Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work.

 Last week, I attended the 2023 National Teacher of the Year Ceremony at the White House. Congratulations, Rebecka Peterson, on this amazing accomplishment, and thank you for your commitment to students. On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) convened a hearing, Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and their Families.  Also, I joined the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (GVPTF) and Giffords to highlight the work Congress and federal partners are doing to address the epidemic of gun violence. Additionally, I introduced The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act. This legislation would allow the public and policymakers to gain a complete and accurate picture of gun violence in and around school campuses and provide actionable data to build effective strategies to prevent bloodshed at America’s places of learning.

On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed a joint session of the United States Congress. During his speech, President Suk Yeol highlighted the synergy between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as the importance of maintaining positive relationships in the years ahead. Lastly, I visited the Curtis Home in Meriden. Almost half of the residents at The Curtis Home are veterans. Recently, my casework team helped secure reimbursement funds from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to cover costs associated with room and board, pharmacy needs, and transportation.

 For the full recap, please read below. 

Celebrating the 2023 National Teacher of the Year

On Monday, I celebrated one of my favorite days with 56 of my favorite people! I was thrilled to join the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) at the White House for the 2023 Teacher of the Year Ceremony. In her acceptance speech, Rebecka Peterson reminded the audience, “as educators, we stand with one foot firmly grounded in the reality of what is, while the other stands in the promise of what can be.”

During the week, Rep. Rosa DeLauro and I hosted the Connecticut Teacher of the Year, Carolyn Kielma, the Rhode Island Teacher of the Year, Lisa Leaheey, and the Washington, D.C. Teacher of the Year, Jermar Rountree. Congratulations to these fantastic public servants and thank you for your commitment to students. 

Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and their Families

On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) convened a hearing, Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and their Families. During the hearing, I focused my questioning on how we can improve access to affordable dental, vision, and mental health care.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded the affordability of health care for millions of Americans. As of January 2023, a record 16.3 million people were insured under the ACA. However, there are still significant barriers to care. 

Research shows that dental and vision health are critical components of overall health. However, basic health insurance plans rarely cover routine eye exams, regular visits to the dentist, and extended mental health services.

Furthermore, people without access to dental care are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. For example, in 2023 alone, there have been about 55,000 new oral cavity cancer cases in the United States.

No less concerning, in Connecticut, 531,000 adults have a mental health condition, and many go without the necessary care or services to get better.

It is imperative we provide families with quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care.

To listen to full hearing, please click here. 

Advancing Gun Safety Measures

Gun violence prevention remains a top priority for me. On Tuesday, I joined my colleagues on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force (GVPTF) to discuss steps the task force is taking in the next several months to address the epidemic of gun violence. During the event, we were joined by Mothers United Against Violence, Dr. Jason Smith, University of Louisville Health Chief Medical Officer, and several survivors of gun violence. 

Additionally, on Thursday, I spent time in the community with Giffords. Founded a decade ago, Giffords has turned outrage into action, researching and enacting lifesaving solutions. Giffords brings decades of political, legal, and policy expertise to fight for gun safety. 

Finally, I joined Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL-25) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-07) in reintroducing The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act. This legislation would allow the public and policymakers to gain a complete and accurate picture of gun violence in and around school campuses and provide actionable data to build effective strategies to prevent bloodshed at America’s places of learning. Further, the legislation would create a definition for “school shooting,” which does not exist in federal law.

Unfortunately, everyday gun violence incidents continue to plague communities nationwide – compromising school safety and decimating the mental health of students. Exposure to school shootings decreases academic performance and makes children more susceptible to perpetuating the vicious cycle of violence. The first step to address this crisis is understanding how and why school shootings happen.

The School Shooting and Preparedness Act is an essential, common-sense measure to finally provide a definition of a school shooting and formally collect data so we can attempt to find solutions to ending this horrific phenomenon. 

Remarks from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol 

On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed a joint session of Congress. 

In his remarks, President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted the positive relationship between the United States and South Korea – drawing upon the new pattern of synergy created by cultural exchanges between the two countries. 

Additionally, President Suk Yeol affirmed the importance of the rule of law, protecting democracy across the globe, and deterring North Korea from nuclear weapon development.

As indicated by President Suk Yeol, the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea is one of universal values – freedom, human rights, and democracy. This alliance for justice, peace, and prosperity will be critical in creating prosperity for generations to come. 

Casework Highlight: The Curtis Home 

In January, The Curtis Home, a non-profit, 60-bed skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located in Meriden, contacted my office after experiencing issues with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

About half of the residents at the Curtis Home are Veterans, but for months, the facility did not receive Medicare reimbursements to cover costs associated with room and board, pharmacy needs, and transportation. The facility was in arrears of nearly $2 million.

Upon learning of the situation in February, my casework team immediately reached out to the VA. By March, the VA assigned a claims representative to the case. With the help of my office, we were able to recover $1,043,151.13 in payments.

The Curtis Home is now back on track to support and care for Veterans. My office will continue to monitor the reimbursements as they continue through the claims process.

And that’s a wrap!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me.

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress