news

"If this bill passes, Americans who have experienced asthma, arthritis, cancer, anxiety, even pregnancy, could see their health insurance premiums skyrocket and their out-of-pocket costs drive them into a lifetime of debt and despair.” - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

“Americans have consistently and overwhelmingly rejected the skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs and heartless gutting of coverage under Trumpcare. Now Republicans are at it again, this time pushing the most devastating version of Trumpcare we have seen yet. This time they propose to rip billions of dollars from funds that keep health care affordable for countless New York families. I stand on the side of our local communities, of seniors, women, people with pre-existing conditions and working families in this fight. I will do all I can to prevent the heavy cost increases and abject cruelty that would result from this misguided bill.” - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

“When a person is going through a mental health or substance use crisis, getting immediate and effective treatment can be a matter of life and death. Today, many states today lack a reliable system for keeping track of which treatment facilities have space available, meaning vulnerable patients are left waiting while overburdened healthcare workers call each area hospital, one by one, in the hope that they can find an appropriate placement. Even at its best, this is an inefficient and time-consuming process. At its worst, the results are tragic. By streamlining the process of finding the appropriate treatment placement for patients in crisis, this program promises to save lives, increase system efficiency, and provide a higher standard of care for those who urgently need it.” - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

“If you take the time to listen to the stories of sick veterans who served at Fort McClellan, they will break your heart. These folks are patriots who signed up knowing their military service would come with very real risks, even beyond the battlefield, but that is no excuse for America to abandon them in their time of need. For too long, these veterans have been left, alone and forgotten by the nation they served, to suffer painful illness and indignity. It is long past time for these selfless warriors to get the answers they deserve.” - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

"This bill would mean women who are pregnant and children with asthma can be priced out of coverage due to preexisting conditions. It means seniors will pay five times more in premiums under a crushing age tax. It means 24 million Americans will lose coverage. And it steals from Medicare and Medicaid, all to give a massive tax break to millionaires and special interests. We are a better, greater nation than this." Read more »

"This is not a healthcare plan, it’s a tax on working families and seniors and a tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. Without exception, this is the most harmful, most irresponsible piece of major legislation I have ever seen. Under this plan our middle class and working families pay more for less coverage. Our seniors and those approaching retirement are forced to pay thousands more to stay covered. And 24 million more of our most vulnerable neighbors will be shoved out into the cold." - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

"Repealing Obamacare with no plan to replace it is irresponsible and dangerous. It shows that, after seven years, Congressional Republicans still have no specific ideas how to improve the Affordable Care Act. Rather than come up with a real alternative to address America’s health care challenges, they chose again to put politics ahead of governing." - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

"As Ranking Member of the Environment Subcommittee, I will continue to fight for protections for our air, investments in water infrastructure to keep our families safe, and policies that slow or reverse the devastating effects of climate change that threaten America’s industries and the jobs and opportunities that depend on them." - Rep. Paul Tonko Read more »

In 2016, Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) built on previous years of success in working across the aisle to pass legislation that supports Capital Region job creators, makes our water safer, combats the opioid crisis, provides relief to those living with mental illness, enhances public health, protects consumers, and sets the nation on its clearest path yet to overcoming Alzheimer’s… Read more »

Congressman Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) today praised a move by the White House to raise the limit of patients whom physicians can treat with buprenorphine, a drug used to treat those struggling with opioid addiction, from 100 to 275. Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by Tonko and Rep. Larry Buschon (R-IN) passed the House in May, which would have increased this patient cap from 100 to… Read more »