Senator Kirsten Gillibrand doesn’t shy away from a big fight.
Since beginning her tenure as a United States senator in 2009, Senator Gillibrand has worked hard to deliver results for families in New York and across the country. During this time, she has passed legislation to protect LGBTQ service members; make domestic gun trafficking illegal at the federal level; ensure that 9/11 survivors and first responders get the health care they deserve; give benefits to veterans exposed to toxic burn pits overseas; reform the military justice system; and ban members of Congress and their families from insider trading. To promote accountability and transparency, Senator Gillibrand was also the first-ever member of Congress to post a daily report listing her official meetings, earmark requests, and personal financial disclosures online for public consumption.
In addition to serving as the ranking member of the Special Committee on Aging, Senator Gillibrand is the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, and she also serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Senator Gillibrand’s home is in Albany, New York, where she grew up. She and her husband Jonathan have two boys, Theo and Henry, and a labradoodle, Maple.
Delivering for Older Americans
Older Americans have worked hard all their lives, and Senator Gillibrand is committed to making sure they can age with dignity, respect, and financial security. She has consistently fought to protect and expand Social Security and Medicare to ensure that the federal government keeps its promise to seniors. She also helped Medicare beneficiaries save money on their health care costs by passing legislation to cap the cost of their insulin at $35 a month, cap their out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 a year, and cap their premium increases for drug coverage.
Additionally, Senator Gillibrand knows that the nationwide shortage of long-term care workers combined with the growing number of Americans over age 65 puts an unsustainable strain on our health care system. That’s why she has led efforts to address this shortage and make sure older Americans can get the care they need.
Senator Gillibrand champions the Strategic Plan for Aging Act, a landmark bill that would provide states with resources to help older Americans navigate everything from housing to food insecurity. She has also worked hard to protect older Americans in the workplace, including by introducing a bipartisan bill that would ban forced arbitration clauses in cases of age discrimination, which would allow victims to have their day in court.