Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Homeland Security Committee — joined U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-Texas) in urging the U.S. Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) to prioritize Texas when disbursing the $13.5 billion set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill for states that incurred costs to secure the border under the Biden administration.

McCaul spent months advocating for the provision to reimburse border states, working hand-in-hand with House GOP leadership and Homeland Security Committee, and announced its passage in May.

Every member of the Texas GOP congressional delegation signed onto the letter, the full text of which can be found here or below.

Dear Attorney General Bondi and Secretary Noem,

We are writing as members of the Texas congressional delegation to request that the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security (“the Departments”) reimburse the State of Texas for the costs it incurred to secure the border throughout the disastrous Biden-Harris Administration. President Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, created two funds totaling $13.5 billion for the purpose of reimbursing states for stepping up when President Biden willfully refused to enforce our immigration laws at the border. The State of Texas bore the heaviest burden, incurring $11.1 billion in costs over four years. We respectfully request that the Departments prioritize Texas in disbursing these funds.

When President Biden came into office, he immediately reversed the successful policies that President Trump put into place during his first term to secure our borders against illegal immigrants. Within the first two months of the Biden Administration, monthly apprehensions of illegal aliens rose by nearly 100,000, eventually peaking at over 300,000 in December 2024. Because Border Patrol agents were occupied processing those illegal aliens they were able to apprehend, an estimated 1.7 million additional illegal aliens evaded apprehension and made their way into our communities. President Biden’s open-border policies imposed a substantial cost on communities in Texas, through increased fentanyl trafficking, crime, and even stress on local emergency response services.

In March 2021, Texas Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to help secure the border when the federal government would not. Through this whole-of-government approach, the State of Texas built miles of border wall and buoy barriers and deployed personnel to maintain border infrastructure and apprehend illegal aliens, gang members, and other criminals. The State also undertook a substantial effort to prosecute these illegal aliens for the crimes they committed on U.S. soil.

Operation Lone Star was a huge success. According to the State’s most recent figures, Texas apprehended over 535,724 illegal aliens since its launch, and decreased illegal crossings into Texas by 87 percent. Additionally, the State seized over 779 million lethal doses of fentanyl, protecting not just Texans but all Americans against this deadly scourge. However, Operation Lone Star came at a substantial cost of approximately $11.1 billion between 2021 and January 2025.

Texas’s actions through Operation Lone Star were absolutely vital to ensuring the safety and security of Americans across our great country. However, our State should not have had to bear alone the costs of securing the border when former President Biden intentionally failed to do so. We therefore respectfully ask that, as the Departments prepare to disburse the funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the State of Texas be fully reimbursed for the costs incurred to protect Americans from illegal immigration and drug trafficking under former President Biden’s disastrous leadership.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to focus on delivering results for the American people while Republicans continue to weaponize the government and engage in partisan political stunts.

KAITLAN COLLINS: My source tonight is the Democratic Leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries. And thank you, sir, for being here. Obviously, a lot of movement up on Capitol Hill today. And you heard Stacey Plaskett there. She was arguing her texts with Jeffrey Epstein were not illegal. But in your view, were they appropriate?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Stacey Plaskett is not accused of violating any House rule, any law, any statute, and she’s clearly and unequivocally denounced Jeffrey Epstein. And I think what the survivors fought for today is the type of transparency that came out of the House, went through the Senate and is now on its way to Donald Trump’s desk, where hopefully he’ll sign it into law because at the end of the day all the American people are asking for is just the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, which is why these Epstein files that Donald Trump and his administration has been hiding for months need to be released.

KAITLAN COLLINS: But do you think it was appropriate for her to be texting with Jeffrey Epstein 11 years after he pleaded guilty?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I mean, I have not had a conversation with Stacey Plaskett to discuss this issue because we’ve been focused today on making sure that there was a decisive vote as it related to the Epstein files and the release. I’m thankful for the work of Representative Massie, of Ro Khanna, but most importantly, the survivors.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Do you plan to talk to her about it?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think that we successfully defeated a resolution that lacked any basis, was not credible, and was being brought by an individual who was trying to weaponize this issue to reinvigorate his own failed gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina. It was rejected on a bipartisan basis on the Floor today. That’s the end of the story.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Yeah, I was just asking if you personally believe messaging with Jeffrey Epstein who was, at that point, a registered sex offender, is appropriate for a member of the House Democratic Caucus.

LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s the third time you’ve asked me this question and I’m going to give you the same exact answer. Our focus today is on making sure that the Jeffrey Epstein files were released. If you want to have a conversation with Stacey Plaskett about it, I’m sure she’d be willing to talk to you. It was an illegitimate effort to try to remove her from the House Committee on Intelligence and that was defeated in a bipartisan way.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Well, let me ask you about you, because the White House has been highlighting an email that I’m sure you’ve seen today that Jeffrey Epstein got in 2013. They say it shows you were soliciting money and dinner from [Epstein]. The email was not sent from you. It was sent from a political consulting firm called Dynamic SRG that says, ‘we are thrilled to announce we are working with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Shoot us an email or give us a call if you would like to get involved.’ What’s your response? Do you recall that email being sent to Jeffrey Epstein from that team?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, of course, I have no recollection of the email. I’ve never had a conversation with him, never met him, know nothing about him other than the extreme things that he’s been convicted of doing. And that’s why, you know, I’m just strongly supportive of the effort, backing the survivors to make sure that everything can come out, whatever is in those Department of Justice files.

KAITLAN COLLINS: So you never got a donation from Jeffrey Epstein or anything like that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Certainly not.

KAITLAN COLLINS: And just on this passing today, to this point, I mean, this is something that, even Ro Khanna told me just a few moments ago, he never even thought it would get to this point today. I wonder what it says to you that the House Speaker, Mike Johnson, fought this so much and had a concern over—you know, he was saying this discharge petition would create new victims, as he argued, because it was requiring the DOJ to release information where maybe the FBI hadn’t reviewed it and determined it’s not credible. I wonder what you made of how this culminated tonight.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think it was a decisive bipartisan vote that, you know, I think clearly, despite all of the efforts, seven weeks of Republicans being on a paid vacation and refusing to swear in Representative Adelita Grijalva. Why was that done? Because they didn’t want her to become the 218th signature on the discharge petition that ultimately resulted in the vote today. And so I don’t think the Speaker has any credibility as it relates to this issue. But I’m thankful for the outcome today, thankful for the decisive vote in the Senate. And now it’s on its way to President Trump’s desk.

KAITLAN COLLINS: And the Plaskett censure did not pass. There was a resolution rebuking Congressman Chuy García. He had timed the announcement of his retirement shortly after the state’s filing deadline, and that was after his chief of staff had declared her own candidacy for that position, basically leaving her as the only Democrat able to run for that seat. There are 23 Democrats who joined Republicans on the disapproval resolution. You urged Members to oppose it. How come?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think that it’s an issue to be worked out by the people back in the great state of Illinois. Chuy García has been a consistent, progressive champion for the disenfranchised, a voice for the voiceless. He’s done a lot of good. And I think it was a resolution of disapproval that I did not support. That there are a lot of issues, I think, of importance to the American people, including the failed Trump economy, the Trump tariffs that are crushing people, the Republican healthcare crisis, the refusal by my Republican colleagues to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, the fact that that is going to result in tens of millions of people experiencing dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles. People are going to be unable to go and afford to see a doctor when they need one. There are a whole host of issues that the American people just made clear two weeks ago during the general election that they want to see addressed. It’s the reason why Republicans were decisively defeated across the country and up and down the ballot. And yet we continue to come to the Floor of the House of Representatives, and they play partisan political games as opposed to dealing with the issues that matter relative to driving down the high cost of living and making life better for the American people.

KAITLAN COLLINS: I think it’s fair to say there’s bigger issues people care about, but even some Democrats have said, this is why people don’t like politics. This is slimy, and it disenfranchises voters by not letting them pick who they want to be running in that race. Did they have a point?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think they can speak for themselves, and certainly, you know, my view on the situation was that there are things that we should be focused on in terms of solving problems for the American people that the American people just decisively told us two weeks ago during the general election they wanted us to work on.

KAITLAN COLLINS: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you for joining us again tonight. Really appreciate your time.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) released the following statement on his vote in support of the Epstein Files Transparency Act to force the Trump Administration to release all of the Epstein files and help bring justice to Epstein’s victims:
“Today was an important, bipartisan step toward justice for the survivors of disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But let’s be clear: it should not have taken this long to get a vote in the House on this critical issue. 
“Donald Trump campaigned on releasing the Epstein files, yet for nearly a year, he and his Republican henchmen, including Speaker Johnson, have been hellbent on hiding the truth. Even at the eleventh hour, Donald Trump was calling Republican Members asking them to remove their names from a discharge petition that would force a vote to release the files. 
“Over the weekend, Donald Trump realized he didn’t want to lose and so he changed his tune but make no mistake: this is a White House cover up. If Donald Trump truly wanted transparency, he could have directed his Department of Justice to release the files at any time over the last year. Now, with the opportunity to sign this legislation into law, the President must direct his Department of Justice to release all the files. The American people will have the opportunity to judge for themselves who is the party of transparency.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

Hill, Amo Issue Statements on Their Bill to Boost U.S.–Taiwan Space Cooperation

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. French Hill (R-AR) and Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-NY) today issued the following statements on their bipartisan resolution reaffirming the United States’ commitment to international religious freedom and urging the Egyptian Government to take further steps to protect the rights of Coptic Christians.

Congressman Hill said, “Coptic Christians have lived in Egypt for thousands of years and make up the largest Christian community in the Middle East. But despite efforts by the El-Sisi government to promote harmony, Copts continue to face relentless discrimination and violence because of their faith. We need to stand with people who are denied the right to worship freely and speak up for their basic rights. I’m glad to partner with Rep. Suozzi to push for real, measurable change to the culture of impunity.”

Congressman Suozzi said, “Religious freedom is a fundamental American value and a universal human right. The ongoing persecution and discrimination against Coptic Christians in Egypt cannot be ignored. As the largest Christian community in the Middle East, the Copts have long endured systemic injustice. This bipartisan resolution speaks with moral clarity and urges our partners in Egypt to uphold the basic human rights of all their citizens. This resolution sends a clear message: We stand with those who are targeted for their faith, and we will continue to fight for freedom of religion around the world.”

Background:

The resolution calls on the Egyptian Government to take further action to promote religious tolerance and end religious discrimination against Egypt’s Coptic Christian population.

The resolution calls on the House of Representatives to:

• Acknowledge the importance of the United States–Egypt partnership.
• Acknowledge Egypt’s role in combating violent extremism and terrorism.
• Recognize the need to strengthen human rights and the rule of law in Egypt.
• Urge Egypt to give Coptic Christians the same rights as other Egyptian citizens.
• Urge Egypt to end the culture of tolerance for those who commit crimes against Christians.

Congress can help strengthen U.S. efforts to defend religious freedom globally and hold foreign countries accountable that violate religious freedom. Promoting religious freedom abroad is not only a moral imperative, but it also supports global stability, human rights, and upholds American values.

This resolution was introduced on September 30, 2025.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today issued the following statement after the bill to reopen the government passed the House by a vote of 222–209.

“For more than 40 days, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats’ pointless government shutdown hurt Arkansas families, small businesses, and communities across our state. Now that the government has reopened, we need to turn our attention back to the issues that matter most to Arkansans.

“Our farmers need help, our businesses need certainty, and our families need solutions that make life more affordable. I will continue working to strengthen our economy, help working families, and restore regular order and responsible governance in Washington so Arkansans can have faith that their government can actually help make their lives better.”

“For more than 40 days, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats’ pointless government shutdown hurt Arkansas families, small businesses, and communities across our state. Now that the government has reopened, we need to turn our attention back to the issues that matter most to Arkansans.

“Our farmers need help, our businesses need certainty, and our families need solutions that make life more affordable. I will continue working to strengthen our economy, help working families, and restore regular order and responsible governance in Washington so Arkansans can have faith that their government can actually help make their lives better.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) to introduce H.R. 6041, the Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act. This bill would direct more resources to rural communities through the creation of new federal grant programs to support economic prosperity and community development projects.

“Rural communities in the Central Valley and across the nation have historically struggled to receive critical economic resources, and we must do more to continue to strengthen our underserved regions,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act would make targeted, direct investments into rural communities to support further economic and community investment, and I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill alongside Congresswoman Salinas.”

“Rural communities across the country struggle to access essential resources, from affordable housing to workforce training programs,” said Congresswoman Salinas. “Our bipartisan legislation would ensure that federal grants are distributed to rural communities to support their direct needs. They make tremendous contributions to our national economy — it is time that they have equal access to these federal investments to strengthen their local economies and get their communities ahead.”

Background:

Rural regions have historically been overlooked for economic investment and faced higher barriers in accessing existing federal funding, leading to a widening gap in economic and community development outcomes between rural and urban communities. The Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act would address this disparity by creating a set of grant programs aimed at providing direct support to rural communities through funding and assistance.

• The Rural Partnership Program Grant would help to provide direct funding and resources to rural communities. The grant program would provide multiyear (2-5 years), flexible awards to communities to be used to address urgent needs, including but not limited to affordable childcare, housing, and job training.
• The Rural Prosperity Technical Assistance Grant would address the need in many rural areas for assistance with economic and community development activities, including navigating existing federal funding opportunities. Providing rural communities with this assistance helps ensure that rural communities are getting their fair share of private and federal investment.

“The National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) commends the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Valadao and Salinas on the Rural Partnerships and Prosperity Act,” said Doug O’Brien, President and CEO, National Cooperative Business Association. “The Rural Partnership Program will provide direct and flexible multi-year grants to every state that will support locally-led solutions under a broad umbrella of eligible entities to address rural communities’ persistent and urgent needs. We also appreciate that the bill recognizes cooperatives as a tried-and-true approach for advancing the needs of rural communities – whether through utilities, agriculture, housing, local food systems, employee-ownership or other community economic development strategies. As Congress works to pass a comprehensive Farm Bill, NCBA strongly urges the Agriculture Committee to include the tools provided in this legislation that will give rural communities the capacity to deliver lasting results.”

“More than 70 percent of America’s counties are rural and face unique challenges and opportunities every day,” said NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase. “A strong intergovernmental partnership is critical to creating chances for county residents to thrive. The bipartisan Rural Partnership and Prosperity Act ensures counties and our partners can access the policy tools, technical assistance and partnerships key to supporting rural communities. Counties applaud Representatives Valadao and Salinas for advancing this important legislation.”

The legislation is also endorsed by the Rural Network, including Appalachian Community Capital, Arizona Rural Development Council, Association of Oregon Counties, Coalfield Development Corp., CoBank, Communities Unlimited, Inc., Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Enterprise Community Partners, Farm Credit Council, Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, Housing Assistance Council, International Economic Development Council (IEDC), Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Main Street Alliance, MDC, National Association of Counties, National Association of Development Organizations, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, National Rural Health Association, New Growth, North Carolina Rural Center, Northern Forest Center, Partners for Rural America, Partners for Rural Transformation, Partners for Rural Washington, RCAP Solutions, Inc., Region Five Development Commission, Resource Rural, Rural Coalition, Rural Community Assistance Corporation, Rural Community Assistance Partnership, Rural Community College Alliance, Rural Development Initiatives, Rural Partners Illinois, Rural Partners of Michigan, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, Save the Children, Self-Help Enterprises, SERCAP, INC., Small Business Majority, South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development, Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, and The Conservation Fund. 

Read the full bill here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon, Lee, Panetta Lead Bipartisan Push Urging Permanent Retainment of Dept. of Ed Staff Serving Students Experiencing Homelessness and Foster Care

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington – Today, Representative Don Bacon (NE-02) led a bipartisan letter with Reps. Summer L. Lee (PA-12) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) to the Office of Management and Budget and the U.S. Department of Education urging the permanent retainment of staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) who administer programs serving students experiencing homelessness and students in foster care. 

The letter follows widespread reduction-in-force (RIF) notices issued during the government shutdown that reportedly fired almost all OESE workers, including the staff who administer the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program.  Although the shutdown RIF has since been reversed, the lawmakers are concerned that the Department is working to gut the EHCY program and stressed that reinstating workers temporarily is not sufficient. The Department, the lawmakers emphasize, must restore—and retain—the specialized personnel who ensure states and districts can meet their legal obligations to students.  

“About 1.4 million students in the U.S. experience homelessness each school year and about 270,000 school-aged children and youth are in foster care. Beyond the challenges of meeting their basic needs, these students face unique barriers to education including difficulty enrolling in school without a fixed address or necessary documentation, lack of transportation, frequently changing schools, and chronic absenteeism,” the lawmakers wrote. “Federal programs administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, like the Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) program, are one of few lifelines for children experiencing homelessness.” 

The letter notes that without OESE’s specialized staff—including those supporting the EHCY program—states and districts cannot fully implement federal protections (McKinney-Vento) or effectively utilize Title I, Part A set-asides for students experiencing homelessness. The members underscore Congress’s bipartisan support for EHCY, with both chambers proposing $129 million for FY 2026, and argue that permanent staffing is essential to deliver on that commitment. 

“Without these workers, the Department of Education will be unable to fulfill its legal responsibilities under Section 724 of the McKinney-Vento Act, which protects access to education for students experiencing homelessness. Without these workers, states and districts will be unequipped to implement EHCY funding and other critical support that students are entitled to,” the lawmakers continued. “As a result, over one million children and youth may lose access to the educational services they rely on as an essential source of stability.” 

The letter is signed by Representatives Nanette Barragán, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Greg Casar, Judy Chu, Emanuel Cleaver, Danny Davis, Madeleine Dean, Dwight Evans, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chrissy Houlahan, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Hank Johnson, Seth Magaziner, Gwen Moore, Kevin Mullin, Jerrold Nadler, Brittany Pettersen, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Darren Soto, Marilyn Strickland, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, and Gabe Vasquez.  

The letter is endorsed by SchoolHouse Connection and the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. 

“Ensuring that children who are homeless or who enter foster care can stay in school is not a partisan issue. Restoring the small, specialized team at the U.S. Department of Education that helps states and school districts carry out these protections is a practical, bipartisan step that honors the law Congress passed. We are deeply grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Lee, Panetta, and Bacon in calling for the permanent reinstatement of these positions and stand ready to work with the Administration and leaders in both parties to make sure these students are not left behind,” said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection. 

“Students experiencing homelessness and foster care face unique challenges every day and the dedicated federal workers supporting them are critical to ensuring these children have access to stable, equitable education. We urge the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Education to permanently reinstate these essential positions. These students cannot afford to lose the advocates who fight for their success,” said AJ Jefferson, president and CEO of Homeless Children’s Education Fund, expressing her concern. 

Full letter text is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.-25), and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced the Tribal Internet Expansion Act of 2025, legislation to help expand telecommunications and information services to Tribal communities. 

“Access to reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity,” said Congressman Ruiz. “For too long, many Tribal communities have been left without the dependable, affordable broadband needed for students to learn, patients to access care, and families to stay safe and economically secure. The Tribal Internet Expansion Act will strengthen the Universal Service Fund, so it better serves Indian Country and helps ensure Tribal Nations have the digital infrastructure they need to fully participate and thrive in today’s online world.” 

“This legislation strengthens the foundation for expanding broadband and telecommunications access to Tribal Lands, supporting the needs of communities to utilize technologies so vital to economic growth and success,” said Senator Schiff. “I’m proud to join Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz in this effort to bridge the digital divide and ensure that this necessary resource is reliable, accessible, and affordable in every region.” 

The Tribal Internet Expansion Act of 2025 will update the Communications Act of 1934 to explicitly include Indian Country and expand essential broadband access to rural, insular, and high-cost Tribal and Indigenous communities. With roughly one in four people on Tribal lands still lacking access to reliable, high-speed internet, the bill helps ensure that federal broadband and telecommunications programs better address persistent connectivity gaps in these historically underserved areas. 

The legislation has already received widespread support from Tribal leaders and organizations: 

“On behalf of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, I want to thank Congressman Ruiz and Senator Schiff for introducing the Tribal Internet Expansion Act to help improve access to broadband internet services across Indian Country in an increasingly online world. This is a critical part of closing the digital divide in Indian Country – which is a barrier to education, economic opportunity, and healthcare services – that has persisted despite significant investment by Congress in recent years,” said Charles Martin, Chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. 

“The National Congress of American Indians supports Rep. Ruiz and Senator Schiff’s bill to ensure the Universal Service Fund (USF) adequately serves Indian Country. For over two decades NCAI has been very active at the regulatory level to ensure that the USF subsidy mechanisms evolve to address the enduring lack of communications technologies on Tribal lands, and to ensure that those mechanisms remain intact as Federal Communications Commission (FCC) leadership routinely changes hands. Last year, during the Supreme Court’s review of FCC v. Consumers’ Research, NCAI joined efforts to inform and brief the Court on the constitutionality of the USF and its importance to Tribal Nations. The term ‘digital divide’ was coined in 1995 to describe the entire nation, and now in 2025 the ‘Tribal digital divide’ has still not been permanently solved. Importantly, during the COVID-19 pandemic targeted investments in USF programs helped Tribal households gain vital access to reliable, affordable broadband services enabling students to learn, families to access telehealth, and communities to promote public safety and economic development opportunities. As many of these emergency investments have expired, this legislation is a timely and necessary step towards closing the digital divide still faced by many Tribal Nations. As more and better solutions are needed, we look forward to working with Rep. Ruiz and Senator Schiff, and other members of Congress to improve the USF’s commitment to Tribes,” said Larry Wright Jr., Executive Director of the National Congress of American Indians. 

“Access to broadband is essential for quality health care in our communities. Expanding this access will empower more Native patients to benefit from services such as telemedicine, which will ultimately improve health outcomes. We are grateful to Congressman Ruiz and Senator Schiff for his leadership in recognizing that digital infrastructure is a matter of health justice for all of Indian Country,” said Francys Crevier, CEO of the National Council of Urban Indian Health.  

Full text of the legislation is available here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon, Khanna Applaud Administration Decision to Exempt Coffee from Costly Reciprocal Tariffs

Reversal Follows Bacon & Khanna’s Bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act to Repeal Coffee Tariffs

Washington – Representatives Don Bacon (NE-02) and Ro Khanna (CA-17) today applauded the Trump administration’s decision to exempt coffee from the costly reciprocal tariffs driving up prices across the United States.

Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order modifying the scope of the reciprocal tariffs first announced on April 2, 2025. Under the updated order, certain qualifying agricultural products, including coffee, will no longer be subject to those tariffs. The decision follows Rep. Bacon’s bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act, introduced with Reps. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), which would have repealed the tariffs on coffee.

“Families across America are feeling the cost of higher coffee prices, which are already up 21 percent due to the reciprocal tariffs. The U.S. is the largest importer of coffee in the world and relies almost entirely on imports for coffee,” said Rep. Bacon. “Tariffing a product we can’t grow at a large, commercial scale doesn’t make sense and only drives prices higher for consumers. I applaud President Trump and his administration for listening to our concerns and recognizing the harm these tariffs were causing. I hope this marks the beginning of the administration reversing course on these harmful tariffs.”

“Representative Don Bacon and my efforts are working. We have been calling for coffee tariffs to be repealed and introduced our bipartisan bill. Increasing prices for small businesses and coffee drinkers makes no economic sense,” said Rep. Khanna  

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