Seeking to mollify Hispanic lawmakers wary of her stance on immigration, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand yesterday told a group of 16 New York City politicians that she will use the group as a sounding board to help form her immigration policy, Assemb. Peter Rivera said.
Gillibrand met with lawmakers from the state Senate, Assembly and New York City Council for nearly two hours at Brooklyn's Metrotech Center after Rivera (D- Bronx) and others had recently blasted her House voting record on immigration issues.
"We need to recognize the heritage that the immigrant community has provided to this country and put policies in place that will reflect that core value," Gillibrand told The Associated Press after the meeting.
The session was scheduled after Rivera and other lawmakers announced they would hold a press conference to oppose Gillibrand in the 2010 Democratic primary. That was abruptly canceled after Gillibrand reached out to Rivera and asked for the meeting.
Rivera, who said last week that Gillibrand's U.S. House record "borders on xenophobia" and predicted she would face a certain primary in 2010, said yesterday that the newly appointed senator promised to seek input on immigration issues from the group and from U.S. Reps. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) and Jose Serrano (D-Bronx).
"I'm not saying that I'm convinced," Rivera said. "She is asking for a chance to demonstrate where she is going to be when it comes to immigration."
Gillibrand's Brooklyn visit marks the latest in her post-appointment Clintonesque tour of the state. The Hudson lawmaker lunched with Clinton, Sen. Charles Schumer and Gov. David A. Paterson in Manhattan and visited state Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith's Queens neighborhood last weekend and marched in a Chinatown parade yesterday.
She has yet to visit or schedule a trip to Long Island. Her spokeswoman did not immediately return phone calls.
State Assemb. Philip Ramos (D- Brentwood) was unable to attend the New York City meeting, which was scheduled late last week, because he was traveling, Rivera said.
Gillibrand also has yet to schedule a formal meeting with her harshest Long Island critic, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola), the gun-control advocate who has promised to wage a 2010 primary campaign against Gillibrand, who earned high marks from the National Rifle Association during her one term in the House. In her public remarks since the appointment, Gillibrand has praised McCarthy and pledged to work with her.