After months of infighting and delay, the House finally passed a national security supplemental aid package to support our global allies, partners, and innocent civilians impacted by international conflicts around the world. Extreme members of Speaker Johnson’s conference nearly defeated a procedural vote that would have blocked the bills from the floor; however, House Democrats delivered the necessary votes to advance them. The Senate passed the final supplemental package (H.R. 815) last week and the President signed the bill the next day.  Read my statement on the package here. 

Speaker Johnson now faces a growing effort to strip him of his Speakership. Led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Motion to Vacate now has the support of Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Thomas Massie (R-KY). Will he be able to hold on to his position? Time will tell… 

This past week I was back in the Fourth for a District Work Period. 

Read on to see what you may have missed over the past two weeks.

IN WASHINGTON

House Armed Services Committee Prepares for FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act 

In May, the House Armed Services Committee will take up the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding for the United States military and supports America’s servicemembers and their families.

On April 18th, Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), introduced H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement Act. H.R. 8070, which will serve as the base text for the FY25 NDAA. The bill incorporates recommendations from the Quality of Life Panel Report. You can read the full report here and text of H.R. 8070 here. 

In preparation for the FY25 NDAA, the full committee held hearings on the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force FY 2025 budget requests and priorities. I asked Army leadership about the ongoing childcare crisis facing servicemembers and how they are working with partner nations to deter hostile adversaries, which you can watch here or below.

The Seapower Subcommittee held a hearing focused on the Department of the Navy priorities. My questions to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp leadership focused on what technical assistance, funding, or other resources the branches need to maintain a steady supply of equipment to support their mission. You can watch their answers here or below. 

During the District Work Period, I also visited Virginia Military Institute to meet with its Superintendent, Retired Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, about their NDAA priorities. The Department of Defense maintains Army, Naval, and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) units at VMI, which is the oldest state-supported military college in the country.



Celebrating Earth Day 

In honor of Earth Day, I joined Representatives Doris Matsui (CA-07), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Steve Cohen (TN-03), and over 50 Members in introducing H.Res 1160, a resolution to commemorate the day. You can read the text of our resolution here. I also spoke on the House floor about the importance of Earth Day and our resolution.  

Throughout my time in the Virginia General Assembly and in Congress, I have fought to safeguard our planet, combat climate change, accelerate our transition to a clean-energy future, and protect vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by pollution and the climate crisis. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic actions to preserve the Earth and protect our environment, including strengthening standards for methane, PFAS contamination, particulate matter pollution, and more. As a mother to two young children, I am deeply concerned about the future of our planet. I will continue fighting alongside the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats to ensure a healthier, more sustainable future.  


Closing Out Black Maternal Health Week

April 17th marked the end of Black Maternal Health Week. Black women face disproportionately higher rates of maternal mortality and other pregnancy-related complications than white women. Those disparities have been made worse by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. As a Black woman who almost died during childbirth, I remain committed to addressing this crisis, expanding maternal health initiatives, and ensuring patients have access to comprehensive reproductive health care. To close out Black Maternal Health Week, I spoke on the House floor to share my story, celebrate all we have accomplished under the Biden-Harris Administration, and address the work we must still do. 

Back in the District, I participated in a Reproductive and Maternal Health Equity Summit sponsored by The Tinina Q. Cade Foundation and the Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated to discuss work at the federal level to protect reproductive freedom and address the Black maternal mortality crisis. 

One of the victories we can celebrate is the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act, which was passed in the 117th Congress and took effect on June 27, 2023. This landmark law requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to an employee’s limitations related to, affected by, or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. On April 15th, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) finalized new rules to implement the law. These rules include important provisions and guidelines for leave for prenatal appointments, recovery from childbirth, and postpartum depression; abortion, miscarriage, and lactation are among the covered conditions; and employees are guaranteed accommodations, regardless of their employers’ religious beliefs. 

While in the General Assembly, I carried the Virginia Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, making the Commonwealth the 28th state to pass protections for pregnant workers. I’m delighted that these protections are now nationwide! 

You can learn more about the EEOC’s final rule here and some of the major actions the Administration has taken to address the maternal health crisis here.  


Moments with McClellan: Episode 6 feat. Dem Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar

Episode 6 of Moments with McClellan is now live! 

I was joined by House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, the highest-ranking Latino in the House. Chair Aguilar represents the Inland Empire in Southern California, which includes San Bernadino and Riverside. Chair Aguilar serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition. Following the violent insurrection on the U.S. Capitol, Chair Aguilar served on the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack. During our conversation, we discussed how our backgrounds inform our policymaking, our favorite superheroes, our go-to music and podcasts, and more. Check out the latest episode here or below. 

IN THE DISTRICT

Celebrating Care Workers Month

April is Care Workers Recognition Month, when we celebrate the contributions of care workers to our communities, families and economy. In honor of our care workers, I hosted a roundtable with members of Care in Action, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Dreamer Mothers in Action, and SEIU512 to hear from constituent care workers about their priorities and the challenges they face as part of an essential workforce. I come from a family of domestic workers, so I know firsthand the incredible contributions they make to our communities; however, I am also well aware of the challenges they face, including a lack of access to benefits, limited worker protections, and wage disparities. These long-standing inequities are borne out of our nation’s history. The United States was built on the backs of domestic workers, who were predominantly women of color – first through slavery, then later through low-wage jobs. Indeed, many of the worker protections we take for granted, such as minimum wage, overtime and wage theft protections, and antidiscrimination laws, expressly excluded domestic and other care workers at the state and federal level. 
As a state senator, I passed two bills that comprised Virginia’s Domestic Worker Bills of Rights, which you can find here and here, making us the first state in the South to extend protections to these essential workers. I also helped pass higher wages and increased Medicaid reimbursements for home care workers in the state budget. Now in Congress, I am continuing those efforts and fighting to protect care workers. I am grateful for the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic actions to support the care economy, including improving access to home care, increasing pay for care workers, cutting child care costs for low-income families, and making it easier for family caregivers to access Medicare beneficiary information. But there is much more work to be done, and hearing the stories from care workers in my district helps me better advocate on their behalf in Washington. Together, we will continue fighting for care workers nationwide. 


Celebrating National Park Week! 

Last week was National Park Week, a time to celebrate the over 400 national parks and what the National Park Service does to preserve natural and cultural heritage. Virginia is home to over 30 National Park Service sites, with something for everyone from history buffs to nature lovers. To celebrate our national parks, I visited City Point in Hopewell, part of the Petersburg National Battlefield Park. This point where the Appomattoc and James Rivers met served as headquarters of the Union Army during the Siege of Petersburg in the Civil War. I met with National Park Service personnel to learn more about their archeological work at the site, collaboration with the Pamunkey Tribe to preserve indigenous artifacts, and efforts to address erosion and other effects of climate change on the land. I will keep working to ensure the National Park Service is fully funded and able to continue its important conservation and preservation work. 
Fort Gregg-Adams Day

Ahead of the House Armed Services Committee consideration of the FY25 NDAA, I have been visiting military installations in the Fourth District and across Virginia. Last week I had the opportunity to visit Fort Gregg-Adams in Prince George County. Founded as Camp Lee in 2017, Fort Gregg-Adams is home to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command and the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command, which includes the Quartermaster, Transportation, Ordnance, and Missile and Munitions centers and schools. Fort Gregg Adams is also home to the Defense Commissary Agency, which oversees the system of commissaries across Defense Department installations, and two Army museums, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum and the U.S. Army Women's Museum. I met with garrison leadership about their priorities and challenges. 

My visit coincided with the first annual Fort Gregg-Adams Day Celebration, commemorating the one year anniversary of renaming of the garrison after Lieutenant General Arthur Gregg and Lieutenant Colonel Charity Adams. I had the privilege of bringing remarks honoring these two trailblazers, and meeting General Gregg, who at 96 remains as sharp as ever. 
I also participated in a ribbon cutting for the new Women’s Army Museum exhibit, Courage to Deliver, honoring the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, led by LTC Adams. 

Unsubscribe from future messages.