Congresswoman Valerie Foushee joined the monthly meeting of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP on April 6 to present members with a legislative update, as well as to discuss her recent trip to Israel.
She shared how she voted to help the House pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, legislation to ensure the federal government remains funded through the end of the fiscal year and noted those bills contained fifteen Community Project Funding requests which she championed that will deliver federal funding directly to local projects.
In total those projects amounted to over $12.39 million in federal funding for Fourth District non-profits and public institutions. You can find information regarding the projects included in the first government funding package here, and the second government funding package here.
After the congressional update, Congresswoman Foushee discussed her recent trip to Israel, where she met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Members of the Knesset, Palestinian leaders in Ramallah, U.S. Ambassador Jack Lew and family members of hostages to discuss the ongoing conflict in the region.
“As a member of Congress, I have an obligation to meet with leaders of foreign nations so that I get a chance to hear from them and to express how I feel about what they're doing or what they expect us to do for them,” she told the branch meeting attendees. “I want you all to know because more than a few people have asked me what happened, so I'm here to tell you. We were not there because we are allies to the Prime Minister. We are, however, allies to Israel. We are allies and promoters of democracy. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. If we are defenders of democracy, then we have to defend democracy where we need to.”
Join us May 4 for the next branch meeting – as always, at the RENA Community Center at 1 p.m. – where our special guest will be NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls. She will give an update on the courts and critical decisions before both the SCOTUS and NCSC.