September 19, 2026

Dear Friends,

By any measure, the Republican-controlled 119^th Congress has been one of the least effective in modern history. From the beginning of this year through the end of August, Congress enacted just 34 bills into law — less than half the total of the second least productive Congress since 1990. In that same time period, the House of Representatives held floor votes on just 65 days — barely over a third of the number of days worked by a typical full-time employee with a standard five-day workweek. Instead of doing their jobs and addressing the urgent issues facing the American people, Republicans have repeatedly chosen to give up and go home.

This week, we saw that pattern continue as Speaker Mike Johnson — having already canceled all votes for the last two weeks of September — abruptly cut short our final week in session before the November elections, declaring that “the House has done its work.” Speaker Johnson and I may have different definitions of “work,” but when Republicans give themselves an extended vacation while millions of Americans can’t afford basic necessities, I know that Congress has not done its job.

As I’ve traveled across our Capital Region this year, I’ve heard from countless constituents who are struggling to make ends meet thanks to the disastrous policies of Donald Trump and his allies in Congress. As of August 2026, the average New York household has been forced to pay more than $5,500 in additional costs for goods and services under the Trump administration as prices skyrocket across the economic spectrum.

Housing costs are on the rise, with New York families spending an additional $1,193 on rent and mortgage payments since Trump took office. Grocery prices are up more than 4% during Trump’s presidency — outpacing the overall rate of inflation. And energy prices have soared since the start of Trump’s senseless war in Iran, with the average New York family spending an additional $605 on gas and $230 on home electricity bills since February alone. With that pressing issue in mind, I spent this week introducing a slate of affordability legislation to bring down energy costs for families here in our Capital Region and beyond.

Those bills included:

• The End Energy Hardship Act, which would establish a federal program to fund forgiveness of residential customer utility debt. With roughly 1 in 6 households behind on their energy bills and millions facing severe debt, this program would enable energy providers to cap eligible customers’ bills at no more than 6% of each household’s income for at least five years — providing consumers with more predictable and affordable bills each month.
• The Data Center Fairness Fee Act, which would impose a charge on the owners of data centers based on their electricity consumption. The revenues raised would be directed to state and tribal governments to fund energy affordability programs like LIHEAP or to finance electric grid upgrades that would lower costs for consumers.
• The State Energy Oversight Act, which would establish a new program to provide assistance to state public utility commissions, which are responsible for overseeing utility rates, to improve commission capacity and increase public input in their proceedings.
• The Regional Energy Hubs Act, which would authorize funding for state governments to establish regional energy hubs across the nation that help residents navigate and access energy efficiency incentives and affordability programs. This proposal is modeled after the success of programs like New York’s Capital Region Clean Energy Hub and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension System.

There’s a lot of talk in Washington about skyrocketing energy costs, but the American people don’t want more discussion about their rising utility bills — they need actions like these that provide real, near-term relief.

Since the beginning of this Congress, Capital Region residents from all walks of life have told me that Congress needs to do more to address the affordability crisis facing American families. So while Republicans in Congress abandon their duty to respond to the needs of their constituents, I remain committed to advancing a comprehensive energy affordability agenda that provides urgently needed assistance to families struggling under the weight of Republican policies. When I return to Washington in November, I hope I’ll be joined by colleagues who are ready to get to work on behalf of the people who sent them there.

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:

• Each year, I have the honor of nominating a group of exceptional students from our Capital Region to serve our country by attending one of our nation’s service academies.
• This week, I’m proud to announce that this year’s academy nomination process is now open!
• Applicants to our nation’s service academies must receive a nomination from one of the following:
  • A member of the U.S. House of Representatives who represents the congressional district in which the candidate resides
  • A U.S. Senator from their state
  • The Vice President of the United States
• The deadline for submitting a nomination packet this year is Friday, October 31^st at 5:00 PM ET.
• If you or someone you know is interested in attending a service academy, you can click HERE to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply for a nomination from my office!