Serving New York’s 26th Congressional district, which includes portions of Erie & Niagara Counties
REMINDER: Congress on Your Corner is back!
Join us at the Town of Tonawanda Senior Center this Thursday, April 14 from 11am to 12pm. Our staff will be available to answer your questions & provide assistance with federal agencies.
RSVP: https://fb.me/e/1C9i01NNR
Throughout the spring we will be out in the community announcing $8 million in project funding secured as part of the FY 2022 budget. Follow us on Youtube to learn more!
Check out our visit to Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to announce $1.5 million toward lung cancer screening ⬇️
Happy to join local veterans at the Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight brunch this morning.
Honor Flight celebrates veterans by taking to them to Washington, DC to experience our national monuments. This year 45 local vets, many serving in WWII, Korea, & Vietnam will participate. We are eternally grateful for their service & sacrifice for our country.
This afternoon we joined local veterans at Parkinson’s Boxing and learned more about how this physical therapy is helping to improve mobility and manage PD. It’s inspiring to see how veterans are regaining their strength and independence by attending weekly boxing classes.
In February 2022 we introduced the Boxing Therapy for Parkinson’s Access Act, calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to cover boxing classes for vets with PD & similar movement disorders. The WNY VA is currently running a pilot program. Parkinson’s Boxing delivers data on their program’s success with veterans as they continue advocating for full VA coverage.
Today we joined South District Councilman Christopher P. Scanlon & Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper at Riverfest Park to announce a feasibility study for the Buffalo Riverwalk project.
The Riverwalk would extend along the west bank of the Buffalo River and connect with the Outer Harbor. Thanks to careful planning by the Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, it will improve waterfront access, connect trailways so pedestrians can easily travel from Canalside to the Outer Harbor, and complement existing waterfront development projects.
History made. Congratulations, Justice Jackson!
Thanks to the #AmericanRescuePlan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provided $85 million for restaurants in NY-26, but with high demand for the program many didn't receive the funding they needed.
Passed by the House today, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act will provide $42 billion for restaurants across the US & $13 billion for a program assisting the industries hit hardest by the pandemic. This funding will help hundreds of restaurants in Western New York continue to recover.
Thanks to a historic $20 billion transit investment made through the #BipartisanInfrastructureLaw, this year Metro Bus & Rail will receive nearly $31 million in federal funding from the Federal Transit Authority.
Funding will support critical updates to transit facilities, repairs to existing fleets, electric buses, and support transit services for seniors and people with disabilities. We are making long-term investments in a clean and modern public transportation system in Western New York.
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) made the funding announcement Wednesday.
Congress on Your Corner is back! Throughout April & May our staff will be available at satellite locations throughout the district to answer your questions & provide assistance with federal agencies.
Check out our upcoming schedule ⬇️
Calling all High School Artists 📣
Join the 2022 Congressional Art Competition! This year all submissions will be accepted virtually & featured on our online gallery beginning on April 27. The winning piece will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. The submission deadline is April 20, 2022. Submit your piece & fill out your student release form at: bit.ly/NY26Art.
For more information visit: https://higgins.house.gov/services/art-competition
During #NationalLibraryWeek we celebrate local libraries in WNY & across the country working to ensure that people of all ages not only have access to books & reading materials, but also computers, tablets, & WIFI connections in order to do homework, apply for jobs, attend doctors appointments, & so much more.
Today we joined local veterans at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park to announce $490,000 in funding to support the preservation of the USS The Sullivans. Secured as part of the fiscal year 2022 budget, the funding will ensure that the 80-year-old landmark war ship, now taking on water, stays afloat at the naval park for many years to come.
First launching on April 4, 1943, the destroyer ship saw action during WWII, the Korean War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. After earning 11 battle stars, it was decommissioned in 1965 and donated to the City of Buffalo in 1977. 45 years later, this landmark vessel remains a significant national artifact that tells the story of American Heroism, bringing together local veterans and community members as a reminder of our history.
Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 187 Buffalo, NY
Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York Inc.
WNY Hispanic American Veterans Memorial Inc.
Canada's proposed 1% tax on US citizen-owned properties could impact the mutually beneficial relationship that cross-border communities, like Western New York & Ontario, have enjoyed for many years.
In a Ways & Means Committee hearing we asked Ambassador Katherine Tai to continue discussions with Canadian officials on this issue. As pandemic-related measures are finally being lifted that greatly impacted both the US & Canadian economy, it is critical that we work together to avoid additional restrictions on both sides of the border.
Insulin shouldn't cost families their life savings.
Yesterday the House passed a bill that caps the price of insulin at $35 per month. This makes a world of difference for people like Joshua Davis, President Biden's SOTU guest who has Type I diabetes 👏
Read more: https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-higgins-announces-approval-of-the-affordable-insulin-now-act
China controls 80 % of the global market in producing materials for lithium-ion batteries.
By invoking the Defense Production Act (DPA), we can incentivize U.S. manufacturers to accelerate the production and of materials used for electric vehicle batteries. This will increase the availability of electric vehicles and decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
Today on #NationalDoctorsDay, we thank all the physicians that have dedicated their lives to caring for Americans in communities across the country. Their selfless work on the frontlines of the pandemic has saved countless lives.
On behalf of a grateful nation & community, thank you for keeping us healthy & safe.
Hardworking Americans deserve a secure and comfortable retirement, but many don't feel prepared for this point in their life.
Passed yesterday, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act is a comprehensive bipartisan bill that includes the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Fairness Act, which allows companies to easily offer ESOPs to employees, promoting growth and development. Additionally, it expands access to programs that promote retirement savings and allow people to pay down student debt while their employer contributes to their 401(k).
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced approval of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0 – H.R. 2954), a package of measures designed to expand retirement plan opportunities and savings for workers. “Americans who work hard all of their lives should be able to comfortably...
Today on #VietnamWarVeteransDay we honored local veteran & Purple Heart recipient Roger Dearmyer, who passed on December 31, 2021.
As a member of the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army, Roger saw several battles in Vietnam & was in injured in action. After returning home, he served the community as an Erie County Sheriff's Deputy for 31 years. An active member of the local veteran community, he is remembered by many as a hero on foreign soil and at home. We thank U.S. Army Specialist Roger Dearmyer for his service & sacrifice.
Read more: https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-higgins-honors-local-vietnam-veteran-roger-dearmyer-on/
Erie County Sheriff's Office
Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 187 Buffalo, NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwKguNsNN50
This week, the #BidenBudget proposal was released. Today during a House Budget Committee hearing with White House Budget Director Shalanda Young, we stressed the need to invest in the future of American families through sustainable technology manufactured at home.
President Biden's budget proposal serves as a blueprint for legislative and domestic priorities. In Western New York, his plan would:
📚 Invest in students & schools
🔬 Support advanced research in diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, ALS, & cancer
🌱 Provide funding for clean transportation & water infrastructure
🏥 Improve veteran healthcare
& more! Click to read more: https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-says-president-s-proposed-2023-budget-puts-focus-on-us-families
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxAJhFNDuHU
Did you know? In July, Americans will be able to dial 988 to receive immediate assistance from the Suicide Prevention Hotline during a mental health crisis.
If you or someone you know are currently experiencing a mental health crisis, text NAMI to 741-741 or call the national lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Help is available 24 hours a day.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a financial strain on local hospitals, incurring additional unforeseen costs to improve patient & provider safety measures.
Over $17 million in FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency grants to Western New York hospitals will assist local healthcare providers in managing urgent and costly pandemic-related expenses.
Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced grants totaling over $17.1 million to hospitals in Western New York. The awards were made through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist hospitals with urgent needs related to the national health e...
Marking National Medal of Honor Day, today we recognize the heroism & bravery of Americans who have received our nation's highest military honor for valor.
Thank you for your service & sacrifice for our country, today and everyday.
This morning we joined Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center to announce $1.5 million in federal funding, which will provide two CT scanners at their main location on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, as well as the Scott Bieler Amherst Center, opening in 2023.
In addition to CT scanners, Roswell will stand up a new National Lung Cancer Screening Registry, bolstering their efforts to increase lung cancer screenings in underserved communities.
Are you signed up to receive our newsletter? Last week, we shared information on the positive impact the #AmericanRescuePlan has had on WNY just one year since it became law.
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Stop by the Frank E. Merriweather, Jr. Library this Saturday to learn more about Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight.
Join us for a Community Information Session - March 26 @ 2pm 🇺🇸
Today we welcomed Assistant Secretary of Commerce Alejandra Castillo to Western New York to discuss how U.S. Economic Development Administration investments are promoting business development & sustainable growth in the area. We toured the M&T Tech Hub, hosted a round table with business leaders, & visited the former Bethlehem Steel site, which is being redeveloped into Renaissance Commerce Park.
Local innovation & revitalization of industrial sites will make Western New York a hub for technology & manufacturing, creating good-paying jobs and contributing to a bright economic future.
https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/assistant-secretary-of-commerce-castillo-congressman-higgins-highlight
Today marks 12 years since the passage of the #AffordableCareAct.
The #ACA has expanded healthcare access for millions of families & people with preexisting conditions, strengthened Medicare & Medicaid, & lowered the cost of prescription drugs for seniors.
Thanks to the #ACA we are closing the coverage gap, but our work isn't done until everyone has access to the care they need.
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