February 1, 2025
Dear Friends,
Last week, in a room filled with his billionaire friends, Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term as President in a ceremony that he clearly viewed not as an inauguration, but as a coronation. After an inaugural address filled with threats of retribution against his political opponents, Trump swiftly abandoned his promise to focus on lowering costs for the American people, instead signing a series of sweeping executive orders aimed at consolidating his own power at the expense of working families. It is apparent that Trump’s strategy is to sow maximum chaos and confusion — creating an atmosphere of fear that helps him steer tax breaks and special privileges to his wealthiest supporters while extending his own power. This week, we saw the human impact of this reckless approach to governance.
On Monday evening, the Trump administration issued a vaguely worded memo to all federal agencies ordering them to stop distributing hundreds of billions of dollars in essential federal aid for families, communities, and nonprofit organizations. This action instantly wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of Americans, causing state Medicaid payment portals to go offline and threatening the survival of vital programs ranging from medical research initiatives to food and rental assistance. At its core, Trump’s illegal order was a blatant abuse of power — holding hospitals, charities, and small businesses hostage in order to wrest power from Congress and federal agencies. President Trump has no authority to withhold funding that has already been approved by both parties in Congress and signed into law. He is not a king, and it’s time he stops acting like one.
Fortunately, nationwide outrage at this clearly unlawful maneuver forced the Trump Administration to backtrack and rescind its order. I’m grateful to the countless constituents, organizations, and advocates who joined me in expressing their opposition to this cruel action that caused very real pain for families across our nation. But make no mistake: this will not be the last time Trump and his Republican allies try to gut the vital programs that millions of working families rely on. Going forward, we must continue to use our voices to stand up for our communities and speak truth to power.
President Trump’s plan to reshape our government in his own image is also evident in his push to install dangerous, unqualified, and above all, loyal appointees at the helm of every federal agency. Among the nominees being considered for confirmation this week are:
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist whose proposed policies, experts say, could cause new outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, meningitis, or even polio, as Secretary of Health and Human Services;
- Tulsi Gabbard, a former Congresswoman who has spent years echoing Russian propaganda and cozying up to foreign dictators, as Director of National Intelligence; and
- Kash Patel, a die-hard Trump loyalist who recently published an “enemies list” of government officials to target for retaliation, as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
These appointees all have two things in common: an unwavering personal allegiance to Donald Trump and a willingness to instill confusion and fear — tools he will rely on to bring their respective agencies firmly under his control.
At the same time, Trump is using his perch atop the federal bureaucracy to hollow out the core of our federal workforce — pushing out thousands of experts, civil servants, and other workers who have spent decades serving the American people under both Democratic and Republican administrations. First, he tried to further his unconstitutional power grab by summarily firing 18 inspectors general — the watchdogs who work to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse across our government agencies. Then, federal employees across the nation were handed a so-called “buyout offer,” a barely disguised threat to replace them with loyalists willing to carry out Trump’s radical agenda. By stripping federal agencies of all expertise and oversight, Trump and his allies will cripple our government’s ability to care for our veterans, protect our environment, and fulfill countless other vital functions.
Donald Trump’s actions during his first two weeks back in office reveal a clear strategy: wield chaos and fear as weapons to dismantle the federal government and auction off its resources to his billionaire friends. But amid a week of devastating developments, the rescission of Trump’s funding freeze was a powerful reminder that when we fight, we win. No matter what the next four years bring, my Democratic colleagues and I will remain steadfast in our efforts to protect our communities and the essential services American families rely on.
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 federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- This week, I was proud to launch my inaugural “Valentines for Vets” initiative!
- Through this program, I’m inviting students and all other members of our Capital Region community to mail or drop off cards to my district offices in Albany or Saratoga Springs to deliver to local veterans and those who serve them this Valentine’s Day.
- Participants are asked to mail or drop off their Valentine’s Day cards to either:
- My Albany office, located at 19 Dove Street, Unit 302, Albany, New York 12210, or
- My Saratoga Springs office, located at 433 Broadway, Suite 201, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866.
- To ensure timely delivery, mailed cards should be postmarked no later than Friday, February 7th, 2025.
- Cards delivered to my offices in person should be dropped off no later than Thursday, February 13th, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
- For more information or questions about the Valentines for Vets initiative, please contact my Albany office at 518-465-0700.
