A New Direction for America
Americans are calling for a New Direction after years of inaction on the toughest challenges: a costly war without an
end; skyrocketing fuel prices without a plan for energy security; a housing
crisis which threatens to force more families from their homes. All have pushed
us to the brink of recession.
The New Direction Congress moved quickly to address the downturn and rebuild our economy. With bipartisan support and unprecedented speed, we enacted an economic stimulus plan that put Recovery Rebates in the hands of 130 million American households and will help create 500,000 jobs. We extended Unemployment Insurance to the growing number of Americans looking for work ... made healthy food affordable to millions of American ... and launched a new GI Bill for a full, four-year education for the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan
We are working now to tackle the housing foreclosure crisis ... combat record prices at the pump ... and help restore consumer confidence by protecting our children from toxic toys ...(more)
A NEW DIRECTION FOR VETERANS & TROOPS: A PROGRESS REPORT ON THE 110th CONGRESS ...(more)
Press Releases
10/6/2008
Ackerman and the Long Island Congressional Delegation Release Statement on the Emergency Economic Recovery Legislation -
(Washington, DC) - U.S Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.), Steve Israel (D-Nassau/Suffolk), Peter King (R-Nassau/Suffolk), Tim Bishop (D-Suffolk) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-Nassau) released the following statement:
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10/3/2008
Ackerman to Hold Queens Office Hours on October 14 and 15 -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today announced that he will be holding Queens office hours for constituents on Tuesday, October 14 and Wednesday, October 15.
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9/27/2008
Ackerman Hails Approval of U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Energy Deal -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, today hailed House passage of the U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy deal. Ackerman, who was twice elected as the Democratic Co-Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, had led the effort in Congress to implement the agreement. The following are the remarks he delivered during debate of the measure.
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9/26/2008
Ackerman Sponsors U.S. Service Academy Information Night for Local High School Students and their Parents. -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today announced that he will sponsor “U.S. Service Academy Information Night” for Queens and Nassau County high school students interested in applying to one of the prestigious United States Service Academies. The event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 at Bayside High School located at 32-24 Corporal Kennedy Street in Bayside, Queens.
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Initiatives
11/12/2008
Ackerman Congratulates Latvia on the 90th Anniversary of its Independence -
(Washington, DC) - Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today cosponsored H.Res.1405, congratulating Latvia on the 90th anniversary of its Declaration of Independence.
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9/23/2008
Ackerman Calls for Blue-Ribbon Study of Cyber-threat -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D - Queens / Long Island) today introduced legislation to establish an independent commission to examine the threat to American businesses and infrastructure from cyberattacks. Following recent hacker attacks on the offices of Members of Congress and studies showing broad vulnerability in the United States to cyber attack, Ackerman has called for a non-partisan expert commission to document the threat, to describe America's state of readiness and to recommend appropriate solutions and precautions.
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9/19/2008
Ackerman Calls for Increased LIHEAP Funding -
(Washington, DC) - Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today called for increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides critically important assistance to low income families and seniors, in this year’s Congressional spending bill. In a letter to Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Boehner, Appropriations Committee Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis, Ackerman requested $5.1 billion in emergency funds to help Americans in need to pay for heat this winter.
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6/11/2008
Ackerman Praises New Rule Banning Unfair Credit Card Practices -
(Washington, DC) - Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, today praised a proposed rule issued by the Federal Trade Commission that would ban unfair and deceptive credit card practices. In a letter to the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, and the Chairwoman of the National Credit Union Administration, Ackerman called the rule “an important and necessary step towards fairness and shared responsibility in credit card contracts.”
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What Gary's Saying
10/27/2008
Ackerman Delivers Opening Statement during Hearing on Disability Benefits for Retired Long Island Rail Road Employees -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing into the collection of disability pensions by retired Long Island Rail Road retirees. The hearing was held at the State University of New York at Old Westbury by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the five members of Long Island’s Congressional Delegation which include Ackerman, Peter King, Carolyn McCarthy, Steve Israel and Tim Bishop.
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9/27/2008
Ackerman Hails Approval of U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Energy Deal -
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, today hailed House passage of the U.S.-India civilian nuclear energy deal. Ackerman, who was twice elected as the Democratic Co-Chair of the House Caucus on India and Indian Americans, had led the effort in Congress to implement the agreement. The following are the remarks he delivered during debate of the measure.
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9/26/2008
Remarks of Rep. Gary L. Ackerman on H.R. 7112: Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2008 -
(Washington, DC) - Mr. Speaker, in considering this bill, this package of sanctions and divestment authority for states and localities, we should keep foremost in our minds that we are in a race. I’m not referring to our upcoming elections, but the race between the civilized world, and the nuclear ambitions of Iran.
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9/11/2008
Ackerman Brings September 11th Resolution to House Floor on Seventh Anniversary of 9/11 -
(Washington, DC) - The House of Representatives today approved a resolution brought to the House Floor by U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) that commemorates the seventh anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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