October 25, 2019

Weekly Wrap Up

Week of October 20 - 26

This week, the House honored their commitment to working-class Americans and passed a package of bills to protect and enrich small businesses. The bills will improve small business development centers, modernize and strengthen the women’s business centers program, enhance the accounting and reporting capabilities of the SCORE program, and establish the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition program for four years. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and are a vital part of our community. 

House Democrats also voted to strengthen election security with the passage of the SHIELD Act, which aims to curb the influence of foreign entities in American elections. This comprehensive legislation will strengthen the resilience of our democracy and protect against foreign interference in America’s elections, including by foreign governments.

This Week’s Votes

This week, House Democrats passed:

H.R. 4617 – Creates a duty to report illicit offers of campaign assistance from foreign governments and their agents, improves transparency of online political advertisements. 

  • Helps prevent foreign interference in future elections by improving transparency laws. 

  • Closes loopholes that allow foreign nationals and foreign governments to spend in U.S. elections.

  • Restricts exchange of campaign information between candidates and foreign governments and their agents. 

  • Prohibits deceptive practices about voting procedures. 

H.R. 777 - Reauthorizes Debbie Smith grants that support state and local efforts to process DNA evidence in rape kits.

  • Ensures that Debbie Smith grant funding is prioritized for DNA analyses of crime scene samples from rape kits, samples from other sexual assault evidence, and samples taken in cases without an identified suspect.

  • Reauthorizes grants under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program, grants to provide DNA training and education for law enforcement personnel, and grants under the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Program through 2024.

H.R. 2513 - Closes significant loopholes that are commonly abused by bad actors and will make it harder for terrorists, traffickers, corrupt officials, and other criminals to hide, launder, move, and use their money. 

  • Will also close financial crime loopholes in high-risk commercial real estate transactions and in the transfer of arts and antiquities.

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Looking Ahead

Check back next week to learn more about how Congressman Correa is fighting for Orange County.