Dear John
I truly enjoy sharing these updates with you, the constituents of Pennsylvania’s Sixth Congressional District, to keep you informed about what’s happening down in Washington and back home here in Pennsylvania. There’s a lot to share this week, so I hope you have a few minutes to read the highlights.
In this newsletter you will find: Legislative updates from D.C. Bipartisan progress on climate, paid leave & more How I’m working to grow the middle class Town hall reminder and a story from one of our neighbors
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Updates on Major Pieces of Legislation |
National Defense Authorization Act |
Every year, the House Armed Services Committee drafts the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA. The bill affects nearly every aspect of our military, and it made it through committee with overwhelming bipartisan support. I was proud to vote for it in committee, giving service members a pay raise, improving their housing, modernizing their training and weapon systems, and more. However, when the bill went before the full House, I was enormously disappointed to see extreme policies tacked on, including restricting reproductive freedoms for women in uniform and military families.
As the daughter and granddaughter of veterans, and a veteran myself, I always stand in strong support of our men and women in uniform. At a time when we are facing historic challenges to fill our all-volunteer ranks, we must honor the dignity of every American willing to raise their right hand and serve. I will do everything in my power to send a truly bipartisan bill to the President’s desk for signature so our next generation can proudly serve, too.
Our Legislative Director, Kat Cosgrove, recently explained the NDAA in detail! You can view it here. |
Appropriations – Community Project Funding |
Every year the House passes Appropriations bills that fund our government, and for the past three years those bills have included something called Community Project Funding. This funding is allocated to specific projects in every Congressional district across the country. To determine those projects for our community, we use an independent, nonpartisan board to review and recommend applicants. One project our office submitted for funding was the LGBT Center of Greater Reading – an incredible organization I have visited many times!
This week, the Appropriations Committee considered 2,668 projects in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee. Shockingly, the Republican members on the committee voted to strip funding from only three projects – all were related to LGBT Centers including ours in Reading.
As a staunch advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and a mother to a gay daughter, I strongly condemn these hurtful actions. I will continue working to ensure the LGBT Center of Greater Reading gets the funding it needs and deserves. Please click here to listen to more of my thoughts on this. |
Working Together on a Bipartisan Basis |
As you know, I always look for opportunities to collaborate with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. That work comes in different forms, including special working groups and caucuses!
I am the co-chair of the recently relaunched Bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus alongside Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY). We are looking into permitting reform, energy affordability, reducing emissions, and more. I look forward to finding lasting, bipartisan solutions that protect our environment.
I'm also a member of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum. We launched to work on the unsustainable debt brinksmanship that occurs every few years and to improve our country’s fiscal future and longevity. I was outspoken during the debt ceiling conversations that we must have a better system, and I am honored to be one of the group’s founding members to tackle this crucial issue that impacts all Americans. |
Additionally, I hosted the July meeting of the Bipartisan Paid Leave Working Group where we spoke with large corporations and trade associations on the paid leave policies they have for employees. Hearing from these large companies that have paid leave policies is important when we look to address this issue for the American people.
I'm also a co-chair of the Bipartisan Women in STEM Caucus, and this week we introduced our first bill! Our bill honors the aspiring female astronauts known as Mercury 13. These women passed physical tests that male astronauts did but were denied the opportunity to go to space. You can learn more about the bipartisan Mercury 13 Congressional Gold Medal Act here. |
This week, the New Democrat Coalition, of which I am a proud member, announced its Economic Opportunity Agenda to continue lowering costs, fighting inflation, and growing our middle class. As the Chair of the coalition’s Economic Growth and Fiscal Responsibility Task Force, I had the opportunity to draft this agenda and be part of its unveiling.
In the past year, we’ve fortunately seen inflation rates slow, but we know there is much work to be done. The plan lays out concrete steps we can take to improve our economy in the next year, including passing three bills I’m sponsoring. Click here to read the plan. |
Updates from Our Community |
Helping Emmanouil in Wayne with His Son’s Passport
My office works hard to serve the people of Chester and Berks County. We recently received feedback from a satisfied constituent who needed help obtaining a passport for his son. I wanted to briefly share with you. If you ever need assistance with a federal agency, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
“Your office has been fantastic! I did not know what to expect when I learned about the possibility of getting help from you. Needless to say, you did it, and we are so grateful. The communication was great, and I felt that you dealt with our case with urgency, and a strong sense of responsibility. Thank you from the bottom of my heart” - Emmanouil, Wayne |
On Monday, July 24, I will be hosting my 75th town hall in Coatesville. I’m looking forward to discussing the latest developments in our community, including the new partnership between Penn Medicine and the Coatesville VAMC. We will have 3 guests joining us: Howard Crawford (moderator), President of West Chester Veterans Council & Commander of the American Legion Post 134 Mike Duncan, President & CEO of Chester County Hospital and Health System Kirk Fernitz, Director of Community & Congressional Affairs at the CVAMC
Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event starts at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited, and seating is first come, first serve. The town hall is at Chester County Public Safety Training Campus, 137 Modena Road, Coatesville, PA.
For more information, click here.
Impacted by recent flooding?
Many of our community members in Berks County recently experienced terrible flooding. If you were impacted, please know we are thinking of you as you recover your homes and businesses.
Please be sure to:
Call your municipality and township to report damages Document damages and cleanup efforts and call insurance to report those damages Email [email protected], and provide your name, phone number, email address and the nature of your need or call (610) 374-4800, ext. 0, and provide the same information.
Be well and see you soon. |
Chrissy Houlahan U.S. Member of Congress |
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