Weekly Newsletter, 12.10.24
The House returned to Washington after the Thanksgiving holiday with a lot to do and very little time. Three items remain left to do in the 118th Congress: The Fiscal Year 2025 National National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA), the Farm Bill, and funding the government beyond December 20th. We made no progress on any of that last week as Republicans focused instead on such matters as a bill creating a high school curriculum on “the detrimental effects of communism, totalitarianism, and similar political ideologies.”
The good news is that over the weekend, the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees (HASC and SASC) reached an agreement on the FY25 NDAA, which will come to the floor for a vote this week. You can read the text of the bill here and a summary of the bill prepared by HASC Democrats here. It appears as if we will take up a government funding Continuing Resolution (CR) to temporarily extend government funding into the new year.
The bad news is that there is still no new Farm Bill. Last authorized in 2018, the Farm Bill expired last year. Unable to agree to a new one, we passed a one-year extension. Yet House Republicans have brought no new bill to the floor, and likely will not before the 118th Congress adjourns. Hopefully, whatever CR we pass includes an extension of the current Farm Bill.
We have 10 days to pass that CR and avoid a government shutdown….
Stay tuned for a jampacked two weeks of session before the holiday recess. In the meantime, here’s what you may have missed last week.
THE WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Trump’s Cabinet Appointments
Over the past few weeks, Donald Trump announced several major appointments that looked more like the cast of a reality TV show than a cabinet and team of agency heads. As a member of HASC, I am particularly troubled by the appointments of Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of Defense and Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence.
Pete Hegseth’s appointment jeopardizes our national security and military readiness on various fronts. Hegseth faces wide-ranging allegations, including sexual assault, drinking on several different jobs, and financial malfeasance while serving as President of the Concerned Veterans for America. He also opposes women military members serving in combat zones. Historically, the Department of Defense has grappled with sexual assault in the military, and we have made important progress to change and improve the culture within our Armed Forces. Hegseth’s nomination sends the wrong message to the more than 200,000 women active-duty servicemembers who risk their lives to defend our nation. His appointment will harm our military recruitment and retention, which we cannot afford considering that last year, three branches of our Armed Forces failed to meet their recruitment goals.
Tulsi Gabbard poses a serious national security threat as the Director of National Intelligence. She has been sympathetic to Syria’s President Bashar al-Asad, who seeks to extend his family’s autocratic regime and refused to bow to protests calling for democratic processes to be adopted. When civil unrest grew in the nation, Gabbard urged lawmakers to not intervene and introduced legislation to end support for the Syrian opposition. Just this weekend, Syrian rebels toppled al-Asad’s government, and he fled to Russia – another favorite for Tulsi Gabbard. She has blamed the United States and NATO for Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war in Ukraine and has called on Ukraine to allow Russia to keep the territory it has illegally seized as part of a “peace settlement.”
Over the weekend, I joined MSNBC’s The Katie Phang Show and Bloomberg’s Balance of Power to discuss my concerns with these nominations.
The President-elect’s appointments demonstrate a preference for blind loyalists over competence and a commitment to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. My staff and I will continue to monitor these and other nominations throughout the Senate confirmation process and work to minimize any detrimental impacts.
Urging Congress to Address SNAP Theft
This year, we have witnessed a concerning increase in SNAP thefts every quarter with the largest increase in the third quarter, when SNAP theft cases increased by 100,000. Last month, residents of Virginia’s Fourth saw a drastic influx in incidents, with Richmond alone seeing a 2000% increase in reported cases of benefit theft. These incidents lead to heartbreaking situations, as SNAP families rely on these monthly benefits to put food on the table. No parent should have to skip meals to ensure their children don’t go hungry or have to choose between feeding their families or paying essential bills.
I commend all the local food banks and volunteers for stepping up to help feed these families during this difficult time, but they should not have to shoulder the burden alone. In 2022, Congress passed legislation to allow states to use federal funds to replace stolen SNAP benefits. That authority will end on December 20th when the current funding package expires. Following these troubling reports, I called on Congress to include an extension of that authority in any temporary or year-long funding package. I also cosponsored the SNAP Theft Protection Act, legislation to empower USDA to reimburse SNAP families whose benefits have been stolen. I took to the House Floor to underscore this pressing issue and the need to act.
I also spoke with CBS6 News about this effort and what’s at stake. I will continue fighting to preserve the replacement authority and address the concerning rise in SNAP theft.
Stay tuned to see if Congress takes necessary action.
SEEC Institute's Inaugural Solutions Summit
In Congress, I’m a member of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), a group of 100 lawmakers committed to advancing policies that support clean-energy innovation, address climate change, protect our natural environment, and promote environmental justice. Recently, the SEEC Institute was established as a nonprofit to help convene the private sector, lawmakers, environmental advocates, and other stakeholders to advance forward-looking climate policies.
Last week, the SEEC Institute held its inaugural Solutions Summit, a day-long conference with over 200 leaders, including Members of Congress, Biden-Harris Administration officials, scholars, industry experts, and more. I helped kick off the summit with a panel discussion with Reps. Doris Matsui and Paul Tonko, and former Energy Secretary of Energy Ernest J. Moniz.
As climate change continues to worsen, coastal communities will face serious threats, including ocean acidification, sea-level rise, and more. These impacts also threaten our national security and jeopardize our military installations and facilities, like Norfolk Naval Station. Now more than ever, we need strong environmental advocates and robust federal support from specialized agencies like NOAA. Congressional Democrats will fight to limit the implementation of Project 2025 and safeguard our progress addressing climate change and advancing clean-energy technologies.
Celebrating Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s 100th Birthday
November 30th marked Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s 100th Birthday. To celebrate, I participated in the Congressional Black Caucus’ Special Order Hour honoring one of our founders and the first Black woman to serve in Congress. As the first Black woman to serve from Virginia, I stand on her shoulders along with 31 other Black women serving in the 118th Congress. Her portrait hangs in my office to remind me that while in many ways I am fighting the same fights that she did, I do so from a greater position of strength because of the path she paved. You can watch my floor speech honoring Congresswoman Chisholm.
The House also passed legislation awarding Congresswoman Chisolm the Congressional Gold Medal sponsored by Senator Laphonza Butler.
REMINDERS
Youth Advisory Council – Apply Now!
We are now accepting applications for my inaugural Youth Advisory Council. The program provides high school students in Virginia’s Fourth with the opportunity to share their perspectives, learn more about our democratic processes, and see the inner-workings of a congressional office. I encourage all high school students to apply. You can learn more about the program and submit an application on my website.
Open Enrollment – Now Until January 15th
Open Enrollment for under the Affordable Care Act is underway. For the second year, Virginians also have access to a state-based marketplace, thanks to my work in the Virginia General Assembly with Del. Mark Sickles. I encourage everyone to review their options and make their selections as quickly as possible to ensure no interruptions in coverage. You can learn more at the Virginia Health Insurance Marketplace.