As we enter the last days of 2023, I’ve been reflecting on the past year in Congress. It’s been a challenging year, and the House has accomplished much less than we did in the last Congress. But I remain optimistic that we can work together to pass bipartisan legislation that improves the lives of Oregonians and Americans.
Recently the Education Committee advanced a bipartisan update to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act with provisions from a bill I introduced to promote access to career counseling. And earlier this year, I introduced a bipartisan bill to increase access to fentanyl awareness education.
In the Science Committee we’ve done bipartisan work to advance an update to the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, a bill I helped pass in 2017. And we’ve also advanced bipartisan bills to support firefighters, promote quantum computing, address ocean acidification, and more.
I have also had several conversations with my colleagues about the importance of child care and early childhood education. We know there is more work to do to make child care accessible and affordable but as a co-chair of the Bipartisan Child Care and Pre-K Caucus, I’m encouraged by our bill to expand afterhours care.
Unfortunately, dysfunction in the House—caused by extremist members of the House GOP—has stalled progress on many critical issues. As Leader Jeffries has said, House Democrats stand ready, willing, and able to work across the aisle on bipartisan solutions.
In the new year, I hope more of my colleagues realize that there is more to be gained by working together—for the good of our country and our constituents. |