Supporting women in Congress and across the country

Dear Friend,

I hope you’re staying safe and dry after yesterday’s flooding. For more information on the City of San Diego’s services impacted by the storm, click here. To report flooding in your area, call one of the following numbers:

City of La Mesa: 619-667-1450
City of San Diego: 619-527-7500
El Cajon: 619-441-1653
Lemon Grove: 619-825-3835
San Diego County: 858-495-5318

For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911.

Here’s a quick update on what I’ve been up to this past week – including introducing two new bills that would expand access to reproductive and sexual health care and another that would allow proxy voting for new parents in Congress.

Keep reading for more January highlights:

Expanding Access to Reproductive Care

I’m so proud to be from California, where we voted overwhelmingly to codify access to contraception and abortion in our state constitution. In stark contrast, since the Supreme Court overturned our constitutional right to abortion, 21 states have banned or restricted abortion access. Once again, California has stepped up and welcomed people from all across the country in need of sexual and reproductive health care.

That’s why I helped introduce the Abortion Care Capacity Enhancement and Support Services (ACCESS) Act. This bill would provide more funding and resources to clinics that offer abortion services and reproductive care in states where abortion is still legal (like California!) so that more people can get the care that they need.

Making Congress More Inclusive for Parents

Congress was made by and for older men – and it really hasn’t evolved much. As a result, there are so many barriers that prevent people from different backgrounds, especially younger people and parents, from serving in the House.

That’s why I introduced a bipartisan resolution with Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna to allow Members of Congress to vote by proxy for six weeks after they’ve given birth. This may seem like a small change, but it’s an important step to making our government more representative of the American people so that we can pass legislation that better reflects and serves families.

51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

51 years ago, the Supreme Court guaranteed the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion access – but in 2022, the Court reversed that decision. I’m still angry – and I’m fighting back.

As a young woman, this is my fight, but I know that this reality is even bleaker for people who historically face barriers to health care – like people of color, those in rural communities, with disabilities, and more. That’s why I will keep working until our reproductive rights – from birth control to abortion to reproductive data privacy – are protected and respected.

Keeping the Government Open

Last week in Washington, Democrats voted for the third time to avoid another government shutdown (most House Republicans didn’t). President Biden, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats, and House Democrats have all agreed to a spending deal for the year, but Speaker Johnson and House Republicans are the hold up. We need to stop these political games, do our jobs, and pass a year-long budget.