Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Randy Weber (14th District of Texas)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Randy Weber (TX-14) and August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the Police Officers Protecting Children Act to allow qualified law enforcement officers and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed firearm in a school zone. Senator Tim Sheehy (R- MT) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. Senate.

“In Southeast Texas, we know that evil people do evil things, and in 2018 the unimaginable happened at Santa Fe High School, leaving ten people dead,” said Rep. Weber. “There is absolutely no reason we should prevent trained professionals—our law enforcement heroes—from stepping up to protect our children. This bill is about empowering those who are ready and able to respond in a crisis.”

“Our children deserve to feel safe every time they step into a classroom,” said Rep. Pfluger. “The Police Officers Protecting Children Act would empower qualified law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms within school zones, ensuring they can act quickly to safeguard students during emergencies. As a father of three school-aged daughters, I send my girls to school each morning with the hope that they are protected and secure, and this legislation will help me and parents across the country have greater peace of mind. I am honored to partner with Congressman Weber and Senator Sheehy to reintroduce this commonsense legislation.”

Read the bill here.

The legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Representatives: Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Rep. Jim Baird (IN-04), and Andrew Clyde (GA-09).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered the following speech on what a disaster for the American people that Donald Trump’s first 100 days have been and how costs, chaos and corruption are all up, thanks to the President and his Rubber Stamp Republicans.

Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.

Right at the top, let me make one thing clear: The Trump administration has been a disaster. 100 days in, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have failed to make your life more affordable. They failed to make you safer. They failed to make us more respected around the world. But their biggest failure is this: they have failed to appreciate the strength of the American people.

During the dawn of the Republic, it was once observed that when people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Donald Trump and Republicans thought they could shock and awe us into submission. They thought we would be too complacent to stand up for liberty and justice for all. They thought we would walk away from the principle of equal protection under the law. They thought wrong. They thought wrong. They thought wrong.

Trump’s unconstitutional assault on the American way of life is unprecedented, but the so-called dictator on day one is learning an important lesson. Americans don’t bend the knee to bullies. In the face of tyranny, we join together. In the face of tyranny, we rise up together. In the face of tyranny, we get into some good trouble together. And we’re just getting started.

100 days in, Donald Trump has the lowest approval rating of any president in modern American history. 100 days in, voters have elected Democrats in Republican-held districts all across the country, including in Iowa and Pennsylvania. 100 days in, Elon Musk spent $25 million to buy a state supreme court seat in Wisconsin, and lost by double digits. 100 days in, more than 200 different lawsuits have been filed against the unconstitutional and unlawful executive orders of Donald Trump, and the American people are winning in court. 100 days in, principled opposition to Republican extremism is taking shape from sea to shining sea. The American people are rising up and making it clear that the Trump administration has a lot to fear.

When my oldest son JJ was 9 years old, he played travel baseball with a group of his friends. Many of you know that travel sports can be taxing on the schedule. It’s a labor of love for our children. During the season, it seems like almost every weekend for several months, you’re on the road. And so, this one particular Memorial Day weekend, JJ had a baseball tournament in a little town off the beaten path somewhere in the Northeast. 

Travel sports can take you to some interesting places. I decided to make it a road trip and bring my youngest son, Joshua, with us. He was just 6 years old at the time. And so I said to him, he’s gonna come on this trip, and it’ll be like a vacation. What did I say that for, y’all? 

When I mentioned vacation, he had visions of Atlantis. So we pulled up to the motel where we were staying, and the situation was a bit shaky. My 6 year old looked at the motel, looked at me, looked at the motel and looked at me and said: “Dad, is this where we’re staying?” I said, “Yes, Joshua, why do you ask?” He responded, “Oh my God, Dad, this is a debacle.” 6 years old. I looked at him and asked, “What does the word debacle mean?” He responded quickly. He said: “I don’t know Dad, it’s something bad.”

This is the moment we are in right now in the United States of America, with Donald Trump and the Republicans in charge. 

Crashing the economy is something bad. Destroying Medicaid as we know it is something bad. Taking a chainsaw to Social Security is something bad. Raising costs on hardworking American taxpayers is something bad. Firing federal workers, including thousands of veterans who served this country, is something bad. Canceling medical research for children with cancer is something bad. Destroying the retirement accounts of everyday Americans is something bad. Trying to whitewash the most painful parts of our history is something bad. Targeting law-abiding immigrant families is something bad. Undermining the rule of law is something bad. 

The first 100 days of the Trump administration have been a debacle. Enough. Enough. America is better than this. 

When the new Congress began in January, Democrats were prepared to get to work in a bipartisan way. The Trump administration chose a different path. Far-right Republicans are tearing America apart, targeting our democratic way of life and tarnishing our reputation as the land of the free. It is wrong, and we will continue to push back aggressively. Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress have given us 100 days of chaos, 100 days of cruelty and 100 days of corrupt behavior. That is not constructive leadership, it’s a recipe for disaster. 

The American people deserve common sense leadership, the American people deserve compassionate leadership, the American people deserve courageous leadership that changes things for the better. Our message to the American people is simple: We hear you. We see you. We feel you. Democrats are determined to make life better for you.

Donald Trump and his sycophants spent yesterday bragging about the speed with which they’ve moved during these first 100 days. They’re right.  Never has a president failed so spectacularly, so often, so quickly as Donald Trump. The White House referred to its strategy for the first 100 days as “shock and awe.” Well, they’re half right. It is shocking how rapidly this administration collapsed into chaos, cruelty and corruption. It is shocking how quickly MAGA Republicans turned their backs on working class Americans. It is shocking how spineless Republicans have been in the United States Congress. And it is shocking and tragic and infuriating how much damage Donald Trump and the Republican party’s policies have already done.

Here’s the thing. They expected us to step back. But the American people are here to fight back. On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promised to end inflation. He promised to lower costs on day one.  When he was asking for your vote, Donald Trump told you he would make life more affordable for everyday Americans. Now that he’s in office, it’s a different story.

In March, President Trump was asked if he was worried that car prices would go up because of his tariffs. His reply? “I couldn’t care less.” The cost of living in the United States is too high. America is too expensive. And Donald Trump couldn’t care less. He couldn’t care less that housing costs are too high. He couldn’t care less that grocery costs are too high. He couldn’t care less that childcare costs are too high. He couldn’t care less that health insurance costs are too high. He couldn’t care less that utility costs are too high. Donald Trump couldn’t care less. Prices everywhere are too high, and Donald Trump couldn’t care less. 

100 days in, Donald Trump is making life harder for you and your family. And every day his costly tariffs stay in place, life in America gets more expensive. American families will pay thousands of dollars more per year. Small businesses are shutting down. Corporations are not hiring. Businesses are unable to invest because of the uncertainty that has been created.  Inflation is on the rise, life is getting more expensive and the reckless economic policies of Donald Trump and House Republicans are driving us toward a recession.

Republicans in Congress could put a stop to this insanity at any time. Since they won’t, next November, we will. Yes, we will. Yes, we will. Which brings me to Elon Musk. I knew he would get that reaction. 

We all agree that government should be more efficient. But like most things in life, there’s the American way and then there’s the cruel way. 100 days in, it’s clear that DOGE is not the American way. Cancelling medical research for children with cancer is cruel. Denying relief for communities reeling from natural disasters is cruel. Firing thousands of our veterans, like Joseph Quintinella of Virginia, who served this country in the Marines, is cruel. 

But their cruelty doesn’t stop there. Republicans actually believe that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. And they want to take a chainsaw to it. During the first 100 days of the Trump administration, Social Security has faced an unprecedented attack. Social Security offices have been closed, wait times have dramatically increased and people are being denied access to benefits that they have earned. Republicans continue to insist that Social Security is an entitlement program. They think they are entitled to destroy it. 

When I was 15 years old, I got my working papers and secured my first job. I was a messenger dropping off packages from office building to office building in Midtown Manhattan. My salary was $3.35 per hour. That was the minimum wage back in the day. And I thought that I had made it big, particularly upon learning that as a high school student who worked part time, I wouldn’t have to pay any income tax. So I couldn’t wait to get my first check. 

On a piece of paper, I multiplied $3.35 by the number of hours I expected to work during my first pay period. I figured out the total, and in my mind, that money was already spent. I couldn’t wait to go to Albee Square Mall in downtown Brooklyn and get some new sneakers so I could dress like Run DMC. But then the check came, and some money was missing. 

I had two questions, y’all: Who is FICA, and why is he taking my money? 

Here’s what I learned. All of us pay the FICA tax in connection with Social Security and Medicare. We pay the FICA tax on our first job. We pay the FICA tax on our last job. We pay the FICA tax on every single job we have throughout our lifetime. 

Social Security and Medicare are not entitlement programs. They are earned benefits. Earned benefits. You work hard for those benefits, pay into those benefits and deserve those benefits. They are earned benefits. 

Democrats will make sure that Donald Trump and House Republicans keep their hands off your Social Security and your Medicare. Hands off today. Hands off tomorrow. Hands off this week. Hands off next week. Hands off this month. Hands off next month. Hands off this year. Hands off next year. Hands off Social Security and Medicare Forever. Forever. Forever.

Now, if this administration actually had some common sense, it would look at the damage that it’s done, the rejection from the people, the historic unpopularity of this president, and they would change course. But Donald Trump is doubling down. And instead of being a check and balance on this president’s abuse of power, Republicans in Congress are nothing more than a rubber stamp for his extreme agenda.

Recently, I met a woman named Mary Beth. She lives in Canton, North Carolina, a town of 4,400 people that is still rebuilding from Hurricane Helene. She has custody of her four grandchildren, ages 10, 12, 15 and 16. Their parents can no longer care for them due to addiction, domestic violence and homelessness. The moment you talk to Mary Beth, you know that caring for those grandkids is everything. 

And she’s doing it on a fixed income, working part time making $8 an hour at a coin laundry— and is no longer employed—to supplement the disability support that she had received. Mary Beth has had to skip refilling her prescriptions to make sure her grandkids don’t have to skip any meals. 

Medicaid is the only reason her grandchildren are able to see a doctor, including the youngest, who is dealing with ADHD and autism. Mary Beth works hard, loves her family and is a patriotic American. And Mary Beth is here with us today. 

But her family, just like millions of others throughout America, is now at risk of losing their healthcare. Why? Republicans are trying to slash Medicaid by up to $880 billion, the largest healthcare cut in American history.  

And why are Republicans trying to rip healthcare away from working people, from Americans with disabilities, from children, from grandmothers like Mary Beth? So that they can give their billionaire donors like Elon Musk another tax cut. These healthcare cuts will hurt families, hurt women, hurt children, hurt veterans, hurt seniors and hurt disabled Americans. Hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down and people will die. 

Here’s the thing, in the United States of America—this is the wealthiest country in the history of the world—healthcare is not a privilege, healthcare is a right for every single American. For every single American. 

If we were in the majority right now, none of this would be happening. But even in the minority, we are going to do everything we can to protect the healthcare of the American people.

And we’ll keep reminding our Republican colleagues—especially the ones who vote like extremists but then go home and pretend to be moderates when it’s time to run for re-election— that the people are watching. It’s time for Republicans in Congress to stop being a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda.

You don’t work for Donald Trump. You don’t work for Elon Musk. You don’t work for the far-right extremists. You work for the American people.

As Democrats, we will fight as hard as we can, fight as hard as we can, over the next two years to stop bad things from happening. We will protect our system of free and fair elections.

And then work hard to convince the American people to entrust us with the majority next November. At that point, we will be able to do much, much more for you.

We will build an affordable economy that works for everyday Americans. We will confront the climate crisis with the fierce urgency of now. We will block any budget that goes after your Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. And we will hold the Trump administration accountable for its corrupt abuse of power.

Over these next 100 days, House Democrats are going to lay out a blueprint for a better America. And you will see a vision for this country’s future that isn’t about Donald Trump. It’s all about you. All about you. How can we make your life better? How can we put more money in your pocket? How can we lower your costs? How can we help you give your kids the future they deserve? These are the questions we are thinking about each and every day.

Now, the American Dream isn’t about getting something for nothing. You have to work for it. But if you work hard and play by the rules, here’s what you should be able to have: A good-paying job. An affordable home. High-quality healthcare. Education for your children. And the ability to retire with grace and with dignity. That’s the American Dream. That’s the American Dream. That’s the American Dream. And when we’re back in charge, that’s what we will fight hard to deliver for you. 

In January—late January—I had the opportunity to visit the Altadena community in Los Angeles County that was devastated by the wildfires. I met someone named Jackie Jacobs, an amazing 88-year-old woman who was raised in the Jim Crow South before moving to California. Her home was tragically burned to the ground.  She and her husband, David, who have been married for more than 50 years, barely managed to escape the raging wildfires. All they had was the clothing on their backs. They lost everything else. Photos gone. Possessions gone. Property gone. But the first thing Mrs. Jacobs said to us while touring the devastation was that she gave all glory, all praise and all honor to Almighty God—just as the Scripture teaches us. She believed that things would work out. Several of us teared up. Mrs. Jacobs lost everything, but she never lost her faith. She never lost her faith.

Republicans have shown that their recipe for governing is chaos, cruelty and corruption. These first 100 days have not been easy. Everything we care about is under assault. The economy is under assault. Healthcare is under assault. Social Security is under assault. Veterans are under assault. Farmers are under assault. The right to organize is under assault. Public schools are under assault. The American way of life is under assault. Democracy itself is under assault. Everything we care about is under assault. 

But just like Mrs. Jacobs, we must never lose faith. We must never lose faith. Faith in our community. Faith in our country. Faith in a brighter future. Faith in Almighty God. 

America is a resilient nation. We are a resilient people. We have a resilient Constitution. We will never give up.  We will never give in. We will always show up. We will always speak up. We will always stand up. We will continue our march toward a more perfect union. We will not rest until we end this national nightmare and deliver an America with liberty and justice for all.

God bless you. God bless our troops. May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Full speech can be viewed here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Today, U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Jim Baird (R-Ind.), along with U.S. Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), reintroduced legislation to support small meat and poultry processors throughout the U.S. The bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening Local Processing Act would make it easier for local livestock and poultry producers to process meat locally, by expanding access to federal resources and providing critical support for training and technical assistance to small processors.

“Access to USDA processing facilities remains a significant challenge for livestock producers in Maine and across the country. Their livelihoods depend on having somewhere to take their animals, but under the current system, their options are severely limited. Chefs, retailers, and consumers want to buy locally raised meat, and they’re frustrated by how difficult it is to get,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a longtime farmer and member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Our bipartisan Strengthening Local Processing Act will increase processing, enhance opportunities for local producers, and help small slaughterhouses and butchers grow their businesses—delivering the quality, locally raised meat and poultry consumers expect at the store.”

Under federal law, farmers and ranchers are required to send their animals to one of a limited number of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or state-inspected slaughterhouses—often hundreds of miles away—in order to sell individual cuts of locally raised meats. As a result, many smaller meat and poultry processing plants are booked out for months, and small farms are unable meet new demand due to a lack of processing capacity. 

The Strengthening Local Processing Act will increase the federal cost share for both state facility inspections (from 50 to 65%), as well as the Cooperative Interstate Shipment (from 60 to 80%), thus encouraging more states to operate state inspection programs and participate in CIS. There are currently 29 states that operate a state inspection program, and 10 states that participate in CIS. 

The legislation would create a competitive grant program for small and very small establishments, state inspected facilities, custom exempt facilities, or new small-scale slaughter facilities to help increase processing capacity and grow resiliency. It would also create two new grant programs for meat processing workforce training—one for colleges, universities, nonprofits, worker training centers, and others to establish or expand meat processing training program and one for small and very small establishments or nongovernmental organizations to offset the cost of training new meat processors.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Monterey, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) authored and introduced legislation that would address the absence of Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) for military service members and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees stationed in California’s 19th Congressional District.  California’s 19^th Congressional District is home to seventeen military installations and more than 15,000 military and defense personnel, and is among the most expensive areas to live in the nation

Cost of Living Adjustments are additional compensation for servicemembers and DoD civilians assigned to high-cost areas, intended to offset regional price disparities.  While San Francisco receives one of the highest COLA rates at 5%, neighboring areas within California’s 19^th Congressional District, despite similar economic pressures, do not.  A recent report by the Bureau of Economic Analysis found that $100 worth of goods nationwide only buys $87 and $88 in the Salinas-Monterey and Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro areas.  That makes California’s 19^th Congressional District one of the ten most expensive regions in the country. 

“Many servicemembers and DoD civilians stationed in California’s 19^th Congressional District are struggling to keep up with the high cost of living in one of the most expensive regions in the country,” said Rep. Panetta.  “My legislation would push the Department of Defense to reassess how COLA is calculated and ensure that our region, and military families who call it home, get a fair evaluation.  Our national security professionals serve us day-in and day-out, the least we can do is ensure that they have the compensation they deserve to continue that steadfast service.”

The bill would direct the Pentagon to submit a detailed report to Congress assessing how COLA rates are determined, whether current methods accurately reflect economic realities, and if the district should qualify for COLA based on modern cost factors.  It would specifically require the Department of Defense to evaluate housing, groceries, transportation, and healthcare costs in California’s 19^th Congressional District, and to compare the treatment of Monterey with nearby Santa Clara County, where COLA is currently granted.  The legislation would also ensure that housing benefits like Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) are not factored into COLA eligibility, as they serve different purposes.

The legislation would not only provide Congress with transparency of how COLA decisions are made, but it could also prompt the Pentagon to reassess outdated formulas that fail to reflect the real cost of living on California’s Central Coast.

Installations in California’s 19^th Congressional District include:

• Naval Postgraduate School
• Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
• Naval Support Activity Monterey
• Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center
• Naval Research Lab
• Coast Guard Station Monterey
• Camp Roberts
• Defense Manpower Data Center
• Presidio of Monterey
• Defense Personnel Security Research Center Operations
• 514th Signal Company
• Gourley VA-DOD Outpatient Clinic
• California Medical Detachment
• Army Analytics Group
• Fort Hunter Liggett
• Governor’s Military Council
• Monterey Bay Defense Alliance

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) released the following statement on the Administration’s first 100 days in office:

“The first 100 days of the Trump Administration have been chaotic, costly, created economic uncertainty, challenged our constitution, and weakened our institutions, alliances, and credibility.  During the campaign, the President promised that on day one that he would reduce inflation, end the war in Ukraine, bring home the hostages from Gaza, and support America’s working families.  Instead, he has failed to fulfill any of those promises, overwhelmed us with a deluge of executive orders, and tried to distract us from his failures by talking about stealing Greenland, annexing Canada, running for a third term, and more.  Although the most successful part of the Administration’s agenda, increasing immigration enforcement, has significantly reduced the flow of crossings at the southern border, his deportation policy has become mired in legal challenges by disregarding due process, administrative carelessness, and defying courts of law.  The President’s self-imposed, short-sighted, and sweeping tariff policies have hurt our economy and are set to raise prices even higher with retaliation from our trading partners.  By giving Elon Musk unbridled power to cut federal programs and jobs, the Administration has jeopardized vital services like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance, and scientific research.  Without a clear strategy in the Administration’s trade and foreign policies, our nation has pushed away our allies and created strategic opportunities for our adversaries.

“President Trump made his intentions abundantly clear during the campaign. However, his chaotic actions, including instituting massive tariffs, challenging our constitution and courts, continued cozying up to dictators, and pardoning January 6 rioters appear to have no long-term strategy, degraded our credibility, and led to a steady decline in his national polling numbers on all major issues over the past 100 days. 

“As I said from day one of this Administration, America’s system of checks and balances must flex its muscles. The courts don’t act as fast as the executive branch, but they continue to be the bulwark against the Administration’s overreach and violations of our Constitution.  Although the President has shown little interest in working with Congress to pass any long-term legislation, we will continue to work on bills that constrain the Administration’s destructive actions, investigate any abuses of power, and serve our constituents.  Over the past few decades, Congress has relinquished its authority to the executive branch on trade, commerce, agency oversight, and even warfare.  However, the actions of this Administration must be a wake-up call for Democrats and Republicans to come together and take back our constitutionally mandated power. But ultimately, as we have seen throughout the history of our nation, our democracy isn’t about one person, one court, or one legislative body.  It’s about the collective power of Americans.  The President’s first 100 days will not be anywhere near as important as the remaining 1360 days of his term, and why our system of checks and balances must stay strong, and we the people must stay together in our fight for our shared democratic values.”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves as the Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, today reacted to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) release of its advance estimate for the gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025. BEA found that: “Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025… In the fourth quarter of 2024, real GDP increased 2.4 percent.”

Beyer said:

“Trump’s chaos is clearly and significantly raising the risk of a recession, and the economic warning lights are all flashing red.

“The economy just shrank in the first three months of Trump’s presidency, after years of growth and a strong previous quarter. This GDP report also showed inflation rising, and all of this is before we even begin to see the worst impacts of Trump’s tariffs. Private sector hiring in April declined sharply, consumer confidence fell to its lowest point in three decades, and consumer expectations for the near-term economic performance are worse than they were at any point of the pandemic. Trump just had the worst stock market performance to start a presidency in over 50 years. Recession odds from economists and forecasters paint an increasingly grim picture.

“The economic news is so bad that Trump is trying to distance himself from his own economic performance and blame others for an economy he declared, upon being sworn in 100 days ago, would ‘flourish’ ‘from this day forward.’ Even his own supporters will not believe these flimsy excuses. Trump inherited a strong economy and is running it into the ground with stupid and disastrous tariffs, as Republicans in Congress refuse to stop him.”

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

WASHINGTON — This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Axios’ Hans Nichols for a wide-ranging interview at an “Axios News Shapers” event. Speaker Johnson addressed the necessity of quickly codifying President Trump’s agenda into law, House Republicans’ efforts to strengthen and preserve Medicaid, and Democrats attempting to run their impeachment playbook again.

Watch the full interview here

On quickly codifying the Trump agenda into law:

The treasury secretary said July 4 this week in public statements, and we applauded that. But I really hope we do it sooner. And here’s the reason why: this has nothing to do with pride of authorship in the House or any of that, we just want to deliver for the American people, and so do all of our Senate Republican colleagues on the America first agenda. The vehicle to deliver that is reconciliation. And the sooner we do it, the better Hans, because I think this will be a very important thing for stability.

I think it’ll send a very important signal to the bond markets, the stock market, to investors and job creators here and around the world, and it’ll send a message to our allies and our enemies that America is serious. We have stabilized tax policy. Everyone will know what their tax rates are. That will be helpful for making decisions for companies and also, of course, we’re going to be deficit neutral or deficit reducing. We’re trying to reduce the debt. And I think that’s a really important message to send out there, that America is serious about our financial stability, and this bill is going to be that’s one of the many things that will be accomplished in it. 

On strengthening and preserving Medicaid:

The number of waste, fraud and abuse over a 10-year period, it’s $51 billion a year as an estimate. We think that’s a low estimate of just fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid alone. Who could be for that? I mean, we have a responsibility to tighten this up. When you’re talking about work requirements, that’s over an 80% public approval rating. But you eliminate fraud, waste and abuse, you bring in work requirements, and you tighten up the program, and you can find a lot of savings. And the whole point here, the whole idea – make sure illegal aliens are not receiving it all the rest. The whole idea is that we’re trying to preserve the program.

Democrats were frankly lying about the intention of Republicans. It’s so much so that we were able to get their ads and billboards taken down in swing districts by a cease and desist letter because it was based on nothing, they just made it up. I’ve been saying just everybody, please reserve judgment till we get the product out, but you’re going to see what the President said yesterday, accurately, that Medicaid and Medicare and Social Security are programs that are sacrosanct the people. They depend upon these things, and our job is to shore them up and make sure that they’re there, that we preserve the programs for the people who genuinely need and deserve it. 

On Congressional Democrats impeachment theatrics:

You know, we’ve already seen the movie. They tried it twice already, based on absolutely nothing, and they would do it again. I mean, Al Green filed impeachment articles like, I don’t know, the fifth day of Congress. I mean, I think he did it before the President took his oath. So, it shows you where they are. It’s all raw politics, and it’s terribly destructive for the country. I mean, it’s a waste of time. We need the American people expect their Congress to work. They expect Congress to work with the President. They want big things done. And we had a first, a really impressive first 100 days of the Trump administration. We’re just getting started. We have a lot of work to do, and we don’t have time for nonsense. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) made the following statement on the Markup of Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Reconciliation Bill.

“This markup is just one small slice of a much larger, deeply dangerous reconciliation bill. But even this narrow portion tells you everything you need to know about Republican priorities.

Let’s start with just one example: the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program. This is one of the few federal programs specifically designed to repair the damage done by decades of discriminatory infrastructure policy—when highways were deliberately routed through Black and Brown neighborhoods and tore those communities apart. These grants fund real, shovel-ready projects that reconnect people to jobs, schools, health care, and each other.

And here’s what’s especially galling: half of this grant funding is headed to states that voted for Donald Trump—rural areas and small towns that have been left behind for generations and stand to benefit the most from these investments.

So why are Republicans attacking it? Because instead of delivering for their own constituents, they’re trying to scrape together offsets to fund their extreme, unpopular tax cuts for billionaires. And they’re doing it by targeting the very programs their communities rely on—Medicaid, SNAP, and other lifelines working families depend on to survive.

In fact, by passing a budget resolution instructing $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and billions more to SNAP, Republicans are proposing the most devastating assault on the health and well-being of American families in modern history.
And let’s be very clear: in March, the CBO confirmed what we have known all along—the only way Republicans can cut at least $880 billion within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction is by making deep, harmful cuts to Medicaid. Additionally, we know that cutting waste, fraud, and abuse will not get you anywhere in the same universe as $880 billion.

The consequences of these Medicaid cuts would be catastrophic. Medicaid alone covers one in five Americans—nearly 72 million people. In New York, it protects nearly 5.5 million residents, including 44 percent of all children, half of all births, and two-thirds of our nursing home residents. For tens of millions of Americans, Medicaid isn’t just a line in a budget. It’s how they survive. It’s how they manage cancer treatment, vaccinate their children, or afford a wheelchair for an aging parent.

A new analysis from the Center for American Progress estimates that if Republicans succeed in slashing Medicaid’s federal match rate, more than 34,000 people could die each year. Their likely proposal to impose punitive work reporting requirements—which have consistently failed—would result in another 15,000 unnecessary deaths annually.

And behind these numbers are real lives. Patricia, 83 years old, lives in poverty in New York and relies on Medicaid just to get to her doctor. She told us, “I have no transportation other than help from Medicaid. I also live on only my Social Security and SNAP. If I lose this precious help, I will be homeless and surely die.” That’s the real cost of these cuts.

Nearly $9.3 billion in Medicaid payments go to New York hospitals each year, including billions in support for safety-net care. Half of New York’s community health centers’ revenue comes from Medicaid. If this bill passes, doors will close, jobs will vanish, and entire communities—especially in rural areas—will lose access to care altogether. It’s been reported that states like South Dakota, Missouri, and Oklahoma will face even more severe consequences from these cuts.

And perhaps most absurdly, even after all these brutal cuts, this reconciliation bill will still add over $3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade. Why? Because the tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy cost more than the services they’re gutting to justify them. My Republican colleagues aren’t even reducing the deficit—they’re exploding it.

So my message to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is simple: reject these cruel cuts. Refuse to take food and health care away from the people who elected you. Each of you has the power to stop this. And let’s be honest—hitching your wagon to a president with the lowest 100-day approval rating in 70 years is not just morally indefensible, it’s politically reckless. Your constituents are watching—and so is history”.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

April 30, 2025

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) led 22 House Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump highlighting how his immigration policies have increased the cost of living for Americans. The letter demands that the president reverse course or risk further economic turmoil.

“As President, you are tasked with improving the economy and growing the middle class,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, you have exacerbated Americans’ economic distress during your first 100 days in office.” 

Unpredictable enforcement of immigration laws has threatened immigrants with legal status, including TPS recipients, who rely on the United States for safe harbor and work, and pursue higher education at high rates. The Trump Administration has refused to focus on reducing food and housing costs, instead choosing to displace workers in essential sectors such as construction, maintenance, material moving, and transportation, causing economic hardship and instability throughout the country. 

Although the United States has long been a beacon for the world’s best and brightest, President Trump’s immigration policies have destabilized legal immigration and pushed those seeking to innovate, conduct research, and grow our economy away from the United States.

“We support protecting our borders and vetting individuals who wish to come to our country,” the lawmakers continued. “However, your immigration proposals are impractical and will increase costs for millions of Americans.”

In addition to Rep. Casten, the letter was signed by Reps. Beatty, Carbajal, Cisneros, Clarke, Connolly, Correa, Costa, Escobar, Espaillat, Fields, Sylvia Garcia, Goldman, Jonathan Jackson, McCollum, McGovern, Meeks, Norton, Quigley, Titus, Tonko, and Vargas.

A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

Dear President Trump,

We write to you with concern about the negative humanitarian and economic impacts your immigration-related executive orders and policies will have nationwide.

Your immigration policies will increase costs for Americans, disrupt the job market, and slow economic growth. As President, you are tasked with improving the economy and growing the middle class. However, you have exacerbated Americans’ economic distress during your first 100 days in office.

Since your inauguration, the U.S. stock market is off to its worst start in a century. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down by more than seven percent, the S&P 500 index is off by more than eight percent, the Nasdaq composite is down more than eleven percent and small-cap Russell 2000 have slumped by more than fourteen percent.

During your campaign, you repeatedly promised to lower food prices “immediately” if elected president. Yet, the latest monthly consumer price index showed that the average cost of a dozen eggs reached a record high of $6.23 in March. These prices will only increase due to your recent immigration policies. 

Thus far, you have issued Executive Orders prioritizing strict enforcement of immigration laws, both at the borders and within the United States. For example, on your first day in office, you signed the Executive Order “Securing Our Borders,” which deploys the military within our own country and ends the CBP One process, which allows migrants to enter the country and be appropriately screened for internationally protected refugee status.

Additionally, you are recklessly attempting to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for as many as seven hundred thousand vulnerable individuals legally in the United States. This not only raises significant civil rights concerns but also risks serious economic consequences. Judge Edward Chen, who is presiding over a case brought on behalf of Venezuelan TPS recipients facing deportation, has noted that a reversal of TPS status would likely have an “adverse impact” on the economy, given that Venezuelan TPS holders pay taxes, hold jobs and pursue higher education at higher rates than the general public.

You also issued the Executive Order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” which directs a strict enforcement-first version of immigration policy, enlisting all departments to prioritize it above their own work, aiding the Department of Homeland Security in enforcing deportation and criminalization of immigrants. Your focus on deportation, rather than appropriate adjudication with regard to each immigrant’s unique circumstances, counters established international norms and damages our economy.

Data consistently shows that immigrants are primarily of working age, between 18 and 64 years of age, accounting for nearly 19% of the U.S. labor force in 2023, despite representing only 14% of the total U.S. population that year. According to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Monetary Policy Report, job growth has consistently outpaced the growth of the labor force over the last few years. Last year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed that immigration is a “big part of the story of the labor market coming back into better balance.” It is reasonable to conclude that removing working-age individuals from the economy will harm every business that seeks to build and grow in America.

We support protecting our borders and vetting individuals who wish to come to our country. However, your immigration proposals are impractical and will increase costs for millions of Americans. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that foreign-born workers are often employed in critical sectors such as construction, maintenance, material moving, and transportation. These sectors significantly influence housing costs. As housing inflation is expected to keep core inflation high, this effect will undoubtedly extend beyond the already overheated housing market, impacting the prices of other essential goods and services on which Americans rely.

According to a December 2024 Report from the Joint Economic Committee, it is projected that an aggressive deportation plan, similar to that outlined through the Executive Order “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” would reduce the real Gross Domestic Product of the United States by 7.4% and increase prices for American consumers by 9.1% by 2028. These are significant costs to the American people. 

Your immigration policies will also severely undermine the American workforce and significantly affect vital sectors such as agriculture, hospitality, and construction. Your proposals could displace 1.5 million construction workers, 250,000 laborers from the agricultural industry, 1 million workers in hospitality, over 800,000 in manufacturing, and more than 400,000 in transportation and warehousing. This would harm essential American industries that drive our economy.

America’s success has always depended on being the destination of choice for the best and brightest from around the world. As you are aware, there is bipartisan support for strong border security to keep the “bad guys” out. However, it is important to recognize that the overwhelming majority of people coming to America today are not different from our own ancestors; they are coming here to build a better life for themselves, to work, worship and love without fear, and to pursue their entrepreneurial ideas in a country where the rule of law allows them to benefit from their efforts. There are many humanitarian reasons to protect our immigrant communities, but there are also self-interested reasons. A country that attracts talent is a country that out-competes the rest of the world and retains wealth that would otherwise develop elsewhere.

In that spirit, we urge you to reverse your current immigration policies that are financially harming small business owners and the middle class while providing no actual solutions to fix our broken immigration system. We are ready to work with you to enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation that includes support for border patrol and enforcement, increases work visas to facilitate the flow of skilled labor, includes a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders and farm workers, grows our economy and maintains the promise of America as a place that has always been great – but who’s greatest days are still yet to come.

Sincerely,

###