Adriano Espaillat

Template:TOCnestleft Adriano Espaillat is the State Senate representative for the New York 31st District.

He won Congressional District 13 in 2016.

Education

Espaillat graduated from Bishop Dubois High School in 1974. In 1978, he earned his B.S. degree in Political Science from Queens College, and later completed postgraduate courses in Public Administration at the New York University and Rutgers University Leadership for Urban Executives Institute. ^[1]

Early Years

From 1994 to 1996, Espaillat became the Director of Project Right Start, a national initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to combat substance abuse by educating the parents of pre-school children. This pilot program was implemented in six cities throughout the country and in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. From 1992 to 1994, Espaillat served as Director of the Washington Heights Victims Services Community Office. This organization offered bilingual support groups for battered women, and provided relief, compensation, counseling and therapeutic services for families of homicide victims and other crime victims. In 1991, Espaillat was chosen as a member of Governor Mario Cuomo's Dominican American Advisory Board, where he served for two years. From 1986 to 1991, Espaillat actively served on Community Planning Board 12 as a member of the Executive Board. During the mid 1980s, Espaillat was elected President of the 34th Precinct Community Council. In 1980, Espaillat joined the NYC Criminal Justice Agency, a non-profit agency contracted by the city of New York to provide pre-trial services to the New York Criminal Court system, where he worked as the Manhattan Court Services Coordinator for eight years. During the 1990s, Espaillat helped resolve hundreds of conflicts among his constituents by volunteering his services as a State Certified Conflict Resolution Mediator for the Washington Heights Inwood Conflict Resolutions and Mediation Center.^[2]

New York Legislature

Espaillat made history in 1996 when he became the first Dominican-American elected to a state legislature. Following a successful tenure in the New York State Assembly, Espaillat was elected to the Senate in November 2010, where he will represent the 31st district. This uniquely diverse and dynamic district stretches from Manhattan’s Upper West Side through Washington Heights and includes Riverdale, Marble Hill, Inwood, and Hamilton Heights. In addition to serving on the Ways and Means committee, Espaillat recently chaired the Veterans Affairs Committee (2007-2010) and the Small Businesses Committee (2010). Espaillat was also selected to Chair the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus. ^[3]

Supported Progressive Health Care Reform

In late 2009, Adriano Espaillat was one of more than 1,000 state legislators to sign a letter entitled "State Legislators for Progressive Health Care Reform". The letter was a project of the Progressive States Network and was developed in consultation with national health care reform advocates, including the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Community Catalyst, Families USA, Herndon Alliance, National Women's Law Center, Northeast Action, SEIU, and Universal Health Care Action Network. The letter reads in part,^[4]

"Failure to pass national comprehensive health reform now will further jeopardize state and local budgets, undermining public services like education, public safety, and transportation infrastructure... We, the undersigned, call on President Obama and the Congress to enact bold and comprehensive health care reform this year – based on these principles and a strong federal-state collaboration – and pledge our support as state legislators and allies in pursuit of guaranteed, high quality, affordable health care for all."

Immigration protest arrest

With 109 arrests, New York is playing a lead role in a growing national movement of nonviolent civil disobedience for immigration reform. Recent civil disobedience actions also have taken place in Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles, Tucson, Detroit, San Francisco, and Seattle. Participants said their actions carry on the great tradition of peaceful non-violent resistance in the face of grave injustice, as practiced by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The series of civil disobedience actions began on May 17th 2010, when 16 New Yorkers were arrested. The following week, 37 were arrested in a similar action. Several elected officials were arrested in those actions: City Council Members Ydanis Rodriguez, Jumaane D. Williams, and Melissa Mark-Viverito, and State Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat.^[5]

Albany rent control arrests

June 3, 2015 ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS 10) - The New York State Police arrested dozens of people, including a few lawmakers, at the Capitol Wednesday afternoon. Protesters blocked the entrance to the Hall of Governors and refused to move. They were protesting rent control regulations. State Police arrested 55 people for Disorderly Conduct. According to police, three Assembly members, three Senators, and three New York City council members were arrested.

Senators Bill Perkins, Adriano Espaillat, and Brad Holyman, as well as Assembly members Richard Gottfried, Rodneyse Bichotte, and Maritza Davila-Amador were among the lawmakers charged.

Everyone who was arrested was issued appearance tickets for the City of Albany County split among June 10, June 11 and June 12.

The following were arrested, according to NYSP:

Marcele Mitaynes, 41, Brooklyn, NY
Richard Barr, 70, New York, NY
Lawrence Wood, 57, New York, NY
Michell Speight, 57, New Rochelle, NY
William Perkins, 66, New York, NY
Beatrice Biggins, 34, New York, NY
Ava Farkas, 34, New York, NY
Juana Soriano, 74, New York, NY
Elliott Roseboro, 69, Brooklyn, NY
James Lister, 60, New York, NY
Nabil Ahmed Hassein, 26, Brooklyn, NY
Estevan Nembhard, 34, New York, NY
Brad Holyman, 49, New York, NY
Rodneyse Bichotte, 34, Brooklyn, NY
Eugenie Dubnau, 77, New York, NY
Henry Bergold, 24, Brooklyn, NY
Jessica Wolff , 26, Brooklyn, NY
Peter Nagy, 30, Brooklyn, NY
Marina Metalios, 52, New York, NY
Samuel Frank, 53, Brooklyn, NY
Maria Beri, 70, New York, NY
Maria Maisonet, 56, Brooklyn, NY
Tomas Guzman, 64, New York, NY
Maritza Davila-Amador, 51, Brooklyn, NY
Luis Tejada, 56, New York, NY
Jumaane D. Williams, 40, Brooklyn, NY
Walter Mosley, 51, Brooklyn, NY
Adriano Espaillat, 60, New York, NY
Maritza Silva-Farrell, 38, Brooklyn, NY
Corey Johnson, 33, New York, NY
Robert Kalin, 61, New York, NY
Joel Feingold, 30, Brooklyn, NY
Carol Cage, 72, New York, NY
Jean Hunte, 52, Eastern Parkway, NY
Mark Gering, 56, Brooklyn, NY
Katherine Goldstein, 30, Brooklyn, NY
Stevenson Nurse, 61, Bronx, NY
Maria Echart, 60, Corona, NY
Reginald Brown, 63, Brooklyn, NY
Konstantino Marangoudakis, 40, Brooklyn, NY
Ryan Dubois, 25, Coram, NY
Julia Boyd, 78, Brooklyn, NY
Anne Perryman, 73, New York, NY
Robert Shulman, 60, New York, NY
Erik Buttcher, 36, New York, NY
Richard Gottfried, 68, New York, NY
Michael McKee, 75, New York, NY
Dolores Molina, 68, Queens, NY
Esteban Giron, 36, Brooklyn, NY
Constance Lesold, 77, Brooklyn, NY
Angel Vera, 52, Brooklyn, NY
Nadia Pinder, 21, Brooklyn, NY
William Lipton, 46, Brooklyn, NY
Alice Sutter, 67, New York, NY
Laurie Cumbo, 40, Brooklyn, NY^[6]

2014 supporters

June 2014 New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) which represents more than 600,000 members from 1,200 union locals announced their support for Adriano Espaillat in the NY-13 Congressional Primary. This support comes in the wake of several major labor union endorsements including WFP, CWA District 1, RWDSU, DC 9, UFT and HTC who announced their support last month and joins a broad coalition of support for Espaillat from across the District.

“Adriano Espaillat understands the needs of students, educators and his community. He will be a clear voice for sound education policies and for investing in vital public services so all members of the 13th District have quality schools, good health care and opportunities to lead better lives,” said New York State United Teachers President Karen E. Magee. “We worked closely with Adriano on many important issues in Albany, and look forward to continuing that productive collaboration during the campaign, and in Congress.”

“I am thrilled to have the support of NYSUT and its 600,000 members – it’s incredible,”Adriano Espaillat said. “Teachers are the key to our City’s future. Our children, our communities and our City can truly thrive through their hard work. In Congress, I will fight to give every resource to our teachers – giving our children every opportunity to excel and our City the brightest future it can imagine. I am honored to have NYSUT’s support and together I know we can bring change and Opportunity for All to the District.”

NYSUT represents more than 600,000 people who work in, or are retired from, New York’s schools, colleges, and healthcare facilities. They are classroom teachers, college and university faculty and professional staff, school bus drivers, custodians, secretaries, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants and aides, nurses and healthcare technicians. NYSUT is a federation of more than 1,200 local unions, each representing its own members. They are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA). They are also part of organized labor – the AFL-CIO – and of Education International, with more than 20 million members world wide.

Espaillat has dominated organized labor endorsements with the Working Families Party, (WFP) Communications Workers of America District 1 (CWA), Hotel and Motel Trades Council (HTC), United Federation of Teachers (UFT), District Council 9 IUPAT (DC 9), Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), Transport Workers Union Local 100 (TWU) and the Laundry & Distribution workers affiliate of Workers United SEIU (Workers United) showing their support earlier in the campaign.

Also part of the broad coalition of support is New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, former New York City Comptroller Bill Thompson, former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Bronx County Democratic Party Chair and Assemblymember Carl E. Heastie (AD -83); Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.; Senators Brad Hoylman (SD-27) Jeffrey D. Klein (SD-34) and Gustavo Rivera (SD-33), Assemblymembers Karim Camara (AD-43), Robert Rodriguez (AD-68), Gabriela Rosa (AD-72), Jose Rivera (AD-73), Mark Gjonaj (AD-80) Jeffrey Dinowitz (AD-81), and Victor Pichardo (AD-86); Councilmembers Mark Levine (CD-7), Ydanis Rodriguez (CD-10), Andrew Cohen (CD-11), Ritchie Torres (CD-15), Julissa Ferreras (CD-21); the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, and the Democratic Club of El Barrio & East Harlem.^[7]

CPC

In 2017 Adriano Espaillat was a new member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Impeaching Trump

A group of six Democratic House members introduced articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump Wednesday November 15, 2017, claiming the president has violated federal law, the public trust and should be charged with high crimes and misdemeanors.

Democratic Reps. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Luis Gutierrez of Illinois, Al Green of Texas and Adriano Espaillat of New York introduced five articles of impeachment at a press conference at the Capitol Wednesday. The articles have two more co-sponsors: Reps. Marcia Fudge of Ohio and John Yarmuth of Kentucky.

The congressmen list a number of charges against the president, including: obstruction of justice, a violation of the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, a violation of the Constitution’s domestic emoluments clause, undermining the federal judiciary process and undermining the press.

The articles focus primarily on Trump’s handing of the termination of former FBI Director James Comey, and potential conflicts of interest with Trump’s businesses and properties while he’s served as president.^[8]

Rayblinn Vargas connection==

Gratitude from Raybblin Vargas

People's Climate March endorsements

According to their website:^[9]

"Here are some of the leading artists, athletes and influencers helping to spread the word about the People's Climate March, including Adriano Espaillat."