Jack Schlossberg is rolling out a proposal to develop federal assist for nurses, New York News has discovered, the newest in a string of coverage pushes from the Kennedy scion as he tries to interrupt via in a crowded Democratic major for considered one of Manhattan’s most carefully watched congressional seats.
Schlossberg’s “Next-Gen Nursing Initiative” would quadruple funding for the federal Nurse Corps program, rising it from about $92 million to greater than $370 million yearly, in accordance with the marketing campaign, which says the plan might assist greater than 15,000 nurses nationwide, together with about 3,800 in New York Metropolis.
The present Nurse Corps program operates on a a lot smaller scale. Federal Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) funds paperwork say the $92.6 million program would fund an estimated 243 scholarship awards and 775 mortgage reimbursement awards in fiscal yr 2027, and supported 2,450 nurses and nurse school as of September 2025.
The HHS is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his cousin and a frequent goal of Schlossberg’s criticism.
The proposal would steer federal scholarship and mortgage reimbursement help towards nurses who work in nursing houses, assisted residing amenities and rehabilitation facilities — settings Schlossberg says are being squeezed by a rising nursing scarcity and an growing old inhabitants.
“This is my shot in the arm for both,” Schlossberg stated in an interview with New York News. “We don’t do enough to help seniors and nurses.”
The plan would designate long-term care amenities as precedence service websites below Nurse Corps, create a paid residency observe for long-term care nursing and construct a pipeline between federally supported nurses and high-need elder care amenities.
A March report from the Heart for Well being Workforce Research on the College at Albany discovered that New York’s RN schooling pipeline has remained comparatively flat in recent times, with 10,286 new RN graduates statewide in 2024, together with 3,840 in New York Metropolis. The report additionally discovered that barely greater than half of nursing deans stated they turned away certified candidates in 2025, citing school shortages, restricted medical coaching websites and admissions caps as key boundaries.
The rollout provides Schlossberg one other likelihood to emphasise coverage in a race the place he has drawn consideration because the son of Caroline Kennedy and the one grandson of President John F. Kennedy. Schlossberg has stated he’s attempting to tell apart himself with concrete proposals on housing, affordability, gun trafficking and well being care.
“I think the best way to differentiate yourself is on policy,” Schlossberg informed New York News in March.
On Sunday, Schlossberg rolled out one other family-focused proposal alongside his mom, calling for the federal Youngster Tax Credit score to be transformed right into a month-to-month profit and funded with cash he stated needs to be redirected from President Donald Trump’s proposed White Home ballroom.
Schlossberg stated his nurses’ plan could be paid for by rejecting proposed well being workforce cuts tied to RFK Jr. by redirecting a portion of projected Division of Well being and Human Providers financial savings, and by constructing on present Title VIII nursing workforce applications.
Requested what his fallback could be if these financial savings are usually not accessible, Schlossberg didn’t title one other funding supply.
“Show me the member of Congress who wants to block helping out nurses and everybody’s parents and grandparents,” he stated.
Schlossberg additionally didn’t decide to requiring taking part long-term care amenities to satisfy wage, staffing or security requirements. Requested how he would maintain nurses in elder care after their federal service commitments finish, he stated the plan begins with increasing the workforce pipeline.
“I think it starts with investing more in the pipeline to serve these facilities,” Schlossberg stated, including that extra may very well be carried out via incentives and advantages.
The marketing campaign stated the plan was developed via analysis and conversations with nurses. Schlossberg stated he had spoken with some nurses union representatives, however didn’t say a union had formally endorsed the proposal.
Jack Schlossberg stands alongside his mom, Caroline Kennedy, might 10Photo by Dean Moses
Schlossberg is working to interchange retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler in New York’s twelfth Congressional District, which incorporates a lot of Midtown, the Higher East Facet and the Higher West Facet. The sphere consists of Meeting members Alex Bores and Micah Lasher, lawyer George Conway and others.
Public polling has prompt Schlossberg is a high contender, although the accessible surveys have largely been sponsored by candidates or outdoors teams. Current polls have proven him main by margins of three to 10 factors, whereas a late-February survey had Bores narrowly forward.
The nursing proposal comes as Schlossberg seeks to say the progressive lane within the major. He has pointed to his positions on marketing campaign finance, international coverage, well being care and immigration, and has stated he doesn’t take tremendous PAC cash, company PAC cash or cash from Massive Tech and synthetic intelligence pursuits.
FEC information present Schlossberg’s marketing campaign has acquired restricted PAC contributions, together with $5,000 from Oceans PAC, $3,500 from Democratic Motion Community and $5,000 from PAC to the Future, Pelosi’s management PAC. These donations are capped and disclosed.
However his “No PAC Jack” branding has drawn scrutiny past the direct contributions. The Decide Road Journal reported final week that a number of PACs and hybrid PACs had solicited donations utilizing Schlossberg’s title or voice.
Requested concerning the slogan, Schlossberg stated his pledge is geared toward tremendous PACs, company PAC cash and Massive Tech or AI cash — however not each restricted PAC contribution. He stated management PAC donations are “apples to oranges” in contrast with limitless tremendous PAC spending.
“Not all PACs are the same,” Schlossberg stated.
On the identical time, the Working Households Celebration has signaled reluctance to line up behind him. Metropolis & State reported that WFP State Director Jasmine Gripper stated the social gathering might reopen its endorsement course of as a result of Schlossberg was polling forward.
“As the polls show Jack Schlossberg ahead, we think we can do better than that,” Gripper stated, in accordance with Metropolis & State.
Schlossberg rejected that criticism within the interview, saying he’s “the most progressive candidate in this race.”
He additionally addressed one other problem that has divided the sphere: protests outdoors homes of worship over actual property occasions involving West Financial institution property.
Requested concerning the latest protest outdoors Park East Synagogue, Schlossberg stated he understood why demonstrators objected to what he described as unlawful land gross sales being promoted in a home of worship, calling it “distasteful.” However he stated he nonetheless helps buffer-zone laws round homes of worship and faculties, arguing that antisemitism is actual and that individuals ought to really feel protected once they pray.
Requested whether or not he would think about federal motion to cease U.S.-based gross sales of West Financial institution settlement property, Schlossberg stated he would have a look at the choices if elected.
