May 28, 2021
Greetings!

This week many of us are preparing to spend Memorial Day weekend enjoying time with family and friends. As we prepare for the long weekend, I encourage everyone to take time over the next few days to remember our fallen soldiers and their sacrifice. I am proud to be an American, and we can never forget that our freedom is not free. May we keep the memory of all who have served and their families in our hearts every day, and especially this Memorial Day. 

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.
Serving California's 48th District
Serving our Seniors
Meals on Wheels Orange County does great work in our community and serves more than 12,000 meals per week to Orange County seniors. This week I joined them for their Grab & Go Meal program where we distributed just over 1,700 meals. I loved meeting so many of you, thanks for having me!
Honoring Memorial Day Weekend
This weekend we take time to honor our fallen soldiers. Here are some Memorial Day weekend events happening in CA48 this weekend: 


I hope however you are spending the weekend, you are able to take some time to honor our fallen soldiers.
Broadband Access
The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides certain households with a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills. To see if you qualify, click here.
Your Voice in DC
Requesting an Investigation into COVID-19 Origins 
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, shuttered normal life, and devastated the economy. We deserve answers about the origins of this virus. That’s why I joined my colleagues in a letter to Speaker Pelosi calling for a full, bipartisan investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Read the full letter here and an excerpt below: 

“The WHO’s inability to conduct a review that yielded meaningful findings makes the need for a bipartisan congressional investigation more acute. The concerns about the WHO’s investigation are not isolated to House Republicans—several Biden Administration officials raised similar questions about the reliability of the WHO’s report and called for an independent
investigation.” 
Working to Enhance U.S. Partnerships
As a first-generation Korean American whose parents escaped the North during the Korean War, I watch affairs on the peninsula very closely. Last week I was honored to join congressional leaders during our meeting with President Moon and appreciated hearing his shared vision for the continued growth of democracy and freedom around the world.
In the News
Irvine invites Marine aviation museum to return to El Toro
“The military is a significant part of the Southern California fabric,” Aguilar said. “More importantly, this museum is able to reach out and inspire the next generation.” Read more. 
Combating hate is a nonpartisan issue. Why don't Democrats seem to agree?
This week, the House passed two bills tackling AAPI hate crimes, both authored by Democrats. I was proud to vote for them because I believe we need to be united in combating hate. But I was deeply disappointed that my colleagues across the aisle do not share that belief. Read more. 
Scalise leads House GOP in demanding Pelosi direct committee chairs to investigate coronavirus origins
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and more than 200 House Republicans called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to direct committee chairs to investigate the origins of COVID-19 and devote congressional investigatory resources to examining claims that the novel coronavirus pandemic stemmed from a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and that the Chinese Communist Party "covered it up." Read more.
Sincerely,
Rep. Michelle Steel
Member of Congress