Adams 🚨 Alert: Back to the People's Work in Congress

After narrowly averting a government shutdown and 21 days without a House Speaker, the people's work finally resumes. Adams introduced several bills related to higher education and shares some updates

Dear constituents and friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I address you today, reflecting on the past twenty-one days of unprecedented turmoil in the House of Representatives. The people's work has been on hold, as we grappled with the absence of a Speaker. As you may have heard, House Republicans have chosen a figure who is no stranger to controversy – Mike Johnson, an outspoken MAGA extremist, has taken the helm as the Speaker of the House.

Speaker Johnson is widely recognized for his role in spearheading efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his staunch opposition to women's rights and reproductive freedom, and his resistance to bipartisan legislation concerning same-sex marriage. Furthermore, as the former Chair of the Republican Study Committee, he played a central role in developing budget plans that proposed significant cuts to social security and Medicare.

In the midst of these trying times, I am grateful that we can finally get back to the business of serving the American people. The chaos and dysfunction that marked recent weeks should not define our path forward. As House Democrats, we remain committed to extending the hand of partnership, dedicated to finding common ground and making progress for the betterment of our great nation. It is through unity and collaboration that we can continue to deliver meaningful change for all Americans.

Thanks for reading, and for being engaged in our Democracy.

Sincerely,
Alma

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Roll Call Vote on the Election of the Speaker

On October 25, the House of Representatives conducted a vote for the election of a House Speaker.

I proudly voted for Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08).

H.R. 4394 - Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

This bill is an appropriations package that would allocate funding to the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, as well as independent agencies.

More specifically, funding from this bill would be designated to national security initiatives, energy and water infrastructure, and economic competitiveness.

Unfortunately, House Republicans continue to deny the horrendous current and future effects of climate change by reducing, rescinding, and failing to modernize our energy infrastructure. This package includes several harmful provisions that would not support initiatives to expand clean energy or fight against climate change.

I voted NO.

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Adams, Strickland, Brown, Warnock Introduce Legislation to Increase Transparency in Land-Grant University Funding

Adams, Brown Introduce Legislation to Improve Federal Support for Urban Agriculture

Congresswoman Alma Adams Introduces the HBCU Arts Act

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Biden-Harris Administration announces $1.5 million for Environmental Justice Projects in communities across North Carolina as Part of Investing in America agenda

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.5 million to fund two projects across North Carolina that advance environmental justice as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and CleanAIRE North Carolina, which EPA are selected through its Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem Solving Cooperative Agreement and Environmental Justice Government-to-Government programs, will use the funds to ensure disadvantaged communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment have access to clean air and water and climate resilience solutions in alignment with the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

Thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act—the largest climate investment in U.S. history—this funding is a part the largest investment ever announced under these two longstanding EPA programs. This is the first in a series of environmental justice grant announcements the agency will announce before the end of the year.

“No President has invested more in environmental justice than President Biden, and under his leadership we’re removing longstanding barriers and meaningfully collaborating with communities to build a healthier future for all,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Together, these community-driven projects will improve the health, equity, and resilience of communities while setting a blueprint for local solutions that can be applied across the nation.”

“Building collaborative partnerships with our stakeholders is vital to addressing local environmental and public health issues,” said Acting EPA Region 4 Administrator Jeanneane Gettle. “Environmental justice communities that have historically suffered from underinvestment will benefit greatly from these projects that promote clean air, water and climate resilience solutions, leading to healthy communities.”

“Black and brown communities in North Carolina bear the brunt of the harms from poor air quality, water quality, and the effects of climate change – and it’s these communities who know best how to address the problems they face,” said U.S. Representative Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12). “This funding recognizes these severe disparities, and affirms the ingenuity of communities, organizations, and public sector partners who are collaboratively tackling these issues head-on. The air monitoring and water treatment projects funded will result in meaningful outcomes for the health and wellness of the 12th District and North Carolina.”

The grants announced today deliver on President Biden’s commitment to advance equity and justice throughout the United States. The two grant programs directly advance the President’s transformational Justice40 initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

The full press release can be found on my website at this link.

City of Charlotte Receives $1.1M for Tree Care in Corridors of Opportunity

The City of Charlotte’s Landscape Management Division was awarded a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service to protect and preserve trees in historically underinvested neighborhoods, called Corridors of Opportunity. The grant is part of a $1 billion investment in urban and community forestry across all 50 states as well as several U.S. territories and tribal nations.

Landscape Management was awarded the grant to fund two programs in Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity: The Canopy Care Program ($600,000) and Tree Maintenance Program ($500,000). These grants are funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was signed into law by President Biden in August 2022. Congresswoman Adams voted for the IRA in the House of Representatives.

“These grant awards poise the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District to lead on urban forestry practices to the benefit of the climate, environmental justice, public health, and economic development,” said Congresswoman Adams, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “These critical investments underscore the success of the Inflation Reduction Act in making cities across the country – including the Queen City – greener and more resilient, and in improving urban tree canopies so that their benefits will endure for generations.”

Please find a link to read more about this grant award here.

Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) FY2024 Winter Webinar Series –

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Grant Programs Directorate (GPD) invites interested organizations to attend upcoming webinars regarding the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NSGP is a competitive grant awarded to nonprofit organizations at high risk of a terrorist or other extremist attack for the purposes of facility hardening and other security enhancements.

Please note that depending on the timing of a Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations bill, final FY 2024 information on the NSGP may not be available at the time of the webinars. Interested nonprofits should maintain communication with their State Administrative Agency (SAA) for all deadlines and application requirements.

Please find a link to read more about this grant award here.

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The application period is now open for a new financial assistance program under Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination in USDA farm lending programs prior to January 2021. The application process will close on January 13, 2024. Borrowers will have the option to apply for assistance online via 22007apply.gov or through a paper-based form.

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That’s where I’ll lay my hat for this week. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
Alma