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Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women's Health Act

I've introduced the Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women's Health Act with Senator Patty Murray in honor of women's health advocate and native of our district, Jeannette Acosta. Acosta lost her battle with cervical cancer when she was just 32-years old, but spent her career fighting hard to ensure women's health services are accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds. This bill would expand access to preventive, lifesaving women's health screenings through new grant and pilot programs at community care centers, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

Medicare for All

While the Affordable Care Act was an excellent step forward, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed our healthcare system’s fundamental flaw: too many Americans have their health insurance tied to their job. That volatility - in or out of a public health crisis - is unacceptable. That’s why I’m a cosponsor of the Medicare for All Act because I believe healthcare is a right not a privilege.

Lower Drug Costs

The cost of life-saving prescription drugs is out of control nationwide as pharmaceutical companies continue to prioritize profits over patients. That's why I'm an original cosponsor of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate maximum drug prices with these companies.

Paid Leave and Child Care

I'm an original cosponsor of the FAMILY Act to create the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration and provide every individual with a family and medical leave insurance benefit.

I cosponsored the Childcare for Working Families Act and the Child Care is Essential Act, because we need to supply robust childcare access, especially to families of color. These bills would invest childcare funds into low and moderate-income communities, increase care access for children with disabilities, and ensure our childcare industry can survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

On top of childcare, working families need a national paid leave infrastructure. Too many Americans are forced to choose between their health and family or their job. At a time when we’re celebrating essential workers, this is a necessary way to thank them. That’s why I introduced the State Paid Leave for America Now (PLAN) Act, which reimburses states with paid leave programs for costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic and incentivizes other states to adopt these models.

Medicare and Medicaid

It’s critical that we address the inequity of our healthcare system immediately. Communities of color and low-income communities often lack the care that higher-income communities do and suffer disproportionate effects from crises like COVID-19. I introduced H.R. 6584 during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase Medicaid payments to hospitals that primarily serve low-income communities, including four in our district.

I also introduced H.R. 3039, a bill that would extend funding for state health insurance programs that conduct outreach and enrollment to low-income and older Americans.

Additional Supported Legislation

Disability Integration Act of 2019

Healthy Families Act of 2021

Essential Worker Pandemic Compensation Act of 2021

Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021

Health Care Affordability Act of 2021

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In February 2021, House Democrats passed a sweeping public lands conservation bill that included the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act. I'm a cosponsor of this bill, which would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

In 2020, I voted with my House and Senate colleagues to pass the Great American Outdoors Act. This historic bill, signed into law in August, provides critical funding for maintenance in our National Park System and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million per year.

Transit to Trails Act

In 2019 and 2021, I introduced the Transit to Trails Act with Senator Cory Booker. This bill would create a grant program to improve multi-modal transportation to public lands, parks, and waters, especially for low-income and minority communities. On July 1, 2021, this bill passed in the House as part of the INVEST in America Act.

Additional Supported Legislation

California Clean Coast Act of 2021

Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2021

Environmental Justice for All Act

San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act

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All around our community, there are plenty of opportunities to rebuild our infrastructure, including the Los Angeles River. The river is as symbol for the future of our city and revitalizing it's ecosystem has long been a top priority of mine.

Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Project

In April 2019, I led my Los Angeles Congressional Delegation colleagues in urging the House Appropriations Committee to allocate $2.73 billion for the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Project. In February 2020, my colleagues and I announced a $1.857 million investment by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers into this project, the first federal funding for the L.A. River since fiscal year 2017. In June 2020, I led my Los Angeles colleagues in Congress in requesting $53 million for the public-private partnership-designated restoration project.

San Gabriel Mountains Foothills and Rivers Protection Act

This bill, which I've cosponsored in the last two sessions of Congress, would establish the San Gabriel National Recreation Area as part of the National Park System, including important tributaries of the L.A. River like Arroyo Seco. In February 2021, I voted to pass this legislation in the House as part of the Protecting America's Wilderness and Public Lands Act.

Local Events

In May 2018, I joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city leaders for the groundbreaking of the North Atwater Multimodal Bridge. I'm grateful to see this pedestrian bridge open up access to our beautiful waterway to more Angelenos and CA-34 residents. In August 2018, I hosted a roundtable on the Los Angeles River with local, state, and federal stakeholders to discuss creating new recreational and green spaces along the river and how federal and local funding can be targeted to restoration efforts. When I have a moment in our district, I'll never pass on a great bike ride. The bike spaces alongside the river allow for great exercise and fantastic views of our local ecosystem. It's opportunities like these that a revitalized L.A. River can provide to all Angelenos.

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Student Debt Cancellation

Our student loan debt crisis is well past the tipping point, and it's disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities. That's why I'm a cosponsor of H.Res.100, calling on President Biden to use executive authority to cancel student loan debt.

I introduced a bill, H.R. 1564, which was included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and signed into law, that would make any future student loan debt forgiveness tax-free. This critical legislation eliminates any extra burden on student borrowers and paves the wave for student loan debt to be cancelled by executive action.

Enhanced Access to SNAP Act

In the 116th and 117th sessions of Congress, I've introduced the Enhanced Access to SNAP Act of 2021, which would permanently extend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility to college students beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and help fight on-campus hunger.

College for All Act

I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2730, the College for All Act to eliminate tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities for families making up to $125,000 and make community college tuition- and fee-free for all.

Additional Supported Legislation

Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2019, which would create nearly two million jobs by investing $100 billion in rebuilding the physical and digital infrastructure in schools across the country and reducing their environmental impact.

I cosponsored the Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2019 which would provide funding to public schools to partner with local mental health professionals and administer life-saving mental care on site.

Debt-Free College Act of 2019

College Affordability Act of 2019

In 2020, I voted to pass H.J.Res.76, a resolution to reinstate Obama era protections for students defrauded by predatory for-profit colleges that were dismantled by the Trump administration. This rule was critical to unshackling students from mountains of debt, but despite passage in the House and Senate, President Trump vetoed this resolution.

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Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act

Our seniors are an integral part of communities across the U.S. They’ve spent their lives working hard and, in return, expect the benefits promised to them. But we must also ensure all seniors have proper access to Medicare. That’s why I introduced H.R. 4675, the Language Access for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2019 to require Medicare resources be translated into languages beside English and Spanish.

Protecting Social Security

Social Security is a critical program that our nation’s seniors rely on and have worked hard to receive. Cutting Social Security benefits is simply not an option. That’s why I’m a cosponsor of H.R. 860, the Social Security 2100 Act and H.R. 8171, the Save our Social Security Now Act. These bills would expand benefits for Social Security recipients, cut taxes for seniors, ensure the solvency of the Social Security program, and prevent Presidents from defunding it with a permanent payroll tax cut.

COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes have been some of the hardest hit facilities as this administration failed to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), a national testing strategy, or clear federal guidelines. In response to reports of inappropriate discharges of nursing home residents in Lakeview Terrace, I led the Los Angeles Congressional delegation in calling for an immediate investigation from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) into these claims and the treatment of seniors at these facilities.

Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act

In the 116th Congress, I was a cosponsor of H.R. 3107, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2019. This bill would reduce barriers for seniors by reforming and streamlining the medical authorization process and cutting out unnecessary hurdles before care is administered.

Additional Supported Legislation

Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021

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Citizenship

I'm an original cosponsor of the U.S. Citizenship Act, President Biden’s plan to overhaul the American immigration system with a bold, inclusive, and humane framework for the future. This bill would provide millions of hardworking, undocumented immigrants with a pathway to earned citizenship, including DREAMers, Temporary Protective Status (TPS) recipients, and essential workers who have made enormous sacrifices during the pandemic; prioritize family reunification and keeping families together; and bolster the country’s long-term economic growth. The bill would also equip the country to address root causes of migration that force people to leave Central America and restore the U.S.’ commitment to human rights.

In the 116th Congress, I helped pass the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019. This bill codifies a legal status for those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and creates a pathway to citizenship for them and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders.

Private Detention Centers

Since coming to Congress in 2017, I've cosponsored the Justice is Not For Sale Act to prohibit federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using private, for-profit detention centers.

Immigration

I voted in favor of H.R. 2740 and H.R. 2500 - both of which passed the House - to block construction of President Trump’s southern border wall. I am also an original cosponsor of the Keep Families Together Act, which would prohibit the federal government from separating families at or near U.S. borders except if a child is being trafficked or without their legal guardian.

I cosponsored and voted to pass the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019. This bill increases the family-based immigrant visas and the employment-based immigrant visas available per country. I also cosponsored and voted to pass the NO BAN Act to overturn the President’s unconstitutional immigration ban on select countries and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021.

In the 115th Congress, I introduced H.R. 6055, the Keep Our Cities Safe Act of 2018 to protect local and state governments from federal penalties for enforcing their own immigration and public health policies.

Field Work

In September 2020, I traveled to the Irwin County Detention Center with my Hispanic Caucus colleagues to hear directly from women detainees who received nonconsensual medical treatments while in ICE custody. In response to claims of medical abuse, some of these women were deported or scheduled to be deported from the U.S. My colleagues and I wrote to the Trump administration demanding they stay these deportations, release all victims from ICE custody, and allow these women full access to federal investigators.

In December 2018, I traveled to the southern border and camped out for 15 hours overnight to hear from asylum seekers about their grueling journeys, understand their experience at our border, and investigate their interactions with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP). Earlier this year, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report indicated that then-Secretary Kirtsjen Nielsen lied to Congress about manufacturing capacity issues at the southern border, allowed CBP agents to improperly turn away asylum seekers. I have called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate her for perjury.

Additional Supported Legislation

No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2019

Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2021

HEAL for Immigrant Families Act

Citizenship for Essential Workers Act

Families Belong Together Act

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The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted how deep our nation's housing crisis is. Working families across the U.S. were paying far too much of their income in rent before this crisis and staggering levels of unemployment are forcing more and more into homelessness. We cannot afford to, nor should we, turn a blind eye to this problem.

Rent Cancellation and Eviction Moratoriums

California is home to some of our nation’s highest-need and most vulnerable renters, many of whom were just one financial crisis away from eviction long before the pandemic. In the wealthiest country in the world, no one should have to worry about losing their home. That's why I introduced the H.R.8327, the Stable Families Act, to establish a permanent National Housing Stabilization Fund and ensure low-income families at risk of eviction receive the financial assistance they need to stay safe and housed.

I also led a letter with 37 members of the California’s Congressional delegation to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Department of the Treasury to reallocate unused Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERA) funds to states with the highest need for such aid.

In January 2020, I led a letter with 64 of my colleagues to call on President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to use immediate executive action to extend the national eviction moratorium for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress left for recess in August 2021 just as the national eviction moratorium was set to expire, leaving millions of renters were at risk of being evicted. My Progressive colleagues and I stayed behind, slept on the steps of the Capitol, organized, and successfully called on the Biden administration to extend the federal eviction moratorium.

I'm an original cosponsor of H.R. 1847, the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, which would cancel rent and mortgage payments nationwide through the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and establish a relief fund for landlords and mortgage holders to cover the losses of cancelled payments.

Rent Relief

During the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering direct rent relief to California has been a top priority of mine. Through Congress' relief bill in December 2020, I helped secure $2.6 billion in rental assistance for the state, and through the American Rescue Plan Act, I helped secure $235 million in rental assistance for the City of Los Angeles.

I introduced H.R. 2169, the Rent Relief Act of 2022 to help families earning stagnant wages while their rent increases. This bill creates a refundable tax credit for families who earn up to $100,000 a year and spend 30 percent or more of their income on rent and utilities. This monthly benefit would help families in high-cost cities like Los Angeles and assist those living in government-subsidized housing.

Opportunity Starts at Home Act

As the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has worsened our homelessness problem, I introduced H.R. 7351, the Opportunity Starts at Home Act, a bill that was included in House Democrats' transformational infrastructure package, H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. My bill would create a new tax credit for affordable housing projects financed by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) that incentivizes providing supportive services to our vulnerable populations. These permanent supportive services - like healthcare, coordination of benefits, job search assistance and training, financial counseling, and more - are a proven investment necessary to combat chronic homelessness nationwide.

Stable SSI Benefits and Housing Assistance Act

I also introduced H.R. 6028, the Stable SSI Benefits and Housing Assistance Act. This bill would ensure that individuals receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) do not lose their benefits simply because they receive relocation assistance due to a no-fault eviction.

Affordable Housing and Homelessness

I secured over $11 million in federal funding to invest in affordable housing projects in my district, including $1.5 million for an affordable housing project in Chinatown serving low-income individuals, families, and seniors.

I cosponsored H.R. 1978, the Fighting Homelessness Through Services and Housing Act, endorsed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, to allocate $750 million annually for five years to fund supportive housing models and permanent services that local and tribal governments have proven work.

I also cosponsored H.R. 3077, the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2019, which would expand the LIHTC by 50% and pave the way for countless new affordable housing units nationwide.