On Tuesday, I head back to DC for the first time in a few weeks. It has me thinking about Congress’ job for the year.

First off, 2023, by every measure, was unproductive. Republicans’ tiny majority and refusal to govern effectively meant:

I hold out some hope that 2024 can be more fruitful. Of course, there’s the big stuff we need to get done, like hammering out deals to keep the government funded and allocating aid abroad.

But amidst a divided government, I hope we can also pass the smaller, bipartisan bills that genuinely do affect people’s lives. I’ve led several of these, including a bill to prevent another infant formula shortage. It might be considered “small” by Congressional standards, but if you’re the parent of a baby who can’t find safe formula, Congress’ failure to act is a BIG deal.

I also want to take some time to answer one of the questions I got on my post asking what you all would like to see me cover here on Substack. More of these to come!

This is a great question. Unfortunately, people who are concerned about corruption are right to be concerned. From a reliance on big money to Members of Congress profiting off of stock trades, our system is broken. Whether the corruption is covert (fancy lobbyist weekend trips) or overt (Bob Menendez/George Santos style), it’s a problem.

That’s why I’ve tried to lead by example, and I don’t take money from corporate PACs, federal lobbyists, or Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Bank CEOs. I’ve also led the fight to ban congressional stock trading and am the only Democrat to oppose earmarks, which are a way of funding pet projects and often lead to waste and fraud.

But just because the system isn’t perfect does not mean we should disengage. It’s imperative that the people who do see how rigged the rules can be engage with our political process. If you just throw your hands up and refuse to vote, you’re playing right into the special interest playbook—which wants voters to feel powerless against big corporations and the status quo.

I encourage people to support candidates who are doing things the right way, and to stay involved and continue pressing elected officials to act in the best interests of their constituents.

As always, thanks for reading!

Katie Porter

P.S. — 60 days until our primary election! You can use this link to help us out: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/kpsubstackq124&refcode=0106