Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, April 24, U.S. Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA), a member of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, Robert Menendez, Jr. (D-NJ), Troy Balderson (R-OH), and John Larson (D-CT) introduced the Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act of 2025. The Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act of 2025 aims to address the current inequity in Medicare’s co-pay structure to help lower costs for patients seeking care at ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).

“The Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act takes a major step toward lowering patient costs. This legislation saves taxpayer money by streamlining the payment process. I thank my colleagues for joining me in this effort,” said Rep. Kelly.

“Our healthcare system should reward value and efficiency, not penalize patients based on where they receive care,” said Congressman Menendez. “With the legislation, we’re ensuring fairness, lowering out-of-pocket costs, and reinforcing the principle that Medicare should always work for patients.”

“Extending co-pay caps improves efficiency and provides fairer costs for patients,” said Rep. Balderson. “This ensures patients are able to receive necessary and preventative services in lower-cost health care settings.”

“I am proud to introduce this bill with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make surgical care more affordable and accessible for our seniors,” said Larson. “Connecticut’s 61 Ambulatory Surgical Centers provide preventive services and essential procedures to thousands of patients annually, including cataract surgeries and orthopedic care. The Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act will ensure patients no longer have to pay more for a procedure simply because they went to an outpatient provider.”

BACKGROUND

Currently, while patients in both ASCs and Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) typically face a 20% co-pay, only HOPDs benefit from a co-pay cap, set at $1,676 for 2025. This leaves Medicare patients utilizing the over 6,300 Medicare-certified ASCs nationwide with potentially higher out-of-pocket expenses for approximately 150 procedures, even though ASCs offer high-quality, cost-effective care projected to save Medicare billions.

The Medicare Beneficiary Co-Pay Fairness Act seeks to rectify this by extending the existing co-pay cap to ASCs, ensuring fairer costs for patients and supporting the continued growth and utilization of efficient, lower-cost surgical settings.

You can read the full bill text here.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) have concluded a day-long sit-in on the US Capitol steps that began at sunrise today, calling Americans to action to protect Medicaid and other vital safety net programs from devastating cuts proposed in Trump and Congressional Republicans’ budget bill.

With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.

The sit-in – which began at 6:14am ET this morning with Booker and Jeffries opening a live streamed conversation with their social media followers as the sun was rising over the Capitol  – saw numerous guest speakers and passers-by participate, including families who rely on critical programs like Medicaid, people who administer nutrition programs that keep Americans from going hungry, union leaders who fight for fair wages and working conditions, experts on Social Security and civil rights, and Senators and members of Congress.

The live stream concluded at 6:35pm ET, after more than 12 hours. 

“Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” said Senator Booker. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I came here today: to sit-in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”

“Republicans are crashing the economy in real time,” said House Democratic Leader Jeffries. “Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it, destroy Social Security and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. As Democrats, we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people and we will not rest until we bury this reckless Republican budget in the ground.”

For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, Booker and Jeffries launched their sit-in this morning — an urgent conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions, and the moral moment facing our nation.

Over the course of the day, Booker, Jeffries, and participants spoke to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the Republican budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They also affirmed to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.

The conversation was live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah:

“This year marks eight decades since Allied forces broke open the gates of Auschwitz and Dachau, Buchenwald and Bergen-Belsen, among numerous other Nazi concentration camps across Europe. What they saw inside forever changed not only them but our understanding of humanity itself. Their arrival came too late for the 6 million Jews and 5 million others who were murdered in the Nazis’ genocidal campaign. Although they could not save those already lost, the liberators and survivors of the camps made a pledge: never again.

“On Yom HaShoah, we reaffirm that commitment. This year, we do so at a time when the same antisemitic hate, prejudice, and violence that fueled the Holocaust is skyrocketing in America and beyond. Billionaires have made Nazi salutes at presidential rallies. Individuals with known histories of antisemitism and ties to neo-Nazi organizations have found influence in the administration. Certain books about the Holocaust have been removed from libraries at the U.S. Naval Academy and other institutions. An arsonist set the home of a Jewish governor ablaze. All of these acts come after years of rampant antisemitism in the wake of Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel.

“Antisemitism ought to concern all of us because it endangers all of us. It threatens not only Jews but democracy itself. The rise of Nazi fascism was intertwined with antisemitism. ​Failing to stand up to antisemitism – to the people who downplay, deny, distort, or even glorify the Holocaust – creates a hotbed for authoritarianism. Never again demands that we never sit by when we see hate threaten human rights, democracy, and freedom.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced that he will not run for re-election in 2026:

“I’ve been proud to serve alongside my friend Senator Dick Durbin ever since he became a Member of the House of Representatives in 1983. He is the same person now that he was then: a principled leader, a gifted consensus builder, and an energetic advocate for Illinoisans and all Americans. That will remain true after he retires from the Congress at the end of the 119th Congress, as he announced earlier today.

“Dick is a model legislator. That was evident from working with him on the House Appropriations Committee early in his career in Congress. He knew how to bring Democrats and Republicans together to fulfill our institution’s most basic responsibility of funding the government. Crucially, as the second highest ranking Democratic leaders in the Senate and House respectively, Dick and I coordinated closely to secure groundbreaking legislation. He was invaluable in the effort to unite Democrats behind historic bills like the Affordable Care Act, the American Rescue Plan, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also helped us garner modest Republican support on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other critical legislation.

“Dick has delivered results at a time when gridlock is the norm in the Senate. That is a testament to his congeniality, pragmatism, and determination. From his successful effort to regulate smoking to his ongoing leadership on the DREAM Act, he knows how to cut through the partisan noise and find common ground. His retirement is a great loss for our Congress and country. I have no doubt that my friend’s legacy of accomplishment will only grow in the 119th Congress and beyond.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – In response to recent reporting that the Trump administration plans to end the Direct File program, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led over 175 Congressional Democrats in a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Acting IRS Commissioner Michael Faulkender, slamming the administration’s reported decision and demanding instead that officials preserve and expand Direct File. 

Direct File is a free, easy-to-use tax filing program that has already delivered significant benefits to taxpayers. In 2024, during the program’s pilot phase, Direct File saved the average user $160 in tax return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Users overwhelmingly love the program: 98 percent of Direct File taxpayers in 2025 were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experience, a world-class figure. Yet, new reporting indicates that the Trump Administration “plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.”

“The Trump Administration’s dismantling of a program that makes tax filing easier and free for millions of Americans is shameful. Taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly: Direct File works well for them, and more Americans want access to it,” wrote the lawmakers. 

Even before reports that the Trump Administration planned to end Direct File, the Trump Administration had already sabotaged the program during its time in office. This filing season, the Trump Administration fired the team at the Treasury Department that had been running awareness campaigns about Direct File, scaled back communications promoting the program, and did little to partner with local groups and media outlets to promote the program. In February, Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tweeted that the team that helped build Direct File, “has been deleted.” While Direct File remained operational after Musk’s tweet, “Direct File usage immediately fell by roughly one quarter.”

The lawmakers demanded that Secretary Bessent and Acting IRS Commissioner Faulkender provide a written commitment to preserve and expand Direct File for the 2026 tax season and beyond by May 5, 2025. 

You can read the full letter to Secretary Bessent and Commissioner Michael Faulkender here or below:

Dear Secretary Bessent and Acting Commissioner Faulkender:

We write in response to public reporting indicating that the Trump Administration plans to end the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) Direct File program. Ending this free, easy-to-use, and popular program would be an insult to American taxpayers, eliminating an important alternative to commercial options provided by the tax prep industry. We write to seek your written commitment that you will preserve and expand Direct File for next year’s tax filing season and beyond.

In the first two years of its existence, Direct File has already delivered significant benefits to taxpayers across the country. In 2024, during the program’s pilot phase, Direct File saved the average user $160 in return fees and hours of effort preparing their return. Ninety percent of users rated their experience with the program positively. A year later, Direct File has improved in important ways. For this year’s tax filing season, Direct File was accessible in 25 states and used pre-populated taxpayer data to make the filing process smoother. Users delivered rave reviews: 98 percent of Direct File taxpayers in 2025 were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experience, a world-class figure.

However, the tax prep industry has fought Direct File at every turn, even before its inception. It’s no secret why: a free, easy-to-use tax filing program requires the industry to compete for taxpayer business and is a direct threat to the industry’s bottom line. Accordingly, these companies have spent millions on lobbying in the hopes of ending Direct File, encouraging Republican Members of Congress to ask the Trump Administration to kill the program.

New reporting indicates that the Trump Administration “plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.” But even before this reporting, the Trump Administration had been sabotaging Direct File’s success since taking office. For example:

• The Trump Administration fired the team at the Department of the Treasury that had been running awareness campaigns about Direct File
• The Trump Administration dramatically scaled back communications efforts at the IRS and Treasury to promote Direct File. In contrast to the Biden Administration’s efforts last year, the Trump Administration issued almost no public statements promoting the program and did little to partner with local organizations and media outlets to promote Direct File.
• Elon Musk, the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tweeted that 18F, a group that helped agencies build digital services like Direct File, had been “deleted.” In response to the tweet, public reporting, with little pushback from the Trump Administration, suggested that Direct File had been ended as well. While Direct File remained operational after Musk’s tweet, “Direct File usage immediately fell by roughly one quarter.”

According to partners and state governments, uncertainty about Direct File’s future and the future of the IRS itself created by DOGE’s attacks on the IRS and public reports of DOGE’s improper access to taxpayer data may also have hampered the program’s success.

The Trump Administration’s dismantling of a program that makes tax filing easier and free for millions of Americans is shameful. Taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly: Direct File works well for them, and more Americans want access to it. On behalf of those taxpayers, we seek your written commitment by May 5, 2025 that you will preserve and expand Direct File for the 2026 tax season and beyond.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

The following Senators also signed the letter: Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Timothy Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elisa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). 

The following Representatives signed the letter as well: Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Gabo Amo (D-R.I.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-Ga.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gilbert Cisneros (D-Calif.), Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.), Steven Cohen (D-Tenn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.),, Herbert Conaway (D-N.J.), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), Suzan K. DelBene (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Cleo Fields (D-La.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Valerie P. Foushee (D-N.C.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Al Green (D-Texas), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Md.), Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Jonathan L. Jackson (D-Ill.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-Ga.), Julie Johnson (D-Texas), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), William R. Keating (D-Mass.), Robin L. Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), George Latimer (D-N.Y.), Summer L. Lee (D-Pa.), Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.), Jennifer L. McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), James P. McGovern (D-Mass.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Robert J. Menendez (D-N.J.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (D-Md.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Mich.), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-Calif.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Bradley Scott Schneider (D-Ohio), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Mikie Sherrill (D-N.I.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Emilia Strong Sykes (D-Ohio), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Derek T. Tran (D-Calif.), Nikema Williams (D-Ga.), Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.), Juan Vargas (D-Calif.), Marc A. Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Eugene Simon Vindman (D-Va.), and George Whitesides (D-Calif.). 

The following groups endorsed the letter: Americans for Tax Fairness, Public Citizen, Economic Security Project Action, MoveOn, United for Respect, P Street, 20/20 Vision, Young Invincibles, Patriotic Millionaires, Groundwork Action, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice, Meals4Families, Beyond Careers, Grow Brooklyn, National Consumer Law Center, Color of Change, End Child Poverty California, Consumer Action, United Ways of the Pacific Northwest, Northwest Progressive Institute, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Accountable.US, United for a Fair Economy, Responsible Wealth, National Association of Social Workers, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Golden State Opportunity, OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling, North Carolina Council of Churches. 

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

Washington, DC — For millions of Americans, Sundays are a day of faith, spirituality and moral reflection. In that spirit, today, just before sunrise, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Cory Booker sat down on the steps of the US Capitol and began an urgent, live-streamed conversation with the American people to focus on our common values, our faith traditions and the moral moment facing our nation.

With Congress returning to session tomorrow, Republican leaders have made clear their intention to use the coming weeks to advance a reckless budget scheme to President Trump’s desk that seeks to gut Medicaid, food assistance and basic needs programs that help people, all to give tax breaks to billionaires. Given what’s at stake, these could be some of the most consequential weeks for seniors, kids and families in generations.

During the action, Senator Booker and Leader Jeffries will speak to our shared American values and our nation’s religious and moral underpinnings, and how the budget bill is antithetical to these beliefs. They will also affirm to Americans that their voices not only matter, but are needed, in this moment in order to stop these harmful cuts.

“Budgets are more than just numbers in a spreadsheet—they are moral documents,” Booker said. “They reveal what we value, who we protect, and what we stand for. That’s why I’m here today: to sit in at a sacred civic space, to make clear the moral and practical stakes of the Trump budget proposal, and to call others to action. 

Booker continued, “Republicans in Congress are proposing cuts that will take food from children, healthcare from the sick, and dignity from those already struggling. It’s wrong. To stop it, we all must say so—clearly, courageously, and together. Speaking out and speaking up is how we will convince four Republicans in the House and Senate to do the right thing and vote no.”

“Republicans are crashing the economy, undermining American values, assaulting our democracy and driving us toward a recession. Now, they want to jam a reckless budget down the throats of the American people that will end Medicaid as we know it and rip food from the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. Enough. This is not America,” said Leader Jeffries. “We will continue to show up, speak up and stand up until we end this national nightmare.”

The conversation is being live-streamed on multiple platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

Washington, D.C. – Today, in honor of National Second Amendment Day, Congressman Roger Williams (TX-25) introduced a resolution reaffirming the House of Representatives’ continued support for the Second Amendment and commending the Trump Administration’s actions to protect American gun owners by dismantling Biden’s infringements on our constitutional freedoms.

“Our founding fathers fought to establish a nation where every citizen has the right to protect themselves, their property, and their family,” said Congressman Roger Williams. “For too long, the Biden Administration and radical leftists went to extreme lengths to criminalize law-abiding gun owners, jeopardizing the Second Amendment. My resolution reaffirms Congressional support for the Second Amendment and commends President Trump’s actions to protect American gun owners by dismantling Biden’s infringements on our constitutional freedoms.”

Background:

• April 17^th is a national day of observation and commemoration of the Second Amendment to honor our forefathers’ wisdom and the freedoms protected by the U.S. Constitution.
• Original cosponsors: Reps. Babin, Biggs, Cline, Cloud, Crane, Crenshaw, Downing, Fallon, Haridopolos, Hudson, Luna, McDowell, Schmidt, Taylor, Weber, and Wied.
• Supporting orgs: National Rifle Association (NRA), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
• First reported on Fox.

Read the bill text here.

###

Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Kansas City, MO) – Tonight, U.S. Representatives Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO-05) and Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) joined KCUR for a livestreamed town hall to discuss their efforts to deliver results for the Kansas City region and push back against the Trump Administration’s extreme policies, including cuts to Social Security, reckless tariffs driving up prices, and threats to reproductive health care.

“As the President continues to demonstrate a dangerous level of recklessness on everything from basic governance to managing the economy, Missouri families are paying the price with higher costs, less reliable services, and the rapid decline of hard-earned retirement benefits,” said Congressman Cleaver. “As we heard this evening, rather than enabling the president’s extreme policies, Americans want Congress to provide a check on the Executive Branch and seek bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our communities—which is precisely what I will continue to advocate in the People’s House.” 

“Kansans are facing massive uncertainty because of the Trump Administration’s reckless policies. They deserve answers and leaders who will protect their freedoms, lower costs, and actually get things done,” said Congresswoman Davids. “That means standing firm against dangerous political games, while also working to find common ground where possible. I’m glad I had the opportunity to share the work I’m doing in Congress, listen to people’s concerns, and discuss solutions that will help move us forward.”

The event, hosted by KCUR, included questions from local residents on topics ranging from federal firings and government accountability to border security and the economy. Both Members discussed recent legislative efforts and stressed the importance of uniting to fight the Trump Administration’s attempts to raise costs and dismantle essential programs in favor of tax giveaways for billionaires.

Rep. Cleaver underscored his commitment to working across the aisle to deliver for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District — while continuing to oppose extreme policies that threaten rights, freedoms, and the rule of law. More on his work to push back against the Trump Administration’s extreme agenda can be found here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) hosted former Maryland Governor and Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley for a conversation with local seniors at John Knox Village. The discussion focused on key issues facing seniors under the Trump administration, like threats to Social Security and veteran’s benefits, as well as potential cuts to vital programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Social Security provides benefits to nearly 70 million Americans, including nearly 50 million seniors – and lifts more than 15 million seniors out of poverty each year.

“Today’s conversation with former Social Security Administration Commissioner Martin O’Malley and local seniors underscored the real-world consequences that come with the Trump administration’s push to dismantle the social safety net,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Whether it is backdoor cuts to Social Security by firing essential workers and ending critical services at the Social Security Administration, or the broader Congressional Republican agenda to gut pivotal programs like Medicaid and SNAP, we’re witnessing an unprecedented assault on programs that Americans have paid into and rely upon. The so-called ‘efficiency’ measures, led by an unelected and unaccountable billionaire in Elon Musk, in reality, are thinly veiled attempts to erode the foundational promises made to our seniors – and I stand committed to defending these essential programs against any ongoing efforts to undermine them.”

“I was honored to join Congressman Cleaver and hear the concerns of his fellow Missourians as he works tirelessly to protect their earned benefits,” said Former Maryland Governor and Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley. “Americans of every background are rising up to say ‘hands off’ our earned benefits, and with fighters like Congressman Cleaver, I know their voices will be heard.”

Trump, DOGE, and Congressional Republicans put Social Security at risk by:

• Attacking Social Security programs with repeated false claims of mass fraud, providing a pretext for actions that could undermine access to benefits
• Making deep cuts to frontline staff and SSA field offices while adding new restrictions to phone-based services that will result in millions more in-person visits to a field office
• Jeopardizing system reliability and benefit delivery by pushing sudden, substantial policy and procedure changes alongside a massive loss of technical expertise
• Threatening data security by providing untrained DOGE political appointees unprecedented access to sensitive SSA data

From proposals to cut Social Security and raise the retirement age, to efforts that would weaken Medicare and Medicaid through privatization and budget restrictions, the safety net our seniors rely on is under threat.

In Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, there are 141,832 Social Security recipients who receive $252 million in monthly benefits, including:

• 103,730 retirees
• 19,488 disabled workers
• 9,377 children
• 7,121 widows
• 2,116 spouses

Photos from the event can be found here.

 

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

FRESNO, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement on the passing of His Holiness, Pope Francis.
“The world has lost a spiritual leader who had a profound impact. Pope Francis’s guidance and leadership extended beyond the Catholic Church to the spiritual well-being of the world.
As a Catholic, he reminded me of the shared challenges we face and the grace with which we must meet them. His legacy will continue to guide the world,” said Congressman Costa.
###