Dear Democratic Colleague
As our nation marks one year of the Biden Administration and its great progress, I write to thank our House Democratic Majority for your outstanding leadership For The People. Democrats have powered an historic economic recovery that has created a record 6.4 million new jobs, slashed the unemployment rate with the biggest single-year drop ever from 6.2 percent to 3.9 percent, expanded by millions the number of people with access to health care and taken millions out of poverty.
We remain laser-focused on meeting the needs of the American people with regard to the pandemic, and at the same time, on addressing the many critical priorities facing our nation. Indeed, we have important initiatives ahead, including the following bipartisan legislation:
- The House must pass a strong omnibus. This Omnibus, forged under the leadership of Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro, will address critical priorities for our country, including for our national security and for communities at home.
- The House will soon introduce its competitiveness bill. We are proud of our legislation, which, thanks to Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson, strengthens America’s national and economic security and the financial security of families, as it advances our leadership in the world, now and into the future. The House legislation will supercharge our investment in chips, strengthen our supply chain and transform our research capacity, plus many other key provisions.
- The Foreign Affairs Committee under Chair Gregory Meeks is advancing legislation relating to Ukraine. This bill is comprehensive and authorizes robust sanctions on Russian government officials and financial institutions and transactions; increases Foreign Military Financing and IMET funding for Ukraine; and expands funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
- Honoring Our PACT Act: the House is advancing bipartisan legislation to ensure that veterans exposed to toxic substances in burn pits get the care and benefits they have earned, led by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Mark Takano.
As we continue to advance the provisions of the Build Back Better Act, including those related to child care and family care, health care, and climate, we also want to emphasize the community violence prevention initiatives that it contains. Build Back Better makes the largest-ever federal investment in community violence intervention initiatives that have been proven to save lives, which will help us protect our children, families and the safety of our communities.
We are disappointed that Senate rejected the Freedom to Vote: the John R. Lewis Act, but we are proud of the effort made by Congressional Democrats, particularly House Democrats, who have now passed voting rights legislation multiple times, including most recently last week. While the vote was not successful in the Senate, the visibility given to the debate under the leadership of Leader Chuck Schumer and the patriotic presentations by the Senate Democrats strengthens our hand as we go forward.
And as we go forward, I thank you for your leadership For The People.
