Abundance New York 2026 Congressional Candidate Questionnaire
Patrick Timmins
Congressional District NY-12
Background
Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
I have been a lawyer and professor for decades, advocating for the everyday American and shaping the minds of future generations in Constitutional Law. Last year, I was the lone democratic challenger to Alvin Bragg for Manhattan District Attorney--my first foray into running for elected office.
I am running for this office because I know that our district deserves the best, and I plan on being a staunch advocate for addressing everyday quality of life issues in addition to standing up to President Trump.
How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like in your district?
I am running for this position because I see a lot of bluster today from other candidates about standing up to President Trump, fighting the Trump Administration, and defending against Trump policies detrimental to our district. This is unquestionably important, but isn't a platform. My platform is about putting the people of our district first--and while I plan on standing up to Trump when in office, I plan on standing up for my constituents first.
Government Delivery Reform
NEPA Reform: Congress should reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to reduce the time and scope of federal environmental review for housing, transit, renewable energy, and resilience projects. NEPA delays affect federally funded projects in New York, adding years and significant costs to critical infrastructure.
Agree
Capital Project Procurement Reform: Congress should give federal agencies and their state and local grantees more procurement flexibility—such as expanded other transaction authority and performance-based contracting—to speed up delivery of federally funded capital projects. This should include examining Buy America requirements and federal cost-sharing rules that inflate project costs.
Agree
Additional context
(No response)
Housing
Expanding Housing: Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires increasing production of all kinds of housing, including market-rate units. Congress should increase federal support for housing production through funding and regulatory changes, including by tying federal transportation, infrastructure, and community development funding to pro-supply local policies such as zoning and permitting reform.
While housing production is incredibly important, specifically, Section 9 housing needs to receive a hyper-focus by the federal government so that people living in Section 9 housing can be respected and comfortable with normal lives and normal amenities. Demolitions of public housing are not only bad for the environment and the buildings themselves but the people. And while the buildings are built stable, they lack repairs and maintenance. This should be brought to the immediate attention of our federal government.
Homelessness: Congress should increase federal funding for Housing First approaches, including permanent supportive housing, as the primary strategy for addressing homelessness.
Agree
Transit-Oriented Development: Congress should incentivize transit-oriented development by conditioning federal transit funding on local zoning changes that allow more housing near transit stations.
In New York City, the nerve center of the city is the subway system which requires more assistance with maintaining safety on board the trains. Zoning changes are inapplicable in the city. Housing near transit stations is not relevant. We are focused on driving out criminal conduct on subways and buses.
Build Code Reform: Congress should support research, funding, financing, and model codes that encourage cheaper construction methods (e.g., modular construction, mass timber) while maintaining safety.
Agree
Repeal the Faircloth Amendment: Congress should repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to build new public housing units beyond the number that existed in 1999, to allow for the construction of new public housing.
Agree
Additional context
New York City does not receive the federal funds that it provides through its taxpayers. We need a complete overhaul of the formula for determining federal funding to New York City. We hope in the new Congress this can be a priority.
Transit
Transit Cost Containment: Congress should act to reduce the cost of federally funded transit projects, including by reforming FTA New Starts and Capital Investment Grant requirements, streamlining federal review, and encouraging cost-containment practices as a condition of federal funding.
Agree
Bus Transit Investment: Congress should leverage its funding for bus transit to encourage the creation of busways and bus rapid transit where appropriate to increase the speed of buses and the efficiency of federal investments, including through programs like the FTA's Capital Investment Grants and Bus and Bus Facilities program.
Agree
Automated Camera Enforcement: Congress should remove or oppose federal restrictions that limit state and local use of automated traffic enforcement—such as red light cameras, speed cameras, and bike lane cameras—and should allow federal highway safety funds to support automated enforcement expansion.
Agree
Parking: New York City should charge more for parking and reduce or eliminate free street parking.
Disagree
Additional context
Regarding parking, New York City has systematically reduced the amount of available parking spots for all of its residents. Many people rely on a car, and the demands on parking have made this important part of living difficult.
Clean Energy & Climate Resilience
Solar Energy: New York State should preempt local regulations that effectively ban solar projects by establishing a ceiling on restrictions and should streamline solar permitting by adopting automated systems in order to enable more solar energy.
Agree
Nuclear Energy: Congress should support expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity by funding new reactor designs, streamlining NRC licensing, and extending the operating licenses of existing plants in order to hit the goal of 100% zero-emission electricity generation by 2040.
Agree
Geothermal Energy: Congress should support the expansion of geothermal energy development through federal research funding, streamlined permitting, and incentives for deployment, including in dense urban areas like New York.
Agree
Transmission Co-Location: Congress should support legislation that prioritizes existing highway, railroad, and utility rights-of-way for the siting of new electricity transmission lines, reducing permitting delays and landowner conflicts while accelerating the buildout of transmission capacity needed to deliver clean energy.
Agree
Climate Resilience Investments: Congress should increase federal investment in climate resilience infrastructure, including coastal defenses, stormwater management, and cooling infrastructure, with priority given to socially vulnerable communities.
Agree
Buyout Reform: Congress should reform federal disaster buyout programs—including those administered through FEMA and HUD—to accelerate the relocation of families out of high-risk flood zones, with streamlined environmental review, standing funding, and expanded eligibility for renters.
Agree
Additional context
Congress needs to begin an effective energy generation program by converting waste to methane and subsequently enhancing power and electricity.
Regarding buyout reform, in matters involving massive floods and other natural disasters, there needs to be created very tight protocols to get money and help to the people affected. Over the years, this seems to be a constant problem.
Candidate Statement
Abundance Examples from Your Work: Please describe a specific example from your record (legislative, professional, or community work) where you championed a project or policy that is aligned with our agenda. What obstacles did you overcome, and what was the outcome?
My work experience and campaign experience have focused on public safety. As a Bronx Assistant District Attorney in the 1990s, there were volumes of cases that dealt with serious street crime and serious subway crime. I was deeply involved in prosecuting those crimes.
In my last campaign, I sounded the alarm about serious crime in the New York City subway system, which included subway shovings, murder on platforms, robbery, assaults, and constant harrassing of vulnerable New Yorkers. That needs to change.
Legislative Priorities: If elected (or re-elected) to Congress, what are your top three legislative priorities? Please be specific about the policies you would advance and what you hope to achieve.
Immigration law. To achieve a "Blue Card" legal status, undocumented immigrants that are here for ten years or more, without a criminal record, can receive a legal status that could lead to naturalization after fifteen more years.
Expansion of Medicare to include dental and vision, while reducing prescription drug costs.
Term limits of three two-year terms for the House of Representatives and two six-year terms for the U.S. Senate.