As your representative in Washington, I wanted you to know that we are working hard on a number of key issues that are important to the American people.

This week, I am introducing a bill which will revoke the security clearance of any White House employee who lied about contacts with foreign nationals on their security clearance forms, or anyone under investigation by a federal law enforcement agency for aiding a foreign government. It’s called the White House Security Clearance Accountability Act.

Why is this important? At the House Oversight hearing last week, Michael Cohen told me is it possible the whole Trump family was conflicted or compromised with a foreign adversary in the months before the election.

[Don’t miss below: the legislation we passed to keep the government open included vital funding for South Florida]

Jared Kushner and 29 others reportedly received security clearances despite a specialist rejecting their applications. At an Oversight hearing, a witness told me that this overruling by politically-appointed supervisors jeopardizes national security. That is unacceptable.

House Democrats are taking action and demanding accountability.

Here are a list of key items that we worked on in February:

• Gun Control: We passed HR8 and HR1112 - historic gun control legislation to take action on the public health crisis of gun violence.
• Fake Wall: We voted to terminate President Trump’s fake emergency, which poses a grave threat to our democracy.
• Holding Trump Accountable: We held Oversight hearings seeking accountability from the Trump administration.
• Advocating for Our Veterans: I chaired hearings on issues critical to our Veterans: addressing military suicide; preventing the privatization of Veterans Affairs services; and ensuring equitable access to VA services for women.
• Wall Impact on Military Readiness: And I chaired a hearing with the first public testimony by top military officials about the impact of the national emergency declaration on military readiness.

Supporting South Florida

We made important progress by funding critical South Florida priorities in the recently passed appropriations bill. Read a full list here.

One key priority was protecting our environment. We secured:

• $3.2 million for the EPA South Florida Program, which addresses our coral reefs, water quality and seagrass in the Caloosahatchee Estuary and Indian River Lagoon, and water quality and seagrass monitoring in Florida Bay and Biscayne Bay
• $77.5 million for coastal science, assessment, response, and restoration
• $5 million specifically directed to harmful algal bloom research
• An additional million dollars, bringing the total to $27.6 million, for the Coral Reef Program
• $8.5 million for citrus greening programs
  
• An additional $10 million for Everglades restoration on top of the funding provided in the Energy and Water appropriations bill passed last year
• Increased funding for critical water infrastructure projects and clean water programs

We also secured funding for:

Gun Violence Reform: $75 million in funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Supporting Our Seniors: $678 million for Housing for the Elderly funding, which assists our seniors in accessing affordable housing.

Protecting Our Ports: $100 million for the Port Security Grant Program – more than double what was requested in the Trump administration’s budget.

Supporting the Safety of Synagogues: $60 million for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, critical funding that was zeroed out in the Trump administration budget.

Keeping Youth Safe: Funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces, and continued funding for the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act Grant Program.

Addressing Violence Against Women: $500 million to address violence against women including the STOP Formula Grant Program, and $1.5 million for the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act.

Helping Unaccompanied Youth: Finally, we prohibited use of funds to detain, remove, or refer sponsors of unaccompanied children, including youth at South Florida's crowded Homestead facility.

I will continue to fight for your priorities. I remain so grateful for the opportunity to serve as your representative in Washington.

Sincerely,


Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Member of Congress