Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action to lower gas prices, requesting an emergency waiver to allow the sale of E15 – fuel blended with 10.5 to 15 percent ethanol – during the 2025 summer season in Kansas.

Ethanol, made from locally grown crops, is a more affordable alternative to unblended gasoline. This waiver, which has been granted multiple times in recent years, would help lower gas prices for Kansans, support local farmers, and strengthen domestic supply chains.

  

“Kansas farmers and producers work hard to supply homegrown energy that lowers costs for families at the gas pump,” said Davids. “By allowing the sale of E15 this summer, the EPA can ensure Kansans benefit from lower gas prices while strengthening our economy and reducing reliance on foreign oil.”

For multiple years, Davids has urged the EPA to guarantee the sale of E15 not only during the summer but also year-round. This would reduce our reliance on foreign oil, build U.S. energy security, and support Kansas agriculture and manufacturing. Davids previously visited East Kansas Agri-Energy (EKAE), a Garnett-based renewable ethanol producer, as part of her Farm Bill listening tour. EKAE has around 40 full-time employees and relies heavily on Kansas corn producers to supply the crops needed to make the biofuel.

“We sincerely thank Representative Sharice Davids for her leadership in urging the EPA to once again allow the sale of E15 this summer,” said Geoff Cooper, President and CEO, Renewable Fuels Association. “Ensuring continued access to E15 nationwide is critical for lowering fuel costs, supporting farmers, and providing consumers with a cleaner, more affordable fuel choice. Most importantly, we thank Rep. Davids for her continued support for a permanent solution to secure year-round E15 nationwide.”

  

Previously, Davids has taken multiple actions to lower gas prices for Kansans by:

• Voting for the Year-Round Fuel Choice Act, which allow retailers the ability to sell higher ethanol-blended fuels year-round,
• Leading the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, a bipartisan, bicameral bill that expands access to lower-cost, homegrown fuel,
• Helping to pass legislation that promotes sustainable aviation fuel, a liquid fuel that achieves significant emissions reduction compared to fossil-based jet fuel,
• Supporting legislation that expands biofuels infrastructure, opening up new market opportunities for sustainable fuel sources and lowering energy costs for Kansas families,
• Pushing the President to suspend the federal gas tax, providing immediate relief to Kansans at the gas pump.

A full copy of Davids’ letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced her support for bipartisan legislation to stop improper Medicaid payments for deceased individuals that had gone unnoticed. A recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) report of just 14 states found more than $249 million in improper payments. Davids continues to support strengthening and expanding Medicaid, but also prioritizes the responsible use of taxpayer dollars. 

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Medicaid improper payment rate was just 5 percent in 2023, marking an 3.5 percent decrease from the previous year. Of those improper payments, 79 percent were due to insufficient documentation, which typically involved situations where a state or provider missed an administrative step.

“Kansans work hard and deserve to see their tax dollars used wisely,” said Davids. “While I strongly support expanding Medicaid to ensure more people have access to affordable health care, it’s also important to eliminate wasteful spending where possible — and do so responsibly. It’s unacceptable for these funds to be improperly paid out instead of going to those who truly need them. This bipartisan bill is a common-sense solution to improve oversight, reduce waste, and ensure accountability in government spending — without the extreme and reckless cuts that undermine critical programs.”

The Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for (LIVE) Beneficiaries Act, which Davids voted to pass last year, would require states to check the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File database on a quarterly basis and verify that Medicaid patients are not deceased and still properly enrolled in the program. Should there be discrepancies, state Medicaid programs would be required to disenroll deceased beneficiaries to prevent Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) from improperly billing for those who are no longer living. 

The federal audit found that over $249 million in Medicaid payments were improperly made to MCOs on behalf of deceased individuals in 14 states — the cause cited as “various reasons.” In this audit, OIG recommends that CMS improve its oversight by developing a system to match Medicaid enrollment data with the Social Security Administration’s death records to identify states that may be making improper payments.

Last month, Davids held a press conference to push back against President Trump and U.S. House Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts to fund tax giveaways for billionaires and big corporations. These cuts would have severe consequences for Kansans, threatening the well-being of children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working families. Davids firmly believes that the bill announced today offers a responsible approach to eliminating fraud — without resorting to reckless, politically-driven actions that harm hardworking Kansans.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) and U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (D-Kan.) today called on United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to continue to prioritize joint efforts between the City of Olathe and the USPS to relocate the downtown postal facility and construct a new, efficient and modern facility. 

In an effort to revitalize the downtown area, the City of Olathe is partnering with the USPS to relocate and modernize the current post office in Olathe. 

“We appreciate the progress to date, and we understand the uncertainties USPS may be currently facing,” wrote Sens. Moran, Marshall and Rep. Davids. “However, we wish to again express our strongest support for the project and remind you that each of us remains committed to following the process closely.”

The full letter can be found here and below.

Dear Postmaster DeJoy:

We write regarding the proposed partnership between the USPS and Olathe, Kansas concerning the relocation of the downtown postal facility and construction of a new, efficient and modern facility in its place.  

We appreciate the progress to date, and we understand the uncertainties USPS may be currently facing. However, we wish to again express our strongest support for the project and remind you that each of us remains committed to following the process closely.

As we have stated before, we believe this type of project can be a model for innovative partnerships benefiting both the USPS and local communities.  We believe it will be achievable in quick order, and it will send a strong message to those legislatively engaged in USPS related issues.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement today after President Donald Trump’s announcement of a series of new tariff policies during a news conference in the White House Rose Garden:

“President Trump has introduced a number of new tariff policies, and I and my team are already digging into the details. I’ll have more to say on the specifics in the next few days.

“What I can say now is I’m pleased the president is building his tariff agenda on the foundation of a universal 10 percent tariff like the one I proposed in the BUILT USA Act. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erasing our unsustainable trade deficits.

“I’m eager to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that made multinational corporations rich but ruined manufacturing communities across the country. But tariffs must be paired with policies that prioritize American families’ prosperity. We need to make sure that the new approach benefits working people — that means supporting unions, the trades and apprenticeship programs, cutting regulations that hold back production, unleashing American energy and using tariff revenue to support domestic manufacturers that create good-paying jobs for Americans.

“It’s also time to renegotiate trade deals like the USMCA to support the Americans who are ready to ramp up production and support the rebuilding of our middle class — like the sawmills, processing plants, fishermen and farmers in the communities I represent.

“Tariffs are a first step in rewriting a rigged trade system, but they cannot be the last one.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today joined more than 100 lawmakers urging President Donald Trump to restore the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the support for Maine museums and libraries that it provides. 

“From early literacy programs and STEM education initiatives to high-speed internet access and job training resources, funding for the IMLS enables libraries and museums to provide critical services to millions of Americans,” Golden and the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the President. “The loss of this funding would be particularly devastating for rural, tribal, and other underserved communities that rely heavily on these institutions for access to learning resources, workforce development, and technological infrastructure.”

President Trump named IMLS as one of seven agencies slated to be dismantled in a March 14 executive order. On Monday, the president put the agency’s entire staff on administrative leave.According to the American Federation of Government Employees union, “without staff to administer the programs, it is likely that most [IMLS] grants will be terminated.”

The IMLS provides more than $1.8 million in discretionary and nondiscretionary funding to Maine organizations focused on education and workforce development, including the Maine State Library, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine, and Maine Maritime Academy. It is the only federal agency dedicated to supporting library and museum services.

“IMLS grants are an integral part of our services to rural Mainers. Specifically, they help smaller communities have access to information and resources that they otherwise would not have access to. I support Congressman Golden’s efforts to fight for these resources,” said Maine State Librarian Lori Fisher.

Congress established the IMLS in 1996 to consolidate the operations of multiple government agencies into a single, streamlined office. Its most recent reauthorization came in 2018 during the first Trump administration.

The letter can be found here, and is included below in full:

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April 2, 2025

The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Trump,

We write to express our deep concern over the proposed elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the devastating impact such cuts would have on communities throughout the country. 

The IMLS is the only federal agency dedicated to supporting America’s museums and libraries. Operating in all 50 states and U.S. territories, it plays a vital role in strengthening these institutions which serve as essential educational, cultural, and economic pillars in our communities. From early literacy programs and STEM education initiatives to high-speed internet access and job training resources, funding for the IMLS enables libraries and museums to provide critical services to millions of Americans. The loss of this funding would be particularly devastating for rural, tribal, and other underserved communities that rely heavily on these institutions for access to learning resources, workforce development, and technological infrastructure.

Beyond their valuable contributions to education and social development, museums and libraries also serve as significant economic drivers. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums alone contribute more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year and support over 726,000 jobs. Museums have immense power to draw tourism and foot traffic to other local businesses and revitalize communities. For every $1 that museums and other nonprofit cultural organizations receive in government funding, they return more than $5 in tax revenue. They also have broad public support, with 96% of Americans wanting to maintain or increase federal funding for museums. Libraries similarly generate economic returns through workforce training

programs, small business support, and research services. Nearly all of the approximately 17,000 public libraries across the nation offer Wi-Fi access at no charge, and in 2019, Americans accessed the Internet using library computers close to 224 million times. This includes millions of students who lack adequate broadband access at home and rely on libraries to complete their homework. Despite this, IMLS funding accounts for a mere 0.0046% of the federal budget, an incredibly modest investment relative to the immense benefits these institutions provide.

Eliminating the IMLS would not only jeopardize these essential services but also dismiss the everyday needs of millions of Americans who rely on libraries and museums for learning, job opportunities, and community engagement. We urge the Administration to reconsider this decision and recognize the far-reaching impact of IMLS funding. Maintaining and strengthening federal support for museums and libraries is not just an investment in cultural preservation, it is an investment in education, innovation, and economic growth.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure that America’s libraries and museums continue to thrive and serve the public.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) today introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to nullify President Trump’s March 27 executive order seeking to end collective bargaining rights for unionized federal employees across several agencies.

“In his order, President Trump said that federal workers’ rights are incompatible with national security. He is wrong. Union workers make America stronger every single day, including the more than 6,000 federal workers in Maine,” Rep. Golden said. “Throughout our history, unions have ensured workers got a fair shake in the workplace. Unions built our middle class and are key to strengthening its future. We cannot have a government that undermines workers’ rights.”

“Improving government efficiency is essential — but sweeping exclusions from collective bargaining are a blunt instrument that risk weakening the very stability and performance we aim to strengthen,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “The Protect America’s Workforce Actrestores a balanced, targeted approach — protecting bargaining rights where they pose no threat to national security and reinforcing their proven role in supporting morale, accountability and effective governance. We can defend our national security without silencing those who serve it. Efficiency and fairness are not mutually exclusive — and this legislation ensures we uphold both.”

In addition to Golden, a Democrat, and Fitzpatrick, a Republican, the bill was sponsored by Democratic Reps. Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and Republican Reps. Nick LaLota (NY-01), Mike Turner (OH-10) and Mike Lawler (NY-17).

“Donald Trump is trying to end collective bargaining for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, silencing their voices and ripping up their contracts. This order would strike a blow to every American’s fundamental right of freedom of speech and association,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “More than 70 percent of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 young people support unions — no one voted to attack the freedom to organize with our co-workers for a better life. We commend the leadership of Reps. Jared Golden and Brian Fitzpatrick for using Congress’ power to reverse this executive order. The labor movement is 100 percent behind this bill, and we call on every member of Congress, Democrat and Republican, to take a stand in support of our fundamental rights by backing this critical legislation.”

In addition to the AFL-CIO, the bill has the support of unions representing federal employees, including the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS), and Service Employees International Union (SEIU). 

The bill nullifies President Trump’s March 27 executive order, “Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs,” which sought to end collective bargaining with unions at the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy, and some workers at the departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior and Agriculture. The employees covered by the order account for 67 percent of the federal workforce, according to independent news reports. 

Federal workers’ bargaining rights are already limited. Unlike private-sector unions, federal employees cannot bargain collectively over wages, benefits or classifications, nor can they strike under existing law. Their bargaining rights are limited to conditions of employment. Roughly one-third of all federal workers in unions are veterans.

Full text of the bill is available here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement today regarding President Trump’s executive order seeking to end collective bargaining rights for unionized federal employees across several agencies:  

“The right for workers to collectively bargain is sacrosanct and any claim that it is incompatible with national security is bogus,” Golden said. “I oppose the president’s order and stand in solidarity with the workers affected — including a state workforce of likely more than 6,000 hardworking Mainers at places like VA Togus Medical Center, Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other worksites across our state. This order cannot stand, and I will introduce legislation to repeal it.”

President Trump’s order seeks to end collective bargaining with unions at the departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice and Energy, and some workers at the departments of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, Interior and Agriculture. The employees covered by the order account for 67 percent of the federal workforce, according to independent news reports. 

Federal workers’ bargaining rights are already limited. Unlike private-sector unions, federal employees cannot bargain collectively over wages, benefits or classifications, nor can they strike under existing law. Their bargaining rights are limited to conditions of employment. Roughly one-third of all federal workers in unions are veterans.

Golden is a longtime proponent of unions and their role in creating a strong middle class. He has been vocal in opposing President Trump’s anti-worker actions, such as the firing earlier this year of NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, who was later reinstated by a court order.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) along with Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act to protect the Department of Defense (DoD) 1033 Program, which allows the DoD to transfer equipment to local law enforcement. 

Of this legislation, Congressman Stauber stated, “As a former law enforcement officer, I will do everything in my power to ensure my brothers and sisters in the blue and brown receive the equipment they need to keep themselves and communities they serve safe. During my time as a police officer, I personally benefited from the 1033 program. I’m proud to introduce legislation to ensure our law enforcement officers can continue to benefit from a program that helped me for so many years on the job.” 

Congressman Bacon stated, “We must equip our law enforcement officers with the best tools available to protect our communities. I’m pleased to co-lead the Lifesaving Gear for Police Act, which removes unnecessary restrictions for our officers, allowing them to take advantage of already paid-for equipment that would otherwise go to waste. Supporting our communities takes people who are equipped to do the job, and this legislation will give our officers the means to protect the people we love.”

The Lifesaving Gear for Police Act has gained support from law enforcement across Minnesota: Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association, Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association, National Association of Police Organizations, Major County Sheriffs Association, Fraternal Order of Police, National Narcotic Officers’ Associations’ Coalition, Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers in reintroducing the IDEA Full Funding Act, legislation to ensure the federal government meets its obligation to fully fund special education. Stauber has been championing this issue since he first arrived in Congress. 

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act, the federal government committed to pay 40% per pupil. However, that pledge has never been met, and in Minnesota, special education programs currently receive as little as 8% per pupil. Stauber has cosponsored the IDEA Full Funding Act to require regular, mandatory increases in IDEA spending over ten years until it hits 40%.

Of this legislation, Stauber stated, “For too long, the federal government has fallen short of its funding commitment to students with special needs, forcing schools to subsidize rising special education costs with general education funds. This leaves every student at a disadvantage. As the parent of a child with special needs, I am proud to continue the fight to ensure Congress fulfills its promise to our special needs students and their parents, so our educators can strengthen special education services while meeting the needs of every American student.”

This bill is co-led in the House by Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01). 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Rep. Baird Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order to Return Educational Power to Parents, States, and Communities