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 »
Yesterday, in a bipartisan effort, Congressman Brett Guthrie and his colleague Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) introduced H.R. 4351, the Alzheimer's Accountability Act. Read more »
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Congressman Paul Tonko today praised the inclusion of critical federal funds in President Obama's budget proposal for 2015, aimed at cleaning up the former Scotia Navy Depot in Glenville, New York. Both federal officials vowed to work with their colleagues in the Senate and House to fulfill this funding request as each chamber crafts their own budget plan. A total of $15,780,000 was requested in the President's proposal. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko today condemned a U.S. Supreme Court decision in the McCutcheon v. FEC case that ruled caps on the total amount of money an individual can contribute to political campaigns and Political Action Committees (PACs) are unconstitutional. Previously, Tonko joined with 84 other Democratic Members of Congress in an amicus brief in support of upholding aggregate campaign finance limits. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) took action this afternoon to force an up-or-down vote on key legislation that would extend emergency unemployment benefits for more than 2 million Americans and 200,000 veterans. Tonko signed a discharge petition to bring to a vote the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act (H.R. 3546), which extends these benefits for long term unemployed Americans. Read more »
As Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Horse Caucus, Congressmen Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) hosted the first meeting of the Caucus on March 5, 2014. Read more »
Today, Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) joined millions of Americans in marking the annual celebration of March as Women's History Month – a commemoration that has occurred in America since 1987. Read more »
Yesterday evening, Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) voted in favor of H.R. 3370, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which provides a number of provisions to address skyrocketing rates for flood insurance policyholders in New York's Capital Region. The legislation passed the House floor by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 306-91. Similar legislation passed the U.S. Senate in January by a vote of 67-32, and the two bills now must be reconciled before going to the President's desk to be signed into law. Read more »
This week, Congressman Paul Tonko took action to force an up-or-down vote on key legislation that would give at least 25 million Americans a pay raise. Tonko was the second Member of Congress to sign a discharge petition, led by Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), to bring up the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010). The bill increases the minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, indexes future annual increases to inflation, and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) today called for stronger safety standards for rail transport of crude oil after several recent accidents. Citing the risk to public safety and the environment, Tonko called on the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) to strengthen and enforce safety standards for the transport of crude oil by rail through the Capital Region. Read more »
