New York's two newest members of Congress — Democrat Pat Ryan and Republican Joe Sempolinski — will be ceremonially sworn in on Tuesday after their respective victories in special elections last month.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will swear in Ryan to represent New York's 19th Congressional District and Sempolinski for the 23rd District for the remainder of this congressional term, which expires at the end of the year.

New York congressional Republicans on Thursday announced federal legislation that would block the enactment of a lower overtime threshold for agriculture workers.

The measure, backed by U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik and Chris Jacobs, was proposed after a wage board at the state Department of Labor this week formally endorsed lowering the threshold from 60 hours a week to 40 over the next decade.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is back on the campaign trail, ahead of what could be the most consequential election yet for the 38-year-old Republican.

In just a few short years, Stefanik has experienced a meteoric rise to power on Capitol Hill, fueled by her embrace of former President Donald Trump.

The campaign of Democratic Rep.-elect Pat Ryan pointed to abortion rights — and connecting the issue to broader themes like democracy and freedom — helped propel his victory last month in the special election for the Hudson Valley's 19th Congressional District.

Ryan's campaign on Wednesday released a post mortem assessment of the contest to replace Democratic Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado in the House of Representatives and how he was able to secure a victory against Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro.

New York’s second primary day — a court ruling split the primaries into two this election season — is today. Elections for New York's members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the state Senate are on the ballot.

Follow along with Spectrum News' live coverage.

Decisions to run for other office and retirements have led to more competitive primaries and races on Long Island than in recent memory, according to Larry Levy, executive dean of Hofstra’s National Center for Suburban Studies.

Levy told Capital Tonight that the road to the House of Representatives majority runs through suburban communities like Long Island, which he argues is the “quintessential American suburb.”

It’s been a tumultuous year for New York’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Following the 2020 Census, the state lost a seat in Congress, lowering its representation in Washington to 26 members. This was followed by a politically messy redistricting process and months-long legal battle that resulted in a bifurcated primary election in the unusual voting month of August. Two incumbents bowed out of seeking re-election, candidates jumped to running in different districts multiple times, powerful incumbents were forced to run against one another, and two congressmen resigned this spring, prompting two special elections for two districts that will no longer exist in just over four months at the same time as primary elections for the very districts that will replace them.

The new 18th Congressional District includes most of the big cities in the Hudson Valley, from Newburgh north to New Paltz and Kingston. The district includes all of Orange County, most of Dutchess County and a sliver of Ulster County. While there are three Democrats running on Tuesday for their party’s nomination, there is no Republican primary. Two-term state Assemblyman Colin Schmitt is the lone Republican vying for the seat.

Schmitt is the ranking minority member on the Assembly’s Committee on Local Government. As an teenage aide to former Assemblymember Annie Rabbit, he remains the youngest Assembly aide in history.

At first, it appeared former President Donald Trump would play a role in New York’s 2022 Republican contests for Congress almost as soon as he left the White House.

In June 2021, one of Trump’s first post-presidency political targets was Rep. John Katko, who was the first House Republican to announce he would vote to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Not too long after that vote, the Onondaga County Conservative Party announced it would not support Katko in 2022. That party’s chairman, Bernie Ment, then received a letter from Trump that said "Great move -- Katko will never win again."

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Republican congressional candidate for New York's 23rd District Carl Paladino on a Breitbart radio program published online Saturday again created controversy talking about current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

"..people like Garland who should be not only impeached, he probably should be executed. The guy is just lost. He's a lost soul," Paladino said.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik has become a national political figure in recent years, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and a top-ranking member of the House Republican caucus.

But this summer, she's also been working to shore up Republican power in the House of Representatives for districts in her own home state of New York.

Fresh off a string of legislative victories by Democrats in Congress, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries says he’s upbeat about the November elections, declaring there is “no circumstance” where there will be a “Republican landslide.”

During an extended conversation Wednesday with reporters, the House Democratic Caucus chair touted the recent flurry of activity on Capitol Hill, including the passage of the Democrat’s long-sought climate, healthcare, and tax bill, which Congress approved without a single Republican vote.

Antonio Delgado’s elevation to the lieutenant governorship has set the stage for the highest profile special election in the country since the overturning of abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case. Democrat Pat Ryan, the Ulster County executive, is trying to hold New York's 19th congressional seat as Republicans eye the seat as the first building block of a potential GOP majority. Ryan said he’s running in the special election despite the short tenure — four months to fill the remainder of Delgado's term — because “we are at a moment in our country, where I feel that the foundation and fabric of our democracy is at risk.”

The 19th Congressional District surrounds the Capital Region and stretches into the Hudson Valley. The current configuration of the district has been represented by Republicans Chris Gibson and John Faso until Delgado defeated Faso in 2018. The district leans Republican, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index and narrowly voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Alessandra Biaggi, who represents portions of the Bronx and Westchester County in the New York State Senate, is running for Congress in the newly redistricted 17th District against current NY-18 Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

Biaggi made a name for herself in the state Legislature, first by ousting former Independent Democratic Conference head Jeff Klein in 2018, and then by resurrecting the all-but-dead Senate Ethics Committee. Additionally, she held hearings on sexual harassment in the state Legislature and subsequently helped establish new laws to address sexual harassment in the workplace.

One of the hottest primaries in New York state is the race for the new 17th Congressional District. The new map will include Putnam and Rockland counties, as well as a sliver of Dutchess County and a much larger chunk of Westchester.

The reason so many eyes are on this race is that the head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the guy in charge of getting Democrats elected — is sort of the incumbent. Sort of, because U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney currently represents the 18th Congressional District, and his decision to run in the 17th put some noses out of joint, including the nose of the congressman who currently represents NY-17 — Mondaire Jones.

The race for New York’s newly redistricted 22nd Congressional District is wide open, which means the Aug. 23 primaries could be quite competitive, though turnout is not expected to be high.

But let’s start at the beginning.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The U.S. House of Representatives currently has a handful of outspoken, often controversial, and solidly pro-Trump Republican members, like Georgia's Marjorie Taylor Greene and Florida's Matt Gaetz.

Carl Paladino said, if elected, he expects to be part of that group.

Midterm elections are traditionally bad cycles for an incumbent party, like the Democrats this year, but a tightening in the polls could lead to a close finish for whoever controls Congress come January.

Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion and assistant professor of political science at Marist College, said congressional districts like the 19th in the Hudson Valley and Southern Tier will get a lot of national attention and could be “critical” as each party pushes for control.

Former President Bill Clinton endorsed U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's re-election bid amid a Democratic primary scheduled for Aug. 23.

Clinton's endorsement for Maloney came the same day as the Hudson Valley lawmaker was also endorsed by the New York State United Teachers, a labor organization.

Some voters in New York's 23rd Congressional District will be voting in two congressional races on Aug. 23.

The race between Nick Langworthy and Carl Paladino for the Republican nomination for the new NY-23 has been well-publicized. The winner of that primary will go on to face Democrat Max Della Pia in November’s general election.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Voters in New York's new 23rd Congressional District should be very familiar with the impact of Congressional insider trading.

A portion of the district is currently NY-27, where former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins was re-elected in 2018 while indicted for insider trading and resigned months later just ahead of the Department of Justice officially charging him.

CLARENCE, N.Y. -- Congressional candidate Nick Langworthy said in the new 23rd District that spans seven counties and two television markets that he believes it's very important he and his opponent get a chance to get directly in front of voters and debate.

"I'm calling on Carl, come on out of hiding, get out of the basement of the Ellicott Square building. Agree to debate, any time, any place. You have a lot to say behind your spokesman, but it's time for us to go and have this conversation in front of the voters of this district," Langworthy said.

The heads of two gun manufacturing companies faced a grilling on Capitol Hill Wednesday amid a surge of mass shootings.

The hearing came as a House Democrat-led investigation revealed the gun industry has raked in more than $1 billion from the sale of semi-automatic weapons over the last decade.

In 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Antitrust released a report on anticompetitive conduct by Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google.

Investigators found that these companies are suppressing competition. In response, lawmakers have introduced several pieces of legislation, including the “American Innovation and Choice Online Act," or AICOA.

On Aug. 23, New Yorkers will head to the polls for the second primary day in this election cycle — this time for primary elections for Congress and the state Senate.

In less competitive districts, the party primary in August could effectively select November’s winner. Steve Greenberg, a Siena College pollster, told Capital Tonight that there are competitive primaries and races to watch from Long Island to Western New York.

According to Cook Political Report's partisan voting index, New York's 23rd Congressional District is a "Republican +6 district," which means that it’s a solidly Republican district within the blue boundaries of New York state.

Starting in 2023, the district will include parts of the Southern Tier as well as portions of Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties. It was slightly redrawn during this year’s redistricting process to exclude much of the Finger Lakes, but it’s still considered heavily Republican territory.

A coalition of business organizations in New York is pushing back against a federal proposal aimed at the tech sector as a state-level version of the measure has stalled in Albany.

At issue is a proposal in Congress meant to address the power of the tech sector and e-commerce firms.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- New York state's gas tax holiday went into effect at the beginning of June in conjunction with many counties instituting their own gas tax caps.

But despite the fact the government is collecting less, prices now are higher than they were a month ago.

New York Deputy Senate Majority Leader Mike Gianaris is making a push this month for congressional lawmakers to approve a measure meant to scale back corporate power in the tech sector.

Gianaris, a Queens Democrat, sent a letter to top lawmakers in Congress urging them to take up legislation that would address the rise of tech companies in the social media and e-commerce sectors.

With each new detail and video revealed by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, of the Albany area, is reliving that painful day.

“It was torturous,” he said.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Before Buffalo real estate developer Carl Paladino even submitted his petitions to run on the Republican line in New York's 23rd Congressional District, he was in the news for three separate controversies.

Earlier this month:

New York Republican Party Chair Nick Langworthy officially announced he is running for Congress in the new 23rd Congressional District.

Langworthy filed petitions with the state Board of Elections Thursday and released his campaign announcement video Friday morning. He framed himself as “fighter who knows how to win.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Another day, another controversy for prospective congressional candidate Carl Paladino.

Republican former attorney general candidate Keith Wofford condemned Paladino for racism he said was directed at him when he ran for the office in 2018.

Following mass shootings in Buffalo and at a school in Uvalde, Texas, Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs announced that he would support an assault weapons ban.

Soon after that announcement, Jacobs, who was planning to run in New York's new 23rd Congressional District lost support from Republicans in the district and decided to withdraw from the race.

Three Republican members of the New York delegation joined House Democrats in voting to approve a measure that would raise the age for certain gun purchases from 18 to 21.

U.S. Reps. Chris Jacobs, of Western New York; John Katko of Central New York; and Nicole Malliotakis, of Staten Island were among 10 House Republicans who voted "yes" to the measure, which involves age limits for buying semi-automatic rifles.

A week after a partial suspension of state taxes on per-gallon gasoline purchases took effect in New York, some lawmakers are pushing for further action.

And they are looking to Congress and local governments to do it.

A coalition of business organizations in New York on Monday called for federal action on gun reform legislation following a string of mass shootings across the country.

The backing of federal legislation from the Business Council of New York State, the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of Westchester also comes as Gov. Kathy Hochul signed new measures into law that, among other provisions, require licensing of semiautomatic rifles in the state.

DEPEW, N.Y. — Without solicitation, U.S. Rep. Chris Jacobs made a statement Friday vastly in contrast with his party's recent stance when it comes to gun control in the United States.

"I want to be completely transparent of where I am in Congress," Jacobs said. "If an assault weapons ban bill came to the floor that would ban something like an AR-15, I would vote for it."

New York finally has new congressional lines after a multi-level lawsuit and re-drawing process, in which Democrats lost at every stage.

Under the current maps, Democrats control 19 seats. Under the newly-drawn maps released in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to the Cook Political Report, there will be 16 safe Democratic seats, five safe Republican seats and five swing seats.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente will not pursue a bid for Congress and aims to stay in his current role, he announced Friday.

The Republican lawmaker said in the past few days, he was approrached by many about seeking what would likely be New York's 22nd Congressional District seat, given that the boundaries — drawn by a special master after the ones drawn by state lawmakers were thrown out — remain the same when finalized. The new district would include all of Oneida, Madison and Onondaga counties.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The person who allegedly killed 10 people during a mass shooting in Buffalo is facing life in prison without parole.

He's charged with first-degree murder but can't be charged federally with domestic terrorism because there's no statute on the books. U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, said that should change.

The mayors of five Capital Region cities sent a letter Wednesday to the court-appointed special master tasked with drawing New York's new congressional districts, urging him to ensure all of them remain in the same district.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Amsterdam Mayor Michael Cincquanti, Saratoga Springs Mayor Ron Kim, Schenectady Myor Gary McCarthy and Troy Mayor Patrick Madden — all Democrats — announced the letter at Albany City Hall on Wednesday.

The best of our community was killed on Saturday in Buffalo.

They were police officers, church deacons, members of the choir, caregivers, mothers, grandparents and a father who was buying a birthday cake for his son.

Social media posts by North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik are coming under new scrutiny after a mass shooting in Buffalo that left 10 people dead.

Last year, Stefanik shared posts that critics say peddled a racist conspiracy theory, which appeared in the gunman’s alleged manifesto.

The court-appointed special master tasked with drawing New York's new congressional and state Senate maps released a preliminary draft of the new congressional boundaries Monday the state will have for the next decade.

Carnegie Mellon University Fellow Jonathan Cervas as special master drew lines for the state's 26 House seats, with 15 leaning Democratic, three leaning Republican and eight falling in the 45-55% competitive range. The new map splits 15 counties within the new maps compared to 34 county splits under the Legislature's plan struck down by the state's highest court for unconstitutional gerrymandering April 27.

New York Sen. Michelle Hinchey will seek re-election to a second term and is keeping her eyes on the state Legislature's upper chamber, she said Friday, pulling the plug on an announcement earlier this week she was exploring a congressional run.

Hinchey, a Democrat from Saugerties, said on Tuesday she would explore campaigning for the Democratic nomination for the 19th Congressional District within hours of Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement that U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat who has represented the Hudson Valley seat since 2019, would step down from federal office and become the state's lieutenant governor later this month.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday said she was disappointed the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging the legality of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, and she urged Congress to take action on repeal the provision.

The cap on deductions for state and local taxes, commonly referred to as the SALT cap, has largely impacted high tax states like New York, as well as New Jersey and California.

U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi urged President Joe Biden's administration to help identify businesses in New York that have business ties to Russia and discourage the investment in the country amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

A letter released Friday by Suozzi, a Democratic candidate for governor, comes as New York state officials are trying to leverage the state's economic power to limit investment in Russia.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The New York State Restaurant Association has been actively lobbying for Congress to authorize more money for the federal Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a grant program through the Small Business Association.

President and CEO Melissa Fleischut said the state delegation has been very supportive.

A bill introduced this week by Republican Rep. John Katko is meant to expand affordable housing access by addressing the federal government's voucher program and aims to provide new incentives for building.

The proposal comes amid a tight housing market and rising rents in many U.S. cities across the country as pandemic-related restrictions are eased.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Pinion said Friday in an interview he would give any U.S. Supreme Court nominee — regardless of the president's party who nominated them — a fair hearing before deciding whether he would vote to confirm them.

"I think we're waiting to see obviously what she has to say on her behalf," Pinion said. "I think at the end of the day it's about advise and consent."

MANHATTAN, N.Y. -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, now on his 24th year in the Senate, once again will be the nominee for the Democratic Party in New York.

Since taking office, he's visited all 62 counties every year, and those counties were represented at Thursday's state convention.

When a federal court took control of the congressional redistricting process in 2012 after state lawmakers failed to reach a deal on what the maps should look like, something new happened: House seats in New York were competitive.

But now as majority Democrats in the state Legislature prepare to finalize their maps a decade later, some fear New York is falling further into a similar cycle of polarization and partisanship that has played out in other states.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- With Democrats controlling all facets of New York state government, many political observers expected proposed new congressional districts to favor members of the party, especially after the state Legislature took over the responsibility of drawing lines from the Independent Redistricting Commission.

SUNY political scientist Shawn Donahue said proposed lines could favor Democrats in as many as 22 of 26 districts.

For months, U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi by his own admission sounded like a broken record with the mantra of "no SALT, no deal."

And Suozzi got his deal on altering the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions as a provision in the Build Back Better Act approved Friday by the House of Representatives. The provision comes as Suozzi, a Long Island Democrat, is openly eyeing a campaign for governor, and could enter the race later this month.

Imagine driving to work in a few years in an electric vehicle, charged at a newly installed charging station. The roads have been newly paved and the bridges recently rebuilt and strengthened. The water used for coffee is clear of contaminants like lead.

The effect of the massive infusion of infrastructure spending could have a major impact for years to come while also infusing states with money for projects that will in turn create jobs.

The next few months are critical to the Biden administration’s agenda, but it’s facing multiple challenges.

A divided Democratic Party continues working on a scaled down version of the president’s multi-trillion dollar “Build Back Better” plan. On Wednesday, Senate Republicans blocked debate on another bill that Democrats argue is urgently needed to secure American democracy.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The political conversations about if and how to suspend the United States debt ceiling are currently being tied to future spending, including upcoming budget and infrastructure package votes.

However, SUNY economist Fred Floss believes that in reality, the issues should be separate because the country's debt is money already spent.

Typically people in elected office, just like anyone, don't want to look foolish. This is perhaps doubly true for image-conscious politicians.

So on Monday, Rep. Tom Suozzi was blunt in a video conference with reporters when describing the limb he's gone out on when it comes to getting a full repeal of the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions.

Incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday spoke with the members of New York's congressional delegation to discuss a range of issues facing the state, from curtailing the state's COVID-19 rate amid the spread of the delta variant and distributing aid to tenants and landlords.

Hochul, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Jerry Nadler, in a joint statement pledged to work together on common goals. The call was a bipartisan one, with Republicans along with Democrats included.

States would be encouraged and given incentives to end the statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions and civil suits involving childhood sexual abuse cases as part of a bill introduced on Wednesday by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

The measure comes after New York in 2019 approved a bill making it easier for survivors and victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue and days after the look-back window for that measure expired.

Beyond the sound bites alleging “Balter’s healthcare plan is extreme” and “Katko voted to end the ACA”, the two candidates in the neck-and-neck race for the 24th Congressional District have different perspectives on two tenets of healthcare: prescription drug pricing and pre-existing conditions.

Both say they want to lower the cost of prescription drugs; both say they want to cover pre-existing conditions, but each sees a different path to getting there.

Republican Representative John Katko and Democratic challenger Dana Balter are in a close race for the battleground 24th Congressional District in Central New York, a Siena College/Syracuse.com poll released on Sunday found.

The poll shows Balter drawing 45 percent of the vote to Katko's 42 percent. If Working Families Party candidate Steven Williams remains on the ballot in November, pending the outcome of a legal challenge, Balter receives 42 percent of support, Katko 40 percent, and Williams 6 percent.

Rep. Elise Stefanik in a letter released Tuesday urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to back aid to New York's state government as well as the local governments who have been financially battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter comes as lawmakers in Congress are negotiating the details of the next pandemic stimulus package that would result in direct aid to states and local governments who have had their revenue evaporate during the crisis.

Democratic House candidate Jackie Gordon on Tuesday will announce having raised nearly $800,000 to bring her cash-on-hand total to more than $1.1 million.

Gordon is running for the Long Island House seat being vacated by Republican Rep. Peter King. Democrats have long eyed the seat as a potential pickup opportunity.

A bill backed by Rep. John Katko is meant to better prepare the federal government for the next wave of coronavirus cases.

The measure, which comes as cases continue to grow in the south and western regions of the country, would require federal government agencies to develop plans for how they would respond to a potential second wave of the pandemic, measurable goals, what challenges are anticipated and how they would consult with Congress.

Congressional lawmakers whose districts share a border with Canada urged leaders in both countries develop guidelines for a phase reopening of the border.

The move has the backing of the co-chairs of the Northern Border Caucus, Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins and Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik.

Two congressional lawmakers who represent cental New York are urging the Internal Revenue Service to clarify the rules surrounding pandemic relief payments made through debit cards issued by the federal government.

A package of safety bills proposed after the 2018 limousine crash in Schoharie have made their way to the floor of the House of Representatives, Reps. Paul Tonko and Antonio Delgado on Monday said.

Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy on Friday endorsed former Rep. Claudia Tenney's bid for the seat she lost in 2018.

Langworthy's endorsement of Tenney comes before a Republican primary next week for the 22nd congressional district; she faces George Phillips.

Congressional lawmakers on Wednesday announcd a propsal that would create a tax credit of up to $25,000 for small businesses to purchase personal protective equipment.

The tax credit would also benefit non-profits, veterans' organizations, independent contractors, farmers and those who are self-employed.

Former Rep. Bill Owens on Tuesday formally endorsed fellow Democrat Tedra Cobb for the seat he vacated in 2014.

Owens is the last Democrat to hold the North Country House seat which had historically been a GOP-held district.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsed Democratic congressional candidate Mondaire Jones in the 17th congressional district primary.

Jones is running for the seat in a crowded field of Democrats vying to replace Rep. Nita Lowey in the House of Representatives in the northern New York City suburbs.

A bill introduced Thursday by U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand would outlaw the use of chokeholds or maneuvers that restrict the flow of blood to the brain by law enforcement.

The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat.

A trio of labor unions this week endorsed Democratic congressional candidate Jackie Gordon in her bid for the 2nd congressional district on Long Island.

Gordon's bid was given the nod by SEIU Local 1199, UFCW Local 1500, and the New York State AFL-CIO.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer endorsed Democratic congressional hopeful David Buchwald ahead of the June 23 primary on Thursday, backing the Assembly lawmaker out of the crowded field of candidates vying for the nomination.

Buchwald is seeking the seat held by Rep. Nita Lowey, who is retiring after the current term.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik backed the deployment of the National Guard to support local law enforcement officers across the state as protests continued in cities across New York and in the United States.

Tensions eased somewhat last night after several days of violent unrest, including in New York City, were an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was imposed.

Lawyers for former Rep. Chris Collins are asking a federal judge to once again delay in reporting to federal prison, citing concerns over contracting coronavirus.

"Mr. Collins is older than 65 and has additional risk factors," Collins's attorneys wrote in a letter sent Thursday to District Court Judge Vernon Broderick. "'The impact of the pandemic on U.S. jail and prison populations is particularly acute, and potentially disastrous."

Direct aid for local governments in New York that are reeling from the pandemic has won bipartisan support from Republican Rep. Tom Reed and Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi.

Providing the aid would not just preserve support for police and firefighters, but could also stem property tax increases on the local level.

The next coronavirus relief package should include money for gun violence prevention, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Tuesday said.

Gillibrand wants $250 million in spending for gun violence prevention and intervention in the measure, pointing to increased gun sales and the strain on emergency health services.

Two state lawmakers are urging Congress to provide more relief for small businesses battered by the pandemic in New York, a call that comes after a joint legislative hearing on the issue.

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic and Assemblyman Al Stirpe in a letter to the state's Congressional delegation pointed to shortcomings with the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program as identified by small business owners.

Reps. John Katko and Antonio Delgado are leading a bipartisan push to have President Donald Trump extend the authorization for National Guard activities in New York through the duration of the national emergency declaration.

The move would ensure National Guards units receive benefits for their service and help maintain public safety measures put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

State governments would receive a combined $500 billion in federal aid to provide direct relief from the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic under legislation that's gaining bipartisan ground in Congress.

The next coronavirus stimulus package should include $100 billion in rental assistance to help families stay in their homes amid an economic crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said.

At the same time, Gillibrand is backing a provision that would provide $11.5 billion for state and local governments to aid families and people who are left homeless due to the crisis.

Rep. Elise Stefanik in a letter sent this week to top House lawmakers called for federal funding that would support mental health care resources and suicide prevention.

Stefanik in the letter urges $61 million for funding the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In a separate letter, the North Country Republican also called for mental health needs of front line health care workers who are treating COVID-19 patients.

Reps. Elise Stefanik and Anthony Brindisi on Tuesday released a letter to federal agriculture officials urging them to provide support for New York dairy farms amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Farms are struggling nationwide as direct markets like restaurants and schools have shuttered over the last month and individual consumer spending has not made up the difference.

Democratic Assemblyman David Buchwald on Tuesday was endorsed by Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin in his bid for the open 17th congressional district.

“I am proud to endorse David Buchwald for Congress,” Boykin said. “Throughout his career, David has been a fierce advocate for fairness and accountability. From addressing gun violence to pushing for fair taxes to holding Trump accountable, David is a tireless leader who will be a fighter for us in Congress.”

Republican Rep. John Katko on Tuesday was endorsed by the state Conservative Party as he runs for re-election in what has been a key swing district in upstate New York.

"Congressman Katko is an unflinching defender of life and of our 2nd Amendment right to preserve it," said Wayne County Conservative Party Chairman Mike Garlock in a statement. "As a husband and father of three, John understands the needs of Central New York families, and he's fighting to make life just a little bit easier for all of us. His powerful advocacy for Parental Savings Accounts and for common-sense school safety measures are but two examples of the great work John Katko is doing on our behalf."

Republican lawmakers in the state Senate and Assembly on Monday met privately with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, who aired concerns over acccess to the state's motor vehicle database.

Access to that database by entities like ICE is blocked by the state's Green Light Law, which allows undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses over concerns they would be targeted by federal immigration enforcement.

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin on Tuesday was endorsed by the state Conservative Party in his bid for re-election to his eastern Long Island House seat.

"The Suffolk County Conservative Party is pleased to once again endorse Congressman Lee Zeldin for re-election," said Suffolk County Conservative Party Chairman Frank Tinari. "The Conservative Party supports candidates who will secure our borders, oppose burdensome government outreach, and stand up for taxpayers. Lee Zeldin shares the values and purpose of our mission. This fall, Democrats are offering candidates that will destroy our pocketbooks and economy, erode our public safety and rule of law, take away our private health insurance, and far more. Lee Zeldin is endorsed because we know he will never waiver in defense of taxpayers and our community."

Republican House candidate Chele Farley on Wednesday was endorsed by New York GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy.

Farley, a former U.S. Senate candidate, is running for the seat held by Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.

Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik's bid for re-election on Tuesday was endorsed by the Conservative Party and local county chairs.

Stefanik, first elected in 2014, is seeking a fourth term to the sprawling North Country House seat.

Democrat Erica Vladimer on Friday ended her bid for the party's nomination in the 12th congressional district.

Vladimer, an attorney, had challenged Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, launching her campaign last year.

Assemblyman David Buchwald on Thursday pledged that if he elected to Congress he would back a national version of the SAFE Act.

“I have long advocated for tougher gun safety laws in New York, and I’m ready to tackle this issue in Congress,” he said. “The first bill I ever voted for as an Assemblymember was the New York SAFE Act, banning assault weapons, expanding background checks, and providing New York the strongest gun laws in the nation. I’ve never been afraid of the NRA, and I wholly reject their warped view of the Second Amendment. I’ll go to Congress ready to stand up for common sense, with a real gun safety agenda for all Americans.”

For more than an hour, President Donald Trump on Thursday unloaded on his critics, Democrats, Mitt Romney and others a day after he was acquitted of impeachment charges.

But Trump also singled out individual members of Congress who had publicly supported him during the process -- including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.