Welcome to another week in which we are facing a partial government shutdown. This Friday, funding for roughly three-quarters of all federal discretionary spending expires. Last night, budget negotiators announced a deal on the remaining six appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024. Republicans have been adamant they need 72 hours to review any bill text, which means there is still a chance we need another stopgap spending measure while legislative aides race to finalize bill text, or vote over the weekend.

Stay tuned...

Meanwhile, a lot happened last week in Washington and the district! President Biden unveiled his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025, and you can read a fact sheet from the White House about it here. My sorors from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated hit Capitol Hill for their annual Delta Days on the Hill.

I also traveled around the district for events celebrating Women's History Month in Emporia and Petersburg, attended the Black Family Wellness Expo hosted by the Commonwealth Virginia Chapter, James River Valley Chapter, and the Richmond Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and celebrated the Hopewell Rotary Club's 100th anniversary. 

Check out what else you may have missed. 

THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON

House Votes on to Protect TikTok User Data from Foreign Adversaries

TikTok is an incredibly popular social media app used by over 170 million Americans. TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This poses legitimate privacy and national security concerns, as TikTok collects large swaths of personal information from users' phones. They use that information to develop highly addictive algorithms that push information that keeps users, including minors, scrolling - even if the content is harmful, inaccurate, or feeds destructive behavior or beliefs. A security briefing for members last week demonstrated credible evidence that the CCP can and has accessed users' most sensitive personal data, communication networks, devices and applications to engage in espionage activities and misinformation campaigns that undermine national security and American interests here and abroad.

Last week, the House passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. The legislation requires TikTok to divest from ByteDance to ensure Americans' sensitive data and information is not weaponized by the CCP. Given the credible national security and privacy threats and information I received in classified briefings about TikTok, I voted in support of the legislation. I do not support a ban on TikTok, but a divestiture from ByteDance is necessary to ensure Americans can continue to use the app in a safe way while decreasing the likelihood that our data is exploited by the Chinese government.

On Friday, I spoke with Scripps News about the bill and my reasons for supporting it. You can check out our conversation here or below.

Introducing Legislation to Mitigate Methane Emissions

Methane is one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis, accounting for nearly 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the industrial revolution. Methane has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. We must do more to reduce methane and other harmful greenhouse gasses to aid in our continued efforts to combat climate change and preserve our planet for future generations. That's why I helped introduce the Methane Emissions Mitigation Research and Development Act to establish a new program to bolster methane emissions detection and mitigation research. The legislation will help ensure the United States has the necessary tools to meaningfully address methane emissions, curb global warming, and ensure American energy is as clean as possible. You can read the bill text here.

Armed Services Subcommittee Hearing on Air Force Projection Aviation Programs

Last week, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces heard from representatives from the U.S. Air Force regarding aviation programs outlined in the Biden-Harris Administration's Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. During the hearing, I asked about the Air Force's efforts to bolster its counterinsurgency and counterterrorism capabilities and maintain its competitive advantage against increasingly aggressive Russian forces. This hearing will help the subcommittee ensure that the U.S. Air Force remains capable of defending our national security interests both at home and abroad. You can watch my questions here or below.

Joining NBC's Meet the Press NOW

Last Monday, I reunited with fellow Virginian and former NBC12 reporter Ryan Nobles in Washington for NBC's Meet the Press Now. We discussed my first year in office, what it means to be the first Black woman to represent Virginia, the chaos and dysfunction in the House, TikTok legislation, and more! You can watch our discussion here or below. 

THIS WEEK IN THE DISTRICT

New Letter to Share Postal Issues with USPS Inspector General

Since last fall, my office has received hundreds of complaints about mail delivery issues throughout Virginia's Fourth Congressional District. Virginians rely on timely, accurate, and consistent mail deliveries for tax information, benefit checks, prescription medications, and more. My office has been working tirelessly to address these issues and advocate on behalf of constituents.

In December, I joined Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner in a letter to USPS pressing them to address mail issues in Virginia. In January, I joined a bipartisan group of Virginia lawmakers in pressing USPS on mail delivery delays and recent reports that the VA Medical Center received hundreds of colon cancer test samples that were unusable because of delivery delays. I also met directly with Gerald Roane, the Virginia District Manager, to discuss the issues and hear what solutions they are developing to address these delays. Following our efforts, the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) launched an investigation into the Sandston Processing Plant, where most of the mail deliveries are originating. We expect to receive the details of that report in the coming days.

In an effort to advocate for our constituents and help inform USPS OIG's investigation, I joined Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Representatives Bobby Scott, Rob Wittman, Abigail Spanberger, and Jen Kiggans in a letter highlighting specific examples we have received from our constituents. They included veterans, who had not received their medications from the VA Medical Center in over six weeks due to delivery issues; small business owners, who never received their shipments; and a local VCU student, whose passport was lost in transit ahead of his study abroad program, throwing his academic future into question and costing him hundreds of dollars. These instances are unacceptable, and we will continue working to resolve the mail delivery issues impacting Virginians.

You can read more about our efforts in ABC8.

Celebrating 23 Women at Inaugural Women of Excellence Awards

Earlier this year, I launched my inaugural Women of Excellence Program to recognize incredible women in Virginia's Fourth who make a meaningful difference in their communities and the lives of those around them. Growing up in a family of amazing women made such a profound impact on my life and molded me into the person I am today. The program was a huge success, and my office received 23 nominations for local women throughout our district. Last week, I had the honor of hosting them at a reception and personally thanking them for the work they do. These 23 women are strengthening our communities and improving the lives of fellow Virginians. Thank you for the work you do and your tireless service to our Commonwealth!

$6.3 Million Awarded to Richmond to Improve I-64

Last week, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the City of Richmond will receive $6.3 million to make improvements to the I-64 highway. The DOT grant funding will provide safer opportunities to cross the barrier posed by I-64 and greatly improve transportation safety in the area. Currently, Laburnum Avenue offers some ability to cross I-64, but there is a notable lack of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. This federal funding was authorized through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program, which aims to dismantle infrastructure barriers and reconnect communities that have been burdened by past transportation infrastructure decisions like Jackson Ward. I look forward to these improvements and will continue working with the Biden-Harris Administration to implement this legislation and advocate for our Commonwealth.

Virginia Women Veterans' Week Roundtable

This week marks Virginia Women Veterans Week. Today, there are over two million women veterans in the United States, over 107,000 of which live in Virginia. Women are the fastest growing segment of the veteran community. You can find a list of events sponsored by the Commonwealth to honor women veterans this week here.

On Friday, I hosted a women veterans roundtable at the Richmond VA Medical Center to discuss the unique challenges women face navigating the VA, medical care, and retirement benefits. I also shared updates on implementation of historic legislation passed last Congress, including the Honoring Our PACT Act and the Veterans COMPACT Act. The PACT Act expanded health care resources for service members with disabilities and health issues due to exposure to toxic chemicals. Since it became law in 2022, over 5,000 veterans in Virginia's Fourth have submitted claims. The COMPACT Act is expanding mental health care services and suicide prevention training in VA hospitals across the nation. 

Locality Check-Ins: Tri-Cities and Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield 

Last week, I continued my check-ins with localities throughout Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District and met with local elected officials from the Tri-Cities – Petersburg, Colonial Heights, and Hopewell – and Richmond, Henrico, and Chesterfield. These check-ins are important opportunities to meet with local leaders, hear their priorities, and share updates about my work in Washington. During these meetings, I was able to share additional information about the $15 million I secured in Community Project Funding for local projects in our district.

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