Dear John,

After achieving historic action on climate change, funding significant improvements in America's infrastructure, and providing millions of dollars for local community projects, members of Congress have returned to their districts.

I wanted to take a moment to share with you some of the work I have been doing in Sacramento County as well as a Congressional recap of the work being done in Washington.

Representing your voice in the House of Representatives is an incredible privilege and I appreciate your trust to deliver for Sacramento families.

Be well,

Ami Bera, M.D.

From the District:

Rep. Bera Hosts 7th Annual Brain Health Forum

Rep. Bera Hosting 7th Annual Brain Health Forum

As a doctor and the former Chief Medical Officer of Sacramento County, I have seen the emotional strain, financial hardship, and long-term impact that Alzheimer’s has on families and loved ones.

One of the scariest aspects for any patient or family receiving a diagnosis is not knowing what comes next or which resources are available to them. My office was proud to host this forum annually to provide relief to Sacramento County families and patients.

Eric Dowdy, Vice President of Policy for California & Nevada for the Alzheimer’s Association spoke at the event along with Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen who provided welcome remarks which included her own family’s personal journey with Alzheimer’s disease.

This year’s annual Brain Health Forum’s featured speaker was Alexandra Castillo-Weisgerber, LCSW who serves as the Director of Care & Support for the Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. She spoke on the warning signs of Alzheimer’s and other illnesses.

Help for Sacramento County Veterans

We have a solemn obligation to support our veterans and make sure they get the best care possible which is why I was proud to vote for the PACT Act, which will extend life-saving health benefits to over 3.5 million veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances.

I’m excited to share that the enrollment period for eligible veterans is now OPEN. Be sure to check your eligibility and apply today by clicking HERE.

Congressional Recap:

Increasing Funding for Law Enforcement and Public Safety Programs

Our nation’s first responders go above and beyond the call of duty to keep our communities safe and protected. We need to better equip them with the necessary resources and staffing to keep our communities safe while also investing in commonsense solutions to prevent violent crime.

I was proud to vote for a bipartisan legislative package that would increase funding for our nation’s law enforcement and public safety programs, while making concrete investments in mental health and community violence intervention resources.

This legislative package will ensure that local police departments will be able to hire and retain more officers, while maintaining accountability and strengthening the bonds between them and the communities they are sworn to serve.

Specifically, the legislative package would:

Fund law enforcement by authorizing $300 million in grants for smaller local law enforcement agencies to support officer recruitment and retention and enhance training;
Bolster the ability of police forces to solve homicides and other violent crimes by authorizing $100 million annually to law enforcement agencies to hire and retain detectives to investigate unsolved homicides and non-fatal shootings;
Increase mental health resources by authorizing $250 million annually in assistance for local governments to employ and dispatch mental health first responder units to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health or substance use disorder crisis; and
Help break the cycle of violence in communities by authorizing significant grant funding to invest in locally-developed, evidence-based community violence intervention programs.

Rep. Bera Introduces Legislation to Reduce Costs of Rabies Vaccine for Uninsured Americans

Despite being a fatal disease, rabies is preventable if treated quickly after a bite or scratch from a rabid animal. After being bit by a rabid fox, I was fortunate to have access to readily available, low-cost vaccines.

The CDC estimates that 60,000 Americans receive PEP each year after possible exposure to rabies.

Although rabies is a vaccine-preventable disease, costs for patients can be high, with treatment ranging from $1,200 to $6,500.

On World Rabies Day, I was proud to introduce comprehensive legislation to reduce the costs of rabies post-exposure treatment for uninsured individuals. The Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act would establish a program to reimburse health care providers for furnishing post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to uninsured individuals.

Please know that my local office is always here to assist you. We may be able to help you retrieve backlogged veteran's benefits, fix issues with Social Security and Medicare, get stalled tax refunds or passports, and much more. Click here to learn how my office can help you or give us a call at (916) 635-0505.

You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook for my latest updates from Congress.

It's an honor to serve you in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Be well,

Ami Bera, M.D.
Member of Congress