E-ALERTS: 2012

30 Jul

E-ALERT: The Working Families 2012 Best of Congress Award

e-Alerts: 2012

I was humbled to be awarded a 2012 Best of Congress award by Working Mother Media and Corporate Voices for Working Families on July 25th. The few of us who won this honor were recognized for our support for working families through legislation, advocacy, and by setting an example through the family-friendly policies promoted in our own Congressional offices.

20 Jul

E-ALERT: Opposing Wasteful Defense Spending

e-Alerts: 2012

Yesterday I voted against a bloated defense and war spending bill (H.R. 5856) that will cost taxpayers $608.2 billion, including another $88.5 billion for the Afghanistan War. Defense currently consumes almost 60 percent of our discretionary budget. With so many vital programs, like health, education, transportation, and scientific research facing damaging cuts, we simply cannot afford to spend so much on weapons we do not need and wars we should not be fighting.

Many politicians claim entitlements like Medicare are driving the debt, but it is clear that defense spending has become just as much of an entitlement with ever escalating costs. To add insult to injury, yesterday's legislation exceeds the Republicans' own funding caps set by last year's Budget Control Act by almost $8 billion. I cosponsored a simple amendment that would cut the budget by that same amount, but the Republican majority defeated it.

It is time for us to bring our troops home from Afghanistan and make responsible reductions to the defense budget so we can make needed investments right here at home.

Watch the short video of my floor speech speaking against the Republican defense bill by clicking here.

You can read my full statement by clicking here.

Sincerely,

Pete

18 Jul

E-ALERT: American Olympians Should Wear American-Made Uniforms

e-Alerts: 2012

We don't outsource the athletes who represent the United States in the Olympics and we shouldn't outsource the manufacturing of Team USA's uniforms. The uniforms for the upcoming 2012 Olympic Games were designed by Ralph Lauren and made in China.

While I appreciate the fact that we live in a global economy, allowing Team USA to wear uniforms made overseas gets away from a core value: our country's success is built on the innovation and industriousness of American workers.

That is why I've led a bipartisan coalition of nearly 60 Members of Congress in calling on the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) to implement a policy that ensures Team USA's uniforms are made in America. (To read the letter click here.)

I also support legislation that would amend Congress' Olympic Charter to require USOC to ensure our Olympians' uniforms and other apparel is made in the USA.

Sincerely,

Pete

11 Jul

E-ALERT: Americans Want Jobs, Not Health Reform Repeal

e-Alerts: 2012

Once again, the Republican House Majority refuses to focus on Americans' top priorities: getting our economy back on track and creating jobs. Instead, we voted today -- for the 31st time -- to consider repeal of the health reform law. I voted NO, but the House passed the mostly party line bill 244 - 185. Not only was this a colossal waste of time, it shows that those who support repeal would put Americans' health at risk and put insurance companies back in charge.

Repeal of health reform would mean:

• 6.6 million young adults would lose the guarantee of being allowed to obtain insurance coverage on their parents’ health insurance plans.
• 17 million children with pre-existing conditions could again be denied health insurance coverage.
• 105 million Americans would again be subject to lifetime limits on health insurance -- which could stop coverage when they need it most.
• 12.8 million Americans who are due over $1 billion in rebates from the health insurance industry this year would never see that financial relief.
• The more than 5.3 million Medicare beneficiaries who have been helped with high drug costs would see that assistance disappear.
• The 86 million people who have already received life-saving preventive benefits free-of-charge would lose access to that vital benefit.

For more detailed information about how the health reform law works for you and other Americans, please visit healthcare.gov.

To read my full statement on today's repeal vote, click here.

To read my full statement on the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the law, click here.

Please come discuss these and other issues with me at one of my next town hall meetings on Saturday, July 21st.

03 Jul

E-ALERT: Jobs, Gay Rights, Student Loans & Transportation Funding

e-Alerts: 2012

Below is a roundup of what I've been up to in the East Bay and in Washington. I look forward to discussing these and other issues with you at my next Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, July 21st. (For details, click here)

Bringing Jobs Home From Overseas

We need to focus on exporting American-made goods, not American jobs. Today I joined Josie Camacho, Alameda Labor Council Executive Secretary Treasurer and Richard Valle, CEO, Tri-Ced and Alameda County Supervisor at a press conference at Tri-Ced Community Recycling in Union City to highlight the need to curb outsourcing of American jobs. I'm a co-sponsor of the Bring Jobs Home Act, H.R. 5542, which would provide a tax incentive for companies that bring production back to this country and eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas. This is a simple bill and I'm urging Congressional leadership to bring it to the floor for a vote right away.

Gay Rights

I'm honored that today, ThinkProgress named me one of the "11 Most Pro-Gay Representatives" in the U.S. House of Representatives. I have long been a supporter of equal rights for all, and I will continue my fight to ensure this becomes a reality.

Compromise on Student Loan Rates & Transportation Funding

For months, I have joined with President Obama and others in calling on House Republicans to bring to the floor bipartisan transportation legislation to create jobs as well as legislation to prevent interest rates on college loans from doubling. On Friday, Republican leaders finally allowed a vote on a bill that addresses both priorities. We voted to protect 7 million students -- including 570,000 Californians -- from owing an extra $1,000 per year on their student loans. The same legislation reauthorized our transportation programs to get people to work rebuilding our infrastructure.

Both are critical to Americans' economic security and I voted in support of the legislation that the President will soon sign into law. I did not support all provisions of this bill, but with Republicans once again bringing us to the brink of allowing these important programs to expire, Congress had to act. (For my full statement, click here) I will continue working to make college affordable for all Americans and to boost transportation infrastructure investment.