Congress was back in session for a very busy week of votes, bill introductions, press conferences, a Congressional picnic at the White House, and a Joint Session of Congress to hear from President Isaac Herzog of Israel to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.   

Last week, the House passed the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R. 3935) to reauthorize federal funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for five years. The bill will ensure that the FAA has the necessary federal funding to maintain America’s position as the global leader in aviation safety and innovation. It will also strengthen and diversify our aviation workforce, improve consumer protections and accessibility, make groundbreaking investments in sustainability and resiliency, create good-paying jobs in aviation, and continue to boost our nation’s economy. You can find a section-by-section summary of the bill here.

Of regional interest, Representative Burgess Owens (UT-04) offered an amendment to the bill that would negatively impact air travel in the Washington metropolitan region and in nearby regional airports－such as Richmond International Airport in VA-04－by changing the “Perimeter Rule” at Reagan National Airport (DCA).  DCA is the smallest of the three major airports serving the region, but has the busiest and most congested runway in the nation, averaging 819 takeoffs and landings a day. Recognizing DCA’s physical limitations, in 1986 Congress restricted the number of nonstop flights that can originate out of DCA to airports outside of a 1,250-mile perimeter. This allowed the larger Washington Dulles International Airport to serve as the primary airport for longer nonstop flights. Over time, Congress allowed additional flights beyond the perimeter, disrupting the balance between the region’s airports to the detriment of DCA facilities, workers, travelers, businesses, and local residents, and undermining the vision of Dulles as the primary long-haul flight destination for the region. 

Rep. Owens’ amendment sought to add 7 new roundtrip in-and-beyond perimeter slots at DCA, split between the 7 airlines that serve the airport. New slots also impact air travel originating to and from smaller regional airports, such as Richmond International Airport in VA-04. In March, Senators Warner and Kaine joined Maryland Senators Cardin and VanHollen in a letter opposing a similar amendment in the Senate version of the bill. The entire Virginia House delegation voted against Rep. Owens’ amendment, which was defeated on a vote of 205-229.

The bill now goes to the Senate, which is still considering its own FAA authorization bill.

The House passed on largely partisan lines the Republican Schools Not Shelters Act (H.R. 3941), which would eliminate federal funding to any public school or public higher education institution that is used to provide emergency shelter for asylum seekers and/or undocumented immigrants, except in weather or fire-related emergencies. 

I voted against this attempt to usurp local and state control over school buildings. Rather than keeping our students safe, as Republicans assert, the bill is yet another attempt to demonize immigrant children. If Republicans truly want to take steps to keep students safe, they should take meaningful action to address gun violence, teacher shortages, and the mental health crisis facing our children. FEMA has long used schools, places of worship, and community centers as temporary shelters. H.R. 3941 only prohibits the emergency sheltering provided exclusively to one targeted group—undocumented immigrants.

The President announced his intent to veto the bill should it pass the Senate.

Wednesday, I joined Representative John Sarbanes (MD-03), and over 130 House Democratic colleagues to introduce the Freedom to Vote Act to protect and expand voting rights, implement federal election standards, institute campaign finance reforms, and preserve American democracy.  The legislation  modernizes our election systems to keep them secure, sets national standards to protect access to the ballot, expands voting options, strengthens voter protections, combats voter intimidation and frivolous challenges to eligibility, and improves access for voters with disabilities. It also protects nonpartisan election officials from undue partisan interference, harassment, pressure or intimidation, provides funding for states to purchase new and more secure voting systems, and implements cybersecurity standards for voting machines.

The bill also requires super PACs and other organizations to disclose their donors, shuts down the use of transfers between organizations to hide their contributors, and ensures political ads sold online have the same transparency and disclosure requirements as ads sold on TV and radio. Finally, this Act establishes specific criteria for congressional redistricting and expressly prohibits partisan gerrymandering.

As I’ve stated many times, the right to vote is deeply personal to me given the barriers my own family had to overcome to gain it. Throughout my 18 sessions in the Virginia General Assembly, I fought to protect voting rights. My first bill passed  expanded absentee voting in Virginia, and in 2021, I championed passage of the Voting Rights Act of Virginia to make the Commonwealth the first state in the South to pass a comprehensive voting rights act. As a member of the Senate Privileges & Elections Committee, I helped pass legislation that took Virginia from the second hardest state in which to vote in 2016 to the 11th easiest in 2022.  

I am proud to continue my leadership on voting rights as a member of the Task Force on Strengthening Democracy and an original cosponsor of the Freedom to Vote Act. Thursday, I joined Representatives Sarbanes, Joe Morelle (NY-25), Kevin Mullen (CA-15), Norma Torres (CA-35) Nikma Williams (GA-05), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Declaration for American Democracy, and other voting rights advocacy groups for a press conference to discuss this important bill.

Last week marked the 175th Anniversary of the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention adopted the Declaration of Sentiments, written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Modeled after the Declaration of Independence, the declaration stated that “all men and women are created equal,” and called for women’s suffrage.  

One hundred years ago, at the Woman’s party conference commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, Alice Paul drafted The Equal Rights Amendment, beginning a long journey to make true for men and women the promise of equality under the law contained in the 14th Amendment. 

To commemorate both anniversaries, women from across the country gathered in Seneca Falls over the weekend. Thursday, I joined Senator Tim Kaine and Rep. Pressley to kick off the Virginia NOW Chapter bus tour to the commemorative convention.

As a member of the Virginia State Senate, I championed the resolution making Virginia the 38^th and final state necessary to ratify the ERA. However, the National Archivist still has not published the ERA as the 28th Amendment due to an artificial －and unauthorized－deadline contained in the ERA resolution passed by Congress. To the extent Congressional action is necessary to publish the ERA, Representative Ayanna Presley (MA-07) introduced H.J.Res. 25 to remove the ratification deadline for and affirm the ERA as the 28^th Amendment to the Constitution. On Wednesday, I signed a discharge petition filed by Rep. Pressley to bring H.J.Res. 25 to the floor for a vote.  

Looking for assistance with a federal agency without driving to my offices in Richmond or Brunswick? Mobile McClellan sessions provide an opportunity for my constituent services staff to travel throughout the district to meet with constituents. My staff will be in Emporia on August 15^th from 11am to 1pm at Emporia City Hall, 201 South Main St, Emporia 23847. RSVP here.

Are you making holiday travel plans out of the country? Don’t wait too long to apply for or renew your passport. Due to the persistent backlog, applications can take months to process. Moreover, some countries require that a passport has more than 6 months remaining before expiration to enter that country. For more information on how to apply for or renew your passport, visit Travel.State.Gov today.

If you receive health insurance through Medicaid or CHIP, make sure to avoid an inadvertent gap in your coverage as Virginia conducts eligibility reviews. Follow these steps to ensure you still qualify:

• Make sure your contact info is up to date on all your paperwork with the Medicaid office
• Check your mail for a letter with important information
• If you get a renewal form, please complete it

If you have questions or need more information, visit Medicaid.gov/renewals or visit Virginia’s Medicaid office.

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