No American Should Go Hungry, $100M For New Low- No-Emission Buses, Congress Should Ban Stock Trading By Insiders, Stop Stalling Toxic Cleanups, Release HEAP Funds, On Calls For Violence, Protecting Youth In Foster Care: Senator Gillibrand 

No American Should Go Hungry, $100M For New Low- No-Emission Buses, Congress Should Ban Stock Trading By Insiders, Stop Stalling Toxic Cleanups, Release HEAP Funds, On Calls For Violence, Protecting Youth In Foster Care: Senator Gillibrand 

Editor’s note: See below for a recording of the press conference.  We covered this issue multiple times during the shutdown, but those effects were only temporary. The real effects will start to be felt starting this month, as recipients will face reductions in amounts provided to them by SNAP along with more stringent work requirements to be applied to all able bodied adults regardless of their other circumstances.  Staten Islanders feeling like they want to help those less fortunate, perhaps by providing them with Christmas gifts or with food for the food pantries, can find out about the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program here. 

GILLIBRAND, KIM, PINGREE, GOLDMAN, AND ANTI-HUNGER LEADERS DEMAND INCREASED ACTION TO FIGHT HUNGER 

***A Recording of The Press Conference is Available Above and  Here***

47 Million Americans—Including Roughly 2.4 Million New Yorkers—Experienced Food Insecurity in 2023

Hunger Free America Released New National Reports To Fill The Information Gap Caused By The Elimination of USDA’s Annual Hunger Survey

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined advocates at a press conference to demand better policies to combat hunger in America.

The press conference follows the Trump administration’s repeated actions to cut food assistance and raise food costs, which are making it harder for Americans to put food on the table. Earlier this year, President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the largest food assistance program in the country—by $186 billion. President Trump also refused to expeditiously tap into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) contingency fund to provide SNAP benefits during the Republican government shutdown, disrupting food aid for millions of Americans.

“Hunger Free America’s new reports show just how pervasive hunger is in our country. But instead of stepping in to help Americans, the Trump administration is doing the opposite—cutting the very programs that feed hungry families,” said Senator Gillibrand. “By cutting food aid programs like SNAP, the Trump administration is undermining a critical lifeline that nearly 3 million New Yorkers rely on to put food on the table. The administration must put the American people first and take action to curb hunger.” 

Senator Gillibrand was joined at the press conference by Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), as well as Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman.

“Hunger Free America’s new study confirms what I’m hearing from people across New Jersey — costs are too high and it’s only getting harder to put food on the table,” said Senator Kim. “A trip to the grocery or the pharmacy should never break the bank. We can solve hunger, but not while the Trump administration continues to cruelly weaponize hunger as a political tool. We owe the American people better, and I look forward to working with advocates like Hunger Free America to deliver a future where hunger is a thing of the past.”

“The Trump Administration can try to bury the truth by canceling the annual food security report, spreading misinformation about SNAP fraud, and dismissing decades of research as ‘fear-mongering,’ but families across the country know all too well how real the hunger crisis is. And it’s only getting worse under Trump and Republicans, who have hollowed out the safety net and driven basic costs beyond reach,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus. “Hunger Free America is doing what this Administration refuses to do: document the lived reality of millions of Americans with credible, independent data that exposes the crisis Republicans in power are desperate to ignore. In Congress, many of us are fighting to protect SNAP, strengthen anti-hunger programs, and invest in commonsense solutions to reduce food waste and expand access to healthy meals. We’re not backing down—no matter how hard this Administration tries to hide the reality of hunger in America.” 

At the press conference, Hunger Free America released two studies on hunger in the U.S. to fill the information gap created by the Trump administration’s elimination of the USDA’s annual U.S. Household Food Security survey. The reports can be found here.

Senator Gillibrand has been a champion of anti-hunger legislation throughout her career. When SNAP funding lapsed during the Republican government shutdown, Gillibrand championed the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act, which aimed to ensure that SNAP and WIC benefits would continue uninterrupted during the shutdown. Earlier this year, she also reintroduced the Closing the Meal Gap Act, legislation that would expand and strengthen SNAP benefits and help those with large medical and housing expenses to qualify for SNAP. She also reintroduced the Enhance Access to SNAP (EATS) Act, which would expand SNAP eligibility to all college students attending 2- and 4-year universities and other continuing education programs who meet traditional SNAP income and eligibility requirements. Furthermore, Senator Gillibrand champions the Healthy Food Financing Initiative Reauthorization Act, which would combat food deserts by providing financial incentives to establish grocery stores in areas where Americans lack easy access to fresh food retailers.

Press conference. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

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GILLIBRAND URGES PASSAGE OF HER BILL TO BAN STOCK TRADING BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Washington, D.C. – Today, in light of the House Administration Committee’s hearing on congressional stock trading, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand reiterated her call to pass legislation she authored to ban stock trading by senior government officials.

The No Stock Act, which Senator Gillibrand introduced earlier this year, would ban 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.

“It’s simple: elected officials should be focused on your family’s financial security, not their own stock portfolios,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The current rules just aren’t cutting it when it comes to preventing conflicts of interest. I’m fighting to pass the No Stock Act – a straightforward bill that would stop members of Congress and their immediate families, as well as other senior government officials, from trading individual stocks. This is about common sense, ensuring fairness, and putting public service ahead of personal profit.”

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 No Stock Act would help eliminate these conflicts of interest by banning stock trading for high-ranking government officials altogether.

Senator Gillibrand has been a champion for transparency and good government throughout her career. Aside from leading Senate passage of the STOCK Act in 2012, 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 No Stock Act can be found here.

Press conference. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

GILLIBRAND, SCHUMER ANNOUNCE MORE THAN $100 MILLION FOR NEW LOW- AND NO EMISSION BUSES — PLUS KEY TRANSIT IMPROVEMENTS ACROSS NEW YORK STATE

The funding was secured and distributed under the FY25-26 Low or No Emission Grant Program and the FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program

New York, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD), and Minority Leader Charles Schumer today announced $100,812,140 in federal funding to modernize bus fleets and expand low- and no-emission transit across New York State. The grants, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and awarded through the Federal Transit Administration’s FY25–26 Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) and the FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program, will support the purchase or lease of low- and zero-emission buses, the rehabilitation and modernization of transit facilities, and investments in related equipment and infrastructure.

“As New York continues to build cleaner, more reliable transportation systems, I’m proud to deliver this critical federal funding,” said Senator Gillibrand. “These investments will modernize bus fleets, improve service for riders, and help reduce emissions in communities across the state. I’ll keep fighting to make sure our transit agencies have the resources they need to serve New Yorkers safely and sustainably.”

“Thanks to our Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, investment is flowing to purchase clean, new buses and improve bus services across New York. From purchasing new low-pollution, hybrid buses in Albany to helping create a faster, smoother commute for downtown Syracuse, this over $100 million in federal funding will help deliver the better, more modern, and cleaner transit services New Yorkers deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “This funding will keep the wheels of our local economies rolling, reduce emissions, and put New Yorkers on the road to a brighter future.”

The full list of funded projects is below:

Press conference. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

GILLIBRAND LEADS COLLEAGUES IN DEMANDING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STOP STALLING TOXIC CHEMICAL CLEANUPS, PROTECT MILITARY FAMILIES AND NEARBY COMMUNITIES

Trump Administration Delaying Toxic PFAS Chemical Cleanup at Approximately 150 Military Installations, Putting Remediation Efforts On Hold For Nearly A Decade In Some Cases

Holdups Are Affecting DOD Facilities Across New York State

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is leading the charge to keep service members and families in communities near military bases safe from toxic chemicals.

Today, Senator Gillibrand led 27 Senate Democratic colleagues in demanding that the Trump administration reverse its decision to delay the cleanup of toxic chemicals at military installations across the country and take action to protect military families and nearby communities by addressing contamination at the affected sites.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the senators called on the Trump administration to immediately restore the previous timetable for remediating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination at U.S. military bases and to reverse plans that would further delay long-overdue cleanups.

“For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DOD installations in our states have waited for the DOD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,” the senators wrote.

At least 700 military sites in the United States are known or suspected to have PFAS contamination from DOD activities. DOD’s delayed timetable would postpone cleanup efforts at approximately 150 of them, in some cases for nearly a decade. Specifically, DOD pushed back the time frame of the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase for these bases, which involves collecting detailed information on the nature and extent of the PFAS contamination and conducting a study to evaluate potential options for cleanup.

PFAS chemicals are widespread contaminants found in many industrial applications and especially around U.S. military installations. PFAS exposure is linked to an array of health problems, including various cancers, reduced immune function, reproductive challenges, birth defects, thyroid issues, and more. The use of PFAS-containing firefighting foam at Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, and the subsequent stormwater runoff, is a significant source of drinking water pollution. This contamination poses serious health risks to service members and their families, as well as surrounding communities.

Senator Gillibrand was joined on the letter by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Senator Gillibrand has long been at the forefront of protecting service members, veterans, and New York communities from toxic chemicals and PFAS contamination.

This year, Senator Gillibrand introduced bipartisan legislation to require regular monitoring for PFAS at DOD installations and facilitate implementation of base-specific best management practices for  PFAS contamination at military sites and in surrounding communities. She is also the author of the burn pits section of the PACT Act and has pushed back against Trump administration efforts to strip health care benefits from veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances.

The full text of the senators’ letter to Secretary Hegseth can be found here.

A full list of military installations affected by the delays can be found here.

A list of the military installations in New York that are affected by the Trump administration delays can be found below:

Press conference. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

SENATOR GILLIBRAND DEMANDS THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RELEASE FUNDING TO HELP NEW YORKERS HEAT THEIR HOMES

1.5 Million New Yorkers Rely On The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) To Heat Their Homes

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a virtual press conference to demand that the Trump administration immediately release federal LIHEAP funding, which helps low-income New Yorkers heat their homes through the state’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

“As energy prices rise and temperatures drop, the Trump administration is leaving New Yorkers out in the cold by refusing to release LIHEAP funding,” said Senator Gillibrand. “We’ve seen the consequences of cold before—from fires caused by space heaters to winter storms endangering the lives of people trapped in unheated homes. We can’t let New Yorkers suffer in the cold. The Trump administration must immediately follow the law and release LIHEAP funding so that New Yorkers can stay warm without breaking the bank.”

LIHEAP helps over a million low-income households across the state afford their energy bills and make cost-effective repairs to their heating systems. The program is administered by the state but funded by the federal government. States and tribes typically receive their LIHEAP allocations from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by early November, but funding was put on hold during the Republican government shutdown. The funding bill that ended the government shutdown included the same level of funding for LIHEAP as last year. However, the Trump administration still has not released the $4 billion in federal funding that has been allocated for the program, delaying New York’s ability to open applications and begin distributing the funds.

Gillibrand is leading a bipartisan push to demand that the administration release these funds without delay. Alongside Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), she sent a letter outlining this demand to the administration last week. The full letter text can be found here.

Gillibrand has been a longstanding advocate for LIHEAP. Every year, she helps secure hundreds of millions in funding for New York’s program. She also cosponsors legislation to expand LIHEAP and ensure that no household pays more than three percent of its annual income on energy costs. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Gillibrand also joined successful bipartisan efforts to save and fund the program after the Trump administration proposed eliminating LIHEAP in its Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget request.

Group photo. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CALLS FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST DEMOCRATIC SENATORS AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS 

Washington, D.C. – In response to President Trump’s social media posts calling for the deaths of several Democratic senators and House members, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement:

“We have reached an extremely perilous moment in our history. The president of the United States calling for the death of his political opponents is disgusting, outrageous, and downright dangerous. These members of Congress have all served their country honorably and were simply stating the law as it stands, and President Trump is putting their lives in danger for opposing his political agenda. I call on all of my Republican colleagues to condemn President Trump’s disgraceful rhetoric immediately.”

Senator Gillibrand at a school. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand

GILLIBRAND, HOUSE COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO PROTECT LGBTQ+ YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE, OUTLAW DISCRIMINATION AGAINST SAME-SEX COUPLES LOOKING TO ADOPT

Legislation would outlaw discriminatory practices against both LGBTQ+ children and adopters

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with Reps. Danny K. Davis (D-IL-07), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), and Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), introduced legislation to ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples looking to adopt and protect LGBTQ+ children in the foster care system.

The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act would prohibit discrimination by federally funded child welfare agencies against individuals and couples on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or marital status. The bill would also improve the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ children involved with federally funded child welfare services by establishing a National Resource Center for LGBTQ+ youth and by banning harmful practices like conversion therapy.

“Every child deserves a safe, loving household, and it is absolutely unacceptable that so many children are denied this access because of antiquated laws and deliberate discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “This legislation will ensure that taxpayer-funded adoption services and foster care providers cannot engage in discrimination against children or potential parents, solidifying protections for some of our most vulnerable children. I’m proud to introduce this legislation, and I will fight to get it passed.”

“Government has a unique responsibility to ensure that each and every child in foster care finds a loving, affirming family,” said Rep. Davis.  “I am proud to co-lead the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act that increases the number of foster and adoptive homes available to all children in foster care and that helps neglected and abused children find the caring relationship they need to heal and thrive.”

“As an LGBTQ+ adoptive parent and a mother who had to fight in court to adopt my son, I have witnessed firsthand the widespread discrimination in our country’s adoption and foster care systems,” said Rep. Craig. “No state should allow discrimination against LGBTQ+ foster children or adoptive parents who can provide a safe and loving home. I’m proud to help carry on the late John Lewis’ legacy through this critical legislation we crafted together to ensure that LGBTQ+ adoptive parents and children are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.”

“Every child deserves to grow up in a safe, stable, and loving home. This bill protects children in foster care by expanding the number of foster and adoptive families available to them and ensuring that no child or family is discriminated against or turned away because of who they are or how they pray,” said Rep. Chu. “The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is a critical step toward creating a foster care system that truly protects and supports all children.”

“The safety and wellbeing of our children in care should always be our key priority,” said Rep. Moore. “This legislation reaffirms this principle and ensures that discrimination doesn’t prevent a child finding a loving and permanent home while providing important protections for LGBTQ youth in care. I am honored to lead this effort with my colleagues to lift up the needs of our most vulnerable children. ” 

Same-sex couples are 10 times as likely to become foster parents and seven times as likely to pursue adoption than different-sex couples, according to a 2024 report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. However, fourteen states currently allow child welfare agencies to turn away qualified foster and adoptive parents on the basis of their sexual identity or gender orientation, even though hundreds of thousands of children in the American foster care system need a loving home. Oklahoma, for instance, passed a bill in 2018 allowing religious-based adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples, single people, and non-Christians. Several other states have passed or are considering similar legislation. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ children, who are overrepresented in the system and make up at least 30 percent of children in foster care, suffer greater rates of mistreatment and experience worse outcomes than their peers. The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act would outlaw discriminatory practices against both LGBTQ+ children and adopters.

This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Coons (D-DE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

“Children enter the child welfare system through no fault of their own, and our communities have a shared responsibility to ensure they are cared for with dignity and fairness,” said Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality. “This bill is a vital, practical step toward ending discriminatory barriers that prevent thousands of children from finding the safe, loving, and permanent homes they deserve. We thank Rep. Davis and Sen. Gillibrand for their leadership and urge Congress to act swiftly.”

“Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ children, youth and parents has no place in child welfare services,” said Linda Spears, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. “Such discrimination too often adds to the stress and trauma in the lives of children, especially for those children and youth in foster care who may not have the stable and loving family they deserve. To ensure that all children and youth in care have the quality care they deserve, we must have the broadest possible pool of foster and adoptive families. We can accomplish this by identifying and assessing applicants on the basis of their ability to successfully parent a child and work with diverse family dynamics, not on the basis of their gender identity or sexual orientation. CWLA is proud to endorse the Every Child Deserves a Family Act and applauds Senator Gillibrand and Representative Danny Davis for the introduction and support of this important legislation.”

“Every child deserves a safe, loving, and affirming home. But too often, LGBTQ+ youth face unique challenges in the foster care system,” said David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign Vice President of Government Affairs. “When youth enter foster care, the State has a responsibility to place them with families that will support them—not exclude them because of who they are or who their caregivers are. That’s why we support the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, which ensures that agencies receiving federal funds cannot discriminate based on religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity”

“LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit children, parents, kin, and families have the right to free from discrimination and harm while involved with the child welfare system and to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Currey Cook, co-chair of the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign. “The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is an important step forward to ensure those rights are clear and explicit so children and families can expect and receive fair treatment by a system that too often harms rather than helps.”

“Having grown up and aged out of the foster care system, I know firsthand why this legislation is vital to reducing the number of children who linger in care without a place to call home,” said Schylar Baber, co-chair of the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Campaign. “Too many children still lack foster families and end up in group homes or residential centers simply because there is nowhere else to place them. I was part of what is now called the generation that waits—removed at age six, denied adoption at age twelve because the prospective parent was an unmarried male, and told I was “unadoptable.” Instead of permanency, I endured years of instability and trauma caused by outdated policies and discrimination. Love eventually prevailed when I was adopted at age 25 by the same person who had been denied years earlier, but that was six years of a home I should never have been denied. We must remove barriers that exclude viable families, because every child deserves permanency, stability, and love.”

The full text of the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act is available here.

Banner Image: Senator Gillibrand at a school. Image Credit – Sen. Gillibrand