Dems vow new Congress good for Queens

With sweeping victories in Congress giving them a majority in the House, Queens Democrats are likely to play major roles when the new representatives take office at the beginning of 2007, and they believe Queens residents will benefit from the change in leadership.
Among those Queens representatives likely to have increased responsibilities include Congressmember Gary Ackerman, who is in line to become the chair of the International Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East, Congressmember Nydia Velzquez, who will likely take over the Small Business Committee and Congressmember Carolyn Maloney could take over the Financial Services Subcommittee.
&#8220Queens residents will benefit in part because there will be a good number of New Yorkers that will have seniority and will have influence on things that come back to New York as far as tax dollars,” Ackerman said.
Ackerman, who is serving his 12th term in Congress, talked about the responsibility that the subcommittee has regarding oversight on foreign policy in the region as well as the importance and relevance the subcommittee will have for Queens residents.
&#8220In Queens, International Relations are a local concern,” Ackerman said. &#8220Most people in Queens are very interested in various parts of the world in which they are from [or have family living in].”
Maloney, who represents parts of Manhattan and Queens, said Queens residents should be optimistic about the future with a Democratic Congress.
&#8220I think we will see honest attempts at expanding health care coverage, lowering energy prices and providing assistance with college tuition costs in this Congress, which I know means a lot to Queens residents and all Americans, for that matter,” Maloney said.
Meanwhile, Velzquez, who represents parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, will likely become the next chair of the Small Business Committee, and she said she is determined to make all of the necessary tools available to the Queens business community.
&#8220As Chair, I will work to increase access to affordable capital and provide those who want to start their own businesses with the training they need through strengthening the two small business development centers at LaGuardia and York College,” Velzquez said.
Velzquez also said she will make sure Queens gets its share of the $300 billion federal marketplace.
&#8220By channeling these resources where they are needed most, we will make sure that small businesses have the best chance possible to succeed,” she said.