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Paul David Tonko is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Tonko has focused on various issues including healthcare, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He has been an advocate for policies aimed at addressing climate change and improving public health. Tonko previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 2007, where he held the position of Assembly Majority Leader from 2005 to 2007.
As we slug through the second week of the government shutdown, American families and small businesses are hurting. Every day of the last 10 days I have been contacted by constituents who cannot operate their stores, pay tribute to their…
My pleasure. I appreciate the gentleman from California bringing us together tonight in thoughtful discussion about what is chaos here in the Nation's Capitol. So, Representative Garamendi, thank you for bringing us together with…
I rise this evening to highlight just one of the stories that comes in here each and every day from my congressional district highlighting the unnecessary hardship the Republican government shutdown has brought upon the American people…
I will just make mention of this, that I think the muddying up, if you will, of a CR, a continuing resolution, first, calling it a bill on the floor several times over is disingenuous. People place trust in us. You should honor that trust…
Sure. Well, the gentleman from Texas gave a great rundown of the dynamics that have brought us to this moment. It's a sad day in this House with a government shutdown. The Republican shutdown of government is something that I think bears…
And the leader of the minority has named the conferees for the Democrats in the House. So you're right, just about everyone named those individuals that will be part of the team at the conference table, getting work done.
Right. And, again, every effort has been made to advance letters, to speak from the floor, to notice the leadership of our request, our urging, our challenge to name these people. That's the way the business gets done. It was avoided, for…
I have one basic question: What are we doing here? I mean just that. What are we really doing here? Each day we talk about problems, problems, the real problems that face our country that are fixable with compromise and clearheaded…
Thank you, Representative Ryan. Thank you for expressing the tone of harshness that has prevailed in this Chamber. I don't know if I can remember when a law, a standing law in this country, was used as a reason to avoid paying our bills or…
I thank the gentleman from Illinois and the gentlewoman from Hawaii for bringing us together in a bipartisan, spirited way to recognize the living Medal of Honor winners, who are much applauded and much recognized and deeply loved by this…
More than 30,000 families in New York's capital region rely on SNAP benefits to put dinner on the table every night. Nationally, about 87 percent of families on food stamps include a child, a senior citizen, or a disabled person. These…
Yes. In fact, I will offer my closing comments here, Representative Garamendi. You know, I think what you talk about in choices are exactly what a budget is about. It's the priorities we establish, in a bipartisan fashion and a bicameral…
The Erie Canal, barge canal history, which is wonderful. But my point here is that there will always be struggle. For issues, there will be a counterforce to every force of perceived good that can happen, but that doesn't mean we should…
Well, you know, it does go back to our humble beginnings. And again, history instructs us. History, if we allow it, will guide us. In some of our toughest times we realize some of our greatest, most monumental success stories. And you did…
It speaks also to the order of investments, rather than the order of spending, as some might label it. As we improve our infrastructure, for every dollar invested, according to Mark Zandi, chief economist with Moody's and former economic…
There again, it's policy or lack thereof that's impacting us heavily. Witnessing some of the unusual 100-year storms, 500-year storms as they're designated in a rapid succession over the last several years, dating back to the late 1980s…
Representative Garamendi, you have highlighted in very stark contrast the difference in the thought process and the philosophy of what was then under President Franklin Roosevelt and what is now, and certainly what had happened during the…
Thank you, Representative Garamendi, and thank you for bringing us together on what will be thoughtful discussion in how to invest in America and grow the economy and grow job opportunities, create that climate that best cultivates job…
Greenhouse gases continue to rise in the atmosphere, the planet is warming, sea level is rising, and a significant degree of this change is attributable to human activities.
Our current path of inaction leaves tremendous opportunities for job creation, for social progress, and for economic growth untapped.
President Obama realizes this and has offered a modest, balanced plan to reduce greenhouse gases and to rebuild and redesign the modern and resilient infrastructure that we require for the future.
If we were going to reduce our carbon pollution, we need to deploy more clean energy and boost energy efficiency.
Any effort to reform TSCA should protect the hard work States have devoted to protecting their citizens from the risks of dangerous chemicals.
The Toxic Substances Control Act has not worked well. We have too little information about many of the chemicals we encounter every day.
Even when it becomes common knowledge that a chemical is harmful, the Environmental Protection Agency does not have sufficient authority to restrict or ban that chemical from the market.
Politicians like Paul Tonko
