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Dear Friend,
 
Happy New Year! For those of us in the sixth congressional district of Michigan, 2024 began on a high note with Michigan’s win at the Rose Bowl. May this victory be an omen for the new year. I know these young men, and as I watched them accept their trophy after the game, their message was clear and something we all should take to heart: teamwork. They are a team together, working together with a common goal, and they rely on each other. This is something to think about as we begin 2024.
 
I hope your holidays were calm, peaceful, full of hope, and healthy. Mine didn’t quite accomplish that as I listened to many in my district discuss their worries about the Mideast. So many in this district have connections to families and friends throughout the region and it is difficult to find peace amidst the struggles right now. This region will be one of my number one priorities as we go into 2024.
 
I also managed to get under the skin of a former president for saying that “rot in hell” is not an appropriate Christmas message. I wrote an op-ed for the New York Times last week at their request, which I share with you here. As anyone who knows me is aware, the loss of civility in our society is something that deeply bothers me. I fear it is threatening our democracy, and I believe we can disagree agreeably, and that each of us has a responsibility to prevent hate and division from becoming normalized. So, I would say I flunked being low key over the holidays.
 
There is much to do as we begin the new year. The current budget expires on January 19th, and I continue to strongly oppose letting the government shutdown. The border is a serious issue, and we must work together across the aisle for comprehensive immigration reform. Keeping the auto industry strong, being prepared to compete in a global marketplace, and protecting the environment will be front-and-center issues, all at the same time. Protecting our waters at home and continuing to push for the clean-up of decades old toxic and polluted sites in our district is a high priority– as is ensuring that everyone has access to clean, affordable water. We must work to make sure legislation we have passed at the federal level is reaching its intended goal in our communities. A good example is addressing the implementation of broadband for every Michigan household. I still believe access to health care is a basic human right and too many cannot afford the doctor or their medicine– much remains to be done in this arena. We remain committed to doing the work of the American people. Other important issues include supporting our seniors and veterans, improving our infrastructure at home, ensuring America's supply chains are resilient, protecting and supporting victims of domestic violence, addressing student loans and the cost of education, getting rid of PFAS, and so much more.
 
So as we begin the new year, let me show you some of what we did last year.

During the 118th Congress, I introduced and co-led 79 bills on critical issues, ranging from combatting the growing PFAS contamination crisis impacting communities across the country–particularly here in Michigan- to supporting our home care workers. We also secured important investments to upgrade our infrastructure, keep Michigan on the cutting edge of innovation and technology, and ensure Americans have access to affordable prescription medication.

I hosted and attended 141 town halls and community events to ensure you have the opportunity to communicate with me directly about what’s keeping you up at night, as well as provide information on issues ranging from Medicare, PFAS, toxic spills, environmental cleanups, and flooding, among others. Your feedback guides my work.

We assisted 1,468 Michiganders navigate issues with the IRS, USCIS, the VA, and State Department, and my team helped recover more than $7.7 million for MI-06 residents. We responded to over 68,000 constituent letters and had over 167,000 total contacts.

I look forward to continuing to fight for Southeast Michiganders in 2024. While I am proud of all that we have accomplished, we must acknowledge all that still needs to be done in the coming year. 

As always, I want to hear from you. What do you want me to know? What are you thinking about? Please contact me with any questions, ideas, and concerns. Share them with me at this link, or by calling one of my offices in Ann Arbor, Woodhaven, or DC:
  
 Ann Arbor: (734) 481-1100
Woodhaven: (313) 278-2936
Washington, DC: (202) 225-4071

Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2024!