News from Congressman Mike Levin

Dear Neighbor,

It’s been a busy few weeks in Washington, D.C., and I want to share what I’ve been working on for you.

But first, I hope you had a happy Earth Day!

When I first came to Congress, I was told that we would never be able to pass major legislation to tackle the climate crisis. But we proved it was possible when we passed the Inflation Reduction Act to make a historic investment in climate action. I’m proud of all the progress we’ve made over the past few years to invest in clean energy and create jobs, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on more climate action initiatives.

Celebrating Student Artists in CA-49

Encinitas Loves Classic Cars by Madeline Morton

Thank you to all the students who submitted their artwork to the 2024 Congressional Art Competition. It’s one of my favorite annual events we host, and I love being able to showcase the incredible young talent here in CA-49. You can see a selection of 50 artworks, including this one, at the Oceanside Museum of Art through May 19.

Congratulations to this year’s winner, Madeline Morton, a senior at San Dieguito Academy. Her artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for all visitors to enjoy.

Read more about Madeline’s art and the Competition here.

Supporting Our Allies Abroad

Over the weekend, the House voted on a slate of national security bills to provide assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and our Indo-Pacific allies. These bills will also provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza and other areas around the world. Given the growing threats to democracy and security worldwide, it’s critical we stand with our allies.

I’m glad the House voted to pass this important legislation, but this should have been done a long time ago. House Republicans’ chaos and dysfunction stalled these bills for far too long. I hope the Senate acts quickly and then sends this legislation to the President’s desk for final approval.

Read my full statement here.

Delivering New Funding for Shelter & Services Program

I’m excited to share that I recently helped secure $39 million in Shelter and Services Program (SSP) funding for the San Diego region. This funding is critical for NGOs that support migrant communities seeking shelter, food, and other critical resources. It will help our local partners provide additional resources to meet migrants’ basic human needs and reduce the impact on the existing safety net, including homeless shelters.

This grant award comes after I led a letter signed by fellow Members of San Diego’s Congressional delegation to Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas urging for the release of available funding. While I welcome this announcement, I also know we have more work to do to address the situation at the border.

Read more about this program and funding here.

Calling on Speaker Johnson to Bring a Maritime Border Security Bill for a Vote

You may have seen recent footage of unidentified vessels carrying migrants landing on our beaches. This is an issue I take extremely seriously.

Last year, I met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) to learn about the agency’s work to secure our maritime borders and hear directly about how we can support the agents on the ground. The AMO agents highlighted the importance of extending U.S. customs waters and shared how it will help them carry out their mission.

This month, the House was supposed to vote on a bill that would extend U.S. customs waters from 12 to 24 nautical miles – but that did not happen.

I am calling on Speaker Johnson to govern and bring this bill to the floor immediately.

Read my full statement here.

Advocating for a Consent-Based Solution for Our Spent Nuclear Fuel

Over the weekend, I wrote an op-ed in the Orange County Register to share updates on the latest progress we’ve made to secure a new site for the spent nuclear fuel at the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and lay out the work we have ahead.

Read the full op-ed here.

Celebrating the Passage of the EXPLORE Act

I’m proud to report that the House recently passed a bipartisan package that would expand public land access, enhance outdoor recreation opportunities, and ensure that our natural and cultural resources are preserved for generations to come.

I’m thrilled that the package also included my bipartisan provision to establish a federal jobs program to employ veterans in conservation, resource management, and environmental protection.

I was glad to see my bill included in this package, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this crucial piece of legislation so it can become law.

Read the more about this exciting conservation package here.

Contact My Office

If you have questions about my work or need help with a federal agency, please don’t hesitate to contact my office. My team and I are here to assist. You can send me an email through my website, call my Oceanside office at (760) 599-5000, or call my Dana Point office at (949) 281-2449. For updates on my work on behalf of our communities, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads at @RepMikeLevin.

Sincerely,

Mike Levin

Member of Congress

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