Dear Neighbor,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared with you some of the work my team and I have been doing across the 11th District. From town halls and roundtables to baseball games and food banks, we have been in every corner of Fairfax County to meet with you, hear your concerns, and celebrate your successes.
But that’s not all we’ve done. This month, we have had tremendous legislative success here on Capitol Hill. I’d like to take a moment to update you on our recent work in the House:
Bills Passed by the House
Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act:
In June of last year, I introduced the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act, bipartisan legislation to make it easier for disabled veterans to be made whole if they are the victims of fraud. Our veterans have sacrificed enough already. They shouldn’t be asked to also sacrifice their peace of mind in the event they are defrauded of their hard-earned benefits. After almost a year of hard work to get this important bill over the finish line, the House voted 413-0 to pass my bill and send it to the Senate. This legislation will make a meaningful difference for our veterans, and I am so proud to be championing this cause.
Read my full statement on passage of the Veteran Fraud Reimbursement Act here.
Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act:
A year ago, in May of 2023, I asked the Postal Service’s Inspector General to investigate the safety of freight contract trucking practices at USPS. I made the request because, over the last three years, at least 79 people have been killed in crashes involving trucks contracted by the Postal Service, including children. The number of lives lost could be even higher, as the Wall Street Journal reported last year that USPS did not track and report serious crashes involving its trucking contractors. That is an outrage, so I introduced the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act to remedy it. My legislation, which passed the House unanimously last week, will require the Postal Service to collect, track, and publicly report information about deaths and injuries from traffic crashes involving vehicles that are contracted to transport US mail. For too long, the Postal Service has taken an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach to truck safety. That must change.
Read my full statement on passage of the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act here.
Read my OpEd on the legislation here.
Read the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on passage of my bill here.
New Bills Introduced
Resolution Honoring Public Service Recognition Week:
Each year, during the first full week of May, the nation comes together to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week. It’s a time for all of us to honor and thank the dedicated public servants, including our incredible federal employees, who keep this country up and running. Public servants ensure the safety of the food we eat, the prescription drugs we take, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. They make sure that Social Security checks arrive on time, protect us from foreign adversaries, keep our air travel safe, and conduct thousands of other important functions that directly impact the quality of our lives. We owe them a debt of gratitude. Last week, I introduced a resolution to honor America’s public servants and the tremendous work they do on our behalf each and every day.
Read my full statement on my resolution here.
Clean Air in the Cloud Act:
Last week, I introduced the Clean Air in the Cloud Act, legislation to encourage the EPA to update their IT system for storing air quality data to address the challenges currently posed by the Air Quality System (AQS). The AQS IT system barely meets current needs because the architecture of the system – which dates back to the 1990s – is antiquated and inflexible. The federal government is only as good as the IT it utilizes. It is my hope that, with this legislation, the EPA can resolve these challenges to best deliver results for the American people.
Read my full statement on the Clean Air in the Cloud Act here.
Throughout my time in Congress, I have made it my mission to identify and focus on problems that can be solved. That's why I was ranked the Most Effective Lawmaker of the 117th Congress and the 86th most bipartisan member of Congress in 2023. These might not be the flashiest issues or the ones most likely to make news, but they are enormously consequential for my constituents and for the American people.
It matters that government-contracted trucks and truck drivers are held to stringent safety standards. It matters that we are able to reliably collect data on air quality across the country. It matters that our veterans, who have sacrificed so much, are properly taken care of at home.
These things matter to real people, and they matter to me. That will never change.
As always, my office is here to help. If you or a loved one need assistance, please don’t hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.