Press Releases

NEW YORK, NY – During a celebration of the arts held at Bushwick’s P.S. 257 elementary school, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today presented the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) with a check in the amount of $188,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice. The federal funding will be used to expand arts education in six public schools in the Bushwick and Red Hook communities.

NEW YORK, NY – Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today presented El Puente with a check in the amount of $214,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal funding will be used to support a wellness program providing Brooklyn youth and their families with information on disease prevention and management. The health education initiative will focus on diseases that impact the North Brooklyn community, including obesity, diabetes, STDs, HIV/AIDS and environmentally-connected diseases like asthma.

Brooklyn, NY – With the opening of a new Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at the New York City College of Technology, entrepreneurs in Brooklyn will gain increased access to the resources and technical expertise needed to help start a business or grow their existing firms. At the ribbon cutting yesterday Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y), Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, highlighted the importance of expanding entrepreneurial development services to foster small business growth and strengthen the economy.

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today applauded action by the House of Representatives requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a full-site characterization of Newtown Creek and determine the true extent of the damage from a decades-old, underground petroleum spill. A measure requiring the study was included in the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2830), which the House approved this afternoon.

“Trading one troubled agency for another is short-sighted, and it could not come at a worse time for the American people,” said Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, who chairs the House Small Business Committee and is New York City’s senior Member on the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity. “HUD’s crisis must be resolved without delay. But the fact remains the agency Mr. Preston has been responsible for leading is still plagued by serious problems of its own.

BROOKLYN, NY – Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today announced legislation to provide community agencies with the funding and flexibility to create mentoring programs that best suit their needs for preventing teen pregnancy. During a visit to the High School for Enterprise, Business and Technology HS 478 in Williamsburg, Congresswoman Velázquez met with students and teachers to discuss the effectiveness of comprehensive sexual education efforts and the need for mentoring services.

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), New York City’s senior Member on the U.S. House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, today issued the following statement in response to the resignation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

BROOKLYN, NY – With tax season in full swing, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) today visited a community center in Sunset Park to encourage local workers to seek out free tax preparation services being offered for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) recipients. The Congresswoman announced new legislation that would strengthen the EITC to provide an additional credit for the hardest workers in our economy who often do not receive overtime pay or other benefits.