Jim Himes represents Connecticut’s 4th District in the United States House of Representatives where he is serving his seventh term. He serves as the Chair of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth and the National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee.
Jim grew up as the child of a single working mom in a small town. As a member of Congress, Jim works hard to provide all American children the same opportunities he had to succeed: access to a first-rate public school, affordable and effective health care, a decent and safe home, and a supportive community.
In June 2020, Speaker Pelosi appointment me chair of the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. The Committee will develop solutions to the key economic issue of our time: the yawning prosperity gap between wealthy Americans and everyone else. America is more unequal today than it has ever been, and far more unequal than other developed nations. Great wealth disparities slow our economy, poison our politics and offend our moral sensibilities.
Disparity is not a Democratic or Republican problem. It is an American problem challenging our great cities, sprawling suburbs and rural heartland. Inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, the committee will study the causes and consequences of economic disparity. The Committee will listen to academic experts, community leaders, the private sector, and most importantly, everyday Americans. Its Members, drawn from every corner of America, will recommend solutions to the Congress, the Administration, and society at large.
The Committee also intends to Show America to Itself. Our divisions and parochialism erode our belief and confidence in each other. We will document the hopes, concerns and aspirations of Americans throughout our land in the belief that just behind our differences lie unity and a commitment to each other.
In the first two decades of the 21st century, we have faced dramatic economic change, first the 2008 financial crisis and recovery and more recently the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. American families and businesses are struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing economy. One of my top priorities in Congress is to expand opportunities and to invest in sustainable, long-term economic growth to ensure American families and businesses can succeed.
The one consistent message I hear from local businesses about how we can help them expand and create more jobs is that we must improve our infrastructure. Everyone in Connecticut knows that our transportation infrastructure is in dire need of repair and replacement as we face traffic and delays every day. That’s why I’m proud to have voted for the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, which includes $550 billion in new investments in bridges, broadband, roads, waterways, and more. Over five years, Connecticut should receive $3.5 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs, $561 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $1.3 billion for public transportation improvements, and $445 million for water infrastructure.
Making these investments will not only create jobs but will provide for our region’s long-term economic vitality by employing thousands of our neighbors with good-paying, non-exportable jobs.
A path to the middle class starts with high-quality education and job training. Nothing is more essential to our long-term prosperity than our children’s ability to become the next generation of entrepreneurs, engineers, teachers, and leaders.
Elementary & Secondary Education
Every child in America deserves access to free high-quality education. We must ensure our schools are robustly funded and work to address educational disparities. In Congress, I regularly vote for increased investments in Title I funding for our schools. I was proud to help pass the Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund in the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act, which provided well over $1 billion for Connecticut’s K-12 schools. For years, I have supported efforts to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and meet the federal government’s commitment to cover 40 percent of the costs of educating students with disabilities.
Higher Education & Job Training
In order to meet the demands of the 21st-century job market, students need access to affordable higher education and improved career and technical options. I have long advocated for increased funding for Pell Grants to provide need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students. I have also pushed to expand Pell Grants to include high-quality, short-term training programs. We must do more to address the skills gap by ensuring students and displaced workers are trained for the skills that businesses and industries need.
We need to invest in our education systems and provide the training and skills necessary for Americans to compete. This means supporting our colleges and technical schools and expanding apprenticeship opportunities. I was proud to join my colleagues in the House in passing the National Apprenticeship Act, which would create nearly 1 million apprenticeship opportunities and broaden access to paid, on-the-job training.
The Financial Services Committee has jurisdiction over all issues that affect the banking system, housing, insurance, and securities and exchanges. My responsibility on this Committee is to improve and strengthen regulatory processes, ensure we implement strong consumer protection standards, and monitor financial reporting tools that safeguard our national security. The Financial Services Committee is responsible for some of the most critical financial legislation over the last 20 years, including the Dodd-Frank Act, which was enacted after the 2008 Financial Crisis.
In the 117th Congress, I have been appointed Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy, which oversees anti-money laundering standards, sanctions authorities, the combating of terrorism finance, and issues regarding the International Monetary Fund. I have also been appointed to serve on the Subcommittee for Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets, where I oversee issues regarding investor confidence, capital formation, investment companies, and accounting and auditing processes.
The Financial Services Committee is working hard to implement strong, practical solutions that keep families and households safe from financial schemes, maintain market integrity, and preserve financial technology businesses' potential to innovate responsibly.
Every citizen in our state understands the personal tragedy of gun violence. In the time since the tragic event in Newtown, we’ve witnessed unspeakable acts of gun violence at schools, concerts, houses of worship, theaters, and nearly every other place where Americans should feel safe. I firmly believe that gun violence prevention measures, consistent with Second Amendment rights, are necessary responses to these tragedies. Every day we wait is an ugly reminder of the price of inaction.
For far too long, my colleagues in Congress have failed to address this crisis. For my part, I have supported measures that would ban high-capacity magazines, fix our broken background check system, and ensure those who traffic illegal guns face harsh criminal penalties. Following the tragic deaths of Connecticut residents Lori Jackson and Ethan Song, I also introduced legislation to prevent abusers from buying, selling, or possessing firearms and supported a bill to expand safe storage requirements.
In the 117th Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Background Checks Act and the Enhanced Background Checks Act with my support. This commonsense measure would require a criminal background check for every gun sale in both private and public transactions and close the so-called “Charleston Loophole,” which enabled the perpetrator of the horrific shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church to purchase his weapon.
Every American should have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. No one should lose their home or financial stability in order to afford life-saving procedures or prescriptions. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) put our country on the right path by providing healthcare to millions of Americans and over 100,000 Connecticut residents. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the shortcomings of a system that links insurance coverage to employment.
During the onset of the pandemic, millions of workers were thrown off their healthcare plans and encountered rising prescription drug costs, high premiums, copays and deductibles, and complicated insurance processes to receive healthcare. Congress needs to find pragmatic, innovative solutions to expand healthcare coverage and decrease costs.
In my time in Congress, I’ve supported measures that expand mandatory paid medical and family leave, decrease rising prescription drug costs, expand health insurance subsidies, ensure coverage for telehealth services, encourage sensible Medicare and Medicaid reform and protect women’s reproductive freedom. I am proud to have supported some of the most comprehensive healthcare reforms this country has accomplished in recent decades through the Affordable Care Act, CARES Act and American Rescue Plan. Moving forward, I will continue to support measures that expand eligibility for insurance coverage and fund public health and medical communities to ensure robust medical research.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated health inequities. Research shows that Americans exposed to disproportionate amounts of air pollution are more likely to die from viruses like COVID-19, given the connection between toxic air pollutants and underlying health conditions. I’ve long supported initiatives to address health disparities from pollution. In March 2021, I voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan Act, which included $100 million for environmental justice programs and air quality issues. I will continue to work in Congress to build on this record funding and address the impacts of environmental harms on communities of color.
Separately, I’ve co-sponsored the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act which makes it easier for seniors in underserved communities to receive care.
Our American immigration policies should reflect our values: to secure our borders, treat immigrants and refugees humanely, and bring people out of the shadow economy.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
I have long supported and advocated for bipartisan comprehensive immigration proposals that fix our nation’s broken immigration system.
In 2013, I co-sponsored the House version of the bipartisan immigration reform compromise that passed the Senate by a vote of 68-32. The bill would’ve addressed asylum issues, improved the immigration court system, overhauled legal immigration, approved additional funding for border security, required nationwide use of a workplace verification technology system, helped implement an entry-exit tracking system to catch individuals who overstay their visas, and established a tough but fair pathway to citizenship for the millions of aspiring Americans who are living and working in the shadows of our society. Unfortunately, the Republican-controlled House failed to take up the measure, and reform efforts have since languished.
I’ll continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strike an agreement on immigration reform.
Protecting Dreamers
Thousands of Dreamers – a class of unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States as children – have started businesses, obtained college degrees, paid taxes, served in the military, and established deep roots in Connecticut. Instead of casting these people aside, we should try to craft policies that give them a realistic chance of fulfilling their American dream. The American Dream and Promise Act, which I’ve co-sponsored and voted for in several congressional sessions, would create a pathway for Dreamers to receive citizenship.
As a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus, I am immensely proud of our progress towards ensuring equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans. In my first term, I was proud to join my colleagues in ending the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy so that our men and women in uniform can serve openly in our Armed Forces.
In the years since then, the Supreme Court’s rulings in Obergefell v. Hodges and Bostock v. Clayton County have brought us closer to realizing the goal of equality for all under the law. But there is still much we can do to make our country more inclusive, loving, and accepting.
In many states, it is still legal for public housing officials, education administrators, jurors, and businesses open to the public to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equality Act, which I’ve co-cosponsored and voted for, would address this by guaranteeing anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in instances of public accommodations, housing, employment, federal funding, education, credit, and jury service.
I will continue to work to end all forms of discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.
In order to fulfill the promise of America, we need to move towards a future of equal opportunity and equality before the law.
For decades, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid have provided vital assistance to older Americans to help cover food, housing, health care, and other services. America’s seniors have spent their working lives paying into this system and deserve to receive the full benefits they were promised.
Social Security & Retirement Benefits
Social Security has kept older Americans out of poverty and provided assistance for all senior citizens. Ensuring the long-term stability of Social Security remains one of my highest priorities. That’s why I have cosponsored the Social Security 2100 Act, which would expand benefits across the board, update cost-of-living adjustments to more accurately reflect the costs seniors face, ensure everyone can retire without falling into poverty, and ensure this bedrock program remains solvent through the end of this century.
The current retirement system isn’t working for all Americans. The options available to workers differ significantly based on their areas of employment and the options for saving can be needlessly confusing. I am fighting to ensure our system for saving for retirement serves all working Americans. I introduced legislation, the Portable Retirement and Investment Account (PRIA) Act, to create universal, portable retirement and investment accounts that will be accessible to all Americans throughout their lives.
Modernizing our infrastructure remains a priority of mine. America’s network of transportation, energy, water, broadband, and civic infrastructure was once the envy of the world. Not any longer. Metro-North and Amtrak suffer from reliability issues and delays, and the Merritt and 95 are disasters during rush hours. Every minute stuck on a train or in traffic is time wasted.
I’m proud to help pass the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides hundreds of billions in funding to repair, rebuild and modernize our infrastructure. The law includes $550 billion in new investments in bridges, broadband, roads, waterways, and more. Over five years, Connecticut will receive $3.5 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs, $561 million for bridge replacement and repairs, $1.3 billion for public transportation improvements, $53 million for EV charging infrastructure, $100 million for broadband deployment, $62 million for airport improvements, and $445 million for water infrastructure through just formula funding allocated to each state under the bill. That’s to say nothing of the nationally competitive grants that the law creates.
Making these investments will not only create jobs but will provide for our region’s long-term economic vitality by employing thousands of our neighbors with good-paying, non-exportable jobs. Our grandparents came together to bind our nation with an unparalleled interstate highway system. It is our turn to imagine and build the 21st-century equivalent.
Government has few obligations more sacred than caring for the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our country. When you hear the stories of our veterans, you know that we owe them a debt we cannot ever repay. But we can and must try.
Improved Access to Care
I have been pursuing answers, calling for accountability, and seeking lasting solutions so that our country’s veterans get the care they deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. I have done this through supporting legislation that ensures veterans are not denied access to mental healthcare services. I co-sponsored the Expedited Hiring for VA Trained Psychiatrists Act which allows the VA to hire trained psychiatrists that have completed their residency with the Veterans Health Administration. I co-sponsored the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act of 2021, which became law. This bill implements a program that uses dog training therapy to help wounded veterans in their recovery.
Veterans should also be able to make the decision to stay at home while accessing doctor’s appointments including mental health services through telehealth. This is why I supported funding in the CARES Act, giving veterans the ability to book and attend appointments entirely online.
Improved Access to Benefits
The state of the VA claims process is improving but has a long way to go. I have supported Congressional efforts like the VA Appeals and Modernization Act to address the backlog of disability claims that have plagued the system, and I will continue to support the actions and resources needed to resolve this continuing issue. Veterans should not be made to wait years before an initial rating decision is made or appeal is decided.
I continue to support legislative efforts to take care of our veterans who may have been exposed to harmful chemicals while serving overseas and to ensure that all veterans receive full access to the benefits to which they are entitled.
To protect veterans from housing insecurity, I sponsored a bill called Securing Electronic Records for Veterans’ Ease (SERVE Act). The SERVE Act mandates the VA to publish any housing benefits for veterans on their online portal. Because of this Act, veterans can more easily access the benefits they earned. The SERVE Act was met with bipartisan support and was signed into law.
Improved Access to Educational Opportunities
I was proud to help pass the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvement Act, legislation that makes it easier for veterans to use their earned educational benefits. The Post 9/11 GI Bill has helped veterans seeking training and college degrees. The Post 9/11 GI Bill is not perfect. We are working to make necessary improvements and common-sense changes to the law to allow flexibility in the program and to make sure that it is implemented as intended by Congress.
Sharing Your Story
I encourage local veterans to participate in the Veterans History Project, a campaign organized by the Library of Congress that seeks to preserve the stories of veterans throughout the country as part of the national archive. One way to honor and give thanks to our war veterans is to have their personal experiences recorded. The collection of memories we have already gathered from the fourth district is priceless. If you would like to participate in the Veterans History Project, please click here.
Voting is a defining act of American citizenship. Unfortunately, recent Supreme Court cases have enabled states to enact a wave of voter suppression measures – like reducing early voting and imposing registration restrictions – intended to restrict Americans’ opportunities to exercise that fundamental right.
In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court struck down a key component of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: the formula that compelled states with a history of voting rights violations to receive federal approval before implementing changes to their voting policies. While in effect, this requirement compelled covered jurisdictions to demonstrate that proposed voting changes would not deny or abridge the right based on race, color, or membership in a language minority group. The Court’s ruling effectively nullified Section 5 until Congress could adopt a new coverage formula.
Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee curtailed the scope of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act – a provision designed by Congress to prohibit state or local discriminatory voting laws and give voters or the federal government the ability to challenge them. In Brnovich, the Court established several restrictive factors for courts to consider when voters file claims under Section 2.
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which I am proud to have co-sponsored and voted for, would both update the Voting Rights Act’s “preclearance” formula and address the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee. Passing this legislation would restore federal oversight of state and local voting policies. I will continue doing everything I can to get a remedy passed into law as quickly as possible so every American will have an equal opportunity to vote.
Reproductive Health
I strongly support reproductive freedom and have stood against efforts to roll back that freedom. That freedom is, regretfully, in peril.
The Women’s Health Protection Act would prohibit medically unnecessary requirements or restrictions on abortion services. I have co-sponsored and voted for this bill during my time in Congress. At heart, I believe that every woman must be empowered to make her own decisions regarding her reproductive health without government intrusion and deserves access to the best medical care available.
More broadly, we can do more to achieve the goals shared on both sides of this issue. I have and will continue to support efforts to reduce unplanned pregnancies by expanding access to family planning services and comprehensive sex education.
Fair Pay
I was proud to cast one of my first votes in Congress for the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore a woman’s right to challenge unfair pay. Unfortunately, pay disparity remains an issue. I’ve co-sponsored and voted for the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would help address the problem. The bill would amend the Equal Pay Act and Fair Labor Standards Act to implement stronger protections against gender-based pay discrimination.
Our Constitution enshrines the core American value that all people should be treated equally. Since coming to Congress, I have worked to extend equal rights to every citizen.
Voting Rights
Voting is a defining act of American citizenship, and we need to do more – not less – to ensure everyone can exercise that fundamental right. Unfortunately, last year the Supreme Court struck down a key component of the Voting Rights Act, the formula that compelled specific states with a history of voting discrimination to clear their voting changes with the federal government. I am deeply disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision, but I am fighting to restore the Voting Rights Act. The bipartisan Voting Rights Amendment Act (H.R. 3899), which I support, drafts a new formula to revive the Voting Rights Act. I will continue doing everything I can to get this bill passed into law as quickly as possible so that this and future generations of Americans will have an equal opportunity to vote.
LGBT Equality
We have made enormous progress over the past few years towards ensuring equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. In my first term, I was proud to join my colleagues in consigning the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to the proverbial trash bin of history so that our brave men and women in uniform can serve openly and honorably in our Armed Forces. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia now allow gay couples to marry, and thanks to an important ruling by the Supreme Court, the federal government now recognizes those marriages. I am a cosponsor of legislation that would fully repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” to ensure that no matter where in this country you live, your marriage will be fully respected.
But despite this important progress, there is more work we must do – and as a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, I am committed to seeing this through to the end. In many states, it is still legal for an employer to fire an employee solely based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. I am a proud cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit this kind of discrimination. I joined over 100 of my colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to sign an Executive Order prohibiting companies that do business with the federal government from discriminating against LGBT people. I also cosponsor legislation to prohibit discrimination in housing, credit, immigration sponsorship, and federally-assisted adoption agencies. We have made tremendous progress in extending equal rights to LGBT Americans, and working together I am confident we can do even more.
Equal Rights for Women
As a father of two girls, I’m committed to a future where my daughters are given the same opportunities and treated with the same amount of respect as men.
I was proud to cast one of my first votes in Congress for the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore a woman’s right to challenge unfair pay. However, with the average woman still making only 77 cents for every dollar a man makes working the same job, it is clear we have more work to do. That is why I am a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 377), sponsored by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. This bill allows the victims of gender-based pay discrimination equal claim for civil action as those receiving discriminatory pay based on race. It also expands the basis by which discrimination can be claimed by broadening pay comparison methods and protects employees who discuss pay information with each other from retaliation by their employer.
There are few issues more divisive or personal than that of reproductive rights. I am fiercely supportive of a woman's reproductive freedom and have stood time and time again against efforts by the House Majority to roll back a woman’s right to make her own choices. I believe that women must be able to make their own decisions about their health without fear of government intrusion. That is why I cosponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would prohibit any current or future state laws that impose requirements or restrictions specifically on reproductive services that are more burdensome than those for comparable procedures. I also believe there is more we can and must do to achieve the goals shared on both sides of this issue. I have and will continue to support efforts to reduce unplanned pregnancies through the availability of critical family planning services and access to comprehensive sex education. Through common-sense efforts, I hope to find opportunities to put differences aside and work in common purpose to ensure that potential parents are empowered to make good choices and every child grows up in a stable, loving family.
As the United States is in the middle of an energy-production boom fueled by cheap access to natural gas, we have essentially become energy independent. Our new focus must be on transitioning to sustainable and renewable energies that will power our economy and protect our environment.
Last year, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen called the nation’s debt “our biggest national security threat.” The national debt has surpassed $16 trillion, and under current law, will continue to grow in the coming years. One rating agency has already downgraded our credit rating, and two others have issued warnings that they might do the same. Our social insurance programs, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which protect millions of American senior citizens, are on an unsustainable long-term path. These programs need reform to stay solvent, but I am committed to making sure they remain intact and in place for generations to come.
Meanwhile, our future needs—from rebuilding our transportation infrastructure to reforming an education system that’s leaving far too many children behind—are pressing. Slashing such investment--eating our seed corn--will only set us further back. This presents us with a thorny and urgent problem.
We didn’t get here overnight. In fact, just 11 years ago, our nation was running surpluses. Two unfunded wars, large tax cuts, undisciplined spending growth and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression have drained federal coffers. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
We currently spend about six percent of the federal budget paying interest on the national debt. Under current law, this amount will increase substantially. Interest rates are at a modern low, but will not remain so forever. If we do nothing to reduce the deficit, by 2040, we’ll be spending more to finance the spending of the past than to invest in the future.
Crucially, health care costs are growing faster than the rest of the economy. At the same time, our population is aging, so more people are depending on Medicare and Medicaid. As a result, these very important programs are becoming more expensive every day. The single most important thing we can do for our long-term fiscal stability is to wrestle health care costs to the ground. Health care reform took a major step in the right direction, but those reforms will take years to yield the level of deficit-reduction we need. Making our system of health care better and more efficient must be an ongoing project.
We must cut our deficit, but if we want America to continue to lead the world, we need to invest in the future. China is building faster trains and investing in renewable energy. Students in almost every industrialized country test better in math and science than our children. Meanwhile, high speed internet is still a dream for many Americans, our electrical grid is aging and inefficient, and our bridges are crumbling.
Moving forward, we need to develop a comprehensive plan that restores our nation’s fiscal sustainability. Everything must be on the table, and we must be honest about the task at hand. Any successful plan to reduce the deficit will include fair and well-timed spending cuts, tax reform, and long-term improvements to entitlement programs. Despite the politicking that is leading the deficit debate in Washington right now, a number of reasonable solutions have been proposed.
The Simpson-Bowles Commission put forth a comprehensive plan that reforms federal budgeting over time and with fairness. Although I don’t agree with everything in the Commission’s proposal, it was a solid step in the right direction. The plan will generate $4 trillion in savings over the next 10 years. It achieves this with three key changes to the budget: cuts to spending, including reducing both tax subsidies and defense; reforming entitlement programs for future recipients; and simplifying the tax code by eliminating loopholes and lowering overall rates.
Like Simpson-Bowles, any successful deficit-reduction plan will cut spending and invest in the future without damaging either the tentative economic recovery or the interests of the least well-off. There isn’t a magic bullet, and the choices are hard. Our success will depend on our willingness to make those difficult decisions. I am confident we can rise to the challenge. We must.
The most important function of government is to ensure the safety of its citizens. We must continue to make critical investments in our national security and strengthen our partnerships abroad. However, I also believe that the choice between our values and our safety is a false one. We face many challenges abroad, but I am fully committed to our proud tradition of engaged, sustained, and competent global leadership.
For too long Congress has been accepting of gradual encroachment of its power to make and declare war by the executive branch. I have introduced a bill, the Reclamation of War Powers Act, to reaffirm the duty of Congress to have public debate on the use of our military men and women to in hostilities in foreign lands. Click here to read more…
American armed forces have been drawn into too many conflicts in the Middle East with no clear goals and no exit strategies. It’s past time to think smarter about our engagement in the region. Click here to read more…
The threat of a terrorist attack with a nuclear weapon is one of the gravest dangers facing Americans today. I fully support the comprehensive strategy of non-proliferation and nuclear security, and pledge to do all I can to push for a world free of nuclear weapons. Click here to read more…
A two-state solution, in which Israel and Palestine live within recognized, peaceful and secure borders has long been a key goal of a decades-long process. I wholeheartedly support this goal. Click here to read more…
Targeted, effective international aid programs ease the suffering of millions each day and are among the very best investments we can make in our national security and long-term prosperity. International aid is a powerful tool of soft power that can prevent the chaos and instability that serve as a breeding ground for terrorist recruitment. Click here to read more…
As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), I conduct oversight of the 17 separate federal agencies that make up the U.S. Intelligence Community, including the CIA and National Security Agency(NSA). Click here to read more…
The Intelligence Committee’s work has never been more important as we investigate Russian interference in our election and potential ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government. Click here to read more…
Striking the right balance between privacy and security is a constant struggle. On the Intelligence Committee, I am working to protect your civil liberties while ensuring that we can have the information necessary to protect against terrorist attack. Click here to read more…
I believe that the threat caused by cyberattacks is one of the greatest our nation faces. Over my time in Congress I have pushed for many improvements to our security to protect both out nation’s and individuals’ data. Click here to read more…