Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45) was dubbed the “most legislatively productive representative” by the Orange County Register, which cited several of the Congresswoman’s recent legislative actions to provide relief to families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. As noted by the OC Register, Congresswoman Porter has spearheaded several pandemic-related letters and bills since her second term began in January, including legislation to make healthcare and childcare more affordable, remove paid off or settled medical debt from a patient’s credit report, and expand mental health care during the pandemic.

“Orange County’s most legislatively productive representative so far this session, at least when it comes to coronavirus relief, is Rep. Katie Porter,” the Orange County Register wrote. “Now in her second term, the high-profile Democrat from Irvine has introduced several pandemic-related bills, and reintroduced others that last year passed the Democrat-controlled House but failed to make it through what was then a Republican-held Senate.”

Congresswoman Porter has fought tirelessly to deliver much-needed relief to families throughout the pandemic, and she has redoubled her efforts since the start of her second term. In January, she introduced bipartisan legislation to reduce healthcare costs for seniors by protecting them from surprise Medicare penalties. In February, Congresswoman Porter reintroduced a bill to remove paid off or settled medical debt from a patient’s credit report, as well as bipartisan legislation to help meet the skyrocketing demand for mental and behavioral health services. She most recently reintroduced bipartisan legislation to help families pay for childcare, noting the record number of women who have been pushed out of the workforce since the start of the pandemic, many of whom cite caregiving responsibilities. 

Since being sworn into her second term, Congresswoman Porter has led several pandemic-related letters to Administration officials, Congressional leadership, and large corporations on behalf of Orange County families. In January, she sent a letter to the national association representing insurance companies calling on them to guarantee coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine. Later that month, Congresswoman Porter joined her colleagues in the Progressive Caucus in urging Congressional leadership to put forward a relief bill that meets the size and scope of the economic and health disasters caused by COVID-19.

In February, Rep. Porter led a letter with Senator Elizabeth Warren to the then-heads of Operation Warp Speed detailing how to fully use the Defense Production Act to bolster America’s vaccine supply. A few weeks later, she led a letter to the Biden Administration regarding the need for stronger oversight of organ procurement organizations (OPOs)—the federal contractors responsible for collecting and transporting organs—given the thousands of potential donations they fail to recover each year, which is particularly alarming since COVID-19 ravages organs and is highly likely to increase the need for transplants.

Read the full article from the Orange County Register HERE.

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