Last week, Rep. Adriano Espaillat convened his Transportation Task Force to discuss better ways to engage minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs) in infrastructure projects at all levels of government. He partnered with the General Contractors Association of New York, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s Office, and the New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce to provide presentations on the challenges MWBEs face in securing contracts in the infrastructure space, as well as the process they must follow to get certified by the federal, state and city governments.
“This is just the first step in what must be an ongoing effort to bring more MWBEs into this process and bring jobs and business to our very diverse community,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “The efforts to improve MWBE engagement comes from the top, but we have to do the work on the ground to make sure these businesses know when opportunities come available and we must make sure they have the tools they need to get engaged and succeed. I look forward to continuing to engage this important group of experts, community leaders, and fellow elected officials so we can improve opportunities for our community.”
“MWBEs must be at the core of the work to upgrade our mass transit system and address our city’s critical infrastructure needs,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “That’s why my office has held MWBE roundtables with many diverse communities to expand awareness of the opportunities available for bidding on contracts for projects and services. I look forward to continuing this important work with our elected partners and community stakeholders to ensure that every business from every corner of the city is provided substantive information and resources on navigating the procurement process at all levels of government.”
Rep. Espaillat was joined by uptown’s Councilmember Mark Levine, Councilmember Ben Kallos, Assemblymember Al Taylor, and representatives for Councilmember Ydanis Rodriguez, Assemblymember Carmen de la Rosa, and Assemblymember Robert Rodriguez. The Transportation Task Force consists of more than 40 representatives from local community groups, chambers of commerce, policy advocacy organizations and industry groups.
First elected to Congress in 2016, Rep. Adriano Espaillat is serving his second term in Congress where he serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the House Small Business Committee. He serves as a Senior Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) where he also serves in a leadership role as CHC Whip. He is also chairman of the CHC Task Force for Transportation, Infrastructure and Housing. Rep. Espaillat’s Congressional District includes Harlem, East Harlem, northern Manhattan and the north-west Bronx. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.
Photos via Rep. Adriano Espaillat
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