Anna's Weekly Report
Weekly Report
December 2, 2022
Dear Friends,
Congress returned to Washington this week to continue our work in the lame duck session. As the House and Senate work to negotiate an agreement to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, the House passed legislation to reauthorize the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program and provide aid to parents and children, avert a nationwide rail strike, and support human rights and democracy in Iran.
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| Rep. Eshoo presiding over the House floor on Tuesday, November 30, 2022. |
Major Votes in the House This Week
Railway Labor Agreement
This week, I voted for and the House passed urgent legislation to prevent a nationwide railroad strike that would have devastating effects on our nation’s economy. Under the Railway Labor Act, Congress has the power to prevent a strike by passing legislation requiring all parties to accept a collective bargaining agreement. The legislation I voted for adopts the Tentative Agreement between railroad workers, unions, and rail companies that was brokered by the Biden Administration in September and approved by the members of a majority of railroad unions.
This agreement secures important advances for rail workers, including a 24 percent pay raise over five years, unpaid leave for routine medical procedures, and no increase in copays, deductibles, or coinsurance costs through 2024. This legislation passed in the Senate and was signed into law by President Biden today.
A separate bill I voted for made improvements to the Tentative Agreement by providing workers with seven days of paid sick leave, a critical benefit that all workers deserve. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans blocked this legislation.
Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act
I’m a sponsor of legislation that passed this week to reauthorize the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. The program aids new parents and their children from before birth through kindergarten with in-home support which has proven to advance maternal and children health, family safety and stability, child development, and school readiness. The bill honors the late Congresswoman Jackie Walorski, who died in a car crash while serving her constituents in August this year.
Resolution Condemning the Persecution of the Baha’i Minority in Iran
This week, I voted for a resolution to condemn the Iranian government’s persecution of its Baha’i minority. The Baha’i people are Iran’s largest non-Muslim minority and are persecuted due to their religious beliefs. According to the UN, Baha’is in Iran are subjected to unwarranted arrests, unjust imprisonment, beatings, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
This resolution condemns the systematic persecution of Baha’is in Iran; urges the President to impose sanctions on Iranian officials responsible for human rights abuses; and calls for Iran to immediately release unjustly imprisoned Baha’is. As the Iranian people bravely protest for human rights and democracy, I will strongly support legislative efforts to hold the Iranian regime accountable for their brutal repression.
Letters Anna Sent This Week
Increase Social Security Administration Funding
Since 2010, the Social Security Administration’s administrative budget has fallen by more than 14 percent after adjusting for inflation, while the number of beneficiaries has gone up by approximately 20 percent. This has led to growing backlogs, lengthy delays, and significant hardship for those seeking to access Social Security benefits and services. I sent a letter with colleagues this week urging the House Appropriations Committee to increase funding for the Social Security Administration so it can improve customer service and reduce harmful delays for my constituents and beneficiaries across the country.
Funding for Santa Clara County Public Health
This week I announced a $16.5 million federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the Santa Clara County Health Department to improve critical public health infrastructure. This funding will be invested in our public health workforce and data infrastructure to ensure the Santa Clara Public Health Department can continue to respond to Covid, while preparing for future public health challenges.
FCC Implements Anna’s Bill to Increase National Security
For over a decade I’ve fought to address vulnerabilities in our telecommunications infrastructure that directly impact our national security. Equipment made by companies linked to the Chinese Communist Party increases the vulnerabilities of our telecommunication systems and puts the privacy and safety of Americans at risk.
This week the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to issue the necessary regulations to implement my bipartisan bill, the Secure Equipment Act, which prohibits the importation or sale of communications equipment deemed a threat to national security in the United States. This rule will strengthen our telecommunications network and protect Americans’ privacy and data security.
Telephone Hall Meeting
On Thursday I held a Telephone Town Hall Meeting with Dr. David Relman, M.D., Chief of Infectious Diseases at the VA Palo Alto, to answer public health questions and other policy questions about my work in Congress. We had 1,735 constituents join the call. You can listen to a recording of the meeting HERE.
Covid-19 and Flu Vaccines
The FDA authorized the bivalent Covid-19 booster for children ages 5 years and older. This booster targets the highly contagious Omicron variant of Covid-19, as well as the original strain of Covid-19.
Those 5 years and older who had a Covid booster at least two months ago are now eligible for this new booster. You can sign up immediately for a free appointment at your county’s website below, and it’s very easy to do.
San Mateo County Santa Cruz County Santa Clara County
Flu season is upon us! The flu and Covid-19 vaccines are safe to receive together, and most vaccination centers will have both available. Learn where you can get your flu vaccine here: www.vaccines.gov/find-vaccines
In the Words of My Constituents
Every week hundreds of constituents call and write to me to express their concerns, share their passions, and ask questions regarding legislation and policies. Over 124,261 constituents have contacted me this year. I actually read every communication and every constituent receives a personal response to their specific questions and comments from me. This week, 1,409 constituents contacted me about issues including:
- 147 messages in support of holding the former president responsible for the crimes committed on January 6, 2021
- 75 messages in support of raising the corporate tax rate
- 68 messages in support of the National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act
Anna’s Work in the News
Recommended Reading
- How a Faction of the Republican Party Enables Political Violence—New York Times
- Alzheimer’s Drug May Benefit Some Patients, New Data Shows—New York Times
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I close with this thought. Always know how deeply grateful I am for the trust you’ve placed in me to represent you. I work daily to live up to it.
Sincerely, 
Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress