Press Releases
Washington, DC –Today, the House Financial Services Committee passed a key measure authored by Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) to restrict the use of predatory contract clauses called "confessions of judgment," which are often used in small business loans.
Washington, D.C. – Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have unveiled legislation that would help Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa gain more equitable access to federal programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, and popular tax credits.
Washington, D.C. – In light of the spike in racist and biased crimes against Asian-Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has introduced two bills to combat hate crimes across the country. These bills would dedicate federal dollars towards helping law enforcement, community-based organizations, and schools address hate crimes and step up prevention efforts.
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) announced the allocation of federal grant funding towards a series of healthcare organizations within New York's seventh district providing comprehensive care to working families. This funding comes as a result of the passage of the American Rescue Plan.
Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) announced the allocation of federal grant funding towards a series of organizations within New York's seventh district, including several head start programs at centers for early childhood education.
Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) builds upon her efforts to bring green infrastructure to the forefront with the introduction of H.R. 1993, the Energy Efficient Public Buildings Act. This bill would establish a $4 billion dollar grant program through the Department of Energy to aid public buildings in upgrading and retrofitting fixtures to reduce energy consumption. This competitive grant program would allow hospitals, public libraries, community-based non-profits, and additional state and local governments to apply.
Washington, DC – Looking to address housing loan discrimination against racial minorities, women, and certain rural residents, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has reintroduced a bill that would increase transparency and accountability in the lending process. The bill, titled the Home Loan Quality Transparency Act of 2021, would require lending institutions and credit unions to provide public disclosures regarding their mortgages and home equity lines of credit.
Washington, DC – Looking to ensure entrepreneurs within the cannabis sector can readily access the insurance they need for their businesses to thrive in states where it is legalized, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) have reintroduced the bipartisan bill H.R. 2068, the Clarifying Law Around Insurance Marijuana, or CLAIM Act, which would prevent federal criminal prosecution of insurers and end civil liability for brokers, agents, and insurers that deal with companies in the cannabis sector.
Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), concerned with the continued proliferation of gun violence nationwide, has reintroduced a bill that would address the "iron pipeline" of guns smuggled across state lines to locations with more lenient gun laws. The bill, titled The Stopping the Iron Pipeline Act of 2021 would establish a national standard for weapon identification technology installed within firearms, enabling law enforcement to trace the origins of guns connected to criminal activity.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, U.S. Representatives Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), introduced the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act of 2021, bicameral and bipartisan legislation that would empower Puerto Ricans with an inclusive and democratic process to determine their own political future and relationship with the United States.