U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier's 4th of July Update

July 4, 2014

Dear Friends,

The Fourth of July represents a monumental day in American history when our nation’s Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The document expressed the American people’s convictions and spelled out the new nation’s political philosophy that we are all created equal. The great John Adams, the nation’s second president, wrote a prescient letter to his wife Abigail before signing the declaration: “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival … solemnized with pomp and parade … from this time forward forever more.”

The colonies united together in the Revolutionary War to gain independence and tens of thousands of soldiers sacrificed their lives in those epic battles for freedom. They were patriots who fought to create the democracy we cherish today. On Independence Day, we honor all the veterans who have ever served this country and the men and women in uniform who are currently fighting for our freedoms in lands far from the United States.

When they return, they deserve timely services from the Veterans Administration. I have worked closely with local VA offices to fix backlogs in disability claims. In the last two years my office has helped hundreds of veterans and secured over $4 million in overdue benefits. Now veterans are facing another failure within the VA system with outrageous - and in some cases fatal - delays in access to medical appointments. I will be hosting a Town Hall meeting on Monday, July 7 with Congresswomen Anna G. Eshoo to assess if this is a problem at the Palo Alto VA Hospital. If you have experienced delays in medical care at the VA, please call my District Office at (650) 342-0300. Click here for more information.

Today, Americans will salute the Red, White and Blue as this great nation celebrates its 238th birthday with parades, family gatherings and fireworks shows from coast to coast. Locally, there are several festivals, parades and fireworks shows that will be exciting for the whole family to attend.

Redwood City will host its annual Independence Day Parade & Festival with a pancake breakfast and parade in the morning and fireworks show at the port starting at 9:30 p.m.

Foster City’s Fourth of July includes a dog parade in the morning at the Recreation Center followed by a barbecue at Leo J. Ryan Park starting at noon with a fireworks show starting at 9:30 p.m. over the Lagoon.

Half Moon Bay will feature its annual parade at noon on Main Street.

Menlo Park’s Parade and Celebration takes place between 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The parade starts at 1:45 p.m. and runs down Santa Cruz Avenue to Burgess Park. Music, games, food, and more will be at Burgess Park.

Pacifica’s Fourth of July Celebration is at Frontierland Park with crafts, games, music, and more from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will activities all day in San Francisco at Pier 39. The Waterfront Celebration event starts at noon with a performance by the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West and ends with a fireworks show over the San Francisco Bay at 9:30 p.m.

Pacifica and San Bruno are two of the few cities in the Bay Area that still allow legal, “safe & sane” fireworks for the July 4th holiday. Both cities, however, have a zero tolerance for illegal fireworks. Individuals caught with illegal fireworks will be cited and may be fined and/or sentenced to one year in jail. Too many children and adults have been severely burned and scarred through mistakes while handling fireworks so please exercise extreme caution while around fireworks especially considering how dry the vegetation is during the state’s ongoing drought.

I hope this email will help you and your loved ones enjoy the season safely. Please click here to participate in a telephone town hall July 9 at 7 p.m. to discuss my work in Congress and to take your questions. Have a Happy Fourth and I look forward to seeing you this summer!

All the best,

/s/ Jackie