I hope you had a happy and safe Independence Day as we commemorated 247 years since the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence. Congress was in recess, and I spent some much needed time with my family. While it was a relatively quiet week, we still got a lot done－including starting a Threads profile! You can now follow me on Threads, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @RepMcClellan for real-time updates on what I’m up to.

Next week, the House will debate and vote on the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. As I discussed in a previous newsletter, the NDAA passed out of the House Armed Services Committee on a 58-1 vote after over 14 hours of debate. As a member of the Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, I took advantage of this recess to visit the Pentagon to meet with Secretary of the Navy Carlos del Toro to discuss U.S. Navy and Marine Corps priorities. I also met with Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Admiral John B. Mustin to discuss the Navy Reserve Center in Richmond, VA and the Reserves’ priorities.  These discussions were very insightful as I prepare for the floor debate and vote on the NDAA. I also got to tour portions of the approximately 6.5 million square foot headquarters of the Department of Defense.

This week, I joined fellow Virginians Bobby Scott (VA-03), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) in filing an amicus brief in support of the Southern Environmental Law Center and The Wilderness Society’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the automatic approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) contained in Section 324 of The Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3746) in The Wilderness Society v. United States Forest Services, et al. and Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC. As you may recall, Senator Tim Kaine and I unsuccessfully proposed amendments to strip this provision from H.R. 3746 in our respective chambers. Our amicus brief asserts that the MVP provision sidesteps National Environmental Policy Act protections, silences the voices of impacted communities, and represents a constitutional violation of the separation of powers between Congress and the judiciary. You can read the brief here.

Friday, I submitted a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan asking the agency to swiftly finalize a Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule to limit harmful air pollution, achieve better health outcomes for vulnerable Americans, and advance environmental justice. More than 50 of my fellow House Democrats cosigned the letter. Initially established in 2012, the original Mercury and Air Toxic Standards required power plants to bring their hazardous air pollution under control, yielding significant public health benefits. However, these protections were severely undermined by the Trump Administration. The Biden Administration reversed these rollbacks and, earlier this year, the EPA took additional action to strengthen MATS protections and further reduce toxic emissions. You can learn more about the new proposed standards here and read our letter here.

Our Mobile McClellan events continue with a Veterans Administration focused event on Monday, July 10th from 10 am to noon at the Disputanta Community Building, 10010 B County Drive, Disputanta 23842. Anyone having issues with the VA interested in attending can RSVP here in advance.  

Travel has skyrocketed as people take business and recreational trips delayed during the COVID pandemic. As a result, passport delays have gotten longer. If you are planning to travel abroad, plan ahead to get your passport! Here are some helpful tips: 

• Note that some countries require your passport is valid for at least six more months to enter.

• Before you begin to plan your trip, check your passport’s expiration date at travel.state.gov/passport.

• If your passport expires in a year or less, apply for renewal right away.

• Apply for your passport at least 16 weeks (four months) before the date of travel.

• Our advice is to ALWAYS pay expedited and 1-2 day processing fees.

• For more information, visit travel.state.gov/passport

If you do not receive your passport within 6 weeks, reach out to our office. You must fill out the authorization form on our website for help with passports or any federal agency. 

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

Brunswick Satellite Office

100 Athletic Field Road

Lawrenceville, VA  23868

Phone: (804) 690-5809

10am - 4:30pm — every Thursday, or by appointment