Fighting To Protect Consumers From Scams, Restore CFPB Funding – Reducing PFAS Contamination At Military Sites, Surrounding Communities – Senate Appropriations Budget Wins For NY: Senator Gillibrand
Fighting To Protect Consumers From Scams, Restore CFPB Funding – Reducing PFAS Contamination At Military Sites, Surrounding Communities – Senate Appropriations Budget Wins For NY: Senator Gillibrand
Editor’s note: We recently covered Senator Gillibrand’s most recent press conferences about the issues related to estuary funding cuts proposed for Upstate New York, as well as bipartisan legislation that she reintroduced during this legislative session to provide competitive grants funded to provide affordable, flexibly scheduled childcare for police officers that are starting families. This issue is particularly difficult for members of the various forces that are starting their career while at the same time starting a family. Their long and variable hours are well known by many people who have relatives on the force. These grants would be available to all police forces in the country, and would allow them to either fund and run their own childcare facilities, or to contract with outside vendors to provide specialized services for their force members. We also covered her previous announcements related to scams targeting the elders.
Following Passage of Republican Tax Bill, Gillibrand Fights to Protect Consumers from Scams, Restore CFPB Funding
New Yorkers Lost Over $540 Million To Fraud In 2024
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Aging Committee, introduced the Stop the Scammers Act to restore critical Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) funding and authorize the CFPB to reward whistleblowers who report wrongdoing. This legislation follows the passage of the Republican tax bill, which slashed CFPB funding nearly in half and jeopardized vital protections for victims of scams and fraud.
“Too often, seniors are taken advantage of by scammers who rob them of their hard-earned savings and steal their private information,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We must do more to stop scammers and protect older adults. As the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, I know how important the CFPB is for American seniors. The Stop the Scammers Act will restore funding to this vital agency and protect Americans from bad financial actors.”
The Stop the Scammers Act would encourage whistleblowers to come forward by allowing the CFPB to reward whistleblowers with financial compensation from the Civil Penalty Fund. The money for this fund comes directly from monetary penalties imposed on companies and individuals who violate federal consumer financial protection laws. The legislation would also allow whistleblowers to retain independent counsel and protect a whistleblower’s identity. The bill also restores CFPB funding to 12 percent of the Federal Reserve’s operating budget, ensuring the bureau can carry out its mission and properly protect Americans.
The Stop the Scammers Act is cosponsored by Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Banking Committee Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
Senator Gillibrand has been a staunch advocate for consumer protection throughout her time in office. As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, she has led the fight to protect seniors from financial frauds and scams, raised awareness about predatory scammers targeting seniors, and demanded answers from those attempting to cut funding for agencies like the CFPB. She has also introduced legislation such as the Senior Financial Empowerment Act and the DO NOT CALL Act, as well as the SNAP Theft Protection Act, the core of which was passed into law in 2022.
The full text of the Stop the Scammers Act can be found here.
GILLIBRAND INTRODUCES BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO REDUCE PFAS CONTAMINATION AT MILITARY SITES AND IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES
Legislation would facilitate better management of PFAS contamination at military bases, airfields, training sites, and other DOD installations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the bipartisan DOD PFAS Discharge Prevention Act. This legislation would reduce drinking water pollution and exposure to toxic forever chemicals for firefighters, service members, and communities by facilitating better management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at Department of Defense (DOD) installations.
PFAS chemicals are widespread contaminants found in many industrial applications, firefighting foam, and a variety of consumer products. PFAS exposure is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid problems, and more. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at DOD facilities and subsequent stormwater runoff is a significant source of drinking water pollution, which poses health threats to service members and their families, veterans, and firefighters.
The DOD PFAS Discharge Prevention Act would facilitate the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) at DOD facilities to mitigate PFAS pollution at the source, before it contaminates drinking water. Specifically, the bill would use a small portion of existing PFAS remediation funding to:
- Require DOD to regularly monitor for PFAS at DOD installations; and
- Facilitate the implementation of base-specific BMPs to limit PFAS-laden stormwater runoff at DOD facilities.
“Access to clean, safe water is a human right,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This legislation will not only protect service members, firefighters, and communities from toxic PFAS exposure, but it will also reduce the need for costly PFAS remediation. It’s a commonsense bill, and I look forward to getting it passed.”
This bill is endorsed by the Southern Environmental Law Center.
“Protecting our service members, veterans, firefighters, and surrounding communities from toxic PFAS pollution begins with turning off the tap,” said Jean Zhuang, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. “Controlling PFAS at the source using existing law is the most fair and cost-effective path forward. This bill is a win-win: it reduces future cleanup costs, protects public health, and ensures taxpayer dollars are used efficiently to keep our troops and communities safe.”
Companion legislation was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. McClellan (D-VA), Kiggans (R-VA), LaLota (R-NY), Ryan (D-NY), Foushee (D-NC), Lawler (R-NY), Cohen (D-TN), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tlaib (D-MI), and Scott (D-VA).
The full text of the bill is available here.
GILLIBRAND TOUTS BIG WINS FOR NEW YORK STATE IN SENATE APPROPRIATIONS TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SUBCOMMITTEE’S FISCAL YEAR 2026 APPROPRIATIONS BILL
The Bill Bolsters Funding for New York State Projects, Including Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, Tenant Protection Vouchers, and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Transportation and Housing subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, touted big wins she worked to include for New York State and that were passed out of committee in the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
“New Yorkers from Brooklyn to Hamilton County know firsthand that our state needs critical infrastructure, transportation, and affordable housing investment,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud that our committee worked together on a bipartisan basis and passed a bill that addresses these critical needs. The funding will help New Yorkers travel around our state more easily, make homes more affordable, and improve air traffic congestion at local airports. I’m proud of the work this subcommittee has done to produce a strong bill and urge my colleagues to pass it through the full Senate as soon as possible.”
The bill includes funding for important priorities in New York State:
- $700 million to fund the Hudson River Tunnel;
- $307.3 million to fund Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway;
- $850 million to fully fund Amtrak’s budget request for the Northeast Corridor;
- $22 billion to fully fund the Federal Aviation Administration, which will help address congestion issues at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark Airports;
- $514 million for the Essential Air Service program to continue to support the Massena, Ogdensburg, Plattsburgh, Saranac Lake/Lake Placid, and Watertown airports;
- $62 million for the Reconnecting Communities program Senator Gillibrand created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund projects to remove and mitigate infrastructure that divides communities;
- $20 million in new funding to support transit safety and security initiatives, including for the MTA;
- $161.5 million in funding for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, including for campus and building renovations;
- Full funding to maintain rental assistance, including $430 million for tenant protection vouchers to assist the most at-risk residents in NYCHA;
- Invests in expanding and improving the homeless response system to help senior citizens, veterans, youth, and others facing homelessness;
- $1.25 billion to sustain the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the primary federal program builds more affordable housing;
- And $73 million in congressionally directed spending for affordable housing, community development, and transportation projects across New York.
Banner Image: Senator Gillibrand meets with first responders. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand
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