May 15, 2019

Protecting The Homeland

Keeping Americans Safe

It is an honor and privilege to represent California’s 46th Congressional District in Congress. I came to Washington, DC to make your voices heard and work in a bipartisan manner to bring people closer together. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am proud to report the following accomplishments on national security policy.  

  • My Legislation Passed the House: My legislation, H.R.1365, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acquisition Innovation Act passed the House. This bill modernizes how the Department selects and pays for goods and services to promote efficiency and eliminate waste, saving taxpayer dollars. In addition, my legislation, H.R. 4433, Securing DHS Firearms Act passed the House. This bill requires DHS to develop and implement policies to secure sensitive law enforcement equipment, such as firearms, ammunition, and badges. 
  • My Amendments to Strengthen Homeland Security: I worked in a bipartisan manner to strengthen the Department of Homeland Security to assess our maritime needs for drug interdiction, and authorize and fund canine teams to seize drugs at the border. My amendments to improve the bill passed the Committee. 
  • Paying Our Military During Government Shutdown: I proudly support legislation (H.R. 4871) to ensure our military is paid during a government shutdown. I also signed onto legislation to prohibit Members of Congress from being paid during government shutdowns. 
  • Protecting Constituents Against Cyber Attacks: Due to Russia’s meddling in our electoral system, I introduced H.R. 2812, Enhance Partner Cyber Capabilities Act, which passed the House. This bill requires the federal government to update its current cyber strategy and draft a strategy for offensive cyber capabilities to safeguard our nation’s critical infrastructure and protect people from cyber attacks. Additionally, I offered an amendment requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to report to Congress any instance in the last two years in which Russia or hackers supported by the Russian Government attempted to breach into DoD systems. These two pieces of legislation passed the House.
  • Ensuring that We Train and Recruit Our Cyber Workforce: I offered an amendment to requires DoD to conduct a study to determine how they can attract and recruit individuals from institutions of higher education, including Hispanic Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific and Islander Serving Institutions with educational backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity.
  • Keeping DHS Accountable: I led a 123-member letter to make sure that DHS reunited children and their parents after they separated them due to the administration’s zero-tolerance policy. I called on the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security to hold hearings on the administration’s action that separated thousands of children from their families.