Dear neighbor, 

As we enter September, students are heading back to school and Members of Congress are returning to Washington. During the August District Work Period, I attended community events, met with neighbors and advocates, and introduced legislation to address issues facing American families. Here are some highlights: 

Addressing Homelessness: The homelessness crisis and lack of affordable housing require a whole-of-government approach. That's why I introduced the Prevent Homelessness Act, which would allocate $100 million in grants annually to establish a Housing Stabilization Fund to cover expenses such as rent, utilities, legal services, and other short-term payments calculated to increase housing stability. This would help to stop people from becoming homeless in the first place through direct aid to at-risk individuals and families.  

Supporting Writers: Inspired by the Federal Writers’ Project of the New Deal Era, I recently reintroduced the 21st Century Federal Writers’ Project Act. This bill would create a grant program to provide meaningful work opportunities to unemployed and underemployed writers and creatives. Not only would these grants support individuals and organizations doing important reporting work across the country, they would fund the documentation of this unique historical moment.  

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness: Following an unprecedented hurricane, record rainfall and land movement in our community, it’s clear that natural disasters are becoming more frequent, widespread, and severe due to climate change. To mitigate the impacts of these disasters, we must begin preparing now. Working with my colleagues who represent U.S. island territories, I introduced a bill to expand access to reliable solar power in U.S. territories, which will improve disaster response capability. Additionally, I proposed a measure that would help ensure federal prisons are prepared to respond to natural disasters and public health emergencies. This bill would protect the health and safety of incarcerated individuals, correctional staff, and other personnel in federal correctional facilities across the country.  

These important bills are just a small sample of everything I’ve been working on over the past month. To check out a complete list of all the bills I’ve introduced in the 118th Congress, please click here.  

Congressman Lieu tours a manufacturing facility in Torrance on August 15. 

TIME 100: I was honored this week to be named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in AI. The list features leaders, policymakers, artists and entrepreneurs across a variety of fields and from countries around the world. As one of just three Members of Congress with a degree in computer science, I know that AI is doing amazing things for our society but could cause significant harm if left unchecked and unregulated. That’s why I’ve introduced legislation to establish a national bipartisan blue-ribbon commission to make recommendations on how to regulate AI while also encouraging innovation. Knowing that AI poses a serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of our nation and our world if not regulated, I also introduced legislation to prevent AI from launching nuclear weapons without human oversight. In January, I wrote an op-ed for the New York Times outlining why Congress needs to act quickly to address AI. I look forward to continuing this important work with my colleagues in Congress.

STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS RESTARTING: As of September 1, the COVID-19 pandemic pause on federal student loan payments has ended and interest on these loans is accruing again. Tens of millions of borrowers will be receiving a student loan payment bill for the first time in three years. The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced the Saving on A Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, the most affordable income-based repayment plan ever. To enroll in the SAVE plan and learn more about the Biden-Harris Administration’s brand-new income-based repayment calculation tool, visit studentaid.gov. 

THINKING ABOUT FALL OR WINTER TRAVEL? PLAN AHEAD! 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 an international trip. 

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