Bowman picks up NYSNA endorsement

The New York Nurses Association says it will back middle school principal Jamaal Bowman in his race challenging U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel.

As the state’s largest union of more than 42,000 front line nurses — and 3,000 of them living within Engel’s congressional district — Bowman hopes the organization can help push him over the hump of trying to unseat the longtime congressman in June’s Democratic primary, which includes several other candidates, including Andom Ghebreghiorgis and Chris Fink, among others.

“NYSNA nurses are excited to endorse a candidate who believes as we do that health care is a human right,” said Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, the union’s president, in a release. “The COVID-19 crisis has shown more clearly than ever that our health care system is broken, and that we must push for a more just Medicare for All system where everyone can access and afford the care they need.”

Engel pushes more education dollars

Although it’s not expected to even warrant a vote by the Republican-led Senate, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel is touting more than $5 billion in additional educational funds he says he pushed into the latest House coronavirus aid proposal.

“As a former educator, I understand how critical it is to always fund our state’s public education system, but especially during these uncertain times,” Engel said, in a release. “Our public school teachers are doing truly remarkable work under extremely difficult circumstances. They deserve our full support, and I was proud to lead the New York delegation in this fight to protect them.”

If the bill had made its way through the Senate and onto President Trump’s desk, it was intended to fund remote learning technology, WiFi hotspots, and pay for summer school.

“The time to act on behalf of our New York schools is now,” Engel said. “We need to pass this bill quickly.”

Cohen, Chin seek to expand SNAP

Councilman Andrew Cohen has joined forces with Manhattan councilwoman Margaret Chin to introduce legislation at the city level that would expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The goal isn’t to add more funds, but instead to increase the choices users of SNAP’s EBT card have in buying food, according to a release.

Right now, EBT card users can receive grocery deliveries through Amazon, ShopRite and Wal-Mart. Cohen and Chin want to include even more retailers, to help especially vulnerable members of the community who can’t get out to buy food during the coronavirus pandemic.

“SNAP recipients should have the same shopping options and be able to order groceries online the same way anyone else can, regardless of how they pay for it,” Cohen said, in a release. “This lifeline must be expanded to serve the most vulnerable.”