Funding our government

Dear Friend,

It’s been a little chaotic in Washington, D.C. lately so here’s an update on what I’ve been up to – from voting to fund the federal government and delivering big wins for San Diego to passing my bill through the House Foreign Affairs Committee and writing a new op-ed in Elle about my bill, the My Body, My Data Act (read my op-ed here!).

Keep reading for more highlights:

Funding the Federal Government

Last Friday, I voted to pass the second and final package of six FY2024 appropriations bills to finally fund our government and avoid a shutdown. After months of House Republicans' infighting and inability to get enough votes to pass a funding package, Democrats negotiated to address the cost of living, protect reproductive rights, and keep our communities safe – while also putting up the necessary votes to turn this package into law.

While this bill wasn’t perfect, I'm glad that it included many of San Diego's priorities that I've been championing in Congress. We secured a $1 billion increase in funding for child care and Head Start, so millions of families can find and afford the care they need. We secured $156 million to repair and add capacity to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant – so we can make a big dent in finally solving our Tijuana River Valley sewage problem. We also secured $650 million for FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program, which has helped San Diego care for migrants and asylum seekers at our border. And we delivered the biggest increase in troop pay in 40 years, which will help ensure our service members and their families can live with dignity.

Click here to see more of the big wins I helped secure for San Diego.

Working with Local Partners Around the World

From my time at the UN and UNICEF, I know that working with local partners is one of the most effective and sustainable ways to deliver development and humanitarian assistance abroad. It helps empower local communities who know their problems and how to solve them better than we do.

That’s why I’m so proud that the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed my bill, the bipartisan and bicameral Locally Led Development and Humanitarian Response Act, that will help us work with local partners abroad. I’m hopeful that we can get this bill passed into law this year – so stay tuned for updates! If you’re curious about what this bill would do, read more about it in Vox here.

Continuing the Fight for Reproductive Rights

Today, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments in a case that could limit access to mifepristone – a commonly used abortion pill that is safe, effective, and has been on the market for decades. I firmly believe that all reproductive health care should be affordable, accessible, and stigma-free. These decisions are personal and private, and what’s right for one person may not be the best decision for someone else.

No matter how the Court rules, I will keep fighting for everyone’s right to make decisions about if, when, and how to grow a family.

I also believe that we need to get ahead of the next generation of abortion battles that will be about weaponizing our personal data. That’s why I’m leading the My Body, My Data Act, which would create a new national standard to protect our reproductive and sexual health data. If you’re interested, you can read my op-ed (that I just published today in Elle!) about my bill and how it would address this mifepristone case and the post-Roe era here.