Greetings!

This week I was back in Washington, DC working on behalf of our Orange County Community. Here are some highlights from my week: 
Working to Address the Supply Chain Crisis 
We have a crisis at our ports, and we need bipartisan solutions and leadership to fix this growing problem. This week I introduced the bipartisan Supply Chain Crisis Taskforce Act. This bill would create an interagency task force to immediately work on addressing the backlog at the Ports along the Southern California Coast. Read more. 
California’s liberal policies like AB-5 have made it more difficult for truckers to come into the state, which has only made the supply chain crisis worse. I joined Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-1) to introduce the TRANSPORT Act. This legislation would temporarily waive operating standards that are stricter than current federal standards so that trucks can operate across state lines. Truckers in California face strict rules that make operating difficult. This is contributing to the growing backlog. These updated standards will help alleviate the bottleneck impacting all Americans. Read more. 
This week Republicans on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hosted a roundtable with supply chain stakeholders to hear firsthand which policies are contributing to this problem. We need to address the bad policies that are causing the labor and trucking shortages across the country.  
Supporting our Veterans and Small Businesses
This week is Veterans Small Business Week! I was happy to attend a veteran’s small business showcase that featured veteran-owned small businesses and small business resource partners. These brave men and women served their country and are now serving their communities. If you’re a veteran small business owner, you can click here to learn more about available resources for your business.  
Protecting Your Taxpayer Dollars
Americans deserve to know exactly how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) provides nonpartisan estimates about the economic impact of proposed legislation. Ahead of any vote on the Democrats’ $1.75 trillion social spending bill, you deserve to know the full economic impact of this level of spending. That’s why I joined my colleagues urging that we wait to vote on this massive piece of legislation until we have the full picture of the real cost on American families.   Read the full letter here and an excerpt below: 
“While we the undersigned have serious concerns with the portions of the bill that we have seen, certainly we should all be able to agree that Members of Congress should have a full accounting of how this bill will impact spending, deficits, and debt now and in the future.” 
This bill, which experts say could actually cost $4 trillion, is full of policies that are bad for American families and businesses. This includes:

  • $80 billion to double the size of the IRS and monitor bank accounts of unsuspecting Americans
  • $400 billion in small business tax hikes which will lower wages and reduce investment
  • $800 billion in corporate tax increases which will make America less competitive and send jobs overseas
  • $100 billion to go toward granting mass amnesty to illegal immigrants at a time when we have an unprecedented border crisis 
These are just a few of the bad policies hidden in this massive bill. I spoke on the House Floor to express my concerns and request we get a score from the CBO. Watch: 
How I voted
My goal as your member of Congress is to be as transparent as possible about the votes I am taking in Washington. You can always view my vote record on my website.

I want to hear your feedback! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments on legislation or items currently up for debate in Congress. Click here to see what the House voted on this week. Here’s an explanation of some of my votes:

H.Res.760 Expressing solidarity with Cuban citizens: This resolution condemns the government of Cuba for human rights abuses against the Cuban people. I voted in support of this resolution because I stand with those fighting for freedom & democracy.

H.R.3469 - Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act: This legislation codifies the Boots to Business program, which advises veterans on business ownership and best practices. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for this country, and I was proud to vote yes on this bill to support our veterans and small businesses.
 
H.Con.Res.44 - Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution: This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing on the financial position and condition of the federal government. I voted yes on this bill because Congress needs to have transparent, up-to-date information on the state of our country’s finances.  
In the News
Seal Beach Gets Daily Eyeful Of Supply Chain Crisis, Cargo Ships
While over 150 ships idle off the coast of California, Seal Beach's Rep. Michelle Steel, R-CA 48, is reaching across the aisle to help solve the port crisis thought to be at least partially responsible for Orange County's oil spill in October. Read more. 
U.S. Reps. Steel and Harder make bipartisan call for ports task force
Those idle barges have strangled an already beleaguered supply chain and prompted local U.S. Reps. Michelle Steel, R-Calif., and Josh Harder, D-Calif., to call for a task force to investigate and provide solutions to Congress. Read more. 
California reps target shipping backlog at ports with bipartisan legislation
The Supply Chain Taskforce Act would direct the commandant of the Coast Guard to create an interagency task force aimed at addressing the backlog at the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and along the coasts of southern California. Read more. 
I’ll be using this newsletter as a way to keep you up to date on my work on behalf of our Orange County community, so make sure you sign up for regular updates. You can also connect with my official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, where I’ll be posting the latest news and updates.
Sincerely,
Rep. Michelle Steel
Member of Congress