Dear Friend,

I’m back in Washington, D.C. after a packed week in San Diego and wanted to send a quick update on what I’ve been up to – from hosting important discussions with community leaders about the gun violence epidemic and gender-affirming care to acknowledging the two year anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion.

Keep reading for more highlights on what I’ve been up to:

Supporting Gun Violence Prevention Efforts

In honor of Gun Violence Prevention Month, I was glad to host a roundtable with community leaders (including some amazing young leaders!) and organizations who are working to end the gun violence epidemic both in San Diego and across the country.

We have so much more work ahead of us to end this epidemic once and for all, so it was great to hear more about how we can partner to uplift local efforts at the federal level. I know that, together, we can put an end to this senseless violence and save lives in our community.

Two Years Since Roe Was Overturned

Monday marked two years since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. I remember feeling so angry that day that I was literally shaking. Since then, 21 states have restricted or banned abortion, and today 1 in 3 women live under an abortion ban.

While I’m so proud to be from California where we’ve enshrined the right to abortion into our state constitution and welcomed people from other states in need of care, this fundamental right is still very much at risk. I’m fighting not only to reinstate the right to abortion in all states – but also to make sure that people everywhere can access their full range of reproductive health care options. 

Watch my video to learn more about what I’m fighting for:

Protecting and Expanding Access to Gender-Affirming Care

You’ve probably heard the term gender-affirming care before, but if you don’t know what it means – it’s any type of evidence-based care that helps align someone’s body with their gender identity. I’m the proud sister of a trans brother and a gender non-conforming sibling, so I’ve seen up close the power and importance of this care. That’s why I won’t stop fighting to push back against attacks on gender-affirming care, trans people, and the wider LGBTQ+ community – especially during National Pride Month.

Last week, I hosted a conversation with an amazing trans teenager and members of our community who provide and advocate for gender-affirming care. I was so grateful to learn more about their experiences and share how I can best support their efforts in Congress. We need to do everything we can to ensure that all people are acknowledged, accepted, and supported as exactly who they are.

Addressing the Tijuana River Valley Crisis

San Diegans have been dealing with sewage and pollution in the Tijuana River Valley for over a century – hurting public health and economic growth on both sides of the border.

I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to address this crisis so far – but we need to take more steps to finally put an end to this long-standing problem. I was glad to visit the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant last week and get an update from Mexican authorities on their progress as we keep fighting to fix this crisis.

We’re Here to Help

My staff in San Diego is here to help if you need assistance with a federal agency, like small business loans, immigration challenges, issues with Social Security or Medicare, VA benefits, and more! If we do have a partial government shutdown, my offices will remain open. We can still submit federal casework as we normally would, but we expect significant delays in responses from any agency that’s shut down.