Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In his closing remarks, during a 26-hour long markup in the Energy and Commerce Committee on the Republican budget, Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) shared the story of a local family who relies on Medicaid and who would be hurt by the massive healthcare cuts included in the GOP budget. Throughout the markup, Tonko shared firsthand accounts of constituents across the district who would have their Medicaid coverage ripped away as a result of Republicans’ budget cuts. In his closing remarks today, Tonko highlighted the story of Sara, the mother of a 16-month-old pediatric stroke survivor who relies on Medicaid to get the care he deserves.

Tonko spoke with Sara directly about the impact of Medicaid in providing support her son. Their conversation can be viewed HERE.

Tonko’s full remarks can be viewed HERE or read below as prepared for delivery:

As we wind down this debate, I have a confession to make.

I’m tired.

I know we’re all tired too.

We’ve been at this more than 25 hours now.

But while I am tired, I am also energized.

Because I know our cause is just.

And because I know that these past 25 hours have helped to illuminate the stakes of this debate for the American people.

And the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The choices that are made in this room today, and in our House of Representatives will impact the lives of millions of people we will never meet.

In this moment, I’m thinking of how this might impact one family I have met – Sara and her son Cameron from Niskayuna, New York.

Cameron is a 16-month-old pediatric stroke survivor. Cam was previously normally developing and healthy, but at 7 months old, he had a rare pediatric stroke that changed everything.

Sara shared how they quickly found themselves in a community of parents with disabled kids that rely on Medicaid. Her son receives 5 to 6 therapies a week and goes to 2 to 3 doctors’ appointments every month.

Medicaid is the safety net that supports them to provide things like copays and medical braces, which add up and make a huge difference.

Sara’s story could be any of our stories. She shared with me:

“It really hits home for me that Cameron became disabled after his stroke, pretty much overnight, our lives changed. So, I think what people may be missing here is, anyone can become disabled at any moment and therefore you may not have the coverage you once thought you had.”

Republicans falsely claim that children like Cameron won’t be impacted by their package, but I’ve read the text and that’s simply not true.

New York State stands to lose billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid from the reduced federal match, the provider tax provisions and more senseless provisions in this cruel package.

Again, let me reiterate: when states have to make these massive cuts to their Medicaid programs, where do you think they’re going to look first?

To the most expensive patients: the elderly, the sick, and the disabled. To the very people that my Republican colleagues claim they are trying to protect.

Republicans have been offered so many opportunities today to put pen to paper on their claims that this bill won’t hurt people like Cameron.

They’ve refused to do so.

When someone shows you who they are, believe them.

Here’s your last chance.

Support this amendment and let’s make an ironclad guarantee to folks like Sara and Cameron that we’re going to take care of them.

Let’s make that ironclad guarantee that lets this family sleep a little easier tonight.

I’m ready to make that promise. And I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce completed its reconciliation markup hearing on budget recommendations that fall in line with the budget resolution. The House Budget Committee will receive the Energy and Commerce recommendations as they prepare to draft a reconciliation package. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Congressional Democrats and progressive prognosticators shouted day and night that the Energy and Commerce Committee couldn’t make budget recommendations without massive, significant cuts to Medicaid. And yet, House Republicans proved them all wrong. I look forward to working with House Republicans during the next phase of the reconciliation process to produce a bill that carries out a pro-growth, commonsense agenda.”

BACKGROUND

On April 10, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Senate-amended H. Con. Res. 14, a budget resolution that sets fiscal objectives for House committees to identify potential savings. 

The resolution instructs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to identify a target of $880 billion in savings.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce started its markup hearing on Tuesday, May 13.

The Committee’s proposed recommendations must still be considered by the Budget Committee. Changes to the underlying reconciliation bill are still possible and then must be voted on by both chambers of Congress.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, DC:  Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee advanced a broad reconciliation bill that implements fiscally-sound policies to end wasteful spending on Green New Deal-style projects, support the rapid innovation and modernization of American Commerce, and protect Medicaid for vulnerable Americans for generations to come by cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.  One of the provisions included in the package, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act, authored by Representative Bilirakis, will help strengthen funding for the Medicaid program and its beneficiaries. This provision requires states to quarterly certify that those enrolled in Medicaid are still living.  Bilirakis filed his bill in response to a recent independent audit of just 14 states in one year that documented $249 million in payments to providers on behalf of deceased individuals.  The reconciliation package also prohibits beneficiaries from being enrolled in Medicaid in multiple states at the same time and prohibits those individuals who are here illegally from participating in Medicaid.  

“I’m proud of the common-sense approach we’ve put forth to achieve significant savings while preserving benefits and access to care for our most vulnerable individuals,” said Congressman Bilirakis.  “We have a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are used wisely and that includes protecting access to healthcare for low-income children, seniors, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. Despite the fear-mongering rhetoric from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle throughout the hearing – these critical populations will not see any change to their healthcare under our bill.  Instead, we will disallow duplicative reimbursement, payments for deceased individuals, and coverage for illegal aliens. In doing so – we will strengthen and preserve Medicaid for generations to come while helping to restore fiscal responsibility.  

Congressman Bilirakis, who is the Chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing and Technology Subcommittee in the House, also spearheaded a measure included in the package that would implement a 10-year moratorium on state and local regulation of AI models.  This moratorium will prevent the failures we have seen from the state-based regulatory morass on internet privacy from infecting the budding AI marketplace led by the United States.

“Harnessing the potential of AI is not just an opportunity for the United States, it’s an absolute necessity to secure economic leadership, strengthen national security, and ensure that American values shape the future of this transformative technology,” said Chairman Bilirakis.  “We must prevent a fragmented patchwork of rules from each state that could stifle innovation, confuse compliance, and undermine the creation of effective, nationwide standards that protect both progress and the public.  The moratorium included in this package enables us to achieve that goal.”  

As Co-Chair of the Rare Disease Caucus, Congressman Bilirakis has worked tirelessly for many years to support rare disease patients and families by streamlining FDA processes and encouraging the development of treatments and cures for smaller patient populations.  Two measures co-authored by Bilirakis to help rare disease patients were also included in the reconciliation package that passed out of Committee today.  Children with complex medical needs may not have the specialized care they need within their home state. In these instances, parents must work with health care providers and state Medicaid officials to find out-of-state care. The process is difficult and complex, often delaying children and their families from receiving the care they desperately need – and in some cases blocking access to care all together. The Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act addresses this concern by allowing states to streamline the process for out-of-state pediatric care providers to enroll in another state’s Medicaid program, while also safeguarding important program integrity processes. The legislation enables smooth coordination across state lines by clarifying the process by which state Medicaid programs can cover this care regardless of where the child lives and where their care is received.  The Orphan CURES Act is a bipartisan measure that would accelerate the development of new life-saving cures and provide hope to millions of Americans affected by rare diseases. Under current federal law, a drug or treatment that receives approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to exclusively treat one rare disease – commonly known as an “orphan drug” – is eligible for certain incentives, including an exemption from Medicare’s drug negotiation program.  Unfortunately, those same incentives do not exist if an orphan drug receives FDA approval to treat two or more rare diseases.  The result is a disincentive for American innovators to invest in the expensive and time-intensive research necessary to determine if an orphan drug could cure or treat additional rare diseases. The ORPHAN Cures Act would remedy these harmful, unintended consequences by honoring the intent of the Orphan Drug Act of 1983 and restoring proven, time-tested incentives to encourage the discovery of new cures for the narrow patient populations affected by rare diseases.

“Including these two critical provisions in the reconciliation package is a huge win for the rare disease community,”  said Congressman Gus Bilirakis who serves as Co-Chair of the Rare Disease Caucus.  “My colleagues and I will continue to work toward advancing the development of treatments and cures for rare disease patients and removing regulatory barriers that prevent patients from accessing care.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after the Energy & Commerce Committee completed a nearly 27 hour-long markup of Trump’s ‘One Big, Bogus Bill’ that would cut $715 billion from Medicaid, kick 13.7 million Americans off their health care, and defund Planned Parenthood to give tax cuts to billionaires.

“House Republicans held a 27 hour markup, starting debate over the health care provisions at 1 o’clock in the morning, to hide what they are doing from the American people. Throughout the night, they deflected from their true intentions of kicking millions of Americans off their health care. But here’s the truth: you can’t cut $715 billion from Medicaid without kicking eligible recipients off the program. The policies House Republicans want to implement have been tried in states like Georgia and Arkansas, and they have failed miserably, leading to eligible people losing their health care and actually costing the states more money. Make no mistake: this bill will lead to eligible recipients losing their health care, and House Republicans couldn’t care less.

“Furthermore, they are specifically targeting Planned Parenthood, which serves over 60,000 Coloradans annually, by eliminating their federal funding. That means 1 million Planned Parenthood patients on Medicaid will lose access to care, such as cancer screenings, wellness visits, HIV prevention, and family planning counseling.

“House Republicans are so focused on appeasing Trump and giving tax cuts to billionaires that they are gutting essential health care programs and providers. I called out their cuts throughout the markup, and I am going to continue to fight to protect Medicaid and access to health care as Republicans try to jam this monstrosity of a bill through Congress.”

Democrats on the committee offered a number of amendments to stop this bill from taking health care away from hard-working Americans. Republicans voted against every single Democratic amendment, including: 

• An amendment to require the HHS Secretary to certify that the Trump administration will not cut Medicaid benefits.
• An amendment to prevent defunding Planned Parenthood.
• An amendment to prevent the bill from taking effect if any of the provisions result in an increase in mortality rates.
• An amendment to require 100 percent of savings to be reinvested in medical assistance for eligible Medicaid recipients.
• An amendment to maintain state flexibility in funding Medicaid.
• An amendment to require assessments from states on the impact of this bill on uncompensated care and emergency department wait time.
• An amendment to remove unnecessary and burdensome paperwork requirements.
• An amendment to require states to provide 12 months postpartum coverage.
• An amendment to codify a ban on CHIP waiting periods.
• An amendment noting the Sense of Congress that Americans should not pay more than those in other countries for the exact same prescription drugs.

An amendment that says none of the provisions of the bill will take effect if any of the provisions result in reduced access to coverage.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Bill Comes as Trump Admin. Set to Seize Hard-Earned Wages, Tax Refunds, and Social Security Checks for Struggling Borrowers

The Ending Administrative Wage Garnishment Act of 2025 will also reform administration of the administrative wage garnishment program

Bill Text (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), reintroduced the Ending Administrative Wage Garnishment Act of 2025, legislation that would provide borrower relief and support by suspending garnishment as a tool for student debt collection by the federal government.

On April 22, 2025, the Department of Education announced that, starting May 5th, it will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans, including wage garnishments, tax refund interceptions, and seizure of Social Security benefits. For the nearly 5.5 million people currently in default—and soon for the projected 8 million additional people in delinquency—this means that they will face the government’s harsh collection tactics for the first time in over five years. This shift coincides with mass firings at the Department of Education and limited access to income-driven repayment plans, leaving students without critical support to navigate the repayment process.  

“No one should have their hard-earned wages, tax refunds, and Social Security checks seized by Donald Trump—and our bill would ensure they do not,” said Representative Pressley. “The Trump Administration should not be in the business of picking the pockets of our most vulnerable borrowers, gutting the Department of Education or exacerbating the student debt crisis. I am proud to partner with Senators Booker and Warren to push back against this Administration’s shameful garnishment tactics and stand up for our student borrowers.”

“Wage garnishment allows the government to instruct employers to withhold up to 15 percent of an individual’s hard-earned wages, as well as intercept tax refunds, and seize Social Security benefits in order to collect student loan debt,” said Senator Booker. “If resumed, this harmful practice will hurt millions of Americans already struggling to make ends meet while paying off their student loans. This legislation will put an end to the Trump’s administration’s attempt to punish vulnerable student loan borrowers.”

“It’s cruel for the Trump administration to restart collections while it crashes the economy and fires employees that help people navigate the loan repayment system,” said Senator Warren. “Our commonsense bill stops the administration from going after working people and improperly taking a chunk of borrowers’ paychecks.”

“Amidst unprecedented economic uncertainty and as millions of working families are struggling with the rising costs of everyday essentials, the Trump Administration’s calloused decision to unleash abusive and uncontrollable collection tools that have the power to take borrower’s hard earned wages without safeguards. Instead of helping the 5 million borrowers that have fallen into default and the millions more that are behind and now at risk of default later this year, this Administration appears set on inflicting massive economic harm on millions of Americans—a decision that will further drag down an already struggling economy,” said SBPC Policy Director Aissa Canchola Banez. “We applaud Senator Booker and Congresswoman Pressley for introducing the Ending Administrative Garnishment Act which will rein in the Secretary of Education’s authority to subject borrowers to administrative wage garnishment and ensure that critical safeguards are in place.”

The Ending Administrative Wage Garnishment Act of 2025:

• Suspends the Secretary of Education’s authority to garnish wages, tax refunds, Social Security checks, or other earned benefits
• Mandates the Department of Education to:
  • Promptly refund improperly garnished wages within one week.
  • Establish the ability to independently suspend or terminate garnishment operations upon identifying errors.
  • Ensure employers verify garnishment information quarterly.
• Prohibits garnishment on loans that have been outstanding for more than 10 years.
• Establishes a private right of action allowing borrowers to sue employers who improperly garnish wages after a garnishment order is suspended.
• Requires the Department to pay double damages to borrowers whose wages are improperly garnished.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people. She has consistently helped borrowers access student debt cancellation resources, including PSLF, and she was proud to welcome a union educator and PSLF recipient as her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address in March.

• On October 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of approximately $4.5 billion in additional student debt cancellation for approximately 60,000 workers nationwide who work in public service.
• On October 2, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined borrowers and advocates to unveil new state-by-state data quantifying the harm that Project 2025 would have on millions of public service workers nationwide.
• On September 10, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Warren and Rep. Jim Clyburn in urging the U.S. Department of Education to consider terminating its contract with student loan servicer MOHELA.
• On August 29, Rep. Pressley issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s refusal to reinstate President Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student debt relief program.
• On August 9, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Warren, Representative Dean, and their colleagues urging student loan servicer Navient to reform its flawed process to cancel the private student loans of borrowers who attended fraudulent, for-profit colleges.
• On June 25, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on federal judges in Missouri and Kansas siding with Republican states to block portions of President Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student debt relief program. 
• On June 25, 2024, Rep. Pressley colleagues, borrowers, and advocates urged the Biden Administration to terminate the contract of federal student loan servicer MOHELA. Their calls follow MOHELA’s repeated failure to perform basic loan servicing functions and ongoing harm caused by MOHELA to student loan borrowers.
• On May 20, 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Omar, Clyburn and Wilson, led their colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Education to ensure its proposed student debt relief rule is implemented in the most effective and efficient manner possible for millions of borrowers.
• On May 1, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s approval of student loan discharge for 317,000 borrowers who attended The Art Institutes, including over 3,500 borrowers in Massachusetts.
• On April 14, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded President Biden’s approval of an additional $7.4 billion in student debt cancellation for 277,000 borrowers.
• On April 8, 2024, Rep. Pressley hailed President Biden’s announcement of new plans to provide student debt relief for tens of millions of borrowers across the country.
• On March 21, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of $5.8 billion in additional student loan debt cancellation for 77,700 public service workers.
• On March 20, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led their colleagues in calling on federal agencies to end the practice of offsetting Social Security benefits to pay off defaulted student loans.
• On March 7, 2024, Rep. Pressley welcomed Priscilla Higuera Valentine, a first generation American, a proud union educator with Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union, and the daughter of a Colombian immigrant, who has received over $117,000 in student debt relief under the Biden-Harris Administration’s improved Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, as her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address.
• On February 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for nearly 153,000 borrowers nationwide, including $19.5 million in cancellation for 2,490 Massachusetts borrowers.
• On January 26, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led their colleagues in calling on the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to host a fourth session of the student debt negotiated rulemaking to consider relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship. She applauded ED’s announcement that it would heed their calls.
• On December 11, 2023, Rep. Pressley testified at the U.S. Department of Education’s final hearing on student debt cancellation.
• On December 11, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Representatives Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging him to leverage his existing and full authority under the Higher Education Act to provide expanded student debt relief to working and middle-class borrowers. 
• On November 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley emphasized the crucial role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in protecting student loan borrowers from incompetent and predatory student loan servicers.
• On November 6, 2023, Rep. Pressley joined Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for a clinic to help federal student loan borrowers access a temporary opportunity to get closer to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). 
• On September 25, 2023, Rep. Pressley hosted a policy discussion with borrowers and advocates at which they renewed their urgent call for student debt cancellation with loan payments set to resume on October 1, 2023.
• On August 23, 2023, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Warren, and their colleagues led over 80 lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to swiftly deliver on his promise to deliver student debt cancellation to working and middle class families by early 2024. 
• On August 22, 2023 Rep. Pressley applauded Governor Maura Healey’s plan to provide student debt relief for health care workers in Massachusetts. 
• On June 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley responded to the President’s alternative proposal to deliver relief under the Higher Education Act and called for swift and efficient implementation.
• On June 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan and calling on the President to use other tools available to swiftly cancel student debt.
• On May 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to H.R. 3746, legislation to raise the debt ceiling, to protect student loan borrowers and preserve the Biden Administration’s pause on federal student loan payments.
• On May 24, 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Republicans’ harmful effort to overturn President Biden’s student debt relief, including his debt cancellation plan, the pause on student loan payments, and the expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• On May 24, 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech in support of President Biden’s plan to cancel student debt, which would benefit millions of people across the country.
• On April 5, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to the CEO of SoFi Technologies and SoFi Lending Corp calling on the company to answer for its lawsuits attempting to end the student loan payment pause and force borrowers back into repayment.
• On March 7, 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren, Schumer, Sanders, Padilla and Reps. Clyburn, Omar and Wilson led a letter to the Biden Administration expressing continued support for President Biden’s student debt relief plan.
• On February 28, 2023, Rep. Pressley rallied with borrowers and advocates outside the Supreme Court to call on the Supreme Court to affirm the legality of President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan.
• On November 22, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the extension of the student loan payment pause.
• On October 25, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Warren toured communities across Massachusetts to celebrate the Biden administration’s student debt cancellation plan and help residents sign up for student loan relief.
• On October 12, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined parent borrowers and advocates for a discussion on the impacts of student debt cancellation on parents and families.
• On September 29, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Reps. Omar, Jones and advocates, held a press conference to call for swift and equitable implementation of President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan.
• On September 21, 2022, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor in which she heralded President Biden’s action to cancel student debt for millions of families in the Massachusetts 7th and across the nation. Watch the full video here.
• On September 12, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Warren wrote to the nine federal student loan servicers to inquire about how they are providing borrowers with accurate and timely information about student loan cancellation.
• On August 24, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement applauding President Biden’s action to cancel student debt.
• On August 10, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Warren Massachusetts joined Massachusetts union leaders in Dorchester for a roundtable discussion on student debt cancellation.
• On July 18, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley delivered remarks at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national convention and renewed her calls for President Biden to cancel student debt by executive action.
• On July 8, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley with The Debt Collective hosted a virtual roundtable with student debt holders from all walks of life to highlight the intersectional burden the nearly $2 trillion student debt crisis has had on individuals and families. 
• On June 22, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, joined AFL-CIO and union leaders for a roundtable discussion on the importance of student debt cancellation for American workers.
• On May 20, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley applauded the Congressional Black Caucus’ (CBC) statement calling on President Biden to cancel student loan debt.
• On May 4, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley visited Bunker Hill Community College to celebrate the $1 million in federal community project funding she secured and continued her calls for President Biden to cancel student debt.
• On March 17, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley and Arisha Hatch, vice president and chief of campaigns at Color of Change, published an op-ed in Grio calling on President Biden to use his executive order authority to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.
• On December 8, 2021, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a bicameral letter to President Joe Biden releasing new data about the adverse impact of restarting student loan payments and calling on him to act to cancel up to $50,000 of student debt.
• On December 2, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley delivered remarks on the House floor in which she reiterated her calls for President Biden to cancel $50,000 in federal student loan debt by executive action.
• On October 8, 2021, Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar and their House colleagues sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to release the memo to determine the extent of the administration’s authority to broadly cancel student debt through administrative action.
• On July 29, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement reaffirming President Biden’s authority – and the urgency – to cancel student loan debt.
• On June 23, 2021, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Congressman Joe Courtney led their colleagues on a bicameral letter to President Biden calling on him to extend the pause on federal student loan payments.
• On April 13, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley testified at a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy hearing to examine the student loan debt crisis in our country.
• On April 1, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, held a press conference calling on President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis.
• On February 4, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with several Democratic House and Senate leaders, led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral resolution outlining a bold plan for President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis. 
• On December 17, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Maxine Waters, and Alma Adams introduced a resolution outlining a bold plan for President-elect Joe Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for student loan borrowers.
• On December 10, 2020, Congresswoman Pressley was in Yahoo Finance urging the Biden administration to cancel student debt, stressing the impact on Black borrowers.
• On May 8, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Alma Adams, and Ilhan Omar, led 28 of their colleagues and sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calling for the universal, one-time, student debt cancellation of at least $30,000 per borrower in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation.
• On March 23, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar introduced the Student Debt Emergency Relief Act, legislation that provides immediate monthly payment relief for federal student loan borrowers.
• On March 17, 2020, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren were on The Hill calling on congressional leadership to include student debt cancellation in the next coronavirus relief package.
• On October 11, 2019, Congresswoman Pressley introduced legislation – the Ending Debt Collection Harassment Act – to protect consumers from abusive debt collection.
• On July 17, 2019, Congresswomen Pressley introduced legislation – the Student Borrower Credit Improvement Act – to provide much needed support to private student loan borrowers with a pathway to financial stability by helping them improve their credit.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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

Speaker Johnson Statement on House Democrat Motion to Impeach President Trump

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 14, 2025

MEDIA CONTACT: 

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON WAYS & MEANS RECONCILIATION BILL HEALTH PROVISIONS THAT DIRECTLY HARM NEW YORK STATE 

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released the following statement:

“It is shameful that Republicans are committing an outright assault on affordable health care across this nation. As I’m sitting in a 24-hour hearing, fighting to keep essential healthcare for the nearly 17.3 million Americans who depend on Medicaid benefits in the Energy & Commerce Full Committee Markup, I am devastated to learn that the Ways & Means Committee just passed a bill that includes extremely detrimental health provisions that will increase costs for uncompensated care for our constituent, and cause an enormous financial hit to New York State,” said Rep. Clarke.

“The Republicans’ obsession with destroying the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and underserved communities’ access to essential health care services is sick and despicable across the board. Not only does this bill base eligibility for the ACA on immigration status, but it’s a direct hit on premium tax credits and New York’s Essential Plan—severely impacting the lawfully present individuals waiting for citizenship. This bill strips them of basic healthcare coverage, increases New York’s hospitals’ uncompensated care costs, potentially resulting in a $2.8 billion shortfall to New York State alone.”

“The lengths Republicans are willing to go through and the countless communities they are willing to betray just to save their billionaire donors a few bucks is utterly disturbing. The American people are calling out to Congress for help, and my colleagues across the aisle are determined to ignore them. Disgraceful.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Latta Votes to Strengthen Medicaid, Prioritize American Energy Dominance, and Reduce Fraud and Abuse in Federal Government

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (May 14, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after he authored a letter to Ways and Means Committee Chair, Rep. Jason Smith, asking the committee to fix the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) IRS 1099-K threshold in the upcoming Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reauthorization.

“The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law in March 2021. This was President Biden’s first reconciliation bill, including a pay-for that lowers the thresholds of reporting transactions on peer-to-peer payment platforms from $20,000 and 200 transactions to just $600 with no minimum transaction number. In practice, this lower threshold requires these platforms to report millions of untaxable transactions to the IRS, and the platforms have to provide a Form 1099-K to hundreds of thousands of people who do not need it. Additionally, this change would require people to keep detailed records of purchases or sales on items that need not be reported, which leads to over-reporting and overpaying, and in some cases could lead to an unwarranted audit. The ARPA change also threatens to delay processing for legitimate tax documents, leading to further delays and even greater backlogs at the agency.

“This provision is a gross example of federal overreach, and I am pleased that Chairman Smith has included this fix in the reconciliation bill. Returning to the pre-ARPA thresholds is a win for Americans and government efficiency.”

Here is a statement of support from the Coalition for 1099-K Fairness:

“The Coalition for 1099-K Fairness thanks Rep. Barry Loudermilk and the more than 20 members of Congress who sent a letter to Rep. Jason Smith, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, encouraging him to return the 1099-K reporting threshold to $20,000. As the letter notes, the current, lower reporting requirement, creates unnecessary confusion for American taxpayers and could result in overpayment and unnecessary IRS scrutiny.

At a time of economic uncertainty, small business owners and consumers need policies that simplify their operations, not needless burdens.

We are grateful that Chairman Smith included this language in the Ways and Means Committee bill – which passed in Committee this week — to permanently increase the 1099-K reporting threshold and look forward to seeing this important change enacted into law later this year.”

Click here to read the full letter