Laguna’s Rep. Harley Rouda (CA-48) will host the first town hall of his term on Tuesday, Feb. 19, from 5-7 p.m. at the Estancia High School Gynasium, located at 2323 Placentia Avenue in Costa Mesa.
Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) will introduce Rouda at the event.
“Once you cut through the noise of Washington, the title of this job is ‘Representative,’” Rouda said in a statement. “My constituents have asked me to serve in a position of public trust. I’m looking forward to hearing from them face-to-face and offering my plans for how we can improve the lives of people in our community.”
Since taking office in January, Rouda has participated in several initiatives, including calling for a more holistic approach to prescription drug and health care reform during a Jan. 29 House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on “Examining the Actions of Drug Companies in Raising Prescription Drug Prices.”
“Patients can’t reap the benefits of pharmaceutical innovation if they’re forced to choose their medication or their mortgage,” Rouda said during the hearing. “Our present system presents an unconscionable choice, and we cannot let it stand. We need to take a hard look at the costs in the entire health care system and reassess the prices we pay. Like most things in life, the reality of drug prices is always more complicated than the soundbite. The real cost to patients is opaque to even the most seasoned health policy expert and might as well be a foreign language to a patient.”
Rouda was also named as the co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition Technology Task Force this month, which will focus on issues including emerging technology, global competitiveness, innovation, data privacy, and artificial intelligence. The task force may also oversee issues related to telecommunications, including net neutrality.
Most recently on Feb. 11, Rouda joined 27 colleagues in cosponsoring the bipartisan Stop the Attack on Local Taxpayers (SALT) Act, which was introduced by Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. The bill would repeal the federal cap on state and local (SALT) deductions pursuant from the Trump Tax Law of 2017.
“The people of Orange County should not be taxed twice on the same dollar,” Rouda said. “Last year’s tax bill gave enormous tax giveaways to the largest corporations and very wealthiest households and paid for it with unfair tax burdens on California’s working families. The SALT Act is the product of Democrats and Republicans putting our heads together to make a fairer tax code for middle class families in our states, and I’ll be pushing for its swift passage.”
For more information on Rouda’s upcoming town hall, visit rouda.house.gov.
