Congressional Update Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Serving the 11 th District of California 1 October 16, 2017
Map of the Congressional District (CA‐11) 2
Rep. DeSaulnier’s Background Public Service: • Concord Planning Commission, 1988 –1991 • Concord City Council, 1991 –1994 • Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, 1994 –2006 • California State Assembly, 2006 –2008 • California State Senate, 2008 –2014 • U.S. House of Representatives, 2015 –Present Leadership Positions: • Board member, Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) • Board member, Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) • Board member, Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) • Board member, California Air Resources Board (CARB) • Chair, Senate Transportation Committee • Chair, Senate Labor and Industrial Relationships Committee 3 • Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee (First Freshman) • Chair and Founder, EPIC Caucus
Constituent Services Since taking office January 3, 2015, our office has: • Assisted more than 2,650 constituents in navigating problems with a federal agency; • Responded to over 235,100 constituent inquiries; • Worked with over 2,300 constituents to secure tours of the Washington D.C. area and flags flown over the U.S. Capitol; • Met with over 4,900 constituents during 49 Town Halls and Mobile District Office Hours. 4 Updated: July 25, 2017
TOWN HALLS & MOBILE DISTRICT OFFICE HOURS 2015 Town Halls 2016 Town Halls Mobile District Office Hours Concord Richmond Martinez Antioch El Cerrito Pittsburg Danville Pleasant Hill Walnut Creek Danville Bay Point Walnut Creek (2) Walnut Creek El Cerrito Richmond Walnut Creek Richmond Lafayette Orinda Clayton Orinda Pittsburg Moraga Martinez San Pablo Pittsburg Concord El Cerrito Bay Point El Cerrito 5 Pacheco San Pablo Kensington 2017 Town Halls Martinez Concord (2) Lafayette Danville Antioch Pittsburg Pleasant Hill Bay Point Richmond (2) Moraga Washington, DC (2)
California Wildfires • Lives lost: 41 • Fires burning: 14 • 12 fires 50% or more contained • Pocket fire: 40% contained • Oakmont fire: 15% contained • 3,800 federal firefighters supportive effort • Federal firefighting support includes: • 12 Hotshot crews • More than 100 wildland fire engines 6 • 15 airtankers • 9 helicopters Information as of 2 p.m. PT October 16, 2017
California Wildfires • Resources: • FEMA Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) • California Local Assistance Center – 427 Mendocino Avenue in Santa Rosa • CalOES: http://www.caloes.ca.gov/ICESite/Pages/October‐2017‐ Northern‐California‐Fires.aspx • Volunteer opportunities: National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters and California Volunteers • Insurance claims will depend on your personal insurance coverage. You should inquire about: • Personal property damage • Property damage • You may file for losses from the federal government once you have 7 checked with your insurance company at www.DisasterAssistance.gov
115th Congress Accomplishments • The John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act (H.R. 1719) : Authorizes the National Park Service to acquire approximately 44 acres of land in Martinez, California – PASSED HOUSE! • Public health impacts of policies in SCRUB Act (H.R. 998) – PASSED HOUSE! • Funding for important programs • Cancer communications study ($1 million) – PASSED HOUSE! • Saved Einstein Education Fellowship ($1.2 million) – PASSED HOUSE! • Affordable housing ($5 million) – PASSED HOUSE! • Family engagement centers ($10 million) – PASSED HOUSE! • University transportation centers ($15 million) – PASSED HOUSE! • Congressional notification of Post Office closures in Postal Service Reform Act (H.R. 756) – PASSED COMMITTEE! 8 • Ground transportation report in 21 st Century AIRR Act (H.R. 2997) – PASSED COMMITTEE!
U.S. House of Representatives: 115 th Congress 194 – Democrats 240 – Republicans 0 – Independents 1 – Vacancy 9 1. Chaffetz (R), UT resigned 06/ 30/ 2017
In the News: Gun Violence • Rating from the NRA in 2017: F • The numbers: • Every day 31 Americans are murdered with guns, 151 are treated for gun assault, and more than 60 use a gun in a suicide • The United States makes up 4.4% of the world's population, but holds almost half of all civilian‐owned guns worldwide • Guns have killed more Americans in 12 years than AIDS, war, and illegal drug overdoses combined • What we are doing: • Introducing 2 bills: smart guns and smart storage for federal law enforcement • Supporting dozens of bills: to reduce gun violence by expanding 10 background checks, limiting ammunition sales, and instituting an assault weapons ban
In the News: Health Care • Executive orders to block contraceptive coverage for women and to gut funding for the ACA signed by President Trump last week. • Trumpcare proposal: • 23 million Americans lose coverage • Cuts $834 billion from Medicaid • Cuts 14 million people from Medicaid • Up to 30 million children would lose access to critical services • Eliminates the essential health benefit requirement (i.e. maternal care & prescription drug coverage) 11 • Amended version failed in the Senate on July 27 th
In the News: Opioid Crisis • The numbers: • 91 Americans die every day from drug overdose • From 2000 to 2015, nearly half a million people died due to drug overdose • In 2015 alone, over 33,000 people died due to overdose • What we are doing: • Introduced the Empowering Pharmacists in the Fight Against Opioid Abuse Act, which provides guidance to pharmacists on when they can refuse to fill a prescription for opioids • Passed legislation in CA State Senate to fully fund the CURES online narcotics tracking system • Cosponsor of dozens of bills that would stem the crisis by 12 prioritizing treatment, increasing funding for prevention, and ensuring that information on suspicious prescriptions can be shared across state lines
In the News: Iran Nuclear Deal • President de‐certified Iran Nuclear Agreement on October 13 th • Independent international organization certified Iran’s compliance 8 times • Before Iran received a dollar of sanctions relief, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the country had eliminated 97 percent of its uranium stockpile, blocked the production of weapons‐grade plutonium by destroying the core from its Arak reactor, ripped out more than 13,000 centrifuges, and opened its program to intrusive monitoring • Walking away is a bad signal for our commitment to diplomatic solutions and will likely empower North 13 Korea
In the News: DACA • President ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) on September 5 th • Nearly 800,000 young people are DACA recipients • 1,000 DACA statuses expire each day • Dreamers are making significant contributions to our society and economy • 17% are perusing an advanced degree • 16% bought houses • 5% started businesses • During the next decade they are expected to contribute over $460 billion to our GDP • Support the Dream Act to allow current, former, and future undocumented high school graduates and GED recipients a 3‐ 14 step pathway to citizenship through college, work, or the armed services
In the News: Budget/Taxes • $5.4 billion in spending cuts that threaten priorities like education, transportation, and research • Sets up massive tax cuts to the top 1% and shifts even more of the burden onto the middle class • Sets defense spending $72 billion above the agreed‐upon level • Cuts funding for Medicare by $487 billion and Medicaid by $1.1 trillion over the next 10 years. 15
Supporting Education • Education Listening Tour • Expand access and improve affordability • Oversight of Department of Education • Sec. Betsy DeVos (former‐Chair, American Federation of Children) • President‐elect’s First 100 Days: Reallocate $20 billion towards school choice initiatives • Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act • Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization • Implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act 16 (ESSA)
Future of Work, Wages, and Labor • Co‐led by Congressmen Mark Pocan (D‐WI), Debbie Dingell (D‐MI), and Don Norcross (D‐NJ) • Series of regional meetings with experts • Researchers discussing their findings on the future of jobs, wages, and the labor union movement • Town hall with workers who are directly impacted by local, state, and federal policies • Events: • East Bay (Stanford and UC Berkeley): January 17th • Wisconsin: April 20th 17 • Michigan: June 19th • New Jersey (Rutgers University): August 4th • Boston (Harvard, MIT, Boston University): September 25th
Wage Vs. Profit Share of GDP 18
Oversight & Accountability • Enhancing transparency and accountability • Examining actual and perceived conflicts of interest by Executive Branch officers • Rigorous oversight over federal agencies with focus on state/regional implications • Investigating ExxonMobil shareholder transparency re: climate change • Investigating Wells Fargo business practices • Examining Department of Defense reported waste of $125 billion • Preventing another Volkswagen emissions defeat device 19 scandal
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