On the Issues
Creating Jobs and Expanding the Economy
Tim Bishop is a champion for creating jobs in Suffolk County and strengthening our state's economy as a whole. Thanks to his efforts in Congress, Suffolk County received more federal stimulus money for education than any other county in the state, aside from New York City.
The stimulus money that Congressman Bishop brought to our district has helped fund local infrastructure improvement projects, provide much-needed relief to areas ravaged by severe winter storms, and save the jobs of our teachers, police and firefighters. Among the local institutions bolstered by these funds was Brookhaven National Laboratory, where stimulus dollars will accelerate the cleanup of the Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor. The project is expected to create about 175 jobs for Long Islanders and help get our economy moving again.
Making Quality Health Care Affordable
Congressman Bishop wants to ensure that decisions about patient care are made by doctors, not insurance companies, and that cost doesn't act as a barrier between medical care and the people who need it.
Too many families on Long Island are struggling to pay the skyrocketing costs of health insurance. The average Long Islander has seen their health insurance premiums rise by 80% in the last decade. Tim Bishop has worked to cut these costs and to crack down on insurance company abuses. Thanks to legislation that Tim supported, insurers can no longer deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or cancel coverage when a policyholder gets sick.
Tim believes that insurance companies must cover routine check-ups and preventative care, such as mammograms, because early detection saves lives and keeps health-care costs down.
Environment
Congressman Bishop is proud to support legislation that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil while creating the next generation of jobs in alternative energy industries. He believes that the best energy strategy for our country will encompass the three-pronged approach of improving our national security, strengthening our economy and protecting our environment.
Protecting Long Island’s Middle-Class Families
Congressman Bishop is fighting for legislation to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which unfairly targets over 90,000 residents of New York's 1st Congressional District. The AMT is an extra tax that some people pay on top of their regular income tax. It was originally put in place in order to prevent people with very high incomes from using multiple loopholes to pay little or no tax, but it also affects an increasing number of middle income families because the AMT is not adjusted for inflation. Bishop wants to set this straight and help lower the tax burden that Long Islanders have to shoulder.
To this end, Bishop has secured about $157 million in aid for Long Island schools, which helped us avoid heightened property taxes or layoffs of teachers and staff. Tim also supports expanding the Child Tax Credit and the 10% income tax bracket.
Keeping Our Promises to Veterans
Tim Bishop believes we have to keep our promises to the veterans who put their lives on the line for our country. To that end, he has helped countless veterans cut through red tape at the VA to receive the benefits they have earned. Tim was proud to vote for the largest funding increase in U.S. history for veterans’ health care. These extra funds will help cover treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injuries. Congressman Bishop has also introduced a bill to alleviate the cost-of-living disparity that disproportionately reduces benefits for Long Island veterans.
Fighting for Seniors
Tim is a loyal advocate of policies that strengthen Medicare and Medicaid. He introduced legislation to eliminate the long-term disparity in health insurance premiums that Long Island seniors pay for the Medicare Advantage Plan. He supports closing the Medicare drug benefit’s “doughnut hole” by dedicating the cost savings from price negotiation towards ending the coverage gap.
During his time in Congress, Tim has supported legislation to provide prescription drug benefits to seniors. He also has opposed all efforts to privatize Social Security.
Working for Long Island
Since Bishop was first elected to Congress in 2002, he has hosted over 150 community meetings throughout his district. At these events, residents of the 1st District are invited to share their concerns and to ask questions about Bishop’s work in Congress on behalf of Long Island. In 2008, Congressman Bishop was named Man of the Year in Government by Long Island's Times Beacon newspapers for treating residents in need "like visiting royalty."
Bishop is proud of his reputation for responding to the needs of his constituents. Working seven days a week, Bishop has used his time in Congress to win federal funding for new roads, bridges, waterways and public programs that support local families, businesses and create jobs for a better Long Island.