June 7, 2024 In The News Dear Colleagues, The Regional Leadership Council (RLC) and House Democrats continue tell the story of the Investing in America agenda through district events, local meetings, and resource fairs. Here are a few ways House Democrats are showing the transformational, everyday impact of the bills passed by Democrats in the 117th Congress. Lowering Prescription Drug Costs RLC Leader Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL) joined Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), at the Wilmington Senior Center to discuss what Congressional Democrats have done to lower costs at the pharmacy. "A lot of people don't know about their availability to get free shingle shots, or they don't know about the capping the cost of insulin and things like that," said Rep. Blunt Rochester to Delaware Public Media. "So today our goal was to make sure that we heard from seniors, but also that we shared with them because if they don't know about the programs then they can't use them and therefore they don't have them." About 63,000 Delawareans will save an average of $449 dollars a year on prescription drugs, thanks to Democrats’ work in the 117th Congress. At the same time, around 6,200 Delawareans are saving an average of $420 annually on insulin to manage their diabetes, according the RLC's research. House Democrats are encouraged to uplift these savings in their districts. Uplifting Local Leaders RLC Leader Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) recently uplifted his team's Hispanic Advisory Board to highlight House Democrats’ continued work to strengthen the American economy. Rep. Soto highlighted the recent actions taken by Democrats to expand the Affordable Care Act to thousands of DACA recipients in Florida and expand educational opportunities in Central Florida. If you have additional questions about how to maximize the impact of the Investing America agenda in your communities, please contact your Regional RLC Leader or our office for assistance. Bringing Resources to the People It is critical that House Democrats connect America's entrepreneurs and small businesses owners with the historic opportunities made possible by Democrats in the 117th Congress. In Flushing, NY, RLC Leader Grace Meng (NY-06) hosted U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman to meet with business leaders and discuss the importance of Asian American-owned businesses in the U.S. economy. In Ohio, an estimated 450 people joined Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11) for her second annual OH-11 Small Business Expo to learn about resources made available to small businesses through the Investing in America agenda. Among the participants was Angela Berry Roberson, Senior Advisor for the Office of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Departmental Office of Civil Rights, who spoke about DOT's collaboration and contracting with small and minority-owned businesses. Rep. Brown held this event in Warrensville Heights, a historically underserved community, as part of her work to eliminate barriers and help Ohioans grow their businesses. Here's a few of those Ohioans speaking about the event on Rep. Brown's social media page. These events come as the White House released a new Climate Capital Guidebook, which provides a central location for all small- and medium-sized businesses to learn about the clean energy grants made available through the Investing in America agenda. The RLC encourages Members to utilize these resources to connect the American people to cost-saving programs. Restoring Tax Fairness House Democrats continue to applaud the Biden-Harris Administration's work to lower costs and restore fairness to the U.S. tax code. On social media this week, Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-01) discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act is strengthening the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) tax enforcement and creating new programs, like Direct File, that are lowering everyday costs for Americans in every corner of the country. See more examples of how Democrats are highlighting these investments from RLC Leader Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02), Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), and Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09). What Else? The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced $480 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help prevent crashes and injuries on the road. Read the details from DOT here. The Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $725 million for the Abandoned Mine Lands program, the third allotment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Read more from DOI here. For more updates on how to help implement the Investing in America agenda locally, please follow us on social media and share your story on how these investments are making a difference in your community. You can also visit our website for additional resources that will help track these historic investments.