Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

BATON ROUGE, LA – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), Governor Jeff Landry (R-LA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins and Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain held a roundtable discussion with Louisiana farmers, cattlemen and aquaculture reps, focused on strengthening the state’s agricultural industry.   

During the meeting, Congressman Higgins advocated on behalf of Louisiana’s rice, crawfish, and shrimp producers. He discussed proposals to suspend imports on these commodities, expedite assistance through USDA’s Commodity Credit Association, and pass H.R. 5710, the Bridge the Gap for Rural Communities Act. Congressman Higgins also outlined these requests in a delivered letter that he led with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, and Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation President Richard Fontenot. Read that letter here. 

Earlier this week, Congressman Higgins delivered a letter to President Trump urging him to suspend all foreign shrimp imports due to public health concerns. Read that letter here. Congressman Higgins also delivered a letter urging President Trump to suspend rice imports in response to market volatility and unfair trade practices from foreign producers. Read that letter here.

Congressman Higgins said, “I appreciate Secretary Rollins visiting Louisiana and taking time to hear directly from farmers in our state. We’re working closely with her and President Trump to support the agriculture industry and put American farmers first. Today’s roundtable embodies the Trump administration’s commitment to Louisiana’s farmers, and my office will continue to advocate for agricultural and seafood industries.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, DC?— Following the Pentagon’s refusal to explain massive cuts to the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), the independent military weapons testing office, and the Pentagon’s decision to remove even more weapons programs from DOT&E’s oversight list, Representative Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, wrote to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to press for more information and urge the Department of Defense (DoD) to reverse its cuts and restore oversight to the nearly 100 programs cut from the DOT&E oversight list.

“We remain concerned these reckless decisions undermine readiness and will result in substantial waste of taxpayer dollars while putting servicemembers’ lives at risk,” said the lawmakers.

In June, Senator Warren raised concerns about Secretary Hegseth’s decision to cut DOT&E’s budget by nearly 80% and its staff by about 74%.

“The cuts and reductions to this office created fears that…they would cut so deep the office would no longer be able to even meet its basic statutory functions,” the lawmakers said.

In August, the Pentagon responded to Senator Warren, saying the cuts were based on a “comprehensive internal review,” but failed to provide any study or analysis to justify the cuts or any cost savings associated with the move.

The Pentagon also responded with a list of the office’s “current oversight” list, listing 251 programs on the list. But two days later, the DOT&E’s quietly updated its website and eliminated 94 programs, a 37% reduction that cuts testing for at least $74.5 billion of weapons systems, while backdating the list to late July. The lawmakers said the move raises concerns that the Pentagon was “purposely inaccurate” in its response to Congress.

DOT&E plays an important role in helping the military complete vigorous testing for safety, survivability, and suitability for programs like the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program, which would phase in the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter fleet. The program was cut from DOT&E’s oversight list in the purge, even though the Army is attempting to accelerate the fleet’s implementation.

Other top DoD priorities that have been inexplicably removed from DOT&E’s oversight list are the Enterprise Space-Based Missile Warning and Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, which could enable the Golden Dome architecture.

“If homeland missile defense is truly a top priority for the Department, rigorous testing and oversight is vital to ensure the systems are integrated and that funding is not being wasted on systems that do not tie into the broader architecture,” said the lawmakers.

“The decision to further purge the DOT&E office by cutting nearly 100 programs from its oversight list jeopardizes military readiness, puts the safety of our servicemembers at risk, and increases the risk of waste and abuse of hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars. We ask that you reverse these cuts,” concluded Representative Norcross and Senator Warren.

The lawmakers asked the Defense Department to provide, by October 30, 2025, answers to their questions, including the Pentagon’s plan for ensuring that taxpayer funds are not wasted due to deficiencies in programs removed from the oversight list, a justification for each program removed from DOT&E’s oversight list, and whether the Department consulted with the defense industry on which programs to cut from the list.

Text of Letter (PDF)  

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

“For far too many veterans, seniors, and children, SNAP benefits are the difference between having food or not.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joinedCongresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture, Congresswoman Angie Craig, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, and 211 House Democrats on a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown. With no resolution to a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government, SNAP funding is set to lapse on November 1st, putting 42 million children and families at risk of experiencing hunger.

There is enough in the SNAP contingency reserve to cover nearly two-thirds of the amount needed for a full month of benefits. As such, the Members also advocate for the agency to use statutory transfer authority or any other legal means to supplement shortfalls the contingency reserve cannot cover.

“Now more than ever, millions of families across the country depend upon the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make ends meet. For far too many veterans, seniors, and children, SNAP benefits are the difference between having food or not,” wrote the lawmakers. “Now, due to the government shutdown, they are facing crippling levels of uncertainty about whether they will be able to afford food next month. A potential lapse in benefits would be felt by Americans of all ages and affect every corner and congressional district in the country.”

“We urge USDA to use these funds for November SNAP benefits and issue clear guidance to states on how to navigate benefit issuance,” the lawmakers continued. “Additionally, while the contingency reserve will not cover November benefits in full, we urge USDA to use its statutory transfer authority or any other legal authority at its disposal to supplement these dollars and fully fund November benefits. There are clear steps the administration can and must take immediately to ensure that millions of families across the country can put food on their table in November. Choosing not to ensure SNAP benefits reach those in need this November would be a gross dereliction of your responsibilities to the American people.”

The letter is signed by Reps. Alma Adams (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Gabe Amo  (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake  Auchincloss (MA-04), Becca Balint (VT), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26),  Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Ed Case (HI-01), Sean Casten (IL-06),  Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (T-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), James E Clyburn (SC-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), J. Louis Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Donald Davis (NC-01), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel  (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Adam Gray (CA-13), Al Green (TX-09), Josh Harder (CA-09), Pablo Hernández (PR- At Large), James Himes (CT-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), William; Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi(IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Susie Lee (NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu(CA-36),  Zoe Lofgren  (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08),  Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-At Large), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08) Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07),  Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Richard Neal (MA-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01),Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Scott (GA-13), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

A copy of the letter sent to USDA Secretary Rollins is available here.

Amid the Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Rep. Pressley has continued to fight to defend healthcare, reopen the government, and protect federal workers and the essential services they provide.

• Rep. Pressley joined Senator Ed Markey and leaders from Massachusetts food banks to sound the alarm on the growing crisis of food insecurity under the Republican government shutdown and its impact on Massachusetts families.
• Rep. Pressley urged National Grid and Eversource to issue an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs for households impacted by the government shutdown, including federal workers, federal contractors, and the people who depend on them.
  • Following the Congresswoman’s letter, National Grid of Massachusetts announced specific support and a payment plan opportunity for federal employees, contractors, and active military personnel in Massachusetts who are impacted by the government shutdown and concerned about paying their energy bill.
• Rep. Pressley participated in a House Steering and Policy Committee hearing in which she slammed Republicans for raising healthcare costs for families across the country and shutting down the government instead of addressing the healthcare crisis they created.
• Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus to call attention to the impacts of the Republican-manufactured health care crisis and government shutdown on women, families, and workers in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country.
• Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Republicans after they chose to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to protect families and save healthcare for millions.
• Just days into the government shutdown, Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening in Boston to highlight the harm of the shutdown to MA-07 constituents – federal workers, patients, advocates, and more.
• Amid government shutdown, Rep. Pressley and Senator Tina Smith reintroduced bill to provide back pay for federal contract workers, including low-wage food service and janitorial staff.
• Just hours before the Republicans shut down the government, Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates, colleagues, and impacted folks to demand Republicans protect healthcare and keep the government open
• Congresswoman Pressley stood in solidarity with workers and families who would be impacted by the government shutdown.
• Rep. Pressley also joined an all-day event with House Democrats to hold the line against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans.

Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has also been a champion for food security and justice and ensuring families have the essential food assistance they deserve. She has been an outspoken critic of the Big, Ugly Bill since its inception and Republicans’ harmful cuts to SNAP and other government service programs.

• Rep. Pressley joins Rep. McGovern convened a listening session in East Boston with Project Bread to highlight the devastating impacts that Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill will have on Massachusetts families who rely on federal food assistance.
• Rep. Pressley joined colleagues at a press conference imploring the House to reject the cruel and harmful legislation.
• Rep. Pressley joined the Congressional Black Caucus and over 100 colleagues in stalling a vote on the Big, Ugly Bill.  
• Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Senate’s passage of the Big, Ugly Bill and vowing to continue fighting it using every tool available.
• Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates from Caring Across Generations, Care Can’t Wait, and partner organizations to protest Trump’s and Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill that proposes disastrous cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other essential programs and would leave communities sicker, poorer, and more vulnerable.
• Ahead of the House’s vote on the bill, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned speech on the House floor in which she made a direct appeal to her Republican colleagues to oppose this cruel and harmful bill.
• Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she slammed the bill’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which would decimate reproductive healthcare in America and worsen maternal health outcomes.
• Rep. Pressley co-hosted a press conference with Color of Change to oppose the Republicans’ cruel and harmful budget reconciliation package, which would gut critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
• In the House Oversight Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley demanded Republicans answer to the families who would go hungry by way of this reconciliation bill – and she was met with silence.
• In an impassioned speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans’ cruel and callous budget resolution that would slash Medicaid, SNAP, and other critical government services to pay for trillions of dollars in tax giveaways for Donald Trump’s billionaire donors.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)

Today, Representative Lois Frankel (FL-22) announced that she has requested a briefing from the United States Secret Service on newly implemented year-round flight restrictions established for presidential safety concerns and to discuss ways to lessen their impact on local residents and travelers.

Under these new restrictions, aircraft taking off and landing at Palm Beach International Airport must now use only one direction, rather than the previous “scatter” approach that distributed flights along multiple paths. This change exposes neighborhoods north of the airport to increased noise and air pollution and may cause more frequent flight delays.

“I hope we can find solutions that are compatible with the safety of the President, neighborhood quality of life, and traveler efficiency,” said Rep. Frankel. “That’s why I’ve requested a detailed briefing from the Secret Service to better understand these new restrictions and explore practical alternatives.”

The Secret Service has informed Rep. Frankel that the briefing will be scheduled once the federal government shutdown has concluded. She will share updates with the community as soon as the meeting takes place.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

The full hearing can be watched HERE.

CHICAGO, IL – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, today hosted a shadow hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Assault on Chicago. Nineteen Members of Congress attended from across the Chicago area, Illinois, and the country.

“Here in Chicago, the administration is going to war with its own citizens, unleashing a kind of violence and inhumanity that we never thought we would see in an American city. The uncontrolled violence has separated families, and inflicted chaos on communities and businesses.  Masked men on the streets, kidnapping and disappearing people of all immigration statuses, including US citizens,” said Jayapal. “With 19 members of Congress here from all over the country, this is the largest act of Congressional immigration oversight since Trump took office. As we conduct this oversight, we have seen incredible resilience and organizing in the community – and we will continue to stand with them in this work.”

The witnesses at this hearing included testimony from Lawrence Benito, Executive Director, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Reverend David Black, Senior Pastor, The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Bob Reiter, President, Chicago Federation of Labor, Kevin Fee, Legal Director, ACLU of Illinois, Genesis O., a directly affected community member, Juliet de Jesus Alejandre, Executive Director, Palenque LSNA, and Any Huamani, Immigration Defense Coordinator. Their testimony can be viewed in full HERE. 

This was the fourth shadow hearing in this series, each of which has focused on a different aspect of immigration oversight. The others have focused on families that have been torn apart, unlawful third country deportations, and efforts to undermine due process. 

Jayapal was joined at this hearing by Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Sean Casten (IL-06), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Bill Foster (IL-11), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).

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Issues: Immigration

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — The Shreveport-Bossier Advocate this week published a news story highlighting the pain the government shutdown is causing federal workers in Louisiana. Louisiana’s Republican Congressional delegation in the House and Senate has collectively voted 13 times since September 19 to keep the government open and checks flowing to federal workers, while the state’s two Democrats voted to shut down critical government services.

“Americans are starting to feel the effects of the government not operating since Oct. 1. Food stamps won’t be available in Louisiana starting Nov. 1, although Gov. Jeff Landry and the Legislature are working to offset that,” The Advocate wrote. “Farmers and small businesses can’t get loans. Flights are being delayed and some canceled. Thousands of Louisiana federal workers won’t receive paychecks.”

Read the full story here or below:

As Democrats and Republicans continue to jockey over the federal government’s shutdown with no end in sight, a key question is how to compensate active-duty military and federal civilian employees who have been required to work without pay for the past three weeks.

Americans are starting to feel the effects of the government not operating since Oct. 1.

Food stamps won’t be available in Louisiana starting Nov. 1, although Gov. Jeff Landry and the Legislature are working to offset that. Farmers and small businesses can’t get loans. Flights are being delayed and some canceled. Thousands of Louisiana federal workers won’t receive paychecks.

In Louisiana, that means 15,235 active-duty military personnel at three major bases won’t get paid at the end of the week, reports the Defense Department. About 1.1 million active-duty service members were stationed at 326 bases across the country in June.

Many of the 19,537 civilian federal workers in Louisiana also didn’t receive paychecks Friday. They include federal law enforcement, park rangers, immigration officials, Transportation Security Administration agents, FEMA responders and air traffic controllers.

And 19,715 National Guard and reserve members in Louisiana receive at least part of their pay from the federal government.

The Senate voted 54-45 not to proceed on Thursday afternoon with a bill that would authorize the federal government to pay “essential” workers who have been on the job during the shutdown, now entering its fourth week. Three Democratic senators joined the Republicans on the pay measure, but 60 votes were needed to advance the legislation.

“This is wrong,” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said moments after the vote. “If you can’t bring yourself to cross party lines to ensure our troops get a paycheck, you should reconsider why you ran for Congress.”

Cassidy is a co-sponsor of the Republican bill.

The main sponsor of the legislation, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, told reporters moments after the vote that he would try again.

The bill was the latest Republican strategy to break the stalemate.

But Democratic senators also forwarded a bill that would have paid all federal workers since Oct. 1, when disputes between the parties caused federal spending authority to lapse.

Federal employees who are not required to work were furloughed and will get paid for their time away from the office after the shutdown ends.

The lead sponsors of the two bills said they could work out the differences between whether to pay all employees or just those who have been working during the shutdown. But they could not find accommodation for the difference on whether the Trump administration would be allowed to reduce the federal workforce during the shutdown.

The Democratic measure was sidelined by a procedural maneuver.

Exactly when the paychecks will be skipped depends on the payroll processing system of a particular agency. The first full missed paycheck for some civilian employees was Friday and will be Tuesday or Thursday for others.

The Military Family Advisory Network reported that more than 50,000 military families have reached out for help. The organization recommended that families review options for financial assistance and alerted members that grocery boxes are being shipped this week.

Louisiana has 5,615 active-duty spouses and 10,226 children at Barksdale Air Force Base near Bossier City, Fort James H. Polk & The Joint Readiness Training Center in Vernon Parish and the Belle Chasse Naval Air Station near New Orleans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said Thursday the Trump administration has been looking for pots of money and laws that would allow diversion of those funds. For instance, the White House used a 1930s law to allow tariff proceeds to provide funding for a program that helps low-income mothers and mothers-to-be with formula and other essentials for newborns.

The last vote the House made was Sept. 19. After that, Johnson sent members home, saying the House did its job by passing a resolution to continue government operations while finishing up appropriations measures for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. Senate Democrats have rejected the continuing resolution at least a dozen times.

Johnson says there’s nothing to negotiate with Democrats because the continuing resolution has no partisan language and merely allows government to operate at budget levels established during the Biden administration.

If five more Democratic senators would approve the continuing resolution, then everyone would get paid and money would flow for government services, such as food stamps, Johnson said.

He contends Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, is holding up approval as a sop to a Democratic base that wants to fight President Donald Trump.

Democrats want Republicans to extend tax credits on premiums used by low-income individuals and many small businesses to buy health insurance on the Affordable Care marketplace. Unless the tax credits are extended, those workers will have to pay roughly double for their insurance coverage in 2026.

Democrats say the shutdown gives them leverage that won’t exist when the government reopens, claiming they don’t trust Republicans to then negotiate in good faith.

Democrats point out that Republican leadership, for the most part, have refused to talk with Democratic leadership. They note that GOP congressional majorities have allowed without a murmur the Trump administration to unilaterally negate appropriations that Congress had approved under its constitutional authority to decide spending amounts.

Democrats want Congress to pass an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that Trump will sign into law.

Republicans counter that the credits were expanded and set to expire Dec. 31 during the COVID pandemic when Democrats controlled Congress and the White House. While many Republicans don’t oppose the extension, they argue that the high premium prices, which the tax credits help offset, are a result of the Affordable Care Act — and those high costs should be addressed.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray from Washington state, who is vice chair on the Senate Appropriations committee, said: “President Trump could not be less focused on reopening the government or preventing premiums from exploding. But he is very focused on bailing out Argentina and buying private jets for Secretary (Kristi) Noem, and bulldozing the White House so he can build a fancy new ballroom.”

Trump has indicated that he is willing to negotiate, but not until the federal government reopens. He left Friday night for a trip to Asia.

In the meantime, airports are reporting longer waits to clear security, takeoff delays and canceled flights.

About 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, often six days a week, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. They are worried about paying their mortgages and car notes.

“They have to make choices. And the choices they are making is to take a second job,” Duffy said Thursday. “I don’t want them driving for DoorDash.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said keeping thousands of planes safely taking off, landing and flying is extremely demanding even under the best of circumstances.

“Adding another layer of stress to an already stressful job is really straining the system,” Scalise said. “The American people, especially federal workers, are considered by Democrats to be leveraged, to be pawns in their game.”

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

1 in 3 MA Households is Food Insecure, Millions Could Lose SNAP Benefits Due to Republican Shutdown as Food Banks Struggle to Fill the Gap

Pressley Joined Hayes, 215 Colleagues Today Demanding Trump Admin. Release Contingency Funds & Keep SNAP Benefits Flowing for November

Video (YouTube)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) joined leaders from Massachusetts food banks for a press conference at Project Bread in Boston to sound the alarm on the growing crisis of food insecurity under the Republican government shutdown and its impact on Massachusetts families. The lawmakers’ press conference comes with 1 in 3 Massachusetts households experiencing food insecurity and 1 million Massachusetts families at risk of losing SNAP benefits next week as the Trump Administration refuses to guarantee that federal food assistance benefits will go out on time in November.

Earlier today, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Jahana Hayes and over 215 colleagues urging the Trump Administration to use contingency reserve dollars to fund SNAP during the government shutdown.

“Coretta Scott King once said that ‘starving a child is violence,’ and that’s exactly what Trump and Republicans are doing by keeping the government shutdown and refusing to guarantee that federal food assistance benefits will go out on time in November,” said Congresswoman Pressley (MA-07). “While vulnerable families in Massachusetts and across the country face a tsunami of hurt, it’s time for Republicans to take their foot off the necks of our most vulnerable neighbors, end their government shutdown, and work with Democrats to mitigate the hurt and harm they have caused. I am proud to stand with my partners at every level of government and our incredible food justice advocates, Project Bread, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the Salem Food Pantry, and CSR for standing in the gap and calling on all of us to be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers today.”

“We are witnessing Robin Hood in reverse: Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are stealing food off the tables of millions of hungry families in Massachusetts and across the country to pay for tax cuts for CEO billionaires,” said Senator Markey. “At a time when the cost of living and groceries is skyrocketing, our federal government must focus on lowering costs and meeting the basic needs of ALL Americans.Instead,Trump and MAGA Republicans are more focused on shutting down the government, slashing hunger and health care programs, and demolishing the White House to build a gilded ballroom for their billionaire buddies. It’s unacceptable. I am proud to represent the Bay State, where people at all levels of government and advocates partner to fight hunger and support our neighbors in need. I am calling on Trump and the Republicans to reverse their cuts to SNAP and other safety net and health programs and unfreeze funds immediately so people in our Commonwealth and across the country can put food on their tables.”

Joining Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Markey at the press conference today were State Senator Lydia Edwards, Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Jennifer Lemmerman, Chief Policy Officer at Project Bread, Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Robyn Burns, Executive Director of the Salem Pantry, and Sandra McCroom, President & CEO of Children Services of Roxbury.

“No one in Massachusetts or anywhere in this country, should go hungry. The Trump administration is making the conscious choice to jeopardize the health and wellbeing of more than one million people here in the Commonwealth and 40 million people across the country. The impact will be devastating. We need to put people before politics because these aren’t statistics. These are our neighbors, coworkers, and family members. Next week more than 336,000 children will be facing an empty fridge. Hundreds of thousands of seniors will be forced to make the impossible decision between eating food or paying for heat because they will no longer be able to do both and working adults will face unnecessary harm. The Trump administration is willingly taking food away from people who are already struggling to make ends meet. We call on the administration to act and use the funds available to prevent this crisis. Project Bread is here for every resident in Massachusetts as they navigate this manmade crisis and find ways to continue to meet their most basic need for food,” said Jennifer Lemmerman, Chief Policy Officer, Project Bread.

“If November SNAP benefits are not issued, 191,000 SNAP recipients in our region will seek food assistance from local food pantries that will turn to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts for more food. We’re already providing all the food we receive from state and federal governments, and the private food industry. SNAP provides nine meals for every meal the Food Bank provides.   Food banks simply cannot replace the loss of federal SNAP benefits.  And $35 million lost in SNAP benefits unspent in November will hit hard our region’s food retailers, farmers, and their employees,” said Andrew Morehouse, Executive Director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.

“Food banks and pantries are experiencing their busiest time of the year, and any reduction or delay in SNAP benefits will only increase the demand for food assistance. The food bank and pantry system cannot cover the massive gap that would be created by such an impact on SNAP. Still, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that everyone in our community has access to fresh, healthy food,” said Robyn Burns, Executive Director of Salem Pantry. “Massachusetts has always taken a leadership role, and this is embodied by the vital work of the Make Hunger History Coalition and the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force. Moments like this require all of us to come together — we must take action to support the most vulnerable in our communities by preserving the essential right to food.

“The people we once called essential workers, are now being left to go hungry. Their needs are not extravagant, they are essential,” said Sandra McCroom, President & CEO of the Children’s Services of Roxbury. “I believe this is not a budget crisis, it is a crisis of humanity. The 6000 plus people CSR serves are not numbers, they are our neighbors, friends, and coworkers. They are all of us.”

The Trump administration is creating a hunger emergency in the United States. In July, President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act,which puts over 100,000 Bay Staters, including parents, veterans, and older adults, at risk of losing SNAP benefits entirely. This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is instructing states to stop processing SNAP benefits for November. One out of every six Massachusetts residents—or more than 1.1 million Bay Staters—rely on SNAP to help put food on the table, 32 percent of whom are children. Local food banks and anti-hunger organizations are working hard to meet the community’s increased needs but will not be able to fill the gap – and keep Massachusetts families from going hungry—if SNAP benefits end.  Today, approximately one in three Massachusetts households is food insecure—a 94 percent increase in food insecure households since 2019.

Video of today’s press conference is available here.

Amid the Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Rep. Pressley has continued to fight to defend healthcare, reopen the government, and protect federal workers and the essential services they provide.

• Rep. Pressley urged National Grid and Eversource to issue an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs for households impacted by the government shutdown, including federal workers, federal contractors, and the people who depend on them.
  • Following the Congresswoman’s letter, National Grid of Massachusetts announced specific support and a payment plan opportunity for federal employees, contractors, and active military personnel in Massachusetts who are impacted by the government shutdown and concerned about paying their energy bill.
• Rep. Pressley participated in a House Steering and Policy Committee hearing in which she slammed Republicans for raising healthcare costs for families across the country and shutting down the government instead of addressing the healthcare crisis they created.
• Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus to call attention to the impacts of the Republican-manufactured health care crisis and government shutdown on women, families, and workers in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country.
• Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Republicans after they chose to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to protect families and save healthcare for millions.
• Just days into the government shutdown, Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening in Boston to highlight the harm of the shutdown to MA-07 constituents – federal workers, patients, advocates, and more.
• Amid government shutdown, Rep. Pressley and Senator Tina Smith reintroduced bill to provide back pay for federal contract workers, including low-wage food service and janitorial staff.
• Just hours before the Republicans shut down the government, Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates, colleagues, and impacted folks to demand Republicans protect healthcare and keep the government open
• Congresswoman Pressley stood in solidarity with workers and families who would be impacted by the government shutdown.
• Rep. Pressley also joined an all-day event with House Democrats to hold the line against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — As the Democrat Shutdown enters its fifth week, disruptions are spreading across America’s aviation system. Flights are delayed and tens of thousands of federal employees are working without pay.

More than a month ago, House Republicans passed a clean, responsible continuing resolution to keep the government open and pay our air traffic controllers. But Democrats are repeatedly choosing to keep it closed — hurting workers and families.

Now, as the shutdown drags on, travelers heading into the holiday and fall sports travel season are facing widespread flight delays, cancellations, and airport disruptions.

REMINDER — THIS IS THE DEMOCRAT POSITION:

FLIGHTS GROUNDED AND DELAYED NATIONWIDE

THE CONSEQUENCES ARE GROWING

Thanks to the Democrat Shutdown, tens of thousands of workers are going without pay, inspections are stalled, and travelers are facing mounting delays and cancellations nationwide.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS SOUND THE ALARM

Many air traffic controllers are now taking second jobs, driving for Uber or delivering for DoorDash after grueling shifts “just to keep their families afloat.”

An air traffic controller forced to do their critical job without knowing when they’ll be paid said:

“The financial anxiety doesn’t just hurt morale; it directly affects safety. When someone responsible for thousands of lives a day is worrying about whether they can pay rent or feed their kids, focus suffers. Sometimes that small moment where your mind is elsewhere can have serious impacts.”

These are our men and women performing one of the most stressful and important jobs in America — with no margin for error — and Democrats are holding their paychecks hostage.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Democrats knew the risks, the warnings, and the consequences of their shutdown — and did it anyway.

They shut down the government. They stranded travelers. And now, they’re holding air traffic controllers hostage — demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending, taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants, and hundreds of millions for leftist media outlets.

Republicans are ready to reopen the government and end the disruptions today. Democrats just have to say yes. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — On Day 27 of the Democrat Shutdown, Speaker Johnson held a press conference alongside Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, House Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, and House GOP Leadership to discuss Democrat Leadership openly embracing Marxism and the Far-Left radical wing of their party. Speaker Johnson also addressed the financial strain that the Democrat Shutdown is placing on small businesses around the country.

“Zohran Mamdani is expected to take the helm of one of the most important cities in the world and the largest city in America. And he now has the full blessing of the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives,” Speaker Johnson said. “It is shocking, and that leader – and all the other Democrats – are going to co-own the consequences of what they do to America’s largest city.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

On Democrat Leadership embracing Mamdani and the Far-Left:

On Friday, there was a seismic shift in politics. All of you noticed it over the weekend. We saw our clearest sign yet that this radical insurgent movement in the Democrat Party is succeeding. And they are ending what has always been known as the Democrat Party in America. After a months-long pressure campaign from the Far-Left, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries finally relented. He gave in, and he gave his endorsement to the socialist running to be mayor of New York City. The House Democrats have chosen a side, they were forced to by that Far-Left that they’re so terrified of, and they’ve shown the world what they really believe. There is no longer a place for centrists and moderates in their party.

The candidate that they have endorsed, Mamdani, is somebody who we’ve talked about a lot from this podium. He’s sympathized with Hamas and openly embraced antisemitic language. He has called to “seize the means of production” because he is a Marxist. He’s called to abolish our borders, to abolish and end immigration enforcement, to defund the police and to legalize prostitution. Among a long list of hits that I could share with you, Zohran Mamdani is expected to take the helm of one of the most important cities in the world and the largest city in America. And he now has the full blessing of the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives. It is shocking, and that leader and all the other Democrats are going to co-own the consequences of what they do to America’s largest city. Every reporter in this room should be asking every House Democrat individually, whether they too agree with Hakeem’s endorsement of the Marxist agenda. It’s an extraordinary moment in the history of American politics; this is not the kind of history that we need to be making. What we’re witnessing is truly the end of the Democratic Party as we’ve known it. And even some Democrats are now saying that out loud.

On the Democrat Shutdown impacts on small businesses:

Small businesses are the largest employers in our country, but unlike Washington Democrats, they don’t have the luxury to wait out this shutdown. For many of them, federal contracts have been frozen. SBA loans and support have dried up, and business has dropped off due to uncertainty in the markets. A survey of small business owners across the country found that for the one in five small business owners who rely on government contracts, this shutdown is forcing them to pull back on their investments. And what are those investments? It’s new hires, new jobs. It’s supplies and services. They have to pull back on those things so that they can make payroll work, so they can keep their employees employed.

One business in Raleigh, North Carolina that relies on federal environmental approval said this: “The backlog that is generated by the shutdown will last long beyond today.” Another business in Georgia, Ms. Loeffler’s home state, specializes in home repairs, added, “When livelihoods are affected in such a manner, home repairs and projects get delayed, if not canceled. A government shutdown is a threat to us all.” For American businesses that rely on loans from the SBA, each day means crucial dollars lost, and that affects every American. At the end of the day, small businesses across the country are being forced to go without roughly $170 million in SBA backed loans each day. And that adds up to $4.5 billion and blocked loans just over the course of this shutdown so far. So, while Chuck Schumer says that “every day gets better” for his party, every day is getting much, much harder for the people who are keeping the lights on around the country.

On the Democrat Shutdown approaching one month:

Day 27 means it’s almost been a full month since the Democrats shut down the government. And as we near the end of this month, the pain being felt by so many hardworking people around this country is very real, and it gets worse with each passing day. Here’s some of the stats. Last week, 1.4 million federal workers missed a full paycheck. Now, you know, many of them are furloughed and many more are deemed essential workers, for example, to keep the country safe. TSA agents we’ve discussed, and air traffic controllers and Border Patrol, and of course our troops, but so many of them now are going without pay.

The families of military service members and the air traffic controllers and so many of these others are now at very real risk of missing the paycheck at the end of this month. The Trump Administration has done everything possible to bend over backwards to try to find sources of funding within the federal government to be able to cover the bases, but it is getting more and more challenging with each day. Now, every Republican in Congress wants to stop this madness desperately, and we have voted many times, over a dozen times, collectively 13 times, to reopen the government, to keep it open and reopen it once the Democrats closed it. But here’s the very simple and important fact that no one should forget. We have no ability. Republicans do not have the ability to do this on our own. It’s a simple math problem. We need Democrats to help. You need 60 votes in the Senate. We only have 53 Republicans. The Democrats are the ones voting repeatedly to shut down the government.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

Tonko Responds to Arrests in FBI Sports Gambling Probe — Urges Passage of His SAFE Bet Act

Pushing for legislation that establishes safety guardrails to address harm caused by rampant sports betting