Dear John,

Welcome to your Weekly Wrap, a recap of the week in Congress and highlights of my work.

In partnership with the U.S. Department of State (DOS), my Waterbury office will host an in person Passport Day, an opportunity to renew or apply for a new passport. 

More from the week: On Friday, the House passed H.R. 5, legislation that would undermine the relationship between parents and teachers and open the door to censorship and book bans in schools. I am opposed to the legislation as it does nothing to improve outcomes for students or foster positive parent- teacher partnerships.

Also, I led my colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inquiring about steps the Department is taking to ensure social security beneficiaries do not face hunger following Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and the termination of the COVID-19 emergency. Lastly, I met with J Street to discuss how Congress can promote peace and stability in Israel and the region.

For the full recap, please read below.

CT-05 Passport Day

As passport processing times continue to increase, I hope to streamline the process for you and your family. Therefore, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State (DOS), my Waterbury office is hosting a Passport Day on Saturday, April 22, 2023, from 10AM - 4PM.

This is an opportunity to apply for the first time or renew your passport. To schedule an appointment, please call 860-223-8412. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Applications and fees will be collected on site and photos can be taken at the event at no cost. No passports will be printed on-site.  Passports will be mailed to you in accordance with routine processing times.

For additional details on the event, please click here.

Politics Over Parents 

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 5., the “Parents Bill of Rights,” which actually puts Politics Over Parents, weakens the voices of local communities, and politicizes classrooms. As a teacher and parent of a current public school student, I am adamantly opposed to this legislation.

The Politics Over Parents Act does nothing to improve educational outcomes and instead requires school districts, many of which already lack the proper resources, to meet burdensome requirements, directing time and resources away from areas of critical need.

During the 16 hour Education and the Workforce committee markup of this bill, Democrats offered more than 25 amendments that would help students succeed. Committee Republicans opposed each of them.

This legislation has been promoted as a  Parental Bill of Rights, but it dangerously puts Politics over Parents, allowing a select few ideologies and individuals to dictate learning across our country.  For this reason, I spoke in opposition to the vote and voted against the legislation.

Defending SNAP

In January, many Social Security beneficiaries saw an 8.7% benefit increase as part of the historic Cost of Living Adjustment. While this action was intended to help Americans keep up with rising costs to keep lights on and food on the table, the result is that many recipients are now ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Compounded with the termination of COVID-19 SNAP Emergency Allotments, many families are left with fewer resources. Without the allotments, Connecticut will lose $34 million in SNAP benefits, meaning households will have $155 less to spend on food.

Last week, I led 29 of my colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) asking what the Department is doing to ensure all the individuals who have lost their SNAP benefits do not go hungry.

This letter builds on my on-going efforts to defend SNAP funding in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget and upcoming Farm Bill.

The full letter is available here.

Meeting with J Street

On Thursday, I met with representatives from J Street, to hear their thoughts on advancing justice, equality, peace, and democracy in Israel, the West Bank, and the United States.

As a person of faith and student of history, I am deeply aware of the emotional resonance and historical attachment to this land. As your Representative, I will continue to support policies to bring  peace and stability abroad.

Most recently, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden expressing support for U.S. leadership to help de-escalate conflict, protect the viability of a negotiated two-state solution, and oppose Israeli government moves to advance annexation.

Casework Highlight

“Our new passport for our newborn daughter was lost in the mail. We tried to reach out to the passport agency multiple times to no availability. We were at a loss on what to do. When we contacted Congresswoman Hayes’ office, we received immediate assistance.

Our caseworker was amazing at helping us secure a new passport. We are so grateful for the support from everyone at Congresswoman Hayes’ team. Thank you for all your hard work! "

-  Joshua, Meriden 

And that's a wrap!

Thank you for taking the time to read this update. As always, please continue to share your thoughts and priorities with me. 

Jahana Hayes

Member of Congress