Engel Becomes Founding Member of Congressional "Medicare for All" Caucus

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a senior member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today joined more than 60 House Democrats in forming the new Congressional “Medicare for All” Caucus. The Caucus will work to guarantee health care for every American through a Medicare for All system.

“I have always held firm the belief that health care is a right, not a privilege,” Engel said. “That’s why I helped craft the Affordable Care Act (ACA). But a Medicare for All system is truly the best way to afford every American the health care they need – and most Americans agree. 6-in-10 support a Medicare for All health care system, and the founding of this Caucus is a clear signal that we are heeding that call for quality, universal care.

“I am a proud original cosponsor of H.R. 676, the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, a bill I have cosponsored ever since it was first introduced 15 years ago. As such, helping to found the ‘Medicare for All’ Caucus was only natural. The time has finally come to ensure every American receives quality health care, and I am pleased to help Congress take this important step forward today.”

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THE CITY OF NEW YORK SUES THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR IMPOSING UNLAWFUL CONDITIONS ON FEDERAL PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS TO NEW YORK CITY

City asks the court to deem DOJ measures illegal and compel immediate payment

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter announced the filing of a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for its unlawful efforts to force New York City officials to engage in federal immigration enforcement. Last year, DOJ placed unprecedented conditions on a key public safety grant the City has relied on for years. DOJ has yet to release the $4 million grant and has also threatened to retract millions more from previous years. According to the City’s complaint, the conditions are illegal and undermine key City policies that protect all residents, including its immigrants, and keep crime low. The City has asked the Court to deem the conditions illegal and compel immediate payment to the City.

“Our message is clear: the Trump Administration’s actions are illegal and morally bankrupt,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “We have proven, time and again, that welcoming immigrants has helped make this the safest big city in the country. Any attempt to jeopardize the trust between our local law enforcement and immigrant New Yorkers will fail.”

The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant is named after Edward Byrne, a New York City police officer killed while protecting a Guyanese immigrant who was acting as a cooperating witness. Until recently, New York City has applied for and received its local allocation under the federal grant formula every year since the program’s inception in 2005. The Byrne grant supports 911 emergency responders, diversion programs for nonviolent felony drug offenders, and anti-cybercrime and identity theft efforts, to name only a few public safety initiatives.

City Corporation Counsel Zachary W. Carter said: “For years New York City has qualified for the Byrne grant under a fixed formula, but DOJ has abruptly altered grant requirements in an attempt to force the City to abandon policies of constructive engagement with its immigrant residents that have proven effective in maintaining and enhancing public safety. The conditions DOJ seeks to impose are an unprecedented and unconstitutional intrusion on the City’s policy prerogatives, are inconsistent with the intent of Congress and diminish the City’s safety. As detailed in our complaint, DOJ’s efforts would cause immigrant communities to disengage from public services and retreat into the shadows, to the detriment of their own safety and that of the public. We are asking the Court to permanently enjoin DOJ from imposing the three conditions and compel immediate payment to the City.”

For the fiscal year 2016 Byrne grant funding, DOJ demanded that New York City, along with eight other jurisdictions, certify that they complied with Section 1373, a statute that bars states and localities from adopting policies that restrict communications regarding immigration and citizenship status between state and local officials and the federal government. This was the first time DOJ ever requested such compliance since the enactment of Section 1373 roughly 20 years ago. In a letter sent to DOJ in June 2017, the City demonstrated that it was legally entitled to the grant.

For the following fiscal year’s grant, DOJ said recipients would have to certify compliance with Section 1373 and the following two new conditions in order to receive funding: the City must provide at least 48 hours’ advance notice to the Department of Homeland Security regarding the release date and time of an inmate for whom DHS requests such advance notice, and DHS must be permitted to access any detention facility maintained by the City in order to meet with persons of interest. While the City timely submitted its application, it did not certify its compliance with these three illegal conditions. In the last year, federal courts in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California have struck down these or similar conditions, yet DOJ continues to insist NYC comply with them in order to receive its funding.  

DOJ later announced it was distributing $200 million in JAG Program funds to jurisdictions that shared its commitment to “keeping criminal aliens off our streets and our law abiding citizens safe.” However, DOJ has not communicated a final determination to New York City about its compliance with Section 1373 or its Byrne grant application.

Comptroller Stringer: “ADA Transit Deserts” Leave 640,000 New Yorkers Stranded Without a Single Accessible Station in their Neighborhood

Rents near accessible stations are significantly more expensive, worsening the affordable housing crisis for mobility impaired New Yorkers

Inaccessibility severely restricts job opportunities – over 600,000 jobs are located in ADA Transit Deserts

Comptroller calls on State to create funding mechanism that would increase resources for ADA upgrades

  New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer released a report, “Service Denied: Accessibility and the New York City Subway System.”  While New York’s subway remains the most expansive in the country, roughly half of the neighborhoods served by the system – 62 out of 122 – are “ADA Transit Deserts,” meaning they lack a single accessible station. Inaccessibility places an undue economic strain on families, seniors, and the mobility-impaired. 55 of these neighborhoods are in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Combined, these communities are home to 200,000 mobility-impaired residents, 340,000 seniors, and 200,000 children below the age of five.

“Too many New Yorkers are left stranded by the MTA,” said Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “Decades of underinvestment and neglect have real life consequences. For every inaccessible station, there is a New Yorker who can’t get to work, pick up their children from daycare, or visit their doctors. It’s simple – a person’s livelihood should not be dictated by their mobility status, and we must take action immediately to address this crisis. The MTA’s Fast Forward plan is a step in the right direction, but we can and must do more.”

ADA Transit Deserts Worsen the Affordable Housing Crisis 

• For New Yorkers with disabilities and seniors, the housing crisis is magnified by ADA Transit Desert which limits housing options and forces mobility impaired New Yorkers to pay higher rents;
• Median rents in neighborhoods with at least one accessible station are over $100 higher than in neighborhoods with only inaccessible stations; and
• Given that people with disabilities or injuries, the elderly, and families with young children already bear heavy expenses for medical care and other services, these higher rents can be prohibitive.

ADA Transit Deserts Restrict Job Opportunities

• Accessibility gaps can severely restrict opportunities for the mobility impaired;
• Those living in areas without accessible stations will struggle to reach the 2.7 million jobs in areas that are accessible by subway;
• The 608,258 jobs in neighborhoods without subway accessibility, meanwhile, are even more challenging to reach;
• Barriers to the labor market already exacerbate the high rates of unemployment and low rates of workforce participation among those living with disabilities;
• In New York City, only 23 percent of the mobility impaired are employed or actively looking for work – compared to 74 percent of the non-disabled; and
• For those who are participating in the labor force, unemployment rates are a disturbing 16 percent for the mobility-impaired.

New York Should Lead the Nation

Only 24 percent of the subway’s 472 stations are accessible, by far the lowest share among the country’s metropolitan rail systems. While some of these systems were built after ADA legislation was introduced and were pre-engineered for accessibility, those in Boston and Chicago are nearly as old or older than the New York City subway system, but are far more accessible.

Fixing ADA Transit Deserts Necessitates New Funding

In addition to offering support for the MTA’s new Fast Forward plan, the Comptroller is calling for a new funding mechanism to support accessibility investments. Comptroller Stringer’s report recommends that the state legislature introduce a new Transportation Bond Act in the next session and bring it to referendum. Voters have not had a chance to approve additional transit funding since 2005, when a $3.5 billion bond act was approved by voters, with proceeds divided fairly between upstate and downstate needs. A new bond act could vastly increase resources for ADA upgrades, dramatically enhancing the reach of the subway system and improving the lives of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.

Democrat Amanda Septimo Raises Over $50k in First Finance Filing for Assembly Run

 

  Amanda Septimo, Democratic candidate running for Assembly in the 84th District, has reported raising $50,423 in her first campaign finance filing since launching her campaign. The impressive fundraising numbers come on the heels of big endorsements from the Working Families Party and the powerful public-sector union, DC 37.

 

"The outpouring of support for our journey has been overwhelming, and this is another major step in the direction of positive change. On the doors, on the street, and on the phones, people have been genuinely excited to hear from our campaign and have been really receptive to our message. We deserve better than just the corrupt status quo. Our students, seniors, and working families need a fighter and I am committed to being a force in the Assembly who will produce results," said Septimo.

 

MAYOR ANNOUNCES LOW-COST CITI BIKE MEMBERSHIP WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL SNAP RECIPIENTS

Change will allow hundreds of thousands of NYC SNAP recipients to be automatically eligible for Citi Bike at $5 per month, expanding access to an affordable transit option

  Mayor Bill de Blasio, DOT and HRA today announced that Citi Bike would become more accessible to New Yorkers, by expanding Citi Bike’s $5 per month membership.  Previously only available to NYCHA residents, starting today, New Yorkers who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, will be eligible, bringing Citi Bike to a broader population.  More than 1.6 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP to help feed their families every day.  The new program is presented by Healthfirst, the largest not-for-profit health insurance plan in New York City, and was announced at the Bed-Stuy Restoration Corporation.

“Affordable bike share for more New Yorkers helps us build a fairer and more equitable city,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Improving mobility for SNAP recipients in our city will help them make ends meet by giving them greater access to jobs, services and educational opportunities.”

To apply for this discount, SNAP recipients can visit the Citi Bike website at citibikenyc.com and enter their EBT card number or NYCHA tenant ID. Citi Bike is partnering with HRA, the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and other to begin a robust community outreach program with in-person, multilingual sign up opportunities at SNAP enrollment centers, greenmarkets, NYCHA developments, and community centers.  NYCHA residents already enrolled in the discount program do not need to reapply.

“Today’s announcement of a new affordable Citi Bike membership for SNAP recipients helps to address the Mayor de Blasio’s goals for a more equitable city, by allowing thousands more New Yorkers to discover cycling -- a transit option that is healthy, affordable, and fun,” said DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg.  “It has already been a big summer for bikeshare, as we have already announced that Citi Bike will play a critical role in meeting next year’s L train disruption and are also bringing affordable dockless bike share to outer-borough locations like the Rockaways for the first time.  We expect that today’s announcement will allow us to make even more progress, and no better way to make the point than with a bike ride from Bed-Stuy Restoration, where an incredible grassroots effort to embrace Citi Bike over the last two years has led to a dramatic increase in community members hopping on bikes to get around.”

“The convenience, health benefits, and enjoyment of a bike share program are important to all, and we’re proud to work with Citi Bike to put them within reach of even more New Yorkers,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks. “SNAP helps over 1.6 million New Yorkers make ends meet and access healthy food – and we’re very pleased that now it also offers access to a convenient, healthy, and fun way to get around the city.”

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Cynthia Calls For Impeaching Trump, While Cuomo Remains Opposed

Cuomo refuses to join calls to impeach his donor, Donald Trump

  While Democratic candidate for governor Cynthia Nixon today called for the impeachment Donald Trump, Governor Andrew Cuomo said that he would instead leave discussion of impeachment to the Senate Republicans. In a characteristic move for New York’s fundraiser-in-chief, Andrew Cuomo refused to join calls to impeach his major donor, Donald Trump - just like he continues to oppose abolishing ICE, even while accepting over $800,000 from donors profiting off of it.

“Donald Trump’s remarks yesterday alongside his corrupt billionaire friend Vladimir Putin made it clear that removing the president is too important to count on partisans who have so far demonstrated zero political courage whatsoever,” said Cynthia Nixon. “Just like he trusted Republicans in New York’s State Senate, Governor Cuomo is once again putting faith in the party of Donald Trump to do the right thing and defy their president. The American people can and will remove Trump -- not corrupt, cowardly Republicans.”

Earlier this month, Cynthia for New York released a series of digital ads calling on Governor Cuomo to return the $64,000 in donations he has received from President Trump. The Governor was asked to respond to the ads at an event in Brooklyn, where he lambasted the President, and yet Cuomo stated that he was going keep the contributions.