Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's top priorities in the United States Senate include creating more well-paying jobs to rebuild the middle class, increasing access to good, affordable healthcare and improving educational opportunities from pre-k to college or vocational training.
Throughout her time in the Senate, Senator Gillibrand has been a leader in some of the toughest fights in Washington. She led the effort to repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy that banned gay people from serving openly in the military; she wrote the STOCK Act, which made it illegal for members of Congress to trade stocks on insider information; and she won the long fight to provide permanent health care and compensation to the 9/11 first responders and community survivors who are sick with diseases caused by the toxins at Ground Zero.
"New York is home to the hardest working farm families and the finest locally-grown produce in the world, but high feed costs, a shortage of skilled labor, and uncertain export markets have strained our farmers and farming communities across the state. If we’re going to rebuild this economy, we need to keep families on their farms and support rural communities so they can thrive.” - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
Since the founding of our Nation, America’s farmers have provided the food, fiber, and fuel that have made all of our great achievements possible. By producing the most abundant, affordable, nutritious, and safe food in history, farmers have contributed to the health and welfare of every citizen and countless people around the world.
But like most other Americans, farmers have had to work harder just to keep up.
An increasingly global marketplace, uncertain trade policies, the erosion of federal supports, and a relentless drive for efficiency has forced farmers to shoulder more debt and risk than ever before. Farming may be less physical than it once was but it’s far more demanding than it’s ever been. Balancing inputs, labor, capital, markets, transportation, facilities, machinery, while continuing to ensure the health of livestock, soil, and the environment requires skill and dedication.
America’s farmers are up to the task but we must support them.
No other industry has done more through technology, research, and innovation than agriculture to keep pace with increasing demands from a growing population. As the first New Yorker to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Senator Gillibrand is committed to supporting dairies and diversified farms of all sizes including access to financing, new market opportunities, improve risk management products for dairy and specialty crops, and investments in renewable energy.
I believe clean air and clean water are essential rights all Americans deserve—and they should never be sacrificed." - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
The gun homicide rate in the United States is more than 25 times that of other developed nations, resulting in about 11,000 Americans who are murdered by a gun in the United States each year. This violence affects the safety and security of communities across the country and in New York. While Senator Gillibrand supports the Second Amendment to the Constitution, she is focused on protecting communities in every corner of New York from unnecessary gun violence by supporting common sense solutions to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.
America was built by the contributions of immigrants, and our diversity only adds to the greatness of this country. As a U.S. Senator, I will advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that treats immigrants fairly and gives them a path to earned citizenship." - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
Medical marijuana is legal in 28 states and the District of Columbia, where lawmakers recognize medical research showing cannabis can alleviate symptoms of serious conditions, including epileptic and seizure disorders in children, cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. Sixteen more states have laws regulating cannabidiol.
However, medical marijuana remains illegal under federal law, leaving patients and providers vulnerable to arrest—even if they are in compliance with their state laws. As a currently classified Schedule I drug, federal law restricts medical marijuana research, as well as fair and safe financial services for medical marijuana-related businesses. Senator Gillibrand, along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY), have introduced a bipartisan bill—the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act—to recognize that marijuana has accepted medical use, and that it is the states’ responsibility to set medical marijuana policy.
Senator Gillibrand believes that transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of what makes government work for the people. That is why she led by example and became the first Member of Congress to post a Sunlight Report that included her official schedule, personal financial disclosures, and earmark requests online. She also releases her tax returns annually. The New York Times called it “a quiet touch of revolution in Washington.”
After a 60 Minutes investigation uncovered gaping loopholes that allow members of Congress to use insider information gained through their Congressional duties to gain personal profits, Kirsten authored and passed the STOCK Act, to provide greater transparency to make sure members of Congress play by the same rules as everyone else.
Senator Gillibrand will continue to make sure that Congress is accountable to the people, and will fight to updates the laws and regulations that ensure that Members of Congress and officials in the Government play by the same rules as everyone else.
Our nation’s veterans and active duty military have sacrificed for all of us. They deserve the very best opportunities and benefits we can provide." - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
New York is home to over 890 thousand men and women who have served in the Armed Forces. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Gillibrand is working hard to improve the lives of the millions of Americans currently serving in our military and our veterans. Gillibrand has championed an agenda to improve access to benefits for our veterans and ensure that when active duty servicemembers return home, there are more job opportunities available to them, and the educational and training tools needed for success in the private sector are easily accessible.
I will always protect a woman's right to choose—no matter what." - Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator
Senator Gillibrand believes that a woman's medical decisions should always be made between her, her family, and her doctor - not by politicians.
She is committed to protecting and defending women's access to the full range of reproductive health care services. Her support for reproductive rights has earned her a 100 percent rating from the National Organization for Women, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL: Pro-Choice America. The current debate on this issue in Congress shows a blatant disregard for the health and safety of women. The Senator will continue to stand with her colleagues to voice her outrage against the consistent attacks on women and their health choices.