Stronger America
A New Security Agenda
After Republicans chose to leave for a seven-week recess without allowing a single vote on crucial legislation, House Democrats unveiled the Stronger America: A New American Security Agenda. Securing our nation. Securing our future. Securing our democracy. This is what House Democrats are fighting for every day. The agenda includes bold, specific solutions that honor the vows of our founders, the sacrifices of our service members and the aspirations of our children.
From Zika and Flint, to gun violence prevention and opioids – again and again, House Republicans refuse to pass any commonsense measures to protect the American people and our nation. If some Members of Congress think we’re going to let up in this fight, they have another thing coming. We remain relentless in the face of Republican recklessness.
ADA Anniversary
Tuesday marked the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which moved our nation closer to fulfilling our founders’ promise to protect, ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' for all people. This landmark legislation is a shining beacon of progress for more than 55 million Americans living with a disability.
Over the past 26 years, the ADA has transformed our nation – making accessible our workplaces, our transportation systems, our voting booths and our buildings while also reducing discrimination against people with disabilities. As we commemorate this anniversary, we must recommit ourselves to honoring ADA’s goals of equality through opportunity, independent living, community integration and economic self-sufficiency to promote the full participation of Americans with disabilities. As we celebrate this landmark law, let us continue to create a country that honors the humanity and equality of all.
My office was recently contacted by a constituent who is the Executive Director of a nonprofit organization that provides health and wellness programs for seniors and adults living with disabilities. My constituent is also an immigrant, working with employment authorization as a dependent of her husband’s worker visa. Knowing that her work authorization would expire in June, she applied for renewal in February. However, well into July, my constituent still had not received her work authorization renewal. As a result, she was unable to work, which caused the nonprofit significant hardship as she was unable to make executive decisions vital to the nonprofit’s finances. Upon learning of this situation, my staff conveyed my constituent’s situation to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Shortly thereafter, my constituent’s work authorization was approved, and she returned to work to help create a stronger America. |
