Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) today urged first responders and volunteers who participated in the rescue, recovery or cleanup effort after the attacks of September 11, 2001 to apply for benefits from the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. Those who wish to apply can get more information at http://nycosh.org/wtc/or by calling 855-4WTC-AID. The WTC Health Program was established by the James L. Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act, which was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in 2011. Read more »
A bipartisan bill introduced by Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Bill Johnson (R-OH) unanimously passed the House of Representatives tonight bu a vote of 384-0, taking legislation that would save local governments in New York's Capital Region and across the country one step closer to becoming law. H.R. 3588, the Community Fire Safety Act, would exempt fire hydrants from an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation of lead in drinking water that could force municipalities to replace non-compliant hydrants at a large cost to the taxpayer. Video of Congressman Tonko's floor speech in favor of the legislation can be found here. Read more »
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense office, is now accepting nominations for the 2014 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award. The Freedom Award is the Department of Defense's highest honor presented to civilian employers for exceptional support of their National Guard and Reserve employees. ESGR encourages Guardsmen and Reservists, or family members acting on their behalf, to submit nominations at www.FreedomAward.mil by January 20, 2014. Read more »
Seniors and people with disabilities with Medicare prescription drug plan coverage saved $8.9 billion to date on their prescription drugs thanks to the Affordable Care Act, according to new data released today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In New York, 252,843 seniors and people with disabilities saved $246,453,399, or an average of $975 per beneficiary, during the first 10 months of 2013. Overall, seniors in New York have saved $669,540,104 since passage of the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, these seniors will be free to use more of their Social Security benefit cost of living adjustment on what they choose because the Medicare Part B premium will not increase in 2014, thanks to the health care law's successful efforts to keep cost growth low. Read more »
House Energy and Commerce Committee members Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) yesterday introduced H.R. 3588, the Community Fire Safety Act, a bipartisan bill to exempt fire hydrants from an Environmental Protection Agency determination on the regulation of lead in drinking water. The current law could ban the installation of non-compliant hydrants after January 4, 2014, leaving towns and cities no option to replace hydrants in the event of an emergency. The bill recognizes that hydrants are not intended to be a major source of drinking water and addresses this public safety risk by ensuring that legal hydrants will be readily available for installation and replacement. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) spoke last night on the House floor to again urge GOP leadership to address the need to act on the issue of climate change. Tonko pointed to storms that have lasted a matter of days – like Hurricane Irene – yet require cleanup efforts that take years and continue today as yet another reason why the House should work together to address this dangerous threat. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) spoke on the House floor today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1900, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, which would alter the pipeline approval process and threaten the environment, safety, and public health. Rep. Tonko's amendment addressed the dangers of climate change by proposing a process to limit greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas systems. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) will attend several events this Veterans Day weekend to honor service members and their families for sacrifices made in defense of the nation. Please see below for a quote from Rep. Tonko as well as his official weekend schedule. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko announced today that Schenectady Family Health Services, Inc. is slated to receive $441,667 in funding to expand access to health care for Capital Region residents. These funds, made possible through the Affordable Care Act, will allow the Schenectady facility to support establishment of new full-time service delivery sites. Read more »
Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) spoke last night on the House floor to again urge GOP leadership to address the need to act on the issue of climate change. Tonko pointed to the dangers climate change poses to the nation's food supply and employment infrastructure potential held by the world's oceans as yet another reason why the House should work together and address this present and growing threat. Read more »
