Dear John,

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

Last week, the House Committee on Agriculture held its first hearing of 2024, during which Secretary Thomas Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture reiterated the importance of passing the next Farm Bill. Additionally, I introduced the SNAP Administrator Retention Act, legislation to support the essential workers administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Also, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing to examine the impact of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Proposed Retirement Security Rule, and the House passed H.Res. 863. 

More from the week: My office delivered nearly 100 Valentines for Vets to veterans at the West Haven Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. I am also including an update on the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. 

For the full recap, please read below.

House Agriculture Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, the House Committee on Agriculture held its first hearing of the second session of the 118th Congress – For the purposes of Receiving Testimony from The Honorable Thomas J. Vilsack, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Throughout the hearing, Members raised questions on a variety of issues facing the American agricultural sector, including access to rural broadband, the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and support for farmers.  

What remained consistent throughout the hearing, however, was Secretary Vilsack reiterating the importance of passing the next Farm Bill to ensure continued funding of key department programs. On Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024, which extended the 2018 Farm Bill through Sept. 30, 2024.

The time to pass the next Farm Bill is now. 

The SNAP Administrator Retention Act

Last week, I introduced the SNAP Administrator Retention Act, legislation to support the essential workers administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The SNAP Administrator Retention Act aims to improve access to needed benefits, promote competitive wages for administrators, provide adequate training, and support workers to prevent backlogs.

Specifically, the SNAP Administrator Retention Act would:

• Allow states to receive 100 percent of the administrative personnel costs associated with hiring and retaining the merit staff who carry out the SNAP program; and
• Align the wages of state SNAP administrators with the federal wage standards.

In the Fifth District of Connecticut, over 12% of households are enrolled in SNAP and rely on the work of these staff members. Addressing the needs of SNAP administrators will lower wait-times for nutrition benefits, address staffing shortages, and increase retention rates. 

To learn more about the SNAP Administrator Retention Act, please click here. 

Protecting American Savers and Retirees from the Department of Labor's Regulatory Overreach

On Wednesday, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a subcommittee hearing, Protecting American Savers and Retirees from DOL’s Regulatory Overreach. 

During the hearing, the witnesses discussed how the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)  Retirement Security Rule would impact retirement savers. The rule seeks to update the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), and ensure financial advisors, brokers, and insurance agents are held to the fiduciary standard on rollover individual retirement accounts (IRAs). 

If you work hard and play by the rules, you expect to be able to retire with dignity when ready. With the retirement process becoming substantially more complex since the current rules were originally designed, many will need assistance with retirement, especially if they have limited savings. Regardless of income, all Americans deserve access to retirement investment advice in their best interest.

This rule is long overdue and an important step towards ensuring that every American can retire with dignity.

Valentines for Vets

Last week, as we celebrated Valentine’s Day, my office delivered nearly 100 valentines to veterans at the West Haven Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital - many thanks to students from Hanover Elementary School in Meriden who participated in the Valentines for Vets program. 

I was happy to share with Connecticut veterans that my office is a Purple Heart Office, an acknowledgment of our dedication and support of America’s combat-wounded veterans. We are the only Congressional office on the East Coast to have received this honor, and our office appears on the Purple Heart Trail, a map to guide veterans to places where they will be met with kindness and respect.

My office remains committed to serving all veterans and service members. 

H.Res.863

Last week,  House Republicans passed H.Res.863, Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors. This marks the first time a cabinet secretary has been impeached in nearly 150 years.

This impeachment vote does nothing to remedy the immigration system or improve national security, but instead furthers the path of chaos House Republicans have embarked upon since the opening of the 118th Congress.

Unfortunately, yet again, Speaker Johnson cut the legislative week short, and Members were sent home early without advancing government funding legislation.

On March 1, 2024, government funding for programs authorized by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies,  Military, Construction, and Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing and Related Agencies, and Energy and Water Appropriations bills will expire. 

Just two weeks remain until a partial government funding shutdown would go into effect. 

2024 Congressional Art Competition

Calling all CT05 high school artists! 

Each spring, a nationwide high school arts competition is sponsored by the U.S. House of Representatives in collaboration with the Congressional Institute. The competition is an opportunity to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation, particularly right here in the Fifth Congressional District.  

The winning artwork of our district competition will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol as part of an exhibit with winners from around the country. The second-place artwork will be displayed in my Washington D.C. Office, the third place will be displayed for one year at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, CT, and fourth place will be displayed in my District Office.  

All submissions will be exhibited at the Mattatuck Museum from Friday, March 1, 2024, through Friday, March 29, 2024.   

The deadline for submitting work to be considered for the 2024 Competition is Friday, March 29, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

For additional participation guidelines, please click here. 

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