Press Releases

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) released the following statement regarding legislation in Puerto Rico that would alter the Island's Civil Code, which passed the legislature Thursday:

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) is pressing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for an explanation on how the agency has distributed donated doses of "remdesivir", a drug that has shown promise in shortening recovery time for patients suffering from COVID-19. In a letter to the Secretary of HHS and the agency's Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Velázquez asks for a better explanation as to how the agency is prioritizing the medicine's distribution.

WASHINGTON, May 13 –Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced the Equitable Nutrition Assistance for the Territories Act of 2020 today to ensure that in the face of the economic, public-health, and food-security crises posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the people of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa receive equal access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

"Hotspot" Funding Targeted to Woodhull, Wyckoff Heights Facilities

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Rep. Peter King (R-NY) have written the Leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives calling for greater emergency funding for higher education institutions in Congress' next COVID-19 package. Specifically, the lawmakers are asking for $175 billion more for the Education Stabilization Fund and $46 billion of that to be set aside for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEER).

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has introduced legislation that would make the $600 weekly benefit provided in the "CARES Act" tax free. In April, Congress created the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefit, which provides an extra $600 a week for any worker who is eligible for state or federal unemployment compensation (UC) benefits.

Congress has taken a number of steps to help small businesses weather the economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the latest information about relief programs available through the American Rescue Plan, click here.

For a summary of the small business provisions of the American Rescue Plan, click here.

EARLIER RELIEF:

Washington, DC – Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) issued the following statement in honor of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month:

"This month, we once again celebrate how Asian Americans are an essential part of the cultural tapestry of New York City and our nation. From Manhattan's Chinatown to Sunset Park to Queens to every other corner of our city, all five boroughs of New York are invaluably strengthened and enriched by the contributions of our Asian American communities.