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Dear friend,
Over a year ago, the last thing we expected was a pandemic to change our world and lives. For many, COVID-19 has meant grief, loss and uncertainty. As we work to recover from this public health and economic crisis, San Diegans have proved to be resilient and determined. Now, there is more light at the end of the tunnel.
Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced that all Californians over 50 will be eligible for vaccines on April 1, and those over 16 will be eligible on April 15. As our governments continue collaborating and health care workers move this vaccine campaign forward, we appreciate your patience as vaccine supply increases and more appointments become available.
In much sadder news, a tragically familiar event took place in Colorado a few days ago with the fatal shooting of ten people in a supermarket. My heart is with the victims' families and loved ones and the Boulder community. More than ever, we need the Senate to pass gun safety reform to keep Americans safe.
This week, I continued my work representing San Diego. Below is another update on some of the work my staff and I have done this week to serve you.
Legislative work
Resolution to reinstate methane emission standards
Today, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Conor Lamb (D-PA) and I introduced a resolution to reinstate a rule to regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. If approved, the resolution would invalidate the Trump administration’s 2020 Methane Rescission Rule that weakened, and in some cases eliminated, requirements that oil and natural gas companies limit methane and volatile organic compound emissions from their operations. The resolution would largely reinstate the Oil and Natural Gas New Source Performance Standards put in place by the Obama administration in 2012 and 2016.
A super pollutant, methane is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide, causing some of the greatest damage to our environment. This resolution underlines the EPA’s existing authority to regulate methane emissions – a critical and immediate step to tackle the climate crisis.
Legislative hearings
I participated in three Energy and Commerce Committee hearings on Monday and Wednesday.
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Monday's hearing focused on the LIFT America Act, which seeks to rebuild and modernize the nation’s water, energy supply and health care infrastructures, among other investments. I asked about future policy and regulations to manage emissions from natural gas systems, the hydrogen economy and its role in meeting a net-zero emissions target by 2050, and how much Congress should appropriate each year to maintain a modern public health infrastructure.
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During Wednesday's hearing on the Clean FUTURE Act, which includes language from the POWER ON Act I authored, I asked witnesses whether it would be a good strategy to site transmission along highways and railways and about the role renewable resources played on the California blackouts and the Texas power grid failure.
- As Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I helped lead a hearing on the power outages in Texas that occurred last month. According to the most recent National Climate Assessment, the primary cause of power outages in the U.S. is extreme weather. I asked the witnesses about investments needed to improve Texas’ grid resiliency as we face a changing climate and about what we can learn from Texas related to broad investments in grid resiliency.
District work
Round table discussion with local AAPI voices
On Tuesday, I brought together leaders and advocates from the AAPI community for a discussion on the rise of hostility toward and attacks on Asian Americans. We spoke about these incidents being related to COVID-19, as well as discrimination that existed well before the beginning of this pandemic. The stories and personal experiences shared during this round table discussion point to deep problems in our country today. Thank you to everyone who participated for their time and contributions to this important conversation. I will continue my work in Washington, D.C. and in my district to protect, uplift and support our AAPI communities. Click here to watch the full discussion. Highlights from this conversation can also be found on my Facebook profile and here.
Resources:
Meeting with UCSD Graduate and Professional Students Association members
Today, I met with students from UC San Diego’s Graduate and Professional Student Association. We discussed the need to reauthorize the Higher Education Act to include new oversight of education programs, scholarship opportunities for graduate students and funding for graduate improvement programs. We also spoke about our continued support for DACA, the importance of reforming the high skilled immigration system, and the need to increase funding and support for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in light of the SolarWinds hack.
This week's casework success story
Earlier this month, Edwin from Carmel Valley requested assistance after his veteran mother passed away. He and his sister were beneficiaries on her remaining pension. His sister received her check, but Edwin's didn't arrive in the mail. After spending a year requesting a replacement from Defense Finance Accounting Service, Edwin contacted my office. After my staff submitted an inquiry, Edwin received a re-issued check in the mail for $812.46 less than a week later.
"This matter, along with an IRS overpayment, are the first occasions that I have ever had to request the services of my elected officials...Regardless of the reasons for needing assistance, I am thankful for your help. It is comforting to know there are those that support everyday Americans. You can be sure that I will share my positive experience with my friends."
- Edwin from Carmel Valley
NEW: Participate in our weekly poll!
We've recently introduced a new section in our e-newsletter for readers to weigh in on a relevant topic. Thank you to everyone who has participated so far. Here's this week's question:
There are renewed calls for an assault weapons ban following two deadly shootings in Georgia and Colorado. Do you support a federal assault weapons ban?
Click here to submit your answer via Google Forms. We'll share the results in next week's e-newsletter.
Last week's question was: These immigration bills (the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act) secure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are key to our economy and our nation. Do you think these measures will help fix problems within our immigration system? Here are the results:
334 responses: 40.1% Yes, providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, others *and* legal protections for agricultural workers is necessary. 26.9% Somewhat, but more work needs to be done. 17.4% No, different solutions should be proposed and implemented. 15.6% Other
If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or need assistance with a federal agency, reach out to us through our website or by calling the district office at 858-455-5550.
To stay updated on my work throughout the week, you can also follow my social media accounts by clicking on the icons below.
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