Dear friend, I hope you and your family are doing well. I am sharing some highlights from the past few weeks, where I have advanced child welfare legislation, spoke on the need for more early cancer screenings during a Ways and Means Committee markup, and more.
Legislative Updates
I joined my Ways and Means Committee colleagues in introducing two bills that aim to improve the child welfare system.
- The Preventing Child Welfare Entry Caused by Poverty Act would allow child welfare agencies to use certain funding to provide short-term benefits to assist with housing, food, and transportation costs. This issue has been a key legislative priority of mine, given that many low-income families are separated in the child welfare system because poverty is too often defined as neglect. I was pleased to partner with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith in introducing this legislation.
- I also joined Rep. Adrian Smith in introducing legislation, Youth and Family Engagement in Child Welfare Act, to help ensure that states consult with those formerly involved in the child welfare system. Their lived experiences are critical to making reforms that improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children.
Foster Youth Shadow Week
Every year, former foster youth delegates from the National Foster Youth Institute travel to Washington D.C. for a week of informative advocacy events. I joined this year’s Foster Youth Shadow Day 2024 Town Hall and was so impressed by the brilliant questions and dialogue from our foster youth delegates. Their lived experiences gave them a perspective and they offered wonderful solutions to challenges facing current foster youth.
When Donald Trump Came for Milwaukee
After Trump called my hometown “a horrible city,” I had to clap back. I joined Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC to respond. Watch here.
Recognizing Young Talent
I was excited to welcome our Congressional Art Competition winner, Laura Laserstein, to Washington D.C.! Not only was she recognized in this competition, but she is a Scholastic Gold Key winner. She is so talented, and I was glad to celebrate her amazing work in D.C.
It was a pleasure to meet Avanna Kelly from Running Start. She is from WI-04 and wants to be study Political Science and English in college. I always love meeting young people interested in politics!
Early Interventions Save Lives
This week, the Ways and Means Committee marked up several pieces of legislation related to health care, including a bill that would increase cancer screenings for seniors on Medicare. This is an issue of equity and racial disparities in health care. I have known too many people who were diagnosed with cancer and then shortly after, passed away. Their cancer diagnoses happened too late, which is why we need to make screenings available earlier, so lifesaving interventions can be made.
Discussing Trump Tax Cuts
I joined Bloomberg TV to discuss the first presidential debate and how Trump plans to double down on his trillion tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations.
Lifting up the Needs of Foster Youth
Putting more funding into preventatives services would benefit children and families and help reduce trauma and hardship through family separation. During the Ways and Means Committee Work and Welfare subcommittee hearing, I talked with witnesses with lived experiences in the child welfare system about how we can make key interventions that prevent children from entering the system in the first place. Watch here.
My Office is Here to Help
As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, my staff is happy to help you; please don’t hesitate to call my district office at 414-297-1140.
Your friend,
Gwen
