2023

An invite, why run at all, and some thoughts on the year.

Katie Porter

Dec 29

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Happy end of 2023! It wouldn’t be the end of the year if I didn’t take a few minutes to reflect.

In Congress: It’s no secret that the House of Representatives was a hot mess this year. We started with the Kevin McCarthy speaker-debacle and ended with Mike Johnson in charge. But my job as a Congresswoman isn’t just to work on legislation (something made more difficult with the GOP in charge); it’s also to serve constituents directly. On that note, I’m very proud my office helped Orange County residents secure $8.2 million they were owed by the federal government.

This year, it was also exciting to see bills I passed in 2022 actually go into effect! Two standouts were my bill to raise rates on polluters who drill for oil on public lands and my bill to crack down on Big Pharma’s price gouging—which you can read more about here.

The campaign: It’s been almost a full year since I announced I was running for the U.S. Senate. Instead of boring you with a long list of every campaign stop, and because I cannot choose a favorite amongst California cities (obviously), I thought I’d share this video answering a question I often get: why run for the Senate when you could just stay in the House?

On a personal note: This was an exciting year for my oldest son, who got accepted to college and can take a deep sigh of relief as he knows where he’s going next fall. Going through the process of filling out FAFSA, discussing housing and payment options, and attempting to secure scholarships and financial aid is one I know many people can relate to. The whole system could use serious improvements, but that’s another whole Substack post.

Looking ahead: Our competitive primary election is now just over two months away. That means even on my birthday (Jan 3rd!), we’re campaigning. So next Wednesday, on my birthday, I’ll be holding a virtual birthday fundraiser. I’m turning 50, so in that spirit, I’ll be answering 50 rapid-fire questions in 50 minutes, and it’s $50 to join. This event will be fun, more informal, and yes—it really is my birthday! You can click here to RSVP.

If you can’t make it but want to support our campaign ahead of the end of the fundraising quarter on 12/31, you can use this link to donate.