Welcome to Catch Up With Young Kim, my weekly e-newsletter to get you the latest on my work for you in Congress.

My team and I are here to serve you. If you ever need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. I also encourage you to receive real-time updates on my work for you in Congress by following me on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.

We are all so grateful for our brave first responders who are working day and night to contain the Airport Fire, which has spread over 23,000 acres and injured at least five firefighters and two civilians.

My team and I will do all we can to assist at the federal level. We are here to serve you always.

If you need assistance or have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my team at (714) 984-2440, and we are updating available resources on our website HERE or at the botton below.

CAL FIRE is operating in unified command with Orange County Fire Authority and Riverside County Fire Department. View general updates on the fire HERE and status reports HERE or on the Watch Duty app HERE.

The OC Emergency Operations Center is operating a Public Information Hotline to answer any questions about the Airport Fire at 714-628-7085.

Information on OC evacuation orders, road closures, animal shelters, USPS, and more can also be found on the OC Sheriff’s Department website HERE.

To receive emergency alerts, sign up for AlertOC for Orange County or AlertRivCo for Riverside County.

Praying for a speedy recovery for the eight first responders injured last night and rallying with their loved ones.

We are so grateful for the brave men and women working around the clock to keep us safe.

Great to see so many students and families at our Service Academy Info Session at the Lake Forest Performing Arts Center to learn more about attending one of our nation’s service academies. Nominating our best and brightest young leaders is truly a privilege. Thank you for coming!

Good news! This week, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the House Natural Resources Committee passed the bipartisan Wildfire Technology DEMO Act. I’m leading this bipartisan bill to test wildfire technologies, so we can get the latest tools in the hands of first responders as quickly as possible.

Small businesses are essential to our communities, creating jobs and growing our local economies.

I’m humbled to receive the National Federation of Independent Business' (NFIB) Small Business Guardian Award, and I will always be a voice for small businesses in Congress.

Rising housing costs only make life harder for our homeless population to get back on their feet.

This week, I helped introduce the bipartisan Transitional Housing Protection for the Homeless Act, which aims to bridge the gap in affordable housing and provide hope to those struggling.

I had the opportunity to catch up with veterans and community organizations at the Veteran Stand Down and Resource Fair in Tustin put on by the Tierney Center and VA Long Beach.

Thank for your service and dedication to our community!

The planned Laguna Hills DMV office closure will redirect 855,000 South County residents to a smaller facility in San Clemente and especially hurt our seniors, as drivers over age 70 must pass a DMV vision test in-person. I wrote a letter urging the California DMV director for answers. Learn more HERE or at the button below.

Language barriers shouldn't keep patients from accessing vital healthcare services. I'm glad SPEAK Act passed the House this week to establish best practices to reduce barriers and ensure Americans of all backgrounds can access the care and resources they need. Learn more HERE or at the button below.

Thank you to Denis Bilodeau for coming by to discuss Orange County Water District’s PFAS clean-up efforts to bring clean drinking water to our communities and protect the public health. I’ve been proud to secure community project funding to support this important initiative

This week at the House Financial Services' National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Institutions Subcommittee hearing, I asked Treasury Department officials and Santa Clara County's Deputy District Attorney about the alarming threat of fraud faced by Americans. Scams that threaten the hopes and dreams of Americans are one of the purest forms of evil.

Supporting women, babies, and families is personal after experiencing difficulties of pregnancy firsthand and seeing my kids face challenges as they start their own families.

Proud to be named a Healthy Birth Day, Inc. Champion for leading the SHINE for Autumn Act! Learn more HERE or at the button below.

Made my day on Wednesday to see familiar faces in town from Orange County with Association of California Cities, Orange County.

I’m glad to have devoted partners at the local level to work together with to keep our CA-40 communities prosperous and safe.

At this week's House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing titled the, "Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific," I urged Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable in the Indo-Pacific. I'll keep working with our partners in the region to strengthen economic and national security relationships and counter Xi Jinping's coercion.

America’s youth are in crisis. We must ensure children receive care and resources they need to achieve their dream.

That's why I'm leading leading a bipartisan resolution to recognize September as National Children's Emotional Wellness Month.

Jimmy Lai was arrested four years ago under Beijing’s draconian “national security law."

His son Sebastien Lai joined me and other bipartisan members of the House and Senate for his release and to highlight the Hong Kong government’s unjust crackdown on the rights of Hong Kongers.

This week, I wished a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival to all who are celebrating in CA-40 and across the nation. I hope you took time to gather with loved ones, appreciate life’s blessings, and enjoy mooncakes!

Delays in court cases due to understaffing have led to serious public concerns and distrust of our justice system.

This week, I helped introduce the bipartisan Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act to add more judges, avoid delays, and ensure a transparent, effective U.S. justice system. Learn more HERE or at the button below.

On Monday, I wished our Korean American community a happy Chuseok! I hope you were able to spend time with loved ones and give thanks for life’s blessings.

모두 즐거운 추석이 되시기를 기원합니다. 가족들과 뜻깊은 시간을 보내시며 받은 복을 세어보는 기쁨과 소망이 가득한 한가위를 맞이하시기 바랍니다.

Delivering for CA-40 is my top priority.

In Congress, I secured resources through the FY24 appropriations packages for vital projects in CA-40 that protect public health, support law enforcement, and keep our communities safe.

My office is seeing an increase in casework requests related to cybercrimes. As we see hackers use sophisticated tactics to take your personal information, please remain vigilant and be careful of suspicious links, calls, and messages. If something seems suspect, trust your instinct and do not click. 

My team and I are here to serve you.

In addition to our offices in Anaheim Hills and Mission Viejo, please don’t hesitate to stop by our mobile office hours: 

• Chino Hills Mobile Office Hours every Wednesday from 9AM-1PM at the City Clerk’s Office- 14000 City Center Drive, 2nd floor, Chino Hills
• Laguna Woods Mobile Office Hours the third Thursday of each month from 9AM-1PM at Laguna Woods City Hall- 24264 El Toro Road Laguna Woods, CA
• El Modena Mobile Office Hours first the Thursday of each month from 10AM-2PM at El Modena Branch Library-380 S Hewes Street Orange, CA.

To receive in-person assistance from my team on any casework you need help on. As always, you can call my office at (714) 984-2440 or (949) 268-6706 or visit my website at youngkim.house.gov.

Are you traveling planning travel for this year? Stop what you’re doing and check your passport!  

Processing times are now 6-8 weeks (routine) or 2-3 weeks (expedited, not incl. shipping). Start your renewal or application at travel.state.gov/passport.

Passport processing times are the fastest they’ve been since March 2020. Take advantage and apply or renew now so that you’re ready for international travel in the new year. 

Travel Tip -- Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your departure. Look up your destination’s entry requirements at travel.state.gov/destination and check your passport expiration date before booking flights.

Travelers are encouraged to wait to book international travel until a valid passport is physically in hand, apply for a new or renewed passport 9 months prior to travel, and ensure that their passport doesn’t expire within 6 months of their international travel dates.

If your pending application was filed with routine service and you have upcoming travel, you may benefit from upgrading to expedited service. Please dial (877) 487-2778 to upgrade to expedited service and shipping.  

Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can assist you in any way at (714) 984-2440.  

The Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution as tensions around the world increase the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution. 

U.S. citizens should:

• Stay alert in locations frequented by tourists.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive information and alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency overseas.
• Follow the Department of State on Facebook and Twitter and visit travel.state.gov.

If you are traveling abroad or are abroad please check the destination warning levels travel.state.gov, and be sure to register for the STEP program even if you are abroad. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at my website or at (714) 984-2440 if you have any questions or need assistance.

If you need help with a federal agency, please reach out to my office. We’re here to serve you always.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Young Kim