December 20, 2025
Dear Friends,
This week, it seemed as though every time you turned on the TV or checked the news, you were hit with one heartbreaking tragedy after the other. A horrific act of antisemitism that left 15 people massacred in Australia during a gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah. Yet another act of gun violence against our students at Brown University. The shocking death of celebrated actor, director, and activist Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, at the hands of their son.
In these dark moments, it is more important than ever that we seek the light and not submit to despair. We can and must continue to move forward with conviction in our principles and compassion for one another. That belief is the core of all my work in Washington, and I spent these final days of 2025 in D.C. fighting on behalf of our communities and bringing the myriad of voices from our district to the halls of the Capitol.
Pushing back against ICE aggression
Few calls in our Capital Region have been as loud as the courageous voices seeking to protect our immigrant communities against the increasingly aggressive and unlawful actions of this administration. On Monday, I held a press conference this week with advocates and individuals from our Afghan community to shine a light on the staggering spike in arrests that we’ve seen, many against immigrants who have lived and worked in our communities for years and who have no criminal record.
The Trump administration has continued to claim that they are going after, quote “the worst of the worst,” but that could not be further from the truth. The reality is that entire communities are being terrorized, afraid to go to their jobs, go to routine appointments, or even leave their homes for fear of being hunted down and deported. This isn’t who we are as a nation. I’ll keep demanding better for our communities and push for legislation that enforces due process.
Condemning Trump escalating tensions with Venezuela
As this administration unleashes horrific acts of aggression on our own communities, President Trump is also pushing us further down the path to a senseless war with Venezuela.
Over these few months, this administration has conducted dozens of strikes on alleged drug boats, resulting in around 100 deaths so far. Despite their claims, virtually no evidence that these vessels were transporting massive amounts of narcotics has been shown. Just this week, Trump ordered a “total and complete blockade” of oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, making clear that this isn’t about drugs, but rather forcing a regime change — the pursuit of which is driving us closer to foreign conflict.
I received outreach from hundreds of constituents in recent days who made their opinions crystal clear: we don’t want war with Venezuela. I joined my fellow Democrats this week to vote on a War Powers resolution that would halt the Trump administration’s unauthorized military actions. While that legislation was struck down by House Republicans, we’ll keep demanding accountability and for this administration to not drag us into further conflict.
Demanding action to restore affordable health care
While Trump and Republicans have ratchetted up tensions with our neighbors and relentlessly attacked immigrants, they remain woefully obtuse on addressing (or even acknowledging) the realities of America’s affordability crisis.
For months, House leadership ignored public outcry, and some of their own GOP members calling to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies and prevent millions from seeing their healthcare premiums skyrocket next year. But on Wednesday, four Republicans joined every Democrat in a petition forcing a vote to extend these benefits. In response, however, Speaker Mike Johnson cancelled votes on Friday, punting the vote to January, after the ACA subsidies are set to expire and all but guaranteeing Americans’ premiums rise in 2026.
While the window to prevent these subsidies from expiring has run out, make no mistake, our work does not stop to restore these benefits and build a better healthcare system that is affordable and accessible for all Americans, not just the wealthy few.
I know weeks like this can take its toll: when all that seems to come from the news is tragedy: when Congress’s worst vices of apathy and paralysis take hold: when conflict and strife abound. Despite these hardships, we must never lose sight of the hope for a better tomorrow. We must continue to move ever forward, with love for our neighbors, communities, and country. I promise to be with you every step of that journey, fighting with a spirit of service and steadfast commitment to delivering for those I represent.
Thank you for engaging with our democracy, whether through contacting my office, showing up to a local rally, or through simply reading this newsletter. Happy holidays to you and yours, and may the new year bring you no shortage of love, peace, and good tidings
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates, announcements, and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
- Guidelines and application materials for National Endowment for the Arts’ Fiscal Year 2027 Grants are now available.
- Materials for the NEA principal grants category Grants for Arts Projects, are now available. These grants support projects taking place in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions.
- To simplify the application intake and review process, Our Town and Challenge America applicants will apply within the Grants for Arts Projects program and choose the “Design & Our Town” or “Challenge America” discipline.
- Other disciplines include Arts Education, Dance, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Museums, Music, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater & Musical Theater, and Visual & Media Arts.
- Application deadlines are February 12, 2026, and July 9, 2026, for projects taking place beginning in 2027.
