Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) made the following statement after the Trump Administration announced it is reducing the Department of Education’s workforce by nearly 50%.

“Education is the single-most important investment we can make in the future of our nation. President Trump’s reckless, shortsighted decision to severely cut public education and eliminate half of the workers at the Department of Education is unconscionable and puts our students and our nation at risk, all so the Trump Administration can give billions of dollars to its ultrawealthy donors through tax cuts,” said Congressman DeSaulnier. “As a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, I am angered and saddened for the tens of millions of students, including those with disabilities, children in underserved schools, and those who need help to pay for college, whose lives will be upended by the President’s misguided action. I will do everything I can to fight on their behalf as the President attempts to destroy public education in this country.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) issued the following statement after passage of the Republican funding bill (H.R. 1968) in the United States House of Representatives by a vote of 217-to-213.

“The Republicans’ partisan funding bill is a blank check to President Trump and Elon Musk so they can continue stealing from the American people by dismantling critical services that veterans, seniors, and families rely on in order to give even more tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. I, along with my Democratic colleagues in the House, were ready and willing to support full-year government funding based upon the bipartisan compromise Republicans agreed to before walking away from the negotiating table. President Trump, Mr. Musk, and their followers in the House have once again chosen the interests of the ultrawealthy over middle-class Americans. I was proud to vote against this shameful betrayal.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s reported decision to close the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Region 9 Office in San Francisco:

“The HHS Region 9 office in San Francisco directly serves the needs of millions of Americans in the Bay Area, the state of California and beyond. By closing our regional office, the Trump Administration would choose to put the health and safety of Bay Area residents and all Californians in jeopardy, gut vital public health initiatives like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and potentially axe hundreds of career civil servant jobs held by hardworking Californians.

“This shortsighted office closure would lead to critical service slowdowns for San Franciscans to get the resources they need and detrimental impacts to our public health response capabilities – all in the name of so-called ‘government efficiency.’  It is notable that this reported decision was made by the Trump Administration’s leading vaccine denialist, Secretary Kennedy, whose extreme views on public health are out of step with the vast majority of the American people.  

“Make no mistake: the reported plans to restructure HHS and close the San Francisco regional office would directly harm our most vulnerable communities and make America sicker.  In coordination with my colleagues in the Congress, I am examining all possible avenues to fight back against these irresponsible cuts – and I strongly urge the Administration to reconsider its plans to devalue the public health of our constituents.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington D.C. — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) joined Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Democratic Members of the California Congressional Delegation in urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse harmful decisions that cancel or freeze federal food assistance programs vital to California’s farmers, food banks and families. Alongside Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Rep. Panetta, this coordinated effort is also led by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18).

Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California.  The Trump Administration’s discontinuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds threatens the livelihoods of more than 600 California farmers and jeopardizes food assistance for more than six million Californians. A network of 49 food banks, serving 58 counties in California—including the SF-Marin Food Bank, which serves both San Francisco and Marin counties—have already seen over 300 food loads paused or cancelled.

“These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce,” wrote the Members. “We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted.”

The full letter is available [HERE].

Additional signers of the letter include; Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee and co-chair of the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks, and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee for National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, Rep. Lois Frankel, in conjunction with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Assistant Leader Joe Neguse, and the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force on an amicus brief with 202 House Democrats standing up to the blatant executive overreach and illegal dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in the matter of American Foreign Service Association, et al. v. Trump, et al.

As the House Leaders argued in their brief, the President’s directive blatantly violated Congress’s lawmaking and spending powers as explicitly outlined in Article I of the United States Constitution, by dismantling a federal agency authorized and repeatedly funded by acts of Congress. The unlawful shuttering of USAID undermines national security and causes irreparable harm to America’s global competitiveness.

The amici curiae include lawmakers deeply engaged in the drafting of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998—which established USAID as an independent agency—and the subsequent Appropriations Acts. Their brief reaffirms that USAID must be funded as required by law, and that unilateral efforts to “feed USAID to the wood chipper” or “close it down” violate Article I of the Constitution, a position reinforced by the Continuing Resolution enacted by Congressional Republicans on March 15, 2025.

The full amicus brief is available HERE.

The shuttering of USAID, including placing thousands of workers on leave and halting nearly all congressionally approved foreign aid, undermines a critical component of the federal government responsible for global stability and American security. For nearly 40 years, USAID has played a central role in preventing crises, fostering economic opportunities abroad, and mitigating the conditions that contribute to violent extremism and instability. Scaling back its work not only weakens these efforts but also creates a vacuum for global competitors like China, Russia, and Iran to expand their influence.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – This week, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi sat down with Karen Tumulty at The Century Foundation to mark the 15th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), calling its passage the “opportunity of a generation” and reflecting on the historic, hard-fought path that led to its enactment.

“We came here to do a job, not keep a job.  Despite protests, despite vicious yelling in the Capitol, it was such a joy,” Speaker Emerita Pelosi said.  “We thought we were joining the ranks of those who passed Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.”

Read coverage of the event below:

The Century Foundation: Speaker Emerita Pelosi, President Obama Join Hundreds at TCF Event to Commemorate ACA 15th Anniversary
[Staff Writer, 3/27/25]

 Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congressional champion of the law, offered insight into the ACA’s passage, including the “atmospherics” the day the legislation passed in the House. Despite protests, yelling that could be heard in the Capitol that she described as “vicious,” she said, “It was such a joy. We thought we were joining the ranks of those who passed Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.”

Moderator Karen Tumulty, associate editor and columnist at the Washington Post, asked Speaker Pelosi to describe getting the votes in the first place:

For 100 years, presidents had tried to bring health care reform into play, into the lives of the American people, from Teddy Roosevelt on, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, LBJ with Medicare and Medicaid, and then the Clintons. But, when Barack Obama became president, it was clear, and we had the majority, that we had an opportunity of a generation and we were not going to let another hundred years go by before we passed affordable health care.

She discussed overcoming seemingly intractable issues like abortion (with allies and opponents in nuns and bishops); regional disparities in costs assuaged through late-night negotiations and a letter from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius committing to action outside of the legislation; and leading the House to support the Senate bill. She described a different letter from “the saintly, remarkable, wonderful” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that had the signatures of fifty-one senators supporting changes to the Senate bill necessary for passage in the House. “He made it happen, Harry did.”

One of the most memorable quotes from the fight to pass the ACA was Speaker Pelosi’s statement of her strategy in January 2010 after a special election made the prospects for health reform dim: “You go through the gate. If the gate’s closed, you go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we’ll pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we’ll parachute in. But we’re going to get health care reform passed for the American people.“ At a press conference after passage, she said she was asked, “which one did you do?”

I said we did the first one: we pushed open the gate because it was not just the courage of my members who were there strongly and knew why they were there, to push open that gate to pass this bill. It was the outside mobilization, it was … all the groups that represented people with one diagnosis or another, it was people who just wanted health care.

The history of the ACA hardly ended with its passage. Speaker Pelosi said “one of the hardest jobs I had in leadership” was preventing repeals of parts of the law. She also discussed the repeal effort in 2017 led by President Trump and the Republican-led Congress: “The thumbs down heard round the world by John McCain really saved the Affordable Care Act but it was saveable because of this outside mobilization.”

Speaker Pelosi also drew from the ACA saga lessons for current debates. She discussed the potential cuts to Medicaid in the current Congress:

We can’t let it happen. It’s just too big a burden for individuals to pay and their families. If you know any people with a child born with other abilities, but not all of them, you would know how important Medicaid is to those children and how it makes a difference in how they can learn and grow and the rest.

Tumulty asked about members of Congress who voted for the bill, knowing that it would likely prevent their reelection in conservative districts, comparing it to current times. She said, “We came here to do a job, not keep a job.”

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his decision to share classified U.S. military plans in a Signal group chat:

“By disclosing classified U.S. military plans on an unofficial and unsecure messaging app, the Secretary of Defense demonstrated that his incompetence led to recklessness.  In my thirty years of experience working with the Intelligence Community, I have never before seen such horrifying incompetence in the securing of our nation’s intelligence.  How dare he put our Troops at risk with this cavalier behavior.  There must be accountability.

“If any rank-and-file personnel in the Intelligence Community were to put our national security at risk in this way, they would be fired immediately and possibly prosecuted.  Secretary Hegseth cannot be held to a different standard.

“Our work in Intelligence has always been about force protection.  Our brave men and women in uniform deserve better than a leader at the Pentagon who not only recklessly puts them in danger, but could cost us the cooperation of our Allies in sharing Intelligence — further jeopardizing our national security.

“It is TIME NOW for the Secretary of Defense to resign.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—This week, U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-14) and Dan Crenshaw (TX-02), introduced bipartisan legislation to better address drug-gene interactions to ensure that all Americans have access to treatment that is personalized to their needs.

The Right Drug Dose Now Act will enable the use of evidence-based pharmacogenomic (PGx) testing to prevent adverse drug events and help ensure that patients receive medications tailored to their genetic makeup. PGx is the study of how genes affect the body’s response to certain medicines, which is critical to understanding how safe and effective a particular drug can be for individual patients.

The Right Drug Does Now Act aims to update the National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention by integrating advancements in pharmacogenomic research and testing. The bill enhances electronic health records (EHRs) with pharmacogenomic information to reduce adverse drug events. The Right Drug Dose Now Act represents a significant step forward in integrating cutting edge PGx research into clinical practice. By updating enhancing EHR systems, this act will reduce adverse drug events, improve patient care, and pave the way for more personalized medicine approaches. 

“Adverse drug events are a leading cause of death in this country,” said Congressman Eric Swalwell, co-founder of the Personalized Medicine Caucus. “By factoring genetic testing results into medical prescription decisions, we can improve treatment a range of conditions while reducing adverse drug events. PGx will give medical professionals and patients the information they need to choose effective treatments for each clinical case.”

“More personalized care means better health outcomes for patients,” said Congressman Dan Crenshaw. “This bill will ensure drugs are tailored to each person’s unique needs, it will save on health care costs, and improve lives.” 

“We applaud Reps. Swalwell and Crenshaw for introducing the Right Drug Dose Now Act,” said Cynthia A. Bens, Senior Vice President, Public Policy, Personalized Medicine Coalition. “By streamlining activities across multiple federal agencies and health care delivery, this bill would spark more widespread utilization of genetically informed prescribing practices that keep American patients out of the hospital.” 

“If we are truly committed to reducing waste, the timing couldn’t be more critical. In 2016, the cost of non-optimized medications reached $528 billion – more than what was spent on the drugs themselves or any major chronic disease.  Pharmacogenomics has the potential to cut that waste by 30% or more. I encourage others to join Swalwell and Crenshaw in crossing the aisle to address this public health crisis head-on,” said Kristine Ashcraft, President of YouScript and steering member of STRIPE, the FDA Collaborative Community for Pharmacogenomics.

This legislation is supported by the Personalized Medicine Coalition, American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, American Society of Pharmacovigilance, OneOme, GenXys, YouScript, Aranscia, AccessDx, 2bPrecise, GTMRx Institute, Labcorp, Biocom, Pharma GenLabs, Association for Molecular Pathology, Sanford Health, and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP).

 

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Adam Gray (CA-13), alongside Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Expanding Medical Education Act, legislation that would authorize federal grants to establish medical schools in underserved regions like California’s San Joaquin Valley.”The shortage of doctors in the San Joaquin Valley and across rural America has been a serious issue for far too long, and we must continue to address it,” said Congressman Costa. “My legislation will help build a medical school in the Valley and strengthen our healthcare system. Training and retaining local doctors are key to tackling this crisis and ensuring people access to quality healthcare.”“Communities of color and Virginians in rural and underserved areas have long faced serious challenges in accessing health care and finding providers that look like them or offer services nearby,” said Senator Kaine. “Research indicates physicians are more likely to practice in the areas they’re from—so supporting medical schools at HBCUs, MSIs, and in underserved areas is a commonsense way to help improve care in those communities. This legislation would help do that and improve recruitment and retention of talented individuals from historically underrepresented backgrounds, creating a health care workforce that more accurately reflects the communities they serve.”  “Expanding opportunities for students of color in medical fields is an essential public health priority,”said Senator Padilla. “By creating more pathways at minority-serving institutions for diverse groups to enter the health care workforce, the Expanding Medical Education Act would help improve access to culturally competent health care providers and address critical workforce shortages.”“The San Joaquin Valley is experiencing one of the worst physician shortages in the country,” said Congressman Gray.“I’m proud to have secured over $200 million in funding for development at UC Merced, including for the joint medical school program with UCSF, but there is still work to be done to make sure our communities have reliable access to medical care. The Expanding Medical Education Act would deliver much-needed support to medical education programs in rural and underserved areas like the Valley and improve access to care.”BACKGROUNDThe U.S. healthcare workforce shortage, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has pushed an already strained system to the brink. According to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States will have a projected shortage of up to 125,100 physicians by 2034. Despite being the fastest-growing region in the state, the San Joaquin Valley has the lowest supply of physicians at a ratio of 47 doctors per 100,000 residents, significantly lower than the state average.The San Joaquin Valley, a majority Hispanic region with already high rates of chronic illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and heart disease has been hit the hardest. In counties like Fresno, Merced, and Tulare, where over half the population is Latino, many areas are federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA), making it harder to access timely, quality care. These shortages, combined with language barriers often lead to worse health outcomes.The Expanding Medical Education Act would provide federal grants to institutions of higher education by prioritizing minority-serving institutions (MSI) and those located in rural and underserved areas to establish schools of medicine or osteopathic medicines where none currently exist. This would open the door for eligible Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and MSIs, including UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced. Funding could be used for planning, construction, accreditation, faculty hiring, student recruitment, and modernizing infrastructure, with a focus on underserved areas. UCSF-Fresno and UC Merced have laid the foundation with its San Joaquin Valley (SJV) PRIME+ BS/MD program, which builds off the existing program that trains medical residents at local hospitals like Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. This legislation would build on that momentum by providing financial resources to assist with the establishment of a medical school in the Valley.
Link to the livestream is available HERE. 

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Nick Langworthy (NY-23), along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, bicameral, bipartisan legislation to expand dairy access for SNAP/food stamps recipients while supporting local farmers.  “Dairy products play a vital role in a healthy diet, providing essential nutrients that support strong bones and healthy outcomes,” said Congressman Costa.  “Tulare County is the top dairy-producing county in the nation and state, yet too many families struggle to access these essential products. This bill expands incentives to make dairy more accessible, supports our local farmers, and delivers comprehensive solutions to improve nutrition across the board.”  “I’m proud to join Congressman Costa to introduce this legislation to expand access to dairy products and promote the long-term health of Americans. This effort will help to put healthy dairy options from farms in Western New York on more dinner tables across the country,” said Congressman Langworthy (NY-23).  “As a doctor who practiced medicine for more than 25 years, I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking whole milk, which serves as an excellent source of critical nutrients and contributes to a healthier cardiovascular system,” said Senator Marshall (R-KS). “The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025 is a no-brainer and would provide common-sense updates to increase incentives for dairy purchases in SNAP – ensuring all American families can benefit from this superfood.” “A SNAP dairy incentive program is a reliable investment in improving our nation’s health and reducing hunger and chronic food insecurity among low-income Americans,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. “Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are nutritional powerhouses that promote healthy immune function, hydration, bone health, and lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. IDFA applauds U.S. Sens. Klobuchar and Marshall, and U.S. Reps. Costa and Langworthy for their leadership on the Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act of 2025, which would help our nation’s most vulnerable people afford wholesome, nutrient-dense dairy products for their families.” “Dairy foods provide critical nutrients for healthy lives, but nearly 90 percent of Americans don’t meet dairy intake recommendations. We commend Representatives Jim Costa, D-CA, and Nick Langworthy, R-NY, and Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, and Roger Marshall, R-KS, for their bipartisan Dairy Nutrition Incentives Program Act, which would expand SNAP participant access to healthful dairy products at the grocery store. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and ensuring all Americans have access to healthy dairy products.” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation BACKGROUNDThe Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive Projects were established by the 2018 Farm Bill to promote milk as part of a healthy, balanced diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The latest DGA report shows that over 90% of Americans do not consume enough dairy to meet daily nutrition requirements.  The Dairy Nutrition Incentive Program Act would expand the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives program (HFMI) to include all milk varieties, cheese, and yogurt. Under this plan, SNAP participants would receive a coupon for additional cheese or yogurt when they purchase these items with their groceries. This legislation is endorsed by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), and the National Grocers Association (NGA).