Dear constituent,

Good afternoon from West Michigan!! After seven straight session weeks in a row, it is SO GOOD to be home for a two week stretch. Here’s what we did last week, and what we’ve got coming up as well.

WEEK IN REVIEW

It was a busy week in DC this week, with work mainly focused on committee hearings.

Committee Work
We had a productive week on both of my committees– the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Small Business.

Transportation and Infrastructure
The water subcommittee met for the first of a two-part hearing to discuss FY24 budget priorities for water resources. In my line of questioning, I made sure the agency was aware and committed to keeping pace with the needs for increased dredging in our Muskegon harbor as well as the vital economic impact of the Grand Haven Harbor. I also elicited important testimony about the need to fully fund the Soo Locks project.

As many of our readers know, there is a critical ongoing project underway to build out a second navigation lock large enough to enable the 1,000-foot lakers to transit between Lake Superior and the lower lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers' FY24 budget requests 235 million dollars to continue construction of the new Soo Lock, but the Corps has the capability to spend almost 630 million dollars in FY24 on this project. Some of the project costs will have to be renegotiated if the Corps doesn’t receive enough funding for the project in FY24, which would likely increase the project’s total cost. We’ll use this testimony to ensure that the Soo Locks has the resources it needs to continue the project on time, so we can continue to ensure resiliency in this critical Great Lakes Navigation System.

You can watch here.

My U.S. Coast Guard Subcommittee also had a hearing entitled “Review of the National Academy of Sciences Report ‘The Coast Guard’s Next Decade: An Assessment of Emerging Challenges and Statutory Needs.” I had the opportunity to elevate concerns about critical staffing shortages throughout the Great Lakes region, and elevate the need to pass my bipartisan bill–the Pay our Coast Guard Parity Act of 2023 that ensures our Coasties continue to receive pay for doing their jobs, even in the event of a Government shutdown.

Small Business

We met as a full committee and reviewed a report from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy on Regulatory Flexibility Act. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but we need to get away with regulation for the sake of regulation. Especially for our small businesses who do not have the time or resources to hire attorneys and accountants to help them comply with ever-changing, hyper complex regulations. Government regulations must only be imposed when absolutely necessary, and they must be straightforward and easy to understand and follow.

Legislation and Votes

The big bill on the House floor this week was H.R. 3564. The so-called “Middle Class Borrower Protection Act of 2023.” My parents always taught me–things aren’t always what they seem, get answers, ask questions. This is never more the case than with clever bill titles that, many times, do the exact opposite of what they say they’re going to do. So, my starting point when examining a bill is never the title, but–what would this bill actually do? Let’s find out: HR 3564 would roll back changes made by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to the fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a conventional single-family mortgage (i.e., loan-level pricing adjustments (LLPAs)) and restricts future fee adjustments. These changes, effective May 1, 2023, revised the fee charts that provide percentage adjustments based on a mortgagor’s credit score and down payment.

I voted no. Here’s why: rolling back this fee structure is bad for West Michigan borrowers. Additionally, I don’t think Congress should be the one setting the fees, or restricting the FHA from setting the fees ever in the future. Not our job. The FHA is best suited to make pricing decisions, because they have the best data, financial expertise, and are just in the best position to be flexible and adjust pricing according to a dynamic market. Congressional interference in this process sets a bad precedent, and could actually undermine market stability–not something we need right now.

Legislative Round-up:

1. Co-sponsored three bills
2. Responded to direct calls for legislative action: This week I signed on to HR 1202, a bi-partisan bill that allows medical residents to fully suspend their student loan payments while in med school. After visiting with residents at our local hospitals this week–it was clear that the cost of education was becoming prohibitively expensive. We need good doctors here in West Michigan, so I responded directly to the call for action. This is just a start, there’s so much more we can do.
3. Joined a bipartisan letter to President Biden in support of Preventing a Nuclear Iran and 4. Encouraging the UN to Implement Snapback Mechanisms.

Visits and Meetings

I got right to work back in the district with an excellent visit to the Fulton Street Farmers Market–a real gem in our city. Agriculture and food access is top of mind these days as we’re planning to re-authorize the Farm Bill. Stay tuned for the rollout of our new bill, which looks to make it easier for SNAP recipients to use their benefits at farmer’s markets across the U.S.

The Week Ahead

I’m really looking forward to a full week meeting with constituents back in the district this week – here are some highlights I’m looking forward to! My team is hard at work every day doing critical casework for constituents– cutting through bureaucratic red tape and securing the federal benefits you’ve earned, like veterans payments, Social Security, immigration assistance, and passports. I'll be joining our team for some mobile office hours this week! I can’t wait.

We’ll also be joining the Women’s Resource Center for a ribbon cutting on a new facility. As the first woman in history to represent this district in Congress, it’s such an honor to be able to speak personally about the unique challenges women face navigating motherhood and the workplace. We’re working hard to create more opportunities for women, every day.

Later in the week, I’ll be holding a multi-level stakeholder meeting and roundtable discussion on the state of LGBTQ rights in West Michigan. We’ve had a banner year here in our state, codifying the Elliot Larsen Civil Rights Act, but challenges remain at the local and federal level. We’ll come together as a community to discuss how we can advance equity for all in our community.

NEWS ALERT: Keep your eyes on my social media for a major announcement later today! I’ll be sharing information on a grant that will help all of our neighbors who enjoy and rely on public transportation in Grand Rapids.

I can’t do this work without your engagement. Thank you for your calls and letters. They inform my actions every day.

Have a wonderful week, West Michigan.

In grateful service,

Hillary Scholten
Member of Congress