Congressional Simulation Information Sheet
Student Name:
Assigned Congressperson’s Name:
Linda Sanchez
Party:
Democratic
Chamber of Congress:
House of Representatives
State/District (please include a map of your district):
California’s 38th District (See last page for map of district)
Committee Membership(s):
Served on the following committees:
House Committee on Ways and Means
Member, Subcommittee on Social Security
Member, Subcommittee on Tax Policy
Leadership Position:
I am in a leadership position as Vice Chair House Democratic Caucus. This is the fifth-highest ranking position in House Democratic Leadership. I focus on strengthening the belief of the American Dream. I am also in a leadership position as Senior Democratic Whip for the Democratic Caucus. As Senior Whip, I have a team that provides strategies for addressing key issues followed up with working with other Caucus members on legislation.
Years in Congress so far:
4 years 10 months (January 3, 2013 – November 1, 2017)
Up for reelection:
2018
Interests of your district:
I am interested in all of issues in California’s 38th District such as “Civil Rights and Equality, Education and Student Loans, Energy and the Environment, Health Care, Housing, Immigration, Labor and Trade, National Security and Foreign Policy, Seniors, Small Business, Tax Policy, Transportation, Veterans, and Working Families” (Issues, n.d.).
I am particularly interested in paid family leave, repair of aging bridges, roads, and railways, improvements to the tax code, and the protection of a variety of civil rights.
Three Bills I am proposing in my own words.
- H.R. 1957: Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2017
Overview: Briefly, this House Billamends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 needing to address and detail who is in charge, what will be done, stakeholder reports, and data compilations of incidents and resolutionsmeant to prevent bullying and harassment of students in school districts around the country.
Summary: The Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2017 seeks to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This amendment will require states to prevent and prohibit bullying in the schools. Bullying includes severe, persistent, or pervasive harassment. This definition of bullying impairs a student’s ability to fully participate or benefit from school programs. Bullying is also defined as the creation of a hostile or abusive environment significantly affecting any student’s education.
Students, parents, and educational professionals will receive a yearly notification of conduct that was deemed bullying in their districts. Students and parents will also be notified of any procedures the district put forth to target bullying behaviors. A report will be made public that details incidence and frequency of any conduct covered in this bill.
In addition, the Department of Education will gather data every two years evaluating programs and policies that have been put into action deterring bullying and harassment in schools. The National Center for Education will compile the incidence and frequency rates of these conducts and issue the report.
2.
H.R. 813: All-Year ACCESS Act
Overview: A House Bill written to restore the right to gain “access to year-round Federal Pell Grants (H.R. 813, n.d., para. #1).
Summary:
Using the acronym ACCESS (Affordability for Constant and Continual Education to Enhance Student Success Act, this bill amends Title IV ofthe Higher Education Act (1965) that provides financial assistance. The amendment would increase the number of Pell Grants an eligible student may obtain in a single reward year from one to two. This is actually a restoration of previously established year-round Pell Grants. The total of a student’s grants may not be more than 150% of the maximum Pell Grant for the award year.
The bill does not extend the number of eligibility periods granted to a student’s Lifetime Pell Grant eligibility, but is absorbed into the current year’s eligibility period. For example, if a student has a Lifetime Pell Grant eligibility of 5 years, being granted two in one year does not change the number of years to 4.
3.
H.R. 667 (112th): Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act
Overview: The House Bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 creating a“demonstration project” that would“fund additional secondary school counselors… to reduce the dropout rate” (H.R. 667, n.d., para. #1) .
Summary:
House Bill 667 was introduced in 2011. It asks for a demonstration project to support the need for additional school counselors. A demonstration project “tests and measures how changes in current project would affect the program in real-world situations” (Demonstration Projects, n.d., para. #1). The Bill directs the Secretary of Education to use a demonstration project that provides 4-year grants to a minimum of 10 identified secondary schools. These selected schools would have a low graduation rate. The grants would pay for the addition of school counselors and counselor resources. One additional counselor per 250 at-risk students would be added under the bill. The counselors would be directed to work individually with students identified as at-risk (not graduating under the four-year graduation requirement). For schools that demonstrate improved graduation rates eligible for additional grants for counselors.
California’s 38th District
References
Demonstration Projects. (n.d.). Retrieved from
H.R. 667 (112th): Put School Counselors Where They’re Needed Act (n.d.). Retrieved from
H.R. 813: All-Year ACCESS Act. (n.d.). Retrieved from
Issues. (n.d.). Retrieved from