Dear John,

Today, I fought for the passage of the short-term government spending bill to prevent a government shutdown and provide $1 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a program that helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program: Heating Assistance and Crisis Assistance. Earlier this month, I joined with a coalition of representatives from the New England Congressional Delegations in urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to include this additional funding in any spending bills. Information on additional programs that are available through our federal, local, and state government is below.

As we voted for this stop-gap measure today, I also reached out to all my colleagues, urging them to come together to craft a bipartisan long-term spending bill that addresses more of our national priorities – including providing funding for our public health responses to both COVID-19 and monkeypox, or MPV. Our public health workforce is depleted and exhausted from battling the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. They cannot stop the spread of these outbreaks without additional federal support. Both viruses disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Congressional inaction will deepen these disparities. We need to act.

Reminder: Student Loan Forgiveness Program

As a reminder, the Biden Student Loan Debt Relief program will soon be available to borrowers. An application will be made available over the coming weeks. You can check your eligibility and learn more about the program here.

You can also sign up for updates from the Department of Education here.

To ensure receipt of relief before the COVID-19 loan repayment pause ends at the end of the year, the Department of Education is advising all borrowers to apply for this relief before November 15, 2022.

The Department of Education estimates that completed applications will be processed within 4-6 weeks. Approximately 8 million borrowers who are eligible for the program will receive this relief automatically since the Department already has the necessary and relevant income data. If you are unsure if the Department of Education has this information, you can fill out the application to be sure.

As always, my office is available to help with all federal programs, including navigating this new program. If you have any questions or need help, you can send me and my staff an email here or give us a call at (401) 729-5600.

Updates from Rhode Island

$2.4 Million to Support Local Law Enforcement, Enhance Forensic Science & Stop Hate Crimes

Keeping our communities safe is and will always be my top priority. Which is why I have worked year after year to ensure funding for federal programs that support our local law enforcement agencies and first responders.

This week, I’m proud to announce $2.4 million in federal funds to help Rhode Island law enforcement agencies crack down on hate crimes, decrease the DNA test kit backlog, and bolster crime prevention efforts.

The Byrne JAG program distributes grants that can be used for a variety of state and local initiatives, including technical assistance, training, personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support and information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings. The following Rhode Island communities will receive Byrne JAG awards:

• Central Falls: $20,404
• Cranston: $28,454
• East Providence: $17,854
• North Providence: $10,680
• Pawtucket: $72,132
• Providence: $206,352
• Warwick: $16,738
• West Warwick: $14,347
• Woonsocket: $55,633
• Statewide/local communities: $855,245

Additionally, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office is receiving a $400,000 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Program grant to investigate and prosecute hate crimes committed on the basis of a victims perceived or actual race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability.

The Rhode Island Department of Public Safety will also receive $293,954 through a Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant.  This federal funding may be used to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services and to eliminate backlogs in the analysis of forensic evidence.  And the Rhode Island Department of Health will get $423,478 through the Capacity Enhancement for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program, which helps state labs across the country increase their capacity to process DNA samples and enter them into the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) CODIS DNA system.

Dedicating the Providence Pedestrian Bridge in honor of Michael Van Leesten

Michael Van Leesten was a civil rights activist, U.S. Air Force veteran, business leader, and someone with a lifelong dedication to public service.

Above all, Michael was a uniter and powerful voice for change. The dedication of the Providence Pedestrian Bridge in his name is a fitting tribute to a man who brought our community together for a generation.

Celebrating 225 Years of the Prince Hall Masons

The Prince Hall Masons are one of our community's oldest civic groups, and I was honored to join them last weekend in celebrating their 225 years of dedicated service to our community.

Thank you for your leadership and everything you've done to support your fellow Rhode Islanders for more than two centuries.

150 Years of the Roger Williams Zoo

Did you know Roger Williams Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the US?

Last Saturday, we celebrated 150 years of this Rhode Island institution. Thank you to Nancy Allen, Liz Rollins Mauran, and the whole gala committee for a great night celebrating this beloved institution. And to the RI Zoological Society, staff, volunteers, and patrons who make the zoo a Rhode Island, and New England, icon. Here's to 150 more!

Meeting with the Timor-Leste Delegation to Rhode Island

Last week, the Rhode Island National Guard State Partnership Program hosted a distinguished delegation from Timor-Leste. I was honored to be able to join the Guard at the program’s closing ceremony and celebrate the growing relationship between our two nations.

Updates from Washington, D.C.

War Crimes Report out of Ukraine

On September 23, 2022 the United Nations’ Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine released findings that Russia has committed war crimes in Ukraine. After visiting 27 towns and interviewing 150 witnesses, the Commission reported that Russian troops have committed brutal executions, indiscriminate attacks, and sexual and gender-based violence, including against children during their invasion of Ukraine.

These war criminals – all those on the ground, their leaders, and ultimately Vladimir Putin, cannot be allowed to act without consequence. The United States stands with the people of Ukraine, and we must continue our efforts to both weaken Russia through our sanctions regime and strengthen our support for Ukraine via supplies and aid.

In response to alleged war crimes in Ukraine earlier this year, I joined with Senator Grassley, Senator Durbin, and Congresswoman Spartz to introduce the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act. This legislation will update current United States war crimes laws so that our justice system can prosecute war criminals in U.S. Courts regardless of the location or targets of their alleged atrocities. The legislation also extends the statute of limitations for war crimes discovered years after they occur. We need to pass the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act so that when this war ends, none of these war criminals will evade justice for the unconscionable acts they have committed in Ukraine.

House Passage of Legislation to Support Antitrust Litigation

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 3843, the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, legislation introduced based on the findings of the Antitrust Subcommittee’s 16-month, top-to-bottom investigation that I led into the state of competition in the digital marketplace.
 
This bill is a key first step in our efforts to modernize our antitrust laws and crack down on the abusive behaviors of Big Tech. This commonsense legislation – supported by every state attorney general across the country – is a straightforward, logical update to our laws to ensure that the Department of Justice and FTC not only have the resources they need for enforcement, but to also ensure that this system is not lopsided by favoring big corporations over consumers, small businesses, and workers.

H.R. 3843 is a package of bipartisan, bicameral legislation to promote competition by:

• providing resources to the federal antitrust agencies;
• protecting our national security interests through increased transparency of foreign interests in acquisitions; and
• protecting the resources of state antitrust enforcers through changes to the multidistrict litigation process.

Elected Chair of Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Global Counterterrorism

This week, I was elected by my Democratic colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) to serve as Chair of the Middle East, North Africa and Global Counterterrorism (MENAGCT) Subcommittee for the remainder of the 117th Congress, taking over for departing Chair Ted Deutch.

I have been privileged to sit on the Foreign Affairs Committee since my first days in Congress in 2011, working with my colleagues on a range of issues relevant to the Middle East and North Africa. At a time of instability around the world, including in the Middle East, I believe that it is more important than ever that we work together, as Members of the Committee, to do everything we can to address humanitarian crises, human rights abuses, and political upheaval throughout the region.

I am a proud founder of the bipartisan House Diplomacy Caucus and have been a stalwart supporter of the role of diplomacy in foreign policy. At a time when the United States is leading a historic international coalition against Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, it is more important than ever that we are able remain unified.

Help with Winter Heating and Utility Costs

As winter approaches, it’s predicted that we are going to see a higher-than-usual increase in home heating costs. To help keep these and other utility costs down, I want to share with you some resources and programs that are available through our federal, local, and state government.

• The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program: Heating Assistance and Crisis Assistance.
• The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps income-eligible households reduce heating bills by providing whole house energy efficiency services to households that qualify for LIHEAP. Some services available include installing insulation and providing health and safety measures including: installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, reducing drafts, and providing proper ventilation.
• The Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), funded by the American Rescue Plan Act  and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, is available for eligible low-income households through September 30, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. LIHWAP helps eligible low-income households afford and maintain access to drinking water and wastewater services through federal grants. One-time payments are made directly to the household’s utility company.
• The Heating System Repair and Replacement Program (HSRRP) provides a one-time service to eligible homeowners to increase the efficiency of their heating system, or replace it if necessary. Households that qualify for LIHEAP may be eligible.

As always, if you need help navigating or accesses these resources, or have questions about other resources that may be available to you, my staff and I are here to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected]. 

Scam Alert: Student Loan Forgiveness

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a Consumer Alert warning Americans against potential scams related to President Biden’s student loan forgiveness executive order.

The student loan forgiveness program is free.

As the FTC has stated, “[a]nyone claiming to be able to sign people up for the program, get them in early, or guarantee eligibility is a scammer. Never pay someone who promises early or special access, or guaranteed eligibility for the program. Those are scams and should be reported at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.”

More information is available here.

Missing Your Tax Refund?

If you are owed a tax refund, filed on paper more than six months ago, and the Where’s My Refund? tool does not have any information about the status of the return, the IRS is now advising that you resubmit your tax return for 2021, electronically if possible. They have advised that this submission must include an original signature and all the documents submitted with your original return. More information is available here and of course, my office is always available to help. You can call us at (401) 729-5600 or email me at [email protected].

Uniting for Ukraine: Welcoming Refugees

On April 21, as part of fulfilling President Biden’s commitment to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the United for Ukraine program.

This program will enable Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay temporarily in a two-year period of parole. To qualify for the program, Ukrainians must have a supporter in the United States. These supporters are responsible for providing their Ukrainian sponsors with financial support throughout their time in the United States.

You can learn more about the program, and becoming a sponsor, here. 

Free Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests for Medicare Beneficiaries

More than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, are eligible to receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared over-the-counter COVID-19 tests at no cost. You can learn more about the program here and find participating pharmacies here.

Shields Up: Guidance from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is advising all US organizations, of all sizes, to be prepared to respond to any disruptive cyber security. CISA is reporting that "[e]volving intelligence indicates that the Russian Government is exploring options for potential cyberattacks."

CISA has launched the Shields Up program to help organizations prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impacts of any attack.

Any abnormal cyber activity or incidents should be reported to [email protected] or 888-282-0827.

You can learn more about Shields Up and the support CISA can provide here.

Important Passport & Travel Reminder

As more Rhode Islanders and people around the world get vaccinated and boosted, we are seeing an increase in both domestic and international travel. With travel resuming, many folks are looking to renew passports and this uptick in requests has led to a backlog at the State Department. Turnaround time for expedited processing is now at 4-6 weeks and regular processing is taking 7-10 weeks from submission to receipt.

Before booking international travel, please remember to check the expiration date on your passport and plan accordingly. Passports last for 5 or 10 years, depending on your age when the passport was issued. Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.

You can learn more from the State Department here.

As always, I am here to serve you. If there is anything I can do, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at [email protected].

Warm regards, 

David N. Cicilline
Member of Congress