Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

Members express outrage with Sec. Kennedy’s decision: “We find it appalling that your Department appears willing to disregard California’s duly- and fairly-awarded pilot, ignore the statute of a bipartisanly authorized program…and ultimately rip away a lifesaving safety net from our constituents, all in the name of funding Republicans’ tax cuts for the wealthy.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leading 27 of her Democratic California House colleagues, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) sent a lettertoday to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expressing scathing opposition to the Trump Administration’s recent cancellation of California’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) pilot award and alarm that this action clears the way for devastating cuts to TANF to pay for Congressional Republicans’ tax giveaways for the ultra-wealthy in impending legislation.

The TANF pilot program, authorized by the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, is intended to address longstanding limitations in TANF by testing ways to better promote work and improve family outcomes. The state of California was selected in November 2024 as one of five pilot states after a thorough, objective process. However, in early March 2025, HHS abruptly cancelled California and the four other states’ pilot awards and announced it would issue an entirely new solicitation for pilot proposals that better reflect the Trump administration’s goals and priorities.

In the letter addressed to Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Members note that this decision has no statutory or policy justification: “Your March 7th cancellation letter to California claims that it is possible to change course because the state is only in its first half of the first year of the pilot—however, there is nothing in the FRA statute that allows a pilot to be revoked simply because it is in the first year. Additionally, your letter states that the projects selected, particularly related to “views on work, performance measures, and indicators of family stability and wellbeing,” do not reflect your administration’s goals and priorities. However, you fail to describe what specifically you find objectionable, so we can only infer that you disagree that indicators like job security, health insurance coverage, and stable housing are good benchmarks for family well-being—a position we find deeply troubling. Regardless, as the FRA statute requires pilot states and HHS to negotiate performance benchmarks for work and family outcomes, there is no statutory or policy justification for your administration to cancel the pilot awards altogether rather than negotiating such benchmarks in good faith.”

As such, the Members note that revoking California’s pilot award appears to be a political maneuver to clear the way for Congressional Republicans to make massive cuts to TANF in their upcoming tax giveaway for the ultra-wealthy.

“Included in the House Republicans’ so-called “menu” of revenue raising policies for budget reconciliation is a proposal to make cuts to TANF over the next ten years by adjusting its work requirements,” the Members explain. “We note that the only way to guarantee savings related to TANF work requirements would be to alter the WPR such that states are virtually guaranteed to fail, thereby triggering financial penalties. As California receives among the largest of TANF block grants, it’s clear that California would need to remain subject to the WPR for the Republicans’ plan to work. Of course, if it were still a pilot state, California would have been exempt from the WPR over the next six years as it tested alternative performance measures. If this is indeed your motivation, it represents an utterly shameful scheme to take money directly out of the pockets of among the most vulnerable families in California and hand it to the ultra-wealthy.”

Click here to access the full letter.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

Members express outrage at Trump administration claims that Title X is frozen because it is DEI, stating “A federal program’s ability to provide care to people from historically marginalized and underserved communities does not make it wrong or illegal”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic Women’s Caucus Reproductive Health Care Task Force Chair & Liaison Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Reproductive Freedom Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette (CO-01) & Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Democratic Women’s Caucus Chair Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Reproductive Freedom Caucus Vice Chair & Whip Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), author of the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act Rep. Sharice Davids (KS-03), and Democratic Women’s Caucus Chief Whip Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05) sent a letter signed by 155 other House Members urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and coordinate an urgent meeting on the matter. The Trump administration’s attack on Title X is yet another attack on women and reproductive health care. 

Title X, the nation’s only federal program dedicated to family planning, allows low-income, uninsured, or underinsured individuals to receive critical health care from a diverse network of providers. Title X health centers served 2.8 million people in FY 2023, administering high-quality family planning and sexual health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and other essential health care services. In the letter, the Members ask Sec. Kennedy to immediately unfreeze funds for federal programs:

“We urge you to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and instead invest fully in the program which has helped people access essential health care for almost 50 years. On behalf of our 2.8 million constituents and women across the country who depend on Title X’s services, we also request a prompt reply to coordinate a meeting on this matter. We look forward to introducing you to the providers, community leaders, and patients from our districts who understand better than anyone else the importance of this program. We hope your agency will not be so reckless as to upend nearly half a century of bipartisan achievement and place Title X on the DOGE chopping block without hearing firsthand the consequences of that action.”

The Members also expressed their outrage at reports that the funding is frozen due to claims that it might support “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” The Members explained:

“This is another way of saying that this program is used to help people of color access care. Nearly half of the people served each year by Title X are people of color, the vast majority are people with low-incomes and most Title X users are women. A federal program’s ability to provide care to people from historically marginalized and underserved communities does not make it wrong or illegal. To suggest otherwise implies that HHS would determine who is worthy of taxpayer dollars based on the color of their skin. Congress created Title X to address the needs of underserved populations across our country, regardless of background, and it has demonstrated success in doing so for 50 years.”

Click here to access the full letter.

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The Weekend where he emphasized that Donald Trump’s reckless tariffs will raise costs on hardworking American taxpayers. 

MICHAEL STEELE: Joining us now to discuss is Democratic Leader and friend of the show, Hakeem Jeffries. Welcome, sir.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Leader Jeffries, while we were on air, you had the President saying this on Truth Social. ‘This is an economic revolution, and we will win. Hang tough. It won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.’ Do you think he means historic good or historic bad?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the results will definitively be historically bad. These Trump tariffs represent the largest tax increase on the American people since at least 1968. What we’re seeing is that he is crashing the economy in real time. Costs are going up. The Trump tariffs are likely to result in thousands of dollars in additional costs on the American people in terms of groceries and gas and goods. And at the same time, we’re seeing the retirement savings of the American people plummeting as well. This guy is driving us toward a recession. And this is not what the American people voted for or expected.

MICHAEL STEELE: Leader, I mentioned in the last hour conversations I’ve been having over the last few weeks with a buddy of mine who is a blue collar worker, been able, over the last 30 years, to save money in his retirement, his 401K. And he has lost about $32,000 in the last three weeks from his retirement savings for him and his wife. Talk to him. What would you say to him? What is the message he needs to hear from you as Leader of the Democratic Party in this hour as he’s watching, they’re now having to recalculate how he’s going to retire because Donald Trump has taken $32,000 out of his life savings.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s very painful. And as I travel the country, these are stories that I am hearing over and over and over again. And that is one of the reasons why we are going to continue to aggressively show up, stand up and speak up against these Trump tariffs, which are doing real damage to everyday Americans. And we’re calling upon both House and Senate Republicans to join us. In the House, all we need on any given bill is basically three House Republicans to stand up for their constituents and act like they actually work for the American people, as opposed to bending the knee consistently for Donald Trump or Elon Musk, even when these two out of control individuals are doing real damage to their constituents. This is one of the reasons why, as we travel the country, Democrats we’re going to continue to engage the American people, have town hall meetings in our districts and in Republican districts in blue states and red states and in purple states, so that we can raise awareness of what’s happening and make sure that these Republicans in Congress are being held accountable for their complicity and failure to act in the best interests of the people they were sent to Washington to represent.

SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: You know, Leader Jeffries, Congress could do something about this today if they wanted to. Have you, I know that House Democrats are ready to stand up for the American people. And you would vote, is it correct to say, that you would vote in support of taking back the power of deciding tariffs with Congress? You would, that’s something you would support.

LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s absolutely something that I would support. And we have legislative efforts that will intensify this week in response to these reckless Trump tariffs. I know that at least one Republican House Member, Congressman Don Bacon, has also introduced legislation or is planning to to address this. So we’re going to be in conversation with a handful of our Republican colleagues, because Congress can stop this carnage from happening. And one of the things that hopefully will cause some people to change their perspectives. You know, Donald Trump, the biggest lie that this guy ever told was that he cared about you, the American people. He does not. He cares about himself and his billionaire donors like Elon Musk. And as if we didn’t need any additional proof, but at the same time that the retirement savings is crashing, the stock market is crashing, the economy is crashing, Donald Trump is on the golf course? This is what he chooses to do? And so we have to continue to press our case aggressively on the economy, on health care, on social security. And we’ll continue to do just that.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: He’s on the golf course to the tune of $26 million, Symone. Taxpayer dollars.

SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: A lot of I mean, truly like bleeding the American people dry while their 401ks and pensions are plummeting. I just have to have to ask then. So Don Bacon, my Congressman, I’m from Nebraska. He represents district two. He is a very vulnerable Republican that could lose his seat next November. What about the Speaker? Has he indicated a willingness, because it’s about the people like Michael talked about. I’m also thinking about the small business owners, the taxes on food and beverage, the restaurants. I mean, I went out last night and I had to order some champagne because I didn’t know if I’d be able to get it three months from now given what Donald Trump is doing to this economy.

MICHAEL STEELE: Oh you would normally order champagne.

SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Here you go.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It does. I think one of the challenges that we’ll continue to have is that Republican leadership has shown no willingness to stand up to Donald Trump and his administration. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find rank and file Republicans to do it, joining us with a unified Democratic opposition, particularly as the pressure continues to intensify on them. They’ve already taken so many different reckless votes as it relates to the budget resolution that initially passed in the House. That’s the largest Medicaid cut in American history. Now they’re trying to dismantle Social Security, undermining veterans benefits, literally trying to take food out of the mouths of babies by cutting nutritional assistance. And what is this all being done for? To enact a massive tax break for billionaire donors like Elon Musk? The whole thing is a Ponzi scheme. That’s the Ponzi scheme that is being visited upon the American people right now.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Just to put a finer point on what you have just said. There seems to be disagreement among Republicans in the two chambers about how to proceed on this question of the budget. Let me read you this from The Hill: ‘The budget debate revealed the biggest looming fight between Senate and House Republicans is over Medicaid. House Republicans have slated the program for tens of billions of dollars in cuts, something that several Republican senators have warned they would oppose in any final reconciliation bill.’ Where is this headed, Leader Jeffries?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re going to continue to stand up for the health care of the American people and point out that what House Republicans have already voted to do, and have not walked away from, is a potential Medicaid cut of up to $880 billion. Here’s what this means. Children will be devastated. Women will be devastated. Older Americans will be devastated. Everyday Americans with disabilities are going to be devastated. Hospitals and nursing homes and community health clinics are going to close. That affects people who are on Medicaid, almost 90 million Americans, but also people who get their health insurance in other forms, because if the hospital closes, it doesn’t matter whether you’re on Medicaid or not, you are going to be hurt. And so we will continue to be very clear that these Medicaid cuts are completely and totally unacceptable. I think the Senate Democrats have done exactly the same thing as this process unfolds. And we’re going to work as hard as we can to find just a handful of Republicans who are now on the run on this Medicaid issue to do the right thing by their constituents.

MICHAEL STEELE: Congressman, we have been talking about voting in the last hour or so minutes and the the reality of it is, we saw how Republicans, under Elon’s leadership and the president’s backing, dropped $26 million dollars into a race to try to convince voters to go with a MAGA candidate. They rejected it. We saw Democrats close the gap in Florida in two congressional districts, which are are R +30. Democrats took 14 points to 17 points off, respectively, closing that gap. So there’s momentum there, but there’s something even a little bit more close to the ground relative to your chamber. You’ve now threatened a lawsuit in the state of Texas over a delayed Texas special election, noting the Houston area district, Texas 18, which is a predominantly Hispanic and Black population, has now had its previous two members die in office, could go as long as seven months without representation in this Congress, unless the governor calls an emergency election. Talk to us about what’s happening there in terms of those two seats and why you think there’s an effort to stall this to get passed this Congress.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Michael, for that question. The Honorable Sylvester Turner, who was a great public servant, former Mayor of Houston, sworn into Congress this year on January 3rd, unexpectedly and tragically passed on March 5th, exactly one month ago. He was funeralized during his homegoing service on March 15th. Yet weeks have passed, and the governor of Texas is conspiring with House Republicans to keep the seat vacant. Why? Because they are on the run legislatively, and they know their margins are tight, and they’re trying to do everything they can to rig the system in order to jam their GOP tax scam down the throats of the American people and in the process, take away health care from everyday Americans and do a bunch of damage. This is what this is all about. There’s no reason that the governor of Texas has not called a special election over the last few weeks. It’s a fraudulent scheme, and it’s connected to what we’re seeing taking place all over the country, including in North Carolina right now. By the way, North Carolina is a particularly bad actor because the three seats that Republicans took away from Democrats in North Carolina, they were extreme partisan gerrymandering in the middle of the decade, after redistricting had already taken place, and it was sanctioned by this right-wing Supreme Court. Those three seats actually make the difference between Democrats being in the majority right now and the House Republicans. And so that’s a bad lesson that they’ve learned and they’re not going to walk away from it which is why we have to continue to raise the alarm, mobilize the American people and then hold them responsible, accountable for their anti-democratic actions.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Very quickly sir then, are you concerned that Republicans across the board in key districts across the country will attempt to deny Democrats and frankly, you the Speakership, if you are successful in November. If the numbers from Florida hold, I mean, dropping a +30 district and a Republican only winning it by 15, 14, 17 points. That to me feels dangerous. So are you concerned that they might try to steal the election? And are you all prepared?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes. We have to be incredibly vigilant across the board to call out their schemes well in advance, which will help stop them. From the standpoint of public sentiment, from engaging in it, this is one of the reasons why the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race was so critical, because that’s a battleground state for next November, let alone in 2028. At least two competitive congressional seats in Wisconsin. And we got to make sure that we are protecting the integrity of the courts all across the country and in many of the battleground states where this next election will be decided, you do have enlightened State Supreme Courts. So that’s the good news. We’re also suing Donald Trump, I’m suing him personally, along with Leader Schumer, House Democrats, Senate Democrats, the Democratic Governors Association and the Democratic National Committee, all of us together to make sure that we can get his executive order, which is all about voter suppression, declared unlawful and unconstitutional. And I believe we’ll be successful in doing just that.

MICHAEL STEELE: All right. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you, sir, for your time. Really appreciate it.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig reintroduced the Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination (HUMBLE) Act to clean up Washington and prevent Members of Congress from profiting off their service.

Rep. Betty McCollum (MN-4) also co-sponsored this bill.

The HUMBLE Act would ban Members of Congress from owning or trading individual stocks, prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for first-class airline tickets, prevent Members from serving on corporate boards while they are in Congress and eliminate access to Members-only perks for former Members.

Rep. Craig’s legislation also includes a new provision to eliminate automatic pay raises for Members of Congress.

“Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents, not profit off of their positions, and Minnesotans want their elected officials to work for them, not special interests,” said Rep. Craig. “That’s why I’m reintroducing my HUMBLE Act to clean up Washington and make sure our tax dollars are spent on lowering costs, improving critical infrastructure and maintaining the essential services we all rely on.”

Rep. Craig’s legislation, one of the most expansive government reform proposals on either side of the aisle, is endorsed by multiple good government groups.

“Washington isn’t responding to the needs of working families because too many members of Congress have forgotten that public office is a responsibility, not a pathway to personal enrichment,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “While families struggle to make ends meet, lawmakers are cashing in on their positions of power––trading stocks using insider information, lining up their next jobs, and pushing policies that benefit the wealthy donors who keep them in power. Congresswoman Craig’s HUMBLE Act is a long-overdue and necessary step to restore integrity and root out corruption in Congress. We’re grateful for her continued leadership in fighting for these commonsense reforms.”

“Members of Congress, as elected representatives to pursue the public interest, should live by the strictest ethics rules to prevent using public office for personal gain. Rep. Craig’s HUMBLE Act would impose many sorely-needed ethics rules on Congress, from slamming close revolving door abuses to cashing-in on the stock market using insider knowledge gleaned from their positions in Congress. The HUMBLE Act offers a great leap forward,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D., Public Citizen.

“American government is mired in a crisis of public confidence that threatens to undermine democracy. Congress must take bold action to stop this erosion of institutional legitimacy,” said Noah Bookbinder, President of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “Rep. Craig’s HUMBLE Act, which would, among many things, prohibit members of Congress from owning or trading stocks, would help fight back against the forces arrayed against democracy. CREW encourages Congress to expeditiously debate, discuss, and pass the HUMBLE Act.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 16 of their colleagues in introducing the Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act, which will provide $1 billion over four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants to address the significant backlog of facility needs at federally impacted schools. In addition to Representative Garamendi, the bill was co-sponsored by Representative Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23). This legislation was first introduced in the Senate by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)

The federal Impact Aid program offers federal support for public school districts where federal activity has reduced the available tax base. This is because federally impacted school districts have significantly less tax revenue and bonding capacity to meet their needs. Currently, Impact Aid supports over 1,100 school districts, totaling more than 10 million students.

“This bill addresses long-overdue repair needs to ensure equitable access to quality education and safe learning environments for students across the country,” said Rep. Garamendi. “I am grateful to Senator Hirono for introducing this legislation in the Senate and for fighting for safe environments for teachers and students,” said Garamendi. “Every child should have the opportunity to learn and excel in a safe environment. This legislation brings us closer to realizing that goal.”

“Every child deserves to receive a quality education in a safe, suitable learning environment,” said Senator Hirono. “The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would provide critical funding for over 1,000 school districts across the country to address their significant backlogs of construction, repair, and maintenance needs. Impact Aid is one of many critical programs administered by the Department of Education and this bill would strengthen this program to help ensure that federally impacted school districts have the funding they need to support millions of students as they learn and grow in our public schools.”

“In California’s 23rd District, many of our schools serve military families and are located near federal lands that do not pay local tax and therefore reduce local tax revenues,” said Rep. Obernolte. “These schools face serious infrastructure challenges—from outdated buildings to limited capacity for critical upgrades. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a vital step forward. It provides the resources and federal-local collaboration our schools need to modernize their facilities and create safe, effective learning environments for every student. I’m proud to help lead this legislation because it delivers real support to our communities and honors our commitment to military families and rural schools alike.”

“The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a crucial investment in the future of federally impacted school districts,” said Nicole Russell, Executive Director, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS). “Too many schools serving military-connected children, Native American students, and others affected by federal property face deteriorating facilities that undermine student achievement and make it difficult to recruit and retain teachers–and they lack the tax base to overcome these challenges due to the presence of nontaxable federal property. By addressing the extensive backlog of infrastructure needs, this legislation is an important step in leveling the playing field and ensuring every student has access to a safe, modern learning environment that supports their success.”

“2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the Impact Aid law, which recognized the Federal Government’s obligation to replace lost tax revenue in school districts with a federal presence by providing operational and minimal construction funding,” said Brent Gish, Executive Director, National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA). “The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would provide crucial funding to districts serving students residing on Indian land and those in military and federal property areas. These districts have very limited and sometimes no bonding capacity to construct new or renovate existing facilities and teacher housing. The growing backlog of need now exceeds $4 billion. It is our strong belief that in America, all children deserve a high-quality education in a safe and modern facility that supports innovative, culturally rich teaching. Quality facilities coupled with research-based instruction yields positive learning outcomes!”

“Schools around the country that receive Federal Impact Aid have a distinct disadvantage when it comes to raising funds for school construction,” said Kyle Fairbairn, Executive Director, Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA). “In a majority of states, the only way to build a school or do an extensive remodel is by passing a local bond issue supported by property taxes. In Impact Aid districts, these funds become the responsibility of local taxpayers because the federal government does not pay taxes on land it owns. This makes passing a bond issue very difficult, as it places a tremendous burden on taxpayers who do pay property taxes. The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is a way to have the federal government help fund local schools, benefiting all taxpayers within an LEA.”  

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act would ensure that federally impacted school districts have the resources needed to provide every student with a quality education and safe learning environment by authorizing $250 million annually for four years for Impact Aid Construction Grants. Of this funding, 25% would be allocated through formula funding to all eligible school districts. The Department of Education would distribute the remaining 75% as competitive grants, prioritizing school districts with urgent facility needs.

The Impact Aid Infrastructure Partnership Act is endorsed by National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS); National Indian Impacted Schools Association (NIISA); Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA); and Build America’s School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC).  

In the Senate, this legislation was cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Tina Smith (D-MN).

In the House, it was cosponsored by Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-5), Don Davis (D-NC-1), Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), and Emily Randall (D-WA-06).  

The full text of the legislation is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Darren Soto (D-FL)

The Kissimmee River Wild and Scenic River Act directs the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and designate a restored segment of the Kissimmee River as a Recreational River

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Dr. Arthur Herman, a senior fellow and director of the Quantum Alliance Initiative at Hudson Institute, penned an op-ed in National Review highlighting how AUKUS — the security pact between the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia — provides a strategic advantage against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), both at sea and in the high-tech realm. 

National Review

The U.S. Has a Game Changer in the Struggle for High-Tech Supremacy

Congressman Michael McCaul and Dr. Arthur Herman 

April 3, 2025 

In the great-power competition with the United States’ adversaries, none is more formidable than the Chinese Communist Party.

Emboldened by four years of appeasement policies, the CCP is on the march — escalating its military activities, conducting aggressive drills around Taiwan, and increasing its belligerence in the South China Sea.

The tension in the Indo-Pacific is nearing a breaking point. Given China’s unholy alliance with Russia, Iran, and North Korea — and America’s friendship with Taiwan and defense treaty with the Philippines — any surge of CCP aggression in the region could catapult the world into a snowballing conflict.

There is one key to avoiding this World War III scenario: deterrence. And as the future of warfare rapidly develops, high-tech supremacy will be the decisive key. That’s why — as President Trump has said — China’s recent DeepSeek challenge to American AI leadership serves as a wake-up call. We must commit greater focus and resources to high-tech supremacy — not only in AI, but in a range of technologies that will define military deterrence in peacetime and determine victory in a time of war.

[…]

Instead of peace through strength, the Biden presidency brought instability and conflict through weakness. But in the midst of its abysmal foreign policy record was one bright spot: a security pact established in 2021 between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, to work together on a cluster of advanced technologies. 

AUKUS will change the game when it comes to countering the generational threat posed by China.

[…]

To ensure the program’s success, Congress passed an initiative, led by one of us (Michael McCaul, chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee), to exempt Australia and the U.K. from lengthy and burdensome licensing requirements. These requirements, while meant to protect our sensitive technology from falling into the wrong hands, also prohibited our trusted allies from using U.S. tech for our collective defense goals.

Congress was explicit: The administration “shall provide” defense articles and technology to these allies, whose export control regimes are similar to our own. But when the Biden administration removed the licensing requirements, it quickly nullified that action by releasing a list of excluded technologies. The list was so lengthy that it swallowed up the exemption. In other words, the Biden administration undermined congressional intent and re-created lengthy burdens for technology sharing with our allies, inexplicably undercutting its one true foreign policy success in the process.

The excluded-technologies list must be immediately trimmed if we want to keep up with China in the technology race that will determine the future balance of power.

[…]

In our brave new age of great-power competition, our high-tech posture will be as important as our military force posture; in fact, one will determine the other. Just as in World War II the integration of mass production by commercial companies was the key to victory, so too will integration of advanced technologies like AI, quantum, and autonomous systems be key to deterrence — and to victory if war breaks out.

Except this time, we won’t have to rely on American industry alone for needed breakthroughs and deployments. Instead, we can work with key allies to achieve our most important national security goals — including supremacy at sea — and prevent the next world war from breaking out.

As Ronald Reagan told us, “We know only too well that conflict comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak.” For too long, the forces of freedom have been weak in the face of CCP aggression. AUKUS can change that.

Click here to read the full op-ed in National Review.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security Committee — released the following statement on March’s record-low border crossings under the Trump administration. 

“Month after month, the Trump administration continues to prove that deterrence works. I’ve dealt with the border for more than 25 years, and I’ve never seen border crossings this low. These numbers are a testament to the dedication of our brave border patrol agents and to President Trump’s strong immigration policies, which are restoring order to the chaos caused by Biden’s reckless open border.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) took note of today’s stock market response to the Trump tariffs and made the following statement:

“Trump’s tariff wars are making everything more expensive. And it’s about to get worse. And while we’re paying more for food, medicine, appliances and car repairs, the GOP wants to slash Medicaid, Social Security, SNAP and more to give billionaires a tax cut. They do not care about working people. Tariffs are taxes. The stock market is a measure of Trump’s economic folly. Trump has wrecked our thriving economy and our social safety and health network. ‘47’ is a monstrous, out-of-control man-child. And Howard Lutnick is a cheerleader, not a commerce secretary.”

# # #

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today introduced the Reward Each American’s Labor and Make Every Rich Individual Contribute Again (REAL AMERICA) Act, a bold tax reform bill that helps everyday working people while addressing Republican plans to sneak through a $2 trillion tax cut for millionaires and billionaires.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Donald Trump and Republicans want Americans to believe they support tax cuts for working people. But while they float limited tax reforms to mask their real agenda, their actual plan would require deep cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security in order to pay for their new round of tax giveaways to billionaires like Elon Musk, Trump’s wealthy donors, and others making more than $400,000 every year. 

“Democrats should not let that deception go unchecked. If Trump and the GOP want to talk about ‘Real America,’ then it’s time they stand with real Americans — like people who depend on tips, work overtime hours, and have worked hard their entire lives and now rely on Social Security. This bill gives them an easy chance to do that. The first two provisions — eliminating federal taxes on tips and overtime pay — came straight from President Trump’s campaign playbook. Add in tax relief for Social Security recipients and elimination of the carried interest loophole, and you’ve got a real pro-worker tax plan. If Republicans are serious about helping the people they claim to represent, they should support the REAL AMERICA Act.” 

The REAL AMERICA Act will deliver real tax cuts for real working people by: 

• Eliminating Federal Income Taxes on Tips — Service workers shouldn’t be taxed on the tips they rely on to make ends meet;
• Making Overtime Pay Tax-Free — If you put in extra hours, you should take home extra pay, not hand more over to the IRS;
• Ending Federal Income Taxes on Social Security Benefits — Retirees paid into Social Security their entire working lives; it’s time to stop taxing their hard-earned benefits;  and  
• Closing the Carried Interest Loophole — Billionaire hedge fund managers shouldn’t pay a lower tax rate than their clerical assistants. 

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