Finding the Truth about January 6th, Protecting Oceans, Funding Community Priorities, and More: A Message from Rep. Huffman

Hello,

We recently celebrated the 200th day of the 117th Congress, and House Democrats have accomplished a lot in this time for you, the people. Since January, I have introduced 19 bills, returned over $3 million dollars to folks in our district, provided assistance on federal issues to over 4,000 constituents with the help of the office’s excellent field representatives, and met with 481 constituents. In addition to passing President Joe Biden’s historic economic stimulus bill, the American Rescue Plan, we have approved legislation to restore voting rights, protect public lands, transform policing and address systemic racism, end discrimination against LBGTQ+ individuals, provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, close the gender pay gap, grant statehood to D.C., rebuild America’s infrastructure – and the list goes on and on.

And in case you missed it, as part of the American Rescue Plan, Child Tax Credit payments started hitting the bank accounts of hardworking families last month. This not only cuts the child poverty rate in half, but also helps parents pay for child care, put food on the table, and more so they can build better lives for their families.

While we have made a lot of progress under President Biden to get vaccines in arms, send kids back to school, and put folks back to work, the pandemic is not over. We all must do our part to keep our communities safe. The highly transmissible Delta variant is now the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the U.S., and the CDC has updated its health guidance, which you can read more about here. If you are not vaccinated against COVID-19, I urge you to talk with your doctor and get an FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine that is available to you. Together I am confident we will crush the virus, save lives, and rebuild stronger if we all work together.

Below you’ll find a few more important updates I’d like to share with you.

Uncovering the Truth of the January 6th Attack
January 6th was one of the darkest days of our democracy. This month, the bipartisan Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol held its first hearing. While the House voted to establish a bipartisan, independent commission, Senate conservatives blocked this effort. The House established the Select Committee because we believe there needs to be a comprehensive investigation into exactly what happened and why.

During the first hearing, we heard from brave police officers who served on that dark day. I am forever grateful to these patriots for protecting our lives, defending our democracy, and for testifying before Congress to bring the truth to the American people. Many questions remain unanswered, and we must find the truth so we can prevent another assault on our democracy and hold accountable those who planned, participated, or incited.

Advocating for Oceans

This month I introduced my Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act to update and reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the primary law governing federal fisheries management and conservation. The MSA has worked well, but new approaches are needed in this era of climate change, new technologies, evolving science needs, and increasing ocean use. This legislation is the culmination of a two-year long process I led to get stakeholder input, including a nationwide listening tour and release of a discussion draft of the bill for feedback. With the input of stakeholders nationwide, we’ve crafted legislation that meets the challenges of the 21st Century, supports fishing communities, and ensures thriving oceans and fisheries for generations to come. Folks coast-to-coast depend on healthy oceans and fisheries, and it’s time we fine-tune our approach to how we manage these resources. 

I also introduced my Keeping Ecosystems Living and Productive (KELP) Act this month. Healthy kelp forests play a key role in marine ecosystems, sustainable fisheries, and coastal communities. However, the extensive kelp loss on the North Coast has had serious impacts on our ocean and everyone who depends on it. Local communities are working hard to restore these vital ecosystems, and the KELP Act will direct the necessary federal resources to support these important recovery efforts.

 
Funding Wins for Our District
It’s appropriations season, which is when Congress determines federal spending levels to meet the needs of our communities. It’s Congress’ opportunity to put our money where our mouth is and invest in what we value as a nation. The funding in this package reflects our shared priorities: supporting hard-working families, bolstering our economy, and protecting our planet for future generations. The bills we passed this month also included funding for some important community projects for which I advocated: 

• Anderson Valley Affordable Housing Initiative 
• Ceres Disaster Preparedness for Medically Tailored Meals  
• Burre Dental Center Expansion  
• Petaluma Health Center Energy Upgrades for Emergency Response  
• Marin E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd Gap Closure 
• Hammond Trail Bridge  
• Project Rebound – Humboldt County Comprehensive Economic Development

Serving You
As always, my staff is hard at work serving you. Whether it’s assistance working with a federal agency or providing information about legislation and policy – we're here to help. 

There is no problem too big or small. Your needs matter, and I’d like to share one of our recent success stories:

"We want to express our family’s gratitude and thanks for the work you did to help to secure the Veterans Pension benefits for our parents. We felt that our parents qualified for the Veterans’ Pension Benefit, and yet the approval process had been going on for 1.5 years without a resolution. We provided all of the documentation in a timely manner that was requested by the VA, but we were still waiting for approval. We then reached out to [your] office for assistance. Soon after contacting you the wheels began turning, and you were able to quickly resolve this matter and our parents were approved for the benefit. Thank you so much for being so responsive and supportive of our parents’ situation! Your assistance is greatly appreciated." 

- Ann Mansfield and Joseph Cohn, Sebastopol, CA

This is just one example of how my office can help you. As I continue my work for the people of California’s Second District, please don’t hesitate to contact my office for assistance if you are in need. 

If you would like to keep up with the work I am doing as your representative, please subscribe to my newsletter, and follow me on?Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
 
I also invite you to subscribe to my podcast, “Off the Cuff with Rep. Huffman,” so that you can engage with our in-depth conversations about what's happening in California and in Washington, D.C. 

Thank you, and stay well, 

Jared Huffman
Member of Congress 

• Print
• Email
• Tweet