May 17, 2013

Dear Friend,

I wanted to give you a quick recap on this week in Washington, DC.

Speaking for Students & Servicemembers

I spoke twice on the floor this week to bring attention to two very important issues facing many constituents in San Diego. On Tuesday I spoke about the need to keep student interest rates low for the next two years. If Congress does not act these rates will double on July 1st. We must make sure that we keep college affordable for students and their families.

Wednesday evening I spoke in honor of Military Mental Health Awareness Day. Servicemembers and veterans are facing mental health challenges every day and it is part of our duty as a country to make sure that we honor their sacrifices for us by dedicating ourselves to their health.

Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and it has been an honor to celebrate this community's impact in San Diego over the past few weeks. I recorded a short video message to highlight the economic and cultural impact the APA community has had in our region.

Affordable Care Act Vote

Instead of working to end the harmful sequester or fix bad portions of the bill, Congress instead voted Thursday, for the 37th time, to repeal the Affordable Care Act. While the bill isn't perfect, it should be used as a framework that we build upon instead of returning to a fully broken system and trying to start from scratch again. I voted against the repeal, and hope that leadership will allow us to get to work on real problems facing our country rather than fighting over the battles of two years ago.

Homes for Heroes

One bright spot on the legislative calendar this week was the passage of the Homes for Heroes Act which ensures that our veterans have fair access to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs for housing and homeless assistance programs. I have introduced similar legislation, HR 1714 the 'Shelter our Servicemembers' Act, which works to assist senior homeless veterans through housing and wraparound services .

No Labels Radio

Along with several other Problem Solvers, I participated in the launch of No Labels' radio show hosted by SiriusXM. The event was a great way to highlight how, despite partisan gridlock between party leaders, many Members of Congress are working together to find common solutions.

Sincerely,

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