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Dear John,
In This E-Newsletter You Will Find:
Upcoming Events Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall
Next week, I will be hosting my 25th Town Hall. We will be focused on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To help provide the most accurate information, I will be joined by Dr. Benjamin Abella, Attending Physician and Vice Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Penn Medicine, and Jeanne E. Casner, the County Health Director at the Chester County Health Department. This will be a telephone town hall.
Securing Funding for Spotted Lanternfly Research
On July 10th, Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson, a colleague from Eastern Pennsylvania, and I secured $16 million in USDA funding to eradicate the spotted lanternfly. This funding will support research into preventing the spread of and eventual eradication of the Spotted Lanternfly, an invasive and destructive insect species that has wreaked havoc on Pennsylvania’s agricultural sector and beyond. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture estimates the potential damage and lost revenue could amount to $18 billion per year statewide. This success comes after leading a bipartisan effort in March to urge the House Committee on Appropriations to fund this program. Diversity in Small Business
Last Friday, I launched an effort, along with Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez and 28 members, to prioritize the recruitment and retention of diverse talent in our small business ecosystem, especially within the Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs). In a letter to SBA Administrator Carranza, I inquired about the current status of the Small Business Administration’s Open Network for Board Diversity (ONBOARD) initiative and other efforts to ensure diversity in decision-making roles. Study after study has shown inequities in access to capital for minority- and women-owned businesses. The letter cited as an exemplar former SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet’s partnership with LinkedIn and other professional organizations to help small businesses, especially those receiving SBIC funds, have diverse representation on their Board of Directors. As we seek to build a more equitable nation, we need small businesses to reflect the diversity of this country and we achieve this when people from all backgrounds are represented at the highest levels of small business leadership and among those who make investment decisions. I want to make sure the Small Business Administration supports the ONBOARD initiative and similar programs aimed at ensuring diversity in decision-making roles. Our economy and country will be stronger and better for it. Passing Necessary Infrastructure Funding
Earlier this month, I voted to pass H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, dynamic package of legislation that delivers the necessary funding to address crumbling infrastructure across the country. I have been adamant in my pursuit of bold and bipartisan infrastructure funding to fix the crumbling infrastructure in our community and Commonwealth. Last July, I stood in front of Reading’s Penn Street Bridge, a ‘poor-rated’ bridge that carries high volumes of commuters over the Schuylkill River, and announced my goal of bringing home federal dollars to our Commonwealth to address, among other things, the nearly 300 structurally deficient bridges in our community alone. The Moving Forward Act, I’m proud to say, takes this crucial first step. I urge the Senate to act swiftly and pass this bipartisan legislation now. Addressing Harmful Chemicals
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are potentially harmful chemicals used in common household items that may be present in high quantities in public drinking water and in the water near many military bases and airports. In a recent defense policy bill, I worked with fellow Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick to pass an amendment to more quickly find a safe replacement for PFAS chemicals. I am proud to be working across the aisle to protect our community and our service members. Our office is about to hit a major milestone! We have returned nearly $3 MILLION to our community through our constituent services. But, what exactly does that mean? Well, we help folks with a variety of issues they are having with federal agencies. Here is one example from Nancy in West Chester who recently rated our constituent services as "Excellent" and is "Extremely likely" to refer someone who needs help to our office. A three-year-old error in the Medicare system was preventing her from being able to purchase Medicare Part B and her efforts to resolve the issue hadn't worked. She called our office and, within a couple of weeks, the error was fixed.
If you are having an issue with a Federal Agency, fill out our form and our team will contact you! We also invite you to read more success stories here. Our website is always a resource for you and your family. Whether you are looking for ways to help others, information on filing your taxes, or ideas to keep your children engaged in academics, you'll find what you're looking for at houlahan.house.gov. Or, if you'd rather talk with our staff, give us a call at (202) 225-4315. Recently, we've archived all of our e-newsletters on our website. To view all of our updates, click here.
We want to hear from you. Please stay in touch and let us know what you thought of this e-newsletter. You can call one of our offices or fill out our contact form. As always, please subscribe to this e-newsletter to keep up with what is happening regarding coronavirus, our many events, and the work we're doing for Pennsylvanians. Feel free to pass this link along to friends of our community as well so they can keep in touch too. We're all in this together. Respectfully,
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