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 Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act of 2024, avoiding a government shutdown. Also, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education convened a hearing entitled Preparing Students for Success in the Skills-Based Economy. 

More from the week: As we mark the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we continue to be confronted with efforts to limit a woman’s right to choose. I voted against the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act and the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, disingenuous legislation to mislead pregnant students and criminalize abortion. Lastly, I was joined by Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, and Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, who were in Washington, D.C., for the annual United States Conference on Mayors. 

For the full recap, please read below.  

Update on Government Funding

Last week, the House passed the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act of 2024, avoiding a government shutdown.

This continuing resolution will extend the funding deadline for the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills set to expire on January 19 until March 1, 2024.  

The legislation also extends the deadline for the Defense, Commerce, Justice, and Science, Financial Service and General Government, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor, Health and Human Services, Legislative Branch, and State, and Foreign Operations appropriations bills set to expire on February 2 until March 8, 2024.  

The bill brought before the House for a vote represents the funding framework of the Bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act, maintaining government funding at the levels of fiscal year 2023.

While I am relieved we were able avert a government shutdown, we are no closer to funding the government –than we were in September.

Preparing Students for Success in the Skills-Based Economy

On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education convened a hearing entitled, Preparing Students for Success in the Skills-Based Economy. The hearing examined how Congress can continue to expand career and technical education (CTE) access.  

Across the country, 92% of high school students and 69% of college and adult students are engaged in CTE, learning skills in both the classroom and on the job. CTE leads to stable careers in various industries and occupations, including Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources, Arts and Communications, Manufacturing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).   

Unfortunately, school districts are experiencing significant staffing shortages of CTE instructors. Qualified, experienced technical instructors often have a high turnover rate because the salaries for high school teachers cannot compete with the private sector and the barriers to certification for professionals to transition from the workforce to the classroom.

Increasing federal funding for career and technical education would help address this issue and ensure more students are exposed to in-demand jobs in the modern economy.   

The hearing, Preparing Students for Success in the Skills-Based Economy, can be viewed here.

Protecting Access to Reproductive Health

Today, we commemorate the 51st Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. Fifty-one years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued its landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, protecting a woman’s constitutional right to choose to have an abortion. In June 2022, the Court reversed this decision, stripping women of the right to make the deeply personal decision about their bodies.  

In the months since this decision, I have continued to advocate for the reproductive freedom of my constituents in the Fifth District of Connecticut and women across our country. This includes cosponsoring the Women’s Health Protection Act, the My Body, My Data Act, and the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) Act. 

Last week, I voted against the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act and the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act, disingenuous legislation that would mislead pregnant students and criminalize abortion. Specifically:  

• The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act:
  
  •  Uses federal funding to create “crisis pregnancy centers” or anti-abortion centers (AACSs), which are deceptive organizations that seek to manipulate women during their pregnancy and prevent their ability to receive comprehensive reproductive care.  
    

• Pregnant Students’ Rights Act
  • Requires institutions of higher education that receive federal funding to provide information to students that focuses only on carrying a pregnancy to term, excluding information on contraception, abortion, pregnancy loss, and other reproductive health resources.   

CT-05 Mayors in D.C.

Last week, I welcomed Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, and Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves to Washington, D.C., for the United States Conference on Mayors. The United States Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. 

On Wednesday, Mayor Pernerewski joined me and my colleagues for a conversation with world-renowned chef  José Andrés. Chef  Andrés spoke about his work with World Central Kitchen as a means for feeding the many - and how we can use culinary training programs to empower communities to strengthen local economies.  

On Thursday, I met with Mayor Alves to hear his priorities for the people of Danbury. I look forward to working with him and all the CT-05 mayors to support our constituents.  

And that’s a wrap! 

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me.    

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress