The DeSaulnier Digest: Attorney General Contempt Vote and Supreme Court Gun Ruling
AT A GLANCE
In this week's Digest you will find information on:
- Mark's opposition to political and partisan vote to hold Attorney General in contempt;
- Mark's efforts on the House Education & the Workforce Committee to support workers; and
- A meeting with gun violence prevention advocates.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Congressman DeSaulnier Votes Against Partisan Resolution to Hold Attorney General in Contempt
Since Republicans took the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives last January, they have spent 18 months and tens of millions of taxpayer dollars playing political games and searching for damaging information on President Joe Biden rather than doing the work of the American people. After failing to find evidence that could be used to impeach President Biden, House Republicans have turned their focus to Attorney General Merrick Garland. Last week, the House considered a resolution charging Attorney General Garland with contempt of Congress for declining to provide an audio recording of President Biden’s conversation with Special Council Robert Hur, who at the time was investigating the President’s handling of classified documents and who has since cleared President Biden of all wrongdoing. Releasing the audio recording would undermine DOJ’s ability to conduct high-profile investigations and is unnecessary as the Department of Justice has already provided a complete transcript of the conversation to the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees. Congressman DeSaulnier opposed this resolution when it came to a vote, but it ultimately passed the House by a vote of 216-to-207.
Mark Votes Against Bloated Defense Budget
Every year, Congress must pass a bill to authorize funding and set policy priorities for the Department of Defense. While the defense budget increases year after year, the Pentagon has not completed a full audit, leaving large sums of money unaccounted for. This year, the national defense authorization bill (H.R. 8070) would provide $883 billion to the Department of Defense and the bill also contains damaging provisions that would block access to reproductive health, harm LGBTQ+ Americans, and hinder efforts to fight climate change. For these reasons, Congressman DeSaulnier voted against the bill, which passed the House over his objections by a vote of 217-to-199.
IN COMMITTEE
DeSaulnier Highlights the Importance of Supporting Workers
As Republicans held their sixth hearing of the year attacking workers’ rights in the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, Congressman DeSaulnier spoke out as a former small business owner about how the wellbeing of employees is critical to the success of a company. Check it out at this link or by clicking the image below.
Mark Discusses the Impacts of the Pandemic on Public Transit
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure recently held a hearing examining ridership and revenue of public transit agencies following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic caused an unprecedented drop in transit ridership, with some systems experiencing up to a 90% drop in April 2020. Four years later, many transit systems are still struggling, and changes need to be made. The Congressman highlighted the importance of both ensuring transit operations are fiscally responsible and protecting transit workers and people who rely on transit, while adjusting to a new normal of remote work and changes in transit ridership. To see the full conversation, click here or on the image below.
IN THE NEWS
Mark Discusses Need for Oversight at Bureau of Prisons with KTVU
DeSaulnier spoke with KTVU about his latest efforts to conduct oversight of the federal prison system to ensure the kind of abuse that occurred at FCI Dublin does not happen at other facilities and to get justice for victims of this abuse. Click here or on the image below to hear Congressman DeSaulnier's remarks.
D.C. MEETINGS
Mark Sits Down with Gun Violence Prevention Advocates
As someone who has lost a loved one to gun violence, ending our nation's gun violence epidemic is of personal importance to Congressman DeSaulnier. Mark sat down with advocates from Everytown, Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, and Life Goes On Foundation to discuss commonsense solutions to this crisis. These efforts are all the more critical as the Supreme Court last week overturned a ban on bump stocks, which effectively unleashes weapons of war on our communities, making it easier for active shooters to fire hundreds of bullets in just minutes. Mark has supported legislation to ban bump stocks nationally and sincerely hopes his Republican colleagues will do so as well.
Congressman DeSaulnier Meets with Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
DeSaulnier met with Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson and County Administrator Susan Muranishto in our D.C. office to discuss efforts to improve community safety and expand access to affordable housing in the Bay Area.
POST OF THE WEEK
BY THE NUMBERS
