We too often forget that those struggling with mental illness are constantly forced to fight a battle on two fronts. Not only do they have to grapple with themselves -- with their own thoughts and mind -- but they also have to contend with the negative assumptions made about those with mental illness, which are pervasive in our society.
Those stereotypes, though, are hardly a… Read more »
For four months, House Republican Leadership shuttered the Export-Import Bank, a federal agency that supports American exports and levels the playing field for U.S. manufacturers overseas. This ‘politics-over-people’ move led by the extreme wing of the House GOP caucus has already put hard working Americans out of work, including more than 200 in Schenectady, New York, in the district I… Read more »
After careful consideration and many meetings with local and national stakeholders including President Obama, members of the Cabinet, national security officials who have served both Republican and Democratic administrations, scientists and local faith and civic groups, I agree with the majority of Americans — that the Iran deal is an important step forward in dealing with a regime that… Read more »
As printed on Syracuse.com on May 11, 2015If you live in New York, chances are that you or someone you know was affected by our broken and aging water infrastructure last winter. I live in Amsterdam and represent the Capital Region in the House of Representatives, and during our extended cold weather season I heard countless stories of pipes bursting in Colonie, power outages in Troy, and… Read more »
I first met Timothy O' Clair at a little league game in 2001. Timothy was a bright and energetic youngster with the whole world ahead of him. Unfortunately, Timothy also suffered from a debilitating mental illness. When Timothy's insurance would no longer cover his treatment, his parents were forced to disown him in order to get treatment. Unable to receive the appropriate care, at the age of 12, Timothy tragically completed suicide. Timothy's struggle to get the care he needed is what first led me down the path of working to improve the mental health system in America. Read more »
So-called "dynamic scoring" completely invents a future where unlimited and unpaid-for tax cuts and loopholes for large corporations and the very wealthy create a more prosperous environment for us all – simply to circumvent the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that Republican and Democratic majorities in Congress have used since 1974. Read more »
Many of us know veterans and active duty members. They are brothers, mothers, best friends, the person in the mirror and so many more. When these servicemembers entered the service, they didn't do so for the benefits promised or some get rich quick scheme. American veterans signed up and wore the uniform under a sense of duty and desire to keep our nation safe. These are the last people Members of Congress should break our country's promises with. Yet, that is what is happening to an unknown number of Americans who served at Fort McClellan in Alabama for decades. Read more »
As I travel throughout the Capital Region, the top concern I hear from constituents is creating jobs. We cannot get serious about helping the private sector create quality jobs without focusing first on the main drivers of our economy: The American middle class and those struggling to enter it. And we cannot boost the economy while hamstringing more than half of our workforce, which is exactly what we have been doing for decades by not supporting women in the workplace. Read more »
As hurricane season begins and vulnerable coastal communities brace for high winds and storm surges, Congress needs to ask itself: What can we be doing to better protect and manage existing and new development along our coastlines?How can we minimize Read more »
Tonko: What I’d tell ObamaMay 8, 2012 at 5:31 am by Jay Jochnowitz, Editorial page editorRep. Paul Tonko writes about the region’s challenges and what he’d like to say to the president, with whom he’s traveling about Air Force One today. Nothing is more humbling than earning the trust of the constituents of the 21st Congressional District of New York to represent… Read more »
