Like the Silicon Valley region she represents, Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo exemplifies innovation. She’s creative, boundary breaking and productive. She is a problem solver and a consensus builder. In Rep. Eshoo’s two decades in Congress, she has defended consumers, promoted American competitiveness and innovation, fought for access to health care for families and children, protected the environment, and encouraged development of clean energy technology.
Rep. Eshoo’s work consistently earns the highest approval from a wide range of organizations, including the League of Conservation Voters, the Humane Society, the American Association of University Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the Science Coalition. The San Jose Mercury News named her one of the ten most powerful women in Silicon Valley “because she sits on committees that oversee the Internet and biotech—areas vital to the valley’s interests.”
Rep. Eshoo is a longtime supporter of local transportation and transit projects that reduce traffic on our region’s overcrowded roadways, and provide more options for the traveling public and businesses. She has secured millions in federal funding to update transportation systems to reduce emissions, which is essential to combatting the climate crisis because the transportation sector accounts for 27% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Chief among these projects is the modernization of Caltrain to be more energy-efficient and convenient for commuters, and after many years this system is finally being brought into the 21st century. She has also secured federal funding for local projects to deploy electric buses, build bicycle lanes and paths, and improve bus and light rail service in the Peninsula and South Bay, which will reduce both emissions and the time commuters spend sitting in traffic.
Caltrain Electrification
Passenger rail service began on the Peninsula corridor in 1863, one year after President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act to authorize track to be laid. Today, thanks to Rep. Eshoo’s advocacy, the modern generation is building something worthy of the future of our region. Rep. Eshoo led the effort in Congress to secure a $647 million federal grant for the Caltrain electrification project, and was successful in 2017.
Replacing the existing diesel trains with electric trains will have an extraordinary environmental impact, improving daily air quality on the corridor by over 97 percent and reducing annual greenhouse gases by over 176,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2040. Electric trains are less expensive to operate, quieter, cleaner, and faster than the existing diesel trains. The project will also provide improve traffic flow on one of the most congested corridors in the country by removing an estimated 619,000 daily vehicle miles off the region’s roadways. Electrification is also part of Caltrain’s broader modernization efforts which will run faster, more frequent trains to double ridership by 2040 and carry as many people as 5.5 freeway lanes of traffic every hour.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave the U.S. infrastructure a grade of C-. The consequences of America’s aging infrastructure are more hours spent in traffic, higher prices for goods, and slower economic growth. Pre-pandemic, Bay Area commuters wasted an average of 103 hours in traffic per year.
Rep. Eshoo was very proud to vote for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed into law in November 2021. It is the single largest investment in infrastructure in our nation’s history. The new law delivers $4.5 billion to the Bay Area in guaranteed funding for roads, bridges, passenger rail and public transit, a 50 percent increase from the current allotment of federal dollars. The Bay Area will also be in a strong position to compete for more than $140 billion in federal grants for projects such as reducing traffic congestion on Highway 101; replacing diesel school buses with zero-emission ones; electrifying local bus fleets; and building grade separations at Caltrain crossings to improve safety and traffic flow.
Beyond improving travel for commuters, the new law invests in our nation’s seaports, airports, and freight rail to alleviate bottlenecks and relieve supply chain pressures that drive inflation. The law also invests $65 billion in broadband infrastructure and helps meet America’s climate goals by modernizing the electric grid to facilitate the expansion of renewable energy and by building out a nationwide electric vehicle charging network to encourage the adoption of cleaner cars.
Lastly, the new law addresses California’s unique challenges as the state faces a significant drought. It provides $8.3 billion for water storage, recycling, and desalination in western states to increase the water supply and prepare for future dry years. The law also includes resources to protect homes against wildfires and prevent fires before they start by burying powerlines and better managing forests.
When we send the brave women and men of the U.S. Armed Forces into harm’s way, it is our collective responsibility to provide them with the health services, opportunities, and care they’ve earned. Strengthening this sacred promise has been a guiding principle of Rep. Eshoo’s public service.
Congresswoman Eshoo is proud to represent more than 20,000 veterans in California’s 18th Congressional District, as well as the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, one of our nation’s premier medical facilities. Since being elected to Congress, Rep. Eshoo has fought to provide veterans with the benefits they’ve earned serving our country, worked to ensure that the VA Palo Alto receives the resources necessary to provide for our region’s veterans, and successfully led efforts to open two Fisher Houses in Palo Alto to house the families of recovering veterans.
Improving Veterans’ Health Care
Rep. Eshoo has consistently worked to ensure that our nation’s veterans have access to high-quality health care. She recently voted for the Honoring Our PACT Act, comprehensive legislation to provide care for more than 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits, atomic radiation, PFAS, and other toxic substances during their military service. This long-overdue legislation passed the House on March 3, 2022.
Combatting Veteran Homelessness
The words homeless and veteran should never appear together, yet tens of thousands of veterans struggle with homelessness every day. In 2009, the VA announced a campaign to end veteran homelessness and Congress responded by significantly increasing federal spending for programs to help homeless veterans. As a result of these efforts, the population of homeless veterans has decreased from over 70,000 in 2009 to approximately 40,000 today. Congresswoman Eshoo is a cosponsor of the Helping Homeless Veterans Act which continues these vital efforts by permanently extending programs at the VA to combat homelessness.
Expanding Opportunities for Veterans
Ever since the G.I. Bill was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1944, military service has been a bridge to the middle class for millions of Americans. In 2008, Congress built on this legacy by enacting the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act which significantly increased educational benefits for the latest generation of veterans and made these enhanced benefits transferable to veterans’ spouses and dependents. Rep. Eshoo was an original cosponsor of this transformative legislation.
More recently, Rep. Eshoo voted for the Guard and Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act which grants National Guard and Reserve Members the same access to G.I. Bill benefits as their active-duty counterparts. This important bill passed the House in January 2022.
The 18th Congressional District is home to Silicon Valley, Stanford University, and a robust biotechnology industry. Rep. Eshoo represents many of the world’s foremost information and communications technology innovators who have led the world in developing breakthrough discoveries that continue to shape our society and lead our economy.
On the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Eshoo serves on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee and the Health Subcommittee, which have jurisdiction on all things technology and health. She is a leader on issues affecting cutting-edge technologies, telecommunications, biotech, and the internet, and is committed to ensuring the U.S. continues leading the world in these critical fields in the 21st century.
Protecting Users’ Rights Online
Too often, private information online is stolen, abused, used for profit, or grossly mishandled. To protect Americans’ right to privacy, Reps. Eshoo and Lofgren introduced the Online Privacy Act, sweeping legislation that has been rated the top privacy bill in Congress by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a leading privacy advocacy group, and supported by civil society groups and privacy experts.
Rep. Eshoo has also introduced legislation to limit the commercial use of personal data for targeted advertising and has advocated against the government’s collection of Americans’ personal data. She is working to combat the plague of misinformation and disinformation that festers online, which too often manifests in real-world harms and erode democracy. Reps. Eshoo and Malinowski introduced the Protecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act, legislation to hold large social media platforms accountable for their algorithmic amplification of harmful, radicalizing content that leads to offline violence.
Telecommunications
Broadband
Rep. Eshoo has long fought for broadband expansion and was proud to vote for the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which includes $65 billion in funding for broadband infrastructure to expand internet access and close the digital divide. She has long advocated for the use of future-proof technology in government projects, ‘dig once’ requirements that require broadband conduit to be installed during road construction, and empowering local communities to build their own broadband networks, often at higher speeds and lower costs.
Consumer Protection
Rep. Eshoo is fighting to protect consumers against robocalls and other nuisances. Rep. Eshoo authored the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act in 2010 to put an end to the booming ads on TV. She recently updated the legislation to include streaming services which were not available when the original CALM Act was passed. Under the new law, the Federal Communications Commission will also have more authority to investigate and enforce violations of the law by traditional TV operators.
Net Neutrality
An open architecture is essential to preserving the free choice, competition, and innovation that have driven the internet and made it so successful. Rep. Eshoo has been a leader in ensuring a free and open internet and has both led legislation and filed amicus briefs in court on such issues.
Protecting Infrastructure
Rep. Eshoo has introduced legislation to protect critical telecommunications infrastructure including building resilient systems to withstand natural disasters such as California wildfires, guarding against foreign use of airwaves, and ensuring that telecommunications equipment is secure and free from surveillance technology used by our adversaries. Rep. Eshoo’s bipartisan, bicameral Secure Equipment Act was signed into law on November 12, 2021, preventing equipment manufactured by Chinese state-backed firms such as Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua from being further utilized and marketed in the United States.
Leading-edge Technology
Competition and innovation are the lifeblood of America’s economy. Rep. Eshoo has a track record of ensuring that people with innovative ideas are equipped with the tools needed to ensure the U.S. leads in technology on the global stage.
Artificial Intelligence
It is critical for the U.S. to lead the rest of the world in the development of democratically aligned AI. AI has the power to transform society in ways yet unimagined, but it also contains threats to the safety and freedoms of our society.
After working with Stanford and the National Security Commission on AI, Rep. Eshoo and Senator Portman introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation that President Biden signed into law that established a task force of leading AI experts from government, academia, and industry to develop a roadmap for a National AI Research Resource that would better enable the public sector to perform research in AI.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy said, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.” Education is vital to an informed society, a successful economy, and a secure nation. Improving science and math education throughout the country are necessary to preserve our capacity for innovation and discovery, and for ensuring U.S. economic strength and competitiveness in the 21st century.
Education for the 21st Century
STEM education is critical to our nation’s long-term prosperity and economic competitiveness, and every student should be exposed to the fundamentals of science, technology, engineering and math to prepare them for the highly technical, high-paying jobs of the future.
In 2015, Rep. Eshoo co-founded the Congressional App Challenge to encourage high school students across the country to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application for mobile, tablet, or computer devices on a platform of their choice. Throughout the competition period, participating students are provided opportunities to engage with various STEM educational partners located in the community to mentor and assist them with their app development. Today, 340 Congressional Districts are participating in this App Challenge!
College Affordability
It’s clear that a college degree will be a requisite for the majority of new jobs in the next decade and it’s why making sure higher education remains an opportunity for every student is an economic imperative for our nation. Rep. Eshoo has consistently voted for and cosponsored legislation to reduce the cost of college by making community college tuition-free, expanding eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. She has voted for legislation to pause student loan payments during the pandemic which has provided $25 million in debt relief to 1.3 million borrowers, and has cosponsored legislation to eliminate interest on student loans.
Rep. Eshoo is a strong supporter of Pell Grants, the cornerstone of our nation’s student financial aid program that provides aid to more than 8.4 million low-income American students who would otherwise be unable to afford college tuition. She supports doubling the Pell Grant award and has consistently voted to increase funding for this important program.
Voting Rights
Protecting the right to vote is at the core of our democracy. However, numerous states have introduced and passed dozens of laws to suppress the vote and, shockingly, to manipulate votes that are cast. Congress cannot allow these brazen attempts to upend the democratic process go unanswered.
Rep. Eshoo is proud to have voted for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which restores the provisions of the Voting Rights Act that were struck down by the Supreme Court in 2013. This legislation ensures that states with a history of voter suppression cannot change their election procedures without pre-clearing these changes with the Department of Justice to ensure they don’t disenfranchise voters of color.
Rep. Eshoo supports several policies to expand voter participation in our democracy including:
Police Reform
The video of George Floyd being smothered to death in June of 2020 shocked the conscience of so many Americans and motivated them to demand change. Rep. Eshoo is committed to doing everything necessary to root out racism and brutality in law enforcement.
Rep. Eshoo is an original cosponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which includes many critical reforms:
Rep. Eshoo will continue to support legislation that directly addresses racism in policing, reduces mass incarceration, and restores the trust between law enforcement and communities they serve.
Combatting Anti-AAPI Hate
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a highly disturbing increase in bigotry and violence directed toward the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. As the proud Representative of hundreds of thousands of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California’s 18th Congressional District, Congresswoman Eshoo is doing everything she can to rid our community and our country of anti-AAPI racism.
Rep. Eshoo cosponsored and voted for the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act which fights anti-AAPI bigotry by directing the Justice Department to expedite review of hate crimes; strengthens hate crimes reporting by local, state, and Tribal agencies; and raises awareness about hate crimes related to Covid-19. This critical legislation was signed into law by President Biden in May 2021/
LGBTQ+ Equality
Congresswoman Eshoo believes all Americans deserve equality in their personal and professional lives regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Throughout her public service, she has worked for the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and improved health and well-being for the LGBTQ+ community.
Rep. Eshoo is proud to be an original cosponsor of the Equality Act which extends the anti-discrimination provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity. If enacted, this important legislation would establish strong protections against discrimination in employment, housing, education, and public accommodations for LGBTQ+ Americans. The Equality Act passed the House with Rep. Eshoo’s support in February 2021 and now awaits consideration in the Senate.
Women’s Rights
Since her election to Congress in the Year of the Woman, Rep. Eshoo has championed the interests of women throughout the country and around the world on the most significant social, economic, and health issues across the public policy spectrum.
Rep. Eshoo is proud to have voted for the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 and has strongly supported it since. Most recently, Rep. Eshoo voted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on March 9, 2022. The VAWA Reauthorization makes significant changes to update and improve VAWA including:
Rep. Eshoo also supports legislation to remove the timeline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, to address the gender pay gap, and to codify Roe v. Wade’s protections.
As a first-generation American, Rep. Eshoo has a deep appreciation for the broad ethnic mosaic that makes America a great country. She has promoted sound immigration policies to provide opportunities for people to immigrate legally into the country, voted to secure national borders, and create a pathway to citizenship for those who were brought into the country as children.
Protecting Dreamers
Rep. Eshoo has consistently advocated for providing relief from deportation and a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers,” the more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. She has cosponsored and voted for the American Dream and Promise Act which ensures these young immigrants can remain in the only country they’ve ever known. The bill provides Dreamers with ten years of legal status and work authorization. During that time, they must pursue higher education, serve in the military, or work lawfully for at least three years. Those who meet these conditions will be granted permanent residency and the ability to one day become U.S. citizens.
High-Skilled Immigration
California’s 18th Congressional District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley, is home to many immigrants who have led the world in developing breakthrough technologies that shape society and drive economic growth. In fact, more than half of all billion-dollar technology startups in the U.S. were founded by immigrants. It is in the national interest to ensure that immigration laws encourage talented people from around the world to come to the United States to conduct research, develop groundbreaking technologies, and launch innovative businesses. This includes eliminating visa backlogs and processing delays that deter immigrants from bringing their talents to the United States.
Rep. Eshoo is proud to be a cosponsor of the Jumpstart Act, comprehensive legislation to make the legal immigration system more efficient. Importantly, the bill recaptures unused immigrant visas from 1992 to 2021, making more than 400,000 visas available to be issued. The legislation also allows immigrants who are in the U.S. and eligible for a green card to receive work authorization while they wait for a green card to become available. These provisions would significantly reduce visa backlogs and ensure that those waiting for a visa can continue to work.
Silicon Valley is becoming a region where only the wealthiest can afford to live. Rising housing costs continue to force more and more middle- and working-class residents to leave the area in search of affordable housing. This is unacceptable and threatens the composition and identity of our local communities.
Solutions to address the affordable housing crisis must come from a partnership of federal, state, and local governments working in cooperation with non-profits and the private sector. The most important role for Congress to play in fostering solutions is to provide robust federal funding to help develop new affordable housing in the Bay Area and protect existing stock. Rep. Eshoo is a strong supporter of funding for federal programs like Community Development Block Grants; the HOME Investment Partnership Program; NeighborWorks; Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing; and Section 8 Vouchers, and she will continue working to ensure these programs receive the highest amount of funding possible.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Rep. Eshoo voted for the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021, which provided $25 billion for rental assistance and $10 billion for mortgage assistance. This funding has helped struggling renters and homeowners make payments on time and avoid eviction and foreclosure without shifting the cost burden to housing providers.
Since her service on the Board of Supervisors in San Mateo County to her current position as Chairwoman of the powerful House Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo has been a leader on a broad range of health care issues, from shaping the Affordable Care Act to supporting biomedical research for new treatments and cures.
Strengthening Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act
Rep. Eshoo has fought hard to protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. She was instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act, the landmark law that has helped millions of Americans thanks to its life-saving protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and tax credits to help Americans afford health coverage. Under her leadership, her Health Subcommittee also passed the No Surprises Act into law, ending surprise medical bills due to disputes between health care providers and health insurers.
Medicare and Medicaid pay for the health care of more than 1 out every 3 Americans. Rep. Eshoo has seen first-hand the peace of mind Medicare provided for her mother and father when they had that card in their wallet. As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, she’s held hearings on and passed legislation through the House of Representatives that adds vision, hearing, and dental coverage to the Medicare program. Rep. Eshoo has also been a leader in ensuring that Medicare continues to cover telehealth. Through the Affordable Care Act, Rep. Eshoo helped to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of low-income families.
If you are uninsured or need help with your health insurance coverage, you can visit the following resources to learn more.
Lowering Drug Prices
As Chairwoman of the Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo led the drafting of the policies to lower prescription drug prices that became law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden signed the legislation into law on August 16, 2022. It will help millions of American seniors afford prescription drugs, saving lives and preventing bankruptcies.
Here is a list of new benefits for Medicare enrollees:
Biomedical Research
The 18th Congressional District includes Stanford University and Silicon Valley and is a world leader for biomedical research. In Congress, Rep. Eshoo is a leading advocate for funding research at the National Institutes of Health for new treatments and cures for deadly diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and pancreatic and pediatric cancers. She’s also led legislation to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration so that it can move at the speed of science to bring safe and effective drug and medical devices to more patients.
Rep. Eshoo has sponsored legislation to create the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This new agency would embody the nimble spirit of the highly regarded and successful Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) to pursue large-scale, high-risk projects. It will break the mold for federal research agencies by being uniquely focused on solving the “valley of death” to deliver transformational cures for deadly diseases such as Alzheimer’s, cancer, ALS, and diabetes.
Women’s Health
As the first woman in the history of Congress to chair the House Health Subcommittee, Rep. Eshoo is dedicated to ensuring that women can receive the health care they choose and deserve. She held the first hearing on protecting access to abortion in over 20 years when her Health Subcommittee considered the Women’s Health Protection Act, legislation that codifies the Roe v. Wade decision, and supported the repeal of the domestic and global gag rule.
Rep. Eshoo’s Health Subcommittee has also been responsible for landmark legislation to address the nation’s shameful maternal mortality rate. The U.S. is the most dangerous place in the developed world to deliver a baby, and it’s even more dangerous if you’re a woman of color. This is unacceptable, and what’s more, it’s preventable.
Under Rep. Eshoo’s leadership, two significant pieces of legislation to address the maternal health crisis have become law. First, the American Rescue Plan provides a new state option to extend Medicaid coverage for pregnant women from 60 days postpartum to one full year following the baby’s birth. California has already taken advantage of the new authority and today, many California mothers are eligible for free Medi-Cal coverage for one year postpartum. Second, the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act provides grants for perinatal quality collaboratives, including Stanford’s California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative, which has reduced severe health problems from pregnancy-related hemorrhages by 21% and has contributed to reducing the maternal mortality rate in California by 55%.
As a former Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Eshoo has a deep understanding of the threats America faces. She has consistently advocated for policies to keep Americans safe by advancing smart diplomacy, strengthening our alliances, ensuring the U.S. military remains the most capable in the world, and investing in technology to keep our intelligence-gathering capabilities the best in the world.
Rep. Eshoo also recognizes that the United States has a special responsibility to be a global leader and engage with other countries to safeguard human rights, encourage democracy to flourish, alleviate humanitarian crises, and improve development and trade. American global leadership is especially important in an era marked by emboldened authoritarian regimes around the world.
Standing with Ukraine
On February 24th Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by land, sea, and air, triggering the worst security crisis in Europe since World War II. Russia’s unprovoked assault on Ukraine is an attack on democracy and a grave violation of human rights and international law.
Congresswoman Eshoo has voted for every bill to provide security assistance to Ukraine as they defend their democracy, and she will continue to. As of July 22, 2022, the U.S. has provided approximately $7.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, including the following weapons and military equipment:
As Russia continues its brutal onslaught against Ukraine, Rep. Eshoo remains deeply committed to providing maximum U.S. support for Ukraine with robust security assistance, lifesaving humanitarian aid, and crippling sanctions on the Putin regime.
Human Rights in Vietnam
Despite its strategic partnership with the U.S., the Vietnamese government is a repressive regime that imprisons dissidents, activists, and journalists. As a member of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam and as the representative of a vibrant Vietnamese American community in Silicon Valley, Rep. Eshoo has consistently advocated for human rights and civil liberties for the Vietnamese people.
Rep. Eshoo is a cosponsor of the Vietnam Human Rights Act, bipartisan legislation to hold the Vietnamese government accountable for human rights abuses. Specifically, the bill restricts foreign assistance to the Vietnamese government until human rights benchmarks are met, imposes sanctions on Vietnamese officials complicit in atrocities, and authorizes foreign aid to civil society groups working to secure the release of Vietnamese prisoners of conscience.
Supporting Armenia’s Democracy
As one of two Members of Congress of Armenian descent and a member of the Congressional Armenian Caucus since the day she entered Congress, Rep. Eshoo has worked for decades to strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship. She has consistently supported efforts to increase U.S. foreign aid to Armenia and Artsakh; prevent the destruction of Armenian cultural sites; expand demining efforts in the region; and suspend U.S. security assistance to Azerbaijan in light of their aggression against Armenia.
In October 2019, Rep. Eshoo led the successful bipartisan effort in the House to end 100 years of official U.S. silence by passing the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide. The resolution passed by a vote of 405 to 11, strengthening America’s standing as a leader on human rights and giving closure to the families of the victims, including Rep. Eshoo’s family.
Advancing a Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
As a steadfast supporter of the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel, Rep. Eshoo recognizes that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is critical to protecting the dignity and security of both Israelis and Palestinians. Throughout her service in Congress, Rep. Eshoo has advocated for a two-state solution to bring peace to the region by establishing an independent state for the Palestinian people alongside a secure State of Israel. Congresswoman Eshoo is a cosponsor of the Two State Solution Act which provides funding to promote diplomacy and peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinians with the goal of accelerating progress toward a two-state solution.
Protecting Ethnic and Religious Minorities in the Middle East
Ethno-religious minorities in the Middle East have been subjected to ethnic strife and the ravages of war. In Iraq, ancient Christian people once numbered more than 1.5 million, but today are fewer than 250,000. As a human rights advocate and the daughter of immigrants who fled religious persecution in this part of the world, Rep. Eshoo has been a leader in bringing attention to the plight of religious minorities in the Middle East.
In 2018, Rep. Eshoo led a successful effort with Congressman Chris Smith to pass the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act, bipartisan legislation to provide relief to survivors of the ISIS-perpetrated genocide against vulnerable religious and ethnic groups in Iraq and Syria. Since the bill was signed into law, the State Department has utilized its authority under the law to support organizations that are working directly with survivors on the ground.
Climate Change
Climate change is an existential threat to our nation and our planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change warned in a groundbreaking report in 2022 that significant and immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are necessary to ensure temperatures do not rise by more than 1.5 degree Celsius and cause irreversible damage to our planet. Here at home, every community in California’s 18th Congressional District is already experiencing the impacts of a warming climate such as fierce wildfires, severe drought, and rising sea levels.
Rep. Eshoo believes Congress must take immediate action to address climate change and that established science should be the guide for making informed policy decisions. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, Rep. Eshoo has advanced policies to address climate change including:
Clean Energy
Clean Transportation
Other Climate Policies
Conservation in California’s 18th Congressional District
Throughout Rep. Eshoo’s service in Congress, she has consistently protected and expanded the unique landscapes of California’s 18th Congressional District for future generations.
Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument
Rep. Eshoo introduced legislation in 2015 to expand the California Coastal National Monument to include the Cotoni-Coast Dairies lands in Santa Cruz County on the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. The property stretches from Highway 1 into the Santa Cruz Mountains and is home to picturesque coastal terraces; 500 acres of redwood forest; six watersheds; and four known Native American archeological sites, with many others likely undiscovered. The name Cotoni-Coast Dairies honors the indigenous people who historically inhabited the land as well as its more recent history as a dairy. After the dairy folded in the 1950s, private development of luxury homes and a nuclear power plant were proposed which would have had a devastating impact on this land. After decades of such pressures, the Coast Dairies ranch was acquired in 1998 by the Save the Redwoods League and subsequently donated to the federal government in 2014.
As a result of Rep. Eshoo’s legislative efforts, President Obama formally designated the Cotoni-Coast Dairies as a National Monument on January 12, 2017. Rep. Eshoo continues to work closely with the Bureau of Land Management to open these lands to the public, support trail construction, and minimize disruptions to local communities.
Bair Island
Rep. Eshoo secured federal funding to purchase Bair Island and then added it to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Working with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Citizens to Complete the Refuge, and thousands of constituents, she successfully protected 1,600 acres of critical wetlands and permanently preserved them for future generations. This action sustains a critical habitat for 123 species of birds, 13 species of mammals, and 63 species of fish.
South San Francisco Bay Wetlands
In 2003, Rep. Eshoo led her California House colleagues in securing $8 million for the purchase of thousands of acres of precious San Francisco Bay wetlands from Cargill, Inc. With federal seed money and support, the state and federal government, along with four prominent California foundations (the Hewlett/Packard/Moore/Goldman Foundations), approximately 15,000 acres of southern San Francisco Bay lands were acquired for inclusion in the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Under the leadership of the California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Coastal Conservancy, the process of returning these salt ponds to suitable tidal habitat is underway.
In the years following this initial purchase, Rep. Eshoo secured millions of dollars in federal funding to enable the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate a study of the South Bay Shoreline. This work will protect against flooding and foster the overall restoration effort.
In September, 2008, our country faced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, with millions of Americans losing their jobs, their homes, and their savings. Rep. Eshoo has responded to the crisis with a focus on policies to jumpstart the economy; save and create jobs; support small businesses; provide protections to the workforce and consumers; strengthen enforcement and oversight of the financial sector; help to restore credit; and hold Wall Street and big banks accountable for their practices so a crisis of this kind never happens again.
Rep. Eshoo believes that fiscal responsibility is essential to America’s long term stability and the economic well-being of its citizens. While the government must continue to act decisively to help jumpstart and stabilize the economy, spending must always be controlled.
Large deficits and an increasing national debt affect future generations as they seek to borrow money to go to school, buy a house, and pay for health care expenses. Rep. Eshoo supports a balanced approach to getting our nation’s fiscal house in order, believing we can’t tax our way out of the problem, or simply cut our way out of it. This means taking steps to reform and strengthen the long-term viability of Social Security and Medicare, as well as cleaning up the tax code to eliminate unwarranted and outdated subsidies and tax breaks
California’s 18th Congressional District has played an important role in our nation’s history. Rep. Eshoo is committed to preserving local history and supporting our communities in doing so. As part of this commitment, she has been the leading advocate for the preservation of Hangar One at Moffett Field, a landmark integral to the South Bay’s history and community identity.
Hangar One, on the site of what is now called Moffett Field, is located next to the cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View. The Hangar was constructed by the Navy in 1932, providing hundreds of jobs in the midst of the Great Depression. It was built to house the USS Macon, the largest airship in the world at that time. Covering eight acres (enough to house 10 football fields), with walls curving to a height of 198 feet, the Hangar remains one of the largest freestanding structures in the country. In 1939, Moffett Field and Hangar One became home to the advanced aerospace laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA. During World War II, Hangar One held aircraft and trained personnel essential to the war effort.
Today, Hangar One is a historic landmark that helps define the landscape of the South Bay region and Silicon Valley. NASA sought to develop Hangar One into an interactive space and science center. However, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), toxic to humans and the environment were found in the Hangar’s siding from previous Naval operations, and Rep. Eshoo has consistently advocated that Hangar One be cleaned up and returned to the community.
Rep. Eshoo continues to advocate for Hangar One in Congress, a testament to Silicon Valley’s historical contributions to America’s twentieth-century progress, and a source of pride and potential for local communities. She has been joined by business organizations, community groups and historic preservation associations in advocating for Hangar’s preservation
Since being elected to Congress, Rep. Eshoo has championed the interests of women throughout the country and around the world on the most significant social, economic, and health issues across the public policy spectrum. Rep. Eshoo has fought to open the doors of opportunity for women and girls in school and work, and advocated for equitable pay, tougher child support enforcement, and family-friendly workplaces. Rep. Eshoo is especially proud of her work to promote women’s health initiatives and protect victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Rep. Eshoo is a member of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues to improve the lives of women and families
Widespread use of birth control continues to be a critical component of basic preventive health care for women and has been the driving force in reducing national rates of unintended pregnancies, STD infections, and abortions. Womens...
Since our nation's founding, the absence of a statement of equality for women under the Constitution has been an issue of significant debate. During the drafting of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Abigail Adams wrote to her husband, John, "In...
As a working mother, Rep. Eshoo knows the struggle many Americans endure when balancing work with the needs of their families. That balance can be difficult and even impossible to maintain when one's own health or that of a family member is compromised....
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women. According to the U.S....
Many of today's working women are the primary or sole breadwinners for their families. Alarmingly, statistics continue to indicate that women in the workplace only earn approximately 75 percent of what men earn. This gender discrimination affects women...
Until the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, abortions were illegal, but obtainable at high financial and personal costs, and often at great risk to a woman's health. If a woman could afford an illegal abortion, it was generally unsafe and many...
The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world: 34 percent of America's young women become pregnant at least once before the age of 20; eight of ten teenage pregnancies are unintended. Although birth rates...
Passed in 1994 and then reauthorized in 2000, 2005, and 2013, VAWA is landmark legislation that has improved criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the United States. VAWA programs...
In today’s health system, women are discriminated against in many ways. They often face higher health costs than men, as well as multiple barriers to health insurance. Fewer women are eligible for employer-based coverage and comprehensive coverage, a...
Rep. Eshoo believes all American citizens deserve equality in their personal and professional lives regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. Throughout her public service, she has worked for the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and well-being for the LGBT community.
Marriage Equality
Rep. Eshoo believes that any adult couple should be allowed to marry regardless of their sexual orientation. Individual states have the authority to determine issues related to marriage, just as they have throughout our nation’s history, but federal law also has a considerable impact on the rights and privileges afforded to same-sex couples.
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), a federal law enacted in 1996, effectively prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex couples as “spouses.” Because of this law, same-sex couples across the nation were denied tax, immigration, social security, and other benefits afforded to heterosexual couples–even in states which legally recognize same-sex marriages. Rep. Eshoo voted against this law when it passed, and has fought for its repeal ever since.
On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Windsor that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. This decision allows the federal government to formally recognize same-sex marriages. Rep. Eshoo applauded the court’s decision, which was a landmark for civil rights in our nation, but much more work remains to be done before true equality in our nation can be achieved.
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage is constitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process and equal protection guarantees. This landmark ruling ensures the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in all 50 states. Rep. Eshoo applauded the court’s decision, which reflects an overwhelming majority of Americans who support same-sex marriage
Every year qualified, hard-working Americans in both public and private sector workplaces are denied job opportunities, are terminated, or experience on-the-job discrimination because they are LGBT, yet there is no federal employment law to protect them. Currently, LGBT Americans in twenty eight states lack basic protections from discrimination in housing, employment, education, and public accommodations. This means that a couple can get married and then be fired from their jobs and evicted from their housing because of their sexual orientation.
In the 115th Congress, Rep. Eshoo is a cosponsor of H.R. 2282, the Equality Act, a common-sense remedy for this unfair situation. The legislation would extend anti-discrimination provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity. This legislation would ensure that LGBT Americans in every state enjoy the same freedom from discrimination that exists for all citizens regardless of race, sex, religion, and national origin.
Rep. Eshoo has been a supporter of the Equality Act (formerly known as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act) since it was first introduced over a decade ago, and continues to work to see that this legislation becomes law
Discrimination in any form is unacceptable and Rep. Eshoo has consistently supported the enactment of laws that promote equality for all people. Transgender individuals are no different.
Rep. Eshoo believes transgender individuals should be able serve openly in the military and voted against legislation to reinstate the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military that was lifted by the Department of Defense in June 2016. She also joined 142 of her House colleagues in writing to the President on August 29th urging him to reconsider his decision to reinstate the ban on transgender individuals serving in our nation’s military.
Rep. Eshoo also believes our schools should be safe places of learning for all students, including those in the LGBT community, which is why she supported the Department of Education’s interpretation of Title IX under the Obama Administration to include transgender students. Every day LGBT students are the targets of discrimination, including bullying and harassment, which can lead to academic underachievement and have a profound impact on their well-being. We’ve seen how the failure to act on this issue resulted in the nationally-publicized suicides of too many LGBT students and these stories are all too common.
Rep. Eshoo is also a proud cosponsor of the End Racial Profiling Act of 2017, which prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from targeting an individual based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation
Climate change is one of the most serious issues facing our nation and our planet. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading international body for the assessment of climate change has stated with greater than 95 percent certainty that most of the observed increase in global temperatures since the mid-20th Century is due to increased concentrations of heat-trapping gases caused by human activities. Rep. Eshoo believes the United States must take immediate action to address climate change, and she strongly believes that established science should be the guide for making informed policy decisions.
The last five years have been the hottest on record. In 2013, the earth passed 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the first time in millions of years. If concentrations of greenhouse gases are not stabilized, there will be an even greater increase in temperatures and severe environmental consequences including: a rise in sea levels; the loss of snow-pack; a thaw of the permafrost; higher ocean temperatures and increased ocean acidity; more intense hurricanes; stronger storms; longer droughts and more severe flooding; and mass extinction of plant and animal species. Some of these effects are already being observed; others are inevitable. The IPCC has warned that unless we act now to curb greenhouse gas emissions, 50 million people will be displaced by rising sea levels; 350 million people will endure severe drought; and more than a billion people will experience extreme heat waves by 2040.
Global warming not only intensifies extreme weather—it also threatens our national security, our economy, and our quality of life. As former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said, “the area of climate change has a dramatic impact on national security
Rep. Eshoo believes that we can prevent some of the worst results if we act to curb our emissions and adopt policies that promote activities to combat climate change now. She has heard from hundreds of companies, entrepreneurs, and individuals that are ready to develop the next clean energy technologies and designs. She supports putting a price on carbon; increasing vehicle fuel efficiency; conserving energy in buildings; investing in clean public transportation; and expanding alternative forms of energy that do not emit greenhouse gases. She is a strong supporter of the Paris Climate Agreement and was a Member appointed to the official House delegation to Paris, but was forced to stay in Washington, D.C. for votes.
As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus, Rep. Eshoo’s work and votes in Congress are directed toward advancing policies to address climate change. The legislation she supports include:
On September 24th House Democrats announced a formal impeachment inquiry in response to a whistleblower’s allegations that President Donald Trump engaged in behavior that undermines the integrity of our elections, the dignity of the office he holds, our national security, and our Constitution. As events surrounding the impeachment inquiry move forward, I urge you to stay updated on major developments and read related documents for yourself, which I’ve included below.
My oath of office is to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and I will continue to do everything I can to live up to this sacred pledge.
Constituents from across the 18th Congressional District are being subjected to excessive aircraft noise caused by aircraft travelling to and from three major airports and several smaller airfields in our region. Throughout her tenure in Congress, Congresswoman Eshoo has worked collaboratively with constituents, local elected officials, airports, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to address noise concerns.
Congresswoman Eshoo encourages her constituents to report any excessive aircraft noise complaints to the SFO, SJC and OAK Noise Abatement Offices to ensure that your report is officially documented. The SFO Noise Abatement Office can be reached at (650) 821-4736, or via email at sfo.noise@flysfo.com. You can file an online complaint to the SJC Noise Abatement Office here. You can file a complaint to the OAK Noise Abatement Office here, or by calling (510) 563-6463.
Contact information for the Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals is available here. Public meetings of the Select Committee were held in Santa Cruz County, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara County in 2016.
FAA NextGen Program
The FAA is currently implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), a multi-billion dollar modernization of the nation’s airspace. The NextGen program seeks to make our national airspace safer and more efficient, primarily by converting ground-based radar systems to satellite-based navigation and aircraft tracking. NextGen was initiated by legislation in 2003 and is targeted for full implementation by 2025. For the Northern California region, the FAA projects that NextGen will save $6.5 million in fuel costs and 23,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year.
One of the major initiatives of NextGen is a redesign of the flight paths in many major metropolitan areas across the country, including the San Francisco Bay Area. Over the last three years, the FAA has been shifting to its newly-designed flight paths in our region, and in the process, has subjected many constituents of the 18th Congressional District to unacceptable levels of aircraft noise.
Local Solutions/Select Committee
In 2000, Congresswoman Eshoo brokered an agreement between the FAA, SFO, and local officials and community leaders to ensure that flights passing over mid-Peninsula cities would remain above 5,000 feet until they reached the Bay. This agreement was not always followed and has been overtaken by new flight paths.
More recently, as the FAA has implemented its NextGen program, Congresswoman Eshoo has advocated for more community outreach by the FAA and a reexamination of the altitude issue. Congresswoman Eshoo has written to the FAA on multiple occasions and she met with FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in person regarding the troubling increase in airplane noise across the 18th Congressional District. In response, the FAA issued an Initiative to Address Northern California Noise Concerns, based on issues raised by residents of the Bay Area.
In 2016, Congresswoman Eshoo joined with Reps. Speier and Farr to announce the formation of a new Select Committee on South Bay Arrivals to accept public input, review FAA proposals, and make recommendations on aircraft noise issues identified in the FAA’s Initiative with a focus on arrival issues that primarily impact the South Bay Region. The Select Committee was comprised of 12 local elected officials and held devoted countless hours to public hearings, technical briefings and document review. The process was transparent, thorough and deliberative and the Select Committee released its final recommendations in December of 2016. These recommendations are currently under review by the FAA for feasibility.
Quiet Skies Caucus
Congresswoman Eshoo is a founding member of the Congressional Quiet Skies Caucus, a group composed of House Members from across the country who work collaboratively to address aircraft noise problems affecting their constituents.
In September of 2014, Members of the Quiet Skies Caucus wrote to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, requesting that the FAA change the standard by which it determines an “acceptable” level of noise pollution. The FAA currently uses a 65 decibel Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL), which was instituted in 1976 and has not been updated since.
Eshoo and her colleagues in the Quiet Skies Caucus are also pushing for reforms to the FAA’s treatment of aircraft noise in the upcoming reauthorization of the agency. The funding authorization for the FAA expires on September 30, 2017, and it must be reauthorized by legislation before that date for the agency to continue operations. The Quiet Skies Caucus has called on the House Transportation Committee to include several important reforms in the FAA reauthorization bill, including: