On October 16, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is seeking re-election, held a roundtable discussion with Chinese-language media at the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in New York. During this meeting, she presented her legislative achievements over the past year, focusing on issues such as gun violence, veteran assistance, and workplace sexual harassment. Acknowledging the Chinese community’s emphasis on education, Senator Gillibrand also introduced the Cyber Service Academy, a scholarship program included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This initiative collaborates with several prestigious universities in New York City and the state to recruit multilingual talent, including those proficient in Chinese.
Senator Gillibrand highlighted five key pieces of legislation she led that have successfully passed and received presidential approval in the past year. These include making interstate gun trafficking a federal felony, expanding healthcare coverage for veterans, combating sexual violence in military and workplace settings, and the scholarship program within the NDAA. She emphasized her ongoing commitment to addressing the rise of hate crimes against the Asian community, an issue she has focused on since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in relevant proposals that have also been passed.
Additionally, she is working on legislative initiatives concerning mental health care and enhancing language services for immigrant groups at the federal level. If re-elected, Senator Gillibrand intends to advocate for a nationwide paid leave policy, tax relief for the middle class, and the regulation of cryptocurrency.
The Cyber Service Academy scholarship program, which has been running for a year, is currently accepting applications for its second cohort. Senator Gillibrand made a special appeal to the Chinese community, stating that high school students fluent in Chinese, Cantonese, and other Asian languages will have priority for admission, given the current focus of national defense. The program includes esteemed institutions such as NYU, City University of New York, Brooklyn College, Pace University, Fordham University, and St. John’s University. Scholarship recipients will study at these universities tuition-free, receiving substantial support, and are expected to serve in civilian roles at the Department of Defense (DOD), CIA, or National Security Agency (NSA) for a number of years after graduation. More details can be found at https://reurl.cc/LlzyXK.
When discussing the upcoming elections in November, Senator Gillibrand expressed cautious optimism about the Democratic Party regaining control of the House of Representatives while being more reserved regarding the Senate and the White House. In addressing ethical concerns surrounding elected officials, she shared that she is collaborating with Republican colleagues to draft a bipartisan proposal aimed at prohibiting all members of Congress from engaging in stock trading, to prevent any misuse of insider information for personal gain.
