Image: Graphic announcing the cancellation of tonight’s office hours.

Dear Neighbor,

Wow, what a snowstorm! My body’s still sore from all the shoveling. Over nine inches of snow, and it looks like it won’t be melting until at least next week. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and warm. Please check in on neighbors who may need help, especially older adults. Information on weather-related assistance is at the end of this newsletter.

It’s also been a heavy week nationally, and one that reinforces why using one’s position of power is important. This newsletter shares how we’re speaking out for accountability when federal actions put lives at risk, standing up for science and public health, defending the full truth of our history, and continuing to deliver real investments for our neighborhood.

As always, my office is here to help:
📞 215-482-8726 | 📧 RepKhan@pahouse.net | 📍 4001 Main St., Unit 101, Manayunk

In this issue:

🛑 Demanding Accountability for ICE & Border Patrol

💉 Why I Spoke Out During RFK Jr.’s Harrisburg Visit

📜 Defending the Full Truth of Our History

🍎 Grant Funding for Small Things to Support Food Access

❄️ Weather-Related Support Guide

🏠 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

🛑 Demanding Accountability for ICE & Border Patrol

On Sunday, I introduced a resolution in the Pennsylvania House calling on Congress to stop giving blank checks to federal immigration agencies until real accountability is in place.

This weekend, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who cared for veterans, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Multiple videos and witness accounts show Pretti was peacefully trying to help others and holding only a phone when he was shot, clearly contradicting false official statements by the Trump administration and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem about the circumstances of the shooting.

Image: The body of ICU nurse Alex Pretti being saluted by fellow nurses. Pretti cared for veterans at the VA.

Earlier this month, another 37-year-old U.S. citizen, Renée Nicole Good was also killed by DHS agents. These deaths should have never occurred, and they raise serious questions about how federal enforcement is operating and who is holding it accountable when things go wrong.

These operations in Minnesota are not about immigration enforcement or keeping our communities safe — they’ve become a massive federal deployment that prioritizes asserting and growing federal power and suppressing dissent against the Trump administration’s extremist policies.

Our resolution attempts to bring accountability, transparency, and to keep people safe when the federal government uses force. It urges Congress to require basic safeguards before approving more funding, including clear use-of-force standards, independent investigations when someone is seriously hurt or killed, body camera transparency, and cooperation with state and local authorities.

Accountability should come before more funding, especially when there is abuse, incompetence, and unjustified violence. That’s just common sense, and it’s what we all expect from our government.

With the next federal funding deadline this Saturday, please call Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick and let them know your thoughts on additional funding for ICE and CBP unless significant and meaningful reforms are enacted.

Senator Fetterman (215) 241-1090

Senator McCormick (215) 405-9660

And tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 10 a.m. I will join Philadelphia Councilmembers Kendra Brooks and Rue Landau as they announce their legislation to help safeguard Philadelphia residents from the abuses of ICE. It will be at City Hall, at the Northeast apron. Join us if you are free!

Click here or the image above to read about our resolution.

💉Why I Spoke Out During RFK Jr.'s Harrisburg Visit

Last week, RFK Jr. came to Harrisburg to speak at the state Capitol. Given his long record of promoting vaccine misinformation and undermining public health, I believe his agenda is moving our country in the wrong direction.

Image: Photo of RFK counter-protest in Harrisburg.

We’re seeing the consequences in real time. Americans are less protected, more confused, and in many cases worse off when it comes to their health. That means less access to food, healthcare, lifesaving medications, and the benefits of groundbreaking medical advances. And when policies hurt patients, staying quiet isn’t an option.

So, while RFK Jr. spoke inside the Capitol rotunda last week, I joined other health professionals and organized labor outside on the Capitol steps for a counter-rally to speak up for patients and for science.

Right now, health coverage, food security, vaccine access, and life-saving research are all being weakened by this administration’s choices.

Here in Pennsylvania alone, at least 70,000 people lost their health coverage this year because ACA subsidies were gutted in Washington, driving up costs and pushing families out of coverage. That means delayed care, skipped medications, and worse outcomes — especially for working families and seniors.

I was proud to stand with nurses, doctors, and workers to call for a change in direction, and grateful that this message was covered by both PennLive and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

👉 Read more:

Image: Newspaper-style graphic of Inquirer article.

📜 Defending the Full Truth of Our History

The National Park Service recently dismantled the enslavement exhibit at the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park.

Removing this exhibit is a troubling attempt to sanitize history and push aside the stories of Black Americans and others who have too often been erased. That’s not patriotism. Real patriotism means confronting the full truth — including painful facts like President George Washington’s enslavement of people — and learning from it.

Independence Mall deserves honesty and context. This will not stand. More coverage from BillyPenn at WHYY is linked here and at the image below.

Image: Photo of National Park Services removal of historical plaque. (BillyPenn)

🍎 Grant Funding for Small Things to Support Food Access

Really excited to share that we helped secure over $86K in state funding for Small Things, doing essential work in Roxborough and beyond to fight hunger and expand food access!

Image: Graphic announcing grant funding for Small Things.

We’ve partnered with Small Things before to support The Table Food Pantry at Roxborough Church, helping families in our community get fresh, healthy food with dignity. This new funding will go toward a refrigerated van — making it easier to reach more neighbors here and support additional projects across the city.

Image: Photo from volunteering at Roxborough Church.

Access to food is about dignity, health, and basic fairness, and sometimes it’s the practical, “small things” that make the biggest difference.

Weather-Related Support Guide

With winter storms and snow emergencies this season, Philadelphia and Pennsylvania offer a range of resources to help you stay safe, warm, and connected!

📍 Snow & Emergency Alerts
Sign up for real-time weather and snow emergency alerts through the City of Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management’s ReadyPhiladelphia program. You’ll get texts and emails with important info on closures, snowfall, and safety updates.

📍 Warming Centers & Code Blue
During cold spells, warming centers open as safe, heated shelters for anyone in need, including those without power or heat. When temperatures hit "Code Blue," outreach teams connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter and support.

Find a warming center

If you’re experiencing homelessness, visit a city-funded intake center for help. To report someone outside during Code Blue, call the homeless outreach hotline at (215) 232-1984.

📍 Utility & Safety Support
For power outages or gas emergencies, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) and PECO offer 24/7 emergency hotlines. For gas emergencies, call 215-235-1212 immediately.

If a tree falls during a storm and poses an immediate safety threat, call 911. Otherwise, call the city’s non-emergency number 311. A crew of arborists from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is on-call to respond to tree emergencies. If a tree has fallen on electrical wires, please call PECO’s emergency line: 1-800-841-4141.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

LIHEAP is currently open for the 2025-26 season through April 10, 2026. It provides cash grants to help eligible households pay heating bills, plus crisis grants if your heat is shut off, at risk of shut off, or you’re out of fuel. These grants are one-time payments sent directly to your utility or fuel provider and do not need to be repaid.

Who can benefit?

Households meeting income guidelines can get help with heating bills.
Crisis grants are available if your heat is shut off, threatened, or fuel is unavailable.

You can apply:

Online through the state’s COMPASS portal,
By mail, or
In person at your county assistance office.

If you need help with the application or aren’t sure where to start, our office is here to guide you through the process! Reach out by phone at (215) 482-8726 or email at reptarik@pahouse.net to set up an appointment.

Image: Graphic with LIHEAP information.