Catch up on the latest updates from the New Democrat Coalition!

View this email in your browser ([link removed])

[link removed]
[link removed]

Going to Bat for the Farmers and Growers of Washington State

By NDC Farm Bill Task Force Chair Kim Schrier (WA-08)

Every five years, Congress ([link removed]) must vote to reauthorize the farm bill, a piece of legislation that funds a number of important farm, food, and forestry programs that provide critical support for America’s agriculture industry and affect the economic well-being of millions of people.

With the farm bill set to expire at the end of September, the clock is ticking. As the chairwoman of the New Democrat Coalition’s Farm Bill Task Force, I will have a key role in shaping the farm bill policy for the almost 100-member coalition. I’m committed to ensuring Congress takes action to reauthorize and enhance existing programs, address new challenges, and provide certainty to America’s growers and producers.

As New Dems, we are wholeheartedly committed to developing and advancing commonsense solutions to the greatest problems facing our agricultural communities across the country. As a pediatrician, I’ve spent my career working with children and families to ensure they lead the healthiest lives possible.

Failure to pass a robust farm bill would have devastating consequences in my home state of Washington and across America.

Programs that provide crop insurance, support agricultural research, and bolster trade and market access for farmers would go unfunded. Forestry and conservation programs that financially support farmers and safeguard farmland and wilderness areas would lose funding in the face of increasingly common and unpredictable extreme weather events. Millions of people who rely on nutrition programs such as SNAP to put food on the table would be faced with renewed uncertainty.

This doesn’t have to become our reality.
READ KIM'S FULL OP-ED ([link removed])
New Dems Continue Call to Reinstate Expanded Child Tax Credit Following Release of Census Bureau Report

[link removed]
READ ANNIE'S FULL STATEMENT ([link removed])
[link removed]

Congress Needs to Act Now to Protect Our Voting Rights

By New Dem Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04)

Last month marked 58 years since the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, ushering in long-overdue voter protections to protect Black Americans from the evils wrought under Jim Crow.

But the landscape we are facing in 2023 is one where I fear our history is repeating itself.

Our elections should reflect the will of the people, not the will of politicians. But across our country, and especially in Southern states (like my beloved state, North Carolina), we are continually seeing politicians launch calculated and unethical attacks against our freedom to vote. These underhanded efforts range from manipulating our voting maps ([link removed]) to diluting the voting power of communities of color to rolling back mail-in ([link removed]) and early voting options that are widely used methods for many voters of color.

There are small things to celebrate, however. The U.S. Supreme Court delivered some much-needed relief this term in two consequential decisions, Allen v. Milligan ([link removed]) and Moore v. Harper ([link removed]) , that kept intact some critical protections against these brazen attempts to grab power by any means.

First, in Allen v. Milligan, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the state of Alabama and reaffirmed the Voting Rights Act’s role in stopping politicians from diminishing the voting power of Black and brown communities.

Then, in Moore v. Harper, the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the dangerous, and reckless, “independent state legislatures theory” that sought to give state legislatures unchecked power to change elections laws without facing the scrutiny of state judicial reviews.

This fringe case stemmed from a desperate attempt by a group of highly partisan legislators to overturn a fair maps victory that Common Cause and other voting rights advocates secured in my home state of North Carolina. Before being elected to Congress, I spent a decade serving in the North Carolina General Assembly and saw firsthand the extreme lengths some of my colleagues would go to tip the scales in undemocratic efforts to maintain one-party rule.

While relieved that we held the line in these court cases that risked upending the fundamental rules of our democracy, I know this is not a time to rest.
READ VALERIE'S FULL OP-ED ([link removed])
[link removed]
Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) hosted federal, regional, and local water leaders at a water conservation summit in her district to discuss partnership-driven progress in Western water conservation. During the summit, Congresswoman Lee announced that the Bureau of Reclamation has allocated $63 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to 13 water infrastructure projects across Nevada in an effort to combat the American West's worst drought in 12 centuries.
READ ABOUT SUSIE'S SUMMIT ([link removed])
[link removed]
Rep. Eric Sorensen (IL-17) welcomed U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman to his district to meet with local entrepreneurs and highlight their work to support small businesses.
READ ABOUT ERIC'S VISIT ([link removed])
[link removed]
Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07) met with health care advocates and a Medicare recipient in her district to highlight how Medicare negotiation of fair prices for prescription drugs will lower seniors costs.
READ ABOUT SUSAN'S MEETING ([link removed])
New Dem Artificial Intelligence Working Group Holds First Leadership Meeting

This week, New Dem Artificial Working Group Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Vice Chairs Don Beyer (VA-08), Jeff Jackson (NC-14), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Susie Lee NV-03), and Haley Stevens (MI-11) held their first meeting to discuss Member priorities on AI and how to encourage growth and innovation while guarding against potential risks of this emerging technology.
New Dems Hold Bipartisan Roundtable with FactsUSA Founder Steve Ballmer

[link removed]

This week, New Dems and Republican Governance Group Chair Dave Joyce (OH-14) welcomed USAFacts Founder Steve Ballmer for a bipartisan roundtable. Members engaged in a constructive conversation about how USAFacts’ comprehensive and impartial data is critical to inform policy decisions and measure the impact of Congress’ work.
New Dems Host White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu

[link removed]

Yesterday, New Dems welcomed White House Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu to our weekly Member meeting! Our Members had a productive conversation with Landrieu about his work implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the impact these investments are having on the ground in communities across America.
ICYMI in Forbes:

Rep. Gabe Vasquez Discusses New Dem Letter to Speaker McCarthy Calling for Bipartisan Action to Address Fentanyl Crisis and Secure Southern Border


[link removed]

Last week, Forbes published ([link removed]) an article and interview with Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) on the letter ([link removed]) he led with NDC Immigration and Border Security Task Force Chair Greg Stanton (AZ-04) to Speaker McCarthy urging him to bring the Administration’s proposed supplemental funding legislation to the House floor.

The Administration’s request provides critical resources to border communities, including $4 billion to secure the border and streamline immigration processes and nearly $800 million to address the flow of illicit fentanyl into the country.
READ THE ARTICLE ([link removed])
WATCH THE INTERVIEW ([link removed])

Connolly, McClellan Lead Bipartisan Joint Resolution to Strengthen Congressional Authority of U.S. NATO Membership ([link removed])
Reps. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) introduced H.J. Res. 89 ([link removed]) , a bipartisan joint resolution to strengthen congressional authority concerning the United States’ membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance.

Foster, Nickel Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Keep STEM Graduates in America ([link removed])
Reps. Bill Foster (IL-11) and Wiley Nickel (NC-13) introduced H.R. 5477 ([link removed]) , the Keep STEM Talent Act. This bipartisan legislation makes certain advanced Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree holders eligible for permanent resident status–– removing barriers for them to work in the United States following their graduation, allowing them to contribute their skills to our economy.

Jacobs, Larsen Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to Help Servicemembers and Veterans Build Their Families ([link removed])
Reps. Sara Jacobs (CA-51) and Rick Larsen (WA-02) introduced H.R. 5492 ([link removed]) , the Veteran Families Health Services Act. This legislation expands the fertility treatments and family-building services that are covered under servicemembers’ and veterans’ health care to include—among other things—the option for individuals to cryopreserve their gametes (freeze their eggs or sperm) ahead of deployment to a combat zone and in vitro fertilization (IVF) for servicemembers and veterans who are unable to conceive without assistance.

Lee Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Accelerate Appraisals for Public Lands, Cut Red Tape, and Boost Government Efficiency ([link removed])
Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced H.R. 5443 ([link removed]) , the Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts (AACE) Act. This bipartisan legislation will enhance the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) appraisal process to better ensure that America’s principal land management agency is able to complete land transactions of all kinds as effectively and efficiently as possible. It expands the eligibility of private appraisers to match that of federally employed appraisers, unlocking more tools for DOI to buy, sell, or lease lands for everything from conservation to infrastructure to affordable housing, all at no additional cost to the American taxpayer.

Pappas Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Seniors’ Access to Life-Saving Medication ([link removed])
Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) introduced H.R. 5384 ([link removed]) , the Advancing Enrollment and Reducing Drug Costs Act. This bipartisan legislation will expand low-income seniors' access to prescription drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, also known as Medicare Part D.


[link removed]
FOLLOW CONGRESSWOMAN SYKES ([link removed])
Don't miss out on the latest updates from New Dems by making sure you're subscribed to our Weekly Wrap newsletter! Know someone who is interested in receiving the Weekly Wrap? Have them subscribe below!
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER ([link removed])

============================================================
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
** Instagram ([link removed])
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.