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.

I led a bipartisan letter with to find out why the Cleveland National Forest refused Orange County Fire Authority support just months before wildfire season and the Airport Fire. 
 
I’m demanding answers on why this request to assist was denied.

Our first responders need all tools available to protect our communities and respond to the ever-changing threat wildfires pose.

I'm thrilled the DEMO Act, my bipartisan bill to develop and deploy emerging technologies for wildfire response, is included in the Fix Our Forests Act that passed the House this week.

Reducing barriers to wildfire mitigation can save lives. This week, I helped introduce the Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to bridge any barriers to wildfire mitigation and ensure our first responders can do their jobs as effectively as possible.

Awesome to catch up with Corona Chamber of Commerce members in DC and discuss my work to cut regulatory costs and help entrepreneurs access capital. I'll always be a voice for our CA-40 small businesses!

Great to see the Santa Margarita Water District team and hear updates on their work to address PFAS contamination and the Mission Viejo Brine Line project I secured funding for to create more recycled water for our South Orange County communities. Thank you for coming by!

Oil sales are the Iran regime’s primary source of revenue, which it uses to back its terrorist proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

We cannot allow Iran to evade U.S. sanctions. I joined a bipartisan letter urging the State Department to enforce U.S. sanctions authorities.

Last month marked 3 years since the Biden-Harris administration's catastrophic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

I’ll keep pressing for answers and accountability for our Gold Star families, veterans, and the American people.

Amazing to meet the Silvey Family from Mission Viejo and Ikkanda Family from Chino Hills before their tour of the U.S. Capitol. If you and your family are planning to visit Washington DC and would like a tour, please let my team know HERE or at the button below. We are always happy to have you!

Unfortunately, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men experience military sexual trauma (MST) during their time in service.

I'm proud to help introduce a bipartisan resolution this week to shine light on MST survivors as we work to expand access to resources.

September marks National Children’s Emotional Wellness Month. Far too many young Americans suffer from depression and anxiety.

I'm grateful for our mental health care providers and local nonprofits who help our children and families. Together, we will create a better future.

Small businesses support local economies, create jobs, and keep our communities running.
I'm honored to be named the Small Business Investor Alliance's Small Business Investing Champion. I’ll always do my part to support entrepreneurs.

Amazing to meet college students in town for the Richard Nixon Foundation's Grand Strategy Summit! I’m so proud to represent the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda and excited to see young leaders from our area and across the nation step up to ensure America continues to lead on the world stage.

This week, on the House Financial Services Committee, I asked SEC Commissioners about the overlap between new and existing regulations and emphasized that overregulation makes it harder for small business owners.

"Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."- Korean War Veterans Memorial

On Sunday, we recognize Veterans of Foreign Wars Day. Thank you to our veterans who fought overseas for freedom and families like mine. We are forever grateful.

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