By Colin Campbell 2/07/12 5:41pm

hypothetical sketches

New York's 9th Congressional District

If Bob Turner’s District Is Saved, Who Gets the Axe?

New York may be losing two Congressional districts this year, but Assemblyman Rory Lancman, who announced his intentions to run for recently-elected Congressman Bob Turner’s district today, told The Politicker he’s confident Mr. Turner’s seat won’t be among them. His sentiments are echoed by Shelly Silver, who said he’d like the district to be kept around, and who, as Assembly Speaker, has as much say on what the final map will look like as anyone.

The conventional wisdom has long been that Mr. Turner’s Queens-based district would be chopped up and handed to the surrounding Representatives. However, if the district is kept largely intact, some of those surrounding seats could easily be significantly impacted.

With relatively anemic growth in Queens and Nassau counties compared to the rest of the state, it could be very difficult to avoid eliminating at least one district in the region. Although there are nine Congressional districts touching either of those two counties, some of them are particularly challenging or impossible to erase.

The two minority-majority districts, belonging to Representatives Nydia Velázquez and Gregory Meeks, are likely protected by federal law (and wouldn’t really be possible to eliminate anyway). Read More

By David Freedlander 2/06/12 1:51pm

bills

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NYC Lawmakers, MTA, Slam GOP Over Transit Cuts

Members of New York City’s Democratic Congressional delegation and Metropolitan Transportation Authority chief Joe Lhota gathered at Grand Central Terminal today  to call on House Republicans to cease moving forward on a bill that would strip transit agencies across the country of needed funding.

“We have people shooting dice with the economy of the City and State of New York,” said Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel, the dean of the New York delegation. He added that the bill was a cynical attempt to divide urban from rural America.

“There is no agenda that they have. Every time this issue comes up they try to take away. First just because it is the City of New York, and second, because they have a majority now, they are taking advantage of us.” Read More

By David Freedlander 1/04/12 12:01pm

CFPB

Obama Nominates Richard Cordray To Head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Grimm Says Cordray Appointment Shows Obama's 'Complete Disrespect For The Law'; Maloney Disagrees

According to reports out of Washington today, President Barack Obama is planning to bypass the Senate and appoint Richard Cordray to new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

Many Republicans not only do not want to see Mr. Cordray appointed–especially during a recess appointment–they do even think that the agency should exist at all.

Count among those Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm.

“President Obama’s announcement to make a sham recess appointment for Richard Cordray to head the controversial CFPB shows his complete disregard for the checks and balances established by the U.S. Constitution,” the freshman lawmaker said in a statement. “Knowing he lacks the support from Senate Republicans to confirm Corday, he has changed the rules in his favor and sets a dangerous precedent that will give him carte blanche to appoint whomever he pleases, whenever he pleases.” Read More

By David Freedlander 12/27/11 9:43am

suggested reading

Morning Read: John Liu Powers Thru; Ed Towns' Expensive Ride; Uncage the Bull!

John Liu seems determined to power through his federal investigations, and to follow through with his plan to run for mayor.

Shelly Silver said he wasn’t sure his conference would support casinos in New York City, a key initiative of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s.

The City Council is looking to more strictly regulate cycling in the coming year, Sally Goldenberg reports.

Michael Powell yearns for a time when Read More

By David Freedlander 11/23/11 3:11pm

Proposals

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Maloney Proposes Federal Oversight of City Contracting

East Side Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney proposed yesterday the creation of a congressional “Contracts Caucus” to examine the contracting practices of city, state and federal governments.

“When I get back to Congress along with my colleagues I intend to form a Contracts Caucus to look at these questions and to look at where these federal dollars are going and to look at what we can do to help the economy of our great country and the selfless people that are working here because what I have learned today is frankly upsetting to me,” the congresswoman said at a briefing yesterday with DC37 to discuss the impact of federal funds on jobs and services. Read More

By David Freedlander 11/15/11 5:29pm

In The Money

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1% Congress: Maloney, Lowey Among Capitol’s Richest

The Center for Responsive Politics is out with a list today of the wealthiest members of Congress. Among those with the deepest pockets include Westchester Rep. Nita Lowey, whose average estimated net worth is listed as over $41 million, and East Side Rep. Carolyn Maloney, whose average estimated net worth is over $28 million.

According to report, about 47 percent of Congress, or 249 current members of Congress, are millionaires. Read More