Democrats Remain Focused on the Priorities of the American People May 11, 2024 Dear Friends,In this time of challenges and uncertainty for many American families, my Democratic colleagues and I are committed to putting people over politics. Even amid the constant chaos and Republican infighting that has defined this Congress, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made on lowering costs, creating jobs, and meeting the pressing needs of hardworking American taxpayers. Unfortunately, many of my Republican colleagues are more focused on appeasing right-wing extremists than addressing the issues that matter to the American people. This week, as the House GOP wasted precious legislative days promoting baseless conspiracy theories and advancing unserious efforts to slash common-sense energy efficiency regulations, that stark contrast in priorities was made clearer than ever. On Tuesday, House Republicans continued their bizarre, yearslong obsession with home appliance regulations by passing the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act, fittingly referred to as HOOHA. The first in a series of bills that also includes measures like the “Liberty in Laundry Act” and the “Refrigerator Freedom Act,” HOOHA would prevent the Department of Energy from implementing or enforcing a wide range of efficiency standards that help families save money on their energy bills. GOP lawmakers know these bills have no chance of passing through the Senate and becoming law. But even as the real priorities of the American people go unaddressed, Republicans remain more concerned with feeding far-right hysteria over gas stoves and refrigerators than actually solving problems. This unserious legislative push is not the only evidence that the GOP is more focused on chasing conspiracy theories than on governing responsibly. This week, Speaker Mike Johnson addressed the media to tout new legislation backed by Donald Trump that would ban non-citizens from voting in federal elections — something that has been illegal across the nation since 1996. At the press conference, Johnson, who was a leading architect of Trump’s scheme to overturn the 2020 election, leaned into the lies that fueled the January 6 insurrection. Claiming without a shred of evidence that “we all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections,” Johnson continued his ongoing efforts to use debunked myths to delegitimize American elections. But even this shameful display of conspiracy-mongering was not enough to appease the far-right “chaos caucus” that has kept a stranglehold on the business of the House since the beginning of the 118th Congress. On Wednesday, another embarrassing episode unfolded in the soap opera that is the House Republican conference, as extremist GOP lawmakers wasted more time forcing yet another vote on a motion to oust the Speaker from his post. As we’ve done many times during this Congress, Democrats stepped in, providing the votes to defeat the motion and bring the House back into focus on the issues that really matter. We understand that the American people need and deserve a governing body that works for them, not one focused solely on petty politics. Even amidst the chaos and posturing of the week, we’ve made steady progress on key priorities that will create jobs, bolster our 21st century economy, and ensure families have a safe, affordable place to call home.On Monday and Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributed more than $8.6 billion in total funding — including over $21 million for our Capital Region — to help communities build and repair affordable housing units, support renters and homeowners, and provide lifesaving assistance to those who need it most. The investment in our communities continued with the Department of Energy’s (DOE) action to make $160 million available to support our nation’s vital semiconductor industry through the formation of Microelectronics Science Research Centers (MSRCs) — an initiative made possible by my bipartisan Micro Act, which was included and signed into law as part of the CHIPS and Science Act. Taken together, these investments will create jobs, support our local economies, and improve quality of life for families across the nation. But we know that there is still much more work ahead to support American families and make our communities whole. While Republicans peddle conspiracies and settle internal scores, my Democratic colleagues and I remain committed to the path of progress. Going forward, you can count on me to keep working tirelessly to provide our communities with the resources they need to thrive. As always, thank you for reading. Your friend, DID YOU KNOW?My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final rule to ban noncompete clauses nationwide in order to increase innovation, foster new business formation, and protect the freedom of workers to change jobs.Under this rule, existing noncompete clauses for senior executives may remain in force, but employers are banned from entering into or attempting to enforce any new noncompetes, even if they involve senior executives.Employers will be required to provide notice to workers who are bound by an existing noncompete clause that they will not be enforcing any such clause against them after the rule’s effective date.An estimated 18% of American workers are currently covered by noncompete clauses, and many employers and employees may have questions about what this new rule means for them.To help answer those questions, the FTC is hosting a compliance webinar to provide an overview and guidance on how to comply with the rule on Tuesday, May 14th from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM.The FTC invites members of the public to submit questions ahead of the webinar via email at [email protected] webinar, which is free and open to the public, will feature staff from the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning to provide an overview and answer pre-submitted questions.A link to the webinar will be available on the day of the event, shortly before the webinar starts, at FTC.gov.The webinar will be recorded, and the recording will be available on FTC.gov following the conclusion of the meeting.