March 14, 2026
Dear Friends,
Throughout his second term, Donald Trump and his administration have unleashed a wave of chaos, fear, and violence across our nation and the world. That chaos escalated dramatically two weeks ago, when President Trump launched a reckless, unjustified, and massively unpopular war against Iran. This war has not only led to the deaths of eleven U.S. servicemembers and hundreds of innocent civilians — including at least 175 children killed in a U.S. missile strike on a girls’ school — but has also cost American taxpayers more than $11 billion and caused gas prices to surge by at least 20 percent.
Meanwhile, Trump’s masked ICE agents continue to target our neighbors and terrorize our communities while his administration’s drastic cuts to health care and other essential benefits leave millions of Americans unable to afford basic necessities. With so many people struggling to make ends meet and access the resources they need, I spent this week traveling across our Capital Region to hear directly from my constituents about the issues that matter to them.
One of the greatest areas of concern for American families over the past year has been the rising cost of essential health care services — particularly in maternal and reproductive care. These issues are a direct result of the Trump administration’s cruel actions, including:
- Appointing the Supreme Court justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade
- Supporting legislation and issuing executive orders to restrict reproductive care and abortion rights
- Appointing people like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to oversee key health agencies while pushing anti-science and anti-reproductive health policies
- Ripping health care away from tens of millions of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries through the “Big, Ugly Bill.”
Mothers and children have borne a disproportionate share of the burden of these cuts and policy changes, worsening the already troubling state of maternal health care in America. Despite spending more per capita on childbirth than any other industrialized country, our nation’s maternal mortality rate remains the highest in the developed world — and Black and Indigenous women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
With these alarming developments in mind, I invited reproductive care providers, women’s health advocates, and moms from across our Capital Region this week to share their concerns with me and offer their thoughts about what Congress should be doing to address this glaring problem. Hearing their heartbreaking accounts of how the growing maternal health crisis is impacting patients and providers alike, I gained valuable insight into the lived experiences of those most endangered by this administration’s misogynist policies. I also detailed some of the legislation I’m working on to tackle the crisis, and I renewed my commitment to work tirelessly for reproductive justice. I’m grateful to all those who joined our discussion and shared the stories that will fill my voice as I return to Washington to fight for affordable, accessible care for moms and families here in the Capital Region and beyond.
During my travels across our district, I make a concerted effort to meet with students and young people in our communities to hear their perspectives on the issues facing our country. Young people have an immense stake in our nation’s future, and I’m always eager to listen to their thoughts on how we can make that future brighter. This week, I met with AP Government classes at Albany High School to answer their insightful questions about my work in Congress and hear their hopes for the years ahead. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to speak with these bright students, and I was proud to see them so deeply engaged and committed to building a better world.
Our nation is now facing an unprecedented set of challenges, from a senseless war in the Middle East and a crisis of affordability to a lack of access to health care and other essential services for working families across the country. Donald Trump and his administration have made each of these problems more difficult at every turn, and it may take years of hard work and dedicated advocacy to undo all the damage they’ve done. Still, I firmly believe in our nation’s ability to overcome the obstacles ahead of us. By listening to the voices of our neighbors in need and the dreams of our young people and turning them into action, we can build a brighter future for all Americans.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- Last Wednesday, March 4th, I hosted a “Grants 101” webinar alongside representatives from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
- During the webinar, our NEA partners shared important information about the types of grants available from the NEA, as well as details about how to apply for these grants and about the NEA’s overall mission to foster and sustain an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.
- If you were unable to join us live last week, you can view a full recording of the webinar HERE.
- If your organization is applying for any grant that accepts congressional letters of support, or if you are seeking additional information or guidance in your application process, please contact my office. My team and I stand ready to assist you.
