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News from Representative David Cicilline

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November 11, 2018

Dear David,

Today, all across America, we pause to celebrate Veterans Day. On this day, we are reminded of the sacrifice and service of all those who have served our country and their families. We particularly remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our beloved nation.

We owe our veterans and their families an enormous debt of gratitude. These are men and women who left their loved ones to serve our country and protect our freedoms. They truly represent our country’s best ideals of service and sacrifice.

As you know, Rhode Island is home to more than 71,000 brave veterans who have served in our Armed Forces. This Veterans Day, please join me in thanking all these heroes who have worn the uniform of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. And let us continue our shared work to honor them with the care and services they have earned, and by living lives worthy of their sacrifice.

Warm Regards,

David Cicilline
Member of Congress

On Tuesday I was given the opportunity to serve the people of Rhode Island for two more years in the U.S. Congress. I’m incredibly honored and promise to continue to work hard every day on the issues most important to Rhode Islanders.

The American people used this election to deliver a clear message to Washington. They are fed up with the Republican Party’s reckless agenda to cut taxes for the rich, sabotage health care, and let corporate money influence our political system. And they want a Congress that works for them, not the powerful special interests.

In January, when Democrats come back in the majority for the 116th Congress, we will immediately get to work advancing our agenda for the people of this country. On Day One we will start working to raise family incomes, create good-paying jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, lower the skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs and health care, and crackdown on corruption in our government. We’re ready to deliver for working families.

I hope President Trump and his administration will work with us on this agenda. If he does, we can make real progress on some of the most challenging issues of our time, and it will be an opportunity to truly move America forward.

THOUSAND OAKS
On Thursday morning, we woke up once again to headlines of a horrific shooting.

In a matter of weeks, we have lost dozens of innocent lives, leaving families and loved ones heartbroken. I will keep the families of those affected in my thoughts and prayers.

We must face the truth, we have an epidemic of gun violence in this country. The most recent incident in Thousand Oaks, California should compel Congress to act immediately. When Democrats come back in the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives next year, we need to take immediate action to reduce gun violence in our country. We need universal background checks. We need to ban bump stocks. We need to improve reporting requirements regarding individuals with serious mental illness who pose a threat to themselves or others. We need to move ahead with other common sense gun safety proposals.

Congress needs to enact real solutions that reduce the epidemic of gun violence in our communities. I will not give up. I will continue fighting in Washington to advance legislation that will put an end to this senseless violence.

SESSIONS RESIGNATION
Immediately after the midterm election, President Trump requested the swift resignation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Attorney General of the United States swears an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and the laws of our country. President Trump, however, seems to think this office is there instead to protect him from the consequences of his own actions.

The next Attorney General needs to be a strong, independent prosecutor who can stand up to this President, not shelter him from oversight and enable his misconduct. If the President uses this resignation to further politicize that office or to attempt to undermine the Office of the Special Counsel or his on-going investigation, there’s no question the incoming House will hold him accountable.

It is imperative that we protect Mr. Mueller’s investigation and let him complete his work.

INVESTING IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE
Reliable, effective transportation systems connect our communities. Last week, I joined numerous elected officials and community members for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Pawtucket-Central Falls Commuter Station. This new development will serve as a hub for both commuter rail and RIPTA’s statewide bus networks, and will service hundreds of Rhode Islanders.

Investments like this in our infrastructure are exactly what we need to be making. House Democrats have outlined a $1 trillion federal investment that will create 16 million new jobs rebuilding America. When we come back in the majority in January, we are going to get to work on advancing a bold and comprehensive infrastructure bill.

Investments like this create good-paying jobs and support economic growth by allowing people, products, and ideas to move more easily through our economy.

This commuter station will make Pawtucket and Central Falls even stronger. It will give residents in both cities more economic power. And that’s something that will benefit folks across our state.

I look forward to seeing the completion of this project and will continue to advocate for federal investments in infrastructure in our state and nation.

PROTECTING COASTAL COMMUNITIES
This morning I joined Senator Whitehouse, to help celebrate an award of over $280,000 to the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) in Rhode Island. This award was the direct result of Senator Whitehouse's legislation that created the National Coastal Resilience Fund.

CRMC will use this funding to complete an inventory of potential shoreline adaptation projects within areas in our state identified as vulnerable to coastal erosion, flooding, and storm surge. The CRMC is already doing great work in our state and this award will allow them to do even more to protect our coastal communities.

Coastal communities are vulnerable to severe weather and the worsening impacts of climate change. Last year, our country spent over $306 billion on 16 weather events, breaking the previous record set in 2005. The impacts of climate change continue to get worse and we need to make resources available now to prepare.

As always, if you or someone you know has any questions or concerns, please call my office at 729-5600 or send me an email at David.Cicilline@mail.house.gov.

You can also click here to follow my work on Twitter.

Warm Regards,