Historic Jobs Growth, Protecting Consumers, and More: A Message from Rep. Huffman

Hello, 
 
At a time when the headlines from Washington have been especially negative, I’m pleased to share some good news. The private sector has now recovered all the jobs that were lost during the pandemic, and we even added jobs on top of that.  

The numbers from the latest Jobs Report don’t lie: with 372,000 jobs added in June, there have been nearly 9 million jobs added since President Joe Biden took office. Additionally, the unemployment rate dropped from 6.4% when President Biden took office to 3.6%. This has been the fastest and strongest jobs recovery in American history. This would not have been possible without the decisive action Democrats in Congress took last year to pass the historic American Rescue Plan. This landmark legislation fixed the prior administration's broken policies to respond to COVID, helped bring the pandemic under control, and lifted the economy our of recession..  
 
The historic recovery of the jobs market is one reason our economy is well positioned to tackle a range of economic challenges worldwide – from global inflation to the economic fallout from Putin’s war. With oil prices coming down, it's time for Big Oil execs to stop their war profiteering and pass the savings on to folks at the pump. We've seen them hoarding record profits while working families struggles to pay high gas prices. Enough. As we push for corporate accountability and transparency, Congress must also accelerate the transition to clean energy and electric vehicles – so that we not only save the planet but also liberate consumers from the tyranny of petro-dictators and the inherent volatility of fossil fuels.  
 
Congress must now focus on taming inflation while sustaining our strong economy. There’s no question that high prices are squeezing folks across the country. My House Democratic colleagues and I are working to pass legislation to lower prices by boosting manufacturing in the U.S., strengthening our supply chains at home, and cutting energy and prescription drug costs.  

What Else I’ve Been Working On:

• Passing Gun Violence Prevention Legislation: Once again, the devastating attack in Highland Park reveals the horrific pattern of gun violence in the U.S. Last month I voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major gun reform bill signed into law in three decades, and this week I had the honor of attending a ceremony at the White House to celebrate this achievement and honor the lives shattered by gun violence. This week I also voted on the Active Shooter Alert Act, which would create an amber alert system to notify people when there’s an active shooter. When guns are the number one cause of death for children in the U.S., Congress must take every action possible to eradicate gun violence and save lives. 
• Defending Reproductive Health and the Right to Abortion: Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, state legislatures across the country are imposing extreme abortion bans and introducing measures to criminalize women and health care providers. This week, I proudly voted for two bills that protect reproductive freedom, as well as defend the legal rights of both patients and doctors. These bills include the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which protects the right to travel across state lines to receive reproductive health care, as well as the Women’s Health Protection Act, which codifies the right to abortion into federal law. Additionally, President Biden signed an Executive Order safeguarding access to reproductive health care services and protecting the safety and security of patients, providers, and clinics. The Department of Health and Human Services also issued new guidance making it clear that people have the right to emergency care – including abortions – no matter where they are, and federal law preempts any state abortion bans in the case of emergency care. While decisions from the Supreme Court and policies from the other side of the aisle are working to erase women’s rights and take us back 50 years, the Biden administration and my democratic colleagues will take every measure possible to protect access to safe and legal abortion. As leaders, we cannot accept a world where future generations have fewer rights than those that came before them. I will never stop defending every person’s right to make their own health care decisions and control their futures. 
• Protecting Patients from Health Care Sharing Ministry Practices: Health Care Sharing Ministries (HCSMs) are unregulated forms of health coverage that do not have to comply with the consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act. Under the veil of religion, they use deceptive marketing practices and often don’t cover many medical costs, leaving consumers financially vulnerable. I introduced the Health Share Transparency Act to help protect consumers and make sure they are well informed before purchasing these plans. My bill would require HCSMs to provide information directly to consumers before they enroll in coverage and hold the health shares accountable if they fail to do so. 
• Standing Up to Offshore Drilling: The Department of the Interior recently released its five-year offshore drilling proposal, and although this has fewer leases than proposed under the Trump administration, this is still a step in the wrong direction. At a time when fossil fuel companies are raking in record profits and temperatures across the globe continue to soar, we can’t afford to add new leases. Fossil fuel business as usual will exacerbate the climate crisis, put our coastal communities at risk, and disrupt our efforts to preserve an inhabitable planet. Congress must work to protect our oceans and coastal communities from all oil and gas drilling.  
• Engaging with Constituents: I recently met with the Mark West Chamber of Commerce to discuss a range of issues impacting the community. We had an important conversation about how we can better support low-income and elderly folks, as well as what steps Congress can take to lower inflation. I also addressed their questions regarding the money coming to our district from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a great win for the many infrastructure upgrades needed on the North Coast. 

Helping You

Whether it’s help working with a federal agency, or providing information about legislation and policy, don’t forget – my staff and I are here to help. Below is an example of some of the work my office has done to help our constituents. 

“I received several notices from the IRS claiming that I owed taxes that I had already paid. I repeatedly tried contacting them to correct this error with no success. When I got a notice from the IRS threatening to put a lien on my home, I contacted Congressman Huffman for assistance. His office was able to reach the IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Service and after showing proof that I had paid the taxes, the debt was cleared. Thank you, Congressman Huffman and staff, for your assistance in this matter!”  
- Peggy, Arcata  

If you're in need of assistance, you can submit a Casework Authorization Form on my website.

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Thank you, and stay well, 

Jared Huffman
Member of Congress

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