Showing Up with Action

When I came to Congress, I made a commitment to be as accessible and transparent as possible. It helps you get the representation you deserve and makes me a better Congresswoman for our community. Part of that commitment meant being responsive to our young people as well. I hosted a youth town hall at Grand Haven High School to answer students’ questions and talk about some of the issues facing our community and our country. I am so impressed by their handle on current events and deep care for our community – I look forward to hosting more youth town halls soon.

Are you a teacher, student, or parent? Let me know what high school I should visit next!

The Tri-Cities Family YMCA in Grand Haven provides critical resources to our lakeshore community– from daycare to summer camps to childcare – and thanks to a federal grant I am bringing home, their services will expand in the days and years ahead. I was able to tour their facility and learn about how the $1 million I secured through the Community Project Funding process will help them make high-quality, affordable childcare more accessible for Ottawa County families.

While on the lakeshore, I also got to tour Bottoms Up Top Soil, a company that combines the harbor’s dredging materials, compost, and manure to create nutritious soil for West Michiganders and businesses to purchase. They’re yet another example of West Michigan leading the charge toward a more sustainable future.

What’s better than National Reading Month? Spending it with the next generation of West Michigan leaders! I started the week by reading some of my favorite books to students at Jeffers Elementary and Burton Elementary. Trust me when I tell you they came prepared with *many* tough questions for their Congresswoman!

Keeping the theme of our own “Energy Week” here in West Michigan, I joined hundreds of conservation leaders from across the country for the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. Of all the places in the country, I’m so glad they chose Grand Rapids to host their conference – which we all know is home to magnificent waterways, green spaces, and wildlife. Thanks for having me!

One of the most important parts of my job is bringing home federal dollars to invest in our community. I was so excited to announce that I secured $750k for the Grand Rapids Urban League to help them expand their Youth Development Center. The Grand Rapids Urban League provides critical youth services – inside and outside of the classroom – to help young people succeed. They offer leadership and professional development programs, as well as vocational training and job placement. The Grand Rapids Urban League is an invaluable asset to our community, and I’m so proud that we’re able to help them serve more families across our community.

I rounded out the week in Muskegon with my first stop being a visit to READ Muskegon. For 19 years, they’ve worked tirelessly to remove barriers to literacy and make sure people have the resources they need to succeed. It was great to learn about the programs they offer and how they plan to expand their footprint in the community with a new facility in Muskegon Heights.

I couldn't let National Reading Month end without stopping by a West Michigan public library! I toured the Hackley Library, where they’re making reading accessible and fun for people of all ages, and learned more about all the resources they offer for our lakeshore neighbors.

ICYMI

• I announced that we secured $8.6 MILLION for Gerald R. Ford International Airport! This MASSIVE investment will go toward the reconstruction of the aircraft rescue and fire-fighting building to help keep people safe. Read more here.
• Since day one in office, I’ve been fighting to reopen the Palisades Nuclear Plant because a clean energy future demands an all-of-the-above approach. We announced that we’re investing more than $1.5 BILLION to make that happen. 
• I’m still accepting submissions to this year’s Congressional Art Competition! Young artists from across the Third District can submit their artwork for the chance to have it displayed in the Capitol for one year. Don’t miss it! Learn more here.

As always, it’s an honor to serve you, West Michigan.

Sincerely,