) and Queens Library President & CEO Dennis Walcott yesterday to announce millions of dollars in renovations to the Woodside Community Library.

“Our city’s libraries are vital to enriching our communities, but many of our branches do not receive the funding they need to help our children and students grow,” said Congressman Crowley. “The millions of dollars in funding we are announcing today will help ensure Queens library continue to instill compassion, wisdom, and open-mindedness in our children for years to come. This is one of most important investments we can make for our community.”

“Council Member Van Bramer and Congressman Crowley have made an excellent investment not only in this branch and our customers, but in the entire community, and we are grateful for their continued steadfast support,” said Queens Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We look forward to working with our government partners to deliver an inspiring space where the public can learn, discover and grow.”

Chairman Crowley Statement on House Republican Budget

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley, released the following statement on the release of the House Republican budget:

“Six months after President Trump and Republicans gave lavish tax breaks to special interests and the wealthiest one percent, House Republicans have now released a budget that will inflict even more damage on middle-class families. From gutting Medicaid and Medicare and repealing the Affordable Care Act to eliminating protections for those with pre-existing health conditions and slashing anti-poverty programs, retirement security, and education, Republicans are once again making American families pay the price.

“We need a budget that invests in America and the American people. A budget that rebuilds our crumbling infrastructure, makes college more affordable, ensures seniors have reliable health care and retirement security, and gives working families a real shot. This is the kind of budget Americans deserve and this is the kind of budget Democrats will fight for.”

News From Congressman Joseph Crowley

Congressman Crowley, Engel, Members of the New York City Congressional Delegation Meet with Deputy Postmaster General

  Congressman Joe Crowley, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Members of the New York City Congressional Delegation, led by Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, met with United States Postal Service (USPS) Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman yesterday to discuss the ongoing postal issues facing residents throughout New York City.

During the meeting, the Members expressed their concerns about delivery, efficiency, and service, including the suspension of mail service as well as misdelivered, and in some cases, stolen mail throughout NYC.

“I deeply appreciate this opportunity to meet with Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman to bring greater attention to inadequate mail delivery service in Queens and the Bronx,” said Congressman Crowley. “For months, I’ve been hearing from constituents about delayed mail deliveries, mislabeled packages, and poor customer service. My constituents rely on the United States Postal Service as an effective and dependable means of communication, and I hope the Deputy Postmaster General will take the steps necessary to improve the quality of service in New York City.”

“I appreciate this opportunity to meet with Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman,” said Congresswoman Clarke. “I walked away with an even greater understanding of the systemic issues plaguing the USPS. I expressed my concerns about delivery, efficiency, and service, including the suspension of mail service for nearly a week last month, which affected many seniors and people with disabilities. I also specifically raised concerns about unique issues faced by residents of affordable housing buildings. Our constituents expect their government to meet their needs and it is our duty as their representatives to hold any and all splintered government agencies accountable.”

“From missing green cards to stolen social security checks, New Yorkers are facing serious and systemic problems with their mail service,” said Congressman Eliot Engel . “I appreciate that the Deputy Postmaster took the time to meet with us in Washington and listen to the concerns of our constituents. In the meeting, we were told that Postal officials are committed to better communication with us, but we’ve heard promises from the U.S. Postal Service before. We will continue to press for real, tangible solutions to the problems our constituents face with their mail.”

“I am hopeful following our meeting with USPS Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman and Members from the New York congressional delegation, and appreciate his taking the time to hear our concerns and discuss one of the most critical issues impacting our constituents on a daily basis,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “I often hear about the lack of services in multiple languages, two-hour waits, and inefficiency that residents experience when engaging with the USPS locations throughout my district. My hope is that following our discussion, USPS now has a better understanding of the urgency of this issue and the frustration that constituents face. We will engage with USPS on a weekly basis to ensure issues are resolved and look forward to the replacement of mailboxes to curb stolen mail, better communication with USPS, and improved services for constituents whose lives often depend on these services.”

“I thank Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman for briefing us about efforts to improve postal service operations in New York City and I thank Rep. Clarke for organizing this meeting,” said Congresswoman Grace Meng “Earlier this year, I met with postal officials to demand a plan to improve ongoing and serious mail delivery problems in Queens. I also urged the Postal Service to address poor customer service, and to replace postal collection boxes with new anti-theft boxes in order to combat mail fishing. I’m pleased that the agency is working to tackle these problems and I will continue to make sure that officials follow through on resolving these issues. The Postal Service must rebuild trust with borough residents.”

“Residents in my community and across New York have endured systemic issues with the USPS,” said Congressman Gregory Meeks. “The NY delegation's meeting with DPMG Stroman allowed us to further relay the frustrations endured daily by New Yorkers. In increasing communication between our offices with the USPS, we will hopefully yield constructive solutions to these ongoing issues.”

“Residents of New York and many of our local small businesses have for too long suffered from postal delivery that is slow and characterized by poor customer service,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. “I’ll continue working with my colleagues to see these issues remedied and postal service improved in these communities.”

Members of the Delegation had sent a letter to Postmaster General Brennan in February calling on her to provide a detailed course of action to mitigate the multitude of ongoing postal issues facing several communities across New York City.

News From Congressman Joseph Crowley

Chairman Crowley to ICE Director: Unacceptable For You to Address Hate Group

  House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx) wrote a letter to Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan expressing dismay over the ICE director’s plan to address a known hate group.

Homan is scheduled to address the Center for Immigration Studies, a racist anti-immigrant hate group that has a long track-record of demonizing immigrants, on Tuesday. Crowley told Homan that it is disqualifying for a government official, especially one charged with interacting with immigrant communities, to address the group.

“It is highly inappropriate for a senior official of a federal agency to engage with a group that spreads such abhorrent viewpoints, including white supremacism and anti-Semitism, and I urge you to immediately retract your plans to speak,” Crowley wrote.

The Center for Immigration Studies is part of a network founded by white nationalist John Tanton, and in a wide-ranging study, the Southern Poverty Law Center found that CIS has circulated “white nationalist content thousands of times” and has a “record of publishing reports that hype the criminality of immigrants" according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“Lending legitimacy to a hate group and splitting children from families does not in any way protect national security and public safety, nor does it demonstrate the integrity and fairness that is expected of a federal agency. Instead, it fosters an environment in which extremist viewpoints come to be seen as acceptable and justified by the highest levels of your agency,” Crowley wrote. “Speaking to a group like this is disqualifying for a federal official entrusted with acting in the best interests of the general public.”

You can read the letter here.

Congressman Crowley Calls For $10 Billion Investment to Build New Schools for Communities in Need

  Congressman Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, introduced legislation to invest $10 billion toward building new schools to address chronic overcrowding in primary, middle, and high schools.

The School Overcrowding Reduction Act is part of Congressman Crowley’s Better Deal for Queens and the Bronx, a comprehensive plan put forward by Congressman Crowley to improve the lives of families, working men and women, and students in New York’s 14th Congressional District. 

“Our nation’s students deserve a world-class education, but we have failed to allocate the resources necessary for them to flourish,” said Congressman Crowley. “My district is home to some of the most overcrowded schools in the country, including Corona, Queens, where there is a need for more than 5,000 additional classroom seats. There’s no time to waste on half-measures. Surely if my Republican colleagues can spend $2.3 trillion doling out tax breaks to the 1 percent, we can invest a fraction of that into the next generation of American innovators and leaders.”  

“Students succeed when they’re in schools equipped with the resources, tools and conditions that promote high-quality teaching and learning,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers. “The teacher walkouts this year in Arizona, Oklahoma, West Virginia and elsewhere made clear that putting public education on the budgetary chopping block has resulted in overcrowded classrooms nationwide, making it more difficult for educators to effectively reach individual students and cater to diverse needs. More than a quarter of states lack class-size restrictions, yet state governments are still failing to budget for new schools and additional teachers. This bill does just that. Lowering class size is crucial to student success, and we’re proud to support Rep. Crowley’s legislation. It seeks to meet a critical need in our public schools, investing much-needed dollars in overcrowded districts and reducing student-to-teacher ratios specifically in disadvantaged communities.”

"The Rebuild America's School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) is pleased that Cong. Crowley is showing the leadership needed to address overcrowding in our nation's public schools,” said Mary Filardo, Executive Director of the 21^stCentury School Fund. “The recent protests by teachers all across the country is an expression of the growing frustration they feel about their working conditions and the state of their school facilities. Many Classrooms are over crowded and crowded conditions make unhealthy classroom environments even worse. We appreciate Cong. Crowley's recognition that over crowding in our nation's public schools is also an equity issue - giving every child the opportunity to have a first class education." 

“Here in New York City, about 300,000 students are in classes of 30 or more, and more than half a million are crammed into overcrowded school buildings, saidLeonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters. “Yet the city’s capital plan is only half-funded. One cannot ensure either educational equity or excellence under these conditions. This bill will provide critical federal funds to help alleviate overcrowding and excessive class sizes in NYC and the nation as a whole.”

This legislation would invest $10 billion in federal funding for new school construction to reduce the number of overcrowded schools in areas like New York City and help students succeed. Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Education shows that class-size reduction can significantly improve student performance and additional studies show that smaller classrooms allow teachers to better accommodate the unique learning styles of their students.

New York City classrooms have become overly crowded in the past two decades. Some of the largest classrooms in New York City, which boast more than 30 students per class, are located in Queens and the Bronx. According to the NYC DOE, the city’s largest 6^th grade classes are all located in the Bronx and Queens is home to the largest class sizes for grades K-3.

Chairman Crowley has championed policies that support our nation’s students and teachers throughout his time in Congress. Last month, he introduced legislation to combat noise pollution in schools, an issue that acutely impacts New York City schoolchildren. In April, Chairman Crowley advocated for additional funding for federal aid programs that benefit low-income college students in the 2019 government funding bill. He has also partnered with local elected officials to ensure the needs of students living in Queens and the Bronx are fully satisfied.

Chairman Crowley’s Better Deal plan for Queens and the Bronx can be read here.

Crowley Statement on the Republican Sabotage of Medicare

Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley released the following statement on the 2018 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report:

“Today’s Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report presents a bleak picture for our nation’s seniors and vulnerable individuals by providing new proof that the campaign by President Trump and congressional Republicans to destroy the Affordable Care Act has had devastating impacts on Medicare. By repealing the individual mandate, driving up individual market premiums, and increasing the rate of uncompensated care, the Republican tax bill has threatened the future health care by cutting the life of the Medicare trust fund by three years. This is irresponsible governing from Republicans.

“Still, today’s report provides evidence that Social Security is an essential program, which makes it all the more important that Congress focuses on ways to grow, strengthen, and expand Social Security - and not succumb to efforts by Republicans to undermine and slash Americans’ hard-earned benefits. This is how Democrats intend to govern. I hope Republicans will join us.”

News From Congressman Joseph Crowley

Chairman Crowley Statement on May Jobs Report

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley issued the following statement on the May jobs report:

“The president continues to put American jobs and families at risk with his reckless policies that lack insight, judgment, and strategic thinking. His agenda does nothing for working men and women, far too many of whom are continually burdened by Republicans’ attempts to lavish tax breaks on the rich and take away health insurance from the middle class. We can and should do better.”

Chairman Crowley Statement on LGBTQ Pride Month

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley issued the following statement on LGBTQ Pride Month:

“This Pride Month, we celebrate the strength and resilience of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community. While we have made incredible progress in the march toward equality, we still have a long way to go to ensure the full rights of LGBTQ Americans, especially for communities of color. As the Trump administration and congressional Republicans continue their shameful attacks on LGBTQ rights, we must continue to raise our voices, fight injustice, and push forward.

 “To all those celebrating pride in Queens, the Bronx, and across the nation, know that I will continue to stand with you as we work to create a more just and inclusive country.”

Chairman Crowley Statement on Immigrant Heritage Month

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley released the following statement on Immigrant Heritage Month, which is celebrated annually during the month of June: 

“During Immigrant Heritage Month, we join together to celebrate our rich history as a nation of immigrants, as well as pay tribute to the contributions immigrant communities have made to the United States. 

“But as we celebrate our heritage, we must also acknowledge the many challenges immigrants face in our country. President Trump’s administration continues to demonize immigrants and promote an anti-immigrant agenda. In Congress, Republican leaders are refusing to bring forward the DREAM Act, despite bipartisan support for providing security to these young men and women who call America home. And at the border, even families seeking asylum are being torn apart.

“As the son and grandson of immigrants, I know how crucial it is to protect and live up to our country’s proud tradition of welcoming immigrants. As we celebrate Immigrant Heritage Month, let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding our nation’s values and working to make our immigration system more just and fair to those in pursuit of a better life in America.”