Dear Friends,
Welcome to The People’s Congress!
I’m David Kim, and it’s my honor to serve you as a candidate for Congress in California's 34th Congressional District. Today I'm excited to introduce our weekly email series, "The People's Congress." This initiative is designed to demystify our legislative process and provide you with a straightforward, digestible summary of what’s happening on Capitol Hill each week, and to get the People’s input (that’s you!) on how these bills should be voted on.
Here’s what’s on the Congressional agenda this week:
|
|
|
Response to International Events:
Following Iran's recent drone and missile attacks on Israel in response to Israel’s attack on its embassy, the House revised its schedule to focus on urgent legislation:
A resolution condemning the attack, which passed the House on Thursday with overwhelming support (404 YES; 14 NO)
Several bills aimed at strengthening sanctions and counterterrorism measures against Iran and the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
|
|
National Security Funding:
A significant discussion this week revolved around supplemental security funding for Israel and Ukraine. Votes on the funding packages are expected to be held over the weekend. With strong opinions on different sides, the outcome is uncertain. Speaker Johnson has moved forward with breaking up the original $95 billion aid package into 3 separate packages for Israel, Ukraine, and an omnibus funding package for Taiwan and other allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Looming over this discussion is also the possibility that the speaker could be ousted by factions of his own party.
With the support of Jimmy Gomez, and 315 Members who voted YES on the motion, the 3 spending bills will advance to the floor for debate and passage.
Here is a breakdown of the supplemental funding packages:
- $61 billion for Ukraine & regional partners
- $26 billion for Israel
- $8 billion for Indo-Pacific Allies
|
|
Budget and Appropriations:
Attention is now turning to the FY25 budget. Discussions are ongoing as they include significant cuts to healthcare, and tax benefits for wealthier individuals.
|
|
Ongoing Legislative Processes:
The reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act has passed the House and is on track to pass in the Senate.
|
|
|
What is Section 702? Section 702 is set to expire on April 19; the provision permits surveillance without a warrant, targeting non-Americans overseas, however, such surveillance inevitably ensnares the communications of Americans. In response to its pending expiration, House Speaker Mike Johnson scheduled a vote for this week on the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act.
|
|
|
Despite its promising title, the bill falls short of meaningful reform. It lacks crucial provisions like a warrant requirement for backdoor searches. Additionally, while it incorporates some of the FBI’s recent internal rule changes, these adjustments are insufficient to curb the widespread misuse of Section 702 by intelligence agencies, which infringes on Americans' Fourth Amendment rights.
Despite these concerns, Jimmy Gomez voted YES to reauthorize this mass surveillance bill.
|
|
Technology and Privacy:
The House has introduced several online privacy bills, which will be reviewed in upcoming committee hearings. This includes a discussion on the Kids Online Safety Act, which is intended to protect our children in the digital age.
|
|
Committee Hearings of Interest:
The House Oversight Committee explored issues ranging from public safety impacts of the humanitarian crisis at the border, to federal oversight of natural gas exports.
The House Education and Workforce Committee examined Columbia University’s response to antisemitism.
The hearing focused on accusations against faculty members for using antisemitic rhetoric and examined the university's responses. Columbia's President Minouche Shafik testified, addressing the discipline policies and defending the university's actions. The hearing also touched on controversial statements by faculty and the appropriate disciplinary measures, revealing tensions between lawmakers and academic policies. There were criticisms from both Republican and Democratic representatives about the handling of specific cases and the general approach to combating antisemitism on campus.
|
|
Each week "The People's Congress" will strive to keep you informed and engaged with the legislative decisions that affect us all, as it’s important to get your input on how you want your representative to vote Once elected, I will represent your voice, and ensure our community’s needs and values are reflected in our national legislation. For more resources and information to keep your elected officials accountable, visit www.davidkimforca.com/resources/. If there are issues you’d like to see highlighted or explained, please let me know and I’ll address them in an upcoming installment. And if you’d like to make your voice heard on any of these issues now, please call or email your current elected officials. Your opinion matters!
Thank you for joining me on this journey. Together we can make a difference.
Warm regards,
David Kim
Candidate for Congress, CA-34
|
|
This is just a starting point, and I encourage your feedback and questions. Let's make "The People's Congress" a valuable resource for our community. Stay tuned for updates, and feel free to share this newsletter with friends and family who might be interested.
For more information about my campaign and policies, please visit www.davidkimforca.com.
Together, let’s bring the power back to the people!
|
|
|
|
|
