Senator Gillibrand meets with local leaders Newly appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, center, discussed a host of national issues with local Democratic leaders, including district leader Maria Luna, left, and Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat, right, on Sat., March 28 at TAcocina restaurant on Fort Washington Avenue and W. 187th Street. After reaffirming her support for stricter gun control measures and immigration reform, Gillibrand gave each of the nine leaders a chance to question her about a specific issue, resulting in short discussions on topics such as financial literacy, Americorps, and, as City Council Member Robert Jackson put it, “jobs, jobs, jobs.” Discussing the widely held belief that Northern Manhattan residents were undercounted during the 2000 U.S. Census, local leaders stressed the importance of providing enough resources locally to ensure an accurate count in Washington Heights and Inwood. Gillibrand pleased local leaders by saying she would sponsor legislation to add a line for Dominican Americans to the census forms and would support the elevation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court if an opening should occur, making her the first Latina appointed to the nation’s highest court.
|
