RLC Weekly: Costs Going Down, Investments Going Up

July 12, 2024
In The News

Dear Colleagues,

As House Republicans plot to divest in America through proposals like Project 2025, Democrats continue to Invest in America – lowering the costs of insulin, health care, utility bills, clean energy, and so much more. In this edition of RLC Weekly, we show a few examples of the Regional Leadership Council (RLC) and House Democrats advancing that mission ahead of the upcoming Week of Action.

To help us track your local events next week, please share your best clips with RLC and the DPCC here!

Meeting With White House Council on Environmental Quality

RLC Leader Rep. Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) led the meeting with White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory this week. During the meeting, Members of the RLC discussed the transformative environmental and clean energy policies Democrats secured as a part of their Investing in America agenda. They also highlighted the importance of fighting against Republican efforts to overturn them. Read more from Rep. Cárdenas and the Members of the RLC here.

The RLC has produced district-level reports to show how the Investing in America agenda is advancing clean energy and delivering environmental justice across America. Please visit RLC.House.Gov for more.

Localizing Infrastructure Investments

Many Democrats are utilizing digital tools to illustrate the scope of the Investing in America agenda’s impact. Reps. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Jim Costa (CA-21) embedded district-specific data on their websites and highlighted local investments, made possible by Democrats, on their social media. Here's a link to Rep. Levin's social media video with Carlsbad Mayor Keith Blackburn, where he discusses $850,000 in federal funding for road safety and references his district investment map. Rep. Jim Costa (CA-21) shared this map following an interview about President Biden's Investing in America agenda with a local news outlet. Watch more on this interview here and here.

Honoring a Milestone for the PACT Act

Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02), House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (CA-39), and many House Democratic colleagues celebrated that over 1 million PACT Act related claims have been approved since 2022. Rep. Takano also convened a Special Order Hour (SOH) to allow Members to uplift Veterans' stories from across the county. Watch clips on this SOH here.

These efforts comes as Democrats work to help Veterans file a PACT Act claim within 365 days of submitting their Intent to File form. House Democrats are encouraged to take advantage of this messaging opportunity during the upcoming District Work Period. Please visit RLC.House.Gov to see district-level reports that show the impact of the PACT Act in your local communities.

Keeping the Receipts on the Affordable Connectivity Program

During a House Committee on Energy and Commerce hearing with Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, RLC Leader Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09) cited the impact of the Affordable Connectivity Program and emphasized the importance of reinstating the program. He cited district-level data to show how many low-income constituents saved $30 per month, and he thanked Commissioner Gomez for meeting with local Veterans in March to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's work to deliver affordable high-speed internet across America. Read more from Rep. Soto on social media here.

What Else?

  • The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that $1 billion in past-due taxes have been collected from the wealthiest Americans, thanks to funding from Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act. Read RLC Chair Steny H. Hoyer's (MD-05) statement on this announcement here.
  • The Department of Transportation is delivering $1.5 billion in awards for 117 projects in 47 states through the Low or No Emission grant and Buses and Bus Facilities grant programs. See more on this announcement here.
  • The White House is announcing over $244 million to expand and diversify Registered Apprenticeship system in America. White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden and Acting Secretary Julie Su will travel to Pennsylvania to celebrate this announcement. Read more about this crucial investment on this White House fact sheet.

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.