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I am back in Washington this week, and tomorrow, the House of Representatives is poised to pass a clean continuing resolution to keep our government open and funded through the end of the year. I am glad Democrats and Republicans were able to reach a bipartisan agreement to put the needs of everyday Americans first. Too much was at stake. I will continue fighting to ensure that any future budget bill is free from poison pill policy provisions.

Right now, Congress has until the end of September to fund our government and avert a shutdown. It is my hope that we can quickly reach a bipartisan agreement to temporarily extend current spending levels. I will keep fighting to ensure that any continuing resolution we consider is free from poison pill policy provisions. Too much is at stake. This is not a game.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was a courageous ray of light with a bright future ahead of him. I’m devastated to learn that he was killed by Hamas and his body was recovered from a tunnel in Rafah alongside five other hostages.

I had a fabulous week back home in the 9th Congressional District! I love getting to be out and about in our community, whether I am touring a non-profit organization, meeting with local elected officials, or visiting with constituents.

We got some great news last week! Thanks to the hard work of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, three Americans were released from wrongful detention in Russia. Evan Gershkovich, Marine Veteran Paul Whelan, and Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva are now back in the United States, returning home after unimaginable suffering. The Biden-Harris administration has now brought home over 70 Americans who were held in captivity. I’m grateful for their commitment and dedication to bringing Americans home. 

There is no doubt in my mind that President Joe Biden will go down in history as one of the most consequential presidents of all time. In his one term in office, President Biden created more jobs than any previous administration in the same time span. He lowered prescription drug prices and capped insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 a month. He made the largest ever investment in our climate. He fought for every American – he advocated for workers’ rights, and championed LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. I thank President Biden for his decades of unrelenting service.

Last week, I joined nearly all Democrats in voting against passage of the shortsighted and harmful National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025. The original NDAA that passed out of committee 57-1 included numerous provisions that would make life better for service members and their families, including a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops, a 4.5% increase for all other service members, increased investments in childcare, and a restoration of the full Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).

Yesterday, we honored the sacrifices made by those on D-Day, and the millions of others who aided the war effort worldwide. I have had the great privilege of meeting brave constituents who fought valiantly that fateful day. We owe our freedom and the reach of democracy in our world to them.

In paying tribute to our fallen heroes, we must recommit to honoring our active-duty military personnel and our veterans. Not only do they deserve our respect and recognition, but they also deserve to know that we have their backs.