Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

“I voted for the War Powers Resolution today because the Constitution is clear: only Congress can declare war.

 

“I believed that in 2002 when I voted against the authorization for the Iraq War, and I believe it just as strongly today. Back then, the drums of war were deafening and the pressure in Washington was immense. The founders made this power explicit for a reason: decisions about war belong to the representatives of the American people, not to one person in the Oval Office acting on instinct or impulse.

 

“Now we are watching the same reckless playbook unfold again. President Trump is spending billions of tax dollars on an unauthorized war when the American people are struggling to pay for groceries and doctor’s appointments. The president has no plan and no interest in combating the affordability crisis here at home.

 

“President Trump has taken the United States into a war with Iran without coming to Congress first. Even the Pentagon acknowledged there was no imminent threat to the United States, yet the bombs fell anyway. American service members are already dead, and the President shrugs and says there will ‘likely be more before it ends.

 

“The American people did not vote for this war. Congress did not authorize it. And the Constitution does not permit it.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon Offers Condolences Following Death of Bellevue Native in Operation Epic Fury

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon Secures Six Priorities Included in Farm Bill Advancing Out of Committee

Washington – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) voted today to advance H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, out of the House Committee on Agriculture. The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 34-17 and includes all six of Rep. Bacon’s key farm bill priorities. 

The six initiatives championed by Rep. Bacon strengthen agricultural security, modernize federal programs, support beginning farmers, invest in youth leadership, and improve oversight of foreign farmland purchases.

“Passing a full five-year farm bill is about certainty for farmers, ranchers, and families. Nebraska producers need stability heading into planting season and American families need stability at the grocery store. This bill provides regulatory certainty, strengthens our crop safety net, modernizes farm loan programs, and invests in the research and innovation that keep American agriculture competitive,” said Rep. Bacon. “I am pleased that all six of our legislative priorities were included in this bill. We are strengthening oversight of foreign purchases of American farmland, enhancing agricultural cybersecurity, helping beginning farmers compete for land, supporting FFA and 4-H students, and improving SNAP administration so benefits are delivered efficiently and responsibly. Agriculture is economic security and national security, and this legislation equips producers with the tools they need to succeed.”

Rep. Bacon’s priorities included in the Farm Bill:

1. H.R. 4362 – AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025: Codifies recommendations published by the GAO to amend the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to ensure there is timely and detailed data sharing of foreign investments in agricultural land transactions, better oversight and validation of information, and better identifies those foreign entities who do not file notification they have purchased land in the United States. This legislation will help the United States better track and combat the CCP’s efforts to buy up farmland.
2. H.R. 4156 – Support for Ownership and Investment in Land Act: Modernizes the farm loan process for America’s next generation of agricultural leaders. The legislation allows the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to create a farm loan pre-approval process to allow farmers to make better decisions and not miss opportunities to expand their business operations, which will be especially useful for beginning farmers.
3. H.R. 4155 – American Agricultural Security Research Act of 2025: Establishes Centers of Excellence at higher education institutions and creates a competitive USDA grant program to strengthen our agricultural cybersecurity infrastructure.
4. H.R. 2812 – Youth Lead Act: Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to provide grants to support the operations of Future Farmers of America (FFA), 4-H, and the Scouts. These are preeminent youth leadership organizations in the United States with approximately eight million youth taking part. Participation in these organizations helps children make lifelong friendships and learn leadership and life skills.
5. H.R. 2811 – SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2025: Gives states the option to hire outside contractors to help process applications during high-demand periods. This contract is terminated once the backlog is cleared.
6. H.R. 3946 – The FIGHT Act of 2025: The provision will outlaw in-person and online gambling on animal fighting. Animal fighting is a disgusting practice. The animals are often drugged to heighten their aggression and forced to keep fighting even after they’ve suffered grievous injuries such as broken bones, deep gashes, flesh tears, punctured lungs, and pierced eyes. Animal fighting is a form of organized crime, entangled with gangs and cartels, gambling, drug trafficking, illegal weapons dealing, public corruption, and various violent crimes including homicide, child abuse, and human trafficking. The provision will help to end these disgusting practices by ensuring that criminals cannot profit from individuals gambling on animal fighting.

The Farm Bill now advances to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Watch Rep. Bacon’s opening remarks here and see full remarks as delivered below:

I speak in favor of the Farm Bill. I was here in the 115^th Congress when we passed the last Farm Bill. The new one is now two years over date. The last Farm Bill was great, but it’s out of date. It needs to be made current again. And this Farm Bill definitely does that. In Nebraska, we’re the number one of 50 states for beef production.

We’re in the top five for pork, corn, soybeans, ethanol, popcorn. It’s important. I represent Omaha, and we have some AG on the sides of Omaha, particularly Saunders County. But we have tons of agribusiness and the financial health of our farmers and ranchers directly impacts all these agribusinesses in Omaha. So this Farm Bill is also important to this business community.

Some of the highlights in this bill, it’s going to help our Nebraska hog producers. It’s going to provide regulatory certainty to various manufacturers. It transfers Food for Peace to the USDA and returns the program to its original intent of addressing the global hunger crisis through the purchase of U.S.-grown commodities. It reduces barriers for beginning farmers trying to gain access to credit. The bill also incentivizes further research and adoption of precision agriculture technologies. Together, these reforms meet the moment by equipping agricultural producers with the certainty and tools they need to succeed.

I am also pleased to have worked to advance multiple other initiatives that were included in this bill. These initiatives include helping farmers navigate the FSA loan application process, financially supporting FFA and 4-H students, enhancing the security of our agricultural supply chains, more effectively tracking foreign farmland purchases, and streamlining the administration of the SNAP program. I am pleased that many of these initiatives have garnered bipartisan backing and want to thank both my Republican and Democratic colleagues for their support. 

I look forward to listening to the debate on these amendments. I look forward to hopefully increasing the bipartisanship with the final bill here. But let’s not be fooled, we’ve got to get this farm bill passed for farmers and ranchers.

I yield.

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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 emphasized that House Democrats will continue fighting to make sure taxpayer dollars are used to lower the high cost of living and fix our broken health care system, not to let ICE brutalize the American people or to launch endless wars. 

LEADER JEFFRIES: Fundamentally, politics is about the management of public money. How do the people who are entrusted with serving in the House, in the Senate and within an administration prioritize the expenditure of taxpayer dollars? And our view, as Democrats, is that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people in an environment where the cost of living is way too high, which is why Democrats are going to continue to focus on driving down the high cost of the living, fixing our broken health care system and making sure that people in this country who work hard and play by the rules aren’t simply surviving, but they can thrive, because far too many people in this country are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. One of the challenges that we have in this country is that Republicans have decided to manage the public’s money recklessly. Taxpayer dollars should be used to make your life more affordable. Instead, Republicans have decided to actually use it to enact massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors. That’s what the One Big Ugly Bill was all about. Republicans have decided to use taxpayer dollars to create a $75 billion slush fund to unleash masked and poorly trained, out-of-control ICE agents on American communities, brutalizing and in some cases killing American citizens and violently targeting law-abiding immigrant families. That’s how Republicans have chosen to use the taxpayer dollar of the American people, to manage public money.

And now, of course, we’ve seen Republicans, led by Donald Trump, plunging America into another endless conflict in the Middle East, spending billions of dollars to bomb Iran, but they can’t find a dime to make it more affordable for the American people to go see a doctorwhen they need one. Can’t find a dime to make it easier for Americans who are working hard to purchase their first home. And they can’t find a dime to lower the grocery bills of the American people. And instead, of course, the reckless Trump tariffs have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. Democrats are committed—this is the fundamental fight at this moment—to making sure that we jealously guard the resources of the American people and we use it to make life better for everyday Americans, not actually make things worse, which is what Donald Trump and the Republicans have done.

Full press conference can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus, introduces a resolution that honors the life, legacy, and contributions of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. and sends a letter to President Trump to issue a federal proclamation lowering the flags to half-staff in honor of Reverend Jackson’s passing. In addition, Congresswoman Beatty sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Hakeem Jeffries this afternoon, urging them to lower the Capitol flag on Friday, March 6th, in recognition of Jesse Jackson’s funeral that will take place in Chicago, Illinois. 

This resolution has bipartisan support in addition to being cosponsored by all members of current House Democratic Leadership: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clarke, Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Ted Lieu, and Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse. Additional cosponsors include the full membership of the Congressional Black Caucus, leadership of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Grace Meng, Chair of the Progressive Caucus Greg Casar, and over 150 cosponsors total. 

“Reverend Jesse Jackson was a lover of our country and a dear friend to the world,” said Congresswoman Beatty, “He was a civil rights giant, a towering figure in the struggle for social justice and one of the most consequential civil rights leaders of our time. He challenged us to live up to our nation’s greatest ideal: that all men are created equal, and must be treated as such.”

“It is because of this and more, that Beatty is calling on Speaker Mike Johnson under 4 U.S.C. § 7(m) of the United States Flag Code, to honor him by lowering the flags to half-staff,” Congresswoman Beatty continued, “Given President Trump’s favorable comments about Jesse Jackson upon his passing, I urge him to join myself and House Democrats in acknowledging Jesse’s lifelong pursuit of justice. 

“As his dear friend for over five decades, I had the privilege of witnessing his extraordinary impact firsthand. I saw it in 1984 and at the 1988 Democratic National Convention, where I served as a delegate. I can still recall, vividly, the moment he delivered his electrifying “Keep Hope Alive” speech. His presidential campaigns shattered racial barriers, strengthened Black political power and inspired millions.”

“Despite his accolades, his passion was never about personal ambition; it was about lifting others as he climbed. Over the years, his counsel and encouragement were a steady source of my strength. He stood beside me and guided me through my election, offering wisdom that only a seasoned leader and trusted friend could give. I will never forget the night of my first Congressional victory, when he walked onto the stage, lifted my arms in triumph, and celebrated with me. During my tenure as Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, his voice remained one of conviction and clarity—reminding me, and all of us, that if we raise our voice and keep the fight, a brighter future is always ahead.”

“Most recently, I had the chance to spend time with him as he faced his illness with quiet strength. His legacy will live on through the people he inspired and the progress he carried forward and entrusted to us to continue.”

“I am proud to carry his charge forward and call on President Trump and Speaker Johnson to lower the flags at half-staff in his honor; honoring this esteemed civil rights giant that paved the way for fairness, justice, and equity for all people.”

Past figures that received a federal proclamation lowering the flags at half-staff include Rosa Parks, Senator John McCain, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Congressman Elijah Cummings, and more. 

You can find the full text of the resolution HERE.

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after voting in favor of the War Powers Resolution to stop the President’s unauthorized war in the Middle East.

“Today, I voted in favor of the War Powers resolution to reaffirm Congress’s constitutional responsibility in decisions of war and peace. The Constitution is clear – the authority to declare war rests with Congress, and the American people deserve transparency and accountability before our nation is drawn into another open-ended military conflict costing precious American lives and taxpayers billions.
 

“Our service members deserve leadership guided by strategy, oversight, and respect for the rule of law, not unilateral decisions that risk escalating tensions without a clear plan. Congress must play its role to ensure that any use of military force reflects the will of the American people and the long-term interest of our nation. This vote is about restoring constitutional balance and ensuring that decisions of such consequence are made with the full accountability the public deserves.
 

“This moment did not arise from an imminent threat to the United States, but from a series of erratic and unilateral actions that have brought us closer to a widespread instability. Americans have seen the cost of prolonged conflicts that begin without clear objectives or accountability. We owe it to our service members and their families to ensure that decisions that could put them in harm’s way are made with deliberation, transparency, and the full participation of Congress. Independent estimates place the cost of this war at over $3 billion already. That’s over $890 million each day the war goes on. President Trump’s war of choice is taking away funding which could be used for programs such as children’s healthcare, housing, or restoring SNAP benefits to help families put food on the table – which were cut by Congressional Republicans last year. Exercising our constitutional responsibility today helps prevent reckless escalation and reinforces the principle that decisions of war and peace must never be made lightly.”

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement on his vote for H. Con. Res. 38:

“As Americans mourn the deaths of six of our nation’s bravest citizens, our thoughts must remain with our men and women in uniform, their families, and all those still in harm’s way.

“Iran is a terrorist state that has long fueled death and destruction across the globe. That is why I have always supported efforts to confront Iran’s support for terror and degrade its nuclear and ballistic missile programs through tough sanctions and diplomacy. 

“For too long, politicians of both parties have defended American military operations that quickly spiraled into endless wars without clear, attainable objectives, at the cost of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars. President Trump unilaterally launched military operations in Iran without coming before Congress or speaking directly to the American people.

“Today, I voted to reassert Congress’s authority to prevent another forever war without a clear endgame and a plan to protect our servicemembers, our security interests, and our civilians abroad.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released a statement following House Republicans’ failure to reform Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without any guardrails or protections to keep Americans safe following well-documented abuses:

“President Trump and Congressional Republicans refuse to reform ICE to increase public safety after the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in the streets of Minneapolis. House Republicans are enabling significant abuses of power and holding hostage the rest of the Department of Homeland Security, including TSA, Coast Guard and FEMA. Republicans should at least pass legislation I cosponsor to fund these agencies while negotiations over ICE reforms continue.

“I cannot sanction taxpayer dollars being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens and immigrant families. The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress must come to the negotiating table on ICE funding and policies, and until they do, they must pass House Democrats’ legislation to fully fund the law-abiding components of DHS, including FEMA, TSA and the United States Coast Guard.”

Read Rep. Castor’s statement on the January 22 vote here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“I voted for this War Powers resolution because the military strength of the United States of America derives from the way we send our troops into battle – not hobbled by the refusal of a president to ensure the full strength of our nation through collaboration and consent but from a unified front through the efforts of the legislative and executive branch. Without that, the ability of the United States to accomplish strategic objectives in the region will be hindered. It is the sacred duty of Congress to arm our service members with the resources they need to protect themselves and our nation and one that I take very seriously and assign the highest priority.”

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

Washington, D.C. (March 5, 2026) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement following voting in favor of H.R. 7744 – Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026:

“Today, my Republican colleagues and I voted to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security. This is annual legislation critical to keeping Americans safe on land, at sea, and in the air.

“As the launch of Operation Epic Fury is a bold, neccessary action taken abroad to ensure our national security; Congress must show the same resolve to ensure our security at home. It is no secret that the Biden administration allowed scores of illegal aliens into our country, including many that seek to harm Americans. Illegal aliens on terror watchlists were released into our communities; and with conflict overseas, the threat of retaliatory attacks against America has grown. Despite this reality, Democrats have continued to vote to keep Homeland Security shutdown, preventing DHS from operating at full strength.

At a time of heightened global uncertainty, political gamesmanship is unacceptable. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to put politics aside and provide those charged with security of the homeland the resources they need to protect the United States.”