THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON
MAGA Republicans Once Again Take Over the Appropriations Process
Before the holiday, the House considered three appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25): H.R. 8752, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act; H.R. 8771, the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act; and H.R. 8774, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. As has become their pattern, MAGA House Republicans loaded these must pass bills with amendments to enact their extreme agenda that threaten our national security, attack reproductive freedom, undermine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and strip protections from the LGBTQ+ community. As a result, the Homeland Security Bill creates chaos and fails to secure the border, the State Department Funding Bill abdicates U.S. leadership abroad and threatens global women’s health, and the Defense Funding Bill weakens U.S. national security and undermines democracy here and abroad. I opposed all three s outlined in this statement.
You can find more details on these bulls in these fact sheets from Appropriations Committee Democrats on the Homeland Security Bill, the State Department Bill, and the Defense Bill.
My New Legislation to Establish a Celestial Time Standardization
Did you know that time works differently on the Moon and other celestial bodies than it does here on Earth? On Earth, we use the Universal Time Standard (UTC) to synchronize our sense of time around the world. In space, however, time does not accurately align with UTC: to someone on the Moon, UTC lags 58 microseconds per day!
As humankind works to expand its presence on the Moon and perform more complex space activities, we must establish a time standard in space to ensure accurate coordination between NASA, the private sector, and international collaborators around the world. That’s why I introduced H.R. 8837, the Celestial Time Standardization Act, to direct NASA to establish a time standard for the Moon and other celestial bodies.
As a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, which has direct oversight of NASA and all space-related activities, I look forward to working with my committee colleagues to advance this legislation… and as a mom to an aspiring astronomer, my son, Jackson, thinks it’s pretty cool! Check out the Celestial Time Standardization Act bill text and one-pager. You can read more about the bill in the Richmond-Times Dispatch or the Richmond Free Press.
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My Resolution Formally Acknowledge and Apologize for Discrimination against LGBTQ+ Service Members and Civil Servants
As we closed out Pride Month, I introduced H.Res. 1329 with Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39) to formally acknowledge and apologize to LGBTQ+ Americans who experienced mistreatment and discrimination while serving in our Armed Forces, Foreign Service, and the United States government. For too long, LGBTQ+ Americans have served our nation with honor and distinction yet experienced discriminatory practices simply because of who they were or who they loved.
This resolution builds off the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration, which recently announced presidential pardons to thousands of LGBTQ+ service members who were unjustly targeted and removed from military service under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the law that prohibited LGBTQ+ military personnel from disclosing their sexual orientation or gender identity. President Barack Obama repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in 2011. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced an identical resolution in the U.S. Senate.
The Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act
Gun violence plagues communities across the nation: since the start of 2024, there have been over 8,000 deaths by gun violence in the United States. No one should have to fear for their life in the classroom, grocery store, or their place of worship. Over the past few years, Virginia has implemented a framework of commonsense laws to reduce gun violence and keep our communities safe, bills that I helped champion as a State Senator in the General Assembly. In honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month, Democratic members of the Virginia congressional delegation – Reps. Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, Abigail Spanberger, Jennifer Wexton, and I – introduced H.R. 8907, the Virginia Plan to Reduce Gun Violence Act to build off those successes and expand the reforms nationwide. Our legislation would implement the following provisions across the nation:
- Limiting the purchase of handguns to one per month.
- Requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours.
- Holding gun owners liable for leaving a loaded, unsecured gun in the presence of a minor.
- Closing the “boyfriend loophole,” which currently allows non-married partners to possess firearms, even when there’s a history of domestic violence.
- Establishing an “extreme risk protection order” to temporarily remove firearms from those who pose a significant risk of harming themselves or others.
- Holding caregivers liable for allowing a child access to a firearm when they know the child poses a risk of violence to themselves or others.
These common sense policy solutions will help reduce gun violence and protect our communities. Gun violence has touched the lives of too many innocent Americans, and your Democratic lawmakers in Congress are fighting to end that. Read the bill text here.
House Science Committee Hearing on DOE FY25 Budget Proposal
Before the holiday, the House Science Committee held a hearing on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) FY25 budget proposal with Deputy Secretary of Energy – and fellow University of Virginia Law School alumnus – David Turk. During the hearing, I asked Deputy Secretary Turk about DOE’s efforts to bolster workforce development, including increasing workforce opportunities for underrepresented groups and removing barriers to participation. I also asked about DOE’s work to promote an equitable clean energy transition and leverage soil carbon sequestration to combat climate change. You can watch my full line of questioning here or below.
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The U.S. Supreme Court Ends its 2024 Term with Major Decisions
In the last week of its 2024 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several consequential decisions that impact access to emergency abortion care, federal agencies’ regulatory authority, and presidential immunity.
In Moyle v. United States, the Court dismissed challenges to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to provide all stabilizing care, including emergency abortion care, to patients. After the fall of Roe, Idaho enacted an abortion ban with exeptions for rape, incest, and very narrow circumstances when a pregnancy is considered non-viable. The State of Idaho and its Republican-controlled legislature argued that the state’s abortion ban supersedes EMTALA. The Supreme Court dismissed the case, but did not flat-out reject the attacks on EMTALA, failing to affirm patients’ right to comprehensive emergency medical care. Read my full statement here.
In Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce, and Relentless, Inc. v. Department of Commerce, the Supreme Court stripped federal agencies of their ability to use their expertise to reasonably interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress, giving that power to the judicial branch. This decision marks the third time in two years that the Court has overturned long-standing judicial precedent. Prior to this decision, under a 40-year precedent set in Chevron USA Inc v Natural Resources Defense Council, federal agencies relied on their experts to interpret legislation and develop the necessary guidelines to effectively implement. So long as their interpretation was reasonable, the courts would defer to the agencies’ expertise. Overturning Chevron will have a seismic impact on federal regulations, from pollution reduction efforts, food quality standards, pharmaceutical regulations, workplace protections, and more. Now, unelected, lifetime-appointed judges with no expertise in these areas get to decide what Congress envisioned when they passed an ambiguous law. This ruling represents a fundamental shift in the balance of power in our government and will have long-reaching consequences. Read my full statement here.
In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that all of a President’s official acts are guaranteed some level of immunity from criminal prosecution. This decision comes after the Department of Justice indicted former President Trump in August 2023 on four counts related to the January 6th insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. Trump claimed that he could not be prosecuted for his official acts as President and that a former President cannot be prosecuted unless he has first been impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate. The extreme conservative majority on the Court, three of whom were appointed by former President Trump, lay out an extremely vague model for presidential immunity that effectively puts the President of the United States above the law, regardless of motive or intent. This ruling sets a dangerous precedent for the future of our nation and gives the President absolute immunity in far too many circumstances. As outlined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor in her dissenting opinion, in theory, the President could now claim immunity for ordering the assassination of a political rival, launching a military coup to hold onto power, or accepting a bribe in exchange for a presidential pardon. This ruling threatens the very fabric of our democracy and will allow Presidents to act with absolute impunity. Read my full statement here.
Visiting the Space Telescope Science Institute
In May, NASA Administrator and former U.S. Senator Bill Nelson appeared before the House Science Committee for a hearing on the agency’s FY25 budget proposal. During that hearing, I asked Administrator Nelson a question from my son, Jackson, about budget cuts to the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, which collects important data and supports our continued exploration of the final frontier. Following the hearing, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) invited Jackson and me to tour the facility and learn more about the institute’s work operating advanced telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. Specifically, STScI supports NASA’s current and future astrophysics flagship missions, further astronomical research and increase its accessibility, and promote a diverse, engaged workforce. You can learn more about their work here.
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