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WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko joined with 244 of his colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives today, including more than a dozen Republicans, in a vote to terminate President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration to build a taxpayer-funded border wall on the U.S. southern border. “Our vote today protects the very heart of our Constitution,” said Tonko. “This is not a… Read more »

WASHINGTON—The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously tonight to pass Congressman Paul Tonko’s legislation H.R. 583: the PIRATE Act, a bipartisan bill that would increase penalties for unlawful radio broadcasting a.k.a. “pirate radio.” Pirate signals can pose a threat to human health and disrupt Emergency Alert Systems and other services used by first responders that are… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul Tonko issued the following statement after voting to advance the bipartisan bicameral compromise to fund remaining federal agencies through the end of FY 2019 and prevent another government shutdown: “While I remain dubious about some of the provisions in this agreement, that is the nature of compromise. In the end, this legislation funds many important… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Paul Tonko joined with Chairman of the Ways & Means Social Security Subcommittee John B. Larson (CT-01) to introduce The Social Security 2100 Act, a bill that increases Social Security benefits while extending the financial footing of this critical safety net support through the year 2100. “Social Security is an important pillar of support for… Read more »

WASHINGTON – One of a small handful of engineers in Congress, Congressman Paul Tonko was selected today to serve on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, including on its Subcommittee on Research and Technology and Subcommittee on Environment. These appointments come in addition to his elected leadership role on the Energy and Commerce (E&C) Subcommittee on Environment… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko slammed the Trump Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today following news that the agency will decline to set national standards for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two perfluorinated compounds (PFAS) that have been linked to myriad health disorders including cancer. “If these reports are accurate, the Trump… Read more »

ALBANY – Following President Trump’s announcement today that he will reopen the federal government without demanding a taxpayer-funded border wall, Congressman Paul D. Tonko expressed thanks to workers and relief for all those affected. “I am relieved for the thousands of federal workers and their families who have been used as pawns by President Trump for the past month as we endured… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko officially reintroduced the PIRATE ACT today with Republican co-sponsor Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida. This legislation would increase penalties for anyone caught engaging in unlawful broadcasting, sometimes referred to as ‘pirate radio.’ Pirate signals can pose a significant threat to public safety, oftentimes disrupting Federal Aviation… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Congressman Paul D. Tonko has just been elected by his colleagues on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee to serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on the Environment and Climate Change. This subcommittee has exclusive jurisdiction over the Clean Air Act and will be at the forefront of tackling climate change and carbon pollution. Tonko has been developing a… Read more »

WASHINGTON – Today, on the 21st day of the historic Trump Shutdown and the first day when thousands of federal workers and their families will be denied a paycheck, Congressman Paul Tonko voted with fellow House Democrats to reopen several agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This would allow EPA to resume its critical public health and environmental… Read more »