119th Congress
Hello Friends,
As you know, President Trump issued an Executive Order last week focused on dismantling the Department of Education. This isn’t news to many of us; the Administration already terminated the positions of about half of the Department’s 4,133 employees several weeks ago.
Why does the government shut down?
The government shuts down when Congress is unable to pass appropriations bills that fund the operations of federal agencies and programs. These 12 appropriations bills are designed to fund the government until the conclusion of each fiscal year, which ends on September 30. In the absence of routine appropriations bills, Congress may pass temporary measures, known as a continuing resolution (CR). The federal government was operating under a CR that expired on September 30, 2025.
WASHINGTON, DC—Just days before a potential government shutdown, House Republicans introduced another eleventh-hour stopgap funding bill that does nothing to lower costs, withholds veterans’ benefits, cuts affordable housing programs, and gives President Trump and Elon Musk nearly unfettered power to move funding between programs without the clear Congressional direction that accompanies more typical appropriations bills.
Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo ran on the slogan “get things done” in his campaign for the 16th Congressional seat, which represents the Los Altos area. But the Democrat is finding out that doing so is challenging with the U.S. government dominated by President Donald Trump and the Republicans.
Hello Friends,
Thank you to everyone who attended our town hall meetings. On Tuesday, over 5,000 of you participated in our telephone town hall; on Friday, more than 400 of us gathered at the West Valley College Theater. In this profoundly difficult moment for our nation, I treasure these opportunities to connect. Your questions, insights, and passion for our community make democracy thrive.
President Donald Trump made tens of billions on paper by using his national profile to push meme cryptocurrency. One Democratic congressman wants to make sure other politicians can’t do the same.
California Rep. Sam Liccardo introduced a bill Thursday that would bar Trump and other public officials from promoting stocks and cryptocurrency endeavors from which they stand to financially benefit. The legislation would open the door to civil and criminal action against those seeking to personally enrich themselves while holding public office.