Dear friends,
Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving! We have a lot to be thankful for this year. This Thanksgiving, my hope is that we come together over what unites us, not what divides us.
Let’s be especially sure to thank our servicemen and women who keep us safe, relief workers who continue to help North Carolina communities recover from Tropical Storm Helene, and first responders who work through weekends and holidays to help those in need.
May this Thanksgiving bring renewed gratitude into our lives, hope for our families, joy in our hearts, and unity to our country.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. With that, here's what we've been up to this month. |
Visiting the Charlotte Bilingual Pre-school |
I serve on the Education and Workforce Committee in Congress, and I am determined that we consider a National Head Start program so every American child has the same opportunities as the kids at Charlotte Bilingual Pre-school. On October 31st, I had the chance to visit the Charlotte Bilingual Pre-school. As their website says, "Charlotte Bilingual Preschool’s vision is that Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a place where differences in language and culture are mutually enriching, and all children have greater access to advantages and opportunity." While quality childcare has become harder to find and increasingly expensive in North Carolina, pre-Kindergarten is connected with a healthier, more productive, more law-abiding adulthood. |
Tuskegee University Centennial Homecoming Convocation. Rep. Adams speaks at the 45 minute mark. |
On Sunday, November 10th, I spoke at Tuskegee University’s Centennial Homecoming Convocation (link to the video above). Tuskegee University has a proud history and is one of our nation’s best-known HBCUs. It is known by many as the home of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black air squadron in World War II. One of these fallen heroes, Second Lt. Fred Brewer, was lost in Italy in October 1944. His remains were finally identified last year, and he was repatriated to his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. I had the honor of commemorating Lt. Brewer for his service and sacrifice on the floor of the U.S. House last year. |
Attending the Black Health Matters Expo and Summit in Charlotte |
On Saturday, November 16th, I addressed the Black Health Matters Expo and Summit at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Black Health Matters, a leading national health advocacy organization promoting health and wellness, hosted the event featuring medical screenings and conversations with experts and health agencies. I appreciate Black Health Matters for their expansive work in health education and community outreach. When we are equipped with knowledge, we gain agency in our own health, and we are able to advocate more effectively for ourselves and our loved ones. As co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, in my time in Congress, I have upheld the belief that access to quality, affordable health care is a most basic human right. |
Expressing gratitude to our living veterans |
On November 11th, we acknowledged Veterans Day, celebrating those who served our nation and protect our freedoms and way of life. I was thankful this year to support our veterans not just with words, but with actions. This week in the House, we passed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 8371), which will benefit veterans in countless ways, supporting healthcare options, housing options, and cutting through red tape.
As Shirley Chisholm once said, "Service is the rent we pay for living on God’s earth," and certainly veterans have paid in full, with their time and often, with their health. Veterans and their families deserve the best quality of life that the federal government can provide, but many of them are living with the aftereffects of their service. I intend to make sure they get their due. |
On November 15th, I voted in support of the FAFSA Deadline Act (H.R. 8932). This bill was a bipartisan fix to help address major shortcomings in reforming the Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) FAFSA for new undergraduate students. The form was to be renewed and streamlined for families, but errors have delayed its rollout, and many students were left behind as a result. In September, I pressed the Government Accountability Office for answers as to the delays. |
I voted for this bill to insist on a deadline of next October for the errors to be fixed and the new FAFSA forms to be fully rolled out. |
How to get help through LIHEAP |
On October 31st, North Carolina was awarded $97,518,180 in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is available to individuals and families. Applications are available through this link.
These investments in LIHEAP ensure that we can keep North Carolina families warm this winter, and protect them from cold spells in the future. This speaks to the importance of having representatives in government who care about the people they are elected to serve. I’m thankful President Biden and HHS Secretary Becerra agree that no child should be forced to sleep in the cold.
LIHEAP can also be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient, and during disasters and extreme weather to mitigate energy emergencies. The LIHEAP funding release comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Appropriations Act (IIJA). |
Nucor invests in sustainable steel |
On November 14th, the US Department of Energy announced it would make another substantial grant to Charlotte, this time to Nucor, a steel manufacturer, to help reduce carbon emissions in manufacturing. This grant is part of nationwide investment of $4 million in 10 projects, designed to harness the processing power of the world’s most powerful supercomputers, strengthen America’s manufacturing competitiveness, and move the country closer to an equitable clean energy future for all Americans. These kinds of investments ensure good jobs today, and a sustainable future for generations to come. We are planting trees today, under whose shade our children and grandchildren will sit. Under Secretary Granholm and President Biden, our Department of Energy has invested in a future for all Americans, and it’s being built in Charlotte. |
We are North Carolina Strong!
Since the end of September, there has been a tremendous show of support for our neighbors in Western North Carolina as they rebuild from Tropical Storm Helene, which hit Western North Carolina particularly hard. I continue to join calls and monitor the progress of our state’s recovery. Remember that if you need help, there are options. In the upper right corner of my website, or from the dropdown menu (mobile), you can access the “HELENE RESOURCES” tab to see what options you have.
Thank you to organizations, volunteers, relief workers, and more for helping with the recovery and showing the best of who we are as North Carolinians.
|
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up to receive twice monthly updates from my office: |
___________________________________________________________________ |
Many of you are traveling this week for Thanksgiving. I hope you are able to travel safely and without delay, and that you have a place to go and feel at home with family and/or friends. We’re getting back to work in Washington, and we’ll be in session again on Monday. After passing some important legislation on the FAFSA and for veterans care, we have a lot to do before this Congress closes out at the end of the year. We’ll be looking at keeping the federal government up and running, approving more disaster relief for those recovering from Helene and other disasters, and an extension of the Farm Bill. We have a lot of priorities to focus on, and I intend to make myself heard. Please do not hesitate to contact my office if you have thoughts about what we should focus on before January. That’s where I’ll lay my hat for the week.
God Bless, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D.
|
|
|
|
