Dear constituent,

I love sitting down to write these weekly newsletters. It helps me feel connected to you and helps me connect my work here in DC and around the district individually to each of you. I received so many letters this week. Thank you! I love hearing from you about what matters to you and if you have any suggestions or ways I can best serve you as your Representative in Congress.

Because engagement matters so much to me–I’m hosting a Town Hall at Union High School in Grand Rapids tomorrow at 6pm! Feel free to RSVP here—I would love to see you there!

My team and I have been busy at work, serving you in Washington this week! Read more about what we’re up to below.

The Debt Ceiling

The biggest bill on the Floor this week was House Republicans’ debt ceiling plan. It was disappointing to see a Republican bill that attempted to balance our budget by hurting vulnerable Americans. I’m hard at work on finding a solution to this crisis–but this is certainly not it. I voted no, because this proposal would:

• Put almost 500,000 people at risk to lose their Medicaid coverage in Michigan
• Eliminate preschool for almost 10,000 kids across the state
• Raise housing costs for thousands of Michiganders
• Cut funding for Air Traffic Control and rail safety inspections
• Threaten over 10,000 clean energy jobs for Michiganders

In MI-03, the consequences with playing political games with the debt ceiling could cause:

• Loss of services for 30,000 veterans
• 9,700 less kids in preschool or childcare
• 7,800 lost jobs
• Social Security payments threatened for nearly 90,000 families

Bi-partisanship is at the center of my leadership here in Congress. 100% of the bills I’ve introduced are bipartisan, and I regularly cross the aisle on the votes I take. I’m ready to work with R’s to get this done, but my number one priority is looking out for the best interest of my constituents. I voted against this proposal because it’s bad for West Michiganders. Watch my video about the debt ceiling here.

Supporting Students

One of my top priorities in Congress is to support the Next Generation of West Michiganders. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege to meet with hundreds of students from MI-03, and hear directly about what matters to them.

I also receive regular correspondence from students about all kinds of issues. Several students have written in support of protecting endangered species—that’s why I signed onto the bipartisan Manatee Protection Act. This legislation would give the West Indian Manatee endangered species status, giving them the protections they need.

Some of my most important constituents are students. As the first mom to represent West Michigan in Congress, I am committed to being responsive to our students. Watch my speech here!

Standing Against Gun Violence

This week, I spoke about bipartisan efforts to combat gun violence. I want you to know that I am committed to working across the aisle to get things done on this issue. I, along with many of my Democratic colleagues, are focused on reaching out to our Republican colleagues to create collaboration on this issue.

Too many families in West Michigan have lived in fear for too long. School shootings at Oxford and Michigan State are fresh on my mind as a mother who sends her kids to school every day. There is so much room for Republicans and Democrats to work together on this issue, and I am ready to do the work to protect our kids, schools, families, and communities across the country.

Funding Friday

Lastly, I wanted to highlight my office’s Funding Friday grant of the week: the FARE Grant. This grant supports non-profit organizations’ efforts to address gender-based violence and harassment in their communities. For more information, reach out to my office directly at scholten.house.gov and apply at this link.

Thanks again for a great week, West Michigan! And remember to come out to my town hall tomorrow—I look forward to seeing you there!

Hillary Scholten
Member of Congress