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112-686: The latest version of the Act in 2018 gathered endorsements from leading lawmakers in the Democratic Party, including Kirsten Gillibrand and Mark Pocan . Given the long-term decline in collective bargaining and the rise in inequality, a substantial number of employee representatives, Democratic politicians, labor unions, academics, judges and lawyers had been advocating the revision of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 . On 25 September 1992 Bernie Sanders introduced

224-538: A $ 124 billion budget from the Spitzer administration. He stated in his inauguration speech that it would be his top priority. Paterson made reference in his speech to the economic woes being faced in the United States, calling them a "crisis", and promised to "adjust the budget accordingly". Since 1984, New York State has only passed a budget on time once, in 2005, leading Paterson to call for an "end to

336-400: A 0.6% share. In February 2010, The New York Times reported that Paterson may have been involved in witness tampering in a domestic-abuse case involving staffer David W. Johnson after New York State Police and Paterson allegedly talked to the complainant in an attempt to persuade her to drop the case. Paterson was said to have asked the woman if she needed any help a day before the case

448-478: A 4–3 decision that Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch was constitutional. Paterson is the second legally blind governor of a U.S. state (the first was Bob C. Riley , who was acting governor of Arkansas for 11 days in January 1975). During his tenure, Paterson's staff read documents to him over voice mail. On July 17, 2008, Paterson was the keynote speaker addressing the 99th annual convention of

560-464: A Senate floor vote prematurely in December 2009. In March 2008, Paterson warned that New York state faced its worst fiscal crisis since 2001. On July 29, Paterson gave a rare televised address that was broadcast on all of New York's major news networks, stating that the state budget deficit had gone up $ 1.4 billion over the 90 days since his original budget submission, citing rising costs due to

672-557: A bill that limited information-sharing between federal agencies about firearm purchasers and received an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF). This fell to an "F" rating during her time in Senate. She expressed personal support for same-sex marriage, but advocated for civil unions for same-sex couples and said same-sex marriage should a state-level issue. After taking office, Gillibrand became

784-514: A combined Schumer–Gillibrand press release said that the two strongly supported a Latino being nominated to the Supreme Court at the time of the next vacancy. Their first choice was Sonia Sotomayor . The two introduced her at Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearing in July 2009. During the lame duck session of the 111th Congress , Gillibrand scored two substantial legislative victories:

896-482: A criminal investigation into whether they had committed perjury in their testimony before Congress when they claimed that they had no knowledge of a connection between tobacco smoking and cancer. Gillibrand worked closely on the case and became a key part of the defense team. As part of her work, she traveled to the company's laboratory in Germany, where she interviewed scientists about the company's alleged research into

1008-552: A federal jobs guarantee , and the abolition and replacement of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . Gillibrand ran for the Democratic nomination for president of the United States in 2020 , officially announcing her candidacy on March 17, 2019. After failing to qualify for the third debate , she withdrew from the race on August 28, 2019. Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik was born on December 9, 1966, in Albany, New York ,

1120-517: A federal salary, and to limit himself to three terms in office. Campaign expenditures were the second highest in the nation for a House race. Democrats generally saw major successes during the 2008 congressional elections, credited in part to a coattail effect from Barack Obama's presidential campaign . Gillibrand's legal representation of Philip Morris was again an issue. Her campaign finance records showed that she received $ 18,200 from Philip Morris employees for her 2008 campaign, putting her among

1232-469: A former Congressman from Tennessee , considered a run but decided against it in March 2009. Concerned about a possible schism in the party that could lead to a heated primary, split electorate, and weakened stance, high-ranking members of the party backed Gillibrand and requested major opponents not to run. In the end, Gillibrand faced Gail Goode, a lawyer from New York City, and won the primary with 76% of

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1344-544: A law that discouraged employers from holding blood drives ; to change the way in which members are appointed to a state health and research board; to restore eligibility caps to certain senior employment programs; and to grant tax exemptions to several local development corporations in New York State. Paterson appointed Christopher O. Ward to be executive director of the Port Authority on May 22, 2008. Ward

1456-531: A margin no greater than 10%. Gillibrand's special election victory gave her the right to serve the rest of Clinton's second term, which ended in January 2013. Gillibrand ran for a full six-year term in November 2012. In the general election, she faced Wendy E. Long , an attorney running on both the Republican Party and Conservative Party lines. Gillibrand was endorsed by The New York Times and

1568-571: A press conference to announce Gillibrand as his choice. The response to the appointment in New York was mixed. Upstate New York media was generally optimistic about the appointment of an upstate senator, as none had been elected since Charles Goodell left office in 1971. Many downstaters were disappointed with the selection, with some media outlets stating that Paterson had ignored the electoral influence of New York City and downstate on state politics. One questioned whether Paterson's administration

1680-496: A school tax "circuit breaker"; and for his appointment of Blue Dog Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand to a vacant seat in the United States Senate . Paterson ascended to the governor's office during the busiest legislative period of the year. The state is required by law to pass its budget prior to April 1. He had only two weeks to negotiate with lawmakers a proposal to close a $ 4.7 billion deficit and pass

1792-484: A tuition remission program for military veterans , offering them free tuition at both SUNY and CUNY institutions. Paterson called the 2008 budget proposal "too big and too bloated", and he said he would work to convince the legislature to stop what he saw as unsustainable growth. In April 2008, Paterson asked the heads of all state agencies to cut their budgets by 3.35%, threatened a hiring freeze, and asked legislative leaders to follow suit. At his first State of

1904-417: A two-month search to fill her Senate seat. Under New York law, the governor appoints a replacement. A special election would then be held in November 2010 for the remainder of her term, which ended in January 2013. Governor David Paterson 's selection process began with a number of prominent names and high-profile New York Democrats, including Andrew Cuomo , Fran Drescher and Caroline Kennedy , vying for

2016-411: A vacant U.S. Senate seat, and, in July 2009, he appointed Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor. Paterson launched a campaign for a full term as governor in the 2010 New York gubernatorial election , but he announced on February 26, 2010, that he would bow out of the race. During the final year of his administration, Paterson faced allegations of soliciting improper gifts and making false statements; he

2128-410: Is distinguished by "her determination and knowledge and willingness to sit down one on one with senators and explain what she is up to". Her fund-raising ability—almost $ 30 million from 2009 through 2013—helped her become a mentor to female candidates nationwide during that period. In 2014, Gillibrand was included in the annual Time 100 , Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in

2240-521: Is maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements between one or more employee organizations and one or more employers, the trustees representing the interests of the participants and their beneficiaries shall be designated by such employee organizations. The 2018 version of the Bill included provisions on misrepresenting employee status by employers, and repealing right-to-work laws . It left out provisions on pension representation (found in

2352-458: The Democrat and Chronicle . She won the election with 72.2% of the vote; in so doing, she surpassed Schumer's 71.2% victory in 2004 and achieved the largest victory margin for a statewide candidate in New York history. She carried all counties except for two in western New York. Gillibrand was reelected to a second term in the Senate, defeating Republican Chele Chiavacci Farley with 67% of

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2464-596: The 2006 New York gubernatorial election . Spitzer and Paterson were elected with 65% of the vote, and Paterson took office as lieutenant governor on January 1, 2007. After Spitzer resigned in the wake of a prostitution scandal , Paterson was sworn in as governor of New York state on March 17, 2008. Paterson held the office of governor during the Great Recession , and he implemented state budget cuts. He also made two significant appointments: In January 2009, he appointed then-U.S. representative Kirsten Gillibrand to

2576-608: The Blue Dog Coalition , a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. She was noted for voting against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 , citing concerns regarding insufficient oversight and excessive earmarks . She opposed a 2007 state-level proposal to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and voted for legislation that would withhold federal funds from immigrant sanctuary cities . Gillibrand also voted for

2688-579: The District Attorney's office of Queens County, New York , and on the staff of Manhattan borough president David Dinkins . In 1985, he was elected to the New York State Senate to a seat once held by his father, former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson . In 2003, he rose to the position of Senate minority leader . Paterson was selected to be the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Eliot Spitzer in

2800-571: The Employees’ Pension Security Act ). Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand ( née   Rutnik ; / ˈ k ɪər s t ən ˈ dʒ ɪ l ɪ b r æ n d / KEER -stən JIL -ib-rand ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from New York since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party , she served as member of

2912-609: The Guinea-Bissau region of West Africa. At the age of three months, Paterson contracted an ear infection that spread to his optic nerve , leaving him sightless in his left eye and with severely limited vision in his right. Since New York City public schools would not guarantee him an education without placing him in special education classes, his family bought a home in the Long Island suburb of South Hempstead so that he could attend mainstream classes there. Paterson

3024-647: The NAACP in Cincinnati, Ohio . On October 24, 2008, Paterson's top aide, Charles J. O'Byrne , resigned from his post following the revelation that he owed nearly $ 300,000 in back taxes. O'Byrne admitted to having failed to pay taxes for five years. Although Paterson is a lifelong Democrat who was considered a liberal in the state Senate, he earned praise from some conservatives during his time as governor for making major spending cuts; for providing mandate relief; for enacting an inflation-indexed property tax cap and

3136-524: The New York State Senate in an attempt to gauge support for the passage of same-sex marriage legislation during a lame-duck session of the Legislature ; however, the governor came to the conclusion that passage of the bill during the lame-duck session was not feasible. When asked what would have to occur for same-sex marriage to be legalized in New York, Paterson responded, "Get rid of the lobbyists," and added that same-sex marriage advocates had "forced"

3248-569: The U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009. Born and raised in upstate New York , Gillibrand graduated from Dartmouth College and from the UCLA School of Law . After holding positions in government and private practice and working on Hillary Clinton 's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign , Gillibrand was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2006. She represented New York's 20th congressional district and

3360-600: The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Albany. Gillibrand's tenure at Davis Polk included serving as a defense attorney for tobacco company Philip Morris during major litigation , including both civil lawsuits and U.S. Justice Department criminal and civil racketeering and perjury probes. As a junior associate in the mid-1990s, she defended the company's executives against

3472-1104: The United States Senate . Clinton resigned her Senate seat on January 21, 2009, to assume the Cabinet post. By mandate of the New York Constitution , Paterson was tasked with appointing a temporary replacement until a special election in 2010 for the conclusion of the term of her Class 1 seat . Persons mentioned in the media as potential appointees included U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks , former State Comptroller H. Carl McCall , William C. Thompson, Jr. , Byron Brown , Representative José E. Serrano , Representative Nydia M. Velázquez , Representative Nita Lowey , Representative Carolyn B. Maloney , former Hillary Clinton aide Leecia Eve , United Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten , Representative Kirsten Gillibrand , and political heiress Caroline Kennedy . While New York Attorney General and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Andrew Cuomo refused to publicly declare his interest in

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3584-496: The Weekend Update sketch alongside Fred Armisen , who was comedically portraying Paterson. In October 2008, Paterson launched a campaign website and announced his intention to run for a full term as governor. Paterson's prime Republican opponent was expected to be former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani . By February 2009, after the prolonged Senate appointment process, a Siena College poll indicated that Paterson

3696-549: The "Israel Anti-Boycott Act". This legislation would have criminalized any political boycott intended to protest actions by the Israeli government, with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) denounced S.720, claiming its provisions seeking to "punish U.S. persons based solely on their expressed political beliefs" are "inconsistent" with First Amendment constitutional protections. In July 2017, Gillibrand stated that she no longer supported

3808-412: The 55th governor of New York , succeeding Eliot Spitzer , who resigned, and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to December 2010. A member of the Democratic Party , he was the first legally blind person to be sworn in as governor of a U.S. state, and the first African-American governor of New York . Following his graduation from Hofstra Law School , Paterson worked in

3920-470: The 81-year-old Reynolds Game Farm, in Tompkins county, the state's only remaining pheasant facility, but changed course following criticism from sportsmen's groups. In March 2009, Paterson announced that in light of the fiscal crisis, he would take a 10% pay cut. After being nominated for the position on December 1, 2008, Senator Hillary Clinton was confirmed as United States Secretary of State by

4032-578: The Albany Democratic Women's Club and a leader of the city's Democratic political machine . Gillibrand has English , Austrian , Scottish , German , and Irish ancestry. Polly Noonan was a longtime confidante of Erastus Corning 2nd , the longtime mayor of Albany, New York . In Off the Sidelines , her 2014 memoir, Gillibrand said that Corning "was simply part of our family... He appeared at every family birthday party with

4144-544: The Alliance Defense Fund suit, Justice Billings found that the governor's order was consistent with state laws on the recognition of marriages from outside the state. In April 2009, it was revealed that Paterson would propose legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in New York . Paterson later tapped former Senate Majority Leader and former political foe Joseph Bruno to support same-sex marriage in Albany. On December 2, 2009, same-sex marriage legislation

4256-596: The Bill to the US House of Representatives with 2 cosponsors. After the Bill failed, Sanders tried again in 1994, with one cosponsor. On a third attempt in 1995 by Sanders, the Bill gathered 19 cosponsors. Still the Bill stalled. It was reintroduced in 1997. On 24 March 1999, it was introduced again and referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations on 30 April 1999. It stalled by 20 December 2000. A similar set of proposals regarding pension fund management

4368-665: The Commission on Public Integrity found that Paterson had lied about accepting five free World Series tickets and fined him $ 62,125. After the Weekend Update sketch featuring David Paterson aired in 2009 on the NBC show Saturday Night Live , Paterson was upset by the way the sketch portrayed him, stating that it was an offensive stereotype to those who were visually impaired. On the 36th-season premiere of Saturday Night Live (aired September 25, 2010), Paterson appeared in

4480-731: The Democratic primary for the office of New York City Public Advocate in 1993, but he was defeated by Mark Green . Paterson was elected Minority Leader by the Senate Democratic Conference on November 20, 2002, becoming both the first non-white state legislative leader and the highest-ranking black elected official in the history of New York. Paterson unseated the incumbent minority leader, Martin Connor . Paterson became known for his consensus-building style and sharp political skills. Describing Paterson's tenure in

4592-469: The House, Gillibrand has moved her political positions and ideology toward a liberal , progressive position since her appointment to the Senate. In both cases, her views were significantly defined by the respective constituencies she served —a conservative congressional district versus the generally liberal state of New York, especially as defined by New York City. For example, although she had been quiet on

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4704-685: The New York Court of Appeals reversed the Appellate Division's decision, holding Paterson's appointment of Ravitch to be constitutional. In January 2010, Paterson awarded a contract to operate a 4,500- slot machine racino at the Aqueduct Race Track to Aqueduct Race Track Entertainment Group (AEG) in Queens . The selection AEG led to accusations of favoritism. The New York State inspector general, Joseph Fisch, said

4816-408: The New York bar was partially the result of insufficient accommodation for his visual impairment, and has since advocated for changes in bar exam procedures. On August 6, 1985, state senator Leon Bogues died, and Paterson obtained the Democratic party nomination for the seat. In mid-September, a meeting of 648 Democratic committee members on the first ballot gave Paterson 58% of the vote, giving him

4928-743: The Noonan family his insurance business". During her childhood and college years, Gillibrand used the nickname "Tina"; she began using her birth name a few years after law school. In 1984, she graduated from Emma Willard School , an all-women's private school in Troy, New York , and then enrolled at Dartmouth College . Gillibrand majored in Asian Studies , studying in both Beijing and Taiwan . In Beijing, she studied and lived with actress Connie Britton at Beijing Normal University . Gillibrand graduated magna cum laude in 1988. At Dartmouth, she

5040-559: The Republican nomination, Sweeney was endorsed by the Conservative and Independence parties. During the campaign, Gillibrand got support from other Democratic Party politicians. Mike McNulty , a Democratic Congressman from the neighboring 21st congressional district , campaigned for her, as did both Hillary and Bill Clinton ; the former president appeared twice at campaign events. Both parties poured millions of dollars into

5152-473: The Senate appointment and suggested it was a cynical way of rallying upstate support for re-election. Paterson later admitted that he personally ordered his staff to contest Caroline Kennedy's version of events in the hours after she withdrew from consideration to be United States senator. Due to the ongoing leadership crisis in the New York State Senate , in which the Senate tied with 31 Democratic votes and 31 Republican votes, with no presiding officer to break

5264-483: The Senate seat. However, Kennedy abruptly withdrew her name from consideration on January 21, 2009. Up until her withdrawal, which Kennedy said was based on "personal reasons", the high-profile, well-connected daughter of former President John F. Kennedy was widely considered the front-runner for the nomination. After Kennedy removed herself from consideration, some reports indicated that Paterson "never intended" to pick Kennedy, having come to consider her "unready" for

5376-651: The Senate was announced, Gillibrand reportedly contacted the Empire State Pride Agenda, an LGBT lobbying organization in New York, to express her full support for same-sex marriage, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy regarding gay and lesbian servicemembers, and the passage of legislation banning discrimination against transgender persons. She had supported civil unions for same-sex couples and argued that

5488-450: The Senate, The New York Times cited his "wit, flurries of reform proposals and unusual bursts of candor". In 2006, Paterson was selected by New York attorney general and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer as his running mate. The news stunned the New York political world, as the Democratic minority was poised to possibly take over the state legislature. Paterson traded the possibility of becoming Senate majority leader for

5600-674: The State address in January 2009, Paterson said "My fellow New Yorkers: let me come straight to the point—the state of our state is perilous. New York faces an historic economic challenge, the gravest in nearly a century. ... The pillars of Wall Street have crumbled. The global economy is reeling. Trillions of dollars of wealth have vanished." New York faced a budget deficit of $ 15 billion, and state debt approached $ 55 billion. Paterson's budget proposal called for dramatic across-the-board cuts to various state agencies; he described those cuts as "deep and painful". Paterson proposed to close

5712-657: The U.S. federal government halting funding for such research. In September 2007, Paterson weighed in on a proposal before the New York City Council to extend voting rights to noncitizens. He told a crowd gathered at the West Indian American Day Carnival Parade that he believed noncitizens should be granted voting rights. He stressed that he was asking for a change in policy, rather than a new law, citing that, although 22 states and territories between 1776 and 1920 allowed

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5824-477: The U.S. military's " Don't Ask, Don't Tell " policy when she was in the House, during her first 18 months in the Senate, Gillibrand was an important part of the successful campaign to repeal it. Gillibrand made national headlines in February 2009 for stating that she and her husband kept two guns under their bed. Her staff later indicated that Gillibrand no longer stored guns under her bed. On April 9, 2009,

5936-549: The Yankees tickets. Following the "twin scandals", a poll showed that fewer than half of New Yorkers believed Paterson should remain in office. Despite this, Paterson announced on March 5, 2010, that he intended to remain in his post until his term in office concluded at the end of the year. Paterson was not criminally charged in connection with his witness interaction in the Johnson domestic abuse matter. On December 20, 2010,

6048-455: The appointment. Although Gillibrand's appointment was praised by some (including Schumer, New York's senior senator; President Obama; and Clinton herself, ) others criticized Paterson's choice, calling Gillibrand "sharp-elbowed", "too conservative", and "unliked". Others, including liberal New York Times editorialist Maureen Dowd and New York Magazine writer Chris Smith, criticized Paterson's "peculiar" and "dithering" handling of

6160-570: The bill as-is due to wide critical public response. In 2012, Gillibrand authored a portion of the STOCK Act , which extended limitations on insider trading by members of Congress. A version of the bill, merged by Senator Joe Lieberman with content from another bill authored by Senator Scott Brown , was passed by Congress and signed into law by Obama in April. In 2013, Gillibrand proposed legislation that would remove sexual assault cases from

6272-399: The bill in its then-current form, adding that she would advocate for changes to it. She said the bill did not "have any relevance to individuals at all" and insisted she planned to "urge them to rewrite it to make sure it says...'This is only applying to companies.'" David Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as

6384-599: The connection. The inquiry was dropped and it was during this time that she became a senior associate. While working at Davis Polk, Gillibrand became involved in—and later the leader of—the Women's Leadership Forum, a program of the Democratic National Committee . Gillibrand has said that a speech to the group by Hillary Clinton inspired her: "[Clinton] was trying to encourage us to become more active in politics and she said, 'If you leave all

6496-407: The daughter of Polly Edwina (Noonan) and Douglas Paul Rutnik. Both her parents are attorneys, and her father has also worked as a lobbyist. Her parents divorced in the late 1980s. Douglas Rutnik is an associate of former U.S. Senator Al D'Amato . Gillibrand has an older brother and a younger sister. Her maternal grandparents were businessman Peter Noonan and Dorothea "Polly" Noonan, a founder of

6608-461: The decision-making to others, you might not like what they do, and you will have no one but yourself to blame.' It was such a challenge to the women in the room. And it really hit me: She's talking to me." In 2001, Gillibrand became a partner in the Manhattan office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner . In 2002 she informed Boies of her interest in running for office and was permitted to transfer to

6720-455: The district and its electoral offices had been in Republican hands for all but four years since 1913, and as of November 2006, 197,473 voters in the district were registered Republicans and 82,737 were registered Democrats. Sweeney said in 2006 that "no Republican can ever lose [the district]". Using New York's electoral fusion election laws, Gillibrand ran in 2006 on both the Democratic and Working Families lines; in addition to having

6832-638: The dysfunction in Albany" in his speech, echoing a 56-page study from the nonpartisan New York University School of Law's Brennan Center for Justice , which referred to the legislature as "the least deliberative and most dysfunctional in the nation". Paterson quickly signed five pieces of legislation on his first day in office: to add the New York State Department of Labor to the New York City Transit Track Safety Task Force; to eliminate

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6944-490: The election, with Clinton becoming something of a mentor to her. Gillibrand donated more than $ 12,000 to Clinton's Senate campaigns. Gillibrand considered running for office in 2004, in New York's 20th congressional district , against the three-term Republican incumbent John E. Sweeney . But Hillary Clinton believed circumstances would be more favorable in 2006 and advised her to wait until then. Traditionally conservative,

7056-465: The firm's Albany office. She left Boies in 2005 to begin her 2006 campaign for Congress. Gillibrand has said her work at private law firms allowed her to take on pro bono cases defending abused women and their children and tenants seeking safe housing after lead paint and unsafe conditions were found in their homes. After her time at Davis Polk, she served as Special Counsel to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Andrew Cuomo during

7168-533: The first black governor in the history of the state of New York and the fourth black governor in the history of the United States (the first three being the Reconstruction -era P. B. S. Pinchback of Louisiana , Virginia 's Douglas Wilder , and Massachusetts 's Deval Patrick ). The lieutenant governor's office remained vacant until September 22, 2009, when the New York Court of Appeals ruled in

7280-434: The first member of Congress to publish her official schedule, listing everyone she met with on a given day. She also published earmark requests she received and her personal financial statement. This "Sunlight Report", as her office termed it, was praised by in a December 2006 New York Times editorial as a "quiet touch of revolution" in a non-transparent system. Of the earmarking process, Gillibrand said she wanted whatever

7392-529: The governorship in common: great difficulty in reading. Rockefeller was dyslexic, and Paterson compared this to his own blindness. Paterson took office as lieutenant governor on January 1, 2007. Paterson led Spitzer's successful 2007 legislative effort to approve a bond issue that will provide at least $ 1 billion toward stem-cell research. Spitzer and Paterson touted the measure partly for its economic development benefits, following California's $ 3 billion effort , which in turn had been prompted by

7504-404: The insurance giant. He hit the cable networks early and was quoted by media around the world. Paterson revised Spitzer's record-size executive budget proposal to cut spending. Budget negotiations carried over past the deadline, causing the new governor to lament that too many lawmakers were "unwilling to make serious cuts to our budget". On April 10, 2008, a $ 121.7 billion budget package

7616-612: The last year of the Clinton administration . Gillibrand worked on HUD's Labor Initiative and its New Markets Initiative, on TAP's Young Leaders of the American Democracy, and on strengthening Davis–Bacon Act enforcement. In 1999, Gillibrand began working on Hillary Clinton's 2000 U.S. Senate campaign , focusing on campaigning to young women and encouraging them to join the effort. Many of those women later worked on Gillibrand's campaigns. She and Clinton became close during

7728-621: The military chain of command; the bill was cosponsored by Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz . Gillibrand's bill failed to gain enough votes to break a filibuster in March 2014, but her efforts likely improved her standing as a lawmaker in the Senate. In December 2013, Gillibrand introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, which would have provided paid family leave. By 2013, Gillibrand had "skillfully aligned herself with causes with visible, moving human characters who have helped amplified her policy goals". For example, in campaigning for

7840-414: The most fantastic present". Gillibrand wrote that she did not know that the ambiguous relationship between her married grandmother and the married Corning "was strange" until she grew up, adding that Corning "may have been in love with my grandmother", but that he also loved her grandmother's entire family. According to The New York Times , Corning, "in effect, disinherited his wife and children" and "left

7952-625: The opportunity to hold the largely ceremonial lieutenant governor post. During their 2006 campaign, Paterson resolved a dispute with Spitzer over turf wars between staff members. The Spitzer–Paterson ticket won a landslide victory in the election, with 65.7% of the vote. It was the largest margin of victory in a gubernatorial race in New York history, and the second-largest for any statewide race in New York history. In late December 2006, shortly before being sworn in as lieutenant governor, Paterson said that, if he ever succeeded Spitzer as governor, he and Nelson A. Rockefeller would have something besides

8064-614: The party nomination. That October, Paterson won the virtually uncontested special State Senate election. At the time, the 29th Senate district covered the Manhattan neighborhoods of Harlem , Manhattan Valley , and the Upper West Side , the same district that Paterson's father had represented. He was re-elected ten times, and remained in the state senate until 2006, sitting in the 186th , 187th , 188th , 189th , 190th , 191st , 192nd , 193rd , 194th , 195th , and 196th New York State Legislatures. Paterson briefly ran in

8176-647: The passage of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010 and the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act . Both were issues she had advocated for during that session. In the aftermath of these victories, Gillibrand gained a more prominent national profile. In March 2011, Gillibrand co-sponsored the PROTECT IP Act , which would restrict access to websites judged to be infringing copyrights, but ultimately announced she would not support

8288-449: The police report was false and promised to have the official report released by state police , but did not do so. The Sweeney campaign did release an ad in which Sweeney's wife called Gillibrand's campaign "a disgrace". Several months later, Sweeney's wife said her "disgrace" statement was coerced, and that her husband was physically abusive. By November 5, a Siena poll showed Gillibrand ahead of Sweeney 46% to 43%. She won with 53% of

8400-414: The poor economy and a struggling Wall Street , and calling the state legislature back to Albany for an emergency session starting on August 19, 2008. He also warned that the budget deficit was estimated to grow 22 percent by 2011. With AIG on the verge of collapse on September 16, 2008, and in the aftermath of Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, Paterson publicly lobbied for a government bailout of

8512-471: The practice, none do now. Spitzer issued a statement expressing that he did not agree with Paterson's position, and he said that he was unaware that Paterson would be speaking on the matter. Paterson had tried to introduce legislation granting voting rights to noncitizens as a State Senator fifteen years earlier. In February 2008, a U.S. District Judge denied a motion to dismiss a racial-discrimination lawsuit naming Paterson. A white photographer claimed he

8624-512: The repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, she established a website with videos of gay and lesbian veterans telling their personal stories. She has been less deferential to Senate seniority protocols and more uncompromising in her positions—such as combating sexual assault in the military—than most freshman senators, which has sometimes caused friction with her Democratic colleagues. Senator Charles Grassley has contrasted her approach with other New Yorkers of both parties, saying she

8736-511: The respective campaigns. Many saw Gillibrand as moderate or conservative. Michael Brendan Dougherty in The American Conservative wrote after her victory, "Gillibrand won her upstate New York district by running to the right: she campaigned against amnesty for illegal immigrants, promised to restore fiscal responsibility to Washington, and pledged to protect gun rights." Gillibrand's legal representation of Philip Morris

8848-418: The same-sex marriage issue should be left to states. Paterson's office had advised her to reach out to Empire State Pride. Gillibrand was sworn in on January 26, 2009; at 42, she entered the chamber as the youngest senator in the 111th Congress . In February, she endorsed Scott Murphy , whom New York Democrats chose as their nominee for her former seat in the House of Representatives. In April, Murphy won

8960-457: The seat after a series of media misfires. Some sources and analysts doubted the reports' veracity, calling the Paterson camp's denials of any interest in appointing Kennedy "misdirection". On January 23, 2009, Paterson chose Gillibrand—a moderate upstate representative from a largely conservative district—to fill Clinton's vacated seat. The Kennedy family criticized Paterson's handling of

9072-475: The seat against Republican Jim Tedisco by 399 votes and succeeded Gillibrand in the House until 2011. Gillibrand had numerous potential challengers in the September 14, 2010, Democratic primary election . Some were obvious at the time of her appointment. Most notably, Representative Carolyn McCarthy was unhappy with Gillibrand's stance on gun control, but McCarthy decided not to run. Harold Ford, Jr. ,

9184-418: The seat, and was reelected to full terms in 2012 , 2018 , and 2024 . During her Senate tenure, Gillibrand's policy platform has shifted to the left. She has been outspoken on sexual assault in the military and sexual harassment , having criticized President Bill Clinton , Senator Al Franken , and Governor Andrew Cuomo (all fellow Democrats) for alleged sexual misconduct. She supports paid family leave ,

9296-495: The seat, he attracted a plurality of support from polled New Yorkers to take the seat. Cuomo was cited by some analysts as a savvy Senate appointee because his appointment might dissuade him from mounting a primary challenge against Paterson in the 2010 gubernatorial election . Paterson acknowledged on January 20, 2009, that Cuomo was indeed under consideration for the appointment. It was reported on December 5, 2008, that Paterson had spoken with Kennedy regarding her interest in

9408-414: The spot. Gillibrand quietly campaigned for the position, meeting secretly with Paterson on at least one occasion. She said that she made an effort to underscore her successful House elections in a largely conservative district, adding that she could be a good complement to Chuck Schumer . Gillibrand was presumed a likely choice in the days before the official announcement. On January 23, 2009, Paterson held

9520-405: The state government showed "militant indifference" to the public's best interest. Fisch criticized Paterson for delegating the process to his aides, who Fisch said did not keep him properly informed. On March 9, 2010, Paterson recused himself from the case, saying that he was doing so on the advice of his lawyers. On the same day, investors Floyd Flake and Jay-Z withdrew from AEG. Flake had

9632-644: The states of North Carolina and South Carolina . His paternal grandmother, a Jamaican , Evangeline Rondon Paterson, was secretary to Black Nationalist leader Marcus Garvey . His paternal grandfather was Leonard James Paterson, a native of Carriacou who arrived in the United States aboard the S.S. Vestris on May 16, 1917. It was reported by The Genetic Genealogist in March 2008 that Paterson had recently undergone genetic genealogy testing. Part of his father's ancestry consists of immigrants from England, Ireland, and Scotland, while his mother's side includes Eastern European Jewish ancestry, as well as ancestors from

9744-680: The tie, Paterson announced on July 8, 2009, that he would appoint Richard Ravitch , a former chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , to be lieutenant governor . On August 20, 2009, however, a four-judge panel of the New York State Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, ruled that Paterson had no legal authority to name a lieutenant governor, and that the lieutenant governor position could not be filled in any way other than via an election. On September 23, 2009,

9856-534: The top dozen Democrats in such contributions. Questioned during the campaign about her work on behalf of Philip Morris, Gillibrand said that she had voted in favor of all three anti-tobacco bills in that session of Congress. She said that she never hid her work for Philip Morris, and added that as an associate at her law firm, she had had no control over which clients she worked for. Davis Polk allowed associates to withdraw from representing clients about whom they had moral qualms. Upon taking office, Gillibrand joined

9968-674: The vote. After Gillibrand's win, Republicans quickly began speculating about possible 2008 candidates. Len Cutler, director of the Center for the Study of Government and Politics at Siena College, said that the seat would be difficult for Gillibrand to hold in 2008, with Republicans substantially outnumbering Democrats in the district. Gillibrand was reelected in 2008 over former New York Secretary of State Sandy Treadwell , 62% to 38%. Treadwell lost despite significantly outspending Gillibrand and promising never to vote to raise taxes, not to accept

10080-419: The vote. Despite what was expected to be a heated race, Gillibrand easily prevailed against former Republican congressman Joseph DioGuardi in her first statewide election. By the end of October, a Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll showed Gillibrand leading 57%-34%. Gillibrand won the November election 63%–35%, carrying 54 of New York's 62 counties; the counties that supported DioGuardi did so by

10192-414: The vote. During a campaign debate, she pledged that she would serve out a full six-year term if reelected. She was endorsed by the progressive groups Indivisible and Working Families . Gillibrand is seeking a third Senate term. She faces Republican nominee Mike Sapraicone, an ex-NYPD detective and businessman. A member of the Democratic Party's relatively conservative Blue Dog faction while in

10304-698: The world. In 2015, Gillibrand invited campus activist Emma Sulkowicz to attend the State of the Union Address . Her invitation was intended to promote the Campus Accountability and Safety Act , a bill Gillibrand co-sponsored. Gillibrand once supported legislation that would criminalize "boycotts" by individuals or groups seeking to express a disapproval of the actions taken by the government of Israel. Gillibrand's advocacy against protests and "boycotts" included her co-sponsoring S.720, coined

10416-558: Was "overwhelmingly" defeated on the floor of the New York State Senate by a vote of 24 to 38; no Republican voted yes, eight Democrats voted no. The Daily News described the defeat as a "major blow", while The New York Times stated that the defeat "all but ensures that the issue is dead in New York until at least 2011, when a new Legislature will be installed." In late 2010, before the January 2011 expiration of his term as governor, Paterson reached out to members of

10528-690: Was "the right thing to do"; the governor was enthusiastically cheered when he attended the 2008 gay-pride parade in Manhattan. On June 3, 2008, a lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund challenging the governor's directive. On September 2, 2008, Justice Lucy A. Billings of the State Supreme Court in the Bronx issued a decision that Paterson acted within his powers when he required state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages from outside New York State. In her dismissal of

10640-554: Was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. During college, Gillibrand interned at Senator Al D'Amato 's Albany office. She received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law and passed the bar exam in 1991. [REDACTED] In 1991, Gillibrand joined the Manhattan -based law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell as an associate. In 1992, she took a leave from Davis Polk to serve as a law clerk to Judge Roger Miner of

10752-414: Was an issue during the campaign. Her campaign finance records showed that she received $ 23,200 in contributions from the company's employees during her 2006 campaign. The probable turning point in the election was the November 1 release of a December 2005 police report detailing a 9-1-1 call by Sweeney's wife, in which she claimed Sweeney was "knocking her around the house". The Sweeney campaign claimed

10864-417: Was aware of "[where] statewide elections are won and lost". Gillibrand was relatively unknown statewide, and many voters found the choice surprising. One source stated, "With every Democrat in New York ... angling for the appointment, there was a sense of bafflement, belittlement, and bruised egos when Paterson tapped the junior legislator unknown outside of Albany." Shortly before her appointment to

10976-561: Was best for her district and would require every project to pass a "greatest-need, greatest-good" test. In the House of Representatives, Gillibrand served on the following committees: On December 1, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced his choice of Hillary Clinton, the junior U.S. senator from New York, as Secretary of State . Clinton was confirmed by a vote of 94–2 on January 21, 2009. Just hours before being sworn in as Secretary of State, Clinton resigned her Senate seat, effective immediately. Obama's December announcement began

11088-479: Was born in Brooklyn , New York, to Portia Hairston Paterson, a homemaker, and Basil Paterson , a labor law attorney. Basil Paterson was later a New York state senator for Harlem , secretary of state under Hugh Carey , and deputy mayor of New York City for Ed Koch . According to a New York Now interview, Paterson traces his roots on his mother's side of the family to pre– Civil War African American slaves in

11200-400: Was caused by racism and added that Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts had received a similar reception. Paterson added that President Barack Obama would be the next African-American elected official to suffer from poor approval due to his skin color. The White House asked Paterson to tone down his comments on race, but less than 24 hours later, Paterson said: "[One] very successful minority

11312-524: Was dropped. On February 26, 2010, Paterson withdrew his bid for a full term as governor of New York. In March 2010, the New York State Commission on Public Integrity asked Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to investigate allegations that Paterson had solicited an unlawful gift of free New York Yankees tickets. He also faced allegations that he had lied under oath to the Commission on Public Integrity in 2010 during an investigation about

11424-555: Was eventually fined in excess of $ 62,000 for accepting free New York Yankees tickets. He was not charged with perjury. Since leaving office, Paterson has been a radio talk show host and chairman of the New York Democratic Party from May 2014 to November 2015. In late 2020, he published his first book, entitled Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity . Paterson

11536-473: Was fired by Paterson due to his race. The lawsuit was settled in 2009 for $ 300,000. In the midst of a prostitution scandal , Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned his position effective March 17, 2008. Following Spitzer's resignation, Paterson was sworn in as the 55th governor of New York, at the New York State Capitol on March 17, 2008, by New York chief judge Judith Kaye . Paterson was

11648-433: Was losing popularity among New Yorkers and showed Giuliani with a fifteen-point lead in a hypothetical contest. In April 2009, a Quinnipiac poll found that 60% of voters disapproved of Paterson's performance (the worst-ever rating for a New York governor); 53% believed that Paterson should withdraw his candidacy for the gubernatorial election. In an August 21, 2009, radio interview, Paterson suggested that his low popularity

11760-426: Was met with criticism from conservative legislators and from same-sex marriage opponents, one of whom referred to the directive as Paterson's "first major blunder" as governor. Then-Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and others accused Paterson of having overstepped his bounds and usurped the authority of the legislature. Paterson reportedly described same-sex marriage as "beautiful", and contended that his decision

11872-651: Was passed by both houses of the state legislature. The budget closed a projected $ 4.6 billion deficit with $ 1.8 billion of spending cuts, $ 1.5 billion in additional revenue from increased taxes and fees and $ 1.3 billion of one time transfers, and did not tap into the state's $ 1.2 billion of reserves or increase the top income tax rate on those earning $ 1 million or more. Paterson's budget provided property tax relief, delivered aid to municipalities, and restored hundreds of millions in property tax rebates for middle-class homeowners and $ 1 billion for upstate economic development. The budget provided for

11984-404: Was proposed by Bernie Sanders. ‘(2)(A) The assets of a single-employer plan shall be held in trust by a joint board of trustees, which shall consist of 2 or more trustees representing on an equal basis the interests of the employer or employers maintaining the plan and the interests of the participants and their beneficiaries. ‘(B)(i) Except as provided in clause (ii), in any case in which the plan

12096-408: Was purportedly based upon a decision from New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division 's Fourth Department. The governor's directive did not receive widespread public attention until weeks after the directive was given. At that time, the governor's decision provoked public reaction on both sides of the issue. While Paterson's directive received widespread approval from same-sex marriage supporters, it

12208-414: Was reelected in 2008. During her House tenure, Gillibrand was a Blue Dog Democrat noted for voting against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 . After Clinton was appointed U.S. Secretary of State in 2009, Governor David Paterson selected Gillibrand to fill the Senate seat Clinton had vacated, making her New York's second female senator. Gillibrand won a special election in 2010 to keep

12320-486: Was reintroduced by Representative Peter Visclosky in the Employees’ Pension Security Act of 2009 , but this also did not yet progress. In 2015, a new version of the Workplace Democracy Act was introduced by both Bernie Sanders in the Senate and Mark Pocan in the House, receiving multiple sponsors but not passing as the Republican Party held majorities. In 2018, an extended version of the 2015 Bill

12432-530: Was successful in turning around construction at World Trade Center Site, and started the process of turning Farley Post Office into Moynihan Station . One day after Paterson's inauguration as the governor of New York, both he and his wife acknowledged having had extramarital affairs, one with a state employee. In May 2008, Paterson informed New York State agencies that they were required to recognize same-sex marriage licenses from other jurisdictions for purposes of employee benefits . The governor's directive

12544-639: Was the first student with a disability in the Hempstead public schools, graduating from Hempstead High School in 1971. Paterson earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1977 and a Juris Doctor from Hofstra Law School in 1983. After law school, he went to work for the Queens District Attorney 's Office, but he did not pass the New York bar examination , which prevented him from becoming an attorney at law . He claimed that his failing

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