Weekly Newsletter, 07.31.24

 July was a busy month in Washington and the District as we prepared to enter the August recess. As outlined below, we are in the midst of the appropriations process and House Republicans continue pushing  their extreme agenda and baseless political games by holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress and attacking Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden hosted the 2024 NATO Summit, marking the 75th anniversary of the Alliance, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress. 

We also lost a colleague and icon with the passing of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Congresswoman Lee served the people of Houston for over three decades, including as a member of the Houston City Council, a judge, and as their Congresswoman. She was a valued member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Democratic Caucus, and the U.S. House of Representatives. It was an honor serving with this legend, who I will miss. 

Below is an overview of what else you missed.
 

IN WASHINGTON

House Republicans Push Extreme MAGA Agenda In Appropriations Bills 

As we head into August recess with only 2 months left in the current fiscal year, the House has passed only 5 of 12 appropriations bills, each of which MAGA Republicans loaded down with extreme culture war amendments. Prior to the July 4th break I opposed four funding bills that passed the House on a partisan basis:

• The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Bill, because it hurts military readiness and quality of life for servicemembers and their families;
   
• The Homeland Security Funding Bill, because it creates chaos and fails to secure the border; 
   
• The State Department Funding Bill, because it abdicates U.S. leadership abroad and threatens global women’s health, and 
   
• The Defense Funding Bill, because it weakens U.S. national security and undermines democracy here and abroad.

In July, the House passed only one additional funding bill, The Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Act (H.R. 8998). I voted against this bill, which included dangerous provisions that: 

• Fail to address the climate crisis and promote dirty energy; 
   
• Slash funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
   
• Defunds environmental justice initiatives, including the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that protect water quality for millions of Americans. 

You can learn more about the bill here. 

The House considered two other funding bills that proved too extreme even for some Republicans. On a bipartisan basis, the House rejected The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act (H.R. 8772), which would 

• Undermine Congress’s ability to recruit and retain diverse staff; 
   
• Jeopardize LGBTQ+ protections in the name of religious freedom; 
   
• Block diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives; and 
   
• Bars DACA recipients from serving in the legislative branch. 

You can learn more about the bill here. 

After hours of debate on extreme MAGA amendments, House Republicans pulled the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Act (H.R. 8997) because they did not have the votes to pass it. I spoke against the bill on the House Floor because of provisions gutting funding for energy efficiency programs that lower energy costs and carbon emissions by lowering energy demand. You can learn more about the bill here. 
 

Republicans Pass Voting Bill with a Modern-Day Poll Tax

In their latest attempt to fight mythical “non-citizen voting” - which is already illegal - House Republicans passed the so-called Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (“SAVE”) Act (H.R. 8281) to require voters to meet burdensome proof-of-citizenship requirements in order to vote. 

Under this new bill, most Americans would be unable to register to vote using their driver’s license or other state-provided identification, including military or Tribal IDs, alone. For these voters, the only acceptable form of proof of citizenship would be an ID that costs money to obtain, such as a passport. In essence, that is a poll tax.

Voting rights are sacred to me and my family. My great-grandfather had to pass a literacy test and find three white men to vouch for him just to be able to register to vote. My grandfather and father had to pay a poll tax. My great-grandmothers and grandmothers were never allowed to vote. My mother did not vote until after passage of the Voting Right Act of 1965. I spoke and voted against this modern day poll tax, but the bill passed largely along party lines on a vote of 221 to 198. 
 

Science Committee Advances NASA Reauthorization

The Science Committee held a markup to consider H.R. 8958, the NASA Reauthorization Act, to authorize federal funding and provide support for NASA’s activities and programs. This year’s NASA Reauthorization offers direction for human space exploration, including both the Artemis and Moon to MarsPrograms, improves productivity of the International Space Station, invests in space technology development, and supports transformative aeronautics research and development. 

I successfully secured several important priorities in the NASA Reauthorization, including two of my bills: the Celestial Time Standardization Act and the ACERO Act. My celestial time bill would establish a lunar time standard to account for the differences in time between the Earth and the Moon. My ACERO Act would codify and expand the existing ACERO project at NASA to enhance the use of man and unmanned firefighting technologies. I also secured a provision to authorize NASA to enter into an agreement with the town of Chincoteague, Virginia, to reimburse costs associated with developing a plan to replace PFAS-contaminated drinking water wells located on NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. You can watch may remarks on the bill and these amendments here and below:
 

The House Science unanimously advanced the bill out of committee.  


Update on My Legislation: One Bill Passed, Two Bills Introduced 

Last week, the House unanimously passed my first standalone bill renaming the Petersburg Post Office after Congressman John Mercer Langston. During Reconstruction, Langston became the first African American to represent Virginia in Congress – also from Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District. Born in Louisa County, Langston became an abolitionist, civil rights advocate, attorney, civil servant, diplomat, academic leader, and trailblazer, who redefined what was deemed possible for Black Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He became the first President of what is now Virginia State University and the first Dean of Howard Law School. As the first Black woman to represent Virginia, I stand on his shoulders. As a kid, I spent a lot of time with my Dad in the Petersburg Post Office. Now, I hope other kids see his name on the wall and learn more about his incredible legacy. You read more about the bill here and watch my Floor speech in support of the legislation here or below. 
 

I also introduced a resolution to reaffirm the need to rapidly and equitably deploy climate action policies that address the unique needs of children, including language-accessible public alerts, education for health care professionals, educators, and childcare providers, improved air filtration systems, and more. As the climate crisis continues to intensify, the impacts become more severe and undeniable: increased wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, droughts, and extreme weather. Babies, children, and adolescents face particular vulnerabilities to adverse health impacts caused by extreme weather, including decreased cognition, respiratory illnesses, physical, psychological, and emotional trauma, and more. I joined Moms Clean Air Force for their annual Play-In for Climate Action advocacy event in Washington, D.C. to announce the resolution. You can read more about the bill here and watch the livestream for the Moms Clean Air Force event here. 
 

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Finally, I introduced The Improving Mentorship in STEM Higher Education Act to strengthen mentorship opportunities in higher education science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs. Academic advisors have unparalleled impacts on the professional development and trajectory of their students; however, they do not typically receive mentorship training. This can jeopardize academic success, as STEM students, especially students from underrepresented backgrounds, say positive mentoring relationships are the most important factor in finishing a STEM degree. My legislation would create a demonstration program to support projects that improve mentorship practices, assess the effectiveness of the demonstration program, direct the National Science Foundation to report those findings to Congress, and require institutions of higher education to disseminate information on existing institutional reporting processes for any professional misconduct. I thank Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) for his partnership in this legislation, and I look forward to advocating for its passage in the coming months. You can learn more here or in this video below. 
 

IN THE DISTRICT

Delivering Over $3 Million to Entities in Virginia’s Fourth 

During my District Work Period in July, I presented Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Community Project Funding awards secured through the FY24 appropriations bills. First, I presented YWCA Richmond with $1,666,279 to support its Transforming Lives After Surviving Domestic Violence Project. This initiative will build at least forty new residential units and provide 24/7 innovative programming and services to survivors of domestic violence. Studies show domestic violence citations are the number three reason tenants get evicted. These new residential units will ensure survivors have a stable, safe home environment, which paves the way for economic mobility and future development. 
 

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Next, I delivered $959,752 to the City of Colonial Heights for its Waterline Replacement Project. This project will renew aging water infrastructure and improve water quality, capacity, and pressure for many residents. 
 

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I also delivered $959,752 to the City of Petersburg for its Poor Creek Force Main Capacity Improvements Project to replace an existing wastewater system and improve its functionality and capacity for the public. 
 

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You can learn more about these and other FY24 Community Project Funding that I secured for the Fourth District here.


Successful Brunswick County Veterans’ Resource Day 

My office recently co-hosted a Veterans Resource Day with the Brunswick County Board of Supervisors, the Brunswick County Veterans Day Committee, Urban Grid, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The event provided veterans and their families with a variety of programs through military service-oriented vendors to ensure they are taking full advantage of available resources and programs. The event was a great success, and there was a strong turnout. Thank you to everyone who stopped by for this important opportunity. 
 

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REMINDERS

Congressional App Challenge 

Calling all Fourth District students interested in STEM! We are now accepting submissions for the Congressional App Challenge. Students are tasked with developing an original application to address a problem in our state, country, or across the globe. The deadline to submit is October 24, 2024. For more information or to submit your application, visit their website.
 

I look forward to hearing from you. Make sure to follow @RepMcClellan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington and Virginia’s Fourth and to catch the next episode of Moments with McClellan!

Sincerely,

Rep. Jennifer McClellan
Member of Congress