“The President of Puerto Rico’s Senate, Thomas Rivera Schatz, blatantly violated the Island’s anti-discrimination law by revoking key protections and rights for the Senate’s transgender employees. To ban this community from using the restroom and wardrobe that corresponds to their gender identity is not only immoral and inhumane—it’s dangerous. This deplorable act of cowardice— which merely mirrors President Trump’s hateful and divisive rhetoric— falls in line with the Governor’s recent attempts to roll back the rights of Puerto Rico’s LGBTQ community.

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Under Current National Political Uncertainty, Council Budget Doubles Down on Efforts to Increase Protection for Vulnerable Communities and Boosts Savings for All New Yorkers

City Hall — New York City. Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Finance Chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland and the New York City Council released the Council’s Fiscal Year 2018 Preliminary Budget Response.

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“A day after the President gave a deceiving speech about the importance of empowering women, the Vice President took a major step to roll back women’s reproductive rights. Of course this should come as no surprise given Pence’s long record of enacting some of the most backwards anti- woman policies in the nation as Governor of Indiana. Instead of allowing extremists to push forward an archaic and dangerous agenda that seeks to deprive women of their basic rights and dignity, Congress and the Administration should focus on uplifting them. 

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“Ramarley Graham’s life was needlessly cut short when Richard Haste fired the fatal shot that killed yet another unarmed black man in our City. While the vast majority of NYPD officers serve our City honorably,  those accused of misconduct must be thoroughly investigated and disciplined accordingly.  The dismissal of Richard Haste from the NYPD is necessary and appropriate and I thank Commissioner O’Neill and the NYPD for convening a disciplinary trial to address this serious matter and for taking this long overdue action.”

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Newly added feature of participatory budgeting will now allow New Yorkers to vote electronically 

Brooklyn, NY – New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Members, and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams today joined community residents at Grand Army Plaza to celebrate the start of Participatory Budgeting Vote Week.

Now in its 6th year, Participatory Budgeting, or PB, has grown to include 31 Council Members, representing Council Districts across the City.

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“Seven years after the Affordable Care Act was passed, Republican leadership have finally done a service to the American people by withdrawing their reckless attempt at its repeal. Although likely only a temporary stopgap, over 20 million citizens who found healthcare coverage under the original law – many representing vulnerable communities of color or advanced age – will maintain their insurance for another day.

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“In the two months since the President has taken office, hate crimes in New York City – and across the country – have skyrocketed. The repulsive rhetoric and polarizing actions that have come out of this Presidential Administration are appalling, and have only served to empower the ugly underbelly of racism that still exists in our country. The arrest of James Harris Jackson, a white supremacist who reportedly traveled to New York City intent on ‘murdering black people,’

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16 Schools Across NYC Participate in Effort to Combat Food Insecurity and Provide City Students with Necessary Food and Hygiene Items

Bronx, NY – Today, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, joined by Food Bank For New York City President and CEO Margarette Purvis, Department of Education Executive Director of Community Schools Chris Caruso and District 17 Council Member Rafael Salamanca, visited the East Bronx Academy for the Future High School to bring attention to the successful launch of the School Food Pantry Initiative.

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South Bronx, NY – Today, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the New York City Housing Authority Chair, Shola Olatoye, kicked off the start of renovations of Betances Houses Senior Center and Community Center in the South Bronx.  Building on the Speaker’s commitment to protecting seniors, the Council allocated $1.8 million in capital investments to revitalize this beloved and renowned senior center in the community.

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“President Trump’s budget proposal once again reflects his agenda to benefit the wealthy at the expense of low-income and middle class families in this country. President Trump may claim this proposal strengthens our country’s safety—yet the reality is that it fuels economic insecurity, weakens the foundation of key social services and destabilizes our communities. His proposal would undermine New Yorker’s safety, eradicate federal funding to the NYPD for counterterrorism and limit the City’s ability to effectively serve and protect its constituents.

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