Dear friend,
We are back in session, and winter is clearly upon us, with sub-zero temperatures and snow in both Michigan and Washington, D.C. We face another potential government shutdown again this week and honestly, there are many issues we need to be dealing with.
The situation in the Middle East continues to tear constituents in my district apart. For my Palestinian and Arab-American constituents, family members have died, are trapped, have no water, food, or medical care, and my Jewish neighbors know friends who have family members who remain hostages, and lost family and friends on October 7th. The pain, the fear, and the anxiety are so real. And this war seems to be gaining the potential to spread throughout the region. This is unacceptable, and I will support, work, and be strident in any and all efforts to prevent that. I believe the President must come to Congress on this, and should be doing everything possible to stop that from happening. We are not in a good place, plain and simple. Too many people are dying. We need a ceasefire, the return of all of the hostages, significant humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank, and a plan for permanent and lasting peace. These are very serious issues in front of us.
There have been good moments, complicated moments, and a lot of work. Here is a summary of the last week.
University of Michigan Football
We’re still celebrating Michigan’s great win against the Huskies. It is incredible for the entire state to celebrate our National Champions. This Wolverines team has fought hard for every single win that brought them here, and they deserve all the success they have earned. Through adversity, challenges, and distractions, they have remained focused, and most importantly, they have stuck together and never stopped working as a team. I know this team, I love them, I know how they look out for each other, and I’m so proud of the way they represent our state.
It was just wonderful to celebrate their win Saturday night at Crisler Center, where I presented a Congressional Resolution and told everyone that, as is the tradition, President Biden looks forward to welcoming the team to the White House. I also told them that Jim Harbaugh taught them a lesson that the entire country could learn from: teamwork produces victors. Hail to the Victors! GO BLUE! Honestly, I was just happy Saturday night, just happy. Doesn’t happen very often these days.
Detroit Lions
Blue is a happy color in Michigan these days. The Detroit Lions won a playoff game for the first time in more than 30 years, and loyal Lions fans, which is most of us, are emotional, excited, happy, and yes, praying. The game Sunday night was nerve-wracking, but as we won, I found myself crying as many others did with pure joy.
Yes, people were dancing in the streets! Fans are happy. It is everything we have dreamed of, cheered for, and prayed for. We are enjoying every single minute, and next Sunday night will rock downtown again as the Lions play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Downriver Town Hall
Join me and the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, January 25 from 6PM-8PM at the Westfield Center in Trenton for a Downriver Town Hall to get updates, ask questions, and share your concerns about Downriver’s environmental sites. We will focus on McLouth, Arkema, and PFAS but will discuss any issues that people wish to raise.
Protecting Firefighters from PFAS
Last Wednesday, I joined Rep. Jim McGovern and other colleagues, the President of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Edward Kelly, past and present firefighters, and stakeholders for a briefing on the dangers of PFAS exposure from firefighter turnout gear.
Exposure to hazardous materials that cause cancer must not be an expectation of this profession. I worked with IAFF to introduce the PFAS Alternatives Act to accelerate the research and development of alternative materials to keep firefighters safe on the job while protecting them from PFAS. I reminded everyone at the briefing that I’ll keep working until we’ve removed harmful chemicals from firefighters’ gear.
House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Thursday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing entitled Safeguarding Americans' Communications: Strengthening Cybersecurity in a Digital Era. We discussed the importance of our bipartisan work to resolve compromised networks, strengthen network resiliency, and address present and future security risks. But, we must continue to strengthen our domestic supply chain and infrastructure to continue increasing competition, spurring innovation, and to ensure the integrity of our systems.
Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic
Select Subcommittee Republicans have continued their series of transcribed interviews with our nation’s leading public health experts. Last week, Dr. Tony Fauci completed a two-day, 14-hour transcribed interview, and Dr. Francis Collins completed a one-day, 7-hour transcribed interview. I attended both and appreciated their willingness to come before the Select Subcommittee. Nearly half of a million pages of documents and dozens of hours of testimony provided to the committee in no way show a cover up of the origins of COVID-19, nor a suppression of the lab leak theory by Dr. Fauci or Dr. Collins. I remain deeply concerned about the growing distrust in our public health institutions. Dr. Fauci and Dr. Collins are dedicated public servants who led the American people through an unprecedented crisis, and I fear politically charged probes to vilify our nation’s public health officials only continue to politicize the greatest public health crisis of our time.
Historic 20 Million Enrollees in Affordable Care Act Health Care
President Biden announced that a record-breaking 20 million Americans have enrolled in health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces– that's 8 million more Americans than when President Biden took office.
We must build upon this progress and make these lower health care costs permanent. But some Republicans have blocked these efforts, and their plan would raise costs for millions of people, especially our seniors and small business owners who rely on the marketplace for their coverage. Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a reminder to keep up with routine screenings and to talk to your doctor about the HPV vaccine for kids 9-12. Catch-up vaccinations are recommended for teens and young adults up to 26. Learn more here.
Letter to President Biden about Sale of U.S. Steel
Last week, as co-chair of the Labor Caucus, I helped lead my colleagues in calling on President Biden to review the foreign sale of U.S. Steel to ensure there is a commitment to respecting and working collaboratively with the company's workforce, and to fully understand the implications for U.S. national security and domestic production capabilities.
We need to keep the capability to manufacture steel in America. I’m deeply concerned about the impact this will have on U.S. jobs and manufacturing, and the tens of thousands of union workers employed by the domestic steel industry.
NIL Legislation
Michigan’s College Football Championship demonstrated the immense potential of college athletics and what’s at stake as we determine its future. As the representative of a district with a significant college athlete population, at schools big and small, I am committed to crafting meaningful federal legislation that ensures all players are treated fairly, female athletes are protected and elevated, and the integrity of college sports is maintained. It’s important we bring everyone to the table as we work on this – from athletes and coaches to universities, conferences, and other stakeholders. There is still much work to be done, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with Rep. Bilirakis, Senator Lujan, and my colleagues who have been working on this for a long time, including Rep. Trahan, to address all issues that have been raised to me by all interested parties in our conversations. As the college sports landscape continues to grow and evolve, it’s clear we need to come together on a national standard that protects and empowers college athletes.
Tomorrow, Charlie Baker, President of the NCAA, will come to Washington, D.C. to attend an Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee hearing about NIL legislative proposals. I’ve had many conversations with athletes and all stakeholders about the urgent need to address NIL at the federal level. There is much work to be done, and I support the effort to reach a bipartisan, bicameral path forward.
Michigan Winter Storm Safety
With winter storms upon us, it is important to stay safe by preparing ahead of time. here are some helpful reminders for the next couple of months:
- charge all electronics and secure a backup charging emergency battery if possible
- have an emergency kit ready with flashlights and extra batteries, water, canned food, medicine, blankets, and anything else you, your family, and your pets may need
- unplug all sensitive electronics like TVs, computers, printers, and power strips
For more information on winter storm safety and helpful tips, click here.
National Endowment for the Humanities Professional Development Programs
Educators in MI-06 can apply now to attend the National Endowment for the Humanities Professional Development Programs, where they will learn new teaching methods while delving deeply into a humanities topic through one- to four-week residential, virtual, and combined format programs.
If you are an educator, I encourage you to apply. If you know someone who may benefit from these programs, please help spread the word!
Revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is now available for the 2024-25 school year and has been updated for a simpler, easier process for those seeking grants, loans, & scholarships. Cost shouldn't be a barrier to education, I encourage you to check your eligibility. For more information, click here.
Continuous Medicaid & CHIP Coverage
Effective January 1, 2024, states will be required to provide 12 months of continuous eligibility (CE) for children under the age of 19 in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). This will ensure that children continue to be covered under the CHIP program– keeping our kids healthy. For more information, click here.
Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King
This past weekend, I attended events throughout the district, remembering the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From Ann Arbor, to first-time events in Trenton and Northville, to traditional events at the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, the Washtenaw Minister’s Alliance, Rainbow Push, Canton, Plymouth, and others. This year was an important one for me as I reminded people of one of my favorite Dr. King quotes; “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” We are in times where I believe we cannot be quiet. We cannot normalize violence, disrespect, or words like “vermin” and “poison” to describe our neighbors. I talked a lot about this over the weekend.
Real life also continued with tears of joy and tears of sadness. John and I’s granddaughter, Gabrielle, was married on Saturday, surrounded by family, friends, and dogs. Bad weather, ice, snow, and COVID of a bridesmaid did not deter. It was a beautiful ceremony of love.
And throughout last week, the circle of life continued with several good people who I have known for decades passing on. The most difficult was Michael Berman, who I have known, and worked with, who mentored me, kept me grounded, and went through the good and hard of life together. John and I spent many holidays with him, he gave us both good advice, we laughed and cried together, and I lost another rock in my life. Jane Gephardt, the wife of Dick Gephardt, also passed, and I remember so many times of being spouses together, working at the Children’s Inn, the good and bad of being political spouses. And Dan Turton, who I knew in so many different roles over my career and years, died of complications of diabetes at far too young an age. These are all people who mattered in my life, and it’s a reminder to call the person you mean to, get that coffee or meal you have been putting off. Friends are the glue of our lives…..it’s really been a week of incredible highs and lows.
Let us know if you have an issue, a problem, or an event I should attend, and share what is on your mind. Even though cold weather tends to keep us more inside, I do hope our paths cross soon. D2
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
