Catching Up With Quigley: Week of March 18
Dear Friend,
I hope you have had a good week. I wanted to take a moment to commemorate an important anniversary and recap some of the work I did while in Washington.
1. 14 Years of the Affordable Care Act
On this day in 2010, I witnessed President Barack Obama sign the Affordable Care Act into law. This lifesaving legislation transformed our country and restored humanity to our health care system. Today, the Affordable Care Act continues to lower costs and help millions of Americans find affordable, quality health care coverage. A record-breaking more than 21 million Americans signed up for health coverage this year with a majority of shoppers able to find coverage for less than $10 a month. Rest assured, I will always protect your coverage.
To watch my full video, click HERE.
2. Voted to Keep the Government Open
On Friday, I was proud to support a funding package to keep the government open and avert a shutdown. The investments in this package will help Americans deal with high prices, side with the hard-working middle class, protect women’s rights, reinforce America’s global leadership, and help our communities be safe and secure.
This legislation delivers for the American people by:
- Helping with the high cost of living, reducing drug costs, helping with child care and Head Start.
- Supporting education and job training and placement programs that help Americans find high paying jobs, safeguarding robust worker protection agencies that ensure Americans are safe and properly compensated at work.
- Protecting women’s rights by blocking attempts to limit women’s access to reproductive health care including the elimination of Title X Family Planning and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Grants.
- Strengthening defense capabilities, ensuring America can respond anywhere in the world where freedom and democracy are under attack.
Preventing the trafficking of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, bolstering cyber security, protecting consumers from scammers, fraudsters, and dangerous products, and enabling robust and immediate responses to natural disasters.
3. Questioned Secretary Granholm During Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing
On Wednesday, I spoke with Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm, during a hearing for the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. I asked Secretary Granholm how the DOE plans to use their proposed budget to expand our electric grid. In order to meet President Biden's goal of 100 percent clean electricity, we must double the size of our grid. While the DOE should lead the way to achieving this critical task, I have been proud to bring forth legislation in Congress to streamline the process.
In fact, one year ago today I introduced the Streamlining Interstate Transmission of Electricity (SITE) Act. This legislation would establish a new federal siting authority at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to ease the process of constructing long range, inter-regional high voltage transmission lines. New transmission lines are needed to get more renewable energy to homes and businesses. Without doubling the rate of transmission builds, the U.S. could lose up to 80 percent of the historic Inflation Reduction Act’s emissions reduction benefits.
To watch the full hearing and my questioning, click HERE.
Don't forget, our office is always here to help.
You can call my DC office at (202) 225-4061 or my Chicago office at (773) 267-5926. You can also email me through my website at Quigley.house.gov/contact.
Sincerely,
Mike Quigley