Dear Friend,
We are back in Washington after two weeks at home with lots of getting around, listening, and talking to many people. I have to tell you, I am tired. I love being home, and I worked hard to get to every part of the district and to meet with as many stakeholders as possible. I had meetings with new mayors to understand their concerns, priorities, and the issues they thought I should be addressing. I spent time where people gather from farmers markets, Easter egg hunts, VFWs and American legions, hospitals and community health centers, manufacturing plants and farms, economic development centers, environmental groups and projects, union halls, senior centers, high schools, and college campuses. Rep. John James and I spoke on Flashpoint about our work to fund Great Lakes restoration and research projects, as well as other important issues. We had three cabinet secretaries and an Assistant Secretary of State visit the district. Held a roundtable with the Governor, women’s events, LBGTQ+ events, Hashbash, celebrated a number of rituals and traditions and much more. I spent significant time Downriver, Western Washtenaw, Western Wayne, Novi, Ann Arbor, Ypsi, Ypsi Township. In other words, I worked hard.
My overwhelming takeaway is that people are worried about many things. The world, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, their jobs, their families, the economy and having enough money to pay their bills, debt, inflation, and having enough money for retirement and if they have retired, if they will have enough saved, student debt, and more. Affordable housing came up a lot, as did the environment and global climate change. Sewers, flooding, and water. Healthcare, the cost of medicine, the cost of seeing a doctor or being able to find medical care, especially in the mental health field. How will this weird weather impact this year’s crops? I spent a lot of time talking about food, water, clothing, education, sleep, and shelter which are the bare necessities for anyone’s survival and quality of life. For many people, these basic needs cannot be met. But I also heard many people caring, wanting to know what they can do to make their community better, and saw people coming together for projects to help others, understanding they can make a difference and wanting help to do so.
And there were total moments of excitement. The eclipse was a wonderful example of people coming together and experiencing awe. People who didn’t know each other shared in the excitement– kids in schools learned about it, and it is so rare to see something bring us all together in a good mood. Michigan had a very good view, and Luna Pier close to the border of the 6th district witnessed the total eclipse. For a few perfect minutes, we reveled in one of the grandest spectacles of the cosmos– looking skyward, awaiting a benediction, people communed with the heavens and each other. Community sharing.
I also spent much time with people of different faiths during the holiest season for many. My district has people of many different religions that I share common values with and that share common values with one another. The Black Minister’s Alliance invited me to speak and share at their Good Friday Services with them at the Bethel AME Church. I attended multiple Iftars as community members broke fast. Hindus in Canton celebrated Holi and the Festival of Colors was a beautiful celebration. And of course, I participated in Easter and Holy Week rituals which have always been part of my life. I also visited the synagogue as community members experience difficult and challenging times. As different as all of these may be, we share common values of love, compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, patience, and charity. Just caring about others. We must remember that there is far more that unites us than divides us.
The other issue that hung over much of the recess was freedom of speech as protestors are very present in parts of the district, disrupting some events, being present and expressing strong feelings on issues they care deeply about. It is causing much discussion. Freedom of speech is a fundamental right in our country and one we must protect. But when people disrupt, they can infringe on others' freedom to listen, hear, and learn. It is resulting in significant tension. I always make it clear and remind them that they have a right to free speech. I will meet with anyone who wants to speak with me and talk about all of the issues on their mind. Many protesters in the places I have been have also asked for the opportunity to talk– for a two-way dialogue. I think that matters, and two-way dialogue is more important than ever. We have to listen to each other. People have a right to feel safe and secure as well, and many do not have that right now. It is a very complicated time. John Dingell always said we have two ears and one mouth for a reason—to listen to each other more and talk less. Perhaps we can all try to do that more.
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Lastly, before sharing more of the week, I ended the week with my family getting together for a weekend of activity to celebrate my mother’s 90th birthday. We have a weekly family zoom, which started during the pandemic but continues as a ritual, but it is the first time my brother, sister, and I have been together at the same place with my mother in years, and the grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins all gathered. It was a full weekend with other events tucked in. Many stories and memories, and a time to value family, know how lucky we are to still have our mom and hopes of more gatherings in the years ahead. Some highlights in these photos.
Here are some of the events we did and the issues that matter.
Funding Launch of the National Climate Bank Network, Providing $20 Billion to Spur Clean Energy Projects Nationwide
The Environmental Protection Agency announced last week its selections for $20 billion in grant awards under two competitions within the historic $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), which was created under the Inflation Reduction Act as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. I authored this legislation in the House and Senators Markey and Von Hollen were authors in the Senate. The three selections under the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund and five selections under the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator will create a national clean financing network for clean energy and climate solutions across sectors, ensuring communities have access to the capital they need to participate in and benefit from a cleaner, more sustainable economy. By financing tens of thousands of projects, this national clean financing network will mobilize private capital to reduce climate and air pollution while also reducing energy costs, improving public health, and creating good-paying clean energy jobs in communities across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
These awards are making clean energy financing accessible to communities that have for far too long carried the brunt of environmental pollution. They are helping us attack the climate crisis head-on and creating jobs while lowering energy costs. These investments will fund projects that otherwise would not have been possible and will mobilize nearly seven times as much private capital. I am really proud to have helped author and pass the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, and I look forward to continuing to invest in the most impactful and urgent projects to reach our climate and environmental justice goals.
WCC Women's Entrepreneur Panel
Small businesses across Michigan employ close to two million of our residents, and more than 99 percent of Michigan businesses are small businesses. It’s important to have female leadership in this space, and it was great to kick off the WCC Women’s Entrepreneurship Panel and discuss how Michigan women are paving the way, breaking new ground, and opening the doors wider for those to come.
The Small Business Administration announced a record-breaking 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023. Women and minority entrepreneurs have made an outsized contribution to new business creation. Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in 30 years, and Latino business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in a decade.
The number of women-owned businesses is also growing dramatically—from 2019 to 2023, they grew 94 percent in the number of firms, 252 percent in employment, and 82 percent in revenue. Whether we’re in Congress or the business world, women bring an important voice and perspective to the table, and we need to support each other.
Acting HUD Secretary Todman Visit
Acting Secretary Todman visited the district this past week. She toured Avalon Housing in Ann Arbor, and I joined her for a tour of the Hilltop View Apartments in Dexter. She also spoke at the University of Michigan about the impacts of safe housing on children’s health.
Everyone has a right to quality healthcare, affordable housing, and a strong education and we must keep working to provide more safe, decent, affordable options. At the Hilltop View Apartments in Dexter, we saw affordable housing for veterans, formerly homeless, and low-income residents where they also provide after-school programs, financial literacy services, an on-site food pantry, and more. Affordable housing and rising rent is a real crisis for millions of families across the country and in southeast Michigan. It is critical Congress continues working toward solutions that ensure Americans can access safe, stable, and affordable housing.
Hash Bash
This was the 53rd annual Hash Bash at the University of Michigan. This year also became a remembrance of the life of John Sinclair, one of the original catalysts behind this event. Many do not realize that some of the momentum for this event was the historic John Sinclair Freedom Rally headlined by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Crisler Arena on Dec. 10, 1971. Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, and other musicians also performed to free John Sinclair from jail after being sentenced to prison for ten years for selling two marijuana joints to an undercover policeman. He was released from prison three days later.
We are living in a very different country now. California was the first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996. Since then, it has been legalized in 40 states and DC, and the recreational use of marijuana has been approved in DC and 24 states. Our federal laws are not keeping up with these changes. The fact of the matter is we must change our laws to keep up with what is happening across America. A patchwork of laws doesn’t work.
Last Congress, we passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act to decriminalize marijuana, expunge criminal records, and implement economic policies to support those that have been impacted. It did not pass the Senate. We also need to recognize that medical marijuana can help people who are in extreme pain, but we need more information and research. That’s why last Congress, I introduced the bipartisan Medical Marijuana Research Act, which passed in the House, to remove bureaucratic barriers and federal roadblocks to medical marijuana use and research. Again, it did not pass the Senate. We keep pushing for these policies.
The reality is this is an industry that’s not going away and it should be legal and safe. That’s why I was an original cosponsor of the SAFE Banking Act to address inequities for marijuana businesses and protect the safety and security of small businesses and their employees by increasing access to the banking system.
It’s time to change our federal marijuana laws. We are wasting law enforcement time and resources by prosecuting low-level marijuana possession, and we all know this disproportionately impacts communities of color. One simple conviction for possession can derail lives – making it harder to get jobs, housing, and guaranteeing harsher sentences in the future. This is wrong, and we’re all better off when law enforcement resources are directed appropriately.
As someone who has had family members deeply impacted by drug addiction, I know the importance of looking at these issues very thoughtfully and seriously. These are important policy issues that we need to address and all the areas are important.
Rounds at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital
Every quarter, I do rounds at Michigan Medicine with Dr. David Miller, President of the University of Michigan Health System. We visit different departments each time to learn about what different services and care they each provide to their patients. This is an important opportunity for me to learn about issues that impact healthcare at many different levels. This past week, I toured Mott Children’s Hospital and learned about a lot of issues. These doctors, nurses, therapists, those that clean the rooms, draw blood, help them breathe, walk and so much more are angels. There is nothing worse than being sick, but seeing a little child fight for their life is tough. I talked to all involved about specific challenges and what we can do in public policy to help make it easier to support them. For me, the staff, the children, and the parents are all true heroes.
Visit to the Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital
Later in the day, State Reps. Jaime Churches, Jason Morgan, and I visited the Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, where we met with doctors and nurses conducting research on women’s health issues like endometriosis, which is a very painful disease and one of the leading causes of infertility in this country. I learned of new research that is giving us more data, but still not the answers we need. This issue is what got me involved in the public policy arena decades ago. Then and still to this day, not enough is being done. Women remain underrepresented not only as health care practitioners but also as patients. They are less likely to be included in clinical trials and are often undertreated. Between 1989 and 1993, inclusion of women in clinical research became NIH policy, but it was not law. In 1993, Congress wrote the NIH inclusion policy into Federal law through a section in the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 titled, Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research. I was appointed to the first NIH Women’s advisory panel in the 90’s. Urgent measures are still needed to close this gender gap. This remains a top priority for me and I thank Michigan Medicine and these doctors for the work they are doing.
Inflation Report
This week, eggs and milk stayed steady at $3.69 a dozen and $2.79 a gallon, but Diet Coke is a bargain this week if you buy 4 for $15. Otherwise, it’s still $5.99 for a 6 pack.
UM Dance Marathon
UM students hold events throughout the school year culminating in their VictorThon Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan (DMUM). They do this to raise funds and awareness for pediatric therapies at the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. During the first few hours last Saturday, patients from UM Mott came and participated in fun activities, and the new Michigan football head coach Sherrone Moore brought some team members to put real smiles on kids' faces. I go every year to be inspired and cheer them on. These students stand as a symbol of dedication, empathy, and unwavering support for Little Victors at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. During the 24-hour long no sitting, no sleeping “dance marathon,” they celebrate the work we’ve done throughout the year to provide critical therapies free of charge for the Little Victors.
VictorThon is one of the largest events on campus, and a collective effort from the community to make a difference. With the support and attendance of hundreds of students, multiple student performance groups, local businesses and restaurants, and generous sponsors, DMUM is able to ensure kids at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital has continued access to pediatric therapies. I love this event and was honored to join them as they got to sit for the first time in 24 hours and learn how much they had raised. They make a huge Michigan difference.
UM African Studies Center 15th Anniversary Conference
It was great to join the University of Michigan’s African Studies Center for its 15th anniversary conference. The University of Michigan has a long and strong history and friendship with valuable partners in several African countries, beginning in Ghana and South Africa. In the last 15 years since the African Studies Center was founded, those partnerships have grown and flourished as new ones have been developed.
This center and these partnerships have shown the strategic importance of higher education to the United States’ relationships with Africa, especially at a time when our state is leading the innovation and technology that is driving the future in fields including medicine, alternative and clean energy, and, of course, the automotive industry. It’s amazing to see what the African Studies Center has done in just 15 years, and I look forward to the next 15 and beyond.
FestiFools
Rituals and traditions in a community matter– they keep us together. One of my favorites is FestiFools in Ann Arbor the first weekend of April. People gather with luminaries at night and costumes and puppets for the day. People make crazy costumes, bring an old pan to bang on, or come as they are to help celebrate the annual festival on Main Street. This is a one of a kind public art tradition which features bizarro, street-sized "puppets'' all created and animated by UM students and community members. The weather was perfect and everyone was in great spirits. This year, they made me the Honorary Grand Luminary, so I got my own big paper mache puppet, pictured above. Notice the pearls…
EMU Digital Divas
An important event I do each year is at Eastern Michigan University which annually sponsors Digital Divas. This is a series of programs founded at Eastern Michigan University in 2010 to encourage girls to explore areas in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Programming used to encourage and engage middle and high school girls are: conferences, summer camps, mentoring opportunities, and interview series. With the use of the campus of Eastern Michigan University, they are able to impact many middle and high school girls where they can explore STEM in a supportive environment.
Today, Digital Divas is doing so much as they strive to create spaces for girls and women wanting to engage in STEM– helping young women recognize and explore what a difference they can make in the science and technology fields. We need smart young women like these students stepping up to help innovate, discover, and solve many challenges we are facing. Women represent half the workforce, but only about a quarter to one-third of the jobs in the STEM fields. We must continue working to foster environments where young women feel they have the opportunity to thrive in STEM.
Visit to UM Law School Class
Meeting with students and having important dialogues helps everyone involved learn. Such occurred when I spent an hour with the UM Law Community Enterprise Clinic, which provides free legal assistance to nonprofits, community-based organizations, neighborhood small businesses, and others across southeast Michigan. These students are doing meaningful work and it is important to hear the issues they are working on, challenges that arise, and share my perspective on many of the issues. It was also an opportunity to get their policy ideas on things we should be thinking about. The most stunning part of this meeting was, when I asked the assembled group how many would stay in Michigan when they graduated, the answer was none. That issue is one I cannot get out of my head and something a lot of us need to understand and work on.
Visit with High School Students at Plymouth Canton Educational Park
It was great to visit with high school students at the Plymouth Canton Educational Park to talk with multiple classes gathered about government, why they should care, what elected representatives do, and the importance of young people being engaged and participating in our Democratic process. We talked about issues that matter to them, what is on their minds, policy areas they want addressed, and how they can become involved. Civic participation needs to begin early.
Visit to Milan Senior Center
Joined the Mayor, City Council, and other city leaders to celebrate the Community Project Funding we were able to get for the Milan Senior Center. Met seniors and those that run the Center, heard about the daily programs, Meals on Wheels, meals provided at the center, activities, exercises, and the importance of having a gathering place in the community for those that want to age in place and stay connected. Activities for seniors help them feel engaged in their lives, excited about their days, and endurance as they are getting nutritious meals. Research has also shown that physical activities help seniors improve their sensory abilities and exercise their thinking. Social activities may also lower the risk for developing health problems. Investing in and supporting senior centers in communities matter and Milan cares deeply about theirs.
Take Back the Night
Joined UM Students Against Rape and Standing Tough Against Rape Society for Take Back the Night Ann Arbor. An estimated one in five women are sexually assaulted during her college years. That's not a statistic we can accept in Michigan or anywhere, and sexual assault cannot be the status quo on our campuses. We’ve seen Title IX protections rolled back at schools nationwide, and it is more critical than ever that we come together to protect survivors and ensure we don’t go back to a time when sexual assault was a secret that was swept under the rug.
All higher education institutions have a legal and moral responsibility to protect students who come forward with sexual assault and harassment reports. No one should have to navigate this trauma alone and without the protection and support of their school. I’m committed to restoring and strengthening Title Nine protections at the federal level, to hold educational institutions liable for sex discrimination, and to strengthen their responsibility to prevent and seek accountability for sexual assault.
Saline Chamber
It was great to join the Saline Chamber of Commerce for their legislative luncheon to discuss what we’ve been working on in DC and hear about what’s going on in the community.
It’s been a year and a few months since I began to represent the Saline community, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone and look forward to continuing to work to strengthen our communities in the months and years ahead.
Salem Wastewater Public Information Session and Hearing
Community members, local leaders, and EGLE all came together at the Salem Wastewater public information session and hearing, where we discussed important issues that many are concerned about. We talked about the importance of protecting our communities and the environment, encouraging people to come together to express their concerns, and called on EGLE to ensure sewer systems and infrastructure are held to the highest standard.
People who were unable to attend the public hearing can submit a public comment until April 14th by clicking here, selecting ‘Public Notice Search,’ searching for the public notice by entering the permit number into the search field, clicking ‘Search,’ clicking ‘View,’ clicking ‘Add Comment,’ entering information into the fields, and then clicking ‘Submit.’ All comments received will be considered prior to taking action on the permit.
Photos of the Week
Back in DC we face a busy week with serious issues. As always, I want to hear from you. What do you want me to know? What are you thinking about? Please contact me with any questions, ideas, and concerns. Share them with me at this link, or by calling one of my offices in Ann Arbor, Woodhaven, or DC:
Ann Arbor: (734) 481-1100
Woodhaven: (313) 278-2936
Washington, DC: (202) 225-4071
