Carolyn Maloney : Democrat For US Congress

Army veteran and Astoria resident Robert Song attended President Obama’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday as a guest of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan and Queens).
Song, a 2003 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, helped patrol the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan from 2004 to 2008. From 2008 to 2010 he served in the 69th Infantry Battalion of the New York National Guard.
A former intern in Maloney’s New York and Washington offices, Song began medical school at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2010.
“Robert exemplifies the courage, patriotism and professionalism of all our men and women in uniform,” Maloney said.

See the Queens Courier Article and Photo Here

More than 1,600 underprivileged children have been “granted” the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

Local elected officials and community leaders gathered on January 13 to announce that a $500,000 Promise Neighborhood planning grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) had been procured for the children of the Astoria Houses.

The grant, which was secured by Zone 126, an organization aiming to increase the number of low-income children in Long Island City and Astoria who complete high school, will be used to create “cradle to career” educational support for the young residents of the housing development and the surrounding community. The funding – presented to only 20 organizations nationwide – is being combined with a $350,000 contribution by the Elmezzi Foundation, which created Zone 126, and $400,000 in private donations.

The Promise Neighborhoods program, which was launched by President Barack Obama in 2010, aims to address the difficulties faced by students in impoverished communities by providing a wide range of services, including improving an area’s health safety, and stability, expanding access to learning technology and Internet connectivity and boosting family engagement in student learning.

“I’m absolutely thrilled because of the possibility of giving so much aid and support to 1,600 of our young people here in western Queens,” said Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, who strongly campaigned for the grant. “It will help bring the American Dream to so many young people. [This program] is very comprehensive. It is about screening their eyes and hearing; giving them the tools they need, whether it be computers or learning aids to help them compete; providing support from their families and their community in after school program and tutoring; helping them plan and finance their college education; and helping them move forward to become leaders in our great country.”

Click here to read the full Queens Courier story

Among her colleagues, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney is known as a fiery liberal from Manhattan, a rebel and a bit of a showman (she once appeared on the House floor in a burqa to draw attention to the mistreatment of women in Afghanistan).

Slightly more than six years ago, Ms. Maloney, a Democrat from the Upper East Side, bought for $1.5 million a newly constructed town house in Southeast Washington near the Capitol and across the street from a small park.

Ever since, Ms. Maloney has been renting out rooms in the three-story, red-brick house to her colleagues on the Hill, where there is frequently a need for affordable living space among lawmakers, who must split their time between Washington and their districts.

Ms. Maloney did not set out to be a landlady. For years after first arriving in Congress in 1993, Ms. Maloney did what many other lawmakers in Washington do: she found herself a small one-bedroom apartment to live in during the week while Congress was in session.

But eventually Ms. Maloney — who was accustomed to a buzz of activity in her home in Manhattan, with a husband, two daughters and a cat — grew weary of coming back to an empty apartment in Washington after long and relentlessly busy days on Capitol Hill.

“It was very, very lonely,” Ms. Maloney said. (Her husband, Clifton Maloney, an investment banker and an experienced mountain climber, died at 71 in 2009 while descending from a peak in the Himalayas.)

Now, Ms. Maloney has one of the best-known residences on Capitol Hill, a kind of sorority house of four Democratic women who are given to caucusing late at night over bowls of popcorn about challenges at home and at work.

“I have a friend who used to write for ‘Sex and the City,’ and she wanted to interview us for a sitcom or something,” Ms. Maloney recalled with amusement. “But that is not us and it was not the image that we want to portray.”

Comparable living arrangements for legislators include a notoriously run-down house on D Street that has for decades served as a kind of dormitory for a parade of congressmen and senators.

Its current residents include two of the most ambitious members of the Senate, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, who are both said to be quietly positioning themselves to replace the Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada.

Ms. Maloney’s neo-Victorian home, where a room runs tenants about $1,100 a month, is nothing like the D Street house.

It is a neat house with plantation shutters, hardwood floors, Oriental rugs and framed pictures, including a 1972 Life magazine cover of Bella Abzug, the pioneering congresswoman, under the headline “Women in Politics. How Are They Doing? Where Are They Going?”

Ms. Maloney lives in the master suite on the top floor, where there is an office down the hall from her bedroom.

The second floor — which has two bedrooms with their own bathrooms, as well as a shared laundry room — is occupied by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, who is chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, and Representative Terri A. Sewell of Alabama, a Democrat who was first elected last year.

A basement apartment is rented by Representative Frederica S. Wilson of Florida, another freshman Democrat.

Ms. Maloney is not a traditional landlord. She does not advertise. (When she began looking for tenants a few years back, she simply went to an orientation held for spouses of newly elected members and announced that she had rooms available for rent.) Nor does she ask for personal references, run credit checks or require security deposits.

Mostly, Ms. Maloney is interested in gauging whether a person will fit in with the group living in the house. She has never rented to a man or a Republican, but says she is open to it if the right candidate came along.

“I wouldn’t want to discriminate against men,” she said. “And I would try to be open to a Republican. But right now, Congress is so partisan.”

For the women who live there, the house is more than just a place to stay. Ms. Sewell recalled many occasions when her housemates would simply talk with her as she figured out, say, what Congressional staff members she should hire.

“The camaraderie in the house is very special,” Ms. Sewell said. “We find that bonding over popcorn is especially helpful.”

Representative Kathy Hochul, a Democrat from the Buffalo area who was a guest there briefly, also recalled how the women in the house helped ease her transition into Congress with advice on matters like what committees she should try to get on.

“It was a fascinating place,” said Ms. Hochul, who slept on a bed in Ms. Maloney’s office on the third floor after starting in Congress last year before eventually finding her own place.

Ms. Hochul disagreed with her former landlady in one respect: “I always felt that we could make a reality show: ‘The Real Congresswomen of D.C.’ It would be a real snapshot.”

Go to the New York Times Article

Democrats aren’t taking House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s takedown of Rep. Spencer Bachus lightly.

Following a POLITICO report earlier Thursday that Cantor forced Bachus, the House Financial Services Committee chair, to reverse course on legislation that would crack down on congressional insider trading, the bill’s top backers lashed out at Cantor’s decision to pressure Bachus to back down.

“I was completely surprised and taken aback to find that the Republican leadership had yanked it off the agenda and stopped the process from going forward,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said. “This is something that 99 percent of the Americans agree [with] completely.”

On Tuesday, Bachus called for a Dec. 14 markup on the STOCK Act, which would explicitly bar insider trading among members of Congress and federal workers. The bill, which stands for “Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge,” languished in obscurity before a “60 Minutes” investigation in November propelled it onto committee agendas and to more than 200 co-sponsors.

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Joining Woodside residents, Team Maloney spent Monday at Woodside Houses "Clean Up the Grounds" Day participating in activities such as cleaning up around a garden honoring American troops.

"I want to thank all my residents here in Woodside, the children, for coming out and making this a successful day. We try to instill teamwork and community work in our residents so we can live the quality of life that we deserve. And I want to thank Congresswoman Maloney for bringing some of her great folks to come and help us on this day. Thank you Carolyn, and hopefully we'll be working with you in the near future," said Ann Cotton-Morris, President, Woodside Houses Tenants Association.

"I had a great time helping out at the Woodside Houses. I was proud to give back to a community that has shown so much support for Carolyn," said Peter Gao, a Maloney for Congress intern.

Check out photos of Woodside residents, Ann Cotton-Morris (President, Woodside Houses Tenants Association), Christina Leale and Woodside children teaming up with Team Maloney members Loren, Rayees, and Peter.

JORDAN

Jordan first got involved with the Maloney campaign because he thought it “would be a great way to learn about the election process and make a tangible difference.”  Jordan wanted to work for Carolyn because her political philosophies strongly mirror his own. And, “her work to help find a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, as a co-founder of the Congressional Working Group on Parkinson's Disease, personally resonates with me, as I have an uncle who passed away from Parkinson’s and another uncle who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease.”  Jordan would like to see Carolyn re-elected because “her policies truly reflect the needs of the middle class. Whether it’s expanding health care, fighting for benefits for first responders, or passing the Credit CARD Act, Carolyn is always thinking of her constituents, rather than caving to the interests of the elite. As an experienced congresswoman who has served almost two decades in the House, Carolyn knows how to get things done and has shown again and again her ability to do so.”  The first thing Jordan did on the campaign was knock on doors and help with the petitioning process.  Although he was a bit nervous, Jordan quickly realized that his "unease was unfounded."  Jordan likes working for the Maloney campaign because he enjoys getting to know the other interns, as well as the constituents. There are so many diverse people from different backgrounds in Carolyn’s district whom he would never have the opportunity to meet.

SHIRLEY

Shirley wants to see Carolyn re-elected because “Carolyn has been relentlessly fighting for the well-being of New Yorkers. Her accomplishments have improved the lives of many Americans with her strong beliefs ranging from consumer rights to healthcare reform. As someone with both the experience and the energy, Carolyn deserves to continue representing her district.”  Shirley got involved in the campaign because, as a lifelong New Yorker, she believes it is extremely important to be an informed citizen. “Participating in the democracy that is America is a responsibility that I have, and a great way to begin the process was to get involved in a political campaign.”  The first thing Shirley did for the campaign was make phone calls to voters in the district.  She loves her work because the campaign team is so enthusiastic.  “It is amazing to meet such diverse supporters of Carolyn, not only on the campaign, but all across the district. I love working with every one of the interns and interacting with them on a daily basis has made work both progressive and enjoyable.”  Between now and Primary Day, Shirley is going to help Carolyn win by knocking on doors, making phone calls, and spreading the word about Carolyn’s accomplishments and the importance of being an informed New Yorker.         

PETER

Brian wants Carolyn to be re-elected because she never stops fighting for New Yorkers.  He got involved in the Maloney campaign because he thought “it would be a good experience and wanted to do more with my life.”  The first thing he did for the campaign was talk to voters in Long Island City.  The thing he likes best about working on the Maloney campaign is meeting and talking to other supporters of Carolyn.  He also likes how he goes to many new places that he wouldn’t have known about otherwise.  Brian is going to help Carolyn win between now and Primary Day by continuing to work hard on her behalf.       

YULIYA 

Yuliya wants Carolyn to be re-elected because “Carolyn Maloney has done everything in her power to help New Yorkers during the past eighteen years, including writing vital legislation to make the lives of her constituents better. Carolyn will not stop fighting for New Yorkers in the future and thus should remain the Congresswoman in this district.”  She got involved in the Maloney campaign because she wanted to learn the basics of how a campaign is run and thought “what better way than in a campaign where the candidate has done so much for her constituents.”  The first thing Yuliya did for the Maloney campaign was participate in the Fireworks in Astoria event where she helped with the petitioning process to put Carolyn’s name on the ballot.  “It was a great first event because I saw right away the immense support Carolyn had throughout her District.”  The thing she likes best about working for the Maloney campaign is “knowing that I am a direct link between the Congresswoman and her constituents. It is a great feeling to share Carolyn’s numerous accomplishments for New York directly with her voters.”  Between now and Primary Day Yuliya will work to re-elect Carolyn by “communicating with as many voters as possible, by making phone calls and by knocking on doors, to tell them about the things Carolyn has achieved for them and the importance of their support in the September 14th Primary.”