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McCaul at Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing: Russia's Abduction of Ukrainian Children is "Evil in Its Purest Form"

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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs — delivered the following remarks at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations hearing titled, “The Abduction of Ukrainian Children by the Russian Federation.”

Click to watch

Remarks as delivered:

I do want to thank you [Chairman Graham] and the Ranking Member Schatz for holding this important hearing and having us from the House who care about this issue deeply, and we’ve been following this for quite some time. You’re putting a spotlight on this, and I can’t say thank you enough.

And I agree with you [that] in these peace talks that are going on right now, Russia needs to understand these children must come home. They must be repatriated with their families.

We need an iron-clad security agreement, unlike the ’94 Budapest Agreement that didn’t have that. And as I passed the wartime supplemental in the House, passed by the Senate, Russia needs to pay for its own crimes in the REPO Act.

I met with Ukraine ambassador yesterday, who showed me video that Save Ukraine put together featuring these children and describing the Russian atrocities.

The Russian Federation has abducted at least 20,000 children — that we know of — and every expert I’ve talked to believes the real number is high, much higher than that.

They are also indoctrinating and militarizing Ukrainian children in the occupied territories — possibly up to a million.

According to the video, Russia has allocated 7 BILLION dollars in its 26–28 budget for a national project titled “youth and children,” — essentially, militarized youth organizations.

The ambassador told me, again, that one million children live in the occupied territories — vulnerable to brainwashing and abuse. And more than 43,000 have already enrolled in Russia’s paramilitary youth program.

… [I]n these territories, the textbooks spew false information and conspiracy theories about NATO and the free world.

All this is part of Russia’s effort to turn future generations against Ukraine, the United States, and Europe because, in their words, they are preparing for a large-scale war against NATO.

It will not end at Donbas and the land bridge to Crimea. We have to be clear eyed in these negotiations.

Some of these children’s parents have been threatened into giving up their kids.

[The kids] are shipped to Russia, stripped of their identities, tortured, forced to memorize propaganda, and told their country and their own families are “the enemy.”

Finally, many of them are sent to the frontlines of the Russian war itself. Imagine a child age 16 being sent to the frontlines to fight against their own homeland.

Mr. Chairman, in documentary “Children in the Fire” — I’d recommend everybody watch this — they show a child taken in a prison where adults use electrodes to shock them under their fingernails and genitals. And I hate to even say that in public, but it is so horrific.

No child should ever endure that kind of barbarism. To me, it’s good versus evil, and this is evil in its purest form.

And like the Chairman, I have met with a lot of these survivors. I’ve met with many of them who were sent to Russian camps, and they describe the forced indoctrination and the torture.

As a father of five, as you mentioned, Mr. Chairman, I can’t imagine any of my children being kidnapped and indoctrinated against the United States of America. Imagine how Americans would feel if that happened to them.

I’m thankful, Chairman Graham, for your leadership, calling attention to this important issue. And I agree that any peace plan must include the repatriation of these children. And it must include the iron-clad security agreement.

We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.

Unfortunately, the reporting I’m seeing out of Moscow shows Ukraine making concessions while Putin has made none. That is no surprise. I think he will drag this out.

He will continue his behavior — including the kidnapping and abuse of the children — until pressure is placed on him and he is forced to be stopped.

We must hold those responsible accountable and ensure this ends — not only for Ukraine’s sake, but for our own sake and for the world.

Russia’s attempt to re-engineer an entire generation is a battle plan. In their words, they are preparing children for war against NATO.

This is a national security imperative — and beyond that, it’s a moral imperative. This is a time — all of us on both sides of the aisle — for moral clarity, because history will judge us by what we do here and now. And it will judge us [by] how we respond today.

So again, Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this important hearing. I look forward to working with you and this committee.

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House Passes McCaul’s Landmark Childhood Cancer Legislation

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

Bill was named and passed in memory of Mikaela Naylon, who courageously advocated for its passage during her fight with cancer

WASHINGTON – Today, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act, a landmark bill to accelerate pediatric cancer treatments and expand access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) introduced the legislation in February alongside Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.), Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.) and Randy Weber (R-Texas).

This legislation combines two critical initiatives — the original Give Kids a Chance Act and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act — to spur drug development for pediatric rare diseases, improve outcomes for patients, and close gaps in pediatric drug research.

“As a founder of the childhood cancer caucus, I’ve met with countless cancer patients and advocates who have asked me for one thing: to give kids their best chance of beating cancer. Today, the House of Representatives shined a beacon of hope for those children and their families by unanimously passing the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act,” said Rep. McCaul. “Mikaela represents all the children who have advocated for this bill and suffered with this heartbreaking disease. Losing some of these kids has been the hardest part of my career, but today, I’m encouraged because I know Mikaela’s legacy — and all of their legacies — will live on in this bill forever and help save countless lives.”

“Today, we celebrate the House passage of this critical, bipartisan effort to give children battling cancer and rare diseases a real chance at life. By strengthening incentives for pediatric drug development, restoring essential programs such as the FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher, and ensuring that life-saving therapies reach the children who need them most, we are making meaningful progress. I am proud to have contributed to this important work and will continue fighting for children and families across our nation,” said Rep. Bilirakis.

“It’s impossible to know the pain and devastation a family experiences when their child is diagnosed with cancer,” said Rep. Dingell. “Children respond to cancer treatments differently than adults, but there is not enough research to fully understand how therapies impact them. These children and their families deserve better. This bill will expand pediatric cancer research, offering more children a fighting chance. Mikaela Naylon, for whom this bill is named, fought for this until the day she died. I’m proud to pass this legislation in her honor, to show pediatric cancer patients and their families that they are not alone in their fight.”  

“By passing the bipartisan Give Kids a Chance Act, the House has taken a meaningful step forward in improving health outcomes for kids fighting cancer and rare diseases,” said Rep. Castor. “This bipartisan legislation eliminates unnecessary red tape, prioritizes life-saving pediatric therapies and re-energizes pediatric drug research at no additional cost to taxpayers. As co-chair of the Childhood Cancer Caucus, I’m pleased to see the House come together to remove barriers to care. Working together is how we strengthen families, expand opportunity and build a healthier, more hopeful future for our young neighbors in Florida and across the country.”

“Today, the House delivered long-overdue hope for the millions of Americans and their families struggling with a rare disease,” said Rep. Matsui. “I’m proud my RARE Act is included in this bipartisan package. It will prevent pharmaceutical companies from abusing their orphan drug status to keep other innovative drugs from coming to market. As Co-Chair of the Rare Disease Caucus, I’ve met far too many families who have been told there are no options for their child’s care. This legislation brings them real hope by ensuring investment into pediatric therapies and getting promising treatments to patients faster. Now the Senate must act quickly, because for the rare disease community, every single day matters.”

Background:

Each year, nearly 16,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. In fact, children comprise as many as half of those living with rare diseases, yet treatment options for children remain extremely limited compared to those for adults. The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act would reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration priority review voucher (PRV) program — originally created under McCaul’s Creating Hope Act — which allows pharmaceutical companies to expedite FDA review of more profitable drugs in return for developing treatments for rare pediatric diseases. Since the bill’s passage in 2011, 63 PRVs have been awarded for at least 39 different rare pediatric diseases.

Additionally, thousands of successful drug combination therapies are now being studied and developed for adults, but not for children. The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act also authorizes the FDA to direct companies to study combinations of cancer drugs and therapies in pediatric trials. 

Since founding the Childhood Cancer Caucus, Rep. McCaul has also successfully led the passage of the RACE (Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity) for Children Act, which allows the most innovative adult treatments for cancer to be studied for use in children, and the STAR (Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research) Act, which expands research on childhood cancers and works to enhance the quality of life for survivors.

Click here to view the full text of the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act.

Click here to watch the full speech McCaul delivered on the House floor today.

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McCaul Urges Colleagues to Pass His Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act

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

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) – co-chair and founder of the Childhood Cancer Caucus – spoke on the House floor in support of the passage of his bill, the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act. The legislation combines two critical initiatives — the original Give Kids A Chance Act and the Creating Hope Reauthorization Act — to spur drug development for pediatric rare diseases, improve outcomes for patients, and close gaps in pediatric drug research. It was named in honor of Mikaela Naylon, a young woman who courageously advocated for the bill’s passage throughout her fight with cancer.

Click to watch

Remarks as delivered:

As chairman of the childhood cancer caucus, I host a yearly childhood cancer summit. … It’s a time for pediatric cancer patients, survivors, and advocates to rally together around these precious children — the most precious thing we have — and to spread hope to them.

Each year, I meet a child who impacts me in a very strong way. And this year, I was blessed to get to know this beautiful, beautiful young woman by the name of Mikaela Naylon.

I could see in her eyes that she was at the height of her struggle with cancer. It took so much strength to come to the summit, but she believed she was meant to be there. She wanted her presence — and her voice — to help shape our policies and change our world for the better.

We got her into a joint clinical trial at M.D. Anderson and Texas Children’s, but unfortunately, it was too late. Three weeks after our summit, she had to be put on a ventilator, and she passed away.

As Congresswoman Dingell mentioned, we sent videos to her to remind her of how important she is. In her final moments on this earth, I reached out to her and told her that her story would not be forgotten and that her legacy would continue to help thousands of other children. I wanted her to know that her impact would outlive all of us.

So today, in her honor, the United States Congress will vote on the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act.

Sixteen years ago, I founded the Childhood Cancer Caucus because I saw that children with cancer didn’t have a voice here in Washington. We cared about adult treatments, but no one was paying attention to the precious children battling this heartbreaking disease. In fact, they called it “rare orphan diseases.”

Since then, we’ve made a change for the better – and today is proof of that. Put simply, this bill gives kids the same chance to beat cancer that adults already have.

Right now, thousands of successful drug combination therapies are being studied and developed for adults, but not for children. The Give Kids a Chance Act will change that. It authorizes the FDA to direct companies to study those same drugs and therapies in children as well.

It will also re-authorize my Creating Hope Act, which created a Pediatric Priority Review Voucher Program within the FDA. It was a first-ever market incentive for pharmaceutical companies to develop childhood cancer treatments. … Since its inception in 2012, 63 vouchers have been awarded for treatments of at least 39 different rare pediatric diseases — 36 of which previously had no FDA-approved treatments. These diseases typically lead to death before a child can reach adulthood. But not anymore.

A dear friend of mine — Dr. Allison from MD Anderson in my home state of Texas — was able to use the voucher program to obtain FDA approval for a treatment called CAR-T immunotherapy. He received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for it, and this voucher program had everything to do with the FDA approval for it.

This breakthrough treatment could change everything, and it has changed everything — not just for kids with cancer, but also for adults.

This bill will keep the successful voucher program going for another five years — fueling more innovation, and more hope for children and families who desperately need it.

So I want to thank all of my friends on the Energy and Commerce Committee for … helping me get this done. But I also want to recognize the childhood cancer survivors who are in the gallery today. 

With 313 cosponsors, this bill has the most bipartisan support in Congress. And that’s because there’s nothing political about a child with cancer. There’s nothing more important than saving the lives of the next generation.

My prayers remain with Mikaela’s family, and we’re honored to have them here with us today: her mother, Kassandra, her father, Doug, [and] her brother Ayden. Thank you for sharing Mikaela’s beautiful story with us.

She represents all the children who have suffered with this heartbreaking disease. And after meeting with many of them over all these years, I can tell you these kids are tougher and more resilient than any adults I’ve ever seen — and they are my biggest inspiration. Many survive, but many don’t. And that needs to change. And losing these kids has been the hardest part of my career over 22 years. But today, I’m encouraged because Mikaela’s legacy and all of their legacies — all those who have died and survived this horrible disease — they will live on in this bill forever.

You know, Mr. Speaker, it’s rare in this place that you can pass a bill that will end up saving children’s lives. I can think of nothing more important.

So with that, I urge my colleagues to do right by our children and pass the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids A Chance Act without delay.

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ICYMI: Chairman Emeritus McCaul on ABC's "This Week"

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

AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees — joined Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss the latest on the Trump administration’s strikes in the Caribbean and the latest on the efforts to secure peace in Ukraine.

Click to watch

Excerpts from the interview:

On Democrat lawmakers suggesting President Trump’s Caribbean strikes are illegal: “These orders that they’re talking about, in my judgment, are not illegal orders to follow. They are orders based upon Article II, self-defense, of the Constitution, to stop a threat — in this case the threat of drugs coming into your country and killing Americans. …

“There are no illegal orders to follow here. If an invasion does take place in, you know, down in Venezuela against Maduro … that would trigger a War Powers Act response by Congress. We would have 60 days, if the conflict is still ongoing, to determine whether a declaration of war is warranted or an authorized use of military force.”

On the current peace plan for Ukraine: “Let me say first, if Biden hadn’t let Afghanistan fall, we probably wouldn’t have been in this position in the first place [due to] the mishandling of the weapons going into Ukraine, as I talked about for the entirety of the Biden administration.

“Having said all that … we did have a conversation with the White House, the vice president, [and] Secretary of State Rubio last night. … Rubio did say on the call that this is a United States document with input from Ukraine and from Russia. About 80% of this deal, I think, they’re going to find agreement with as they go to Geneva. The problem is going to be the 20% of really tough items to negotiate.”

On the importance of ongoing negotiations: “I think there’s flexibility. I do know that Rubio said, within the next 72 hours we will know a great deal about whether this goes forward or not. I think Zelensky has stated … that he sees this as a vision, but not a done deal.

“So it should not be ‘take it or leave it.’ On all parties’ sides, except the Russians [whom] I haven’t talked to … this is an ongoing negotiation process. So, they’re really getting it started. The way the White House described it last night was, we had to start putting this pen to paper so we could get something accomplished. …

“It seems to me, Martha, that Zelensky is always willing to make concessions to get to an agreement, to get to yes, while Putin is the one that’s never willing to make concessions, even to this day. And so we’ll see where he comes in. I don’t know if he will accept this plan.”

On the necessity for security guarantees for Ukraine: “In [the] 1994 Budapest [Agreements], Ukraine gave up all its nuclear weapons in exchange for what? For nothing. And then Russia invaded. There was no security agreement. There were just simply assurances given by Bill Clinton. That cannot happen again. … [T]his is where Keith Kellogg did get involved to write a security agreement, which I hope is more ironclad, like an Article 5-like agreement. For without that, I would not advise Ukraine to sign this. They can’t sign an agreement like the Budapest [agreement] and then allow Russia to invade again.”

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McCaul Remarks at Hearing on Semiconductor Export Controls

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

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Texas) questioned witnesses at a subcommittee hearing titled, “Export Control Loopholes: Chipmaking Tools and their Subcomponents.” McCaul, a congressional leader on semiconductor and high-tech issues, has long championed export controls on sensitive U.S. technology that could be used to bolster China’s military apparatus.

Click to watch

Excerpts from McCaul’s exchange with Chris McGuire, senior fellow for China and emerging technologies at the Council on Foreign Relations:

McCaul: This is an issue I think is so important. I worked on this when I was a young federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice in 1996. [I] prosecuted the campaign finance violations from China, Johnny Chung, [which] led us to the director of Chinese intelligence [and] China Aerospace, putting money into his Hong Kong bank account to influence the presidential election.

And why? Because they wanted dual use satellite technology. They wanted to be a member of the WTO. They wanted China Aerospace to be the beneficiary of our technologies.

And since that time, they have come very, very long way. I introduced the Chips for America Act at the behest of Secretary Pompeo and Secretary Wilbur Ross in the first Trump administration to pull the manufacturing out of Taiwan, where 90% of the advanced production is made into the United States, so we can truly make America first in manufacturing of semiconductor chips. They got politicized unfortunately, but it’s working.

You know, DeepSeek is disturbing to me because we sold [the technology] to them. Nvidia … and it was legal, in their defense, at the time, sold the advanced chips that allowed China to make the first AI DeepSeek technology. [This] is now banned and would be illegal under current law.

But the damage is done. Now [China is] creating all these AI chips. In fact, in Open AI [models], I was told yesterday that China is actually ahead of the United States. So, in this great power competition, we have a lot of work to do. …

[China] can get around [export controls] real easy. On the entities list, you know you had Shanghai Biren. … Advanced AI chips [were] banned from [being sold to them]. Then they changed their name to Shanghai Biren Semiconductor Technology, and they get around [the export controls].

So, I’m working on legislation that would basically set a statutory standard that would ban any affiliate that is 50% or more owned by a blocked entity. Do you believe that would be helpful? And that would be at BIS in the Commerce Department, over which we have jurisdiction.

…

McGuire: Yeah, I completely agree. I think we need to do both. I mean certainly on the most advanced Chinese fabs, we certainly should make sure that they are blocked from all US allies’ tools and completely blacklisted. The fact that allies can backfill is problematic. But I think you’re completely right that the only controls that we know will work and given the importance of this, it is really important that we apply controls that we know work — and thank you for your leadership in this issue over the years — I think it mandates that we have expanded country-wide controls to make that we get everything that is actually going to help Chinese production. And the best way to do that from a definition’s perspective as the China Committee, I think, highlighted in their report, is just to do all 300-millimeter tools, all tools capable of 300-millimeter wafers, which would … There’s no way that you could make any advanced chips with any 200-millimeter wafer.

McCaul: That’s a great point. You know my view is [China steals] it at a very large scale, and we get that in our classified briefings, but we don’t have to sell it to them. I’m worried on the advanced chip level, the horse is out of the barn. The damage is done. They are building a very high-level [capacity of legacy] chips to counter our advanced [chips].

But I think to the chairman’s point, we’re now getting into the manufacturing process. I see no reason, first of all, that we should be selling AI military-grade technology chips to China. And then number two, [sell] any manufacturing tools that could be used to make AI military-grade technology. Just a quick response.

McGuire: Completely agree. I think we should really block the Chinese comprehensively from being able to buy, make, or rent access to U.S. AI chips, and Congress should definitely help across the board on all three of those. 

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Scott, McBath Press Trump Admin on Effectiveness of Illegal Deadly Boat Strikes in Curtailing Drug Use in the U.S.

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott, McBath Press Trump Admin on Effectiveness of Illegal Deadly Boat Strikes in Curtailing Drug Use in the U.S.

“There have been numerous studies over the past three decades showing that it is far more cost effective to offer treatment to those with substance use disorders in order to reduce drug usage, rather than interdiction strategies.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) ledother House Democrats in sending a letter to top Trump Administration officials on whether this heavy-handed, legally dubious interdiction effort will have any meaningful effect on drug addiction and drug related deaths in the United States.  

“Regardless of the questionable legality of these strikes, an equally relevant question is whether this is even an effective means to curtail drug use in the United States,” the letter reads. “The cost of these airstrikes is likely in the tens of millions of dollars already. Furthermore, deploying a carrier strike group is estimated to cost upwards to $6.5 million a day and it is unclear how long the Ford carrier strike group will be deployed in support of this activity. Our nation already spends billions of dollars annually on the so-called war on drugs. While at the same time, we spend very little comparatively on education, treatment, and other demand-reduction strategies, despite all the research that shows those to be the most cost-effective strategies by far in reducing illicit drug use.”

The members highlighted evidence and research that shows these measures are ineffective. 

“There have been numerous studies over the past three decades showing that it is far more cost effective to offer treatment to those with substance use disorders in order to reduce drug usage, rather than interdiction strategies,” the letter states. “For example, in the 1990s, the RAND Corporation published a comprehensive study on controlling cocaine use and looked at the four primary control programs utilized by the government – source control, interdiction, domestic law enforcement, and treatment. The study addressed the question: How much would the government have to spend on each approach to decrease cocaine consumption in the United States by one percent?  The RAND study showed that, compared to treatment, it cost seven times more to achieve the same result with domestic law enforcement.  It costs 10 times more to get those results with interdiction, and 23 times more to achieve the results using the strategy of source control.”

The letter also highlighted the Trump Administration’s plans to dismantle key agencies meant to treat addiction. 

“With these illegal, and significantly costly, lethal strikes to interdict drugs entering the United States, the Trump Administration is doubling down on one of the least cost-effective means of reducing drug addiction and at the same time it is aggressively dismantling the very federal agency focused on mental health and addiction treatment,” the Members wrote. “Since the start of his second term, President Trump has taken actions to reduce staffing by 50 percent at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Trump Administration has terminated $1.7 billion in SAMHSA block grants for state health departments and cut approximately $350 million in addiction and overdose prevention funding.”

The letter was also signed by: Representatives Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and James Walkinshaw (VA-11). 

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

The Honorable Pam Bondi

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20530

The Honorable Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense

The Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301

The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Secretary of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Ave SW

Washington, DC 20201

  

Dear Attorney General Bondi, Secretary Hegseth, and Secretary Kennedy:

We write to you concerning the illegal military campaign against foreign nationals allegedly smuggling drugs in the United States on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. 

These strikes are already in violation of the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day clock requiring termination of military action if the President is unable to obtain congressional authorization.[1] Further contravening federal law, the President has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean, further escalating this illegal military operation.  According to news reports, there have been at least 15 strikes carried out by our military in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing at least 64 foreign individuals – something that may be deemed an act of war by a foreign sovereign.[2] To date, the Trump Administration has failed to provide sufficient evidence that these individuals were so-called “narco-terrorists” and has failed to provide appropriate legal justification for these strikes to Congress. 

Regardless of the questionable legality of these strikes, an equally relevant question is whether this is even an effective means to curtail drug use in the United States?  The cost of these airstrikes is likely in the tens of millions of dollars already.  Furthermore, deploying a carrier strike group is estimated to cost upwards to $6.5 million a day and it is unclear how long the Ford carrier strike group will be deployed in support of this activity.[3]  Our nation already spends billions of dollars annually on the so-called war on drugs.  While at the same time, we spend very little comparatively on education, treatment, and other demand-reduction strategies, despite all the research that shows those to be the most cost-effective strategies by far in reducing illicit drug use. 

There have been numerous studies over the past three decades showing that it is far more cost effective to offer treatment to those with substance use disorders in order to reduce drug usage, rather than interdiction strategies.  For example, in the 1990s, the RAND Corporation published a comprehensive study on controlling cocaine use and looked at the four primary control programs utilized by the government – source control, interdiction, domestic law enforcement, and treatment.[4]  The study addressed the question: How much would the government have to spend on each approach to decrease cocaine consumption in the United States by one percent?[5]

The RAND study showed that, compared to treatment, it cost seven times more to achieve the same result with domestic law enforcement.  It costs 10 times more to get those results with interdiction, and 23 times more to achieve the results using the strategy of source control.  The RAND study found that to achieve the 1 percent reduction in cocaine use required $34 million ($75.5M in 2025 dollars) if you use treatment; $246 million (546.1M in 2025 dollars) for domestic law enforcement; $366 million ($813M in 2025 dollars) using interdiction; and $783 million ($1.7B in 2025 dollars) if you use a strategy of source control to achieve the same one percent reduction in cocaine use.[6]

With these illegal, and significantly costly, lethal strikes to interdict drugs entering the United States, the Trump Administration is doubling down on one of the least cost-effective means of reducing drug addiction and at the same time it is aggressively dismantling the very federal agency focused on mental health and addiction treatment.  Since the start of his second term, President Trump has taken actions to reduce staffing by 50 percent at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  The Trump Administration has terminated $1.7 billion in SAMHSA block grants for state health departments and cut approximately $350 million in addiction and overdose prevention funding.[7]

At a House Committee on the Budget (CBO) hearing on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the Director of the Congressional Budget Office was asked if there was any evidence that such heavy-handed, legally dubious interdiction efforts, such as what this administration is currently doing, had ANY effect on drug use in the United States in terms of availability and price.[8]  The CBO Director testified that he had no evidence that such a strategy had any effect at all.[9]

So, we respectfully ask the following questions:

  1. What evidence does the administration have that this is an effective strategy to reduce drug use and drug related deaths in the United States?
  2. How was it determined that the targeted vessels were carrying drugs and what was their intended destination for distribution? Please provide all evidence, documentation, and communications that support these findings, as well as documentation that establishes the type of cargo carried, intended location for delivery and distribution, source of cargo, as well as the involved cartels, suppliers, and distributors.
  3. How did the administration arrive at the decision that sinking and destroying these vessels were more effective than general interdiction methods?[10]
  4. What legal authorities is the administration relying on to conduct these strikes, and what findings were made to quell concerns within the administration regarding the legality of these strikes?
  5. What has this strategy cost so far to the American taxpayer? 
  6. What evidence does the administration have to support public statements made by the Attorney General that “258 million”[11] Americans have been saved as a result of the administration’s drug control and seizure polices? 
  7. What evidence does the administration have to support the President’s claim that “[e]very boat that we knock out we save 25,000 American lives”[12]? 
  8. What effect has the administration’s reductions in force at SAMHSA as well as the terminations of block grants to state health departments, and cuts to addiction and overdose prevention funding administered through SAMHSA had on reducing drug use and addiction?

Thank you for reviewing and answering these important questions.  Please provide all relevant evidence, documentation, and communications to support the administration’s answers. We expect a response by Friday, December 12, 2025. 

# # #

 

[1] P.L. 93-148, §5(b); 50 U.S.C. §1544(b)

[2]Aamad Madhani, US Carries Out New Strike in Caribbean, Killing 3 Alleged Drug Smuggler, Military.com (Nov. 2, 2025, 7:20 AM), https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/11/02/us-carries-out-new-strike-caribbean-killing-3-alleged-drug-smugglers.html

[3]Henry J. Hendrix, At What Cost a Carrier?, (Center for a New American Security, 2013).

[4] C. Peter Rydell & Susan S. Everingham, Controlling Cocaine: Supply Versus Demand Programs, RAND, Prepared for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, United States Army (1994).

[5] Id. At xii.

[6]Id. At xiii.

[7] O. Rose Broderick & Lev Facher, Trump cuts have decimated the federal addiction and mental health agency, STAT News (Oct. 30, 2025), https://www.statnews.com/2025/10/30/samhsa-grant-cuts-staff-reductions-impact-analyzed/

[8]Oversight of the Congressional Budget Office: Hearing Before the H. Comm. on the Budget, 119th Cong. (Nov. 18, 2025) (statement of Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Member, H. Comm. on the Budget), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3AVSQs3KFg&list=PLFi-Fs54fIcwmgvdY31ReJqGdhpljUbyG.

[9]Oversight of the Congressional Budget Office: Hearing Before the H. Comm. on the Budget, 119th Cong. (Nov. 18, 2025) (statement of Hon. Phillip Swagel, Dir. of the Congressional Budget Office), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3AVSQs3KFg&list=PLFi-Fs54fIcwmgvdY31ReJqGdhpljUbyG.

[10]See Ryan Lucas, Justice Department official told prosecutors that U.S. should ‘just sink’ drug boats, NPR, Nov. 17, 2025, https://www.npr.org/2025/11/17/g-s1-97836/venezuela-evidence-doj-strikes-sinking-suspected-drug-boats-assertations

[11] Lev Facher, Did Trump’s fentanyl seizures save 258 million lives? Gross exaggeration, experts say, STAT, May 7, 2025, https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/07/pam-bondi-fentanyl-experts-say-attorney-general-claims-false-implausible-misleading/.

[12]President Trump Participates in a Press Conference with the Director of the FBI, The White House YouTube Channel (Oct. 15, 2025), https://www.youtube.com/live/f1M57bKXlKU?t=1414s.

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Scott, Foushee, McClellan Urge Full Review of Proposed Natural Gas Pipelines’ Environmental Impact

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott, Foushee, McClellan Urge Full Review of Proposed Natural Gas Pipelines’ Environmental Impact

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), and Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging the Commission to thoroughly review the environmental impacts of the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and the Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Southgate) project before advancing the projects further. 

“We are concerned that FERC has not adequately reviewed all possible risks associated with the massive capacity expansion and resulting infrastructure of SSEP, the proposed changes to the Southgate project, the history of the developers’ compliance, and the colocation of these two projects,” the letter reads. “On behalf of communities in Virginia and North Carolina, we urge the Commission to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for both projects before considering them further. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the certification of both projects to ensure that the surrounding communities are not placed at undue risk.”

The members highlighted the worrisome track records for the developers of these two projects.

“Since construction began on the Mountain Valley Pipeline mainline project, the developer has shown an unwillingness to comply with environmental and safety regulations,” the letter states.“In 2018, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia alleged 375 violations, including hundreds of water quality protection violations. The violations include unpermitted discharges into waterways, failure to maintain and repair erosion and sediment controls, violations related to road crossings over streams, and violations related to water diversions and drains… Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC also allegedly terminated one of its inspectors for reporting safety violations.  If that is true, this should also be considered in FERC’s assessment as this action is a clear sign that the developer is willing to act against reporting violations and avoid taking necessary steps to address situations as they arise.”

The letter also highlighted FERC’s inadequacy in considering the cumulative impacts of these two projects being built in close proximity to one another.

“The recommendation also does not adequately consider the cumulative impacts, including water quality and public safety impacts, that may occur due to the colocation of portions of the SSEP and the Southgate project,” the members wrote. “Approximately 95 percent of the SSEP’s proposed Eden Loop is within a quarter mile of Southgate, and multiple waterways would be impacted by both projects. The potential for permanent cumulative impacts from individual pipeline crossings is compounded when there are multiple crossings of a waterway or in a watershed. The colocation of two high-pressure, large diameter pipelines is of significant concern for local residents.”

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.

The Honorable Laura Swett

Chairwoman

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20426

Ms. Debbie-Anne Reese

Secretary

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
888 First Street NE 

Washington, DC 20426

 

RE: Environmental Assessments for Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Docket No. CP25-60-000) and Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (Docket No. CP25-10-000)

Dear Chairwoman Swett and Secretary Reese,

We write to you regarding FERC’s current review of the proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project (SSEP) and Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate (Southgate) project. We are concerned that FERC has not adequately reviewed all possible risks associated with the massive capacity expansion and resulting infrastructure of SSEP, the proposed changes to the Southgate project, the history of the developers’ compliance, and the colocation of these two projects. On behalf of communities in Virginia and North Carolina, we urge the Commission to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for both projects before considering them further. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the certification of both projects to ensure that the surrounding communities are not placed at undue risk.

SSEP is one of the largest natural gas capacity expansions proposed in decades, but FERC found no significant impact on human health or the environment despite only preparing an environmental assessment (EA) for its review. Under every metric, this is factually incorrect, including project footprint, horsepower upgrades to compressor stations, and capacity increase. This massive project will have significant environmental impacts that demand a thorough review and a complete EIS. Further, not conducting an EIS for SSEP would be a dramatic departure from past FERC policy and practice for projects of this magnitude. The Commission has consistently completed EISs for projects much smaller in size than SSEP.

On June 18, 2020, FERC issued a final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Southgate project. The FEIS determined that the project would create air and noise pollution detrimental to surrounding communities, cause long-term cumulative effects on wetlands and uplands, and result in a variety of other environmental impacts. Guided by the FEIS, FERC issued a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity authorizing Southgate to transport 375,000 dekatherms of natural gas per day (Dth/d) based on the project’s design at the time. Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, the developer of the Southgate project, has since significantly changed the project’s scope and operations in its amended application. These changes include, but are not limited to, increasing the pipe’s diameter from 16- and 24-inches to 30-inches, modifying the project’s route, and raising the project’s operational capacity to 550,000 Dth/d. Despite these major changes, FERC’s EA of the amended project recommended a finding of no significant impact which does not require a new EIS be prepared. There are several faults within FERC staff’s rationale in issuing this recommendation.

The EA relies heavily on the assumption that Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC will adhere to the construction and mitigation protocols that the company enumerated in its application. Since construction began on the Mountain Valley Pipeline mainline project, the developer has shown an unwillingness to comply with environmental and safety regulations. In 2018, the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia alleged 375 violations, including hundreds of water quality protection violations. The violations include unpermitted discharges into waterways, failure to maintain and repair erosion and sediment controls, violations related to road crossings over streams, and violations related to water diversions and drains. That matter was resolved with a negotiated consent decree, or settlement, which required Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC to pay a $2.15 million penalty and pay for third-party environmental auditing. Since the consent decree was entered in 2019, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has cited Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC for additional violations. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has also issued more than 50 violation notices to the developer. 

Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC also allegedly terminated one of its inspectors for reporting safety violations. If that is true, this should also be considered in FERC’s assessment as this action is a clear sign that the developer is willing to act against reporting violations and avoid taking necessary steps to address situations as they arise. It should also be noted that the Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company (Transco), the developer of the SSEP, has a similar history of environmental and safety violations which should be considered in evaluating the SSEP. 

The recommendation also does not adequately consider the cumulative impacts, including water quality and public safety impacts, that may occur due to the colocation of portions of the SSEP and the Southgate project. Approximately 95 percent of the SSEP’s proposed Eden Loop is within a quarter mile of Southgate, and multiple waterways would be impacted by both projects. The potential for permanent cumulative impacts from individual pipeline crossings is compounded when there are multiple crossings of a waterway or in a watershed. The colocation of two high-pressure, large diameter pipelines is of significant concern for local residents. Multiple local governments and other elected officials have expressed concerns about the safety and health impacts of these proposed pipelines.

We urge you to prepare Environmental Impact Statements for the Southeast Supply Enhancement Project and the amended Mountain Valley Pipeline Southgate project before moving forward in reviewing these projects. If FERC is unwilling to do so, we urge the Commission to deny the Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity for both projects.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

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Ranking Member Betty McCollum on Caribbean Boat Strike: 'Deeply Alarming'

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement on Thursday:

“The footage of the September 2nd boat strike in the Caribbean was deeply alarming and calls into question the Trump administration’s respect for the laws of armed conflict. The Pentagon should immediately release the strike video in its entirety so that the American public understands what President Trump has directed in the Caribbean without any authorization from Congress. Congress has a responsibility to fully investigate not only the September 2nd strike but the Trump administration’s entire operation in the Caribbean and should take testimony from Secretary Hegseth, U.S. Special Operations Commander Admiral Frank Bradley, and U.S. Southern Commander Admiral Alvin Holsey.”

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Ranking Member Betty McCollum Demands Answers in Letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

“It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security stop racially targeting the Somali community,” said Congresswoman McCollum

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent Wednesday evening, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) expressed outrage over the Administration’s deliberate targeting of Minnesota’s Somali community and demanded answers on the Department’s actions in the Twin Cities Metro area. Read the full text of the letter below or view a copy of the letter on Congresswoman McCollum’s website. 

Dear Secretary Noem:

I write to express my outrage at the Trump Administration’s deliberate targeting of the Somali community in Minnesota. The President’s escalating racist attacks calling members of the Somali community “garbage” are vile, abhorrent and below the dignity of the Oval Office. 

America has lived through very dark chapters when entire communities were treated as less than human. Native Americans were violently forced from their homes and onto reservations. Black Americans faced systemic dehumanization and were subjected to laws that codified their oppression. Chinese immigrants were rounded up during the era of exclusion. Japanese Americans were interned in camps against during World War II.  Each of these actions became a stain on our history.  

President Trump was wrong when he said members of our Somali-American community are “garbage.” Our Somali community are human beings. They are elected officials, business owners, doctors, nurses, teachers, drivers, neighbors and friends. The Somali community is woven into the fabric of Minnesota and are inseparable from the fabric of America, and their contributions strengthen both our state and our nation. 

As a Member of Congress representing many Somali families in Minnesota 4th District, I strongly oppose the Department of Homeland Security’s operations against the Somali community. I expect answers to the following questions no later than close of business on December 12, 2025.

  • The vast majority of Minnesota’s Somali community are U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents. How will you ensure that American citizens are not wrongly targeted, harassed or criminalized by the Department of Homeland Security?
  • What justification and explanation can the Department of Homeland Security offer for these pending Enforcement and Removal Operations that only destabilize and erode the trust between law enforcement and communities?
  • What safeguards has your office put in place for pending Enforcement and Removal Operations to prevent any violations of due process?
  • How will you ensure that Department of Homeland Security operations do not harm or put people’s lives in danger?

It is imperative that the Department of Homeland Security stop racially targeting the Somali community.  This policy only instills fear and divisiveness in our country.  Minnesotans and the American public deserve better.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum

Member of Congress

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Congresswoman Betty McCollum Statement on Trump's Racist Attacks on Somali Community

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s announced deployment of 100 ICE agents to the Twin Cities intended to target Somali Americans: 

“Somali Americans are a valued part of our community. President Trump calling fellow human beings ‘garbage’ is not only beneath the office but calls into question his capacity to serve all Americans. Trump’s ugly attacks on the Somali community do not reflect the views of our state, nor the reality of the contributions Somalis make every day. They are elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. They are business leaders, teachers, nurses, ride share drivers, neighbors, and friends. We will not be divided. We are One Minnesota. 

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