Dear neighbor, 

These past few weeks have been busy—in D.C. and in our district. I’ve been fighting alongside my Democratic colleagues in Congress to deliver real change for New York’s 17th Congressional District. From lowering prescription drug costs, to building infrastructure,  to addressing climate change, to protecting our fundamental rights, I’m working to deliver for our community on the issues that matter most. And I want to take a moment to update you on our progress.

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs

Last week, I was proud to host a community town hall with AARP New York and its members in our district to discuss all that Democrats have been doing to lower prescription drug costs and health care premiums. Just last year, 66% of Americans worried that they might not be able to afford their health care, and right here in New York, consumers spend over $27 billion on prescription drugs every year because of Big Pharma and other special interests. 

The Inflation Reduction Act, which we passed in August, tackles this problem head-on by finally allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs. Beginning in January 2023, Medicare recipients will not pay more than $35 a month for insulin. And by the year 2025, no one on Medicare will pay more than $2,000 annually for their total cost of prescription drugs.

Building Infrastructure

Last November, I navigated a gridlocked Washington and proudly brokered a deal to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This legislation, which is now law, is the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in generations, and will create millions of good-paying jobs over the next decade. In fact, the IIJA has already delivered over $9 billion in funding for key projects throughout New York State. 

Rep. Mondaire Jones hosts community roundtable on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

On Monday, I hosted municipal leaders from throughout Rockland and Westchester Counties for a roundtable discussion in Greenburgh to highlight some of these projects, and explain how municipal leaders can apply for IIJA grant funding. I am so proud to have been part of this monumental legislative effort, and I know these projects will continue delivering for communities across NY-17 for years to come.

Community Project Funding

I am proud to have delivered $8.2 million in Community Project Funding for our district in the Fiscal Year 2022 omnibus appropriations bill passed this year. For the Town of Clarkstown, I delivered $1 million in funding for the West Nyack Revitalization Project, which will update stormwater management in West Nyack, reduce flooding, improve pedestrian safety, and fortify the community against climate change—all while protecting native plant species and creating new green space.

Rep. Mondaire Jones at a press conference with local leaders in West Nyack

For the Town of Greenburgh, the $1 million I delivered will fund a brand new sidewalk along Dobbs Ferry Road. This will improve pedestrian safety while making public transportation more accessible, a priority for low-income residents who rely on public transportation in this heavily trafficked area. 

Rep. Mondaire Jones at a press conference with local leaders in Greenburgh

Respect for Marriage Act

I’ve also been fighting to protect fundamental rights. The far-right, 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court is poised to overturn its own decision, issued less than a decade ago, establishing a constitutional right to marriage equality for same-sex couples. Justice Clarence Thomas foreshadowed that the Court will do this in a concurring opinion he wrote last summer overturning the right to an abortion. The conservative majority on the Supreme Court is on a rampage against basic freedoms that many Americans had simply taken for granted in their everyday lives.

But my Democratic colleagues and I have been fighting back. I was honored to pass the Respect for Marriage Act through the House last summer, my bill with Rep. Jerry Nadler to ensure that the federal government recognizes the marriages of same-sex couples. The Senate passed its version of the bill last week, and I look forward to sending this legislation to President Biden’s desk before the end of the year. 

LGBTQ+ individuals deserve to live full lives as their most authentic selves, and with their loved ones by their side. As one of only nine openly gay members in the 435-person House of Representatives, this is personal to me. I will never stop fighting for equality, for every one of us. 

Sincerely,

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