Press Releases

On December 23, 2015, the Washington Post announced that the Obama Administration planned to initiate a series of raids targeting hundreds of families for deportation. Over the weekend, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers commenced a series of raids in states including Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. As a result, 121 individuals – mainly women and children from Central America - were taken into custody. Advocacy groups claim that the immigrant families, many of whom are now being held in the immigrant family detention center in Dilley, Texas, were denied due process, including a lack of legal representation and adequate notice and time for their hearings.

Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27) and Trent Kelly (MS-01) introduced the Transparency in Small Business Goaling Act. The bill will remove exclusions that allow for an over-inflation of small business participation in the federal marketplace.

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3762, a Senate-passed reconciliation bill that repeals much of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and prevents federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

After meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday, President Obama announced new executive actions to respond to the country’s gun violence incidents. The actions will increase background checks, reporting, state and federal cooperation, and mental health resources.

Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), Judy Chu (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Marc Veasey (D-TX) led a group of 155 Democrats and 2 Independents in filing an amicus brief in the case of Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States and represents the most comprehensive challenge to the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in Roe v. Wade in nearly a decade. In the brief, Democrats call on the justices to uphold Roe v. Wade and reject efforts to undermine a woman’s constitutionally protected right to make her own choices about her own body.

On Monday, Japan and South Korea announced an historic agreement regarding the issue of "comfort women" - women who were captured and used as sex slaves by the Japanese Army during World War II. Under the agreement, Japan will apologize to the Korean women for the physical and emotional pain and contribute approximately $8.3 million to a fund for the survivors. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) has repeatedly called on Japan to acknowledge this wrong, most recently during Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to Washington in April.

Today, the House voted 316-113 to pass a $1.1 trillion bill to fund the government through 2016. The omnibus spending bill provides appropriations for all government agencies at the higher levels agreed to in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement that replaced much of the Sequester and includes health coverage for 9/11 first responders, a two-year delay of the ACA “Cadillac Tax”, funding for environmental programs, and more.

On Saturday night, after two weeks of negotiations in Paris, negotiators from 195 countries agreed to an historic agreement to curb emission and fight climate change. Under the Paris Agreement, every country has agreed to promote and pursue voluntary cuts to greenhouse gas emission to keep average global temperatures from rising significantly. Scientists have argued that an increase of 2 degrees Celsius would mean significant risks to people and the environment. Wealthier countries have also pledged financial support to help developing countries adopt new energy plans.