Dear Constituents,

I want to give you a report on the first major action taken by the U.S. House of Representatives in the 112th Congress. The measure was advanced by the House leadership to cut $100 billion from the federal government's budget for the remainder of this fiscal year which ends on September 30th. We voted in the wee hours of the morning of Saturday, February 19th and I voted against the legislation.

Because I have deep concerns about our deficit and national debt, I voted for several amendments to cut spending, totaling over $55 billion. But at a time when we should be making strategic, forward-thinking investments for the future of our country, I believe this spending plan is more than cutting -- it's crippling. It takes a sledgehammer to the weakest in our society and to our collective future, including slashing border security and public safety, as well as the agencies charged with making sure investors are protected, and those who track down abusers of Medicare and Medicaid.

The plan also sacrifices critical investments in order to hit an arbitrary number. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute, this legislation will cost more than 800,000 private and public jobs. It will gut research and development at a time when other nations are investing heavily and rapidly. For example, cuts to the Department of Energy would inhibit our ability to be the world leader in clean energy technologies. Cuts to the Department of Education would slash the Pell Grant, leaving thousands of students unable to afford higher education. Over 200,000 children would be dropped from Head Start education, and the elimination of Title X means that over 5 million low-income women would be denied life-saving health services such as HIV testing and cancer screening.

It's disheartening to see Halliburton and BP Oil tax breaks left untouched and agricultural subsidies protected, while education and the Food and Drug Administration, which is charged with protecting our food supply, and the critical research done by the National Institutes of Health not just cut, but slashed to the point that they will not be able to implement the laws they are charged with.

Preserving the Free and Open Internet

The legislation also included an amendment by House Republicans to eliminate the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) open Internet rules which preserve competition, innovation, and job creation. Without clear ‘rules of the road,' large corporations will be able to carve up the Internet into fast and slow lanes, charging a toll for content, and blocking consumers from entering the information superhighway. I believe consumers, not corporations, should be in the driver's seat to choose the content they wish to view, listen and watch over the Internet. As the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Communications and the Internet, I fought this amendment on the House Floor.

I'm not alone in my thinking. The FCC received more than 100,000 comments from more than 2 million people during its recent rulemaking process—90 percent of whom were in favor of open Internet rules. Over a hundred public interest organizations, civil rights groups, religious groups, small businesses, unions, education advocates, and technology company associations expressed their support for preserving a free and open internet, and opposed these efforts to overturn the FCC rules.

Rest assured I will continue to oppose all efforts to overturn open Internet rules. On Wednesday, February 16th I presided over an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on this very issue. Here is a link to information about the hearing.

Providing Transparency and Disclosure in Our Political Process

During consideration of H.R. 1, I offered an amendment to require that any company doing business with the federal government disclose their political contributions. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned more than 100 years of settled law in 2010 (Citizens United case), we have witnessed a tsunami of money poured into federal campaigns, totally undisclosed.

Money from undisclosed sources is having a corrosive influence in political campaigns and the American people have a right to know who is trying to influence them. If corporations want to try to persuade voters about their point of view, then they should stand behind their words. The American people deserve full disclosure and transparency, and I believe that with public funds, come public responsibilities.

Unfortunately, my amendment failed when House Republicans blocked a vote on it.

H.R. 1 passed the House by a vote of 235 to 189. The spending measure will now go to the Senate where it will be considered.

As always, should you have any questions or comments, let me hear from you. I'm proud to represent a Congressional District where my constituents are informed and ask serious-minded, thoughtful questions, and always provide me with valuable feedback. If you know someone who you think will find this E-Newsletter helpful, please share it with them by using the buttons on the right.

It's a privilege to represent you.

All my best,

Anna G. Eshoo