Washington Wrap Up

December 17, 2021

Greetings!

This week I was in Washington, DC for a couple of days to wrap up Congress’ legislative business for the year. I am so happy to be back in Orange County to spend the holidays with family and am looking forward to sharing a recap of my first year in Congress with you in the upcoming weeks. It is an honor to serve you in Congress and I look forward to sharing some of this year’s highlights.

Make sure to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get these updates in real-time! Here are some highlights from my week:

Holding China Accountable

Ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, this week I penned an op-ed urging corporate America to do their part in holding the CCP accountable. Over a week ago, I sent a letter to these corporations urging them to use their multi-million-dollar sponsor and advertising budgets to highlight the long list of human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party. Read my thoughts on this issue here .

Connecting with Educators

Throughout the year, I’ve hosted several advisory board meetings with different groups in the community to hear how I can best serve them in Congress. This week I was grateful to connect with a group of Orange County educators to talk about issues affecting students and educators. We discussed the impacts of virtual learning, staff shortages, and funding needs. Do you have a suggestion for an advisory board topic? Send me suggestions at RepSteel@mail.house.gov

Supporting Human Rights

The Vietnam Human Rights Network has done important work the last 24 years to promote human rights in Vietnam and around the world. This past Sunday, I was honored to attend the commemoration of International Human Rights Day and Vietnam Human Rights Award Ceremony in Westminster.

OPINION POLL: Rising Costs

This holiday season is set to be one of the most expensive in decades thanks to record-breaking inflation. I’m working in Congress to stop the out-of-control government spending and supply chain bottlenecks that are contributing to these rising costs.

I want to know how this is impacting Orange County families.

Have you noticed an increase in prices over the last couple of months?

Yes, I have

Select

No, I haven't

Select

I don't know

Select

Honoring our Fallen Service Members

This week, President Biden signed into law legislation that posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. service members who were killed in Afghanistan this August. I was honored to support this legislation. This is a small token of gratitude from our country to these service members and their loved ones. Ahead of the holidays, I continue to keep their families and all Gold Star Families in my prayers.

Upcoming Deadlines

Do you know a student interested in an internship in my Huntington Beach or Washington, D.C. offices? We are accepting applications for the Spring semester! This is a great opportunity to learn more about government and our community. Click here to learn more and apply.

Christmas in the Capitol

For the past five years, the U.S. House of Representative's executive chef has made a gingerbread replica of the U.S. Capitol Building. It smells even better than it looks!

In the News

China Olympic sponsors must hold Beijing accountable

The spirit of the Olympic Games has always been to celebrate the world’s best athletes and appreciate the talent, diversity and culture that each participating country brings to the world stage. Unfortunately, the backdrop of the Winter 2022 Olympic Games is one of genocide, violence and terror. 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