September 26, 2021

Weekly Wrap Up

(September 26)

This week, Rep. Correa was back on Capitol Hill.

Rep. Correa hosted his annual Woman Of the Year event highlighting inspirational women in the community. Over 176 trailblazing women in the district received an award for their contributions, leadership, and volunteer work that continues to make the community better.

This week, Congressman Correa met with multiple national immigrant organizations to listen to the stories of DREAMERS, TPS holders, and essential who traveled from across the country to Capitol Hill to urge all Congressional members to include immigration in reconciliation. The Congressman expressed the importance of having an immigration reform for the recovery of the nation and economy.  He continued his pledge to oppose budget reconciliation without meaningful immigration reforms.

The Weekly Rundown

This week was a busy week in Congress with several important votes. The House passed the Defense bill that included his two amendments. This legislation supports our service members and their families while also investing in future capabilities that allow for the United States to confront new challenges facing our nation at home and abroad.  Rep. Correa’s amendments:

Following votes, Congressman Correa spoke on the House floor in favor of his Afghan Special Envoy Amendment and Improving Oversight of Women Veterans' Care Act Amendment. Both amendments passed that night. The Special Envoy would also oversee the effort to connect these individuals with organizations in the US that can help facilitate resettlement. Congressman Correa’s Improving Oversight of Women Veterans’ Care Act would require the VA to submit an annual report to Congress about women veterans’ accessibility to gender-specific healthcare under community care contracts.

Among other things, the NDAA:

  • Funds a 2.7 percent pay increase for service members in uniform and establishes a $15 minimum wage for covered service and construction contracts.
  • Reforms the Uniform Code of Military Justice to combat sexual assault in the military, creates an Office of Countering Extremism, and gives the D.C. mayor control of the D.C. National Guard for the first time in history.
  • Improves military healthcare by requiring the Department of Defense to conduct review of suicide prevention and response programs and expands TRICARE benefits.
  • Grants $500 million for Department of Defense relocation support to SIV’s and at-risk Afghans.
  • Increases oversight of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) plutonium pit production enterprise and authorizes requested funding for nuclear clean-up programs.

On Monday, Congressman Correa joined Rep. Jones in sending a letter to House and Senate leadership supporting the investment in childcare passed by the Education & Labor Committee, including the provision ensuring no family pays more than 7% of its household income on child care. Congressman Correa also cosponsored Rep. Schiff’s Protecting Our Democracy Act, which is based on three principles: preventing presidential abuses of power; restoring our system of checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and protecting our elections from foreign interference.

Later that day, Congressman Correa joined his colleagues to pass two veterans related bills unanimously out of the House. The first bill was the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act to make the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) program permanent, as well as extend the authority for VA to reimburse veterans for travel to and from vet centers, and extends VA authority to receive donated facilities and related improvements for the CHIP-IN pilot program. The second bill was the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act to increase the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency and indemnity compensation by the same cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that recipients of Social Security receive in 2022.

On Tuesday, Congressman Correa attended an Agriculture Committee markup, followed by votes. The Congressman voted in favor of the Continuing Resolution, which would prevent a government shutdown by keeping federal agencies running through December 3, 2021. The Senate now has until Thursday, September 30, to pass the Continuing Resolution and prevent a government shutdown. Following that vote, the Congressman also voted to pass S. 1828, the HAVANA Act, which would authorize payment to personnel of the CIA who incur qualifying injuries to the brain and authorizes payment to personnel of the Department of State who sustained similar injuries. The House ended the day by beginning consideration of H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

On Wednesday, Congressman Correa joined Rep. Harder in sending a letter to the Secretary of Education to urge the Department to update its Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program to ensure qualifying California and Texas physicians can receive federal loan forgiveness consistent with those in the rest of the country during the Department’s upcoming negotiated rulemaking process. The House also continued consideration of the NDAA, and Congressman Correa voted on 6 amendments.

On Thursday, Congressman Correa joined Rep. Porter in sending a letter to UC President Michael Drake urging him to immediately recognize Student Researchers United-UAW as the union chosen by the majority of 17,000 University of California Student Researchers. The House proceeded with 7 hours of votes, starting with passing H.R. 5323, the Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act. Congressman Correa voted in favor of the bill, which provides $1 billion to the Secretary of Defense to transfer to the Government of Israel for the procurement of Iron Dome missile interceptors to counter short-range rocket threats against civilians.

 On Friday, Congressman Correa joined his colleagues in voting to pass H.R. 3755, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which guarantees the right to an abortion and the right of an abortion provider to deliver abortion services. The bill also protects the right to access abortion care free from unnecessary state restrictions and bans on abortion.

Catch Us In The News

  • LA Times | Last night, Congressman Correa joined an 11-hour vigil hosted by a group of immigrants in front of the Capitol to encourage the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship in the upcoming reconciliation package.
  • Green Entrepreneur | Despite the surge in the cannabis business over recent years, many companies don’t have access to banking due to outdated federal laws. Read here about how Congressman Correa voted to pass the SAFE Banking Act to strengthen our financial system and create jobs.

 

What We’re Reading

  • NYT | With the deadline to raise the debt ceiling quickly approaching, House Democrats have taken action and sent a bill without Republican backing to the Senate. The bill, which will require Republican votes to pass in the Senate, will find the federal government through early December.
  • Politico | Allies of President Biden have banded together to form Building Back Together, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding Spanish and Asian voter access to bilingual voting resources like election-related information, poll workers, and signage.
  • WSJ | The White House is easing travel restrictions from abroad but will require foreign nationals to show proof of vaccination as well as a negative COVID test taken within three days of departure. The new policy is expected to go into effect in early November.

Looking Ahead

Congressman Correa will be back on Capitol Hill. This week is expected to be busy as the House is supposed to consider infrastructure, budget reconciliation, debt ceiling, and keeping the government open.  Stay tuned as Rep. Correa continues to work on markups for the Agricultural Committee focused on solutions and preventions for California wildfires. There is also the judiciary, homeland, and his own subcommittee markup.