Gillibrand supports House Intelligence Committee Hearing on UFOs
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) yesterday said she supported more Department of Defense spending on unidentified aerial phenomena a.k.a Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) following yesterday’s House Intelligence Committee hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena:
“We are grateful to the House Intelligence Committee, especially subcommittee Chairman Carson and Ranking Member Crawford, for hosting today’s hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena. Public congressional interest in this issue will contribute toward countering the stigma faced by service members and others in reporting their own encounters with UAP, thereby improving our own data collection to help resolve this national security issue,” said Gillibrand.
“The language we secured in the National Defense Authorization Act made it clear that the Department of Defense and other agencies must urgently approach this issue in a broad manner and consider all origins of UAP, known or unknown. The level of bipartisan interest from the national security committees in Congress — as well as from the American people — make it clear that the Department cannot delay in staffing the NDAA-established office, developing a science plan, and integrating already existing data to properly investigate these phenomena. Our national security demands that the Department move on this issue with haste and maintain transparency with Congress.”
Meng, Malliotakis Laud Greek Prime Minister’s Address to Joint Session of Congress
U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-Queens) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island, Brooklyn), both lauded Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ address to a joint session of Congress yesterday..
“It was an honor to listen to the Prime Minister as he delivered an historic address to Congress on the strength of the U.S.-Greece relationship,” said Meng. “The U.S. and Greece share a special bond. As the Prime Minister said, we must commit to continuing to strengthen the relationship between our two great countries as we stand for democracy around the world. I look forward to doing all I can to strengthen this relationship even further, and I thank Prime Minister Mitsotakis for coming to Washington and addressing Congress. I was proud to be in attendance for it.”
Meng also brought Stacy Bliagos, Executive Director of HANAC, as her guest for the speech. Bliagos’ support of the Greek American community is shown through her work at HANAC, a nonprofit, social services organization serving communities in need throughout New York City. The organization was founded in Queens in 1972 to serve the needs of the Greek American community.
Malliotakis joined members of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and House Committee on Foreign Affairs in attending meetings Mitsotakis, following his address to discuss several issues important to U.S.-Greece relations, including energy independence, military cooperation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Turkish aggression.
“Freedom and Democracy are not the only core principles that serve as the foundation for the U.S.-Greece relationship. In fact, the United States and Greece rely on each other for both economic and military support,” Malliotakis said. “During our meetings, we discussed several issues important to our countries’ relationship, including the need to bolster energy independence for both the United States and Europe, Greece’s plan to acquire F-35 fighter jets, the potential to supply Greece’s military with retired U.S. Navy Ships, and the important work conducted at Souda Naval Base in Crete.
“Additionally, I affirmed my support for the reunification of Cyprus and assured the Prime Minister that his Hellenic partners in Congress remain opposed to any sale of U.S. military equipment to Turkey, which has shown ongoing aggression, the most recent being repeated military flights over the Greek Islands.”
Myrie Hails Senate’s Vote on Bills to Reform NY Elections
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) yesterday hailed the Senate for passing several measures to reform elections throughout the state.
“Voting rights, our elections, and our democracy are under attack across this nation. We’re facing coordinated threats: waves of misinformation, a former president and his supporters determined to undermine votes and voters, a Supreme Court that has discarded the most effective voter protections in our history, and a federal government that is unable to restore them. It is truly a perfect storm, and it requires bold action,” said Myrie..
“The Senate also passed several bills today that will improve our elections by clarifying lines of authority, increasing professionalization of elections administration, reducing the potential for conflicts of interest, enhancing training and compensation for election workers, and restructuring the New York City Board of Elections. These bills are the direct result of our hearings last summer and the report we issued last fall, detailing the urgent need for election reform and making over 50 recommendations for improvement. I am especially grateful to the voters, poll workers, advocates and administrators who shared their experiences and ideas with the Elections Committee.
“To New York’s voters: we hear you. We will always protect your vote and your voice, and we will never stop pursuing the perfection of our democracy.”
Ung to Announce ‘Swab for Caryn’ Event
City Council Member Sandra Ung (D-Queens) today will announce the details of an upcoming event in her district to find a potential blood stem cell donor for a woman suffering from a rare form of leukemia.
The woman in need is Asian, and her best chance of finding a matching donor is from a person of Asian descent. However, only 9 percent of the potential donors on the Be The Match Registry identify as Asian. The donor test involves a simple swab of the mouth. Learn more about her story here.
The announcement is slated for 5 p.m., today, May 18 at the entrance to The Shops at Skyview Center, College Point Boulevard & Roosevelt Avenue in Queens.
Nurse, Gutierrez, Cabán Hold Town Hall on City Budget Needs
City Council Members Sandy Nurse (D-Brooklyn), Jen Gutierrez (D-Brooklyn) and Tiffany Cabán (D-Queens) today will hold a virtual town hall meeting on the proposed city budget.
If you haven’t heard yet, every part of our City government from housing to sanitation is poised to lose if the Mayor passes his austerity budget. From Sunset Park to Astoria, progressive Council Members like myself are fighting back to ensure we pass a budget that puts the needs of working people first, wrote Gutierrez in an email.
“We’ll talk about what cuts mean for communities like ours and how you can make your voice heard,” she added.
The townhall is slated for 6-7:30 p.m., today May 18. RSVP here: bit.ly/BudgetTownHall2022.
