The clock is ticking as we head towards the end of the fiscal year on September 30th - and the House still has only passed one out of twelve appropriations bills. We only have 4 days to avoid a government shutdown by passing those bills (highly unlikely) or a continuing resolution to authorize spending for a short period of time until those bills can pass. If last week is any indication, we are in for more House Republican chaos and dysfunction.
Last week was another week of chaos as Speaker McCarthy caved to the extreme demands of the MAGA wing of the “Chaos Caucus” only for them to move the goalpost and refuse to pass even procedural measures to allow debate on Republican appropriations bills. Meanwhile, Representative Matt Gaetz started circulating a draft motion to oust the Speaker. In the end, House Republicans failed to move a single funding bill forward for the second week in a row with no plan on how to avoid a government shutdown. The heart of the dysfunction is a handful of MAGA Republicans who don’t think the funding bills go far enough to enact their extreme agenda, despite the fact that they loaded down our Defense appropriations bill with provisions that undermine our military readiness, dismantle Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts, and jeopardize our service members’ reproductive health. I spoke against some of these provisions on the floor.
I joined my fellow New Democrat Coalition colleagues in a letter urging Speaker McCarthy to advance bipartisan government funding bills consistent with the debt ceiling agreement that Congress and the Biden Administration negotiated just less than four months ago. You can read the letter here.
I’ve been vocal on the impact a government shutdown would have on Virginia, which has over 170,000 federal employees and over 130,000 active duty military personnel that could go without a paycheck.
Senate Democrats and Republicans, and House Democrats are ready to work together to avoid a government shutdown by passing a bipartisan continuing resolution - without poison pill extreme MAGA amendments. I remain hopeful that cooler heads will prevail, and Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans will come to the table in good faith to develop a bipartisan funding solution to keep the government open and functioning for the American people.
I introduced my fourth bill last week to address two intersectional crises impacting families across the nation: the child care crisis and the maternal health crisis. The cost of child care has exploded over the past decade, and working families increasingly face a lack of access to quality, affordable child care providers that meet their needs. The United States also has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed nation in the world, and Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.
While in the Virginia General Assembly, I made history as the first member of the House of Delegates to become pregnant and give birth while in office. Five years later, I almost died giving birth to my daughter. Now in Congress, I am also part of the 6.8% of members who are mothers with minor children. My experiences as a working mother to two young children and as a Black mother who experienced pregnancy-related complications gave me a deep understanding of the challenges families face and helped inform my policymaking. I am proud to take action on these interconnected issues and introduce the bipartisan Child Care Assistance for Maternal Health Act along with Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC-01).
Our bipartisan legislation would establish a federal grant program to increase access to short-term child care from pregnancy through the postpartum period. The legislation stipulates the grant program will prioritize families experiencing homelessness, families with children with disabilities or special health care needs, single-parent households, and areas with high rates of maternal mortality and poverty.
You can read more on the Child Care Assistance for Maternal Health Act here and endorsing organizations’ quotes of support here.
On National Voter Registration Day, I joined Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07) and every House Democrat to introduce the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Named for the late Congressman and Civil Rights icon, the legislation would protect the right to vote and safeguard our democracy by restoring and modernizing the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA).
For decades, the VRA prevented states and localities with a history of voter discrimination from restricting voting access by mandating they acquire preclearance for new election laws from the Department of Justice or a U.S. District Court. Unfortunately, ten years ago, the Supreme Court gutted the VRA in its disastrous Shelby County v. Holder decision, dismantling the preclearance requirement and unleashing a wave of discriminatory state laws that targeted voters and restricted access.
The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore the VRA and limit state legislatures from enacting restrictive and discriminatory voting laws. I was proud to stand alongside Congresswoman Terri Sewell and leaders from the House Democrats Caucus to introduce this landmark legislation and underscore the importance of safeguarding voting rights.
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In a government by, of, and for the people, your vote is your power. My great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents grew up in the segregated South during Jim Crow and faced voter discrimination and intimidation. Growing up on their stories made me realize the importance of voting rights, and I have spent my entire legislative career fighting to protect the right to vote. From the first bill I introduced in the House of Delegates to make it easier to vote absentee, to the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, which made Virginia the first state in the South with its own comprehensive voting rights act, I have championed voting rights for nearly twenty years at the state level, and I am proud to continue those efforts in Congress.
Early voting has started in Virginia for the 2023 elections. All General Assembly seats and many local offices are on the ballot this year. Your vote is your power, so I encourage you to get out to the polls and make your voices heard. Click here to register to vote, update your current Virginia registration, apply to vote absentee by mail, or view your polling place, election district, absentee ballot status, and voting history. You can find in-person early voting locations here.
Yet again, AdvanSix has released toxic chemicals from its Hopewell plant. This most recent leak was of an alarming amount of ammonia, which is toxic to humans and wildlife. Unfortunately, this is part of a larger pattern of repeated violations of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Following the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s reporting in April 2023, I sent a letter to AdvanSix demanding answers about their violations and their proposed solutions to ensure these situations do not recur. I also met with members of AdvanSix’s leadership team in Washington, where I reiterated my concerns and asked for information on how AdvanSix plans to curb these chemical releases. Despite initial assurances from AdvanSix that they would supply the requested information, my staff and I have yet to receive any of the items we were promised.
Hopewell residents have disproportionately higher rates of asthma, cancer, and hospitalization than the rest of the Commonwealth. I am fighting in Congress to ensure every Virginian can breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live in a healthy environment, and I will continue my oversight of AdvanSix until the necessary steps are taken to protect Hopewell residents.
I am excited to announce the launch of my inaugural Veteran of the Year Program. Here in Virginia, we have over 780,000 veterans and 130,000 active-duty service members, who represent the very best of our nation. This program is an opportunity to honor veterans living in Virginia’s Fourth for their service to our nation and their continued contributions to our communities.
Eligible nominees must be honorably discharged veterans of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and must currently reside in Virginia’s Fourth. Nominations for our Veteran of the Year are due by Friday, November 3rd, 2023.
Application and more information can be found on my website here. I will continue fighting in Washington to ensure they have the resources and support they and their families deserve.
High school students interested in attending one of our nation’s esteemed military academies must receive a congressional nomination. For residents of Virginia’s Fourth, the deadline to apply for a nomination to a U.S. Service Academy is October 13, 2023 at 5:00 pm. You can find additional information or submit your application here or by contacting our Service Academy Coordinator, John Montgomery, who is a West Point Graduate.
Looking for help with a federal agency without driving to Richmond or DC? You can register here to meet with my staff on November 21st from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Surry County Parks & Recreation, 205 Enos Farm Drive, Surry, VA 23883.
My staff will also be in Emporia on October 17th and 19th at 201 South Main St, Emporia 23847 from 11am to 1pm.
You can also visit the Brunswick Satellite Office every Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm at 100 Athletic Field Road, Lawrenceville, VA 23868 or call (804) 690-5809 to schedule an appointment.
Reminder! If you are a resident of Virginia’s Fourth with a passion for photography, I encourage you to submit your work to my District Photo Competition. All district residents, regardless of age, are tasked with capturing the beauty of Virginia’s Fourth.
The deadline to submit a photo for consideration is October 15th, 2023. For additional information or to submit your photographs, please visit my website.
