Weekly Newsletter 8.21.23
We are halfway through the summer recess. August is usually quiet as families enjoy their final vacations before school starts, but lots of newsworthy events happened this week.
THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT - ONE YEAR LATER
August 16th marked the one year anniversary of President Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a significant component of the Biden-Harris agenda to grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up. To mark the anniversary, the Biden-Harris Administration released a new feature on Invest.gov highlighting how the IRA is making a difference for Americans in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Clean Energy and Climate Mitigation
The IRA is the single largest federal investment in clean energy and climate mitigation efforts in our nation’s history, putting the United States on a path to reach our ambitious climate goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Indeed, the Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that public and private sector investment driven by the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) combined are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 1 billion tons in 2030. In its first year alone, the IRA has created over 170,000 new clean energy manufacturing jobs and is projected to create over 1.5 million additional jobs over the next decade. Over the past 12 months, the private sector has announced over $110 billion in new clean energy manufacturing investments, including over $70 billion in the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain and over $10 billion in solar manufacturing. The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded over a billion dollars to help communities become more resilient and protect them from the disastrous impacts of climate change, including drought, heat, and extreme weather. The DOE projects that the IRA will save American families $27-38 billion on their electricity bills from 2022-2030, and recently launched an Energy Savings Hub to help consumers, renters, and homeowners save money on their energy bills by tapping into the programs in the Inflation Reduction Act. The Biden-Harris Administration also is awarding grants to states and other entities to help consumers save money on their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient through the DOE home energy rebate programs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Green and Resilient Retrofit Program.
Lowering Health Care Costs
The IRA has reduced health care costs for American families and seniors and reduced the nation’s uninsured rate to a historic low. Nearly 15 million people are saving an average of $800 per year on their insurance premiums.
Four million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries are benefitting from $35 insulin and 15 million Americans are saving $800 per year on health insurance premiums. The IRA has enabled the IRS to crack down on tax evasion by the wealthy and big corporations, and modernized the agency’s technology to improve services and cut wait times for taxpayers.
Because of President Biden’s leadership and the IRA, we’ve already seen tremendous progress over this year, and we will continue to see the benefits of this legislation for years to come. As the provisions within the bill are implemented, I will keep working with the Biden-Harris Administration and relevant agencies to ensure Virginia’s Fourth continues to benefit from this historic legislation.
Significant benefits to Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District and to the Commonwealth include:
- 28,000 people in Virginia’s Fourth enrolled in ACA marketplace health insurance coverage, with the average enrollee saving $880 in premiums this year.
- ACA marketplace enrollees will pay $1720 in premiums this year on average. Without the enhanced subsidies, the average annual premium would have increased to $2590.
- 1,300 Medicare beneficiaries in Virginia’s Fourth are saving an average of $480 each year on their insulin with the $35/month cap.
- 390,000 Virginians statewide will save an average $440 on prescription drugs every year.
- 329 new clean energy jobs have been created in Virginia and $67,200,000 in investments.
THIS WEEK IN THE DISTRICT
District Photo Contest
I’m pleased to announce my inaugural Fourth District Photography contest, an opportunity for district residents to demonstrate their creativity and photography skills while sharing the beauty and diversity of our congressional district. All district residents, regardless of age, are eligible to participate. The winning submission will be displayed in my congressional offices and on my social media platforms.
Our district is home to incredible and diverse landscapes, from our rural communities to our urban centers. I look forward to seeing the artistic vision and skill of my constituents as they capture the beauty of our district.
Here are the rules for this year’s inaugural competition:
- You must be a constituent of Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District
- Photos must be submitted by the original photographer
- By submitting your photo, you authorize my office to display your photo online and/or in my congressional offices. You also waive whatever rights you may have to the photo.
- Any photo of a minor must be submitted by a parent or guardian of the minor who agrees to the conditions listed above
The deadline to submit a photo for consideration is October 15th, 2023. For additional information please visit my website.
THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON
Virginia and North Carolina Democratic Congressional Members Urge FERC to Deny Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate Certificate Extension
Last week, I joined Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Kathy Manning (NC-06) to lead 28 House Democrats in a letter to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the Commission to deny Mountain Valley Pipeline’s (MVP) requested extension of its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the Southgate project. This certificate is required for MVP’s proposed extension of 73 miles, taking the pipeline from southern Virginia into northwest North Carolina. The initial filing for Southgate was made before Congress’ historic action to fight climate change and advance environmental justice through the IRA.
Construction of this extension, MVP Southgate, poses serious deleterious climate and environmental justice risks, including risks to drinking water quality. According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, MVP Southgate would impact 301,994 square feet of regulated riparian buffers; 13,986 linear feet of streams; and 12.4 acres of wetlands.
“As Members of Congress committed to addressing the climate crisis, we… urge the Commission to deny an extension of the Certificate for MVP Southgate,” we wrote “If built, this pipeline would lock homes and businesses in the Southeast into the long-term use of natural gas during a critical moment in which we must transition away from fossil fuels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”
We highlighted that in the five years since the Southgate extension was proposed, the energy landscape has continued to evolve, further diminishing the need for additional gas for residential purposes. Clean energy generation continues to grow, and home electrification has become more accessible through the passage of federal climate and clean energy legislation. Given this changed landscape, FERC should not rely on its previous and now outdated determination that there is a market need for this pipeline.
Bipartisan, Bicameral Amicus Brief in Support of Richmond Army Veteran’s Supreme Court Case
Senator Tim Kaine and I led a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers to submit an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of U.S. Army veteran and FBI Special Agent James Rudisill. A decorated Iraq and Afghanistan Army veteran residing in the Fourth District, Rudsill is contesting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ denial of his Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits. Prior to joining the FBI’s counterterrorism unit, Rudisill served in the U.S. Army for three periods of active-duty military service. After completing his first tour, Rudisill applied for — and received — education benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill to complete his undergraduate degree. Following his subsequent periods of service, Rudisill applied for the more generous education benefits offered under the post-9/11 GI Bill to attend divinity school and then return to the Army as a minister. The Department of Veterans Affairs unfairly denied him his promised benefits, and Rudisill had to, therefore, forfeit his offer to divinity school.
Our servicemembers stand up for us, and we owe it to them to ensure they get the benefits they’ve earned. James Rudisill served his country with honor and distinction, and it's unacceptable that he was denied the support he needed to achieve his goal of completing divinity school to then rejoin the Army as a minister.
You can read more about this case, which could impact 1.7 million veterans eligible for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill, here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mobile McClellan
Our next Mobile McClellan will be held on Wednesday, August 30th from 2 to 5 pm in the meeting room of the Belmont branch of the Richmond Public Library, at 3100 Ellwood Avenue Richmond, 23221. For assistance with a federal agency or issue, RSVP for this event here.
In Person Town Hall
My first in-person town hall will be held on September 6th from 6 to 7:30 pm at Reynolds Community College on Parham Road in the Lipman Auditorium. You can RSVP to attend here.