Dear Friends, At the start of this Congress our country faced a cascade of crises. Between the pandemic, climate disasters, racial injustice, economic turmoil, and record unemployment rates—our communities were hurting.  All this disruption played out amidst a turbulent political landscape. Just days after the 117th Congress convened we came dangerously close to losing our democracy. This is not an exaggeration. Armed rioters stormed America’s Capitol, determined to prevent the peaceful transition of presidential power. The January 6 insurrection left deep wounds and challenges to heal the rifts, rebuild trust, and meet the needs of the American people.  Over the past two years, we have made unprecedented progress. We passed significant pieces of legislation into law like the American Rescue Plan of 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These laws are helping American families and seniors control health and childcare costs. They are also having a positive effect on reducing inflation. The BIL is generating hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit, rail, water and wastewater, and broadband infrastructure. The IRA marks the single largest investment in U.S. history to combat the climate crisis and puts the country on track toward a 40% reduction in emissions by 2030. Several key provisions I authored were included to accelerate renewable energy development, reinstate the Superfund tax to ensure polluters pay to clean up their mess, and electrify our transportation system.I am proud that we made historic progress in ending the 50-year failed war on drugs. The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is the first stand-alone cannabis-related legislation to pass Congress since the Controlled Substances Act. It means, among other things, that we can finally begin to develop a meaningful test for impairment. Because we currently have no effective test for impairment, every day tens of thousands of workers fail drug tests. This is one of the reasons we have millions of unemployed workers and millions of jobs that aren’t filled. While other cannabis priorities have yet to make it over the finish line, including SAFE Banking, I am resolved to keep up the fight until the misguided prohibition on cannabis is finally ended.  There is more to celebrate, like passing the Respect for Marriage Act, as well as temporarily suspending infant formula tariffs to ease the domestic shortage. I’m proud of these accomplishments and optimistic about the potential to make further gains in the new Congress. The challenges remain despite unprecedented progress. We must continue to support Ukraine in the face of horrific military aggression by Vladimir Putin. The climate crisis is here, and communities need help now to become resilient for the future. Our democracy and voting laws must be protected and strengthened. We need to codify the right to reproductive health care. Americans need more affordable housing and people in mental distress need greater support. The stage, however, is set for continued advances. I hope this message will bring a sense of hope and optimism for what is possible in the next Congress and the new year. We know it won’t be easy, but it’s the hard work and cooperation that makes progress, when it comes, all the sweeter.