Dear friend, The House was back in session this week and we passed a historic bill to reform the Electoral Count Act to prevent another January 6th- like attack. We also passed a robust package of public safety bills to assist local law enforcement agencies, support our responses to mental health crises in our communities, invest in community violence intervention, and bolster the ability of police departments to solve violent crimes. Below is another update on the work my staff and I have done recently to serve you.
This Week's Casework Success Story Leslie from Rancho Bernardo contacted the office at the beginning of August to request assistance with her tax refund from 2020. Leslie made a tax overpayment to avoid any penalties or late fees but had not received any updates since October 2021. My staff worked with Leslie to gather copies of her tax documents and payment verification which were promptly submitted to the IRS for review. This week, the IRS issued Leslie a refund for $2,094.46.
New Princeton University Study Highlights Critical Need for Clean Energy Transmission This week, Princeton University's Rapid Energy Policy Evaluation and Analysis Toolkit released a study which concluded that if we fail to build clean energy transmission at a faster pace, over 80% of the potential emissions reductions produced by the Inflation Reduction Act will not occur. I issued a statement urging the comprehensive reform of our permitting processes for interstate transmission. This analysis underscores that the country cannot meet our ambitious and urgent climate goals without reforms that speed the build out of clean energy transmission.
Understanding the Deep Connections Between Climate and Health This week, a member of my staff met with Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, an assistant professor of public health at Brown University's School of Public Health. As a representative of the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, they discussed the importance of passing policies for clean energy and improving air quality. Andrea is originally from San Diego, and she understands the health risks of wildfires in California, so they also spoke about how to address the harm of wildfire smoke on our populations.
Investing in our Higher Education Institutions Earlier this month, I met with California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) President Dr. Ellen Neufeldt and a delegation of university leaders at the university. We discussed California State University system priorities, funding for Pell Grants, student success initiatives, and the impact of President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.
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. |