Our nation’s infrastructure is in desperate need of modernization. That’s why earlier this year, I voted to pass a $1.5 trillion package investing in our nation’s infrastructure – our roads, bridges, ports and transit systems. This legislation will also help create good-paying jobs that we need now more than ever as we face recovery from the Coronavirus pandemic. And it will help us modernize our infrastructure so it can better withstand disasters and help tackle the threat of climate change.

This legislation includes two of my bills to help achieve these goals. The Moving Forward Act includes the GREEN Act, my bill that provides major tax incentives to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The package also includes H.R. 5494, my bill to give homeowners a tax break to retrofit their homes so they can better withstand disasters, such as earthquakes and wildfires. Both are vital pieces of legislation to help our district be better prepared in the wake of fires and natural disasters we have faced over the years. I am proud to see these bills pass the House today. This moves us one step further in our goal of ensuring our infrastructure is better prepared for the transportation needs of the 21st Century. 

“Health care reform is helping save money and lives. While the Affordable Care Act was far from perfect, it was an important first step towards making sure every American can get health insurance.”    As the husband of a family nurse practitioner, and a senior member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, I know firsthand the challenges that exist in our current health care system. For more than two decades I have worked to make healthcare affordable and accessible for all Americans.    I am proud to have voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which is helping make sure the people of our district can get health insurance. This landmark legislation is holding insurance companies more accountable, increasing competition and guaranteeing more health insurance options.    Many people have already experienced the Affordable Care Act’s benefits. Insurance companies can no longer drop your coverage when you get sick or deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Adults with pre-existing conditions now have access to coverage. Being a woman can no longer be treated as a pre-existing condition and your coverage can’t be dropped because you become pregnant. New insurance plans are required to cover preventive services and immunizations with no co-payments. Seniors are saving millions on prescription drugs. Small businesses that provide coverage to their employees now get a tax credit on insurance premiums. And, the hidden taxes all insured individuals currently pay toward the cost of emergency room visits by people without insurance have ended.    I have said from the beginning that the Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect, and you have to look no further than the federal health exchange website that has been plagued by delays to see that is true.  However, we should be spending our time working to build on and strengthen the reforms made in the law, not trying to undermine them at every turn.     Reforming health care has and always will be an ongoing process that will not be completed with the passage of any one bill. But by passing the Affordable Care Act into law, millions of Americans will now be able to get health insurance. And that’s what matters.

Our current immigration system is broken and we need comprehensive immigration reform.  I believe we need immigration policies that are fair, practical and respect the rule of law while also recognizing our heritage as a nation of immigrants. Among other priorities, I am fighting to protect the DREAMers, young undocumented immigrants who arrived here aged 16 or younger.  This includes voting for a bill providing much-needed protections for DREAMers, as well as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, providing a pathway to eventual citizenship. I will continue to oppose the President’s wall-building efforts.

Additionally, I cosponsored and voted to pass the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. This bill establishes a program for agricultural workers and their families to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment. This bill reforms also the H-2A program to make the program more responsive and user-friendly for employers.

I’ve also introduced bipartisan legislation to remove barriers to naturalization for non-citizen service members, veterans, and their families. My legislation would extend naturalization eligibility to more veterans and give veterans more time to apply for naturalization after their service. My bill will also help reunite the families of certain non-citizen service members by expediting the lawful permanent residence petitions for their spouses and children and allowing immediate family members of certain citizen soldiers to apply for lawful permanent residence.