It’s been a challenging time for our country throughout the pandemic, but things are finally looking better. Unemployment claims have fallen to their lowest level in 50 years, and the U.S. economy experienced its fastest economic growth over the first three quarters of a year since the 1980s. When I visited with business owners on Small Business Saturday, I heard optimism for a strong holiday season. The store owners I spoke with also explained how critical small business assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program was to weathering the worst months of the pandemic. I am also closely monitoring the latest COVID variant, Omicron, and I’m encouraged that the President is taking swift action to limit its spread and make testing widely available and affordable.

Supporting Small Business Owners


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Thank you to the more than 3,000 people who participated in my last telephone town hall meeting of 2021, and happy holidays to everyone!


Helping Students Facing Hunger and Homelessness

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I’m grateful to the students who shared their stories about struggling to afford housing, and I’m committed to providing the support they need. The Build Back Better Act will strengthen programs that address these basic needs. Students should not have to worry about where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep. I visited Portland State University to talk with students, see their food pantry, and learn how the right policies and federal funding can increase students’ chances of college completion and success.

I’m grateful to the students who shared their stories about struggling to afford housing, and I’m committed to providing the support they need. The Build Back Better Act will strengthen programs that address these basic needs.

I’m also working on a bipartisan bill with Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler to address hunger facing young students. Children are more likely to succeed when they have a healthy start in life. The Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act will help more kids access healthy meals and remove burdensome requirements for child care providers.

 

Making Climate Progress

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Several of my colleagues and I traveled to the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow at a pivotal time. Climate change has become an even more undeniable part of our daily lives in NW Oregon. We have experienced the devastating and deadly consequences from more frequent and severe extreme weather events, wildfires, drought, and ocean acidification. It is past time for action. I am working hard to make the investments we need to address the climate crisis by passing the Build Back Better Act to reduce emissions, reach US clean energy targets, and protect frontline communities. We have science, public opinion, and momentum on our side.

We will need electric trucks to meet out climate goals. This week I was able to drive one of Daimler's electric trucks at Portland General Electric's charging facility, Electric Island. I was thrilled to help deliver historic investments in electric vehicles, charging stations, and a more sustainable and resilient grid as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which President Biden recently signed into law.

Fulfilling the Promise of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) was created to encourage students to pursue careers in public service. This public service work is essential to our communities, but for far too long the PSLF program was an empty promise. I spent years advocating for needed reforms to the program, and am pleased the Department of Education took steps this year that will make eligibility for  forgiveness a reality for more to borrowers. I recently held a webinar with a student loan expert to discuss the recent changes to the program and to explain what people need to do to qualify. More than 600 people registered for the event, and many shared their stories. You can watch the webinar here, and share it with your friends and family who may be interested.

I am also continuing my work on behalf of all student loan borrowers. The Department of Education’s pause on student loan repayment for the COVID-19 pandemic has been a lifeline for borrowers in Oregon and across the country. As the pause ends and payments are expected to resume on February 1, 2022, borrowers should be protected from the worst effects of missing payments, whether unintentionally or because of financial distress. I introduced the Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act to provide borrowers with the help they need during this transition.


In Case You Missed It

  • The freedom to choose if and when to have a child is the freedom to determine your future. I stood at the Supreme Court this week as we declared that abortion is essential.
  • As we continue to confront the coronavirus pandemic, access to quality, affordable health care is critical. There are still several weeks to enroll in a health care plan for 2022.
  • One of the best things you can do to keep you and your family safe is to get vaccinated. FEMA is helping increase access to these lifesaving vaccinations with mobile clinics in December. Find more details about locations here.
 

   

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