Over the weekend, Special Counsel Mueller sent his report on the Russia investigation to President Trump's hand-picked Attorney General, William Barr. In a matter of 48-hours, AG Barr summarized and reached legal conclusions on complex matters of law and fact that Special Counsel Mueller and his team investigated for two years. What Congress and the American people received this weekend was simply a summary of AG Barr's interpretation of the findings. The Department of Justice owes it to Congress and the American people to make the full report and the underlying documents public. Anything short of this is insufficient. To hear my take on why the American people deserve transparency and accountability, keep reading. Sincerely,
Mark DeSaulnier
Member of Congress Joined Eric Shawn with Fox News to discuss the Mueller report Mark joined MSNBC's Katy Tur to discuss the Mueller report and the importance of releasing it in its entirety In this week's Digest, you will find information on: - Mark's office being named a finalist in the Democracy Awards;
- Requesting documents from Purdue Pharma on its role in the opioid epidemic; and
- Mark's work in the community.
DEMOCRACY AWARDS FINALIST For the second year in a row, Congressman DeSaulnier's office was selected as a finalist in the Democracy Awards by the Congressional Management Foundation, this time for excellence in Transparency, Accountability, and Innovation. The award honors offices for employing unique or innovative methods to serve constituents, providing clear and relevant information about its work, and making metrics of its performance public. Last year, the office was recognized for excellence in Constituent Service. Click below to hear Mark's thoughts on the honor.
Mark's Effort to Revitalize Contra Costa Canal Signed into Law Legislation Congressman DeSaulnier authored to allow for upgrades to the Contra Costa Canal, the Contra Costa Canal Transfer Act (H.R. 432), has been signed into law. The bill, which passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, was included as part of a bipartisan public lands and conservation package in the Senate (S.47). The bill transfers the title of the canal system from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD), allowing the CCWD to invest in safety and environmental improvements to the canal's infrastructure. To read more about this effort, check out the East Bay Times story:
Letter to Purdue Pharma about Its Role in the Opioid Epidemic Last week, Mark was joined by the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Elijah Cummings, in sending a letter to Purdue Pharma requesting documents about the role the Sackler family - who control the company - had in marketing addictive painkillers while simultaneously pushing addiction treatment medications. For years, Purdue Pharma marketed its highly addictive drug OxyContin as safe, resulting in millions of Americans becoming addicted to opioids. This is part of Mark's ongoing effort to hold Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic. Mark Received a Perfect Score from League of Conservation Voters Congressman DeSaulnier earned a perfect 100 percent score from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) on its 2018 National Environmental Scorecard. The report also lauded Congressman DeSaulnier's lifetime score of 99 percent. These marks reflect the Congressman's long record of advocacy for environmental issues. Read more here. Mark hosted a student town hall at Antioch High School, fielding a range of questions from an enthusiastic and engaged group of students As part of Meals on Wheels' Community Champions Week, Mark helped deliver meals to local seniors Mark participated in a policy panel as part of Temple Isaiah's Immigration Day of Learning |