Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at the FSGG hearing on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) with Director Scott Kupor. Below are a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a video.

“I want to thank the Chairman. I want to thank you, Mr. Kupor, for being here and for taking what are, obviously, extensive experience in the business world and efficiency and effectiveness and agreeing to take on the responsibilities that are OPM. Some 14 months ago, this Administration, however, before you were there, renewed its crusade against the federal workforce. Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought made this intention clear when he said, and I quote, ‘We want the bureau bureaucrats to be traumatically affected.’ He went on to say, and I quote, ‘When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they’re increasingly viewed as the villains. We want their funding to be shut down. We want to put them in trauma.’ Frankly, that intent was certainly delivered upon. The federal government has lost some 300,000 federal employees since Trump took office. DOGE created uninformed, irrational, and negative chaos. Chaos and great trauma. Trump, Vought, and Musk justified their purge in the name of improving government efficiency, an objective we all share and you have articulated in your statement. Instead, our government has become less efficient, in my view, to the detriment of the American people. My own view, Mr. Kupor, is that DOGE knew exactly how to get rid of people and had no idea of the consequences of their actions. That was demonstrated in four months of chaos.

“The Office of Personnel Management has been instrumental – again, not under your leadership – in this effort to dismantle the federal government and traumatize our federal workers. As one who represents 77,000 federal workers, I think the most of any Member of Congress, I have certainly experienced that, my district offices have experienced that, and I’ve seen it firsthand in my district. Last month, OPM finalized its scheduled policy career, previously known as Schedule F. That rule makes it even easier, in my view, for the administration to purge another 50,000 nonpartisan federal employees and replace them with political – and I use this word harshly and advisedly – sycophants. OPM is also working to weaken the authority of the Merit Systems Protection Board and deny former employees their right to appeal their termination. You and I are both lawyers; having the appeal come from an agency and then having that same agency oversee that appeal seems to me to be not in the best interests of our federal employees or our federal government. These federal workers are patriotic professionals who provide vital service to the American people every day. They swear their loyalty to the Constitution, not to whoever sits in the Oval Office.

“I’ve been on this committee for a very long period of time, essentially since January of 1983, with 20 years off for leadership services. But, I’ve asked almost every person who has come out of the private sector to compare their federal workers with their private sector workers. Invariably, they say they are surprised at the high level of commitment, efficiency, and effectiveness of their federal employees. You’re shaking your head, maybe I’ll ask you that question when that’s timely. Last summer, OPM also canceled its annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which measures federal workers’ morale and the organizational performance on their agencies. It will not surprise you [that] I’m somewhat skeptical, and apparently that the answers were not wanted. No wonder the Administration does not want that survey to see the light of day. I understand that many of these policies either predate you or did not originate with you. So, this is not – we’ll find out where you want to go, but you and the rest of OPM are pivotal in carrying out these policies. I’m eager to hear you and how you intend to stop these attacks on our merit based civil service, which is really the pride of this government in many ways in comparison with the rest of the world. I also want to make it clear that I believe the objective to improve government efficiency is an absolutely essential objective. We need to modernize how the federal government handles H.R., and you’ve advocated for some changes that I agree with on paper. We’ll see how they’re executed. You want to improve skills-based hiring and modernize retirement processes. So do I, but I’m skeptical that OPM can take these changes when it lost a third of its staff in the past 14 months, and when it is trying to do the job of the Merit System Protection Board as well. We’ve already seen signs that OPM has stretched itself too thin. May I have unanimous consent to have another minute? This is a critically important agency, as you can tell, as you know.

“In the past few weeks – thank you, I know I have – in the past few weeks, one of my district workers has received 50 cases [in] past weeks of federal retirees who’ve seen disruption in their retirement benefits. I see in your statement you deal with that. They need those benefits to keep a roof over their heads. They’ve tried calling, emailing, and visiting OPM in person, all to no avail. Director Kupor, you are clearly very capable and have had a successful career in business. I’m sure you know from experience how important employees are to the success of any enterprise. That’s why Vought’s remarks are so antithetical to any kind of human resources policy, by any government, large or small, or any private sector or enterprise. No business could treat its workforce this way and expect greater efficiency. For the sake not only of our federal employees, but the American people they serve every day. I hope we can find a way to work together to turn this situation around, and I thank you very much, as I said at the beginning, for offering your services in this role.”

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Dr. Jonathan H. Jaggar of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) Department of Physiology will receive a grant of $596,176 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for research on chloride channels in endothelial cells. Chloride channels are a type of protein that allows chloride (Cl^–) to flow in and out of cells. Endothelial cells are the type of cells which line all blood vessels and form capillaries. This research will help us better understand the physiology of a critical subset of cells. 

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Heart and vascular diseases are a leading killer in the United States, so important research like that underwritten by this NIH funding is likely to improve outcomes and save lives. I commend Dr. Jaggar and the UTHSC for undertaking this critical work.”

# # #

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Texas) participated in a full committee hearing titled, “Funding Lapse and Security Gaps: Assessing the Harmful Impacts of the DHS Shutdown on Americans.” As chairman of the committee’s Task Force on Securing the Homeland Amidst Special Events, McCaul questioned witnesses about the danger of Democrats’ ongoing DHS shutdown ahead of the FIFA World Cup and America250 celebrations.

McCaul directed his questions to Ha Nguyen McNeill, senior official performing the duties of the administrator of TSA; Nicholas Andersen, acting director of CISA; and Victoria Barton, associate administrator for the Office of External Affairs at FEMA.

Click to watch

Full Exchange:

McCaul: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We’re here today because, at a time when our nation is facing heightened threats, Democrats have shut down the Department of Homeland Security. DHS was created in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks to protect and secure the homeland. Shutting it down is national security malpractice, and it’s shameful. We’ve already seen four ISIS-inspired attacks on our homeland in recent weeks, including one in my hometown of Austin, where three innocent people were killed at the hands of a terrorist. And this week, the Iranian regime said it plans to attack parks, recreational areas, and tourist sites around the world. America250 celebrations will be held at all those sites.

The shutdown must end. And I was disappointed to hear Senate Democrats rejected yet another good faith offer from Republicans that contained many of their requests. Hopefully this will change soon. But in the meantime, our nation is on red alert. The Biden administration’s open border policy allowed more than 700 Iranian nationals and 18,000 known or suspected terrorists to enter our country, posing a serious national security threat. We need a functioning Department of Homeland Security to counter the threat of sleeper cells in this nation.

The shutdown is also wreaking havoc at TSA lines at our airports, and we see this every day on the television. The problem runs deeper than just travel disruption. For decades, aviation threats have been the crown jewel of terrorists from Al Qaeda to ISIS and its affiliates. Since the shutdown, TSA employees have been forced to work without pay. Four hundred officers have quit their jobs, constraining the agency’s ability to protect the traveling public.

This is alarming especially as we approach the FIFA World Cup and America250. In just three months, our nation will host millions of visitors who will travel throughout our airports. And as the chairman of this committee’s special events task force, I am laser focused on protecting our homeland during these events.

Let’s focus not only on the physical threat, but the cyber threat as well. When I chaired this committee, I created the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to defend against cyber attacks. We heard the chairman talk about the threat from Iran. Reports say fewer than half of CISA’s employees are currently working, disrupting our ability to deter and mitigate threats to our critical infrastructure.

Lastly, I know that many FEMA grants are not being disbursed because of the shutdown. I helped secure the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. These provide security to houses of worship, which are coming under attack far too often. Just a couple weeks ago, an ISIS-inspired terrorist watched the Temple Israel Synagogue in Michigan and then attacked them in a terrorist attack. We need these grants out now.

I am hopeful that we will also reauthorize the DHS mission to counter weapons of mass destruction, [as that office] remains not authorized today and I think poses a serious threat.

In the remainder of time that I have, there are so many issues to cover, but I want to talk about TSA, CISA, and these grants. To TSA, you know, you have the operations center that I’ve been to many times that monitors traffic across the world globally and aviation threats globally. Can you tell me what impact the shutdown is having on that? And Mr. Andersen, if you could tell me about CISA, without these employees not being able to connect the dots and share it with the private sector, what impact that is having? And Ms. Barton, can you tell me about the lack of funding to protect particularly Jewish synagogues across this nation as we know the Iran threat is real inside the United States and our homeland?

McNeill: Thank you, Congressman. Our operations center is up and running and we’re doing everything that we can during this time to maintain a strong security posture, especially during this heightened threat environment. Our officers are doing a tremendous job showing up every day at work and screening the traveling public to make sure that they’re making it to their destination safely. But I will say it is a real human toll to wake up and show up to work every day not knowing how you’re going to pay your bills. And so I am, of course, concerned about the workforce, and the longer this shutdown goes on and more missed paychecks, we are really putting ourselves and our workforce in a perilous situation.

Andersen: You’re correct, sir. Being able to connect the dots with the private sector, a lot of it is based on the expertise and the relationships that a lot of these employees have that have served for such a long time at CISA, since this committee helped bring it into existence. That’s all the more difficult when we have those same employees that we’re relying on their expertise and those relationships — and to Ms. McNeil’s point — they’re having to choose between being able to support their families and continuing to support the mission of securing our nation’s critical infrastructure.

Barton: For the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, at this time, we are stalled because the staff that’s processing and supposed to work on those grants has been impacted by the shutdown. And those funds are critical to get out for many of the nonprofits and houses of worship that receive and use those funds for security.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

The bill, introduced by Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), would codify parts of President Trump’s executive order issued on March 28, 2025.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO), a former Army Ranger and Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and House Armed Services Committee, is calling on Congress to force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to focus on its full mission, rather than diverting resources and personnel from their core functions.

Thousands of DHS employees devoted to preventing terrorism, human trafficking, and drug smuggling, have recently been reassigned to instead focus on immigration and President Trump’s mass deportation efforts, according to public reporting.

In a new letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders, Crow warns that doing so “interferes with law enforcement operations and harms U.S. national security.” Crow is urging Congress to compel, through the appropriations process, DHS to return to its core mission of protecting the American people. This is especially important as threats to Americans have increased since President Trump started a war of choice with Iran.

“As Trump creates more and more conflict around the globe, he’s also undermining the very people intended to protect us from threats,” said Congressman Crow. “This Administration is pulling people away from national security and putting them on his mass deportation campaign that’s murdering Americans and deporting citizens. They said they’d go after the worst of the worst, but instead, they’re taking away the tools that keep us safe.”

Ten other Members of Congress joined Crow in his letter.

Congressman Crow condemned the murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis. Crow recently sued the Trump Administration to uphold this right following his unlawful denial from an ICE detention facility in Aurora in July 2025. He has repeatedly condemned Donald Trump’s illegal war of choice in Iran. He voted to reclaim Congressional authority over war with Iran, and he called for Donald Trump and his cronies to end their military adventurism. 

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement after he was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Agriculture.

“I’m honored Chairman Thompson has entrusted me with the responsibility of serving on the House Committee on Agriculture,” said Congressman Valadao. “As a dairy farmer, I understand firsthand the challenges our farmers, ranchers, and growers face, from rising input costs and labor shortages to unfair trade practices and the need for a strong agricultural safety net. I look forward to building on Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s work to support our producers and strengthen American agriculture. Agriculture is at the heart of the Central Valley and a critical part of our nation’s economy, and I’m ready to get to work on delivering results for the families and communities who depend on it.”

“On behalf of the House Committee on Agriculture, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Rep. Valadao,” said Chairman Thompson. “As a producer who understands the ins and outs of a family operation, Mr. Valadao appreciates the opportunities and challenges facing farm country, and this is reflected in how deeply he cares about his community and the greater agricultural industry. I can think of no one better suited to carry on Doug LaMalfa’s legacy of being a true advocate for California agriculture. While a new addition to the agriculture committee, Rep. Valadao is no stranger to supporting our farm families in the halls of Congress. I look forward to seeing how he makes his mark on the work of the committee.”

Background:

The United States House Committee on Agriculture is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, responsible for developing legislation related to America’s food supply, agriculture, and rural communities. Working alongside its Senate counterpart, the Committee on Agriculture’s jurisdiction includes farm commodity programs, agricultural trade, nutrition programs, rural development, and research that helps keep American agriculture competitive and resilient. The Committee is also responsible for oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through its work, the Committee plays a vital role in ensuring a stable food supply, supporting rural economic development, and maintaining the strength of American agriculture.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore (R-WV) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter alongside U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), Congressman Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), along with 29 of their colleagues, urging President Donald J. Trump to press for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri during the President’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Pastor Jin, the leader of Zion Church in China, was arbitrarily detained in October 2025 alongside other church leaders as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing crackdown on unsanctioned religious communities. In their letter, lawmakers also highlighted the broader pattern of persecution against Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetans, and other religious minorities across China.

In the letter, lawmakers urge President Trump to prioritize Pastor Jin’s case during his meeting with President Xi and to advocate for the release of all individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs. The letter also calls attention to widespread abuses, including arbitrary detention, lengthy prison sentences, destruction of places of worship, and surveillance and intimidation of religious communities.

Additionally, the lawmakers encouraged the Administration to utilize authorities under the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.

The bipartisan letter was signed by 22 U.S. Senators and 11 U.S. Representatives, underscoring broad, bipartisan support for confronting religious persecution and advancing human rights as part of ongoing U.S.–China diplomatic efforts.

Congressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:

“Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, and the Chinese Communist Party’s continued persecution of Christians and other religious groups is an egregious violation of that principle. I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to call for the immediate release of Pastor Jin and all those unjustly detained for their faith. As a Christian nation, the United States must oppose religious persecution wherever it occurs. We have a duty to hold the CCP accountable and never turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Read the full letter HERE.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), and Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) to discuss Democrats repeatedly voting against funding the Department of Homeland Security, forcing over 100,000 employees to work without pay, risking America’s security, and causing chaos at airports across the country.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:On Democrats creating chaos at airports: “It’s a sad moment that we’re up here still talking about the fact that the Democrats continue to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. We’ve given them multiple opportunities to do the right thing. When you see lines at every airport, people waiting hours and hours at my home airport in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong International, you’ve got people sleeping overnight the night before flights so that they can have a chance of making their flight. And for what? Because Democrats want to have yet another tantrum and create chaos in this country because they’re angry with the results of the 2024 election. It’s time for Democrats to grow up and act like adults.”On Democrats holding DHS employees’ paychecks hostage:“Tomorrow will mark the 8th time that we will have a vote in Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security. 8 times, Democrats will have an opportunity to do the right thing. And you can go look at the votes. Watch the vote tomorrow. Watch the rhetoric from Democrats. Democrats are saying, ‘Oh, we want to fund TSA,’ except they all keep voting against the funding for TSA. And if you think this is the first time they’ve done it, they had a shutdown, a record shutdown, just a few months earlier.“Think about this statistic. For those workers, TSA workers, that many of them live paycheck to paycheck, they have gone 49% of this fiscal year without a paycheck. A TSA worker here in America has spent the last fiscal year, 49% of that time, they’ve gone without pay. It’s disgraceful what Democrats keep doing to hardworking families. These are people that have to put food on the table. These are people that have a mortgage to meet, that have to pay rent, that have to pay a car note. Maybe they’ve got a kid in school. And Democrats really don’t care about the 100,000+ workers at the Department of Homeland Security, whether it be at TSA or whether it be at FEMA or the Coast Guard.”On the dangerous consequences of Biden’s open borders:“Now, [Democrats have] done this over and over again. For what? Because they want open borders. They want to defund the police. They’ve done it over and over again. They made it crystal clear.“And you would think we’ve got the safest times in American history. We’ve had 4 terrorist attacks on our home soil just in the last month. New York, Michigan, Virginia, and Texas have had terrorist attacks in March while Democrats are voting to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. And of course, it’s been brought up: Sheridan Gorman, beautiful young girl with her future before her, murdered by an illegal who was let in during the Joe Biden open border. And Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat leader, can’t even say he would have wanted him deported after he committed more crimes after he came here illegally before he murdered her. This is how far the Democrat Party has gone off the rails. They are a party that has lost their way, and millions of people are suffering.”On Democrats repeatedly refusing to fund DHS:“We’re going to have an opportunity tomorrow for them to do the right thing. I hope they do the right thing. It’s time Democrats end the madness of keeping the Department of Homeland Security shut down at this critical time. It’s time they do the right thing. We’ll give them that opportunity again tomorrow, and we’ll see. There will be a vote that all America can look at, and it’ll be the 8th time, not the first time, the 8th time Democrats will have a chance to do the right thing and fund this department.“If you in America are waiting in a line for 3, 4 hours, or missed a flight and you want to know who’s responsible, look at the vote on the House floor tomorrow. You will see a yes column and a no column – who voted yes to fund this department and open TSA up, and fund these people that have to go to work and put food on the table for their families, and who’s going to vote no to deny that ability and make people keep missing flights. Watch that vote tomorrow.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) released the following statement in advance of tomorrow’s two-year anniversary of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge:

“The collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge was a tragedy bigger than Baltimore. This disaster took the lives of six members of our community and resulted in harmful aftershocks that reverberated throughout the Port of Baltimore, our state, and our nation. Working hand-in-hand with our state and local partners, Federal Team Maryland acted quickly to deliver federal funding to address the immediate priorities: recovering those we lost, clearing the shipping channel, and getting Port workers back on the job. We then took the fight to Congress, pushing relentlessly for months to ultimately pass our Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act into law – a unified, bipartisan effort to ensure the federal government provides the full resources necessary to build a safer and stronger bridge for the future.

“But out of this tragedy, Maryland came together. Since the day the Key Bridge came down, our communities in Baltimore and throughout Maryland have demonstrated remarkable grit and resilience. Two years later, the Port of Baltimore is making a strong comeback while our state continues to make headway in the reconstruction process. As this work proceeds, our delegation will keep fighting every step of the way to ensure the federal government delivers on its legal commitment to fund 100 percent of the reconstruction until the new bridge is complete.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), released the following statement regarding the two-year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and concerns over rebuilding costs.

Statement from Congressman Harris:

“Two years have passed since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge—a tragedy that took six lives and disrupted a vital transportation corridor in Baltimore. As plans for rebuilding lag behind schedule, the scale of the cost overruns is deeply concerning, particularly given that the initial state estimates have been exceeded 3-fold. It is clear this project requires stronger oversight and fiscal accountability. The company responsible for the collapse and its insurers should bear the cost of these damages, not Marylanders or American taxpayers.”

For media inquiries, please contact Michella Carter at Michella.Carter@mail.house.gov