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

Congressional Update

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier

Serving the 11th District of California

April 12, 2017

1

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

3

Constituent Services

4

Since taking office January 3, 2015, our office has:

• Assisted more than 3,400 constituents in navigating

problems with a federal agency;

• Responded to over 172,500 constituent inquiries;
• Worked with over 2,130 constituents to secure tours of the

Washington D.C. area and flags flown over the U.S. Capitol;

• Met with over 3,500 constituents at 39 Town Halls and

Mobile District Office Hours.

Updated: Apr. 11, 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 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 Pleasant Hill Bay Point Antioch Richmond

National Economic Outlook

• 11.3 million private sector jobs were created under President

Obama.

• American households have recovered more than $30 trillion in net

worth since 2009.

• U.S. consumer confidence rose to 98.5 in January 2017 – the highest

reading since January 2004.

• The U.S. is leading the world in both oil and natural gas production,

contributing to a roughly 40% drop in oil prices over the second half

• f 2014. At the same time, solar energy is up tenfold since 2008,

while wind energy has increased threefold.

Sources: CNN, University of Michigan

6

7

California is the 6th Largest Economy in World

Source: Orange County Register

8

• California is the 6th largest economy in the world.
• California’s economy produces over $1 trillion

more than the next most productive state, New York.

• California’s production is greater than

Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri combined.

114th Congress Accomplishments

• Improvements to the Every Student Succeeds Act (H.R. 5)
• Head Start Streamlining Amendment – ENACTED! (Public Law 114-95)
• Family Engagement Centers Amendment – ENACTED! (Public Law 114-95)
• Concussion Protections Amendment – ENACTED! (Public Law 114-95)
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers – ENACTED! (Public Law 114-95)
• The John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act (H.R. 1289):

Authorizes the National Park Service to acquire approximately 44 acres of land in Martinez, California – PASSED HOUSE!

• Improvements to the Surface Transportation Reauthorization

and Reform Act (H.R. 22)

• Guardrail Amendment – ENACTED! (Public Law 114-94)
• Improvements to the North American Energy Security and

Infrastructure Act (H.R. 8)

• Crude by Rail Amendment – PASSED HOUSE!

9

U.S. House of Representatives: 115th Congress

193 – Democrats

0 – Independents

238 – Republicans 4 – Vacancies

10

• 1. Pompeo (R), KS resigned 01/23/2017 to be CIA director
• 2. Becerra (D), CA resigned 01/24/2017 to be California attorney general
• 3. Price (R), GA resigned 02/10/2017 to be Health and Human Services secretary
• 4. Mulvaney (R), SC resigned 02/16/2017 to be OMB director

President Trump’s Cabinet

Draining the Swamp?

• Pres. George W. Bush’s cabinet combined net worth of $250 million
• President’s named cabinet combined net worth of $14 billion!
• Commerce pick: Wilbur Ross – Owner, Sago Mine: A West Virginia coal mine where a

dozen miners lost their lives in a 2006 explosion

• Treasury Secretary: Steve Mnuchin – Goldman Sachs Executive and Co-founder,

OneWest Bank Group that was accused of abusive foreclosure methods

• Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson – CEO/Chair, ExxonMobil, received Order of

Friendship from Russian President Putin. 11

President Trump’s Cabinet Picks (* indicates picks that have been confirmed):

Justice: Sen. Jeff Sessions* Commerce: Wilbur Ross Defense: Gen. James Mattis* Education: Betsy DeVos* Energy: Gov. Rick Perry Health & Human Services: Rep. Tom Price* Homeland Security: Gen. John Kelly* HUD: Ben Carson Labor: Alexander Acosta State: Rex Tillerson* Transportation: Elaine Chao* Treasury: Steven Mnuchin* Agriculture: Gov. Sonny Perdue Interior: Rep. Ryan Zinke Veterans Affairs: David Shulkin*

The President’s Budget: Winners and Losers

12

Despite identifying $125 billion in waste at DOD, the budget prioritizes increasing funding for DOD and cuts other vital programs.

Skewed Priorities!

The President’s Budget: Zeroed Out Programs

13

• Among the dozens of programs proposed to be entirely

eliminated by the Trump Budget are:

• Chemical Safety Board
• Corporation for National and Community Service
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Institute of Museum and Library Services
• Legal Services Corporation
• National Endowment for the Arts
• National Endowment for the Humanities
• United States Institute of Peace
• United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
• U.S. Trade and Development Agency

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)

14

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
• Workers who are directly impacted by local, state,

and federal policies

• Events:
• East Bay: January 17th
• Wisconsin: April 20th

15

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

16

Transportation & Infrastructure

• Newly appointed to the Transportation &

Infrastructure Committee

• Interested in building on the work done at the

local and state level to base project decision on performance and merit

• Introduced Metropolitan Planning Enhancement Act
• Launched Urban Regional Studies Caucus
• Co-chair, Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
• Focus on studying benefits of regional cooperation

for housing, transportation, workers, the environment, etc.

17

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

18

Campaign Finance

Citizens United Decision

19

Navigating this Administration

• Uphold constitutional checks and balances on new administration
• Conflicts of Interest – President’s complex business empire
• Conflicts of Interest (Part 2) – Cabinet and Cabinet nominee’s

business ties and anti-regulatory perspectives

• How best to protect California’s environmental leadership
• What the President will actually do while in office
• How to maintain U.S. global leadership under an isolationist

administration

• Can the free market survive?

20

Holding POTUS Accountable

Along with my Democratic colleagues, I have called on the Administration and the Republican Majority to….

• Insist the President eliminates his financial conflicts of interest
• Investigate the White House process that led to the drafting of the

“Muslim Ban” Executive Order and it’s amateur rollout.

• Remove Steve Bannon from the National Security Council

In the past 2 months, I have coauthored legislation to…..

• Require presidential candidates to publically disclose their tax returns
• Extend existing conflict-of-interest requirements to the Office of the

President and Vice President (not currently a law)

• Override the President’s “Muslim Ban” Executive Order
• Override the President’s efforts to build the U.S./Mexico “Wall”
• Safeguard Sanctuary Cities

21

Impeachment

• Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution allows for the impeachment and

removal from office of the President, Vice President, or any civil officer of the United States.

• Any member of the U.S. House of Representatives may introduce a

resolution calling for impeachment.

• The House Judiciary Committee then decides whether to perform an

investigation and pursue the articles of impeachment.

• Upon completion of an investigation, the Judiciary Committee reports its

findings to the House and a vote is held with only a simple majority needed to adopt the resolution of impeachment.

• Impeachment does not automatically remove the individual from office.
• If the impeachment resolution is adopted, the U.S. Senate holds a trial. The

Chief Justice of the United States presides, members of the House stand as prosecutors, and all 100 Senators stand as jury. 22

Senate Trial & Removal from Office

• The Senate issues a writ of summons to the individual who has been

impeached.

• The Senate conducts a trial, hearing witnesses and receiving

evidence from both the defendant and the members of the House who have been appointed to prosecute the impeached individual.

• When arguments are concluded the entire Senate meets in a closed

session to decide a verdict.

• 2/3 of the Senators must vote to find the accused guilty and remove

the accused from office.

• An individual removed from office is still subject to criminal

investigations through the U.S. court system.

• No President of the United States has ever been removed from
• ffice through trial by the Senate.

23

Other Ways to Remove a Sitting President

• The 25th Amendment allows for the President to be temporarily removed

from office.

• The Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet (currently 8 of 15 Secretaries) may

inform the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate that the President is unfit to serve.

• The President is then temporarily removed from power and the Vice President

becomes Acting President.

• The President may then inform the Speaker and President Pro Tempore in writing

that he is fit to serve and resume office.

• If the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet continue to insist that the

President is unfit the Vice President temporarily remains acting President.

• The House of Representatives must then meet within 48 hours to determine if the

President is fit.

• If 2/3 of the House agree that the President is unfit to serve, the Vice President

remains Acting President.

24

25

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

26

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

27

Instagram: @RepDeSaulnier

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