Orange County is home to some of the most dynamic communities in America - and our senior community is no exception. August 27, 2022 Dear John, Sunday was National Senior Citizens Day, and I had the privilege of honoring fourteen exceptional local seniors in our community. Keep reading to learn more about them and the impacts they have made on their families, friends, and neighbors. Back in Washington, D.C., the Biden Administration announced the cancellation of billions of dollars in student debt at taxpayers' expense. Below, I've shared my thoughts on this misguided executive action and the real solutions I'm supporting to fix our student financing problems. Make sure to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get these updates in real-time. Honoring Our Seniors Orange County is home to some of the most dynamic communities in America - and our senior community is no exception. To celebrate National Senior Citizens Day on August 21, 2022, I asked you to nominate senior citizens in the 48th Congressional District who have made a distinctive impact in their communities and the lives of their loved ones. I was pleased to present fourteen exceptional individuals with the 2022 Seniors of Distinction Award. Meet the 2022 Seniors of Distinction I met with Nam Loc Nguyen, who was recently selected as Orange County’s Citizenship Ambassador. Becoming an American Citizen is truly an honor and a privilege and it was great to discuss how we can work to ensure that the 9.1 million lawful permanent residents in this country have the information and resources to pursue citizenship. I was honored to join the Truong Buu Diep Foundation for their 11th anniversary celebration. The Foundation is dedicated to serving the community, and offers scholarships to college and graduate students, career development, and programs for youth and seniors. Thanks to the foundation for all they are doing to build our community! Student Loans On Wednesday, President Biden announced plans to cancel billions of dollars of student loan debt at taxpayers' expense. This plan is a slap in the face to the millions of hardworking Americans who responsibly paid down their debts, served in our military, worked their way through school, or went straight into the workforce to provide for their families. I believe that commonsense reforms need to be made to the federal student loan system to protect students, borrowers, and taxpayers. But the plan announced this week by President Biden will increase inflation, cost taxpayers billions, and will do nothing long-term to aid borrowers. As a member of the Education and Labor Committee in Congress, I’m a proud cosponsor of the Responsible Education Assistance Through Loan (REAL) Reforms Act, which will improve the student financing system long term, and is a real, tangible solution to these high costs and payments. Do you agree with the Administration’s decision to repay student loans with tax dollars? Yes Select No Select Learn More About the REAL Reforms Act I was honored to participate in the Vu Lan Festival at the Hue Quang Temple. Vu Lan is a beautiful celebration of our ancestors and gives us an opportunity to honor our parents. It’s always great to be with constituents here in Orange County! Are you or someone you know thinking about applying to one of the military service academies? Be sure to join my office to learn all about the application process, receiving a Congressional nomination, and how my office can assist you! Thursday, September 8 6pm-8pm 17967 Bushard Street. Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Questions? Email [email protected], call (714) 960-6483, or visit the link below. Learn More I was pleased to present the Business of the Month award to the Dao Medical Group and the Time To Give Back Foundation. They are doing important work to promote health and wellness in Orange County. It was great to be at the Night Market at the Asian Garden Mall and to present Congressional Recognition to Frank Jao and CF Marketing and Consultation for bringing our community together for this wonderful event! Pham Doan Trang Conviction for Free Expression Upheld Last year, I wrote to President Biden asking him to call on the government of Vietnam to drop all charges against Pham Doan Trang and to urge the UN to investigate Vietnam’s Penal Code. Now I am renewing that call. Read more www.state.gov Apply for the 2022 Congressional App Challenge My office is now accepting submissions for the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). The CAC is a great way for middle and high school students from across the country to explore and improve their computer-based skills by creating original apps. This competition encourages computer science and innovation skills and offers an opportunity for students to explore potential careers in the STEM field. Each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year and will be featured on the House of Representatives website. Winning students are also invited to the #HouseofCode Capitol Hill Reception in Washington D.C. The CAC is open to 6th - 12th grade students residing in or attending school in California’s 48th District. Teachers and/or students should verify their eligibility with our office by calling (714) 960-6483. Learn More and Sign Up What I'm Reading Opinion | How China's Propaganda Influences the West The Chinese Communist Party's propaganda machine has had a busy year. Two weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin declared that their countries' friendship has "no limits." Chinese state media has since been... Read more www.wsj.com I’ll be using this newsletter as a way to keep you up to date on my work on behalf of our Orange County community, so make sure you sign up for regular updates. You can also connect with my official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, where I’ll be posting the latest news and updates. Sincerely, Rep. Michelle Steel Member of Congress ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Steel | 1113 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]