Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

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

Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-07), a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, led a bipartisan group of 10 congressional leaders on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pressing House leadership to take immediate, urgent action to address risks posed by this rapidly advancing technology. The push came in the wake of the OpenAI agent cyberattacks on Hugging Face and subsequent warnings from leaders and researchers at prominent AI companies about the societal and existential risks posed by unrestrained advances in the technology.
In addition to Trahan and Beyer, the letter was signed by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-33), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16).
“We call for your joint leadership on an urgent Congressional response to recent incidents involving advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models that have profound implications for economic and national security. Congress has a singular opportunity to respond swiftly and effectively to these warning shots before true catastrophes occur,” the lawmakers wrote. “Congress must urgently advance legislation to mitigate the risk of more serious incidents, especially those that could threaten critical infrastructure, our financial system, and other institutions that every American depends on.”
“The House of Representatives could and should immediately take up legislation that would strengthen AI oversight, security, and transparency. There currently exist dozens of bipartisan bills that committees of jurisdiction have reported. Members of both parties have also worked in recent months to fast-track bipartisan legislation that is ready to be considered by committees of jurisdiction. We believe these bills should be carefully and urgently advanced through the legislative process,” the lawmakers continued.
A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.
In July, Trahan and Obernolte introduced the FRONTIER Act, bipartisan legislation that would set the first federal safety rules for the most powerful AI systems, requiring the companies that build them to be transparent about the risks, submit to independent safety reviews, and report dangerous incidents to the government. The proposal has been endorsed by a broad coalition of independent AI safety organizations, industry stakeholders, and others.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month to increase awareness of gynecologic cancers and encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment.

“Gynecologic cancers affect approximately 100,000 women every year, yet too many face diagnosis when it is already far along,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “This bipartisan resolution is meant to break down stigma, make sure women know the warning signs, and encourage early detection. Early diagnosis saves lives, and we must ensure every woman has access to the comprehensive, affordable care she needs.”

“Gynecologic cancers affect thousands of women and families every year, and knowing the warning signs can make a real difference,” said Congressman Bacon. “This resolution will help raise awareness, encourage women to talk with their doctors when something does not seem right and support earlier diagnosis and treatment. I’m pleased to join Rep. Dingell in recognizing September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.”

The resolution is endorsed by the Society for Gynecologic Oncology.

“Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the five gynecologic cancers and ensure people know the signs and symptoms that may signal a need to speak with their healthcare provider. Early detection and timely access to high-quality, specialized care can make meaningful difference in outcomes and save lives. By increasing awareness, equipping people with the information they need, and breaking down barriers to care, we can help more people get the right diagnosis, treatment, and support, when they need it,” said Matthew A. Powell, MD, President, Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.

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

Washington, D.C. — Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse introduced the Town Halls for All Act, a bill to ensure Members of Congress are staying connected to the communities they serve. Neguse himself has made hosting in-person, public town halls a priority for his office since first being elected to represent Colorado’s 2nd District in Congress. During his time in public office he’s hosted over 100 public town halls, 28 of which have fallen within the current legislature — a grand total that surpasses every member of Colorado’s congressional delegation combined.  

As fewer elected officials from both sides of the aisle hold in-person town halls — opting for virtual gatherings or avoiding community conversations altogether — Neguse’s legislation would require all Members of both the House and Senate to hold at least 12 public town halls within their congressional district every calendar year. The bill also provides admittance, accessibility, and awareness guidelines to ensure that every individual interested in attending one of these meetings has the opportunity to do so. 

“When you represent one of the largest congressional districts in the country — bigger than eight states and spanning 12,000 square miles — you understand how vital it is to spend time meeting directly with your constituents. That’s why I’ve hosted over 100 town-halls since first being elected, in rural, suburban and urban towns and communities across Western and Northern Colorado — to better understand their concerns, their hopes, and their dreams. It is time for all public officials to do the same, which is why I’ve introduced the Town Halls for All Act, which creates a gold standard for constituent access, and requires all Representatives and Senators to host at least 12 public town halls a year and ensures that the public officials Americans elected are responsive to the needs of their constituents,” said Congressman Joe Neguse.  

Click HERE to read the bill text. 

The bill is endorsed by Indivisible, an organization working to connect Americans with opportunities to attend town hall meetings in congressional districts across the country.  

“In a democracy that works, elected officials should be accountable to the people they represent — and that means showing up, listening to constituents, and answering for their actions. Town halls are a crucial way for voters to engage directly with the people elected to serve them, and the Town Halls for All Act would make that kind of direct accountability the norm, not the exception,” said Andrew O’Neill, National Advocacy Director of Indivisible. 

Background

At 42-years-old, Congressman Joe Neguse is the youngest Democrat in his state’s federal delegation, and as such he’s been working to rally a coalition of next-generation lawmakers in an effort to put power back in the hands of the American people. In addition to the newly introduced Town Halls for All Act, his efforts include introducing a measure to overturn the disastrous Citizens Uniteddecision, preventing unrestrained spending and dark money in elections; championing multiple proposals to ban Members of Congress from trading stocks, including co-leading the bipartisan consensus Restore Trust in Congress Act; and spearheading the End Corruption Now legislative agenda, seven bills that effectively stop the selling of access and influence in our nation’s capital.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

Griffith Statement on House Passage of AM Radio for Every Vehicle

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a series of measures to protect American communities from public health threats. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, helped advance these pieces of legislation or House counterparts through his Subcommittee. Legislation that secured overwhelming House support included:

• S. 2398 – the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act
• H.R. 1266 – the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act
• H.R. 2004 – Tyler’s Law
• H.R. 8005 – the Stop Pills that Kill Act

Following House passage of the bills, Chairman Griffith issued the following statement:

“As a House leader who helped secure the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, I understand the impacts of public health threats. At a time when emerging public health threats ranging from illicit drugs to tickborne illnesses jeopardize the well-being of our country, many of these policies will make American communities safer. 

“As Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, I am proud to have advanced these measures that target severe public health threats.”

BACKGROUND

H.R. 1266 classifies xylazine as a Schedule III narcotic. Veterinarians, farmers and ranchers will still be able to legally access the drug to treat large animals.

H.R. 2004 directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help hospital providers use fentanyl testing for emergency room drug screenings.

H.R. 8005 closes a counterfeit pill production loophole in federal statute by imposing new penalties.

Chairman Griffith, who lives with alpha-gal syndrome, helped advance the House version of the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act earlier this year. This bill reauthorizes key programs that develop a national strategy, improve surveillance actions and facilitate agency coordination on tickborne illnesses.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded New River Community Action, Inc., based in Radford, Virginia, a $69,434 grant. The funding supports local Head Start projects. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Head Start projects are available for New River Valley communities.

“This HHS grant for more than $69,000 helps New River Community Action strengthen local Head Start program access.”

BACKGROUND

According to its website, New River Community Action supports Head Start services in the City of Radford as well as Floyd, Giles, Montgomery and Pulaski Counties. More than 200 children in the New River Valley benefit from its Head Start program.

As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Griffith serves as the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee. 

In May, Congressman Griffith announced more than $3.7 million for New River Community Action.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

Griffith Announces Combined Total of $339,771 in Additional HHS Grants for Head Start Projects in Virginia’s Ninth District

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press event with the House Democratic Caucus and advocates on the Capitol steps, where he emphasized that as people continue to struggle with the high cost of living due to failed Republican policies, House Democrats are committed to fighting for an affordable America.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege to stand here today on the steps of the United States Capitol, alongside Whip Katherine Clark, Dr. Raul Ruiz, Nikema Williams, Yassamin Ansari and distinguished, courageous, fighting Members of the House Democratic Caucus. I want to thank Kat as well as Rebecca from the great state of Arizona, Terri from the great state of Georgia and John from the Great State of Nebraska for bravely sharing your stories and advocating for families, farmers and millions of Americans who are struggling throughout the country.

Far too many people are working hard and playing by the rules, but they can’t thrive and can barely survive. Life is way too expensive. People are drowning in Donald Trump’s failed economy. House Democrats are determined to make life more affordable for the American people. We just need a handful of Republicans to stand up to Donald Trump and join us. Instead, they have decided to cancel votes and run out of town without providing any relief to hardworking American taxpayers.

Republicans have done nothing to lower the high cost of groceries. Nothing to make healthcare more affordable. Nothing to end the reckless war of choice in Iran. Nothing to lower gas prices. Nothing to stop the violent mass deportation machine. Nothing to hold the Trump administration accountable for the unprecedented corruption unleashed on the American people. This is a do-nothing Republican Congress, and it’s about to come to an end.

House Democrats believe that here in America, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life and a good life. You should be able to own a home, educate your children, see a doctor when you need one, go to the grocery store without being stressed out, take a vacation with your family, save for a rainy day and then retire with grace and dignity. That’s the American Dream. It’s broken right now, but House Democrats are working hard to revive it.

Two years ago, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans promised to bring down grocery prices on day one. They promised to stop endless wars in the Middle East. They promised to bring energy prices down by 50%. They promised to get gas prices below $2 a gallon. But Republicans have done nothing to make life more affordable for the American people. Instead, they’ve made life more expensive. For two years, Americans have been wondering: were MAGA Republicans lying, indifferent or are they just incompetent? We now have an answer. It’s all of the above.

Democrats know that things need to change dramatically. Our message to the American people is a simple one: we hear you, we see you, we feel you and we’re committed to making life better for you. House Democrats are fighting for an affordable America. House Democrats are fighting to lower the high cost of groceries, gas and housing. House Democrats are fighting to make healthcare affordable because we believe, in this great nation, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, access to high-quality and affordable healthcare can’t simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. Affordable healthcare must be a right available to every single American. We are also here to make clear that it’s time for the corruption to end. Anyone who is stealing from the American people, shortchanging the American people or screwing over the American people, you are now on notice. House Democrats are going to hold the crooks accountable beginning on day one.

Democrats are here. We outside. We are committed to this fight for an affordable America until we win this fight for the American people. We will continue to show up, we will continue to stand up and we will continue to speak up until we end this national nightmare and restore prosperity, peace and the promise of America for everyone.

Fighting for an Affordable America.

Full press event can be watched here.

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

Washington, D.C. — For the second time in two weeks, current and former Members of the House of Representatives are challenging the Trump administration’s ongoing attempt to unconstitutionally exercise control over election administration and create chaos in the upcoming midterm elections. Today’s action follows the Litigation Task Force’s successful advocacy before the Supreme Court and the denial of Donald Trump’s attempts to restrict mail-in ballots.

154 current and former Members from the House of Representatives, Democratic and Republican, filed an amicus brief at the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to build and make available a massive illegal database containing the personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans. The expanded system, which links information from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration, unlawfully puts Americans’ most sensitive personal information at risk while relying on questionable data that federal agents have raised concerns may be inaccurate. Those errors could result in eligible U.S. citizens being improperly flagged and removed from voter rolls, potentially denying an untold number of Americans their constitutional right to vote.

The coalition filed its amicus brief in League of Women Voters v. Department of Homeland Security, arguing that the administration’s efforts to create and use this database violate the law on two main grounds. First, the database violates the Privacy Act, enacted by Congress in the 1970s in part to prevent the creation of a “centralized Federal information system” that would consolidate Americans’ sensitive information stored across federal agencies. And second, Congress has repeatedly declined to authorize the creation of state-by-state citizenship lists, most recently by failing to advance the SAVE Act and SAVE America Act, and so the Trump Administration is unconstitutionally violating the separation of powers by attempting to achieve through lawless executive action what it failed to achieve through legislation.

Click HERE to read the brief in its entirety. 

The bipartisan group is led by Assistant House Minority Leader Joe Neguse, who leads the House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force; Task Force Co-Chairs Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin; as well as House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle, and Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson.

The Republican lawmakers that joined this court filing include former Representatives Charles W. Boustany, Jr. (2005-2017), Barbara Comstock (2015-2019), Mickey Edwards (1977-1993), James C. Greenwood (1993-2005), Steve Gunderson (1981-1997), John LeBoutillier (1981-1983), Susan Molinari (1990-1997), Claudine Schneider (1981-1991), Peter Smith (1989-1991), and David Trott (2015-2019). 

Keep scrolling to see what the leading lawmakers had to say about the matter: 

“House Democrats’ Litigation Task Force will continue to vindicate our constitution and fight back against Donald Trump efforts to disenfranchise American citizens,” said House Assistant Minority Leader Joe Neguse. “The president’s plan to create federal lists that dictate who can and cannot vote in elections is not only violative of laws enacted by Congress but also relies on questionable data Homeland Security agents themselves have said will result in an untold number of lawful citizens losing their right to vote. It is an attempt to sow chaos ahead of the 2026 midterms and must be struck down by the Supreme Court — immediately.”

“Trump’s asking the courts to let his Administration create the very federal database Congress repeatedly declined to authorize: a comprehensive Orwellian system that collects and shares Americans’ most sensitive personal information while creating the risk of wrongly purging eligible voters from the rolls. I’m proud to stand strong with my colleagues urging the Supreme Court to protect individual Americans’ privacy and voting rights—and the integrity of our free and fair elections—from this outrageous and illegal power grab,” said Ranking Member Jamie Raskin.

“The Trump Administration is trying to create a massive database of Americans’ sensitive personal information that could disenfranchise voters across the country. This system relies on incomplete data that directly targets the right to privacy and the right to vote. We are urging the Supreme Court to stop this immediately and protect Americans’ right to vote,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia.

“No matter how hard he tries, Donald Trump will never succeed in taking over our elections,” said Leader Jeffries. “I am grateful to Reps. Neguse, Garcia, Raskin, Morelle and Bennie Thompson and the Litigation Task Force for leading House Democrats in this latest effort to stand up to Donald Trump’s ongoing unlawful and unconstitutional effort to sow chaos ahead of the midterms, deny eligible Americans the right to vote and exert undue federal control over our elections.”

“Democrats and Republicans agree – this Administration cannot ignore Congress. Once again, Trump is mounting a wildly illegal attack on our elections. Presidents do not control our elections. The American people do,” said Ranking Member Joe Morelle.

“There’s a reason our Constitution gives states and Congress the power to manage our elections: to stop despots like Donald Trump,” added Ranking Member Bennie G. Thompson. “The Supreme Court must stop Trump’s illegal actions to create error-ridden citizen databases to disenfranchise voters and rig our elections.”

Background

The Litigation Task Force launched in the first month that followed President Donald Trump’s chaotic return to office. We immediately set out to push back against an administration showing no respect for the Constitution or rule of law—and haven’t stopped since.

In the fight to protect American election security: last Tuesday, the Task Force urged the Supreme Court to block Trump’s Executive Order seeking to exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. As noted above, less than a week later, the Court agreed and barred the USPS from putting the challenged mail-ballot requirements into effect for the 2026 midterm election. 

For more information on the Litigation Task Force’s efforts to protect Americans against the unlawful actions of the Trump administration, visit litigationandresponse.house.gov.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement following the House passage of three Committee-led bills to combat the manufacturing of illicit drugs and to protect Americans from dangerous substances, like fentanyl. 

“I am glad to see the House take action to pass three House Energy and Commerce bills to build upon our work of combating illicit drugs that have devastated communities across our nation, especially here in Kentucky,” said Congressman Guthrie. “These bipartisan bills will provide law enforcement additional tools to combat the production of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, protect Americans from dangerous substances, increase access to fentanyl testing, and most importantly save lives.”

Background: 

H.R. 1266, Combating Illicit Xylazine Act – This legislation passed the House of Representatives unanimously. If enacted, this bill would place xylazine in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act and amend the definition of “ultimate user” to allow xylazine to continue to be lawfully administered for legitimate veterinary purposes. This bill requires a report to Congress on the prevalence and proliferation of xylazine trafficking and misuse in the United States.

H.R. 8005, Stop Pills That Kill Act – This legislation passed the House of Representatives unanimously. If enacted, this bill would seek to prevent the misuse of pill press machines and their critical parts for the illicit manufacture of a controlled substance by strengthening the DEA’s ability to conduct regulatory oversight of pill press machines and their critical parts.

H.R. 2004, Tyler’s Law – This legislation passed the House of Representatives unanimously. If enacted, this bill would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to complete a study and issue guidance on whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose.