When newly-elected Speakers of the House Nancy Pelosi held her first news conference, standing next to her was Westchester Congresswoman Nita Lowey. Pelosi also joined with her other longtime democratic colleague, Westchester Congressman Eliot Engel, for his swearing in and recent election by his democratic colleagues as chair of the Foreign Relations Committee.
While younger, more progressive democratic members of Congress have taken the headlines, the old guard of democrats like Pelosi, Lowey and Engel took their place at the seats of power in Washington, D.C., with Lowey becoming chair of the Appropriations Committee.
Engel took the first step by cosponsoring H.R. 1, the For the People Act, Democrats’ first legislative priority for the 116th Congress. The For the People Act is a broad anti-corruption and democracy reform package that will expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, and strengthen ethics rules at all levels of the government. The bill includes several key concepts from Engel’s comprehensive Constitutional Amendment to reform our voting and electoral system, which he also re-introduced (H.J.Res. 9).
“For far too long, our political system has not reflected the needs of all Americans,” Engel said. “We’ve seen gerrymandered districts drawn to favor partisan elected officials, increasing voter suppression, and an unprecedented flood of money from special interests. With Democrats now in the majority in the House, we are committed to restoring transparency, ethics and accountability to Washington.
“I believe that our democracy can only function when all Americans have a seat at the table. That’s why yesterday, I re-introduced a comprehensive constitutional Amendment to fix our country’s broken electoral system. I’m pleased that the For the People Act includes many concepts from my constitutional Amendment, including instituting automatic voter registration, making Election Day a federal holiday, prohibiting voter ID requirements, and ensuring that failure to vote is not grounds for removing registered voters. It also bans partisan gerrymandering and reaffirms that Congress should have the authority to regulate money in politics, pushing back on Citizens United.
“Protecting the integrity of our electoral system from special interests and interference is critical and I am pleased the Democratic Caucus has made it an early priority.”
H.R. 1 also strengthens the ethics laws and expands oversight, ensuring integrity from all levels of government. In addition, the bill would extend the current conflict of interest laws to include the president and vice president, requiring the release of their tax returns, while closing the revolving-door loophole for members of Congress.
Engel also called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen to relocate 25 Westchester residents who were detained due to their immigration status from an Alabama Detention Center to New York. The request follows disturbing reports of inhumane treatment at the Alabama facility, including failure to provide adequate medical care, underfeeding, and lack of access to legal materials, counsel and mail.
“I was outraged to learn that 25 Westchester residents have been transferred to Etowah County Detention Center in Alabama, hundreds of miles from their communities, families and legal services,” Engel wrote. “I am deeply alarmed about the conditions that many of these immigrants face in these facilities.”
Engel noted that detainees have better access to counsel in New York, which may prevent wrongful deportation. He also urged DHS to investigate possible misuse of federal funds at the Alabama facility, following reports that the Etowah County Sheriff was personally profiting from unspent federal dollars allocated to the jail.
“This practice of detaining people, whether adults or children, and transporting them thousands of miles away from their families is cruel and must be brought to an end,” Engel said. “I urge the Department of Homeland Security to relocate these individuals back to New York, and to provide opportunities for release on bond, parole, and alternatives to detention.”
County Executive George Latimer congratulated Lowey and Engel. “The gaveling in of the 116th United States Congress and the new House Committee chairs is welcome news to Westchester County and New York State residents. Representative Nita Lowey has been a champion for Westchester County since she was first sent to Washington on our behalf. With her new role as chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Lowey will now have the opportunity to further support us here at home while also playing a pivotal role in how our nation spends our tax dollars. I have long admired her leadership and am sure she will continue her great work from this new post.
“It is no secret that our country faces many challenges on the international scene. With his election as chair of the House Committee on Foreign Relations, Bronx and Westchester Rep. Eliot Engel will be on the front lines working to uphold America’s standing around the globe. Rep. Engel has long been a supporter of Westchester County and this new role is well deserved.
“Further, while not representatives of Westchester, New York State residents should be immensely proud to add three additional leadership roles to its congressional ranks: Rep. Jerry Nadler on the Judiciary Committee, Rep. Nydia Velazquez on the Small Business Committee and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as Democratic House Caucus Chair. These three members of Congress work hard for their districts, and the state, on a daily basis and will only continue these efforts from their new positions.
“Congratulations to these five distinguished members – I look forward to my continued work with them on behalf of the people of Westchester County.”
