Doris Matsui

Rebuilding our economy and putting our region’s residents back to work remains my number one priority.  During the height of the COVID pandemic, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act that provided millions in direct payments, unemployment benefits and small business support. The bill provided a lifeline for the hardest-hit small businesses with Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) grants, expanded PPP eligibility, and more. 

I will continue supporting legislation that will create jobs and move our economy forward by investing in the growing industries of health care, clean energy, and technology.  This will not only make our economy stronger today, but make our future brighter tomorrow.

I also believe that while we must strengthen the economy, we must also ensure our economy works for everyone.  I am pleased that California raised the minimum wage, and I strongly support raising the national minimum wage to keep pace with rising costs.

With the large role women play in today’s workforce, the success of our economy relies on the economic security of women.  That is why I joined my colleagues in launching “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds: An Economic Agenda for Women and Families.”  This Economic Agenda includes legislation enabling women to achieve greater economic security, raising wages for women and their families, and allowing working parents to support and care for their families.  From legislation ensuring equal pay for equal work to paid sick leave to protections for pregnant workers, I strongly support legislation that will help women succeed, because when women succeed, America succeeds.

I am a firm believer in the power of education, and strengthening our nation’s education system to expand educational opportunities to every student must be a top priority. 

I proudly supported the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced “No Child Left Behind”,and ensures public schools provide a quality education for all kids. We must continue to work towards closing the achievement gap for American students by supporting our schools and teachers with the tools and resources they need to educate a 21st century workforce.   We also must make changes to ensure higher education and skills training opportunities are affordable and accessible for all students.  The unfortunate reality is that skyrocketing college costs are putting a college education out of reach for many families.  To help address this, I have supported legislation that prevented student loan interest rates from doubling, and locked in rates for new student loans to prevent rates from skyrocketing in the future.

This is a good step, but further action must be taken.  That is why I support the Biden-Harris Administration’s plans to offer targeted debt relief to address the financial harms of the pandemic for low- and middle-income borrowers of all ages.   I also support legislation that would lower the cost of higher education by increasing federal need-based aid, like the Pell Grant.

Tremendous efforts have been made to ensure all Americans have access to affordable, quality health care.  The Affordable Care Act (ACA) not only opened up access to health insurance for millions of Americans, it also improved the quality of insurance, providing new consumer protections and cost savings.

I have worked closely with our region’s health care and safety net providers to ensure that Sacrementans have access to the health care they need.  As a result of our hard work, local clinics and health care providers have received millions in federal grants and reimbursements under the ACA to expand access to care and provide more services.  I will continue fighting to build on the Affordable Care Act and its protections for consumers, so that all hard working American families can benefit from and access affordable health care.

I am also a long-time supporter and advocate for improving our nation’s mental health care.  Too often mental health takes a back seat to the issue of physical health.  It is time for mental health to be treated on a level playing field with the rest of our nation’s health care system. I have advanced crucial legislation to build and expand our mental health infrastructure, ensuring that Americans can access the care they need, when they need it. To that end, I’ve also championed efforts to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment via telehealth, and co-led legislation that provides support for the key crisis response efforts deployed by health provider partners across the Sacramento region. 

Reliable, accessible public transportation and ensuring our region has the infrastructure it needs to grow safely are among my top priorities in Congress.  We must continue to make needed investments in our transportation infrastructure in order to boost our economy, create jobs, and plan for the future. 

In November 2021, the House passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which makes historic investments to rebuild America’s infrastructure, create millions of good-paying jobs and support American workers.

I worked hard to include vital funding and policies to address some of Sacramento’s most pressing needs. I worked with my colleagues to ensure the package included crucial funding for the Army Corps of Engineers and flood protection infrastructure that our region needs. And, I fought to secure crucial energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy upgrades at our public schools. The bill also includes investments for wildfire risk reduction and will make much needed enhancements in our power infrastructure, helping to ensure grid resiliency under extreme weather.

I continue to address our region’s transportation needs and collaborate closely with Federal, State, and local agencies to secure much-needed funds and approvals to move Sacramento’s transportation projects forward.  Whether it is procuring federal grant dollars to build a new bridge connecting both sides of the river, expanding public transportation and beyond, or bringing together local entities to explore a potential streetcar system, I am committed to improving Sacramento’s transportation infrastructure so that it remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Technology is rapidly changing and always evolving.  As the Vice-Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and as co-chair of the High Tech Caucus, I am working to address the pressing technology issues of today – and tomorrow.

Access to the Internet is essential in today’s world, and I believe that in order to remain competitive everyone must have access to the tools needed to innovate and succeed.  I have introduced legislation to help close the digital divide, increasing access and affordability of Internet services for all.  I have also introduced several bipartisan bills to help our nation meet its future spectrum demand, ensuring next generation technologies can be developed and used by consumers.

One of the biggest technology issues of our time is the issue of net neutrality.  I have heard from hundreds of Sacramento residents who are concerned about the future of the Internet.  I strongly support net neutrality.  A free and open Internet is essential for consumers and to encourage innovation in our country.  I introduced legislation that would restore strong net neutrality rules that were undone by the Trump Federal Communications Commission.  

The pandemic stressed global supply chains, but was especially disruptive to the supply of semiconductors. This severe shortage caused factories to close, workers to get furloughed, and the price of cars and electronics to increase dramatically. That’s why I introduced the CHIPS for America Act to increase American semiconductor manufacturing and research capacity. On August 9, 2022, President Biden signed the CHIPS Act which will provide $52 billion in funding to create new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, increase R&D in states like California, and create new, high-paying jobs all while lowering the prices of consumer goods.