June 14, 2013

Dear Friend,

It has been a busy couple of weeks in Washington and San Diego, and I wanted to update you on what I have been up to on behalf of San Diegans.

Calling for Action on the Budget

When I came to Congress I advocated for a policy known as 'No Budget, No Pay' that calls for the Senate and the House to pass one budget or get their pay withheld. That policy became law in March and both chambers passed individual budgets nearly three months ago. Normally the next step would be for both chambers to work out their differences and agree on a final plan. But the leadership in both the House and Senate has refused to start working on this.

This is unacceptable and I said as much on the House floor this week. I will continue to call on leaders in both parties to start action in the interest of the American people, instead of their own political motives. A bipartisan budget will help bring stability to our economy and spur job growth.

Click on the image above to see my speech on the floor

Op-Ed on San Diego's Innovation Economy

I recently wrote an op-ed on how to expand opportunities for San Diego's innovation economy. The biomedical industry employed more than 25,000 people in San Diego County in 2011. You can read the column here.

Protecting San Diego's Military in DC

Last week the House Armed Services Committee debated and amended the National Defense Authorization Act, which makes initial decisions about our nation's defense budget and impacts more than 100,000 jobs in San Diego.

The bill holds significant benefits for San Diego's military community including money for the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) that allows universities like UC San Diego to compete for Navy related research grant programs, funding for training and operational readiness requested by the Navy Seals, and construction of cruisers and amphibious ships to be based in San Diego. The act passed with broad bipartisan support from the committee, 59-2, and I was proud to vote for it.

I also had the honor of visiting the Marine Corps Recruit Depot during one of my recent trips home. This base is one of two sites for Marine basic training in the United States.

Pay Sequester

After announcing last month that I would be applying the sequester cuts to my own salary and donating the difference to Senior Community Centers downtown, I was honored to visit the facility early this week to talk with some of the seniors and help with their meals program.

Staying in Contact

Please keep in contact by emailing me here, following me on Twitter @RepScottPeters, visiting my Facebook page at facebook.com/congressmanscottpeters, or visiting my website at scottpeters.house.gov.

Sincerely,

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