Working in Washington

December 10, 2021

Greetings!

This week I was in Washington, DC working on behalf of our Orange County community. Here are some highlights from my week:

Holding China Accountable

This week I sent a letter to all corporate sponsors of the 2022 Winter Olympics urging them to use their multi-million-dollar advertising budgets and platforms to raise awareness on the long list of human rights abuses committed by the Chinese Communist Party. Read the full letter here and an excerpt below:

“I urge you to use your global platform to stand up to Communist China and support the values of human rights. I understand this is not easy, but you have a global platform to take a stand for the voiceless. We must all come together to hold the CCP accountable and protect the freedoms of religion and speech for all.”

Supporting our Military Families and National Defense

I was proud to vote yes on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense bill that has passed on a bipartisan basis for the last 60 years. This year’s bill included a 2.7% pay increase for our service members, and ensures we are well equipped to handle emerging threats from our adversaries.

Honoring our Orange County Veterans

It is time to make a veterans cemetery a reality for the brave men and women who served this great country. I have long supported the idea of a veterans cemetery in Orange County to create a resting place for our honored service men and women. During my Veterans Advisory Board meetings this year this was a big topic of our conversations. I was happy that while I was in Washington this week, a member of my team was able to attend the groundbreaking of the veterans cemetery at Gypsum Canyon.

Working in Committee

This week I participated in a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing and asked the Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency how the state is working to find waste and wrongdoing in state transportation programs, and how California High-Speed rail construction is negatively impacting vulnerable and minority communities. Watch the rail hearing here.

Connecting with the Community

I had a great time on Saturday at the first annual Huntington Beach Hometown Heroes Softball Game to benefit the Spark of Love Toy Drive!

Upcoming Deadlines

Do you know a student interested in an internship in my Huntington Beach office? We are accepting applications for the Spring semester until December 22, 2021. This is a great opportunity to learn more about government and our community. Click here to learn more and apply.

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.R. 1155 – Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act: This bill bans all imports from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) – products of forced labor. It also creates new sanctions targeting the use of forced labor in the XUAR. I voted yes on this bill because we must do everything we can to stop the CCP’s genocide of the Uyghurs.

H.R. 4996 – Ocean Shipping Reform Act: This legislation updates maritime shipping laws and takes steps to address key global supply chain issues and backlogs. I voted in support of this legislation because we must take action to alleviate the supply chain crisis impacting the entire country.

In the News

GOP Rep. Steel pressures Olympic corporate sponsors to shine light on CCP abuses

Steel calls out corporate sponsors for being silent in the face of genocide after being vocal during 'political and social protests'. Read more.

Rep. Steel Urges Olympic Sponsors to Highlight CCP's Human Rights Abuses

Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Huntington Beach) is urging corporate sponsors of the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing to use their advertisements to showcase the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) massive human rights abuses. Read more.

Thirty-five House Republicans are 'gravely concerned' about formally

Thirty-five Republican lawmakers said they are “gravely concerned” with the ongoing discussion to formally declare an end to the Korean War and urged the White House to reject pursuing a declaration with North Korea. 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