Dear Friends,

 

These have been a busy few weeks in Washington filled with legislative action for our communities. Among this progress, I’m proud to have secured funding for local organizations at home, worked with President Biden to reimagine how we protect our neighborhoods and sign into a law a bill for silenced survivors of workplace sexual harassment, while taking a stand against Putin’s horrific war against Ukraine.

 

Now that President Biden has signed the FY22 appropriations bill into law, I am thrilled to share that I have secured nearly $11 million for nine incredibly important and deserving organizations right here in New York’s 10^thCongressional District. These organizations play a vital role in our community, and I am proud to have fought for this funding to support their work.

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic andthe previous administration's policies that needlessly cut crucial domestic social programs, I have been working to ensure many local organizations that improve the lives of people in our communities have the resources necessary to continue providing these critical services. The inclusion of the new Community Project Funding initiative in the appropriations bill allows Members of Congress to deliver funds directly to our communities where they are needed most.

 

This funding will support programs that advance health and well-being for underserved patients, educate and feed our most vulnerable people, improve the safety of pedestrians, provide specialized mental health services for the LGBTQ+ community, deliver valuable training to formerly incarcerated students, and support our small businesses.

 

Below are the nine community-based projects that were awarded funding in the district:

• $4,000,000 to the New York City Housing Authorityfor its project tomodernize and replace elevators in low-income housing
  
  
• $2,000,000 to the William F. Ryan Community Health Centerfor its Mental Health Facility Expansion project
  
  
• $1,500,000 to the American Museum of Natural Historyfor its Prediction and Monitoring of Disease Transmission project
  
  
• $1,000,000 to Hudson River Parkfor its Pedestrian Safety and Security project
  
  
• $775,000 to God’s Love We Deliver, Incto reach more vulnerable people with medically tailored meals and nutrition education
  
  
• $700,000 to the Maimonides Medical Centerfor their Brooklyn Parenting Center project
  
  
• $350,000 to the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Centerfor their Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services project
  
  
• $300,000 to New York Universityfor its NYU Prison Education Program Community Research Project
  
  
• $134,000 to Columbia Universityfor its High School Training Program for Small Business Accounting

More information about these projects can be foundhere.

 

These funds are in addition to the other priorities I championed in the appropriations process, including $30.4 billion in tenant based rental assistance, also known as Section 8, and $450 million for Housing for Persons with AIDS, or HOPWA.

 

In the wake of the loss of two NYPD officers to senseless gun violence,I recently joined President Biden at One Police Plazato discuss the city's new gun violence task force and how we can work together to get guns off our streets. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, I was particularly pleased to be joined by Attorney General Merrick Garland and New York Attorney General Tish James, who have been tremendous partners as I work to pass legislation to reduce gun violence and other violent crime in Congress. We know that the recent increase in crime is partly due to the economic and social upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and that law enforcement alone cannot solve this growing problem. That is why I was proud to convene a Judiciary Committee hearing focusedon Reimagining Public Safety in the COVID-19 Era. There, weheard from expert witnesses who discussed new public safety approaches that not only invest in community resources and support systems but put effective, community-driven law enforcement strategies in place that ensure police accountability.

The past few weeks have included significant milestones in the fight against sexual harassment and assault. First, I joined President Biden at the White House as he signed H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, into law. Currently, many companies bury clauses in employee agreements that strip them of their rights to sue in cases of workplace harassment or assault. I have been fighting for years to advance this legislation which empowers sexual assault and harassment survivors by restoring their access to justice and public accountability under the law. In November,I presided over powerful testimonyin the Judiciary Committee from brave survivors silenced by forced arbitration clauses—testimony thatcould only be compelled by Congressional subpoena. Now that H.R. 4445 has been signed into law, survivors are free to come forward with their experiences and have their day in court if they choose to do so.

 

Later that week, I was pleased to see the long-overdue reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) included in the passage of the FY22 omnibus. I've held several hearings on reauthorizing VAWA in the Judiciary Committee, which will ensure communities across America will have the tools they need to combat the crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. These initiatives include victim services, prevention, training, education, enforcement, economic stability, and other programs that support survivors and help them heal and access justice.

 

 

 

As Vladimir Putin continues his unjust, unprovoked war on Ukrainian sovereignty, I'm committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to hold Russia accountable and deliver relief to Ukrainians impacted by the invasion. To that end, Congress has imposed restrictive economic sanctions on Russia to ensure Putin and his oligarchs face harsh consequences for their actions. These include cutting Russian banks off from accessing US financial systems and freezing assets of Russian oligarchs. The impact of these sanctions has left the Russian stock market closed for weeks, decimated the ruble's value, and helped to limit Russia’s ability to fund its war.

 

Last week, Congress took actions a step further with an overwhelming bipartisan vote to ban the import of Russian oil and energy products into the US, eliminating a significant revenue source for Putin. This vote also takes steps to remove Russia's access to the World Trade Organization and reauthorizes and strengthens the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

 

Additionally, as part of the FY22 omnibus now signed into law, I voted to deliver over $13 billion in humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine so that the country has the resources necessary to defend itself and care for its people. This historic funding is critical to assisting vulnerable Ukrainians as the invasion has led to the largest refugee crisis in the region since World War II. That is whyI joined my colleagues in a letter to President Bidenurging the need for immigration relief for Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression. Congress must continue to support the people of Ukraine as they experience heartbreaking violence by Putin in the fight for their democracy.

 

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I hope you find this update on my work for you helpful. If I can ever be of assistance with a federal issue or any other matter of concern, please contact me by email atnadler.house.gov/contactor call one of my offices listed below.

 

Sincerely,

 

JERROLD NADLER

Member of Congress