Advancement Opportunities for New Air Traffic Controllers, Constituent Help Story, Congressional App Challenge Now Open, Budget Bill’s Dangerous Impact, Public Broadcasting, Lifetime Lobbying Ban: Rep. AOC 

Advancement Opportunities for New Air Traffic Controllers, Constituent Help Story, Congressional App Challenge Now Open, Budget Bill’s Dangerous Impact, Public Broadcasting, Lifetime Lobbying Ban: Rep. AOC 

Editor’s note: Staten Islanders should know that the services Rep AOC provides for her constituents (those located in the NY-14 District) are also offered to Rep. Malliotakis’ offices on Staten Island and in Brooklyn.  She mentioned during her telephone town hall that she is very proud of the work her office has done for constituents in similar situations to that described below. The impacts of the recently passed budget legislation will be felt disproportionately by different groups across the country and in New York.  Rep. AOC discussed them previously here. 

The heart of our work lies in the vibrant communities of NY-14. See below for ways our office is helping constituents navigate federal agencies and bring resources back to the district.

Advancement Opportunities for New Air Traffic Controllers

Last week, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-03) hosted a press conference to celebrate Vaughn’s admission into the Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program that will make our skies safer and allow Vaughn students to get critical air traffic control training right here in NY-14.

The FAA is more than 3,000 certified controllers short of full staffing, and personnel at many facilities are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. When a handful of air traffic controllers took trauma leave after a major tech outage at Newark, it limited the number of flights the airport was able to handle safely.

Vaughn’s entry into this program means that more New Yorkers and people living on the East Coast who want to become air traffic controllers can do it without moving to a different part of the country. Our nation is in desperate need of additional air traffic controllers, especially in the New York airspace, and this initiative is part of the larger effort to improve and modernize our air traffic control system.

Constituent Helped By Rep. AOC’s Office 

Recently our constituent, David, contacted our office seeking assistance with a Social Security Disability Insurance backpay issue. David had been waiting in a state of uncertainty for months after initially contacting the Social Security Administration, but after our inquiry and assistance, he received $35,131 in backpay!

This is just one of the many wins our incredible casework team achieves regularly for our constituents. If you have an issue pending with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to reach out. We will do our best to assist.

“I was waiting for months without any information or updates until I reached out to the office of AOC. Thank you again for your assistance and keep up the amazing work. The fight and the work that AOC and her team have been doing inspire hope within me during these dark times.” – David

2025 Congressional App Challenge 

The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition hosted by the Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Every year, middle and high school students are invited to create a software application and submit their entries to our office. The winner is recognized by the office and invited to a reception in Washington, D.C.

Registration for the 2025 Congressional App Challenge is now open, and the competition deadline is October 30th, 2025 at 12:00 pm ET.

Advertisement

Budget Bill’s Dangerous Impacts

This month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez spoke about the dangerous impacts of Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ during debate on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation, which was officially signed into law on July 4th, makes drastic cuts to health care, food assistance, student loans, and energy credits in order to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest people on the planet.

Challenging the Senate Rescissions Package and Cuts to Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid Programs

This past month, Republicans voted to approve a rescissions package that includes severe cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid programs. Specifically, the bill cuts $7 billion in previously approved funding for foreign humanitarian aid and economic  programs and all federal funding for NPR, PBS, and their local affiliates, including BronxNet, Queens Public Television, and New York Public Radio. This means local news coverage and access to educational and emergency information will be significantly reduced or eliminated entirely.

Introducing Legislation to Impose Lifetime Ban on Lobbying

The “revolving door” from public service to corporate lobbying firms enables far too many members of Congress to focus on cashing-in on high-paying lobbying jobs, rather than representing their working class constituents in Washington, DC. This month, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02) co-led the Close the Revolving Door Act of 2025, legislation that would impose a lifetime ban on former Members of Congress from becoming lobbyists.

Banner Image: Rep. AOC at press conference. Image Credit – Rep. AOC