03-10-19
This week the House passed H.R. 1, The For the People Act – a piece of historical legislation that puts hard-working families first by ensuring their voices are heard in our politics and policies. The legislation brings about unprecedented transparency to our broken federal elections system, gets rid of special interest and dark money, strengthens campaign finance oversight and puts an end to the culture of ‘pay-to-play’ politics in Washington, D.C.
Highlights of What Congress Did This Week
Voted YES on H.R. 1, For the People Act
The House voted to pass the historical, For the People Act introduced by Democracy Reform Task Force Chair, Rep. John Sarbanes (MD-03). The bill aims to fight back against corruption in Washington, establishes clean and fair elections, ends the dominance of big money in politics, and ensures every American citizen has the right vote.
It’s clear that our political system has become increasingly focused on the privileged and powerful, often drowning out the voices, experiences and needs of everyday Americans and their families. When wealthy special interests make the rules and prevent Americans from voting or flood our politics with big money, our democracy is diminished and our nation is weakened.
As many of you know, I’m an engineer and engineers like to fix things that are broken – and our politics are broken. For too long our policies have been dictated by special interests and deep-pocketed corporate donors, ignoring the voices of hard-working families. A strong democracy shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and the For the People Act is a bold package of legislative reforms that will restore the faith and function of American Democracy. Click here to watch my House Floor speech on H.R. 1.
Voted YES on H. Res. 183, Resolution Condemning Anti-Semitism
My colleagues and I approved a bipartisan resolution condemning anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim bigotry as forms of racism and prejudice antithetical to the values and aspirations of the American people.
Now more than ever we must work to ensure people of all religious and ethnic backgrounds within our communities and throughout our nation feel safe. A principle tenet of our Constitution is our right to freedom of speech; however, no group should ever feel personally attacked because of their race, religion, or beliefs.
Voted YES on H.R. 1381, Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act
This week the House passed the Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act which improves the burn registry by allowing entries to be updated with the cause of death after a registered veteran passes away. Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36) introduced the bipartisan bill in honor of his constituent and veteran, Jennifer Kepner who lost her life to pancreatic cancer connected to her exposure to burn pits in Iraq.
The legislation ensures the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has more accurate records for veterans exposed to burn pits to better serve those with service related-illnesses. The bill also provides a process through which a registered individual may make a designation on who can make the report to the registry on their behalf. Our veterans have sacrificed their lives for our country, and we owe it to them and their families to ensure they have the best care possible. The Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act will also incentivize medical research to help physicians diagnose illnesses and potentially save the lives of veterans exposed to burn pits.
Legislation I Cosponsored this Week
The Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act– The bill would posthumously award former Brooklyn Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm the nation’s highest honor – the Congressional Gold Medal. The bill also calls for the erection of a statue of Congresswoman Chisholm in the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act – The Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act directs the State Department to restore its practice of including critical information on reproductive rights in its annual human rights report. As required by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Trade Act of 1974, the Secretary of State reports annually to Congress on the status of human rights in each country receiving U.S. foreign aid, as well as in each United Nations member state. Since 2011, these reports have included detailed information on deprivation of women’s access to reproductive rights.
Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening – The bill waives Medicare’s costs-sharing requirements for the removal of polyps or tissue during colorectal cancer screenings. Under current law, seniors covered by Medicare are eligible for colorectal cancer screenings without cost sharing. However, if a physician takes further preventive action, such as removing a polyp during a screening, the procedure is billed as a “treatment” rather than a “screening,” and the cost is passed on to the patient. The financial barrier that coinsurance creates may lead to Medicare beneficiaries choosing not to receive this highly-effective method of colorectal cancer prevention. The Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act would fix this discrepancy.
Policy Letters I Cosigned
Letter to Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Majority Whip Clyburn, and Chairman McGovern regarding the Motion to Recommit– I joined Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) and Lori Trahan (MA-03) in sending a letter to Democratic Leadership urging them to make changes to the parliamentary procedure known as the Motion to Recommit (MTR).
In a nutshell, right (literally minutes) before the House votes on a piece of legislation, the minority party has an opportunity to ask for and require a vote on a MTR amendment. In these MTRs, the minority party will include a provision they intend to use against vulnerable members in future elections. These MTRs have no legislative or public policy purpose, they are merely political tools to create divisiveness within the majority party and used as weapons against members in future elections. Preposterously, the minority party that puts forth and approves the MTR will always subsequently vote against the bill’s final passage (even if the MTR was approved and included in the final bill).
The current MTR parliamentary process barely gives Members enough time to read the text of MTRs and we have no way to seek feedback from our constituents. This process makes it impossible for my colleagues and I to work in a transparent manner for our constituents. It's simply unacceptable and essential for Leadership to create a more transparent process that allows for robust debate and serious bipartisan efforts to improve legislation that benefits the American people.
Weekly Highlights
Caruthers Girls Basketball
Congratulations to the Caruthers girls, the CIF Division V state basketball champions! On Friday afternoon, despite playing a school with roughly four times the enrollment, our Blue Raiders rolled to an impressive 62-38 victory over Ramona-Riverside. Hard work, practice and teamwork is a recipe for success in any arena! Good job coach Almeida!
Fresno Bee (3/8/19) – Caruthers girls wrap up school’s first state championship in runway fashion
House Floor Speech
This week I had the opportunity to speak on the House Floor to recognize the McFarland High School girls’ basketball team! Undefeated in regular season D-IV league play, our girls were moved up to D-III for State. Undaunted the team’s motto is “relentless” and on Tuesday night they showed how relentless they were in an amazing, last second, victory over Palisades in the Southern California Regional Final.
On Friday, the girls took on Oakland High School for the State Championship. Although they did not win, they gave it their all and did an amazing job. I’m extremely proud to represent our girls and their families in the 21st Congressional District! Click here to watch my full House Floor Speech.
Meetings & Events
The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) was in D.C. this week for their annual conference. It was a pleasure meeting with members of the Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare County Board of Supervisors to discuss all of our priorities for the 116th Congress and how we can best address our mutual issues of concern including immigration, infrastructure, forest management, and water issues in the Central Valley.
This week I joined my colleagues on the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force - Minority Leader McCarthy, Reps. Jim Costa (CA-16), David Schweikert (AZ-06), Michael Burgess (TX-26), and Michael McCaul (TX-10) for a round table to discuss ways we can work together to improve awareness, reduce the risk of misdiagnoses, and find a viable cure for Valley Fever. The 21st Congressional District is ground zero for Valley Fever and my wife Kathy has a particular interest in the disease. She has, unfortunately, treated far too many patients that suffer from the illness. The disease has already taken the lives of too many and I am committed to working with our constituents and physicians at the local, state, and federal level to address this health crisis head on.
It was a pleasure to join the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) at their events in D.C. this week. NTEU is leading the way in holding this Administration accountable to uphold the Fair Labor Standards Act and to end government shutdowns once and for all. NTEUs principle is simple – you can’t force employees to work without pay. Every federal worker is grateful for all their efforts and NTEU has me as a staunch supporter in the Congress!
TJ’s Recommended Reading
Frequently, I read articles or see videos that I think my constituents would benefit from.
New York Times (3/6/19) – This is the Truth About Vaccines
A couple of weeks ago I recommended an opinion piece about the importance of vaccines. Here’s another important vaccine read from the assistant secretary for Health and Human Services, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the surgeon general. The New York Times’ opinion read highlights the importance of vaccinating our children and the dire consequences we put ourselves - and those around us - in by not getting vaccinated.
ABC 30 (3/8/19) – Despite poverty, Mendota schoolkids raise $25,000 for cancer patients
I’m extremely proud of Mendota Elementary – over the past couple of years, the school has raised over $25,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Pennies for Patients campaign. Despite adversity and the socio-economic challenges faced by many families in Mendota, the City is united in their efforts to help others and continually finds ways to contribute to great causes. Mendota has a huge heart and I’m proud to represent this fine community in the U.S. Congress.
Nature Communications – (2018) Overpumping leads to California groundwater arsenic threat
Water policy is central to so many of our debates here in the Central Valley. The attached academic article published by Nature Communications adds to one of our pressing issues – the issue of arsenic in our groundwater. The article establishes a correlation between recent groundwater pumping, observed through land subsidence, and an increase in arsenic concentrations in aquifers throughout the Valley.
Staying Informed
You can find more press releases, commentary and information on issues I’m working on at cox.house.gov. I also encourage you to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
If you’re ever in DC, please call ahead so we can arrange tours for you and update you on upcoming events you may be interested in attending. Be sure to visit us at our office, 1728 Longworth and take the “TJ Challenge” – you get a special prize if you can tell me how many steps there are from the basement up to the 7th floor (and you’ll have to walk them to know!)
In your service, 
TJ Cox
Member of Congress