Dear neighbor, 

As we wrap up another busy week in Washington, House Democrats remain committed to putting People Over Politics and delivering for American families. Last Congress, I was proud to work with my colleagues to pass several laws that made progress for American families, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. We worked closely with President Biden to bring lower costs, better-paying jobs, and safer communities to Americans. House Democrats invested in policies that were good for workers, good for families, and good for our economy. 

Unfortunately, Speaker McCarthy and his extreme MAGA Republican colleagues proved this week that they are ready to roll back a lot of our progress in favor of their radical Default on America Act. Their proposal would mean devastating cuts to programs that millions of Americans rely on, including accessible health care programs and veterans’ care. It would also lead to higher unemployment and likely crash the stock market. Hardworking American families would be facing a 22% cut to essential services such as education, childcare, and opioid treatment programs.  

House Democrats know that holding our economy, along with federal programs that families rely on, hostage is not the way to negotiate on government spending priorities. America is a nation that pays its bills. This extreme MAGA plan to either enact draconian cuts or default on our national debt will not work. House Democrats are committed to paying America’s bills, just as we always have, and will preserve the full faith and credit of the United States.  

NEW IN TOWN: President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea visited Washington this week to meet with President Biden and deliver an address to Congress. I was proud to be a member of the Escort Committee that welcomed President Yoon to the House Floor. Our two nations are bonded by our shared values of peace, freedom, and justice, and I look forward to continued cooperation and friendship! 

Here’s what else I’ve been working on this week:

• Introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill with my colleagues Representatives Don Beyer and Ken Buck and Senator Ed Markey to prevent artificial intelligence from launching nuclear weapons without human oversight. 
• Joined my colleagues Representatives Anna Eshoo, Gus Bilirakis, and David Valadao in introducing the bipartisan Armenian Genocide Education Act to support accurate education around the Armenian Genocide, one of the most horrific losses of life in modern history. 
• Spoke at a press conference hosted by VoteVets to shed light on the risk of extreme MAGA Republicans’ budget proposal for our nation’s veterans. 
• Celebrated the Department of Energy’s brand-new Energy Savings Hub! This tool will help homeowners lower their energy bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If you’re thinking about buying an electric vehicle, upgrading home appliances, or lowering your energy costs, check out the Savings Hub here!  

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: I was honored to meet with Jonny Kim, a U.S. Navy SEAL, physician, NASA astronaut, and stellar alum of Santa Monica High School! Jonny is a part of NASA’s Artemis program, which will return humans to the moon by 2024. Our meeting was truly out of this world! 

REACHING CRUISING ALTITUDE...If you’re planning international travel, don’t forget to check your passport’s expiration date! Passports that will expire within a year should be updated. Please reach out to my Los Angeles office if you or your family need assistance with passport renewal. 

My office has been responding to an increased number of requests for passport assistance. Due to a higher volume of requests across the country, standard passport processing times are now 10 to 13 weeks, while expedited processing time has risen to seven to nine weeks. If you need to apply for a new passport in person, please click here. If you have a passport that will expire within six months and need to renew it via mail, or if you need to correct or change your current passport, please click here. If you’ve already applied for a new or renewed passport and would like to check the status of your request, please click here.  

For more information on my work in Congress, please visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have any questions or concerns, please call my D.C. office at (202) 225-3976 or my Los Angeles district office at (323) 651-1040.   

I look forward to updating you again soon.  

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu

Member of Congress