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Tonko, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Supporting Behavioral Health Care for Rare Disease Community

Thu, 14 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) and Don Bacon (NE-2) announced the introduction of a bipartisan resolution recognizing the significant and often overlooked behavioral health needs experienced by individuals and their families affected by rare diseases.

An estimated 1 in 10 Americans are affected by a rare disease, over half of those affected being children, yet 95 percent of rare diseases do not have any FDA-approved treatments. On top of that, access to behavioral health care for rare disease patients and caregivers remains limited due to the shortages of trained clinicians, geographic barriers, low reimbursement rates, and fragmented mental health care.

“Patients, caregivers, and families have often spoken to me about the huge mental toll of living with a rare disease, from delayed diagnoses, to limited treatment options, to the emotional and financial strain of navigating fragmented healthcare systems,” Congressman Tonko said. “For these millions fighting for hope, behavioral health support is not ancillary, but a requirement that cannot be ignored. I’m proud to join Representative Bacon to bring attention to this issue and will push for Congress to address the too often unmet behavioral health needs of our rare disease community.”

“The mental health crisis affecting our communities is one of the most serious challenges of our time, and we cannot overlook the rare disease community,” said Rep. Bacon. “Patients, caregivers, and families often face delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options, and years of uncertainty. I’m pleased to join Rep. Tonko in introducing this bipartisan resolution to recognize these challenges and support better access to mental health care.”

As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Addiction Treatment and Recovery (ATR) Caucus, Rep. Tonko has long worked on issues surrounding mental health parity and access to quality and affordable mental health care. Further, he authored the Helping Experts Accelerate Rare Treatments (HEART) Act, legislation that became law in 2022 and that strengthens the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review process for drugs that treat rare and ultra-rare diseases by directly involving scientists and doctors with expertise throughout the review process.

The bill is endorsed by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), the Caregiver Action Network, the American Psychological Association, and Give an Hour.

Full text of the resolution can be found HERE.

Tonko Announces Student Winners of 2026 Congressional Art Competition

Fri, 08 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

SCHENECTADY, NY — Congressman Paul D. Tonko held a reception last week at the Nott Memorial at Union College to announce the winners of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for New York’s 20^th Congressional District. The winning artworks were chosen from among 42 student submissions representing 21 high schools across the Capital Region.

“Each year I am inspired anew by the incredible talent and creativity displayed by the students entering our Congressional Art Competition, and this year was no different,” Congressman Tonko said. “Last week, I had the honor of joining a group of remarkable local students to celebrate both their artistic skill and their dedication to the creative process. Art plays a vital role in our students’ education, giving them a powerful outlet to share their ideas, their talents, and their unique perspectives on the world. I’m thrilled to recognize this year’s gifted participants, and I’m incredibly grateful to the parents, teachers, and supporters who have helped guide and encourage them along the way.”

This year’s honorees are as follows:

· Winner: Sofia Kennedy, Shaker High School, “Composed”

· Runner-Up: Emma Schweitzer, Academy of the Holy Names, “1900s Breakfast”

· Runner-Up: Sienna Stewart, Albany High School, “The Pink Room”

· Runner-Up: May Nyein, The Doane Stuart School, “Eudora”

· Honorable Mention: Anastazia Valachovic, Averill Park High School, “And Still They Laugh”

· Honorable Mention: Avery Lobban, Bethlehem High School, “Bits and Pieces”

· Honorable Mention: Lachlan Flores, Niskayuna High School, “United States of Amnesia”

“Congratulations to Sofia on her incredible winning piece,” Tonko continued, “and congratulations to all who participated in this year’s competition. Thank you all for sharing your talents with us!”

This year’s awardees were chosen by a distinguished panel of local artists. The winner will be honored at a reception in Washington D.C. this fall, and her artwork will be displayed at the U.S. Capitol for the remainder of the year.

The annual Congressional Art Competition celebrates the artistic achievements of the nation’s high school students. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated, with more than 10,000 student artworks displayed at the U.S. Capitol.

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Tonko Visits Johnsonville Home Undergoing Weatherization Upgrades

Thu, 07 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT

JOHNSONVILLE, NY — Today, Congressman Paul D. Tonko visited a Rensselaer County home undergoing weatherization improvements to view the ongoing progress, meet with the homeowner and local advocates, and discuss ways to help more families take advantage of the benefits provided by home weatherization.

During the visit, Tonko highlighted his Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, a bipartisan bill that would invest federal funding in home weatherization efforts to help low-income families save hundreds of dollars on their energy bills while making their homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient. Tonko’s legislation was recently advanced out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee by a unanimous vote of 50-0.

“I was thrilled to visit this local home today to see firsthand how weatherization improvements can help families save on their energy bills and make their homes more energy efficient,” Congressman Tonko said. “With millions of American families facing rising utility costs thanks to Trump-caused inflation, the time is now for Congress to take action to help lower energy prices — and my Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act does just that. The Weatherization Assistance Program is already saving families hundreds each year on their home energy bills, and with my legislation, we can continue to improve upon this vital program and ensure that communities here in our Capital Region and beyond have the resources and support they need to carry these efforts forward.”

Data shows that home weatherization efforts, or weatherproofing, reduces energy burdens by providing safe, cost-effective energy efficiency retrofit investments including sealing and insulating. Additionally, households receiving services from the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) save an average of $372 each year on their energy bills.

The Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act would strengthen the WAP program by:

· Reauthorizing the WAP through Fiscal Year 2030; and

· Raising the statutory Average Cost Per Unit from $6,500 to $12,000, allowing households to receive more assistance and allowing WAP implementers to pay competitive wages and retain their workforces.

Photos from today’s visit can be found on Congressman Tonko’s social media platforms at Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, or X (formerly Twitter).

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Tonko Calls Out Farm Bill that Leaves Families and Farmers High and Dry

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) released a statement following the House passage of the Farm Bill:

"Republicans spent the last several years crafting a Farm Bill, and this is all they have to show for it: legislation that ignores the cost-of-living crisis that so many American families are shouldering in favor of cementing massive cuts to SNAP and to cost-saving conservation and energy programs, all the while greenlighting Trump’s illegal tariffs.

"Over this past year, farmers have felt continued economic hardship from Trump’s reckless tariff scheme, and with his latest war of choice with Iran, costs from fuel to fertilizer continue to skyrocket, adding to the farm bankruptcy crisis gripping our nation. Further, this bill locks in the $187 billion cuts to food assistance made in Republicans’ One Big Ugly Bill last year — the largest cut to food assistance in history — all but ensuring our children, veterans, and seniors go hungry. This bill fails in the most basic obligations to support farmers and working families. That’s why I voted no."

Tonko Statement on Death of Former CDTA CEO Carm Basile

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

AMSTERDAM, NY — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) released the following statement after news of the death this morning of former Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) CEO Carm Basile:

“I’m deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of former CDTA CEO Carm Basile, a true friend and dedicated public servant who spent his brilliant career working to better connect and serve our Capital Region communities. Carm started at CDTA in 1981 as a transportation planner and moved steadily up the ranks, concluding his 43-year tenure at the Authority with 15 years as its CEO. I was proud to work closely with Carm on expanding transit access in Montgomery County and on building a greener, more energy-efficient fleet of vehicles that helped steer CDTA firmly into the 21^st century. Through his skillful navigation of CDTA through the pandemic and subsequent recovery, he never lost sight of his signature determination to improve the lives of those he served. Carm will be sorely missed by all of us in the Capital Region, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife Sheila and his two sons as they mourn this tragic loss.”

Tonko, Balderson Champion Bipartisan Bill to Bolster Mental Health Care for Kids

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20) and Troy Balderson (R-OH-12) announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the School-Based Health Centers (SBHC) program. The bill H.R. 8209, would amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the school-based health centers grant program.

Students and their families rely on SBHCs to meet their needs for a full range of age-appropriate health care services. SBHCs primarily operate in underserved communities and play a crucial role in the provision of primary care services to school children, which also includes dental screenings and mental health services. There are more than 2,500 school-based health centers nationwide, serving more than 6.3 million K-12 students.

“We in Congress should do everything in our power to ensure our future generation has the support and care they need to thrive,” Congressman Tonko said. “School-based health centers play a critical role in providing healthcare for students, including those struggling with mental health challenges or substance use disorders. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to push for this important measure that serves students and families across New York’s Capital Region and beyond.”

“School-based health centers are crucial for ensuring students can access quality care where they spend most of their day—at school,” said Balderson. “By reaffirming and strengthening federal support for these centers, we are helping families access preventive services, improving student health outcomes, and giving children the foundation they need to succeed both in the classroom and in life. This program has been a tremendous success in Ohio, and I’m proud to help lead the effort to reauthorize it.”

This bipartisan legislation was included in a recent Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing, titled Healthier America: Legislative Proposals to Improve Public Health.

Previously, Tonko supported the successful effort to reauthorize the SBHC program, which reauthorized the program through 2026.

Bill text can be read HERE.

Tonko Selects 20 Local Community Projects for Federal Funding Push

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

AMSTERDAM, NY — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today announced his selection of 20 community development and improvement projects that he has submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations in an effort to bring federal investment to the Capital Region through the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Community Project Funding process.

“No one knows the needs of our communities better than the people in it; so, it stands to reason that any efforts to improve and address the needs of our Capital Region should be envisioned by our community,” Congressman Tonko said. “The beauty of the Community Project Funding process is that we can unleash the full potential of these locally-developed projects with federal dollars. I’m so grateful to the many applicants who developed these worthy initiatives. You have my pledge to fight tooth and nail to include these 20 projects in our federal budget and bring these dollars home for the benefit of all in our region.”

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 20 projects in their community for FY2027, which are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams available mainly to state and local governments. Over the years, Tonko has successfully secured funding for dozens of diverse projects totaling more than $52 million for the Capital Region.

Projects submitted by Rep. Tonko can be found below listed in alphabetical order of the project title. Individual project descriptions and other details can be found on his website HERE.

Project Title: Bridges to Transformation Initiative

Recipient: Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Inc.

Amount Requested: $1,059,585

Project Title: Capital Region Translational Research Initiative

Recipient: Albany Medical College

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Project Title: City of Albany Corning Preserve Playground

Recipient: City of Albany

Amount Requested: $900,000

Project Title: City of Amsterdam Department of Public Works Building

Recipient: City of Amsterdam

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Title: City of Cohoes Public Library Update

Recipient: City of Cohoes

Amount Requested: $649,250

Project Title: Critical High Need Medical Equipment for Schenectady County

Recipient: Schenectady County

Amount Requested: $436,522

Project Title: Expanding Access to Rural Healthcare with (Otolaryngologists) ENT Services at St. Mary’s

Recipient: St. Mary's Healthcare

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Title: Garnsey Park Infrastructure Improvements

Recipient: Town of Clifton Park

Amount Requested: $280,000

Project Title: Guy Park Manor Resiliency Park

Recipient: New York Power Authority ("NYPA") on behalf of New York State Canal Corporation ("NYSCC")

Amount Requested $2,120,000

Project Title: Hoosick Regional Emergency Fly Car

Recipient: Town of Hoosick

Amount Requested: $80,856.52

Project Title: Malta Water District #1 Water Storage and Quality Improvement Project

Recipient: Town of Malta

Amount Requested: $3,000,000

Project Title: Mobile Laboratory for Monitoring PFAS

Recipient: The Research Foundation for the State University of New York, on behalf of The University at Albany

Amount Requested: $1,329,000

Project Title: North Plant Odor Mitigation Project

Recipient: Albany County

Amount Requested: $1,600,000

Project Title: Office of Violence Prevention

Recipient: City of Albany

Amount Requested: $1,000,000

Project Title: Rensselaer Hollow Preserve Trailhead Connection Project

Recipient: City of Rensselaer

Amount Requested: $496,800

Project Title: Route 7 Safety Improvements

Recipient: Town of Niskayuna

Amount Requested: $2,800,000

Project Title: Town Complex Sewer Upgrades

Recipient: Town of Halfmoon

Amount Requested: $564,200

Project Title: Town of Amsterdam Harrower Sewer Extension

Recipient: Town of Amsterdam

Amount Requested $4,500,000

Project Title: Village of Scotia Water System Project

Recipient: Village of Scotia

Amount Requested: $950,000

Project Title: Watervliet ADA Municipal Building Access Project

Recipient: City of Watervliet

Amount Requested: $913,000

Tonko Introduces Power for the People Act to Shield Consumers from Rising Energy Costs

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today introduced the Power for the People Act in the House, legislation that ensures data centers are held responsible for the high costs of their electricity demand. Senator Van Hollen (D- MD) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The rise of artificial intelligence models has resulted in data center development exploding in recent years. With data centers critical to national security, economic development, and job growth, their need will only increase.

However, data centers are huge energy consumers, and their rapid growth and energy demand is placing increased strain on the electric grid. Recent reports have indicated that 55% of new energy demand in the US comes solely from data centers, and if load forecasts are correct, data centers will represent 15% of our national electricity consumption by 2030. Without proper backstops in place, new energy demand from data centers will continue to increase prices resulting in big profits for energy companies and big bills for electricity customers.

“Families are already paying higher prices for everything from groceries to healthcare, to gas, to utilities — they shouldn’t be forced to also shoulder the costs for companies building data centers,” Congressman Tonko said. “Our Power for the People Act balances the need for data center development without pushing those costs onto consumers. I thank my colleagues for supporting this commonsense legislation that protects consumers and grid reliability while holding big technology companies accountable.”

House Cosponsors include: Kathy Castor, Steve Cohen, Maxine Dexter, Sarah Elfreth, Valerie Foushee, John Garamendi, Dan Goldman, Eleanor Holmes-Norton, Glenn Ivey, Stephen Lynch, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Kweisi Mfume, Johnny Olszewski, Mike Quigley, Jan Schakowsky

Senate Cosponsors include: Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CN), Cory Booker (D-NJ) Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT)

Supporting organizations include: NRDC, Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club, Evergreen, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumer Law Center, Public Citizen, Maryland People’s Counsel, Illinois Citizens Utility Board, New Jersey Division of the Rate Counsel, Oregon Citizens Utility Board, and Delaware Division of the Public Advocate

The Power for the People Act will:

Direct FERC to issue a rule to ensure data centers are paying for the local transmission upgrades they require
Direct FERC to issue a rule requiring electric grid operators to create a data center load queue
Create a system to manage data center interconnection to the grid that would prioritize data centers that:
- Bring their own new power generation and battery storage systems to the grid;
- Mitigate pollution; and
- Create good paying jobs
Support efforts to improve accurate data center load forecasting

A fact-sheet of the bill is attached HERE.

Bill text is attached HERE.

A section by section is attached HERE.

Tonko Calls to Impeach Trump

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

AMSTERDAM, NY — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) released a statement following the increasingly unhinged threats of violence from President Trump against the people of Iran:

“The President of the United States is publicly threatening to commit genocide.

“This is not hyperbole or wordsmithing, his exact words were “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

“I fear for our nation. This is not who we are. For generations, the United States has striven to be that shining city on a hill — advancing values of freedom, democracy, human rights and shared prosperity around the globe. Our greatest generation fought and died in the fields of Europe and across the vast Pacific to stem the tide of fascism and the genocidal dictators it enabled. When confronted with the abysmal horrors of the Holocaust, we vowed with one clear voice “never again.”

“We cannot fall prey to indifference or apathy, believing that the President’s words are mere idle threats. He is the Commander in Chief of the most powerful military the world has ever seen. He has already launched an illegal war of choice against a country that posed no imminent military threat to the United States.

“We must take his words at face value, and when we do, there is only one clear conclusion: this is genocidal talk from an unhinged madman President.

“For love of country, for the freedoms we cherish and for the values we hold dear, the House must immediately reconvene and vote to impeach Donald Trump.”

Tonko, SEEC Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Introduce Energy Bills Relief Act

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) joined House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) Clean Energy Deployment Task Force Co-Chairs U.S. Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Mike Levin (CA-49), along with more than 100 House Democrats today to introduce the Energy Bills Relief Act. This legislation takes a family- and consumer-focused approach to United States energy policy that ensures Americans have access to the most reliable and low-cost source of power available.

“President Trump promised to cut energy bills in half in his first year in office; instead, household electric bills have spiked 13 percent,” Congressman Tonko, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and SEEC co-chair said. “With necessities from utilities and gas to groceries and health care on the rise, it is imperative that Congress takes the needed steps to deliver real, immediate relief to families. Our Energy Bills Relief Act gets the job done. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill that would drive down energy prices for Americans while advancing our 21st century clean energy infrastructure and creating a brighter future for our economy, planet, and children.”

Text of the legislation can be found here.

A section-by-section can be found here.

A one-page summary can be found here. A three-page summary can be found here.

Statements of support from key issues advocacy organizations and industry leaders can be found here.

The Energy Bills Relief Act prioritizes consumers and ensures access to low-cost energy for our homes, businesses, and economy by:

Reinstating tax credits for home and system-wide energy improvements that were ended by President Trump and congressional Republicans
Incentivizing utility companies to save consumers’ money by rewarding them for making their systems more efficient, thereby lowering bills
Providing financial assistance to American families to make sure their power isn’t shut off
Cracking down on price gouging, so energy companies can’t take advantage of you to boost their profits
Ensuring that facilities like data centers are paying for their own costs because it’s not fair for their expenses to be pushed onto your household if one opens in your area
Giving a voice to the American people so they can benefit from energy projects in their community