Welcome to Catch Up With Young Kim, my weekly e-newsletter to get you the latest on my work for you in Congress.

My team and I are here to serve you. If you ever need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. I also encourage you to receive real-time updates on my work for you in Congress by following me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.

The cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions unfairly punishes our Southern California communities, who are already burdened enough by high state and local taxes and rising living costs.

This week, I helped introduce a bipartisan bill to fully repeal the SALT cap. This is about providing relief to middle class families I represent and allowing hardworking American taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money. I’ll keep fighting to get this done.

I spoke to Spectrum News 1 SoCal about my meeting with President-elect Trump to discuss the importance of fixing the SALT cap and lowering taxes for my community. 

As co-chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus, I'm fighting for a solution to provide much-needed relief.

I'm praying for our brave first responders fighting the wildfires in the Los Angeles area and thank Orange County Fire Authority for stepping up to support mitigation efforts.

Last year's Airport Fire started in CA-40, and our community felt the devastation of the wildfire firsthand. I've been working in Congress to boost emerging technologies for wildfire response, ensure first responders have all available tools at the ready, and provide disaster relief funding which was included in FY25 appropriations. 

Congratulations to Stanley Wang, from Chino Hills, and Jack Liu for winning this year's CA-40 Congressional App Challenge!

Their app ‘Gluconnect’ not only demonstrates an impressive use of coding concepts but also could improve the lives of diabetes patients. They truly went above and beyond, and I'm proud to name them this year's CA-40 App Challenge winners.

I joined Fox 11 LA this week to talk about my recent meeting with President-elect Trump to speak with him directly about the importance of addressing the SALT cap and delivering disaster aid as Southern California deals with horrific wildfires. 

Team Young helped welcome A Curl's Best Friend to Lake Forest! This salon specializes in helping clients with naturally curly hair with both haircuts and tips for styling at home.

Policies from Congress should make lives easier for Americans who are hurting from persistent inflation, rising living costs, and burdensome regulations. I look forward to working on the House Financial Services Committee this Congress to cut red tape and protect the American dream.

The first Korean immigrants arrived in America on January 13, 1903, 122 years ago.

I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution honoring Korean American Day this week as one of the first Korean American women in Congress and the representative of a vibrant Korean American community.

As the new year begins, I humbly ask you take 30 seconds to share your priorities with me, so I can better serve you in Congress. I'm laser-focused on delivering results for you.

My team is committed to providing accessible, responsive, and effective service. 
 
We have district offices in Anaheim Hills and Mission Viejo, and we will hold mobile office hours in Chino Hills, Laguna Woods, and El Modena. 
 
Please reach out with any casework questions. 

In Congress, I secured resources through the FY24 appropriations packages for vital projects in CA-40 that protect public health, support law enforcement, and keep our communities safe.

My office is seeing an increase in casework requests related to cybercrimes. As we see hackers use sophisticated tactics to take your personal information, please remain vigilant and be careful of suspicious links, calls, and messages. If something seems suspect, trust your instinct and do not click. 

Are you traveling planning travel for this year? Stop what you’re doing and check your passport!  

Processing times are now 4-6 weeks (routine) or 2-3 weeks (expedited, not incl. shipping). Start your renewal or application at travel.state.gov/passport.

Passport processing times are the fastest they’ve been since March 2020. Take advantage and apply or renew now so that you’re ready for international travel in the new year. 

Travel Tip -- Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your departure. Look up your destination’s entry requirements at travel.state.gov/destination and check your passport expiration date before booking flights.

Travelers are encouraged to wait to book international travel until a valid passport is physically in hand, apply for a new or renewed passport 9 months prior to travel, and ensure that their passport doesn’t expire within 6 months of their international travel dates.

If your pending application was filed with routine service and you have upcoming travel, you may benefit from upgrading to expedited service. Please dial (877) 487-2778 to upgrade to expedited service and shipping.  

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can assist you in any way at (714) 984-2440.  

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution as tensions around the world increase the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. 

U.S. citizens should:

• Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter and visit travel.state.gov.

If you are traveling abroad or are abroad please check the destination warning levels travel.state.gov, and be sure to register for the STEP program even if you are abroad. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at my website or at (714) 984-2440 if you have any questions or need assistance.

If you need help with a federal agency, please reach out to my office. We’re here to serve you always.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Young Kim