Congressional Update Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Serving the 11 th - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Congressional Update

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

Serving the 11th District of California

October 16, 2017

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Map of the Congressional District (CA‐11)

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• 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
• Chair, Assembly Transportation Committee (First Freshman)
• Chair and Founder, EPIC Caucus

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Constituent Services

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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.

Updated: July 25, 2017

5 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 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

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• 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

• 15 airtankers
• 9 helicopters

Information as of 2 p.m. PT October 16, 2017

California Wildfires

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• 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

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!

• Ground transportation report in 21st Century AIRR Act (H.R.

2997) – PASSED COMMITTEE!

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U.S. House of Representatives: 115th Congress

194 – Democrats

0 – Independents

240 – Republicans 1 – Vacancy

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• 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

background checks, limiting ammunition sales, and instituting an assault weapons ban

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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)

• Amended version failed in the Senate on July 27th

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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
• verdose
• 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
• nline narcotics tracking system
• Cosponsor of dozens of bills that would stem the crisis by

prioritizing treatment, increasing funding for prevention, and ensuring that information on suspicious prescriptions can be shared across state lines

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In the News: Iran Nuclear Deal

• President de‐certified Iran Nuclear Agreement on

October 13th

• 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 Korea

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In the News: DACA

• President ended Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

(DACA) on September 5th

• 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‐ step pathway to citizenship through college, work, or the armed services

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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.

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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

(ESSA)

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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
• f 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
• Michigan: June 19th
• New Jersey (Rutgers University): August 4th
• Boston (Harvard, MIT, Boston University): September 25th

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Wage Vs. Profit Share of GDP

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

scandal

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Transportation/Regionalism

• Interested in building on the work done at the local and state

level to base project decision on performance and merit

• Anticipated upcoming Committee action:
• FAA reauthorization
• Possible infrastructure package
• Regionalism: Changing the way that governments plan and

interact at all levels – local, county, state, and federal

• Bay Area Institute for Regional Studies
• Conversations with UC Berkeley and Stanford
• Urban Regional Studies Caucus
• Founded with Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D‐OR)
• Kickoff meeting with Richard Florida, author of The New Urban

Crisis and Rise of the Creative Class

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Bipartisan Cancer Caucus

• Co‐chair: Congressman Ted Poe (R‐TX)
• Opportunities to explore:
• Doctor‐patient communication
• Cost of treatment
• Support public research
• Host meetings with cancer experts, like Dr. Harold Varmus

(Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI)) and Dr. Vincent DeVita (Former Director of NCI)

• Members: Debbie Dingell (D‐MI), Anna Eshoo (D‐CA), Joe

Kennedy (D‐MA), Carolyn Maloney (D‐NY), Rick Nolan (D‐MN), Jamie Raskin (D‐MD), Martha Roby (R‐AL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D‐FL), Kevin Yoder (R‐KS)

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Campaign Finance

• The 2016 election cycle was the most expensive election on

record, with over $6.9 billion spent on the Presidential and Congressional elections combined, a 120% increase over the 2000 elections

• The cost of Congressional elections has spiked even further,

with over $4.2 billion spent in 2016, a 155% increase from the 2000 elections

• The Government by the People Act would encourage public

financing of political campaigns to:

• Provide citizens with a campaign contribution credit to let their

voice be heard and

• Gives candidates an incentive to seek out small donors

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Campaign Finance

Citizens United Decision

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Update on Investigation

DOJ Investigation

• Michael Flynn resigns
• Firing of FBI Director James

Comey (May 9, 2017)

• Robert Mueller appointed

Special Counsel (May 17, 2017)

• Sessions feud
• Pardon powers question

Congressional Investigations

• Attorney General Sessions

testified (public)

• Jared Kushner testified

(closed)

• Paul Manafort testified

(closed)

• Donald Trump, Jr. invited to

testify (closed)

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Washington Post Updates: A guide to the five major investigations of the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia

Removal of Sitting President

Impeachment 1. Introduction of impeachment resolution 2. (Optional) House Judiciary Committee can perform an investigation and pursue the articles of impeachment. 3. House vote on impeachment resolution 4. (If it passes) U.S. Senate can choose to hold trial 5. Senate votes on guilt of accused, which results in removal from office

• Impeachment does not automatically remove an individual from office
• Since the founding of the United States, 8 judges have been removed

from office via impeachment

• No President of the United States has ever been removed from office

by Senate decision

25th Amendment

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Performance Standards

• The private sector uses performance metrics and standards to gauge

businesses’ efficiency and effectiveness, using collected data to hold leaders accountable and perfect their business model over time

• Performance measures in the public sector are critical to ensuring that

hard‐earned taxpayer dollars are spent in the most effective manner

• Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act (H.R. 3787)
• Transportation Megaprojects Accountability and Oversight Act (H.R. 4228)
• Internal office performance metrics include:
• Meeting Requests: If you request a meeting, expect to receive a response

within 24‐hours

• Correspondence: Emails and letters received in our office will be sent a

response within 5 business days of receipt

• Casework: Requests for assistance through our website or by phone will

receive a phone call within 24‐hours

• Tours & Flags: Requests submitted through our website will receive a phone

call within 24‐hours

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DeSaulnier Digest

• New weekly newsletter
• Discusses:
• Key votes
• Mark Around Town
• Opinions from the District
• Bills and letters supported
• Press update
• Available on our website and in your inbox every Monday

morning

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Contact Our Office

Walnut Creek 3100 Oak Road Suite 110 Walnut Creek, CA 94597 Phone: (925) 933‐2660 Fax: (925) 933‐2677 Facebook: /RepMarkDeSaulnier Twitter: @RepDeSaulnier Richmond 440 Civic Center Plaza Second Floor Richmond, CA 94804 Phone: (510) 620‐1000 Fax: (510) 620‐1005 Washington, D.C. 115 Cannon HOB Washington, DC Phone: (202) 225‐2095 Fax: (202) 225‐5609

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Instagram: @RepDeSaulnier

Keep the conversation going on social media using #DeSaulnierTownHall Congressional Website: www.desaulnier.house.gov