Breaking the mold for new Members of Congress, Peltola scores an early legislative victory
Passage of her first bill is good news for Alaska's veterans and a sign that Peltola's star is rising.
Congresswoman Mary Peltola had her work cut out for her. To get to the U.S. House of Representatives, she had to beat out 48 other opponents and win state-wide as a Democrat in Alaska. Winning was no small task, and arriving in Congress to replace Congressman Don Young, the Dean of the House who ranks exceptionally high as one of the institution's most effective legislators of all time, means expectations are sky high. In her second week on the job, Peltola has moved quickly, passing her first piece of legislation and proving she's up to the challenge of mirroring Congressman Young's legislative effectiveness.
This week, Congresswoman Peltola broke the mold for new Members of Congress by securing a major legislative victory less than two weeks in the making. After celebrations for Peltola's history-making election as the first Alaska Native to represent her state in the House — and the first Democrat elected to its sole seat in a half-century — Peltola wasted no time getting to work on what constituents sent her to D.C. to do: legislate.
In her first week on the job, she introduced H.R. 8888, the Food Security for all Veterans Act. Importantly, Alaska has the highest rate of veterans in the nation. Among the many tragic challenges veterans often face is food insecurity. Peltola's bill would create the Office of Food Security within the Department of Veterans Affairs to help individuals with concerns over food security and provide assistance to veterans accessing nutrition programs. The office would also be required to collaborate with other government agencies to identify veterans at risk of fhunger. Efforts like these are vital to supporting veterans, who can be among the most vulnerable members of society.
Days after she introduced her bill, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs approved it for consideration before the full chamber. Such swift committee sign-off of a bill is a remarkable feat for any Member of Congress, let alone one who hadn't even been on the job for a full week at the time.
"Veterans are more likely than others in the general population to suffer from food insecurity, depression, and other psychological disorders. These men and women have sacrificed so much for our country. It is our responsibility to ensure that they are cared for in every way necessary after their service. I'm beyond excited that my bill has already been voted out of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and am optimistic it will come before the House for final consideration yet this year," said Peltola following committee approval of her bill.
Today, less than a week after receiving committee approval, and less than two weeks since her bill was introduced, it passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 376-49. Ahead of the vote, Peltola spoke in support of her bill on the House Floor.
With so many veterans in Alaska and food insecurity frequently top of mind, THE DELEGATION reached out to the Food Bank of Alaska to weigh in on Peltola's legislative victory. "Food insecurity remains a big issue for too many of our veterans," Jim Baldwin, CEO of the Food Bank of Alaska, told THE DELEGATION. "This bill takes an important step in ensuring that those who have served our country bravely have easy access to any food assistance they may need."
Setting herself apart
While Peltola's Food Security for all Veterans Act is undoubtedly a positive development for Alaska's veterans, it's also a clear example of Peltola's early legislative effectiveness. Some House representatives can go their entire term without ever getting a bill passed on the House Floor, let alone moved out of committee.
Peltola has broken the mold not only for new Members of Congress, but for those who have arrived mid-way through a term following their special election victories. For context, Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Congresswoman Connie Conway (R-CA-22), Congresswoman Mayra Flores (R-TX-34), Congressman Brad Finstad (R-MN-01), and Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) all share status with Peltola as special election winners, and yet none of them have passed a single standalone bill through the House. In just two weeks on the job, Congresswoman Peltola has already leapfrogged several colleagues when it comes to legislative accomplishments.