Friends,

Last week was our last in Washington before our five-week district work period...! Before we left, the House voted to pass the Military Construction and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) appropriations bill! Watch me briefly explain what this bill does - as well as what it means for Southeast Virginia - in my weekly recap below:

This legislation takes great steps to improve our servicemembers' and veterans' quality of life. I’m especially proud that we funded military construction projects at $800 million above the President’s request. Here's some of the funding I successfully advocated for that will benefit Hampton Roads:

• $23,680 for Dam Neck Annex’s Maritime Surveillance System Facility;
• $35,000 for Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Story’s Child Development Center;
• $61,000 for Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Story’s Special Operations Forces (SOF) Seal Delivery Vehicle Team (SDVT2) Operations Support Facility;
• $12,400 for Marine Forces Reserve Dam Neck Virginia Beach’s Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) support facilities;
• $43,600 for Naval Station Norfolk’s Child Development Center;
• $81,082 for Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Dry Dock Saltwater System for the USS Gerald R. Ford (INC) (CVN-78), which is the lead ship in Ford-class aircraft carriers.

There are also several important quality-of-life initiatives my colleagues and I made sure were in the bill:

• $1.425 billion for infrastructure related to the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and $131 million for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command;
• $362.3 million for 9 barracks projects and an additional $195 million for planning and design;
• $293.8 million for 7 child development center projects and an additional $75 million for planning and design, and;
• $480.8 million for U.S. Special Operations Command.

With the passage of this bill, Congress is sending a loud and clear message: our servicemembers and veterans are – and will continue to be – a top priority. This funding is a step in the right direction; however, I believe we can do more. I will continue to fight to ensure every member of our Armed Forces, every veteran, and their families are provided the tools and resources they deserve!

Improving Healthcare for Expecting Mothers

I'm excited to share that the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act of 2023, which I introduced alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, has passed the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee!

This bipartisan, bicameral bill reauthorizes critical federal research, education, and intervention activities to reduce preterm birth and infant mortality established by the original PREEMIE Act, which was signed into law in 2006.

In 2021, one in ten babies in the U.S. was born prematurely. While positive strides have been made in recent years to understand and prevent these instances from happening, there is certainly more work to be done. I'm proud to be leading the effort behind this bill to ensure the continuation of federal research in this critical field of study!

Having passed the committee of jurisdiction, this bill now awaits a vote on the House Floor, where I look forward to supporting its passage! If you're interested in learning more about the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023, you can click on the picture above.

Improving Life for Women in Agriculture

As some of you may know, I recently introduced the Women in Agriculture Act with one of my Democratic colleagues from New Mexico. On Thursday, I joined RFD-TV to discuss how this bill will benefit women farmers and ranchers across our country...! Check it out:

Agriculture is incredibly important to our Commonwealth; in fact, it's by far Virginia's largest industry! From the Eastern Shore to the Blue Ridge, more than 43,000 farms cover 7.8 million acres of land and contribute $83.2 billion dollars to our economy. Additionally, these farms - which are mostly individually- and family-owned, employ more than 381,000 Virginians...!

Our farms don't just do the critical job of feeding our communities and fueling our economy; they're also incredibly important to our national security. Having a reliable domestic food supply is one of the most important things we can do to ensure a robust national defense. I will always be a loud advocate for our farmers and focus on ensuring they have the resources they need to keep America running!

Last month, I hosted the first in a series of agricultural roundtable discussions with Western Tidewater farmers. If you're interested in learning more about that event, click here.

Increasing Access to Mental Healthcare

Recently, Congressman Danny Davis from Illinois and I introduced the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act! This bipartisan legislation will allow clinical social workers (CSWs) to practice to the full scope of their training.

Mental health is one of the most important - and often overlooked - aspects of healthcare. When I was practicing as a primary care geriatric nurse practitioner during the pandemic, many of my colleagues and I became mental healthcare providers on top of our normal scope of practice. I know firsthand how important it is to take steps to ensure patients are able to access emotional support resources.

A 2020 study found that 30% of Medicare beneficiaries have a mental health disorder, which result in significantly higher spending compared to other conditions. Clinical social workers often play holistic roles in the lives of their patients; however, the type of care they can be reimbursed for through Medicare is still extremely limited. 

Unfortunately, care eligible for reimbursement does not include proactive mental healthcare, which can often make life-changing differences for patients experiencing emotional distress. This bill seeks to address that shortfall by amending the Social Security Act to allow CSWs to be compensated for these services. Not only will this increase the availability of care to patients, it will also lower costs by decreasing out-of-pocket expenses. 

I will continue to seek out solutions in Washington to address the healthcare issues facing our nation! If you're interested in learning more about the Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act, you can click on the picture above.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders

I also had the honor of speaking to an incredible group of young women at Ignite's Washington Conference...! Ignite is an organization that encourages young women across the country to be active in government. I was able to share my story and encourage these aspiring young leaders to speak up and use their voice to shape the direction of their communities.

In addition to hearing from myself and several other Members of Congress, attendees also visited Capitol Hill to speak with their legislators. My journey to Congress started during a similar Washington trip with the American Association of Nurse Practitioners in 2019, so I have no doubt that some of these exceptional women will soon be walking the halls of Congress...!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, I want to honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Commander Samuel David Dealey (Medal of Honor action date: May 26th - July 3rd, 1944). 

Samuel Dealey was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1930. He was then commissioned on the USS Nevada shortly after. In 1933 Dealey was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant. The following year, he enrolled in submarine training and reported on board 4 submarines following his graduation. In 1941 Dealey was promoted to Executive Officer and commanded the USS S-20 for 2 years. When he resigned his contract, he was promoted to Commander, and served 0n six patrols.

The SS-257, also known as Harder, was taken on all six patrols. On Commander Dealeys fifth patrol, he was ordered to take the ship near a Japanese ship by Tawi Tawi. He was given orders to head into the Sibutu passage, where an enemy destroyer detected the submarine on radar. He let the destroyer approach to a close distance before giving the command to fire three torpedoes. After they fired, they decided to plunge deep and wait, intending to avoid detection until firing again. A total of nine minutes had passed before the second destroyer went up in flames.

The Commander evaded detection on the Harder as they neared the shores of Tawi Tawi in the middle of the night. Two more destroyers were taken down with ease as Dealey navigated the waters undetected this time. A large hostile fleet spotted the SS-257 the next day. The Commander quickly guided the ship into a "down-the-throat" short range torpedo launch. A record of five enemy destroyers went up in flames due to the precision and indomitable command of Samuel Dealey.

Commander Samuel David Dealey was killed in action on his sixth and final patrol as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Harder. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on November 15th, 1945 for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Commanding Officer of the U.S.S. Harder". He was born on September 13th, 1906 in Dallas, Texas and is buried at A.B.M.C. Manila Cemetery in the Philippines. His Medal of Honor was presented to his widow during a ceremony at the White House.

Five Fast Facts about the Bay and the Shore!

1. The Eastern Shore, a part of Virginia’s Coastal region, is accessible via the 17.5-mile Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. 
2. At the northern end of the Eastern Shore of Virginia - on the Atlantic side - resides the beach community of Chincoteague, famous for its annual wild pony roundup.
3. The town of Wachapreague is a popular destination for fishing and guided trips out to the wild barrier islands. 
4. Roughly 51 billion gallons of water enter the Chesapeake Bay each day from the 100,000 streams, creeks, and rivers that feed it.
5. A person 6 feet tall could wade through more than 700,000 acres of the Bay without becoming completely submerged. The deepest part of the Bay, called "The Hole" is more than 170 feet deep.

I'm so thankful that the Congressional calendar has given me five weeks back home in Virginia's Second District; I hope to see many of you around!

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my D.C. Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District