October 2022

Good afternoon. I would like to provide you with a few updates about recent developments in Congress and share some important information.

An Economic Patriotism for America

This month, I wrote an op-ed calling for a New Economic Patriotism in order to help those who have been left behind by the decrease in manufacturing jobs in this country.

Our country's failed trade policies with China have led to the loss of millions of good-paying jobs and disproportionately harmed Black manufacturing workers. These same policies also left us unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Americans are shocked that we don't make masks here, enough baby formula, semiconductor chips for our cars, or even basic electronics that are part of our smartphones.

What the nation needs is a "New Economic Patriotism". The plan would represent both a comprehensive set of policy actions designed to restore American manufacturing and technology leadership and a call to respect workers who will help our country achieve that goal. As part of this vision, the president should set a bold goal to achieve a trade surplus again by 2035. This is a proxy and metric for new industry, exports, and good-paying jobs. Germany maintains nearly 25 percent of its workforce in manufacturing jobs by investing in export industries to counteract the decline from imports and running a trade surplus. Trade deficits some years are fine when balanced by trade surpluses in other years. But the country has been in constant trade deficit since 1975.

The federal government must partner with the private sector to achieve this goal. First, it should finance factories at zero-interest loans and commit the purchasing power of the federal government to support American-made products and materials like batteries, electric heaters, steel, and aluminum. Second, the departments of Commerce and Education should work with companies, community colleges, and universities to invest in the next generation of workers. Third, the federal government should provide grants to support new manufacturing process innovation and productivity enhancements so that we can bring back manufacturing of major consumer goods like refrigerators, microwaves, and pharmaceuticals. The key is to have new processes that maximize new innovation advantages in these old industries. America's innovation advantages will allow us to compete with cheaper labor costs around the world while making sure our workers are taken care of with fair wages and good benefits.

Coordinating these efforts will take work, and the government can't do it alone. To scale up this vision, it should create a National Economic Development Council to bring together different agency heads, economists, and business and education leaders.

Together, these efforts are the building blocks of a New Economic Patriotism.

Embracing a New Economic Patriotism isn't just about jobs. It's about unifying Americans — from the coasts to the heartland — with a shared purpose. Together, we will build the prosperity that is foundational to become a multiracial democracy. To read the full op-ed, click here.

Calling for Increased Action Against Saudi Arabia

I, alongside Senator Blumenthal, recently introduced bicameral legislation to stop U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The announced legislation comes after Saudi Arabia sided with Russia to cut oil production at this month's OPEC+ meeting, supporting Russia in its brutal war against Ukraine and undermining global oil supply.

As I discussed in my op-ed with Jeffery Sonnenfield and Richard Tian, Saudi Arabia's support for Russia should spark a far-reaching review of the U.S.-Saudi relationship — all the more important as the regime tries to "sportswash" its international image in the wake of hacking to death Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and its massacres of countless civilians in Yemen, where it continues to fuel the world's largest humanitarian disaster.As the late Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently wrote, "There is a growing conviction among many in the U.S. that while Saudi remains an important partner, it's long past time that the U.S. rebalanced our relationship."

Saudi Arabia needs our defense industry support and parts for weapons systems, or else the Saudi defense systems shut down within weeks. Unless the Saudis wish to buy Iranian drones from Russia or cannibalized Soviet-era weaponry, they have no alternatives.

While The Saudi decision was a pointed blow to the U.S, the U.S. also has a way to respond: It can promptly pause the massive transfer of American warfare technology into the eager hands of the Saudis. Simply put, America shouldn't be providing such unlimited control of strategic defense systems to an apparent ally of our greatest enemy — nuclear bomb extortionist Vladmir Putin.

They get almost 73% of their arms from the United States. We provide so much, not just in weapons, but in defense cooperation, in joint defense initiatives to the Saudis. If it weren't for our technicians, their airplanes literally wouldn't fly. Senator Blumenthal and I have a very reasonable proposal, to pause the weapons sales and the defense cooperation to compel the Saudi regime to change course. To read my op-eds on the subject, click here and here. To read the full text of the legislation, click here.

Bringing Down Gas Prices

This month, I unveiled legislation to temporarily stop the export of gasoline produced in the United States to combat high gas prices and help Americans struggling. The bill would prohibit the export of refined gasoline during periods when gas prices are high, characterized as any day on which the average price for gasoline in the United States has been equal to or higher than $3.12 per gallon for each of the preceding 7 days. It only includes refined gasoline, not diesel fuel, to protect our European allies.

The price of oil is significantly affected by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The Saudi-led OPEC is purposefully manipulating gas prices through drastic cuts to oil production so that it will not meet the increased demand. A ban on gasoline exports will boost domestic supply and reduce prices for American families.

My legislation comes as Big Oil is reporting obscene profits while American families are struggling to afford gas at the pump. These companies should not be allowed to profit by exporting gas to other countries while we struggle with increased prices here at home. My bill will temporarily restrict exports as long as prices are above the average price in 2019.

Fighting to get Big Money out of Politics

I, alongside Rep. Phillips, recently reintroduced the No PAC Act. This bill, if passed, would amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit members of Congress and those running for a U.S. House or Senate seat from accepting contributions from a political action committee, other than that of the given candidate. It would also prohibit the establishment of leadership PACs.

Since the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling ended caps on spending by corporations and unions over a decade ago, super PACs have flooded our elections with billions of dollars, including $774,432,762 spent in the 2022 cycle alone. This legislation would implement common sense reforms to strengthen the voice of the American people in our democracy.

I was among just six members of the House of Representatives who did not accept contributions from PACs during the 2016 election. I was also the only member to not accept leadership PAC contributions that cycle. While I am incredibly proud of this, the fact of the matter is that I should not be in the minority in making this decision. PACs shouldn't get to override the voice of the American people through spending obscene amounts of money on elections every year. I'm proud to join Rep. Phillips in reintroducing this bill to limit how much wealthy donors can give to candidates, giving every American voter a stronger voice in our democracy and leveling the playing field. Our political process shouldn't be up for sale.

Supporting Our Workers

Along with 30 other members of Congress, I sent a letter to Howard Schultz requesting a fair bargaining process for all Starbucks employees. The country welcomed Starbucks' announcement of $200 million in added worker pay and benefits at a moment when American workers are struggling to make ends meet. However, we are concerned about reports that pay increases and benefits are only being offered to non unionized stores. If accurate, such disparate treatment could set an alarming precedent that, in our opinion, is not consistent with U.S. labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act.

As an elected representative, my conviction is that a fair relationship between an employee and an employer is key to a strong and resilient American economy, and I support legislation that encourages these policies. To read the full letter, click here.

Strengthening our Medicare System

I, alongside Rep. Pocan, introduced the Save Medicare Act, in order to rename so-called "Medicare Advantage" plans, prohibit private insurers from using "Medicare" in plan titles or advertisements, and impose significant fines for any insurer that engages in this deceptive practice.

Medicare Advantage' is just private insurance that profits by denying coverage and the name is being used to trick seniors into enrolling. That's not right. This bill will prevent these private insurers from labeling themselves as ‘Medicare' and allow us to focus on strengthening and expanding real Medicare instead.

According to a recent New York Times article, "8 of the 10 largest Medicare Advantage insurers – representing more than two-thirds of the market – have submitted inflated bills…and four of the five largest players – United Health, Humana, Elevance, and Kaiser – have faced federal lawsuits alleging that efforts to overdiagnose their customers crossed the line into fraud."

Additionally, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's 2022 report to Congress, at least $12 billion in overpayments were made to Medicare Advantage plans in 2020 by the federal government.

The "Save Medicare Act" will eliminate the confusion private insurers have relied upon for years to enroll unsuspecting seniors, and restore true Medicare as the primary health plan older Americans rely on.

Videos

Discussing my Bill to Stop Arms Sales to the Saudis

Discussing Obama's Comments on the Economy

Discussing New Revelations about Jan. 6th

Celebrating Diwali

I would like to personally wish all of you a happy Diwali! In Hindu tradition, the Festival of Lights is a deeply important holiday that celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and light over dark. I hope all of you have a prosperous Diwali, and a year filled with happiness and light.

Updates in the District

My Washington DC staff recently traveled to CA-17 for our first ever all staff retreat. In addition to bonding in-person with my local staff, the full team spread out across the district, meeting with constituent groups to discuss issues including housing, education, the environment, energy, immigration and foreign policy. They also volunteered for several hours with Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, helping to provide nutritious food for those in need. Together, my DC and district office staffs are one of the hardest working teams in Congress, with the common goal of serving our constituents. I'm proud of them all!