June 6, 2026

Dear Friends,

Over the past 16 months since Donald Trump took office, I have thought often of the words of Abraham Lincoln. “Public sentiment is everything,” he said during the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. “With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.” As Trump, his administration, and his Republican allies in Congress continue to pursue, reckless, destructive, and deeply unpopular actions, these words — and your voices of protest and dissent — have reinforced my faith that even when things may seem hopeless, everyday Americans can still make a difference by standing up and speaking out for what’s right. This week in Washington, my Democratic colleagues and I scored two victories that remind us of the immense power the American people still hold.

Donald Trump’s senseless war in Iran has been perhaps the most glaring example of the President’s disregard for the needs and wishes of the people he claims to serve. Costing taxpayers over $1 billion per day with no clear objective and no end in sight, this conflict has not only cost the lives of U.S. servicemembers and countless innocent civilians, but has also raised prices for Americans and siphoned off resources that should have been spent bettering the lives of families here at home.

For months, my Democratic colleagues and I have joined the American people in registering our fervent opposition to this reckless war. And on Wednesday, that public pressure achieved results as the House passed a resolution under the War Powers Act that would prevent the President from launching any further strikes against Iran without congressional authorization. With four Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure, this rebuke represents a critical first step in finally bringing an end to this war that never should have begun in the first place.

Earlier this week, we received more positive news as acting Attorney General Todd Blanche — who previously served as Trump’s personal lawyer — announced that the administration would drop its demand for a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to the President’s allies as part of a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS. Even Republicans were stunned at the naked corruption of this proposed slush fund, which would have funneled millions to rioters who beat Capitol Police officers on January 6^th, and their belated pushback — spurred on by an intense public backlash — was critical in stopping this flagrant abuse of power in its tracks. Once again, we saw that public sentiment can still bring about positive change.

These victories are encouraging milestones, but they do not mean that our work is finished. My Democratic colleagues and I will continue to fight against the remaining terms of Trump’s outrageous settlement with the IRS, including a provision that grants him and his family total immunity from investigation for any tax-related crimes committed before the settlement. We will keep speaking out against Trump’s plans to build a billion-dollar, taxpayer-funded luxury ballroom at the White House. We will keep pushing back against the President’s unconstitutional efforts to continue the war in Iran without congressional approval. And we will keep fighting back against the continuing abuses of Trump’s masked army of ICE agents, who continue to spread their reign of terror here in our Capital Region and beyond. In the coming months and years, we will work tirelessly to ensure that not one more taxpayer dollar is spent on ICE, on the war in Iran, or on schemes to enrich the President and his allies.

In times like these, when the Republicans controlling the levers of power consistently ignore the will of the American people, it can be easy to slip into apathy and despair. But the events of this week clearly show that Donald Trump and his enablers are not immune to the forces of public opinion. In just a few days, we saw that if we keep raising our voices and speaking out against corruption and cruelty, we can push a meaningful number of Republicans to oppose the President’s top priorities — something we have rarely seen over the past 16 months. In the famous words of American anthropologist Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” If a small group of citizens can change the world, imagine what millions of Americans can do.

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:

• This Tuesday, June 9^th at 2:00 PM, I’m joining a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct a virtual informational workshop about the FY2025 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program!
• The goal of the AFG Program is to help meet the firefighting and emergency response needs of fire departments and non-affiliated emergency medical service organizations by providing critically needed resources to equip and train emergency personnel.
• The FY2025 AFG application period opened on Tuesday, May 19^th at 9:00 AM and closes Monday, June 22^nd at 5:00 PM.
• You can register for the workshop HERE.
  • When you register, please include any questions or comments you may have for our FEMA representative.
  • After completing the registration form, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about how to join the meeting.
• We encourage you to share this information with any emergency responders who may be interested in attending this workshop.
  • If you have any questions or issues registering, please feel free to contact my office at (518) 465-0700.