This weekend marks 50 years of Juneteenth in Buffalo.  That's a half century of freedom, resilience, and community here in Western New York.  Buffalo is home to one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the entire country and this weekend is one for the history books.  Happy 50th to everyone making it happen. Western New York is showing out.

160 years ago today, Congress passed the 14th Amendment, one of the most important promises this country has ever made. Birthright citizenship has been the law of the land since 1868.  The President doesn't get to rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen. That's not how our democracy works.

Early voting starts today across Western New York and runs through June 21 and it's easy to participate no matter where you live. 🗳️ Erie County voters: 38 polling sites open across the county. Visit elections.erie.gov for the full list of locations! 🗳️ Niagara County voters: 5 sites open across the county, in Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda, Newfane, and Wheatfield.  Contact the Niagara County Board of Elections at (716) 438-4040 for locations and hours. Primary day is June 23. Get out and vote, Western New York!

$3 million is coming to Buffalo's East Side, and the Broadway-Fillmore community is going to lead the way. The Upper Broadway-Fillmore Transformation Project puts residents in charge of rebuilding their own neighborhood: housing, jobs, health, and opportunity. Grateful for the incredible work of my friend, George Nicholas and the @IgnitingH, @KingUrbanAcade1, and all the community partners making this happen and to Mayor Sean M. Ryan and Buffalo Ellicott District Councilmember Leah Halton-Pope for their leadership and commitment to Buffalo's East Side. This is exactly the kind of community-driven investment Western New York deserves. buffalonews.com/news/local/b…

Yesterday I joined @RepRobinKelly and @HouseDemocrats in wearing orange to honor every life cut short by gun violence. Buffalo knows this pain. On May 14, 2022, a racist domestic terrorist came to our community and stole 10 souls from us at Tops Friendly Markets. That day changed Western New York forever. Thoughts and prayers were not enough then. They are not enough now. And they won’t be when, tragically, the next shooting happens. We will not stop fighting until we pass the common-sense legislation that keeps the next community from knowing this pain.

The Social Security Trustees Report is out, and the news is bad. Trump's failed policies pushed insolvency to 2032. If Congress does nothing, Western New York seniors lose $500/month in benefits they earned. Congressional Republicans want to raise the retirement age and privatize the program. I won't let that happen. washingtonpost.com/politics/…

Trump and Congressional Republicans promised lower costs, lower inflation, no more forever wars. Instead inflation is at a 3-year high, families paying more for groceries, gas, and rent, and American forces entangled in another endless conflict in the Middle East. The promises were empty. The costs are real and Western New York families are paying for it. nytimes.com/live/2026/06/10/…

This week, I proudly voted to pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act, a landmark bill that cracks down on union busters who stall, obstruct, and refuse to negotiate with workers after they vote to form a union. For decades, corporations have exploited loopholes to drag out bargaining and deny workers the pay, benefits, and respect they earned. This bill helps end that rigged system. House Democrats forced this vote over Republican obstruction. We did our part. Now the Senate needs to do theirs, because workers in Western New York who fought to organize deserve a contract, not a runaround.

If only this administration spent as much time working to lower your cost of living as they do protecting Trump and the rest of the Epstein class. nytimes.com/2026/06/10/magaz…

House Republicans handed ICE a $70 billion blank check, while WNYers are paying $4 a gallon for gas and millions of Americans are losing their health coverage. I voted no. New York families deserve better.

The Iran War has cost American households $100 billion, that’s $750 per family. Gas is up 50%. Groceries are spiking. Inflation is at a 3-year high. And Congressional Republicans want to give another blank check to ICE to the tune of $70B. Western New York families are paying the price.

Good jobs don't just happen, you build the pipeline for them. That's exactly what @NorthlandWTC, under the leadership of Stephen Tucker, is doing in Buffalo. A $4.2 million clean tech lab is under construction right now, where workers will train hands-on with solar panels, wind systems, EV charging stations, and building energy systems. The program launches this fall, and the employers are already lined up to hire graduates. This year Northland had their largest graduating class ever, more than 200 students, with a 90% full-time job placement rate and more than $200 million in wages added to the Western New York economy since 2018. I’ve been fighting for Northland since day one, and this is exactly why. bizjournals.com/buffalo/news…

On Sunday, Trump told NBC the 2020 election was rigged. Then said last week's California primary was rigged. When pressed for evidence on either claim, he said: "All I have to do is look." Welker said that's not evidence. He unclipped his mic and walked out. This is the pattern with this President, no evidence, no accountability. Just the same lies, over and over. theguardian.com/us-news/2026…

172 people pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers on January 6th. Trump pardoned them. Now he wants to pay them with your tax dollars. When NBC's Kristen Welker asked him point blank if that's acceptable, he wouldn't say no. Then he unclipped his mic and walked out of the interview. The brave law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol that day deserved better than this. And the American people deserve better than this. washingtonpost.com/politics/…

Buffalo has always shown up for people in need, no matter where they are. @JRCHCBuffaloNY is sending $2.5 million in supplies to the frontlines of the Ebola outbreak in Congo. Their clinic in Goma is still open, staffed, and serving people through the crisis. That's the City of Good Neighbors. btpm.org/local/2026-06-05/bu…

The Buffalo News editorial board got it right: no family should be left waiting, not knowing where their loved one is. That's what happened to Nurul Amin Shah Alam's family right here in Buffalo. He was released from DHS custody in near-freezing temperatures, with no winter clothing, no notification to his family. Five days later, he was gone. My DHS Release Transparency Act would require ICE and CBP to notify a detainee's point of contact before they're released. At minimum, two calls. That's it. Basic human decency, written into law. @TheBuffaloNews says it deserves bipartisan support. I agree. Let's get it done.

A convicted January 6th rioter that helped attack the United States Capitol has been handed oversight of counterterrorism operations and classified military intelligence. No one who did that should be anywhere near this role. This administration has made a pattern of trading experience and integrity for loyalty to the President. The people who protect this country every day and the American people deserve better. They deserve leadership that answers to the Constitution, not to whoever is rewarding those who tried to overturn it. washingtonpost.com/national-…

The only qualification required to serve in Donald Trump's administration is to be an unapologetic loyalist. Our country and the American people are less safe because of the unqualified people Donald Trump is putting in charge. The Senate must reject Bill Pulte’s nomination and stop bending the knee to each of Trump's wishes.

Don't be fooled by Trump's claim that he's dropping the $1.8 billion Anti-Weaponization fund. He's keeping the part that actually matters, an IRS settlement that shields him and his allies from audits and tax scrutiny. Working families never get deals like that. Presidents shouldn't either. reuters.com/legal/government…

After months of silence, Secretary Mullin has done the bare minimum and confirmed there is an investigation into the death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam. I’m far from satisfied. From the very beginning of this tragedy, DHS has lied, obfuscated, and stonewalled, and I won’t rest until our community and Mr. Shah Alam’s family gets the answers they deserve. Answers are just the beginning. I’m demanding accountability and reform.