April 12, 2019

Dear Friend,

The threat of climate change and its effects are undeniable and scientists warn that to avoid catastrophic consequences, we must reduce our emissions and become carbon neutral by mid-century. The new Congress has a new opportunity to make a difference, and we don’t have to start from zero.

I unveiled The Climate Playbook– a compendium of bills Congress can act on now to take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gases to slow and reverse the effects of climate change. It proposes specific legislation to reduce emissions, invest in adaptation and resiliency, and improve renewable energy efficiency and standards.

Read it here.

The Playbook invites input on how to improve these bills, which are mostly bipartisan and therefore, can feasibly become law, and also ideas for new bills that can be added. We’re long past the debate of whether climate change is real. It’s time to work together to act on climate now.

February 1, 2019

Dear Friend,

After 35 days, the partial government shutdown is finally over. It should not have lasted as long as it did, but I’m relieved the entire government is working for the people again.

Some of my colleagues said the shutdown was a fight for better security, but I disagree. During the shutdown, many agencies critical to our national security and public safety closed or furloughed their employees. Some essential employees at these agencies were forced to work without pay, called in sick, or just quit. 

Share Your Thoughts

Listening to San Diegans is one of my most important jobs. I’d like to know where you stand. Share your thoughts and join my email updates.

Is shutting down the government a responsible way to negotiate?

• Yes

• No

• I'm not sure

Working to Re-open the Government

I voted to re-open the federal government eleven times during the shutdown and continued to urge my Senate colleagues to pass these bills and send them to the president's desk. Unfortunately, the majority of these efforts did not advance past the House.

Here’s how I voted:

• On the first day of the new Congress, I voted for two bipartisan packages of six bills that would reopen six of the seven federal agencies closed by the shutdown. I also voted in favor of temporary funding for the Department of Homeland Security while we continued border security negotiations.
• On January 15 and 23, I voted for two bills to temporarily reopen the government and end the shutdown.
• Last week, I voted on five separate bills to reopen shuttered federal agencies based on bipartisan agreements. This ensured that government agencies dealing with tax refunds, housing and transportation, nutrition and farming subsidies, national parks, and disaster relief efforts could serve the American people.

Members of Congress must do their jobs and put the American people first. It’s irresponsible to shut the government down because we can’t agree on a real budget and can’t get past partisan bickering.

Fair Pay for Public Servants

I helped pass the Federal Civilian Workforce Pay Raise Fairness Act of 2019 this week to give thousands of civilian federal employees a 2.6 percent pay increase – just as members of the military received this year. San Diegans who dedicated their careers to public service, especially those who are now struggling to pay bills because of the 35-day shutdown, are more than deserving of this pay raise.

The shutdown may be over for now, but it continues to effect American families. I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find efficient, fact-based solutions for border security and keep the government open.

Dear Friend,

As we conclude 2018 and prepare to enter a new session of Congress, I’m thankful to represent San Diego, Coronado, and Poway.

This year was filled with both challenges and accomplishments for the U.S. and San Diego, but our region’s people, innovation, and spirit continue to drive our mission even as national headlines distract from the truth and seek to divide us.  

Serving San Diegans

Team Peters has been hard at work in San Diego and in Washington. Here’s a look at what we’ve done to serve you and deliver results for San Diegans:

We returned $485,333 to San Diegans, who had trouble retrieving backlogged funds from the IRS, Social Security, the VA, and more.

In all, our office helped 579 San Diegans navigate federal agencies, get answers, and find a solution. If you can't get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, you can contact my office for help.

While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you get a fair and timely response.

Hearing from You

We answered 52,381 of your calls, letters, and emails about issues important to you. Every letter, email, and call is read and answered because I want you to feel your voice is heard and to know where I stand. Your input is always welcome.

We attended 381 community meetings and events to update you on our work in Congress and to hear directly from each part of the district. We also presented 1,170 certificates to San Diegans making a difference in their communities.

Taking San Diego's Solutions to Washington

I hope you’ll keep in touch in the new year. Please do not hesitate to call our San Diego office at (858) 455-5550 or our Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-0508. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the most recent updates.

I am honored and humbled to serve in Congress on behalf of San Diego, and I am looking forward to seeing all we will accomplish in 2019.

Sincerely,

October 10, 2018

Dear Friend,

It's deeply troubling that our service men and women might return home from battle only to take their own lives because they are tortured by something they experienced during their service. I asked the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) how they are working with the Department of Defense (DOD) to curb veteran suicide during a meeting of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

I was joined by the Somers family from Coronado, who lost their son, Daniel, to suicide after he suffered post-traumatic stress (PTS) following his service in Iraq. They are now tireless advocates for fixing and reforming the broken health care system at the VA.

Increasing Collaboration

Watch my remarks here.

The National Director of Suicide Prevention for the VA said they would like more information from the DOD about risk factors for suicide. The VA could identify mental health issues sooner if they had access to information about servicemembers’ promotions, disciplinary action, and family support systems.

I also asked what kind of outreach was being done for veterans with other than honorable discharges. Only 115 servicemembers nationwide are enrolled in suicide prevention programs specifically tailored to them, and the VA agreed more outreach was needed.  

Fighting for San Diego Veterans

San Diego has the third largest population of veterans in the country, many of whom are battling mental health issues. Veterans who have experienced homelessness in the last year are particularly at risk, with suicide rates almost double those of veterans without a history of homelessness. We’ve made progress with the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, which assists San Diego veterans in their search for affordable housing, but there is still work to be done.

I will continue fighting for mental health care and homelessness services for San Diego veterans and will work with both the VA and the DOD to find solutions that ensure we don’t lose another veteran to suicide.