Dear friend,

As we commemorate our nation’s history this Fourth of July, I’m thinking about how important it is that we invest in our communities and create a better future for our children. Making this a priority, I worked with my colleagues on legislation that would improve our infrastructure, protect our kids, and take concrete steps to fight climate change. This bill, the Moving Forward Act, passed the House of Representatives this week, so I wanted to share with you how this bill will support Orange County businesses and families. 

Let’s face it, our outdated transportation system is not sustainable. The Moving Forward Act would reduce our carbon footprint and dramatically make our roads safer for cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. The bill includes funding to address gridlock, improve highway safety programs, and to create new programs that would build infrastructure that can withstand the threats posed by the climate crisis and extreme weather.

As a minivan-driving single mom, I take road safety very seriously. I’m thrilled that the House passed the Moving Forward Act, which includes several of my proposals to protect Orange County families on the road while reducing our carbon footprint. 

Right now, women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to pass away in a car crash than men. This is because vehicle safety features have traditionally been designed using car-crash dummies that use the height and weight of the average American man for impact tests. Everyone deserves to be safe on our roads, so I drafted an amendment to develop stronger seating standards and to study design features that better protect women.

I’m also committed to keeping Orange County children healthy and safe. That’s why I worked on proposals to help us understand the dangers of idling school buses and cars in school zones and to strengthen the labeling and reporting requirements for booster seat testing and safety. I’m proud to say that all three of my measures were approved by the House and are included in the Moving Forward Act.

Keeping Orange County families safe also means taking on climate change and pollution. Last year, Rep. Harley Rouda, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, and I introduced the Clean Corridors Act to establish a program to install electric and hydrogen fueling stations along our nation’s highways. California is ahead of the curve and has made buying and driving a clean vehicle so much easier, but it’s hard to drive these cars many places outside of our state. This measure, which would move us toward a greener future, was included in the Moving Forward Act. I’m particularly excited about this proposal because it would protect both our environment and our local economy, since our district is home to over 21,000 clean jobs and a top-notch public university.

As we celebrate Independence Day this weekend, let’s remind ourselves of the duty we have as Americans to build a better country for our kids. Investing in our infrastructure and protecting our environment are critical to achieving this goal. I will continue to work on legislation that puts the health and safety of Orange County families front and center. Happy Fourth of July!

Very truly yours,

Representative Katie Porter
Member of Congress