Kirsten Gillibrand United States Senator for New York

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The Gillibrand Agenda

Making Washington More Accountable
Senator Gillibrand has not been in Washington long, but it doesn’t take long to know that Washington is broken. Everyday people are not being heard because too much business is happening behind closed doors. Too often the system only benefits the special interests that have way too much power. Senator Gillibrand’s reform agenda cleans up Washington, and makes Congress more transparent and accountable.
Cutting Middle Class Taxes
New Yorkers pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. Senator Gillibrand helped enact sweeping tax cuts to help hardworking middle class families keep more of what they earn, and make life more affordable. In fact, Senator Gillibrand helped cut taxes for 93 percent of New Yorkers.
Cutting Taxes to Create New Jobs
2 years into the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, over 850,000 New Yorkers are jobless. Senator Gillibrand is calling for a tax credit for businesses that create new jobs - action that could create more than one million new jobs in the next year
Ensuring America's Competitiveness, Creating High-Tech Jobs
8 out of the 9 fastest-growing occupations require expertise in math and science - subjects American students are behind. Senator Gillibrand's Innovation Agenda would harness New York's potential to lead in the high-tech economy, spark new industries, attract new businesses, create new jobs and restore America's competitiveness.
Helping the Middle Class Plan for Retirement
Over 5 million New Yorkers are headed for retirement over the next 20 years. After a financial crisis that cost us trillions from our retirement savings, Senator Gillibrand has plan to help middle class New Yorkers stay on track for the retirement we deserve.
Eliminating Medicare & Medicaid Fraud to Protect Seniors and Save Taxpayers Billions
New York taxpayers lose over $5 billion each year to fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. Senator Gillibrand has written and introduced new legislation to protect taxpayers, reduce wasteful spending, and preserve Medicare and Medicaid services for seniors and hardworking New Yorkers.
Growing New York’s Manufacturers
New York lost over 160,000 manufacturing jobs since 2001. To repower our manufacturers, Senator Gillibrand’s plan would make health care affordable for small businesses, open and expand new markets, and help manufacturers transition to clean energy production to launch new businesses, power our state and create new jobs.
Investing in New York’s Infrastructure
Approximately 12 percent of New York’s highway bridges are structurally deficient. 25 percent are functionally obsolete. Senator Gillibrand’s plan would make immediate upgrades to New York’s transportation infrastructure, provide long-term funding for roads and bridges, and expand broadband access and health information technology.
Creating Jobs for Returning Veterans
Unemployment among returning veterans is 14.6 percent. Senator Gillibrand is making a personal pitch to businesses: Hire a veteran and receive a tax credit. Senator Gillibrand is also working to jumpstart more veteran-owned businesses and provide relief for homeless veterans.
Fixing New York’s Dairy Crisis
With more of New York’s dairy farmers forced into bankruptcy because of outdated pricing structures, Senator Gillibrand has a plan to provide immediate relief and long-term solutions to help get our dairy farmers back on track, and growing for the long term.
Protecting Communities by Keeping Illegal Guns Out of New York
Nearly 90 percent of guns used in gun crimes in New York City come from out of state. Approximately 90 percent of these guns are illegal. Senator Gillibrand's plan cracks down on gun traffickers and their entire criminal networks, while protecting responsible, law-abiding gun owners.
Working to Eliminate Gang Activity in New York
As many as 50,000 gang members are threatening communities across New York. Senator Gillibrand has a broad legislative agenda to crack down on gangs, help communities fight the lure of gangs, and keep children and families safe.
Strengthening America's Military by Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
America’s Armed Services have lost over 13,500 brave men and women, including thousands in mission critical areas, because of the discriminatory, harmful “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. Senator Gillibrand is leading the charge to repeal this policy that threatens our national security and wastes hundreds of millions in our Defense budget.
Improving Treatment for Recent Veterans Suffering from PTSD & TBI
Thousands of New York veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries, with often minimal resources for treatment. Senator Gillibrand’s agenda improves monitoring and treatment for recent veterans, and men and women serving today.
Making Health Care Available for All New York Veterans
Nearly 800,000 New York veterans are not getting the health care benefits they were promised. Senator Gillibrand’s plan would require the VA to reach out to all New York veterans, inform them of the benefits they qualify for, and provide every resource to deliver the care they need.
Bolstering the Fight Against Breast Cancer
On average, over 14,000 New York women are diagnosed with breast cancer and nearly 3,000 New York women lose their lives to breast cancer each year. Senator Gillibrand’s agenda to combat breast cancer raises awareness and emphasizes prevention, requires all insurers to cover minimum hospital stays, and guarantees equal access to quality treatment.
Making Child Care Affordable and Available
Child care costs increase $730 each year. To make child care affordable and available for New York working families, Senator Gillibrand’s plan would help bring costs down, expand access and reduce the burden of finding and paying for child care.
Keeping Seniors Independent, Saving Taxpayer Money
Thousands of New York seniors residing in nursing homes could be living at home if they had access to the right care. Senator Gillibrand’s plan would expand in-home care services for seniors – keeping them in their own homes and out of nursing homes, and saving taxpayers millions.
Protecting Seniors from Fraud
1 in 5 seniors fall victim to consumer fraud. To protect seniors, Senator Gillibrand’s plan would increase penalties for criminals, crack down on scams and stop abusive marketing schemes. Senator Gillibrand’s staff has been holding Financial Security Workshops in every region of New York.
Delivering Economic Relief for Seniors
More than 3.4 million seniors, veterans and people with disabilities in New York will not receive an annual cost of living adjustment from the Social Security Administration in 2010. Senator Gillibrand's plan would provide these New Yorkers with $250 to help them during this difficult economic time.
Solving the Nursing Shortage
New York State will need an additional 105,739 nurses by 2020. Fixing health care relies on solving this nursing shortage. Senator Gillibrand’s plan would create more educational opportunities at nursing institutions, train more nursing instructors and incentivize more nurses to work in underserved areas.
Making Quality Autism Treatment Affordable for Families
A new case of autism is diagnosed every 20 minutes, making it the fastest-growing serious developmental condition in America. But many insurance companies still deny families coverage for necessary treatments, forcing them to pay thousands each month out of pocket. Senator Gillibrand has a plan to provide quality, affordable treatment to families in need.
Helping Children Suffering from Asthma
Over 370,000 New York children suffer from asthma. Senator Gillibrand’s own son suffers from asthma. To give more New York children access to relief for their asthma, Senator Gillibrand’s plan would arm schools and families with the preventative and emergency resources they need.
Improving Childhood Nutrition
Childhood obesity is soaring – putting children at risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression and lower test scores. Senator Gillibrand’s plan to improve childhood nutrition would ban trans-fat from school lunches, remove sugary snacks and sodas, and give schools more resources to provide healthy, nutritious meals.
Improving Food Safety
America’s food safety laws have not been overhauled in a century. Each year, 87 million Americans get sick from contaminated food. 371,000 are hospitalized. 5,700 die. Senator Gillibrand’s plan to improve food safety would upgrade inspection, mandate ground beef testing, improve recall response and increase public education.

The Gillibrand Agenda

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