Dear John,

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

Last week, I joined Waterbury Native, Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England Regional Administrator David Cash, and state officials to announce Connecticut will receive 25 zero-emission school buses through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. On Friday, I attended the National Safer Communities Summit to celebrate the anniversary of the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Additionally, I joined my colleagues in introducing the Food Access and Stability Act, legislation to permanently expand SNAP work requirement waivers to veterans, unhoused people, and former foster youth.  

For the full recap, please read below.  

Clean School Bus Funding for Connecticut

On Thursday, I joined Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) New England Regional Administrator David Cash, and state officials to announce the award of 25 zero-emission school buses to DATTCO Inc. to provide school transportation services for the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System (CTECS). The clean school bus funding is a portion of the almost $9 million in rebates awarded to school districts across Connecticut last year through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

It was a long fight to secure clean school bus funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but we accomplished our goal and now communities in the Fifth will feel the impact of this legislation. When I first began pushing for the transition to electric school buses in 2019 as a freshman member, I knew it was paramount that funding be included in any legislative action. Connecticut students will be provided additional transportation services, creating better access to educational opportunities while protecting our environment for decades to come.  

To learn more about the event, please click here.  

National Safer Communities Summit 

Just under a year ago, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, comprehensive gun violence prevention legislation to protect America’s children, keep schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across the country. The legislation represents the most meaningful gun safety law enacted in decades.  

On Friday, under the leadership of Senator Chris Murphy, over 700 national and local leaders, advocates, students, and community members gathered in Hartford to celebrate the success of the legislation and plan for its implementation in the years ahead.  

During the keynote address, President Joe Biden commented that guns were the number one killer of children in America. This was a sobering reminder there is still much work to be done to make our schools and communities safer.  

This Gun Violence Awareness Month, as we honor and remember the lives of the victims of gun violence, we also recommit ourselves to the important work of calling out gun violence in all its forms.  

Food Access and Stability Act 

Last week, I joined my colleagues Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (CO-08) and Congresswoman Emilia Sykes (OH-13) in introducing the Food Access and Stability Act, legislation to make permanent the Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit expansion recently passed in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. While the agreement included additional onerous work requirements to limit nutrition benefits for some Americans, it also included an exemption from those requirements for veterans, unhoused people, and former foster youth. Under the Bipartisan Budget Agreement, this important provision sunsets in 2030. The Food Access and Stability Act makes that expansion permanent. 

One person struggling with food insecurity is one too many. We live in one of the wealthiest countries in the world - there is absolutely no excuse for the lack of accessibility to nutritious food. The Food Access and Stability Act is a step forward in the effort to combat food insecurity in our communities.  

For additional information on the Food Access and Stability Act, please click here.  

Casework Highlight

Do you need assistance navigating a federal agency? My casework team can help. My signature Casework on Your Corner program brings caseworkers directly to constituents at public libraries, farmer’s markets, small businesses, and community events.  

Fifth District residents are welcome to join us on Tuesday, June 27^th, 2023, at Meriden City Hall or Danbury City Hall from 11am to 4pm.  

Additional information on my Casework on your Corner program is available here.  

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