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Rep DeSaulnier in hearing

Mueller Hearings and Upcoming Town Halls

July 19, 2019
DeSaulnier Digest

The upcoming week will be a busy one in Washington as the House continues its effort to hold the Administration accountable with Special Counsel Robert Mueller set to testify before Congress. With so much going on, we will host a pair of town halls to provide Contra Costa residents with the latest information.

  • On Wednesday, July 24th, we will host a Facebook town hall to answer questions about the special counsel's appearance and report. Start submitting your questions now in the comment section here.
  • On Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m., we will host an in-person town hall in Danville to hear your thoughts. Click the graphic below to RSVP.

We hope you will join us for one or both!

Sincerely,
Signature
Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress

AT A GLANCE

In this week's Digest, you will find information on Congressman DeSaulnier's:

  • Vote to proceed with impeachment and condemn actions taken by the Administration;
  • Bill to increase access to higher education for low-income students; and
  • Visits in Washington and at home.

LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Mark's Vote to Proceed with Impeachment

As a matter of principle, I support starting impeachment proceedings. Last week, I cast my third vote in favor of moving forward with impeachment hearings. Unfortunately, this motion was defeated by a vote of 95-to-332.

Mark's Vote to Hold Attorney General Barr and Commerce Secretary Ross in Criminal Contempt of Congress

For more than three months, Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr have refused to cooperate with Congress's request for key documents on the decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 Census. Even now that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Administration's actions were illegal, they refuse to comply. Last Wednesday, I voted to hold Attorney General Barr and Secretary Ross in criminal contempt – which will now be referred to the Department of Justice. The resolution passed by a vote of 230-to-198.

Mark's Vote to Condemn the President's Racist Remarks

The President's comments about four Members of Congress last weekend were racist, xenophobic, and wholly inappropriate. His intentions are clear – he is using hate speech to divide our country. Last Tuesday, I joined with all of my Democratic colleagues and a few Republicans to vote for a resolution (H.Res. 489) to condemn these remarks. The resolution passed by a vote of 240-to-187. I am deeply disappointed that more Republicans did not stand united with us against hate.

Congressman DeSaulnier Authors Bipartisan Bill to Make College More Affordable for Low-Income Students

The cost of a college education is not limited to tuition. Textbooks, off-campus housing, transportation, and child care can account for 60 to 80 percent of the total cost of higher education and those expenses continue to rise each year. To help ease that burden, Congressman DeSaulnier authored the Pell Grant Flexibility Act (H.R. 3803), commonsense legislation to protect low-income students from being taxed on using their Pell Grants for non-tuition goods and services. The bill was supported by 23 organizations.

To read more, click HERE.

BY THE NUMBERS

Congressman DeSaulnier's Cancer Survivors Caucus Visits the National Cancer Institute

Advances in cancer research and innovative medical breakthroughs at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) are helping to save lives. There were an estimated 15.5 million cancer survivors living in the United States in 2018, and we are more equipped than ever before to help new patients navigate a diagnosis. Last week, Mark was joined by his co-chair of the Cancer Survivors Caucus, Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA), and Caucus member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) to meet with the NCI Director, Dr. Douglas Lowy, be briefed by a panel of experts on patient-provider communication, and tour some of the NCI's state of the art facilities.

Truck Safety Coalition Presents Congressman DeSaulnier with Leadership Award

Last Wednesday, the Truck Safety Coalition presented Congressman DeSaulnier with its Leadership Award recognizing the Congressman's efforts to make our roads safer by preventing truck underride crashes. Each year, truck underride collisions claim at least 300 lives. To protect drivers from these fatal crashes, in March, Congressman DeSaulnier, along with Congressman Cohen (D-TN), introduced the Stop Underrides Act(H.R. 1511),which would require underride guards on the sides and front of trucks to help prevent vehicles from sliding underneath a truck in an accident.

Mark Convenes Democratic Caucus Meeting to Help Foster an Open and Honest Discussion About Race in America

This past week, while Donald Trump used his platform to espouse racism and undermine our American values, Mark and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) convened a group of Representatives from across the country in a discussion about race in America. The meeting highlighted an initiative Mark launched in February 2018 in the Bay Area, titled "A Conversation on Race." Since launching the effort, Mark has held town hall meetings in the Bay Area to bring communities together to engage in an open and honest conversation on race relations with leading researchers and experts. During the Caucus dinner, the Members discussed how similar conversations could be replicated across the country in order to facilitate more understanding, healing, and progress.

By The Numbers: A Look At Why We Need a Nationwide "Conversation on Race"

  • Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe racism is still a major problem in American society and politics.
  • Some 56% of Americans think the president has made race relations worse.
  • More than four-in-ten Americans say the country has not made enough progress toward racial equality.
  • One in four African Americans and Native Americans, and one in five Hispanics, live in poverty. One in 10 white Americans live in poverty.
  • Nearly 10% of all young African American men are incarcerated – a rate that is almost six times as high as that of young white men.
  • African Americans are three times as likely to be killed by police than white Americans.
  • Nationwide, predominantly nonwhite school districts receive an average of $2,226 less in funding per pupil enrolled than predominantly white school districts.
  • In 2016, life expectancy for an African American male was nearly five years lower than that of a white American male, while white American women exceeded African American women in life expectancy by approximately three years.
  • Employment for African American men has been lower than other men's employment in every month since 1940 (when data became available), and 11 to 15 percentage points lower than other men's employment in every month since January 2000.

Office Locations

503 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515
Phone: (202) 225-2095
Fax: (202) 225-5609
4703 Lone Tree Way
Antioch, CA  94531
Phone: (925) 754-0716
Fax: (925) 754-0728
3100 Oak Road
Suite 110
Walnut Creek, CA  94597
Phone: (925) 933-2660
Fax: (925) 933-2677