Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

Washington, D.C. – Last Friday, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) introduced the No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act to make sure that victims of retirement account fraud are not charged an early withdrawal tax penalty. 

“We’ve seen a significant uptick in scams targeting Americans’ hard-saved retirement funds,” said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). “And for victims of fraud not yet at retirement age, it’s a double whammy of lost savings and then being hit with an early withdrawal penalty. No fraud victim should be punished for being targeted, and this critical legislation will make the burden just a little bit lighter for those who have already lost so much.”

“Fraud victims are harmed enough when criminals steal their life savings,” said the National Consumers League Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications, and Fraud John Breyault. “The last thing victims should worry about after being scammed is a bill from the IRS. NCL is thankful for Representative Stevens’ efforts to reduce the burdens fraud victims face after a crime has occurred.”

“Saving for retirement takes hard work and sacrifice by our residents and they should be protected from the rising instances of fraud,” said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. “We already worry about the security and solvency of our retirement system. We shouldn’t also have to agonize about federal penalties levied after fraudulent withdrawals from our financial safety net. I appreciate U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens’ interest in solving this problem and providing some peace of mind for people as they prepare to retire.”

“We support this commonsense bill that will protect victims of fraud,” said Adam Rust, director of financial services for the Consumer Federation of America. “In 2023 alone, consumers reported losing almost $5 billion of their investments to scammers. The No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act will shield innocent people from further harm by exempting them from having to pay taxes for losing their life savings. The scale of fraud is growing, making it all the more urgent that lawmakers act now to address this oversight in our tax laws. “

The No Penalties for Victims of Fraud Act is designed to ease the financial impact on fraud victims by waiving early withdrawal penalties for those affected. Key provisions include:

• Allowing fraud victims to avoid withdrawal penalties from eligible retirement accounts if they can document fraud losses through law enforcement or court verification.
• Letting victims choose to repay the withdrawn amount without penalties, following guidelines similar to existing retirement account repayment options.
• Addressing a crucial gap, providing essential financial protections for fraud victims and promoting awareness to help prevent further exploitation.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) along with U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA), hosted a press conference to call on the Trump Administration to sue the Chinese Communist Party for Covid damages.

Last week, a federal judge in Missouri held that the Chinese Communist Party is liable for $24 billion to the state for covering up the severity of COVID in early 2020 and hoarding pandemic related supplies in violation of antitrust law. Now, the Representatives are calling on the Trump Administration to follow suit and pursue similar legal action against the CCP to hold them accountable for damages across the United States. Rather than putting tariffs on Canada and gutting the federal government, the Representatives are calling on the Administration to hold China accountable and then use the damages to rebalance our financial relationship with China, reduce our federal debt, and fund the services Americans rely on. 

“The COVID pandemic cost the United States trillions of dollars and 1 million American lives,” said Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). ”And it’s time to hold the CCP accountable. I’m calling on the Trump Administration to pursue legal action against the CCP for lying and misleading about Covid and hoarding resources. Rather than putting tariffs on our friend Canada, firing veterans, and slashing food and housing assistance, let’s go after our competitor, China, for their role in letting COVID get out of hand and use the damages to reduce our debt and pay for the services Americans rely on.”

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, China was not transparent with the U.S. or the world,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). “The CCP prevented Americans from getting the PPE they urgently needed by restricting exports. We must hold the CCP accountable and strengthen our domestic industrial base so we are never in that position again. This should be supported by both parties. I am grateful for Congresswoman Stevens’ leadership on this issue.”

“After a federal judge found Communist China liable for billions in damages to the people of Missouri for its misconduct around the COVID pandemic, we need the Trump Administration to toughen up and hold the Chinese government accountable on behalf of all Americans,” said Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA). “Attorney General Bondi and the Justice Department should pursue every legal option to bring the Chinese Communist Party to justice. Making China pay what it’s liable for under U.S. law is about justice and fiscal responsibility.” 

Full video of the press conference can be found here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

“Today, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wrote a blank check to Elon Musk to further defund Congressional priorities, while cutting housing assistance, failing to fully fund nutrition programs for seniors, and reneging on additional money for American veterans exposed to toxic fumes while serving our country.

I could not in good conscience vote for a one-year funding proposal that leaves communities out and does not fulfill the funding promises from last year’s bipartisan deal.

Michigan cannot afford Elon Musk’s shutdown and a funding proposal without the guardrails to keep him from taking his chainsaw to the agencies delivering the services Americans rely on, like SNAP and Medicaid.

I would happily vote for bipartisan appropriations legislation that expands access to housing, provides veterans exposed to burn pits care, and fully funds the CHIPS and Science Act.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle, however, refused to reach across, so I will leave this mess to them.”

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

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”

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Diana DeGette, Co-Chairs of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, along with Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Reproductive Health Care Task Force Chair & Liaison Judy Chu (CA-28), DWC Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Reproductive Freedom Caucus Vice Chair & Whip 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 Nikema Williams (GA-05), sent a letter signed by 162 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.”

The full letter can be accessed here.

In addition to letter leads Judy Chu, Diana DeGette, Ayanna Pressley, Teresa Leger Fernández, Lizzie Fletcher, Sharice Davids, and Nikema Williams, the letter was signed by: Gwen S. Moore, Chrissy Houlahan, Delia C. Ramirez, Frederica S. Wilson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Gerald E. Connolly, Dwight Evans, LaMonica McIver, Lori Trahan, Danny K. Davis, Eugene Simon Vindman, Nydia M. Velázquez, Brad Sherman, Rashida Tlaib, Darren Soto, Joyce Beatty, Seth Moulton, Marc A. Veasey, Jerrold Nadler, Madeleine Dean, Laura Friedman, John B. Larson, Juan Vargas, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Becca Balint, Stephen F. Lynch, Betty McCollum, Lloyd Doggett, Jennifer L. McClellan, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mikie Sherrill, Rick Larsen, Derek T. Tran, Greg Stanton, Jimmy Panetta, Paul D. Tonko, Jill Tokuda, Dave Min, Terri A. Sewell, Jake Auchincloss, Jared Huffman, James P. McGovern, Mary Gay Scanlon, Mark DeSaulnier, Dina Titus, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Scott H. Peters, Doris Matsui, Emanuel Cleaver, Suzanne Bonamici, Grace Meng, Lucy McBath, Emilia Strong Sykes, Jim Himes, Joseph D. Morelle, Chellie Pingree, Josh Gottheimer, Veronica Escobar, Jasmine Crockett, Kathy Castor, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Quigley, Jan Schakowsky, Kevin Mullin, Greg Landsman, Marilyn Strickland, Pramila Jayapal, Ted W. Lieu, Robert J. Menendez, Jim Costa, Ilhan Omar, Timothy M. Kennedy, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Robin L. Kelly, Sara Jacobs, Ritchie Torres, Bennie G. Thompson, Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Adriano Espaillat, Sarah McBride, Luz M. Rivas, Ami Bera, Seth Magaziner, Andrea Salinas, Lois Frankel, Melanie Stansbury, Mike Thompson, Julia Brownley, Summer L. Lee, Deborah K. Ross, Nikki Budzinski, Lateefah Simon, Julie Johnson, Kelly Morrison, Lauren Underwood, Yassamin Ansari, Mark Takano, Chris Pappas, Shri Thanedar, Mark Pocan, Maxine Dexter, Donald Norcross, Hillary J. Scholten, Ro Khanna, Sarah Elfreth, Jahana Hayes, André Carson, Jimmy Gomez, Raul Ruiz, Angie Craig, Norma J. Torres, Gregory W. Meeks, Val Hoyle, Maggie Goodlander, Salud Carbajal, Sylvia R. Garcia, George Latimer, Gabe Amo, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Shontel M. Brown, Suhas Subramanyam, Katherine M. Clark, Nancy Pelosi, Johnny Olszewski, Alma S. Adams, William R. Keating, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Ed Case, Glenn Ivey, Suzan K. DelBene, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Dan Goldman, Joaquin Castro, Sean Casten, Brittany Pettersen, Debbie Dingell, Chris Deluzio, Wesley Bell, Mike Levin, Bill Foster, Pete Aguilar, Bradley Scott Schneider, Greg Casar, Valerie P. Foushee, Al Green, Kim Schrier, Maxwell Alejandro Frost, John Garamendi, Joe Courtney, Steve Cohen, Troy A. Carter, and Robert C. “Bobby” Scott.

Yesterday, Congresswoman Pressley rallied with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), colleagues, and advocates outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which could allow states to block Medicaid patients from accessing routine care at Planned Parenthood health centers.

Rep. Pressley has also spoken out against Republican attempts to gut Medicaid and delivered an impassioned speech slamming Republicans’ cruel and callous budget resolution that would slash Medicaid and other critical government services to pay for trillions of dollars in tax giveaways for Donald Trump’s billionaire donors.

In her personal capacity throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect fundamental reproductive and sexual healthcare rights. 

• On the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available—without stigma, shame or systemic barriers—for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.
• Rep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere. 
• Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage—regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.
• Shortly before the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide. 
• Rep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.
• In October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage.
• In September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia.
• In June 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Idaho v. United States; Moyle v. United States – the case about whether emergency abortion care is included under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). 
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances. 
• In April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played “Fact or Fiction” with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone.
• In August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive healthcare and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.
• In May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.
• In May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.
• In April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff. 
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.
• In September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s inaction on SB-8, Texas’ restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women’s Health Protection Act. 
• In April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.
• Rep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA’s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.
• As Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus’s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley has led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden’s FY2022 budget.
• In May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.
• In August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care. 
• In January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans’ harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. 
• In May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative’s support for Roe v. Wade.
• In June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription. 
• In September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), Shontel Brown (OH-11), and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) wrote to the Deputy Inspectors General of the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Government Services Administration (GSA) requesting an independent investigation into a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer’s mishandling of Americans’ personally identifiable information.
“We write to request that you immediately open an investigation into the unauthorized and harmful actions of a former Treasury employee affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who shared a spreadsheet containing personally identifiable information (PII) with officials at the General Services Administration (GSA). Such an investigation is especially imperative as we determine the extent to which federal privacy laws were violated and how individual Americans were adversely affected,” the lawmakers wrote.
In late January, DOGE staffers were granted access to the Treasury Department’s payment system, which processes approximately $200 billion in payments each day to Americans. Payments include Social Security benefits, tax refunds, payments to government contractors, and more. One DOGE staffer, who was granted access to the payment system before his background check was complete, sent an email with an attached spreadsheet containing an unknown amount of Americans’ personally identifiable information to two GSA officials, likely in violation of the Privacy Act. The staffer did not gain approval or encrypt the spreadsheet to protect the privacy of the GSA employees, despite receiving a briefing on cybersecurity and privacy rules just days before.
“Under the Privacy Act, which was passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal to protect Americans’ privacy, federal agencies may not disclose records contained within a system of records to third parties without an individual’s prior written consent, subject to certain exceptions. Moreover, case law supports the proposition that information taken from a record maintained in a system of records—say, a few data points pulled from a larger record—are subject to this disclosure requirement, even if this information is incorporated into a new document that is not itself maintained in the system,” the lawmakers continued. “With this understanding, Elez’s compilation of names, transaction types, and payment amounts into a spreadsheet, even if not entire records from Treasury systems, and subsequent disclosure to GSA officials constitutes a likely violation of the Privacy Act.”
Congresswoman Trahan, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, recently announced an effort to rewrite the Privacy Act for the first time since its passage in 1974. Congresswoman Brown is the Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation. Congresswoman DelBene is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has direct jurisdiction over the Treasury Department.
A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) condemned the Trump administration’s decision to terminate the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund, cutting $106 million in federal funding for Massachusetts school districts.
“The Trump administration’s unnecessary cuts to federal education funding for Fitchburg, Lawrence, and Dracut are irresponsible and shortsighted,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Our kids deserve better, and I’ll continue fighting to make sure our school districts get the federal investments they need to provide the best education possible.”
School districts in Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District impacted by the Trump administration’s cuts include:

Fitchburg: $6,578,468 to purchase and install new HVAC systems for Memorial Middle School and the South Street Early Learning Center
Lawrence: $1,307,307 to complete HVAC projects in school buildings across the city.
Dracut: $648,702 to install a new HVAC unit for Richardson Middle School, a project the town has already started and invested $240,000 in.

“This sudden federal decision to terminate already-approved education funding is deeply concerning—especially for communities like Fitchburg that have been responsibly planning and executing long-term projects with these dollars. Here in Fitchburg, we’ve been working for over three years to use these funds to improve air quality and ventilation in our schools, with projects targeted at Memorial Middle School and South Street Early Childhood Learning Center—two schools identified during the pandemic as having the most urgent need. We’ve completed the studies, awarded the contracts, ordered the unit ventilators, and scheduled the work for this summer, when it can be done safely while students are out of the building. To pull the rug out from under us at this stage jeopardizes not just HVAC installations, but the health and wellbeing of our youngest learners. Fitchburg’s students, families, and educators deserve stability—not sudden policy reversals. We will be working closely with DESE and the  State to push back on this and ensure that the resources promised to our schools are protected,” said Fitchburg Mayor Sam Squailia.
“The loss of $1.3 million in ESSER funding presents a significant challenge for the students of Lawrence. These funds are vital for their recovery and overall success. It is imperative that we continue to invest in their future,” said Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña.
According to the Healey-Driscoll administration, the U.S. Department of Education informed the Commonwealth in February 2025 that they had until next March to spend the funds. The Trump administration’s reversal was announced at 5:03pm on Friday, March 28th and effective as of three minutes prior at 5pm.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, partnered with Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Ossoff (D-GA) to reintroduce the Data Elimination and Limiting Extensive Tracking and Exchange (DELETE) Act. The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would establish a system through which individuals could request that all data brokers delete any personal data collected by the company and a prohibition on future collection.
“Americans should be the ones in control of our own personal data – not shady online middlemen who harvest our most sensitive information and auction it off to the highest bidder,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “The DELETE Act puts power back where it belongs: in the hands of consumers. By giving individuals a simple, effective way to wipe their data from data brokers’ databases and block future collection, this bill takes a critical step toward protecting our privacy and reining in an industry that monetizes our data without our consent.”
“Privacy should be expected and protected online,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill gives Americans a solution to ensure their personal data is not tracked, collected, bought or sold by data brokers.”
“Data brokers are buying, collecting, and reselling vast amounts of personal information about all of us without our consent. This bipartisan bill is about returning control of our personal data to us, the American people,” said Senator Ossoff.
The DELETE Act would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create an online dashboard for Americans to submit a one-time data deletion request that would be sent to all data brokers registered. Under current law, individuals must request removal from each individual data broker to ensure their privacy is protected. This legislation would also create a ‘do not track list’ to protect taxpayers from future data collection. The DELETE Act is supported by Public Knowledge.
Since her appointment to the Energy and Commerce Committee, Trahan has spearheaded efforts to protect Americans’ most sensitive data, strengthen privacy rights, and protect consumers from corporate abuses. This March, she announced an effort to reform the Privacy Act of 1974, a 51-year-old law regulating how the federal government collects, maintains, utilizes, and disseminates Americans’ personally identifiable information. Also in March, she reintroduced the bipartisan Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability (TLDR) Act, legislation requiring that online companies make their terms-of-service contracts more accessible, transparent, and understandable for consumers. In Energy and Commerce committee meetings and hearings, Trahan has consistently exposed and condemned exploitative business practices that violate Americans’ online privacy. 
Supported by a strong track record, Trahan has earned a reputation of challenging the practices of data brokers. In 2022, she first introduced the DELETE Act to rein in data brokers’ shady behaviors. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, she wrote to top data brokers questioning their handling of women’s health and reproductive data in light of the decision. Trahan blasted the companies after their responses failed to adequately address concerns about how this data could be used to target women seeking reproductive care, including issues raised by Massachusetts leaders.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of House Democratic Leadership, spoke on the House floor in opposition to H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, legislation that requires voters to provide a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or passport matching their current name to vote in a federal election. The legislation provides no alternative pathway for women who changed their name after marriage to prove their citizenship so they can cast their ballot.
“House Republicans are forcing a vote this week on the so-called SAVE Act – a bill that does nothing to stop inflation from driving up grocery prices, nothing to end Donald Trump’s trade war that is pummeling the stock market, and nothing to protect Americans’ retirements,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “Instead, this is a messaging bill, sloppily written and dangerously flawed, designed to create confusion and chaos in our electoral system rather than strengthen it.”
CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s speech. A transcript is embedded below.

H.R. 22 requires that all Americans prove their citizenship status by providing an original copy of their birth certificate, naturalization papers, or passport matching their current name in person to register to vote or update their voter registration information. There are as many as 69 million American women who have taken their spouse’s name after marriage and do not have a birth certificate matching their legal name. Additionally, half of all Americans do not possess a passport.
H.R. 22 provides no alternative option for these women to register to vote or amend their voter registration.
“This isn’t just bureaucratic nonsense. It is an outrageous attack on the rights of women across our country,” Congresswoman Trahan continued. “And the worst part, Madam Speaker, is that Republicans have known that this was an issue with this bill for years, and they’ve done nothing to fix it. They either don’t care that millions of American women will be stripped of their right to vote, or that has been their goal all along.”
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Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks As Delivered
Floor Speech on H.R. 22, The SAVE Act
April 1, 2025
Madam Speaker, we are witnessing yet another shameful attack on the fundamental rights of millions of Americans. House Republicans are forcing a vote this week on the so-called SAVE Act – a bill that does nothing to stop inflation from driving up grocery prices, nothing to end Donald Trump’s trade war that is pummeling the stock market, and nothing to protect Americans’ retirements.
Instead, this is a messaging bill, sloppily written and dangerously flawed, designed to create confusion and chaos in our electoral system rather than strengthen it. The SAVE Act claims to prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections. And at first glance, that may seem logical if not for the fact that it is already illegal and has been for decades. Non-citizens caught voting in federal elections already face deportation and even jail time.
Time and again, when pressed for evidence of widespread non-citizen voting, Republicans have failed to produce a single credible example. The reason? Because the problem they claim to be solving simply doesn’t exist.
So why are we here today? Why are we debating a bill that addresses a non-existent problem while hardworking American families are struggling with rising costs and economic insecurity?
Because Republicans in Congress, they don’t have real solutions. Rather than addressing the issues that matter – like lowering grocery costs and helping families get ahead – they are prioritizing a bill that disenfranchises millions of American women. Roughly 69 million women – about 25% of eligible voters in our country – have IDs that do not match their birth certificates, usually because they changed their name once they got married. Under this bill, if they don’t have a passport – and half of Americans don’t – they wouldn’t be able to register to vote.
Think about that. Tens of millions of women, the backbone of our families and our communities, stripped of their right to vote simply because they got married.
Imagine a woman who has voted in every election since she turned 18, who pays her taxes, who contributes to her community. One day, she learns that because her name changed when she got married, she is suddenly unable to register to vote in her state. No amount of documentation – no social security card, no marriage license, no previous voter registration – will satisfy the requirements of this bill unless she possesses an updated passport or a birth certificate that matches her current name.
This isn’t just bureaucratic nonsense. It is an outrageous attack on the rights of women across our country. And the worst part, Madam Speaker, is that Republicans have known that this was an issue with this bill for years, and they’ve done nothing to fix it. They either don’t care that millions of American women will be stripped of their right to vote, or that has been their goal all along.
Either way, this is going to create chaos in every state in America, and it’s going to make it harder for Americans to participate in their democracy. And it appears to be the latest in a long series of tactics – like polling place closures and gerrymandering – designed to silence voters that Republican politicians don’t think they can win.
That’s not how democracy works. You don’t get to silence millions of Americans just because they might not like your policies. You represent them too.
So, I urge my colleagues to reject this dangerous legislation and protect the rights of every eligible voter in the country. Because our democracy is strongest when every voice is heard and every vote is counted. Thank you, I yield back.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, was joined by
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24), Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01) in reintroducing the Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity (PURE) Act, a bill that aims to provide Medicare beneficiaries with more flexibility for care through an update to Medicare reimbursement for portable diagnostic services to include ultrasound procedures. The lawmakers were joined by Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and John Cornyn (R-TX) in introducing the bicameral legislation. 
“When patients need lifesaving ultrasound services but can’t reach a hospital, they’re often left without other options. The Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act closes that gap by enabling portable ultrasounds to reach patients directly at their bedsides, allowing for rapid diagnosis of serious conditions like blood clots, heart failure, and abdominal disease,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “This bipartisan, bicameral legislation leverages cutting-edge portable ultrasound technology to make health care more accessible and affordable for those in our communities who need it most.”
The legislation aims to recognize portable ultrasound procedures and provide the same transportation reimbursement that Medicare currently allows for portable x-ray services. Advances in technology have made portable ultrasound machines more compact and lightweight with improved imaging capabilities. This has led to an increased demand for these high-quality imaging services to be administered at the bedside enabling the rapid diagnosis of patients for a range of acute and chronic conditions, including blood clots, heart failure, or abdominal disease. Yet, outdated Medicare policy has not kept pace to allow providers of portable diagnostic services to receive reimbursement for ultrasound procedures.
 “Our bill offers an important step to modernize our health care system and ensure seniors receive the high-quality care they deserve,” said Congresswoman Van Duyne. “The Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act (PURE Act) will expand access to lifesaving portable ultrasound services and remove the burdensome red tape facing North Texas medical providers, allowing them to provide better, more flexible care. By recognizing portable ultrasounds under Medicare’s reimbursement structure, we will improve care for vulnerable populations and prevent unnecessary hospital visits, lowering costs for patients and taxpayers.”
“Our seniors need access to timely and medically appropriate services, regardless of where they reside,” said Congressman Schneider. “I am proud to help introduce the PURE Act to promote greater access to diagnostic services for individuals who require an ultrasound at home and help reduce unnecessary, avoidable hospitalizations.”
“I am proud to support the Portable Ultrasound Reimbursement Equity Act of 2024, which ensures that seniors, especially those in rural areas, have access to critical healthcare services like ultrasound technology,” said Congresswoman Miller-Meeks. “This bill levels the playing field for Medicare patients and increases access to x-ray, ultrasound, and EKG screenings to make sure beneficiaries get the at-home care they need, no matter where they live. I thank Rep. Van Duyne for her leadership.”
“Portable ultrasounds play a critical role in diagnosing potentially life-threatening conditions,” said Senator Cornyn. “By ensuring providers can be reimbursed for the transportation and set up of these exams, our legislation will help Medicare beneficiaries receive more efficient and effective care.”
“APDA applauds Sen. Cornyn, Sen. Hassan, Rep. Van Duyne, Rep. Schneider, Rep. Miller-Meeks and Rep. Trahan for their bipartisan leadership to improve and expand access to portable ultrasound exams while lowering the cost of care for patients. The PURE Act will help ensure our members can continue to meet the growing demand across the country for portable diagnostic services to allow seniors and our most vulnerable to receive the treatment they need in the comfort of their own homes.” said Tamara Schwartz, President of the American Portable Diagnostics Association (APDA). 
Since joining the House Energy and Commerce Committee in 2021, Trahan has consistently championed legislation that expands access to health care for working families. In February, she reintroduced the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act, bipartisan legislation that will break down barriers for children with complex medical conditions to make it easier for families to access out-of-state care. In 2024, she introduced the Bolstering Research and Innovation Now (BRAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen research and treatment development for brain tumors and to improve the accessibility of brain tumor health care. Also in 2024, Trahan introduced the Reinforcing Essential Health Systems for Communities Act, legislation that would establish an “essential health system” designation in federal law, creating opportunity for more federal funding and support to flow to safety net hospitals that traditionally support more uninsured and low-income patients.
Click HERE for a copy of the legislation.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s newly enacted tariffs, which impact a range of industries and foreign markets:

“I agree that America must stay competitive globally, but Kansans are already feeling the squeeze — and now they’ll have to foot the bill for President Trump’s reckless tariffs. His trade policies are driving up grocery costs, forcing Kansas businesses to close, and cutting off markets for our farmers. Instead of supporting hardworking folks, he continues to push policies — including cuts to Social Security and Medicare — that benefit big corporations and his billionaire friends. That’s unacceptable. I’m focused on pursuing smart trade agreements that strengthen American industries without putting jobs and small businesses at risk.”

Background:

Today, President Donald Trump announced tariffs of at least 10 percent on practically all goods coming into the United States, plus higher rates on certain countries. Experts say President Trump’s tariff policy could raise prices for an array of products ranging from groceries to gas, the latter rising by as much as 70 cents per gallon. Overall, it’s estimated these tariffs could cost families between $2,000 and $3,400 per year and impact seven percent of Kansas’ workforce. The right-leaning Tax Foundation found previous tariffs enacted during President Trump’s first term were paid for by U.S. consumers and businesses.

Davids previously wrote an essay in Newsweek criticizing President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, arguing that they will hurt hardworking Kansans and favor corporations. She reinforced these concerns during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing, where she highlighted the trade disruptions Kansas agricultural producers could face due to these tariffs — a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland.

Beyond tariffs, Davids has been pushing back against the President’s harmful policies — fighting against the firing of federal workers, cuts to Social Security and Medicaid, rising egg prices, the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education, and rollbacks to tax credits that help Kansans lower their utility bills. At the same time, she has worked across the aisle to get things done. Partnering with her Republican colleagues, Davids is helping to cut wasteful spending in federal programs, modernize USPS delivery in Olathe, and lower child care costs. She has also already passed two bipartisan bills to support small businesses — a rare achievement for a Democrat in Washington right now.