Pushing Back Against "Executive Disorders"

Hello Friends!

This week, my office received thousands of messages and calls expressing various combinations of outrage and fear over the latest actions and orders of President Donald Trump—which I’m calling “Executive Disorders.”

I came into office in January ready to roll up my sleeves and work across the aisle to get traction on problems of common concern, such as the high cost of housing, insurance, and child care for American families.  

Let me start by telling you what we’re not doing: passing any bills to help Americans pay for groceries, rent, or medical bills. Meanwhile, the Administration’s policies are focused on fighting cultural and ideological wars, moving transgender women to men’s prisons (blocked by a federal judge), urging the deportation of U.S. citizens (also enjoined in court), and citing DEI concerns to halt trillions in payments needed by local communities for cops, firefighters, and healthcare (also blocked). Rather than doing the people’s work, this administration and congressional majority’s policies are impeding it.

As a result, I’m spending hours in meetings with panicked health care clinics or Head Start child care providers unable to make payroll or dozens of scared farm workers terrified that a parent could be deported while US citizen children are left behind. In DC, we’re scrambling between floor votes to meet with attorneys to plot litigation strategies to counter these unconstitutional actions. 

Amid the cacophony in the Capitol, online, and in the media, an important fact is being missed: President Trump’s policies are failing. 

My latest “Sip with Sam,” below, discusses just a few of these policy failures. The news moves faster than I do: since my taping, a federal judge yesterday blocked DOGE’s Elon Musk from exporting or moving personal data, such as Social Security numbers and birth dates, from the Treasury payment system database. Here’s the clip.

We’re going to keep hustling. The big battle comes in what’s known as the budget reconciliation process in mid-March, but in the meantime, you’ll see me pushing with colleagues and external partners. We’ve just introduced the Taxpayer Data Protection Act – of which I’m an original cosponsor – to protect Americans’ sensitive information and essential benefits like Social Security and Medicare. Here, you can track the many lawsuits that our partners—including Santa Clara County—have filed to battle constitutional abuses of the Administration. I’ll also be introducing my own legislation in the week ahead— more to come. 

 

Photo Finish

When I haven’t been in Washington, I’ve been back home in the Bay, meeting with all of you. This past weekend, I visited the San Jose Fire Department to thank a few of our local heroes. Firefighters from across the Bay Area deployed to Southern California to battle the devastating fires—including 27 of San Jose’s finest.  We all owe them immense gratitude for their service. I showed my appreciation with something more powerful than words: cookies. 

Sam with San Jose Fire Department

 

Sam's Reading Corner

  • The San Mateo Daily Journal recently covered my listening session on immigration in Half Moon Bay. In addition to our listening session, I’ve spoken with ICE officials regarding reports of ICE activity in our community, emphasizing that our otherwise law-abiding immigrant neighbors should not face threats in schools, churches, health clinics, or homes. My team continues to monitor the situation—please visit our website for resources.
  • This weekend, I joined colleagues and community leaders to brief the press on Trump’s “Executive Disorders”—his unconstitutional withholding of congressionally appropriated funds—and their impacts on public safety. Read more about our press conference in The Mercury News.

 

Sincerely,

 

Sam