Dear Neighbor– It was a challenging week in Washington. We narrowly averted a government shutdown by passing a 1.2 trillion dollar spending bill. No sooner did it pass, than an extremist in the Republican Party filed a motion to vacate the chair of the Speaker of the House. While it’s not yet clear when it will be brought up, we do know this–it’s going to be a costly process that will divert taxpayer dollars and precious Congressional time away from the people’s business and toward a production of political theater. It's frustrating, and it’s exhausting. But, fighting against this do-nothing Congress in leadership is worth it. In some ways, “This is not what I signed up for” and in other ways, I think, “this is exactly what I signed up for.” I know this–I’ll never grow tired of fighting for you.
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It was ‘Energy Week’ this week in the House. We considered several bills covering topics from carbon taxes to ocean shipping reform. My focus this week was on a bill called “the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act” which, in reality, does ANYTHING but create confidence in water cleanliness. This bill would remove critical tools that monitor pesticides in our water. So, I submitted an amendment to fix that so we can know if pesticides are in our water and protect children and infants from toxic chemicals. This wasn’t even about banning pesticides–my amendment would have simply paused the changes within the bill until EPA could certify that they would not lead to increased discharges of pollutants that have adverse effects on infants and children from increased exposure. Again, we are not trying to ban pesticides – but we need to know exactly what’s in our water so we can be confident that it’s safe and clean. Despite this disappointing setback, I will never stop fighting for our kids. Showing Up with Action
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Michigan put the world on wheels, and Michigan will keep us moving forward into a new frontier of automotive innovation. West Michigan, in particular, is showing us how it’s done with two key components–strong business-led, private-public partnerships and people. To kick off the week, I joined a bipartisan group of West Michigan leaders to announce that Shape Corporation, a Grand Haven-based manufacturer that makes car bumpers and crash management materials, has hired and trained more than 1,000 workers since mid-2023! It was so great to celebrate the success of those who work tirelessly to prepare and empower our workforce to meet our country's economic needs.
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During the 2019 government shutdown, which lasted more than 30 days, servicemembers in the Coast Guard did not receive a paycheck. This was devastating for communities like ours and left thousands of families across the nation without a way to make ends meet. This week during the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I spoke about my bipartisan bill, the Pay Our Coast Guard Parity Act, which would make sure Coasties get paid in the event of a government shutdown like the rest of the branches of our nation’s Armed Forces.
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I had the honor of joining my colleague from Oregon, Rep. Andrea Salinas, and the League of Conservation Voters for a panel discussion on the work we’re doing in Congress to fight climate change and preserve our environment for generations to come. Thanks for having us!
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I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a bipartisan group of my colleagues to show support for my dear friend, Rep. Dan Kildee, who faced a horrific family tragedy earlier this week. I’m continuing to keep him and his family in my prayers. We are with you, Dan.
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I rounded out the week with so many West Michigan students, teachers, and families at the 40th annual Region 12 Science Olympiad hosted at Grand Valley State! I was SO impressed by the next generation of STEM leaders. Congratulations to all of the teams for their incredible work! Your futures are so bright.
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We have a very exciting week back in the district. We’re going to provide a response to the Republicans’ “Energy Week” (that left a little bit to be desired), to show what REALLY energy solutions look like. We're hosting former governor, now Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su in the district! While they’re here, we’ll have women from around the state join us for a Women of Clean Energy roundtable. I’ll spend the rest of the week reading at schools, hosting a student town hall, and meeting with organizations that will benefit from the $11 million I secured through the Community Project Funding process for Fiscal Year 2024. Can’t wait to share it with you!
ICYMI
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- 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.
- My office’s Fiscal Year 2025 Community Project Funding application portal is still open! This is an opportunity for organizations to submit a request for federal funding for projects that will help address urgent needs in our community. To learn more and apply, check out my website. Deadline to apply is March 29th.
- Last week, I had the chance to tour the United Methodist Community House to learn how the $1 million investment that I secured will help them expand access to childcare for West Michigan families. Check out a recap of my visit here.
As always, it’s an honor to serve you, West Michigan. Sincerely,
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