A Month in Review: May 2023 Congressional Update

Dear john,

It's been a whirlwind of a month; last week, I introduced the Dignity Act of 2023, a historic, bipartisan immigration reform bill. This legislation has been over six months in the making; it addresses border security and infrastructure, creates legal status for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States with the possibility of earning citizenship, establishes new pathways for asylum seekers, and creates new legal pathways for economic migrants and unaccompanied minors.

These challenging times we've seen in El Paso call for both compassion and action, and the Dignity Act of 2023 offers a bipartisan, meaningful approach that restores dignity to people who have tried to navigate a broken system for far too long.

As always, please remember to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to ensure you never miss any of my updates and stay in the loop on what I’ve been doing for El Paso.

Do you want comprehensive immigration reform for our country?

Yes

No

Pictured above, the first two Latinas from Texas in Congress and the first Hispanic woman nominated to serve on the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

It was an honor to meet with Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez this month.

Over the past 30 years, our country has doubled down on the same failed immigration policies.

I recently hosted several of my Democratic colleagues for a tour of El Paso to show how our broken immigration system has failed communities like ours.

Medicare for All guarantees primary care; vision, dental, and hearing; mental health care; long-term care; substance abuse care; and maternal care WITHOUT debt, fees, or out-of-pocket costs.

I proudly joined my colleagues to advocate for this human right for every American.

The wins for El Paso in last year's government funding bill were historic and reflected our community’s most pressing needs and our aspirational priorities.

I was proud to have secured over $2 million for EPISD's after-school learning centers.

The groundbreaking event at Hillcrest was wonderful but also a stark reminder that there's still much work left to do for our colonias.

I’m proud of the work my team and I are doing for colonias, including the introduction of my legislation to establish an Office of Colonia Affairs.

One of the most important aspects of the upcoming Farm Bill reauthorization is its SNAP benefit allotments.

It was important for me to discuss with El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank how this bill affects their funding and how I can be supportive of their priorities.

I was honored to give the opening remarks at the El Paso & Ciudad Juarez Industry Summit.

El Paso has the potential to be a leader in advanced manufacturing in years to come and I'm excited about continuing to bring federal dollars home to achieve that goal.

We just wrapped up my first-ever Congressional Youth Advisory Council cohort.

It was a pleasure meeting with you over the last seven months; I thank you for your hard work and cannot wait to see you all continue pursuing your passions!

This week, I had the honor of joining the Memorial Day Ceremony at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.

Thank you to For Bliss for inviting me to such a sacred event in honor of our servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

One of the most important parts of the Inflation Reduction Act was a $35 cap for insulin for people on Medicare.

I had the opportunity to stop by the El Paso Center for Diabetes and meet people impacted by this live-saving provision.

This month, I joined the student org. Women of Color at Franklin HS.

It was refreshing & inspiring to spend time with young adults and discuss ways to get involved in government for students, including through my Youth Advisory Council.

Congratulations to Azenette Hernandez for winning my Congressional Art Competition with her art, "Mi Querido Apa!"

Thank you to all the participants and judges who joined me last night for our reception. Azenette, see you in DC soon!

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