Press Releases

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) marked 100 days as a Member of the 116^th Congress, highlighting legislative progress on core pillars of her campaign promises. 

“In 100 days, the House has wasted no time addressing important issues like background checks for gun purchases, expanding and protecting voting rights, restoring the open internet, protecting the Affordable Care Act, paycheck fairness, ending domestic violence, and supporting our veterans. There is more work to be done. In the next 100 days we will lead on raising the minimum wage, investing in our crumbling infrastructure, protecting access to affordable health care options, and much more,” said Rep. Trahan.

Rep. Trahan 100 Day Legislative wins:

• Rep. Trahan’s first amendment to pass through the House of Representatives helped assure that IRS employees, including ones who work at the IRS site in Andover, MA, would benefit from any civilian employee pay increase.
• Rep. Trahan’s legislation to designate the Nashua River a wild and scenic river passed the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Trump as a part of the larger public lands package.
• Rep. Trahan voted to support final passage of H.R. 1, the flagship For the People Act which contained two of her amendments.
• The first amendment closes a loophole to ensure that spouses and dependents of deployed servicemembers do not lose their right to vote absentee from their home state if they are also absent during that respective deployment.  
• The second amendment would prevent foreign agents from receiving appointment to H.R. 1’s independent redistricting commissions.

Rep. Trahan Introduced Legislation:

• Rep. Trahan and Senator Markey introduced new federal pipeline safety legislation to address deficiencies uncovered during the investigation into the September 13, 2018 Merrimack Valley natural gas pipeline explosions and fires. The legislation, titled the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act, will strengthen pipeline safety by closing regulatory loopholes and increasing safety standards.
• Rep. Trahan introduced a bipartisan bill  with Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) to bolster automatic enrollment in 401(k) retirement plans for small businesses. Small employers with up to 100 employees would be eligible for a credit of $500 per year for up to three years for new qualified retirement plans that include auto-enrollment.
  

House committees have already held more than 25 health care hearings and markups, reporting 13 bills out of committee to lower health costs and prescription drug prices including the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act (H.R. 1884), which would lower health insurance premiums for an estimated 13 million Americans. House Committees have also already held more than 35 hearings on America’s infrastructure needs, and the Rebuild America’s Schools Act (H.R.865) already reported out of the Education and Labor Committee.

As Massachusetts’ only Member of the House Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Trahan has been a vocal and engaged advocate for students and workers across the Commonwealth.

As a Member of the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Trahan has voted to:

• Invest $100 billion to repair critical physical and digital infrastructure needs in public schools across the country and create over 1.9 million good-paying jobs (H.R. 865 Rebuild America’s Schools Act);
• End gender-based wage discrimination and ensure that all women receive equal pay for equal work (H.R. 7 Paycheck Fairness Act);
• Gradually increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024 and give 40 million Americans a raise (H.R. 582 Raise the Wage Act); and
• Protect consumers from junk health plans by undoing the Trump Administration’s “Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance” rule (H.R. 1010).
  

“As someone who grew up in a working-class family, I know the importance of quality public education and affordable pathways for higher education. As the daughter of a union ironworker, I know the importance of fighting for better wages, quality health care, and secure pensions. I am proud to have played a role in the work that the Education and Labor Committee has done to support these priorities and look forward to continuing the fight,” said Rep. Trahan.  

Rep. Trahan Around the District:  

In addition to conducting dozens of meetings, tours, and other events relating to education, local economic development, and workforce training [further details about these visits available upon request], Rep. Trahan remains committed to the work of ending the addiction crisis that is ravaging Massachusetts and the nation. In February, she joined the bipartisan Freshman Working Group on Addiction. This group will act as a catalyst for change and to advocate for policies and resources necessary to assist communities in need. She hosted a roundtable in Methuen to bring together law enforcement, first responders, health care providers, social workers, and those working in treatment and recovery to see how the federal government can help. Among the topics discussed were policing grants, more beds for quality treatment, and more supports for those in long-term recovery.

###