This month, I am excited to share more on the events I recently attended in Virginia’s Fourth.
I was honored to welcome First Lady Dr. Jill Biden to Henrico last month to discuss the exciting news that children under 5 can receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The First Lady and I met with parents & children at the Henrico Health Department East Clinic who were eager to protect themselves by getting vaccinated. As parents, we want to do everything we can to protect our children. Now, parents across the U.S. will have the opportunity to do so.
Vice-President Kamala Harris also came to Henrico last month to talk about the importance of preserving women’s reproductive rights. I was pleased to join the Vice President, and members of the Virginia General Assembly, to talk about the importance of safeguarding the right to choose in the Commonwealth, and federal efforts to codify Roe into federal law.
Lastly, I joined House Committee on Natural Resources Chair Raul Grijalva for a tour of Virginia’s Fourth District and discussed the impacts of our bill, the Environmental Justice for All Act.
In 2018, Chair Grijalva and I launched an inclusive, transparent, community-led and community-driven process to create a comprehensive environmental justice bill: H.R. 2021, the Environmental Justice for All Act. This year, we're looking to improve this legislation by meeting with community stakeholders and others impacted by environmental injustice.
During our bus tour of the district, we were able to see areas of concern in which environmental justice legislation would be most beneficial. On our tour, it was noted that many urban areas in Richmond are lacking significant tree canopies, which contributes to higher temperatures, known as the Urban Heat Island Effect. We also visited African American cemeteries, various sites in Jackson Ward, and Hillside Court, a Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority property, located in a high-risk zip code for lead paint, and, unfortunately, subject to many environmental injustices.
I was glad to not only be joined by experts of the area, but constituents who provided input to make this legislation stronger.
As the new school year is upon us, I want to remind high school students who are interested in attending a service academy that the application for a nomination is now open.
Members of Congress may nominate candidates for appointment to four of the five U.S. service academies: U.S. Military Academy (USMA), West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), Kings Point, NY. The fifth service academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (USCGA), New London, CT, does not require a congressional nomination for appointment.
For details and to begin an application, visit https://bit.ly/ServiceAcademyMcEachin. I look forward to nominating deserving students from Virginia's Fourth.
