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December 14, 2015
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.
Issues:Energy and Environment
December 11, 2015
Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) and Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (VA-10) introduced H.R. 4241 – the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act or the CODE Act. This comes after months of discussion with various stakeholders, including several joint Member roundtables.
Issues:Intellectual Property/Tech
December 10, 2015
Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt (POST GRAD) Act. The bill would once again make graduate students eligible to receive Federal Direct Subsidized Loans. That eligibility was ended by the Budget Control Act of 2011
December 7, 2015
On Thursday, the House voted 359-65 to adopt the conference report on H.R. 22, Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, a five-year reauthorization of funds for highway, bridge, transportation safety, and public transit projects. California transportation agencies including the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Alameda Corridor East (ACE), the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and others stand to benefit from provisions that fund and create programs to improve transit in Southern California.
Issues:Transportation
December 3, 2015
On Wednesday, two shooters arrived at a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center, a social services center in San Bernardino, California. Armed with assault weapons and tactical gear, they killed at least 14 people and wounded at least 17 others. The shooting was the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. since Sandy Hook, three years ago.
Issues:Crime and Safety
December 3, 2015
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. The ESSA includes requirements for college or career aligned standards, maintains annual statewide assessments, and mandates that states identify schools where subgroups - like English language learners, minorities, low income students, and students with disabilities - are struggling. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) voted for the ESSA, but expressed some reservations about the lack of mandated improvements for failing schools or specific requirements for tracking the progress of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.
Issues:My Caucuses
November 20, 2015
Senators Mazie K. Hirono and John Cornyn (R-TX), and Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA) and Ed Royce (R-CA) introduced the Minority-Serving Institution Fairness Act in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives today, legislation that would make Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) eligible to compete for, and receive, multiple federal grants for the purpose of serving a wider range of minority students.
Issues:My Caucuses
November 20, 2015
"Well I just returned from Washington D.C. last night, and the last thing I did before I got on to the plane was to cast a vote against the bill that would block Syrian refugees," said Rep. Judy Chu, (CA-27) before being interrupted by applause. "It is wrong to stereotype and scapegoat immigrant and refugees."
Issues:Immigration
November 19, 2015
Today, the House of Representatives voted 289-137 for H.R. 4038, the so-called “American SAFE Act of 2015.” This bill adds new certification requirements and requires that the FBI Director, the Homeland Security Secretary, and the National Intelligence Director concur on each refugee from Iraq and Syria. Organizations like the ACLU, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Oxfam, the AFL-CIO, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans and dozens of religious groups argue that these new requirements are unnecessary and would effectively stop the flow of any and all refugees from Iraq and Syria.
Issues:Immigration
November 19, 2015
Later that day, Chu grilled the attorney general at a House Oversight Committee hearing, and demanded to know why the FBI kept going after Asian-American scientists. She asked for specific answers on the Xi and Chen cases. Chu had invited both scientists to attend the hearing, and they sat directly behind Lynch as she declined to offer up any details.
Issues:My Caucuses