The national security supplemental

Dear Friend,

Yesterday, President Biden signed the national security supplemental package into law, which will send long-overdue, life-saving humanitarian assistance to Sudan, Gaza, and other regions, and deliver defensive aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and more.

I voted to pass this package and here’s why:

Passing the National Security Supplemental Package

As the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, I visited Sudanese refugees at the Sudan-Chad border last month. I saw firsthand how dire the situation is: 25 million people – including 14 million children – are without food, water, shelter, and first aid, and millions of people have been forced to flee their homes, making it the largest internal displacement crisis in the world. This funding package included $9 billion for humanitarian aid to help address this and other catastrophic humanitarian crises across the globe.

That same funding will also help address the horrific humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and assist the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians who need immediate help in Rafah. I have been horrified by the Israeli military’s conduct in this war and the resulting mass civilian casualties, and I believe the U.S. needs to enforce existing law and withhold further offensive weapons to Israel.

At the same time, I couldn’t vote against a funding package that will help the millions of people suffering in Sudan who are running out of aid, and the millions of Palestinians suffering starvation and lack of basic needs.

This foreign aid package also included much-needed assistance for Taiwan, and for Ukraine to support its defense against Russia’s illegal invasion. I’ll keep working to support our partners around the world as they defend democracy and fight for their futures.

But we need to do more than just provide funding. We need to continue to push for lasting political solutions to end these conflicts and end the suffering – including an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all the hostages still held in captivity, and an immediate ceasefire between the RSF and SAF in Sudan.

Meeting with San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

I’m so grateful for all the amazing businesses that call San Diego home, and it was great to welcome the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce to Washington, D.C. last week for their annual visit.

Thank you to all the local leaders and organizations who met with me and my team – from the California Restaurant Association to the Port of San Diego to Promises2Kids!

The Future of AI

As part of their trip to Washington, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce also hosted a fireside chat on AI to discuss how we can ensure there are guardrails that protect our safety and civil rights without stifling innovation. I was happy to join the conversation with Bridget Carper, the Department of Energy’s Chief AI Officer, and Eduardo Velasquez from the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation.

Even for digital natives, AI poses challenges that can be hard to identify and protect ourselves against. That’s why it’s so important that we address risks and set up necessary regulations as AI development and implementation continues. I’m continuing to focus on these issues so we can capitalize on the opportunities of AI through my role on the Bipartisan Task Force on AI.