House Republicans Codify Another Set of President Trump’s Executive Orders

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — House Republicans continue to enact President Trump’s legislative agenda and codify executive orders. Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed a series of legislation this week to protect America’s small businesses.

“This week, House Republicans codified another set of President Trump’s executive orders to protect American small businesses. The Biden-Harris Administration ignored Main Street America and instead prioritized illegal aliens and dismantled the American people’s trust in the Small Business Administration (SBA), but Republicans have fought and won support for hardworking Americans and entrepreneurs,” Speaker Johnson said. “From ending taxpayer-subsidized open borders to restoring oversight capabilities at SBA, House Republicans continue to bring common sense back to government and refocus agencies on their core missions. We will keep passing the President’s executive orders and working in lockstep with this Administration to fulfill our commitment to the American people.” 

“For the past four years, American small business owners have been tossed aside by the Biden-Harris SBA for illegal immigrants and government bureaucrats,” House Committee on Small Business Chairman Williams said. “This week, we took a critical step in codifying President Trump’s executive orders and protecting small businesses. Thank you to my colleagues in the House Republican Conference for advancing legislation that will restore trust and accountability to the SBA and prioritize the hardworking entrepreneurs of Main Street America.”

H.R. 2987 – Capping Excessive Awarding of SBLC Entrants (CEASE) Act

“Small businesses deserve a reliable program that works for them, and that means keeping our community banks at the core of the system,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “President Trump and I agree, we shouldn’t be incentivizing fraud and abuse by flooding the program with risky, underregulated institutions. My legislation caps the number of non-bank SBLC licenses, ensuring taxpayer-backed guarantees are not handed out to lenders the SBA cannot properly oversee. I am proud to see my legislation passed, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to send the legislation to the White House.”

H.R. 2966 – American Entrepreneurs First Act

“By passing my American Entrepreneurs First Act, House Republicans have, once again, come together to support common sense reforms protecting America’s hard-earned tax dollars from being lost to waste, fraud, abuse, and theft by hostile foreign actors,” Rep. Van Duyne said. “The American Entrepreneurs First Act ensures Small Business Administration funds are directed to American businesses and not accessible by individuals or businesses with foreign or undocumented ownership and verifies the age of all recipients. I urge our Senate colleagues to quickly pass this important measure, which is supported by President Trump and SBA Administrator Loeffler, as a vital verification step to confirm American tax dollars are being spent to strengthen American small businesses.”

H.R. 2931 – Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act

“By circumventing federal law and encouraging illegal immigrants to come into our communities, failed sanctuary city policies have created a growing public safety crisis,” Rep. Finstad said. “This important legislation codifies two of President Trump’s pro-business executive orders that protect SBA employees and safeguard our entrepreneurs by relocating SBA offices out of sanctuary cities. In doing so, it ensures that communities which uphold the rule of law will have access to the resources they need to better serve small business owners. I am proud that my House colleagues passed this legislation, and I look forward to supporting it through the legislative process.”

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Speaker Johnson: We Promised the American People We Would Deliver. And We Are.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Joe Kernen and Becky Quick on CNBC’s Squawk Box to highlight the pro-growth provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill which will provide jet fuel to the U.S. economy and help put the U.S. back on a sound fiscal trajectory.

Watch Speaker Johnson on Squawk Box here

On social media not being representative of real life:

The American people are sort of caught up in the drama of this, but I don’t think at the end of the day, tweets and, and social media posts really determine what’s most important to the American people. I think what they’re concerned about is what we all promised on the campaign trail, what President Trump was elected to do, the mandate that we got by 77 million popular votes. And that is to make sure that the border is secure, to rebuild our military industrial base at a very difficult time. That’s the only new spending in this bill.

The rest of it is securing historic tax cuts for the people, making the tax cuts permanent, having a pro-growth set of infusion into the economy, jet fuel of the economy, which is what this bill will provide, and at the same time, a historic level of savings for the American people. It’s a fiscally responsible product. It is the first in a series of steps to get us back on a sound fiscal trajectory. And I think, Joe, it’s a very important message for us to send to the bond markets, the stock market, investors, job creators, entrepreneurs, risk takers around the world. And here, of course, in the US economy. The Congress is serious. We have steady hands on the wheel. We’re going to address the debt problem at the same time as we are making the economy work again, and we can’t wait to get that done.

On reducing the deficit and national debt:

I love Rick Scott, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson. I mean, they’re good friends. We have lots of discussion about this. We are all deficit and debt hawks. We’re concerned about the fiscal trajectory of the country. The national debt is the number one national security threat, we have to address it. But here’s what I think Ron is missing in all of this is. He’d like to cut, you know, $8 trillion overnight, some huge figure like that. So would I, but we don’t have the votes to do that. And if you did that that quickly, it would actually do real harm to the US economy. So we have to do this in a step-by-step sequence.

Look, I liken this to an aircraft carrier. Y’all have heard my analogy. I mean, we did not get in this situation overnight. The US economy is like a large vessel on the sea. You don’t turn it on a dime. It takes a mile of open ocean. But this is the largest turn on that wheel that we’ve had since I’ve been alive. I mean, this is the largest cut in spending that any legislative body on the face of the earth in all human history has ever achieved. And we did that by a long, deliberate process of getting everyone there. Remember, I have a very diverse Republican caucus. I’ve got people from very different districts across the country. They all see the same problem set with different lenses. And I’ve got to concoct 218 votes, currently 217 votes to get something across the line. So, we did that. We reached equilibrium, we achieved this massive achievement with the package.

On the repercussions if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act isn’t signed into law:

If we don’t get this bill passed, not only are the American people going to have the largest tax increase in US history descend upon their heads at the end of this year when all this expires, but all these other pro-growth incentives in the economy won’t happen. And small business owners and job creators and entrepreneurs will not expand their businesses. Wages won’t go up. The job participation rate will remain low, and inflation will continue to increase. We won’t have the solutions.

But also, remember, if we don’t deliver on this and we don’t deliver a little bit on SALT relief, then we’re not going to have the house majority. And if we lose the house majority, the Democrats take over, they will impeach Donald Trump. I would forecast probably on the first few days of the new Congress, next January, January ‘27, and everything will go to chaos. So this team has to stay in power. This team has to stay working on our plan to get our fiscal trajectory back. And it all begins with the one big beautiful bill. Everybody who is criticizing this is playing with fire. We have got to deliver this product. We promised the people we would, and I think we will by July 4th.

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Trahan Rips Trump’s Plan to Let Palantir Build Dossiers on American Citizens

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) railed against the Trump administration’s plan to turn over Americans’ most personal information that was harvested by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers to Palantir so the company can build dossiers on every American.
“Under the Trump Administration, DOGE aggressively collected sensitive data across agencies, breaking down firewalls that are supposed to protect us. Then came the Executive Order directing agencies to ‘eliminate information silos’ – basically, to share and pool that data,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “And just last week, we learned that Palantir, a Silicon Valley company known for building surveillance tools, is being hired to build AI-powered profiles on every American using the data DOGE collected. It’s hard to overstate how dangerous this is.”
CLICK HERE or the image below to watch Trahan’s remarks. A transcript is embedded below.

Last week, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration has drastically increased federal contracting with Palantir, a Silicon Valley tech firm started by Peter Thiel who has donated heavily to Republican campaigns. Palantir has historically worked closely with the Pentagon and the intelligence community to provide big data analytics and AI products, and in recent years has expanded its customer base to include private companies, civilian agencies, and state and local governments. According to the Times report, the company is now being directed to use its AI systems to merge the personal data of Americans collected by different federal agencies into one database, essentially creating a profile on every person in the country.
During the hearing today, Trahan pointed out how this type of system could be weaponized by the government against Americans.
“Let me just give you an example – a hypothetical, of course, but not a far-fetched one. Sarah is a regular American. She pays her taxes, owns a gun legally, and is raising her daughter Emma on her own. She and Emma rely on Medicaid to get the care they need,” Congresswoman Trahan continued. “One day, Sarah shares a post on Facebook. She’s concerned about something the President said about firearms, and she posts so. But in Washington, an AI-powered monitoring system flags her post. A political appointee digs into her personal data and sends emails to agency heads urging them to take action against her.”
“Within days, Sarah’s life falls apart,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “The IRS audits her and claims she owes thousands. Emma’s doctor says her Medicaid isn’t active anymore, and now Sarah has to pay out of pocket. Now, to be clear, this story is made up. But it’s not science fiction. It’s an alarm. It’s a warning.”
In March, Trahan announced an effort to rewrite the Privacy Act of 1974, a 50-year-old law designed to protect Americans’ privacy that has not been meaningfully updated since its passage in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Dozens of organizations and individuals have responded to Trahan’s request for information about how to strengthen privacy protections while preserving the ability to modernize and improve the efficiency of government services.
“I’ve spent the past three months talking with civil liberties groups, privacy experts, and people across the country – and the one thing is clear: We need stronger privacy laws,” Congresswoman Trahan concluded. “I believe we can protect people’s data and modernize government to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. These goals are not at odds – they’re linked.”
—————————————–
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks As Delivered
House Oversight and Government Reform Hearing: The Federal Government in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
June 5, 2025

Trahan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you allowing me to be a part of this important conversation.
Over on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is where I usually serve, we have a lot of conversations about technology, and one thing is always clear: data is at the heart of AI. That’s why I believe that any serious discussion about AI has to start with a conversation about privacy. And that’s what I’m here to do today – to sound the alarm about a deeply troubling trend: our own government’s growing appetite for Americans’ personal data.
Let me just give you an example – a hypothetical, of course, but not a far-fetched one.
Sarah is a regular American. She pays her taxes, owns a gun legally, and is raising her daughter Emma on her own. She and Emma rely on Medicaid to get the care they need.
One day, Sarah shares a post on Facebook. She’s concerned about something the President said about firearms, and she posts so. But in Washington, an AI-powered monitoring system flags her post. A political appointee digs into her personal data and sends emails to agency heads urging them to take action against her.
Within days, Sarah’s life falls apart. The IRS audits her and claims she owes thousands. Emma’s doctor says her Medicaid isn’t active anymore, and now Sarah has to pay out of pocket.
Now, to be clear, this story is made up. But it’s not science fiction. It’s an alarm. It’s a warning.
Mr. Schneier, you talked in your testimony about coercion as an “adversarial use” of data. What kinds of coercion could bad actors inside the government use if they had detailed profiles on every American?

Mr. Schneier: I would think of it as selective investigation. The government has enormous powers to investigate people, and the question is who they choose to investigate. There’s a famous book from many years ago called “Three Felonies a Day” – that we in our normal lives commit three felonies a day because there are just so many rules and we don’t know them.
So given things like that, who you choose to enforce the law on matters. So this data can be used to select people whom to investigate, people whom to charge. And this could be used selectively by any regime – even not the U.S. – any country that wants to do this.
Trahan: Unfortunately, this isn’t a hypothetical trend – it’s already happening.
Under the Trump Administration, DOGE aggressively collected sensitive data across agencies, breaking down firewalls that are supposed to protect us. Then came the Executive Order  directing agencies to “eliminate information silos” – basically, to share and pool that data. And just last week, we learned that Palantir, a Silicon Valley company known for building surveillance tools, is being hired to build AI-powered profiles on every American using the data DOGE collected.
It’s hard to overstate how dangerous this is.
Mr. Schneier, are you worried that once this data is centralized, future administrations – no matter their party – could weaponize it? I mean, are we on the verge of opening Pandora’s box?
Mr. Schneier: I don’t know if Pandora’s Box has been open years ago, but certainly giving this power to a government is something that feels very un-American. There are reasons why this data was siloed. There are reasons why we didn’t have these powers.
I mean you can imagine humans doing this well before AI, but we chose not to. So AI can certainly make this more efficient, but yes this is power in the hands of a human who wants to wield it for ill can do that very efficiently.
Trahan: We need a national reckoning on privacy. That means strong oversight of this Administration and its tech partners, and real legislation to protect Americans’ rights.
You know, I’ve spent the past three months talking with civil liberties groups, privacy experts, and people across the country – and the one thing is clear: We need stronger privacy laws.
I believe we can protect people’s data and modernize government to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. These goals are not at odds – they’re linked.
So if you’re listening and you’re concerned about what’s happening – about Big Tech, about government overreach, about your family’s privacy – call my office. Let’s have a national conversation. Let’s protect the freedom our founders fought for and the privacy we all deserve.
And one last thing I just wanted to mention because over the course of this hearing, the Chair has suggested that no one on the other side of the aisle called attention to the harms of the Republicans’ ten-year ban on state AI regulations. That’s patently false.
We had robust debate on the Energy and Commerce Committee with several Democratic members, myself included, calling attention to this provision during and after our 26-hour markup. In fact, Democrats offered an amendment to strike the language entirely. So Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the results of the recorded vote.
Chairman: Without objection.
Trahan: Thank you. I yield back.
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Congressman David Scott Announces Key Priorities for Georgia’s 13th District in the 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

WASHINGTON D.C. Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), a senior member of the House Agriculture and House Financial Services Committees, announced a list of legislative priorities in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill. These program requests will help create good-paying jobs for residents and businesses in the 13th district and rebuild Georgia’s roads, bridges, and transit infrastructure. 

“In every vote I cast and every bill I fight for, I remain focused on prioritizing the people I represent in the 13th District,” said Congressman David Scott. “This year’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill provides us with an opportunity to build on the success of House Democrats’ landmark 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure bill, which I proudly voted for. The priorities I have requested in this reauthorization will improve public transportation services across the Atlanta metro area. These programs will protect the architectural integrity of our roads, reduce roadway deaths, protect small businesses impacted by transportation construction, and create good paying jobs. I look forward to working closely with the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to move these priorities across the finish line.”

Reauthorization of surface transportation programs is the process by which Congress renews, revises, and funds major federal transportation programs that support highways, public transit, rail, and safety initiatives. Grants provide funding directly to states, local governmental entities, and regional commissions to improve Georgia’s transportation infrastructure. Reauthorization ensures continuity, funding, and policy direction of core federal transportation programs.

Below are summaries of the surface transportation programs Congressman David Scott requested in 2026:

1.       Department of Transportation Wide: Increasing the federal cost-share match for transportation projects from 80% to 90% to allow local entities to more easily complete infrastructure projects. (Atlanta Regional Commission)

2.      Department of Transportation Wide: Develop a voluntary centralized product registry to help localities meet existing “Build America, Buy America” requirements. (Atlanta Regional Commission)

3.      Federal Highway Administration: Requesting to maintain the 80,000-pound weight limit for trucks on roadways to protect the structural integrity of our roads. (GA-13 Elected Officials)

4.      Federal Highway Administration: Increasing the percentage of the Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) provided based on population to bring more federal grant funding to the metro Atlanta area. (Atlanta Regional Commission)

5.      Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak, and Federal Transit Administration: Building upon the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act by increasing the total public transit and passenger rail investment in the 2026 reauthorization to help transit authorities increase and expand services. (MARTA)

6.      Federal Transit Administration: Request to streamline the approval process for capital projects so that local transit authorities like the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) can more quickly extend bus routes across the metro Atlanta region. (MARTA)

7.      Federal Highway Administration: Reauthorizing the Safe Streets for All Program (SS4A), which helps local governments create plans and infrastructure to reduce roadway deaths. (League of American Cyclists)

8.     Department of Transportation Wide: Reauthorize the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, to remove barriers for minority- and women-owned businesses in securing contracts with the Department of Transportation. (Congressional Black Caucus)

9.      Department of Transportation Wide: Codifying the definition of “labor organization” in infrastructure projects to increase good-paying, union jobs for federal transportation programs. (Transport Workers Union of America)

10.  Federal Transit Administration: Incentivizing transit projects to prioritize the needs and concerns of small businesses impacted by transit construction. (MARTA)

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Reps. Levin, Craig Reintroduce Legislation to Require Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Hotel Rooms and Short-Term Rentals

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

June 05, 2025

Today, U.S. Representatives Mike Levin (CA-49) and Angie Craig (MN-02) reintroduced legislation to require that carbon monoxide detectors be installed in every hotel and motel room and short-term rental across the country.

Rep. Craig originally introduced the Stay Safe Act in 2020 after hearing the story of Minnesotan Leslie Lienemann. While travelling for a hockey tournament, Leslie and her son were hospitalized with serious illnesses due to near-fatal carbon monoxide levels being left undetected in their hotel room.

“Every year, too many families fall victim to the silent killer of carbon monoxide,” said Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49). “That includes John Heathco, the son of my constituents, Chuck and Jill Heathco, who lost his life to a preventable carbon monoxide leak while on vacation. Their story is a powerful reminder that we have the tools to prevent these tragedies, but we must use them. We must turn this tragedy into legislation to prevent incidents like John’s from happening again.”

“We have the tools to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and save lives – and we should be using them,” said Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02). “I first introduced this legislation to require carbon monoxide detectors be installed in every hotel and motel room after hearing tragic stories like the Lienemanns’. It’s time to get this common-sense bill signed into law before another American family has to suffer from the impacts of carbon monoxide poisoning.”

The Minnesota legislature passed similar legislation to require carbon monoxide in hotels, motels and lodges, which went into effect on August 1, 2024.

The bill is endorsed by the National Hockey League, Consumer Federation of America, the National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association, the Jenkins Foundation, the Lienemann Family and the John Wesley Heathco Legacy Foundation. 

“My son and I suffer life-long physical and emotional effects of carbon monoxide poisoning because there was no carbon monoxide alarm in our hotel room. Carbon monoxide is undetectable without a CO alarm. Even as our poisoning symptoms worsened, nothing warned us to escape the dangerous level of poison gas. Luckily, we went to the emergency room before our exposure became fatal. Other families lose their loved ones needlessly,” said Leslie Lienemann. “We urge Congress to take the only effective action to prevent CO injury and death by requiring hotels to install CO detectors. Thank you, Rep. Craig, for protecting families as they travel. No family should suffer death or injury from carbon monoxide for lack of a CO alarm.”   

“No other family should have to endure the pain we have experienced by losing Johnny,” said Jill Heathco, the mother of John Heathco. “He died from something that could have been prevented, and our family’s mission going forward is to do everything we can so no other traveler loses their life to carbon monoxide poisoning. This legislation is a critical step in that mission because it will require hotels to do the bare minimum to protect their guests and staff from this deadly gas by installing CO detectors. We appreciate that Representative Craig and Representative Levin have introduced this bill, and we urge all members of Congress to support it because it’s needed, it’s commonsense, and it will save lives.” 

You can read the full text of the Stay Safe Act here.

Dingell Statement on New Trump Travel Ban

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell Statement on New Trump Travel Ban

Washington, June 5, 2025

 Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) released the following statement on Donald Trump’s new travel ban.   
 
“Donald Trump’s renewed travel ban will not make us safer, it will create more division. It’s based on bigotry and xenophobia, just like the last one. U.S. policy should not be guided by hatred. This travel ban should not stand, and we must fight against it.”

Dingell, Joyce, Ross, Joyce Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Streamline FDA Review of Nonprescription Sunscreens

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Today, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), Congresswoman Deborah Ross (D-NC), and Congressman Dave Joyce (R-OH) introduced the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act to streamline the FDA review process of the effectiveness and safety of new ingredients for nonprescription sunscreens.

“We know sunscreen is an incredibly effective, affordable tool to prevent the most common cancer in our country, yet America still lacks the same sunscreen technology that many other nations are using,” Rep. Dingell said. “We should be making it as easy as possible for people to get the best sunscreen available. This bill will allow for the FDA to approve new, advanced sunscreen ingredients to better protect Americans from dangerous sun exposure and reduce their risk of skin cancer.”

“As a physician legislator and a board-certified dermatologist, I have seen firsthand the benefits of sunscreens to help prevent melanoma and other skin cancers,” said Rep. John Joyce, M.D. “It is very disappointing that the FDA has ignored Congressional intent and continues to stall the approval of new sunscreen ingredients despite legislation to streamline this process. Through the introduction of the bipartisan SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act, we can ensure that the FDA quickly approves new sunscreen ingredients, giving the American public access to the best skin protection available.”

“Skin cancer continues to affect far too many Americans, so it’s imperative that we make high-quality sunscreen more available,” said Rep. Ross. “For too long, outdated FDA rules have kept Americans from accessing the most effective sun protection available. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense step to modernize the approval process and keep families safe and healthy during the summer months and beyond.”

“As skin cancer rates continue to rise across the country, it’s unacceptable that sunscreen innovation has remained virtually stagnant,” said Rep. Dave Joyce, Co-Chair of the Skin Cancer Caucus. “As a melanoma survivor, I understand the importance of quality sunscreen and am proud to introduce this legislation to fast track the review and implementation of new sunscreen products. It’s high time for the Food and Drug Administration to start a new chapter in skin health and embrace new advancements that will expand access to cutting-edge sunscreens for all Americans. As we enter the summer months, I encourage everyone to continue taking proactive, preventative measures for their skin health.” 

Background:

  • The United States represents approximately one-third of all global skin cancer diagnoses.
  • Over 5 million Americans are treated for skin cancer each year at a cost of over $8 billion.
  • The estimated number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2025 is projected to increase by 5.9 percent.
  • Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and unlike many cancers whose origin is unknown, we know that sun exposure is the primary cause of skin cancer.
  • In 2014, Congress passed the Sunscreen Innovation Act to establish a process for review and approval of active sunscreen ingredients.
  • Despite this legislation, it has been more than twenty years since the FDA approved of new sunscreen ingredients.

Rep. Mike Kelly Announces Launch of 2025 Congressional App Challenge

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) announced the opening of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for middle and high school students in Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District. This annual competition encourages students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by creating and showcasing their own software applications.

“The Congressional App Challenge is a fantastic opportunity for our young innovators to demonstrate their creativity and technical skills,” said Rep. Kelly. “I am continually impressed by the talent and ingenuity of our students, and I look forward to seeing the innovative apps they develop this year.”

Competition Details:

  • Eligibility: Open to all middle and high school students residing or attending school in Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District.
  • Registration Deadline: September 30, 2025.
  • Submission Deadline: October 30, 2025
  • Students are encouraged to register early to receive updates and resources.

How to Participate:

  • Register for the competition at: www.CongressionalAppChallenge.us
  • Develop an original app on any platform (e.g., mobile, web, desktop).
  • Submit the app along with a demonstration video and required documentation by the submission deadline.

The winning app from Pennsylvania’s 16th District will be featured on the Congressional App Challenge website and displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building. Winners will also be invited to the #HouseOfCode celebration in Washington, D.C., where they can showcase their app to Members of Congress and the tech community.

For more information, please contact Julie Swartfager, Director of Constituent Services, at Julie.Swartfager@mail.house.gov.

Learn more about the competition at Kelly.House.Gov/Services/Congressional-App-Challenge and at www.congressionalappchallenge.us/

Rep. Jimmy Gomez Statement on ICE Detaining Families in Basement of LA Federal Building

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

LOS ANGELES, CA – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) issued the following statement in response to disturbing reports that immigrants showing up for routine check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles were detained and held in basement rooms — some overnight — under inhumane conditions:

These are very disturbing reports from LA’s Roybal Federal Building. Law-abiding asylum seekers — many with kids — are being detained after showing up for routine ICE check-ins. No food. No water. Locked in holding rooms for over 12 to 24 hours.

These are not criminals. These are families who followed the rules. Filed the paperwork. Showed up on time. Instead, they’re being treated like they broke the law just for seeking asylum.

One attorney reports her client was held without food or water from 2pm through the next day. His wife and 2 kids waited 12+ hours with nothing. No water. No explanation.

Overcrowding is so bad that women and children are being forced to sleep outside in tents. Meanwhile, the lights in the building shut off at 5pm. Families are sitting in pitch black.

A 20-year-old woman is being held alone. Her mother was detained in transit. They’ve been checking in with ICE for years. Their asylum process was legal and based on abuse. They were days from a court date. Now—they’re detained, separated, and with their future in limbo.

According to attorneys on site, ICE claims it can detain people indefinitely even if they have a legal stay. That means even if a court says they can’t be deported, ICE keeps them locked up anyway.

This isn’t ‘just how the system works.’ This is a system breaking people. Bureaucracy weaponized against those who complied.

DHS—I demand to go in to get answers. We need to know why law-abiding asylum seekers are being detained, separated, and treated like criminals.”

Rep. Gomez’s district includes downtown LA and the Roybal Federal Building where the detentions occurred. As the son of immigrants, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) has been a strong advocate for immigrant families. Rep. Gomez filed an amicus brief earlier this year urging the Court to uphold the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of citizenship. He’s a proud supporter of the Dream and Promise Act of 2025, which would provide a clear path to citizenship for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients. He has called on the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately halt efforts to misuse confidential taxpayer data for immigration enforcement. He is also leading the effort to reinstate the Citizenship and Assimilation (C&A) Grant Program, which supports organizations that help legal residents become U.S. citizens.

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Congressman García’s Statement on Immigration Enforcement Operation in Chicago

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement about the immigration enforcement operation in Chicago yesterday:

“As a proud immigrant and representative of one of the most diverse immigrant districts in the country, it is both heart-wrenching and infuriating to see families being ripped apart by a cruel immigration system with outdated, draconian laws. In the wake of increased federal immigration raids across the Chicagoland region and the country, we must remind every community member that they have rights, regardless of status.

“I commend the lawyers, public servants, and advocates who sprang into action yesterday as federal agents executed a targeted operation in Chicago. There is no justification for armed, masked federal agents treating peaceful parents and neighbors like dangerous people. Many of these families fled this very kind of abuse.The operation that occurred yesterday was unnecessary, cruel, and anti-American.

“We will not ignore the deceitful tactics used to spread fear in immigrant communities. We will not stay silent on the harassment of immigrant communities, the weaponization of the law, and the flouting of civil rights in service of a racist and white nationalist political agenda.

“My office is helping connect families to legal assistance and doing everything we can to denounce the abuse and defend immigrant communities every step of the way. We must do everything in our power to keep families together and ensure all immigrants are treated with the dignity they deserve.”

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