This week started with some sad news for the Virginia delegation. Representative Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) announced that she has been diagnosed with Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy, type-p (PSP-P), a form of Atypical Parkinsonism. As a result, she will serve the remainder of her term in the 118th Congress and not seek reelection. 

I am honored to call Rep. Wexton a dear friend, and have been privileged to serve alongside her for the past decade in the Virginia General Assembly and now in the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout her career, Jennifer has tenaciously fought to improve the lives of hardworking Virginians and their families, particularly women and children. Jennifer now faces her toughest fight, which I know she will face with the same tenacity and dignity that has fueled her public service. I look forward to working with her as she continues to serve the Tenth District in the 118th Congress. We still have more work to do together. You can read my full statement on her announcement here.

The House returned to Washington from August recess last week with lots of work to do to avoid a government shutdown. Rather than making progress on pending appropriations bills, House Republican infighting caused yet another week of chaos.

Speaker McCarthy and The  “Chaos Caucus” Are Leading Us Towards A Government Shutdown

Rather than making any progress on the remaining eleven appropriations bills we must pass by September 30th, House Republicans debated and passed yet another messaging bill. The so-called “Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act” (H.R. 1435) actually guts the ability of states to choose stronger vehicle emission standards than those adopted at the federal level if they see fit. I spoke against the House wasting its time on this messaging bill rather than addressing issues my constituents care about, like protecting Social Security and Medicare. 

The Freedom Caucus (aka the Chaos Caucus) continued threatening to vote against procedural motions to bring Republican-drafted bills to the floor or vote for a continuing resolution to keep the government open for any period of time. Speaker McCarthy caved to the demands of Donald Trump and extreme elements of the Chaos Caucus by calling for a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden. Yet, after a nine month “investigation,” House Republicans have found no evidence that President Biden has done anything wrong. Some members of the Chaos Caucus are even calling for a government shutdown, which would harm working families and the economy, block service members and federal employees from getting paid, and disrupt critical disaster relief efforts. 

Meanwhile, I joined my fellow Freshmen Democrats to demand that Speaker McCarthy reject Chaos Caucus brinkmanship, fully fund the government, and avoid a government shutdown. I discussed how a shutdown would impact Virginia, which has over 170,000 federal employees and 130,000 active-duty servicemembers that could lose one or more paychecks during a shut down.

 
You can learn more about the devastating impacts of a government shutdown here. 

Legislation to Protect U.S. Membership in NATO

Last week, I filed a bipartisan joint resolution to strengthen congressional authority over the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership by requiring the advice and consent of the Senate or an Act of Congress to suspend, terminate, or withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty. Representatives Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Mike Turner (R-OH-10) co-led the resolution, which was cosponsored by 24 House members. Senators Tim Kaine and Marco Rubio introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

The United States has a long and productive history as an engaged founding member and involved leader of NATO. In light of Russia’s continued aggressive behavior towards the United States and our allies, as well as their illegal and inhumane invasion of Ukraine, our nation’s continued leadership in NATO is more important than ever and vital to our national interests. 

You can read more about the resolution here.

African Diaspora Month Resolution

Last week, I was pleased to join Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Maria Salazar (R-FL-27) to introduce legislation designating September as National African Diaspora Heritage Month. Senator Tim Kaine introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The African diaspora community has deep historical ties to Virginia, from the first Angolans that arrived on our shores in 1619 to now being one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the United States. While in the Virginia State Senate, I passed legislation making Virginia the first state in the nation to designate September as African Diaspora Month. The more than 115,000 African diaspora immigrants in Virginia – and over 2.1 million nationwide – should be celebrated for their incredible ongoing contributions to our local communities and our nation.

You can read more about the resolution here.

Child Care Stabilization Act

As I’ve previously reported, without Congressional action to extend child care stabilization funds from the American Rescue Plan that expire on September 30th, approximately 3.2 million children could lose their child care spots and roughly 70,000 child care programs could close. Last week, I joined Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05) Representative Bobby Scott (VA-03) and over 70 House Democrats to introduce The Child Care Stabilization Act to stave off the impending child care cliff by extending these grants at $16 billion per year through Fiscal Year 2028. Senators Patty Murray, Tim Kaine and over 30 of their colleagues sponsored companion legislation in the Senate.  

You can learn more about this legislation here and here.

Science, Space and Technology (SST) Committee Hearing with Secretary Granholm

Last week, the SST Committee held a hearing with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) goals and priorities for its civilian research, development, demonstration, and commercial application programs. My questions for Secretary Granholm focused on the impact a government shutdown would have on the DOE’s research enterprise:

You can read Secretary Granholm’s opening comments or watch the full hearing here.

Discharge Petition to Compel a House Vote on Ethan’s Law 

Guns are now the leading cause of death of children in America, a reality I refuse to accept as normal. This week, I signed a discharge petition for H.R. 660, Ethan’s Law. A discharge petition is a procedural maneuver to compel the House to hold a vote on a bill, and it requires a simple majority to go into effect. 

Named in honor of Ethan Song, a 15-year-old who was shot and killed with an unsecured firearm in a neighbor’s home, Ethan’s Law would require gun owners to safely and securely store their firearms and implement strong penalties for any violations. As a proud member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and a mother to two young children, I am committed to advancing common sense gun reform legislation to curb the gun violence epidemic and keep our children safe.

Service Academy Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for a nomination to a U.S. Service Academy from the Fourth District is October 13, 2023 at 5:00 pm. You can find applications and further information here or by contacting our Service Academy Coordinator at [email protected].

Upcoming Mobile McClellans

Looking for help with a federal agency without driving to Richmond or DC? You can register here to meet with my staff on September 19th and November 21st from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at Surry County Parks & Recreation, 205 Enos Farm Drive, Surry, VA 23883. 

You can also visit the Brunswick Satellite Office every Thursday from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm at 100 Athletic Field Road, Lawrenceville, VA 23868 or call (804) 690-5809 to schedule an appointment.

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