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.

Amazing to celebrate 15 constituents who were offered appointments to our U.S. military academies. I’m always to humbled to be able to nominate our best and brightest young leaders to attend our service academies. I know our future is in capable hands. 

The House passed with a bipartisan vote my resolution to condemn the violent riots we saw in Los Angeles earlier this month and thank our law enforcement for their bravery. Peaceful protests are a right. Violence, vandalism, looting, and other crimes are not.

President Nixon signed Title IX into law 53 years ago. Grateful to join Nixon Foundation over the weekend to celebrate this anniversary with our community. All women and girls – including my daughters and granddaughter – should be able to reach their full potential.

Taiwan – the 21st largest economy in the world and producer of 90 percent of the world’s advanced semiconductor chip supply – deserves a seat at the table at the IMF. I thank my colleagues for joining me to pass the Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act.

California is already home to the highest gas prices of any state in the nation – the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and gas tax only add more pain at the pump for hardworking families. I will continue to urge Governor Newsom to provide relief for Californians.

I joined the Aliso Viejo Chamber for their Legislative Meet & Greet to share updates on my work in Congress. I look forward to continuing to work together to uplift Aliso Viejo small businesses and job creators.

America must be able to win in the information domain. While USAGM platforms have strayed away from their mission, gutting it entirely cedes leverage to authoritarian regimes.

I asked USAGM Senior Advisor Kari Lake how we can reform USAGM as a soft power tool to protect our national security. 

Our brave troops put their lives on the line to keep us safe and protect our freedoms. I was honored to join For Families of Active Military in Yorba Linda to help swear in enlisted U.S. Army soldiers and thank them and their families for their courage and leadership. 

Team Young joined our Korean American community at the Orange County Korean War Memorial to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Korean War and honor veterans and their families.

Freedom is not free, and I know I am here today because of their service and sacrifice.  

I enjoyed catching up with our CA-40 interns and thanking them for their hard work this summer. Our interns play a critical role in our office and are always cherished members of Team Young! 

Welcome to Orange, Loving Life! Loving Life aims to promote health and wellness in our community through their products and services.

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

TSA requires REAL IDs for domestic travel starting May 7, 2025 and for entering certain federal facilities. Learn more here.

State Department processing times for passports 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.

I am thrilled that Team Young has helped return over $29 million back to taxpayers from federal agencies.

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