The DeSaulnier Digest: TONIGHT: Town Hall on Safety at Local Refineries
Make sure to register for tonight's Town Hall on Safety at Local Refineries at 6:30 p.m. at John Muir Elementary School in Martinez. This will be an opportunity to hear from experts in the field about how we can best protect the health, safety, and quality of life of our community and to have your questions answered. To RSVP, click here or on the image below. We hope you can join us!
Sincerely,
Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress
IN THE NEWS
DeSaulnier spoke with KQED regarding the continuing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza and the Netanyahu government's role in the hunger crisis. Tune in by clicking here or on the image below to hear Congressman DeSaulnier's remarks following the devastating reports from the UN:
IN COMMITTEE
DeSaulnier Celebrates Democratic Action to Save Pensions
In 2021, the multiemployer pension system was on the brink of collapse. Many multiemployer plans were at imminent risk of failing and hundreds of thousands of retirees in the United States would have been affected. If plans failed, workers and retirees would have lost nearly all of their hard-earned pensions. After a lack of action from the ex-Trump Administration, Congressional Democrats stepped in and passed a law creating the Special Financial Assistance Program, which put these pension plans back on track and to date has saved the pensions or more than 775,000 people. At a recent hearing of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee at the Committee on Education and the Workforce, DeSaulnier in his role as the top Democrat on the Subcommittee pointed to the critical work we did to save Americans’ secure retirement. To hear more, click here or on the image below.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Congressman DeSaulnier Attends USCIS Naturalization Ceremony
Mark attended USCIS' Naturalization Ceremony in Martinez and joined in celebration as some of our nation's newest citizens were sworn in. Congressman DeSaulnier was honored to join as the keynote speaker and to speak about the privileges and responsibilites of being an American.
Team DeSaulnier Celebrates Grand Opening of Mokelumme Trail Bike & Pedestrian Overcrossing with CCTA
Increasing pedestrian safety and accessibility is important and keeps our communities connected. Our office was proud to join the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) for the ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening of the Mokelumme Trail Bike and Pedestrian Overcrossing in Brentwood.
Congressman DeSaulnier Sits Down with MCE
Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing affordable and effective clean energy alternatives is a top priority for Mark. He sat down with Marin Clean Energy (MCE) to discuss their plans for increasing their infrastructure network and continuing to provide clean energy alternatives to families across the Bay Area.
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
Rep. DeSaulnier Votes to Avert Government Shutdown
Nearly six months after the original deadline, House Republicans finally compromised with House Democrats to pass the outstanding bills needed to avert a government shutdown and fund all federal agencies through September 2024. The bill successfully keeps federal support intact for education, health care, and more. As a compromise, the package was not perfect and included pieces Congressman DeSaulnier opposed, but it was the best deal we could get while simultaneously ensuring that Americans continue to receive the support they rely on from the federal government. The funding package (H.R. 2882) passed by a vote of 286-to-134 and has since been signed into law.
Mark Opposes Republican Attacks on Clean Energy and Water
This past week, House Republicans brought forward six anti-clean energy and water bills that would jeopardize human and environmental health. Despite the Congressman’s strong opposition, all of the bills passed the House. The bills include:
- H.R. 1121, which would unnecessarily prohibit the President from declaring a moratorium on fracking for oil and gas, something the President has never said he would do. This bill passed by a vote of 229-to-188.
- H.R. 6009, which would prevent the Bureau of Land Management from implementing reforms for oil and gas produced on public lands and require companies to be responsible for cleaning up orphaned oil wells. This bill passed by a vote of 216-to-200.
- A resolution stating that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the economy (H.Con.Res. 86), even though a carbon tax has long been considered an impactful avenue to address climate change. This bill passed by a vote of 222-to-196.
- H.R. 7023, which would roll back vital parts of the Clean Water Act in order to promote destructive mining and pipeline projects, along with limiting the EPA’s ability to regulate water quality standards. This bill passed by a vote of 213-to-205.
- A resolution denouncing the energy policies of the Biden Administration (H.Res. 987). This bill passed by a vote of 217-to-200.
- H.R. 1023, which would repeal two important programs (the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the Methane Emissions Reduction Program) that are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This bill passed by a vote of 209-to-204.
POST OF THE WEEK
BY THE NUMBERS
