DeSaulnier Digest
Last week was one for the record books.
Wednesday was a historic day in the U.S. House of Representatives when Michael Cohen, the President's former personal attorney, testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee in a public hearing about the President's alleged criminal activity. Sitting in the room, as a member of the Oversight Committee, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to other historic Congressional hearings, like the Watergate investigation when White House Counsel John Dean told the world about President Nixon's crimes.
After changing our schedule for the Trump shutdown and spending 7 straight weeks of voting in Washington, DC, we were finally able to spend a week at home meeting with constituents, hosting a town hall, and renaming a Richmond post office.
As we prepare for a busy week in Washington, DC where we will tackle gun violence prevention, the President's emergency declaration, and question Michael Cohen during an Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, we wanted to share highlights from our work over the past week in Contra Costa.
Last week, the House and Senate came to a rare bipartisan compromise and passed a bill to fund the government and address some border security concerns. While it was not everything we wanted (more on that below), Congress cannot continue to govern by shutdowns.
Tomorrow, I am hosting a town hall in Concord. Please join me to hear more about the deal, the President's emergency declaration, the recent shutdown, and what Democrats plan to do in the Majority.
We are less than two weeks away from another Trump Shutdown, if the President does not abandon his demands for an ineffective border wall. In the U.S. House of Representatives, my colleagues and I are working hard to keep our government open, funded, and functioning properly.
On Friday, after 35 days of holding our government hostage, inflicting financial hardship on 800,000 federal employees and their families, opening Americans up to new security and safety concerns, and hurting our economy, President Trump finally agreed to reopen the federal government.
Today marks one month since Donald Trump shut down the government over his demands for a wall along our Southern Border. As a result of this shutdown, 800,000 federal workers are expected to miss their second paycheck, our economy has slowed, and many of our government services remain closed--jeopardizing safety and leaving many Americans on edge.
AT A GLANCE
In this week's Digest you will find information on:
Today marks the 24th day of the Trump Shutdown-the longest shutdown in American history. Before we provide you with an update, we wanted to take a moment to recognize the incredible hardship and sacrifice being made by the 800,000 federal employees, 37,000 of whom live in California, who missed their first regularly-scheduled paycheck last Friday. |
Last week we officially rang in the 116th Congress and the new Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives. Being sworn-in as your Representative in the historic Capitol Building is a privilege I do not take for granted. I hope you enjoy some photos of the festivities below.
Day 1 of the 116th Congress
Surrounded by my family for the ceremonial swearing-in with Speaker Pelosi.