Notes from the Field: Delivering Resources for our Capital Region & Beyond October 23, 2021Dear Friends,As I continue working to deliver federal resources for our Capital Region communities and beyond, I want to share several updates from Washington this week.Making Medicare equitable for seniors living with mental illnessOn Thursday, I introduced bipartisan legislation that would improve access to mental health care for millions of seniors under Medicare. My bill, the Medicare Mental Health Inpatient Equity Act does away with an arbitrary 190-day lifetime limit under Medicare that bars Americans from receiving inpatient psychiatric hospital services, regardless of their needs.Not only does this limit hurt seniors, it disproportionately impacts those who receive Medicare coverage earlier in life due to disability, many of whom are managing mental illness.This legislation, which I introduced with my Republican colleague Bill Huizenga, brings Medicare coverage in line with private insurance coverage that has long since removed the limit, along with increasing access for the most seriously ill, improving continuity of care and creating a more cost-effective Medicare program.I’m confident we can move this legislation forward to bring us closer to mental health parity and help ensure Americans’ needs are met through this pandemic and well beyond.Driving investments in offshore windI joined a House Energy Subcommittee hearing this week to question clean energy experts and offshore wind manufacturers about efforts developing America’s wind energy industry. Offshore wind will empower our communities in the fight against climate change all while building our own resilient supply chains that create high quality, unionized jobs.And the economic benefits will not just be felt by our coastal communities. We have seen firsthand these benefits to our region with Orsted offshore wind investing $86 million in Upstate New York and the Port of Coeymans to support local jobs in component manufacturing for offshore wind projects.We all have a stake in seeing this industry grow. That’s why I introduced legislation this year—the Restoring Offshore Wind Opportunities Act—that lifts the Trump-era ban on offshore wind leasing off the Carolinas and, and why I’ll continue pushing for federal policies that better enable our nation to tap into this extraordinary opportunity for economic growth and prosperity.Providing federal support to our Capital RegionLastly, my office hosted a webinar with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (DHSES) on several federal grant programs to support local governments and communities. Panelists from FEMA And DHSES shared their expertise with city, town and county leaders on the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program.Across the nation, we are experiencing far more extreme weather events and natural disasters as a result of the worsening climate crisis.We need to face this crisis head on and with a whole of government approach. That includes providing necessary resources for local municipalities to achieve that mitigation effort and strengthen our infrastructure against these disasters.Negotiations continue to advance a build back better agenda for the people. We have far more work ahead and these coming days will be critical, but I will not stop until we have delivered these transformational investments that strengthen our workforce, families and our economy.As always, thank you for reading.Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?Throughout this pandemic, my office and I have worked to make sure you remain informed with the latest local, state and federal updates and recommendations. With that in mind here is some information that may be of interest to you:The New York Veterans Affairs Regional Office is now offering virtual and telephone appointments. Email RFDTEAM.VBANYN@VA.GOV to request a virtual appointment or call 212-807-3152 to schedule an interview appointment.  The VA regional office is following CDC guidelines to social distance and limit the number of people allowed in the VA waiting rooms. Those who cannot be seen in person should schedule an appointment using the new scheduling system.A New York Regional Office representative will send notifications of scheduled appointments. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs also has a VA appointments tool, which provides a secure, online way to schedule, view, and organize your VA and community care appointments.To be eligible to use this tool, all the following must apply to you:Enrolled in VA health careScheduled the appointment with a VA health facility that uses online schedulingRegistered or have had an appointment at the facility beforeFor additional information about the New York Veterans Affairs Regional office click HERE.More information about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs appointments tool can be found here.