Dear [firstname],
These days, it can feel like every glance at our phones brings another alarming headline. Another spike in prices. Another week of war in Iran. Another reminder that Speaker Johnson and the majority are blocking us from doing anything about the biggest challenges we face.
Although this is a difficult time for our community and our country, there are still good things happening and I want to share a few. |
Back in 2022, as one of the many grants I deliver for our community each year, I secured funding to install or expand electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in 12 locations across Chester County. Recently in Exton, I saw this project come full circle as we celebrated the official ribbon-cutting for these charging ports. |
With gas prices up more than a dollar in just the last year, EVs offer one way to get lower transportation costs. With more charging stations across Chester County, more people can choose this option.
This was also the first federally funded EV project that PennDOT has taken on. Chester County didn't wait for someone else to figure it out. Our local leaders saw where transportation was headed, developed a plan, and got to work for our community. Importantly, the charging stations are easy to access and located in our Chester County parks.
This is what government looks like at its best: federal investment, state and local partnerships, and a tangible benefit for people across our community. |
Last week in Washington, the House passed my bill to extend paid leave benefits to the 6,000 Americans serving in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS). This issue is personal for me. When I served in the Air Force, there was a six-month waiting list for on-base childcare, and I had just six weeks of paid personal leave after the birth of my first child. No one who raises their hand to serve our country should have to make a choice between continuing their career of public service or leaving because childcare is not available. |
Six years ago, I was proud to secure paid parental leave for more than two million federal workers across our country. In 2022, I built on this progress by delivering 12 weeks of paid parental leave for our military servicemembers. Last week, the House passed my U.S. Public Health Service Parity Act, taking another step to extend critical leave benefits to another group of Americans who serve us every day.
Our USPHS officers deploy across the country, responding to hurricanes, infectious disease outbreaks, oil spills, and other emergencies. When we need them, they show up for us. I want to make sure we show up for them, too. This is the last group of federal workers who don’t yet have paid parental leave, and passing the U.S. Public Health Service Parity Act brings us one step closer to securing this important benefit for everyone. The bill now moves to the Senate, and I hope they will pass it and send it to the president’s desk before they leave town next week. |
Beyond this bill, I’m continuing my efforts to expand paid leave. I am also working to pass my More Paid Leave for More Americans Act, a bipartisan and bicameral bill to incentivize states to offer paid leave and to harmonize benefits across participating states. Just this week, I joined Senator John Boozman of Arkansas, one of the bill’s lead sponsors in the Senate, for a conversation about paid family leave and why our legislation is so important.
No matter what you do for a living, I want this kind of leave for you, too. And I won’t stop working until we make paid family and medical leave a reality for all Americans. |
“White House Access Is a Privilege — Not a Right.” That is literally what the Trump Administration said on Monday after President Trump barred reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House grounds because he objected to their coverage of him and his Administration.
With costs still rising, no clear strategy to end the war in Iran, and serious threats facing our country at home and abroad, I can imagine the President may not want the scrutiny he is receiving. That’s too bad. Presidents in our country do not get to decide which questions reporters can ask, or which answers Americans can hear. They do not get to insulate themselves from our attention by kicking out select members of the media. A free press exists in this country precisely because those in power don’t always want to be held accountable.
Our founders understood this. They adopted the First Amendment in 1791 to protect this right – and on Thursday, a federal judge affirmed this. The judge ordered the White House to restore access to all three news organizations for the next 14 days, ruling that the Administration violated their due-process rights when it stripped their credentials.
Since this situation is still ongoing and the legal battles may not be over yet, I also want to tell you about what I’m doing – and what you can do – to keep our First Amendment strong. |
About a year ago, I joined lawmakers in the House and Senate to introduce the No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act, which reaffirms our right to free speech and specifically protects individuals, media outlets, and other groups from politically motivated harassment by the federal government.
As your representative, I have an obligation to submit myself to scrutiny, too. That means sending you newsletters like this one. It means holding town halls and answering your questions. It means sitting down with reporters and answering theirs. Accountability comes with the job. I would not demand it from the White House without making sure I'm delivering on this promise, too. |
This is where you come in. Your attention is powerful – that's why brands spend so much money trying to capture it and why political leaders try to redirect it when they are failing you. So, keep paying attention, please. Read reporting you agree with and reporting you don’t. Listen to what your leaders are saying and notice what they are not saying. Ask questions. Demand answers. Check the facts against the spin.
Above all, please do not lose hope. There is still good work to be done, and we're still doing it together. |
Chrissy Houlahan U.S. Member of Congress |
*Correction: A previous version of this newsletter stated that I had "six weeks of unpaid personal leave after the birth of my first child." In fact, I had six weeks of paid personal leave after the birth of my first child. Please excuse this error. |
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