Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
“If a child goes missing, information obtained by this kit can make all the difference in bringing them home. No one should experience that harrowing dread to see a police officer at your door or feel the real pain behind the missing child poster on a wall,” said Wasserman Schultz. “I look forward to working with the dedicated teams here today to end the missing child crisis. We owe it to every young person and parent to be fully committed to this fight.”
Lauderhill, FL – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) joined advocates, law enforcement, and local elected officials to announce the launch of a major regional child safety initiative to distribute 400,000 free National Child Identification Program (NCIDP) kits to families throughout Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Collier counties.
“If a child goes missing, information obtained by this kit can make all the difference in bringing them home. No one should experience that harrowing dread to see a police officer at your door or feel the real pain behind the missing child poster on a wall,” said Wasserman Schultz. “I look forward to working with the dedicated teams here today to end the missing child crisis. We owe it to every young person and parent to be fully committed to this fight.”
The ID kit allows parents to collect specific information by easily recording the physical characteristics, fingerprints and DNA of their children on identification cards that are then kept at home by the parent or guardian. If ever needed, this ID kit gives authorities vital information to assist their efforts to locate a missing child.
Wasserman Schultz was joined by Children Services Council of Broward President/CEO Cindy Arenberg Seltzer, LifeNet4Families President/CEO Denise Brown, National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives VP Kevin Granville, United Way of Broward County President/CEO Kathleen Cannon, Broward County Commissioner Nan Rich, State Representative Daryl Campbell, Broward Human Trafficking Coalition Jumorrow Poitier, and Broward Sheriff’s Office Major Renea Peterson.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)
Lafayette, CO — On Monday, June 15, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse will host an in-person town hall meeting in Larimer County. Neguse will be joined by local leaders, provide an update on his work for the people of Colorado’s 2nd District, and take live questions from audience members.
This will be his 25th public town hall of the 119th Congress—more than all members of Colorado’s House delegation combined.
What: Timnath Town Hall When: Monday, June 15 @ 7:00 p.m. MT Where: Timnath Town Center 4750 Signal Tree Dr.
Congressman Neguse has represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. Covering more than 12,000 square miles, the district is one of Colorado’s largest and most rural, spanning twelve counties: Boulder, Weld, Clear Creek, Eagle, Gilpin, Grand, Jefferson, Larimer, Summit, Jackson, Routt, and Broomfield. Last year, Neguse visited 50 cities and towns across the district.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Fox 5’s Good Day New York where he emphasized that Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice needs to end in order to lower costs and make life better for the American people.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: And this morning, we’re joined by the House Minority Leader, Brooklyn Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries, Knicks Fan. I see this. All right, we’re embracing that, but we got to start with breaking news. Can we talk about that? Let’s talk about a possible peace deal with Iran. What do you know about this peace deal?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we haven’t been briefed yet. And so we are awaiting that from the administration. My concern has been from the beginning that this is a war that we never should have entered into. It was a reckless war of choice that obviously has cost the American people significantly, particularly as it relates to skyrocketing gas pricesin an environment where the cost of living was already too high. Now, the President has indicated that even with this tentative agreement, there’s still unresolved issues related to Iran’s nuclear aspirations. That’s ironic to us because the President said last year that Iran’s nuclear program had been completely and totally obliterated. So there’s a lot of ambiguity that needs to be sorted out over the next few days.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: I know. He’s saying that his deal, you know, or the reason why he got involved and tried to get this is that the Obama deal did not sufficiently address ballistic missiles, and Iran continued some uranium enrichment, so there were things that were still on the table that Iran was not agreeing to, even though it had an agreement years ago.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the one problem with the Trump approach is that the agreement that Iran entered into back in 2015 limited their nuclear ambitions and nobody disagreed with that, including the Trump administration during the first Donald Trump presidency until President Trump, for whatever the reason, decided to pull the plug. And the strength of that agreement that President Obama entered into is that it also involved our partners throughout the world, including Great Britain, France and Germany, along with India and South Korea and Japan, and, party to the agreement, also included China and Russia. And so the decision to actually break from that agreement, which Donald Trump made, has led us to a situation where he then gets us involved in a war of choice in the Middle East, which he said he wasn’t going to get us into. He wasn’t there to start wars, he was there to stop them, and then turns around, more than $100 billion in taxpayer money has been spent, 13 lives have been lost, hundreds of people have been seriously injured and now it’s not clear was it all worth it in terms of the outcome. That remains to be seen.
DAN BOWERS: One of the criticisms of the Obama deal was that, when it comes to some of the nuclear issues, it sort of pushed it down the line. It didn’t necessarily get rid of it or solve the problem, which is what the Trump administration says is the intention and what will happen with this deal. Do you feel confident at all that that is going to be what the end result is here?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We don’t have any confidence that the end result is that you’re going to get an agreement that’s actually longer or stronger. Aspirationally, that would make sense. But in terms of Iran’s strategic negotiating position, they are in a stronger position now than they were in prior to the war being started because prior to the war, Iran didn’t have control of the Strait of Hormuz. Now they have control, and as a result of that, have been able to inflict economic pain on the American peopleas a result of gas prices being higher, food prices being higher and the same thing across the world. So why in the world would Iran actually come to the table with a strengthened negotiating position and arrive at an agreement that puts them strategically in their view worse off?
DAN BOWERS: And yet here we are. I mean the Obama deal’s not coming back. This is the deal that now is apparently the one that is gonna move forward. Where do you see any positives? What would you need to see in the next couple of months here where you might say, oh, okay, maybe this is something that can move forward?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the war needs to end, and that’s been our position. We passed a resolution in the Congress that was bipartisan joined by a handful of Republicans to make clear that we believe that this reckless and costly war of choice needs to end. The American people support that in a bipartisan way. And our view is that we need to focus on actually trying to make life better for the people of New York City and for the people of this country.The cost of living is way too high. America’s far too expensive. And perhaps we should actually focus on solving our own problems here in the United States of America as opposed to getting involved in this war overseas that involved more than a dozen Middle Eastern countries and we’re not even sure that, at the end of the day, we’re better off than we were prior to the war.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: Well, can we be positive? Maybe something good’s gonna come out of this. I mean, you got the Knicks hat on. Everybody’s coming together. We’re coming together as a city. Maybe something good’ll come out of the Iran peace deal.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well listen, I think the positive thing, hopefully, for the American people is that the Congress working with the administration can actually focus on the problems that the American people want us to solve, which is to make their life better.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: All right, listen, the gas prices were this high under Obama, too.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen—
ROSANNA SCOTTO: And Biden, right?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I’m not—
ROSANNA SCOTTO: Right? President Biden, didn’t we have gas prices at over $5?
LEADER JEFFRIES: No, well, they were gas prices in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic situation.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: And I remember eggs were like $12 a dozen. But listen, that’s in the past. We’re moving forward, we got a big Knicks celebration happening on Thursday.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Absolutely.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: What are we going to do? Are you going to be part of it?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I hope to be there but I’m trying to work some travel logistics out because of pre-existing commitments but being able to actually watch the Knicks during this playoff run with friends and family members and colleagues and neighbors has been an amazing thing. And you know, as we were talking about, Rosanna, when the Knicks are magical it brings everyone together, the whole city and that’s just a beautiful thing to see.We’ll always treasure this, you know, run together. And I just salute a team that showed the grit, the heart and soul of what makes New York City, New York City.
DAN BOWERS: Where were you when they won, and was there any doubt that Jalen Brunson, the guy who’s put it on his back for the whole playoffs, was gonna bring them back?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, what was incredible—a few of us were gathered together in Manhattan, a few Members of Congress, some were from out of town, some Members of the New York City delegation, to watch it. Because we had been tracking this playoff run together, mostly in Washington when the games were taking place, including a few us who were gathered during that 29-point comeback, which was incredible. And so it was just—it was a great experience. And, you know, I’m a long-suffering Knicks fan.
DAN BOWERS: As we all are.
LEADER JEFFRIES: As we all are. Appreciate the tie.
DAN BOWERS: Yeah, exactly. You’ve got to represent at least one day and then we’ll rock it again on Thursday.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, that’s great.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: Before you go, there’s a contentious race in New York City. I know you’ve put your hat into—your Knicks hat into the ring there. Congressman Espaillat running against Darializa. The Mayor has supported this other contender. Why should New Yorkers consider continuing to vote Congressman Espaillat in?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Congressman Espaillat is a bold leader, he’s a strong leader, he’s a committed leader. He’s helping to push back aggressively on the things that we believe matter for the people of New York. He’s fighting hard to lower the high cost of living. He’s been a champion of affordable housing for a long period of time. He’s worked on the Second Avenue Subway, which is going to be incredibly important to the people of his district and in New York City. And he’s fighting to push back against the ICE overreach that we’ve seen because he believes, like we believe, that immigration enforcement in this country, a nation of immigrants, should be fair, just and humane.
DAN BOWERS: Can I just do one quick follow-up on that question if I can because Mayor Mamdani obviously has a lot of support and surged in popularity all across the country, but endorsing this particular candidate that is further to the left, that’s something that within your Caucus is—you’re going to have to see, if when it comes to the midterms, is that the future of the Democratic Party, a tilt toward the left?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we believe that, you know, commonsense, get-stuff-done Democrats will remain the heart and soul of the Democratic Party. Congressman Espaillat, who’s a progressive leader, falls into that category, and with respect to this endorsement, the Mayor and I have agreed to strongly disagree. And I’m going to do everything I can to help Congressman Espaillat win re-election so he can continue to serve the people of Harlem, Washington Heights and the Bronx.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: Okay, Congressman Jeffries, thank you so much. We’ll see you back here for the parade, I’m assuming.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Look forward to it.
ROSANNA SCOTTO: Thank you for stopping by Good Day.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — Last night, Speaker Johnson joined Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy on Fox News to discuss Democrats’ opposition to commonsense election security measures like voter ID and citizenship verification. Speaker Johnson also addressed the Democrats’ ongoing blockade of FISA Section 702 and Republican priorities for the balance of the 119th Congress.
“All that bill does is it requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID when you show up to do so,” Speaker Johnson said. “That’s common sense. That’s a 90/10 issue in public opinion polling.”
On Republican priorities for the remainder of the 119th Congress:
We’re working overtime to get all that checklist done. We have the surface transportation bill that’s still on the table, the National Defense Authorization Act, we’re working through the appropriations process before the end of the fiscal year, which ends September 30, as you know. So, a lot on the table. But we are looking at another reconciliation package, and it is a sad statement about where we are in politics in America right now. We’ve done two reconciliation bills already and your viewers know because they’re savvy; this is the only exception to having to get 60 votes in the Senate on a major piece of legislation. So, reconciliation allows 51 votes only to pass in the Senate if you’re reconciling a budget. That’s what we squeezed into the Big Beautiful Bill, into the Working Families Tax Cut. We just got Reconciliation 2.0 done to get the Department of Homeland Security fully funded. Democrats didn’t want to have any part of any of those things, and I’m afraid they don’t want to be a part of, of course, ensuring the security of our elections, helping further with national defense, and bringing down the cost of living, which is what we’re going to put into this third package.
Democrats are against anything with regard to commonsense election security. All that bill does, the current version, is it requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and a photo ID when you show up to do so. That’s common sense; that’s a 90/10 issue in public opinion polling, and yet no Democrat will go along with it.
On Democrats’ FISA blockade jeopardizing national security:
FISA will require 60 votes and I’m certainly hopeful that the Democrats will put their shenanigans aside and finally approve the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. As you know, Trey, that’s the probably the most important national security tool that we have with regard to intelligence because two-thirds of the President’s daily national security briefing comes from the intel that we gather through Section 702. It’s not a game. It endangers the homeland. They’ve got to get it done. The President has named the new permanent Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, who is eminently qualified, as everybody agrees. So, let’s hope they put the politics aside on Monday and get this done and get FISA reauthorized.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)
U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) introduced the Water Access Act, legislation that would direct $500 million to the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) to help low-income families pay for their water and wastewater bills, preventing shutoffs, and ensuring access to safe water.
The water assistance program provides critical funding for low-income households with their water and wastewater bills. This program was essential during the pandemic, helping households keep their water on and their families safe. It is the first-ever federal water assistance program to help low-income households pay for their water and wastewater bills.
“Clean water is a basic human need. Every person should have access to clean, safe, and affordable water to drink, prepare food, bathe, wash clothes, and more. This is about human dignity and survival, because without access to clean water, families face higher risks of disease and diminished quality of life,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “No one should have to choose between paying for water or other necessities. This legislation acknowledges the reality of families struggling as they try to make ends meet and provides critical support to help them with those basic needs.
“Access to water is a basic human right. Yet in the 12th Congressional District, far too many families are living without running water in their homes due to the rising affordability crisis and inhumane water shutoffs. No family should ever have to go without access to something as fundamental as water. Programs like LIHWAP play a vital role in supporting low-income families by helping them manage past-due bills and reconnection fees. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Dingell to introduce the Water Access Act, a step toward making sure every family has the resources they need to live with dignity,” said Congresswoman Tlaib.
Median water rates have risen by approximately 24.2% in the past five years, putting a strain on low-income households. Access to water is a foundational aspect of our society, and when households suffer economic hardship, we must step in and be available to help them maintain their essential water service.
Specifically, this program was created to help income-eligible households pay outstanding water and wastewater bills, providing up to $1,500 in direct payment assistance toward water and wastewater bills for household accounts behind on payments or in disconnect status, or assistance with reconnection fees when services have been disconnected.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)
Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding the announced memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
“I am awaiting the confirmed details of any agreement, but as I’ve said from the start, Trump’s war of choice was misguided and detrimental to American interests. It has inflicted real costs on Americans, partners and allies, global markets, and countless innocent civilians. I honor the American service members who made the ultimate sacrifice and the families who carry that loss.
“The administration’s turn toward diplomacy is welcome. Negotiated, verifiable agreements remain the only way to sustainably address our disputes with Iran, including its nuclear program. We have seen time and again: war cannot change the Iranian regime; eliminate its missile and drone program; end Iranian support for proxies; or stop its abuse of the Iranian people.
“Diplomacy has produced results before. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action imposed strict limits and intrusive inspections on Iran’s nuclear program until President Trump abandoned it without a credible alternative, removing meaningful constraints and contributing to the crisis we face today.
“But as to this current negotiation, the terms, not the press release, will determine whether this serves American interests. Any final agreement must be durable, enforceable, transparent, and subject to rigorous oversight by Congress. The American people deserve more than vague announcements or political spin. They deserve security, clear answers and the confidence that this administration will not repeat the failures that led us into this unauthorized and costly war.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he made clear that House Democrats remain committed to ending the reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East, driving down the high cost of living and pushing back on the extremism being unleashed on the American people by Donald Trump and sycophantic Republicans in Congress.
KRISTEN WELKER: And joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, welcome back to Meet the Press.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning, great to be with you.
KRISTEN WELKER: It’s great to have you back. I want to start right there on Iran with President Trump saying a memorandum of understanding could be signed as early as today, which, based on all of the public information, based on what he has posted, would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, set a timeline for dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. Based on what you know so far, Leader Jeffries, do you support this memorandum of understanding?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we have to take a look at what the ultimate resolution is, if there is one. Donald Trump has now said 38 or 39 different times during the course of this war that it was about to come to an end and an agreement was about to be reached and that has never happened. In fact, Donald Trump told us that Iran’s nuclear program had been completely and totally decimated. He said that last year. It was not true. Donald Trump told us that the Iranian regime was on the brink of collapse in the aftermath of the Ayatollah being killed. That, of course, has not happened. And so, at this point in time, all we can conclude is that this reckless and costly war of choice has been a disaster as it relates to strengthening the national security of the American people. Things aren’t better for us, they’re worse. In fact, Iran is stronger right now. What we have seen is gas prices skyrocket through the roof, and that has had an adverse impact on hardworking American taxpayers.
KRISTEN WELKER: Leader Jeffries, so if President Trump is able to strike a deal with Iran that ultimately leads to Iran getting rid of its nuclear enrichment program, will it have been worth it, and would you support that?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We actually had an agreement that was executed and led by President Barack Obama to constrain Iran’s nuclear program. It was Donald Trump who made the decision to actually rip that agreement up because apparently he suffers from Obama Derangement Syndrome. That agreement that had been reached by President Obama actually resulted in Great Britain, France, Germany, South Korea, India, Japan and, thanks to the leadership from President Obama and his administration, China and Russia, all engaged with Iran to limit their nuclear aspirations. Donald Trump then enters us into this reckless and costly war of choice. And the question that the American people are understandably asking is, ‘How has this in any way made things better?’ Gas prices are through the roof. Iran is stronger now, not weaker. And the American people are less safe.
KRISTEN WELKER: The Iran nuclear deal that was struck during the Obama administration was not signed into law by Congress. Should it have been, and should any new deal be signed into law by Congress?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there was a process by which Congress could either accept or reject the agreement, and I, of course, along with the overwhelming majority of Democrats in the House and the Senate, supported the Iranian nuclear agreement. And it clearly was the right decision at the time. And what we’ve seen is that Donald Trump promised not to start wars in the Middle East but to stop them. But he’s turned around and done the exact opposite as opposed to actually focusing on the problems that the American people need to see resolved, which is driving down the high cost of living. The economy is broken. The American people know it. And as Democrats, we’re committed to actually doing something about it.
KRISTEN WELKER: All right, well, let’s look ahead to the midterms. We are, of course, in the middle of the primary season. You just heard my conversation with Steve Kornacki, which shows Democrats have a five-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. Early voting has, of course, already started in New York. Democrats failed to win the House majority back in 2024 by running largely campaigns against President Trump. Do you believe that candidates should replicate that same strategy in this election cycle?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, actually, House Democrats fell just three seats short of taking back the majority in 2024, outrunning the national political environment. When Donald Trump won in 2016, he lost the popular vote, but he came to Congress with 241 Republicans and only 194 Democrats. Of course, in Donald Trump’s first midterm election, we flipped 40 seats. This time around, because of our overperformance in 2024 with candidates who are focused on the economy, we only need to flip a handful of seats. And we will, with a focus on driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system, getting ICE under control, ending this reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East and cleaning up corruption. Fundamentally, we believe that America is far too expensive. The cost of living is way too high. There are far too many people who are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they can’t thrive and can barely survive. That’s an unacceptable situation in America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world. And we’re going to focus like a laser beam on actually making life better for working-class Americans, everyday Americans, middle-class Americans and all those who aspire to be part of the middle class.
KRISTEN WELKER: Leader Jeffries, I do want to ask you. If Democrats do in fact take back the House, I want to get an understanding of what your top priorities would be. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—your colleague—said this back in April, quote, ‘President Trump has launched a massive war of enormous risk and of catastrophic consequence without reason, rationale or congressional authorization, which is as clear a violation of the Constitution as any. All of these incidents and plenty more have clearly driven our country past the threshold for impeachment.’ Do you agree? If Democrats take back the House, will you move to impeach President Trump?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We haven’t ruled anything in or ruled anything out in terms of accountability. What we have said is that our focus is going to be to make life more affordable for the American people. We have to drive down the high cost of living. We have to restore the American dream, which a lot of people understandably have concluded is broken right now. When you work hard and play by the rules in this country, we believe that you should live an affordable life, a comfortable life and a good life. That means a good-paying job, good housing, good healthcare, a good education for your children and, when it’s all said and done, a good retirement. That’s what brings Democrats together in the House, in the Senate, Governors all across the country, and that’s what we’ll focus on when the American people give us an opportunity to govern on their behalf in the majority.
KRISTEN WELKER: Alright, I want to ask you about the big news this week out of the Senate, Graham Platner winning his primary in Maine. Of course, he has faced allegations of being physically threatening to ex-girlfriends, which he denies among other controversies which have followed him. Here’s a campaign ad being run by Senate Republicans. Take a look.
VOICEOVER: Susan Collins doesn’t have a Nazi tattoo, and she doesn’t have an account on a notorious predator’s paradise app. Graham Platner did for years. And this was his profile picture. Oh, gosh, please, please get that off the screen. Anyway, Susan Collins, a Senator we can be proud of.
KRISTEN WELKER: Does Graham Platner have the character to be a U.S. Senator, Leader Jeffries?
LEADER JEFFRIES: First of all, I thought you were going to say the big news of the week is the Knicks winning the NBA championship—
KRISTEN WELKER: We’re going to get to that, too.
LEADER JEFFRIES: —for the first time in 53 years. I appreciate that. In terms of the Maine Senate race, listen. The voters of Maine are ultimately going to be the ones to decide what’s in the best interest of the people of Maine. At this period of time, I’m just focused on making sure we take back control of the House of Representatives, so we actually have a Congress that is a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch consistent with who we were meant to be according to the framers of the Constitution, as opposed to what we’ve seen House Republicans do, which is to serve as nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda.
KRISTEN WELKER: Let me ask you, though, Leader Jeffries, because under Maine’s election laws, Democrats still have enough time to replace Graham Platner. Given all of the controversies that he has faced, do you think they should replace Graham Platner or stick with him?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the voters of Maine elevated him in the primary, and, ultimately, Senators are going to have to make that collective decision, I assume, in terms of what happens, and again, I think I have a responsibility—we have a hard enough job pushing back against Donald Trump’s extremism and the sycophantic behavior of my Republican colleagues in the House. We need to focus on that job, and we need to make sure we’re doing everything possible to win back control of the United States House of Representatives in November.
KRISTEN WELKER: Alright. Now, let’s talk about the Knicks. Congratulations, they won for the first time—their first title in 53 years last night. Mayor Mamdani is planning a ticker-tape parade. Are you planning to be there, Leader Jeffries?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I certainly hope to be there. Trying to work out some logistical things in terms of previously committed travel, but it’s an ongoing celebration for New York City fans. Basketball is the city game, the Knicks are the city team, it’s a team that showed a lot of heart and soul and grit, the resilience of New York Ccity shone through in terms of how this team launched this incredible playoff run and we’re all thankful that it ended in a championship.
KRISTEN WELKER: Alright, well congrats to the Knicks and Knicks Nation. Leader Jeffries, thanks so much for being here. We appreciate it.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)
June 13, 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Congressman Bill Keating (MA-09), senior member of both the House Armed Services and House Foreign Affairs Committees, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and Admiral Kevin Lundy demanding answers on any U.S. involvement in Ecuadorian boat strikes this year that have resulted in eight missing persons.
The lawmakers highlighted the testimony of Ecuadorean survivors, writing, “According to the testimony of survivors, their attorneys, and their relatives, personnel operating from a blue U.S.-flagged patrol ship are alleged to have boarded and detained crew from two vessels, the Negra Francisca Duarte II on March 17 and the Don Maca on March 26, following what they described as attacks by uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
Following the disappearance of eight missing crew members, the lawmakers underscored the lack of U.S. response to the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances, writing, “The Committee specifically noted the alleged involvement of U.S. forces and called upon Ecuador and the United States to cooperate under Articles 14 and 15 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The Committee set a response deadline of April 27, 2026. There is currently no public indication that the United States has responded to the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances’ requests for information prior to or since the deadline.”
The lawmakers, exercising Congress’ oversight responsibility over U.S. operations abroad, are requesting key information, including information on the scope of U.S. involvement in the incidents with the Fiorella, Negra Francisca, Duarte II, or the Don Maca as well the current status and whereabouts of each individual crew members across the three vessels.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on The Scott Jennings Show and NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight to discuss how House Republicans are delivering results for the American people by lowering costs, strengthening national security, and advancing President Trump’s agenda. Leader Scalise also highlighted the importance of renewing FISA authorities to prevent terrorist attacks and keep Americans safe.
Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview with Scott Jennings.
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview with Scott Jennings:On President Trump disarming Iran’s nuclear capabilities:“I was with the president two days ago in the Oval Office, and we were talking about Iran amongst a number of other issues. And, you know, look, the president wants to get this resolved. He’s talked about trying to get a peace agreement, but he also is aware, as we all know, that you’re dealing with people that are not rational. You’re dealing with people that are not honest in the Iranian leaders. And so this thing’s gone on over, over and over, back and forth. You’ve heard we’re close to deals, and then they struck down a helicopter and the president took some action. He was going to take more. And I think the Iranian leaders realize this is going to get worse for them if they keep playing this game. You do not want to test President Donald Trump. And so hopefully this means we’re getting closer to a resolution. We will surely see. But if the Iranian leaders had some sense, they would get an agreement to stop a pursuit of a nuclear weapon and to end fueling terror around the world.“That’s been objective number one. You know, you look at Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, we’ve decimated a lot of their nuclear capabilities. There is still enriched uranium out there. That’s been a concern… I don’t think you have any of those neighbors that want to see Iran with a nuclear weapon, especially when they chant ‘Death to America.’ You know, it seems like we’re target number one. So the President’s taking action to keep America safe. I hope this comes to a conclusion.”On Democrats jeopardizing Americans’ safety by stonewalling FISA:“Well, it’s really unfortunate where we are, and I think it shows you how dangerous and radical the Democrat Party is that 95% of their members today voted against America’s national security. Think about that, Scott. Just because they hate Donald Trump, they are willing to put American lives at risk. This is a program, FISA, which everybody acknowledges has been used time and again to stop terrorist attacks on our homeland, to stop those attacks. And yet they’re willing to shut that program down, just like you saw them shut the entire Department of Homeland Security down months ago. This is a radical Democrat Party, sure, not your father’s Democrat Party. So, you know, we’re gonna keep working. We have a bill over in the Senate that would renew the program, but Democrats in the Senate are blocking that to this day. At some point, I hope the American people speak out. If you’re represented by a Democrat senator, please call them and say, stop putting our lives at risk. Get over your differences with Donald Trump. And you can still have those other differences, but don’t risk American safety by shutting this program down.”
Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview with Katie Pavlich.
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview with Katie Pavlich:On the impact and meaning of the Congressional Baseball Game:“Well, it’s always special just to, you know, the camaraderie, being able to play in a big league ballpark. This place is gonna be packed with raucous fans on both sides, more on our side, I think. But it’s also, look, we love competing, we want to beat these guys, but we’re raising over $3 million for local youth charities too, and that’s special.”On the Republican agenda:“We secured our border working with President Trump. It was critical, frankly, the biggest issue in the ’24 election. And now we’ve got other problems where we want to keep working on reducing crime, producing more energy, getting, you know, keeping taxes low, getting rules and regulations to make common sense so that we can create more jobs. So a lot of things that we’re still working on.”On prioritizing affordability and cutting red tape:“I’d much rather be where we are than where the Democrats are, frankly, because we’re going to keep working on lowering costs, on getting the country back on track, on securing the border. We’ve got a great housing bill that we passed. Frankly, almost all Republicans and Democrats in the House passed that bill over the Senate. I hope the Senate gets that bill done because we’ve been working with President Trump on things like that. He wants to sign that bill that will lower housing costs and clean up a lot of the red tape. It’s hard to build housing in America because of a lot of the red tape. Let’s clean that up. Let’s make it easier to create jobs and grow opportunities for people in this country. We’re going to be focused on that between now and November.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)
DENVER, CO – Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after federal agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations and Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General attempted to access the offices and client records of nonprofits providing legal services to vulnerable, unaccompanied immigrant children:
“Federal agents showed up unannounced at children’s legal aid organizations this week with no warrant and one clear purpose: intimidation.
“It is no coincidence this happened the same week that Trump and his GOP allies handed ICE and CBP an additional $70 billion payout. These nonprofit organizations help kids prepare for court, stay safe from trafficking, and navigate a system designed for adults. They are not threats. They are a lifeline, and their young clients are often under the direct care of HHS’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR).
“ORR has the responsibility for the care and placement of unaccompanied children in federal custody. Secretary Kennedy has a lot to answer for, and as the Ranking Member of the Health Subcommittee, I want answers immediately.”
Background:
Earlier this week, prior to today’s reporting, Ranking Member DeGette sent a letter to Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie and Health Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith requesting a hearing with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Administration for Children and Families Alex J. Adams and ORR Acting Director Angie Salazar.
HHS is statutorily required to provide services and care for these children under the Unaccompanied Children Program. However, reports show that ORR has taken actions over the past 17 months that jeopardize the well-being of unaccompanied children and undermine the program, including allegations of extended detention periods of 200+ days and increased cooperation with immigration enforcement agencies that harm placement and sponsor vetting.