Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The following op-ed by Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, appeared in the Washington Post today. 

“The most popular social media platforms are constantly changing and reinventing themselves, but one challenge has remained consistent over three decades: Kids are at risk when they go online. 

“Anxiety, depression, loneliness and self-harm rates are sky-high among teens and children, demonstrating the dangerous effects of social media. 

“So, who is responsible for protecting America’s youth? Every adult should consider themselves on the hook for that, but those of us in Congress have a special obligation to hold tech companies accountable for the products they design. 

“That is why congressional Republicans are advancing meaningful legislation to protect kids, empower parents and guardians, and address the harms children and teens face online. 

“We can no longer stand by and wait for others to act. 

“We know progress can be made because we have already enacted a major piece of online safety legislation this Congress. Working alongside first lady Melania Trump, we passed — and President Donald Trump signed — the Take It Down Act, which targets the spread of sexually exploitative, nonconsensual AI-generated images. 

“While that is a good first step, it is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. As the internet continues to evolve, we know that no single action can address every challenge. What’s needed is a comprehensive approach that puts kids’ well-being and parental empowerment at the center of the digital world. 

“Last week, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, a legislative package that will protect children and teens from online harms, empower parents and hold Big Tech accountable. 

“For starters, the Kids Act represents an improved version of the previously proposed Kids Online Safety Act, preserving the bill’s best ideas while addressing concerns about its constitutionality. After pairing the original proposal with additional measures to strengthen privacy, transparency and accountability across the online ecosystem, this version of the bill is stronger and more capable of surviving court challenges. 

“Second, the Kids Act limits access to online pornography for minors. For too long, online websites with adult content have relied on an honor system where every user is assumed to be an adult. We know that isn’t true. Children should not be accessing pornographic content. The Kids Act requires all websites that contain adult content to uphold this basic standard through age-verification measures — just as a brick-and-mortar storefront would. 

“Additionally, the act targets new internet threats, like artificial intelligence chatbots or predators using video game chat functions, head-on. Republicans are working to give parents the power to limit those communications as they see fit and to impose strict disclosure requirements on AI chatbots to prevent deceptive messaging. 

“Acknowledging that government alone cannot solve this problem, the Kids Act facilitates the development of partnerships among parents, experts and industry to address these challenges and others sure to develop. New educational efforts will help empower a generation of parents to diagnose and respond to digital threats. 

“Nevertheless, the Kids Act is not the end of our work. 

“The committee also advanced the App Store Accountability Act this week. Unfortunately, smartphones often operate as a hidden layer between children and parents, as kids download apps and buy digital goods without a parent’s permission. Instead of relying on another honor system, the App Store Accountability Act creates a simple, private and secure process to verify users’ ages and require kids to first obtain a parent’s permission. It leverages modern technology to put apps on notice that they are dealing with children and teens and, thus, have heightened safety obligations. 

“Another bill we are working on, known as COPPA 2.0, would modernize kids’ privacy protections that are already on the books. 

“Until now, 13 has been treated as the age of digital adulthood, a relic of the internet’s early days when Congress enacted the original Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in 1998. Back then, we never could have imagined how things would develop. Extended privacy protections for teens and a ban on targeted advertising to kids are long overdue. 

“Collectively, these bills form a commonsense, comprehensive package designed to make the internet safer for kids. But this is not an academic exercise. 

“This work is personal. Some of the loudest, most courageous advocates for reform are parents who have lost children due to online harms. Every member of our committee represents families who have endured unimaginable grief. They deserve more than gestures and idle promises. They deserve laws that work. 

“We cannot rely on Big Tech companies that refuse to take responsibility for the products they put into the world. They’ve had years to self-regulate, and they have failed. Now it’s time for Congress to act. 

“By advancing this package of bills, we are one step closer to putting American families back on solid footing to make the best decisions about their digital well-being.” 

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

Last night, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson, where he emphasized that the taxpayer dollars of the American people should be used to make life better and more affordable for the American people, not to fund Donald Trump’s war of choice.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Mr. Leader, welcome to Story Is for the first time.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good evening, great to be with you.

ELEX MICHAELSON: What do you think our objective is in Iran, and when is it time to stop the bombing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s an incredibly important question because the President has failed to articulate a compelling reason for why the United States preemptively struck Iran and has now plunged us into a war of choice, where billions of dollars are being spent to drop bombs in the Middle East. In fact, the entire region is in flames right now, and the President and Republicans are unwilling to actually spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people, to drop the price of groceries, drop the cost of housing or drop the costs of health insurance to make sure that Americans can afford to go see a doctor when they need one. And so, in my view, we’ve advanced this War Powers Resolution that narrowly failed because the American people understand that this war is not making them safer. In fact, I think it’s creating potential harm to our national security, and the President has not offered a justification as to why this should continue unabated.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Well, we know Iranians, though, have attacked Americans and attacked people throughout the world for years through their proxies as well. We have seen thousands of Americans in the streets thanking President Trump, saying that they are grateful for the U.S. finally acting. A lot of them talk about the fact that their family members were killed by that regime. What do you say to those people?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Iran is definitively a bad actor and needs to be aggressively confronted, and there are a variety of different tools to be able to do that, including aggressive diplomacy or making sure that the sanctions regime continues to tighten as it relates to what had been put in place by Democrats and Republicans over the years. But on matters of war and peace, I mean, the framers were very clear. They gave Congress the sole authority to declare war, understanding that it’s a serious thing when we decide to put our servicemen and women in harm’s way. And we’ve already lost seven heroic, patriotic, brave service members. And certainly it’s the case that our heart goes out to them and our prayers continue to be with them, and our support will continue to be with their families. But this is a very serious decision. And Donald Trump has not taken it seriously. He’s just unilaterally plunged us into this conflict that now has spread to more than a dozen countries. And has not provided us with a compelling justification, sort of a set of objectives as to what we’re trying to accomplish, and hasn’t provided a strategy as to how this all is going to end.

ELEX MICHAELSON: But we know that U.S. presidents have done military actions without going to Congress before. President Obama did this with Libya. And what leverage do you have to stop what you call an illegal war? What leverage do you have to do something about it?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, unquestionably, it’s an unlawful war of choice that Donald Trump has plunged us into—

ELEX MICHAELSON: How is that different from what President Obama did or other leaders have done when they launched military incursions without going to Congress as well? I mean, doesn’t the President have 60 days to launch military action before he has to come to Congress?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this isn’t simply a series of military strikes. This is an all-out war against Iran that now involves more than a dozen different countries and the expenditure of billions of dollars, perhaps a day, to drop bombs in the Middle East without a clear objective, a clear strategy or a clear endgame. And so that’s the problem. This is the first President, as far as we can tell, to launch this type of military conflict without bothering to try to convince the American people as to why it is all taking place, to persuade the American people. It’s one of the reasons why we believe that the war is already so deeply unpopular with the American people throughout the country.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So is it time to get out now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, I think our view as it relates to the resolution that we voted on, that I strongly supported, that the overwhelming majority of Democrats supported along with two Republicans, is that these types of hostilities should cease until there’s an actual debate and the President makes his case to Congress and to the American people and seeks the authorization for the use of military force. There’s no justification for it, but that is what the Constitution requires in our view, and that step, of course, has not been taken.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So right now, there is still a sort of fight and shutdown over DHS funding that started before this war happened. There’s a question now that some have raised about this possibility that Iran may enact its sleeper cells and activate them in the United States. President Trump talked about that today. Here’s some of what he said.

RECORDING OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, we know a lot about them. The biggest problem we have is the Democrat shutdown. We know a lot about them, but the shutdown doesn’t allow us to do what we have to do.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So the President saying that Americans are being endangered because the Department of Homeland Security cannot go after Iranian sleeper cells. What’s your response to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the President’s lying to the American people. He’s fear-mongering, and he knows that. Now, Republicans have made the decision they would rather shut down every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, which we as Democrats have repeatedly made clear we are prepared to fund—that includes, of course, FEMA and the Coast Guard and TSA and the national security cybersecurity parts of the Department of Homeland Security that are separate and apart from ICE and from the other agencies that have been brutalizing the American people using taxpayer dollars. This is a President who promised to go after the worst of the worst. Instead, ICE agents are targeting law-abiding immigrant families and using taxpayer dollars to brutalize and in some cases kill American citizens, as was horrifically the case with Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. And unfortunately, the administration has decided that they don’t want to get ICE under control. And so they forced the Congress into a situation where DHS funding is not moving forward. And we’ve indicated, both House Democrats and Senate Democrats, that we are prepared to fund every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, while making sure that until ICE enacts the type of dramatic, bold and meaningful changes that force ICE to conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country, that the DHS funding bill with respect to immigration enforcement interior to the country should absolutely not move forward—

ELEX MICHAELSON: Is there any actual negotiation happening on this front? Are you talking with Republicans in a serious way to come to an agreement?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, listen, there are ongoing conversations. And as Democrats, we’ve made clear that we will continue to be prepared to sit down with anyone, anytime, any place to discuss how we can move forward in a way that allows for immigration enforcement in this country to be fair, to be just and to be humane. That’s what the American people want to see. And we’re going to continue to support the notion that changes need to be made that are transformational in terms of the way in which ICE conducts itself.

ELEX MICHAELSON: You’re here in California, there was big news when it comes to the California caucus today. Kevin Kiley, who has been a Republican Member of the House, decided to leave the Republican Party and become an Independent, although he’s still caucusing with the Republicans. Right now, he is running as a no-party-preference person after his district was gerrymandered by Democrats, after Texas Republicans gerrymandered their district. And he said that he may be open to being a Democrat in the next Congress. Take a listen.

RECORDING OF REP. KILEY: As far as next term, you know, I think that the appropriate posture as an Independent is to say, I’m going to do whatever serves my constituents. And so that’s a decision that I’ll make at the time. I think, first and foremost, I’ll be looking at what’s going to best lower the cost of living for the folks that I represent.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So Congressman Kiley is actually our guest next. What’s your message? Are you ready to welcome him into the Democratic Caucus?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think the Congressman is going to have to explain to the people he hopes to represent in the next Congress why he voted for the Republican One Big Ugly Bill. Think about this: Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They literally ripped healthcare away from about 14 million Americans. In that same bill, they enacted the largest cut to nutritional assistance ever, $186 billion taken away, literally ripping food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans in order to provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors, and in the same bill, gave ICE a $75 billion slush fund so that the Trump administration can unleash these violent individuals who are masked and untrained to brutalize the American people and, in some cases, kill them. And so I think the first question for us is going to be, well, does he regret that vote, and does he plan to partner with Democrats to reverse the damage that has been done by the Trump policies to date?

ELEX MICHAELSON: Okay, so if he does, you’re ready to welcome him in, it sounds like.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I mean, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but there’s a lot of explaining that he has to do to his constituents and to those of us on the Democratic side of the aisle.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Alright, Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much for sharing your views. We appreciate it.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

The legislation is being led by Senator Mark Kelly in the Senate, and Pappas will introduce the House version later this week

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Thomas Massie (4th District of Kentucky)

For Immediate Release
Contact: massie.press@mail.house.gov
Contact #: 202-225-3465

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) announces the introduction of H.R. 7880, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act. The bill prohibits federal interference with the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) is the co-lead on the legislation.

“Executive branch agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), do not and should not have the power to shut down trade between peaceful farmers and willing consumers,” said Rep. Massie. “It is Congress’s job to legislate. The Interstate Milk Freedom Act would make it easier for families to buy the milk of their choice by reversing the criminalization of specific dairy farmers.”

“So many people across the country want to make sure their food is fresh and local—including fruits, vegetables, and even their milk,” said Rep. Pingree. “Raw milk is currently the only food banned for interstate commerce—an onerous regulation that hurts small farmers for selling milk straight from their cows to the consumer.”

If two states have legalized the sale of unpasteurized milk, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act prevents federal departments, agencies, or courts from taking any action to prohibit or restrict the traffic of milk between those two states. Although Congress has never passed a ban on raw milk, the FDA issued a regulation banning the interstate sale of raw milk in capitulation to a lawsuit decided in 1986. 

This legislation was introduced as an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill. It was also introduced as a standalone bill in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2024. 

 Original cosponsors of H.R. 7880 include Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA).
 
Rep. Massie owns 50 head of beef cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky. 

Rep. Pingree lives on a farm that raises grass fed beef, chickens, and vegetables on an island in Maine.

The text of the Interstate Milk Freedom Act is available at this link. 

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins seeking information about claims backlogs and the department’s accountability. He wrote that while getting claims below 100,000 was a “productive milestone,” he is concerned about declining accuracy rates for the claims processed in recent months.

The letter reads in part:

“The enactment of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT) Act in 2022 led to an unprecedented number of claims, as more veterans were finally able to access the benefits earned through their service. This naturally led to a temporary increase in the claims backlog. As time has passed, it seems we have come to a natural decrease in the rate of submissions, allowing for a decrease in the backlog of claims.

“While veterans deserve to have their claims reviewed as quickly as possible, they also deserve accurate claims review, with processors given enough time to ensure that their claim is done properly. In the most recent status report on the detailed claims dashboard dated February 28, 2026, the claims backlog stood at 94,611. As previously stated, I am glad to see that number continuing to decrease. However, I am troubled by another statistic on the same dashboard: three-month claim-based accuracy appears to be trending down and now stands at a startling 81.73 percent.”

The three-month claim-based accuracy represents the percent of claims that are processed without errors over the past three months. The accuracy rate indicates that nearly 1 in 5 claims being processed have errors, drastically exceeding a 10-year average of approximately 1in 9.

Congressman Cohen asked eight questions to clarify issues involving claims appeals, the use of artificial intelligence in claims reviews, and the impact of staffing reductions on the handling of veterans’ claims, among other matters.

See the entire letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting Women’s History Month, which includes International Women’s Day (March 8), in honor of the women of American Samoa.

“Women’s History Month is a wonderful opportunity to remember with admiration the historic women of American Samoa’s past and highlight the many women who are making a difference in American Samoa right now,” said Aumua Amata.  

“Samoan women have always been a great strength within our culture. We are blessed with women ancestors throughout our islands’ story, as well as the many women in our personal lives who shape each of us and inspire such love and respect. Venerated historic women have been matriarchs, leaders and warriors that illuminate our journeys as entrepreneurs, teachers, medical professionals, and service members. The women of American Samoa, alongside our pastors and mentors, help build faith and lasting values that keep us strong. We have no shortage of women in leadership in the United States government and here in various roles including Directors, and we appreciate and celebrate their roles and efforts. 

She concluded, “This month, we take special note of role models from the past, and all our many exceptional women of our territory who are a blessing to American Samoa. Thank you to each of you!”

Historic Pictures: 

High Chief Fano Solinuu Shimasaki, the first woman in the Senate in the Fono.

High Chief Uifa’atali Mabel Coleman Reid, the first woman elected to the House in the Fono.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse wrote to the Inspector General of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and demanded an independent investigation into allegations of potential conflicts of interest and regulatory improprieties related to the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. 

According to new allegations reported by a whistleblower to Rep. Neguse’s office, there have been troubling reports that one or more Office of Management and Budget (OMB) officials allegedly proposed or negotiated an arrangement whereby components of NCAR’s space weather program would be transferred to a private, for-profit company. 

If credible, this misconduct conflicts with the NSF’s public comment period, which runs through March 13, 2026, and is intended to allow public feedback on proposed actions. It would also violate clear statutory limits, as neither OMB nor NSF has the authority to unilaterally dissolve or sell federal programs.

Rep. Neguse disclosed that the whistleblower information was purportedly confirmed by an individual employed by the private, for-profit company in question.

Read the full letter HERE and below: 

The Honorable Megan Wallace

Office of the Inspector General

National Science Foundation

2415 Eisenhower Avenue

Alexandria, VA  22314

Dear Inspector General Wallace,

I write to alert you of allegations of potential conflicts of interest and regulatory improprieties that our office has received concerning the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter entitled “NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure” and the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The report outlined below raises questions about whether the Department of Commerce (the Department), the NSF, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have engaged in any improper activity connected to the matters referenced above, which I believe must be independently investigated immediately.

In short, my office has received a troubling report that one or more OMB officials allegedly proposed and/or negotiated — before the NSF DCL process had concluded — an arrangement whereby components of NCAR’s space weather program would be transferred to a specific private, for-profit company. According to the report, the allegation was purportedly confirmed by an individual employed by the same for-profit company during a recent meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Houston in January of this year.

As our office understands it, neither the OMB nor the NSF have clear legal or statutory authority to unilaterally dissolve or sell Federal programs. Moreover, the PRO-SWIFT Act (Public Law 116–181) specifically directs the NSF, along with other federal agencies, to “continue to carry out basic research on heliophysics, geospace science, and space weather” (Section 60604 (a)). While Public Law 116–181 encourages collaboration between the Federal government and the commercial space weather sector, the law makes clear that this research must be conducted by Federal research agencies. It is not within the OMB’s authority to undercut Federal law and sell-off space weather programs to private companies.

The report of misconduct described above further includes allegations that the NSF DCL is simply a political ploy to feign proper conduct, and that the OMB has already determined that NCAR’s space weather program will be transferred to the aforementioned for-profit company and that NCAR’s NWSC supercomputing facility will be transferred to the University of Wyoming. The latter allegation, in fact, is further supported by an NSF news release issued on February 12, 2026 entitled “Transitioning NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center operations.”

The federal DCL process is not a mechanism for reaching pre-determined outcomes nor for selling or awarding federal programs to private companies, and it cannot be used to bypass the law and hand federal programs to preferred private companies without undergoing competitive merit-review processes. In this instance, if allegations of a predetermined transfer or selloff were proven to be true, it would clearly violate the spirit and letter of the “Dear Colleague” process and likely violate Federal law. Therefore, it is vitally important that your office investigate the same.

I remain deeply concerned about any attempts to improperly transfer public assets to private companies. As the independent oversight office for the National Science Foundation, I believe it is your duty to investigate the allegations detailed herein and to put an immediate end to any such activity. Thank you for your full and fair consideration of this matter, consistent with applicable statute and agency guidelines.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Alayah Phipps 

March 9, 2026                                                    202-813-2793 

PRESS RELEASE 

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT ON THE PASSING OF VIRGIN ISLANDS SOURCE REPORTER SUSAN ELLIS 

U.S. Virgin Islands — It is with deep sadness that Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett mourns the passing of Susan Ellis, a dedicated journalist and beloved member of the U.S. Virgin Islands community who served for many years as a reporter both with the St. Croix Avis and the Virgin Islands Source.

“The Virgin Islands has lost a tireless voice—one that told our stories with care, accuracy, and a deep commitment to truth. Susan Ellis was more than a reporter; she was a chronicler of our community. For years, she showed up, to the legislative hearings, the community events, the moments big and small—because she understood that the people of these islands deserved to see themselves reflected in a free and independent press. Susan was passionate in her advocacy for healthcare in the Virgin Islands–particularly mental health–agriculture and animal welfare. 

“I had the privilege of working alongside Susan in my capacity as Congresswoman for the Virgin Islands, and I always found her to be thorough, fair, and deeply invested in the wellbeing of this territory. She asked the hard questions because she believed the public deserved honest answers. That is the hallmark of a great journalist, and Susan was exactly that.  

“To her daughter, her family, her colleagues at the VI Source, and all who loved her—you are in my thoughts and prayers. The Virgin Islands press community is smaller today, but Susan’s legacy will endure in every story she told and every person whose voice she elevated. May she rest in peace and in power.” 

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

“This abuse of your authority risks normalizing a future where Secretaries of State may summarily revoke visas based on speech, depriving individuals of their rights and whittling down the guarantees of the First Amendment.”

Bill Text (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) led 12 lawmakers in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his abuse of power and possible First Amendment violations. Recent reports revealed that under Secretary Rubio, the State Department reportedly targeted students and academics for detention and deportation based on constitutionally protected speech.

“This abuse of your authority risks normalizing a future where Secretaries of State may summarily revoke visas based on speech, depriving individuals of their rights and whittling down the guarantees of the First Amendment,” wrote the lawmakers.

Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), along with Representatives Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (D-Ill.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), joined in signing the letter.

Recently unsealed court records confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security identified students for deportation based on the students’ articles, participation in protests, and social media posts, and shared that information with the State Department. Many of the students were detained for months, despite the fact that none of them were accused of a crime at the time — or have been to date.

Among those detained was Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk, a Massachusetts resident who was arrested and had her visa revoked in March 2025, reportedly because of an op-ed she wrote related to the war in Gaza. The State Department has admitted that it does not have any evidence Ozturk engaged in anti-Semitic activity.

Columbia University students, as well as a Georgetown University post-doc student, were arrested and detained on similar grounds. The unsealed documents reveal that the State Department determined it did not have evidence to justify deporting these students on the basis of allegedly supporting terrorists. At the same time, the administration has said that some students displayed “support for a terrorist organization” on social media.

“[These memos] raise substantial questions about the process the State Department follows, if any, in independently verifying the evidence presented by DHS in whether to pursue deportations,” wrote the lawmakers.

The lawmakers expressed particular concern over Secretary Rubio’s use of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which gives the Secretary of State the power to deport noncitizens the Secretary believes “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Rubio was reportedly advised to personally determine whether this provision justified many of the deportations, a power that had never previously been exercised.

The lawmakers asked the Secretary to provide detailed explanations regarding the unprecedented invocation of this personal authority and all of the cases in which he has determined that a noncitizen be deported, as well as the agency’s reliance on information provided by political organizations to inform its determinations.

Text of the letter can be accessed here.

This letter is endorsed by The National Immigration Law Center and the Center for Constitutional Rights.

Rep. Pressley has been a champion for students unlawfully detained for practicing their First Amendment rights, including for her constituent Rümeysa Öztürk:

• On March 26, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning reports that ICE arrested and detained Rumeysa Ozturk, an international student with legal status in a graduate program at Tufts University.

• On March 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren and Markey, pushed for answers and action since Öztürk’s March arrest. They led over 30 lawmakers in writing to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Acting Director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd Lyons, demanding information about Öztürk’s arrest and detention as well as similar incidents across the country.

• On April 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren and Markey sounded the alarm on Öztürk’s medical neglect in DHS custody and renewed urgent calls for her release.

• On April 18, 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren and Markey demanded Secretary of State Rubio released any documents related to her arrest after a recent report indicated that an internal State Department memo concluded that the key premise underlying Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk’s arrest and detention was false.

• On April 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Markey, and Rep. McGovern traveled to ICE facilities in Basile and Jena, where Rümeysa Öztürk and Mahmoud Khalil were being unlawfully detained and subjected to inhumane conditions in retaliation for their protected speech. Rep. Pressley, Senator Markey, and Rep. McGovern recounted their harrowing visit at a press conference in Boston.

• On April 25, 2025, in a powerful New York Times op-ed, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Markey, and Rep. McGovern discussed their meeting with Ms. Öztürk in detention and warned the American people of the dangers posed by the Trump administration’s unlawful attacks on our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and due process. Full text of the op-ed is available here.

• On May 7, 2025, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Markey, and Rep. McGovern applauded the Second Circuit for ordering Rümeysa’s transfer from ICE custody in Louisiana to Vermont and rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to delay complying with a lower court order to do so.

• On May 8, 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Markey, Ranking Member Bennie Thompson, Congressman Jim McGovern, and Congressman Troy Carter sent a letter to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking more information on the detention conditions of immigrants held at the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center (CLIPC) and the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center (SLIPC) after an oversight trip to the facilities last month.

• On May 9, 2025, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Markey and Warren and Rep. McGovern celebrated the court order ordering Rümeysa Öztürk release.

• On May 11, 2025, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey welcomed Rümeysa Öztürk back to Massachusetts at her request following her release from ICE detention.

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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 Keepin’ it Real with Rev. Al Sharpton, where he highlighted how Donald Trump continues to wage an unconstitutional war in the Middle East while continuing to abdicate his responsibility to make life better for the American people.

REV. AL SHARPTON: One of the things that I said at Reverend Jackson’s funeral is that the action we take is imperative so that we can gain the power to get things done. And I referred to the fact that if the Democrats take the House, Hakeem Jeffries, who I’ve known a long time—a member of National Action Network—would be the Speaker. And he’ll be a Speaker for everybody and will make sure that the issues and concerns we have are heard. And I have him on the live line, the Ranking Member of the House, the head of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman from Brooklyn, New York, Hakeem Jeffries. How you doing, Congressman, how you doing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good afternoon, Rev. Great to be with you. And thank you so much for that powerful remembrance and for, you know, the shout-out as to what the stakes are relative to the upcoming midterm elections. We’re gonna fix these tricks in 2026. That was a memorable line. And we’re gonna ride that all the way to victory.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Right, right. We definitely are going to—my theme for the convention this year, and you come every year, is straighten out tricks in ’26 so we can open up the gates in ’28. Give me your memory, Congressman, and your tribute to Reverend Jackson.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, he was such a legendary, transformational, iconic leader who, of course, put liberty and justice for all first and equal protection under the law. Someone who had made such a tremendous difference in the lives of millions of Americans, certainly Black America, but for all Americans. We continue to be inspired by, stand on his shoulders to this very day. And at a moment like this, where we need the character and the courage and the conviction to push back against the extremism that’s being unleashed on the American people, right, I think being able to have learned life lessons from just the example that Reverend Jackson displayed throughout the time that he led in such a phenomenal way is what continues to fuel those of us who are serving in Congress right now to get the job done.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Let me ask you the question of the U.S.-Israel war versus Iran. We’re seeing it already causing some increase in gas prices here. What’s at stake here? And what is the precedent being established if we keep having presidents that can go around the Congress declaring wars and not having a clear and transparent position to the American people on what we’re doing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, Donald Trump has failed to make the case to the American people that dropping bombs in Iran and getting the Middle East into an all-out war and conflict is actually making the American people safer. And in fact, what we’re seeing is that it’s complicating the lives of the American people, particularly as it relates to the affordability crisis. And we believe that if you’re going to spend billions of taxpayer dollars, it should not be spent in a war of choice in the Middle East. It should be spent to lower the cost of housing, lower healthcare costs, lower the price of groceries that are causing people to struggle, millions of people struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. And on top of that, of course, this was an unauthorized war. The President had a responsibility to come to Congress, the representatives of the people, make his case to Congress, make his case to everyday Americans and to have this war authorized, because there’s zero evidence that there was a threat that required preemptive action. We haven’t seen that evidence presented in any way, shape or form. And as a result, that’s one of the reasons why we’re seeing this war already be deeply unpopular.

REV. AL SHARPTON: And last thing, and I thank you for staying with me. Trump says he will not sign any legislation until Congress passes a stricter voting requirement bill named SAVE. As the head of the Democratic Caucus, how do you respond to that? That he’s going to block the signing of any legislation, until he sees his, in my opinion, voter suppression package passed.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I have two reactions. On the one hand, that’s probably a good thing because any kind of legislation coming out of this Republican Congress is not designed to make life better for the American people. And we know what they have passed, their One Big Ugly Bill, was a complete and total disaster ripping Medicaid away from millions of Americans, enacting the largest cut to SNAP in American history and, at the same time, passing massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors and giving ICE a $75 billion slush fund. On the other hand, of course, we cannot allow the voter suppression legislation in the form of the so-called SAVE Act to pass. And we will not allow it to pass because at the end of the day, we should be lifting up the ability of Americans to participate in our democracy, not suppressing it.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Alright, we thank you for taking a minute to come on. And we’re certainly—I’m sure I’ll see you before the convention, but looking forward to seeing you at the convention. Thank you for calling in, Hakeem Jeffries.

Full interview can be listened to here.