Media Center

October 22, 2010, 11:40AM

Staten Island, NY - Rep. Michael E. McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn. NY) made the following statement today about the importance of maintaining the one-way toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge:

“Staten Islanders and Brooklynites pay the highest tolls in the nation and I am 100 percent opposed to the idea of bringing back two-way tolls on the Verrazano Bridge.  The morning traffic on the Staten Island Expressway is already bad enough, and adding a new East bound toll on the bridge will just make traffic worse” said Rep. McMahon.  “As a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I will oppose any effort to bring back the bad old days of two way tolls on the Verrazano.  With all due respect to other Members of the NYC Congressional delegation who may have different views about the way we pay our tolls here, I will continue to stand up for Staten Islanders and fight any effort to push for a two-way toll on the Verrazano.  The tolls and traffic Staten Islanders endure are completely outrageous, and the MTA must not be allowed to do anything that would further increase congestion on our highways and bridges.  In fact, the only discussion we should be having is how to reduce or eliminate these exorbitant tolls for the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn.” added Rep. McMahon.

Congressman McMahon has consistently fought for Staten Island and Brooklyn commuters.  On September 28, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 3960, the Residential Toll and Commuter Fairness Act of 2010, a bill sponsored by Rep. McMahon.  The bill will protect Staten Island residential toll discounts on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Bayonne and Goethals Bridges and the Outerbridge Crossing, as well as similar residential discount programs throughout New York and the country, from attack in the courts.  

In addition, Rep. McMahon has been the leading advocate for improving and reconstructing the Staten Island Expressway since his days on the New York City Council.  As a Councilman he helped spearhead the planning and community discussions about the scope of the project, and in Congress he successfully lobbied and secured over $103 million in federal funds to rehabilitate and improve the expressway.  In addition, Rep. McMahon has continued to be involved in many of the project details.  For example, in May 2009, Rep. McMahon met with Commissioner Stanley Gee, and implored him to explore several potential solutions to address the Bradley Avenue slowdown.  In response to this meeting, on July 14, 2009, NYS DOT agreed to implement a plan to remedy the back-up which occurs when traffic approaches the uphill portion of the SIE near the Bradley Avenue and Slosson Avenue exits through the construction of additional lanes and the removal of the unused Richmond Parkway interchange.  Now that the first phase has officially begun Rep. McMahon will continue his efforts to ensure that the SIE will receive the funding required for the improvement and upkeep it so desperately needs.
 

October 22, 2010, 10:16AM

Staten Island, NY - Rep. Michael E. McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) was recently placed on the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) Congressional Report Card “A List” for his dedication to veterans’ health and safety.  In this annual report, the IAVA grades legislators based on their voting record and leadership in issues facing Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.  Rep. McMahon is pleased to hear of this result, as one of his top priorities is ensuring the safety and protection of those who have fought for our country. 
 
“I am truly excited to learn that I have received an “A” on the IAVA’s 2010 Congressional Report Card,” said Rep. McMahon.  “I am dedicated to protecting the health, rights, and benefits of the men and women who serve our country in uniform.  Since my first days in Congress their safety has been my number one concern.  I am truly grateful to be recognized by this organization that represents our most recent courageous veterans.”
 
Since entering Congress, Rep. McMahon has made it one of his top priorities to fight for America’s service men and women.   In his pursuit on behalf of veterans Rep. McMahon formed the bi-partisan Invisible Wounds Caucus to investigate the alarmingly high levels of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), clinical depression, and suicide rates among the currently deployed and recently returned service members involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.   The Invisible Wounds Caucus has held multiple briefings and hearings in addition to introducing and pursuing legislation aimed at helping veterans.
 
The IAVA recently endorsed Rep. McMahon’s bill, The Veteran’s Mental Health Screening Act - H.R. 1308, co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL).  This bill requires all service members to have mental health screenings upon return from Iraq and Afghanistan, and increases funding for mental health programs.  Rep. McMahon also recently introduced the Traumatic Brain Injury Coverage and Support Act.  This act allows veterans diagnosed with TBI to receive Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits even if the doctor or neurologist practices outside the VA system.   Earlier this month, Rep. McMahon wrote a letter to the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs on behalf of Staten Island Veterans Concerning the disparity in Basic Allowance for Housing.  In this letter Rep. McMahon urged the Secretaries to investigate why Staten Islanders were not receiving the same allowance as residents of New York’s other four Boroughs.

October 14, 201, 9:30PM

Staten Island. NY-- In response to calls by Rep. Michael E. McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn, NY) as well as other Federal, State, and local officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has designated Richmond, Kings, and Queens Counties disaster areas due to the damage they suffered from two tornadoes and a violent windstorm on September 16, 2010.  The Federal declaration provides 75 percent reimbursement to each of the three boroughs for the costs of response, debris removal and repairs to public property.  A preliminary damage assessment conducted by Federal, State and local inspectors estimated damage and cleanup costs at more than $27 million.

“This announcement will lead the way for critical federal relief to help the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn rebuild and clean up the severe damage from the September storm. For those New Yorkers struggling from the disaster’s impact, this assistance can't come fast enough.” said Rep. McMahon.  “

Though the storms affected all of New York City, the boroughs of Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens were particularly hard hit.  A federal disaster declaration now releases federal resources to aid the NYC clean-up and rebuilding efforts.

October 14, 2010, 9:30PM

Staten Island, NY -- October 14, 2010, Rep. Michael E. McMahon announced today that the House of Representatives will move ahead with legislation that he cosponsored to provide Social Security recipients with a one-time $250 payment to override a decision by the Social Security Administration to not provide a Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA).  Rep. McMahon is a cosponsor of H.R. 5987, the Seniors Protection Act which is expected to be brought to the floor when the House reconvenes in November.

The Seniors Protection Act is based on a bipartisan bill which Rep. McMahon introduced earlier this year, the Restoring the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment Act, HR 4429. Rep. McMahon’s bill would provide seniors and disabled veterans with a one-time payment of $250 to make up for the lack of a COLA this year.  This bill is fully paid for and does not increase the deficit.

“It is an outrage that seniors in Staten Island and Brooklyn will not receive a COLA adjustment for the second year in a row,” said Rep. McMahon. “The COLA formula is calculated based on outdated rules set during President Nixon and we are still suffering from this shortsighted and misguided formula. We must act quickly to enact a one-time $250 payment to our seniors.”

The Social Security Administration is expected to announce on Friday there will be no automatic Cost-of-Living-Adjustment for 2011. That means that for the first time ever, 2011 will be the second consecutive year that Social Security retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities will see no increase in their monthly Social Security, SSI, VA Pension and Compensation, and Railroad Retirement benefits.  This unprecedented situation is an automatic result of the Social Security formula calculation based on economic conditions, not the result of Congressional action or inaction.

Rep. McMahon has been fighting to restore and preserve a reasonable Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment since he first came to Congress. In addition to cosponsoring the Seniors Protection Act, Rep. McMahon sent a letter to the President urging him to include a $500 payment for seniors in next year’s Budget Request to make up for the lack of COLA for 2010 and 2011. Rep. McMahon also supported the Recovery Act, which provided seniors a $250 economic recovery payment, which they received in May and June of 2009.

The COLA is automatically calculated using data on inflation published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). October 15 is the day BLS releases the final economic factor that the Social Security Administration uses to calculate the annual COLA.  In 2009, Social Security recipients saw a 5.8% increase in their benefits, the largest since 1982, as a result of rising costs; but in 2010, they saw no COLA at all.
 
Six in ten seniors rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, and about a third of retirees have little other than Social Security on which to live.