Good afternoon Council,
Happy Sunday, I hope everyone is well. I want to make sure you get a copy of Congresswoman Eshoo's newsletter. I'd be happy to sign anyone up for this weekly update, so let me know and I'll make sure it's emailed to you directly next week.
On Wednesday at 8 a.m. Pacific, Congresswoman Eshoo will carrying out a hearing titled: "Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain." You can listen in here: Livestream.
Don't hesitate to reach out if you have anything you'd like to relate to Congresswoman Eshoo, or if you just want to chat. Have a great week!
Best regards,
Nicholas Hargis
Nicholas C. Hargis
Field Representative
Congresswoman Anna Eshoo
18th District of California
698 Emerson Street, Palo Alto
650-323-2984
News from Representative Eshoo
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Friday 29 January 2021
Weekly Report From Your Congresswoman
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Dear Friends,
I want to begin by extending my fullest gratitude to the first responders who have been keeping our communities safe during the rain storms this week. On Tuesday 5,000 people in the Bay Area were asked to evacuate. Over 27,000 people were without power for days at a time, and downed trees and flooding blocked some roads. Our first responders helped our area quickly prepare for the storm and recover from the damages, and joint efforts gave evacuees and their animals safe places to shelter. The resilience of our neighborhoods was on full display and I thank everyone who played a part in keeping each other safe.
In Washington this week, President Biden took several steps to create a more equitable nation and set our country on a better path forward. Below are some of his notable actions:
Health Care:
* Reopening enrollment for the health care marketplace
* Rescinding the global gag rule, which bars international non-profits that provide abortion counseling or referrals from receiving U.S. funding
Environment:
* Establishing climate change as a national security priority
* Conserving at least 30% of federal land and oceans by 2030
* Canceling new oil and gas leases on public lands and waters
Equality:
* Ending private prisons
* Repealing the wrongful and unnecessary transgender military ban
* Directing agencies to mitigate racial bias in federal housing policies
* Addressing xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
After four years of harmful and divisive executive actions by the Trump Administration, President Biden's orders are a breath of fresh air and signal that his administration is ready to confront head-on the major challenges facing our country.
I'm particularly pleased that the President directed CMS to reopen Healthcare.gov to allow more Americans to sign up for health care coverage during this public health crisis. I repeatedly called on the Trump Administration last year to take this action, to no avail. With over 10.9 million Americans unemployed and the U.S. surpassing 25.5 million COVID cases, ensuring access to affordable health care is more important than ever.
On the heels of that announcement, Covered California announced that it would also set up a special enrollment period from February 1st through May 15th. This is great news for the 1.2 million Californians who are uninsured but eligible for financial help from Covered California or through Medi-Cal. If you need health insurance, visit https://www.coveredca.com/ to find a health plan.
Next week, the House will vote on a budget resolution which will allow the Senate to pass pandemic relief with a simple majority instead of 60 votes using a process called reconciliation. This will allow for swifter passage of President Biden's American Rescue Plan, which includes:
* $1,400 checks for individuals and dependents (income eligibility not determined yet)
* Extending an additional $400 in weekly federal unemployment benefits through September
* Funding for schools, local governments, and small businesses
* Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour
* $400 billion to contain the virus through increased testing and Personal Protective Equipment and fund a national vaccination campaign to dramatically speed up the pace of inoculations
Legislative Action
Public Health Emergency Privacy Act
During this pandemic American innovators, many of whom are in our congressional district, have built technologies to combat the coronavirus. As these technologies are used they must be coupled with policies to protect the civil liberties that define who we are as a nation.
This week I introduced the Public Health Emergency Privacy Act, legislation that will prohibit privacy invasions by preventing misuse of pandemic-related data for unrelated purposes like marketing, prohibiting the data from being used in discriminatory ways, and requiring data security and integrity measures. The bill will give the American people confidence to use technologies and systems that can aid our efforts to combat the pandemic.
Health Subcommittee Hearing
As Chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, I'll be holding the Subcommittee's first hearing on Wednesday, February 3rd at 8 a.m. (PST), "Road to Recovery: Ramping Up COVID-19 Vaccines, Testing, and Medical Supply Chain." This fully remote hearing will examine federal COVID-19 response efforts related to vaccines, testing, and our medical supply chain. The hearing will be streamed live on the Committee's website HERE.
Impeachment
This week the House Impeachment Managers delivered the Article of Impeachment to the Senate against former President Trump for inciting a seditious insurrection. On Tuesday, every Senator swore "to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws" in the impeachment trial which will begin on February 9th. However, all but five Senate Republicans abandoned that oath and voted to dismiss the impeachment effort.
The House Judiciary Committee released a helpful video explaining why a president can be impeached and convicted after leaving office and why it's so important to do so. I encourage you to watch the video by clicking HERE.
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Expulsion of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene
This week, I cosponsored a resolution calling for the immediate expulsion of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress after reports of her shockingly offensive comments encouraging domestic terrorism and supporting calls for violent attacks on members of Congress and former President Barack Obama. Such extremism and sedition have no place in the halls of Congress. She is a threat to our democracy and those who work in the Capitol building.
She also has amplified heinous and dangerous lies that the September 11th attacks were an inside job and that devastating school shootings were staged. A Representative who spreads such conspiracy theories should not be allowed in Congress, let alone on the Committee in charge of our school systems. That is why I have also signed a letter calling for her immediate removal from the Education and Labor Committee. We cannot give Rep. Greene a stage to spread her wild delusions and lies.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security on COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy
It was an honor to be invited to Co-Chair the Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security, a new bipartisan effort from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security to discuss fresh ideas to improve domestic health now and in the future. As Co-Chair, I gave opening remarks this week on an expert panel on what Congress and the federal government can do to quickly vaccinate the communities hit hardest by COVID-19. The video of my remarks at the event can be found HERE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many constituents have asked me whether they can stop masking and social distancing after getting the COVID vaccinations. The short answer is NO. We must continue masking and distancing. The following is from the CDC:
Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people get vaccinated and how the virus is spreading in communities, will also affect this decision. We also don't yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don't get sick yourself. CDC will continue to update this page as we learn more.
In the Words of My Constituents
Every week hundreds of my constituents call and write to me to express their concerns, share their passions, and ask questions regarding legislation and policies. Over 12,240 constituents have contacted me in 2021. I actually read every communication and every constituent receives a personal response to their specific questions and comments from me. This week, 1,399 constituents contacted my office about issues including:
* 177 messages in support of President Biden's pandemic relief proposal
* 143 messages in support of H.R. 1, the For the People Act
* 125 messages opposed to the mistreatment of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan
Anna's Work in the News
My work is often featured in local and national press outlets and I share them with you here for your perusal.
"Can Mark Zuckerberg be Trusted to Take Politics out of Facebook?" - Vanity Fair, Eric Lutz
"HEALTH CARE BRIEFING: Eshoo Preps Virus Relief, Vaccine Measures" - Bloomberg Government, Brandon Lee
"Why you should care about data privacy even if you have "nothing to hide"-Recode, Sara Morrison
Anna's Recommended Reading and Watching
I frequently read articles or see videos that I think my constituents would benefit from. Check out these articles when you have some time.
"There is perhaps one word above all others that defines Joe Biden's presidency so far" - New York Times, Frank Bruni
"Yes, ex-presidents can be impeached" -Washington Post, Editorial Board
"Opinion: Blinken arrives at the State Department - and not a moment too soon" - Washington Post, Jennifer Rubin
"'Hate Never Disappears. It Just Takes a Break for a While.' Why the U.S. Capitol Attack Makes Holocaust Remembrance Day More Important Than Ever" - TIME, OLIVIA B. WAXMAN
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As I write this to you after days of rain which we need badly, the sun is peaking through the clouds outside my windows. It's a reminder to me of the resilience of our communities and our country. We've all been through so much and we still have storms ahead, but the sun will rise. May our country begin to regain a sense of its better self in 2021, and begin to heal.
You, my constituents, are a source of great strength to me and it is a humbling honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
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Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress
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