Forty seven years ago this week, during the Stonewall Uprising, hundreds of brave lesbian gay bisexual and transgender individuals stood up and said: “Enough. We will not be intimidated.” Those stalwart individuals changed the course of history and launched the modern LGBT civil rights movement. In designating this monument, our nation took another step forward for progress by declaring the first LGBT National Monument at Stonewall Inn and the surrounding area. The monument will ensure the nation forever remembers that LGBT history is American history, and that LGBT rights are civil rights.
Protecting Israel by Increasing Funding to $72 million for Iron Dome
Congressman Nadler fighting for increased funding for Iron Dome on the House Floor. Watch my remarks here.
I have long supported the Iron Dome weapons system to defend Israel from short-range missile attacks. I voted to authorize the United States to assist Israel in procuring the weapons. I voted for massive increases in funding for the Iron Dome during the summer of 2014 when Israel was under a daily barrage of missiles, and I spoke out repeatedly on the House floor in favor of fully funding the Iron Dome. I have been lucky enough to have visited Israel many times, and four years ago, I visited an Iron Dome battery in Israel and met with the brave soldiers who operated it. I was also in Israel in the summer of 2014 when the Iron Dome system was used repeatedly to destroy incoming rockets and save so many lives.
I was pleased my amendment to increase funding for Iron Dome to $72 million passed the House earlier this year.
We must do everything we can to maintain Israel's qualitative military superiority over any potential combination of state and non-state aggressors. We must continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel and in support of Israel’s fundamental right to defend itself. The Iron Dome antimissile system is another step in maintaining Israel's military superiority and in protecting Israel's citizens against unprovoked aggression.
Fighting for Lower Rents for Millions of New Yorkers
As a longtime advocate for affordable housing, from my time in the New York State Assembly at the start of my career, to the ongoing battles I have waged with my colleagues in Congress to protect and enhance federal funding for affordable housing, I believe strongly in rent regulation.
I recently testified before the NYC Rent Guidelines Board, where I called on them to protect affordable housing and enact a rent rollback for rent regulated apartments in 2016.
Last night, in a victory for tenants, the Board voted to freeze rents for some rent regulated apartments for the second year in a row, recognizing the need to ease the financial pressures created by rising rents. This is a cause for celebration, and makes it clear that rent regulated apartments must be protected.
The majority of rent regulated tenants continue to struggle financially while landlords are experiencing record decreases in operating costs and sustained income growth. Given New York’s current housing climate, I urged the Board to roll back rents as the best option available to the Board to prevent further exacerbating tenant hardship. The rent freeze that the Board ultimately enacted will positively impact the lives of millions of New Yorkers by alleviating their growing financial burdens, protect thousands of units from being lost to those who need them, and allow many New Yorkers to remain in their homes and communities.
It’s critical that tenants are not made more vulnerable by unnecessary rent increases, and the Board's decision is a recognition that rents have grown too high, too quickly for rent regulated apartments. We must fight for those millions of New Yorkers who depend on rent regulation to stay in their homes and communities.
