Read newsletter as a PDF here.

Dear neighbor, 

July was a hot month in the district, and I hope you have stayed cool. Many good things happened in DC and District 16, and I’m happy to share them with you!

The first week of July, I led a few of my colleagues from the Congressional, State Senate, and New York City Council in pushing back against public education cuts and to prioritize school funding for the FY23 budget. Defunding public education is not an option and I will keep working with public education leaders and advocates to right this wrong. As the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion goes into effect, it’s critical to speak up for abortion rights. I went on CNN to make it heard that fighting for abortion rights nationwide is not only about President Biden but on my fellow Congressional representatives and all of us as lawmakers. 

Four National Defense Authorization Act amendments that I introduced went to the floor for a vote. Three passed, including one granting the Secretary of Defense authority to increase the inflation bonus pay above 2.4% for the servicemen and DOD civilian employees making $45,000 or less in order to respond to the economic impact of inflation. The other two require a report on military recruitment efforts in public secondary schools and public disclosure of our overseas military footprint to more accurately outline the cost of war. The 4th amendment I led reasserts Congress’s war powers enshrined in our Constitution and calls for a public debate and recorded vote on our U.S. military actions abroad. While this amendment didn’t pass, it has grown in bipartisan support from last year and was supported by the majority of Democrats in the House. (This year, the vote was 155-273; last year, the “yes” votes were at 141.)

I continue to fight and advocate for everyone’s rights to be fully upheld and protected, which is why I was proud to cosponsor and vote YES for the Right to Contraception Act, which codifies the right to contraception, as well as the Respect for Marriage Act. Both bills passed the House last month. 

Touring areas affected by flooding with the US Army Corp of Engineers

Other July news hit closer to home and the District, with addressing the proposed gas tax holiday and also local flooding concerns. On July 11, the US Army Corp of Engineers and the Department of Environmental Conservation joined my team and I and toured more than a dozen areas in Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and Pelham affected last year by Hurricane Ida and recently by numerous rainstorms. This was the second tour of my District, and another one is scheduled in the fall for other locations. The goal is to have dialogue about the interconnectedness of the locations and to come up with solutions that help all areas. We must rebuild our country’s infrastructure in alignment with our climate goals, and this is a way of doing this within our District, where it will affect us – our homes, our commutes, our safety, our lives. 

After this, I was very happy to host a visit with youth from the New Rochelle Boys and Girls Club at the office, where they shared stories about how the Boys and Girls Club has been a resource and community hub for them over the years. We also discussed uplifting youth voices, which is always one of my priorities! 

Hanging with the New Rochelle Boys and Girls Club! 

I was honored to receive the 2022 Children’s Champion Award the next week from the School Social Work Association of America. Work relating to education is all-important and feeds my soul. Thank you very much for the recognition! 

We received some excellent news on July 20: ‘minibus’ funding passed the House, getting us one important step closer to bringing nearly $7.4 million for District 16 in federal appropriations, though several more steps remain before all funding is enacted into law The projects that passed the House are: 

• $3M to Montefiore Medical Center to expand behavioral health clinics in Westchester County Public Schools

• $750K to the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson to install geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, and improve energy efficiency at its public library and village hall

• $750K to Westchester County for the necessary final state of a rehab for Yonkers’ Sewage Treatment Plant

• $2.56M to Westchester County for a study of the Lake Isle Dam to promote safety, flood mitigation, and environmental justice in Southern Westchester

• $330,504 to Emerald Isle Immigration Center in the Bronx to expand and renovate its community facility

It’s important to note that we have proposed fifteen projects at a total of nearly $26 million. All 15 projects have been included in the House Appropriations Committee’s funding bills that have passed out of the Committee. Our office will keep the community updated on developments as the House and Senate work towards passing a finalized appropriations omnibus spending package that can pass both chambers and be delivered to the President’s desk.  

The last week of July was filled with activity on two pieces of legislation. With Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04), I introduced the Restoring Artistic Protection Act (RAP Act) to protect artists’ first amendment rights and from the wrongful use of their lyrics against them in criminal and civil proceedings. As of now, over 500 artists, mostly Black men and boys, sit in jail and prison, incarcerated for their creative expression and artistry. Rap music helped me when I was growing up, and our first amendment rights are for all, not some. You will be hearing more about this!

Lastly, the month ended with the kids! The Healthy Future Students and Earth Pilot Program Act, which I co-led with Rep. Nadia Velazquez (NY-07) successfully passed the House Education and Labor committee. This will help schools provide nutritious climate friend, plant-based food options to students. An amendment I wrote allowing schools the ability to use certain grants for retrofitting school kitchens also passed, a priority that comes from my Green New Deal for Public Schools Act.

President Biden and my family & I at the annual family day at the White House!

Here’s an update on our constituent service work we’ve done from our District offices: 

• Since January 2022, we’ve: Helped neighbors retrieve $2.3 Million 

• Year to date we closed 1,308 cases 

• This month we helped 113 neighbors. The top three issues were about tax returns, passport assistance, and immigration. 

• Answered 395 phone calls from constituents. 

If you need help, contact my office and we are happy to help! 

Peace and love, 

Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16)