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Rep Anna Eshoo

Anna's Weekly Report - November 5, 2021

November 5, 2021
e-Newsletters
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Friday 5 November 2021
Weekly Report From Your Congresswoman

Dear friends,

A blockbuster announcement was made this morning that the very first antiviral pill for Covid-19, developed by Pfizer, cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults. Currently most Covid-19 treatments require an IV or injection, but this pill could allow people to start treatment at home as soon as symptoms begin. Pfizer plans to ask the FDA to authorize its pill as soon as possible.

It was just announced that 531,000 jobs were added in October, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.6%, the lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic. This is terrific news and a sign that America's economy is rapidly improving.

Vaccine Update

This week the CDC recommended the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 years old. This highly vetted vaccine is now available to 28 million youngsters and vaccinations have already begun across our Congressional District. Thanksgiving 2021 will be extra special for families who will now have peace of mind that their children are protected.

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If you or your children age five and older have not been vaccinated yet or want to receive a booster shot, you can sign up immediately for an appointment at your County's website below. Families are also encouraged to check with their primary care physician or their local pharmacy to see if they're offering vaccine appointments for children as well.

San Mateo CountySanta Cruz CountySanta Clara County

Open Enrollment

Covered California Open Enrollment

Open enrollment began this week for affordable, quality health coverage through Covered California. While California has reduced the rate of the uninsured to historic lows, an estimated 1.1 million are still uninsured and eligible for financial help, with the vast majority able to get coverage at no cost through either Covered California or Medi-Cal. With new subsidies passed by Congress, hundreds of thousands of middle-income people — both uninsured and those who purchase coverage directly from a health insurance company — can now save thousands of dollars a year on their premiums if they sign up through Covered California. Beginning now through January 15th you can sign up to get covered HERE.

Medicare Open Enrollment

Medicare Open Enrollment has also started and runs through December 7th. Medicare recipients can research plan choices for a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan on Medicare.gov.

Medicare recipients should have received an Annual Notice of Change from their current plan advising of any changes they have made to premiums and coverage for next year. Recipients should check to make sure their medications are still covered by the plan's formulary and, if choosing to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, that their favored physicians and hospitals are still in-network.

If you need help understanding your Medicare benefits, you can receive free unbiased counseling from California's state health insurance assistance program at 1-800-434-0222.

Legislation Anna Introduced and Cosponsored This Week

The Honest Census Communications Act

This week I introduced a bicameral bill to ban all forms of disinformation about the Census. America's founders included the decennial Census in the Constitution because a representative democracy depends on an accurate count of its people. The Honest Census Communications Act ensures that any attempt to intentionally spread lies about the once-in-a-decade count is met with severe consequences befitting this crime.

Major Votes in the House This Week

RENACER Act

I voted for bipartisan legislation to strengthen the United States' response to the repressive tactics of the Ortega regime in Nicaragua to intimidate, inhibit, or arrest every aspiring opposition candidate ahead of the nation's sham presidential elections on Sunday. The bill imposes targeted sanctions on corrupt officials and reaffirms the U.S. commitment to protect the fundamental freedoms and human rights of the people of Nicaragua. The bill passed the U.S. Senate unanimously and now heads to the President's desk for signature.

Letters Anna Sent This Week

Better Data Collection on Startup Companies

This week I led a letter with 10 other Members urging the Census Bureau and National Science Foundation (NSF) to collect data on startup companies. The Census Bureau and NSF administer the Annual Business Survey (ABS) which collects information about the U.S. business environment, but the ABS does not distinguish between startups and other small businesses. This makes it difficult for policymakers to assess the health of the startup ecosystem and develop evidence-based policies to enable these companies to thrive.

The letter encourages the Census Bureau and NSF to update the ABS to ask respondents how quickly their businesses are growing, how they are funded, and whether they are launching new technology or pioneering new, tech-reliant business models. These suggested improvements to the survey will help to differentiate startups from other businesses, providing policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers with the data they need to ensure that the American startup ecosystem remains competitive. You can read my letter HERE.

Register Now: Virtual Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Fauci

I'll be holding a virtual Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, November 9th at 6:45 p.m. with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Advisor to the President, to discuss Covid-19. It's a great honor to have Dr. Fauci join us and I ask you to register and submit your questions for him ahead of our meeting HERE.

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Health Subcommittee

The Health Subcommittee I chair voted for 9 bipartisan bills this week. This is an important step to move these bills forward to be voted on by the full House. Three of the bills are children's health bills that seek to prevent and reduce the impact of stillbirth, newborn hearing loss, and birth defects or anomalies. We also voted to move forward two bills to improve cardiac care, oral health literacy, and rebuild the healthcare workforce through mental health support and loan repayments.

Lastly we unanimously voted for major legislation to advance treatment for ALS, the ACT for ALS. This legislation will help patients take part in the Expanded Access program (also known as "compassionate use") for experimental ALS drugs while providing a framework for the NIH and the FDA to learn more about this deadly disease. Thank you to my nearly 400 constituents who have written to me about the need to make sure people with ALS are given treatment options, and something they all deserve… hope. I'll continue fighting for this bill to pass the House and become law.

My Apologies...

I apologize for having to cancel my weekly Telephone Town Hall Meeting because of late night votes, and I hope you'll join me for my virtual Town Hall Meeting with Dr. Fauci Tuesday, November 9th at 6:45 p.m.

If You Ask Me...

From healthier babies and mothers to more people being able to keep their jobs, paid family and sick leave benefits working families and our economy. However, in the U.S., about 19% of American workers do not have access to paid leave for the birth of a child or for medical reasons. American families deserve better. When employers don't provide paid leave, an unexpected illness or family emergency can leave hardworking Americans suddenly unemployed and bankrupt. The Covid-19 pandemic has only exasperated the urgent need for paid leave, with millions suffering the long-term effects of Covid-19.

I'm proud that after much work, paid family leave is included in the Build Back Better Act. Depending on their employers, workers would be able to apply for and receive leave benefits either through the Treasury Department, through an existing state paid leave program, such as California's Paid Sick and Family Leave programs (reimbursed by federal funds), or through an approved employer program (reimbursed by federal funds).

While much more work is needed, this is a big step in the right direction. I'm eager to pass this legislation so working families don't have to choose between their health and their jobs.

In the Words of My Constituents

Every week hundreds of my constituents call and write to me to express their concerns, share their passions, and ask questions regarding legislation and policies. Over 128,780 constituents have contacted me so far this year. I actually read every communication and every constituent receives a personal response to their specific questions and comments from me. This week, 3,272 constituents contacted my office about issues including:

  • 357 messages in support of the Build Back Better Act
  • 171 messages in support of including the Billionaire Income Tax proposal in the Build Back Better Act
  • 159 messages in support of increased Congressional oversight over Executive Branch actions relating to U.S.-Armenia relations

Newspaper Articles About Anna's Work

Anna's Recommended Reading

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I close with this thought. Always know how deeply grateful I am for the trust you've placed in me to represent you.

Sincerely,
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Anna G. Eshoo
Member of Congress