September 15, 2023

Advancing Vietnamese Human Rights

Image Courtesy of Reuters

This week, President Biden visited Vietnam. The Communist Vietnamese government is engaged in hostile repression of its own people, taking prisoners of conscience, arresting human rights activists, and trampling on the rights of political opponents.

I led members of the Congressional Vietnam Caucus in writing a letter urging the President to ensure that any effort improve relations with the Communist government of Vietnam must come with improved human rights for the Vietnamese People.

Honoring Our Commitment

Image Courtesy of the Epoch Times

After the fall of Saigon, thousands of men, women, and children came to the United States in search of freedom. It is our duty to keep our promises to these Vietnamese Americans, who value democracy and liberty above all else. That's why, as co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Vietnam Caucus, Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) and I introduced the Honor Our Commitment Act to codify protections afforded to Vietnamese refugees in the United States under a 2008 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Vietnam.

The bill would specifically prohibit the deportation of refugees who came to the U.S. prior to July 12, 1995 in the wake of the Vietnam War. The Honor Our Commitment Act was first introduced in 2021 after an agreement was signed between Vietnam and the Trump Administration, which allowed for the deportation of pre-1995 Vietnamese refugees in the U.S, in contradiction of the 2008 MOU. I urge my colleges to join me in supporting this legislation and protecting our fellow Americans.

Assistance for International Travelers

As you may know, new and renewed passport requests are facing major delays. The State Department reports that even expedited passport requests can take anywhere from seven to nine weeks as they face a current backlog of millions of requests.

My office is partnering with the Placentia Library District and the Department of State to offer non-emergency passport processing appointments in Placentia on September 23, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 3:45 PM.

If you are interested in attending this event for assistance with your new or renewed passport processing request, please click the button below to learn more and find an appointment time that works for you.

Standing Up to Bad Global Tax Policy

After the Biden administration ignored Congress and moved forward with questionable negations, the OECD is moving forward with a proposed global tax deal that will implement a minimum global corporate tax that will both disproportionally target U.S. companies and disadvantages U.S. competitiveness. I recently visited the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris with my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee to send a clear message that the current global tax deal is dead on arrival in Congress.

Unfortunately, this international tax shakeup is just the start of historic changes to the U.S.'s entire tax code that are coming to a head in 2025. Alongside the global minimum tax, domestic business tax provisions created under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) are set to expire.

As the U.S. continues to assess its supply chain concerns and the national security and human rights threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), we need to ensure a pro-growth tax code that will give all American businesses the long-term certainty they need to invest domestically and patriciate in the global economy.

Calling All STEM Students

Registration for the 2023 Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is open! The CAC is a great way for middle and high school students from across the country to explore and improve their computer-based skills by creating original apps.

This competition encourages computer science and innovation skills and offers an opportunity for students to explore potential careers in the STEM field. The competition is hosted by the Congressional Internet Caucus.

Each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year and will be featured on the House of Representatives website. Winning students are also invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C.

Empowering Modern Workers

Workers have the right to choose how they make a living, but due to California’s AB5, independent contractors and entrepreneurs have had a harder time choosing their classification. On top of that, the Biden Administration’s Department of Labor is finalizing a new rule to create an obtuse multi-factor test that will undoubtedly lead to confusion for workers and take away opportunities from these individuals.

That's why I am proud to introduce the Modern Worker Empowerment Act with Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) to give clarity to the more than two million independent contractors and entrepreneurs working across California who want choice and flexibility in the modern workforce. With multitudes of differing state and federal statutes regulating independent contractors, will provide much needed clarity and stability for the American independent worker ensuring opportunities regardless of which state they reside.

What I'm Reading

Thanks for taking the time to read about what I've been doing on behalf of Southern California families. Be sure to connect with my official Facebook, X, and Instagram pages, where I post the latest news and updates. It is an honor to serve you in Congress.

Sincerely,

Rep. Michelle Steel
Member of Congress