Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on her vote against the Republican-led National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“While I appreciate my Democratic colleagues’ work over the past few months to strip the original House version of some of its most egregious Republican poison pills and implement important provisions, like a well-deserve pay raise for our troops, I am still deeply concerned that this bill abandons our country’s LGBTQ+ veterans and servicemembers, immigrants and civil servants. 

“By including language that would expand the Trump Administration’s authority to use the military to enforce immigration laws, Republicans have rubber stamped the President’s dangerous immigration agenda and disregard for due process. Not to mention, by failing to restore collective bargaining rights to the Department of Defense’s civilian workforce, they have doubled down on the President’s attacks on federal workers and turned their back on our nation’s civil servants.

“These provisions don’t make our country safer, nor do they implement necessary checks on the President’s executive power – power he has used to undermine our global standing and violate the civil rights of those who have dedicated their lives to defending our freedoms. I am not enabling this President’s anti LGBTQ+, anti-immigrant and anti-worker agenda, and I am certainly not signing off on a blank check to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to continue putting our national security and servicemembers at risk.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) voted along with a majority (312 to 112) of the House of Representatives to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. The NDAA includes critical national security program authorizations and policy provisions. Rep. Calvert serves as the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Committee, which provides funding for our national security programs through the defense appropriations bill.

“The NDAA advances critical national security policies that are essential for achieving our defense goals,” said Rep. Calvert. “The bill takes care of our most precious national security assets, our servicemembers, by giving them a 3.8% pay raise as well as authorizing funding increases to build or make upgrades to barracks, family housing, healthcare, and childcare facilities. To ensure America has the defense manufacturing capabilities necessary to win a future conflict, the bill establishes a Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network. As China continues to outpace the US in manufacturing capacity, it is past time to address this glaring capability gap.”

The following provisions were supported by Rep. Calvert and included in the FY26 NDAA:

Industrial Base & Small Business

• Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network (CRMN): Establishes a model for a broader network of dual-use manufacturing firms capable of rapidly shifting from commercial to defense production when needed. Modeled after existing programs like the Air Force’s Civil Reserve Air Fleet and the Navy’s National Defense Reserve Fleet, the CRMN aims to establish “ready-to-scale defense production” to address the crisis of offshored defense manufacturing.
• Project Spectrum: Formally establishes Project Spectrum to help small and medium businesses meet cybersecurity and acquisition requirements and stay in the defense supply chain.
• Small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) industrial base: Creates a small-UAS industrial base working group to map capacity, fix fragile supply chains, and scale domestic drone production.

Homeland Missile Defense – Golden Dome 

• Golden Dome: Updates national missile defense policy to support a next-generation “Golden Dome” shield against ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic threats to the homeland.
• Enduring oversight: Requires recurring Golden Dome architecture reports to Congress until fully fielded.

Shipbuilding & Shipyard Modernization

• Maritime industrial base strategy: Requires the Navy to adopt a data and AI-driven strategy to fix cost and schedule problems in surface and submarine shipbuilding.
• Design & automation: Mandates standard design metrics and a pilot for automated shipbuilding technologies to shorten construction timelines.
• Authorizes $26 billion in shipbuilding funding for the construction and support of:
  • The third Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine and advanced procurement for future submarines
  • One Virginia-class Submarine and advanced procurement for future submarines
  • Advanced procurement for future DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class Destroyers

Supporting Allies

• Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) Improvement Act: Embeds the AUKUS Improvement Act of 2025 in the NDAA, easing defense trade and co-development with Australia and the U.K.

 

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today questioned expert witnesses before its Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government at a hearing entitled “Partisan and Profitable: The SPLC’s Influence on Federal Civil Rights Policy.”

The Republican majority on the Subcommittee sought to characterize the longtime civil rights organization — founded in 1971 by civil rights giants Julian Bond and Morris Dees, and which historically sued the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups into bankruptcy — as an “anti-Christian” organization. It also suggested it had an outsized and illegitimate influence on the Biden Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

“They (SPLC) used to bring cases, and I still think they do bring cases, that are important,” Congressman Cohen said.

Congressman Cohen also noted that many leaders of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), A.M.E, C.M.E., and Black Baptist congregations are supporters of the SPLC.

See Congressman Cohen’s exchange with the witnesses here.

Witnesses at the hearing were:

• Andrew Sypher, Executive Vice President of Field Operations, Turning Point USA
• Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
• Tyler O’Neil, Senior Editor, The Daily Signal
• Amanda Tyler, Executive Director, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty 

 

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

Sought the release of Maryia Kalesnikava, Ales Bialiatski and others in letter to Rubio last month

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, today went to the House floor to denounce the Trump administration’s recently published National Security Strategy. In his remarks, he said in part:

“At the end of last week, President Trump published his National Security Strategy. It could have been called his National Insecurity Strategy. To say it’s bad is an understatement. It’s disastrous. 

“During Europe’s largest land war since World War II, the strategy saves its harshest criticisms for our allies, rather than Russia with war criminal Putin, who started the war. The document elevates a strongman leadership model over democratic values, something unheard of in America. It’s focused on spheres of influence and suggests the strongest person in the region gets to decide the rules. These are not American values.

“Previous National Security Strategies upheld America’s commitment to democracy and human rights, strengthened our alliances and countered powerful adversaries like Russia and China. This strategy abandons that tradition in favor of a narrow transactional approach. 

“Notably, the word ‘corruption’ is absent from the entire strategy. It’s well known that global corruption fuels instability, weakens governments and its absence is extremely dangerous and allows bad actors to flourish. The National Security Strategy abandons our allies, our principles and the values that have guided American leadership for decades.”

See the entire speech here.

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) spoke from the House floor and later voted against the Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act after three amendments he proposed to better protect the Memphis water supply were rejected by the Rules Committee. The measure passed on a 221 to 205 vote.

Congressman Cohen’s proposed amendments would have:

• Protected Community Drinking Water Aquifers by requiring cumulative impacts assessments, groundwater contamination reviews, and a local public hearing before approving major pipeline or energy projects near a community’s primary drinking water source, such as the Memphis Sand Aquifer
• Restored Oversight and Public Participation for Nationwide Permits by reinstating the long-standing five-year review cycle, removing the bill’s mandate for a permanent nationwide pipeline permit, and ensuring any renewal or reissuance includes a public comment period and an opportunity for a public hearing—safeguards that would have prevented the Byhalia Pipeline from advancing with minimal scrutiny
• Ensured EPA Health Certification by requiring the agency to certify, using the best available science, that the PERMIT Act would not increase exposure to harmful contaminants, elevate risks to pregnant women, infants, or children, or worsen pollution burdens in communities with documented industrial exposure In his floor remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:

“I rise in strong opposition to the PERMIT Act. For more than fifty years, the Clean Water Act has kept toxic chemicals out of our rivers, streams, and wetlands our communities rely on. This bill undermines these protections by shielding polluters from responsibility for toxic wastes like PFAS, lead, mercury, and arsenic…I filed three straight-forward amendments to the bill to protect public health. One to require cumulative impacts and groundwater reviews for projects near community drinking water aquifers, like the one that supplies Memphis. Second, to restore oversight and public participation for nationwide permits, protections that would have prevented the Byhalia Pipeline from being rushed through my district. Third, to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to certify that the bill will not increase exposure to harmful contaminants. Unfortunately, none were made in order by the Rules Committee Therefore I oppose the bill and urge a no vote. Permitting reform should not come at the expense of children’s and seniors’ health, clean drinking water, or communities with a history of industrial exposure.”

See the floor speech here.

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

Asks whether Senators whose phone metadata was subpoenaed deserve millions from the federal government

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered remarks commemorating Barbara Rose Johns of Virginia, who led a two-week student protest in 1951 that led to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. A statue in her honor will now stand in place of Robert E. Lee in the US Capitol.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege [to] celebrate the statue unveiling of Barbara Rose Johns, a trailblazer, freedom fighter and incredible champion for equality.

She was born in New York City and spent her early childhood in the Big Apple—I had to get that in, y’all—before moving with her family to Prince Edward County, where she attended the segregated Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. At just 16 years old, this courageous student took a stand and rallied hundreds of her classmates to walk out and not return for two weeks to protest the inadequate and intolerable conditions that they endured at their school.

At the time, Moton High School was badly overcrowded, shabby equipment, no gymnasium, no science labs, poor heating and shaky ventilation. Eventually, an overflow space was constructed, but an overflow space consisting of three poorly-made tar paper shacks. It was a separate and unequal, toxic educational environment.

After bringing these poor conditions to the attention of a teacher, Barbara was dismissively told, ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’ And that’s exactly what she did. In retelling the story, she recalled thinking to herself, ‘this is your moment, seize it.’ Barbara Johns rose to the occasion.

The prophet writes in the book of Isaiah, the eleventh chapter, sixth verse, that ‘a child shall lead them.’ It’s a particularly fitting passage of Scripture now engraved in the statue that commemorates her iconic legacy.

The school walkout that Barbara led on April 23, 1951 sparked the school desegregation movement that ultimately culminated in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Of the five cases that made it up to the Supreme Court, the Virginia case was the only one that emerged from a student-led movement. That’s Black history. That’s American history. And today we celebrate that history by memorializing a true American hero.

The Commonwealth of Virginia will now be properly represented by an actual patriot who embodied the principle of liberty and justice for all, and not a traitor who took up arms against the United States to preserve the brutal institution of chattel slavery.

At the time of Robert E. Lee’s statue unveiling in 1909, Representative Charles Curtis, a Kansas Republican, who later on went to serve as Senate Majority Leader and our nation’s 31st Vice President, remarked, ‘I think it is a disgrace. He was a traitor to his country, and I will not sanction an official honor for a traitor.’

We can remember our deeply troubled past in museums, but should never be given a place of honor in the halls of Congress.

That is why it is so appropriate and important to elevate transformational trailblazers like Barbara Rose Johns. Her story is powerful, her story is moving, and with this honor, her story will never be erased. A statue of her will now stand in the Capitol, joining the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and other iconic heroes, depicting her call to action as a reminder of the progress that we have made in this great country and the work, of course, we must continue to do.

The late great patriot John Lewis encouraged us in the face of injustice to always stand up, speak up and show up for what we know is right. And most importantly, go out there and get into some good trouble.

That’s exactly what Barbara Rose Johns did at 16 years old, good trouble. And because of her brave act of civil disobedience, it led to one of the most consequential Supreme Court decisions in our nation’s history and helped make America a more just version of herself.

Full remarks at the statue unveiling can be watched here.

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

The U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Griffith’s H.R. 3632, the Power Plant Reliability Act of 2025.

This legislation amends Section 207 of the Federal Power Act to allow a Regional Transmission Operator (RTO) or state Public Utility Commission to petition the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue an order to keep a power plant open and to allocate any potential operational or transmission costs needed to fix a grid reliability issue. Under the bill, electric power plants that plan to retire are required to issue a public closure notice five years in advance.

House Republican leaders praised passage of Congressman Griffith’s measure.

“Closures of baseload power plants due to burdensome ‘Green New Scam’ regulations are making America’s energy supply and the millions of Americans who rely on it vulnerable. Thankfully, House Republicans passed legislation this week to allow states and regional operators to contest proposed closures on power plants if the closure could impact electric reliability. I’m grateful to Rep. Griffith for introducing the Power Plant Reliability Act and for all his work to ensure we’re able to keep the lights on for American families at an affordable rate.”— House Majority Leader Steve Scalise

“As artificial intelligence becomes more prominent, the need for a reliable American energy supply has never been higher. Meanwhile, Democrats took us backwards with Green New Scam policies that stifled American energy under the Biden administration. My friend, Representative Griffith, addresses both of these concerns with his commonsense Power Plant Reliability Act. I’m grateful for his leadership on this important issue and look forward to working alongside our entire House Republican team to make America’s energy supply strong, secure, and affordable again.” — House Majority Whip Tom Emmer

“House Republicans are doing what the Democrats’ regulatory agenda won’t do: Delivering reliable, affordable American energy. This bill keeps critical power plants online and lowers costs for families who got crushed by President Biden’s anti-energy agenda.” — House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain

“To support reliable and affordable electricity for hard-working American families, we cannot afford to take baseload power offline. The Power Plant Reliability Act enhances the tools available to states and grid operators to keep vital power plants operational and prevent blackouts. The ongoing reliability crisis facing our nation has been caused by Democrat policies designed to drive out baseload power in favor of wind and solar that cannot meet our needs. Thank you to Chairman Griffith for leading this critical legislation to strengthen our grid and lower electricity prices.” — House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie

“Because of radical ‘Green New Deal’ policies that shun reliable forms of energy like natural gas, coal and nuclear, our electric grid faces a brewing crisis of premature baseload power plant retirements. My bill, the Power Plant Reliability Act, will help shield Americans from blackout threats and ensure the reliable delivery of power to American homes, factories and communities. Thanks to strong leaders like Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, Chairwoman McClain, Chairman Guthrie and Chairwoman Foxx, the United States Congress is focused on supporting affordable and reliable energy solutions for the American people.” — Representative Morgan Griffith

Industry leaders also expressed support for Congressman Griffith’s bill.

“Time and again when winter cold hits, it’s coal that comes to the reliability rescue. Congressman Griffith’s Power Plant Reliability Act will ensure that reliable coal power remains available to keep the lights on and homes warm by preventing the premature retirement of much needed coal plants. We simply can’t afford to close plants that provide affordable and dependable power to Americans.” – Rich Nolan, President and CEO, National Mining Association

BACKGROUND

In June, the Energy and Commerce Committee favorably reported Congressman Griffith’s measure. During that markup hearing, Congressman Griffith spoke in support of his bill.

Congressman Griffith has long held concerns about the early retirement of Virginia’s and regional electric power plants, including the impacts on electric bills in Southwest Virginia.

In June, Congressman Griffith penned a Washington Examiner op-ed that discussed bolstering America’s electric grid.

Congressman Griffith serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus.

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

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4371, the Kayla Hamilton Act, which closes dangerous loopholes that allowed unaccompanied alien children (UACs) with criminal or gang affiliations, including MS-13 ties, to exploit the system under President Biden. It also ensures future administrations cannot repeat the reckless Biden-era policies that endangered Americans and left thousands of vulnerable children exposed to trafficking, exploitation, and disappearance.

“The tragedy that took the life of Kayla Hamilton was a senseless and predictable consequence of President Biden’s wide-open border and dangerous, morally indefensible policies,” Speaker Johnson said. “The Kayla Hamilton Act puts an end to this madness so no future administration can make such reckless decisions. House Republicans worked to honor Kayla’s memory today with the passage of this bill and our efforts will continue to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again.”

“The murder of Kayla Hamilton was a tragedy and entirely preventable,” Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan said. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s radical open-borders policies failed to protect American communities and allowed dangerous MS-13 gang members to roam our streets. The Kayla Hamilton Act puts public safety first, restores accountability, and protects American citizens.”

“Kayla’s story is heartbreaking, and it exposed a catastrophic failure in our federal system,” Congressman Russell Fry said. “This bill is not about politics—it is about learning from a preventable tragedy and making sure the federal government never again releases a known gang-affiliated individual into an American community without basic safeguards. Kayla Hamilton should still be alive, and no child should ever be placed in harm’s way or subjected to exploitation because the government failed to do its job. Kayla was a vibrant young woman with a future, and her life mattered. By passing the Kayla Hamilton Act in the House, we are taking a decisive step to protect families, ensure children are placed with safe sponsors, and prevent tragedies like this from ever happening again.”

Background:

On July 27, 2022, 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton was brutally raped and murdered by Walter Javier Martinez, an illegal alien and known MS-13 gang member released into the U.S. under President Biden without background checks. Authorities were unaware of Martinez’s criminal history in El Salvador and MS-13 gang ties until after his arrest, when he admitted to four murders, two rapes, and other serious crimes.

Investigations found that the Biden Administration failed to properly screen UACs, ignored warning signs, silenced whistleblowers, and prioritized rapid UACs placement over the safety of Americans and vulnerable children. President Biden’s open border and broader systemic failures contributed to the exploitation, trafficking, and disappearance of thousands of unaccompanied children.

H.R. 4371 — The Kayla Hamilton Act (Sponsored by Rep. Russell Fry): closes dangerous loopholes in the federal government’s handling of unaccompanied alien children (UACs), restores oversight and accountability, and ensures tragedies like Kayla Hamilton’s murder never happen again. The Kayla Hamilton Act, HERE. The 2023 House Judiciary Committee Full Interim Report on the Murder of Kayla Hamilton, HERE.

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