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.
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.