Chamber Conducts 2026 Washington D.C. Advocacy Trip
The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce led a delegation of business and community leaders to Washington, D.C. on May 19 and 20, 2026, to advocate for federal policies and investments that support Staten Island’s small business community and strengthen the borough’s long-term economic competitiveness.
The trip centered around the Chamber’s 2026 Federal Policy Agenda, which focused on expanding access to capital, investing in transportation and infrastructure, and reducing the rising cost of doing business.
During the visit, the Chamber delegation met with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who provided a briefing on the BUILD America 250 Act, permitting reform, cost issues in relation to tariffs, immigration issues, and AI and emerging technologies. The delegation met with the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) regarding strategies attract economic investment in Staten Island.
The team also met with U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, and the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to discuss Staten Island’s unique economic and transportation challenges and to advocate for targeted federal support. Key topics included modernizing outdated federal eligibility standards that often exclude mixed-income communities from funding opportunities and supporting small business affordability initiatives.
Transportation and infrastructure priorities were a major focus throughout the meetings. Delegates discussed the importance of advancing the North Shore Bus Rapid Transit project, expanding ferry infrastructure and regional connectivity, addressing congestion pricing inequities that disproportionately impact Staten Island businesses and commuters, and called for the implementation of smart traffic technologies. The Chamber also highlighted Staten Island’s transportation realities, including long commute times, heavy bridge traffic, and limited transit options compared to other boroughs.
The Chamber’s 2026 D.C. Delegation included Linda Baran, President & CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce; Lauren Aquino of Alpha/Omega Coverage Corp; Tatiana Sabatelli of Nonprofit Staten Island; Roosevelt Board of Chick-fil-A; Zoltan Kemeny, CPA; Janet Magnuson of Richmond Home Needs; Regina Poreda Ryan of CMW Strategies; Henry Salmon of Equity Valuation Associates; Kristopher Sykes of Edward Jones; Joseph Torres of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management; and Laura Volsario of Gateway Arms Realty. Big thanks to this year’s delegation, who invested time and resources to advance the Chamber’s advocacy efforts.
The outreach trip reinforced the Chamber’s ongoing commitment to ensuring Staten Island’s business community remains part of the federal conversation and that outer-borough communities receive fair consideration in future policy decisions, infrastructure investments, and economic development initiatives.
Chamber President Linda Baran ran into Ken Iwama, former College of Staten Island’s Vice President for Economic Development, Continuing Studies, and Government Relations, now Vice President for Regional Campuses and Online Education at Indiana University.
