MIKE IS WORKING FOR US.

 

Since being sworn into office in 2019, Mike has delivered for our families, communities, veterans, economy, and environment.

 

From fighting to make sure constituents receive the benefits they are owed to helping pass landmark legislation around the pandemic and infrastructure, Mike is working for us.

 

TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT:

 

Our environment is under attack from pollution, climate change, and oil spills. That is why Mike  secured $300 million in the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement to clean up pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.

 

Mike supported the bipartisan infrastructure law and made sure our district received funding for critical shoreline protection projects. He delivered $30.5 million to protect the Encinitas and Solana Beach bluffs and replenish the sand on our beaches, $1.8 million to restore Oceanside beaches, and $11.5 million to stabilize coastal bluffs in Del Mar.

Mike introduced the American Coasts and Oceans Protection Act to ban new leases for oil and gas drilling off our coast and prevent oil spills like the one we suffered in 2021. He added a similar ban to the Build Back Better Act and will continue fighting to end the threat of oil spills off of our coast.

 

TO SUPPORT OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS:

 

As the Vice Chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Mike has been a tireless advocate for our veterans. 

 

He introduced 17 bipartisan bills that have been signed into law to ensure our service members, veterans, and their families receive the housing, healthcare, training, counseling, education, and other supports they deserve. 

 

Mike passed the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 to address veteran homelessness, economic hardship, suicide, and more. And, to support our service members, Mike secured $280 million in military construction funding for Camp Pendleton, and passed legislation in the House allowing members of the National Guard and Reserves to earn GI Bill benefits for every day in uniform just like active duty service members.

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TO HELP US DURING THE PANDEMIC:

 

Mike secured over $420 million in pandemic relief for the 49th District to support our families, schools, small businesses, cities, and more.

 

He delivered $253 million for our public schools, $39 million for our local restaurants, $110 million for our cities, and $19 million for our entertainment venues through the American Rescue Plan, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Act, and the CARES Act.

 

Mike also kept his promises. He held at least one public town hall per month. When the pandemic struck, Mike not only increased the number of town halls but invited medical experts to provide updates and keep people informed and safe. He has held over 240 House Parties across the district since he first ran for Congress so that he can hear directly from you.

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TO PROTECT OUR BENEFITS:

 

Mike and his team worked tirelessly with federal agencies from Social Security to the IRS, Small Business Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs to help resolve cases and ensure that his constituents received the benefits they were owed.

 

In his first term alone, he returned $2,149,941 to his constituents from federal agencies and helped deliver over $856,776,000 in federal grants to local institutions. Last year, Mike helped recover $13.4 million for his constituents, more than any other Orange County Congressmember. 

 

TO REDUCE OUR TAXES:

 

The 2017 Trump tax law targeted middle-class Californians by placing a cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, making it harder for Californians to afford basic living expenses, buy a home, or grow their savings.

 

Mike is working to restore the full SALT deduction which is why he cosponsored the SALT Deductibility Act and helped lead the effort to include SALT reform in the House-passed Build Back Better Act.
 

TO CLEAN UP SAN ONOFRE:

 

Mike formed a local task force to address the 3.6 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel at San Onofre. He also led the formation of a bipartisan Congressional caucus to advance legislation on nuclear waste challenges across the country like those faced by San Onofre. 

 

He introduced the Spent Fuel Prioritization Act to prioritize the removal of nuclear fuel from high-risk sites like San Onofre and his legislation to spur innovation in the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel was signed into law. 

 

Mike also secured $20 million in federal funding for the Department of Energy to restart the consent-based process for preparing interim storage locations for spent nuclear fuel across the country at nuclear plants like San Onofre.

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MIKE HAS DELIVERED FOR OUR CITIES:

 

Learn more about how Mike’s work has supported your city!
 

Carlsbad

 

Mike secured critical funding for Carlsbad during the pandemic, including:

 

• $13 million for the City of Carlsbad from the American Rescue Plan.

• $17 million in total emergency federal funding for the Carlsbad Unified School School District.

• $39 million for restaurants in our district.

• Over $1.2 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in Carlsbad including $340,496 for the Carlsbad New Village Arts Theatre and $32,938 for the Carlsbad New Music Festival.

 

Mike also requested $5 million for the local Carlsbad Barrio Street Lighting and Traffic Circles Project to enhance street safety and improve walkability.
 

Dana Point

 

Mike has worked to protect Dana Point’s city services, schools, and businesses during the pandemic. He delivered: 

 

• $6.3 million for the City of Dana Point from the American Rescue Plan.

• $75 million in total emergency federal funding during the pandemic for the Capistrano Unified School District.

• $39 million for restaurants in our district.

• $15,000 in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in Dana Point.

 

To improve traffic and increase safety in Dana Point, Mike also requested $1.8 million for the Doheny Village Connectivity Project.

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Del Mar

 

Mike has delivered critical funding to protect Del Mar’s environment and strengthen its economy, including:

 

• $11.6 million to stabilize the eroding coastal bluffs in Del Mar that threaten critical rail services and $9.83 million for the North County Transit District to modernize train systems and crossings.

• $812,000 for the City of Del Mar from the American Rescue Plan.

• $4 million in total emergency federal funding during the pandemic for the Del Mar Union Elementary School District.

• $39 million in emergency pandemic funding for restaurants in our district. 

• Over $11 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in Del Mar and Solana Beach, including $1,015,502 for North Coast Rep Theater and $2.2 million for the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

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Encinitas

 

Mike fought to protect Encinitas’ environment, economy, and infrastructure. He has delivered:

 

• $30.5 million in federal funding for the Encinitas-Solana Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project.

• $4 million for the Leucadia Streetscape project on Hwy. 101.

 

Mike also secured emergency federal funding for Encinitas during the pandemic, including:

 

• $8.87 million for the City of Encinitas from the American Rescue Plan.

• Over $20 million in total emergency federal funding for Encinitas public schools, including Encinitas Union Elementary and San Dieguito Union High School District.

• $39 million in emergency grants for restaurants in our district.

• Over $9 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in Encinitas, including $393,780 for La Paloma Theater and $239,690 for the Institute for Contemporary Art, San Diego (formerly known as Lux Art Institute).

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Oceanside

 

Mike secured $3.5 million for a new Fire Station in Oceanside, and has ensured Oceanside received critical emergency funding during the pandemic, including:

 

• $33.4 million for the City of Oceanside from the American Rescue Plan.

• $58 million in total emergency federal funding for the Oceanside Unified School District.

• $39 million for restaurants in our district.

• $1.5 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in Oceanside, including the Brooks Theater, the Oceanside Museum of Art and others.

 

Mike also worked with the City of Oceanside to identify priority projects and request federal funding, including:

 

• $1.71 million for a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Transition project to cut bus emissions.

• $750,000 for the Oceanside Special Shoreline Study through the Army Corps of Engineers.

• $2.25 million for a new 50-bed homeless shelter in Oceanside to reduce homelessness.

 

San Clemente

 

Faced with a national pandemic, Mike delivered critical emergency funding for San Clemente, including:

 

• $8.8 million for San Clemente from the American Rescue Plan.

• $75 million in total emergency federal funding for the Capistrano Unified School District.

• $39 million for restaurants in our district.

• $520,000 in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in San Clemente.

 

Mike also worked to protect San Clemente from shoreline erosion with a $9.3 million grant for the San Clemente Shoreline Protection Project that is pending in appropriations legislation. He has led the charge to safely remove the 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station and establish safe interim storage sites.

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San Juan Capistrano

 

Mike is proud to call San Juan Capistrano home and delivered critical funding to ensure its services, schools, and businesses were there when citizens needed them most during the pandemic. He secured:

 

• $6.8 million for the City of San Juan Capistrano from the American Rescue Plan.

• $75 million in total emergency federal funding for the Capistrano Unified School District.

• $39 million for restaurants in our district.

• $5.5 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues in San Juan Capistrano, including Coach House Concerts, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission Fest and South Orange County Community Theater, and others.

 

Vista

 

Mike has worked to protect Vista’s city services, schools, and businesses during the pandemic. He delivered:

 

• $26.6 million for the City of Vista from the American Rescue Plan.

• $79 million in total emergency federal funding for Vista Unified School District.

• $14.7 million to support COVID-19 response for the Vista Community Clinic (VCC).

• $19 million in emergency grants for entertainment, arts, and cultural venues for, including $1.8 million for the Moonlight and AVOTheaters

 

To improve Vista’s infrastructure, Mike also requested $820,368 for a sidewalk improvement project in Vista, including road widening, new curbs, gutters, driveways and ADA ramps on Nevada Avenue and Lemon Avenue.

 

COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

 

Natural Resources Committee, Member

 

Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, Member

 

Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, Member

 

Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Vice Chair

 

Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Chair

 

Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, Member

 

Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, Member

 

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CAUCUS MEMBERSHIP & TASK FORCE INVOLVEMENT

 

 

Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC)

 

Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC)

 

Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)

 

Spent Nuclear Fuel Caucus, Founder and Co-Chair

 

Safe Climate Caucus

 

California Aerospace Caucus

 

Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

 

Congressional Arts Caucus

 

Women Veterans Task Force

 

Congressional Travel & Tourism Caucus

 

Equality Caucus

 

Diabetes Caucus

 

Veterans Education Caucus

 

Congressional Cut Flower Caucus

 

Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus

 

Congressional Solar Caucus

 

Congressional Caucus to End the Youth Vaping Epidemic

 

Public Broadcasting Caucus

 

Work for Warriors Caucus

 

Rare Disease Congressional Caucus

 

Military Transition Assistance Program (MTAP) Caucus

 

Small Brewers’ Caucus

 

Armenian Caucus

 

Oceans Caucus

 

Congressional Personalized Medicine Caucus

E-Commerce Caucus

 

Labor Caucus

 

Congressional Animal Protection Caucus

 

Congressional Tourette Syndrome Caucus

 

ALS Caucus

 

Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force

 

Congressional Zoo and Aquarium Caucus

 

Peace Corps Caucus

 

Bipartisan Global Health Research and Development Congressional Working Group

 

Congressional Childhood Cancer Caucus

 

Congressional Latino-Jewish Caucus

 

Congressional Valley Fever Task Force

 

California Coastal Caucus

 

Congressional Offshore Wind Caucus

 

Congressional Caucus on Cambodia

 

Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations

 

Bipartisan Taskforce on Combatting Antisemitism

 

Congressional Pediatric and Adult Hydrocephalus Caucus

 

India Caucus