August 2, 2024

Defending Our Southern Border

Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office in January 2021, Customs and Border Protection has reported nearly 10 million illegal immigrant encounters at our borders. The lawlessness at the southern border is a grave threat to U.S. national security. Smugglers are carrying deadly narcotics like fentanyl into the U.S. at an alarming rate. Southern Californians have been living the consequences of lax border policies for far too long.

Preserving Critical Care at Skilled Nursing Facilities

Last week, I called on Governor Gavin Newsom to delay the implementation of a mandate that would require skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) to have alternative power sources for power outages. Many facilities do not have the resources or ability to implement these changes. Forcing them to do so would cause many SNFs so shutter or close, jeopardizing patient access to skilled nursing care. These facilities are crucial for California's seniors and developmentally disabled individuals. I wrote to Governor Newsom, urging him to delay the compliance deadline until January 1, 2029. You can read that letter here and my full statement here. 

Providing Resources for the Vietnamese Community

I recently joined Assemblyman Tri Ta in hosting a Vietnamese-American Resource Fair in Westminster, where we provided a forum for our constituents to get help with citizenship cases, IRS concerns, and other issues. This was a great opportunity to meet with members of the Vietnamese community and promote services available to immigrants and naturalized citizens. As a naturalized citizen myself, I believe that government bureaucracy should not get in the way of living the American dream. Navigating this process is possible, and we are here to help. For more on immigration and naturalization, call my office at 714-960-6483.

Constituent Service Highlight

As your U.S. Representative, I’m committed to helping you navigate various issues with federal agencies. My office can help expediate a passport, navigate the VA, obtain a federal tax return, and more.  

I recently heard from one constituent, Mary from Fullerton, about an issue my office was able to successfully resolve with the Social Security Office.  

If you need help navigating a federal agency, call my office at 714-960-6483 or visit steel.house.gov/gethelp 

Standing Up For Human Rights in Vietnam

As Communist Vietnam continues persecuting its own citizens for exercising free expression, I called on the government of Thailand to release one Vietnamese prisoner, Y Quynh Bdap, who is currently on trial and may be extradited to Vietnam to face torture and lengthy imprisonment. Y Quynh Bdap is a recognized refugee and fled his home country of Vietnam to avoid religious persecution. His extradition would be a tragedy and a grave violation of human rights promises made by the Thai government. I strongly urge U.S., Thai, and Vietnamese diplomats to work towards his release, and to stop the unjust persecution and imprisonment of religious minorities. This extradition cannot go forward. You can read my full statement on this here. I also wrote in the Washington Times about the importance of the U.S. and Thailand standing up for the rights of refugees. 

What I'm Reading

Thanks for taking the time to read about what I've been doing on behalf of Southern California families. Be sure to connect with my official Facebook, X, and Instagram pages, where I post the latest news and updates. It is an honor to serve you in Congress.

Sincerely,

Rep. Michelle Steel
Member of Congress