Legislative Corner

This week was about avoiding the partial shutdown and passing yet another short-term extension of the Federal Aviation Administration Act, which would reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the nation’s aviation safety and infrastructure programs. The House did its job and passed a bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration Act reauthorization, but we are STILL waiting for the Senate to act. I’m continuing to push my Senate colleagues to pass this much-needed legislation, which contains critical legislation for West Michigan.

In addition to my votes, I solidified nearly a year of verbal advocacy into a direct and targeted letter to the newly installed FAA Administrator Michael G. Whitaker urging the agency to prioritize the replacement of the Air Traffic Control Tower at Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Right now, the control tower is on top of the terminal building, which impedes sightlines and hinders operations due to line-of-sight constraints. Locating towers on top of airport buildings is not even allowed anymore by the FAA in new designs because of these issues, so the new tower must be both relocated and replaced. 

At nearly 60 years old, the tower is also the oldest tower in the country among the top 75 busiest airports. Its age also places it out of step with necessary technology and security upgrades.

Despite decades of advocacy by GRR, the FAA has still not removed or replaced the tower, and we know that GRR is only growing more and more each year. Removing and replacing this tower is essential, so I will continue pushing the FAA to get this done for the safety and security of travelers.

You can read my full letter here.

I joined SBA Administrator Guzman for a tour of the Beastro, a Black woman-owned small business, last month!

I was thrilled that my bipartisan bill, the Women-Owned Small Business Integrity Act, just passed the House! We all know that there are immense challenges that come with being an entrepreneur, and we also know that those challenges are exponentially greater for women entrepreneurs– especially when it comes to accessing resources to help open or sustain a business. This bill, which I led with my Republican colleague, Rep. Celeste Maloy of Utah, would help break down some of those barriers that women entrepreneurs face by requiring the SBA to make sure that businesses applying for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Program are actually small businesses. This way, we can ensure the resources that are meant for women-owned small businesses get to them so they can compete in the federal marketplace.

I also cosponsored five bills. Here’s some more detail on those:

• H.R. 3507, the Yes in My Backyard Act, would require certain Community Development Block Grant program recipients to submit information regarding their land-use and zoning policies to the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development. 
• H.R. 4606, the Choice in Affordable Housing Act of 2023, would expand access to affordable housing through HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program by removing administrative barriers and creating incentives for landlord participation. 
• H.R. 3418, the Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2023, would permit additional sources of payment and financial data in reviewing a person’s credit, which would help those with little to no credit build their credit scores based on a more comprehensive picture of their payment history.
• H.R. 7296, the Pray Safe Act, would establish a centralized clearinghouse on best practices to improve security for houses of worship and nonprofits including faith-based organizations, given a recent increase in anti-religious and anti-free speech threats.
• H.Con.Res.44 is a resolution that would establish this commission to be a critical tool for both public education on the nation’s history and legacy of racial injustice and developing policies to address racial injustice, serving as a catalyst for progress to end persistent racial injustice.

Hearing and Responding to Your Concerns about the Israel-Hamas War

I continue to hear from so many of you about the Israel-Hamas War. I want you to know that I take your concerns, your questions, and your thoughts on every issue incredibly seriously– and this issue is no exception. As you may have seen, we heard two pieces of good news from the President of the United States this week. The first is that the President is hopeful that a peace agreement could come in the near future. The second is that the United States will be airdropping humanitarian aid and supplies into Gaza in the coming days. We need to be doing everything possible to support innocent civilians in harm’s way, and both of these pieces of news are welcome developments in that effort. I will keep doing everything in my power to bring the hostages home and end the fighting for good. I would encourage you to continue reaching out to me about this issue and anything else that’s on your mind– hearing from you is essential to my work here in Congress.

Showing up with Action

Photo credit: Rebecca Particka

This week, I joined so many powerful leaders and advocates for the MLK Silent March in Grand Rapids. As we continue to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go to create the society he dreamed of.

I visited the Children’s Advocacy Center in Grand Rapids to learn about how they’re working to support children in Kent County and across West Michigan who are victims of abuse. Since their founding, they’ve served more than 25,000 children and families. The resources they provide are truly invaluable and they are such an asset to our community. I cannot thank them enough for their work every single day. I also got to meet their therapy dog, Bacon, who was just the sweetest.

In the wake of the horrific Alabama Supreme Court ruling, I stood shoulder to shoulder at a press conference with my Democratic Women’s Caucus colleagues to show our support for IVF and the millions of families who have been able to grow their families thanks to this incredible reproductive technology.

If Republicans have their way, what happened in Alabama won’t stay in Alabama. We must stand up against these extremist attempts to further restrict access to reproductive care. I know how critical this issue is for West Michigan families. I’m a proud cosponsor of the Access to Family Building Act, which would protect access to IVF nationwide. Read more about this bill here.

Back in West Michigan, Team Scholten presented Godfrey Elementary with a Congressional certification of honor for their Festival Biblioteca! Their brand-new library is a beautiful space that will help students get even more excited about what they're learning in the classroom. Thanks so much for having us!

I wish I could say we are out of the woods now when it comes to a government shutdown, but we have yet another partial shutdown deadline looming next week on March 9th. 80% of government spending is set to run out on Friday night. Next week, we’re expected to vote on several individual bipartisan spending bills that Congressional leaders have agreed on, followed by another short-term continuing resolution (like the one we saw this week) to push the next government shutdown deadline to March 22nd.

I’ve said this time and time again – it’s time for Congress to do its job and fund the government. Passing continuing resolution after continuing resolution does nothing but kick the can down the road, and our constituents deserve better.

As always, I’ll keep you updated as these negotiations progress, but one thing remains true – West Michigan cannot afford a shutdown.

On a lighter note, next week is the annual State of the Union address, and I COULD NOT be more excited to welcome a very special West Michigander to be my guest at this historic event. More on that soon!

ICYMI

• Check out FOX17’s story on my letter advocating for the GRR Air Traffic Control Tower replacement and relocation here!
• Don’t forget – I’m looking for STELLAR summer session interns to help serve West Michigan! The deadline to apply is March 29th. Learn more and submit your application here. 
• My office is also still accepting submissions for the Congressional Art Competition! Young artists from across West Michigan can submit one piece of original artwork for the chance to have their work displayed in the halls of Congress. Learn more and submit your work here.
• The vote schedule was cut short this week, but I’ll be hosting a special order hour next week to share some of the incredible stories through my Black History Month partnership with GRAAMA. Stay tuned for that!

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