Protecting Democracy at Home and Abroad

Our Visit to Armenia

This week, I led a Congressional delegation to highlight the United States' strong commitment to security, economic prosperity and democracy in Armenia and the Caucasus region. Our delegation was proud to visit this important front in the battle between democracy and autocracy.

Throughout our engagements in Yerevan, the capital, we conveyed a strong message of support for Armenia's democracy and security, particularly following Azerbaijan's offensive against Armenia. In working meetings with government leaders, civil society members and members of the security establishment, we conveyed the strong and ongoing support of the United States, as an OSCE Minsk Chair and longtime friend to Armenia, for a lasting settlement to the conflict in Nagorno Karabakh.

It has been my honor to represent a district with such a vibrant and active Armenian community. It was my privilege to go, following actions by the Congress and President Biden to recognize the Ottoman Empire's murder of 1.5 million Armenians as a genocide. Further informed and inspired by the reception that we received, our delegation returned to Washington proud and ready to advance the Congress's longstanding commitment to a democratic Armenia and a secure, peaceful Caucasus region.

This trip followed the G7 Speakers' Summit in Berlin, during which we reaffirmed our solidarity with Ukraine and in the global fight for Democracy.

Protecting our Elections

On January 6, 2021, an insurrection erupted at the Capitol – seeking to nullify the results of a free and fair election. This was a direct assault on our Constitution, on the rule of law and on Democracy itself. Emboldened by January 6th, MAGA politicians are waging a sinister campaign across the country to nullify future elections: peddling the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen, assembling an army of operatives to intimidate voters at the polls and even threatening to reverse results with which they disagree.

Congress has a solemn duty to ensure that future efforts to undermine our elections cannot succeed. That is why, on Wednesday, the House passed the Presidential Election Reform Act: an historic and bipartisan legislative action to safeguard the integrity of future presidential elections. This legislation took four necessary steps:

1. Reaffirming that the Vice President has no authority to reject a slate of electors or delay the count in any way.
2. Strictly limiting the type of objections allowed during certification to only those outlined in the Constitution, requiring one-third of each chamber for an objection to be entertained.
3. Requiring Governors to transmit lawful election results to Congress – or be compelled to by a federal court.
4. Clarifying that states cannot change the rules governing an election after it has occurred – preventing radical state legislators from attempting to nullify an election.

Today, American Democracy – what President Lincoln called the "last best hope of earth" – is in grave danger. And its fate is in our hands. We must pass on a vibrant Democracy for generations to come.

Small Business Support in California

Democrats' American Rescue Plan is delivering $1.1 billion to support small businesses across California. This week, the State of California announced that it will use these funds to provide small business owners with guaranteed loans. If you own a small business, this means you can access new resources to grow your operations and expand your payroll. The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) will also launch a new program further expanding access to capital by investing in underrepresented venture capital managers.

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