Share the Love with Our Veterans

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Dear John,

I am proud and honored to represent more than 30,000 veterans who live in Chester and Berks County, as well as the Coatesville VA, which serves tens of thousands of veterans each year. As an Air Force veteran myself, and the daughter and granddaughter of Navy veterans, supporting our veterans in Congress – in ways both big and small – has been among my highest priorities since day one.

Recently, veterans in our district and across the country have needed that support more than ever. In July 2025, President Trump signed his “Beautiful Bill” into law, which cut health care funding that over 1.5 million veterans relied on and also made it harder for veterans to access SNAP food benefits. With the expiration of ACA tax credits at the end of 2025, another 267,000 veterans have now lost their affordable health care. I voted against that “Beautiful Bill” and have worked at every turn to reinstate ACA tax credits, and I remain dedicated to protecting our veterans in Congress.

Here in our community, one way my team is supporting veterans is through our annual Valentines for Veterans project – and we need your help. My district offices are collecting valentines made by constituents like you, and we will deliver them to local veterans to share the love this Valentine’s Day. In the past weeks, many of you have reached out to me asking how you can help support our community and our country. This is a perfect way to get involved, support your neighbors, and offer some simple but meaningful kindness. Whether you gather friends and make an event of it or just take a quiet moment to craft a few messages of thanks, your valentines will make an impact.

Valentines for Veterans can be dropped off at my offices in West Chester and Reading from now until Wednesday, February 4. We would love for you to be part of this project.

Getting Connected with You

My annual State of the Sixth address had to be postponed due to this past weekend’s snowstorm, but we have rescheduled it to Monday, February 9. This year’s State of the Sixth is at the Colonial Theater in Phoenixville. Doors will open at 5:00 pm for our 6:00 pm program and seating is first come, first seated. You can livestream it from the comfort of your house if you’d prefer. Each of my previous town halls are available for you to listen via our archives as well.

Staying Safe and Warm in Extreme Weather

After our first big snowstorm of the season, and as we continue to face some dangerously cold temperatures, let me share some information that may be helpful now and throughout this winter:

If you need help shoveling your home or a warming center to stay out of the cold, we have resources in our community to take care of that.
Pennsylvania offers LIHEAP grants to help low-income families cover heating bills throughout the winter. You can find information about eligibility and apply by April 10 here.
During inclement weather, remember that you can always find local road conditions at 511PA.com.
When you head out to shovel, follow these tips to keep yourself safe:

On Venezuela and Minnesota

In my last newsletter, I told you about the War Powers Resolution I cosponsored to block the Trump Administration from engaging in hostilities within or against Venezuela, and I promised to update you once Congress voted on it. On January 22, the vote on this War Powers Resolution failed in the House, though it was only one vote shy of passing. While I was disappointed with this result, I will continue working to protect our servicemembers and our national security, and to keep the U.S. out of costly and unnecessary wars or conflicts.

As your representative in Congress, my responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and to ensure that all federal agencies are operating legally and keeping Americans safe. The devastating killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota, and the Trump Administration blocking impartial investigations of these deaths, reflect another serious misuse of federal authority that puts us all at risk.

Since these events began, I have been working to protect innocent American lives and restore accountability to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). That includes voting against funding ICE and DHS until these necessary reforms are made, cosponsoring articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and cosponsoring two bills that would prohibit ICE agents from concealing their faces. I have also joined my fellow Democratic representatives from Pennsylvania to urge Senators Fetterman and McCormick not to fund ICE for the time being, and I joined my fellow Democratic veterans in Congress to call on ICE to formally stand down from domestic law enforcement operations.

This has been a difficult few weeks, but no matter the challenge, know that I am always working to protect our community and help us thrive.

Serving as our community’s representative in Congress is the honor and privilege of my lifetime and I hope you will reach out about the issues you care about. As always, please contact my office if you need assistance.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Houlahan

U.S. Member of Congress

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