Dear Friend,

As we mark one year of the pandemic in Oregon, I’m thinking about those we’ve lost and how we can help our friends and neighbors who are still struggling. 

Everyone has sacrificed in many ways, but there are brighter days ahead. The House passed the American Rescue Plan, which will give our schools the resources they need to reopen safely and make up for learning loss. The bill will support small businesses, send direct payments to working families, and ramp up vaccinations. Now the Senate must act quickly to get these resources to those in need.  

Thanks to all of you who joined my telephone town hall meeting recently. If you missed it but would like to join the next one on March 30, sign up here to join. It’s always great to hear from you. 

American Rescue Plan

Our communities have made heroic efforts to help families and others survive, but the pandemic isn’t over and many people need additional support. The American Rescue Plan includes many of the priorities Oregonians have discussed with me throughout the pandemic, including a meaningful investment in education and child care. Too many workers – especially women - have had to leave their jobs. The funding in this bill will help struggling families pay for child care and stabilize child care providers who have been pushed to the brink of permanent closure. We all want kids back in classrooms, and this bill help students, teachers, and staff safely return to their classrooms.

• Accelerate vaccination efforts with $160 billion  
• Help schools reopen safely and address learning loss with $130 billion for K-12 education 
• Make child care affordable for more families, boost wages for early childhood educators, and help struggling providers stay open 
• Extend expanded unemployment benefits, rental assistance, and the eviction moratorium 
• Expand and strengthen nutrition programs 
• Increase the $600 direct payment to a total of $2,000, with $1,400 for each person who earns less than $75,000 
• Lift millions of children out of poverty by substantially increasing the Child Tax Credit.  

Apprenticeships Change Lives

As we continue to face the devastating economic consequences of the pandemic, I’m working hard to strengthen our workforce system and make sure workers have access to training, career navigation, and other supportive services that will help get people back to work. Registered Apprenticeships and workforce training create life-changing opportunities for Oregonians and Americans, especially for those who have historically faced barriers to employment. It’s an honor to chair the Civil Rights and Human Services Subcommittee and to be a leader on the Higher Education and Workforce subcommittee, where I will continue to advocate for workers, students, and equity.  

In a victory for workers and students, the House passed the National Apprenticeship Act, which I introduced to invest $3.5 million in Registered Apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, and youth apprenticeships over the next five years. I spoke on the House floor to talk about how apprenticeships in Northwest Oregon are changing lives.  My PARTNERS Act also passed the House as part of the apprenticeship package. The bill is modeled on the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center and would help more small and medium sized businesses develop Registered Apprenticeships and provide mentoring and support services for workers.

Climate Action Now

We have the opportunity and the imperative to act on climate. It is an honor to continue serving on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis as we work to implement the comprehensive, science-based Climate Action Plan, which will reduce emissions, create good-paying jobs, support a just transition, and strengthen the resilience of our communities. As the granddaughter of a coal miner, I know that the way we transition to a clean energy economy and support workers will make all the difference.  

I have already introduced bipartisan legislation to protect the ocean and help coastal communities, which are facing acidifying ocean waters as a result of the climate crisis. I look forward to advancing our climate and jobs agenda this Congress. 

In Case You Missed It

·        The House passed the Equality Act to make sure our LGBTQ friends and neighbors are not denied housing, credit, or health care because of who they are or who they love. 

·        I spoke out against the violent attacks on members of our Asian American and Pacific Islander community and vandalism against AAPI-owned businesses. 

·        My colleagues and I are working with the Biden-Harris administration to remedy the terrible harm done to immigrant communities and to advance comprehensive immigration reform.