AT STATE OF THE UNION, CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN AND POUGHKEEPSIE MAYOR YVONNE FLOWERS CONTINUE PUSH TO REMOVE LEAD PIPES, ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, AND COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE

At State of the Union, Congressman Pat Ryan and Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers Continue Push to Remove Lead Pipes, Address Housing Affordability, and Combat Gun Violence

As Ryan’s guest at the State of the Union, Flowers, the first African-American mayor of Poughkeepsie, met with elected officials, subject matter experts and representatives of the Biden Administration to discuss her priorities for Poughkeepsie

Flowers and Ryan met with leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to discuss bringing infrastructure funds to Poughkeepsie; the two also met with Congresswoman Lucy McBath, who previously led “Moms Demand Action,” a group dedicated to ending gun violence

WASHINGTON, DC  –  Yesterday, Congressman Pat Ryan and Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers attended the State of the Union and met with elected officials, subject matter experts and representatives of the Biden Administration to discuss their joint priorities for Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley. Ryan and Flowers focused primarily on their push to remove lead pipes, address the housing affordability crisis, and combat gun violence. 

“Mayor Flowers is a true champion for her community – born and raised in Poughkeepsie as the daughter of the great John M. Flowers Sr., public service is in her bones. She’s a history-making leader, driven purely by service, empathy, and care for her neighbors. I’m proud to have her as a partner in the fight to address the housing affordability crisis, combat gun violence, and remove lead pipes,”  said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It was an honor to have her join me not just for the State of the Union, but also for meetings with other elected officials and experts to discuss how we can harness the full power of the federal government to support her Poughkeepsie priorities. I look forward to our continued partnership as we continue to deliver for Poughkeepsie families.”

“It was a tremendous experience to attend President Biden’s State of the Union Address, and I am grateful Congressman Pat Ryan asked me to be there as his guest. I also appreciated the opportunity to meet with Biden administration officials and others beforehand,” said Mayor Yvonne Flowers. “Anytime I have a chance to promote our city and get an audience with those who can provide us with financial assistance and resources, I believe it’s imperative for me to take that opportunity and make the most of it. Congressman Ryan has been a supporter of mine and is championing some important city causes. Graciously affording me the chance to travel to D.C. and meet key leaders in person should help us achieve our goals.”

Mayor Yvonne Flowers made history in January when she was sworn in as Poughkeepsie’s first African American mayor, adhering to her motto of “Poughkeepsie before politics.” She is a lifelong Poughkeepsie resident, building a record of service to the community including four terms on the common council and decades working for Dutchess Community College. Her dedication to serving the Poughkeepsie community was ingrained early in her childhood, following in the footsteps of her father, community leader John M. Flowers Sr.

Mayor Flowers has prioritized addressing the housing affordability crisis, combating gun violence, and removing lead pipes, issues that Congressman Ryan is championing in Congress every day. 

Pushing for Gun Reform to Keep our Communities Safe

Congressman Pat Ryan has championed the common sense gun reform measures needed to keep communities safe from the tragic toll of gun violence. He is a proud cosponsor of an assault weapons ban, Ethan’s Law for safe firearms storage, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act, the Stopping Fraudulent Sales of Firearms Act, and the Keep Americans Safe Act to crack down on large capacity ammunition feeding devices. In Congress, he serves as Vice Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.

Fighting for Safe Drinking Water for our Families

Congressman Ryan has been dedicated to fighting for safe drinking water for Hudson Valley communities, especially in the city of Poughkeepsie. Last summer, Ryan brought leadership from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Poughkeepsie to work with city leaders on addressing the city’s lead pipe crisis. Ryan sits on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and has prioritized securing funding for water infrastructure projects in Hudson Valley communities. He introduced the PFAS Action Act, the most comprehensive crack down on “forever chemical” pollution in water to date and the Hudson River Protection Act to ban barges from anchoring in the Hudson River and polluting the water sources of nearby communities. Ryan has called for General Electric (GE) to conduct a full clean up of its PCB pollution in the Hudson River, demanded that Holtec stop its plan of dumping radioactive waste into the River, and has made multiple calls for the Department of Defense (DoD) to clean up its PFAS contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base. 

Ryan recently signed on as a cosponsor of the Water Access Act that would allocate $500 million for assistance on water bills to low-income families. He also cosponsors the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice For All Act which addresses the adverse health effects that environmental issues and policies have disproportionately had on communities of color and low-income communities and the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act that creates and reauthorizes many funding sources for communities to improve water infrastructure and safety.

Combating the Housing Crisis

Ryan has also worked towards creating housing opportunities that are more affordable for Hudson Valley families. In January, he voted for the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, which has an Enhanced Low-Income Tax Credit that will help develop more than 200,000 affordable housing units.  The first bill he introduced in Congress makes VA home loans more accessible to service members and their families. He also supports the Housing Supply and Affordability Act, which would create a $300 million per year grant program to help states, local governments and regional coalitions create more housing opportunities that are affordable for working families. He has partnered with RUPCO for events and to assist families who suffered home damage during last July’s flooding in affording repairs and has made multiple visits to Habitat for Humanity sites in Newburgh.

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