Welcome to Kirsten’s New York Minute!
November 1, 2025
1. Fighting to continue SNAP benefits
Earlier this month, the Trump administration directed states not to distribute federal dollars for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), blaming the ongoing government shutdown. However, the administration has access to billions of dollars to keep this critical food assistance flowing that it has refused to tap into. For families that are already stretched thin, this decision is more than political—it’s a matter of survival.
That’s why this week, Kirsten held a press conference to demand that President Trump use the funding at his disposal to keep providing American families with SNAP benefits as the government shutdown persists. She’s demanding a vote on the Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025, which would continue these vital food programs for working families during the shutdown.
Read more.
2. Helping New Yorkers navigate the government shutdown
The federal government remains shut down. Kirsten’s office is open to assist New Yorkers throughout the shutdown.
Because of the shutdown, many federal agencies will be operating with significantly reduced staff, so delays in processing new applications and resolving any issues should be anticipated. Kirsten and her staff will do everything they can to assist you during and after the shutdown.
For information about how the shutdown may impact you and your benefits, click here.
3. Urging bipartisanship
Kirsten is urging her Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to stand up to President Trump’s politically motivated attacks on New York State.
She warned that the Trump administration’s deliberate actions against the State of New York are endangering jobs, public safety, and access to health care for millions of New Yorkers and encouraged her Republican colleagues to work collaboratively to safeguard the well-being and livelihoods of their constituents.
Read more.
4. Supporting New York small businesses
Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and Kirsten is working hard in Washington to make sure that they are supported.
This week, she spoke with small business owners from New York at a roundtable hosted by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Voices. They discussed the pressing issues facing small businesses in New York— including tariffs and rising health care costs.
5. Supporting mental health resources
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) does lifesaving work, providing substance use and mental health treatment services with a focus on underserved areas and running programs like the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
However, earlier this month, the Trump administration needlessly fired an additional 125 members of the SAMHSA workforce, leaving the agency with half of the staff it had in January. This week, Kirsten demanded that the Trump administration restore SAMHSA staffing to full levels to make sure that every New Yorker can continue to access the critical mental health and substance use disorder programs that they rely on.
Read more.
6. Helping New Yorkers get their work permits
An Onondaga County constituent contacted Kirsten’s office for help regarding her application for employment authorization, which she needed to get approved ahead of her application deadline for medical residency.
After Kirsten’s team contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on her behalf, the agency approved her case for expedited processing.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here.
October 25, 2025
1. Working to lower health care costs
As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Kirsten held a hearing this week to discuss how Americans’ ability to shop for health plans and services can cut costs and increase the quality of care for families.
Kirsten spoke with expert witnesses about how to boost families’ access to health plans, medical services, and drugs at a cost they can afford. She also emphasized the need to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits to help keep health care costs down and give Americans more options for lower-cost insurance plans.
Watch the hearing here.
2. Fighting to keep older adults’ premiums down
If ACA enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, at least 1.6 million New Yorkers could see a massive hike in their health care costs. This includes hundreds of thousands of older New Yorkers who have worked hard for decades to save for retirement and who will see their premiums skyrocket right before they hit retirement age. We owe it to older adults to extend the lifesaving tax credits that help keep them afloat.
That’s why Kirsten is demanding that Republicans work with Democrats to extend these tax credits and end the government shutdown.
Read more.
3. Helping New Yorkers navigate the government shutdown
The federal government remains shut down. Kirsten’s office is open to assist New Yorkers throughout the shutdown.
Because of the shutdown, many federal agencies will be operating with significantly reduced staff, so delays in processing new applications and resolving any issues should be anticipated. Kirsten and her staff will do everything they can to assist you during and after the shutdown.
For information about how the shutdown may impact you and your benefits, click here.
4. Supporting students with disabilities
Every student in America deserves a high-quality education with the services, support, and resources they need to learn and thrive in the classroom.
This week, Kirsten blasted the Trump administration for gutting the workforce within the Department of Education (ED) that supports students with disabilities. She is demanding that the administration immediately restore staffing at ED to previously held levels to help make sure all students can get the education they deserve.
Read more.
5. Helping avert a Broadway strike
Broadway workers are the heartbeat of New York’s culture and economy, keeping the city’s arts and entertainment sector thriving.
Following the expiration of the contract between the union that represents Broadway musicians and the trade association for the commercial theatre industry, Kirsten joined New Jersey senators in encouraging all parties to negotiate in good faith to renew their contract and guarantee that musicians get the pay and benefits they deserve. Following her advocacy, the union reached a tentative agreement with The Broadway League to avert a strike.
Read more.
6. Assisting New York veterans
A Saratoga County veteran contacted Kirsten’s office for help with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after his children’s benefits were paused suddenly.
Kirsten’s team contacted the VA on his behalf, and, as a result, the children’s benefits were quickly reinstated at a rate of $4,000 per month going forward. The constituent was also issued over $40,000 in retroactive payments, allowing him to catch up on his child support obligations.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here.
October 18, 2025
1. Fighting for families’ health care
If Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies are allowed to expire at the end of the year, New York families could see their annual health insurance premium costs increase by thousands of dollars. This is simply more than most middle-class families can afford, and it will have devastating consequences for the hardworking families that are the backbone of our economy.
That’s why Kirsten is demanding that her Republican colleagues work with Democrats to negotiate a deal to extend these subsidies and end the government shutdown.
Read more.
A county-by-county breakdown of expected ACA premium increases for families of four making $130,000 per year in each of New York’s 62 counties can be found at gillibrand.senate.gov/trumphealthcareincrease.
2. Helping New Yorkers navigate the government shutdown
The federal government remains shut down. Kirsten’s office is open to assist New Yorkers throughout the shutdown.
Because of the shutdown, many federal agencies will be operating with significantly reduced staff, so delays in processing new applications and resolving any issues should be anticipated. Kirsten and her staff will do everything they can to assist you during and after the shutdown.
For information about how the shutdown may impact you and your benefits, click here.
3. Protecting students from loan defaults
Nearly 280,000 New Yorkers are at risk of student loan default if the federal government does not intervene.
This week, Kirsten pressed the Trump administration to provide relief for the borrowers at risk of defaulting on their student loans. A student loan system that pushes people into delinquency instead of helping them build stable futures is broken and unsustainable, and Kirsten will continue fighting for swift federal action to provide relief and ensure borrowers have a fair chance to get back on their feet.
Read more.
4. Safeguarding Social Security beneficiaries
Representative payees are individuals or organizations that are entrusted with sensitive information to help the most vulnerable Social Security beneficiaries manage their benefits. However, there is evidence that Trump administration cuts and reassignments at the Social Security Administration (SSA) have significantly delayed the approval process for representative payee reviews, undermining vital efforts to protect beneficiaries from fraud.
This week, Kirsten demanded answers about how the cuts and reorganizations at SSA could be putting beneficiaries at risk for fraud and abuse. As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, Kirsten is committed to making sure Social Security beneficiaries are protected.
5. Assisting New Yorkers
When a Westchester County-based medical supplies company needed to urgently appeal its Medicare certification revocation or risk months of delays and impacts to thousands of local patients, the company contacted Kirsten’s office for help. Kirsten’s team contacted the Medicare Departmental Appeals Board, and within 30 days, the company’s Medicare certification was reinstated.
October 11, 2025
1. Fighting rising health care costs
At least 1.6 million New Yorkers in every corner of our state are on the brink of seeing their health insurance premiums skyrocket—all because congressional Republicans refuse to extend the health care assistance that families rely on. This week, Kirsten called on her Republican colleagues to come to the table to negotiate an end to the shutdown and extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that help Americans across the country afford care. She and her Democratic colleagues stand ready to negotiate and reach a bipartisan deal.
Read more.
A county-by-county breakdown of expected ACA premium increases in each of New York’s 62 counties can be found at gillibrand.senate.gov/trumphealthcareincrease.
2. Helping New Yorkers navigate the government shutdown
The federal government remains shut down. Kirsten’s office is open to assist New Yorkers throughout the shutdown.
Because of the shutdown, many federal agencies will be operating with significantly reduced staff, so delays in processing new applications and resolving any issues should be anticipated. Kirsten and her staff will do everything they can to assist you during and after the shutdown.
For information about how the shutdown may impact you and your benefits, click here.
3. Combating sexual assault on college campuses
Sexual assault on college campuses remains a serious and persistent problem.
This week, Kirsten led the reintroduction of the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, vital legislation that would strengthen the support network for survivors and increase accountability for schools by creating a standardized process for investigating instances of sexual assault. This legislation is a commonsense bipartisan fix that Kirsten is determined to get passed.
Read more.
4. Protecting federal workers during the government shutdown
The financial impact of a government shutdown on federal workers, contractors, and their families can be extremely painful.
That’s why this week, Kirsten and 17 of her Democratic colleagues introduced the Federal Employees Civil Relief Act to protect these individuals from foreclosures, evictions, and loan defaults during the shutdown. Federal employees shouldn’t lose the essentials they rely on because of a government shutdown that is entirely outside of their control. Kirsten is fighting to get this critical legislation across the finish line.
Read more.
5. Working to enhance drug safety
In this week’s Senate Aging Committee hearing, Kirsten heard from witnesses about their recommendations for how to secure and support our generic drug manufacturing base to ensure American patients have access to affordable, high-quality, and safe drugs.
Watch the hearing here.
6. Assisting New Yorkers
A Kings County constituent and owner of a physical therapy practice contacted Kirsten’s office for help after waiting nearly a year for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to process their claims for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC).
Kirsten’s office worked with the IRS for a year to ensure that each of the constituent’s six claims were pulled from the ERC processing backlog and disbursed, despite the agency’s red tape. The constituent has now received all their ERC funds, totaling over $350,000. Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here.
October 4, 2025
1. Fighting for affordable health care
President Trump and congressional Republicans have proven that they would rather shut down the government than make Americans’ health care more affordable.
20 million Americans are on the brink of seeing their premiums skyrocket. If we don’t extend the health care assistance that families rely on, many Americans will have to make impossible choices: pay rent or see a doctor; put food on the table or buy their child’s medication; keep their small business afloat or offer their employees health insurance.
Kirsten and her Democratic colleagues stand ready to work on a commonsense, bipartisan solution to reopen the government and make sure that Americans don’t see their health care costs skyrocket.
Read more.
2. Helping New Yorkers navigate the government shutdown
As of October 1st, the federal government has shut down. Kirsten’s office will remain open to assist New Yorkers throughout the shutdown.
Because of the shutdown, many federal agencies will be operating with significantly reduced staff, so delays in processing new applications and resolving any issues should be anticipated. Kirsten and her staff will do everything they can to assist you during and after the shutdown.
If you are a New Yorker who needs help from a federal government agency, open a case with our office here.
For information about how the shutdown may impact you and your benefits, click here.
3. Protecting Social Security
As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, Kirsten is leading the fight against the Trump administration’s threats to raise the Social Security retirement age, which would amount to a benefit cut for millions of Americans.
This week, she sent two letters to Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano to sound the alarm about the dangerous ramifications if this change were to be implemented. Americans deserve to be able to retire with dignity and not be worried that this administration will keep raising the bar on retirement.
Read more.
4. Combating the politicization of the military
This week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressed his desire to return the military to the early 1990s – a time when victims of sexual misconduct were deterred from reporting, women could not serve in combat roles, and sexual orientation was grounds for discharge. Justice for survivors of sexual assault in the military should not be up for debate.
This week, Kirsten spoke with NPR’s Here & Now to discuss her commitment to supporting all of the men and women in our military and fighting to preserve the military justice system. Listen here.
5. Helping New Yorkers get their benefits
A Nassau County constituent contacted Kirsten’s office for help after her Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits were mistakenly suspended. The Social Security Administration (SSA) stated she was earning too much from her work for a named employer for which the constituent had never worked before.
After Kirsten’s team contacted SSA, the erroneous work earnings were removed and the agency released over $12,000 in benefits to the constituent.
September 27, 2025
1. Protecting Medicare for seniors
Doctors—not artificial intelligence or private insurance companies—should be helping Americans make their health care decisions.
As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Kirsten led 18 senators in opposing a Trump administration plan to allow AI and private insurers to delay and deny care to seniors enrolled in Traditional Medicare across six states. Rewarding AI companies for putting up roadblocks to seniors seeking necessary care is a flawed and dangerous tactic, and Kirsten is fighting to ensure this plan does not go into effect.
Read more.
2. Fighting for pediatric cancer research
The Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium (PBTC) brings together institutions dedicated to developing lifesaving treatments for pediatric brain cancers. By cutting funding for this critical program, the Trump administration is putting children’s lives at risk.
That’s why this week, Kirsten led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in demanding a reversal of the Trump administration’s PBTC funding cuts.
Read more.
3. Visiting student housing in NYC
When students and interns can’t afford a decent place to live in New York, they’re forced to take their talent elsewhere. We can’t let that happen.
This week, Kirsten joined Educational Housing Services to celebrate the opening of their newly renovated Hudson Yards Campus. By providing students and interns with safe and sustainable housing, this facility will help the next generation build their lives in New York City.
4. Helping New Yorkers
A registered nurse in Orange County contacted Kirsten’s office for help with her DACA application and work authorization renewal.
Kirsten’s team contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on her behalf, highlighting the potential impact to the Hudson Valley’s patient care if she were unable to continue working locally as a nurse. Soon after, USCIS approved her application and work authorization renewal, allowing the constituent to continue her work.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here.
5. Subscribe to Kirsten’s quarterly casework newsletter!
Interested in learning more about Kirsten’s casework efforts? Subscribe to her quarterly constituent affairs check-in! This newsletter will contain the most up-to-date information about how Kirsten’s office can help constituents with issues related to immigration, passports, taxes, and more.
Subscribe here!
September 20, 2025
1. Working to ban congressional stock trading
Americans deserve to have confidence that their elected officials are using their power to advance the interests of their constituents, not grow their stock portfolios.
That’s why this week, Kirsten introduced the No Stock Act, which would ban senior government officials—including members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, the president, and the vice president—from holding or trading stocks and certain other financial assets. This is a commonsense bill, and Kirsten is determined to get it passed.
Read more.
2. Fighting for paid family leave
National paid family and medical leave is vital to make sure that workers can handle serious medical and family events without fear of losing their jobs or their paychecks.
This week, Kirsten joined Rep. Rosa DeLauro to lead the fight for paid leave by reintroducing the FAMILY Act. This critical legislation would create the nation’s first permanent, guaranteed paid family and medical leave program, giving workers the flexibility and dignity they deserve.
Read more.
3. Demanding FDA oversight of foreign drugs
Ensuring that all drugs imported into the United States fully comply with our laws and regulations is crucial to keep Americans safe. This week, Kirsten held a Senate Aging Committee hearing to discuss the FDA’s pattern of allowing foreign generic drugmakers to export drugs to America even when their facilities have been found to fall below our standards. Following the hearing, she and Aging Committee Chairman Rick Scott sent a bipartisan letter to the FDA raising concerns and requesting information about FDA’s oversight of foreign drug manufacturing and how it may threaten the quality and safety of drugs sold in the United States.
Read more.
4. Fighting for affordable child care
Access to high-quality, affordable child care is critical for working families in New York and across the country. It’s time that we bring child care into the 21st century so that every family has the resources they need for their kids to thrive.
That’s why this week, Kirsten introduced bipartisan legislation to help states expand child care facilities; recruit, train, and retain qualified child care workers; and help ensure that care is available to every family that needs it.
Read more.
5. Meeting with New Yorkers
Kirsten enjoyed meeting with a variety of New York groups this week, from affordable housing advocates to Gold Star families.
At her meeting with the North Country Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian government, her pup Maple even got to join!
6. Helping constituents get retirement benefits
A Brooklyn constituent contacted Kirsten’s office for help withdrawing funds from his federal retirement account after repeatedly contacting the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and receiving no response from the agency.
Kirsten’s office worked for several weeks with OPM on his behalf. As a result, he was finally issued a refund of his nearly $30,000 in FERS contributions.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here.
7. Celebrating the city of Buffalo
Wednesday was Buffalo Nite in Washington, and Kirsten had a blast! She celebrated all that the city has to offer by enjoying wings, beef on weck, and sponge candy.
September 13, 2025
1. Honoring our 9/11 heroes
24 years after the darkest day in our nation’s history, we must honor our promise to never forget.
The World Trade Center Health Program is a lifeline for the 9/11 first responders and survivors who are battling horrific health conditions as a result of their exposure to toxins at the sites of the attacks. Kirsten is leading the effort to make sure that the WTCHP is permanently and fully funded.
Read more.
2. Visiting New York School for the Deaf (NYSD)
Making sure every New Yorker has access to career development opportunities is critical to ensuring an equitable and prosperous future for our state.
This week, Kirsten visited NYSD to discuss her fight for $5 million in federal funding to help NYSD offer critical education and certification programs to prepare deaf and hard-of-hearing students for the jobs of the future. She had a blast meeting with NYSD students and is steadfastly committed to getting this funding across the finish line.
3. Fighting hunger
In the richest country in the world, it is unacceptable that over 47 million Americans, including nearly 14 million children, still face hunger.
That’s why this week, Kirsten led her Senate Democratic colleagues in reintroducing the Closing the Meal Gap Act, which would expand and strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and help those with large medical and housing expenses qualify for SNAP. This is commonsense legislation, and Kirsten is determined to get it passed.
Read more.
4. Supporting NY manufacturing
Workforce training programs like the one run by the North Country Chamber of Commerce help keep New York’s manufacturing industry strong.
This week, Kirsten visited Alstom’s facility in Plattsburgh to highlight the $350,000 in congressionally directed spending (CDS) she is working to secure to help expand the North Country Chamber of Commerce’s Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Program. She enjoyed learning about the state-of-the-art trains being constructed at Alstom and touring their facility.
Read more.
5. Visiting Indium Corporation
Indium Corporation exemplifies New York’s vital role in strengthening our national security by bolstering our critical minerals sector.
This week, Kirsten toured Indium to learn more about their work and how she can best support New York’s advanced manufacturing industry.
Read more.
6. Helping New York farmers
The general manager of a farm in Pine Island, NY reached out to Kirsten’s office for assistance after the federal grant used by his small family farm was paused by the Trump administration.
After a federal injunction required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to lift the pauses for this grant, the manager reported that there had still not been any updates from the agency. Within 10 days of Kirsten’s team reaching out to the USDA, the farm received its first disbursement of $100,000, and it will receive the remainder of the grant as scheduled. Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with a federal agency, contact her here.