Roberts, Matthew
WASHINGTON - Rep. Nydia Velázquez's website touts her role in helping to pass President Bill Clinton's 'New Markets Initiative,' which provided start-up money for businesses in low-income areas.
But as they worked on the legislation in 1999, Clinton aides privately complained that Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) threatened to oppose the bill because she believed administration aides were ignoring her, according to a White House memo released Friday.
'I think the real problem is that she is looking for a little attention from the White House,' White House staffer Lisa Green wrote in the July 20, 1999 memo to the chief of staff to National Economic Council director Gene Sperling.
The memo was among 7,500 pages of Clinton-era documents released Friday by the National Archives. At the time, Velázquez had just become the top Democrat on the House Small Business Committee.
Evan Agostini/Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
'She is very upset about issues which seem to have very little to do with the actual legislation,' Green wrote.
'#1 she is bothered that Gene did not return her call. #2 she is bothered that the President did not visit New York and that (Clinton) went to Watts and did not focus on the Hispanic Community enough.'
Velázquez felt 'she has not had enough opportunity for input,' on the legislation, Green added.
Andrew Schwartz/For New York Daily News
A Velázquez spokesman on Friday called the memo's claims 'absolutely false.' He declined to elaborate.
The Clinton aides said Velázquez had 'some vague concern' about the bill's language, but chalked her complaints up to hurt feelings.
Green suggested Sperling call Velázquez as soon as possible, 'for the primary purpose of soothing her ruffled feathers.'
dfriedman@nydailynews.com
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