Dear neighbor:

The global pandemic has upended nearly every aspect of our lives – from our health, to our jobs, to our children’s education, to how we spend our leisure time. It has also wreaked havoc on our economy. Like you, my family is feeling the pain of high prices at the grocery store and the gas pump. Democrats in Congress and the Biden Administration have taken decisive action to help address the many unprecedented challenges facing American families due to COVID-19. The American Rescue Plan got shots into arms, kids back in schools, and helped strengthen our economy.

Last year, we created 6.6 million jobs – marking the single greatest year of job growth in American history. Our GDP also grew at the fastest rate since 1984 and the unemployment rate dropped to around 4% – the largest single year drop ever and well ahead of predictions. While we’ve made incredible progress, we have more work to do, which is why I’m pleased that last week the House passed the America COMPETES Act to reduce prices by strengthening our supply chains, addressing some of the biggest bottlenecks, and bringing more manufacturing back to the United States. Democrats in Congress and President Biden are committed to using every tool we have to bring prices down for working families.  

 
Separately – to protect Americans’ data privacy, I sent a letter this week with Representatives Anna Eshoo, Pramila Jayapal, and Yvette Clarke urging the IRS to halt its plan to use facial recognition technology. The IRS had planned to require anyone seeking access to their records on the IRS website to provide images and videos of their face so ID.me, a private contractor, could confirm their identity. I’m pleased that, after expressing our concerns regarding cybersecurity, accuracy and bias issues, and the lack of transparency in the IRS’s deal with ID.me, the IRS reversed its decision and agreed to transition away from using facial recognition technology. I will always fight to protect Americans’ cybersecurity and data privacy in Congress.

This week I also led 39 bipartisan Members of Congress in calling on the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education to take concrete measures to address antisemitism and support Jewish students on colleges campuses and universities. The recent rise in antisemitism in the U.S. and around the globe is alarming, and as Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Antisemitism Task Force, I am committed to standing up against hatred and strengthening our government’s response to antisemitism in all places.

COVID-19 Updates

I’m encouraged by the news that California’s COVID-19 case rate has decreased by 65% since our Omicron peak. For this reason, the state of California’s indoor mask mandate for vaccinated individuals will expire on February 15th. Decisions about mask mandates are being made at the local level. For local masking guidance for LA County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health website.

Unvaccinated individuals are 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than vaccinated individuals. If you have not done so already, please talk to your doctor about vaccines or read what doctor’s organizations like the American Medical Association have said about vaccines. To learn more and schedule an appointment, visit VaccinateLACounty.com.

Thank you for your continued efforts to keep our community safe. For more information on COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please visit the LA County Department of Public Health website. To stay updated on my work in Congress, you can visit my website at lieu.house.gov and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. I look forward to updating you again soon. 

Stay safe. 

Sincerely, 

Ted W. Lieu 
Member of Congress