2025

Dear John,

April was a busy month for me and my team! Keep reading to hear about the progress we've made on your behalf.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell

STANDING UP FOR SOCIAL SECURITY

Elon Musk thinks Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme." It's why he and President Trump have taken a chainsaw to the Social Security Administration. They've fired thousands of employees, closed field offices, broken the agency's website, and even restricted telephone services.

I've got a message for Trump and Musk. Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. It is an earned benefit, and a lifeline for more than 160,000 people in my district, including seniors, children, widows, and people with disabilities.

If Trump and Musk want to dismantle Social Security, they will have a fight on their hands.

On April 1, I joined my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out in support of Social Security. Watch our press conference here.

That same day, House Democrats held a hearing to expose the truth about the Trump-Musk scheme to make it harder for seniors to get their benefits. I had the chance to ask Ms. Judith Brown what would happen if she and her family missed a check. Her answer? “We would not survive."

House Democrats are fighting like hell for Ms. Brown and millions of Americans like her.

This month, I also hosted a special Social Security edition of "Terri Talks" featuring the former Social Security Commissioner, Gov. Martin O'Malley.

Watch our full conversation here!

TAKING ON TRUMP'S TARIFFS

President Trump promised the American people that he would lower costs and strengthen our economy. He is doing the opposite.

Thanks to his reckless tariffs, our economy is in chaos, working families are hurting, retirement savings are vanishing, prices are rising, and small business owners across Alabama are worried about going under.

Donald Trump has once again shown that he cannot be trusted with our economy. As Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee, we're doing something about it.

This month, we introduced the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act. Our bill would end Trump’s tariff chaos and return trade authority to Congress, where it belongs.

On April 10, we held a press conference demanding that House Republicans join us and put an end to this madness. Watch it here.

We won’t sit by as Donald Trump wrecks our economy and drives up prices!

PROTECTING OUR VOTING RIGHTS

This month, House Republicans jammed through a massive voter suppression bill that would block tens of millions of eligible Americans from voting.

Under their so-called "SAVE Act" a driver's license would not be enough for most Americans to register to vote. Instead, the bill requires voters to prove their citizenship by presenting—in person—a passport or certified birth certificate.

Here's the problem. Roughly 140 million Americans don't have a passport and roughly 69 million married women have a last name that doesn't match their birth certificate. The bill also makes no exceptions for military personnel or Native American voters. Military and tribal IDs would not qualify.

When Speaker Johnson brought this bill to the floor, I stood up and spoke out against it. I didn't just vote no—I voted HELL no. Watch my remarks here.

As a daughter of Selma, Representative of the Civil Rights District, and Ranking Member of the Elections Subcommittee, this fight is very personal to me. Our right to vote is sacred, and we as elected officials should we working to expand access to the ballot box, not restrict it.

I will continue advocating for Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure every American can vote freely and fairly.

FIGHTING BACK AGAINST CUTS TO RESEARCH FUNDING

Research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) powers Alabama's economy, puts Alabamians to work, helps us find cures to deadly diseases, and has made Alabama a leader in the biotechnology sector.

In fact, last year, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was in the top 1% of all NIH funding recipients.

Sadly President Trump's February executive order slashes NIH research funding, costing UAB up to $70 million. Moreover, House Republicans' leaked 2026 budget documents propose cutting NIH research funding nearly in HALF.

That means critical research here in Alabama would be greatly reduced or even halted. Medical studies and clinical trials could stop. Researchers could lose their jobs. Alabamians would be left sicker and worse off.

I'm not going to let that happen without a fight. On April 24, I met with UAB researchers to hear about the impact of President Trump's cuts. After our briefing, I stood outside the campus to call out these draconian cuts.

Watch my remarks here. 

I will continue to fight against Trump and Musk's unlawful cuts to healthcare.

CONNECTING WITH CONSTITUENTS

This month, we continued our annual Congress in Your Community Tour through all 13 counties in Alabama's 7th Congressional District.

On April 23, we hosted a community conversation in Lowndes County about the impact of President Trump's cuts to health care, education, food assistance, and more. Read more about our event in this article from the Alabama Political Reporter. Watch it on CSPAN here.

I also visited the Alabama State House in Montgomery to share updates on my work in Congress and explore new ways we can partner to improve the lives of Alabamians. During my visit, I met with state officials about $8+ billion authorized for the State of Alabama from the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I'm committed to ensuring this funding reaches the communities that need it most!

While I was in Washington, I hosted a telephone town hall with more than 18,000 listeners. We discussed the latest attacks from the Trump Administration and what we are doing to fight back. If you missed it, you can listen here. To sign up for future telephone town halls, click here.

I also stopped by an event honoring Birmingham City Schools' Class of 2025 valedictorians and salutatorians. Congratulations to all of our amazing young scholars!

Stay tuned—We look forward to visiting a city near you!

FOLLOW ME ON BLUESKY!

I'm officially on Bluesky! If you are too, give me a follow for the latest updates!

DELIVERING FOR YOU

In March, Mr. Julian King, a veteran from Homewood, Alabama, reached out to my office for help with his veterans educational assistance benefits.

Mr. King is working to become a commercial pilot, but was incorrectly denied reimbursement for his licensing and certification exams by the VA.

My office quickly reached out to the VA on Mr. King's behalf. Within one week, we got the issue resolved and Mr. King was reimbursed more than $500.

My office stands ready to assist with your federal needs. To get help with a federal agency, visit my website here or reach out to one of our district offices.

To keep up with my work, please be sure to check in regularly with our website and social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky). If you'd like to share your thoughts or concerns, you can email me here.

It is an honor to serve you in Congress. I look forward to hearing from you soon!