Press Releases

NEW YORK – With the country moving into the fifth year of the conflict in Iraq and Americans, particularly New Yorkers, becoming increasingly frustrated with a war that has no end in sight, new legislation was introduced to end the fighting. Even while the American death toll nears 4,000 – including over 150 from New York – the Bush Administration continues to refuse to listen to calls for a withdrawal. Today, Congresswoman Nydia M.

NEW YORK – Last evening, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1851 The Section 8 Housing Voucher Reform Act, which included an amendment introduced by Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.). The measure promotes greater safety for survivors of domestic violence, by providing security against eviction resulting from domestic disturbances, and improved confidentiality for the abused. Domestic violence is a major problem across the country, with 71 family related deaths in New York City alone last year.

NEW YORK – Yesterday, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) joined Members of Congress to pass H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. The bill will provide the single largest investment in higher education since the GI bill, which was signed into law in 1944. The legislation allows for significant investments in minority communities, for students and their families

NEW YORK – Today Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, a senior Member of the House Financial Services Committee, gave the following testimony during a Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity field hearing in New York on affordable housing preservation:

“It is a fact that New York City is facing a rapidly depleting stock of affordable housing. Over the last few years the City has seen an unprecedented number of affordable units disappear, largely due to the real estate boom that took place and is still taking place.

NEW YORK – Today Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, joined with Mayor Bloomberg and other elected officials, in calling on the state legislature to reopen the Gansevoort Pier Marine Transfer Station in an effort to manage the distribution of New York City’s residential and recyclable waste, which has fallen disproportionately in Brooklyn. She sent the following letter to Assemblyman Sheldon Silver last week expressing her support for the reopening of this transfer station:

June 28, 2007

Small Business Committee Bill Included to Support Innovations In the Energy Sector

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Velázquez (D-NY) announced the following earmark requests for FY 2008:

Added Value and Friends of Gateway: $100,000 for the Added Value and Friends of Gateway for an Urban Agricultural Project to provide healthier and greener communities. The funding for this project will help Added Value and Friends of Gateway to expand programs that started as a result of a partnership with Cornell Cooperative Extension by exporting plants and trees throughout the district from the Gateway nursery.

NEW YORK – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) joined area first and third graders, and their teachers at P.S. 94, the Long Fellow School in Brooklyn, as she introduced The Language Education for Success Act of 2007, a bill aimed at helping English Language Learners (ELL) and students throughout New York City.