Dear Friend,
The weekend was a clear sign we are returning to our new “normal”. By the time I return to DC for votes this week, I will have attended and participated in close to 30 events. Each of them is important in their own way, keeping me close to the communities that I represent, some an extension of annual rituals and traditions, and others representing new beginnings of equal importance.
On Tuesday, I teamed up with LCV to bring awareness to the EPA’s new proposed PFAS standards. Wednesday, colleagues and I reintroduced Medicare for All, legislation that is an issue I will never stop fighting for- every American being able to go to the doctor when they need to and have the medicine and treatment they require. The Select Committee on COVID also held hearings on nursing homes during the pandemic.
Farmers markets were great, and the produce is clearly beginning to come in for the summer months, asparagus, lettuce, and rhubarb are looking especially great. I got to meet with UAW members on the picket line. They shared exactly what is on their mind, explaining the reason behind their strike so I could be a voice for them. I helped celebrate the 100th birthday of Virginia Basler, one of the original Rosies. I love the Rosies and spending time with these women always inspires me. Their love and energy are unmatched. I showed support at the mental health fair that Ypsi Schools put on for their students. It was a pleasure to see so many young people – they just make you smile. Thanked the men and women of the Ann Arbor Fire and Police at their very well attended open house. Walked with Canton Mayor Ann Marie Graham-Hudak at the Relay for Life Canton/Plymouth and shared stories, laughed, and shed tears with many cancer survivors. Met with the smart, engaged, and determined Robotics Team from the Canton/Plymouth school system. They actually let me drive one of their robots! This was a first for me, but one that was exciting as a champion of engineering and technology.
I got to spend time with lots of veterans, a blessing beyond compare. I continued the tradition of helping put 22 crosses up in Ypsi township, representing the number of veterans that lose hope and die by suicide each day. I met with the Dexter Forum, which meets biweekly, and the community gathers to talk about everything, so I learned a lot. I marched in the John Dingell Memorial Day Parade in Lincoln Park, cut the ribbon at the Jewish Family Services Commercial Kitchen and Food Pantry Grand opening in Ann Arbor, celebrated “Growing Hopes” 20th anniversary in the gardens, stopped by the incredible exhibit at Gallup Park for “Embracing our Differences Diversity Day”, attended Shakespeare Festival fundraiser at a dear friend’s garage in Plymouth, attended the Interfaith Roundtable Fundraiser in Washtenaw, and attended graduation and awards events throughout the district. A week full of fun and diverse events and opportunities to see friends, make new ones, make your voices heard, and work together to keep our community strong. I wouldn’t give up a minute of this past weekend.
Getting PFAS Out of Our Water
I teamed up with the League of Conversation Voters (LCV) to underscore the dangers of PFAS and highlight the EPA’s new proposed drinking water standards. To make your voice heard and call on the EPA to enact strong PFAS safeguards, submit a comment by May 30 at
bit.ly/pfascomments
Bringing a Tech Hub to Michigan
On Wednesday, I joined Governor Whitmer and Lt. Governor Gilchrist in showing support for continuing work to bring a regional Tech Hub to Michigan. Michigan has long been a national leader in manufacturing and innovation, strengthening domestic supply chains, advancing cutting-edge research, and creating jobs across America. With the infrastructure and workforce that have driven the growth of the auto industry for decades, our state is uniquely positioned to become a one-of-a-kind industrial mobility epicenter. A Tech Hub in Michigan would empower our region to lead the world in clean energy and next-generation mobility technology, while investing in communities who have been left behind by modern industry in recent decades.
DIPG Awareness Day
On Tuesday, Reps. Joyce, McCaul, and I introduced a resolution honoring May 17th as Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) Awareness Day to support expanded research for treatments and care for DIPG. DIPG is the leading cause of childhood death due to brain tumors, and less than one percent of its victims live more than five years after diagnosis.
It’s impossible to express the pain and devastation a family faces when their child is diagnosed with cancer. A battle with cancer at any age is hard, but especially for a child who should have a lifetime full of opportunities ahead of them. DIPG is responsible for the most pediatric brain tumor deaths each year and consistently has one of the lowest survival rates. We must redouble our efforts to confront childhood cancer with the urgency it requires by supporting efforts that will spread awareness and spur new research endeavors that inspire new treatments and cures. Together, we can show these young children and their families that they are not alone in their fight. I became involved with this when Chad Carr, Lloyd Carr’s grandson was diagnosed with this horrific diagnosis, and have worked hard with the Carr family to raise awareness and critical research dollars that are necessary to raising awareness and finding a cure.
Heads Up Act
On Tuesday, Reps. Moulton, Fitzpatrick, Morelle, and I introduced the HEADs UP Act to expand coverage for disability care. The HEADs UP Act would direct the Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) to designate people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) as a Medically Underserved Population. The change in designation would give Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities access to new primary care and specialist services, incentivize new research, and authorize more favorable reimbursement rates for providers who treat Americans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
All Americans should have access to health care that meets their personal needs and specific medical situation, but individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities who have complex needs often face barriers to receiving adequate specialized care.
As co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, I am committed to ensuring Americans with disabilities don’t get left behind or slip through the cracks in our healthcare system. The HEADs UP Act will expand access to resources for the IDD community to make it easier to get the support and care they deserve.
Medicare for All
Wednesday afternoon, I introduced the Medicare for All Act of 2023 with Rep. Jayapal and Sen. Sanders for the 118th Congress. This legislation is something very personal to me. My father-in-law authored the first ever universal healthcare language in 1945. My husband, John Dingell, reintroduced Medicare for All every term he served in Congress. On the day he died, I promised John Dingell that I would get this done and finish the work he and his father started. And that’s what were doing. We held a press conference with multiple colleagues and were joined by Americans who told stories about how Medicare saved their lives.
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
I believe my assignment to the Select Committee on COVID is one of the most important I may have during my career. Public health matters, people’s confidence in it impacts the health of our communities and country. We need to be better prepared for the next public health crisis. This week’s hearing on nursing homes and lack of preparedness is most troubling because our seniors are so important and deserve to live and age with dignity.
After the outbreak of the pandemic, nursing home staff did not have the personal protective equipment or personnel necessary to address a crisis of that proportion. And I know this all too well – Michigan was hit very hard. And to make matters worse, the PPE some states were receiving from the Strategic National Stockpile were expired, with dates as far back as 2010. Both this select Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee are working closely with HHS to address this issue for the future. This is what our focus should be.
Endangered Species Day
On Friday, Reps. Grijalva, Beyer, and I introduced a resolution to designate May 19th Endangered Species Day. The resolution recognizes the strong role that the Endangered Species Act has played in safeguarding America’s environmental heritage and the need to prioritize conservation efforts to address the biodiversity crisis impacting plants and wildlife worldwide.
The Endangered Species Act is among the most effective conservation legislation ever passed. For 50 years, we have come together in bipartisan fashion to protect species critical to maintaining the balance of our wildlife. Healthier wildlife populations mean healthier ecosystems, which results in stronger shorelines, less intense wildfires, better water quality, and fewer pests, among many other benefits. Now, as the United States is facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, the protections of the ESA are more critical than ever, and we remain committed to preserving them.
Educate Youth Ypsi
On Friday, I joined Educate Youth Ypsilanti to highlight their Police-Community Relations Training Program, supported by $149,000 in community project funding in FY22. The “L.O.V.E. Is The Answer” program is targeted at the youth in Ypsilanti, connecting them with law enforcement and building mutual trust. This program engages community leaders to facilitate discussions and activities focusing on all community members being part of the solutions to strengthen law enforcement relations with the people they serve.
VA Women’s Clinic
Friday, I visited the VA Women’s Clinic to recognize 100 years of VA women’s healthcare at the Charles Kettles Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. The hospital recently held a ribbon cutting, and I wanted to tour it and meet with the staff that are helping it operate and support women. The Ann Arbor VA supports the health, welfare, and dignity of female veterans and their families by ensuring equal access to timely, sensitive, and quality care. Women veterans need to know they can receive comprehensive services here and that a Women Veterans Program Manager is available to support them. It was great meeting the doctors, nurses, and psychologists, among other staff, who work hard to meet the needs of women veterans. Afterwards, I met with Dr. Ginny Creasman, the Director of the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center, to review how things are going, get briefed on any issues, and hear how else I can support our veterans to ensure they are getting the care they need.
Trade Roundtable
On Friday I joined Public Citizen and Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Shri Thanedar for a roundtable discussion on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), and how IPEF negotiations must prioritize workers protections, environmental safeguards, and our national security. We have made significant progress over the last few years in recapturing our manufacturing capacity and made significant investments that will spur economic growth, elevate environmental protections, and create jobs – we must continue this important work in any trade negotiations.
We must take a hard look at these issues and warn those involved that we must continue to hold our partners to the highest standards when it comes to these agreements. President Biden expressed that he will only agree to trade deals that work for working Americans. I wholeheartedly agree and intend to hold him to honoring that pledge. I support efforts to strengthen ties with our allies in the Indo-Pacific and I will continue to push the Administration on how best to protect American workers, strengthen commitments to environmental standards, secure our supply chain, safeguard sensitive data, provide a new roadmap for digital trade, and promote inclusive economic growth in these negotiations.
Photos of the Week
Placing crosses in Ypsi in honor of the 22 veterans that die by suicide each day
The winner of the 2023 MI-06 Congressional Art Competition, Ethan, and his teacher, Christina Czaja
Ann Arbor Police and Fire open house
Canton/Plymouth Relay for Life
Rosie Virginia Basler's 100th birthday
Operating a robot with the Canton/Plymouth Robotics Team
Beautiful produce at various farmers markets throughout the district
