Press Releases

Today, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Homeland Security, and Investigations held a hearing entitled “Synthetic Drugs, Real Danger.” The purpose of this hearing is to examine the growing problem of the manufacture and use of synthetic drugs and law enforcement responses.

On Friday, May 13, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Rep. Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, introduced legislation to curb mental health stigma in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. H.R.5234, the Stop Mental Health Stigma in Our Communities Act, instruct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to provide outreach and education strategies for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community by partnering with local advocacy and behavioral health organizations that have an established record of serving AAPIs. These strategies will increase awareness of symptoms of mental illness common among AAPI populations, provide linguistically and culturally appropriate interventions, and encourage individuals and communities to use a comprehensive, public health approach when addressing mental and behavioral health.

n Thursday, May 12, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hosted a hearing entitled “The Zika Public Health Crisis: the Urgent Need for the President’s Emergency Funding Request.” Witnesses at the hearing included Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Honorable Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director at the Centers for Disease Control. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), a member of the committee, attended the hearing and participated in the discussion on the importance of the federal government in supporting efforts to combat the spread of the Zika virus in the United States. Earlier this week, Rep. Chu also met with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District about their efforts to combat mosquitos and mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile Virus. This work includes a public awareness campaign to halt the spread of the invasive Aedes mosquito, which has begun to spread throughout the greater Los Angeles area.

Today, Reuters reported the Obama Administration intends to launch a nationwide 30-day “surge” of new immigration deportation raids targeting hundreds of families and young adults through the months of May and June. In January, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) condemned similar raids that resulted in the deportation of 121 individuals, mainly women and children from Central America.

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the implementation of the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) program that will offer certain beneficiaries an opportunity to seek parole and come to the United States to be reunited with their family members. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) released the following statement:

Today, Department of Education Secretary John King announced a $1 million grant competition for states to gather and study disaggregated data on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students beyond the breakdowns of race and ethnicity currently collected. The purpose is to identify gaps in educational achievement and opportunities, as well as to improve the college and career readiness of underserved AAPI communities and English language learners.

Sunday marked the start of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which commemorates the history, contributions, and achievements of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community throughout the month of May.

On April 27, during markup of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the House Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to create a national database of hazing incidents in the military and to submit an annual report on the DOD’s actions to stop hazing through training and response. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Jackie Speier (CA-14), is identical to the text of H.R. 5060, the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act that was introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) on April 26.