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CHAIRS NADLER & MALONEY ON STONE COMMUTATION: House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the following joint statement on July 11 following President Trump’s decision to commute the sentence of Roger Stone:

“The facts are clear: Roger Stone lied to investigators. He threatened to harm a witness to his crimes. A jury of our fellow Americans found him guilty of obstruction of justice. Throughout it all, he promised he would do whatever it takes to avoid telling the truth about the President’s behavior in the 2016 presidential campaign—provided that President Trump protect him from the consequences.

“President Trump’s unprecedented decision to commute the sentence of Roger Stone, an individual that could directly implicate him in criminal misconduct, undermines the rule of law. By this action, President Trump abused the powers of his office in an apparent effort to reward Roger Stone for his refusal to cooperate with investigators examining the President’s own conduct. No other president has exercised the clemency power for such a patently personal and self-serving purpose.

“This transparently corrupt commutation damages public confidence in the justice system and the rule of law. Among other things, we intend to seek an immediate briefing from the White House Counsel on the circumstances surrounding Roger Stone’s commutation. In addition, the Department of Justice should release grand jury materials related to Roger Stone and his communications with the President.

“Republican tolerance of the President’s disregard for the rule of law has helped bring us to this moment. This is a powerful reminder that Donald Trump has little respect for law and order, no matter how much he tweets about it.”

SIMOTAS: ALLOW LAW GRADS TO CONTINUE AIDING INDIGENT: NYS Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas and NYS Senator Brad Hoylman introduced legislation to create an exemption during COVID-19 pandemic for law graduates representing indigent clients, and who have not yet passed the bar exam, to continue the practice of law. The exemption would also apply to graduates working for state or local governments.

Currently, law graduates can represent certain clients under the supervision of a licensed attorney only if they have failed the bar exam less than two times. However, limited testing accommodations due to the COVID-19 crisis have left repeat test-takers uncertain as to when they will be able to register for a seat for the next bar exam. The issue was first highlighted in an article by Law 360.

“New York needs to be mindful about who will be immediately affected by limiting the pool of experienced professionals who can assist indigent clients during the COVID-19 pandemic

– seniors, tenants being evicted from their homes and immigrants,” said Assemblywoman Simotas. “We have an obligation to mitigate the risks to New Yorkers during this health crisis, and ensuring that the indigent have informed legal representation is an important way of meeting our duty,” she said.

Senator Hoylman said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for legal services for struggling New Yorkers, and we need all hands on deck to address this crisis. Given the extraordinary circumstances COVID-19 has imposed on the legal profession, law school graduates who are currently representing immigrants, low-income tenants and seniors for legal aid organizations should be able to continue their hard work on behalf of these New Yorkers. I’m proud to be working with Assembly Member Simotas on this legislation which will temporarily allow more preadmission law school graduates to provide legal assistance under the supervision of a legal aid organization.”

Simotas and Hoylman said that the pandemic has limited seating for the September New York bar exam by prioritizing law graduates who are first-time test takers, leaving bar exam re-takers out in the cold. Now, law graduates who have not yet passed the bar exam fear salary cuts, unemployment and removal from cases. More importantly, indigent clients will bear the heavy consequences of this limitation as new attorneys assigned to their cases will need to familiarize themselves with matters and start with a limited understanding of the facts that is only improved with experience. Our current climate suggests that there will be a significant increase in the number of indigent clients who will need lawyers to consider their cases. Temporarily suspending the two-fail qualification so that law graduates who represent indigent clients may continue to do so under the supervision of a licensed attorney is a simple, common sense measure that will have a profound impact for indigent clients that rely on not-for-profit organizations to defend their rights. This bill will also protect government workers who are diligently serving the public during this crisis from losing their jobs because they are unable to sit for the bar exam. Under these extraordinary circumstances, New York must ensure that all residents have informed legal representation to advocate for their rights.

STAVISKY CONDEMNS NEW INT’L STUDENT POLICY: Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the New York State Higher Education Committee, condemned the newly announced modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to COVID-19: “It seems clear to me that our President is using nonimmigrant students as leverage to force colleges and universities across the country to reopen their campuses, even if the institutions deem the decision premature. Yesterday, the Trump Administration modified temporary exemptions for these students, forcing them to leave the country or transfer immediately, if their current school chooses a fully online educational model during this pandemic. The decision comes in the wake of Harvard and other universities announcing plans for a strictly online 2020-2021 school year.

“As the Chair of the New York State Higher Education Committee, I condemn this decision. Our foreign student population is vitally important to our colleges and universities. COVID-19 has placed enough unprecedented burdens on all our students, and these new regulations put our students from abroad at an unfair, unwarranted disadvantage…In New York, we will not cave under this pressure. We all want to see our campuses alive and bustling with activity again – and we will in due time. But until then, it is imperative that school administrations assess every situation individually, and make decisions that best represent the interests and safety of the students they serve. That is how we beat COVID-19, and that is how we get our Higher Education system back on track.”

‘HOLDING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS HOSTAGE’: Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) joined with her House and Senate colleagues in sending three letters to the Trump Administration opposing its changes to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). This change would penalize students who are enrolled in colleges and universities that have moved to distance-learning due to COVID-19 by forcing these students to leave the country. The lawmakers urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to rescind the policy and provide certainty for international students and the higher education community.

In the letters, the lawmakers expressed deep concerns that ICE’s guidance is motivated not by public health considerations, but rather by animus toward non-citizens and immigrants and is a flagrant attempt to hold international students hostage in order to force schools to reopen even as COVID-19 cases are rising. The 2018-2019 academic year saw more than one million international students in the United States.

“This policy change by the Trump Administration mere weeks before colleges and universities across the country are set to begin their Fall semesters can only be described as irresponsible. International students both enrich the higher education experience for all students and are a key part of the higher education ecosystem. I call out this policy for what it is: a cruel, senseless, and xenophobic attempt to use non-citizens as political pawns in order to financially coerce colleges and universities to reopen campuses this fall, despite what is best for public health,” said Congresswoman Maloney.

According to State Department data, there are nearly 400,000 holders of F visas and nearly 10,000 holders of M visas in the United States as of last year.

Maloney noted that “Due to the Trump Administration’s catastrophic mishandling of the pandemic, COVID-19 continues to rage throughout the United States, causing many institutions of higher education to move most or all of their courses online to protect their students, faculty, and staff. Some colleges developed these plans in consultation with local public health officials, and these plans are consistent with the CDC’s guidance for colleges and universities, which advises them to ‘offer virtual learning and telework options, if feasible.’

“Although the Trump Administration is attempting to blame this new guidance on existing regulations, it is failing to preserve or pursue options to provide flexibility to international students and to institutions of higher education. At the same time, recent statements by Administration officials suggest that DHS and ICE released this guidance as a pretext to force institutions of higher education to reopen against the advice of public health experts and local officials.”

RESPONSES TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL CLOSURES:

NYS Senator Joseph Addabbo responded on July 9 to the announcement by the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens that it was closing Our Lady Of Grace Catholic Academy In Howard Beach: “Today I was saddened to learn of the diocese decision to close Our Lady of Grace. For 95 years, Our Lady of Grace has been an important part of the Howard Beach community. My prayers go out to the students, parents, teachers and administration of the school. If I can be of any assistance, please let me know. I intend to be in contact with the diocese, as to the future fate of the school building.”

Council Member Paul Vallone responded to the announced closure of two Whitestone Catholic academies: “I am saddened to learn the news that both Holy Trinity Catholic Academy and St. Mel’s Catholic Academy will permanently close this summer due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis. I am concerned to see educational options reduced during such challenging times for our borough and our city, which already suffered from overcrowded schools. I know the loss of both of these local Catholic academies, which have each taught generations of Northeast Queens families, will be deeply felt in our community.”

‘HHS MUST RESCIND DISCRIMINATORY HEALTH RULE NOW’: On July 8, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (DNY), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, joined with the other chairs of the House committees with jurisdiction over health care, to condemn the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for finalizing a rule that weakens protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, people with limited English proficiency, immigrants, people of color, people with disabilities, and patients from other marginalized communities, and urged HHS Secretary Alex Azar to immediately rescind it.

The other Chairs joining the letter were House Education and Labor Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (DNJ), and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA).

“I am absolutely appalled by this rule from the Trump Administration. New York City is a place that is inspired by and proud of our diversity and the ability for everyone here to be who they are and follow their American Dream. This rule is a continuation of the Administration’s anti-immigrant, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. And even more horrifying, the Administration is acting to limit healthcare access during a global pandemic and national crisis,” said Congresswoman Maloney.

The letter follows the Supreme Court’s decision in the landmark case Bostock v. Clayton County, which found that protections against sex-based discrimination prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

“We previously wrote to you on May 1, 2020, warning that, if finalized, this rule would ‘open the door to discrimination against patients in express contradiction to the plain language and intent of the law, and would therefore be illegal,” the Democratic Committee leaders wrote.

The committee chairs underscored the need for strong nondiscrimination protections for members of marginalized communities at all times, but particularly when many of these communities are already disproportionately facing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We also urged you not to finalize this dangerous rule while the United States continues to grapple with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,” the Democratic Committee leaders wrote. ”At this unprecedented time when non-discriminatory access to health care is so vital for the well-being of all people in the United States, and yet out of reach for so many, the Administration’s actions sow unneeded fear and mistrust among those already facing inequity in the health care system and experiencing health disparities.”

DOD MUST INVESTIGATE VANESSA GUILLEN’S DEATH: Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) joined a letter led by Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) with 87 Members of Congress in support of Representative Jackie Speier (DCA) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY) request for Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General Sean O’Donnell to conduct an independent investigation into Fort Hood’s handling of Specialist (SPC) Vanessa Guillen’s case. Earlier this week, Representative Maloney, Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, requested a briefing on the Army’s response to and investigation into Vanessa’s horrific disappearance and murder.

“We are deeply disturbed by recent developments in the case of Specialist (SPC) Vanessa Guillen’s disappearance. We strongly support Rep. Jackie Speier and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s call for the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General’s Office to conduct a full and independent investigation into SPC Guillen’s disappearance,” the Members wrote in the July 7 letter.

“Before her disappearance, SPC Guillen confided in her family that she felt unsafe in Fort Hood due to experiences with sexual harassment, which she did not report out of fear for her personal safety. The US military has a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the young women and men that take an oath to defend our country. In SPC Guillen’s case, she was tragically failed by the Army,” they continued.

SPC Vanessa Guillen was a Houston native and a 20-year-old Latina soldier that was last seen in Fort Hood on April 22. Her remains were found near Leon River in Bell County, Texas on June 30 and identified on July 5. Since then, one suspect has been apprehended by law enforcement, and the other committed suicide when confronted.

ELECTEDS CONDEMN ANTI-SEMITIC VANDALISM: Congresswoman Grace Meng, NYS Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, and Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz released the following statement after the NYPD 112th Precinct reported that a car’s tires had been punctured by an unknown object, with the hood of the vehicle defaced with the carving of a swastika over the weekend of July 3 in Forest Hills. The crime is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force.

“We are disgusted to learn about this reprehensible crime. While the owner of the vandalized vehicle may not have been Jewish, we cannot ignore the particular malice behind this incident – which occurred in an area that is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in New York City. Let there be no confusion: we stand together against any and all forms of anti-Semitism, racism, bigotry, and hate – and we will maintain Queens’ standing as a borough that welcomes all, regardless of religion, race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We thank the NYPD 112th Precinct and Hate Crimes Task Force for their prompt investigation and efforts to bring the perpetrator to justice.

VALLONE ANNOUNCES $20M IN FUNDING FOR NE QUEENS: On June 30, the New York City Council passed the City budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and Council Member Paul A. Vallone is proud to announce that, in one of the most challenging budget years in recent memory due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, he was able to fight for and secure $20 million for improvements throughout Northeast Queens. Vallone proudly secured nearly $5 million for upgrades at local schools and over $10 million for improvements to parks in his Council District. In seven years of fiscal budgets, Vallone has now secured well over $120 million in funding for Northeast Queens.

Vallone is proud to announce that every school within the district will receive a minimum of $50,000 to fund important technology upgrades. Vallone’s budget also provides significant improvements to the area’s parks, with $5 million and $3.4 million allocated to complete waterfront, esplanade and seawall repairs at MacNeil Park and pathway renovations at Joe Michael’s Mile (North), respectively.

A total of $1.6 million in funding was also allocated in partnership with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson for ecological restorations at College Point’s Powells Cove. This is one of 11 projects on this year’s Participatory Budgeting ballot that the Council Member fought to fund in this year’s budget, despite the citywide cancellation of this year’s voting cycle due to COVID-19.

Additional capital investments include a $820,00 funding allocation with Speaker Johnson to St. Mary’s Healthcare System for Children, New York’s largest provider of long-term care to children with medically complex conditions and New York City’s only post-acute care facility for children.

Vallone was also proud to advocate for and secure $5.1 million in funding for the Support Our Seniors initiative, which he established in 2015 and provides each Council Member equal funding to support local senior services at their discretion. In addition, funding remained at historic levels for the CUNY Merit- Based Scholarship, the Peter F. Vallone Academic Scholarship, which was funded at $16 million, providing scholarships to tens of thousands of NYC students attending a CUNY school who maintain a B average.

Finally, Vallone secured over $1 million to directly support nonprofits in his district, such as the Bayside Village BID, Commonpoint Queens, the Alley Pond Environmental Center, Douglaston LDC, Poppenhusen Institute, and HANAC Angelo Petromelis Senior Center.

‘COMBAT ANONYMOUS SHELL CO’S IN NDAA’: In light of reports that Ghislaine Maxwell, who was charged in Federal court last week for conspiring with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse minors, had been using anonymous shell companies to hide her alleged illicit activities, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), lead sponsor of the bipartisan, House-passed H.R. 2513: Corporate Transparency Act, asked the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services to include parts of her bill in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

In her July 9 request to Chairmen Smith and Inhofe, and Ranking Members Thornberry and Reed, the Congresswoman states, “Ms. Maxwell is not alone in this practice. Criminal organizations are notorious for using anonymous shell companies to open bank accounts, launder money, perpetrate fraud, and finance terrorism. Unfortunately, the US is the easiest place in the world to set up anonymous shell companies – no US states currently require corporate applications to provide the identity of the corporation’s true, beneficial owner. My bipartisan legislation, the Corporate Transparency Act, will require companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners at the time the company is formed, and will thus prevent bad actors from using anonymous shell companies to thwart law enforcement and hide their illicit activities.”

The Congresswoman goes on to explain that “[w]e’re the only advanced country in the world that doesn’t already require disclosure of beneficial ownership information. Without these provisions, we will continue to facilitate global corruption by remaining a safe haven for human traffickers, drug cartels, terrorists, corrupt foreign officials, illegal arms dealers, and other bad actors. Anonymous shell companies enable them to access money, and therefore, enable their existence. By adding transparency to financial flows, we would greatly weaken the threats that we spend so much energy fighting.”

‘MOVING FORWARD ACT CRITICAL FOR ENVIRONMENT’: Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney said, “As an original co-sponsor of the Green New Deal, and someone who has worked to protect, preserve and improve our environment throughout my career, I was thrilled to vote to pass H.R. 2 the Moving Forward Act, in Congress last week. This $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill will help better and expand NYC’s public transit and affordable housing with $300 billion in federal grants to fix roads and bridges (with safety provisions for cyclists and pedestrians), $12.1 billion for New York’s federal highways, $900 million to the MTA, tripled funding for Amtrak, and more than $100 billion invested in our housing infrastructure – creating or preserving 1.8 million affordable homes. It will also allow New York to receive more funding for the 2nd phase of the Second Avenue Subway – which will bring this ADA-accessible line, which I helped build, all the way to 125th Street.

“Most importantly, the Moving Forward Act prioritizes green infrastructure, and even includes funding to replace the Post Office’s inefficient, aging vehicles to e-vehicles, which will help save money (and carbon emissions) in the future. The Moving Forward Act represents the kind of bold, transformational action we need to achieve the ambitious goals set by the Green New Deal – and I am eager to push even further as we continue to fight for environmental justice. But I need your help to do so.

“The climate crisis is the greatest existential threat of our time, exacerbating inequality, endangering our health, and threatening our national security.”

REQUIRES SWIMMING EDUCATION IN NYS SCHOOLS: Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-South Queens) introduced legislation (A.10256) that would require swimming education in all New York City and State public schools. The legislation comes in light of numerous drownings and aquatic fatalities throughout the state of New York, specifically on the Rockaway Beach coastline, which were highlighted in an article in The New York Times.

“Swim safety and education has never been more crucial,” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said. “The vast majority of drownings and deaths on our beaches could be prevented by instilling swimming safety and aquatic education lessons in our students from a young age. This bill would provide water education for all students at multiple points in their lives, ensuring that they are prepared to swim and understand the real consequences of going into the ocean unprepared.”

Last summer there were seven confirmed deaths along the Rockaway Beach coastline, in addition to a drowning that occurred before Memorial Day weekend this year. This bill, sponsored in the State Senate by Senator Joseph. P. Addabbo Jr., would expose all New York State students to water safety – whether they live or swim by a lake, pool, or beach.

FLUSHING TOWN HALL RECEIVES 5,000 FACE MASKS FROM TAIWAN: The nonprofit arts and culture institution, Flushing Town Hall, has received an extraordinary donation of 5,000 protective face masks from longtime supporter and friend of the Hall, Pauline Huang, who worked with the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA) and the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of New York (TCCNY) to source the masks from abroad.

“I’m originally from Taiwan,” says Huang. “I’m so proud that our country can do something for this community in the United States and for an organization that means so much to me personally. These masks are donated with love from Taiwan.”

The donation was delivered to the venue on Tuesday, July 7. In attendance were Joey Chiang, President of TCCNY, along with TCCNY Board members Timothy Chung, James Pei, Steve LI, Jeffrey Hsu, and George Hu.

Flushing Town Hall’s facilities are temporarily closed to the public in accordance with COVID-19 safety regulations, but the organization has been providing virtual presentations. For more information, visit www.flushingtownhall.org, or call (718) 463-7700 x222. Flushing Town Hall is located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. Flushing, NY 11354.

‘WITHDRAW POLITICAL APPOINTEES AT CENSUS’: On July 13 senior Democrats sent a letter calling on Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to immediately withdraw two recent political appointments to the Census Bureau: Nathaniel Cogley and Adam Korzeniewski.

“We are writing to object to the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to politicize the Census—this time by installing a record number of President Trump’s political appointees at the upper echelons of the Census Bureau, which historically has been run by a cadre of career, non-partisan experts,” wrote the Members.

For decades, the Census Bureau has been run by more than 4,000 career staff and has had no more than five political appointees. However, on June 23, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham announced that the Administration had placed two more highly partisan political appointees into the upper management of the Census Bureau, bringing the total number of political appointees at the Census Bureau to six.

According to press reports, since their arrival at the Census Bureau, Mr. Korzeniewski and Mr. Cogley have “repeatedly questioned the need for census operations that focus on accurately counting the nation’s hardest-to-reach residents.”

“Unfortunately, this is only the latest example of the Trump Administration’s politicization of the Census,” wrote the Members. “Even more troubling, the two individuals appointed to the Census Bureau, Mr. Korzeniewski and Mr. Cogley, have engaged in highly partisan—and in some cases extremely questionable—activities that make them unsuitable for positions running the Census Bureau or executing the 2020 Census.”

For example, last year Mr. Kozreniewski was a paid political consultant for Joseph Saladino, a YouTube personality with a history of racist depictions of Black people and other extremely troubling activity. Mr. Cogley is a political scientist who wrote several op-eds criticizing the impeachment of President Trump and tweeted repeatedly about Democratic primaries.

If Secretary Ross does not remove Mr. Cogley and Mr. Korzeniewski, the Members requested that he produce documents by July 24 that explain why these new positions are necessary, why these responsibilities should be carried out by political appointees rather than civil servants, and why the American taxpayers should be forced to pay their salaries.

The letter is signed by Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney; Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Chairman Rep. Jamie Raskin; Subcommittee on Government Operations Chairman Rep. Gerald E. Connolly; Oversight Vice Chair Rep. Jimmy Gomez; and Rep. Yvette D. Clarke.

‘RUN EXPRESS BUS FROM WMSBURG TO MANHATTAN’: Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) sent a letter on July 9 to Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Patrick Foye calling for an express bus line from Williamsburg to Manhattan.

The request follows two previous letters the Congresswoman sent in support of a Brooklyn Community Board 1 (CB1) resolution favoring the route which received a unanimous vote.

In the request, the Congresswoman states that her constituents and all North Brooklyn residents would benefit from a regular and permanent express bus line to Manhattan, especially during the COVID-19 outbreak to ease overcrowding on the L train.

She wrote, “the L train just cannot keep up with increased rider demand” and that “when trains do stop, they cannot accommodate the mass of people waiting to board.”

She posits that “using an existing bus line could mitigate some of the costs associated with implementing this interborough service,” and that the MTA could “extend the route of the normally underutilized B32 from Williamsburg into Manhattan using the Queens Midtown Tunnel or the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.”

—Contributions by Annette Hanze Alberts

This column was originated by John A. Toscano

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