Dear neighbor,

This past week, my office has received many calls from constituents outraged about unconstitutional and illegal actions from the Trump Administration. Leader Hakeem Jeffries has laid out a ten-point plan for how House Democrats will fight back against this insanity. The three tenets of our strategy are 1) Legislation, 2) Litigation, and 3) Mobilization.

Just yesterday, I joined my Democratic colleagues to support the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which is designed to stop Elon Musk and his minions from accessing the American people’s Social Security numbers, bank account information, and essential benefits like Medicare. 

On Tuesday, I will be hosting a telephone town hall to talk to my constituents about what has been happening in Washington and what we are doing about it. If you’re interested in joining, visit my website to sign up. 

While these past few weeks have been challenging, it is important to recognize that many of Trump’s orders have been stopped, or the Administration has folded due to public pressure. More than 25 lawsuits have already been filed, which we expect to reverse many of Trump’s actions. I will do everything in my power to expose how Musk and Trump are acting against the interests of our nation. I will continue to fight alongside you, and we will prevail.

FIGHTING FOR CALIFORNIANS: Republicans held a fact-free hearing under the Judiciary Committee this week to smear California following the tragic fires. Republican members continue to advocate for conditioning disaster aid. This is shameful. Watch me set the record straight: 

HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH: February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and uplift the profound impact Black Americans have had on our country.

LA DISASTER RELIEF NAVIGATOR: A new online tool is available that asks personalized questions to create individual Disaster Action Plans, including government programs, insurance assistance, home damage remediation, and many more services. The navigator is available on LACity.gov or directly at Wildfires.BetterAngels.LA. LA County’s Funding and Resources portal continues to be available at www.lacounty.gov/relief.

ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS DEBRIS REMOVAL: The LA Mayor’s Office is encouraging Palisades residents who lost their homes to complete a Right of Entry Form by March 31, 2025 for free debris removal through the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers and their contractors cannot access a property for debris removal unless the form is completed. For questions or help filling out the form, residents can call the Fire Debris Hotline at (844) 347-3332 or visit a Disaster Recovery Center.

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA): FEMA disaster assistance is available to help pay for basic needs not covered by insurance. To apply, visit DisasterAssistance.gov, call the FEMA Helpline at (800) 621-3362, or apply in person at a Disaster Recovery Center. The current deadline to apply for FEMA Assistance is March 10, 2025.

SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA): LA County renters, homeowners, businesses, and nonprofit organizations can apply for low-interest SBA disaster-assistance loans. Please visit this SBA web page for more information. The deadline to return applications for physical property damage is March 10, 2025.

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS): LA County taxpayers, businesses, and households will now have a deadline extension for certain tax filings. Please call the IRS Disaster Hotline for additional questions at (866) 562-5227.

DISASTER UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE (DUA): DUA is available for LA County residents who lost work because of the wildfires and do not qualify for regular, state unemployment benefits. Pease visit www.edd.ca.gov/en/myedd/ for more information.

REPLACING IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS: Replacement fees may be waived until July 7, 2026, if your passport was damaged in the fires. Please go to www.travel.state.gov for more information. To replace your Social Security Identification card, please click here.

Fire recovery resources can still to be found on our website. If you need assistance, my Los Angeles office is always available to see if we can help at (323) 651-1040.

I look forward to updating you again soon.

Warmly,

Ted