Jahana Hayes

As the Chairwoman of the Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee on the House Committee on Agriculture, I am dedicated to eradicating hunger throughout Connecticut and the United States. I have tackled this issue in schools, and among veterans, and fought to preserve and improve our bedrock federal nutrition programs. Specifically, I:

Put Baby Formula Back on Shelves: My bill, the Access to Baby Formula Act, which passed the House and was signed into law by the President, would permanently ensure access to a range of baby formulas in times of crisis.

Fought Veteran Hunger: I introduced the bipartisan Feed Hungry Veterans Act, which would eliminate barriers to federal nutrition benefits for veterans with disabilities that preclude them from working.

Tackled food insecurity on college campuses: I championed legislation to prevent college hunger by easing access to nutrition benefits for low-income college students.

Advocated to end child hunger:  I authored 3 bipartisan bills to eradicate child hunger. These bills would improve the federal nutrition program aimed at women, infants, and children, ensure children in transitional housing situations can remain on free and reduced-price lunch, and create a $100 million program to fund school kitchens interested in transitioning to scratch cooking.

Supported an increase in benefits: As Chairwoman of the NODO Subcommittee, I advocated for the USDA to move forward with an evaluation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which resulted in a permanent 27% increase in benefits nationwide.

Ensured access to food throughout the pandemic: During the COVID-19 pandemic, I introduced legislation to ensure workers who became unemployed due to COVID-19 were able to access food assistance, and changes to SNAP to cover costs for grocery delivery to elderly and immunocompromised recipients. I also supported increased funding directly to food banks, and programs that connected food banks with local farmers who were having to dump milk and other usable products.

Helped secure a White House Conference on Hunger: I supported the creation and funding for a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. The Conference, and the preparatory work leading up to it, will accelerate progress and drive significant change to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, reduce diet-related disease, and close the disparities around them.

I advocated for proposals to support Connecticut’s agriculture industry and to help ensure their continued success through the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, I:

Worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and local stakeholders to get more dairy farmers enrolled in Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC).

Supported the opening of additional international markets to more American dairy products as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Cosponsored legislation to expand the existing USDA Milk Donation program to help get milk into the hands of the food insecure in the wake of COVID-19. The legislation authorizes USDA to act as a matchmaker between dairy producers with excess supply of milk and food banks that can distribute that milk to those in need. It also authorizes an additional $4 million a year for this important program.

Advocated for specialty crops to help ensure farmers get the resources and assistance they need during the COVID-19 pandemic and to make sure farmers who have lost direct markets and income receive their fair share of any relief provided by USDA.

Requested that USDA make more relief available for farmers by lifting the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payment cap.

Led a Connecticut delegation letter to the United States Department of Agriculture condemning unexpected changes to the Farmers to Families Food Box Program (FFFBP) which clearly overburdened small Connecticut farmers who diligently worked to serve our community at this time of dire need.

Introduced H.R. 8042, the Helping America’s Farmers Act, which would create a new economic injury disaster loan program for farmers to assist them in weathering the economic downturn caused by COVID-19.

I will continue to advocate for policies that support farmers and give more of my constituents access to fresh, quality products.

When it became apparent that COVID-19 was a serious threat to the health and economy of our nation, I immediately began working with my colleagues to pass legislation that would bolster our ability to test and contact trace, support workers and families through a prolonged economic pause, and support communities as they looked to return to a new world.

The House passed three major legislative packages to support Americans as they battled COVID-19. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stimulus Act (CARES Act), and the Heroes Act were developed to address this crisis. These essential pieces of legislation would provide families, workers and employers the resources they need to stay safe, healthy, and financially stable through this public health crisis. Unfortunately, we still await passage of the Heroes Act in the Senate.

All three COVID-19 response packages include robust investments in the healthcare industry. They provided critical funding to support hospitals and frontline providers, increase testing, and provide resources and relief to Connecticut nursing homes. The Heroes Act would also provide support for workers’ healthcare plans, enhance vaccine manufacturing capacity and strengthen the national supply chain for materials like ventilators and masks.

Additionally, I introduced the Helping Hospitals in Need Act, which would support Connecticut hospitals by investing $100 billion in efforts to combat COVID-19. It would also ensure that states like Connecticut with the highest per capita hospitalization rates for confirmed COVID-19 cases receive prioritization for this funding.

As everyone stayed home to stop the spread, our essential workers continued to work to keep our nation operating. They have been ensuring we have healthcare, food, and other essential services. It is not enough to call them heroes; essential workers deserve compensation and protection.

I have supported premium pay for essential workers to reflect the risk in continuing to work during a public health pandemic. The Heroes Act included a $200 billion “Heroes Fund” which would provide essential workers an additional $13 an hour on top of regular wages. Additionally, I supported the presumption of occupational illness for all essential workers, so they may access workers compensation should they get sick on the job.

From the first conversation on COVID-19 response, I highlighted for my colleagues that we can not bail out large industries while telling small businesses they were on their own. I advocated for robust funding for Small Business Administration Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and the Paycheck Protection Program. I also worked to ensure those programs were not drained by large corporations with deep ties to the banking industry. As we begin to re-open the economy, I will continue to advocate for resources desperately needed by small businesses to recover, thrive, and stay safe.

As a result of COVID-19, our nation is facing the worst unemployment crisis in generations. I supported measures to provide federal unemployment insurance to all workers – including self-employers, gig economy workers and independent contractors who are not normally eligible for unemployment benefits. Additionally, I was proud to support the $600 unemployment supplement, to help give families the financial stability required to stay home and stop the spread.

Prior to this crisis, America had a major food security problem. Families, workers, children and college students across Connecticut go without food far too often. I staunchly supported the bolstering of food security programs, like SNAP, WIC, and school lunch programs.

I also championed legislation to ensure seniors and immunocompromised individuals would be able to use their SNAP benefits safely, without having to risk their health by physically going to the grocery store. My bill, the Increasing Access to SNAP Delivery During COVID-19 Act, would invest $125 million in reimbursements to grocery stores for delivering to SNAP recipients during the COVID crisis.

Connecticut residents have taken recommendations to stay home, stay safe, and stop the spread seriously. However, that has not come without a price. Even with federal and state support and unemployment benefits, many have still struggled to make ends meet. As a legislator during this unprecedented time I am working to ensure Connecticut residents have the support they need to stay safe and healthy.

So I led a group of 128 Members of Congress in a letter to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requesting improvements to the delivery of Economic Impact Payments (EIP) to American citizens.

Americans have increasingly relied on the solvency and efficiency of the Postal Service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look to conduct expanded mail-in voting for the November election, I have prioritized ensuring that the Postal Service remains solvent and withstands attacks from this Administration. I voted to pass H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act. This legislation provides the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) with $25 billion in funding to support the Postal Service as they implement expanded mail-in ballot procedures across the United States. The bill would also prevent any further changes aimed at destabilizing the Postal Service.

 As the impacts of COVID-19 swept across the economy, the child care industry was unfortunately not spared. Since March, as many as 2 out of 5 child care providers recently indicated they will go out of business without financial support. Nationally, 4.5 million child care slots are at risk of completely disappearing. The Commissioner of the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood has said Connecticut faces the prospect of losing an estimated 45,000 childcare spaces, which would devastate working parents as they return to their workplaces. I introduced the Childcare is Essential Act, which would create a $50 billion dollar Child Care Stabilization Fund to help child care providers recover from the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), and ensure working parents have access to child care as the economy reopens. This bill passed on the floor of the House in late July.

We must support business owners who contribute to our communities and provide stable jobs for the people in Connecticut.

Connecticut workers should make livable wages, have access to affordable health care, child care, and other essential services.

Ensuring workers are safe in their workplaces, make a living wage, and can collectively bargain to improve conditions has been a top priority for me. I have supported the following proposals for Connecticut workers:

Ensuring a Living Wage: I supported the Raise the Wage Act to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and introduced legislation to ensure tipped workers make a full minimum wage.

Protecting Collective Bargaining Rights: I supported the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which is the most comprehensive proposal to secure the bargaining rights of workers in decades.

Solving the Multi-Employer Pension Crisis: I voted for the American Rescue Plan, which prevented the insolvency of 100 multiemployer pension plans that were expected to run out of money necessary to pay benefits to workers, including plans that were expected to go insolvent by 2025.

Equal Pay for Equal Work: I supported the Paycheck Fairness Act on the Education and Labor Committee and on the floor of the House. This legislation would prohibit gender-based discrimination in employment.

Expanding Access to Affordable Childcare: I championed the American Rescue Plan, which provided nearly $50 billion dollars in funding to stabilize the childcare industry, and the Build Back Better Act, which included universal childcare subsidies ensuring no family pays more than 7% of their income to childcare. I am a staunch advocate for universal, affordable childcare, and for investing in the childcare workforce.

Small business owners are the backbone of Connecticut’s Fifth District. I supported the following proposals to underpin their success:

Funding for Grants to Small Businesses: I have supported funding for minority business development and entrepreneurial development programs in every yearly budget process.

Ensuring Students Can Fill the Jobs of Tomorrow: I have supported funding for career and technical education programs, and Registered Apprenticeship programs, that connect a skilled workforce with local businesses. I introduced the YouthBuild for the Future Act, which would make critical improvements to YouthBuild, a program to provide education and career training for youth who previously dropped out of high school. This bill passed the House as part of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 – the most comprehensive package addressing workforce development in recent history.

Supported Small Business Administration Loans and the Paycheck Protection Program to bolster business during COVID-19: I have supported robust funding for grants and loans to small businesses to stabilize them and help keep employees on the payroll. I also supported amended legislation to give small businesses better access to paycheck protection loans.

I supported the repeal of the $10,000 State and Local (SALT) Tax dedication cap, implemented in the Republican 2018 Tax Plan. Intended to directly harm heavily populated states like Connecticut.  Connecticut officials estimated the SALT cap would increase Connecticut taxpayer liability by $2.8 billion in 2018, and cost Connecticut residents $10.3 billion in SALT deductions in 2019. Eliminating the cap will provide much-needed relief.

As a career educator in Waterbury’s Public Schools and the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, I know the power of education and recognize the role of education in providing access to opportunities for children. Education provides a foundation for economic stability and the beginnings of a lifelong capacity for empathy, compassion, and generosity. Our public schools are in need of robust investment to remedy inequities, provide much needed resources, and support teachers and staff.

As a Member of the Education and Labor Committee, I have made it a top priority to address persistent issues with the Connecticut education system for both students and teachers. I have advocated for a stronger, more equitable education by:

Robust funding for school infrastructure: American schools are in dire need of repairs – with 54% of American schools needing to replace or update major systems in more than half of school buildings. In particular, school heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems were most often in need of attention. To address this need, I supported the Rebuilding America’s Schools Act, which would invest $130 billion in public school infrastructure nationwide. Additionally, I secured $445 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan for Connecticut to replace lead pipes, including those that service schools.

Full funding for IDEA: The Individual with Disabilities in Education Act pledges to fund 40% of special education costs for school districts. Federal budgets have never fully funded that promise, leaving municipal and state governments to incur the cost. Every student deserves access to an equitable education that prepares them for success in life. I have repeatedly supported full funding for IDEA, including in the Build Back Better Act.

Expansion of Early Childhood Education: Child care is essential to the wellbeing of children and families – yet exorbitant costs make it out of reach for too many Connecticut families. I helped introduce the Childcare is Essential Act, which created a $50 billion stabilization fund for the childcare industry to ensure survival during the pandemic, and was included in the American Rescue Plan. No less importantly, I am an avid supporter of lowering the cost of childcare for American families and fought to secure provisions in the Build Back Better Act that would guarantee no American family making less than $300k must pay more than 7% of their income on childcare.

Supporting Teachers: I introduced a resolution committing to raising teacher salaries. I have also introduced legislation to improve the educator workforce pipeline, relieve student loan debt for teachers, and preserve educator jobs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Bolstering investment in our education professionals is one of my highest priorities in Congress.

I have actively advocated to make higher education and workforce readiness more accessible, affordable, and equitable. In higher education I have supported:

Lowering costs for students:  In the 117th Congress, I championed essential provisions of the Build Back Better Act that would decrease the cost of higher education for students. In the 116th Congress, I supported the College Affordability Act, sweeping higher education reform which included 16 bills I led and supported. The package included critical improvements to higher education; the expansion of Pell Grants; expanded funding for Jumpstart, TRIO, and GEAR UP programs; student debt relief; increased funding for HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions; and many more critical proposals.

Expansion of Career and Technical Education, Apprenticeship: I have supported the expansion of Career and Technical Education programs and Registered Apprenticeships so that students, and adults changing careers, can get recognized credentials to fill high-paying, stable jobs in the industries that will comprise our future economy. I co-led the National Apprenticeship Act to create one million apprenticeship opportunities over the next 5 years. The bill passed the floor of the House in 2021.

Connecticut’s Fifth District is home to many environmental treasures. From the Farmington River Valley and Salmon Brook to the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area to the New England Scenic Trail, the natural beauty of Northwest and Central Connecticut exemplifies the urgent need to protect our environment from deterioration. Climate change is both an environmental issue and a civil rights, economic, and public health issue. Stopping and reversing climate change, protecting public lands and waters, reducing air pollution, transitioning to green energy supplies, and investing in sustainable agriculture is a top priority of mine as your representative.

Inflation Reduction Act: I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act – the single largest climate investment in the history of our nation, putting America on track to reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2030. The bill invests in deploying zero-emissions technology in all sectors of our economy, provides tax credits for clean vehicles, and focuses investments in communities most impacted by climate change.

Electric School Buses: In the 116th Congress, I introduced the Clean School Bus Act with then-Senator Kamala Harris, which would provide $1 billion in grants to school districts over 5 years to replace diesel school buses with electric buses. In the 117th Congress, I reintroduced this bill and the Clean Commute for Kids Act, which would allocate $25 billion over 5 years for a national transition to electric school buses. I worked across the aisle and with the White House and Senate to ultimately secure $5 billion for clean school bus grants, and $7.5 billion for a national electric grid, in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan.

Public Lands: I introduced legislation to designate 41 miles of the Housatonic River as wild and scenic. This designation would protect the river and give the area access to federal funds. Previously, I voted for legislation subsequently signed into law that secured a wild and scenic designation for Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook and permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Climate Smart Agriculture: There is no one who knows the land better than the farmers of the Fifth. Our small, family farmers lead the nation in their adoption and support of climate smart agricultural practices. As one of the only members representing exclusively small to medium sized farms on the House Agriculture Committee, I have fought ardently to increase investment in programs that reward environmentally friendly practices.

Green New Deal: I am a cosponsor of the Green New Deal, which commits to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Connecticut’s Fifth is one of the far too many communities that have felt the devastating impact of gun violence on our most vulnerable. Since coming to Congress, I have championed gun violence prevention – The senseless attacks on schools, churches, movie theaters and public celebrations demonstrate the moral necessity to ensure no other community joins the list of those ravaged by preventable violence

My first resolution in Congress was to prohibit the use of federal funds to arm teachers. As the Deputy Whip on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, I was tasked with rallying my colleagues around bipartisan legislation, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, to implement universal background checks for all gun purchases.

I voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act – the first major gun violence prevention legislation in decades. The bill is a major step forward for gun safety.

The bill:

Invests $750 million for states to keep deadly weapons out of the hands of individuals determined by a court to be a significant danger to themselves or others.

Protects Victims of Domestic Violence by Closing the Boyfriend Loophole, which previously omitted convicted domestic violence abusers in dating relationships from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Bans Gun Trafficking and cracks down on straw purchases by categorizing federal straw purchasing and trafficking as criminal offenses for the first time, allowing prosecutors to target dangerous illegal gunrunners.

Enhances background checks for people under 21 by requiring an investigative period up to 10 days to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement.

Provides $250 million in funding for community-based violence prevention initiatives.

Builds out a national network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics to provide critical mental health services to communities before crisis hits.

Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including: early identification and intervention programs, school-based mental health and wrap-around services, improvements to school-wide learning conditions, and school safety.

 I will continue to support reforms like assault weapon and ghost gun bans, safe storage requirements, and universal background checks.

As the wife of a police officer, I recognize that there are many law-abiding gun owners, and I do not advocate for any removal of the right to legally bear arms.

The fight for these comprehensive reforms will be a long one, but I will continue to advocate for policies that protect our friends, neighbors, and children from gun violence.

Health care costs, prescription drug costs, and insurance premiums continue to skyrocket. These unjustifiable costs are not victimless – they are causing Americans to die. 34 million Americans report that they have a friend or family member who has died because they could not afford health care.

I will always support legislation that expands access to affordable health care for more people. I have worked to ensure that healthcare is affordable, accessible, and equitable. Most recently, I voted to lower health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act.

I am a cosponsor of Medicare for All as the proposal that will provide the most affordable, equitable health care to all Americans. Additionally, I have supported proposals that make incremental improvements toward that goal.

Since entering Congress, I have forcefully advocated to lower prescription costs for all Americans. I voted for legislation which banned the practice of surprise billing and supported legislation to cap insulin costs for all Americans at $35. Most recently, I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation which allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly with pharmaceutical companies, caps annual Medicare Part D out of pocket costs at $2,000, and caps Medicare covered insulin costs at $35 a month. The bill also penalizes manufacturers who raise prescription drug prices faster than the rate of inflation. These changes will dramatically lower the cost of prescription drugs for millions of Medicare recipients.

I have supported numerous proposals to provide emergency responders with Naloxone, provide grants to states for medical and mental health services, and provide trauma informed care to students. I will continue to support urgently needed funding and programs to ensure Connecticut has the resources to fight this public health crisis.

Ensuring all Americans have ease of access to affordable mental health is woven throughout all the work I do in Congress. I have introduced legislation to increase mental health services in schools, and have supported legislation to increase investment in community mental health services.

Our immigration system is outdated, convoluted, and failing to meet the needs of our country. A clear, legal pathway to citizenship is essential to support immigrants who come to this country.

I am a cosponsor of the Dream and Promise Act. This legislation would provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers and those with Temporary Protected Status. The Dream and Promise Act will allow young people brought here as children to gain access to the labor force, higher education, and health care and further contribute to the fabric of American society.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have spoken against abuses of immigrant children and advocated to keep families intact while they await a hearing on their immigration or asylum claims.

No less importantly, I supported visa reform that would support seasonal workers in Connecticut’s Fifth District.

I will continue to support reforms that provide a clear, legal, and humane path to citizenship for immigrants.

Connecticut has been in dire need of infrastructure investment for decades. I helped to deliver the funds needed to bring Connecticut infrastructure into the 21st century through my work on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan and funds secured for numerous Community Funded Projects.

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, Connecticut received:

$3.5 billion for federal highway programs

$561 million for bridge replacement

$1.3 billion for public transportation

$53 million for electric vehicle chargers and infrastructure

$100 million to improve broadband coverage

$445 million for water infrastructure

$62 million for airports

This is the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in decades. These critical funds will be used over the next 5 years to bring Connecticut’s infrastructure into the 21st century. The plan invests $24 billion in Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which will improve the ability of Connecticut residents to access the rest of the northeast quickly and comfortably.

I  also fought to bring money directly to projects championed by community members and secured $4.7 billion for projects related to transportation and infrastructure, including:

Southbury Pedestrian Safety Improvements: $444,946

Avon Sidewalk Replacement: $424,000

Cornwall Wastewater Treatment Facility Construction: $3 Million

Newtown Wastewater and environmental upgrades at the Fairfield Hills Campus: $480,000

New Britain Remediation and Demolition at the Former Thomas Aquinas High School Building: $350,000

Every person – no matter who they love, or how they identify – is entitled to equal protection under the law. This has been repeatedly threatened in Congress, in the Supreme Court, and in our communities. We have seen attacks on the most basic rights of LGBTQ+ Americans. The right for LGBTQ+ couples to marry has been explicitly threatened by the Supreme Court and voted against by Republicans in the House of Representatives. Those who identify as transgender are being targeted and murdered at rates so concerning the American Medical Association has declared it an epidemic.

I have fought to preserve the rights of LGBTQ+ Americans and remedy these injustices. I voted in favor of legislation to protect the rights of  LGBTQ+ Americans:

YES on the Equality Act: to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community has equal access to protection in employment, housing, credit, jury duty, and federally funded programs under the law.

YES on the Respect for Marriage Act: to enshrine the right to marriage for LGBTQ+ couples into law.

I championed legislation to abolish a Trump Administration office at the Department of Health and Human Services, designed to enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in health care. I have cosponsored legislation to prevent discrimination against LGBTQ+ couples by adoption agencies, legislation to protect LGBTQ+ children from harassment, and legislation to ensure federal agencies collect appropriate data on LGBTQ+ Americans to ensure we are serving them appropriately. I am a member of the Equality Caucus and work with my colleagues to ensure we are addressing the unique needs of the LGBTQ+ community in legislation brought to the floor.

I will continue to fight to ensure that no one is discriminated against because of who they are or who they love. My work has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign and the Equality PAC.

I have continually supported proposals that would bolster funding for the VA, provide job and educational opportunities for veterans, and provide support to Gold Star families. Specifically, I have:

Ensured access to benefits for Palomares Veterans: introduced the Palomares Veterans Act, to remove barriers to benefits and compensation for the veterans who responded to the 1966 nuclear accident in Palomares, Spain. This bill was signed into law as part of a larger package titled the Promising to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.

Fought hunger among our nation’s disabled veterans: introduced the Feed Hungry Veterans Act after chairing a hearing on veterans hunger on the Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee. This legislation would remove barriers to bedrock nutrition programs for veterans with disabilities that preclude them from work.

Championed benefits for Gold Star Families: introduced the Caring for Survivors Act. This bipartisan bill would increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits for surviving military families by approximately $300 per month, and allow more survivors to become eligible for benefits by reducing the amount of time the veteran must have been considered diabled to qualify.

Ensured women veterans have access to the health care they need: cosponsored the Deborah Sampson Act which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure gender-specific services are continuously available at every VA medical center and community-based outpatient clinic.

Supported the repeal of the Widow’s Tax: cosponsored legislation to repeal the “widow’s tax” on surviving military family benefits payments.

Advocated for resources to veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cosponsored legislation to ensure that National Guard service members deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic are provided with benefits like access to early retirement and post-9/11 GI bill benefits.

My office has been named the only certified Purple Heart office in the Northeast. This is due to the work my staff and I have done to help veterans in this district navigate the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies to access benefits, medals, and more.