Jan's Plans & Pans - April 3, 2023

As I am sure you are aware, former President Donald Trump has been indicted by a New York grand jury and will be arraigned on Tuesday. According to reports, Trump faces more than 30 counts related to business fraud for allegedly concealing hush money payments to Stormy Daniels in order to cover-up their extramarital affair from voters during the closing days of his presidential campaign. I want to make it clear that grand juries are composed of everyday Americans from all different races, backgrounds, and political parties, and they are the ones who concluded that there is enough evidence to indict Trump. My Republican colleagues, who claim to be the party of “law and order,” continue to stand behind him. Nobody is above the law, not even the former president.

Last week’s tragic shooting in Nashville was the 19th shooting at an American school or university in 2023 in which at least one person was wounded. Tragically, three 9-year-old students and three staff members lost their lives. In the aftermath of this tragedy, President Biden has renewed calls for an assault weapons ban. The lives of Americans must come before semi-automatic rifles. Not to mention the 112 people who have lost their lives to gun violence in Chicago since the beginning of the year. The avalanche of guns is defiling our very freedom and security. We must act.

Republicans in the House of Representatives spent most of last week pushing an energy bill that checks every box off Big Oil's wish list. My Democratic colleagues and I are calling this dangerous bill the Polluters Over People Act. This bill would strip our nation's bedrock environmental laws and repeal many important climate provisions from the Inflation Reduction Act, erasing much of the great progress we have made fighting climate change. Future generations are counting on us. I will keep fighting to protect our environment and protect the historic investments made to combat climate change.