Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

House and Senate education leaders reintroduced the bipartisan Keeping All Students Safe Act to protect students from dangerous seclusion and restraint practices in school.

In the House, the bill is sponsored by House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08), and Representative Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08). And in the Senate, it is sponsored by Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Vice Chair Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Keeping All Students Safe Act would make it illegal for any school receiving federal taxpayer money to seclude children and ban dangerous restraint practices that restrict children’s breathing, such as prone or supine restraint. The bill would also prohibit schools from physically restraining children, except when necessary to protect the safety of students and staff. The bill would provide grants to train school personnel to address school-expected behavior with evidence-based, proactive strategies, require states to monitor the law’s implementation, and increase transparency and oversight to prevent future abuse of students.

According to yearlong investigation by Hearst Media, federal data show that incidents of restraint and seclusion occur on average at least 2,300 times per school day and impact upwards of 102,000 students each academic year. The most recent data shows that more than 50,000 public school students were restrained or secluded during the 2020-2021 school year. However, schools underreport incidents of restraint and seclusion, and there are likely many more incidents than are reflected in the data.

“Every child should be safe and protected while in school. Sadly, that is not always the case. Despite evidence that seclusion and restraint practices make schools less safe, thousands of students are still subjected to these dangerous discipline methods. Students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by these harmful practices,” said Ranking Member Scott. “A quality education cannot be achieved without a safe learning environment. The Keeping All Students Safe Act would establish nationwide requirements and provide states and teachers the support they need to improve their schools’ culture by using evidence-based interventions.”

“Every child deserves a safe environment in which to learn and grow, but too many students – particularly Black students and those with disabilities – face harmful and abusive disciplinary actions instead. Many states have recognized the harm of seclusion and inappropriate restraint in the classroom and banned these practices, but this remains an issue that requires a federal solution,” said Representative Beyer. “Our bill would enact critical protections for students by creating national safety standards for schools and by providing personnel training and support. By enacting this legislation, Congress can ensure that children have a safer learning environment in every school.”

“No kid should be locked alone in a room or forcibly restrained while at school. Yet a shocking amount of schools continue to use unnecessary force to discipline kids, particularly those with disabilities. These methods are not only ineffective, they risk traumatizing and physically harming students in need of care. Our bill will protect kids from abuse while giving teachers and staff the tools they need to address disruptive behavior to keep all students safe,” said Senator Murphy.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that children across this country, disproportionately students of color and students with disabilities, face dangerous seclusion and restraint practices. It is our moral responsibility to ban these practices once and for all,” said Ranking Member Sanders.

“It’s past time we ban dangerous discipline practices that put students at risk in the classroom, and I’m going to keep pushing until our bill banning these practices gets signed into law,” said Vice Chair Murray. “Every kid deserves to learn in a safe, nurturing environment—full stop.”

This legislation is endorsed by Access Ready, Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint, Alliance of and for Visually Impaired Texans, Allies for Independence, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of People with Disabilities, American Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, American Psychological Association, Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Autism Society of America, Autistic People of Color Fund, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN), Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Boys Town, Center for American Progress (CAP), Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Consortium for Constituents with Disabilities (CCD), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Council for Learning Disabilities, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA), Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR), Crisis Prevention Institute, DeafBlind Community of Texas, Disability Belongs, Disability Rights California, Education Trust, Epilepsy Foundation, Higher Education Consortium for Special Education (HECSE), Little Lobbyists, Lives in the Balance, Maine Parent Federation, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), National DeafBlind Coalition, National Disability Rights Network, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society, National Parents Union, National PTA, New America’s B-12 Education Policy Program, New Disabled South, Oregon State Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, Respect ABILITY Law Center, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, TASH, the Advocacy Institute, the Arc, the Arc of Northern Virginia, the Center for Learner Equity, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the National Family Association for DeafBlind, the Satanic Temple and Protect Children Project, the U.S. Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Unsilenced, and Zero to Three.

To read the bill text for the Keeping All Students Safe Act, click here.

To read the fact sheet on the Keeping All Students Safe Act, click here.

To read the section-by-section on the Keeping All Students Safe Act, click here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21), senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, joined by 74 bipartisan Members of Congress, is calling on U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to hold Canada accountable for failing to meet its dairy commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The letter urges strong enforcement actions ahead of the 2026 review to protect American dairy producers and ensure both fairness and market access for U.S. exporters. 
California is the nation’s top agricultural exporting state, sending $22.4 billion in agricultural products abroad each year. Canada and Mexico account for 24% of those exports—$5.4 billion annually. Dairy is one of California’s most significant export sectors: $2.6 billion of those exports are dairy products alone, and Canada and Mexico purchase 43% of all California dairy exports. With California producing nearly 20% of America’s milk supply and generating $8.61 billion in dairy value, USMCA remains essential for the economic stability of the Central Valley and dairy families across the state.  During USMCA negotiations, Canada agreed to expand market access for U.S. dairy by creating new tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) reserved exclusively for American producers. Instead, Canada has undermined the agreement by allocating most TRQs to Canadian processors, who often have no incentive to import, rather than to retailers, restaurants, or food service providers who have the need and desire for high-quality lower-cost U.S. dairy products.  Canada has further distorted the market by offloading artificially low-priced nonfat milk solids onto the global marketplace, putting downward pressure on prices for U.S. producers. Despite repeated U.S. challenges, Canada has refused to uphold their commitments, making the 2026 review a critical opportunity to strengthen the deal and protect American dairy producers. The letter also highlights the strong gains made with Mexico under USMCA and stresses the importance of preserving that progress. In a joint statement, the bipartisan coalition of Members highlighted:  “As a bipartisan group, we remain unified in our belief that the upcoming 2026 review of USMCA represents a critical opportunity to deliver to American dairy farmers, producers, and exporters the market access that was originally promised when the agreement entered into force. USMCA raised the bar for what trade agreements could be, yet Canada has still failed to uphold its dairy commitments. This review is the appropriate mechanism to strengthen enforcement, close loopholes, and ensure that the benefits envisioned under the agreement are fully realized.”  This letter is also supported by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF):  “USMCA is the most important free trade agreement for the U.S. dairy industry and it must be renewed. But ongoing trade concerns with Canada and Mexico must also be rectified as the renewal is being considered. Collaboration between Congress and the Administration is critical to maintain the agreement’s meaningful progress and finally deliver the market access promised to U.S. dairy exporters. IDFA applauds this proactive approach by Members of Congress to help ensure that the review process results in a stronger, fairer USMCA,” said Michael Dykes, President and CEO, IDFA.  “USMCA raised the standard for what a trade agreement could be and promised new opportunities for U.S. dairy farmers. Unfortunately, the Canadian government has continued to evade its dairy trade obligations, and U.S. dairy farmers are not seeing the full benefits USMCA intended. We commend Representatives Tenney, DelBene, Wied, and Costa for championing this effort and working with the Administration to hold our trading partners accountable,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO, NMPF.   Earlier this Congress, Costa reaffirmed his commitment to fair, science-based trade through his resolution underscoring the need for transparent standards across USMCA partners. He has consistently emphasized that when trade barriers are lowered and rules are followed, producers and consumers in all three countries benefit.  This letter was signed by a bipartisan coalition of the following 74 members of the United States House of Representatives: 
Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Tony Wied (WI-8), House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (PA-15), Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (NE-3), Mark Alford (MO-4), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Don Bacon (NE-2), James Baird (IN-4), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Jack Bergman (MI-1), Sanford Bishop (GA-2), Mike Bost (IL-12), Robert Bresnahan (PA-8), Kat Cammack (FL-3), Mike Carey (OH-15), Earl Carter (GA-1), Ben Cline (VA-6), Joe Courtney (CT-2), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Gabe Evans (CO-8), Randy Feenstra (IA-4), Brad Finstad (MN-1), Michelle Fischbach (MN-7), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-5), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Mike Flood (NE-1), Vince Fong (CA-20), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Russ Fulcher (ID-1), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Glenn Grothman (WI-6), Josh Harder (CA-9), Ashley Hinson (IA-2), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), Dusty Johnson (SD-AL), John Joyce (PA-13), Mike Kelly (PA-16), Darin LaHood (IL-16), Doug LaMalfa (CA-13), Nicholas Langworthy (NY-23), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-3), Tracey Mann (KS-1), Addison McDowell (NC-6), Mark Messmer (IN-8), Daniel Meuser (PA-9), Mary Miller (IL-15), Max Miller (OH-7), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-1), John Moolenaar (MI-2), Barry Moore (AL-1), Blake Moore (UT-1), Dan Newhouse (WA-4), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mark Pocan (WI-2), David Rouzer (NC-7), Derek Schmidt (KS-2), Austin Scott (GA-8), Michael Simpson (ID-2), Lloyd Smucker (PA-11), Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Pete Stauber (MN-8), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Bryan Steil (WI-1), Greg Steube (FL-17), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Thomas Tiffany (WI-7), David Valadao (CA-22), Derrick Van Orden (WI-3), Gabe Vasquez (NM-2), Tim Walberg (MI-5), and Rudy Yakym (IN-2). Click here to read the full letter. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

Read Bill Text

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13) and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), re-introduced the Jobs, On-the-Job ‘Earn-While-You-Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act, legislation designed to grow and expand minority participation in America’s Registered Apprenticeship (RA) system. RAs are among the most effective tools for upward mobility, offering hands-on job training, industry-recognized credentials, and virtually zero student debt. Expanding their reach can significantly contribute to the economic stability of young Americans entering the workforce.

“Right now, in communities across America, far too many young African Americans face steep barriers to entering the workforce—high unemployment rates, fewer paid training opportunities, and limited access to modern, in-demand skills,” said Congressman David Scott. “In Georgia’s thirteenth district, African Americans face an unemployment rate of almost 5%, a rate that is nearly double that of other workers. This gap isn’t just a statistic; it represents lost wages, closed doors, and dreams deferred—locking out opportunities and creating barriers that keep too many young people of color out of high-paying, high-demand careers. Employers are desperate for skilled workers. Young people are eager to work. Our bill meets that challenge by connecting the two with urgency and purpose. Investing in Georgia’s youth with real tools to strengthen our workforce and secure a brighter economic future is a national imperative.”

“The Trump administration’s reckless economic policies are killing good-paying jobs and driving up the unemployment rate across the country—and Black workers are bearing the brunt of the pain,” said Congressman Cleaver. “This legislation will help bring relief by providing young African Americans nationwide with the opportunity to gain valuable skills in high-earning industries as they earn a paycheck, all while strengthening our pipeline of quality workers in critical industries. I’m proud to introduce the Jobs, On-the-Job ‘Earn While You Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act with Congressman Scott as we seek to ensure every worker has a pathway to opportunity and the tools to succeed.”

Historically, African American workers have experienced disproportionately high unemployment rates and unequal access to stable, well-paying jobs. National data shows that Black unemployment remains two to three times higher than unemployment among white Americans, even during periods of economic growth.  During economic downturns, African American households are more likely to face higher rates of foreclosure, food insecurity, and loss of wages—circumstances that often lead to a cycle of poverty for millions of Black families.

To curtail the barriers faced by young minority workers in employment and apprenticeships, our bill uses the existing RA system as a proven workforce development solution to lead young minority men and women into stable, long-term careers. Specifically, the Jobs, On-the-Job ‘Earn While You Learn’ Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act of 2025:

• Establishes a Diversity and Inclusion Administrator within the Office of Apprenticeship at the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration responsible for promoting and assisting greater minority participation in the national apprenticeship system.
• Supports the Recruitment, Employment, and Retention of youth and other non-traditional apprenticeship populations in programs under the national apprenticeship system in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.
• Targets High-Earnings Occupations in construction, welding, electrical engineering, plumbing, information technology, energy, green jobs, advanced manufacturing, health care, and cybersecurity.
• Updates the Registered Apprenticeship Application requiring new sponsors to include a plan to boost minority participation in apprenticeships.
• Establishes a Competitive Grant Program for eligible RAs to create, increase, and expand African American and minority participation in traditional and non-traditional apprenticeship industries.

List of Endorsing Organizations: International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), International Brotherhood of Electrical Engineers (IBEW), Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council, Institute for Policy Studies’ Black Worker Initiative (IPS-BWI), and 100 Black Men of Atlanta

List of Original Cosponsors: David Scott (GA-13), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-5), Wesley Bell (MO-2), Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Sanford Bishop (GA-2), Andre Carson (IN-7), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Dwight Evans (PA-3), Cleo Fields (LA-6), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Al Green (TX-9), Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Jonathan Jackson (IL-1), Hank Johnson (GA-4), Robin Kelly (IL-2), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Gregory Meeks (NY-5), Kweisi Mfume (MD-7), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Ilhan Omar (MN-5), Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Mark Pocan (WI-2), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Marylin Strickland (WA-10), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-2), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

Full text of the bill can be accessed HERE.

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

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement to highlight House Republicans’ continued work to implement a pro-growth agenda through commonsense deregulation and long-overdue reforms with the passage of this week’s House bills.

“House Republicans continue to implement a pro-growth agenda that puts hard hats back on American workers, gets shovels in the ground, and unleashes the economic potential our nation has been denied for years by Democrats’ waste, fraud, and abuse. Republicans are ending the era where unelected regulators and radical activist lawyers weaponize bureaucracy and misuse laws like the Clean Water Act to block economic development and restrict opportunity in America,” Speaker Johnson said. “For too long, Washington’s paralysis and partisan climate red tape has driven up costs, drawn-out reviews, and delayed construction of roads, pipelines, factories, and critical infrastructure. This week, House Republicans delivered commonsense deregulation and long-overdue reforms to repair a broken permitting system and remove barriers that have held America back. These bills codify more of President Trump’s executive orders and help unlock the full benefits and historic investments within our Working Families Tax Cuts. Republicans continue to advance pro-growth policies that expedite development, empower American industry, and create conditions for long-term competitiveness and prosperity.”

“Since the beginning of this Congress, our Committee has fought to unleash the reliable and affordable energy that American families need,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Guthrie said. “These bills will help safeguard our energy security by bringing more baseload power online, strengthening our grid, and modernizing the federal permitting process. Thank you to Subcommittee Chairmen Latta and Hudson, and Congressman Evans, for your work on these vital pieces of legislation.”

“The PERMIT Act is a package of commonsense reforms to Clean Water Act permitting processes that will help lower construction costs and utility bills, speed up infrastructure project timelines, and provide greater regulatory certainty,” Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Graves said. “The reforms in the PERMIT Act will have immediate impact on energy producers, the agriculture industry, home and road builders, water utilities, and everyday Americans who have to navigate complex and confusing permitting processes. I want to thank Chairman Mike Collins for his leadership on this issue and my other Committee members for their excellent work and contributions to this legislation.”

“This week, we ensured the American Dream remains within reach for every family and community across our nation. I applaud the House’s passage of the INVEST Act, which will keep our economy the envy of the world and secure a brighter future for generations to come,” Financial Services Committee Chairman Hill said. “Through this bipartisan package, we expanded access to investment capital for new and expanding businesses; provided new investment options for investors and retirement plans; and lowered the costs for companies seeking to go public. I commend Subcommittee Chair Ann Wagner for her tremendous work in leading this legislation that will benefit all Americans in a profound way and am eager for INVEST to be signed into law.”

This Week’s House Adopted Legislation to Expedite Infrastructure Development and Economic Growth:

H.R. 3898 — Promoting Efficient Review for Modern Infrastructure Today (PERMIT) Act (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Collins): Delivers a package of commonsense reforms to deregulate and provide clarity to the permitting processes under the Clean Water Act (CWA) to reflect the law’s true intent.

H.R. 3628 — The State Planning for Reliability and Affordability Act (Sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans): Directs state Public Utility Commissions to evaluate the requirements for sufficient generation from dependable, dispatchable energy sources like natural gas, nuclear, coal, and hydropower over a 10-year period.

H.R. 3638 — Electric Supply Chain Act (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Latta): Requires the Department of Energy to assess vulnerabilities in the electricity generation and transmission supply chain, consult with industry experts, and provide regular reports to Congress on the health and reliability of the nation’s electric grid.

H.R. 3668 — Improving Interagency Coordination for Pipeline Reviews Act  (Sponsored by Rep. Richard Hudson): Streamlines the federal permitting process for interstate natural gas pipelines by enhancing FERC’s authority as the lead agency for environmental reviews.

H.R. 3383 — Increasing Investor Opportunities Act (INVEST Act) (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner): Cuts red tape and lowers barriers to capital for small and emerging companies, strengthens small business financing, and gives everyday Americans more freedom and opportunity to invest – not just Wall Street insiders.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced Reya Kannan, a Tyngsborough native and 11th grader at Chelmsford High School, as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District. Her app, “Yard2Yum,” offers a practical and innovative solution to food waste by connecting restaurants, farms, and composting facilities.

“Every year, the Congressional App Challenge highlights the incredible creativity and talent of students across our district, and Reya’s work truly stands out,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “Yard2Yum is not only an impressive technological achievement, but also a thoughtful response to a real challenge facing communities across our region. Reya took an issue she saw up close, learned from local farmers and small businesses, and built a tool that supports sustainability and strengthens our local food system. I’m proud to recognize her as this year’s Congressional App Challenge winner.”

“Creating Yard2Yum allowed me to build a viable solution for a problem I’m passionate about -food waste across many communities,” Reya said. “Through the Congressional App Challenge, I was able to turn my ideas into an actual app, combining coding and stem to create impact.”

Yard2Yum is designed with two main interfaces: one for restaurants and one for farms. Restaurants can track the amount of food waste they donate, schedule pickups, and earn reward points based on pounds donated. These points can then be used to purchase locally sourced products from participating farms. On the other side of the platform, farms can access compost generated from restaurant food waste and sell their produce directly through the app. This creates a reliable channel for farms to connect with local restaurants and strengthen their businesses.

Reya was inspired to create the app after working at her father’s restaurant, where she saw large amounts of food scraps thrown away each day and noticed the financial burden of costly disposal services. Her curiosity about the broader food system led her to speak with farms across New England. One Massachusetts farmer shared that rising compost prices were making it difficult to maintain production. Recognizing the opportunity to bridge these challenges, Reya developed Yard2Yum to convert discarded food into compost that supports farmers while reducing waste and creating a more sustainable local food cycle.

About the Congressional App Challenge:

Trahan invited Yumio Saneyoshi, the founder of the Penguin Coding School in Acton, and members of his team to judge this year’s competition. The Congressional App Challenge began in 2013, and since then, the challenge has inspired more than 40,000 students across all 50 states to program an app.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants will provide San Bernardino International Airport with $4,285,081 for the Reconstruct Portion of Taxiway “A” Project and $3,111,923 for the Airfield Slurry & Paint Project
Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) announced $7,397,004 for the San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) Authority’s Airport Improvement Program. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grants will provide $4,285,081 to reconstruct a portion of the high-traffic taxiway A and $3,111,923 to repaint and slurry the airport’s runways.
“The San Bernardino International Airport plays a crucial role in our region’s economy and infrastructure,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “By improving the airport’s efficiency, we will improve safety, drive economic growth and address critical infrastructure needs in our community. I am proud to announce this grant funding and will continue to support investments in the Inland Empire’s transportation sector to ensure our region has the resources it needs to be successful.”
“The San Bernardino International Airport continues to attract a growing list of aviation customers,” said Mike Burrows, CEO, San Bernardino International Airport. “We are very grateful to the FAA for providing grant funding for this important infrastructure project and the safety benefits it will bring to travelers and pilots flying SBD.” 
The funding comes as part of the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program. Established in 1982, the FAA Airport Improvement Program provides grants to public-use airports to improve safety and efficiency, including for projects to fix taxiways, runways, weather stations, ramps and more.
As a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Rep. Aguilar works to fund the FAA and ensure the availability of federal grants for the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference, where he reiterated that while Republicans continue their extreme go-it-alone approach, Democrats remain committed to lowering the high cost of living, cleaning up corruption and fixing the GOP healthcare crisis, starting with extending the ACA tax credits.

LEADER JEFFRIES: There are only five legislative days left before the Affordable Care Act tax credits expire. And we have yet to see a Republican plan to prevent tens of millions of Americans from experiencing dramatically-increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles. We know that premium increases in some cases will be $1,000 or $2,000 per month. This is going to make healthcare unaffordable for millions of working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans. And yet Republicans are continuing to bury their heads in the sand, completely and totally uninterested in finding common ground to make life better for the American people, in this instance by extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits. House Democrats remain ready, willing and able to sit down with our Republican colleagues anytime, anyplace and anywhere in order to enact a bipartisan agreement that protects the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans, to fix our broken healthcare system and to deal with the Republican healthcare crisis decisively, which is crushing the American people.

But Republicans continue to pursue a my-way-or-the-highway approach, which has gotten them nowhere this year, and it’s consistently hurt the American people. All across the country, we are seeing Republican extremism being rejected, most recently in the city of Miami, a city that is more than 70% Latino, in a county, Miami-Dade, that Donald Trump just won in 2024. And a year later, a Democrat was elected as Mayor of Miami for the first time in nearly three decades by 20 points. And yet Republicans continue to ignore the reality that is unfolding all across the country. The American people are rejecting your extremism and embracing our focus on driving down the high cost of living, dealing with the affordability crisis—which is real, it’s not a hoax—and fixing our broken healthcare system. And at this point, all we need are four Republicans in the House. There are 220 of you. All we need are four Republicans to partner with us. Let’s find a path forward, and we can extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

Full press conference can be watched here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN News Central, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and find bipartisan common ground where possible to make life better for everyday Americans.

JOHN BERMAN: Alright, with us now is the House Democratic Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. Congressman, thanks so much for being with us. Those words from the President overnight aside, the reality of where Congress is right now is that the government was shut down for 43 days, and all Democrats really got out of it was this vote yesterday in the Senate that went nowhere. So was it worth it?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump and Republicans made the decision to shut down the government as part of their my-way-or-the-highway approach. As Democrats, we just made clear, we’ll work together with our Republican colleagues, sit down, talk about the things that need to happen for the American people, anytime, anyplace. We repeatedly made that clear. But we also made clear we were not going to support a partisan spending bill that continued to gut the healthcare of the American people and failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits when tens of millions of Americans are now about to experience dramatically-increased health insurance premiums. That’s totally unacceptable.

JOHN BERMAN: You talk about needing to sit down and talk, somewhat the need to compromise there. There are two measures now, two discharge petitions, bipartisan, that would extend Obamacare subsidies one by one year, we just heard from Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer on that. Another would extend them by two years, again which has bipartisan support. Why not throw Democratic leadership strength behind one of those two efforts?

LEADER JEFFRIES: As Democrats, when we reconvene early next week, we’ll sit down, we’ll have a conversation to look at the options that are in front of us. One option we know is that 214 Members of the House of Representatives support our petition to trigger an up-or-down vote on a clean extension to the Affordable Care Act tax credits. That means all we need are four Republicans, John. There are 220 of them. All we need are four to join us, and we can deal with this issue in the House of Representatives in a manner that will provide certainty to working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act tax credits to go see a doctor when they need one.

JOHN BERMAN: You don’t have those four Republican votes now. Both of the other discharge petitions have enough Republican votes that with all Democratic votes would be enough to pass. So why not support one of those two measures? Are you saying a three-year extension or bust?

LEADER JEFFRIES: What I’m saying is that we’re open to having a conversation with my Republican colleagues about finding common ground and a path forward. We know that conversation is not going to take place with Speaker Johnson or House Republican leaders because they’ve been clear. All they want to do is rip away the Affordable Care Act tax credits and take away healthcare from the American people.This is the same group of folks who earlier this year enacted their One Big Ugly Bill, where they cut Medicaid by the largest amount in American history and in the process took healthcare away from 14 million Americans. And hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics are closing all across the country. So as we’ve always said, we’ll sit down, talk to our Republican colleagues anytime, anyplace, particularly those who have now expressed an interest in dealing with this healthcare issue and finally perhaps addressing the Republican healthcare crisis that’s breaking the American people.

JOHN BERMAN: But you won’t commit to supporting either one of those measures now, yes or no?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, I haven’t ruled anything in or I haven’t ruled anything out because we have to have a conversation with ourselves as a House Democratic Caucus familyand of course Republicans if they’re interested in good faith in trying to find common ground.

JOHN BERMAN: So there was a vote on a resolution yesterday in the House, pushed by some, a handful of Democrats, to impeach President Trump. You and Democratic leadership voted present on this. In June, on a separate push, you voted no. You voted to block it affirmatively. So why did you move from no on impeachment in June to sort of meh yesterday?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well we issued a statement that speaks for itself, but essentially we’ve said impeachment is a serious issue, it requires a serious process, and that process was missing as it relates to the resolution that we voted on yesterday.

JOHN BERMAN: Finally, the President pardoned Congressman Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas last week. He was charged in federal crimes, basically taking $600,000 in bribes. After that pardon, you sort of welcomed it and welcomed Congressman Cuellar back into the fold. There’s an op-ed in the New York Times today written by a couple of former federal prosecutors who worked for Special Counsel Jack Smith, who took issue with your moves after the pardon. They said “Hakeem Jeffries welcomed the pardon and engaged in shameful pandering, apparently to maintain Mr. Cuellar’s party loyalty. Most disturbingly, Mr. Jeffries did so by attacking the legitimacy of the criminal case against Mr. Cuellar, publicly dismissing the indictment against him as ‘very thin.’” What do you say to this? Because Democrats have been very critical of a lot of the pardons that President Trump has made, but in this case, where it may benefit you, you seem to support it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: I didn’t welcome the pardon. I basically made a factual observation based on how I saw the indictment that in my view it was thin. These prosecutors are free to go out there and defend whatever they want to defend, say whatever they want to say. They have a track record that they need to be able to articulate and justify to the American people. I’m unfamiliar with these particular individuals, so I can’t really comment on what they may have said. But the reality is anyone, any American, whether you’re a Congressperson, an everyday American, whether you serve in office, don’t serve in office, you are entitled to the presumption of innocence.You are innocent until proven guilty. It’s shocking to me that these people would take issue with that reality.

JOHN BERMAN: Well, they were charged. I mean, it’s not an issue of being innocent till proven guilty here. He was charged. Congressman Cuellar was charged and it never went to trial because of the pardon. It’s not an issue of innocence or guilt now, it’s an issue of pardoning someone before there is that determination, correct?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, it’s an issue that if you if you are charged but you’re not convicted, you are presumed innocent. That’s what the whole presumption of innocence is all about.

JOHN BERMAN: All right, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, we appreciate your time this morning. You have a busy few weeks before the end of the year. Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) voted in favor of permitting reform bills that will help to secure America’s electrical grid, lower energy prices, and unleash reliable and affordable power for American families. 

Rep. Kelly is a Co-Chair of the Congressional Natural Gas Caucus and a Co-Founder of the Congressional Propane Caucus.

“To lower energy costs and expand American energy production, an all-of-the-above energy approach must not forget about all that is below,” said Rep. Kelly. “Today, we voted to cut red tape, strengthen our nation’s electrical grid, and lower costs for American families.” 

The legislation includes:

Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement on her vote against the motion to table H.Res. 939, a resolution to impeach President Donald J. Trump.

“From inciting a violent insurrection in his first administration to eroding the very pillars of our democracy in his second, Donald Trump continues to desecrate the oath he swore to uphold and protect.

“I am resolute in my conviction that Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our democracy and must be held accountable for his unlawful actions and egregious executive overreach. 

“I voted to impeach Donald Trump twice, and I strongly believe that he needs to be impeached again and removed from office. That is why I voted no on today’s motion to table the impeachment resolution. 

“While House Republicans have made no effort to use their constitutional oversight responsibilities to hold this corrupt administration accountable, House Democrats are fighting to defend the integrity of our democratic institutions and to stop Donald Trump’s radical agenda, which endangers the health, safety, and economic well-being of American families. 

“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress promised to lower the cost of living on day one. Yet, under their despicable leadership, costs continue to rise. The President calls the affordability crisis created by his administration a ‘hoax,’ but the American people know better because they are the ones paying the price for Donald Trump’s skewed priorities and reckless policies.

“Impeachment is a solemn constitutional procedure — and a mechanism to hold corrupt  officials accountable for flagrant abuses of power and breaches of public trust. As the American people continue to raise their voices against the corruption of this administration, it is my hope that my colleagues across the aisle will join us in finally holding Donald Trump accountable. Only then can we return to the important work of making groceries, health care, and the American Dream a more affordable reality for all Americans.”

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Issues: 119th Congress