Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

This week, the House of Representatives passed U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal’s (D-CA-24) legislation to rename a post office in Goleta for Frederick Lopez, a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Marine Corps with a 30-year career of distinguished service. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

“General Lopez represents the best of the Central Coast and of our nation’s armed forces,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I’m proud that the House has voted to honor his legacy by renaming the South Patterson Avenue Post Office in Goleta in his name, ensuring that future generations will be reminded of his extraordinary contributions to our community and our country.”

“I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Congressman Carbajal in drafting and sponsoring this bill renaming the Patterson Post Office. And I appreciate and thank all those members of Congress who approved this bill going forward. I am deeply honored to have my name on the bill,” said Brigadier General Frederick R. Lopez, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve (ret.).

General Lopez, a Santa Barbara County native, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 following his graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His service as a platoon commander during the Vietnam War earned him a Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon.

Over his three decades as a Marine, General Lopez also earned a Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and other decorations prior to his retirement in 1998.

In retirement, General Lopez has continued to advocate for his fellow veterans as an active member of the Military Order Of The World Wars – including as its former Commander in Chief – and other veterans groups.

In November 2024, Carbajal, a Marine Corps veteran himself, joined General Lopez, his family and friends, and representatives from Central Coast veterans organizations at the Santa Barbara Veterans’ Memorial Building to announce the post office renaming effort. 

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

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson discussed Republican efforts to fix the Democrats’ broken health care system and addressed their refusal to support cost sharing reductions – included in the House-passed version of the Working Families Tax Cuts – reforms Democrats used to support that would have lowered health care premiums by 12% for all Americans.  

“Every American watching today should remember that the Democrats had a chance to actually lower your premiums six months ago, and they refuse because they wanted to keep health care as a political football,” Speaker Johnson said. “They do not want a solution. They want an issue.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

On Republican efforts to fix Democrats broken health care system:

The Democrats had a chance to vote to make life more affordable earlier this year, in the Working Families Tax Cuts, big beautiful bill, and they blew it. The House version of the bill, you may remember, included cost sharing reductions. We passed that out of the House; we sent it to the Senate. And what that would’ve done is would’ve lowered premiums for the average American family by over 12%. Democrats fought to strip that out of the bill. Every American watching today should remember that the Democrats had a chance to actually lower your premium six months ago and they refused because they wanted to keep health care as a political football. They do not want a solution. They want an issue. That’s what this is about. They use the American taxpayers – they admitted themselves during the longest shutdown in US History a few weeks back – as leverage in this cynical political game.

In the coming days, what you’re going to see is the other party, the Republican Party, continuing to do the important work that we’ve already begun to actually lower the cost of health care and reduce fraud. And we hope Democrats will join us in those efforts. The Republican Party, on the other hand, is already demonstrating that we know how to do this. We’re not just talking about it. We’ve done it in the Working Families Tax Cuts, you’ll remember in the Medicaid reforms, we went after program integrity. We didn’t change the substance of Medicaid as they claim falsely. We went to program integrity. Why? Because we owed that to the American taxpayers. We got ineligible recipients off of Medicaid, and we cut out the fraud and abuse. And the CBO said, they’ve calculated it, it saved $185 billion for American taxpayers and reduced premiums. We reformed it to strengthen Medicaid. Those same principles are going to guide us in the months, weeks, and days forward. As Leader Scalise noted, we have some low hanging fruit, we have some things that every Republican agrees to. Democrats won’t, remember. They don’t actually want to fix this problem. But you’re going to see a package come together that’ll be on the floor next week. That will actually reduce premiums for 100% of Americans who were on health insurance, not just the 7%. Remember, the COVID-era subsidy only covers 7% of Americans, and it was passed and extended without any reforms at all. It would only reduce their premiums by 4%. They’re using that as a red herring. The overall system is broken, and we’re the ones that are going to fix it. You will see that laid out.

On Democrats blaming Republicans for four failed years of the Biden Administration:

Remember, we inherited massive inflation from the previous administration. It’s no secret that affordability is the flashpoint, right, in recent weeks. We had four catastrophic years of Bidenomics that we inherited. The Biden Administration spent like drunken sailors, and they attempted to tax and regulate their way to prosperity. And we all knew when they were doing it, it would not work. It had exactly the opposite effect. The result was inflation skyrocketed, gas prices reached record highs, home ownership declined, credit card debt increased. All those things that everybody felt, and they’re still feeling now. Now, the American people gave us a mandate in the election. The President won the electoral college soundly. He won a big majority, the popular vote, and we got the highest vote total for House Republicans in the history of this institution. And they charged us to go fix this. We began that process with the big beautiful bill, and we have never let up on the accelerator, to keep it going day by day, week by week, notching away at this, trying to fix everything that the previous team broke. Now, I wish we could flip a switch right after the election and make it all go away, make it all right, but you know, that’s not how the economy works. It takes some time to implement new policies and root out the bad things, and that’s what’s happening.

It’s a fact that the Biden Administration and their Democrat enablers in Congress, we cannot forget, wrecked the US economy. That’s what happened. And we had to take it over in January. This is why Democrats’ newfound claims about affordability are just patently absurd. Here are the facts. And you know, many of you don’t write about it, but these are the facts. They’re undisputed. They broke the economy, and now they want to lecture to the American people about affordability. They opened our borders, and now they want to lecture to the American people about immigration and border enforcement. They broke the American health care system, they caused premiums to skyrocket, and now they have the audacity to tell Republicans that the only way to save it is to throw hundreds of billions of dollars to health insurance companies, which would merely fuel a system that is rife with fraud, waste, and abuse. You cannot be an arsonist and a firefighter at the same time. That’s the message for the Democrats.

On Democrats’ health care plan and their refusal to address waste, fraud, and abuse:

Let’s be very clear about one thing. When the Democrats talk about health care affordability, they are talking about one thing and one thing only: they are talking about continuing handouts to big insurance companies. They have no ideas; they have no desire to fix the broken system they’ve created. They just want to subsidize it. And subsidy is a big word. It means they’re taking taxpayer dollars and funding a broken system – that is their entire affordability agenda in a nutshell. This agenda does not lower health care costs. All it does is hide the cost of the failed law, which we assume is the point. And their proposal, which is a three-year extension of these enhanced subsidies, the Democrat COVID subsidies that they created, that they put the expiration date on for this December, that proposal to extend that for three years is devoid of any reforms to clamp down on the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse. And, it continues to provide taxpayers subsidized health care to Americans who are making hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual salary.

The Democrats broke America’s health care system when they gave us the Unaffordable Care Act, Obamacare, 15 years ago. Remember all the promises? I mean, some of y’all were here. The average premium, the average family’s going to go down $2,500 a year. You’re going to be able to keep your doctor, you’re going to love this system. But none of that was true. In fact, it’s the opposite. And premiums have risen because they broke the system, dramatically, over that time in some areas, as much as 70% and some over 90%. And those things are still on a trajectory to rise further now.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington, D.C. (December 10, 2025) | – Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement announcing the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Georgia’s 11th Congressional District. The competition is designed for students who aspire to learn computer coding and may have an interest in the STEM fields. Wheeler High School student, Aarav Balaji won first place with his CognifyAI App.

“te ouAs medical science continues to advance rapidly, it is vital that the products of this innovation remain accessible to all who need them. The App Challenge winners in my district recognized this and used this Challenge to display creative ways to address this issue. Contests like this serve as an incredible way for students to use their critical thinking skills to address the challenges of today, and to present unique solutions through technology. The talent of the students in Georgia’s 11th Congressional District continues to inspire, and I am proud to know that there are exceptional young people pursuing their interests in the fields of technology. I appreciate all who participated in this challenge and congratulate our winners.”

The Congressional App Challenge is a nonpartisan Initiative that encourages students’ interest in computer science, coding, or careers in STEM fields. Established in 2013 as a result of the Academic Competition Resolution passed by Congress, it has increased Congressional dialogue on the subjects of computer science and coding by about two thousand percent. Students can compete individually or in groups of up to four, and are tasked with designing an application (app) of their choosing. Each winning app is featured in the U.S. Capitol, and on the House of Representatives official website (House.gov), which has ten million visitors per year.

11th Congressional District – 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winners

1st Place
Aarav Balaji
App: CognifyAI
School: Wheeler High School

2nd Place
Aaditya Kulkarni
App: KnowYourMeds
School: Walton High School

3rd Place
Vidya Sinah
App: TrueHue
School: Wheeler High School

App Backgrounds

CognigyAI
Addresses the challenge of early-identification of cognitive decline by integrating structured cognitive assessments and machine-learning concepts.

KnowYourMeds
Assists with medication safety and comprehension by interpreting essential information on medication.

TrueHue
Assists those with color blindness by providing more in-depth processing and analysis of color than standard methods.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

December 10, 2025

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) and Congressman John Rutherford (FL-05) introduced the Supporting Blue Envelope Programs Act, bipartisan legislation to provide federal funding to support, expand, and create Blue Envelope Programs across the country. Blue Envelope programs help improve communications and interactions between law enforcement and public safety personnel and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), or other features that may affect communication with first responders.

Blue Envelope Programs provide individuals with a clearly identifiable envelope that can hold their driver’s license, vehicle registration, emergency contacts, and other helpful information, helping first responders understand a driver’s needs during traffic stops and other encounters. Programs can also provide individuals with other Blue Envelope-branded items (i.e. lanyards, pins, and seatbelt covers) to help facilitate improved interactions.

In California’s 35^th Congressional District, the Inland Regional Center, Autism Society Inland Empire, and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department partnered to launch the San Bernardino County Blue Envelope Program, which has been adopted by numerous police departments in the region. Similar programs exist in 29 States nationwide: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia.

“The Inland Empire’s Blue Envelope Programs have been a success, and this bipartisan bill would support and expand similar programs across the country. For individuals with Autism, developmental disabilities, or other communication challenges, encounters with law enforcement and other first responders can be confusing or overwhelming, and Blue Envelope Programs helps foster positive and safer interactions,” said Rep. Norma Torres. “I’m proud to partner with Congressman Rutherford on this legislation to help provide law enforcement and community members the tools, resources, and training needed to launch and run Blue Envelope Programs across the country.”

“As a former sheriff and lifelong law enforcement officer, I believe nothing is more important than the safety and security of all members of our community,” said Rutherford. “That includes individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD), and others who may face communication challenges when interacting with law enforcement officers and first responders. To keep members of the autistic community safe, it is important that officers have the tools they need to reduce misunderstandings that can arise from differences in communication. That is why I am proud to introduce bipartisan legislation with Representative Torres to support blue envelope programs nationwide to help improve communication and safety for all.”

“This program demonstrates what is possible when law enforcement, families, and community partners come together with a shared purpose. The Blue Envelope initiative gives our deputies practical tools to better support individuals with developmental disabilities and create safer, more effective interactions. I commend Congresswoman Torres and Congressman Rutherford — himself a former sheriff — for championing federal support so more communities across the nation can benefit from this model.” – San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus

“For too long, individuals with I/DD, autism, and those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing have faced unnecessary risks during law enforcement encounters. The Blue Envelope Program equips officers with practical tools and provides drivers with reassurance—protecting individual rights without compromising officer safety. This legislation strengthens trust, builds collaboration, and creates safer interactions for the communities we all serve.” – Dr. CJ Cook, Program Administrator, Inland Regional Center

“The Supporting Blue Envelope Programs Act recognizes what families like ours have known for years — that improving communication can save lives. By investing in person-centered, trauma-informed training for law enforcement and providing practical tools to individuals with disabilities affected by communication challenges — including blue envelopes, decals, and other communication supports — this legislation helps ensure safer, more respectful interactions for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. We are proud to support this bipartisan effort that strengthens community partnerships and expands a program proven to make a meaningful difference.” – Beth Burt, Executive Director, Autism Society Inland Empire

“The Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) is grateful to Representatives Torres and Rutherford for championing this legislation. Blue Envelope Programs provide officers and families with practical tools that build trust, improve communication, and support safer outcomes for individuals with autism and other developmental or communication differences. We stand ready to support efforts to advance this critical legislation.” – Megan Noland, Executive Director, MCSA

“The Blue Envelope Program has been a game changer for our department. It has given us a tangible way to connect with individuals who have I/DD or who may be DHH. This program not only improves communication during critical encounters but also strengthens our outreach to underserved members of the community, ensuring they know we are here to protect and serve them with respect and understanding.” – Sgt. Nathan Weiske of the Fontana Police Department

“When law enforcement officers encounter individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) during traffic stops or other encounters, they may not always realize they are dealing with a person with such disabilities. In these cases, these individuals would be able to physically present a blue envelope to an officer, making them aware and better positioned to handle the situation in a safe and appropriate manner since the individual may have differing needs than typically expected.” – Patrick Yoes, National President o the Fraternal Order of Police

“We greatly appreciate Representatives Torres and Rutherford for their leadership in introducing the Blue Envelope Program legislation, which will improve communications between law enforcement and people with communication barriers, including people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism. Finding new ways to improve interactions with law enforcement or safety personnel is so important to avoid confusion or unintended consequences due to communication barriers.” – Ted Thompson, Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Easterseals

“As someone living with Parkinson’s and working with a community of people with brain disorders, I know how easily communication and movement symptoms can be misread in high-stress encounters with law enforcement. The Blue Envelope Programs Act is a practical, person-centered way to make those encounters safer, more respectful, and less traumatic for everyone. By investing in training, tools, and trauma-informed practices, this bill recognizes that people with autism, developmental and cognitive disabilities, and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s deserve not just protection, but dignity and understanding in every interaction.” – Larry Gifford, President of PD Avengers

“I strongly support this investment in Blue Envelope programs because it enhances communication, strengthens trust, and improves safety for individuals with autism and other developmental or communication challenges. This program equips officers with critical, potentially life-saving information while giving families greater peace of mind and confidence in law enforcement. I commend Congresswoman Norma Torres and Congressman John Rutherford for their leadership and commitment to advancing this important issue at the federal level.” – Chino PD Chief Kevin Mensen.

“Too many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been harmed or killed in encounters with law enforcement because their disability was mistaken for defiance or danger. A blue envelope may change the trajectory of an interaction in seconds, giving officers context and understanding. The Arc has been deeply involved in criminal justice work for over a decade and we’re grateful for this much-needed bipartisan step that can save lives.” – Katy Neas, CEO of The Arc of the United States

“Effective communication between Autistic individuals and first responders is essential to safety and well-being. By ensuring Autism experts help design and deliver this training, including the use of blue envelopes, this legislation strengthens community trust and promotes safer, more inclusive emergency responses nationwide.” – Joseph Joyce, CEO and President of the Autism Society of America

“I hear from autistic drivers all the time about the anxiety they carry into traffic stops — the fear that they won’t be understood,” said Keith Wargo, President & CEO of Autism Speaks. “Blue Envelope programs give drivers a simple yet effective way to communicate their needs, and they give officers the tools to respond with confidence and respect. We are grateful to Congresswoman Torres and Congressman Rutherford for championing this bipartisan effort. By prioritizing community-centered training and implementation of Blue Envelope initiatives nationwide, this bill expands access to a model that empowers autistic people to navigate traffic encounters on their own terms and ensure that a routine traffic stop stays just that routine.”

“I fully support the Blue Envelope Program. I recently met a young man who introduced himself at a community event. He mentioned he was on the spectrum and told me all about the Blue Envelope he was holding. He was advocating for the program locally, and I could tell he felt it would help him navigate contacts with law enforcement successfully; it was essential to him. I think the Blue Envelope will help foster safe interactions with law enforcement in the future, especially with increased awareness among law enforcement officers nationwide. This bill will help make that a reality.” Chief Michael Ellis – Pomona PD, CA

“As policing professionals, our job is to engage with every member of our community with understanding, safety, and respect. This legislation provides practical tools to enhance communication with individuals on the IDD spectrum and strengthens the trust that is essential to effective policing.” David B. Rausch, President, International Association of Chiefs of Police

Blue envelope-style programs foster safer and more compassionate interactions between law enforcement and community members. When officers are educated and empowered to respond to Blue Envelope prompts, they can adjust their approach to meet the individual’s needs, ultimately building trust, empathy, and collaboration with community members.” – Khrystle Lotfizadeh, Clinical Director of IDEA, Easterseals Southern California Autism Services

“Introduction of the Blue Envelope Programs Act is a critical step toward safer, more informed interactions between first responders and people living with Parkinson’s disease, as well as those living with other cognitive disorders that make communication difficult,” said Leslie A. Chambers, President & CEO of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA). “The Blue Envelope program will enable APDA to broaden its first responder education initiatives, helping to reduce misunderstandings, accelerate response times, and enhance the overall quality of emergency care. Importantly, it also promotes dignity and ensures that every interaction is grounded in awareness and compassion.”

“Giving officers the tools and training needed to safely interact with individuals with Autism and other disabilities is essential to building the trust that is core to effective community policing,” said Brian R. Marvel, President of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC). “We’re grateful to Representatives Torres and Rutherford for championing this legislation which will provide the resources necessary for more states and local agencies to adopt these proven Blue Envelope Programs.”

“The San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez thank Representatives Norma Torres and John Rutherford for advancing bipartisan legislation supporting the Blue Envelope Program. The San Diego Sheriff’s Office was at the forefront of establishing program standards and framework through strong community collaboration, and we’re proud to see this model embraced nationally. This legislation strengthens a tool valued by both our community and our deputies, helping ensure safer, clearer, and more understanding interactions for individuals with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The Supporting Blue Envelope Programs Act will:

• Authorize grants for law enforcement agencies to create, expand, and improve Blue Envelope Programs, in partnership with nonprofits that provide services and resources for individuals with ASD, I/DD, or other features that may cause communication barriers;
• Provide training and resources for law enforcement, in addition to voluntary training for members of the public;.
• Protect the privacy of participants by not allowing a registration component;
• Prioritize programs that are built to last, involve multiple law enforcement agencies, and involve experienced community partners with direct links to participants and their families.

The Supporting Blue Envelope Programs Act is endorsed by: Major County Sheriffs Association, Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, International Association of Chiefs of Police, San Bernardino County Sheriffs’ Department, San Diego County Sheriffs’ Office, Pomona Police Dept., Chino Police Dept., Fontana Police Dept., Ontario Police Dept., Autism Society, Autism Speaks, Autism Society Inland Empire, Inland Regional Center, Easterseals, Easterseals Southern California, The Arc of the United States, National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, PD Avengers — Global Alliance to End Parkinson’s, American Psychological Association Services, National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors (NACBHDD).

Bill text

One pager

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Tony Wied (WI-8), Jim Costa (CA-21) led a bipartisan group of 74 members of the House of Representatives in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, urging him to hold Canada accountable for failing to meet its dairy commitments under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The letter calls on the administration to use the upcoming 2026 USMCA review process to address these longstanding concerns.

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.

“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,” wrote the Members. “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.”

The effort is strongly supported by U.S. dairy producers.

“USMCA raised the standard for what a trade agreement could be and promised new opportunities for U.S. dairy farmers,” said Gregg Doud, President and CEO, National Milk Producers Federation. “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.”

“USMCA is the most important free trade agreement for the U.S. dairy industry, and it must be renewed, said Michael Dykes, President and CEO, International Dairy Foods Association. “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.” 

The full text of the letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

Headline: Newhouse Votes to Reauthorize Secure Rural Schools Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement upon passage of S. 356, the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Reauthorization Act of 2025, by the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 399-5. 

“The Secure Rural Schools program has provided critical funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services to more than seven hundred counties across the country, including here in Central Washington,” said Rep. Newhouse. “This longstanding commitment from the federal government helps rural areas where resources are stretched thin, and the program’s lapse has put a real strain on counties who historically depend on these funds.  

As a longtime supporter of SRS, I am pleased to see this program reauthorized, and I am thankful for the bipartisan support we have in making sure rural communities begin receiving this assistance again.”

Funding for the SRS program lapsed in 2023, resulting in school closures, delayed road and bridge maintenance, and reduced public safety services. 

This legislation, passed by the U.S. Senate with unanimous consent on June 18, 2025, reauthorizes the SRS program for rural communities who depend on it. 

Background 

Since 1908, federal law has required the U.S. Forest Service to share 25 percent of revenue generated on federal land with local governments for public schools and public roads of the county or counties in which the forest reserve is situated.

For decades, timber sales were the largest source of revenue for local jurisdictions in these areas. However, as revenues declined, this created unexpected and prolonged fiscal challenges for local governments home to untaxed National Forest lands.

In response, Congress enacted the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, giving counties the option to receive SRS payments to support public services like road maintenance, infrastructure, education, wildfire mitigation, and other efforts to address public safety.

Congress has consistently reauthorized these payments with overwhelming bipartisan support. 

See full bill text here. 

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

Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08) and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced bicameral legislation to bring ranked choice voting (RCV) to congressional races across America. The Ranked Choice Voting Act would require RCV for all primary and general congressional races beginning in 2030, allowing voters to express their ranked support for multiple candidates. This would make our elections fairer and more representative and create a more positive politics.

With RCV, voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate receives more than half of the first choices, that candidate wins, just like in any election. If not, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who picked that candidate as ‘number 1’ have their votes redistributed and counted for their next favored choice. This process continues until a candidate wins with more than half the votes.

“Ranked choice voting is a great advance in democracy. It gives voters more power at the ballot box and makes our politics more positive and inclusive, encouraging candidates to connect with more voters,” said Rep. Raskin. “I’m proud to partner with Representative Beyer and Senator Welch on this important legislation to keep growing and improving electoral democracy.”

“Polarization in Congress is worse than ever, and this is making it harder and harder for Congress to solve basic problems for the American people,” said Rep. Beyer. “Ranked choice voting would help fix our broken political system by changing election incentives to favor leaders who build broad and diverse coalitions focused on solutions rather than divisive rhetoric. This reform would strengthen our democracy and make Congress more responsive to the needs of the people we represent.”

“Our democracy is at its strongest when everyone is heard and represented. Ranked choice voting offers an opportunity to break through polarization and strengthen our democracy by ensuring that our elected candidates have received the broad support of the folks they’ll represent,” said Senator Welch. “I’m proud to join my friends and former colleagues Representatives Raskin and Beyer on this pro-democracy bill to make our elections more equitable, more civil, and more representative.”

“The Ranked Choice Voting Act will give voters more choice and more power. It will make Congress more responsive and more accountable to the people they represent,” said Meredith Sumpter, president and CEO of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections. “At a time when polarization and gridlock are making it harder for Congress to deliver for the American people, ranked choice voting gives members of Congress incentives to lead, legislate, and govern together.” 

The RCV Act is endorsed by FairVote Action, Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Public Citizen, People Power United, Third Way, Ranked Choice Voting Maryland, National Council of Jewish Women, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, United Church of Christ, #unifyUSA, 7th Generation Labs, Better Ballot SC, Bridge Alliance Education Fund, Citizen Works, Clean Elections Texas, Connecticut Voters First, DemCast USA, Divided We Fall, FairVote Illinois, FairVote Minnesota, Fix Democracy First, Founding Mothers Movement, Georgia Coalition for the Peoples Agenda, Greenpeace USA, HeadCount, Healthfox US, Indivisible Howard County, N.C. For The People Action, National Network for Arab American Communities, National Organization for Women, NH Ranked Choice Voting, Ocean State RCV, Rank the Vote, Rank The Vote Ohio, RepresentUs, RepresentWomen, SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Task Force for Democracy, UpVote Virginia, Vote Nevada, Voter Choice Arizona, Voter Choice Massachusetts, Women’s Committee of the Forward Party.

The legislation is cosponsored in the House by Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-09), Angie Craig (MN-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Scott Peters (CA-50), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Shri Thanedar (MI-13).

Read the full text of the RCV Act here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s Morning Joe, where he reiterated that while Donald Trump and Republicans claim the high cost of living is a hoax, Democrats will continue fighting to lower costs and fix the GOP healthcare and affordability crises.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Joining us now, House Minority Leader, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Thank you very much for coming on the show. I want to ask you about that. We have a lot to ask you about that. But I first would like to ask you about the story we just covered before the break that played out in Boston where migrants, people who walked legally down the road, the long, hard, expensive road to citizenship, only to have it yanked away at the last minute because they were from certain select countries. That, along with the fact that later in the show we’ll be covering a report on—from Amnesty International about the depraved conditions at Alligator Alcatraz. What do you have to say? And is there anything that you can do about what is happening to these migrants, especially those who have taken the legal route to become citizens of the United States of America to take part in that incredibly emotional, personal and American ceremony to become a citizen and pledge allegiance?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good morning. It’s great to be with you. It was a devastating day for people who are legal, permanent residents. They’ve been living in this country lawfully, contributing to their communities, anticipating this incredibly important day, this milestone that’s very consistent with, you know, the American dream and the notion that we are both a nation of immigrants and a nation anchored in the rule of law. Did everything right, but this is an example of the continued cruelty that Donald Trump and his administration are inflicting upon the country, and the American people are rejecting it all across America, and we just got additional evidence of that with a Democrat winning the mayor’s race in Miami in a heavily-immigrant community last night for the first time in almost 30 years.

WILLIE GEIST: And President Trump kind of gave away the game during that speech yesterday in Pennsylvania as these immigrants from Haiti, legal immigrants from Haiti and Cuba, are being pulled out of line saying, why don’t we have more immigrants from Norway or Sweden? Will let you process that for a moment. But let me ask you more specifically about the message or at least the intended message of that event from the President in the Poconos yesterday. It was ostensibly about affordability. We’d heard that his advisors had said, hey, we’ve seen the results of these elections, we’re looking at polls, we’re listening to our own voters saying things are too expensive in this country. And then the President goes out and hands you another political gift by mocking the idea that affordability really is a crisis in this country. What did you make of his remarks yesterday?

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s incredible that Donald Trump continues to put forth this lie to the American people that the affordability crisis in this country is a hoax or some type of Democratic scam. It’s very real and the American people know it. The cost of living in this country is far too high. Housing costs are too high. Grocery costs are too high. Utility bills, particularly electricity bills, are too high. And we know that healthcare as a system has been broken, particularly by these Republicans, and now they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which means for tens of millions of people, their health insurance costs are about to skyrocket in some cases $1,000 or $2,000 increases per month. It’s all unsustainable. The American people want us to work together to drive down the high cost of living. Donald Trump and Republicans have zero interest in doing it because they’re too busy enacting massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors.

JON LEMIRE: Leader Jeffries, let’s shift gears here and talk about these strikes of alleged drug boats off the coast of Venezuela, in particular the one on September 2nd that has received so much scrutiny because it was hit multiple times and there were survivors seen clinging on the side of the boat. There was a Gang of Eight briefing yesterday. You participated in it. Defense Secretary Hegseth, Secretary of State Rubio, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, others were involved. Tell us, you know, as you can, what you heard yesterday. Did you see that second video? Did you have some of your questions answered? If not, what remained?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I still haven’t seen any evidence that justifies these strikes, which we believe are extrajudicial in many instances. We’re still trying to determine the basis of the authority for carrying out these strikes that have been taking place and the overall rationale in terms of promoting the safety and the national security of the American people. It certainly is also the case that we’re arguing for more transparency for Members of the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As Leader Schumer has said publicly and as I’ve supported, we believe that the entire Congress should see the whole video so that we have context for the strike that took place, which many of us believe is inconsistent with the law and with American values. And the other point that I think we’ve made repeatedly is that this administration continues to think that the Congress is nothing but a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump cartel. It is not. My Republican colleagues function in that fashion and, unfortunately, they have undermined the ability of Congress to serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch, which was one of the most important parts of the Constitution in terms of how the framers constructed our democracy. So we’re pressing for a full briefing of the entire Congress on the issues related to the strikes occurring off the coast of Venezuela, as well as some further clarity and information on where we’re heading in terms of the Russian aggression that continues related to Ukraine.

MIKE BARNICLE: So, Congressman, you were just talking about the Affordable Care Act subsidies and the likelihood that they might disappear for a lot of people who would then go either without healthcare or go bankrupt trying to continue healthcare. What can you do on the Democratic side of the aisle with legislative tricks or traps or whatever to make sure that this does not happen, that they don’t lose the subsidies?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this is an incredibly urgent issue for tens of millions of people. All 214 Democrats have signed a discharge petition to force an up-or-down vote on extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that that happens before the end of this month. All we need are four Republicans in the House to join us. There are 220 of them. We only need four. And if that happens, then we can force that up-or-down vote. And everyone knows that the votes exist to ensure that we extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, that we can ensure that working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans don’t face a dramatic increase in their health insurance costs, so much so that they will be unable to go see a doctor when they need one.

MIKA BRZEZINSKI: House Minority Leader, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, thank you very much for coming on the show this morning. We appreciate it.

Full interview can be watched here.

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