Dear neighbor, 

We got some great news this week: annual inflation has fallen to 3%, the lowest level in two years! June was the 12th month in a row of falling inflation. Meanwhile, wages for the average worker are now higher than they were before the pandemic, even taking into account inflation. More jobs and lower costs—that's Bidenomics in action. 

President Biden and Democrats’ agenda isn’t just boosting jobs and wages while bringing inflation down; it’s also lowering costs for American families. Together, President Biden and Democrats have lowered prescription drug costs and capped the price of insulin at $35 per month. We’ve also invested in clean energy infrastructure and development to bring down energy costs and tackle the climate crisis. To ensure prices continue to come down on everyday goods that American families depend on, we’ve strengthened supply chains and addressed shipping disruptions. President Biden and Democrats are building an economy that works for all Americans, from the bottom up and the middle out. 

While House Democrats remain laser focused on delivering for American families, extreme MAGA Republicans are focused on banning abortions nationwide. Under the dark of night, Iowa Republicans passed a six-week abortion ban, denying women access to reproductive health care before many know they are pregnant. Here in the House, extreme Republicans hijacked the annual defense spending bill in order to jam in radical anti-abortion measures. Jeopardizing funding for our military and undermining our national security is irresponsible. At this week’s Democratic Caucus leadership press conference, I spoke about how these measures could hurt military recruitment and endanger our security. Check it out below. 

Here’s what else I’ve been working on in Washington:

• Questioned FBI Director Christopher Wray about the FBI’s work to counter corruption in the Trump Administration and its other missions. Watch the full video here. 
  
• Joined Congressman John Larson (D-CT) and over 170 of our colleagues to reintroduce the Social Security 2100 Act and expand Social Security benefits for the first time in 50 years. 
  
• Celebrated the one-year anniversary of the launch of NASA’s James Webb telescope, which was constructed right here in our district! This feat of engineering has brought us some incredible visuals from outer space and will continue to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers. 
  
• Voted against banning reproductive health care for women in our armed forces.  

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: I was glad to join House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar and our colleague and friend Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) at this week’s Democratic leadership press conference to celebrate the fantastic economic news we received this week. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats, America’s economic recovery is the strongest in the world. 

CALLING ALL CODERS: The Congressional App Challenge is back! Students in middle and high school can now submit original computer programs or apps for consideration. Applications will remain open until November 1st. Winners will be selected by community judges, with winning apps or programs eligible to be displayed in the United States Capitol building, on house.gov, and on the Congressional App Challenge website! Students of all coding skill levels are encouraged to apply. For more information, please click here.   

ATTENTION JETSETTERS: If you’re planning international travel, don’t forget to check your passport’s expiration date! Passports that will expire within a year should be renewed. Please reach out to my Los Angeles office if you or your family need assistance with passport renewal. The State Department HIGHLY RECOMMENDS that you check your passport and ensure that it is current, or renew it before you plan a trip or purchase an international flight. 

Due to a higher volume of requests across the country, the State Department’s standard passport processing times are now 10 to 13 weeks, while expedited processing time is seven to nine weeks. If you need to apply for a new passport in person, please click here. If you have a passport that will expire within six months and need to renew it via mail, or if you need to correct or change your current passport, please click here. If you’ve already applied for a new or renewed passport and would like to check the status of your request, please click here.   

For more information on my work in Congress, please visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have any questions or concerns, please call my D.C. office at (202) 225-3976 or my Los Angeles district office at (323) 651-1040.    

I look forward to updating you again soon.  

Sincerely,   

Ted W. Lieu

Member of Congress