Every woman—no matter where she lives—deserves the fundamental right to decide what happens to her own body. Unfortunately, that right was stripped away in the Supreme Court’s disastrous Dobbs decision last year. Now, we’re seeing heartbreaking stories of mothers unable to access basic services they need, attempts to subject women who seek out these services to the death penalty, and other abhorrent actions that are putting millions of women’s lives in danger.  

This underscores just how necessary it is to enact federal protections for the right to choose, which is why this week I proudly co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify the provisions of Roe v Wade into law. I’m committed to working alongside my colleagues to advance this legislation and ensure every woman has safe and reliable access to the healthcare services they deserve. 

Read more: Congressman Morelle Takes Action to Strengthen Women’s Healthcare and Protect Reproductive Rights 

 Meeting with Local Organizations 

One of my most important responsibilities as a member of Congress is to listen, learn, and then act in response to the needs of our community. Each week, I am grateful for the opportunity to hear directly from the many advocates and stakeholders from our district who make the trip with Washington, and I look forward to our collaboration on the issues most important to our community.

We are fortunate to have world-class educational institutions right here in our backyard. This week, I welcomed the new Dean of the University of Rochester’s School of Nursing to Washington, where we discussed our continued work together to improve health outcomes in our community. I also spent time with Rochester Institute of Technology President Dave Munson and his team to collaborate on our efforts to grow our high-tech workforce and strengthen the future of our economy. 

It was my pleasure to welcome my friends Regional Transit Service CEO Miguel Velázquez and former CEO Bill Carpenter to Washington. RTS is essential to ensuring everyone in our community has access to safe, efficient, and reliable public transportation. I look forward to our continued work together to achieve that goal. 

I’ve always said that Rochester is leading the way in innovation and the technologies of the future. One of the organizations leading that charge is the team at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics, who are making exciting advancements in fusion energy and laser technology. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with them and discuss how the CHIPS and Science Act I passed last year is helping to expand their work, strengthen our regional economy, and enhance our competitiveness with countries like China.

This week, Republicans brought to the floor legislation they claim supports our climate—but what it really does is prioritize profits for Big Oil over real solutions to protect the environment, all while adding billions to our national deficit. I refuse to support legislation that gives handouts to oil and gas companies at a time when they’re already raking in record profits, which is why I voted no on this legislation.

Click the image below to watch my full video explanation

What we need instead are real, bold solutions to actually address our climate crisis. That means investing in sustainable technologies, reducing our carbon footprint, cutting greenhouse emissions, and taking action that protects our natural resources. Read more about legislation I co-sponsor to fight climate change here. 

 Congressional Art Competition