Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
DThe FAA rolled out a new AI tool for air traffic control in DC without publishing a safety evaluation or sufficiently consulting labor. @RepAprilDelaney and I are urging the FAA to stop the rollout until we have answers. Air traffic control leaves zero margin for error.
On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we celebrate the endless and bountiful contributions of Native people. Let us continue to center their voices and wisdom, and staunchly advocate for their community and land prosperity, especially as it relates to climate change.
For years, the Trump admin has launched slanderous attacks against Rep. Omar. This morning, the administration sent federal officials to raid her home. We cannot and will not accept this unprecedented abuse of power. I stand with @Ilhan.
On Tuesday, @GovKathyHochul @RepPatRyanNY and I had the opportunity to speak with farming communities and spotlight a New York State moratorium on data center construction. We must hold Big Tech companies accountable for maintaining our air, water, and climate quality. https://t.co/SqEWAHUdcB
My statement on the ICE shooting in Marble Hill ⬇️ https://t.co/eDXEv5Vxrr
NEW YORK – Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) released the following statement tonight after federal agents shot and injured a New Yorker in Marble Hill on Thursday. “Today in Marble Hill, ICE agents fired multiple shots at a man in his vehicle while his 5-year-old child was in the back seat. “ICE’s already unwelcome presence in our city has been growing more escalatory and dangerous by the day. Today’s shooting is a grave development that requires a swift and immediate response to protect the safety of all New Yorkers. “First, we must have a full and independent investigation of this incident. “There must also be a full and immediate release of all body camera footage of the incident. “In addition, the Target Corporation must stop offering their Bronx properties as private staging sites for ICE, in compliance with requests from New York officials. Target opening up large, active retail parking lots for paramilitary activity is unacceptable and places the entire community at risk. “ICE is a rogue, lawless paramilitary and surveillance agency. It does not belong in New York City and it should not exist in the United States of America. Abolish ICE.” ###
Big Tech companies like Flock Safety have built a mass surveillance system to harvest Americans’ private and personal data without their consent. I’m proud to introduce the Ban Flock Act with @SenSanders to enforce our constitutional right to privacy.
It’s not too late to join the 2026 Congressional App Challenge! The deadline to submit projects for the challenge is October 26, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET. NY-14 students can register here⬇️ https://t.co/bqbDvQrOFV
Constituents Only:718-662-5970 or Email Me | Out of District:(202) 225-3965 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) released the Ban Flock Act, legislation to put an end to the rise in AI-powered surveillance cameras that track Americans across the country. The Ban Flock Act would prohibit federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and block federal funding from state and local governments that use this technology. “Across the country, Big Tech companies like Flock Safety have built a mass surveillance system to harvest Americans’ private and personal data without their consent. AI-powered cameras are keeping track of our every move and weaponizing this data against working people to make record profits. The widespread integration of this technology into American society is unconscionable,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “I am proud to introduce the Ban Flock Act with Senator Sanders to enforce our constitutional right to privacy and protect Americans from both corporate and government surveillance.” “At a time of growing concern about the unchecked power of artificial intelligence, Flock is eviscerating the very notion of privacy by installing tens of thousands of cameras in communities across America without their consent,” Sanders said. “Going to the doctor? Flock knows. Dropping your kid off at school? Flock is tracking you. Flock is always watching. We cannot allow America to become a surveillance state where a handful of AI oligarchs profit by giving the government the power to track our every movement.” “Your right to privacy includes the freedom to move around your community without every move being monitored,” Merkley said. “Right now, Flock is selling its cameras nationwide, laying the groundwork for a surveillance state while enriching corporate executives. No one should have this unchecked surveillance power at their fingertips, which is why I’m teaming up with Senator Sanders to rein in this dangerous technology.” Flock is the largest vendor of automatic license plate readers in the United States, with more than 120,000 cameras across the country that scan and record 20 billion vehicles every month. Newer Flock cameras do not just record vehicles — they record people. Flock’s AI system can combine images of you and your vehicle with databases of phone numbers, relatives and court records to find out who you are, where you're going and why. The company also operates a national lookup tool, so agencies that contract with Flock can access data generated by cameras in another city or state. The national lookup tool searches can turn up massive amounts of information, including physical descriptions, records of an individual’s online accounts and lists of their relatives. The mass surveillance capabilities enabled by Flock and other automatic license plate reader companies have threatened the civil liberties of everyday Americans: So far this year, at least 56 municipalities have deactivated, cancelled, or rejected contracts with Flock. Congress must act to stop the mass surveillance of citizens. The Ban Flock Act would do this by: Read the text of the bill here. ###
Republicans’ OBBBA specifically targeted New York by stripping 450,000 New Yorkers of their health insurance. I'm proud to introduce the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act with @SenSchumer to reinstate federal funding for the Essential Plan and protect our communities.
Constituents Only:718-662-5970 or Email Me | Out of District:(202) 225-3965 Because of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, over 450,000 New Yorkers lost Essential Plan coverage. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led the entire New York Democratic delegation in the introduction of the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act. The Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act would restore health coverage to the nearly 450,000 New Yorkers who were kicked off of the Essential Plan under the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “Congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents the largest loss of healthcare in American history. Apart from cutting nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid, this bill specifically targeted New York by gutting the Essential Plan and stripping almost half a million New Yorkers of their health insurance. We must take immediate steps to repeal the harmful impacts of H.R. 1 on New York” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “Today, I am introducing the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act alongside Senator Schumer and the entire New York Democratic Delegation to reinstate federal funding for the New York Essential Plan and ensure that New Yorkers can once again access this critical health program.” “Make no mistake, the ‘Big, Ugly Bill’ has been a disaster that has left American families sicker, poorer, and less safe,” said Leader Schumer. “Republicans promised lower health care costs, but they delivered soaring premiums, sky-high deductibles, and coverage ripped away from millions – all to give billionaires and big corporations a tax cut. In an act of political retribution, Republicans specifically targeted New Yorkers, kicking nearly half a million people off their coverage. Leaving working families with no affordable alternatives isn’t policy; it’s punishment. And it undermines public health and the health of our vital hospitals and community health centers. We must work to pass this legislation, reverse this cruel policy, and restore health insurance to all New Yorkers.”“H.R. 1 decimated New York’s Essential Plan, ripping health insurance coverage from hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and weakening the finances of every hospital in the State. That’s why the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act is so critically important. It would repeal this terrible HR 1 policy and establish a permanent option for expanded basic health plan coverage. New York’s hospital community is deeply grateful to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the New York delegation Democrats for championing this effort to expand health insurance and strengthen New York’s health care safety net,” said Kenneth E. Raske, President, Greater New York Hospital Association. “Losing coverage can force patients to delay care, skip medications, or make impossible choices between their health and other basic needs. Community health centers care for everyone who walks through their doors, whether they have insurance or not, and as more New Yorkers lose coverage, the strain on CHCs and their patients grows,” said Rose Duhan, president and CEO of the Community Health Care Association of New York State. “Ensuring New Yorkers have coverage helps patients get the care they need, when they need it, from providers they know and trust. CHCANYS is proud to support the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act.” “HANYS strongly supports the Restoring Essential Plan Coverage Act, which would reverse H.R. 1’s harmful limitations on New Yorkers’ eligibility for this affordable health insurance option and provide states the flexibility to extend this coverage to individuals with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty line,” said Thomas J. Quatroche Jr., PhD, president and CEO, Healthcare Association of New York State. “Affordable health coverage is becoming out of reach for many New Yorkers, and H.R. 1 threatens to leave even more people uninsured. HANYS applauds Senate Minority Leader Schumer and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez for introducing this important bill and for their ongoing dedication to protecting and improving all New Yorkers’ access to healthcare coverage and care.” “This legislation would reverse some of the worst harms of H.R. 1 and allow more New Yorkers to access affordable health insurance coverage,” said Mitchell Katz, MD President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. “Our health care system is grateful to Senator Schumer and Representative Ocasio-Cortez for their leadership and commitment to keeping New Yorkers connected to care.” The legislation would repeal the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s premium tax credit eligibility restrictions, fully restoring funding for the Essential Plan. In addition to restoring the program, the legislation would provide all states with the option to expand health coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s Basic Health Plan. This legislation is cosponsored by the entire New York Democratic delegation including: Senator Gillibrand (D-NY), Leader Jeffries (NY-08), and Representatives Clarke (NY-09), Espaillat (NY-13), Gillen (NY-04), Goldman (NY-10), Kennedy (NY-26), Latimer (NY-16), Mannion (NY-22), Meeks (NY-5), Meng (NY-6), Morelle (NY-25), Nadler (NY-12), Riley (NY-19), Ryan (NY-18), Suozzi (NY-3), Tonko (NY-20), Torres (NY-15), and Velázquez (NY-07). The full bill text is available here.A one-pager of the bill is available here. ###
On Friday, an explosion in central Athens took the lives of 6 people, including 4 New Yorkers. I am sending my deepest condolences to the families of Florin Hoxha, Eris Cani, Ian Kirkpatrick, Florida Hoxha, and all our NY-14 constituents impacted by this tragedy.
As heavy rain and flooding continues to impact our city, it's important to monitor the latest forecasts and avoid unnecessary travel. If you must travel, never walk/drive into flooded areas and sign up for @NotifyNYC to receive emergency notifications. Stay safe, NY-14.
Additional flooding information: 1️⃣ If you live in a basement apartment, relocate to a higher location. 2️⃣If you see a downed tree or a clogged catch basin, report it at https://t.co/3SvlXoekcE. 3️⃣If your property was damaged, report it at https://t.co/gLWA2kR3B6
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ami Bera (CA-06), and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act. The Affordability is Access Act would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs, once it’s FDA-approved. The legislation also includes a new provision to require health insurance to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product without cost sharing unless the health plan also covers a therapeutically equivalent generic without cost sharing—this would significantly eliminate barriers that some patients face in accessing contraceptives prescribed by their provider. This reintroduction comes as the Trump administration continues their senseless attacks on reproductive care, family planning, and contraception. Throughout the press conference, speakers discussed the administration’s moves to cancel teen pregnancy prevention grants, their attempts to decimate Title X, and their attacks on contraception—including the State Department’s extremist decision to falsely label birth control products as abortifacients. “I am proud to reintroduce the Affordability is Access Act alongside Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Patty Murray, which will make birth control widely accessible and affordable without a prescription,” said Rep Ocasio-Cortez. “As this administration continues to attack bodily autonomy, we will continue to fight to ensure that people everywhere have access to reproductive care.” "While Trump and his Republican co-conspirators attack our bodily autonomy and make life less affordable, we’re fighting hard to protect reproductive freedom, lower costs, and ensure contraceptives are affordable nationwide," said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would make over-the-counter birth control accessible to all who need it, without the burden of prescriptions or out-of-pocket costs. Reproductive justice means protecting and expanding reproductive healthcare, and I'm proud to partner with Senators Murray, Cortez Masto, and Hirono, alongside Reps. Bera and Ocasio-Cortez, and our colleagues to make that a reality for all.” “When it comes to birth control, the challenge we face isn’t just to stop Trump from setting up new barriers. We have to tear down the barriers that have been standing for far too long—like cost,” said Senator Murray. “We have to put forward our own vision for the future—not just reject Trump’s far-right dystopia. That’s why we are re-introducing the Affordability is Access Act. This bill would require insurance to fully cover safe, over-the-counter birth control for patients. And this year we made a big update: our bill will also make sure all other FDA-approved forms of contraception are covered for patients. No fees. No hurdles. No out-of-pocket costs. This is especially important because, as of March 2024, there is an over-the counter birth control pill that women can buy at pharmacies and grocery stores. Trump has made his vision painfully clear, he wants to take women’s rights away, he wants to set birth control on fire. Well, this bill is our vision as Democrats. We want to protect women’s rights. And we want to protect your birth control.” “As the Trump regime continues to attack reproductive freedom, fighting for contraception access has never been more important,” said Senator Hirono. "FDA approval of over-the-counter birth control is a major step forward, but approval alone does not guarantee access. By requiring insurance companies to cover over-the-counter contraception at no cost and without a prescription, this legislation will help to ensure women nationwide have the power to control their bodies and their lives." “Congress must pass the Affordability is Access Act to expand Americans’ reproductive freedoms even as this Administration tries to shrink them,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Birth control has helped thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans live healthy lives. It’s past time we made sure every woman who wants it has an affordable over-the-counter option they can buy.” “Birth control is essential healthcare that everyone, no matter their insurance or income, should be able to get when they need it,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “This act is a crucial first step in removing cost barriers and expanding access to contraception. As anti-reproductive health lawmakers continue to do everything in their power to restrict access to care, we’re grateful to Sen. Murray for reintroducing this bill.” “Contraception is a fundamental part of reproductive health care and autonomy— it gives people the power to shape their own futures,” said Daria Neal, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights. “Everyone who needs contraception should be able to access and afford it. Yet the Trump Administration has repeatedly put that access at risk, from subverting the federal family planning program and ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, to letting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contraceptives go to waste overseas. We're grateful to Senator Murray and her colleagues for standing up for reproductive rights and supporting this critically important legislation." “With the sudden termination of AccessMatters’ teen pregnancy prevention initiative, over 2,500 adolescents in Philadelphia immediately lost access to everything this program provided over the last three years – including evidence-based education programming, parent workshops, connections to local healthcare providers, assistance setting up medical appointments and accessing contraceptives, and leadership opportunities for the Youth Advisory Board,” said Audrey Ann Ross, Senior Manager of Communications and Policy at AccessMatters. “This loss of access coupled with the shifts in Title X program priorities further underscore the need for policies that support access to contraceptives and sexual and reproductive health care and information. We urge Congress to pass policies like the Affordability in Access Act and to also demand that HHS immediately restore this funding so that adolescents nationwide can continue benefitting from these programs.” Under the Affordable Care Act, all private health insurance plans are required to fully cover — without copays or out-of-pocket costs — prescribed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, granted, or cleared methods of contraception. The Affordability is Access Act would change this to apply to over-the-counter birth control that women can get without a prescription. The Affordability is Access Act would also maintain the FDA’s sole authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and make them available over the counter without a prescription, and ensure retailers provide contraception without a prescription. The legislation states that any retailer that stocks contraception that the FDA has approved, granted, or cleared without a prescription may not interfere with a consumer’s access to or purchase of such contraception. The bill is endorsed by: Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI), National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, Reproductive Health Access Project, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Healthy Teen Network, Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, Reproductive Freedom for All, Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Center for Biological Diversity, National Council of Jewish Women, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, AIDS United, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, National Network of Abortion Funds, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Organization for Women (NOW), Religious Community for Reproductive Choice, The Guttmacher Institute, Population Connection Action Fund, American College of Nurse Mid-Wives, and Ibis Reproductive Health. Read the full text of the Affordability is Access Act HERE. ###
Bill Text (PDF) | One-Pager (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) reintroduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act, legislation that would establish a Civilian Climate Corps (CCC), administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service within AmeriCorps, which follows in the footsteps of the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, with important equitable updates. The CCC would provide good-paying service opportunities to a diverse group of 1.5 million Americans over five years to complete clean energy, climate resilience, environmental remediation, conservation, and sustainable infrastructure projects, while providing transformational educational benefits and career pathways in good union jobs. “The impacts of the climate crisis are being felt across our country, with extreme weather events taking lives and causing billions in devastating losses. We need a massive public investment to combat the toll of wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act alongside Senator Ed Markey, which puts 1.5 million people to work forging climate-resilient communities. The urgency of this moment requires us to respond with robust and reliable solutions,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “As Americans face frequent extreme weather disasters, a job market disrupted by the expansion of artificial intelligence, and other economic challenges, the Civilian Climate Corps presents an opportunity to support meaningful job opportunities and efforts to combat the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey. “I am proud to work with Representative Ocasio-Cortez to continue to fight for this program, which would provide an opportunity for more than a million Americans—especially young people—from every walk of life to earn a good wage while serving their communities and working toward a climate-resilient future.” The Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and in the House of Representatives by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Summer Lee (PA-12), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). Senator Markey and Representative Ocasio-Cortez first introduced the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act in April 2021. This CCC proposal, and others like it, inspired the Biden administration to launch the American Climate Corps in 2023. Trump dismantled the American Climate Corps on his first day back in office. This legislation is endorsed by: AFSCME; Appalachian Mountain Club; Evergreen Action; Food & Water Watch; the Forum for Youth Investment; Grid Alternatives; Indivisible; Louisiana Green Corps; Partnership for the Civilian Climate Corps; SEIU; Sierra Club; Sunrise Movement; Union of Concerned Scientists; United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE); WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “America’s workforce has tremendous potential to fight climate change and build a safer future. The Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act will help unlock that potential by creating pathways to good-paying jobs to boost our economy while building pollution-free communities across the country,” said Evergreen Action Executive Director Lena Moffitt. “With the support of this legislation, the next generation of the energy and climate workforce will have the skills they need to withstand climate disasters and to lead the clean energy transition.” “Young people are desperate for good-paying, meaningful jobs that allow us to build a future worth living in. We’ve spent a summer choking on wildfire smoke and watching our communities flood, while housing and food become increasingly unaffordable. Now, as AI threatens to upend entire industries, young people are spending years in college preparing for jobs that may not even exist. We need jobs that provide stability, purpose, and a livable future. We need a Civilian Climate Corps, now,” said Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement. “This is timely legislation as communities across the nation are struggling with worsening climate impacts and rising energy costs and urgently need policymakers to help protect them by boosting resilience and clean energy. Investing in a civilian climate corps is a huge opportunity to create good paying jobs with on-the-job training while advancing the solutions frontline communities need and deserve,” said Rachel Cleetus, Interim Program Director for Climate & Energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. ###
G'mar chatimah tova to all those observing Yom Kippur in NY-14 and across the globe. We hope this Yom Kippur brings you and your loved ones peace and many blessings, and may you all have a meaningful fast.
I'm proud to announce that we secured $351 million for flood prevention in The Bronx and Queens in the Water Resources Development Act. This funding will go directly toward projects that will protect our community from flash floods.
This Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the generations of immigrants, activists, artists, and trailblazers who paved the way for us. Our community thrives together. Let us hold each other close as we continue to fight for our collective prosperity.
Funding is a $161 million increase from the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 Washington, D.C. - Today, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) announced the House of Representatives’ passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), which includes a provision she requested with her New York Delegation colleagues to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to spend $351 million to combat flooding in The Bronx and Queens. The funding authorizes projects that would directly improve water and wastewater infrastructure, including new flood control and stormwater infrastructure projects in New York’s 14th District. “In 2021, Hurricane Ida devastated New York City, taking the lives of 13 community members in flash floods and causing extensive damage to homes in The Bronx and Queens. Since then, the climate crisis has increased the prevalence and intensity of severe weather events,” said Alexandria Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “I am very proud to have secured $351 million in the House-passed Water Resources Development Act of 2026. This funding will allow us to strengthen our existing flood infrastructure, protect our community from future weather events, and help communities better engage with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.” In 2024, Representatives Ocasio-Cortez and Grace Meng (NY-06), along with Senator Schumer (D-NY), secured $190 million to combat flooding in Queens. This year’s funding increase adds to that amount. In addition to funding for flood management, Representative Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues secured the creation of a new Office of Technical Assistance and Community Outreach and support for oyster restoration projects in the East River, Flushing Bay, and the Bronx River. The impacts of climate change are being felt across our communities, particularly in The Bronx and Queens. By the end of the century, it’s estimated that sea levels could rise by seven feet along the United States coastline. The Water Resources Development Act of 2026 provides the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with the authority to carry out development projects and studies that improve water resources infrastructure, including for rivers and harbors. This legislation will now be reconciled with the Senate version of the Water Resources Development Act before being signed into law by the President. ###
Read More ⬇️ https://t.co/30JY2GMmXa
Across the country, private equity and corporations are buying up doctors' offices, leading to patients paying more for worse care. @RepValHoyle and I are introducing the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act to get Wall Street out of Americans’ doctors’ offices.
The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act would ban corporations and private equity from owning physicians. The bill is modeled on the landmark Oregon law that physicians have already used to successfully challenge corporate takeovers. WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Val Hoyle (OR-04), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act to ban the corporate practice of medicine. “Across the country, private equity firms and corporate conglomerates are buying up American physician offices. To increase shareholder profits, these entities often cut corners, leading to patients paying more for significantly worse care,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “I’m proud to co-lead the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act to get Wall Street out of Americans’ doctors’ offices and ban predatory noncompete agreements for healthcare workers.” “Patients want to know that decisions about their health are being made by their doctors, not by Wall Street investors,” said Senator Warren. “If we’re going to lower costs and un-rig the health care system, we need to stop the corporate takeover of medicine.” “Billionaire corporations are using sick patients to turn healthy profits, and Americans are fed up,” said Senator Merkley. “In Oregon, we passed one of the most comprehensive corporate practice of medicine laws in the country, standing up for patients and health care providers. It’s time we take on corporate greed in health care at the federal level by passing our Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act, cracking down on these takeovers that are destroying our health care system.” “Americans want medical decisions to stay between patients and their doctor, not dictated by corporate actors and private equity firms focused on maximizing profits,” said Senator Wyden. “I’m proud of Oregon’s pioneering state law that has been used by doctors to protect their independence, and it’s time to take that model to the federal level. Corporate medicine is making health care more expensive for everyone, and safeguards must be put in place to ensure health care decisions stay in the hands of physicians.” “80% of doctors in the U.S. are employed by corporate entities, up from 62% in 2019,” said Representative Hoyle. “Healthcare should not be a line item in a spreadsheet. The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act will ensure proper protections are in place, so our healthcare systems serve the best interests of our patients, not corporations.” “Americans want medical decisions to stay between patients and their doctors, not dictated solely by the pursuit of maximizing profits. States have passed laws to protect the independence of physicians, and it’s time to take that model to the federal level. Corporate medicine is making health care more expensive for everyone, and safeguards must be put in place to ensure health care decisions stay in the hands of physicians,” said Representative Subramanyam. “With big bipartisan majorities, Oregon passed the strongest ban on the corporate practice of medicine in the country,” Oregon House Majority Leader Ben Bowman said, the author and chief sponsor of Oregon Senate Bill 951 (2025). “Oregon has shown that it’s possible to stand up to corporate profiteering in healthcare and win. Now it’s time to take that fight nationwide.” Over 80 percent of doctors in the United States are employed by corporate entities—including private equity firms and insurers—up from 62 percent in 2019. Despite prohibitions on the corporate practice of medicine in over thirty states, private equity firms, insurers, and other corporate entities have exploited legal loopholes that allow them to circumvent these restrictions to the detriment of clinicians and patients. Management services organizations (MSOs) have become vehicles for exercising corporate control over physicians. MSOs contract with physician practices to handle ostensibly purely administrative tasks, but these actors often challenge the autonomy of acquired physicians once in control. For example, corporate entities often assume control over clinical operations, management and staffing decisions, and billing and coding practices—all of which can exert pressure on physicians to change care delivery. The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act ensures health care decisions are made by physicians—not private equity firms, insurance companies, or other corporate actors. The legislation: Bans the corporate practice of medicine by making it illegal for private equity funds, insurance companies, and other for-profit corporations to own or control medical practices; Closes the “friendly physician” loophole that has allowed investor-backed corporations to evade state-level bans on the corporate practice of medicine and control medical practices through MSOs; Prohibits an MSO from controlling a medical practice through a “friendly” or “captive” physician, or by taking over business, administrative, and clinical functions such as hiring and firing, work schedules, compensation, disbursement of revenue or setting of revenue targets, billing practices, contracting, and other services; Ensures that physicians retain ultimate control of medical practices by requiring that physician owners are meaningfully engaged in providing medical care in the state in which their practice is located; and Protects physician independence by prohibiting corporate interference with clinical decisions and banning restrictive contract terms, such as non-compete agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and non-disparagement agreements. The bill is modeled on a landmark law in Oregon that physicians have already used to successfully challenge corporate takeovers in the state. Most recently, Eugene Emergency Physicians beat back efforts by Peace Health to replace local physicians with a private equity-backed staffing company. This legislation is also supported by Representatives Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fl.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Az.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and has been endorsed by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Economic Liberties Project (AELP), Coalition for Patient Centered Care, Bull Moose Project, Center for Health and Democracy, OrthoForum, Alliance of Independent Dentists, Private Equity Stakeholder Project, and Association for Independent Medicine. "The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) believes that local physician ownership of their practice is the best arrangement for the physicians, the medical staff, the hospital and, most importantly, for the patient,” said Vicki Norton, MD, FAAEM, President of the AAEM. “That’s why the AAEM strongly supports the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act of 2026. The bill would prohibit the corporate practice of medicine and allow physicians to work unencumbered, focusing on patients. There is no greater policy imperative for AAEM than protecting patient safety and quality of care in emergency departments through efforts such as this bill.” "The Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act will strengthen long-standing bans on the corporate practice of medicine, ensuring clinical decisions are made by licensed professionals sworn to care for patients, not corporations beholden to shareholders," said Emma Freer, Senior Fellow for Health Care at the American Economic Liberties Project. "It's an essential step toward breaking up Big Medicine, which drives costs up, quality down, and independent practitioners out of business." "States established prohibitions against the corporate practice of medicine a century ago for a simple reason: when corporations start making medical decisions instead of doctors, everyone loses. Care gets worse and more expensive for patients, working conditions get worse for doctors and their staff, and communities lose the unique benefits of high-quality, independent care," said Joe Van Wye, Policy Director at Coalition for Patient-Centered Care. "We commend the sponsors of the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act for introducing today’s legislation, which will enshrine our nation’s strongest and most effective protections against the corporate practice of medicine into federal law for the benefit of all Americans, and hope it is enacted quickly." “Patients are best served when clinical decisions and practice operations remain under the control of licensed healthcare professionals, not private equity firms or management companies whose primary obligation may be to investors, says Dr. Jill Tanzi, President of the Alliance of Independent Dentists. "The threats posed by corporate consolidation are not unique to medicine; dentists and their patients deserve these same protections. This bill’s protections against corporate control and interference are critical safeguards for both clinicians and patients, and we commend its sponsors for working to protect independent medicine." “Private equity firms and other corporate investors should not get to decide how doctors practice medicine. When investors dictate staffing levels or how much time doctors can spend with patients, they are directing patient care. Doctors need the authority to make those decisions based on what their patients need. We support the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act and urge Congress to put enforceable limits on corporate control of medical practices,” said Michael Fenne, Senior Policy Coordinator at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. "Our health care system is perfectly designed to concentrate wealth and power into corporate entities and increasingly badly designed to actually care for patients. The Oncology Practices of ONCare Alliance are dedicated to helping oncologists remain independent of private equity and other corporate structures that pull needed resources away from patient care into their profit margins," said Barbara McAneny, Co-Chair of the OnCARE Alliance. "We strongly oppose the corporate practice of medicine and commend the sponsors of the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act for introducing this important bill that will help doctors design our practices to make the best treatment plans with our patients." You can read the full text of the bill here. A one-pager of the legislation is available here. ###
Shana Tovah to all those celebrating Rosh Hashanah in NY-14 and across the globe! We are wishing you and your loved ones a new year filled with peace, joy, and sweet blessings! 🍎🍯
On this 25th anniversary, we mourn the thousands of lives lost on 9/11. Our hearts are with their loved ones. Let us also honor the courageous first responders who gave their all in our darkest hour. We will #NeverForget their bravery in the face of such terrifying tragedy.