A round-up of November actions and activities by Signal Hill and Long Beach’s state and federal reps.
Many times residents are only reminded to check on what their elected officials have been up to during election season. But keeping our elected officials accountable is only possible by staying informed on a regular basis.
The Signal Tribune plans to provide this roundup at the end of each month so Long Beach and Signal Hill residents can stay abreast of their representatives’ activities on an ongoing basis. This first installment covers the actions taken by Signal Hill and Long Beach’s state and federal officials throughout November.
Robert Garcia – U.S. Representative for California’s 42nd Congressional District
AMMO Act:
On Nov. 7, Congressman Robert Garcia, along with Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Senator Elizabeth Warren, introduced the proposed Ammunition Modernization and Monitoring Oversight (AMMO) Act.
This bill is aimed at restricting bulk sales of ammunition, as well as the illegal resale of ammunition. If passed by Congress, the AMMO Act would require businesses that sell ammunition to obtain the same federal license required of gun dealers. Further, it would limit the sale of .50 caliber ammo to 100 rounds within a five-day period, and 1,000 rounds of all other munitions in the same time period. It would also require ammo sellers to track and share data on its ammunition sales.
“The bottom line is no individual should be buying bulk amounts of ammunition without a federal background check from places like gas stations, pharmacies, and convenience stores—especially without any sort of regulation and no record of the sale,” Garcia said in a public statement. “If we’re ever going to really take on the gun violence epidemic in this country, we need to regulate ammo accessibility. This bill aims to protect the American public from the devastating violence that occurs when individuals have access to unlimited amounts of weaponry.”
As of Nov. 30, there have been 619 mass shootings in the United States since the beginning of 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
George Santos Scandal:
On Nov. 16, the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ethics announced that it found that Representative George Santos used campaign funds for personal expenses, engaged in fraudulent behavior, violated the Ethics in Government Act and more.
Santos became infamous after his 2022 election, when it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his backstory to deceive voters.
Garcia introduced a resolution to remove Santos from Congress in February. A vote on this resolution was held in May, and all republican members of the House voted to refer the issue to the Committee on Ethics.
“The Committee’s condemning report has made it crystal clear that the GOP’s decision to wait 9 months to act was not only irresponsible, but dangerous,” Garcia said in a public statement.
Garcia, along with Congressman Dan Goldman, re-introduced a privileged resolution to expel Santos on Nov. 28.
“The time has finally come to remove George Santos from Congress,” Garcia said in a public statement. “If we’re going to restore faith in government, we must start with restoring integrity in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is essential for the American people to have Representatives they can trust and who don’t build their careers on deceit and falsehoods. We have once again forced an expulsion vote on the House floor because enough is enough,” said Garcia in a public statement.
Israel-Palestine War Statement:
On Nov. 17, Garcia released the following statement: “I support negotiations to release all the hostages to secure a lasting ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. Any deal must ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the Palestinian people directly, and achieves both an end to the attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the protection of civilian life in Gaza.”
“Palestinian lives and Israeli lives have the same value. The Palestinian people deserve self-determination and security. Israel has a right to defend itself and the Israeli people deserve to live without terrorism or harm.”
“The United States must be committed to peace and stability in the region, to fighting antisemitism and Islamophobia, and to rebuilding Gaza in partnership with the international community.”
Garcia has previously voiced his support for additional military aid to Israel. Local news outlet Forthe reported that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC are two of Garcia’s top campaign contributors.
Army’s Ammunition Production:
On Nov. 17, Garcia penned a letter to the Department of the Army criticizing the sale of ammunition produced at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant to civilians. A recent New York Times and Bloomberg reported that ammunition manufactured at this location was used in several of the nation’s most deadly mass shootings.
In his letter addressed to the Secretary of the Army and the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Garcia asked them to provide additional information about the plant’s contracts, production and sales by Dec. 17.
“It is deeply concerning to learn of the Army’s role in the manufacturing of commercial ammunition that has been used in some of our nation’s deadliest mass shootings. We are demanding oversight because Americans have the right to know where their tax dollars are going,” Garcia said in a public statement.
Lena Gonzalez – California State Senator for the 33rd District
CalPERS Green Investments:
On Nov. 13, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) had its 2023 Investment Committee meeting, where it was decided that CalPERS would increase its climate-friendly investments by $50 billion by 2030. CalPERS will also continue to try to encourage fossil fuel companies to adopt green policies, but will also consider potentially selling-off its investments with companies that refuse to address emission levels.
Lena Gonzalez said in a public statement that CalPERS’ plans don’t go far enough.
“It’s encouraging to see CalPERS’ take steps to shift away from dangerous fossil fuel investments that jeopardize the financial future of millions of California workers and contribute to the destruction of our planet,” Gonzalez said in a public statement. “However, this proposal represents a fragmented approach that is insufficient. Disadvantaged communities across our state that have borne the brunt of fossil fuel pollution, battling every day with high rates of asthma, cancer, birth defects, and chronic illnesses, cannot afford to wait. We have the opportunity, responsibility, and capability to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable economy in California now. We simply need to heed the call of the CalPERS members who have already called for divestment, as it’s the pivotal solution we need, and the right thing to do.”
Nanette Díaz Barragán – U.S. representative for California’s 44th Congressional District
Expand In-Home Care Program:
On Nov. 13, Barragán led 22 of her colleagues from the California Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, recommending that the Home-and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) Waiver program be expanded.
Barragán and fellow congress members sent a similar letter in 2021, and while the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) did increase the number of slots, the newest letter states it wasn’t enough.
This program functions as an alternative to nursing homes and other institutional care facilities, using public funding to provide the care disabled individuals need to continue living at home.
According to the letter, the 8,974 slots in the HCBA program have been full since October, and there are currently another 3,000 people on the waiting list.
The DCHS plans to submit an amendment to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase the number of slots in the program to 10,081 by Jan. 2024. But Barragán and her colleagues said that this will not be enough to meet the current demand.
“We do not believe this modest increase will provide immediate access to Medi-Cal for medically fragile children, clear the waiting list, or accommodate the obvious increase in consumer need for the program,” the Nov. 13 letter said. “If the state does not request a meaningful increase in slots, we are concerned that thousands of Californians will languish on an ever-growing waitlist and suffer unnecessary institutionalization.”
Gas Export Licenses:
Barragán joined 60 other Congress members in signing a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, asking the department to update its criteria for issuing new licenses to export liquified natural gas to countries that don’t have a free-trade agreement with the U.S., in the public interest.
Shipping natural gas to other countries lessens the domestic supply of natural gas, which can impact prices for U.S. consumers, Congress members stated in the letter. The letter also explains the negative environmental impacts caused by natural gas. According to the letter, the U.S. Department of Energy has never rejected an export application for liquified natural gas based on potential negative impacts to the U.S. population. The congress members urged the department to develop a new standard for deciding whether to issue licenses, determined by what’s best for the climate and national economy.
Farm Worker Protections:
On Nov. 15, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán, alongside Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Raúl Grijalva, spearheaded a call by over 40 Congress members asking the Department of Labor (DOL) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve the H-2A visa program used by farm workers.
In a Nov. 14 letter, the congress members urged the national agencies to quickly finalize a series of new rules for the H-2A visa program, which would aim to address human trafficking, increase workers ability to advocate for themselves, protect against wage theft and more.
“Farm workers are essential workers who play a critical role in the functioning of the United States economy and too often suffer wage theft, sexual assault, trafficking, and other forms of abuse and exploitation,” the Nov. 14 letter said. “The proposed rules represent an enormous opportunity for DOL and DHS to increase the wages and working conditions of H-2A and U.S. farm workers and improve the enforcement capabilities of agencies against abusive employers who circumvent U.S. law and undermine the Congressional intent behind the H-2A program.”
Free Calendar:
Barragán’s office mailed out free calendars for 2024 to her constituents. The calendar features photos of historical sites in Washington D.C.
Josh Lowenthal – U.S. Representative for California’s 69th Assembly District
Toured Farm Lot 59:
The Community Alliance with Family Farmers invited Lowenthal to tour Farm Lot 59 in Long Beach, one of the city’s local urban farms.
“Thank YOU for organizing this tour. I loved seeing and learning about how Farm Lot 59 provides fresh produce to local food banks and local organizations here in the 69th Assembly District!” Lowenthal posted on X (formerly Twitter).
LA Holocaust Museum Expansion:
The California Legislative Jewish Caucus, of which Lowenthal is a member, secured $8.5 million in state funding to contribute to the $50 million expansion of the LA Holocaust Museum, he posted on X on Nov. 16.
Letter to UC/CSU, Attended Protest:
On Nov. 7, Lowenthal and fellow members of the California Legislative Jewish Caucus addressed a letter to the heads of the Cal State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems, stating that antisemitism had increased on campuses and demanding action.
The letter alleged, in part, that “anti-Israel student groups immediately celebrated the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7,” and also accused professors of “requiring students to view extreme anti-Israel propaganda.”
Lowenthal was present at a Pro-Palestine rally in Long Beach on Nov. 14, where he was decried by attendees.
“Is that academic freedom? This is censorship. It’s a McCarthy-era tactic, and we are way beyond that,” said a woman at the rally who identified herself as a professor. “I cannot believe I live in a world where calling for peace and the end of killing of children, thousands of children, is now met with being told that you’re anti-Semitic, that cannot be taught. Why are we hiding this? Why don’t they want us to teach this?”
2 comments
Comments are closed.