This Week With Claudia #NY24

My Bipartisan Resolution Calling Out the Brutal Iranian Regime Passes the House of Representatives

The murderous regime in Iran poses the single greatest threat to Israel and a significant threat to the security of the United States. The regime also continues its violent crackdown on its citizens’ rights and civil liberties.

This week, the House passed my resolution by a vote of 420-1 reaffirming with one voice our commitment to support the brave Iranian protestors, who are more resolved than ever to fight this regime. These courageous Iranians are demanding a government that respects their rights at home, stops funding terrorism abroad and makes peace with its neighbors like Israel. They are demanding a future built on freedom, justice, and prosperity.

The passage of my resolution this week makes clear that the U.S. House of Representatives stands with the brave Iranian people and that the United States will continue to do all it can to increase pressure and hold the regime, which is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, accountable.

Later in the week, I also hosted a press conference marking passage of the resolution and calling on the Biden administration to do more to counter the Iranian regime. I was joined by many members of Congress as well as human rights activist and actress Nazanin Boniadi.

Leading the Charge to Ensure Biden Answers for His Dangerous Migrant Relocation Policies

This week, I led a letter alongside Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and other members of the New York congressional delegation to President Biden regarding the settlement of migrants in upstate New York.

It is essential that the Biden Administration finally provide transparency to New Yorkers regarding how the crisis at the southern border is affecting our small Upstate and Western New York communities.

Under Biden, every state has become a border state, and because of this, our Upstate communities are suffering. It is my privilege to lead this letter demanding that President Biden not only address this crisis but provide answers as to why he is making our communities pay for his mistakes.

Reintroduced Legislation Prohibiting COVID Mandates

While we have defeated many of Joe Biden's overreaching COVID mandates in the courts or at the ballot box, his administration continues threatening to reimpose certain restrictions. It is vital that Congress makes clear that the president does not have this authority, which is why this week I introduced legislation to prevent the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from overstepping its authority by enacting a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In September of 2021, the Biden Administration through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) attempted to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees of businesses with 100 or more employees and require weekly testing for those who remain unvaccinated.

While this mandate was blocked by the Supreme Court, my legislation will stop the Biden Administration from ever attempting a COVID-19 mandate through OSHA again. The bill finally clarifies that under existing law, OSHA does not have the authority to implement rules requiring Americans to undergo COVID-19 vaccinations or testing. Read more about the bill here.

The Health Freedom for All Act was co-sponsored by Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-2), Congressman Bill Posey (FL-8), Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17), Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-3), and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-2).

Election Integrity Update: New Comprehensive Election Report Released

This week, I released the Election Integrity Caucus’ Midterm Election Report with fellow Co-Chair Mike Garcia (CA-27). The report is a look at what went right and what went wrong in election administration during the recent midterm elections.

It highlights the positive efforts of states like Georgia, Texas, and Florida, which are working to implement policies that promote fair, free, and transparent elections. It is also a look at what went wrong in states like New York and California, which implemented policies that encouraged chaos at the ballot box and undermined voter confidence.

In this report, we applaud the work of the legislatures, chief election officers, and executives who got it right by prioritizing election integrity—guaranteeing our elections are secure by making it harder to cheat and more accessible by making it easier to vote. Election integrity increases voter confidence, which in turn increases voter turnout, and that is why the Election Integrity Caucus researched and published this 2022 Midterm Review.

You can read the full report here.

Transparency and a well-informed public are vital components of our self-governing Constitutional Republic! I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor.

While we may not always agree, you will always know where I stand on the issues and exactly how I vote in Congress.

Some of the key bills we considered this week are explained below. To read more about these votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House of Representatives, please click here.

I voted “Yes” on H.R. 346, the NOTAM Improvement Act of 2023. The safety of our country’s airspace is an issue of national importance. An especially vital component of maintaining safety is the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots to potential hazards along the flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight. The legislation will establish an FAA taskforce to draft recommendations to improve the NOTAM system and ensure its stability, resilience, and cybersecurity. This bill passed the House by a vote of 424-4.

I voted “Yes” on H.R. 400, the Investing in Main Street Act of 2023. This bill would increase access to capital and private equity for small businesses through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program by increasing the amount of capital and surplus a financial institution or federal savings association can invest in an SBIC from 5% to 15%. It also would require approval from a federal regulator for financial institutions and federal savings associations seeking to invest more than 5%. This bill passed the House by a vote of 411-13.

I voted “Yes” on H.Con.Res. 7, Commending the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran demonstrating in more than 133 cities and risking their safety to speak out against the Iranian regime's human rights abuses. On September 16, 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was detained by the morality police for violating the country’s strict dress codes. She later died in custody. Her death sparked mass protests across the country, leading in turn to a heavy-handed regime response. Hundreds of protestors have been killed by regime security forces. Thousands more have been detained on trumped up charges, and many of those in custody, especially women, have been subjected to cruel and inhumane torture. This resolution, which I introduced alongside Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (TX-10), was cosponsored by more than 60 members of Congress. In addition to expressing support for the courageous Iranian protestors demonstrating for their freedoms, the resolution also condemns the brutal beating and death of Mahsa Amini as well as the violent suppression by the Iranian regime of women and men participating in the current demonstrations. The murderous regime in Iran continues its violent crackdown on its citizens’ rights and civil liberties. Today, the House reaffirmed with one voice our commitment to support these brave protestors, who are more resolved than ever to fight this regime. These courageous Iranians are demanding a government that respects their rights at home, stops funding terrorism abroad, and makes peace with its neighbors. They are demanding a future built on freedom, justice, the rule of law, and prosperity. This resolution makes clear that the U.S. House of Representatives stands with them and that the United States will continue to do all it can to hold the regime, which is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, accountable. This resolution passed the House by a vote of 420-1.

Thank You to Everyone Who Joined Our First Constituent Webinar

As your representative in Congress, our office can provide numerous resources and services to the people of New York’s 24th District. This week, our office hosted the first of our monthly webinar series, where we connect residents of New York’s 24th Congressional District to resources and support at the federal level. The webinar was open to all constituents and provided a robust and helpful overview of federal agencies and offices and the services that the federal government provides for individuals and local municipalities.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to join our first webinar and I look forward to seeing you next month! If you missed the event, don't worry. We'll be posting the full video to our website so you can watch it anytime!

Tenney Sponsors the Protect Local Farms Act

I continue to hear from farmers in our community who are concerned about the new over time rule. As many of you know, the New York State Farm Laborers Wage Board totally disregarded the needs and input of farmers when they released their proposal to lower the overtime threshold for our farm workers from 60 to 40 hours. This proposal demonstrates just how out of touch the Board and Albany are with Upstate’s farmers and their employees.

I am honored to once again cosponsor a critical piece of legislation that works to give farmers and producers the resources they need to succeed by reversing this decision. You can read more about it here.

Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today.

If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088 or my Lockport office at 716-514-5130! Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Have news or updates to share? Email me!

If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 24th District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY24 as we can each week.