Dear John,
Greetings from Washington, D.C. My colleagues and I are all here this week to continue the work on the budget reconciliation, and as you might imagine, there are differing opinions about what is best for the country. I’ll be sharing more on this in next week’s newsletter as the final text is developed and votes on the budget approach. Meanwhile, if you follow the news out of Congress, you no doubt are aware that Speaker Johnson has allowed the House to vote on very few legitimate pieces of legislation. In fact, since Inauguration Day, only five bills have been signed into law. That is not stopping me from continuing to shape and introduce bills that are good for the people of PA06, and I want to bring you up to speed on some recent legislative action. |
Last week was National Small Business Week, and I was pleased to introduce the Research Advancing to Market Production (RAMP) for Innovators Act with Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) and Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and John Curtis (R-UT). This bicameral and bipartisan bill will streamline federal support for American small businesses and help entrepreneurs bring their products to market faster. Expediting the product-to-market pipeline will help to ensure that more of the game-changing technologies and products developed by American entrepreneurs become a reality, in turn helping our nation maintain its competitive edge. You can read more about this here. As a former small business owner, I know that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Our community is home to hundreds of thriving small businesses, including Downingtown’s own AEONRG which was named the SBA 2025 Eastern PA Veteran-Owned Small Business of the Year. Congratulations to the entire AEONRG team for this incredible achievement! (Has your business won an award or received special recognition? Let us know so we can celebrate you too.) |
From members of the military and teachers to firefighters and nurses, those who dedicate their lives to public service deserve the utmost respect and support. To mark the end of Public Service Recognition Week and the start of National Police Week, I hosted a roundtable with law enforcement officers and first responders in our community. We had the chance to talk about recruiting challenges, barriers to retaining skilled police officers, and ways to promote a diverse first responder workforce. |
At the event, I announced my new bill to simplify the student loan forgiveness process for public servants like first responders, law enforcement officers, teachers, nurses, and more. The bipartisan Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Payment Completion Fairness Act, which I introduced with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) from Bucks County, will close a loophole that prevents many public servants from receiving student loan forgiveness, as promised, after 10 years of work in public service. I am proud that this legislation was also endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. You can read more about it here!
I also introduced the bipartisan Protect National Service Act with Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) to protect AmeriCorps against significant cuts by the Trump Administration. I am one of just a few members of Congress to have served in AmeriCorps – I taught chemistry in North Philadelphia through Teach for America – and I believe that national service is one of the great unifiers in our country. Community service helps to bridge the divisions that exist in our nation and brings people together regardless of their backgrounds. We must do everything we can to protect AmeriCorps and our public servants, and I will continue to fight for AmeriCorps! |
After two years of collaborative work between the members of the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group, I was proud to introduce the More Paid Leave for More Americans Act and the Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) Act alongside Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK). These two bills will provide pathways for states to increase access to paid family and medical leave, streamline best practices for paid leave programs, and promote greater uniformity in paid leave programs across states. |
Paid leave is crucial for families, our economy, and our country—which is the only industrialized nation on Earth not to have it. No one should have to choose between their job and caring for their child or family member. I look forward to continuing to push for this essential benefit for American workers which in turn directly benefits employers, and I hope that during this legislative session Pennsylvania follows suit as the next state to adopt a paid leave policy.
Rep. Bice and I sat down with Steve Scully on SiriusXM radio to talk in detail about paid leave and bipartisanship. You can listen to the interview here.
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Do you have questions about what’s happening in our community or in Washington, D.C? Join me for a telephone town hall on May 20th where I’ll take your questions and do my best to answer them. Just dial in at 6:15 and join the conversation.
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Serving as our community’s representative in Congress is the honor and privilege of my lifetime, and I hope to hear from you soon about any issue that concerns you. As always, please contact my office if you need assistance.
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Chrissy Houlahan U.S. Member of Congress
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