Congresswoman Doris Matsui has represented the city of Sacramento and its surrounding areas since 2005. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she serves on the Health and Energy subcommittees and is the Vice Chair on the Communications and Technology subcommittee. She is committed to strengthening Sacramento’s flood protection, ensuring quality, affordable health care for all, promoting a clean energy economy, and creating a vibrant region where families can live, work, and play.
Immigrants have made critical contributions throughout our nation’s history, and Congresswoman Matsui is supportive of programs that ensure they are able to continue to live the American dream for generations to come. She is a vocal supporter of the American Dream and Promise Act, landmark legislation which would provide Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and individuals with Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) with protection from deportation and a path to citizenship. She is also a supporter of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, Reuniting Families Act, and strongly opposed the former Trump Administration’s costly and discriminatory construction of the border wall. The Congresswoman believes these are first steps towards comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for those that come to the United States without documents to live a life with safety, opportunity, and dignity.
As a mother and Japanese American, Congresswoman Matsui sought justice for asylum seekers, immigrants, and families separated at the US-Mexico border. During the summer of 2019, the Congresswoman visited several detention facilities in Texas to examine the devastating conditions in which migrants were being held. In 2021, she joined the Congressional Moms Task Force on Family Reunification which works closely with First Lady Jill Biden to lead reunification efforts for migrant children and their parents.
As Sacramento is home to a vibrant Afghan community, Congresswoman Matsui and her staff have worked diligently in assisting constituents with Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications. Additionally in 2021, the Congresswoman introduced the Afghan and Iraqi Allies Resettlement Improvement Act. This bill would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include SIVs as part of its annual survey of refugees, as well as direct the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of State to create programs to employ SIVs.
The Congresswoman’s staff continue to assist and work towards solutions for the Afghan community in Sacramento.