A Reflection of My First Year in Congress (Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand)

I can report that my first year in Congress has been an incredible experience and it has been a real honor and privilege to serve my district.  I am most proud of our efforts to provide open and honest government and to steer this country in a new direction.  I’ve appreciated establishing “Congress on Your Corner” and hosting open substantive forums, where I meet with members of our community at local grocery stores, book stores, farmers markets, coffee shops and community centers.  The community members bring their issues, concerns and ideas to open and engaging discussions, providing me with the opportunity to hear directly from them and for me to let them know what I’ve been working on.

I have also been the first member of Congress to publish my meetings on my Congressional website, along with being one of the first to publish all earmarks requested and my financial disclosure statement.  The NY Times considered this to be a “quiet revolution,” which it has truly been with many members of this new Congress joining me and an effort to provide openness, accountability and transparency to our government.

Legislatively, I was very excited by the progress the Congress made on Energy Independence, raising the miles per gallon standard to 35 miles per gallon, setting a goal of having 15% of our fuels coming from renewable sources by 2020 and investing $13 Billion of former tax subsidies to the oil industry into a fund to pay for research and development and tax credits to alternative renewable energy sources and new conservation technologies.

Such measures will make us more nationally secure because we reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil as well as invests in our economic security because we are growing a new industry and building our agricultural and manufacturing base.

Personnally, my big news is that we are expecting our second child in May!  My 4-year old son Theodore, my husband Jonathan and I could not be more excited and feel more blessed.