Happy Juneteenth! I hope you are enjoying this state and federal holiday, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in America. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued January 1, 1863, liberating those enslaved in the states in rebellion, word did not reach Texas until Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 with General Order No. 3 proclaiming freedom for the still enslaved people in Texas. The Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified nearly six months later on December 6, 1865.

Juneteenth is a reminder that emancipation did not come in a moment, but began with acts of rebellion, resistance, and self-liberation. Freedom also is a movement as we strive to redress the lingering legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. Several Juneteenth events were held in Washington and in the District over the past week, and I enjoyed celebrating this second American Independence Day.

This week was also an exciting one in Washington and the District as I filed my first two bills, celebrated my first 100 days in office, and more. 

Thursday marked my 100th day as a member of Congress! It is the honor of my lifetime to serve as the representative for the Fourth Congressional District and fight for my constituents’ priorities in Congress. My calling to public service has always been motivated by the opportunity to help others, solve problems, and make government work for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexual or gender identity, socioeconomic status or zip code. I am proud of the work my staff and I have accomplished in the first 100 days of Congress, even while dealing with a debt default crisis and Republican gridlock. I am confident we will continue to make great strides this Congress, and I will continue to be a voice for my constituents in Washington.

During my first 100 days, I:

• Introduced 2 bills to promote equity and opportunity in higher education. 

• Cosponsored 114 bills on a range of issues, including health care and reproductive justice, voting rights, climate and environmental justice, and more. 

• Cast 136 votes on the House floor. 

• Requested $44,315,499 in federal funding for localities’ priorities in our district. 

• Joined 15 caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, as well as several issue-based caucuses and task forces. 

• Participated in 18 committee hearings and markups through my position on both the House Armed Services Committee and the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. 

• Opened 371 constituent services cases to advocate on behalf of constituents and help resolve the various issues they face. 

• Closed 180 constituent cases and returned $135,590 in owed or missing benefits to constituents. 

• Hosted 4 leadership roundtables around the district with local elected officials. 

• Visited 8 localities throughout the district, including Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Charles City, Petersburg, Brunswick, Emporia, and Greensville.

• My staff attended 37 events around the district. 

Find more information about my first 100 days in Congress here.

I also joined Laura Coates to record an interview for her Sirius XM radio show before a live studio audience recapping my first 100 days, which you can listen to here.

This week I introduced my first two bills, both of which address STEM in higher education. 

The RESEARCHER Act (H.R. 4002)

Joined by almost a dozen of my colleagues, I introduced The Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and Research (RESEARCHER) Act to address the financial struggles of graduate and post-doctoral researchers. 

Increased costs of living, low research stipends, and a lack of comprehensive benefits pose serious financial hurdles to our nation’s graduate and postdoctoral researchers, particularly those from low-income families. We must address these issues to continue building a robust STEM workforce, fulfill the legislative priorities set forth in the CHIPS and Science Act, and support America’s global economic competitiveness. The RESEARCHER Act begins to address those needs by requiring policy guidelines for federal agencies to address graduate students’ and postdoctoral students’ financial instability and amending the CHIPS Act to include data collection on these students' financial instability. You can read more about the RESEARCHER Act in this one-pager, bill text, and quotes of support.

The GRAD Act (H.R. 4176)

This week I also introduced The GRAD Act to help support graduate-level STEM programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). HBCUs and PBIs are historically underfunded and frequently financially lag behind non-HBCU schools by at least 70%. HBCUs and PBIs serve many first generation college students and help historically marginalized groups gain needed access to higher education. 

The Fourth District is home to two HBCUs－Virginia State University and Virginia Union University. The GRAD Act will help to close the funding gap, improve STEM programs and create opportunities for students in our district and around the country while also strengthening STEM education to make our country stronger and better able to compete in the global marketplace. You can read The GRAD Act bill text and one-pager for more information.

After 12 MAGA Republicans brought the floor to a halt with a temper tantrum at Speaker McCarthy, this week we returned to the House floor to vote on bills that fed the Republican messaging machine through opposing Biden Administration actions rather than actually addressing issues of concern to the American people. 

First, Republicans have stoked fear that the Biden Administration wants to ban gas stoves. Yes, you read that right. Republicans are on a mission to save gas stoves－which are not in danger－through not one, but two bills. I opposed the “Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act” because it would prohibit the Consumer Product Safety Commission from protecting consumers from any gas stoves that are hazardous or present an unreasonable risk of injury. I opposed the “Save Our Stoves Act” because it would hamper the Department of Energy’s efforts to implement energy efficiency standards for cooking equipment, despite the fact that such standards save consumers money and reduce energy demand. Read more about how bad these bills are here.

Republicans then passed H.J.Res. 44 to overturn the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) rule to tighten federal regulations on pistol braces. Pistol braces have been shown to be deadly accessories and were used in several mass shootings, including the recent school shooting in Nashville, the grocery store shooting in Boulder, and the LGBTQ+ nightclub shooting in Colorado Springs. The ATF issued a rule in January to reclassify pistols that have a stabilizing brace as short-barreled rifles, which are subject to tighter regulation, including requirements to register them with the government. The Biden Administration stated that he will veto this bill if it makes it to his desk.

Republicans also attempted to censure Congressman Adam Schiff and fine him $16 million dollars. The former Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Schiff led the first round of impeachment proceedings of former President Donald Trump. In a politically-motivated, baseless attack, Republicans tried to pass a formal statement of disapproval for his role in the investigations of the former president and his involvement with Russia. House Democrats put forth a motion to table, a procedural process that kills a bill. Twenty Republicans helped Democrats pass it. 

I also opposed two bills seeking to undermine separation of powers and usurp the role－and expertise－of administrative agencies in implementing laws passed by Congress. First, the ”Separation of Powers Restoration Act” (H.R. 288) would undermine separation of powers by overriding long-standing rules of judicial review of administrative agency interpretation and implementation of laws and regulations. By displacing the expertise and role that administrative agencies play in implementing the statutory and regulatory provisions that Congress has delegated to them, H.R. 288 also would undermine political accountability, national uniformity, and predictability. Second, The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2023 (H.R. 277) would require further Congressional action in the implementation of laws already passed in a way that would grind to a halt agency action that protects public safety, grows our economy, and advances the public interest.

Besides Rep. Schiff’s censure, each of these bills or resolutions passed the House, but they are expected to fail in the Senate or be vetoed by the President.

This week, the Science, Space and Technology Committee held a markup and advanced three bills designed to improve the science and research capabilities between our nation’s leading agencies and strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) research and development capabilities.

• The DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act (H.R. 2988) improves interagency coordination between the Department of Energy (DOE) and NASA by codifying existing partnerships. These agencies have a long history of collaboration, particularly with the Mars rovers and Voyager. DOE and NASA’s collaboration on nuclear energy will be critical to our ability to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon and improve nuclear energy as a clean and reliable energy source.

• The DOE-NSF Interagency Research Act (H.R. 2980) codifies DOE’s long standing research and development coordination with the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• The FAA Research and Development Act of 2023 (H.R. 3559) supports the FAA’s efforts to develop technologies that make air travel cleaner, more efficient, and safer by accelerating the development of advanced materials for aerospace vehicle construction; supporting research into cleaner aviation fuels, including hydrogen and alternatives to leaded gasoline; directing the FAA to research better air traffic control systems, including how we monitor traffic over oceans and remote areas; addressing how we can more accurately detect and predict weather to reduce delays and increase safety; and requiring a report on whether at least 70% of FAA’s research and development funds are going towards improving safety.

Each of these bills advanced to the floor unanimously.

Monday marked the 75th anniversary of President Harry S. Truman signing the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to serve as regular members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. We know women have served in the armed services from the beginning of our country, such as Deborah Sampson, who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. 

I marked the occasion by speaking at the Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs’ 75 Year Salute to Women in the Military Symposium. Today women are an integral part of our armed services, and women veterans are the fastest growing demographic of veterans in the country. Women servicemembers struggle with access to comprehensive healthcare, lack of women in senior positions, and increased rates of sexual assault. Women veterans likewise struggle with navigating the Veterans Administration, which lacks the capacity to meet all of the comprehensive health care needs of women veterans. Participating in the symposium allowed me to share my work in Washington as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to help address these issues, and more importantly, to listen to Virginia women veterans discuss what they need. 

Our first Mobile McClellan last week in Charles City County was a smashing success! If you missed it, there are two opportunities this week to meet with my staff for assistance with a federal agency. Please register in advance so we know how many constituents to plan for at one of these locations:

Emporia

June 20th: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Emporia City Hall

201 South Main St, Emporia 23847

Register here

Ettrick

June 20th: 10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Mayes-Colbert Ettrick Recreation Center

Ettrick Park

20621 Woodpecker Road, South Chesterfield 23803

Register here.

Stay tuned for additional dates, locations, and times. My staff is eager to help!

Remote Area Medical, a nonprofit provider of pop-up clinics will offer free dental, vision, and medical care at the Greensville County High School at 403 Harding Street in Emporia on June 24th and 25th starting at 6am each day. Free services provided include dental cleanings, fillings, extractions, and X-rays, eye exams, health screenings, eyeglass prescriptions and glasses made onsite, women’s health exams and general medical exams. No ID is required. Parking lots are open the night before for “early birds.” For more information, visit here.

Join Team McClellan for the ribbon cutting for our new satellite office in Lawrenceville, Virginia on Thursday, June 29th from 2:30-3:30 pm at the Brunswick County Conference Center, 100 Athletic Field Road. The office will be open every Thursday from 10 am to 4:30 pm or by appointment. For more information, call (804) 690-5809. You can RSVP for the event here. 

Sincerely,

Rep. Jennifer McClellan

Member of Congress

Contact Me

Washington DC Office
2417 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-6365

Richmond District Office
110 North Robinson Street

Suite 403
Richmond, VA 23220

Phone: (804) 486-1840