NY Senator: Whole Milk For Healthy Kids, War Powers Resolution Fails, Banning Stock Trading By Congress, Court Injunction Unpauses Wind Project, Tech Giants Should Remove AI Sexualized Images, Cleaning Up Nuclear Waste Upstate New York, Abuse Of Social Security Data By DOGE

Whole Milk For Healthy Kids, War Powers Resolution Fails, Banning Stock Trading By Congress, Court Injunction Unpauses Wind Project, Tech Giants Should Remove AI Sexualized Images, Cleaning Up Nuclear Waste Upstate New York, Abuse Of Social Security Data By DOGE: Senator Gillibrand

Editor’s note: This is not the first time a bill has been introduced to ban stock trading by members of Congress.  When Congess deliberates regulations for companies, and then can buy stock in those companies based on their internal knowledge of the likelihood of those bill to pass, that would be considered insider trading if done by an ordinary citizen.  This has happened many times in the halls of Congress, seriously enriching those that participate.  Some members of Congress, including Senator Gillibrand, have signed statements that they do not and will not own or trade any corporate shares or other stocks.  The senator has discussed this issue in the past as well.  Rep. Malliotakis has been helping to fund the cleanup at a former uraniam storage warehouse right under the Bayonne Bridge in our own backyard.  

 

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF THE WHOLE MILK FOR HEALTHY KIDS ACT

New York, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand made the following statement on the passage of the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. The bill changes the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) current meal program guidelines to permit schools to serve whole milk in addition to reduced-fat and fat-free milk, as well as nutritionally equivalent milk substitutes at the request of a parent or guardian. Senator Gillibrand is an original cosponsor of the bill in the Senate.

“Kids need nutritious meals to learn and thrive, and whole milk provides those critical nutrients. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act invests in children’s health and supports New York State’s dairy farmers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By allowing schools to offer whole milk and milk substitutes that are equivalent in nutrition, we’re making school meals healthier and ensuring that locally produced dairy continues to play a role in feeding the next generation. It’s a win for students, schools, and New York agriculture.”

New York State is the fifth-largest producer of dairy in the country, and the dairy industry is New York’s largest agricultural sector. New York’s nearly 2,800 dairy farms produce 16.1 billion pounds of milk annually, representing over 7% of total U.S. milk production.

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON FAILURE OF WAR POWERS RESOLUTION

 

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement following the failure of the resolution to require congressional authorization for military force against Venezuela: 

“Today’s vote sends a clear message to the American people: Republicans will not keep the president in check. At a time when working New Yorkers are struggling to pay their bills and want action on health care, wages, and the cost of living, the president wants to spend American tax dollars and risk American lives in another protracted foreign regime change effort. 

“I am deeply disappointed by the failure of this resolution, but the issues it raises will not disappear. The Constitution makes clear that Congress, not the president, has the power to authorize military action. I will continue fighting for accountability, to reassert Congress’ constitutional role, and to prioritize policies that put working families first.” 

SENS. MOODY, GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCE NEW BIPARTISAN BILL TO BAN CONGRESSIONAL STOCK TRADING

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

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ashley Moody (R-FL) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act, which would ban stock ownership and trading for members of Congress and their immediate family members. This is companion legislation to the bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX-21) and Seth Magaziner (D-RI-02) in the U.S. House of Representatives, which currently has 126 total cosponsors. To date, 79 representatives–both Democrats and Republicans—have signed a discharge petition filed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13) to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote.

“It is fundamental to our Republic that members of Congress are focused on our nation and its citizens’ well-being, not how they may financially profit from their positions,” said the senators. “That is why we are proud to introduce this commonsense bill to ban members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks. We will continue to fight tirelessly to make sure it becomes law.”

The STOCK Act–which Senator Gillibrand led to passage in 2012—bars members of Congress from using insider information to buy and sell stocks. Despite this legislation, one in three members of Congress traded stocks or other financial assets from 2019-2021, and at least 3,700 of those trades posed potential conflicts of interest with their legislative responsibilities. The Restore Trust in Congress Act would help eliminate these conflicts of interest by prohibiting congressional stock holding and trading entirely.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Ban members of Congress, their spouses, their dependent children, and their trustees from owning, buying, and selling individual stocks and certain other financial assets, including securities, commodities, and futures. This includes assets held in qualified blind trusts. There are limited exceptions, including widely held, diversified investment funds like mutual funds and ETFs, as well as U.S. Treasury, state, and municipal bonds.
• Require that current members of Congress and their families divest these assets within 180 days of the law’s enactment. For future members of Congress and their families, divestment of these assets would be required within 90 days of their swearing in.
• Impose a fine for violations equal to 10% of the value of the asset and require that any profits from the transaction be disgorged to the U.S. Treasury.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

 

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON COURT INJUNCTION ALLOWING EMPIRE WIND CONSTRUCTION TO RESUME

 

New York, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s preliminary injunction allowing the Empire Wind project to resume construction following the Trump administration’s stop work order, which constituted another brazen attack on New York’s energy economy:

“Today’s court decision allowing Empire Wind’s construction to continue is a clear win for New York’s economy. I am relieved to see that this project will resume, putting New York back on track to unlock good-paying union jobs, increase energy production, and lower energy costs. The Trump administration’s politically motivated pause was an unjustified attack that threatened the livelihoods of union workers and billions of dollars of investment in our state, leaving New Yorkers to pay the price. I am glad this has been reversed for the time being. I will keep working to make sure these kinds of projects continue to power homes, job creation, and New York’s economy.”

 

GILLIBRAND, COLLEAGUES DEMAND TECH GIANTS TAKE DOWN SEXUALIZED AI IMAGES, PROTECT MINORS

 

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined seven Democratic colleagues in calling on America’s largest tech and social media companies to address the rise of non-consensual, sexualized, AI-generated images being created and appearing on their platforms.

In a letter to the companies, the senators expressed alarm over the spread of this content and asked for more information on how platforms plan to remove such images, prevent their distribution, and notify victims.

Since these images began appearing on social media platforms, reports found that Grok was generating about one non-consensual, sexualized image per minute. The creation of these AI-generated images may be in violation of U.S. laws against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and nonconsensual intimate imagery (NCII) of adults.

“Americans should be able to post images of themselves and their children online without fear of fake, sexualized images being produced by bullies and pedophiles,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Platforms have a responsibility to stop their AI tools from being used to harass, exploit, and endanger people. We must work together to remove this content, shut down abusers, and protect Americans and minors from harm. I will continue fighting to protect New Yorkers online and stop these platforms from becoming safe havens for exploitation and criminal abuse.” 

In addition to Senator Gillibrand, the letter to social media companies was signed by Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).

“We are particularly alarmed by reports of users exploiting generative AI tools to produce sexualized ‘bikini’ or ‘non-nude’ images of individuals without their consent and distributing them on platforms including X and others,” the senators wrote. “These fake yet hyper-realistic images are often generated without the knowledge or consent of the individuals depicted, raising serious concerns about harassment, privacy violations, and user safety.

“Recent reporting has identified large volumes of AI-generated content depicting what appear to be underage girls in sexualized outfits or suggestive poses circulating on social platforms, sometimes attracting substantial engagement despite stated platform prohibitions,” the senators continued. “This report also found that accounts linked to off-platform groups selling illegal material, suggesting monetization pathways for AI-facilitated sexual exploitation. These developments point to a broader crisis of image-based abuse, amplified by AI, that undermines user trust and platform integrity.”

“As policymakers, we are working to address this issue for our constituents,” the senators concluded. “Protecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of individuals, especially women and minors who are frequent targets, is a responsibility shared by platforms, policymakers, and the broader ecosystem.”

The full letter can be found HERE and below.

To the Heads of Alphabet, Meta, X, TikTok, Snap, and Reddit:

We are alarmed by reports of users exploiting generative AI tools to produce sexualized “bikini” or “non-nude” images of individuals without their consent and distributing them on platforms including X and others. A recent WIRED report described users taking photos of fully clothed women and using AI chatbots to “undress” them into bikini-clad deepfakes, including by exchanging tips to bypass content filters. These fake yet hyper-realistic images are often generated without the knowledge or consent of the individuals depicted, raising serious concerns about harassment, privacy violations, and user safety.

The WIRED report describes incidents that underscore the scope of this problem. In one instance, a Reddit user requested that a photo of a woman wearing a sari be altered to appear as though she were wearing a bikini, and another user promptly produced and shared the manipulated image. This occurred in a community dedicated to evading AI safety measures, which was later removed for policy violations.

In addition, during the last week of December, X was filled with requests for Grok, its AI platform, to create non-consensual bikini photos based on users’ uploaded images. While platforms may remove content once alerted, the ease with which users can generate and distribute these images highlights how generative AI is being misused to target individuals, disproportionately women, on social media.

We are also troubled by reports that minors are being targeted. Recent reporting has identified large volumes of AI-generated content depicting what appear to be underage girls in sexualized outfits or suggestive poses circulating on social platforms, sometimes attracting substantial engagement despite stated platform prohibitions. This report also found that accounts linked to off-platform groups are selling this illegal material, suggesting monetization pathways for AI-facilitated sexual exploitation. These developments point to a broader crisis of image-based abuse, amplified by AI, that undermines user trust and platform integrity.

We recognize that many companies maintain policies against non-consensual intimate imagery and sexual exploitation, and that many AI systems claim to block explicit pornography. In practice, however, as seen in the examples above, users are finding ways around these guardrails. Or these guardrails are failing. Even where outputs do not depict explicit nudity, they can still be non-consensual, sexualizing, and harmful. The public deserves transparency.

As policymakers, we are working to address this issue for our constituents. To better understand your current and planned efforts to curb the rise of non-nude sexualized deepfakes on your platforms, we request additional detail on the steps you are taking now and intend to take going forward. In addition, we want to confirm that robust protections and policies are in place. Please provide the following information and documents no later than January 29, 2026:

1. Official policy definitions of “deepfake” content, “non-consensual intimate imagery,” or similar terms, and whether these definitions explicitly cover sexually suggestive but non-nude content.
2. A description of your policy and enforcement approach for non-consensual sexualized AI manipulations that are non-nude, including but not limited to altered clothing, body-shape edits, and “virtual undressing” that stops short of explicit nudity.
3. Documents sufficient to describe your current content policies addressing manipulated media and sexually implied or explicit content, including but not limited to terms of service sections and internal guidance used by moderators.
4. Documents sufficient to describe your current policies governing AI tools such as chatbots or image generators related to sexually suggestive or intimate content.
5. A description of what preventive technical measures or guardrails have you implemented to prevent the creation or distribution of non-consensual deepfakes, such as filtering prompts, blocking image-edit requests, or automated detection.
6. A description of how you proactively identify deepfake content, and if that includes hashing or fingerprinting to prevent re-uploads of known abusive images and videos.
7. A description of how you prevent users or accounts from profiting from non-consensual AI-generated sexual content on your platform (for example, ads, subscriptions, paid groups, affiliate links, or referral funnels), and a description of how you prevent your platform from inadvertently monetizing such content.
8. A description of your terms of service related to temporarily or permanently removing users from your platform for posting or sharing violative deepfake content.
9. A description of your practices related to notifying victims when you identify non-consensual sexual deepfakes targeting an individual.

Your prompt attention to these questions is appreciated. This letter also serves as a formal request to preserve all documents and information, including but not limited to emails, text messages, internal chat logs, meeting notes, product requirements, risk assessments, enforcement guidance, and policy drafts, relating to the creation, detection, moderation, monetization, or policies regarding non-consensual sexual AI-generated manipulated images on your platforms. This preservation request covers both past and current efforts, as well as any planned or in-development measures responsive to the issues raised in this letter.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response and to identifying practical steps to protect users from non-consensual, sexually exploitative AI-manipulated imagery. Protecting the privacy, dignity, and safety of individuals, especially women and minors who are frequent targets, is a responsibility shared by platforms, policymakers, and the broader ecosystem.

 

GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER DELIVER NEARLY $90 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT CLEANUP EFFORTS, ANNOUNCE NEW BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO CLEAN UP NUCLEAR WASTE, PROTECT WESTERN NEW YORKERS

Washington, D.C. – Following years of continued advocacy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced that they have secured $90 million in federal funding in the just passed Energy and Water spending bill for the clean-up of the West Valley Demonstration Project. In addition, the senators announced they have introduced bipartisan legislation to support and extend the authorization for the cleanup and remediation of nuclear waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project site, a decades-old contaminated site in Cattaraugus County that continues to pose risks to public health and the environment.

The legislation would reauthorize the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct nuclear waste management at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) through 2037 ahead of the project’s current authorization expiring in September 2026, and it would also increase the authorized funding level from $75 million to $150 million, reflecting the scope of the work while helping ensure the project remains on schedule. Representative Nick Langworthy (R-NY-23) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Western New Yorkers deserve to live safely in their communities without worrying about the serious health risks posed by decades-old nuclear waste,” said Senator Gillibrand. “After years of progress, let’s continue the cleanup and give families confidence in the health and safety of their community. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation, and I will keep fighting to deliver the federal resources needed to protect public health and ensure Western New York has the resources it needs to thrive.”

“Families in Cattaraugus County and across Western New York deserve peace of mind knowing that decades old nuclear waste is out of their backyard.  I am proud to deliver $90 million in federal funding in this year’s spending bill to ramp up clean up efforts for the West Valley Demonstration Project  and to introduce bipartisan legislation to boost cleanup efforts to keep Western New Yorkers safe from nuclear waste,” said Senator Schumer. “If the progress on the West Valley Demonstration Project slows, the cleanup will only get more expensive and time consuming to decontaminate this site. I will keep fighting to deliver the resources needed to fully cleanup this site and protect Cattaraugus County residents and all New Yorkers from this environmental hazard.”

The WVDP was the site of the only commercial plant for the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in the country. It operated from 1966-72, at which point it shut down as it became economically unviable. This left behind hundreds of thousands of gallons of highly radioactive waste and widespread contamination.

Congress created the WVDP in 1980 to ensure DOE could clean up the site and protect New York communities. Last year, cleanup activities reached a critical milestone, with the successful demolition of the Main Plant Process Building. However, work continues as the project moves into its next phase of demolition and cleanup. While major progress has been made, reauthorization is critical to keep cleanup on track and prevent costly delays or the loss of highly specialized cleanup expertise.

For years, Gillibrand and Schumer have led efforts to clean up the site. The senators annually secure federal funding for the WVDP as part of the regular appropriations process, helping to keep cleanup efforts on track. In the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development bill, the senators fought to secure $8.6 billion in federal funding for the Department of Energy to clean up nuclear sites across the country, an $80 million increase compared to last year and $470 million more than the president’s budget request. This funding includes close to $90 million for WVDP.

The cleanup project currently supports roughly 350 skilled workers employed by the West Valley Cleanup Alliance and its subcontractors and contributes tens of millions of dollars each year to the Western New York economy.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

 

 

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY DATA BEING ABUSED BY DOGE STAFF  

 

Washington D.C. — U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, released the following statement on the Trump administration admitting in court documents that DOGE staff at the Social Security Administration may have used Social Security beneficiary data to work with an advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results in certain states.” Additionally, the court filing reveals multiple flagrant violations of federal data security and personally identifiable information requirements.  

 

“Americans who pay into Social Security and those who receive Social Security payments should not have to worry about their government giving out their personal information. 

 

“The unauthorized harvesting of Americans’ Social Security data by the Trump administration and its DOGE task force is not just a breach of trust, but a violation of federal laws. This blatant abuse of power by these staffers cannot be ignored and must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. At a time when seniors are already facing skyrocketing wait times and delayed benefits, the Social Security Administration must focus on serving the public, not handing over our private data to political extremists.”    

 

Banner Image: The Children’s Agenda press conference. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand