School For The Deaf Funding, Senior Medicare In Hands Of Private Insurers, Branded Drug Tariffs, Higher Costs For Furniture, Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Cuts, FBI Dir. James Comey Indictment, Ban Stock Holding / Trading By Electeds: Senator Gillibrand

School For The Deaf Funding, Senior Medicare In Hands Of Private Insurers, Branded Drug Tariffs, Higher Costs For Furniture, Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Cuts, FBI Dir. James Comey Indictment, Ban Stock Holding / Trading By Electeds: Senator Gillibrand

Editor’s note: In our last rundown of Senator Gillibrand’s announcements, tariffs were mentioned once again, this time in regard to their effects on small businesses of all types.  Tariffs tend to raise costs overall to producers, which must then be passed on to the consumers.  When a company is unable to move their source of production to the US in order to compete, they end up struggling and often failing.  Several manufacturers have filed for bankruptcy or closed operations in 2025 citing tariffs, including Marelli and Wheel Pros, along with airline company Spirit Airlines who cited margin advantages for legacy airlines such as Delta and Southwest.  

GILLIBRAND HIGHLIGHTS FUNDING NEEDS AT NEW YORK SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

White Plains, NY – On the first day of school for New York School for the Deaf (NYSD) students, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand stood with leadership from NYSD to underscore the importance of passing into law the $5 million she secured for the school’s new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Facility in a Senate bill earlier this summer. This facility will be New York State’s first CTE center dedicated to deaf and hard-of-hearing youth, providing essential education and certification programs that will significantly enhance their postgraduation employment opportunities.

“Making sure every New Yorker has access to career development opportunities is critical to ensuring a more equitable and prosperous tomorrow for our state,” said Senator Gillibrand. “That’s why I am proud to lead the funding request to help ensure this great New York institution has the resources they need to uphold their mission and expand their services. As a long-time advocate of expanding services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, I’m proud to have helped secure this nearly $5 million in the Senate appropriations bill to help NYSD remain one of the world’s renowned institutions for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

“This investment has the potential to transform opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing students, ensuring they have access to high-demand, career-ready skills,” said Dr. Joseph Santini, Superintendent of the New York School for the Deaf. “We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand’s support and for the visibility this will bring the Fanwood’s extraordinary community.”

“Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. That’s why here in New York, we are proud to support programs and institutions that engage children with disabilities and special needs, to make sure that these incredible young people are given the tools they need to achieve their goals, no matter the obstacles,” said New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. “The New York School for the Deaf has been providing education and opportunity for deaf New Yorkers for more than 200 years, and this Career and Technical Education facility will bring its programming to new heights. I applaud Sen. Gillibrand for delivering the critical federal funding to make this facility possible.”

“The New York School for the Deaf has been a cornerstone of education and opportunity for generations, and this new Career and Technical Education facility will ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins. “We are grateful to Senator Gillibrand for her leadership, and proud to see Westchester at the forefront of expanding access, equity and career pathways for all students.”

“I am thrilled to see the New York School for the Deaf become the State’s first CTE center for deaf youth and receive this much-needed capital funding. CTE training is a proven pathway to employment, and these investments will enable us to expand career opportunities for deaf students in our region,” said New York State Assemblymember MaryJane Shimsky. “Thank you to Senator Gillibrand for her support and advocacy for this vital initiative.”

“What a fantastic opportunity for the men and women who will be learning a skilled trade which provides great wages and benefits such as an annuity, Health and Welfare and a pension. What Senator Gillibrand is helping to achieve today is not just a job, but a great career to these students whom may have been previously overlooked,” said Thomas Carey, President of the Westchester Putnam Central Labor Body. “I look forward to following through and meeting the future tradespeople in this program “

NYSD has partnered with the Westchester Putnam Central Labor Body (WPCLB) on this initiative.

GILLIBRAND SLAMS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLOY TO UNDERMINE SENIORS’ ACCESS TO TREATMENT UNDER TRADITIONAL MEDICARE

New Medicare WISeR Pilot Program Hands Seniors’ Health Decisions to AI and Private Insurance Companies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, is calling on the Trump administration to halt an experiment that would allow private insurance companies and artificial intelligence (AI) tools to delay and deny care to seniors enrolled in Traditional Medicare across six states.

Senator Gillibrand, along with Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), led 18 Senate Democrats in a call for the Trump administration to halt implementation of the pilot program until further analysis on patient access to care can be conducted.

“As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, protecting and expanding access to Medicare is one of my top priorities,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m deeply concerned that the administration’s proposal will force seniors to jump through unnecessary hoops just to get the care they need. While technology can help improve health care delivery, this model will further burden physicians and harm seniors, who should not face the delay or denial of critical treatment at the hand of artificial intelligence.”

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Under the WISeR Model, participants are third-party vendors who will use AI to determine whether patients in Traditional Medicare would be covered for certain procedures. Although described as a voluntary model, WISeR is functionally mandatory for health care providers, suppliers and seniors in the six selected states: New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington. Clinicians who do not submit prior authorization requests for the selected services will face mandatory pre-payment medical reviews, adding administrative burden and potential care delays for people with Traditional Medicare.

The WISeR Model’s burden on physicians and other health care providers is immense, particularly for those working in small or marginalized or low-income settings. Most important is the lack of clarity this demonstration provides about how beneficiaries will be notified, supported, or protected if prior authorizations are denied. Without strong patient-centered protections and appeals guidance, the model could unintentionally restrict access to necessary care.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON BRANDED DRUGS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the sweeping new import tariffs announced by President Trump, which include 100% duties on branded drugs.

“At a time when families are already struggling with high health care costs, President Trump’s new tariffs will make things even worse. These tariffs are a direct tax on working families. They’ll hurt seniors on fixed incomes, parents of children with chronic conditions, and working Americans by raising the price of life-saving medications. This isn’t about putting America first; it’s about scoring political points at the cost of the American people.

I’m committed to doing everything I can to lower the price of prescription drugs so that all Americans can get the medications they need at a price they can afford.”

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON NEW TRUMP TARIFFS ON HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE AND OTHER WOOD PRODUCTS

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the tariffs imposed by President Trump on imported lumber, timber, kitchen cabinets, and upholstered furniture:

“The cost of living for Americans is far too high, and President Trump is doubling down on that by imposing new tariffs on lumber, timber, and furniture. These tariffs will make the American dream of owning a home harder and more expensive for families across New York and make building and rehabilitating affordable housing more difficult. Their effects will be felt across the state, especially in regions like Western New York, whose economy relies heavily on trade with Canada. As construction costs and home prices are already surging and putting affordable housing out of reach for so many, these tariffs are just another needless tax on hardworking Americans and demonstrate that President Trump doesn’t want to truly fight the cost-of-living crisis.”

GILLIBRAND, GILLEN, LAWLER DEMAND REVERSAL OF PROPOSED CUTS TO PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMOR CONSORTIUM; RAISE ALARM ON IMPACT TO NY PEDIATRIC BRAIN CANCER PATIENTS 

Washington, D.C. — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D-NY-04), and Congressman Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) sent a bipartisan letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and National Cancer Institute (NCI) Principal Deputy Director Douglas Lowy calling on their agencies to reconsider proposed federal funding cuts to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC).

In August, NCI announced that PBTC member institutions would no longer be eligible to apply for federal funding through the program beyond March 2026. This decision could threaten access to care for patients currently on waiting lists or enrolled in clinical trials funded through PBTC at member institutions.

“The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium does lifesaving work in pursuit of treatments for pediatric brain cancers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By cutting funding for this critical consortium, the Trump administration is putting children’s lives at risk. Without funding, the PBTC could be forced to stop treatment for patients undergoing therapy and turn away terminally ill pediatric cancer patients on waiting lists for these trials. That is absolutely abhorrent. I am calling on the Trump administration to immediately reverse this decision so that patients and their families can continue to access the support, research, and treatment they need in the face of a heartbreaking pediatric cancer diagnosis.”

The PBTC is a network of academic centers and children’s hospitals, including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, dedicated to understanding and developing novel treatments for pediatric brain tumors through multi-center, multidisciplinary clinical trials. Since 1999, the PBTC has utilized federal dollars to develop lifesaving therapies to treat some of the deadliest pediatric brain cancers.

The letter was endorsed by the National Brain Tumor Society.

“Before the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC), there was no coordinated, systematic approach to prioritize and evaluate promising therapies for children and young adults with brain tumors—the leading cause of childhood cancer death,” said David Arons, President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Brain Tumor Society. “Since 1999, as the only NCI-funded initiative solely focused on early-phase pediatric brain tumor trials, the PBTC has played a pivotal role in advancing potential new treatments for these vulnerable patients. Closing it would weaken an already fragile but essential research and drug development ecosystem unless an even stronger, durable, and equally focused network is established. As advocates, the National Brain Tumor Society must urge NCI to sustain PBTC’s critical functions and work.”

The full letter can be found HERE and below. 

Dear Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Lowy:

We are deeply concerned by the National Cancer Institute’s decision to terminate funding for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) and transition the PBTC’s functions over to the Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network (PEP-CTN). This decision could undermine critical research offering hope to children and families facing heartbreaking diagnoses. I urge you to reverse this decision and provide clarity on this decision to researchers, families, and most importantly, patients who will be affected by this change.

As you know, brain and spinal cord tumors are the most common types of solid tumor found in children, accounting for about one in five cancers in all patients under the age of fifteen. Voluntary clinical trials are an indispensable practice for medical professionals to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new treatments. For many patients and families, these trials represent the only option after conventional treatments fail.

The PBTC is an association of academic centers and children’s hospitals, including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, dedicated to trials of novel treatments for pediatric brain cancer. Since 1999, the PBTC has made use of Federal dollars to develop lifesaving therapies to treat some of the deadliest pediatric brain cancers.

Last month, the PBTC was informed that it would receive no Federal funding beyond March 2026. Terminal patients on waiting lists for these trials will no longer be able to enroll in these critical trials, and those currently enrolled may lose access to the trials for a period of time as studies are put on hold due to lack of funding.

We understand the Administration intends to transition the PBTC to PEP-CTN, but the PEP-CTN’s mission is far too broad and will result in the de-prioritization of pediatric brain cancer trials, in favor of other pediatric cancer trials. A specialized center focused solely on pediatric brain cancer is essential to the success of brain tumor research in the future. Additionally, we have concerns that some patients may be lost in the fold during this transition, and that crucial time will be lost as well. For patients on PBTC trials, every second counts.

This decision is devastating for patients, for researchers, and for so many affected by pediatric brain cancer. We cannot afford to take this step backward, and we stand ready to work on a bipartisan basis in Congress to ensure that this research continues in full and that the United States continues to support research, innovation and medical breakthroughs.

We urge you to reconsider this harmful decision, and we look forward to your response.

Regards,

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON INDICTMENT OF JAMES COMEY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey:

“The indictment of James Comey is an extremely disturbing development,” said Senator Gillibrand. “President Trump directed his attorney general to pursue legal action against his political adversaries, and the president’s handpicked prosecutor delivered just days later, despite a two-month investigation by career prosecutors finding no probable cause to indict. This is a stunning affront to the rule of law and prosecutorial independence.”

GILLIBRAND, COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO EXPAND WORKING FAMILIES’ ACCESS TO CHILD CARE

Legislation reauthorizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) for the first time in over a decade

In New York, a family of four is eligible for child care services under CCDBG if they make less than $113,567

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Deb Fischer (R-NE), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Child Care Modernization Act, which will help provide quality, affordable child care to America’s working families by reauthorizing and improving the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG).

“Affordable, quality child care is a necessity – not a luxury. Unfortunately, that is not the reality, especially in rural areas,” said the senators. “With the Child Care Modernization Act, we will reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant to provide significant, positive change in child care access and quality. The CCDBG has provided working families with child care services for 30 years; we will continue to work to fund the program to ensure these changes can be implemented and continue to serve families who need child care assistance. It’s time to reauthorize this important program to extend child care to more hardworking American families.”

For over three decades, the CCDBG has been the primary federal program to help provide families with access to quality child care. Despite bipartisan support, the program has not been reauthorized since 2014. Senator Gillibrand is steadfastly committed to working in a bipartisan fashion to get these grants reauthorized and to secure funding for them.

The Child Care Modernization Act will:

• Strengthen child care services by moving states to use cost estimation models for setting provider rates, which will adequately compensate child care providers.
• Ensure parental choice by allowing states to develop a mixed delivery system of child care and preschool for children 0-5 and before-school, after-school, and summer care for school-age children.
• Increase child care supply by introducing a new grant program within the CCDBG framework to assist providers in creating and expanding the supply.
• Improve state child care plans by improving support for families and communities, reducing barriers to the program, and increasing access and affordability to serve more families.
• Assist in-home and rural child care providers by providing technical assistance, including strategies to support best business practices, and the development and use of shared services initiatives such as family child care home provider networks.
• Reduce duplicative regulatory burdens on child care providers by ensuring states review their state and local health and safety requirements to determine redundancies and oversights that may exist.

The bill is endorsed by Afterschool Alliance, Alliance of New York State YMCAs, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Child Care Aware of America, Early Care and Education Consortium (ECEC), Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), First Five Years Fund, Independent Restaurant Coalition, KinderCare Learning Companies (KLC), Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Low Income Investment Fund, Moms First, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), National Association of Counties (NACo), National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), National Child Care Association, National Children’s Facilities Network, Save the Children, Start Early, Tootris, and YMCA of the USA.

“Access to affordable, reliable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing working families. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is a vital part of facing that challenge head on. We’re grateful to Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Susan Collins (R-ME) for their bipartisan leadership in introducing the Child Care Modernization Act. This legislation offers an important opportunity to strengthen and sustain CCDBG while also addressing child care needs in real time. This will help serve more families both now and in the future,” said First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling.

“BPC Action is proud to endorse the Child Care Modernization Act, which reauthorizes and modernizes the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG has long been a bipartisan program that delivers for families, and this legislation strengthens that legacy by helping parents better access affordable, high-quality care while supporting the workforce that provides it. Child care is essential economic infrastructure for working families, and we commend Sens. Fischer (R-NE) and Gillibrand (D-NY) for their bipartisan leadership in advancing solutions that strengthen children, families, and the economy,” said Michele Stockwell, president of Bipartisan Policy Center Action.

“For decades, America has treated child care like a personal problem instead of what it really is, an economic imperative. That’s why it matters that Senators Fischer and Gillibrand are reaching across the aisle with the Child Care Modernization Act. Families everywhere are drowning in child care costs, and businesses are losing talent because parents can’t find or afford care. No parent should have to choose between feeding their babies and funding their daycare. This bill takes a critical step by funding the supply of child care we desperately need. This is what real pro-family policy looks like,” said Reshma Saujani, CEO of Moms First.

“Facilities are an essential program feature often omitted from the discussions about increasing access to affordable, quality care. This legislation is particularly impactful because it incorporates resources for states to address facilities obstacles that inhibit the ability child care operators to provide affordable, quality care. Many child care providers lack the ability to address facilities needs because razor-thin operating margins, unpredictable operating streams, and lack of consistent and effective capital subsidies make it difficult to access to mainstream financial products. This bill will make it possible to better serve children, families, child care professionals and local communities.” – Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)

“The Low Income Investment Fund applauds Senators Gillibrand (D-NY) and Fischer (R-NE) for their bipartisan leadership in addressing the needs of families, child care providers, and communities through the Child Care Modernization Act,” said Dan Nissenbaum, CEO of the Low Income Investment Fund. “By recognizing the critical importance of federal investment in child care facilities, this legislation will help modernize infrastructure, strengthen quality, and ensure the health and safety of our nation’s children while helping expand our workforce.”

“The Child Care Modernization Act, if funded sufficiently, offers a meaningful opportunity to improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Because the bill would invest in the early childhood education workforce, improve how educators are paid, and build the supply of quality child care, NAEYC endorses this legislation, and is particularly appreciative of the bipartisan leadership of Senators Fischer, Gillibrand, Collins, and Hickenlooper to call for the funding necessary to implement it. We look forward to working with these offices and other leaders in Congress to continue to increase support and investment for policies that improve access to a quality child care system that works for children, families, educators, and our economy,” said Daniel Hains Chief Policy & Professional Advancement Officer of NAEYC.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

SENATOR GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCEs NEW BILL TO BAN STOCK holding or trading BY SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

From 2019-2021, one in three members of Congress traded stocks or other financial assets, many of which posed potential conflicts of interest with their legislative responsibilities

86% of Americans support passing a bill to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference to introduce the No Stock Act. This critical legislation would ban senior government officials—including members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, the president, the vice President, and their immediate families—from holding or trading stocks and certain other financial assets.

Despite the passage of Senator Gillibrand’s STOCK Act in 2012—which bars congressmembers from using insider information to buy and sell stocks—recent data indicates that one in three members of Congress traded stocks or other financial assets from 2019-2021, and over 3,700 of those trades posed potential conflicts of interest with their legislative responsibilities. Senator Gillibrand’s new legislation would help eliminate these conflicts of interest by banning stock trading for high-ranking government officials altogether.

“Government officials are entrusted with privileged and often confidential information to carry out important work and serve the American people. It is absolutely unacceptable that so many of them seem to be using their power to advance their own financial interests,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The American people deserve to know that their elected officials are working in their best interest, not watching their stock portfolios grow. By banning stock holding and trading, the No Stock Act will solve this problem once and for all. I am determined to get it across the finish line.”

Senator Gillibrand has been a champion for transparency and good government throughout her career. Gillibrand led Senate passage of the STOCK Act in 2012, and she was the first member of Congress to post a daily report listing her official meetings, personal financial disclosures, earmark requests, and taxes online. In 2023, she also introduced the bipartisan Ban Stock Trading for Government Officials Act, legislation that aimed to create stringent stock trading bans and disclosure requirements for Congress, senior executive branch officials, and their spouses and dependents.

The full text of the bill can be found here.

Banner Image: Pediatric Cancer patient. Image Credit – National Cancer Institute