Accomplishments

During my first term in Congress, I have enjoyed working for and serving the constituents of the 33rd Congressional District. Although the climate in Washington may not always reflect a spirit of compromise, I’ve spent 2011 developing bipartisan solutions to a number of challenges that citizens in Los Angeles may face.   Here is a quick list of some of the accomplishments I am most proud:

• Launched the Congressional Foster Youth Caucus and served as an inaugural Co-Chair
• Brought President Obama to Los Angeles to visit Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles and learn more about the needs of the 33rd Congressional District
• Launched the 33rd Congressional Council to connect and engage the diverse communities of the 33rd District on the most important issues facing our nation
• Introduced & passed policy to ban the use of U.S. Defense Departments funds by military subcontractors engaged in human trafficking and labor abuses, an appalling practice of that has recently been identified and reported
• Provided language for the Child and Family Services and Innovation Act, which increases the recruitment and retention of foster parents and was signed into law last fall by President Obama
• Introduced 9 pieces of legislation, including the Speak Out to Stop Child Abuse Act, which would make it a felony for people who fail to report witnessing child sexual abuse
• Held an event with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to provide small businesses in the community with information to access vital resources to keep their businesses thriving
• Voted to pass the Hire Heroes Act which provides businesses that hire unemployed veterans a maximum credit $5,600 per veteran and a $9,600 maximum credit for veterans with a service related injury
• Fully supported the Affordable Care Act and brought Health and Human Services Director Herb Schultz to the District to inform constituents on how President Obama’s healthcare reform will benefit them

Also, here are some highlights from my days as the California State Assembly Speaker:

• Created the state’s Green Collar Jobs Council to help make sure California can meet the growing demands of the emerging green economy
• Passed legislation to expand foster youth access to services and  shelter to age 21, instead of stopping at age 18
• Leveraged federal dollars to bolster health coverage for Californians laid off by small businesses
• Brought in $839 million in federal unemployment insurance funds and extending unemployment benefits for Californians
• Cutting the Assembly budget by 10% and sending savings to the Employment Development Department and the CalFire to help California’s firefighters