Newsletter - June 27, 2023

A MESSAGE FROM CONGRESSWOMAN KAMLAGER-DOVE:

Dear Friend,

Last week, I spoke on the House Floor about the continued criminalization of women and girls in the year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. Additionally, the LA Times published a story about my work in criminal justice reform, and I introduced new legislation to honor the legacy of Black artists and uplift music education as African American Music Appreciation Month comes to an end. I celebrated Juneteenth in Leimert Park, joining many of you to commemorate the importance of Black history as we continue to push for progress and equality for all Black Americans. In this week's newsletter, you will also find some great resources about infrastructure improvements coming to Los Angeles, the Medi-Cal renewal process, and LA Schools' Universal Transitional Kindergarten.

ONE YEAR POST ROE V. WADE

This past weekend marked one year since the Court overturned Roe v. Wade. I spoke on the House Floor to call out the criminalization of women and girls across the country. The continued attacks on our bodily autonomy and restricted access to abortion care must end now. It's time to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act. House Democrats joined together last week to sign a discharge petition, which has the power to force a vote on the House Floor. We needed just eight Republicans to join us to pass this critical bill and help enact reproductive freedom into law. Unfortunately, not even eight Republicans had the courage to sign the discharge petition and bring this essential legislation to the Floor for a vote.

They show us every day what they stand for, and it is not for the rights of women and girls – especially Black and Brown women who we know have been disproportionately impacted by negative health outcomes in our health care system. I will never stop working to secure reproductive rights once and for all.

The Biden Administration has been a strong partner in this fight and helped secure protections for women across the nation by protecting access to abortion, including medication abortion, supporting women's rights to travel for medical care, safeguarding access to contraception and patient privacy, and much more. To learn more about the Administration's actions to protect reproductive rights, click here.

To watch my full remarks, click here.

IN THE NEWS: MY WORK ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM

More must be done to prevent formerly incarcerated women from facing food insecurity and other challenges upon release. In Congress, I am fighting for holistic reentry services like the Women in Criminal Justice Reform Act and the One Stop Shop Reentry Program Act. Read more about my work in this recent LA Times article.

NEW LEGISLATION

I was glad to join Congressman Gregory Meeks and Senator Cory Booker in introducing a bicameral resolution recognizing the contributions of African American music to America’s musical heritage, addressing the need for greater access to music education for African American students, and supporting the designation of June 2023 as African American Music Appreciation Month. We must continue to uplift the work of Black artists and shine a light on their importance and integral influence on the music industry and American culture.

To learn more about this resolution, click here.

INVESTING IN AMERICA AGENDA IN CALIFORNIA 

The Biden-Harris Administration recently launched Invest.gov to widely publicize  interactive maps with national, state, and local data that demonstrate the implementation of the Investing in America agenda, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. In addition, it provides data on private investments that these laws helped generate and information on how these programs provide jobs and lower costs for Americans. 

This site will be updated regularly as House Democrats continue to make sure these programs reach Americans across the nation and propel us into a future of innovation and improved infrastructure. To see how California is impacted, click here.

MEDI-CAL RENEWAL PROCESS

Medi-Cal has resumed its renewal process as of April 1, 2023, aiming to redetermine eligibility for approximately 15 million Californians. An estimated two to three million enrollees are expected to no longer be eligible for Medi-Cal and may qualify for alternative coverage options, including Covered California. To learn more about preventing lapses in coverage, click here.

UNIVERSAL TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN

CA-37 parents – if your child will be 4 years old by September 1 of the school year, they may be eligible for LA Schools' free Universal Transitional Kindergarten. To find out more, click here.

JUNETEENTH

It was great to celebrate the holiday in Leimert Park earlier this month! Juneteenth is a reminder that policies aimed at erasing Black stories persist. We must always fight against these injustices and recognize Black history!

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove at Juneteenth celebration with Councilman Harris-Dawson, Assemblymember Bryan, Councilwoman Hutt, Senator Bradford, and Supervisor Mitchell.

As always, I encourage you to contact my offices with any comments or concerns about my work in Congress, the 37th District, or any other matters. Please connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up to date on my work in Congress. If you are experiencing issues with Social Security, passports, immigration, or another Federal agency, send in a casework request, and my staff will be happy to assist you. 

Sincerely,

kamlager-dove.house.gov