U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her fifth term in the United States House of Representatives. Grace represents the Sixth Congressional District of New York encompassing the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central and northeast Queens.
Grace is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State and the first female Congressmember from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
Grace is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is Vice Chair of its Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. She also sits on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for funding every federal agency, program, and project within the United States government.
It is imperative that we offer all our young people access to high quality, affordable education.
The costs of college have skyrocketed, and students today face crushing debt loads. In Congress, I am fighting to lower interest rates on student loans, ease the process for students and graduates to pay off their loans, and provide incentives to colleges to lower their skyrocketing tuition rates.
As a product of the New York City schools, I appreciate the value of a strong public education system, and oppose attempts to marginalize it. I also support strong private and religious school options for our city’s students. We must keep our schools open, hire more teachers, and save after-school and extracurricular programs.
Fighting for strong environmental standards and conservation programs will always be a top priority for me. I believe our environment is one of our planet's greatest treasures. It is imperative that Congress reaffirm and strengthen our commitment to safeguarding our natural resources. I will fight to ensure that our most vulnerable areas are preserved for future generations, and that Americans are provided safe public drinking water, undisturbed habitats for fish and wildlife, and clean air to breathe.
Recent disasters such as Hurricane Sandy have highlighted how vulnerable our coastline is to climate change. The only response to this crisis is to proactively reduce carbon emissions and invest in programs that promote energy efficiency. I support an energy plan that has a balanced approach, helps consumers now, boosts production of energy from alternative sources, draws from a diverse energy supply, stresses conservation, and protects the environment. Addressing America’s reliance on fossil fuels by investing in renewable-energy sources is essential for protecting our environment and ensuring our nation’s energy security. I will continue to work to ensure expanded domestic energy production does not come at the expense of protecting the environment.
I am a proud cosponsor of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, H.R. 1630, and the Udall-Eisenhower Arctic Wilderness Act, H.R. 139, which would designate 9.2 million acres of Utah land and the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as protected wilderness in order to preserve their unique natural ecosystems. I have also sponsored the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, H.R. 64, to establish programs to protect the 4-State Delaware River Basin region. Additionally, I have been active in protecting the Long Island Sound by sponsoring the Long Island Sound Restoration and Stewardship Act, H.R. 2174, and supporting sufficient funding for the Long Island Sound Restoration Project. We must continue our efforts to protect and restore this precious resource that is so vital to our environment, quality of life and the local economy.
I am proud of my record as an advocate for protecting the environment during my time in the New York State Assembly, especially my role in supporting a bill that would have instituted a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing in New York State. As the debate over allowing hydrofracking continues in New York and elsewhere, it is critical that the federal government ensure that natural-gas extraction is done safely and responsibly. I am carefully watching the issue of hydrofracking in New York. I am a proud cosponsor of the Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation (FRESHER) Act, H.R. 1175, and the Bringing Reductions to Energy's Airborne Toxic Health Effects (BREATHE) Act, H.R. 1154. Together, these bills would bring domestic oil and gas exploration under the permitting systems established by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. As a result, companies would have to show that their projects conform to environmental regulations and be more transparent about the chemicals used.
As the mother of two young children, I am committed to ensuring that all children growing up in Queens and across the United States have drinkable water, breathable air, and safe and accessible parks. More sustainable practices will benefit both public health and our economy. It is critical that we act now to reduce harmful pollution, curb carbon emissions, and promote energy efficiency.
I will continue to fight for environmental policies that protect the health and well-being of our communities today and in the future.
America has always been a country of immigrants, and the legacy of their hard work remains with us even today. The American economy owes much of its competitiveness to newly-arrived workers, and American culture owes its richness and complexity to the cultural contributions of immigrants. I am proud to represent one of the most ethnically diverse districts in the country in Queens, New York, where I have witnessed the hard work and dedication of our immigrant communities. Furthermore, as a second-generation Chinese American, I understand firsthand the everyday struggles of such families as parents strive to provide a better life for themselves and their children. For this reason, it is imperative that immigration reform is both common-sense and compassionate, and I am fighting to make it so.
The laws that govern should reflect our dedication to American greatness. To ensure that the policies concerning immigration do, here’s what we need to focus on:
The economic stimulation and innovation of industry that immigration contributes is crucial to maintaining our American exceptionalism. But the current system is inefficient and in need of long-overdue improvements. We must make sure that our laws are equitable, non-discriminatory and fair. We must be sure to uphold a level of humanity as we consider the issue of immigration reform, which has very real consequences for both those living in our country now and for future generations.
The best and most stable way to create jobs and lay the foundation for future innovation is through public and private funding of science, technology, and education programs. This means investing in early-childhood-education programs for children from low and middle-income families. I am a strong supporter of the Strong Start for America’s Children Act, H.R. 3461. Studies have shown that children in early-education programs have better educational outcomes, stronger job earnings, and lower levels of crime and delinquency.
As important as it is to get students in the doors, it is just as important to have well-trained educators. This is why I introduced the Early Childhood Education Professional Improvement Act, H.R. 3357. If enacted, this legislation would strengthen our nation’s preschool workforce by creating a federal grant program for states to prepare, develop, and support early-childhood professionals. As educators gain knowledge and skills through targeted professional development and support, the quality of early-childhood education in American will improve dramatically.
None of these crucial investments in our future is possible with sequestration (across-the-board spending cuts with no regard to a program’s effectiveness) looming in the future. While Congress was temporarily able to reduce the most immediate effects of sequestration through the Budget Act of 2013, sequestration in any form will continue to hamper federal spending in key areas that grow our economy and create jobs.
I believe in a balanced approach of getting Americans back to work and also expanding tax fairness. We cannot continue to foster a strong nation of innovators if we disregard our commitment to those who built it, or to the most vulnerable members of our society. The Federal Government does need to reduce spending, but cuts should not be implemented in the haphazard manner achieved through sequestration.
After a lifetime of hard work, seniors deserve to know that the promises of Social Security and Medicare will be upheld. Social Security is a vital safety net into which seniors have already paid. It lifts 22 million people out of poverty, including 15 million senior citizens. Recently, some Members of Congress have proposed sweeping changes to these programs that would renegotiate and eviscerate the contract between America and its seniors.
I am opposed to the use of a Chained Consumer Price Index (CPI) to calculate the cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security benefits. Chained CPI would lead to smaller monthly payments and increased payment gaps over time, because it assumes that when prices rise for one item, people will choose a cheaper substitute. This assumption is simply unrealistic for seniors and others whose budgets are increasingly consumed by rising healthcare costs. This is why I co-sponsored H.Con.Res.34, which declares that Chained CPI should not be used to calculate COLAs for Social Security benefits. I also signed a joint letter with my colleagues to President Obama, expressing our concern about Chained CPI.
While improvements to Medicare are needed to remedy the unsustainable trajectory of health-care expenses, the beneficiaries should not have to bear the burden of these cost-containing measures. I support a balanced approach to strengthening Medicare that protects vital benefits while also addressing the program’s long-term fiscal challenges. I steadfastly oppose turning Medicare into a voucher program that would leave seniors with higher out-of-pocket costs.
Another problem plaguing many of our seniors is “spoofing,” a widespread caller-identification scheme. Spoofing masks a caller’s true identity in order to commit fraud and steal, usually from seniors. To combat this problem, I introduced the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2013, H.R. 3670, which is supported by AARP and has strong bipartisan support. The legislation broadens current protections to prohibit spoofing calls from abroad, include text messaging protections, and include new internet-based protections.
I will continue to closely monitor developments that affect our seniors and work to preserve the critically important benefits that they deserve.
Small Businesses are the key to Queens’ economic growth and development. As a member of the Small Business Committee, and Ranking Member of the Contracting and Workforce Subcommittee, I recognize the importance of supporting small businesses, and ensuring that they have adequate resources for success.
Over the past 15 years, small businesses have generated 64 percent of new jobs nationwide. Throughout the country, they represent 99.5 percent of all employer firms, hire 40 percent of high tech workers, and produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms. Small businesses are essential for our local economy—they employ over 700,000 of our neighbors in Queens, and strengthen the social bonds within our community.
Despite the importance of small businesses, they still face many challenges, including navigating the complexity of applying for government contracts, taking advantage of tax incentives, or their inability to access government resources for access to capital.
In March 2014, as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, I hosted a Congressional hearing at Queens College that examined the ways that underserved small businesses can better access federal programs. Similarly, I support, and have voted for legislation, that increases small-business goals for government contracts, which would increase federal dollars flowing to small businesses.
I am committed to seeing our small business community thrive through my work in Washington, D.C. and at home in Queens. My district offices are available to answer questions and assist small-business owners build a strong local economy.
Each year, thousands of our servicemen and women return from protecting America. Their courage, loyalty, and sacrifice inspire us all. However, as veterans they often encounter difficulties receiving adequate benefits or quality health care, or transitioning back into the workplace. Queens has the largest population of veterans in New York City, and solving the problems faced by veterans and their families is one of my top priorities.
Congress has worked in the past to increase funding for veterans’ health care and benefits. From 2007 and 2010, Congress appropriated 60 percent more for these programs, the largest increase in history. Sadly, many of our wounded veterans are also some our youngest citizens, and require our unwavering support. That is why now, even in a time of fiscal uncertainty, I am dedicated to protecting the progress that has been made in funding the VA, and to ensure that the VA is capable of meeting the health needs of another generation of veterans. We must ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the necessary funding to continue the programming for veterans and their families; especially in the areas of health, education, employment, and housing. Another key area of focus is workforce re-entry programs for veterans, such as the expansion of the Helmet to Hardhats program, which helps returning veterans transition to construction jobs.
The current number of backlogged claims in VA’s inventory is nearly 900,000, the majority of which exceed the department’s processing goal of 125 days. In Queens, the average wait time is 499 days, one of the slowest in the nation for benefit claims. To ensure that claims are processed in a timely manner so that veterans receive the benefits they need, I introduced the VA Regional Office Accountability Act, H.R. 1824. The legislation requires any Regional Office not meeting the 125-day goal to submit a report detailing why the office was unable to meet the goal, what resources are needed and what actions are planned to reach the goal. This would help Congress and the VA better understand the challenges individual Regional Offices face while also encouraging their leadership to meet performance expectations. I believe that this bill represents a step in the right direction to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they deserve.
I am proud to represent a district and a city that many veterans and their families call home. It is imperative that the many New York City institutions dedicated to serving veterans and their families have our wholehearted support. In Congress, I will continue to be a tireless fighter to ensure that our veterans in New York and across the country receive the best care possible.