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Dear friend,
As we near the end of 2021, our lives are still touched by COVID-19. Many families are still struggling to provide what they need for their loved ones and we are still recovering from the devastation of the pandemic in many ways.
Unlike last year, the vaccine now allows us to safely gather with family and loved ones this Thanksgiving. San Diego leads by example with 74.3% of San Diego County residents, or 2.3 million individuals, being fully vaccinated. Please continue to take care of yourself and those around you. For more information on eligibility and booster shots, click here.
This Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude to every healthcare worker for serving our communities during this difficult year, and for helping us deploy these immunizations to keep us safe. I also want to thank all the essential workers who help keep our country running from post office workers and farmworkers to firefighters, teachers and grocery store workers. Your continued work and sacrifice have paved the road of our recovery.
I also want to thank my constituents for trusting me to fight for you in Congress. This past year has been filled with challenges and achievements, and I am extremely grateful and proud of our work for the American people. Transformative bills like the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act and Build Back Better Act highlight the will to tackle our country's biggest hurdles with success.
Below is another update on some of the work my staff and I have done recently to serve you.
Insights on Adult Homelessness and Resources for Seniors
On Monday, I met with leaders from Serving Seniors, a nonprofit organization serving low-income older adults. We discussed findings from the organization's yearly report that examines senior homelessness in San Diego. I had a great conversation with President and CEO Paul Downey and COO Melinda Forstey, and I thank them for explaining the data behind the urgent need to address older adult homelessness. The organization's report also identifies solutions that can be implemented immediately at a low cost to help adults in need now. Seniors in San Diego and across the country have the right to age with dignity. I am committed to providing choices for our senior community's physical, mental and financial well-being.
Discussing Solutions During Binational Roundtable with U.S. Ambassador Salazar and Mexican Officials on Tijuana River Valley Cleanup
Also on Monday, I attended a binational roundtable with high-ranking Mexican officials at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana to discuss the ongoing efforts to clean up pollution from the Tijuana River Valley. At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) organized meeting, I spoke on behalf of San Diego's congressional delegation about the public harm this problem causes for communities on both sides of the border. U.S and Mexican officials discussed the details of current and potential projects that address this problem. I thank all the participants for their time and expertise. I also commend EPA Administrator Michael Regan, with whom I have met twice this year, for ensuring this important issue remains a priority of the Biden Administration.
Others in attendance included:
- International Boundary Water Commission Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner
- U.S. Consul General to Tijuana Tom Reott
- EPA Pacific Southwest Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan
- Chief Officer for the North America Unit Roberto Velasco, SRE
- Head of International Affairs Miguel Ángel Zerón, SEMARNAT
- Deputy Technical Director Humberto Marengo, CONAGUA
- Commissioner Adriana Reséndez, CILA
- Mexican Consul General to San Diego Carlos González Gutiérrez
Housing as a Priority in San Diego
On Tuesday, I met with leaders and board members of the San Diego Housing Federation to discuss affordable housing in San Diego. We highlighted certain provisions in the Build Back Better Act that would help alleviate this problem, including funding for affordable housing, and the expansion of HUD vouchers. We also discussed how the current labor shortage, specifically social workers, affects access to housing. I recognize housing as a critical and fundamental issue in our state. We need to treat this problem as the crisis that it is for millions of people, and I will continue supporting housing benefits as the Senate works to pass the Build Back Better Act.
Visit to San Vicente Reservoir
Later on Tuesday, I visited the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside in the Cuyamaca Mountains. Representatives from the City of San Diego and San Diego County Water Authority shared details about the ongoing San Vicente Pumped Energy Storage Project and the necessary approvals needed for it to proceed, including a permit extension from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Officials have already secured $18M for this project from state funds and describe it as critical to meeting California renewable energy goals and our city's climate action goals.
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Celebrating Maritime Security Response Team West's Building Renovation
Last Saturday, I was proud to join Vice Admiral McAllister and CAPT Cooper to celebrate new facilities for Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) West, the Coast Guard's elite special forces unit. These facilities will help MSRT West fulfill its crucial anti-terrorism mission in support of our national defense. I thank everyone at this event for the tour and the security demonstration. It is remarkable to see our coastguardsmen in action!
I am so grateful for my job serving you in Congress and I wish all of you a safe, restful and happy Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones.
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