Dear Community Members of NY-14,
As with so many of you, we've watched with horror and grief the recent events in Haiti and Afghanistan. While President Biden has authorized aid to Haiti and additional troops to Afghanistan, Congress must do more. In particular, Congress has a moral obligation to the Afghan people. The U.S. role in that crisis is indisputable. Congress must waste no time or expense in helping refugees safely and swiftly leave Afghanistan. Congress must immediately welcome them to the U.S. and provide real support as they rebuild their lives.
In other recent news, last week, the Senate passed a bipartisan infrastructure bill that is lacking in several fundamental ways. This 'deal' dramatically cut funding to help communities like ours who have been separated and polluted by major highways. There was no money for housing or school buildings, and funding to fight climate change was also dramatically cut. House Progressives have pledged that this bill will not receive a vote in the House until the Senate puts forward a budget resolution that addresses these and other gaps. You can learn more about the infrastructure deal and the "reconciliation" process by watching last month's town hall, here. You can also sign up for our next town hall on Friday, August 27 at 5:30 PM ET here.
Also happening in the district at the beginning of next month is our Service Academy Day - on September 9 at 12PM. This is a virtual information session for students and parents or guardians interested in applying to one of the military service academies. With the exception of the Coast Guard, all the service academies require a Congressional nomination. To learn more about the nomination process, visit our website. You can also sign up for the day here.
We are also inviting middle and high school students to participate in the 2021 Congressional App Challenge - a contest held in congressional districts across the country to encourage students to learn to code and to inspire them to pursue careers in computer science. Deadline is November 1. To participate, students should register here. Students may register as individuals or as teams of up to four.
We also wanted to make sure that all our constituents are aware that the federal ban on evictions is now extended through October 3. This extension gives New Yorkers more time to apply for rental assistance. We know many of you experienced major frustrations applying for this assistance earlier in the year, but the State has assured us they are working to improve the process. In addition to covering rent, this financial assistance can also cover utilities, moving expenses, security deposits, late fees, and more. Apply for rental assistance here or see here for a list of community organizations that can help you with your application.
Finally, we also wanted to make sure all our constituents were aware of the Emergency Broadband Benefit, which provides a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. You can apply here.
The Congresswoman is looking forward to all the district events at the end of this month. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact our office if you have any questions or if we can be of any other assistance. You can reach our office by sending a message HERE or by calling 718-662-5970. Our office is also now scheduling select in-person appointments if virtual assistance doesn't work for you. Thank you, as always, for the opportunity to serve you.
In service,
The Office of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
