Results for NY-21 in the First Six Months
As your Representative in Congress, I am committed to ensuring residents of our district have their voices heard in Washington. I am proud at what our office has been able to accomplish for constituents in the first six months of 2017 and wanted to give you an update.
Despite what you may have heard, this has been an incredibly productive time for Congress. Overall, the House of Representatives has passed more legislation this year than in the first 6 months of any recent Presidency. These aren’t small items either — I was proud to help the House pass the VA Accountability Act -bipartisan legislation to dramatically reform the VA and ensure our North Country heroes get the best care possible. In the first six months, we also passed the Financial CHOICE Act, which repeals Dodd-Frank and replaces it with reforms that will help our small businesses, end taxpayer funded bailouts and ensure no company remains “too big to fail.” We also passed legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare and I will continue to work with our colleagues in the Senate to build a healthcare system that lowers costs for families and businesses in our district. In addition, we’ve also made significant achievements in the areas of education, environment, veterans, and for our national defense.
As we enter the second half of the year, I wanted to share some in-depth highlights from my work as your Representative in 2017.
Constituent Service
In the first six months of the year, our offices in Watertown, Glens Falls, Plattsburgh, and Washington D.C. have been working hard to help constituents with the Federal government and to respond to calls and letters about legislation. I’m proud to report that my offices have helped recover about $2 million in VA benefits — $410,000 in the first half of this year alone. This is in addition to over $300,000 in Social Security benefits. Additionally, as we debate many issues in Washington, our team has fielded over 16,000 calls and responded to over 50,000 of your letters.
Education
As the first member of my immediate family to graduate from college, making higher education more affordable and accessible is a top priority of mine. Over the past six months, I’m proud to report significant wins for NY-21 in the area of education. Earlier this year, my effort to expand Pell Grants year round was signed into law. This will allow our North Country students have more flexibility and access to an affordable education. Additionally, I have introduced the Perkins Loan Extension Act, which would extend a critical financial aid tool for low income students. My legislation continues to gain momentum and I am committed to seeing it pass. Finally, I voted in support of the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act to help young people enter the workforce with the tools and knowledge they need to compete for high-skilled, in-demand jobs.
Environment
Our district is the proud home of the Adirondacks, and we know that our environment is our lifeblood in the North Country. I’m committed to preserving our pristine ecosystems for future generations, and in the past six months, we’ve taken important steps to help protect the environment in NY-21 and beyond. As a member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and the Co-Chair of the Invasive Species Caucus, I’ll continue to be an independent voice for our district.
National Security
Our most important job in Congress is to provide for our national defense, and I’m committed to strengthening our defense capabilities and giving our brave men and women in uniform the resources they need to keep us safe. I’m honored to sit on the House Intelligence Committee, and am proud to Chair the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. My committee work has also taken me overseas, to learn firsthand of the threats our deployed servicemembers face. We will continue working to address the national security challenges of today, and the emerging threats of tomorrow.
Veterans
We must keep the promises and commitments we’ve made to our military veterans by ensuring needed services and care are always available and delivered in a timely fashion. In the first six months, we’ve taken real action to give back to the veterans who sacrificed so much for us. Our district has more veterans than any other district in New York, and in Congress, I’ll keep fighting for them.
NDAA
Every year, Congress allocates funds and determines defense priorities in a bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. This year’s NDAA is a major milestone of the first six months of 2017. The NDAA includes two of my bills: the Military Family Stability Act, to help military families with the flexibility they need to make a successful transition to their new jobs, schools, and communities, and the Lift Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act, which increases the portability of professional licenses when military spouses are relocated. I’m proud of what we were also able to achieve for Fort Drum and for our military readiness.
It’s an honor to represent New York’s 21st District, and in Congress, I’ll continue fighting for the North Country. If you ever need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact my offices or visit Stefanik.house.gov. There is still much more to be done and I look forward to continuing to work my hardest for the 21st District!
