About Laura

Congresswoman Laura Gillen is currently serving her first term in Congress representing the people of New York’s Fourth Congressional District. The district includes Nassau County’s South Shore. Congresswoman Gillen is a Baldwin native and lives with her family in Rockville Centre.

Congresswoman Gillen graduated from Sacred Heart Academy and was a George Baker Scholar at Georgetown University. Her participation in the Baker Scholar program impacted the direction of her life with its lessons of leadership and community service. After graduating, Congresswoman Gillen volunteered on the front lines of the AIDS crisis and in Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying in Kolkata. Upon her return home, the Congresswoman attended law school at Georgetown Law Center and NYU School of Law, later working as a litigator with Cahill Gordon & Reindel, LLP, where she participated in her firm’s pro bono program where she represented victims of domestic violence. She later joined the Westerman firm in Nassau County.

In 2017, Congresswoman Gillen became the first Democrat to be elected Hempstead Town Supervisor in 112 years. Congresswoman Gillen took aim at waste and corruption and made the Town government more accessible, transparent and accountable to taxpayers. As Supervisor, Congresswoman Gillen led efforts to revitalize the town’s infrastructure, brought taxes down for residents, took on special interests to recover damages for contaminants in the public water supply and passed critical legislation relating to sexual harassment and veterans’ benefits.

In Congress, Rep. Gillen serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, sitting on the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Subcommittee on Aviation, and Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

Standing Up For Our Jewish Community

“New York’s Fourth Congressional District is proudly home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the country, from the Five Towns and West Hempstead to Merrick and beyond.

“As your representative and a lifelong Nassau County resident, I’m committed to being a strong voice for Jewish Long Islanders, protecting our neighbors, combating rising antisemitism and defending the vital U.S.-Israel relationship.

“I’m proud to have secured millions in federal security grants for synagogues, introduced bipartisan legislation to combat antisemitism and assisted Long Island families safe return home from the Middle East during international crises. I will continue working across the aisle to support our ally Israel, keep our communities safe and stand up to extremism in any form.”

– Congresswoman Laura Gillen

Congresswoman Gillen is leading bipartisan action to combat rising hate and antisemitism on campuses, in our communities and on social media. She is focused on preventing antisemitic discrimination and extreme anti-Israel hostility on college campuses. She has also worked to improve Holocaust education and awareness and protect all students’ right to learn without fear. Rep. Gillen’s legislation includes:

Jewish American Security Act (H.R. 9211): Rep. Gillen co-led a bipartisan package with Reps. Dan Goldman (D-NY-10) and Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) to provide $1 billion annually for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides grants to protect synagogues and yeshivas, to increase college campus protections against antisemitism, to improve threat and hate crime reporting and to tackle online antisemitism.

Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism: Rep. Gillen is a proud member of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat Antisemitism and is committed to working with colleagues across the aisle to protect the Jewish community.

Student Protection and University Accountability Act (H.R. 9203): Rep. Gillen led legislation with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) to counter antisemitism on college campuses and hold universities accountable for failing to protect students.

Holocaust Education and Antisemitism Lessons (HEAL) Act (H.R. 768): Rep. Gillen is an original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation directing a nationwide review of Holocaust education standards to ensure future generations learn from history.

Antisemitism Awareness Act (H.R. 1007) & DETERRENT Act (H.R. 1048): Rep. Gillen helped introduce legislation to strengthen federal protections against antisemitism on college campuses and voted to crack down on malign foreign funding to higher education institutions.

Calling Out Extremism: Rep. Gillen has repeatedly spoken out against Zohran Mamdani's antisemitic rhetoric, which is deeply troubling to the Jewish community in New York.

Protecting Synagogues, Schools, and Jewish Organizations

Every house of worship and community space should be safe from fear or violence. Rep. Gillen continues to work directly with Nassau County congregations to better safeguard our synagogues. Her office is actively working with congregations and local leaders to apply for and win vital Nonprofit Security Grant Funding to protect houses of worship.

Funding Secured for NY-04: Rep. Gillen recently secured more than $2 million in federal security grants for local houses of worship and non-profits for New York’s Fourth Congressional District. Last year, she announced more than $2.25 million in security funding , including $350,000 for Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere.

Direct Outreach and Advocacy: Rep. Gillen worked with more than 100 local synagogues, schools and non-profits and provided letters of support for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program and New York State's Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes (SCAHC) program.

Grant Application Workshops & Oversight: Rep. Gillen hosted a security briefing for religious leaders at Hofstra University to help leaders navigate funding, urged FEMA leadership to eliminate application delays and advocated for record-level security funding.

Leadership Roundtables: Rep. Gillen partnered with the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center and Young Israel of West Hempstead to address synagogue safety with rabbis and leaders.

Strengthening the U.S.–Israel Relationship & Confronting Iran

Rep. Gillen firmly supports Israel’s right to exist and defend itself against existential threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies. She continues to work across party lines to promote the Abraham Accords, counter threats from Iran and protect the U.S.-Israel alliance from partisan politics.

Protecting Aid to Israel: Rep. Gillen strongly opposed efforts to cut critical U.S. aid to Israel, affirming Israel’s fundamental right to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iranian aggression.

Bipartisan Defense Bills: Rep. Gillen cosponsored the United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act (H.R. 1229) and supported the U.S.-Israel FUTURES Act (H.R. 7540) to expand joint defense technology and anti-drone cooperation.

Deterring Iran: Rep. Gillen led a bipartisan initiative calling for the complete dismantlement of Iran's uranium-enrichment infrastructure and cosponsored the Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act (H.R. 1422) and Solidify Iran Sanctions Act (H.R. 1800).

Justice for Victims of Terrorism: Rep. Gillen introduced bipartisan legislation supporting the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund to compensate American families impacted by Iranian-backed terrorism.

Countering BDS and Efforts to Target Israel: Rep. Gillen cosponsored the IGO Anti-Boycott Act (H.R. 867), which would penalize U.S. companies or individuals who support economic boycotts of U.S. allies, and voted for the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act (H.R. 23) to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigating U.S. citizens and allied nations.

Traveling to Israel: Rep. Gillen traveled to Israel with a bipartisan congressional delegation to meet hostage families, Israeli officials and visit attack sites like Kibbutz Nir Oz and the Nova Music Festival site.

Helping Americans Return Safely from Israel

When conflict in the Middle East created an international travel crisis, Rep. Gillen’s office worked directly with constituents to help them return safely home. Her office acted immediately to deliver direct emergency casework and push the State Department to restore critical evacuation resources.

Constituent Assistance: Rep. Gillen personally assisted dozens of Nassau County constituents seeking safe travel back home from Israel following the Iran conflict this year.

Pressuring the State Department: Rep. Gillen led a letter demanding the resumption of charter flights to evacuate Americans.

Delivering Results: Rep. Gillen successfully compelled federal officials to reopen crisis channels and guide stranded Americans back to safety.

Deeply Engaged in the NY-04 Jewish Community

Rep. Gillen believes being a strong voice for our Jewish neighbors means showing up and staying connected by regularly meeting with Jewish leaders, celebrating together and honoring Nassau County’s Holocaust survivors and members of the community.

Preserving Survivor Testimony: Rep. Gillen sat down with 100-year-old Holocaust survivor Leah Goldberg in Valley Stream to hear her story and emphasize the urgency of passing the HEAL Act to strengthen Holocaust education.

Local Engagement: Rep. Gillen j oined Five Towns survivors at the Holocaust Survivors Luncheon , and engaged local community members through interviews with the Five Towns Jewish Times and the Jewish Star .

Cultural & Communal Events: Rep. Gillen j oined the JCRC-NY 2026 Congressional Breakfast , proudly marched in the Israel Day on Fifth Parade , attended rabbinic roundtables, visited local schools like HALB and YOSS and participated in mezuzah hangings and fireside chats across the district.