Dear Friend, 

As we close out 2023, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been unlike any year I have served in Congress. This year has been marked by too many votes for Speaker of the House, near government shutdowns and debt limit breaches, the ouster of George Santos, and so many more unprecedented moments. Some have dubbed it "one of the most unproductive Congresses in modern history," with only 22 bills passing both chambers and becoming law.

Despite all the craziness, I've spent the year fighting for you and the issues that matter most to San Diegans. I've worked on legislation to fight homelessness and make housing more affordable, to combat the climate crisis and lower energy prices, to help us deal with wildfire smoke and protect our forests, to tackle our nation's debt and save Social Security, to put an end to the cross-border wastewater pollution problem, and so much more.

My team has also kept up the great work, undistracted by the political drama of Washington, D.C. They have helped return a record amount of money and benefits to constituents caught up in bureaucratic red tape. They have attended hundreds of events, met with hundreds of constituents, responded to over 100,000 letters, emails, and phone calls, and lobbied on your behalf in the halls of power. Below, you will find a summary of all that my office and I have done on your behalf this year.

Entering 2024, I am hopeful that we can turn over a new leaf and solve the hard problems facing our country. I am committed to that cause and will be doing everything I can to make life just a little easier for people in San Diego.

Happy Holidays,

Wins for California's 50^th District

Legislative Highlights 

BIG WIRES Act

In September, I introduced the Building Integrated Grids With Inter-Regional Energy Supply (BIG WIRES) Act, legislation to update and streamline the country’s patchwork energy transmission system. During a heatwave, hurricane, or other natural disaster, the last thing you want is for the power to go out. It can be the difference between life and death. There is no reason neighboring electrical grids should not have the capacity to share power during these situations to avoid blackouts. The great thing is building out these wires would also greatly improve reliability, keep costs down for consumers, and help get clean energy from where it's produced to where it is used by people.

Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act
In April, I introduced the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act, which will provide grants of up to $3 million to law enforcement agencies to assist with the opening and operation of child care centers. A key goal of the legislation is to make policing a more attractive profession for women; research shows that women officers develop deeper trust with communities, are less likely to use force, and are less frequently identified in complaints and lawsuits. Earlier this month, the bill was endorsed by the Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus, which is composed of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, making the bill’s success more likely. In addition to this bill, I will continue to champion policies like extending pandemic era funding that greatly expanded child care options and passing the American Family Act, which would renew the expanded Child Tax Credit that helped cut childhood poverty in half.

Building Chips in America Act
In July, I introduced the Building Chips in America Act with Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ). The legislation will maximize the opportunity to bring microchip manufacturing back to America while maintaining environmental protections for clean air and water. Specifically, the bill streamlines National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review requirements for semiconductor manufacturing projects to maximize the impact of the CHIPS and Science Act. This bill passed the Senate just this month and I look forward to getting it through the House and onto the President's desk in 2024.

Build More Housing Near Transit Act

In November, I reintroduced the Build More Housing Near Transit Act, to tackle the housing crisis and boost public transit use. I have been garnering bipartisan support for this bill since 2019. Incentivizing the construction of more housing near transit routes has the double benefit of adding much-needed housing and connecting more people with their communities, schools, and places of work. I'm glad to have the support of local leaders like Mayor Todd Gloria and groups like Circulate San Diego for this proposal. 

2023 in Photos

Constituent Casework Highlights

Social Security
Mary reached out to my office in February to request assistance with obtaining her late husband's social security benefit. He passed away in 2018 and Mary had been working to get the benefit since September 2022. After my staff submitted an inquiry to the Social Security Administration, we learned that a technical issue prevented adjudication of her claim. Upon review, SSA was able to resolve the problem. Mary received $7,638.90 in backpay and a monthly payment of $2,080.30 going forward.

Tax Refunds
Gay from Pacific Beach contacted my office in April for help with a tax refund from 2021. Gay told my staff that she had been trying for months to get the refund reissued, but she never received it. My staff worked with Gay to trace the refund and have the IRS reissue a check. In July, Gay received her refund for $977.63.

Passport Renewals
In June, Ryan from Escondido requested assistance with passport renewals for his two children. Their passports had expired when the family was focused on his son’s medical care after an accident. My staff collected documents to help verify Ryan son’s medical situation. The family received the two passports and were able to travel to celebrate graduations with five other families.

Military Pay and Benefits
Alex from Carmel Valley reached out to my office after the Navy miscalculated his final month of active duty pay. A member of my staff submitted an inquiry to investigate the issue and Alex received $3,213,46. Alex was grateful for our assistance. “I had tried unsuccessfully for over nine months to deal with the Navy and DFAS to get the full pay that I was owed from my time on active-duty in the Navy,” he told us. “Thankfully, Congressman Peter’s office was able to escalate my case and get it to resolution, and I finally received my back pay of over $3,000! Thank you!”

Immigration and Social Security
Ricardo, who came to Puerto Rico as a child and now lives in San Diego, applied to receive his Social Security retirement benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) requested his original proof of legal entry. Ricardo did the legwork, reaching out to the necessary agencies for this paperwork, but SSA would not accept the documents he received in response. My staff reached out to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and confirmed that Ricardo indeed had the correct paperwork. Because of this, Ricardo’s benefits were approved and he received a $6,027 retroactive payment.