Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)
WASHINGTON, DC – Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) made the following statement on the NASA Program Investigation Team report for the Starliner crewed flight test:
“While I am still reviewing the Program Investigation Team report released today on the Starliner crewed flight test, I am deeply concerned about the breach of NASA’s safety culture. The fact that the risks could have led to catastrophe and the loss of our dedicated NASA astronauts is alarming. It is imperative that NASA and Boeing immediately ingest the lessons from the failures involved in the Starliner mishap, and that the entire agency and contractor community take lessons from this, especially as we stand on the cusp of Artemis II and seek to maximize progress on the even more challenging goal of again landing our astronauts on the surface of the Moon. I appreciate that NASA is treating this with the level of seriousness that it deserves. As Ranking Member, I commit to carrying out oversight of NASA’s and Boeing’s actions to make the necessary changes and address the multiple failures identified in the report.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)
WASHINGTON, DC – Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Rep. April McClain Delaney (D-MD) sent a letterto National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Acting Under Secretary Craig Burkhardt demanding answers regarding rumors that NIST has begun taking steps to implement a policy that would limit the ability of foreign-born researchers to conduct their work at NIST. An article was published on February 12, 2026, describing an alleged new three-year limit on international graduate students and postdoctoral researchers working at NIST. This cuts the U.S. scientific and industrial sectors off from worldwide talent that directly contributes to excellence in cutting-edge fields.
“While this Administration often finds it difficult to make its legally questionable policies stick, it frequently achieves its goals by intimidating its intended victims. Without clear communication about whom the new policies apply to, when they will take place, and how such policies will impact the work of the affected labs, visiting researchers may very well choose to leave before they get kicked out. The United States’ scientific enterprise would suffer greatly. Our scientific excellence depends upon attracting the best and brightest from around the world,” the Members wrote in their letter.
“There is a right way to handle this issue. And instead, has NIST opted for secretive, slapdash policy changes that pull the rug out from visiting researchers for no clear rhyme or reason?” the Members continued. “You must be transparent with Congress and with the NIST community about the policies that have been put in place thus far. You must cease implementation until Congress can weigh in on whether these changes are necessary at all.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)
A Statement from Congresswoman Maxine Waters
The very Reverend Jesse Jackson, presidential candidate and civil rights leader, was not only my close friend and confidant, he was my longtime political ally and mentor. Rev. Jesse Jacskson was my idol and spiritual and political leader. He was a brilliant, gifted and courageous civil rights leader who inspired millions. He registered millions to vote and challenged and changed Democratic Party politics.
Rev. Jackson was one of the youngest followers and supporters of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and spent his life continuing to protect and save the gains that were made during the civil rights movement. I became a dedicated and committed follower of Jesse Jackson. I worked with Rev. Jackson in both the 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. I was a top advisor on the national campaign and was appointed by Rev. Jackson to Chair and lead the California campaign.
I was a closeup witness to Rev. Jackson’s brilliant campaign strategies and developments. He used his voice and his organizing skills to create the beautiful Rainbow Coalition. Long before there was any understanding or appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion, for all intents and purposes, Rev. Jackson created diversity, equity, and inclusion in his campaign. His campaign included Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Whites, women, LGBTQ, organized labor and others. He brought together pastors, preachers, and multi-faith leaders from all over the country. I recall his work and his outreach to small farmers in rural areas and to Native Americans on reservations.
He was responsible for cracking open the doors of America’s corporate community and those in Silicon Valley. Rev. Jackson was also an international ambassador for peace. He used his tremendous influence to champion human rights. I worked with him in the Free South Africa movement where we helped free Nelson Mandela and bring an end to apartheid in South Africa. We had a wonderful experience of attending the inauguration when Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa. And of course, Rev. Jackson helped to secure the release of U.S. hostages around the world, but the one that stands out to me is when he went to Syria and negotiated the release of U.S. Navy Lt. Robert. Goodman Jr.
Rev. Jackson has more than earned his place in history and rightfully so. His work will never be forgotten and will be taught in communities all over the world, in places low and high, in our schools and universities. I will live the rest of my life with the memories I cherish for the time, the effort, and the phenomenal work that I experienced with The Reverend Jesse Jackson, presidential candidate and civil rights leader.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
Today, after the Supreme Court ruled6-3 to strike down President Trump’s tariffs, Representative Sharice Davids released the following statement. The Court’s majority held that the Constitution “very clearly” grants Congress the power to impose taxes, including tariffs. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a win for Kansas families, workers, and small businesses who have been paying the price for reckless tariffs that raised costs at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the farm,” said Davids. “The Constitution is clear: Congress — not any one president — has the authority to set trade policy. I’ll keep fighting for smart, targeted trade enforcement that holds bad actors accountable without forcing hardworking Kansans to shoulder the cost of failed policies.”
Background:
Davids has consistently pushed back on the President’s tariffs and supported bipartisan approaches to trade that balance competitiveness with consumer protection. She spoke during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearingon the trade disruptionsKansas agricultural producers will face due to these tariffs — a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland. She also visited a local toy storeand manufacturerthat are being hit hard by these unstable policies and hosted a press conferenceon her efforts to push back on tariffs that are raising prices for hardworking families.
Kansas families are feeling the pinch of Trump’s tariff policies. The Budget Lab at Yale University estimates the average American household will pay $2,400 more annually because of tariffs, with clothing and textiles seeing the biggest spikes. Contrary to claims that tariffs will strengthen the economy, experts warn they will instead lead to higher inflation and slower job growth.
According to Harvard Business School data, tariffs added roughly 0.7 percentage points to inflation in 2025, raising the cost of both imported and domestic goods. Popular items are more expensive, including:
Clothing accessories: +15 percent
Jewelry: +8 percent
Household tools: +6.2 percent
Appliances: +5.6 percent
Meat: +6.2 percent
Fruit: +5.5 percent
Coffee and tea: +9.2 percent
Household supplies like toilet paper: +4.7 percent
Many retailers — including Walmart, Dollar General, and major food producers — have announced or implemented price hikes to cover tariff costs. American families are footing the bill for the administration’s reckless trade policies.
These chaotic tariffs have also threatened key industries in Kansas, including agriculture and manufacturing, by increasing the cost of imported equipment and materials and by inviting retaliatory tariffs on exports. This reckless approach to trade policy underscores the need for thoughtful, bipartisan solutions that promote fair trade without harming American consumers and businesses.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)
Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court resoundingly rejected Trump’s tariffs:
“Before coming to Congress, I was a manufacturer who kept hundreds of good-paying jobs in the Midwest, so I know the damage done by Trump’s tariffs. I’m relieved to see that, after months of delay, the Supreme Court has finally determined that his tariffs are unconstitutional and illegal.
“Since Trump announced ‘Liberation Day’ last April, tariffs have raised costs on American consumers and manufacturing employment has steadily dropped. At the same time, Trump’s unnecessary trade wars with our allies have turned them towards other markets, like China and Argentina.
“At this point, it looks likely that Trump is going to have to find a way to pay U.S. companies back for the illegal tariffs he has collected. As a start, I would suggest rescinding the $75 billion being wasted on ICE.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)
Hemlock, Mich. — On Tuesday, Congresswoman Haley Stevens visited Hemlock Semiconductor to tour its newly operational Corning Wafer Facility, highlighting Michigan’s leadership in rebuilding the U.S. solar and semiconductor manufacturing supply chain.
The Corning Wafer Facility, which became operational in late 2025, is the first ingot and wafer facility to come online in the United States in more than a decade. The facility produces high-purity silicon components essential to solar panel manufacturing, helping make fully U.S.-made solar modules possible for the first time.
During the visit, Stevens met with workers and company leadership and saw firsthand how ultra-pure polysilicon is refined, formed into ingots, and sliced into wafers for use in solar energy and semiconductor applications. The facility employs roughly 1,500 Michigan workers and has already sold out its production capacity for 2025 and secured long-term purchase commitments for the majority of its output over the next five years.
“This visit shows what it looks like when American manufacturing comes home,” said Congresswoman Stevens. “Michigan workers are strengthening our clean energy supply chain, creating good-paying jobs, and reducing our reliance on foreign sources.”
Since first taking office, Congresswoman Stevens has visited hundreds of manufacturers across Michigan, promoting Michigan’s role at the center of manufacturing innovation. She also serves as the top Democrat on the Research and Technology Subcommittee of the Science, Space, & Technology Committee.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reintroduced a bill that would make D.C. eligible for federal funding under two federal wildlife conservation laws, the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act.
“Excluding D.C. from access to this federal funding has serious repercussions for the District and its approximately 7,800 acres of parkland,” Norton said. “D.C. should be eligible for all the same federal funding, including conservation funding, as states. I have consistently worked to have D.C. treated as a state for the purposes of federal funding and this legislation is no different.”
Norton’s introductory statement follows.
Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act
February 20, 2026
Today, I introduce the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act District of Columbia Equality Act. This bill would make the District of Columbia eligible for federal funding under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act in the same manner as states. D.C. residents pay the same federal taxes as residents of the states and, therefore, D.C. should be treated as a state under federal programs. D.C. has roughly 7,800 acres of parkland, covering nearly a quarter of the city.
The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act provides funding to states for five distinct purposes: program administration, wildlife restoration, basic hunter education and safety, enhanced hunter education and safety grants and multistate conservation grants. In general, D.C. is not eligible for funding under this Act.
The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act provides funding for sport fish restoration, aquatic education, wetlands restoration and boat-related activities. Under this Act, each state receives a minimum of one percent of the total amount apportioned, while D.C. is capped at one-third of one percent.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki, where he explained how Democrats are standing up for democracy and fighting to make life better for hardworking taxpayers while Donald Trump and Republicans are hurting everyday Americans and attempting to rig the midterm elections to remain in power.
JEN PSAKI: Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Alright, Leader Jeffries, I have so many questions for you about elections and what they’re trying to do. But I just want to start with what Trump had to say about you tonight. Because in a speech tonight, he mentioned you, I don’t know if you saw this. He called you a—he loves to name call, doesn’t he—He called you a low-IQ individual. And I just wanted to give you an opportunity to respond to that.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s great to be with you. I mean, he’s such an unhinged, unpresidential, un-American individual. But I was actually quite surprised that he wasn’t able to come up with something more original. Like, this is his go-to insult. I finally earned a presidential nickname, and this is what he goes with. So, he clearly is tired, he’s lame, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing anymore. And the American people, most importantly, are the ones who are paying the price from this failed presidency. Failure on the economy, failure on healthcare, failure on immigration enforcement, failure to make life better for the American people.
JEN PSAKI: Little Marco is maybe a better try on his part. It’s been a few years. We’re seeing Trump, on a very serious note, of course, I know very serious to you, we’re seeing Trump lay the groundwork all across the country for undermining elections in places like Fulton County, where local Republicans appear to be helping his efforts by hiring private investigators and subpoenaing the Georgia Secretary of State, a Republican. The Democrats—What is the plan—for people watching out there who were so freaked about this—to make sure voters aren’t disenfranchised and really scared of going to polling places?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this is definitely going to be a core focus of ours. We know that the American people, if the election were held today, and Donald Trump knows this, are voting for Democrats because we’re the only party right now committed to driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system, making sure that immigration enforcement is fair and just and humane, we get ICE under control and we clean up the corruption that is taking place here in America. Donald Trump clearly has other plans, but we know it’s got to be an all-hands-on-deck effort. Democratic governors, Democratic attorneys general, secretaries of state, civil rights groups, democracy reform groups, civil liberty groups like the ACLU and others, partnering, of course, with House Democrats, Senate Democrats, civil society, faith leaders and perhaps most importantly, the American people. And together, we can and will ensure that the elections are free and fair. And we’re going to operate under the assumption that voter suppression and voter intimidation will be the electoral strategy that Republicans deploy to try to desperately hold onto power.
JEN PSAKI: One of the efforts you’ve been very focused on is, of course, redistricting. And you were in Maryland yesterday. I spoke with the Governor here last night about that visit. For people out there who don’t understand, you have a Democratic-led Senate there. This is clearly important. I mean, there are big stakes for you in terms of becoming Speaker of the House and big stakes for the country. What’s the deal? What’s the hold up there? And is there any progress you can tell us about in terms of moving it forward?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re thankful for the support of Governor Wes Moore, who’s done a tremendous job getting behind this effort. Thankful for the Democrats in the Maryland House of Delegates, who decisively have passed this legislation. And so now it’s up to the Democratic majority in the State Senate. And I had a good meeting. It was a positive, productive, candid discussion with the Senate Democratic President, who believes, at least, that the votes don’t exist in the Senate, and I think Governor Moore has taken the position, which I share, is bring the bill to the floor of the Senate for an up or down vote, because this moment does require a forceful Democratic response as part of our effort to make sure that Donald Trump can’t gerrymander the national congressional map as part his scheme to rig the midterm elections. Now, we forcefully pushed back against Donald Trump’s effort all across the country, of course, beginning in places like Texas and California with Prop 50, finishing up in Virginia and pushing them back in other places like Utah and Ohio and Missouri, and we’re going to have to continue to keep our foot on the gas pedal. But certainly it’s the case that there’s an opportunity to move forward and create a more competitive map in Maryland, and I certainly hope that the Senate Democrats led by the Senate President, Bill Ferguson, will see fit to at least allow the chamber to vote.
JEN PSAKI: I only have about a minute left, but I’ve been dying to know what you think of this, which is that the White House apparently has a new strategy, a political one, to send their Cabinet members out to competitive districts around the country. And I was thinking, did Leader Jeffries get in this meeting in a mustache and like design this plan for them? But what do you make of this strategy? Are there any Cabinet members you’re just praying they’re going to send out there to swing districts?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, they should start with Pam Bondi, RFK and Kristi Noem. And I’ll have a list of districts for them to go to. And we may even be willing to pay the cost.
JEN PSAKI: Yeah, I thought maybe you’d fund ads on a bus tour if they if they were gonna send these people out there. Why not? It’s certainly—it’s quite a strategy. Leader Hakeem Jeffries, so much on your plate, really appreciate you being here tonight. Thank you so much again
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a longtime member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, has once again received a perfect 100 percent on the Humane World Action Fund and Humane World for Animals Scorecard, previously known as the scorecard of the Humane Society Legislative Fund and the Humane Society of the United States. He has consistently received the highest score on humane treatment of animals issues dating to his time in the Tennessee State Senate. In 2022, he was named the Humane Horseman of the Year by the Humane Society for his work to prohibit the “soring” of Tennessee Walking Horses.
The scorecard reviewed each federal lawmakers’ position on eight issues of concern to the animal protection community during the first session of the 119th Congress. Congressman Cohen is the only member of the Tennessee Congressional delegation with a 100 percent score. See the scorecard here
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
“I am pleased to receive this distinction and the recognition for my work protecting animals. The way we treat our fellow creatures is a measure of our humanity. I commend the Humane World for Animals for the work it does.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California
REEDLEY, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) joined Reedley College leaders, students, and community partners to celebrate $2 million in federal funding to support construction of the AgTECInnovation Center, a major investment in the future of agricultural technology and workforce development in the Central Valley. “The Central Valley is the breadbasket of our nation, and we must continue investing in the next generation of agricultural leaders,” said Congressman Costa.“This $2 million federal investment will strengthen hands-on workforce training, expand access to industry-recognized certifications, and prepare students for high-demand careers that keep our agricultural economy strong and resilient.”
“The Reedley College AgTEC Innovation Center will house agriculture technology startups, providing students throughout the region with critical hands-on work experience through internships, job-shadows, and part-time employment,” said Reedley College President Dr. Jerry Buckley. “As a member of the Community College Alliance for Agriculture Advancement (C2A3), we will also use the facility as a research center to assist students in national competitions. We are extremely grateful to Congressman Costa for his efforts in securing these funds for this facility and his constant support of our entire campus.”
BACKGROUND Congressman Costa secured over $11.2 million in the passage of Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) funding legislation, which included $2 million for the Community Project of the AgTEC Innovation Center at Reedley College.
The $2 million federal investment will help fund the development of the AgTEC Innovation Center, which will serve as a hub for advancing agricultural innovation and expanding workforce training opportunities in the region. The center will provide dedicated space for ag-tech startups to grow, expand hands-on technical training for students, and offer industry-recognized certifications designed to prepare farmworkers and students for high-demand careers in agriculture and emerging technologies, while promoting innovation to help build a more sustainable food system in the Central Valley. By accelerating innovation and sustainability, the project strengthens the Valley’s position as a global leader in food production while creating new economic opportunities for the region.
To view photos of the presser, click here. To learn more about additional federal funding Congressman Costa secured for FY2026, click here.