Kirsten Gillibrand, Democrat for U.S. Senate: News Articles

Gillibrand lays out plan for job growth

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The economic recovery has begun, but it has been near-anemic in terms of a rebound in jobs. New York's junior U.S. Senator says the key engine for job production will be small business and she says she has a plan to aid in their growth.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand says she's joining with other lawmakers in pressing for a bill that would double the ability of credit unions to make small business loans. She says the bill would free billions of dollars for new development.

"Each time I come to Syracuse, I hear from small business owners. They express their frustrations and difficulty with getting access to credit and access to the loans that they are used to having," Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand says the proposal has bi-partisan support and should pass within a few weeks.

Editorial: Senator focuses on farm issues

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It's a refreshing change to have a U.S. senator who has a first-hand understanding of North Country agriculture and makes it a priority to protect it.

While New York state has had its share of high-profile senators of great national stature, including Hillary Clinton and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, few have focused on the plight of North Country dairy farmers with the energy of current Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, herself an upstate native with a perspective on the region's rural economy.

Before being sworn in as senator in January 2009, she served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing New York's 20th Congressional District, which spans 10 counties here in upstate New York. This has given her far more insight into local agricultural problems than any legislator from a downstate urban area could have.

As the first New York senator to sit on the Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Gillibrand has been working hard as dairy farmers have struggled with record-low milk prices and the devastating effects of the current economic crisis.

Most recently, Gillibrand has been pushing legislation to help New York dairy farmers and protect consumers by requiring country-of-origin labeling (knicknamed COOL) on all dairy products.

Just last month, the Chinese government recalled 170 tons of milk powder that had been tainted with the chemical melamine, a substance that in early 2007 caused hundreds of pet deaths here in the U.S. when it was found in pet food imported from that country.

And, in 2008 in China itself, milk tainted with melamine killed at least six infants and sickened more than 300,000.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, during the past five years U.S. dairy imports averaged around $2.7 billion annually. Gillibrand says she believes that if the United States cedes production of food to the lowest-cost producer, it leads more and more to consolidation and outsourcing to other countries.

She also maintains it's a national-security imperative that food production occur in every section of the U.S. market. It's hard to argue when she says that all consumers have the right to know whether the milk, yogurt and cheese that they buy are made in upstate New York or China.

Every year, an estimated 87 million Americans are sickened by contaminated food, 371,000 are hospitalized with food-borne illness and 5,700 die from food-related disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition, a total of 15 percent of America's overall food supply is imported from overseas, including $5.2 billion worth of food from China alone. This is cause for alarm.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's COOL law went into effect requiring country-of-origin labeling for nuts, fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood. The Dairy COOL Act supported by Gillibrand would extend COOL requirements to include dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream and butter.

Our newest senator should be supported in her efforts on this important issue and recognized for her focus on the problems of North Country agriculture.

Gillibrand Runs Against Stupak

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

The White House is negotiating with conservative Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak in hopes of getting him to ease off on abortion objections that could kill health care reform.

So far, he hasn’t, so Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is mounting an online petition drive against him, and taking advantage of that opportunity to raise a little cash.

“I just can’t believe it - Representative Bart Stupak is back at it,” Gillibrand says in an e-mail appeal to supporters. “He and a dozen or so of his colleagues are trying to block health care reform by reinserting a dangerous, anti-choice provision into President Obama’s health care bill. I’m sure you were just as shocked as I was when you heard the news.”

Stupak and other conservative Democratic abortion opponents nearly deep-sixed the House health care bill last year until they got restrictive anti-abortion language added. The Senate version wound up with a less-restrictive clause that was nevertheless unsavory for abortion rights advocates.

“Representative Stupak’s amendment was resoundingly defeated in the Senate before because it discriminates against women and poses a dangerous health risk to women and girls from every state,” Gillibrand says.

The e-mail — with big red “contribute” button — asks people to sign the petition, arguing: “After months of Republican obstructionism, we are finally about to pass real health care reform that will provide coverage to millions of Americans. Yet, a handful of politicians with extremist points of view are holding the bill hostage.”

In case you missed it, Stupak, a Democrat, would be among the “extremists,” not the Republican obstructionists.

NYT report on Iran raises US lawmakers' ire

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

US lawmakers are stepping up efforts to tighten sanctions on Iran after a report revealed that Washington had awarded 107 billion dollars in payments to American and international companies doing business with the country.

"We need to send a strong, clear signal to Iran that until it halts its nuclear ambitions, the dangerous state will be denied the benefits of access to the global economy," Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement Monday.

"Company offenders whose profits serve to fuel Iran's nuclear ambitions should not be allowed to do business with the US, period," said Gillibrand.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), says its nuclear work is directed at the civilian applications of the technology.

However, the US and its allies accuse Tehran of pursuing a military objective in its nuclear program, despite affirmation by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of Iran's non-diversion in its activities.

Under the allegation, western countries have imposed three rounds of UNSC sanctions on Iran and are currently lobbying for a fourth. The US, meanwhile, has opted to impose unilateral sanctions on Tehran for its nuclear enrichment program.

Senator Gillibrand called for the immediate adoption of a pending bill that could deny US government contracts to companies that provide Iran with gasoline or invest in the country's energy sector.

She also called for imposing a three-year ban on government contracts for companies that falsely claim they do not do business with Iran's refined petroleum sector.

On Saturday, The New York Times reported that while pushing for tougher sanctions on Tehran, the US government has given more than 107 billion dollars in contract payments, grants and other benefits over the past decade to foreign and multinational American companies doing business in Iran.

The sum included nearly 15 billion dollars paid to firms that breached the law on US sanctions against Iran by making large investments that helped the country develop its vast oil and gas reserves, said the paper.

In response, US representatives called for toughening a 1996 law aimed at punishing companies that invest more than 20 million dollars in Iran's oil and gas sectors, noting it has never led to sanctions on any company.

"The US government should be enforcing the Iran Sanctions Act, not rewarding firms that violate it," said Republican congressman Mark Kirk.

How Ford got Gilly in gear: Potential rival has made Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand tougher, say experts

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Harold Ford's maybe-I-will, maybe-I-won't stance on jumping into the Senate race has been a boon for one person - his likely opponent, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, experts say.

Consider the dynamic: two months ago, Gillibrand was the little-known Senate appointee whose name many voters couldn't even pronounce, much less find in a newspaper.

If she got press at all, it was because President Obama or Sen. Chuck Schumer had arm-twisted yet another potential Democratic primary challenger into staying out.

Then came Ford, 39, a telegenic former congressman from Tennessee who cast a giant spotlight on the race - and at the same time forced Gillibrand to raise her political game.

"She has become better at the work of being a candidate," observed Hunter College Prof. Ken Sherrill. "And that wouldn't have happened if she hadn't faced a challenge."

Ford has also raised his own profile, going from a little-known Tennessee pol to New York's latest Democrat to watch. He could quit the race tomorrow, many say, and still claim a PR success.

"It just puts his name out there for future elections, whether in New York or elsewhere," said Columbia University Prof. Robert Shapiro.

But it's really Gillibrand - still trying to shake perceptions that she's Schumer's sidekick, and certainly vulnerable to anti-incumbent fervor - who has used the last six weeks to the greatest advantage, experts say.

Since Ford launched his quasi-campaign in early January, she has nailed down coveted endorsements from Democratic county committees in the Bronx and Manhattan, as well as leaders like City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former mayoral contender Bill Thompson.

She successfully cornered President Obama on 9/11 health issues, and her push for a Senate hearing on the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy has won her accolades among gays and their allies.

At the same time, she has put up her dukes - hitting back at Ford every time he jabs, and in the process undercutting her image as a political weakling.

"A fighter becomes better the more sparring they do," said Baruch College political professor Doug Muzzio. "She has become much sharper in the ring."

None of this would have happened, or at least gained this much attention, if Ford hadn't made the race a contest.

"There has been a spotlight on the race, and she is coming off as tougher than expected," said consultant George Arzt. "So from that perspective it is good for her."

It remains unclear whether Ford, a vice chairman at Merrill Lynch, will get into the race or not; he has said he expects to make a decision within the next week or so. But no matter what he decides, some say Gillibrand has already come out ahead.

"If she faced a challenge from Steve Israel or Carolyn Maloney or Scott Stringer," Sherrill said, referring to veteran New York pols dissuaded from running, "they may well be having her for breakfast."

But Gillibrand drew Ford, who has made defending Wall Street banks from further taxation a big campaign theme - a curious pitch to liberal Democratic primary voters.

Cracked Sherrill: "He might as well come out in support of landlords."

Obama Campaign Manager Holds Fundraiser For Gillibrand

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign manager, David Plouffe, headlined a fundraiser for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand this morning.

The $250 per person event was held in Midtown.

"Senator Gillibrand, we believe, has been a great leader for New York," said Plouffe in an exclusive interview with NY1. "We're tackling these tough issues like rebuilding the economy and energy and health care that are strengthening us for the long term and she's been a real leader. So she is someone the president obviously supports and we'll do all we can to make sure she returns to the Senate."

The senator also stresses her good relationship with the White House.

"We have been working together not only on economic issues like the middle-class tax cut and the tax cut for small businesses and more lending for small businesses across the state, but we are also working on 9/11 health, repealing 'Don't ask, don't tell,'" said Gillibrand. "I work well with the administration and am very grateful for the president's support."

Gillibrand might face former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. for the Senate seat. Ford said he would make a decision about his candidacy by the end of the month.

Ford has worked to cast himself as an outsider in this possible race, attacking Gillibrand as a pawn for Washington power brokers. He has also highlighted that before Gillibrand took public officer she worked as a private attorney, where she represented a tobacco company.

"Welcome to New York, Mr. Plouffe. The unelected tobacco apologist finally brought something back to New York from Washington," said Ford spokesperson Tammy Sun in a statement this morning. "Unfortunately, it's only a fundraiser for herself. . . It's no surprise that Washington's party bosses are here to defend her. She's their Senator, not ours."

Gillibrand is expected to pick up endorsements from some labor parties today.

Gillibrand Calls for Green Jobs

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) - The December 2009 unemployment number for Rochester was 8-percent, according to the New York State Labor Department. And Tuesday, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand made a visit to Rochester, to discuss how to bring that number down.

Gillibrand talked about a new jobs bill during a Rotary Club Luncheon at the Riverside Convention Center.

The Democrat says the need for jobs is a concern everywhere - and the focus for Rochester will be green energy and bio-tech jobs.

"One of the blessings of Rochester is we have very good universities that are excelling in a couple of areas. One is in green jobs and green energy, and the other area is in bio-tech. And so the future for Rochester is very much in the technology revolution in those two areas. Which is unique."

Gillibrand says giving tax breaks to small businesses and investing during tough economic times is important - and that job generation from investment in energy and infrastructure could be long-term stabilizers for the economy.

Gillibrand in Western New York for job tax credit

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

There's a greater push to put more western New Yorkers back to work. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand came to town, promoting a job-creation crusade.

Senator Gillibrand visited the Response to Love Center to see how a grassroots organization is helping the disadvantaged of Buffalo's east side.

Sister Mary Johnice gave Senator Gillibrand a tour of the facility and the surrounding neighborhood. The outreach center provides training and health care services to the poor as well as a soup kitchen and thrift shop. Senator Gillibrand vowed to help Sister Mary Johnice apply for more federal money to accomplish her goals and dreams for center. She also talked about her efforts to create more jobs for cities like Buffalo.

"So what we're working on in Washington is a jobs agenda. We want to create a tax cut for every new job created and help that small business decide to hire someone now. Even just increasing someone's hours can make a difference so that tax credit will make a big difference in a little more than six percent tax credit for every job created," said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand also says she's working to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA for the unemployed. When asked if her upstate tour was prompted by a likely Democratic primary challenge from Henry Ford, Jr., Gillibrand says she's made several appearances in upstate New York, even when the cameras weren't following her.

Thompson Backs Gillibrand

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

They were a seat away from each other at Sunday night’s gala dinner, and interacted over the course of last weekend’s conference of the Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators.

Now Bill Thompson, the former New York City comptroller who was said at one point to be eying Gillibrand’s seat, has endorsed her.

“I was impressed with how warmly Kirsten was received this weekend at the Legislative Caucus. It is clear that our Senator has built strong partnerships over the last year and has the right priorities for New York,” Thompson said in a statement. “She’s spent times in communities across the state and understands exactly what so many New York families are going through right now. From cutting taxes for small, locally-owned businesses to putting more New Yorkers back to work and fighting for justice, fairness and equality for every single New Yorker, Kirsten is a proven fighter for New York values and I am proud to endorse her for U.S. Senate.’

Also present at the Sunday dinner was Harold Ford, the former Tennessee congressman who is considering a run against Gillibrand.

Gillibrand: I Had A Good First Year

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

In her first year in office, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited every county in the state, taking a page from the playbook of New York’s senior Senator Charles Schumer, a key ally supporting her re-election who is known for his exhaustive in-state travel itinerary.

Schumer leaves no base uncovered, and neither, apparently, has Gillibrand: to date the senator has held over 200 events, including 17 economic roundtables and 17 “Senate in Your Supermarkets” appearances.

The figures, and there are more - 741,000 letters sent, 1,200 constituent cases closed - were circulated in a year-in-review-style press release sent by her office highlighting her first-year accomplishments. It came as Gillibrand prepares for a primary challenge from former Tennessee congressman Harold Ford Jr., also a Democrat, who is considering a run for her seat.

Governor David Paterson appointed Gillibrand last year, after then-senator Hillary Clinton left the position to become secretary of state. Gillibrand’s path towards securing a first full term seemed all but assured until Ford entered the scene.

In a statement that did not mention her possible primary challenger, Gillibrand laid bare her desire to be re-elected and build on a busy first year in the senate.

“I want to represent those who have the least, but need the most,” Gillibrand said. “Whether it be a family struggling to make ends meet, a veteran looking for work, or a small business unable to access the capital they need to grow, everyday New Yorkers need a senator who is fighting on behalf of them.”

Since taking office Gillibrand has made repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” one of her signature issues. She began work to end the divisive military policy in July of last year, securing a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the matter that was finally held earlier this month, just days after President Barack Obama promised his support to repeal “Don’t Ask” in his State of the Union address.

More recently Gillibrand announced plans to introduce job creation legislation that would reward expanding small businesses with a tax cut for every new hire. She has also supported (to name a few) small business loan and property tax relief measures, a program tackling childhood obesity, and a bill to crackdown on illegal guns.

Sen. Gillibrand meets with shoppers at Graniteville ShopRite

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As part of a yearlong tour across the state, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand brought the halls of government to the supermarket aisles yesterday, with a visit to the Graniteville ShopRite to hear about issues affecting Islanders.

Sen. Gillibrand has hosted similar events in all of New York's 62 counties, as part of her Senate at Your Supermarket program to reach out to constituents in their communities. Her staff was on hand to open case files for anyone with specific problems requiring the assistance of her office.

Ferlyn Barcliff of Willowbrook came in for a routine shopping trip when she was greeted by Sen. Gillibrand, who was joined by Rep. Michael McMahon, Assemblyman Matt Titone, and State Sen. Diane Savino. Both on the local and federal level, "we represent you," the senator told Ms. Barcliff.

"The assemblyman will bag your groceries and take them to your car," McMahon joked.

Ms. Barcliff said she thought the lawmakers' visit was a good idea and took advantage of the opportunity to talk about the highway traffic that makes her late to work every day, and about concerns over health care.

"I came to shop, and thought, 'I saw this lady on the TV,'" Ms. Barcliff said upon seeing Ms. Gillibrand. "We need that help big time. We have been ignored for a long time."

While picking up veggies for a Super Bowl party, Anthony Gestone of Sunnyside, a Verizon retiree, asked the senator about health insurance reform.

Sen. Gillibrand assured him that his retiree insurance benefits would be unchanged if the legislation is passed.

But Gestone said he still has concerns. "It's still up in the air. Nobody knows what's going on," he said after their conversation. "It's nice, but it's election time. We all know that," Gestone said.

Vincent Schiavone, a bus driver from Westerleigh, spoke to Sen. Gillibrand about the need for the MTA to use federal funding to plug its budget deficit. "Saving bus service in Staten Island, that's what we're fighting for," he said.

Renee Eppler of Rosebank spoke to the senator about health care, and said she was surprised to see the legislator in the vegetable aisle while shopping with her 3½-year-old daughter, Rhianna. "We hope by speaking and voicing our opinion, we'll be heard and they'll be able to do something about it," Ms. Eppler said.

"Usually you sit around the dinner table and just talk amongst each other," she added. "It's refreshing to be able to speak to someone" in government directly, she said.

Along with health care and the economy, the borough's transportation woes were a recurring theme in her conversation with shoppers, Sen. Gillibrand said. "We need better transportation, and I couldn't agree with them more."

"Senate in Your Supermarket is about my coming into a place where constituents feel comfortable," Sen. Gillibrand explained. "I want to talk to regular people about issues they care about. As their senator, I want to be able to bring their problems back to Washington, and be able to work on solutions."

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand corners President Obama on 9/11 first responders - and is rewarded

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

WASHINGTON - Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand scored a surprise concession on Wednesday from President Obama in the fight to do right for 9/11 heroes.

New Yorkers besieged the White House after Obama's Health and Human Services secretary declared last week the administration would not back committing $11 billion in mandatory funding over 30 years for ailing 9/11 first responders.

But the junior senator cornered Obama in a Q&A he staged with Democratic senators. "Would you, today, commit to working with Congress to pass a comprehensive 9/11 health bill that's fully paid for?" Gillibrand asked.

"These Americans hail from every one of the 50 states," Gillibrand said. "Some of them are gravely ill, suffering serious health effects. Some are disabled. Some have died."

Obama's answer cracked the door back open to the possibility that 60,000 people being monitored for 9/11-related illness could now get more long-term federal help.

"I fully commit to working with you guys," Obama said, admitting he was not entirely familiar with the bill that's been stalled in Congress. "I confess, Kristen, I have not looked at all the details of your legislation," he said, flubbing her name.

"Everybody here wants to make surethat those who showed such extraordinary courage and heroism during 9/11 ... are fittingly cared for, and that's going to be something that we are going to be very interested in working with you on."

New York legislators are planning to hold him to it, and were aiming to set up a sitdown with Obama on the legislation, sources confirmed.

But the President still seemed reluctant to embrace the bill, noting he had already done more than the last White House, doubling funding for treating ill responders to $150 million next year.

"Keep in mind that our budget already significantly increased funding precisely for this purpose, so I'm not just talking the talk - we've been budgeting this as a top priority," he said.

Advocates for finally caring for Sept. 11's heroes were cautiously optimistic after a rally at Ground Zero yesterday demanding the White House listen.

"The fact that we have his attention and that it is now in his dialogue is a good thing," said John Feal, who set up the rally with responders and widows whose husbands have died since 9/11.

Obama's talk with Democrats didn't just offer Gillibrand a chance to shine. Other endangered senators got to ask questions, too, but the White House insisted the give-and-take wasn't scripted.

Obama warned his Senate allies against becoming timid after losing their 60-vote majority. "If anybody is searching for a lesson from Massachusetts," he said, "I promise you the answer is not to do nothing."

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, LGBT Elected Officials from Across New York State Endorse Gillibrand for Senate

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

New York, NY – Joined by LGBT elected officials from across New York State, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn formally endorsed Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate today – praising Kirsten as the LGBT community’s greatest ally in the U.S. Senate. The lawmakers, including State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan), State Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell (D-Manhattan), State Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-Staten Island), City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens), City Councilman James Van Bramer (D-Queens), Suffolk County Majority Leader Jon Cooper, Binghamton City Council Majority Leader Bob Weslar, Binghamton City Councilman Sean Massey and President Pro Tem of the Albany Common Council Richard Conti praised Gillibrand for her outspoken support of marriage equality and ending the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and her commitment to repealing the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. Gillibrand has secured a commitment for the first Congressional hearings on the policy since it was established in 1993.

“No one is working harder in Washington for LGBT rights than Kirsten Gillibrand,” Speaker Christine Quinn said. “She was among the first to enter the U.S. Senate already on the side of full marriage equality and same sex marriage. She helped pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act and is working tirelessly to give Gay and Lesbian couples every benefit they are entitled to. And in a very short period of time, Kirsten worked with her colleagues in the Senate to secure the first hearing on ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ in 17 years so we can once and for all end this unfair policy. The LGBT community needs Kirsten in the U.S. Senate and that’s why I am proud to stand with Kirsten and endorse her campaign.”

“I am honored to have the endorsement of Speaker Quinn and so many outstanding elected officials in the LGBT community who have shown such great leadership in the fight to ensure justice and equality for every New Yorker,” Senator Gillibrand said. “These are fundamental rights, and we won't stop fighting until every single New Yorker has the same rights, the same benefits and the same opportunity to serve their country freely and openly.”

Recognized as one of the “Persons of the Year” by The Advocate, Kirsten Gillibrand is an outspoken proponent of marriage equality, publicly announcing her support for same sex marriage rights while serving in the House of Representatives. She supports full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and is a leader in the effort to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, which prohibits gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly in the military. At Senator Gillibrand’s urging, the Chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee will hold the first Senate hearing since 1993 on the subject. Senator Gillibrand was an original co-sponsor of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Hate Crimes Act, which passed last year, is an original co-sponsor of a fully inclusive Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and is a co-sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act, which allows same sex couples in bi-national relationships to sponsor a partner for legal immigration to the United States.

Additionally, Kirsten is a cosponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act and the Early Treatment for HIV Act. Kirsten Gillibrand firmly opposes any amendment to the U.S. Constitution to discriminate against LGBT Americans, including the Federal Marriage Amendment.

"As the first openly gay or lesbian member of the New York State Legislature, I am enormously proud to support Senator Gillibrand,” Assemblymember Deborah Glick said. “Senator Gillibrand is only the second woman Senator in New York State's history and the first to support Marriage Equality. I am proud that in a time of deep cynicism her hard work on behalf of all new Yorkers can instill confidence in government, once again. Twice elected to the House of Representatives, she demonstrated her deep concern for New York's struggling families of all descriptions. With her leadership, the LGBT community was able to ensure that both US Senators representing New York support Marriage Equality.”

"I am so proud to endorse my longtime friend Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for re-election,” Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell said. “I have known and supported her since she first ran for Congress. During that 2006 campaign I held fundraisers on her behalf, confident that she supported full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals including the right to marry. Senator Gillibrand has been a steadfast friend of the LGBT community and has become the Senate’s outspoken leader in the effort to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. Kirsten Gillibrand is exactly the type of fair-minded and effective Senator that New Yorkers need and deserve."

"Senator Gillibrand is a strong advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and is working to guarantee our full and equal rights,” Assemblymember Matthew Titone said. “The LGBT community is lucky and proud to have Senator Gillibrand as an ally."

"I am proud to endorse Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a true ally of the LGBT community,” City Councilman James Van Bramer said. “My partner was a victim of the shameful Don't Ask Don't Tell military policy and I applaud Senator Gillibrand for her steadfast, passionate and determined effort to allow LGBT citizens to openly serve in the armed forces. She is a leader worthy of our support."

"Senator Gillibrand has always put LGBT issues front and center no matter where she is speaking,” City Councilman Daniel Dromm said. “We can count on Senator Gillibrand to fight for us as we move forward in our struggle for full equality," said NYC Council Member Daniel Dromm. "She's got my support!"

"Based on my personal relationship with Senator Gillibrand, I know she is an ardent supporter of LGBT issues and will fight hard for all New Yorkers,” Suffolk County Majority Leader Jon Cooper said. “Whether the battle is for marriage equality, the passage of ENDA or the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell, we can count on Kirsten to stand with us. In contrast, Harold Ford has a terrible record on our issues and went so far as to vote twice for the hateful Federal Marriage Amendment. The choice is clear -- Kirsten Gillibrand has earned the support of the LGBT community."

“United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has proven to be an outstanding advocate for all New Yorkers,” Binghamton City Council Majority Leader Bob Weslar said. “Displaying independent thinking and a keen intellect, she shows the courage to lead on important issues: repealing 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' and passing the historic Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. I proudly endorse Kirsten Gillibrand for Senate and look forward to being a partner in supporting her legislative agenda for years to come."

“Kirsten Gillibrand shares our vision for fairness and equality,” said Sean Massey, Binghamton City Councilman. “Since day one in office, she has fought to remove barriers that hold the LGBT community back – by fighting to repeal the unjust ‘Defense of Marriage’ Act so Gay and Lesbian couples get the benefits they deserve. And she is leading the fight to allow Gays and Lesbians to serve our country freely and openly the way every American deserves to. I believe in Kirsten Gillibrand’s ability create a fair, just and equal future for all of us. We need her voice in Washington and that’s why I’m proud to endorse her for U.S. Senate.”

“Senator Gillibrand is a true champion for the LGBT community,” said Richard Conti, President Pro Tem, Albany Common Council. “Kirsten is from the Capital Region and understands the needs of our families. I am proud today to endorse Kirsten Gillibrand for U.S. Senate so she can continue to fight everyday for equality.”

The elected officials join a broad and growing coalition of support for Kirsten Gillibrand. From legislators to community leaders, to teachers, doctors, nurses, environmental leaders, pro-choice advocates and civil rights leaders, thousands of New Yorkers are supporting Kirsten’s campaign. Click here for the latest information about who has endorsed Kirsten’s campaign.

Gillibrand pitches tax cut for businesses

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Small businesses could receive a shot in the arm – in the form of tax breaks for hiring new employees – if legislation proposed by U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand goes into effect.

Gillibrand wants to provide businesses a tax cut worth 15 percent of the cost of a new job hire – with small businesses receiving an additional 5 percent – that would be based on a company’s quarterly payroll increase over the previous year.

“A job creation tax cut is just the type of jolt that we need to help improve confidence, to improve a business’ ability to expand and start hiring again and move our economy in the right direction,” said Gillibrand, who was joined by Congressmember Carolyn Maloney and City Comptroller John Liu at LaGuardia Community College’s NY Designs Center on Tuesday, January 19, for the announcement.

Gillibrand said that Congressional Budget Office reports that tax cuts for firms that create new jobs would be the quickest and most effective measure the country can take right now to stimulate new job creation, and she hopes to include her legislation in a job creation bill that the Senate may take up soon.

During the announcement, Gillibrand said her legislation could create “millions of jobs,” and it also contains safeguards to prevent employers from firing and rehiring employees to claim the tax cut. It also would limit the tax cut claimed by any one firm to $350,000.

“Too many Americans are out of work and any initiative that will help create jobs is tremendously important and this one will,” said Maloney.

Meanwhile, City Comptroller John Liu said that the legislation would be especially important for city businesses where 98 percent of the firms have less than 100 employees.

“This tax cut will serve as an effective tool to preserve the vitality of our small businesses, create new jobs and help get our economy down the road to recovery,” Liu said. “This is really one of the long-term solutions to stabilizing our state and municipal budgets as well.”

One of those small businesses is Bohinj Cleaning and Contracting Inc., which is owned by Long Island City resident Tina Stare. Stare said that the company, which does cleaning and construction projects, has seen its construction portion of the business almost disappear entirely over the past few years, and the cleaning side has also experienced some tough times.

However, Stare believes that if this legislation passes, it would allow her to hire an extra employee on the marketing side of the company, which she hopes would help grow her business.

“I could hire someone to do that, and at the end of my year I could get a reward back in a tax credit,” Stare said.

Sen. Gillibrand shedding pounds - but politics is not reason for fitness kick, she says

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is turning herself into a leaner, meaner campaigning machine - showing a slimmer silhouette as a tough election battle looms.

Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) confirmed to the Daily News what observers have been noticing in recent months - she's dropped some pounds.

She declined to say how many, but outsiders are betting 15 to 20.

"Like every new mom, it takes time, it takes time, to get back in shape and be yourself again," Gillibrand said.

"Most of us are not Heidi Klum and Angelina Jolie who look great the next day - for me, it took a good year and a half to get off all my Henry weight."

Henry is her 20-month-old son.

Gillibrand, 43, faces what could be a bruising battle with former Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), who is weighing a primary run.

But the state's junior U.S. senator said her fitness kick is not for politics - it's about being healthy.

Like many moms, Gillibrand said it's a struggle to stay fit while juggling a busy work schedule and parenting demands. "It takes a whole lot ofdiscipline and a whole lot of hard work," she said.

Diet and exercise have made a "huge difference," she added.

The senator said she began focusing on her diet in August when she finished breast-feeding Henry. She eats fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fish, aiming for roughly 1,200 calories a day.

"I write down everything I eat," she said. She tries to exercise four or five times a week, typically in the mornings before work.

Gillibrand, who participated twice in the New York City Marathon when she was in her 20s, said these days she's regularly running 3 to 4 miles each time she hits the pavement.

At the gym, she lifts weights and works out on the elliptical machine. She plays tennis with her staff and squash with Al Franken, the former comedian who is now a senator from Minnesota.

Gillibrand said she now fits into the clothes she wore before she became pregnant with Henry. Her goal is to get back into the wardrobe she used before having her oldest child, Theo, 6.

"I'm still working on my Theo weight," she said.

Gillibrand, Maloney push small-biz tax cut

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

New York’s elected officials are pushing for a tax cut they said would boost new jobs for small business owners throughout the state and country, but when such a measure could take effect remained unclear.

Speaking at Laguardia Community College in Long Island City Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) joined U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) to announce a proposal to cut taxes for small businesses equivalent to 20 percent of the salary of every new job they add. Large businesses would be offered a cut equivalent to 15 percent of those salaries, they said.

“It will be the quickest, most effective measure we can take right now to stimulate new job creation and it would generate just as much economic return as the investment we’re doing in other places,” Gillibrand said, estimating the measure could create several million jobs nationwide over one year. “This tax cut is just the type of jolt we need to help improve confidence, to improve the business’ ability to expand and start hiring again.”

Maloney, chairwoman of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee, warned that while the number of jobs lost month to month has dropped from 750,000 in January 2009 to 85,000 in December 2009, the recession was not over yet.

“Still too many Americans are out of work and any initiative that will help create jobs is tremendously important, and this one will,” she said. “One of the last areas to recover in a recession is job creation. We are digging our way out of this recession, but we need to really work harder and faster for the thousands of American families.”

Gillibrand has asked President Barack Obama to include the tax cut as part of the larger jobs package he is working on with legislators, but neither she nor Maloney could say how long it might take for the bill to pass.

In the meantime, several small business owners in the city, who employ 50 percent of the area’s workforce, stepped up to show their support for the measure.

Manuel Sais, an office furniture designer whose company is based in Long Island City, said the two years since he opened shop have been a roller coaster, noting he hired four people in 2008 and had to lay off two of them last year.

“It was a very hard decision, but we had to make sure the business would continue,” he said, calling the bill “a great benefit for us.”

“It will allow me to focus more on what I’m good at — running the design business — and not doing the sales,” he said.

Kirsten Gillibrand Urges Help for Haitians

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is asking President Barack Obama to grant temporary protected status to Haitians illegally living in the United States — a move that would prevent people from being deported to the earthquake-devastated country.

In the wake of a 7.0 earthquake that has devastated Haiti — where Haitian President Rene Preval has reported thousands have died — the junior senator from New York urged Obama to move quickly.

"I am renewing my call to President Obama to grant these families temporary protected status so they do not have to live in fear of having to immediately return to a country ravaged with devastation,” Gillibrand said in a statement Wednesday morning.

In her letter to Obama, Gillibrand said temporary protected status is "needed because there is no way to safely return Haitian citizens to their country" and continued by outlining precedent for such action. "The United States granted TPS to Honduras and Nicaragua in 1999, following Hurricane Mitch, and to El Salvador in 2001, following several earthquakes.

"Haiti clearly meets the criteria for TPS designation, and extending it would be one way to help address this catastrophe, as well as alleviate aditional burdens on American assistance workers," the letter concluded.

Answering Your Food Safety Questions

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

I received some great questions from the Motherhood community in response to my post about my agenda to improve food safety in this country. As promised, here are my responses:

Q: How can we encourage people to buy more local food, and use more domestic food and less imported? Wouldn't that help on a variety of levels? " by juliepippert

A: Yes, Julie, this is not just a food safety issue, but it is a nutrition and health issue as well, and there is quite a bit we can do. I'm a strong advocate for programs that develop fresh, local food and recently secured the commitment of the USDA to create a task force to promote and develop sustainable local and regional food systems. Also, in New York City specifically, I've worked with local leaders to support programs that will provide technical assistance, training, and equipment for the procurement of local foods in our schools. I'm also pushing to make sure that the Child Nutrition Reauthorization continues this work in supporting procurement of local food. It's important to note also that buying local food helps combat urban sprawl by keeping families on their farms, and helps to ensure that food travels fewer miles from farm to table. The more local and fresh the food, the more nutritious the food, which is particularly important for children during their early development.

Q: Senator Gillibrand, your efforts to protect our children are so appreciated. From asthma awareness to this initiative for safer food. I hope that as you continue you will look to local individuals and agencies to work to spread the message and create change. I have tried reaching out to your office regarding the work we have done in the North Country to increase asthma awareness (Ease Your Wheeze campaign - Trampoline Design), but have not been able to get through. We are committed to the local economy as well as to the safety of our residents, if we can assist in delivering your message please let us know. As a mom of three daughters, I am desperate to do whatever I can to keep them safe and educate those who are a part of their care taking and educating. Again, thank you for so tirelessly putting yourself out there and in trying so assiduously to really talk to the people. " by AmandaMagee

A: Amanda, thank you for your advocacy. My son Theo has asthma, so I know firsthand that it is probably one of the most frightening health ailments a child can have -- for a parent, and for the child. As you probably know, I've proposed a comprehensive plan to combat asthma from making inhalers available to low-income children to increasing the training of certified asthma educators and investing in new research and data collection on the condition. Your help will be invaluable in this effort, please contact my legislative assistant at shari_swaaley@gillibrand.senate.gov. I'll tell her to expect your email. I am very interested in your work in the North Country and would be grateful for more information. Please send it directly to me through Shari’s email.

Q: Thank you so much for sharing this incredibly important information, Senator Gillibrand! I had no idea SO MUCH of our food is imported. Good for Costco, by the way. I'd love to know more about companies who are doing their own testing or other precautions - so we can support them with our business. Thank you so much for being here - we are honored! by Cooper

A: You're welcome, Cooper. Thanks for having me here. Yes, food testing is one area where the private sector is doing more than the government requires. As a result, the food you get at a fast food chain or at Costco has been subject to more testing than the food on our children's plates at school. That must change. Our children deserve a testing program at least as good as the fast food chains.

Here's more information from a recent USA Today article:

"Jack in the Box, Burger King, McDonald's and Costco, for instance, check their ground beef for pathogens and contaminants much more frequently, testing as many as 10 samples or more during a typical production day. In comparison, only one sample is tested each day for the ground beef the USDA buys for schools.

"The fast food chains set tougher limits for certain bacteria in their hamburger. Ground beef for school lunches can contain up to 10 times the level of some 'indicator bacteria' — organisms that, at high levels, suggest the presence of dangerous pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7."

Q: Mom from Western New York here, Senator Gillibrand! My husbands family owned a dairy farm for three generations. just this past spring they had to sell their herd because financially they couldn't make it in the milk business. This saddened me on a personal level, of course, but also gave me pause- We no longer know where most of our food comes from. I try shopping at farmers markets and from local growers in the community but more and more of them go under every year it seems. Does it not make sense that contamination has worsened as our food is grown further and further away? What can be done so local farmers can keep on providing food for their neighbors? by Virginia

A: This is why it's so important that our dairy farmers remain in business and that the government does everything it can to make sure the prices they get for their product can sustain them. We do not want to outsource our milk for the exact reason you describe. It is not only an economic issue for thousands of small business owners in New York and throughout the country, but it is a national security issue. I am working on redesigning the pricing system for milk so that cost of production is always reflected in the price received for the milk produced. I hope to have my proposal included in the next Farm Bill.

As I wrote above, I'm a strong supporter of incentives for expanding access to locally grown food. I also am in favor of grants for urban community gardens and incentives to expand farmers markets. You're absolutely right that the more locally we eat, the healthier and safer our food and our local communities will be.

Q: Virginia - I hear you. My parents own a farm. It's a ticking time bomb as to when they will go under too. They can't compete with box store prices most of the time (because you know they don't pay people next to nothing to do the work). Sadly, many restrictions that are being proposed will only tax them more. It sucks on so many levels. Yeah, I want safe food, but I also think we have to implement policies that aren't going to kill the small farmers who aren't profiting enough to afford the extra costs and can't charge any more on their product because then no one will buy it. It's a double edged sword. That said when you shop from us, you see the farm, you can see what we are doing and how we are caring for the plants, etc, etc. And I think that is a good thing for both parties. **** Food safety is important, but we need to have realistic plans that don't put too much strain on small farmers. And we need to make sure we aren't fixing the problem by causing another one. I will say radiation comes up all the time in relation to food safety, and it scares me. A lot. I think it might solve one problem, but I fear for what it will cause in the future. by Brandie

A: I will fight to ensure that any food safety legislation does not come at the expense of family farmers. Family farms form the backbone of our rural communities and help us retain our unique American cultural heritage. I am an original cosponsor of a bill, S. 2758, that will provide small family farmers with technical and financial assistance so that they can more easily implement any new food safety policies.

I will also be a strong advocate for food safety technologies that are effective and safe for the consumer. I share your concerns about radiation as a potential “kill step” and will fight for rigorous and thorough evaluation of any proposed methods to make sure they do not create unintended consequences.

Thanks so much for the questions, everyone. These issues are very important to me and I promise to continue to fight for them in the Senate. I write about food safety on Twitter (http://twitter.com/SenGillibrand) and on Facebook (http://facebook.com/kirstengillibrand) and look forward to continuing the conversation there.

Protecting Our Children From BPA

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

It's great to be here among the vibrant BlogHer community. As many of you know, I'm a Mom with two little boys at home and I consider it my duty to be a voice for parents in Washington to fight for and to protect kids in whatever way I can. Whether it’s keeping illegal guns out of the hands of criminals, improving access to affordable, quality child care, making sure the meat delivered to school cafeterias is safe or keeping harmful chemicals out of our drinking water, my number one priority is the well being of our children.

Which is why I was so disturbed by a recent study by Consumer Reports that revealed that a dangerous chemical called bisphenol-A, commonly known as BPA, has been found in a wide range of common products used by children – such as baby bottles, canned formula and canned food.

Even more shocking is that, according to the study, BPA has been found in humans at levels higher than previously thought and in food with containers advertised as BPA free.

BPA is an endocrine disruptor, which can mimic the body's own hormones, and the adverse health effects of BPA on women and children, particularly pregnant women and infants, can be extremely serious. According to a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, BPA is potentially dangerous to human development and reproduction. More than 100 published studies have shown possible links to breast cancer, obesity and neurological disorders. Even low-level exposure to BPA may impact neural development and behavior, and lead to early puberty in girls.

Allowing our children to continue to be broadly exposed to this harmful chemical is unacceptable. The time to ban BPA from food and beverage packaging marketed to kids is now.

Like all parents, I expect to have faith and confidence that the products my family consumes are safe. This study shook that confidence and inspired me to take action. Last month, I was proud to join with my colleague Senator Chuck Schumer to announce the BPA-Free Kids Act – legislation that would protect infants and toddlers from the health risks from BPA by banning this chemical from products such as baby bottles, sippy cups, bowls, plates and utensils used by children ages three and under.

In 2008, Canada became the first country in the world to ban plastic baby bottles with bisphenol A. If Canada can do it, so can we.

Through testing standards, product labeling requirements, and stiff penalties, along with additional research into BPA, this legislation would result in a great step forward towards ensuring the health of our most vulnerable.

But we can’t stop there. The Consumer Reports study showed alarming BPA levels in a range of canned foods – including green beans, tuna fish, and soups. In response, Senator Schumer and I are co-sponsoring legislation with Senator Diane Feinstein that would permanently ban BPA from all food and beverage containers, including canned food.

The U.S. has a great history of taking steps to safeguard children – banning lead in toys, mandatory use of car seats, and requirements for non-flammable sleepwear -- and we should take action on this issue as well. We cannot and should not stand by when serious risk is suspected only to be proven we should have acted sooner. When we ignore product risk, we are not giving parents and consumers the ability to make informed choices. Parents want the best for their children and should not have to find out later that their best intentions were not good enough due to government inaction.

As the mother of two young boys, I understand that there is no greater duty than to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. To that end, as a Member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and the Senate Subcommittee on Toxics and Environmental Health, I am focused on using my position to advance policy to protect our families and our environmental from harmful chemicals.

From comprehensively studying pharmaceuticals in our drinking water, to studying carcinogens in baby products, to protecting our children from the harmful effects of bisphenol-A, I pledge to continue to fight to assure that our children are afforded every opportunity to grow up safe and healthy.

Please join me and become a citizen co-sponsor of this important legislation today.

Gillibrand asks National Grid to avoid outsourcing Syracuse jobs

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- New York’s junior senator urged National Grid on Monday to avoid outsourcing high-paying information technology jobs, including some 200 positions in Central New York. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, sent a letter to Tom King, president of National Grid in the U.S., expressing concern about reports that the utility may outsource large numbers of IT jobs.

“Please reconsider any decisions you have made thus far to eliminate any of the National Grid jobs in New York state and the Northeast,” Gillibrand wrote.

Gillibrand’s letter came in response to a story published Dec. 23 in The Post-Standard, which reported that employees in National Grid’s information services department in Syracuse had been told the company may outsource their jobs. Several employees, who spoke on the condition that their names not be published, said a company vice president had briefed them Dec. 10 on plans to solicit bids from outside vendors to perform work done by utility employees.

But National Grid officials say no decisions have been made. “National Grid has received the senator’s letter and shares her commitment to the region’s economic health,” Alberto Bianchetti, speaking for the utility, said in a prepared statement. “Because we are very early in the process of a prudent review of our information system organization, and have made no decisions regarding our work force, any claims of impact locally are speculative and premature.”

The outsourcing could affect some 200 National Grid employees in Syracuse, and as many as 1,000 other employees or independent contractors throughout National Grid’s operations in New York state and New England, sources said. A first wave of 40 to 50 employees — including 20 in Syracuse — have been told their jobs will end May 1, employees said.

National Grid has issued one request for proposals — and plans to issue more in the months to come — seeking outside vendors for programming, networking and other IT functions, employees said. Vendors may be selected either from the United States or overseas, according to employees who were briefed.

The possibility of sending the jobs offshore is particularly troubling, Gillibrand said in her letter to King.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office has contacted National Grid about the issue, said Max Young, speaking for the senator. Schumer, D-New York, declined to comment pending further discussions.

Representatives from Rep. Dan Maffei’s office said they were told by National Grid that there isn’t much to discuss yet. “They’re telling us it’s a standard review and it’s not indicative that any jobs will move,” said Abigail Gardner, speaking for Maffei, D-DeWitt.

Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce President Darlene Kerr — who was Niagara Mohawk’s president and chief operating officer before it was bought by National Grid in 2002 — declined to say if she has discussed potential outsourcing with National Grid.

“I really can’t comment on this at all,” Kerr said.

Banks Need To Lend Now!

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

With financial regulatory reform looming on Capitol Hill, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is calling Wall Street firms and big banks like Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Bank of America on the carpet.

The junior senator from New York told The Post that banks owe American taxpayers a huge debt -- and it's not just about returning the hundreds of billions in rescue dough that banks seem eager to pay back from Uncle Sam's Troubled Asset Relief Program.

It's time for financial institutions to make a bid to earn back the trust of average Joes and Janes and show taxpayers the money by turning on the lending spigot.

"American taxpayers expect more from the banks," Gillibrand said in a statement in response to questions from The Post about Washington efforts to restore financial stability and change the practices that brought Wall Street to its knees.

"President Obama was correct when he said that the banks have an extraordinary responsibility to help rebuild our economy. Taxpayers expect the banks to not just pay back their bailout money, but also pay back their trust, by investing in job creation and growth for the entire Main Street economy," Gillibrand said.

Gillibrand, who took office earlier this year, replacing Hillary Clinton, who joined the Obama administration, gave her views on Wall Street ahead of plans to enact sweeping changes that could see financial institutions facing reforms. They would include transaction taxes, curbs on bonuses and scrutiny of the sale of hard-to-parse financial instruments such as derivatives.

Many of those issues will be hotly debated when the US Senate reconvenes at start of the New Year to hash over the Restoring American Financial Stability Act.

Much of the debate centers on figuring out ways to curb Wall Street excess while stimulating job growth amid unemployment rates that, at more than 10 percent, are the worst in 60 years.

So far, the markets might have avoided a 1930s-era Great Depression -- when 25 percent of Americans were unemployed and nearly half the banking system shut -- but are far from out of the woods, the 43-year-old freshman lawmaker said.

Still, that hasn't stopped public backlash over firms like Goldman Sachs as they appear set to dole out record bonuses after accepting some $10 billion in TARP money and placing even bigger bets with taxpayer dough.

However, Gillibrand warns that demonizing Wall Street isn't the answer, and reform with a vengeance may do more harm than good. "It is understandable that people are upset when reading stories about enormous bonuses on Wall Street. When nearly 900,000 New Yorkers are out of work, it seems wrong for the very industry that helped push us into recession -- by taking on excessive risk -- would be so immediately rewarded," she said. "There is plenty of blame to go around for the financial collapse -- including, but not limited to, the increase in leverage ratios, insufficient regulatory oversight, willingness of rating agencies to rubber stamp securities with triple-A ratings; and allowing financial products without sufficient consumer protections."

Gillibrand seems to be against the much talked-about transaction tax -- a quarter-cent tax on every stock trade. Unlike the case in past years, where the tax revenue would go to fund regulatory costs, this year's money grab is aimed at job creation and deficit reduction.

"Demonizing Wall Street and singling out New York for tax revenue is not a solution and potentially endangers the broader economy," she said. "Such an approach would especially impact our state, which greatly benefits from the tax revenue generated by the financial services industry."

While trying to walk a middle-of-the-road path in addressing banks and their role in bringing about the recession, Gillibrand, nonetheless, has gone out of her way to make sure the financial sector gets a fair shake.

For example, after Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) died and Then-Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), moved over to the Health Committee, Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) was unexpectedly elevated to the chair of the Ag Committee.

Recognizing that the new chair had much less experience than her long-serving predecessor and looking to get the committee as smart as it could be on derivatives, Gillibrand invited Lincoln to New York in October to meet with academics, economists, hedge fund managers, investment bankers and lawyers to have a frank discussion on derivatives.

The meetings were arranged to show Lincoln how businesses of all stripes use derivatives to hedge risk -- and to show her how they are used.

Like Gillibrand, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) also has called for a less draconian approach to dealing with bankers and bank bonuses, but was noticeably less specific in how taxation, regulation and compensation issues should be shaped.

"More than two years into this crisis," Schumer said in a one paragraph statement, "it is incumbent upon Congress to come together and pass a comprehensive plan to fill the gaps in our regulatory system -- one that reins in excessive risk taking and moves beyond too-big-to-fail firms."

Meanwhile, Gillibrand has tried to suggest ways to jumpstart the economy.

The senator sent a letter Dec. 2, along with other leading senators, to Obama calling for a temporary "job creation tax credit" for corporations. "According to estimates done by the Economic Policy Institute, such a program could generate an economic return of over $2 per dollar of cost," the letter to the President states.

And it looks like Obama gave heed to the advice, given that he mentioned a similar job tax credit during a speech on the state of the economy six days later at the Brookings Institute.

The gentlemom from New York: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's work-life balance

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

If you follow Kirsten Gillibrand on Twitter, you get a pretty good picture of what life is like for the junior senator from New York. In between the tweets on carbon emissions and hate-crimes legislation, there is news of Spider-Man and a "Star Wars" trooper -- her two sons' Halloween costumes.

Many moms balance career and motherhood, getting up before dawn at the cry of a human alarm clock and collapsing into bed many hours later. Few do it on as public a scale as politicians.

"My time is in demand in all parts of my life," says Gillibrand, a Democrat. "I represent 20 million people, and I want to be in so many places at once. I'm always having to prioritize." She would like to be everywhere she's invited and spend more time with husband Jonathan, a financial consultant, and their kids, Theo, 6, and Henry, 19 months. The Gillibrands run two households: a rented D.C. townhouse and a 1930s colonial in Hudson, N.Y., where they return about one weekend a month.

The senator, 43, born and raised in Upstate New York, travels to her home state many Sundays to meet with constituents and community groups and announce legislation. She also heads back to New York on days the Senate is not in session.

The Senator Mom, as the New York press likes to call her, isn't vying for a medal in the multi-tasking-parent Olympics. But she is part of Washington's intense work-life culture, in which parents try to keep it together as they stuff work files in diaper bags and e-mail teachers from elevators.

The former congresswoman from New York's 20th District (appointed to the Senate by New York Gov. David Paterson to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton after she became secretary of state) weaves together work and family responsibilities. Consider New York Farm Day, recently hosted by Gillibrand in the Russell Senate Office Building, where she noshed on a few chunks of cheddar and some chocolate cabernet ice cream. This served as dinner for Gillibrand, who dashed from that event to her Capitol Hill home in time for her kids' bedtime. Then, still in black suit and pearls, she headed to an MSNBC studio for an appearance on "The Rachel Maddow Show" to discuss the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

At home, she and her husband share the chores. "We both do the work as we go along," she says. "When I come downstairs, he will be unloading the dishwasher and putting in the second load of laundry."

The family keeps to a timetable during the week. "On weekends we don't have a set routine. In fact, we try to do very little except be together," she says. Saturdays, they may attend a soccer game, play in Lincoln Park and have brunch at Pete's Diner on the Hill.

She has little time for indulging herself. Her mother is her personal shopper. "My mom got me five suits at Macy's for less than $100 apiece. They were like 75 percent off." She does make an exception for shoes. "I like shoes, and I do buy those. I always wear flats." No time to fuss about a bad hair day. "I get my hair cut wherever I happen to be. Recently, I've gotten a cut in Albany, Washington, New York City and Los Angeles," she says. She keeps up with friends on phone and e-mail, and occasionally drops in at a Bible study group.

She constantly switches from senator to mom. One minute you're caucusing on affordable health care, the other you're baking muffins with your kids. Is it difficult to bolt from one to the other? "It's not really an issue," she says. "When you are with your children, they consume all of your attention immediately."

Senator seeks 'strict testing' for meat sent to schools

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

A senator on the committee overseeing the National School Lunch Program called Monday for the government to raise its standards for meat sent to schools across the nation.

In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., urged "a strict testing program" for ground beef similar to those "used by industry leaders such as Jack in the Box and Costco."

Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture already sets special inspection and testing requirements for the meat it sends to schools, a USA TODAY investigation this month found that those requirements lag those set by many fast food restaurants and grocery chains.

TROUBLE ON THE TRAY: School lunch safety

Jack in the Box, Burger King, McDonald's and Costco, for instance, check their ground beef for pathogens and contaminants much more frequently, testing as many as 10 samples or more during a typical production day. In comparison, only one sample is tested each day for the ground beef the USDA buys for schools.

The fast food chains set tougher limits for certain bacteria in their hamburger. Ground beef for school lunches can contain up to 10 times the level of some "indicator bacteria" — organisms that, at high levels, suggest the presence of dangerous pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7. "Our children deserve a testing program at least as good as the fast food chains," Gillibrand wrote.

In response to USA TODAY's findings, Vilsack pledged an independent review of testing requirements but stopped short of promising changes. The review is "meant to make sure the system is as safe as possible," said USDA spokesman Caleb Weaver.

Gillibrand called on the USDA "to terminate contracts with any habitual violators of your food safety policies." In particular, Gillibrand cited Beef Packers, a Fresno company that has been a major supplier to the school program.

The company has twice recalled beef this year that contained a drug-resistant strain of salmonella. Although government officials say none of that beef went to schools, USA TODAY found that almost 450,000 pounds of beef produced by the plant from June 5 to 23 — the dates included in the recall — was sent to schools. That beef tested negative for salmonella, but scientists and lawmakers such as Gillibrand say the meat should have been rejected.

Beef Packers has not bid on school contracts since July; Weaver said officials must be convinced the company has fixed its problems before its beef will be sent to schools.

Gillibrand Opponent Becomes Gillibrand Believer

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Add Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper to the list of would-be primary opponents to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand who have opted to endorse the junior senator's bid to keep her seat next fall rather than challenger her for it.

Cooper announced today that he has decided to follow the lead of fellow Democrats like Reps. Steve Israel, Carolyn McCarthy and Carolyn Maloney and Manhattan BP Scott Stringer by opting out of the 2010 primary. (Of that group, only Stringer has endorsed Gillibrand to date).

Cooper, an early Obama supporter who announced his exploratory committee seven months ago, made his delayed announcement surrounded by fellow Long Island Democrats and Gillibrand herself.

He insisted he had been "98-99 percent sure" he would challenge her until he sat down with her for dinner in Washington, D.C. about three weeks ago.

The meal was set up by a "top Democratic official" in Washington who is friends with both New York lawmakers, Cooper said. He insisted the official in question was not Sen. Chuck Schumer.

The duo spent the first five minutes of the meal exchanging photos of their kids (he and his husband, Rob, have five; she and her husband, Jonathan, have two).

Then they got down to issues, starting with gun control and moving on down the list of key policy areas on which she has been perceived to change her position since she ascended from being an upstate House member to a statewide official in the US Senate.

"The person I thought I was running against was not the real Kirsten Gillibrand," Cooper told me during a telephone interview following his press conference.

"I had always said I would do what was best for the Democratic Party, New York State and the nation...I thought it would be doing a disservice to all three if I pursued this primary. I decided she wasn't a flip-flopper after all."

"I would only want to win if it was the old Gillibrand I was running against, but once I realized that she shared the same positions on key issues that I did and would fight for them like I would, I lost my rationale for running."

Cooper concluded he "couldn't have lived with myself" if he run against Gillibrand and cost the Democratic Party a Senate seat by failing to beat her but leaving her weak and susceptible to a GOP general election challenge.

Instead, he has decided to join Team Gillibrand and plans to "spread the word that she really is a progressive at heart, adding: "If I didn't really believe that, I would not have made this decision today."

As for the future, Cooper said he plans to seek re-election as majority leader of the Suffolk County Legislature on Wednesday.

He said he doesn't know if he has any interest in taking on GOP Sen. Carl Marcellino next fall, as Democratic leaders have urged him to do, but added: "Never say never."

As for Gillibrand, Cooper's decision leaves her with just one announced primary opponent: Labor activist Jonathan Tasini. A number of Republicans are eyeing her seat, including: Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki, Bruce Blakeman, Liz Feld and - new today - Marc Mukasey, son of former US AG Michael Mukasey, and a partner at Bracewell & Giuliani.

New Legislation to Ban BPA in ChildrenaEUR(TM)s Products

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

NEW YORK—Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced new legislation to ban Bisphenol-A (BPA) from common products used by children and pregnant women on Sunday, Dec. 13. BPA is a chemical used to make plastics clear and shatter-resistant, also found in the linings of cans and baby bottles. A recent Consumer Reports’ study showed that BPA is now being used in a wider range of products and consumables in higher concentrations than thought before.

“This study adds to the mounting evidence that BPA is not only harmful for our children but for an overwhelming majority of Americans,” Schumer said. “There have been enough warning signs about the dangers of this chemical that we cannot sit idly by and continue to allow residents across New York City to be exposed. We need to keep this dangerous chemical out of the food chain.”

The report shows that BPA poses major health risks that affect reproduction and neural development because the chemical mimics estrogen. Infants and toddlers have the highest risk because they have the highest level of exposure at a time when risks to reproduction and neural development are greatest.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that 95 percent of Americans tested have BPA levels at or above levels that cause abnormalities in animals. Studies on lab animals and BPA have shown a link between obesity, infertility, behavioral changes, miscarriages, prostrate problems, and cancer.

“We have to worry because manufacturers are still using this chemical widely, and it’s getting into our foods,” Schumer said.

A Consumer Reports’ study from last month shows that BPA is found even in foods labeled BPA-free. The chemical found in the packaging often seeps into the food, and BPA was found in the canned liquid version of Similac Advance infant formula and canned Nestle Juicy Juice. Of the 19 name brand foods tested, including canned soups, tuna, vegetables, and juice, Del Monte’s green beans had the highest levels of BPA.

Senator Gillibrand said the findings in the report infuriated her, and legislation to ban the chemical was action she felt obligated to take.

“As the mother of two young boys, I expect to have faith and confidence that the products my family consumes are safe,” Gillibrand said. “But this report sheds light on the extent of potential exposure to this harmful chemical. Allowing Americans to continue to be this broadly exposed to potentially dangerous levels of BPA is unacceptable.”

The bill, The BPA-Free Kids Act, will prohibit the manufacture and sale of food and beverage containers composed of BPA for infants and toddlers. Children’s foods and beverages made of BPA would be labeled “banned hazardous substances” under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The bill mandates application of criminal or civil penalties for any violations of the BPA-Free Kids Act, including the testing, certification, and labeling requirements.

“I could not feel a greater sense of urgency on getting the chemical out of the foods our families eat,” Gillibrand said. “They already do this in other countries. If Canada can do it, so can we.”

The bill would provide funding for additional research on BPA of about $5 million a year for five years to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to increase understanding on the health effects of BPA in all age groups and pregnant women.

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is also introducing legislation to permanently ban BPA from all food and beverage containers, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand are supporting this as well.

Schumer says it will be much easier to pass the legislation banning BPA from children’s food and beverage containers, as there has been resistance for the other bill because there hasn’t been as much testing for adult groups.