Rep AOC’s Bipartisan Bill Passes the House, Homes Act, Protecting Puerto Rico’s Energy Resilience, and More
Editor’s note: Staten Islander News recently covered Rep. AOC’s statement honoring SUNY Maritime College President. She also applauded new rules adopted by FERC protecting our power grid nationwide. Staten Islanders participated in a community event about transportation hosted by NYC DOT.
The following topics are included in this update from Rep. AOC’s office:
- Constituent Corner: How the Government Can Help You
- Homes Act Introduction
- Passing An Energy Permitting Bill Through the House of Representatives
- Update on the DEFIANCE Act
- Protecting Puerto Rico
- Calling Out the Dangers of Donald Trump’s Project 2025
Constituent Corner: How the Government Can Help You
- Stay safe during hurricane season. Hurricane season starts on June 1st and lasts through November 30th. Download Notify NYC to receive local emergency alerts, and check out ready.gov to make sure you’re prepared in the event of a hurricane.
- Join the American Climate Corps! The Climate Corps is a program where young people can roll up their sleeves and make a real difference in the fight against climate change — and get paid to do it. Initially, our office introduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act with Senator Markey. Our legislation allowed us to push the Biden administration to introduce a similar program. And now, hundreds of jobs are open at acc.gov. Apply today to work on projects that promote sustainability, renewable energy, and environmental justice.
- Online Passport Renewal 2.0 (OPR 2.0) has launched and is now available 24/7 for eligible adults wishing to renew their passports online instead of mailing in the renewal form DS-82. Applicants may access OPR 2.0 to submit their renewal at: travel.state.gov/renewonline
- Utilize STEP, a free service for U.S. citizens traveling or living abroad to receive safety and security alerts and other local updates by email from the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. In the event of any emergency, it also helps the State Department contact you with instructions on what to do. All U.S. citizens traveling internationally are strongly encouraged to enroll (or re-enroll) at: www.step.state.gov.
- Participate in the effort to Cap the Cross Bronx! New York City and State want your feedback on the most recent developments in their effort to “Reimagine the Cross Bronx,” and our office encourages you to make your voice heard at the fourth round of community engagement on the Cross Bronx Expressway. This study is funded by a $2M federally funded grant! Learn more about the upcoming workshops in the month of October: nyc.gov/crossbronx
- The Climate Justice Fellowship Plus Program is accepting applications! The Pilot program, administered by NYSERDA, offers funds to non-profits in the Bronx & Queens to boost climate justice in their communities. Learn more or apply.
A Message from the Office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez
To our Neighbors in NY-14,
We have exciting news!
In mid-September, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduced the Homes Act in partnership with Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, Senator Smith, and housing justice advocates host a press conference on the Homes Act. Image Credit – Rep. AOC
The Homes Act would reimagine housing in America, nationalizing housing models like Co-op City in The Bronx, and making a historic and long-overdue investment in our housing supply.
The bill would help build and preserve as many as 1.3 million homes in small towns, big cities, and rural communities; and help families everywhere find a quality, affordable place to call home.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Smith co-authored an op-ed in the New York Times on the legislation. Read more here.
Watch a video on the bill introduction here.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez managing debate on the floor of the House of Representatives. Image Credit – Rep. AOC
Additionally, the Congresswoman, who serves as the Democrats’ leader on a subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee, passed a major energy permitting bill through the House of Representatives!
The Geothermal Cost-Recovery Act of 2024 offers pathways to permit renewable, union-friendly, baseload geothermal energy on federal land without making cuts to critical community and environmental review processes.
If signed into law, this legislation would help our country build a resilient, renewable energy future that truly benefits all Americans by properly funding environmental review processes, not shortcutting them.
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and several other Members of Congress attending a round table on sexually-explicit deepfake pornography. Image Credit – Rep. AOC
This summer the DEFIANCE Act passed the United States Senate 100-0 and our office is working hard to ensure it can pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law.
As a part of that effort, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez partnered with the Democratic Women’s Caucus to hold a bipartisan roundtable on sexually-explicit deepfake pornography, and what Congress can do to address this devastating epidemic.
They were joined by actor and activist Sophia Bush, and Omny Miranda Martone, CEO and Founder of the Sexual Violence Prevention Association
The DEFIANCE Act would create a federal civil right of action for victims of “digital forgery” in which their likeness is created using software, machine learning, artificial intelligence, or any other computer-generated or technological means to appear to be authentic falsely.
New research shows how Project 2025 would negatively impact New York’s 14th Congressional District:
Medicaid & Medicare
- Trump’s Project 2025 would strip away coverage from 70,000 low-income individuals in New York’s 14th Congressional District.
- Trump’s Project 2025 would push seniors into corporate health insurance plans.
- It could threaten the health and pocketbooks of the 53,000 people enrolled in traditional Medicare in New York’s 14th Congressional District.
Prescription Drugs
- Trump’s Project 2025 would raise the cost of prescription drugs for up to 94,000 people in New York’s 14th Congressional District.
- It would also directly increase drug prices for 20,000 Medicare enrollees in New York’s 14th Congressional District who take any of the ten drugs for which Medicare negotiated lower prices.
Reproductive Freedom
- Trump’s Project 2025 would lead to 2,780,000 women in New York losing guaranteed access to free emergency contraception.
Taxes
- Trump’s Project 2025 would enact new tax brackets that raise taxes on the middle class while cutting taxes for the ultrawealthy.
- Under the plan, the typical family of four in New York would see a tax increase of $3,142 per year. Meanwhile, the wealthy few with incomes over $10 million would receive a $1.5 million tax cut.
Social Security - Trump’s Project 2025 would attack Social Security and raise the retirement age cutting benefits for nearly three-quarters of Americans, including 14,258,239 people in New York. Over ten years, the median-wage retiree could lose up to $100,000.
Trump’s Project 2025 would do this and so much more. Click to learn more about the full impact it would have on NY-14.
Banner Image: Rep. AOC celebrates HOMES Act. Image Credit – Rep. AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
In January of 2019, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez was sworn-in as the youngest woman and youngest Latina ever to serve in Congress. Her first piece of legislation was the Green New Deal resolution, which envisions a 10-year national mobilization, akin to FDR’s New Deal, that would put millions to work in good-paying, union jobs repairing the nation’s infrastructure, reducing air and water pollution, and fighting the intertwined economic, social, racial and climate crises crippling the country.