Washington Review, October 29, 2021
This week, I joined my colleagues in passing an extension of surface transportation funding, as well as legislation to support the mental health and families of first responders, improve domestic violence prevention and victim support programs, and improve international financial standards and domestic financial organization transparency.
I cosponsored legislation to encourage healthy behaviors in children, better understand demographic trends in the veteran population and study the impacts of lost benefits of female veterans who were involuntarily discharged, strengthen regulations to prevent air pilot fatigue, update ocean shipping regulations, and empower the State Department to watch for China’s malign influence abroad. In addition, I signed onto a letter to urge the Biden administration to reform how equity investments are processed at U.S. Development Finance Corporation, as well as a letter to the construction company which was awarded the contract to replace the Portal North Bridge.
During the week, I also met with U.S. Agency International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power to discuss relations with Dominican Republic and met with Panama Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes to discuss migration trends.
On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 5763, the Further Surface Transportation Extension Act, in a 358-59 vote in order to extend surface transportation funding through December 3, 2021 while the details of the larger Infrastructure and Investment Act and Build Back Better Act are finalized. This extension maintains funding levels for federal transportation agencies which would have expired on October 31st.
On Monday, I joined my colleagues in passing two bills to promote financial transparency and best practices sharing at the International Monetary Fund (IMF). H.R. 4111, the Sovereign Debt Contract Capacity Act, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), aims to enhance IMF member countries’ capacity to evaluate the terms of sovereign debt contract. Sovereign debt contracts allow countries to finance their growth and development. This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the IMF to advocate for the IMF to promote best practices and provide technical assistance with respect to sovereign debt contracts for fund members. H.R. 4111 passed the House by a 391-39 vote. In addition, H.R. 2989, Financial Transparency Act Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), requires financial organizations to better organize data to make it more easily accessible and available online as open data. This legislation, which aims to improve financial reporting and transparency, passed the House in a 400-19 vote.
On Tuesday, I voted in support of H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act, introduced by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), which passed by a 228-200 vote. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), originally passed in 1984, authorized the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a program which provides shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence and their children, increases public awareness of domestic violence, and provides support to community-based programs. H.R. 2119 would improve these services by assisting states, territories and Tribes’ efforts to address the needs of victims, maintaining national hotlines, and establishing prevention programs.
On Wednesday, I joined a large bipartisan majority of my colleagues in passing two Senate bills to support first responders. S.1511, the Protecting America’s First Responders Act, introduced by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), passed the House by a 420-3 vote. This legislation would correct issues with the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program, which was created to support the dependents of fallen first responders but often falls short of its mission due to outdated regulations and long claims processes. Also on Wednesday, the House passed S.1502, the Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support (COPS) Counseling Act, in a 424-3 vote. This bill, introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV), would require the Department of Justice to develop best practices for peer support counseling programs provided by law enforcement agencies and prohibit the disclosure of contents of peer support communication, in order to encourage officers to seek mental health counseling. Both bills will now be considered by President Biden.
This week, I cosponsored H.R. 5247, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), which would help children establish healthy dietary and physical activity behaviors, and overcome the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Specifically, this bill would establish a program to train early education providers and support educational environments which encourage healthy eating and physical activity for children under 5 and identify effective approaches to engaging families and parents in these healthy behaviors.
I joined two pieces of legislation to support veterans. I cosponsored H.R. 5295, the Every Veteran Counts Act, introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA), which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and regularly update a database of demographic information on the veteran population in order to better understand veteran demographic trends. Such data would help the VA plan future programs and services for veterans and help Congress better understand the needs of veterans and allocate resources appropriately.
I also signed on to H.R. 2385, the Justice for Women Veterans Act, also introduced by Rep. Julia Brownley. This legislation would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study involuntary discharges of women from the Armed Forces between 1951 and 1976. In 1951, President Truman signed an Executive Order allowing the Armed Forces to discharge women who became pregnant, regardless of whether the pregnancy was planned, unplanned, or a result of sexual assault. The order effected thousands of women before finally being rescinded in 1976. This legislation would investigate the effects of this Executive Order the women discharged and make recommendation to restore lost veterans’ benefits.
Additionally, I cosponsored H.R. 4075, the Safe Skies Act, to ensure that cargo pilots are help to the same rest requirements as passenger pilots. Flight, duty, and rest regulations are important for keeping the airspace safe by lessening pilot fatigue and duress. This legislation, introduced by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), would strengthen these regulations for cargo pilots to hold them to the same standards as others sharing the airspace.
I cosponsored H.R. 4996, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, introduced by Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA). This legislation would update federal regulations for the global shipping industry to establish reciprocal trade opportunities for American exporters and address the trade imbalance with China. Specifically, the legislation empowers the Federal Maritime Commission to initiate investigations of ocean carriers’ business practices, shifts the burden of late fees to ocean carriers or marine terminal operators, and prohibits carriers from unreasonably declining opportunities for US exports.
To further address China’s international influence, I cosponsored H.R. 5760, the China Watcher Act. This bipartisan bill, introduced by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), would seek to better monitor China’s activities and be prepared to counter possible threats. The bill would direct the Secretary of State to implement a China Watcher Program within the State Department to strengthen the capacity for the U.S. government to engage with foreign countries to better coordinate and counter the government of China’s malign influence.
This week, I joined Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and 14 other members in sending a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urging the Biden administration to reform how equity investments at the U.S. Development Finance Corporation (DFC) are treated. Under current Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines, appropriations to the DFC for its equity programs are treated as grants, requiring $1 in appropriations for each $1 invested by the DFC, requiring decades for the DFC to fully utilize the total investments it is authorized to provide under law. This letter asks the administration to work with Congress to reform how these investments are scored and to take into account potential profits, losses, and sale of the asset so as to strengthen the United States' leadership role in international financing and global development.
I also signed onto a letter led by Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ) to Skansa USA, the construction company which was awarded the contract to build the Portal North Bridge, a centerpiece of the Gateway project. Unfortunately, NJ Transit set an absurdly low goal of 5% for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation in this project. Given the broad history of allegations of discriminatory behavior at Skanska projects, which has resulted in a settlement of $95,000 with the EEOC, the letter urges Skanska to exceed the 5% DBE goal.
This week, I met with US Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power to discuss her recent trip to the Dominican Republic, which she took shortly after the Congressional Delegation I led to the country. We discussed the Dominican Republic’s reform efforts to battle corruption and strengthen good governance and shared ideas on how the US can support these efforts.
I also met with Panama’s Foreign Minister Erika Mouynes to discuss migration trends through the Darien Gap, including the recent increase in migrants of Haitian descent travelling from Chile and Brazil through the dangerous jungle into Panama. I reiterated my support for Panama’s humanitarian approach to migration challenges. Minister Mouynes and I agreed on the need for an integrated, regional approach to address increased migration in the region.
Current Washington D.C. Office Status
In response to the pandemic, my staff continue to work in a hybrid model during this time. Please know we continue to monitor our phone system, so while we are unable to speak directly with you, we manage all voice messages left. If you reached out to us through phone or e-mail, please expect an e-mail response. Be sure to check your spam or junk folders for a response from our office. We appreciate your understanding as we all navigate working through the pandemic.
Vaccination Efforts
Vaccines are available to all individuals 12 and older who live, work, or study in New Jersey. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval to the Pfizer vaccine, as a safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. To find your nearest vaccine location and make an appointment, please visit Vaccines.gov.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend booster shots of all three vaccine types and allow for individuals to choose which vaccine they may use as a booster. Those ages 18 and older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are recommended to get a booster 2 months after initial vaccination. Those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are recommended to get a booster shot after 6 months, if they are: 65 years and older, or 18 and older who live in long-term care settings, live or work in a high-risk setting, or have an underlying medical condition. See updated CDC guidelines here.
Please know that I will continue working to get the 8th District the resources it needs. If you have questions or need assistance please call my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-7919 and follow instructions to be connected to my staff or send an email to NJ8inquiries@mail.house.gov.
Open Enrollment
This year, instead of using the federal marketplace, New Jersey will switch to their own state-run marketplace. In order to browse health care plans you can visit: www.nj.gov/getcoverednj. Here you will be able to compare available plans, review financial assistance options, and select a plan that is best for you. This new marketplace is easy to use and helps to clearly identify plans that will be most beneficial to you. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial we leave no one behind and that everyone has access to affordable health care. If you need a health care plan, be sure to visit the site.
Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge is now open for submissions and all middle school and high school students are encouraged to participate. To fosters students’ interest in STEM and consumer science, this annual coding challenge tasks students with developing an original app, covering any theme and using any platform or coding language they choose. Winners of the challenge may be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. Students can submit their app design until November 1, 2021. Please see CongressionalAppChallenge.us for more information and to register.