Exciting Things Are Happening In Washington
Hello Friends,
I'm so thrilled to share with you some of the great progress we've made in DC the past couple of weeks. From the passage of a public lands package that preserves beautiful and irreplaceable parts of our country, to action on responsible gun safety through universal background checks, to passage of a bold democratic reform package, it’s been an exciting and productive couple of weeks.
BOLTS DITCH ACCESS & USE AND THE WEDGE ACT TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW
Last week, the House passed a sweeping bipartisan public lands bill, the National Resources Management Act, which includes nine provisions that directly impact Colorado and two provisions that I introduced during my first month in Congress: the Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act and the Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment (WEDGE) Act, both of which will directly impact the 2nd district. I am honored to see two of my first pieces of legislation receive bipartisan support and be passed through the House and Senate, one step closer to becoming law. The bill also permanently authorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a long overdue achievement for our public lands. In Colorado, investing in our public lands and conserving our wild places is both critical to our economy and good for our future and I look forward to continuing work to conserve and protect our public
PASSAGE OF UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS IN THE HOUSE
I was proud to support passage of the first major gun violence prevention legislation in years. H.R. 8 is a bipartisan bill to expand background checks and is the first step we need to move our nation to action and end gun violence. I am honored to stand with victims of gun violence by championing this bill.
INTRODUCING THE MEDICARE FOR ALL ACT OF 2019
As a Vice Chair of the Medicare for All caucus, I helped introduce the Medicare for All Act of 2019. This piece of legislation would finally guarantee healthcare for every American without insurance premiums, copays, or deductibles. Americans spend up to 14% of their income on healthcare costs, one of the highest expenditure rates in the developed world, which— nonetheless—still leaves many of us with the impossible choice of accessing healthcare or paying other critical bills. We can and must do better, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this charge as an original sponsor of this bill.
REFORMING OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS
This week, House Democrats passed a bold democratic reform package on the floor. H.R.1 will put the power back in the hands of the American people, by ending the dominance of dark money in politics, making it easier, not harder, to vote and ensuring that politicians actually serve the public interest. Colorado has been at the forefront of modernizing elections to ensure that each of us can fully and fairly participate in our democracy, part of which is ensuring young people can vote from the day they turn 18 by allowing them to preregister to vote at a time when they are already interacting with our government agencies. Having championed this law on the state level, I was thrilled to introduce a national preregistration amendment to H.R. 1, to ensure that every young person can engage in our democratic process.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Finally, while Black History Month has always been a time to reflect and honor those who came before me, it's taken special resonance for me since I came to Congress. I appreciate each and every day that I have the privilege to serve as our state's first African-American Congressman in one of the most diverse Congresses in history. It was a thrill to discuss Black History Month at greater length with Congressman Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania.
Each day that I am in Congress, another opportunity to enact positive change for our communities arises. I am thrilled at what we've accomplished thus far, and greatly look forward to all we can still do.
All my very best,
Congressman Joe Neguse