February 3, 2023

Dear friend,

I spent another busy week on Capitol Hill and participated in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s first hearing of 2023. If you missed my remarks on the need to rapidly build infrastructure to reach our clean energy goals, you can watch here. I also re-introduced my Workforce Mobility Act which protects American workers by prohibiting employers from forcing employees to sign noncompete agreements except in certain cases.

This month, we also celebrate Black History Month. We honor the many contributions of Black Americans who have fought for justice and equality and continue to do so today. Now more than ever, we need to address the causes of racism and other forms of social injustice.

In case you missed it, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is visiting San Diego to meet our local active-duty and veteran communities, and learn about our life-saving work in healthcare. We're honored to meet with her today and tomorrow. More details on her visit next week!

Below is another update on the work my staff and I have done recently to serve you.

Alex from Rancho Bernardo contacted my office last November to request assistance with a tax return from 2020. The IRS had notified Alex his refund was being recalculated in November 2021 with no further information. My staff worked with Alex to gather documents needed for review by the Taxpayer Advocate. Afterwards, IRS discovered the delays occurred because the agency was verifying tax payments from a credit card. Alex provided the paperwork verifying those payments and accepted the recalculations.This week, Alex received a refund for $5,596.17, including $372.15 in interest for the delay!

On Tuesday, I participated on the Global Special Operations Forces (SOF) Imperatives Forum panel discussing SOF Caucus goals for the 118th Congress and SOF & Military Family Readiness priorities.

I want to thank the SOF Foundation for presenting me their Champion Award for my work supporting the SOF community in Congress. It is my honor to represent the sailors and their families stationed in San Diego serving in the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community. NSW provides critical maritime and undersea capabilities to the Navy and Joint Force.

On Wednesday, I spoke at Biocom of California's event to welcome the five newest California Members of Congress. Biocom works on behalf of over 1,700 members and provides a public voice for research institutions and life science companies that help save and improve lives around the world as well as fuel San Diego’s regional economy.

Earlier today, I attended a ceremony in San Diego to receive the ‘Public Official of the Year Award’ from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). I provided an update on my work and priorities in Congress and led the swearing in for the BOMA San Diego 2023 Board of Directors. Thank you to BOMA for recognizing my work on behalf of commercial real estate professionals!

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.

Sincerely,