Response to the Shooting in Parkland, Florida
Dear Contra Costa Residents:
As we continue to grieve the loss of 17 innocent lives in Parkland, Florida, we will be hosting a town hall to discuss gun violence prevention. I hope you will join us for this important conversation.
Gun Violence Prevention Town Hall
Saturday, February 24, 2018
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Stanley Middle School, Multi-Use Room
3455 School Street
Lafayette, CA 94549
In case you missed it, I shared my thoughts following the shooting last week. You can watch by clicking the video below.
If you are unable to attend our gun violence prevention town hall, I will be hosting my 60th town hall and mobile district office hour since taking office in January of 2015 next Saturday, March 3rd in Concord.
60th Town Hall in Concord
Saturday, March 3, 2018
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Ygnacio Valley High School
Multi-Use Room
755 Oak Grove Road
Concord, CA 94518
RECENT KEY VOTES
ADA Education and Reform Act (H.R. 620)
As a bedrock piece of civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) set a global standard to begin to eliminate physical barriers to access. By attempting to close a loophole that was opened with state laws, H.R. 620 puts an unfair burden on people with disabilities and sets up a system that could result in barriers to access never getting fixed. As a former small business owner, I opposed this bill, which overburdens people with disabilities. Despite my opposition, the bill passed by a vote of 225-192.
Pro-Bank, Anti-Consumer Bills
Continuing on the Republican Majority's trend to help banks make bigger profits, we voted on two bills this week (H.R. 3978 and H.R. 3299) to roll back regulations put in place to protect consumers from predatory lending. Both would subject banks and lenders to less oversight and ultimately result in consumers paying more and receiving less. I opposed these bills, both of which passed in the House.
MARK AROUND TOWN
Town Hall in Pleasant Hill
Thank you to Diablo Valley College and all who joined us for our town hall last Monday night. We had a productive conversation on the important issues facing our nation, and we are happy that so many came to participate. Stay up-to-date on the town halls and other community events we are hosting by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and our new Instagram.
Greeting De La Salle High School in the Capital
I enjoyed meeting with engaged students from De La Salle High School during their visit to Washington, DC and showing them around our nation's Capitol.
Meeting with Community Leaders on DACA
I had a discussion with community leaders on the importance of protecting Dreamers in West Contra Costa County and nationwide. I will continue advocating on behalf of Dreamers and pushing for the House to return to a functioning democratic institution where bipartisan bills, whether focused on immigration or any other matter, are openly debated and voted on.
Berkeley Panel Discussion on Political Reform and Money in Politics
It was a pleasure to be included in a panel discussion hosted by the American Constitution Society at Berkeley Law on political reform and the influence of money in politics. Thank you to my fellow panelists, including Congressman John Sarbanes, Former Commissioner and Chair, Federal Elections Commission (FEC) Ann Ravel, and Executive Director of CALPIRG Emily Rusch, for an engaging conversation on one of the most pressing issues impacting our current political environment.
OPINIONS FROM THE DISTRICT
Hearing directly from you not only informs my work in Congress, but also is my favorite part of being your Representative. To share your opinions with me you can either email me or take our survey.
Below are some of the top issues you shared with me over the last week:
- 197 constituents contacted me in opposition to the President's decision to re-emphasize his dangerous commitment to our nuclear arsenal.
- 177 constituents wrote to me to express their outrage at the repeal of Network Neutrality by the FCC.
- 132 constituents sent me letters asking to pass a clean Dream Act to give Dreamers a pathway to stay in this country.
LEGISLATION MARK RECENTLY SUPPORTED
CLEARANCE Act (H.R. 5019) - in the wake of the revelations about the inadequacy of security checks being done on White House employees, I supported the CLEARANCE Act, which would require the White House report to Congress about the security clearances it grants.
Fostering Success in Higher Education Act (H.R. 3742) - helps foster and homeless youth succeed in college by improving their access to and retention in college.
Foster Youth Mentoring Act (H.R. 2952) - supports public and private community programs to provide mentoring for children in foster care.
LETTERS MARK RECENTLY SENT
DeSaulnier-led letter to Chairman Gowdy requesting a hearing on social media bots - as we learn more about the influence that social media had on the 2016 election, it is essential that we hold a hearing to uncover how social media bots swayed public opinion. I led several of my colleagues on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to call on Chairman Gowdy to hold a hearing on this timely issue as soon as possible. Read more about this effort here.
Letter to the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to request hearings on school shootings – in response to the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the other 230 school shootings that have occurred in the past five years, I joined my colleagues on the Committee requesting that we investigate what we can do to propose helpful solutions to these tragic incidents.
Letter to Chairman Gowdy on the VA Secretary's travel abuses – yet another member of the Trump Administration was discovered to have been inappropriately using public funds for travel, this time using false pretenses to pay for his wife to accompany him to Europe. I joined my colleagues on a letter requesting a hearing on this misuse of taxpayer funds.
Letter on the newly established Conscience and Religious Freedom Division – to express deep concern that the new division could be used to justify discrimination against our constituents, including women, members of the LGBT community, and persons living with HIV.
Letter to President on the use of military force in Syria – all acts of war are subject to Congressional approval. I joined a letter urging the President to produce the proof he claims to have that justifies him using military actions in Syria without Congressional approval.
MARK'S RECENT STATEMENTS
Congressman DeSaulnier's Statement on Russian Indictments
"Russia used our social media networks to sway public opinion and help elect Donald Trump President. The level of detail and intricacy with which this criminal conspiracy was executed warrants immediate action by Congress. The Special Counsel's investigation also must continue without interference from the White House. This is no hoax, it is not fake news. We must take action to protect the integrity of our democracy in advance of the 2018 election."
MARK IN THE NEWS
East Bay Times: Six decades later, South Korea seeks to award medals to U.S. vets who fought in the Forgotten War
Four representatives whose districts fall in Contra Costa County — Mike Thompson, (D-Napa), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord), Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) and Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton) — are encouraging local Korean War veterans to come forward and, DeSaulnier said, "accept the recognition they rightfully deserve."
Concord Pioneer: Congressman visits DVMS
Mark recently visited Diablo View Middle School in Clayton to speak with 8th graders about how our government works, the issues facing our country, and answer their questions about politics. Read one student's account of the visit here.
