Kirsten’s New York Minute: Closing the digital divide
Welcome to Kirsten’s New York Minute!
Here’s what she’s been up to this week:
1. Protecting internet access
Ahead of a funding cliff, millions of low-income families who rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program for low-cost internet are at risk of losing access.
Kirsten visited Buffalo, Rochester, and Long Island to talk about the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act, legislation that would provide $7 billion in federal funding for this critical program and make sure that the more than 1.7 million New York households that rely on it can continue to work remotely, attend online classes, and access telehealth appointments.
Learn more about the Affordable Connectivity Program here.
2. Demanding a cleanup of the Hudson
Decades after General Electric dumped over a million pounds of PCBs - dangerous, carcinogenic chemicals - in the Hudson River north of Albany, and after extensive cleanup efforts, PCB concentrations in the river still haven’t reached safe levels. That puts New Yorkers at risk.
Kirsten is demanding action.
This week, she’s calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to do more to clean up this pollution for good and protect the health of New Yorkers and our environment.
Read more.
3. $$$ → NY airports
This week, Kirsten delivered millions for New York airports, including:
$10.6 million for infrastructure improvements at Albany International Airport, including adding two new passenger boarding bridges and expanding hold room capacity. Read more.
$4.4 million to modernize and rehabilitate facilities at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Read more.
4. ATTN: New York fire departments
On Wednesday, February 21st at 3:00 PM, Kirsten’s office will host a virtual workshop to prepare New York fire departments for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) application period, which ends on March 8, 2024.
This workshop will help potential applicants understand the purpose of the AFG program, funding priorities, and award evaluation, and it will include a brief description of other AFG funding opportunities such as SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) and FP&S (Fire Prevention and Safety). The webinar will also provide information regarding the application process and general assistance in writing a competitive narrative.
Interested fire departments can register HERE.
5. Getting New Yorkers health care
When a constituent’s Medicare plan was changed in error and she feared she could not continue to see her regular doctors, she reached out to Kirsten’s office for help. Kirsten’s team contacted the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, who fixed the issue and reinstated the constituent’s Medicare coverage without interruption.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with a federal agency, contact her here.
