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Council Member Linda Lee nominates Julie Menin for Speaker
0:24:01
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167 sec
Council Member Linda Lee nominated Julie Menin for Speaker, emphasizing her history as a coalition builder and her advocacy for 9/11 survivors, working families, and universal childcare.
- Lee spoke about Menin's long-standing support for World Trade Center health programs dating back to her time as a community board chair in Lower Manhattan
- The summary highlighted Menin's instrumental role in building the coalition necessary to advance universal childcare legislation in New York City
- Lee noted that Menin's work with NYC Kids Rise has created a pathway for economic stability for the city's youngest residents
- The nomination characterized Menin as an innovative leader capable of addressing the city's current housing and affordability challenges
Linda Lee
0:24:01
Good afternoon, colleagues.
0:24:05
Today, it is my great pleasure to nominate my friend and colleague, Julie Menon, to serve as our next city council speaker.
0:24:14
Throughout her career, from her time as a community board chair to her time as our colleague in the council, Julie has served as a dedicated advocate for our workforce whose labor built our city brick by brick and for everyday working families who have struggled far too long to make ends meet in New York City.
0:24:32
As chair of the committee on mental health disabilities and addictions, I've had the privilege of working closely with Julie on a resolution for first responders and survivors of September 11.
0:24:42
More than two decades after the events of nine eleven, New Yorkers still suffer from the effects of exposure to toxins and debris at ground zero.
0:24:50
And as a former community board chair in Lower Manhattan who fought for the creation of the World Trade Center health program, Julie stepped up once again when the federal government failed to address critical funding gaps for the medical care and support survivors survivors deserve.
0:25:06
Julie has continued to demonstrate the aptitude for coalition building paired with an unwavering focus on delivering real results for New Yorkers.
0:25:15
And at a time when our city grapples with the issue of affordability, Julie Menon has displayed her commitment to economic mobility starting with our youngest New Yorkers, those who will grow to become our future leaders.
0:25:27
Through her work as the founding board chair of New York City Kids Rise, Julie has laid the foundation to launch career saving accounts for every kindergartner in New York City.
0:25:38
And research has shown that children with even the most modest savings accounts are three times more likely to enroll in college and four times more likely to graduate, creating the pathway for economic stability in their professional careers.
0:25:53
And during the pandemic, parents across our city experienced firsthand the consequences of a broken child care child care system, myself included.
0:26:02
And in the push for universal child care, Julia Menon was instrumental in building a coalition of advocates and providers to advance pivotal legislation that made childcare more accessible, positioning New York City as one of the first major cities in the country with the ability to make universal childcare a reality.
0:26:21
Julie has spent her career fighting for New Yorkers, bringing that same passion and determination to her work and the council.
0:26:28
And as we confront continued challenges around housing and affordability, she is the innovative leader, I wanna say that again, innovative leader and coalition builder that our council needs to deliver real results for families across New York City.
0:26:44
So it is with my great honor to nominate my colleague Julie Menon.