Friends,

I was back in Washington this week as I celebrated a major milestone: the first 100 days of the 118th Congress...! In the first 100 days of our new majority, we've reopened the People's House, ended the COVID-19 National Emergency, and enacted legislation that lowers energy costs, reins in inflation, increases competition with China, and protects small businesses and taxpayers from burdensome federal agencies.

On Monday, I spoke at our "First 100 Days" Press Conference. You can check out the video by clicking on the picture below:

In the past 100 days, I have also voted to protect women's sports, cosponsored a bill to provide tax relief for Americans, and introduced legislation to make it easier for qualified healthcare professionals to treat patients...I highlighted many of these legislative accomplishments in last week's Weekly Debrief; however, this week I'd like to highlight just some of what my team and I have been up to since the beginning of January. You can check out my "First 100 Days Highlight Reel" by clicking on the picture below!

Increasing Access to Healthcare for Virginians

On Thursday, I was proud to introduce a bipartisan bill, the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (I CAN) Act, with my Congressional Nursing Caucus colleagues Reps. Joyce (OH-14), Bonamici (OR-01), and Underwood (IL-14)!

Both Medicare and Medicaid have barriers in place which prevent Advance Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) from practicing the full scope of their education and clinical training. Despite the fact that APRNs are nurses prepared at the master or doctoral level to provide primary, acute, chronic and specialty care to patients of all ages and backgrounds, and in all settings, several federal statutes and regulations, as well as certain state practice acts and institutional rules, require physician oversight and limit APRN practice.

Not only does this place an unnecessary strain on our already short staffed healthcare system, it directly opposes the National Academy of Sciences' recommendation to remove all laws, regulations, and policies which prevent APRNs from providing the full scope of healthcare services that they're educated and trained to provide.

As a nurse practitioner, I've always been frustrated that these government programs - which many Americans rely on - prevent nurses from practicing medicine to the full extent of their abilities. This bipartisan bill will expand access to healthcare and reduce patient costs: all without expanding scope of practice or impeding on state laws. I'm proud to introduce it as a way of providing healthcare solutions for all Virginians! If you're interested in learning more about the I CAN Act, you can do so by clicking here.

Protecting Women & Girls' Sports

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 734, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023! This bill protects fair competition in women's athletics by enshrining Title IX sex-based protections.

I'm a former female athlete, lifelong runner, and former coach of my girls' - who are still athletes - teams. Participating in athletics is an extraordinary way for girls to discover their strengths and learn that hard work pays off. Title IX was landmark legislation that protected these opportunities and - to this day - allows young women to compete and win on fair fields of play. This bill is not about discriminating against any group of people; rather; it's about enabling women to excel in a physical activity that promotes teamwork, sportsmanship, and self-confidence. I was proud to support it!

This week, I spoke both on the House floor and at a press conference in support of H.R. 734. You can click on the below photo (of the press conference) to watch the video (of the floor speech)!

Delivering an Economy that Works for the American People

On Tuesday, we celebrated every American's least favorite holiday: Tax Day. In 2017, Congress passed the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). What followed was unprecedented economic success that led to a roaring job market, strong small businesses, and increased household savings.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent years of excessive federal spending have erased much of the progress TCJA made. The economy that we have in 2023 is far different from the one that we enjoyed from the time TCJA passed until the start of the pandemic. Record high inflation, low household savings, and falling consumer confidence have resulted in years of hardship for families across our country.

I came to Congress to restore strength in the great American economy. Luckily, Congress doesn't have to reinvent the wheel to succeed in that mission! Many of the provisions in TCJA that launched record economic successes for families and small businesses alike are set to expire in the coming years. We cannot allow that to happen...! That's why I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 976, the TCJA Permanency Act. Key provisions of this bill:

1. Permanently lower tax rates for individuals and families, allowing Americans at every income level to keep more of their hard-earned money
2. Preserve the 20 percent deduction for small businesses, ensuring taxes won’t go up on Main Street businesses, which employ nearly half of the U.S. workforce
3. Maintain the higher standard deduction, increasing the amount of tax-free income a middle-class family can earn 
4. Lock in the doubled child tax credit, further encouraging workforce participation
5. Permanently simplify the tax filing process, allowing 9 out of 10 Americans to get the full benefit of tax deductions without the headache of tracking receipts or itemizing
6. Expand eligible uses of 529 savings plans to help parents and students 

I will not stop working until I have gotten our economy back on track for the families of VA-02...! If you're interested in learning more about H.R. 976, you can find the full text of the bill here.

Improving Care for Our Veterans

After touring the Hampton VA Medical Center last week, I had the opportunity to question VA leadership about mental health providers and ensuring continuity of care for our veterans…You can watch our full exchange below!

Leading by Example

Connecting with young people in southeast Virginia is one of my favorite parts of this job! On Wednesday afternoon, I had the opportunity to speak with a young woman who is considering joining the Navy or pursuing a career in nursing - two things I'm certainly in favor of! Whatever she chooses, I'm sure that she has a very bring future ahead of her, just like all of the young people who live in Virginia's Second District!

Ensuring girls have a voice and are supported in using their voice is something that is incredibly important to me. This week I was able to encourage several young women at an Panhellenic event where we celebrated the bonds of sisterhood...! The amazing friendships from my college Sigma Kappa days have lasted through every stage of my life, giving me the encouragement I needed to pursue my dreams...I know there's no limit to what these young women can accomplish with that support system!

Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week, I want to honor Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Lance Peter Sijan (Medal of Honor Action Date: November 9, 1967). U.S. Air Force Captain Lance P. Sijan - a member of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron - was flying a combat mission over North Vietnam on the night of November 9, 1967 when his F-4 Phantom was disabled due to a bomb fuse malfunction. Capt. Sijan ejected from his Phantom and landed on a limestone ridge below, sustaining serious injuries in the process. After several dangerous rescue attempts, Capt. Sijan's radio communications ceased, and he was listed as MIA.

Despite the lack of communication, Capt. Sijan managed to evade the enemy for six straight weeks without much food, very little water, and no survival kit. When he was finally captured by North Vietnamese soldiers and taken to a temporary holding point, Capt. Sijan incapacitated one of his guards and escaped into the jungle; unfortunately, he was recaptured after several hours.

After his recapture, Capt. Sijan was transferred to a prison camp, where he was kept in solitary confinement and brutally interrogated, refusing to disclose any information to the North Vietnamese soldiers. Suffering from overwhelming exhaustion, disease, and starvation, he was placed into the care of two other Prisoners of War. Despite his deteriorating condition, Capt. Sijan never complained, and often spoke of future escape attempts.

Shortly after he was placed into the men's care, they were transported to the infamous Hoa Lo Prison in Hanoi, otherwise known as the "Hanoi Hilton". Still in a rapidly declining state, Capt. Sijan contracted pneumonia, and succumbed to the illness on January 22, 1968.

Captain Lance Peter Sijan was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on March 6, 1976 by President Gerald R. Ford for "extraordinary heroism and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty at the cost of his life". He was born on April 13, 1942 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is buried in Arlington Park Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His Medal of Honor was presented by President Ford to his family at the White House, and is accredited to Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

From a grateful nation, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We will never forget.

Five Fast Facts from Virginia's Second District!

1. The longest-serving Representative to have ever served in the House was Rep. John Dingell, Jr. From Michigan - he served for over 59 consecutive years. 
2. The U.S. Capitol was not designed by an American – it was designed by a Scottish doctor named William Thornton. 
3. Average annual rainfall in Washington, DC is 39 inches, which is more than in Seattle. 
4. The 54th Congress (1895–1897) included a record-setting freshman class of 178 first-term Members.
5. There is a typo on the Lincoln Memorial. Instead of engraving the "F" in "future," the letter "E" was mistakenly carved into Lincoln's second inaugural address on the north wall. 

Our first 100 days have been a whirlwind as we fulfill our Commitment to America, but make no mistake: we're just getting started. I'll be back in Washington next week to continue working toward a government that empowers Americans to succeed...!

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