My favorite part of being a Congressperson is how much I get to learn, including by listening to Orange County families. To all those who took the time to attend one of our 3⃣4⃣ in-person and virtual town halls over the past two years, thank you. Some highlights ⬇️
In May 2019, our office hosted a town hall focusing on the needs of older Orange County residents. I miss hosting in-person town halls, hearing directly from members of our community about the issues that matter most to them.
I’m humbled that so many made their voices heard during a town hall earlier this year on the 2021 budget. I’m committed to being a responsible steward of our tax dollars—and that means making sure they’re spent in a way that’s consistent with our values.
Since the start of the pandemic, our office has worked tirelessly to have safe conversations with members of our community. Back in March, we hosted one of our pandemic telephone town halls to answer questions from Orange County families about COVID-19.
I’m so impressed by our young people, including our talented @UCIrvine students. In October, @asuci invited me to chat about my policy priorities during a virtual town hall. We discussed the college affordability crisis, tackling climate change, and more.
We should prioritize workers, not large corporations. Yet, Mitch McConnell is fighting tooth and nail to let corporations off the hook if their workers get COVID-19 on the job, and he’s holding pandemic relief hostage at the expense of millions in the process. (1/5)
McConnell is claiming this policy is to help small businesses, but there’s already an existing legal standard to protect businesses that are acting reasonably: negligence. The Senate wants to wipe this away and let corporations off the hook for endangering workers. (2/5)
The reality is that corporate immunity would give companies the green light to put profits before people. We’ve already seen evidence of this life-threatening behavior, including right here in Orange County. (3/5)
When I came to Congress, I knew I had a responsibility to pull back the curtain for the American people and expose corruption in real time. So, I’m filling you in on Senator McConnell’s attempts over the last 8 days to tank a *bipartisan* COVID relief bill. (THREAD)
You may have heard that Democrats and Republicans have agreed upon spending $900 billion to fund another round of small business loans, support hospitals and essential workers, and help the 10 million people who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. (2/5)
Everyone at the negotiating table—including Senate Rs—has agreed to a compromise. Except one. Mitch McConnell is refusing to bring it to the floor unless it wipes away all COVID-related lawsuits filed that “allege injury or death” due to corporate negligence. (3/5)
No matter how we look at the data—by race, by sector, by income—it's clear the burden of the pandemic is falling hardest on women. Today, our office released a report detailing how decades of progress could be erased unless we take action. (THREAD)
Since the start of this crisis, 22 percent of all women have left the workforce. There are several reasons for this. First of all, women—especially women of color—are overrepresented in industries that have been hit hardest by COVID-19, like food service and health care. (2/10)
Moreover, lack of support from both government and employers for balancing work and home responsibilities is pushing women out of the workforce. While men have become increasingly involved, women still typically bear the brunt of housework and childcare responsibilities. (3/10)
The Paycheck Protection Program was supposed to help small businesses. Yet, new data makes it clear that absent aggressive, real time oversight, millions of taxpayer dollars went out the door to some of the largest companies and national chains. (1/5)
Since April, I've been urging the Administration to disclose data on exactly which businesses were getting these forgivable loans. I introduced legislation to make this information publicly available so the American people could have confidence in the PPP *in real time*. (2/5)
The Administration resisted, and now we know why: a majority of PPP funds went to just a fraction of recipients--including Trump and Kushner properties. Meanwhile, millions are unemployed and small businesses are struggling to stay open. (3/5)
Absent action from the Senate, key COVID relief measures are set to expire at the end of the month, including expanded unemployment assistance, an eviction moratorium, and student loan forbearance. These are critical programs that millions of families rely on. 🧵⬇️
We are facing unemployment numbers unlike anything in generations. If Congress does not act, as many as 13 million Americans—including gig workers, independent contractors, and the self-employed—will lose the aid that’s helping them make ends meet. (2/5)
Also expiring? A memorandum prohibiting evictions. Our country has long faced a housing affordability crisis that demands comprehensive, bold action. In the meantime, extending the memorandum is essential for reducing the spread of COVID-19. (3/5)
Last year, @HHSGov found that more than half of the federal contractors responsible for transporting lifesaving organs were failing baseline performance measures, resulting in *thousands* of potential donations falling through the cracks and countless lives lost. (1/5)
Last October, I reached out to @HHSGov and @CMSGov about the lack of oversight and reporting requirements for these contractors, known as Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs). Several weeks later, @CMSGov issued a proposed rule to hold OPOs accountable. (2/5)
But these contractors tried to fight back. They claimed @HHSGov should delay making changes until after the pandemic. This made no sense to @RepKarenBass and me, especially given the risks COVID poses to many patients in organ failure. (3/5)