Congressman Carbajal’s Legislation

Congressman Carbajal’s Legislation

Bipartisan Sponsorships: 17 bills sponsored, 8 are bipartisan

Feminist issues remain a top priority. With the Democratic majority in the House, we have been able to make significant gains and also block Republican attacks on the issues we care about. Unfortunately, the Senate remains a roadblock to getting pro-active bills to the President’s desk, though that is not stopping us from conducting hearings on important legislation and moving as many bills to the House floor as we can.

Key Actions this Congress

1. Child Care

• Cosponsor: HR 840 Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act

• Cosponsored HR 1364 – Child Care for Working Families Act (To amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 and the Head Start Act to promote child care and early learning.)

2. Crimes Against Women

• Member of bipartisan Working Group to End Domestic Violence

• Made the Appropriations requests to increase funding for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs and to adequately fund the DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 1585 the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 (reauthorized VAWA programs through FY 2024 and strengthened support for victims of both domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Notably, it would prevent individuals convicted of stalking or subject to a restraining order from possessing a firearm – which is why the bill is unlikely to be taken up by the Senate. VAWA expired on 2/15/19)

3. Educational Equity

• Introduced HR 4638 – Degrees not Debt Act: improve access to higher education by strengthening the Pell Grant.

• This bill will increase the maximum Pell Grant reward to $10,000 and index future Pell Grants to the CPI-U.
• Lowers the expected family contribution to $0 for families below 250% of the federal poverty line

• HR 3809 College Hunger Act – expands SNAP eligibility to students
• HR 1887 IDEA Full Funding Act – requires federal government to fulfil its obligation of providing services to students with disabilities

4. Equal Rights Amendment

• Cosponsor: HJ Res 35 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women. (Rep. Maloney)

• Cosponsor: HJ Res 38 Removing the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. (Rep. Speier)

5. Gender Balance

• Cosponsored H Res 171 – Recognizing National Women’s History Month (Rep. Thompson)

6. Health Care

• Voted to pass HR 987 Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drugs (Rep. Blunt Rochester)

  • A large package combining 3 bills to lower drug costs by promoting generic competition – including banning “pay for delay” and making it easier for generic companies to attain samples – and 4 bills to strengthen the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, reverse GOP sabotage, and rescind the Trump Administration’s junk plan rule.

• Cosponsored HR 3 The Lower Drug Costs Now Act (Rep. Pallone)

  • A package of provisions to lower drug costs including: allowing Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices with drug companies; making those lower negotiated prices available to all Americans; creating a new $2K out-of-pocket limit on prescription drug costs for Medicare patients; and re-investing savings into the NIH to find new breakthrough cures and treatments.

• Cosponsored HR 1384 Medicare For All (Rep. Jayapal)

• Cosponsored HR 2452 Medicare For America (Rep. DeLauro)

7. Housing

• Member of Public Housing Caucus

• Member of Homelessness Caucus

• Sponsor of HR 4191 the Home of the Brave Act (Would exempt disability benefits from counting toward total income when determining eligibility for housing assistance programs through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

• Significant Appropriations Requests:

  • At least $1.5 Billion in FY20 for the HOME Investment Partnerships block grant program

  • At least $3.8 Billion in FY20 for the Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) program

  • At least $24 Billion in FY20 for the Housing Choice Vouchers program to renew all vouchers currently in use and make new targeted investments in vouchers for families with children

  • $47 million in FY20 for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program to provide assistance to homeless veterans. The program combines rental assistance, in the form of a HUD voucher, with case management and supportive services by the VA.

  • $65 million for the Housing Counseling Assistance program to support non-profit housing counselors working directly with consumers to empower them to make informed financial decisions about homeownership

  • $165 million for programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to help fund transitional living programs, basic center programs, and street outreach programs for homeless youth

• Cosponsored HR 232 Landlord Accountability Act (Rep. Velasquez) which would ban discrimination based on a tenant’s use of a federal housing voucher, such as Section 8 vouchers.

• Cosponsored HR 95 Homeless Veterans Families Act (Rep. Brownley) which would allow the VA to reimburse housing providers for 50% of the cost of housing a minor child dependent of a homeless veteran, helping homeless vets with children find a safe place to live.

• Cosponsored HR 2001 Homeless Children and Youth Act (Rep. Stivers) – which would align federal definitions of homelessness so that more children and youth can access HUD homeless services

8. Immigration

• Sponsored HR 1871 – Protect Patriot Parents Act – Would make parents of military servicemembers eligible to adjust for lawful permanent residency without needing to leave the US

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 6 American Dream and Promise Act (Rep. Roybal-Allard) – Provides protection from deportation to Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients, with an earned pathway to citizenship after various work, military, or education requirements are met and background checks are passed.

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 3239 Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act (Rep. Ruiz) – Creates standards to ensure all individuals detained in CBP custody receive proper health screenings, medical care, nutritious meals, water, and personal hygiene products.

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 2203 Homeland Security Improvement Act (Escobar) – Would bring oversight and accountability standards to DHS in its treatment of immigrants crossing the border.

• Voted to pass HR 3401 Emergency Supplemental Bill to Provide Humanitarian Assistance at the Border (Rep. Lowey) – Became law on 7/1/19; passed House 230-195; passed Senate 84-8.

  • Voted in support, advocated for a stronger bill with more protections for immigrants. The overwhelming Senate vote + the White House precluded House Democrats from securing a better bill.

  • Provides $4.6 Billion in supplemental funding to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border, including $2.9 Billion for the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement and $112 Million for food, baby formula, and other essentials for detainees.

  • Fully rejected Trump’s request for more ICE detention beds and prohibits funds from being re-director for a border wall or increased enforcement

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 1044 Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act (Rep. Lofgren) – Phases out and eventually eliminates the per country caps on EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 visas which currently restrict nationals of any one country from obtaining more than 7% of the total number of those immigrant visas.

Amendments Passed Through NDAA

FY20 NDAA: Citizenship for Those Who Serve (pending final NDAA Conference)

• Included bill language that would prohibit the Secretary of Defense from taking any action in terms of continuing to implement the October 2017 DoD Memo which requires all Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) to complete a full background check before going to boot camp, until the SecDef provides a briefing to the congressional defense committees justifying such policy changes.

• Included bill language which requires the Secretary of the military department or a designated commissioned officer to certify the service member’s honorable service through the N-426 form, within 5 days for active duty and 3 weeks for the reserved force, in order to allow LPRs to begin their process for citizenship. If a service member’s service has been other than honorable, the service shall provide the member notice that a certification will not be granted and for what reason, within the same timeframe.

Appropriations

SOC submitted the following appropriations requests (the FY20 Homeland Security appropriations bill is still pending):

• Ban funds from being used to detain or deport DACA recipients

• Ban funds from being used to separate families and restore funding for community-based alternatives that work like the Family Case Management Program

• Ban DHS from transferring funds to build a wall or for extra detention beds

• Increased protections for asylum seekers

SOC helped pass various FY20 appropriations bills in the House with these provisions:

• $672.97 million for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to allow for the hiring of additional immigration judge teams to address the immigration case backlog.

• $99 million for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers programs at the Dept of Labor, including housing

• A report on separated children

• $7.97 billion for humanitarian assistance under Migration & Refugee Assistance (MRA), U.S. Emergency Refugee & Migration Assistance (ERMA), and International Disaster Assistance (IDA)

• $540.8 million in foreign aid to Central America

Cosponsored Legislation

HR 641 Agricultural Worker Program Act (Rep. Lofgren w/Reps. Panetta and Carbajal as co-leads) – SOC engaged in negotiation talks on compromise Bluecard-Guest Worker bill

• Provides “blue cards” (temporary protected status) to farmworkers and their families if they have consistently worked in ag over 2 years, pay a fee, and pass thorough background checks. Pathway to green card status in 3-5 years, depending on amount of days worked per year.

HR 6135 Keep Families Together Act (Rep. Nadler)

• Prohibits DHS from separating children from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances; limits criminal prosecutions for asylum seekers; requires child welfare training for CBP.

HR 532 Alternatives to Detention Act (Rep. Brown)

• Instructs DHS to use alternatives to detention for vulnerable immigrant populations (pregnant women, young children, trafficking victims, those with disabilities) such as allowing families to wait in community-based settings while having regular check-ins with caseworkers.

H.R. 810 Legislation Blocking the Implementation of Trump’s Muslim Ban (Rep. Chu)

• Blocks the implementation of the Trump Administration’s Muslim Ban Executive Order, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court with a 5-4 vote in Trump v. Hawaii.

HR 2762 Clarification of construction authority in the event of a national emergency (Rep. Gallego)

• Limits DOD’s authority to reprogram MILCON funds for a border wall or any other reason during a national emergency. It would cap national emergency MILCON reprogramming at $250 Million; tighten rules on waivers of reprogramming; only allow unexecutable monies to be used for an emergency; and require a five-day waiting period between notification and the beginning of construction.

HR 656 DREAMers, Immigrants, and Refugees (DIRe) Legal Aid Act (Rep. Correa)

• Makes grants available to nonprofit organizations to offer legal help to DACA recipients, refugees, and other immigrants at risk of being deported

HR 668 American Dream Employment Act of 2019 (Rep. Kirkpatrick)

• Allows DACA recipients to work in Congress

9. Lesbian Rights

• Member of LGBT/Equality Caucus

• Orignial Cosponsor and voted to pass HR 5 Equality Act (Rep. Cicilline) – amends existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, Federal jury service, public accommodations, and the use of Federal funds. It does so by adding sex in some places where it had not previously been protected, and clarifying that sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Signed onto letter denouncing Trump’s Health Care Rights Law rollback, which would embolden discrimination in health care based on LGBT identity, race, language spoken, etc.

• Cosponsored resolution HJ Res 464 – encouraging the celebration of the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month

10. Pay Equity

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HR 7 the Paycheck Fairness Act (updates and strengthens equal pay provisions to eliminate pay discrimination based on gender and sex). Passed the House, pending in the Senate.

• Original cosponsor and voted to pass HR 582 the Raise the Wage Act ($15min wage). Passed the House, pending in the Senate.

11. International Peace & Security

• 115th Congress: State & Foreign Opps Approps Requests:

  • Refugee programs:

    • Funding for the Department of Health and Human Services’ Refugee and Entrant Assistance;

    • Funding for the Department of State’s Migration and Refugee Assistance and Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance;

    • Funding for USAID’s International Disaster Assistance account;

    • Funding for the Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services

  • Programs that fight slavery and human trafficking.

  • International basic education programs that ensure children worldwide have access to a quality education.

  • Programs that respond to violence and discrimination targeting LGBT individuals and communities worldwide.

12. Racism

• Voting Rights:

  • HR 1694 Native American Voting Rights Act of 2019 (Rep. Lujan)

  • HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (Rep. Sewell)

• Redistricting Reform:

  • HR 3572 Redistricting Reform Act of 2019 (Rep. Lofgren)

• HR 35 Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act (Rep. Bobby Rush) – specifies lynching as a hate crime

• Cosponsor: First Step HR 5682 Criminal Justice Reform – developing of post-sentencing risk assessment.

13. Reproductive Rights

• Member of Pro-Choice Caucus

• Made the Appropriations request to adequately fund Title X family planning programs

• Made the Appropriations request to adequately fund the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

• Cosponsored HR 1692 EACH Woman Act (Rep. Lee) (Would eliminate the Hyde amendment, ensuring women who receive their health care or insurance though the federal government will be covered for all pregnancy related services, including abortion)

• Cosponsored HR 1581 Reproductive Rights Are Human Rights (Rep. Clark) (Directs the State Department to restore its practice of including critical information on reproductive rights in its annual human rights reports)

• Signed onto letters to HHS in support of Title X family planning programs and opposition to any “domestic gag rule” restricting Title X-funded clinics from providing women with access to their full range of reproductive healthcare options, including abortion.

• Defense Appropriations: Infertility Study. Included language that would require a study providing information to address infertility amongst service members. Serving members of the armed forces and of veterans who have been

diagnosed with common causes of infertility such as STD, polycystic ovary syndrome, pelvic inflammatory disease, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, testicular disorders and male endocrine disorders. For many infertility is a result of service-related injuries.

14. The Environment

• Member of the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC).

Sponsored Legislation

• • HR 279 California Clean Coast Act – would ban future offshore oil drilling of the California Coast and is supported by 42 Members of the California Delegation.

    • Status: The California Clean Coast Act was included as part of H.R. 1941—the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, which bans future offshore oil and gas leasing in areas of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, as well as all of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf planning area (Washington/Oregon, Northern California, Central California, and Southern California), the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf planning area (North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and the Straits of Florida). The measure passed by a 238-189 vote—with 12 Republicans voting in support of H.R. 1941.

  • HR 2199 Central Coast Heritage Protection Act – designates over 240,000 acres as wilderness areas in the Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plain National Monument. Wilderness designation is the highest form of protection the government can give to a public land. No roads, vehicles or permanent structures are allowed in designated wilderness.

  • HR 2448 Ocean Acidification Research Partnerships Act along with Rep. Don Young (R-AK) – authorizes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to award $5 million in research grants annually for projects between the seafood industry and academia to investigate and raise awareness of the effects of ocean acidification.

  • HR 2470 Clean Water Infrastructure, Resilience and Sustainability Act – would establish a federal program dedicated to helping communities strengthen the resiliency of their public water works against the increased threats of natural disasters due to climate change. It authorizes a $5 million grant program for 6 fiscal years through the Environmental Protection Agency.

  • HR 3541 Coastal State Climate Preparedness Act along with Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL) – would amend the Coastal Zone Management Act to require the Secretary of Commerce to establish a coastal state climate change adaptation planning and response grant program. It was voted out of Committee on 9/25/19 by a 20-15 vote.

Key Amendments/ Appropriations 116^th Congress:

• Submitted amendment to HR 9 Climate Action Now Act, recognizing environmental justice as one of the goals of the Paris Agreement—which was successfully adopted on the House Floor on May 1, 2019.

• Passed an amendment in the FY20 Interior Appropriations to place a moratorium on offshore oil and gas leasing and preleasing activities on the West Coast. Passed the House of Representatives with 11 Republicans supporting.

• Successful in securing $4 million in the Interior Appropriations package for the 2020 Fiscal Year for Resiliency of Drinking Water Infrastructure.

• Championed for language to finalize leak detection and automatic valve rulemaking that was included in the FY2020 Appropriations package, along with $715K for PHMSA staff to make this happen.

Key Votes 116^th Congress:

• On March 12, 2019, voted in support of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, a bipartisan public lands package that permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

• On May 2, 2019, voted in support of HR 9 Climate Action Now Act. This bill would ensure that the United States fulfill its commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and would require the President develop and adhere to a plan for the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Joined colleagues in Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to pass H.R. 1322, which would require a report on the impacts of climate change on Coast Guard bases.

• Voted to pass HR 1331 Local Water Protection Act, in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to reduce water pollution from runoff.

15. Transgender Rights

• Cosponsored and voted to pass HJ Res 124 Expressing opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals (Rep. Joe Kennedy)
• Signed a letter to Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan asking that he not implement the ban on transgender servicemembers announced by President Trump via tweet in Summer 2017

• The House passed version of the NDAA included an amendment offered by Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) that would codify non-discrimination protections in the military and end the ban on transgender military service.

• On June 30, 2016, the U.S. military began allowing transgender people to serve openly after an exhaustive review determined there was no valid reason for a ban. On July 26, 2017, President Trump tweeted that DOD would reinstate the transgender ban, and on August 25 he issued a memo ordering then-Defense Sec. James Mattis to submit an implementation plan. On March 23, 2018, President Trump accepted a plan from Sec. Mattis that continued to target all 14,700 transgender troops. The Trump-Mattis ban was not immediately implemented because court injunctions blocked its enforcement.
• On January 22, 2019, the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s request to allow the Pentagon to ban transgender Americans from military service while legal challenges continue. The ruling allowed, but did not require, reinstatement of the ban by DOD. On March 26, the last court injunction blocking the ban was lifted when the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order allowing reinstatement

16. Women in the Workplace

• Cosponsored HR 1185 – FAMILY Act (Rep. DeLauro) – Provides paid family and medical leave benefits. Eligible employees can take up to 60 workdays per year, with partial wage replacement up to 66% of their typical wages, to take care of themselves or a family member.

• (115^th Congress) Supported the unanimously-passed Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 Reform Act, HR 4924, which was enacted into law on 12/21/18 (in the form of S.3749) – reformed the claims process for sexual harassment in Congress, including eliminating the requirement for mediation before being able to sue; requiring Members to pay for settlements out of pocket (not using the MRA); and requiring the Office of Compliance to publish more information on claims and settlements.

• (115^th Congress) Supported the unanimously passed HJ Res 630 House Resolution Requiring Sexual Harassment Training. This bill is now implemented, requiring all House Members, employees, officers, and interns to complete annual workplace rights and sexual harassment training

• Cosponsor of HR 2694 Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (Rep. Nadler) – eliminates discrimination and promote women’s health and economic security by ensuring reasonable workplace accommodations for workers whose ability to perform the functions of a job are limited by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition.

17. Misc. but relevant

• Sponsored HR 1053 Corporate Political Disclosure Act of 2019 – Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to require publicly traded corporations to disclose all political expenditures to their shareholders and the general public. HR 1 included a provision that would lift the appropriations rider limiting the SEC from making a political disclosure rule that would have a similar result.

  • Significant Passed Legislation – HR 1 For the People Act (Sarbanes (D-MD) – Wide ranging democracy reform package that included new campaign disclosure requirements, a pilot program for public financing of Congressional elections, restorations and enhancements of voting rights protections, increased access to voting, ethics reforms, government transparency and accountability measures, and national redistricting reform

• Cosponsored Constitutional Amendment HJ Res 48 We the People Amendment (Rep. Jayapal) – would amend the constitution to state that constitutional protections are for natural born persons only not corporations. Would invalidate Citizens United and other court rulings that have limited the ability to restrict special interest political spending

• On Ag Committee: Opposed initial House bill proposed by Republican leadership that made drastic cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and added an unproven and ineffective work requirement associated with the program.

• Maintains SNAP benefits that 16,000 families on the Central Coast rely on to feed themselves and their children. SNAP program mainly benefits children, seniors, students, 3 million veterans, and individuals with disabilities.
• Currently works with USDA, Ag Committee and stakeholders on implementation

Carbajal Legislation PDF