My Caucuses
Washington, DC — Today, the House of Representatives voted on two packages of spending bills to keep the government open through fiscal year 2020 at levels higher than current funding and higher than the President's budget request. The first package, under H.R.
Washington, DC — Today, the House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 (VRAA). The VRAA is a response to the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder that required Congress to create an updated coverage formula for determining if the Federal government can intervene in a state's election laws. Since that Supreme Court decision, nearly two dozen states have implemented restrictive voter ID laws and created obstacles for people to vote.
This week, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus plan to send a letter to Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, asking for a briefing on the company's census plans, according to the press office of Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif.
"We are deeply concerned that the [Asian American and Pacific Islander] community, which is already vulnerable to being undercounted, will be susceptible to misinformation and dissuasion tactics by nefarious actors who wish to undermine our democracy," write the lawmakers in a draft shared with NPR.
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) said racial profiling is getting worse. She said she is constantly fighting what she called anti-Chinese legislation, including a current effort to essentially prevent transit agencies from using public funds on rail cars or buses from companies owned, controlled or subsidized by the Chinese government. That would bar any contracts to BYD, a Chinese leader in electric buses with which LA Metro has contracted for 100 such vehicles.
"I was completely dismayed by the lack of clarity on the waiver process," Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.,) who introduced a bill this year to overturn the restrictions, said in an interview. "It seemed to me that these bureaucrats could give no clarity on how it is supposed to work and why it isn't working."
Washington, DC —Yesterday, NBC announced the removal of Shane Gillis from the cast of Saturday Night Live. Gillis was announced as a cast member last week along with Bowen Yang, who is only the third Asian American in history to star as a full-time Saturday Night Live cast member. Gillis' removal came after a public outcry over racist jokes that the comedian made in the past. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus released the following statement:
Washington, DC — Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) is the 9th most active member of the 116th Congress, according to a new report by Quorum Analytics, which studied legislative activity from the beginning of the session – January 1, 2019 – to the start of the August Recess – July 31, 2019. Rep. Chu issued the following statement:
Washington, DC — Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Mark Takano (CA-41), CAPAC Second Vice Chair, hosted a CAPAC forum on issues related to North Korea that impact the Korean American community. At the forum, Frank Aum, a Senior Expert on North Korea at the US Institute of Peace, testified on security issues. Dr. KJ Seung, an Assistant Professor at the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, spoke about humanitarian aid and health issues.
Washington, DC — Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27) and Vern Buchanan (FL-16) today introduced legislation to update the Qualified Performing Artist (QPA) tax deduction which helps artists deduct the costs of work-related expenses. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act eliminated the ability to claim miscellaneous itemized deductions, which previously allowed these artists to deduct their work expenses. The elimination of these deductions has caused many artists to pay thousands more in taxes.