Secretary of State Hillary Clinton approached the news of Osama bin Laden not just as the U.S.’s ambassador to the world, but as a former New York senator. “I am reminded especially today of the heroism and humanity that marked the difficult days after 9/11,” she said Monday. “ In New York, where I was a senator, our community was devastated; but we pulled through. Ten years later, that American spirit remains as powerful as ever, and it will continue to prevail.”  More »

New York’s congressmen exulted in President Barack Obama’s announcement Sunday night that Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight in Pakistan. It is a major turning point in the U.S.’s war on Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization responsible for the 9/11 attack. It is not the end of the war, though, warn New York’s congressmen. “This is a tremendous victory for the world community in the fight against al Qaeda that is both deeply satisfying and historic,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. “But we must remain vigilant. We can not take our eye off the ball in regards to security here at home or from emerging al Qaeda threats in other regions.”  More »

Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Schenectady, said the U.S. is sharing its “collective relief” at Osama Bin Laden’s death through celebrations around the country. He called the death of Osama bin Laden on Sunday night “a huge step in achieving justice” for everyone affected by the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.  More »

Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, said the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan was a major victory, and possibly a turning point, in the U.S.’s war against Al Qaeda, of which bin Laden was the leader. Gibson, who served in the Army in Iraq, praised the efforts of the military in executing the mission. “I [...]  More »

American support for building more nuclear power plants has plummeted 11 percentage points since 2008. The spike in opposition comes as no surprise, as the same fluctuation occurred after nuclear accidents in the 70s, 80s and now following Japan’s nuclear plant crisis. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found 64 percent of Americans oppose building new [...]  More »

Rep. Chris Gibson didn’t change his position on changes to the Medicare program, he said. The Republican position changed. At a town hall forum last night in Salem, Gibson explained his support for a budget resolution offered by Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, last week that stakes out a negotiating position for House Republicans as they [...]  More »

Here’s a video I shot last night of Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, explaining why he voted to (unsuccessfully) amend a House bill earlier this year excising a provision that would make it harder for employees in the airline and railroad industries to form unions. Under the bill, workers in these industries would be able to [...]  More »

Yesterday, millions of Americans licked the stamp on their tax forms, just in the nick of time. This includes $662.4 million from the estimated 625,000 illegal immigrants in New York, according to the Immigration Policy Center. It released estimates of how much illegal immigrants contribute to the American economy in celebration of Tax Day. The [...]  More »

Following last month’s Snyder v. Phelps case where the First Amendment rights of Westboro Baptist Church protestors won, Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York helped introduce legislation that would help stop disruptions at military funerals. The Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans or the SERVE Act, would increase quiet time before and after military [...]  More »

Freshman Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, elected on a platform of slashing government spending, tonight applauded the dramatic deal that avoids a federal government shutdown. “Tonight I’m proud to say that an agreement was reached with the Senate and the President to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year, with necessary and historic [...]  More »