Dear neighbor,

Congress is back in session, and as always, there’s no shortage of issues for us to work on.

First and foremost, my priority is addressing the high cost of living. Prices continue to go up, and Republicans have done nothing about it. In fact, Trump’s tariffs are making costs worse, and this week, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee were focused on European laws that govern speech – not skyrocketing costs.

While the majority of Republicans continue to bend over backwards to be nice to convicted felons and sex offenders, House Democrats are working with a handful of Republicans on a bipartisan discharge petition that would force a vote on the release of the full Epstein files. I’ve signed the discharge petition and will continue to stand up for survivors and the truth.

At this week’s press conference, I discussed these issues, as well as new Republican efforts to “rebrand” the Big Ugly Bill, which includes the largest health care cut in history, and a new yacht tax break that billionaire consultants have called, “too good to be true.” There’s no rebranding that.

Check out more of my thoughts below:

This week, I also called into SiriusXM’s Julie Mason Show to discuss Trump’s deployment of the military to U.S. cities. Simply put, this is illegal and authoritarian. The military is trained to fight foreign adversaries, not police the American people. Plus, Trump is targeting mostly blue states, many of which have lower murder rates than red states. This is not about crime, it’s about politics. 

As we continue our work this month, I will always put people over politics. Thank you for staying informed and engaged – together, we're fighting back.

SPRING 2025 INTERNSHIP: We are now accepting applications for our office’s Spring 2025 Internship Program. Internships are available in both our LA and Washington, DC offices. To apply, visit our website here. Note: Applications are due October 31, 2025, at 5pm.

SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS: If you're interested in a nomination to a U.S. Military Academy from our office, please submit an application by Friday, September 19, 2025. Questions? Email [email protected].

CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE: 2025 Congressional App Challenge submissions are due by October 30, 2025. For more information and challenge guidelines, go here.

FIRE RECOVERY RESOURCES: Displaced families whose homes were destroyed by a qualified disaster between 1/1/23 and 1/8/2025, may be eligible for mortgage payment relief through the CalAssist Mortgage fund. For more information, please visit here. Additionally, next Saturday, September 13 between 10am-2pm at the Altadena Library, you can get free condition assessments of recovered artworks and belongings, assistance cleaning soot and ash off items, and demonstrations to remove the smell of smoke from small objects. Sign up and find additional details here.

California has undertaken mid-decade redistricting to offset attempts by conservatives to rig congressional maps in states like Texas, Florida, Indiana, and Missouri. As a result, there is now a special election coming up in California on November 4. Click here to confirm you are registered to vote.

If you need help with a federal agency, call my Los Angeles office at (323) 651-1040, or visit our federal assistance webpage here. 

I look forward to updating you again soon.

Warmly,

Ted