WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko voted today to advance H.R. 3, The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would address the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs in the United States. This landmark legislation passed the House by a vote of 230-192. The bill would give Medicare the power to directly negotiate prices with drug companies, which they are currently prohibited from doing. The resulting savings would be reinvested into the Medicare program by creating a $2,000 out... Read more

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko voiced his dissatisfaction of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report for excluding amendments to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In September, Tonko was selected to represent the House of Representatives in negotiations with the United States Senate over the final terms of the NDAA, which shapes the funding and operations of the U.S. Department of Defense. “I am disappointed that the NDAA is not ... Read more

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and Susie Lee (D-NV) announced today the introduction of H.R. 5335, the American Energy Opportunity Act, which would provide the tools for local municipalities to streamline permitting processes for distributed energy systems. These systems include rooftop solar, small wind power, residential battery storage, hydrogen fuel cells, and level 2 electric vehicle charging. “Distributed energy systems present numerous unta... Read more

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), and U.S. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) announced the introduction of the Stopping Grinch Bots Act today, legislation that will crack down on the use of digital “bot” technology being used to buy up large batches of trending holiday toys in order to resell them at grossly inflated prices. These third-party sellers are using these automated tools to manipulat... Read more

ALBANY, NY – Congressman Paul D. Tonko applauded two National Science Foundation (NSF) grants awarded to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University at Albany (UAlbany) totaling $637,041. The grant for Rensselaer will fund research to better understand and control the characteristics of liquid-vapor phase-change to develop new methods of water desalination, power generation and other energy innovations. UAlbany received a grant for a three-day conference program discussing how colleges a... Read more

WASHINGTON—U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY), Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and Energy & Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) led a bipartisan group of 228 total Members of Congress calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to negotiate in good faith with union representatives at the EPA during the ongoing labor dispute. The members’ letter raises particular concerns about reports of unfair labor practices and other troubling efforts to undermine career civil servants and un... Read more

ALBANY, NY—Congressman Paul D. Tonko announced today that the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund has awarded $714,000 to the Capital Region’s New York Business Development Corporation (NYBDC). The award will be used to support financial assistance for small businesses across New York State. “Investment in our small businesses strengthens our economy and supports quality jobs that make it possible for our Capital Region to grow and thrive,” Congressman Tonko said. “Our commu... Read more

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko applauded the advance of comprehensive legislation addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by a vote of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (E&C) during today’s full committee markup. The package of bills is designed to reduce toxic PFAS exposure through air, water and consumer goods and ensure remediation of contaminated water systems, among other things. In addition to being a longtime champion for PFAS safety, Tonko chairs the E&C Su... Read more

WASHINGTON—U.S. Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-WV) announced the introduction of new bipartisan legislation today in the House of Representatives to reduce red tape and make it easier for patients with a substance use disorder (SUD) to get treatment through state-run Medicaid programs. The legislation, H.R. 3925: Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, would prohibit state Medicaid programs from using onerous utilization management techniques—including prior... Read more

WASHINGTON—Congressman Paul D. Tonko voted today to pass H.R. 4863, the United States Export Finance Agency Act, legislation that would reauthorize the U.S. Export-Import (EXIM) Bank. EXIM has provided financial backing and support numerous Capital Region businesses, helping connect to new buyers overseas and guarantee the sale of products ‘Made in the USA’ throughout the world. Congressman Tonko has been a longtime champion of EXIM Bank and pushed successfully to reauthorize the agency in 2015 ... Read more