In Congress I’m a proud member of the Oversight Committee. But my oversight work began long before I was elected.
Growing up in Iowa in the 1980s, I saw the farm crisis destroy livelihoods and change families forever. I saw then the power both private corporations and government had to change lives, for better or for worse.
Earlier in my career, I was a consumer protection attorney. And in 2012 I got a call from then Attorney General of California, Kamala Harris. She had secured an $18 billion settlement from Wall Street Banks whose predatory lending practices had caused the 2008 mortgage crisis and left 700,000 California families in or near foreclosure. It was my job as the only independent monitor to make sure people actually got the money the banks owed them. My team and I held the banks’ feet to the fire and got relief for thousands of families.
Now that I’m in Congress, oversight of how our tax dollars are spent is a really critical part of my job. It’s one thing to pass legislation that creates good programs. It’s another to make sure those programs are run effectively and efficiently. If people don’t know about a program that could help them, or there are too many hoops to jump through—that program isn’t all that effective and becomes wasteful. And in Oversight Committee hearings, I use my whiteboard to hold everyone from Big Pharma CEOs to sleepy Trump Administration officials accountable (looking at you, Ben Carson).
I’m proud to stand up to CEOs, government officials, and special interest lobbyists who aren’t acting in the best interest of California families. Oversight will always be my first love—don’t tell my kids. But the work of holding power to account is so important, and really does affect our everyday lives.
Your support has helped me get to Congress, and your continued support will help me stay there.
—Katie Porter (proud driver of a minivan whose license plate says ‘OVRSITE’)
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Katie is running for re-election in California’s 47th district, which includes Irvine and coastal Orange County. This purple district contains an equal number of Democrats and Republicans and is a must-win for Democrats. Consider pitching in today so we have the resources to keep Katie in Congress fighting for working people. |
