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• October 20, 2014

  Nalgene: From the Lab to the Mountain Top

           

             From its humble beginnings in a Rochester laboratory to climbing the world’s tallest mountains, Nalgene has become a household name, changing the way we drink water and how we take care of the environment. Nearly indestructible, the Nalgene bottle is most commonly used for drinking water, but it didn’t start out that way. In 1949, chemist Emanuel Goldberg originally used it for state-of-the-art polyethylene laboratory equipment, such as centrifuge bottles, filter units, and storage tanks.

              It didn’t quite become the product we know today until Marsh Hyman (President of the Nalge Company, headquartered in Rochester) learned that his son and friends used them as water bottles and snack storage on their Boy Scout excursions. It was from those camping trips where the Nalge Company, known today as Nalge Nunc International, was inspired to create the Nalgene water bottle.

              The Nalgene Company has been committed to keeping the body healthier and the environment more sustainable. Many plastic water bottles and food containers in our grocery stores contain BPA, or bisphenol A. It’s a common plastic additive that has been linked to serious health problems. Research by the National Toxicology Program of the National Institute of Health shows that the body’s exposure to BPA can negatively affect the endocrine system. Nalgene manufactures their water bottles with BPA-free plastic. Not only do they pay attention to what goes into our body, but they also take care of what is outside of it: the earth. Nalgene is a champion of sustainable efforts. They encourage people to buy reusable bottles, as opposed to single-use bottles, which are polluting our environment more and more every day. According to Food & Water Watch, “75 percent of the empty [single-use] plastic bottles end up in our landfills, lakes, streams and oceans, where they may never fully decompose.” Statistics also show that 50 billion water bottles are consumed every year and that the recycling rate of plastic is only at 23 percent. That translates to 38 billion wasted water bottles every year. Nalgene bottles can last for decades, reducing our dependency on single-use plastic bottles, and helping to keep our environment greener.

   

  

               Even the White House has recognized the strong commitments Nalgene has made for a stronger body and earth. First lady Michelle Obama has partnered with Nalgene, along with several other organizations, to renew support for the Drink Up campaign. This initiative encourages people across the country to drink more water by using filtration systems, re-usable water bottles, and drinking fountains. Nalgene is an integral part of that campaign, and I’m so proud they’re made right here in Rochester by our friends and neighbors. 

              It’s companies like this that are keeping Rochester’s economy strong and setting the bar for competitors around the country and world. Next time you need a drink, grab a re-usable water bottle and secure your commitment to a healthier planet and a healthier you. 

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• October 7, 2014

  Ebola: Facts and Fiction

  
  
  With the confirmation of a diagnosed Ebola case in Dallas, TX many of my constituents have expressed concerns about the situation and possible threats the US may face. It is important to understand how Ebola is spread, precautions you can take, and the ongoing efforts that the United States is taking to stem the spread of this disease.

  ABOUT EBOLA:
  
  Unlike many viral diseases, such as the common cold, Ebola is not easily transmissible. Ebola is spread from person to person only by direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes such eyes, nose, or mouth) with the blood or bodily fluids of a patient experiencing symptoms. The early symptoms include high fever (higher than 101.5°F), severe headache, muscle pain,and weakness. Patients with advanced infections may also experience diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain,and unexplained bleeding or bruising. Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days according to the CDC. Healthcare providers in the Rochester area have been monitoring the situation and have prepared a brief Q&A.

  PREVENTING INFECTION:

  Health experts stress the potential for spread of Ebola in the United States is very low. The best precaution is to avoid travel to the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. All of the patients who have been treated for Ebola in the US so far became infected in those countries. It is important to remember that these are developing countries whose limited resources became overwhelmed. More developed countries with advanced infrastructure in the region, such as Nigeria, have had success in containing the disease. 

  ONGOING EFFORTS in AFRICA and the U.S.:

  Several US government agencies are involved in fighting the outbreak. USAID has activated a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) with members in Liberia and Guinea to coordinate the interagency response. Nine treatment centers are currently operating in West Africa with an additional ten under construction. Four additional labs have been set up since August 15^th to augment the three which already existed in the region while two more are in the works. Medical professionals who may wish to volunteer to work in West Africa should contact USAID. 

  The CDC is staffing the public health and response positions on the DART as well as activating its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to provide technical assistance and support the healthcare response including outbreak surveillance, testing and education. In addition they are working with the affected country governments, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the airlines to develop and implement entry and exit screening procedures for travelers. Because there are very few direct flights from West Africa to the US,most passengers will change flights elsewhere,complicating screening travelers who may have been exposed to Ebola. 

  
  According to the White House, among the specific response efforts, the United States has:

  International Response:
  
  + “Deployed to West Africa more than 130 civilian medical, healthcare, and disaster response experts from multiple U.S. government departments  and agencies as part of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team as well as approximately 350 U.S. military personnel, constituting the largest U.S. response to an international public health challenge;

  + Increased the number of Ebola treatment units (ETU) in the region, including supporting ETUs in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and one of our new ETUs in Liberia discharged its first four Ebola survivors last week;

  + Increased to 50 the number of safe burial teams, which are now working across every county in Liberia to safely and respectfully dispose of bodies;

  + Deployed and commenced operation of five mobile Ebola testing labs in the region, two of which opened this week in Liberia and have doubled lab capacity in the country—reducing from several days to just a few hours the time needed to determine if a patient has Ebola;

  + Provided more than 10,000 Ebola test kits to the Liberian Institute of Biological Research and Sierra Leone’s Kenema Government Hospital;

  + Received and passed to interested humanitarian organizations information from nearly 2,200 volunteers willing to provide healthcare in the affected countries;

  + Procured 140,000 sets of personal protective equipment, 10,000 of which have already been delivered,  along with hundreds of thousands of medical gloves and thousands of protective coveralls, goggles, face shields, and other personal protective supplies;

  + Delivered an initial 9,000 of 50,000 community care kits to Liberia;

  + Supported aggressive public education campaigns reaching every Liberian county with life-saving information on how to identify, treat and prevent Ebola;

  
  In the days and weeks to come, U.S. efforts will include:

  + Scaling-up the Department of Defense presence in West Africa.  Following the completion of AFRICOM’s assessment, DoD announced the planned deployment of 3,200 troops, including 700 from the 101^st Airborne Division headquarters element to Liberia. These forces will deploy in late October and become the headquarters staff for the Joint Forces Command, led by Major General Gary Volesky. The total U.S. troop commitment will depend on the requirements on the ground;

  + Overseeing the construction of and facilitating staffing for at least 17 100-bed Ebola treatment units across Liberia;

  + Deploying additional U.S. military personnel from various engineering units to help supervise the construction of ETUs and provide engineering expertise for the international response in Liberia;

  + Establishing a training site in Liberia to train up to 500 health care providers per week, enabling them to provide safe and direct supportive medical care to Ebola patients;

  + Setting up and facilitating staffing for a hospital in Liberia that will treat all healthcare  workers who are working in West Africa on the Ebola crisis should they fall ill;

  + Operating a training course in the United States for licensed nurses, physicians, and other healthcare providers intending to work in an ETU in West Africa;

  + Leveraging a regional staging base in Senegal to help expedite the surge of equipment, supplies, and personnel to West Africa;
  
  + Continuing outreach by all levels of the U.S. government to push for increased and speedier response contributions from partners around the globe; and,

  + Sustaining engagement with the UN system to coordinate response and improve effectiveness.

  
  Domestic Response

  We have been prepared for an Ebola case in the United States and have the healthcare system infrastructure in place to respond safely and effectively. Upon confirming the Ebola diagnosis, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and our interagency team activated plans that had been developed. 

  Our public health officials have led the charge to prepare and fortify our national health infrastructure to respond quickly and effectively to Ebola cases domestically. Their efforts include:

  + Enhancing surveillance and laboratory testing capacity in states to detect cases; in the last three months, 12 Laboratory Response Network labs have been validated to perform Ebola diagnostic testing throughout the United States;

  + Authorizing the use of a diagnostic test developed by DoD to help detect the Ebola virus. 

  + Providing guidance and tools for hospitals and health care providers to prepare for and manage potential patients, protect healthcare workers, and respond in a coordinated fashion;

  + Developing guidance and tools for health departments to conduct public health investigations;

  + Providing recommendations for healthcare infection control and other measures to prevent disease spread;

  + Disseminating guidance for flight crews, Emergency Medical Services units at airports, and Customs and Border Protection officers about reporting ill travelers to CDC;

  + Providing up-to-date information to the general public, international travelers, healthcare providers, state and local officials, and public health partners;

  + Advancing the development and clinical trials of Ebola vaccines and antivirals to determine their safety and efficacy in humans;

  + Monitoring by the Food and Drug Administration for fraudulent products and false product claims related to the Ebola virus and implementing enforcement actions, as warranted, to protect the public health; and,

  + Issuing by the U.S. Department of Transportation, in coordination with CDC, an emergency special permit for a company to transport large quantities of Ebola-contaminated waste from Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, Texas as well as from other locations in Texas for disposal.”

  ASSURANCES:
  
  The current outbreak of Ebola is unprecedented and illustrates how a lack of treatment options can lead to a public health crisis. Preventing these disasters requires a strong healthcare infrastructure,which includes robust support for basic research funding to understand emerging diseases and development of new treatments. Recent budget cuts, including sequestration and the government shutdown, have deprived the NIH and CDC of the funds they need to combat deadly diseases such as Ebola. Continued support for health research and education is imperative to prevent future outbreaks, whether caused by a new strain of a known virus, a currently unknown disease,or the emergence of an antibiotic resistant superbug.

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• September 30, 2014

  Medicare 101

  Medicare 101

  To learn more about health care and available plans through Medicare and Medicare Advantage, consider attending a seminar. 
  
  Lifespan, which provides nonmedical services for seniors and their caregivers, is offering seminars to explain the basics of Medicare.

  • 10 a.m. to noon, Oct. 24, Lifespan, 1900. S. Clinton Ave., Brighton.

  • 2-4 p.m. Nov. 4, The Brightonian, 1919 Elmwood Ave., Brighton.

  • 1-3 p.m. Nov. 7, The Summit at Brighton, 2000 Summit Circle Drive, Brighton.

  • 9-11 a.m., Nov. 11, Lifespan.

  • 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Nov. 13, Valley Manor, 1570 East Ave.

  • 8:30-10:30 a.m., Nov. 17, The Village at Unity, 1471 Long Pond Road, Greece.

  • 1-3 p.m. Nov. 18, Lifespan.

  Seating is limited and reservations are required. Call (585) 244-8400 ext. 410.

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• September 26, 2014

  The Affordable Care Act is Working

  Even though House Republicans have tried more than 50 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – at a cost of at least $79 million to American taxpayers – there is no denying that the law is delivering on its promise of patient protections, better benefits, and keeping prices in check.

  Just this week, we’ve heard the news that:

  • 25% more insurers are expected to join the insurance marketplaces set up by the law next year, increasing competition and likely continuing to drive down prices.
  • Before the ACA, every person with insurance paid on average $1,000 more for health insurance to cover the cost of uncompensated care provided at hospitals to uninsured individuals. With the drop in the uninsured rate spurred by the law, hospitals saved $5.7 billion in uncompensated care last year- costs that no longer get passed on to you.
  • A new payment system instituted by the ACA rewards doctors for the value of the healthcare they provide, not the number of tests they order. In just one town in Texas, where Medicare spending pre-ACA was double the national average, this system has improved health outcomes and saved $20 million. Medicare has saved hundreds of millions of dollars overall.

  In a recent speech at the Brookings Institute, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell praised the ACA’s accomplishments in improving access and affordability of healthcare to the American public. She said, “nearly 70 percent of Americans in market insurance plans now feel they can afford their care.”

  The ACA’s successes have also been noted by- just to name a few- the New York Times, Politico, Vox, MSNBC, and the Huffington Post. Below is a roundup of recent press coverage on the subject:

  The ‘Obamacare’ victory lap takes another spin
  MSNBC, 9.24.14
  
  Supporters of the Affordable Care Act have had quite a few reasons to celebrate lately, and as of yesterday, the news keeps getting better.
  
  Consumers in much of the country will have a broader selection of health insurance plans next year, the Obama administration said Tuesday, as it predicted an increase of about 25 percent in the number of insurers that are expected to compete in federal and state marketplaces. […]
  
  So far, [administration officials] said, the number of insurers, also known as issuers, is up to 315 next year, from 252 this year. For the 36 states served by the federal marketplace, it said, the number is up almost 30 percent, to 248 next year, from 191 this year.
  
  When congressional Republicans predicted that private insurers would want nothing to do with “Obamacare,” and the lack of participation would be a disaster for consumers, the GOP lawmakers had it backwards. Competition has already helped hold down premiums, and with more insurance companies now eager to get into the system and compete for Americans’ business, consumers are poised to benefit even more.

  A Health Care Success Story
  New York Times, 9.23.14
  
  IT may have been the most influential magazine article of the past decade. In June of 2009, the doctor and writer Atul Gawande published a piece in The New Yorker called “The Cost Conundrum,” which examined why the small border city of McAllen, Tex., was the most expensive place for health care in the United States.
  
  The article became mandatory reading in the White House. President Obama convened an Oval Office meeting to discuss its key finding that the high cost of health care in the country was directly tied to a system that rewarded the overuse of care. The president also brought up the article at a meeting with Democratic senators, emphasizing that McAllen represented the problem that needed to be fixed.
  
  Five years later, the situation has changed. Where McAllen once illustrated the problem of American health care, the city is now showing us how the problem can be solved, largely because of the Affordable Care Act that Mr. Obama signed into law in 2010.

  HHHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell Says Affordable Care Act Is Working
  Brookings Institute, 9.23.14
  
  "Taken together I believe the evidence points to a clear conclusion: the Affordable Care Act is working," said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell today during an event hosted by the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at Brookings. The event marked nearly one year since the launch of Healthcare.gov, the online health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  
  Secretary Burwell focused on continued implementation of the law, noting both successes and remedies for challenges that remain, and laid out three basic measures of judging how the ACA is working: access, affordability, and quality.

  Insurers’ bigger role suggests confidence in Obamacare
  Politico, 9.23.14
  
  The insurance industry believes Obamacare is here to stay no matter who wins control of the Senate this fall.
  
  A lot more insurers plan on taking part in Obamacare next year — a 25 percent increase, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell announced Tuesday. She called it a sign that the administration is “making historic progress” in covering the uninsured.
  
  “When you consider the law through the lens of affordability, access and quality, the evidence points to a clear conclusion: The Affordable Care Act is working,” Burwell said at the Brookings Institution in one of her first major speeches as secretary. “And families, businesses and taxpayers are a better off as a result.”

  In conservative media, Obamacare is a disaster. In the real world, it’s working.
  Vox, 9.25.14
  
  Before Obamacare launched, conservative outlets warned that the law would collapse as insurers shunned the overpriced, overregulated insurance exchanges. "More Insurers Drop Out Of Exchanges," warned Fox Business. "Three Major Insurers Flee California's Obamacare Exchange," said HotAir.com. "The President's health care law has almost completely failed to increase insurance market competition," wrote the Heritage Foundation.
  
  It continued after the law's launch. I remember, a month or two after HealthCare.gov opened (and crashed), being on a panel with a conservative writer who said that Obamacare might well enter a death spiral as insurers pull out of the marketplaces.
  
  On Tuesday, the idea that insurers would flee Obamacare joined the long procession of Obamacare disasters that simply didn't happen. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell announced that in the 44 states where numbers were available, the number of companies offering plans in 2015 would increase by 25 percent. So, far from fleeing the exchanges, insurers are rushing into them. Competition is increasing.

  Obamacare Critics Just Lost Another Talking Point
  Huffington Post, 9.23.14
  
  Obamacare's so-called government takeover of health care was supposed to destroy the private insurance market. Somebody forgot to tell the health insurance companies.
  
  More health insurers are signing on to participate in Obamacare, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said during a speech Tuesday at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
  
  The number of companies offering plans on the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchange marketplaces for 2015 will jump to 248, a 25 percent increase over this year, in the 44 states where the numbers are available.

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• September 17, 2014

  RailComm: Control Anything Anywhere. Monroe County's Hidden Gem

  Tucked away in Fairport, N.Y. resides a one-story-office park where a growing company, named RailComm, stands to be one of the biggest names in rail infrastructure.
  
  Recently, I had the opportunity to tour this amazing, innovative company and couldn’t be more proud with all the work they have been doing. This small business writes and operates software that runs rail yards and tracks equipment like rail switches, and they truly live up to their motto, “Control Anything Anywhere.”

  RailComm got their start at High Tech Rochester and 15 years later, they are thriving and improving our nation’s rail infrastructure, which is a critically important ingredient for a healthy economy. Their innovative ideas are produced by a tight knit group of bright engineers and sales associates, and it is that closeness that creates a family atmosphere and cultivates such brilliant ideas.

  Not only has RailComm helped increase rail safety and efficiency, but it also allows our nation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and is a driver for environmental sustainability. According to the Association of American Railroads: freight rails can move a ton of freight 480 miles on one gallon of fuel, and a single freight train can haul 280 trailers, taking this traffic off our congested highways. RailComm is doing their part in being green and helping reduce the emission of harmful gasses into the atmosphere. RailComm’s better rail systems even reach overseas into Latin America, Africa, and are even New Zealand. RailComm is limitless, and their products are moving both goods and people faster and safer than ever before.

  
  {Congresswoman Louise Slaughter on her visit with RailComm}
  
  RailComm brings to our attention the importance of investing in safe, quality rail infrastructures because it creates jobs while making a positive impact in the United States and around the world. I couldn’t be more proud to represent RailComm and I am so please to have them in our community!

  Here is a list of a few cities that RailComm services:

  • Jacksonville, IN
  • Austin, TX
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Hialeah, FL
  • Emmett, ID
  • Amarillo, TX
  • East St. Louis, IL
  • Silver Bay, MN
  • Alliance, NE
  • Geismar, LA
  • Kansas City, KS
  • North Baltimore, OH
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• August 26, 2014

  Daughters of Faith: Inspiring Rochester's Young Women

  
  
  
  On Saturday, August 23^rd, I was honored to join the Daughters of Faith for their ribbon cutting ceremony. The Daughters of Faith is a dynamic and passionate group of women which provides young women ages 13-18 in Rochester with resources and mentorship that will help them navigate their future. Here in Rochester and across the country, young women need this investment. Girls need strong women to mentor, train, and inspire them. Even though girls are performing better in school and they are graduating at higher rates than their male peers, time and time again, women are not given credit for their contributions, from scientific breakthroughs to the boardroom. Groups like Daughters of Faith are aiming to change that.
  
  When these young women have been encouraged, nurtured, and developed, they’ll be stronger leaders and learn to stand up for themselves. Our girls will transform the culture that says women should sit on the sidelines. They’ll be successful, accomplished, and make tremendous contributions to Rochester and to our nation; I am fully confident of that.

  The Daughters of Faith offer an array of programs resources to our young women that include computer classes, resume workshops, and job interview seminars. It is through these educational components that Daughters of Faith will give women the edge in landing a job, especially in today’s highly competitive job market. More importantly, this organization is making a long-lasting, positive impact on young girls early on in life so they can follow their dreams. The opportunities are limitless with the guidance that the Daughters of Faith provides.

  One shining example of this kind of support for girls is Sheridan Pickett, who joined me at the Daughters of Faith ribbon cutting. I’ve known Sheridan since the late 90’s, when she was just a little girl. This past May, Sheridan graduated from Canisius College with a B.S. degree in Psychology, with a minor in neuroscience. She is planning to enter the University of Rochester to obtain her Master’s in Public Health. As a scientist and MPH myself, and for so many other reasons, I am tremendously proud of Sheridan and her achievements. But, her success is shared: she did not travel her pathway alone. Many people, especially women, were an integral part of it. Teachers, mentors, her family, and others led and guided her. Programs like Daughters of Faith will provide that kind of nurturing support, and I’m certain that Sheridan will be one of thousands of young women who pursue higher education, challenging careers, and fulfilling lives.
  
  Every young girl in Rochester has a bright future: maybe a small business owner with a storefront in the South Wedge, an engineer in a photonics and optics laboratory at the University of Rochester, or maybe even a member of Congress! Groups like Daughters of Faith will help our young girls achieve those heights, and I am proud to lend them my support. 

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• August 20, 2014

  Antibiotic Resistant Infections and Global Medicine

  Incurable infections resistant to antibiotic treatments have become a global medical issue. Overusing antibiotics has led to the rise of resistant bacteria, which cause diseases that cannot be treated with traditional medicines. With the number of resistant infections in humans on the rise, leaders across the country and around the world are seeking to address this issue through legislative efforts, promoting measures to counter increasingly antibiotic resistant bacteria. Because 80% of all the antibiotics sold in the US are used in agriculture, most of them the same classes of drugs used in human medicine and used on animals that aren’t even sick, we are looking closely at how this use can be scaled back. Here’s a look at recent developments in the continuing fight against the overuse of antibiotics.

  Facts about Antibiotic Resistance

  ·         2 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection each year, and over 23,000 die as a direct result–there are no drugs to treat these infections.

  ·         In US hospitals, 50 percent of Staph infections are methicillin resistant (this is known as MRSA for “methicillin resistant Staphylococus aureus”), while in Denmark, where agricultural antibiotics are tightly regulated, the rate is less than two percent.

  ·         Studies performed in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Iowa show that the closer you live to an animal production facility that uses antibiotics, the more likely you are to have MRSA on your skin and to contract a resistant infection.

  ·         In the US, 7.7 million pounds of antibiotics are used in medicine, but 29.9 million pounds are used in agriculture.  That means 80 percent of our antibiotics are going directly into animals, animals that aren’t even sick. Those drugs then pass through them, contaminating fields and streams, thereby creating more antibiotic resistant bacteria.

  ·         Without effective antibiotics, common medical procedures like joint replacement, open-heart surgery, caesarian section, chemotherapy, and dental work will be too risky to undertake.

  ·         Many classes of antibiotics used in food-producing animals are analogous to those used in humans, which means they are capable of selecting for bacteria resistant to the lifesaving medications we take for granted. With more of these resistant bacteria in food and in the environment, people and animals are more likely to contract life-threatening, antibiotic-resistant infections.

  Domestic Outbreak

  ·         Chicken from Foster Farms, a California producer, has been linkedto 574 cases of Salmonella food poisoning in the past year.  With roughly 8 new cases each week, this outbreak has a 37 percent hospitalization rate—twice the rate of previous years.  This particular strain called Salmonella Heidelburg is resistant to antibiotics, making it more difficult to treat and more likely to cause serious illness. 

  ·         The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) submitted a petition to USDA that requested they declare four dangerous, antibiotic resistant Salmonella strains as “adulterants,” which would allow them to recall contaminated meats. After three years with nothing from USDA except for an apology in 2013 for taking so long to respond, CSPI sued Secretary Vilsack in May, 2014.  On July 31^st, CSPI received an official response from USDA saying that “more data” is needed to declare these strains adulterants.

  Global Concerns

  ·         Recently, the World Health Organization passed a resolutionthat seeks to further explore the dangers of antibiotic resistance.  The US joined other member states working to develop a global action plan to combat resistance by supporting research to extend the effectiveness of existing drugs and encouraging the development of new disease diagnostics and treatment options, which will help reduce the need for antibiotics that may not work.  The resolution asks member states“to monitor the extent of the antimicrobial resistance and monitor regularly the use of antibiotics in all relevant sectors, in particular health and agriculture, including animal husbandry, and to share such information so national, regional, and global trends can be detected and monitored.” 

  ·         The Transatlantic Taskforce on Antimicrobial Resistance (TATFAR) released a progress reporton the state of antimicrobial resistance in the US and the EU. The report found that the US is embarrassingly far behind its European counterparts.  It went on to say that more people die per capita from antibiotic resistant infections in the US than in the EU, and the estimated overall cost to the US of these infections is ten times greater. The Taskforce further identified the issue of agricultural antibiotic use, where “entire groups of animals may be treated by the use of medicated feed and water.”

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• June 5, 2014

  Rochester is Prime Territory for Multi-Million Dollar Defense Department Investment

  As the federal representative for the optics and photonics capital of the world – Rochester, New York – I couldn’t be prouder to support these thriving industries that are responsible for at least 75 companies and 25,000 jobs for New York State, with 17,000 in our region.

  That’s why earlier this week I was encouraged when the Department of Defense took the first step towards establishing an Institute for Manufacturing Innovation – a public-private partnership to enhance American manufacturing ability – dedicated to optics and photonics. For months, I have been pushing President Obama to consider this institute, and to consider headquartering it in Rochester. Our highly-skilled workforce, world class facilities and dedicated research institutions make it the ideal location for this world class institute. In addition to contacting the administration and connecting local stakeholders with government officials, I brought two high-ranking Defense Department representatives to Rochester to show what we offer as a region.

  This is just the latest step in a long process that began back in the summer of 2012, when I hosted a meeting of representatives from industry and academia in Rochester. We all agreed that working together and pooling resources would give us a better chance at obtaining federal grants to support optics and photonics in Rochester. This new collaborative approach has been highly successful.

  For instance, in October of 2012, the Rochester Regional Photonics and Imaging Accelerator Program was one of only ten projects in the country selected to receive grant money. A series of smaller grants to local optics and photonics followed.  This year, after months of advocacy, I was proud to announce funding to develop the New York Photonics Manufacturing Initiative and that Rochester had been given a special “manufacturing community” designation by the Department of Commerce, giving us access to a $1.3 billion federal manufacturing fund.
  Working together, we have laid the groundwork for the federal government to consider investing significant resources to create the next great breakthroughs in optics and photonics, not to mention jobs.  Other Institutes around the country have leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in private capital and government investment, paving the way for more jobs and expanded economic opportunity.

  From industry giants like Kodak, Bausch and Lomb, and Xerox to growing companies like Lumetrics and Sydor Optics, to research institutions like RIT and the U of R, Rochester is the ideal location for a world-class institute to perform work in optics and photonics. I look forward to continuing to lead this effort with local stakeholders – the world capital for optics and photonics deserves no less.

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• April 10, 2014

  The Top Five Ways Paul Ryan's Budget Hurts Rochester

  For the fourth year in a row, Representative Paul Ryan, the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, has proposed a job-killing budget that would continue to tilt the economic playing field in favor of the wealthy and well-connected at the expense of everyone else. In addition to eliminating three million jobs by 2016, the budget makes deep cuts to education, nutrition programs, Medicare, and other programs that are critical to middle-class and working families to pay for another tax cut for millionaires and big business. The proposal would restrict funding to research universities and would even eliminate Amtrak service in Upstate New York.

   

  Watch Rep. Slaughter speak about the Ryan Budget on the House Floor:

   

  Here are the top five ways the Ryan Budget will hurt Rochester:

  Slashes K-12 Education Funding, Early Education, College Aid, and Educator Jobs

  • The Ryan budget would gut investments in K-12 education by cutting $89 billion, including special education funding and a $35 billion cut to Title I, which provides funding to schools and districts with high concentrations of low-income and disadvantaged students. In Fiscal Year 2013, Monroe County schools received $34 million in Title I funds, with the Rochester City School District alone receiving $25 million. If the cuts in the Ryan budget were applied across the board, Title I funds going to Monroe County schools would be slashed by 24 percent.
  • The Ryan budget would also eliminate $19 billion from early childhood education programs like Head Start. Earlier this year, Rep. Slaughter secured funding to keep the ABC Head Start center on Clifford Avenue from closing its doors.
  •  Higher education is also on the chopping block in the Ryan budget – a $260 billion cut to student aid programs would mean students taking out more college loans and being forced to repay interest on the loans prior to graduation. More egregiously, the Ryan budget’s cuts to Pell Grants would pull rungs out of the ladder of opportunity for low-income students.
  • As a result of these cuts, the Ryan budget would cost 29,000 educators their jobs.

  Delivers Another Cut to Food Stamps

  • Over 40,000 households in the Rochester area rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, to put food on the table
  • The Ryan budget delivers a whopping $137 billion cut to food stamps over the next ten years, eliminating approximately one-sixth of the entire program.
  • This is on top of an $8.6 billion cut to the SNAP program enacted this year in the Farm Bill, reducing the average monthly benefit for beneficiaries in 15 states by $90. The average benefit in New York State is $273 per month.

  Replaces Traditional Medicare with a Voucher System

  • Seniors make up 14.7 percent of Monroe County’s population, higher than the national average of 13 percent. The Ryan budget would hurt these seniors by replacing traditional Medicare with a voucher system where seniors will be given a health-care coupon and forced to shop for insurance on the open market.
  • The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office concluded that this would cause a 50 percent increase in Medicare premiums for seniors.
  • The Ryan budget would also re-open the prescription drug “donut hole”, meaning higher drug costs for seniors.

  Stops Critical Research in its Tracks

  • Local universities like the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology rely heavily on federal grantsto support jobs in lifesaving research, development, and treatment.
  • If the Ryan Budget’s 15 percent cut to non-defense spending is applied equally, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be forced to reduce the number of new grants awarded by about 1,400, slowing research that could lead to new treatments and cures for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes, and threatening more than 300,000 research personnel nationwide.

  Eliminates Amtrak Lines Serving Rochester, Kills Job-Creating Transportation Initiatives

  • At a time when Amtrak ridership is at an all-time high, the Ryan budget would eliminate train lines serving Rochester, including the Albany-Niagara Falls-Toronto line and the Lake Shore Limited.
  • The Ryan Budget also slashes funding to rebuild our crumbling roads, bridges and schools by approximately $52 billion, and fails to replenish the infrastructure trust fund, stopping new projects from commencing and throwing construction workers off their jobs.
  • Fortunately, funding for the two TIGER grants secured by Rep. Slaughter to build the new train station and to fill in the Inner Loop will not be threatened, but future job-creating transportation projects would have to be put on hold.

   

  Watch Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) discuss the impact of the GOP Budget on transportation projects across the country

   

  The Bottom Line:

  Sixty-nine percent of the cuts in the Ryan budget come from programs that benefit low-income families, while millionaires would see an average tax break of $200,000 under the plan. This plan would radically redefine American society, and would have major consequences for a city like Rochester, which has the fifth-highest poverty rate in the country. Budgets are about choices, and with this plan, it’s clear that House Republicans have chosen corporations and the wealthy few over the American people and our nation’s future.

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• March 27, 2014

  Consumer Alert: Taxpayer Advocate Service

  Have you received an email from the "Taxpayer Advocate Service" and bearing this logo and message: 

  Logo:

  

   

  Message: 

  “Your reported 2013 income is flagged for review due to a document processing error. Your case has been forwarded to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance. To avoid delays processing your 2013 filing contact the Taxpayer Advocate Service for resolution assistance.” 

  If so, do NOT click on the link contained within the email. It is an attempt to steal your consumer information. 

  Instead, please to forward the email to the IRS’s so that they can take proper legal action. You can forward the email to: phishing@irs.gov.

  You can also find instructions for forwarding the messageson IRS.gov.

  It is vital that consumers do all that they can protect their personal data. Again, please do not click on any links contained in an email from "Taxpayer Advocate Service" as it is a case of consumer fraud.

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