RLC Weekly: Connecting to Daily Life
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the latest edition of the RLC Weekly. This week, the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) further explored how the Investing in America agenda is making a difference in the lives of the American people. RLC leaders seized the opportunity to discuss how Democrats are delivering in communities across the country – in stark contrast to Republicans’ dysfunction. Take a look at some of the highlights:
Meeting with Secretary Xavier Becerra
On Wednesday, June 7, members of the RLC met with Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra for a conversation on ongoing efforts to implement policies established in the last Congress, specifically as they relate to mental health treatment, gun violence prevention, and Medicare’s new program to negotiate the price of prescription drugs. As our members continue to point out, Americans pay nearly three times more for prescription drugs than citizens in other countries. That’s why our members voted for the Inflation Reduction Act — to finally give Medicare the ability to lower prescription drug costs and allow millions of families to breathe easier at the pharmacy counter. Already, millions of seniors are saving hundreds of dollars each per year, and HHS is expected to announce these savings in the coming months.
Read more on how the Members of the RLC and Secretary Becerra discussed how the Biden-Harris Administration and House Democrats can continue coordinating to implement the Investing in America agenda here.
Working Hard to Address Climate Change
While some of our readership experienced the unpleasant effects of wildfires, Regional Leadership Council Members were taking action to showcase how Democrats are addressing the climate crisis through the Investing in America agenda. RLC Leaders in Region 5, 8, and 9 each touted how the Inflation Reduction Act is building cleaner energy sources and giving communities the resources they need to keep their families safe. Watch the local news story featuring RLC Leader Lisa Blunt Rochester (DL-AL) here. Look at what RLC Leaders Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) and Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06) did to promote a safer environment here and here.
Drawing Attention to Tax Fairness
It’s crucial to the RLC that members emphasize the Invest in America agenda and highlight how it made life easier for their constituents during tax season. RLC Leaders Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) made sure their constituents knew how the Inflation Reduction Act shortened wait times for taxpayers and cracked down on wealthy tax cheats. This legislative victory also shows how their extreme Republican colleagues, by contrast, continue to side against working families. Watch Rep. Dean’s floor speech here. See Rep. Trahan’s social media post here.
What’s Next?
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The White House recently launched a brand new Invest.gov to track the implementation of the Investing in America agenda. This site not only shows an interactive map of the investments made possible by the 117th Congress, but it also provides national and state-by-state statistics regarding these laws’ impact on job and business creation. Regional Leadership Council Chair Steny H. Hoyer sent a letter to his colleagues touting this website and referenced it during the Democratic Whip Meeting this week. Read that letter here.
- The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund 63 projects in 32 states. These projects focus on improving rail crossings and making families safer on the road, like this one in Berks County, Pennsylvania! Read more about this funding here and here.
For more updates on how to help implement the Investing America Agenda in your local communities, please follow us on social media and share your story on how these investments have made a difference in your community. You can also visit our website for additional resources to help track these historic investments.