Congresswoman Renee Ellmers: Let’s Play Ball!


Photo of the Week

In Wednesday night’s Congressional Women’s Softball Game, we came up a bit short in the score, but not in the effort for the Young Survival Coalition. Roll Call reported the game raised $215,000, crossing “$875,000 in total donations to the charity since the event began in 2008.” It was a great time for a great cause.

 

Weekly Update
Before heading back to D.C. this week, I headed to a batting cage near my house to get a few practice swings in before the big game this week! This week marked the 9th annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game, which is a competitive softball game between one team composed of female members of Congress versus the D.C. press corps. I’m the only left-handed softball player on the Congressional Team, so I wanted to make sure I practiced on my own before the big day! 

While I’m disappointed to say the Congressional Team did not win this year’s game, a greater purpose was served in raising funds for the Young Survivor’s Coalition. Be sure to check out photos from the event below!

Another significant milestone was reached this week, as the House Energy & Commerce Committee passed a landmark bipartisan mental health reform bill. This legislation passed out of committee 53-0, which now means its ready to be considered before the full House of Representatives for a vote. This is a giant step forward to providing hope for those suffering from mental illness. Read more about this legislation, H.R. 4626, by scrolling down below.

Appreciation Luncheons and Capitol Tours

Showing appreciation for our ??First Responders?! A representative from my office attended the Morrisville First Responders Thank You Lunch on Tuesday where Firefighter of the Year Lucas Scott, Officer of the Year Felecia Sykes, and others were honored.

It was great seeing former intern, Reagan Warren, and her mom this week and helping them with a tour of the Capitol, including this great photo with friends on the speaker’s balcony.

 

Play Ball!
 

 This year marks the 8th annual Congressional Women’s Softball Game which raises awareness for young women who are breast cancer survivors. This game is played by the female members of Congress and the D.C. Media and is women only! The game this year was emceed by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, CNN’s Dana Bash, and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). Click here for more information on the game.
 

Practicing proper swinging form before the game on Wednesday.

  Got to put my practice swings in action, as I went up to bat in the 4th inning of the game.

 
 

 

Passing Mental Health Reform
 

On Wednesday, the Energy & Commerce Committee made significant progress in addressing the broken mental health system that exists in our country. We passed groundbreaking legislation, H.R. 2646 – the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act – which is the first of its kind. Even more impressive? It passed 53-0 out of committee and was completely unopposed. 

This legislation implements meaningful mental health reforms and provides long overdue fixes to the current system by focusing resources on psychiatric care for patients and families. Its unanimous passage out of the Energy & Commerce Committee this morning is a testament to how paramount this legislation is in addressing the serious mental health crisis facing our nation. Click here to read more about this legislation.

Constituent Meetings
 

 I really enjoyed meeting with members of the Global Leadership Coalition. During our meeting, we discussed the importance of the International Affairs Budget in order to advance national security and economic interests.

  During the meeting in my office, we also discussed concerns surrounding Zika and what the House of Representatives has done to combat this virus.

 

 

Happy Father’s Day!
 

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful dads out there!