Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work. 

Last week, the House passed the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, legislation to improve the claims process at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In case you missed it, the deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits is September 30, 2023. 

More from the week:  I co-led the introduction of the Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023, legislation addressing the challenges facing youth who become disconnected from school and work. I am also providing an update on the status of government funding legislation. 

For the full recap, please read below. 

The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act 

On Wednesday, the House passed the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2023. This legislation would make improvements to the requirement that the Secretary publish disability benefit questionnaire (DBQ) forms on the VA’s website for use by a veteran’s private provider. It also includes a report on improving access to travel reimbursement pay for veterans living abroad who must attend a disability exam.

Additional information on the legislation is available here. 

ICYMI: PACT Act Deadline

In case you missed it, the deadline to enroll for benefits provided by the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is September 30, 2023.

 Veterans deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care, and left active duty between September 11, 2001, and October 1, 2013, are eligible to enroll directly in VA healthcare. 

 Learn more at va.gov/PACT.

The Opening Doors for Youth Act

Last week, I co-led the Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023 (ODYA) with Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Federica Wilson (FL-24), and Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04). 

This legislation addresses the challenges facing youth who become disconnected from both school and work. Specifically, the Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023 invests $6.75 billion over six years to help at-risk and opportunity youth gain their first jobs and successfully assist them with the transition from school to work.

According to the National Youth Employment Coalition, in the 5th District of Connecticut, 11% of individuals ages 16-24 are “opportunity youth.” This legislation would help reconnect over 1,000 young people in CT-05 to the community and workforce development.

Additional information on the Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2023 (ODYA) is available here. 

An Update on Government Funding Legislation

For the second week since returning from the District Work Period, House Republican Leadership has again failed to bring government funding legislation to the House Floor for a vote, moving the nation closer to a full government shutdown. A shutdown will hurt the ability of our economy to continue to recover and put many of the federal programs Connecticut families rely on at risk. 

To avoid a government shutdown, Congress must pass 12 spending bills. Unfortunately, 5 days before funding expires, the House of Representatives has only passed one appropriations bill.

As of right now, the House of Representatives is slated to take up 4 appropriations bills this coming week:

• Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

• Department of Defense Appropriations Act

• Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill

• Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act

There is no likelihood these bills will pass in the U.S. Senate, as written they are an attack against American families. For example, the House Republican Agriculture Appropriations bill cuts the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) by $800 million, slashing funding for fruits and vegetables for 5 million women and children.

Additionally, the House Republican Department of Defense Appropriations Act not only cuts $1.1 billion of funding for civilian employees, it also jeopardizes the health of servicewomen by limiting access to reproductive care.  

The House Republican Homeland Security bill slashes funding by over $200 million below President Biden’s level request of funding, to combat terrorism, extremism, and cybersecurity.

Lastly, the House Republican State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act cuts funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and cuts allocations to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Instead of working towards avoiding a government shutdown House Republicans are fighting amongst themselves to bring legislation to the House Floor that has no chance of passing the Senate or being signed by President Biden. 

Alongside my Democratic colleagues, I stand ready to work to keep the government open without advancing extremist measures that compromise the integrity of our country.

As always, if you need help with a federal agency, please call my office at (860) 223-8412. 

And that’s a wrap! 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. Please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me.

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress