January 22, 2021 Newsletter

Dear Friend,

This week we witnessed the historic Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. I am very excited to have new leadership in the White House and to see the effective change our new administration is already accomplishing. I am confident that under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we will begin to truly crush the COVID-19 pandemic, bring relief to millions of families across Virginia, and work with renewed focus to save our environment from the devastating effects of the climate crisis.  

In Congress, I joined my colleagues in sending several important letters to the new Biden administration to underscore some of our most urgent priorities.

First, Senator Michael Bennet and I wrote to President Biden to urge that the incoming administration reverts to a science-based approach when making government decisions that will impact our environment. Properly accounting for the cost of greenhouse gas pollution is an important step in getting our country on track to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and avoid the worst impacts of climate change. A rigorous interagency process to restore science-based application of the social cost of greenhouse gases will help us to mitigate the harmful effects of climate change.

Today, I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden, urging him to immediately commute the sentences of everyone on federal death row. In the final days of the Trump administration, we watched, horrified, as former President Trump ordered the barbaric executions of several Americans. My colleagues and I stand ready to work with President Biden on his commitment to rebuilding the dignity of America. We believe that rebuilding the dignity of America requires that we recommit ourselves to the tradition of due process, mercy, and judicial clemency when it comes to matters related to the criminal legal system. In Virginia, our leaders in the General Assembly are also taking up this issue to eliminate the death penalty in the Commonwealth. I look forward to the progress our Commonwealth and our nation can make on this critical civil rights issue.

In the district, I am hosting our second Black History Month Essay Contest for middle and high school students living in Virginia’s Fourth Congressional District. This contest is an excellent opportunity for our students to showcase their writing skills and to also reflect on the importance of Black History. This year, I want students to consider the future of Black History, and ask that they write about a current leader or activist who they believe will become an important figure in Black History. Essays will be due to my office no later than 5PM on February 15th. Further information about the contest can be found below.

As you begin to think about preparing your 2020 income taxes, I want to bring your attention to an important opportunity to help lessen the amount of taxes you may owe. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) helps low- to moderate-income workers and families get a tax break. If they qualify, taxpayers can use the credit to increase their refund or reduce the taxes they owe. One third of workers eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit is new to the EITC each year. Constituents who in past years earned too much to qualify for EITC may find themselves eligible this year. Eligibility requirements and other information are at Who Qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The EITC can add an average of $2,460 to an IRS refund for eligible workers. For more information about the Earned Income Tax Credit, please visit https://irs.gov or give my team a call at 804-486-1840.

I hope you have a great weekend. Be sure to bundle up if you plan to be outside and of course, don’t forget your mask.

Sincerely,

A. Donald McEachin
Member of Congress
Virginia’s 4th District