Friends,

Last week in Washington, the House did not conduct much legislative business when Speaker Johnson cancelled votes after failing to kill a bill allowing new moms and dads in Congress to vote by proxy. As the first member of the Virginia General Assembly to be pregnant and give birth in office 15 years ago, I know all too well the challenges pregnant women and new moms face in public office. Yet, Speaker Johnson refuses to make meaningful accommodations for House members who are pregnant or starting a family. So much for his commitment to family values.

President Trump declared April 2nd “Liberation Day” and imposed tariffs on nearly all countries, recklessly escalating what the Wall Street Journal called the dumbest trade war in history. These sweeping tariffs will hurt ALL Americans’ wallets, raising costs on just about everything. As a result, the markets immediately plummeted. Even Republicans started to get nervous as Democrats fought back.

We also learned that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz set up at least 20 other Signal group chats intended to respond to global crises, organized by region. This latest “Signalgate” news only further underscores how reckless and incapable Waltz and other national security officials are when treating sensitive and classified materials. Our national security information requires the highest level of care — and Americans deserve national security officials that fully respect and understand that. Waltz’s actions are not only a display of incompetence, but they warrant serious action.

Read on for more of what you may have missed, including my actions fighting back against voter suppression and the mass firing of federal health workers and a record-breaking Senate floor speech.

PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE: FIGHTING BACK AGAINST THE 2025 POLL TAX

In recent years, Trump and the Republican Party have become obsessed with this idea of non-citizens voting and widespread election fraud — a nonexistent problem. Now, they’ve ramped up efforts to promote “election security” through the SAVE Act, a bill that requires every American to provide documentary proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

The SAVE Act is flawed for a number of reasons — but chiefly, it ignores the simple fact that these items of proof don’t come free. Prices for eligible forms of ID range from $12 for a birth certificate or $42 for a REAL ID in Virginia, to $130 for a passport, to $1,385 for a certificate of citizenship. By requiring citizens to own one of these documents to register to vote, the SAVE Act effectively imposes a poll tax on the American people — something made unconstitutional under the 24th Amendment.

As detailed in an article on the history of voting rights in Virginia, the long road to expanding the right to vote beyond just white, land-owning men in the birthplace of American democracy has closely tracked whether the federal government actively protected voting rights or not. As a state legislator, I was proud to do my part to expand the right to vote, from my first bill, which made it easier to vote absentee, to sponsoring the Voting Rights of Virginia, which made our Commonwealth the first southern state to have a comprehensive voting rights act. Now, I am doing my part in Congress as a sponsor of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.  

But President Trump and House Republicans want to take us back to a time when not everyone had the equal opportunity to vote. To fight back, I began the week leading the Congressional Black Caucus’s special order hour, which highlighted the voter suppression aspects of the SAVE Act. Voter suppression is not new to the CBC: it’s our recent past. Many members of the CBC have family members impacted by Jim Crow voter suppression tactics. In some cases, members of Congress themselves experienced such discrimination. It’s our responsibility to ensure that the rest of America does not forget.

The SAVE Act also places obstacles in the way of the millions of women who no longer go by the maiden name on their birth certificate — as many of the documents required under the act to prove citizenship also require presenting documentation of the name change, such as a marriage license. It also makes it more difficult for active duty service members stationed away from their legal residence, the disabled and homebound to vote by effectively eliminating mail-in registration. I joined the Democratic Women’s Caucus in a press conference to highlight these impacts.

I’m committed to protecting the sacred right to vote to ensure all citizens have the ability to participate in our government by, of, and for the people. When the SAVE Act comes up for a vote on the House floor, I will be staunchly opposed.

PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH: STANDING WITH OUR PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE

Last week, Secretary Kennedy announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of employees at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) across a large swath of sub-divisions and agencies. These layoffs come even as the Trump Administration transfers duties from the Department of Education to HHS. From the National Institute of Health to the Food and Drug Administration, these layoffs undoubtedly will hurt the HHS’s ability to help Americans navigate their health care in this confusing time, combat diseases and continue conducting life-changing research. We should always be looking for ways to support our public health officials, but this move by the Trump Administration is just the latest in a long stream of actions that put American lives at risk.

Our public health workforce works tirelessly to defeat cancer, the opioid crisis, Alzheimer’s and so many other diseases and public health crises that affect Americans every day. Firing them threatens our ability to address high maternal and infant mortality rates, potential disease outbreaks like measles and other health challenges.

I introduced legislation last week to prevent these reckless mass HHS layoffs. The bill would keep the Administration from further putting health care research and our government’s ability to combat diseases at risk and stop Secretary Kennedy from firing federal workers who keep our country running. The Trump Administration already has wreaked havoc on Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, and now they’re firing the health care workers who help Americans navigate these services. 

The Administration has made it clear that their priorities lie with their billionaire friends and creating unnecessary trade wars. I and my fellow Democrats are focused on defending public health and services provided to millions of Americans. 

MY BRIGHT SPOT: SENATOR BOOKER’S RECORD-BREAKING SPEECH

My daughter and I had the chance to see Senator Cory Booker, in the words of the late John Lewis, “get in good trouble,” as he broke the record for the longest speech on the Senate floor. Sen. Booker took to the Senate floor at 7 pm Monday night and spoke for 25 hours and 5 minutes without sitting down or  eating and barely drinking water. His act of defiance was both moving and an inspiration for so many looking for ways to stand up to the Trump Administration.

I first visited the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon to show my support. While I was there, Cory asked the simple question: “how did we get here?” It was a reminder that progress was not won without a fight; it was earned through the work, sweat and blood of millions of Americans — many of whom are largely unknown, as well as a reminder that that progress always faces a backlash.

My daughter Samantha joined me Tuesday evening to witness the moment Sen. Booker broke the record for the longest individual speech on the Senate floor held by Senator Strom Thurmond filibustering against the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes.

The significance of sitting in that chamber as the first Black woman elected to Congress from Virginia to watch the only the 9th of 14 Black Senators surpassing the record set by a segregationist who fought against our parents attaining equality under the law was not lost on me. It is a moment I will never forget, and I am glad to have shared it with my daughter.

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