What's Happening in Congress? Infrastructure, Disaster Relief, and More
Hello Friend,
I hope your new year has been off to a good start - mine has certainly been busy. As soon as I returned to Washington, D.C. from California, we started work on our robust legislative agenda for 2020. I have been working to improve our nation's critical infrastructure, support victims of disasters, protect our public lands and oceans, and restore our democracy by combating corruption and holding the president accountable.
In my first weeks back in D.C., I introduced two new pieces of legislation: the Active Transportation for Public Lands Act, a bill to address the need for safe bicycling and walking paths on federal public lands, and the Fishery FUNDD Act, which will improve the federal fishery disaster declaration process and ensure more timely disaster relief for impacted communities like those on the North Coast. Click here to see the Yurok Tribe Vice Chairman Myers' testimony before my subcommittee earlier this month.
It was only two years ago that California emerged from the worst drought in our recorded history, a drought that tested our ecosystems, infrastructure, and economy. This month, informed by that experience, I released a "discussion draft" of comprehensive legislation to respond to America’s growing water crisis, which will be open for public input before its formal introduction in the coming weeks. You can learn more about the FUTURE Drought Resiliency Act and submit your feedback here.
This month I also weighed in on protecting wildfire victims, leading a bipartisan letter with almost 40 of my colleagues to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), calling on the agency not to claim any of the funding that has been set aside for wildfire victims.
Through my role on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am pushing the Army Corps of Engineers to finally dredge the Petaluma River and the San Rafael Canal. I hope we’ll see good results in the agency work plan due later this spring so that we can finally address the recreational, commercial, and public safety problems that come from delayed dredging.
Faced with overwhelming evidence that President Trump abused his office for his own personal gain – and knowing that he will do it again unless he is held accountable – I voted earlier this month to deliver Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. As an outspoken advocate for impeaching Donald Trump, I am following the developments closely to ensure that the truth is brought to the American people and we defend our democracy from foreign interference, from obstruction of justice, and from those who would use their public office for personal gain. No one is above the law.
See my remarks on impeachment here.
Rep. Jared Huffman Town Hall in Petaluma, CA
I enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with you directly about our plans for 2020 at two town halls in the North Bay this month. I am always grateful for the incredible input and engagement from the constituents I serve, and for the respectful, civil public discourse our town halls always reflect. Our national politics can be toxic and negative, but I'm proud of the way my constituents strive to set a better tone. I'll keep showing up at town halls around the district, so please look for upcoming announcements and join me if you can.
Rep. Jared Huffman speaking at Martin Luther King, Jr. event in Marin City, CA
In addition to seeing you at my town halls, I had the pleasure of speaking at the 22nd annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in Marin City. Residents from all over Marin County gathered to honor Dr. King’s legacy and remind young people in our community that their voice counts in determining the future of our country. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done to keep Dr. King’s dream alive, and a simple way to serve your community this year is participating in the 2020 census to make your voice heard. Remember to list everyone residing in your home, including your kids! And I want to make clear that there will be NO citizenship question. Your information will be confidential and cannot be used against you by government agencies like ICE. Census Bureau employees are sworn to protect your privacy, and it is illegal for them to disclose your private information.
Start making a difference now by visiting 2020census.gov.
Remember, if you ever need help with a federal agency, please contact my San Rafael office at (415) 258-9657. If you would like to keep up with what 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. Over the past year, I've had the opportunity to have a lot of interesting policy discussions with special guests from fellow members of Congress to local experts.
Thank you again for the continued honor of representing you in Congress. I hope you had a wonderful first month in the new year.
With Best Regards,
Jared Huffman
Member of Congress
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