Jan's Plans & Pans - March 28, 2023

Last week, I had the unique responsibility of questioning the CEO of TikTok when he came before the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is clear to me that in most ways, TikTok is like all the other Big Tech companies. They can use Americans’ data any way they want. Exclusively banning TikTok would be letting Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms off the hook and would leave our consumers and our children unprotected. We need a comprehensive data privacy bill.

For nearly 50 years, the racist, harmful Helms Amendment has barred U.S. foreign assistance from being used to offer abortion care, even in countries where abortions are legal. The United States should not stand in the way of health care and bodily autonomy in other countries. Developing countries bear the burden of 97% of all unsafe abortions. We must protect women's health around the globe. By singling out abortion as a restricted health service, the Helms Amendment reinforces efforts to criminalize abortion and heightens abortion-related stigma. I reintroduced the bicameral Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act because comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe, legal, and accessible abortion, is a human right.

Every person in the United States deserves to age with dignity and deserves access to quality long-term care. We have seen what bad actors in the industry do: they buy nursing homes, cut staff, and put profits over people. For years, I have spoken with nurses who have called for better nursing staffing standards. That is why I co-led a letter with Congressman Lloyd Doggett to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, urging them to move forward with setting a nationwide minimum staffing standard in nursing homes.

To the over 1.5 billion Muslims celebrating around the world, Ramadan Mubarak to you and your loved ones! May the celebrations of this month spread happiness and joy in your life.