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Dear friend,
This week, the House voted on legislation that protects the right to an abortion: the Women's Health Protection Act. Today, we also passed the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act to protect women who travel across state lines to obtain an abortion. Efforts to criminalize abortion will pit neighbors against neighbors and strip women of their rights. If the Supreme Court won't protect Americans, Congress must do everything possible to enshrine our basic freedoms into law.
We also voted to pass the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022, which creates an Active Shooter Alert Communications Network, similar to the AMBER Alert system, for law enforcement to alert the public to active shooters in their communities.
Starting tomorrow, the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline goes live. If you or someone you know needs help, you can dial or text 9-8-8 to be connected with a trained crisis counselor who listens and provides resources. Please share this information with anyone you think might need help.
Below is another update on the work my staff and I have done recently to serve you.
This Week's Casework Success Story
Yasmeen of Carmel Mountain submitted a request for help with her nephew's non-immigrant visa application. Her nephew wanted to visit his grandmother (Yasmeen's mother) here in the U.S. after she suffered a severe stroke. Yasmeen contacted my office a day before her nephew's interview seeking help with his application. My staff worked quickly to prepare the case and then communicated with the U.S. Embassy in Bern, Switzerland ahead of Yasmeen's nephew's interview time. After the outreach, Yasmeen's nephew was granted a non-immigrant visa and will now be spending quality time with his grandmother.
Voting to Strengthen Our National Defense
This week, I voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2023. This bipartisan bill increases pay for service members and their families and invests in the United States' ability to confront unprecedented challenges at home and abroad. This year's legislation continues our support of vital defense facilities in San Diego, provides critical pay raises for service members and civilians, and strengthens military and civilian infrastructure around the world to withstand the effects of climate change.
Meeting Our Country's Top Public Health Experts
On Monday, I visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention facilities in Atlanta with my House Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues. We took a tour of the lab training facilities and antimicrobial resistance lab, and participated in roundtable discussions on public health preparedness, vaccines, and overdose prevention. I appreciated this informative visit and will continue working to support ongoing efforts to protect our public health. Thank you to Director Rochelle Walensky and the CDC staff for your time and hard work!
Discussing the Fate of the Sequoias
Earlier today, I participated in a bipartisan forum on the impact of catastrophic wildfires on the sequoias. The forum discussed the recently introduced Save Our Sequoias Act and the ongoing fires near Yosemite National Park that threaten these iconic California trees. Panelists from CAL FIRE, Save the Redwoods League, and the Tule River Tribal Council, among others, are proud sponsors of this legislation that empowers land managers to save the iconic giant sequoia, and reduce the severity of wildfires that worsen climate change.
Click here for local coverage of the Save Our Sequoias Act
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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