News From Congressman Eliot Engel

Engel Statement on Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands One Year After Hurricane Maria

  “One year ago, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, leaving nearly three thousand dead. Today, our fellow citizens on the islands are still reeling from the storm and its aftermath, struggling to recover due in no small part to the ineptitude of this Administration.

“Rather than focus on the recovery effort, the President spent most of the past year ignoring the plight of his Caribbean constituents, then called into question the official government death count after it exposed just how inadequate his team was in responding. His remarks were disgraceful and deserve our condemnation, which my colleagues and I offered to him directly in writing. The President’s callous words also called for a legislative response, in the form of Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s COUNT Victims Act, a bill I cosponsor, which will ensure no future disaster is left with uncertainty regarding the toll it took.

“Moving forward, we must also keep in mind the role climate change will play in future storms. Our planet is getting hotter, and more heat means more energy powering massive storm systems. One of the smartest, most effective ways we could help Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is to take real, bold steps to combat climate change, something the GOP has refused to do for years. In addition, it is critical that we hold FEMA accountable when dealing with natural disasters, another responsibility Republicans seem to have abdicated.

“We’ve learned many lessons over the past year, not the least of which is what happens when those in power fail to act on behalf of our fellow citizens. The Republican run federal government failed the people of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their failure must never be allowed to happen again.”

Engel Cosponsors Resolution to Overturn Trump’s Expansion of Junk Health Insurance Plans

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel has cosponsored a Congressional Review Act resolution, H.J. Res. 140, to overturn the Trump Administration’s expansion of junk health insurance plans that would allow insurers to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

The resolution, authored by Congresswoman Kathy Castor, would nullify a Trump Administration rule permitting the expansion of skimpy health plans. Such plans are not required to offer the consumer protections provided under the Affordable Care Act, such as those for Americans with pre-existing conditions.

“I refuse to stand idly by while the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress lay waste to vital consumer protections,”Engel said. “We cannot go back to a time when Americans could be forced to pay more for health care – or be denied it altogether – because they live with a condition like asthma or diabetes. Nor can we return to the days when plans were free to exclude needed benefits, like maternity care. I am proud to join Congresswoman Castor in her effort to protect consumers from this dangerous Republican effort to turn back the clock on American families.”

Engel Statement on Trump Admin. Decision to Pull Funding From Cancer Research to Pay for Jailing of Immigrant Children

    Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s decision to pull $260 million in funding from cancer research and other health programs to pay for the rising cost of detaining immigrant children:

“The revelation that the Trump Administration is moving vital funding away from worthwhile, potentially life-saving programming in order to pay for the President’s crusade against immigrants should give us all pause. This is just another despicable decision from an Administration that specializes in them. They’ve already redirected funding from FEMA to ICE and now they’re going one step further. The idea of taking money from cancer research and HIV/AIDS prevention in order to pay for the jailing of children is so grotesque, it runs completely counter to our values as a nation. Every GOP member in the House and Senate should be made to answer for this horror show.”  

Bloods Gang Members Arrested for Opioid Distribution Conspiracy on Staten Island

Two Defendants Linked to Fatal Overdose – Second Overdose Victim Revived by Medics

  A criminal complaint was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging Keith Wyche, Allen O’Neil and Kyron Graham, alleged members of the Bloods street gang, with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl on Staten Island.  Wyche and O’Neil were also charged with distribution of narcotics that caused death and serious bodily injury.  The defendants were arrested today and are scheduled to make their initial appearances this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy.

Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Gregory W. Ehrie, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrests.  Mr. Donoghue thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey for their substantial assistance in the investigation, as well as the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office. 

“As alleged, the defendants sold large amounts of dangerous narcotics, including pure fentanyl to unsuspecting buyers, for their own profit and without concern for the deadly consequences of their actions,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue.  “Together with the FBI and the NYPD, our Office is working tirelessly to identify and prosecute those drug traffickers responsible for the opioid crisis.”

“Today's arrests are a direct result of the hard work and dedication shared between state, local and federal authorities in their efforts to combat gang members who distribute dangerous drugs like heroin and fentanyl in our communities,” stated FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Ehrie.  “This was a tragic incident which caused the death of one individual and seriously injured another.  The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue investigations into individuals and groups who have furthered the scourge of opioids in our communities.”

“Abuse of heroin and the deadly additive fentanyl has cut a wide swath across our nation, affecting neighborhoods throughout New York City and people in every walk of life,” stated NYPD Police Commissioner O’Neill. “To combat this scourge, we look to not just make arrests, but to shut down the supply and, ultimately, to save lives. NYPD detectives investigate every overdose to determine how the drugs were obtained, and it was those efforts that led to today’s charges. I commend the investigators in this case, and the strong collaboration of the NYPD and our law enforcement partners, all of whom are helping stem the opioid crisis.”

As alleged in court documents, between February 2017 and the present, Wyche and O’Neil sold heroin and fentanyl on Staten Island almost daily.  Wyche and Graham shared a cell phone from which they sent messages to buyers in the morning notifying them who was selling narcotics that day.  In some instances, even though the buyer had sought to purchase heroin, Wyche and O’Neil sold glassine envelopes containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl and, on occasion, only fentanyl.  They regularly traveled to the Bronx to meet Graham to pick up supplies of narcotics

 Wyche and O’Neil sold drugs to at least two victims who experienced overdoses shortly after purchasing the drugs, including an April 2017 sale that resulted in the death of a Staten Island resident and the near fatal overdose of a second victim in October 2017 in which medical personnel resuscitated the victim who had stopped breathing.   

The arrests were the result of a series of long-term investigations by the NYPD’s Drug Overdose Task Force.

The charges in the complaint are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If convicted, Wyche and O’Neil face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and Graham faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section.  Assistant United States Attorney James P. McDonald is in charge of the prosecution. 

The Defendants:

KEITH WYCHE

Age: 34

Union, New Jersey

ALLEN O’NEIL

Age:  27

Somerset, New Jersey

KYRON GRAHAM

Age:  27

Bronx, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-MJ-862

ALLEGED TRINITARIO INDICTED IN FATAL STABBING OF BRONX TEEN LESANDRO “JUNIOR” GUZMAN-FELIZ

Defendant Allegedly Planned With 13 Others To Hunt For Member of Another Set, Chased Victim and Later Gathered With Co-Defendants After Stabbing

  Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that an alleged Trinitarios gang member has been indicted in the murder of 15-year-old Lesandro Guzman-Feliz on June 20, 2018 in the Bronx. 

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendant, along with 13 others already indicted, allegedly plotted an act of violence with members of the “Los Sures” set of the Trinitarios gang, then reconvened after the vicious stabbing of Lesandro “Junior” Guzman-Feliz to conceal weapons. While today’s arraignment took place nearly three months after Junior’s murder, it sends a clear message that this investigation continues and we will go wherever it leads.” 

 District Attorney Clark said the defendant, Frederick Then, 19, of Reading, PA, has been indicted on second-degree Murder, first-degree Manslaughter, second-degree Conspiracy, first degree Gang Assault, second-degree Gang Assault, and fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. He was arraigned today before Bronx Supreme Court Justice George Villegas and was remanded. The defendant is due back in court on October 25, 2018. If convicted of the top charge, he can face up to 25 years to life in prison.

 According to the investigation, on June 20, 2018, the defendant allegedly met with codefendants at the Boston Road home of Diego Suero, the alleged leader of Los Sures, and conspired to commit violence against another set of the Trinitarios gang called “Sunset.” The defendants then travelled in four cars, and came upon the victim, who fled from them, running approximately four blocks to a bodega in Belmont. The victim tried to hide in the bodega but was dragged out of the store and was repeatedly stabbed and slashed with knives and a machete.

 According to the investigation, after the stabbing, the defendants fled the scene and returned to Suero’s home to hide weapons and provide aid to a defendant who cut his hand during the incident. 

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Comptroller Stringer Launches Public Hearings Series Investigating Lead Hazards

First “We the People” hearing to open the stage for unheard voices of families and tenants

Information from the hearing will inform Comptroller Stringer’s ongoing investigation into the City’s handling of lead exposure

  Comptroller Stringer today launched a series of public hearings which will give families and community leaders the opportunity to voice their concerns and bring to light experiences suffered by them or their children relating to lead contamination and exposure. The first hearing took place at the Frederick Samuel Community Center at 669 Lennox Avenue (between 143rd and 144th St) in Harlem, where over one dozen community leaders, tenant activists, medical professionals, and attorneys joined local residents to deliver testimony. These hearings will inform the Comptroller’s ongoing investigation into how the City works to prevent and address the problem of lead-poisoning in children.

“Today is about hearing the people’s voice – and giving families an opportunity to speak openly about their concerns,” said Comptroller Stringer. “Lead exposure for young children is preventable, but too many of our most vulnerable children remain at risk. As a father, I know that putting any child in harm’s way would be a nightmare. As Comptroller, I’ll leave no stone unturned as we investigate what our City government is doing to protect all of our children. Nothing is more important than protecting the children in our city.”

At the beginning of September, Comptroller Stringer also launched a family support hotline to get firsthand feedback from families affected by this challenge. HOTLINE: 212-669-4088

Information on the next “We the People” public hearing will be released soon.

1st Annual Gus Cozzi Dodgeball Tournament

  There was such an incredible turn out for the first Annual Gus Cozzi Dodgeball Tournament (at the American Turner Club) that you can see the names of all the teams that participated above. Each team had eight or nine members, and rooting sections of more than double that. In fact almost 350 people were in attendance according to the event coordinator Mrs. Andria Falcaro who with her husband put the event together for the Gus Cozzi Forever Foundation. More photos of the games are below.  

Above - On each end were the referees Rob Falcaro and Paul Viselli, (L-R) Tommy Cozzi (Gus's brother), Joe Falcara, Andria Falcara, and Stefanie Cozzi (Gus's Wife). 

Below - Some of the teams and their colors.

Above - Team captains were given the rules of the game.

Below - Some of the action below.

Not everyone wanted to play Dodgeball however.

Above - Good sportsmanship after each game.

Below - The winning trophy.

DE BLASIO ADMINISTRATION RELEASES MAYOR'S MANAGEMENT REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018

  The de Blasio administration today released the Mayor’s Management Report for Fiscal 2018, an analysis of City agencies’ performance from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. The MMR presents more than 1,700 metrics from 45 City agencies that measure the City’s performance in providing services to New Yorkers.

“The MMR holds us accountable to our core mission of providing better services to all New Yorkers. This year, we’re seeing falling crime, the creation and preservation of more affordable apartments, and improvements in graduation rates for our kids,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Measuring the performance and progress of every City agency makes us more effective in our fight to make this the fairest and safest city in the world.”

“It is at the center of our mission at Operations to find ways for the City to strive for improved efficiency, effectiveness and equity. The MMR is a key tool for measuring and tracking the City’s performance,” said Emily W. Newman, Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of Operations. “I thank the staff at Operations who work diligently year-round to make good on this commitment.”

The MMR grew out of the 1970s fiscal crisis and today is a valuable tool for holding City government accountable. Both MMR and Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report (PMMR), which covers the first four months of the fiscal year and is released in January, are mandated by Section 12 of the New York City Charter.

To view this year’s report, visit: http://www.nyc.gov/mmr

Highlights include:

ACS: The rate of Close to Home placement youth on staff assault with injury decreased 53.8%; investigations for children in detention that found credible evidence of abuse or neglect decreased from 18 to 7; for youth in detention, the rate of youth on youth assaults and altercations with injury decreased 15.8% and the rate of youth on staff assaults and altercations with injury rate decreased 36.4%; and the average number of children in foster care decreased from 8,921 to 8,732.

DCA: Businesses educated through direct outreach increased 35.5% from 13,305 to 18,031.

DCAS: City employees trained in DCAS training sessions increased from 44,074 to 76,997; cumulative estimated avoided energy cost from energy projects on or in public buildings increased from $40,310,000 to $54,010,000; cumulative estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from energy projects on or in public buildings, measured in metric tons, increased 32.5%; collisions involving City vehicles citywide decreased from 6,444 to 6,304.

DHS: Families with children in shelters per day decreased from 12,818 per day to 12,619; exits from shelter to permanent, stable housing grew 5% across all shelter sub-populations through a variety of City, State and federally-funded rental assistance programs, with a notable 6.8% increase for single adults; HOME-STAT outreach teams increased placements of unsheltered New Yorkers into permanent housing, transitional programs, and other stabilization settings by 32.8%.

DOB: The number of construction inspections completed increased 20.3% (from 156,508 to 188,221); days to complete first plan review for new buildings decreased 14% from 4.9 to 4.2.

DOC: Stabbings and slashings decreased from 165 to 96, over 40%; incidents of use of force on adolescent inmates decreased 10%.

DOE: 4-year high school graduation rate increased from 73.0% to 74.3%; dropout rate decreased from 8.5% to 7.8%; postsecondary enrollment increased from 54.7% to 56.7%; class sizes decreased for Kindergarten, grades 1 – 4, and grade 6.

DoITT: The number of data sets available for download on NYC.gov/OpenData increased 23.7% from 1,700 to 2,103.

DOHMH: Syphilis cases decreased 6.9%; new HIV diagnoses decreased 14.3%; supportive housing units available to those at risk for developing serious mental health and substance use disorders increased from 7,800 to 8,400.

DOT: Bicyclist/pedestrian fatalities decreased 13.5%; Citi Bike annual membership increased 11.8%; Citi Bike trips increased 14.7%; Select Bus Service annual ridership increased 13.2%; total Select Bus Service route miles increased 27.1%; bridge projects (structural work) substantially completed on schedule remains at 100%;

EDC: Private investment leveraged on the sale/long-term lease of City-owned property increased 42.8%; private investment leveraged on closed projects increased 9.3%.

HPD: Housing starts under Housing New York increased 32.2% from 24,299 units to 32,116.

HRA: Adult families receiving preventive services who did not enter the shelter system increased 1.9 percentage points from 94.0% to 95.9%.

NYCHA: Alleged elevator injuries reported to DOB decreased 36.4% from 11 to 7.

NYC H+H: MetroPlus membership increased from 503,044 to 521,731.

NYPD: Major felony crime decreased 3.2%; robbery decreased 8%; felonious assault decreased 2.5%; burglary decreased 4.8%; grand larceny decreased 1.6%; grand larceny auto decreased 5.6%; end-to-end average response time to critical crimes in progress decreased by 5 seconds.

OCME: Median time to complete autopsy reports decreased from 57 days to 45; median time to complete toxicology reports decreased by 2 days.

SBS: Unique businesses and customers served by SBS increased from 18,352 to 19,842; the annual MWBE recertification rate increased from 61.8% to 79.6%; total M/WBEs certified increased by one-third, from 5,122 to 6,829; M/WBEs awarded City contracts increased 23.4%.

TLC: Active medallion taxis that are accessible increased 32.6%.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

New York City's fiscal year begins on July 1 and runs through June 30th of the following year.

MAYOR DE BLASIO, DEPUTY MAYOR THOMPSON LAUNCH CITYWIDE PUSH TO HELP MINORITY AND WOMEN- OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES WIN CONTRACTS

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives Phil Thompson announced that the City will connect Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) to City agencies with active business opportunities through a new event series called M/WBE Borough Forums. The series also will provide an opportunity for M/WBEs to learn about the benefits of doing business with the City. The M/WBE Borough Forums will kick off on September 26th in Flushing, Queens.

“Our City works best when everyone – regardless of race, gender or ethnicity – have the resources they need to participate in our economy,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With this series, we’re bringing business opportunities directly to our diverse and talented New Yorkers who provide our City with a variety of goods and services. It’s just another way we’re creating the fairest big city in America.”

“With this first-time series, we’re stepping up the City’s already aggressive efforts to increase opportunities for M/WBEs,” said Phil Thompson, NYC Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives. “Mayor de Blasio is investing in minority and women-owned businesses at record levels because we know that when these types of businesses succeed, so do communities.”

“This Administration continues to breakdown historic barriers faced by minority and women-owned businesses, specifically barriers to accessing government contracts,” said Jonnel Doris, Senior Advisor and Director of the Mayor’s Office of M/WBEs. “M/WBEs are vital to their local economies and communities, this new event series brings much needed resources and opportunities directly to these firms allowing them to continue to grow and thrive.”

“The City’s commitment to building a more inclusive local economy is evident. Under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s leadership, we’ve reached a record number of over 6,000 certified M/WBEs,” said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. “Now, we’re going one step further by bringing opportunities for success directly to M/WBEs’ neighborhoods through our borough forums.”

The event series, which will be run by the Department of Small Business Services and the Office of M/WBEs, is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio's larger commitment to increase M/WBE participation in City contracting, which includes:

• Awarding $20 Billion to M/WBEs by end of FY 2025.
• Certifying 9,000 M/WBEs by end of FY 2019.
• Awarding 30 percent of the value of all City contracts by end of FY 2021.

At the forums, M/WBEs will be able to connect with City agencies to learn about current and upcoming contracting opportunities. M/WBEs also will have the opportunity to learn how to certify their business with government entities; sign up for mentorship programs and workshops; market their business to City government; and access affordable loans to perform on City contracts.

The M/WBE Borough Forum in Queens is being hosted in partnership with the Flushing Business Improvement District (BID). The event will take place on September 26^th from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, 135-20 39th Ave Flushing, NY, 11354. Representatives from the following 13 City agencies will be available at the forum to discuss contracting opportunities.

• Administration for Children’s Services
• Department of Citywide Administrative Services
• Department of Correction
• Department of Environmental Protection
• Department of Homeless Services
• Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications
• Department of Parks and Recreation
• Department of Sanitation
• Department of Small Business Services
• Department of Social Services
• Fire Department of the City of New York
• Human Resources Administration
• New York Police Department

The M/WBE Borough Forums will then move to the Bronx in October, Manhattan in November, Brooklyn in January, and Staten Island in February.

For more information or to register to attend the Queens forum, visit queensforum.eventbrite.com.

For more information on forums in all other boroughs, contact bizhelp@sbs.nyc.gov.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - Fox News is Obsessed With Us

Wow, talk about a swing and a miss.

Last weekend, Fox & Friends took aim at our campaign once again — but this time, their target was definitely a little weird.

Piggybacking off the comments of alt-righters on Twitter, Fox News decided it’d be a good idea to critique my outfit of all things. An outfit that, to be clear, I do not own, and was supplied as a part of a photoshoot for an article talking about our campaign, our goals, and our vision for the future.

But they weren’t concerned with the facts, or the policies designed to help working class Americans that our campaign is all about. Fox News cared more about continuing their smear campaign against our movement — by painting every activist and leader who demands better treatment for working class families as hypocritical. Their endgame? To scare people about the spectre of socialism by any means necessary.

It’s this type of disingenuous behavior that causes middle class Americans to see right through their act — because when we should be talking about important policies, like ensuring Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, or the abolition of private prisons, Fox News is talking about an outfit instead.

Remember, Republicans aren’t going to let us reform our broken political system without a fight. They’re willing to use any low blow to try and derail our movement, because they’re scared of what we can accomplish.

That’s why we can’t let up, not with only seven weeks left before the general election. But with you on our side, I know that we’ll make it to Washington to fight for a vision of the future where people are more important than corporate profits.

Pa'lante,

Alexandria