Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
In New Letter to Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Pressley Calls for Investments in Public Transit, Including Fare-Free Transit Programs, ADA Compliance, Safety Improvements, in Upcoming Surface Transportation Bill
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus, led 14 colleagues in sending a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen urging they prioritize affordability, accessibility, and sustainability in crafting the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill—including by investing in fare-free transit. These priorities reflect the mission of the Future of Transportation Caucus, which reimagines America’s transportation systems to center equity, access, and sustainability.
Congresswoman Pressley is the lead House sponsor of the Freedom to Move Act, legislation to support state and local efforts to establish public transportation as a public good through fare-free services.
“In a moment when there is greater reliance on public transit, your leadership is critical to safeguard significant progress that improves our nation’s transportation infrastructure,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter. “For the future of transportation, we encourage the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to prioritize affordability, accessibility, and sustainability.”
In her letter, Rep. Pressley called for meaningful investments in fare-free transit programs—as piloted in the Massachusetts 7th—to increase ridership and reduce financial barriers to mobility, in paratransit services to ensure people with disabilities can access public transit, and in infrastructure updates to protect the safety of passengers.
“Fare-free transit is not just a popular policy idea, it is a proven tool for saving taxpayers money, reducing traffic congestion, and expanding access to opportunity. These benefits are especially important when we consider the unequal burden of transportation costs across income levels,” the lawmakers continued.
“Although the White House’s budget proposal called for deep cuts to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities, we must authorize funding in paratransit services to allow people with disabilities access to work, school, healthcare, and other destinations,” the lawmakers wrote in their letter. “Investing in accessibility provides localities and states with the necessary funding to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and ensure riders with disabilities access to our public transit system.”
“Many of our Congressional Districts have experienced deadly public transit accidents, including instances of train malfunctions and onboard fires that underscore the need for renewed attention to safety and system upkeep. Furthermore, outdated systems contribute significantly to harmful emissions, highlighting the urgency of transitioning to cleaner, more efficient technologies. Hence, we request the Committee make investments that will help future generations benefit from our public transit infrastructure,” the lawmakers continued.
Joining Congresswoman Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Mark Takano, Chuy Garcia, LaMonica McIver, Hank Johnson, Delia Ramirez, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cleo Fields, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rashida Tlaib, Dan Goldman, Pramila Jayapal, Lateefah Simon, Ilhan Omar, and André Carson.
Rep. Pressley has long championed legislation and efforts to increase access to free, safe, reliable, and accessible public transit systems will help improve community livability and mobility, increase connectivity to critical services, and address many of our nation’s most severe inequities.
In August 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Sen. Markey and Mayor Michelle Wu, celebrated successful fare-free transit programs announced their continued efforts to implement fare-free public transportation in Boston and across the Commonwealth.
To advance these efforts at the federal level, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act in July 2025, legislation to enact fare-free transit. Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey originally introduced the Freedom to Move Act in June 2020.
Following the bill’s introduction, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley, and then-Councilor Michelle Wu published an op-ed that discussed the bill and the need to fund public transportation as a public good.
In July 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act that included a fare-free pilot program modeled after the two lawmakers’ Freedom to Move Act.
In August 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey called on the MBTA to make the entire T fare-free for the duration of the Orange Line’s shutdown.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
TAMPA, Fla. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) announced 16 Tampa Bay area students who received nominations for admission into America’s prestigious service academies: Air Force Academy (USAFA), Naval Academy (USNA), Military Academy (USMA) and the Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). The outstanding student leaders hail from more than ten local high schools in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.
“These talented students are America’s future leaders. Their interest in serving our country is a point of pride for our patriotic Tampa Bay community,” said Rep. Castor. “I’m grateful for the service of my Nomination Committee, which thoroughly reviews every application and interviews interested students. I am confident that this year’s nominees will represent the Tampa Bay Area and our nation well.”
Receiving a nomination to one of our nation’s service academies is an essential step towards receiving an appointment to the academies. Nominations are earned based on each student’s interview with Castor’s Nomination Committee, their academic record, participation in extracurricular activities and demonstrated leadership qualities. Because of the stringent application requirements, many students begin preparing for the application process as early as their first year of high school.
Under federal law, all U.S. military academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, require either a service-connected nomination or a congressional nomination (from a member of Congress in either the U.S. House or Senate or the Vice President of the United States). Parents and students interested in the nomination process can work with their school guidance counselors. You can learn more here: Service Academy Nominations | U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (house.gov).
Castor will announce official appointments at a later date after being notified of appointments by the academies.
Today’s announcement is the conclusion of Castor’s 2025 competitive nomination process. The nominees who receive an appointment from a U.S. military academy will attend their respective academies in the 2026-2027 school year.
U.S. Rep. Castor granted her nomination to the following students for one or more of the U.S. military academies:
Malik K. Robinson, Northeast High School – USAFA
Katelynn R. McEntee, Walter L. Sickles High School – USMA and USAFA (not pictured)
Kaylee M. DeLory, Walter L. Sickles High School – USAFA
Nicholas C. Zamprogno, Robinson High School IB Program – USAFA and USNA
Konrad J. Paradies, Steinbrenner High School – USAFA
William D. Baker, H.B. Plant High School – USAFA and USNA
Simon Smith, Walter L. Sickles High School – USAFA, USMMA, USNA
Cade C. Holland, Jesuit High School – USAFA and USNA
Robert K. Bossowski, Jesuit High School – USNA
John D. Williams, Salisbury School – USMA and USNA
Jesse D. Cogburn, Jesuit High School – USNA
Roman A. Neske, H.B. Plant High School – USNA
Sawyer J. Burns, Dr. Earl J Lennard High School – USNA and USMMA
Elijah R. Chames, US Military Academy Prep School – USMA
Decker W. Deady, Berkeley Preparatory School – USNA
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and 27 members of the California Democratic congressional delegation in condemning the Trump Administration’s official draft2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Programthat includes six lease proposals off the coast of Northern, Central, and Southern California. The plan proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in over 40 years, disregarding bipartisan opposition.
The Trump Administration’s overwhelmingly unpopular proposaldirectly targets areas former President Joe Bidenwithdrewfrom future leasing in January 2025, when he protected 625 million acres. In theirletterto President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the lawmakers stressed that this plan would undermine state laws that prohibit new offshore drilling along its 1,110-mile coastline and ban new leases for oil and gas infrastructure in state waters.
“We stand united with the overwhelming majority of Californians who fundamentally oppose any proposal that would expand offshore drilling and risk our state’s invaluable, ecologically unique coast,”wrote the lawmakers.“This proposal, coupled with ongoing efforts to reduce federal staffing and funding for agencies that protect our environment, including for safety and oil spill response, is not only dangerous but outright reckless.”
“As we have repeatedly seen in California and other parts of the country, offshore drilling is a ticking time bomb,” continued the lawmakers.“Any expansion of offshore drilling in the waters off the coast of California and the spills that would inevitably accompany it would be devastating to the communities we represent.”
The lawmakers emphasized the devastating impacts new oil and gas leasing would have on California’s environment, military readiness, and diverse coastal economy, threatening the state’s tourism, recreation, fisheries, deepwater port commerce, and defense infrastructure industries. California’s marine economy accountedfor $51.3 billion in GDP and $26.7 billion in wages, and pollution off its coast would significantly damage the state’s world-leading economy.
California began efforts to block offshore drilling in 1969 when an oil rig off the coast of Santa Barbara leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, blanketing beaches with a thick layer of oil and killing thousands of marine mammals and birds. It was the largest oil spill in U.S. history until the Exxon Valdez spill 20 years later. In the past decade, the 2015 Refugio State Beach oil spill and the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill have further demonstrated the immense risks of offshore drilling expansion.
Last month, Carbajal hosted a press callwith Central Coast public officials, environmental advocates, and business leaders to condemn the Trump Administration’s plan immediately after it was announced. In addition, Carbajalspokeat a national press conference hosted by Senator Padilla and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA-02).
In April, Carbajal announced the reintroduction of the California Clean Coast Act. The California Clean Coast Act was thefirst billCongressman Carbajal introduced as a Member of Congress, demonstrating his longstanding commitment to protecting California’s coast from offshore drilling and the devastating impact of oil spills.
Full text of the letter is availablehereand below:
Dear Mr. President and Secretary Burgum:
We write in strong opposition to the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. We specifically want to express our strongest opposition to the inclusion of the Northern California OCS Planning Area, the Central California OCS Planning Area, and the Southern California OCS Planning Area in the DPP for oil and gas leasing disposition.
We stand united with the overwhelming majority of Californians who fundamentally oppose any proposal that would expand offshore drilling and risk our state’s invaluable, ecologically unique coast. This proposal, coupled with ongoing efforts to reduce federal staffing and funding for agencies that protect our environment, including for safety and oil spill response, is not only dangerous but outright reckless. As we have repeatedly seen in California and other parts of the country, offshore drilling is a ticking time bomb. Any expansion of offshore drilling in the waters off the coast of California and the spills that would inevitably accompany it would be devastating to the communities we represent.
In April 2025, California officially became the fourth-largest economy in the world, behind only the United States, China, and Germany in global rankings. Our economy is diverse and robust, including sectors such as tourism, recreation, fisheries, deepwater port commerce, and Department of Defense infrastructure. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), California’s marine economy alone accounted for $51.3 billion in GDP and $26.7 billion in wages in 2021. The economic well-being of these sectors is dependent upon a healthy and clean coastline. Further industrialization off our coast will inevitably pollute our beaches, spelling disaster for California’s economy and detrimentally impacting the rest of the country, which relies on California as an economic engine.
California is all too familiar with the devastating impacts of oil spills. The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill remains the largest in our state’s history—and one of the landmark spills in U.S. history. Immediate damage to birds, intertidal organisms, beaches, and the economy was severe. That experience galvanized Californians and secured an unshakable commitment to protecting our coastline. The more recent 2015 Refugio oil spill and 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill reinforced our strong opposition to any offshore drilling expansion.
Our Congressional delegation, state leaders, and dozens of California municipalities and Tribes have expressed their opposition through resolutions or comment letters, along with state groups and citizens. The bipartisan consensus against expanded offshore drilling has been clear and consistent over five decades. This has resulted in current state laws that include a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along California’s 1,110-mile coastline and a prohibition on new leases for oil and gas infrastructure in state waters that enable increased oil and gas production from federal waters. As stated in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s Request for Information and reinforced by the comments BOEM received from our state, “As a result of Congressional moratoria, subsequent Presidential actions, and consistent opposition by the States of Washington, Oregon, and California to any activity off their coasts, the Pacific OCS has not been included in any National OCS Program since the 1987–1992 Program.”
In addition to the economic and environmental reasons for not expanding drilling off California’s coasts, our national defense would be better served by keeping additional oil rigs away from our shores. California’s waters and coastline are strategically vital, hosting a significant number of military installations, key logistics routes, and special-use airspace. Allowing oil and gas development, or the risk of spills, in areas where our servicemembers routinely operate would undermine military readiness and pose risks to national security.
For these reasons and more, we write in strong opposition to the Proposed Program (DPP) for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. We specifically want to express our strongest opposition to the inclusion of the Northern California OCS Planning Area, the Central California OCS Planning Area, and the Southern California OCS Planning Area in the DPP for oil and gas leasing disposition. We appreciate your attention to this matter.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Bloomberg TV, where he made clear that as Republicans fail to fix their healthcare crisis and unleash extremism on the American people, House Democrats will continue fighting to lower the high cost of living and protect the healthcare of everyday Americans.
JOE MATHIEU: Thanks for joining us live from Capitol Hill on Bloomberg TV and Radio. I’m Joe Mathieu with an exclusive conversation with the Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, thanks for being back with us on Bloomberg. It’s good to see you.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Morning, Joe. Good to see you.
JOE MATHIEU: Pretty important ruling in the Supreme Court when it comes to redistricting in the state of Texas that I’d like to start with here. It’s open season, apparently, on redistricting. Does that mean every Democratic-led state in the country needs to redraw their maps?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, it’s unfortunate that the Supreme Court has rubber stamped a racially-gerrymandered extreme map that Donald Trump ordered Texas Republicans to engineer as part of his effort to try to rig the midterm elections in 2026, but notwithstanding this adverse ruling, we’re going to continue to move forward and ensure that there is a fair map across the country. California voters enacted Prop 50 and, as a result, we’ll have a fair map in California with some additional opportunities to be competitive, and I expect that you’ll see other states across the country continue to respond.
JOE MATHIEU: Will yours be one of them? Are you on the phone with Governor Hochul today saying it’s time to redraw the New York map?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the New York map has some particularities relative to the Constitution that won’t necessarily allow it to be revisited in this particular cycle, but some voters have filed a lawsuit in New York, and we’re monitoring that litigation closely to see what the outcome may be.
JOE MATHIEU: Okay, there’s a question about whether you really need it. Leader Jeffries, after the special election in Tennessee on Tuesday, we saw a plus-22 Trump district go down to a plus-nine Trump district. And you’ve got a lot of armchair mathematicians out there suggesting that could mean as many as 30 or 35 seats for Democrats in the midterms. How do you see it?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Republicans know that if the elections were held today, they would lose. That’s the reason why Donald Trump has decided to engage in this extreme effort to gerrymander congressional maps all across the country, and it’s very unfortunate. Our view is that we’re not going to unilaterally disarm, and we have to ensure that there’s a fair map nationally, across the board, so that it’s the voters who get to decide who is in the majority after the November 2026 election. Part of the challenge with Republicans is that they’ve broken all of their promises. They indicated that they were going to lower costs, in fact lower costs on day one. Costs haven’t gone down in America, costs have gone up. Housing costs are through the roof. Grocery prices through the roof. Electricity bills through the roof. And now, because my Republican colleagues refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, we know tens of millions of people are about to experience dramatically-increased healthcare costs. Democrats are actually the party focused on driving down the high cost of living.
JOE MATHIEU: So let’s talk about a couple of those points of leverage that you just pointed out, affordability and healthcare. Many would argue that it’s kind of the same story here. President Trump has been saying that affordability is a Democrat hoax, a Democrat con job. Does that mean you do not have Republicans on board with you in reforming healthcare or extending Obamacare subsidies?
LEADER JEFFRIES: It appears that way. It’s unfortunate that the President’s position, which is the Republican Party’s position, is that the affordability crisis in the United States of America is a con job and it’s a hoax. No, what was a con job and hoax was the fact that Republicans spent all of last year claiming that they were going to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America, that they were a party committed to addressing the inflationary pressure that the American people were under. That’s all they talked about last year, but they lied to the voters. That’s the con job.
JOE MATHIEU: They lied?
LEADER JEFFRIES: They absolutely lied to the voters because there’s no evidence throughout this year that they’ve had any intention to actually address the affordability crisis that exists. In fact, they now say it’s all a hoax, but everyday Americans, when they go to the grocery store, the supermarket, when they see their healthcare premiums dramatically increasing, when they see the electricity bills that they have, which are through the roof in part because Republicans in their One Big Ugly Bill attacked the clean energy economy at a time in America where we have growing power needs in terms of what we see with the expansion of artificial intelligence. It’s all extraordinary. So Republican leadership has made clear they have no intention to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, and that’s very unfortunate.
JOE MATHIEU: You know, the White House would say, hold on Leader Jeffries, this President has been working overtime to cut deals to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Does he deserve credit for that effort?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We haven’t seen any evidence that prescription drug prices have gone down in any meaningful way. What we have seen are that the Trump tariffs are out of control. They’ve increased costs by thousands of dollars per year on everyday Americans, and they’ve created an uncertain environment for businesses and corporations throughout the country. And we know that uncertainty is one of the biggest problems that American corporations and companies may face. It’s difficult to actually make investments when you have this chaotic environment that has been visited upon the economy.
JOE MATHIEU: So let’s talk about what you can get done before the expiration of these subsidies at the end of the month. A bill was introduced yesterday, a framework that was bipartisan, a Democrat and a Republican, Gottheimer and Kiggans. It would extend these subsidies for a year and put new collars on eligibility. Is this a path to renewal in your eyes?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’ll have to take a look at the particulars and the four corners of that bill. 214 Democrats have signed a discharge petition that will extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years and give the American people the certainty that they needin order to move forward during these otherwise uncertain times. All we need are four Republicans. There are 219 of them. All we need are four House Republicans to join us and we can extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. We also want to take a look at what happens in the Senate. I’m thankful for Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats who will put a bill forward next week and force an up-or-down vote on an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. You know, we’re in this fight until we win this fight on behalf of the American people because in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, it cannot be the case that working class Americans and middle class Americans are unable to afford to go see a doctor when they need one.
JOE MATHIEU: Are you in touch with the Speaker of the House on this? Is Mike Johnson talking to you about a potential vote after John Thune promised a vote on healthcare in the Senate for next Thursday?
LEADER JEFFRIES: You know, the big challenge with House Republicans has been that they’ve adopted a my-way-or-the-highway approach. They have zero interest in actually sitting down and finding a bipartisan path forward. We’ve said from the very beginning of this year and throughout the Trump-Republican shutdown that we will sit down with anyone, anytime, anyplace, here in the Capitol or go back to the White House, sit with the President to try to figure out how we can fix our broken healthcare system and address the Republican-created healthcare crisis that’s devastating people all across America. They’ve refused repeatedly to sit down and even try to find common ground, apparently because they really are uninterested in dealing with an extension in the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Joe, as you know, this is the same group of people who have actually tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act more than 70 times over the last 15 years.
JOE MATHIEU: So could we be in a world in which there’s a healthcare bill that passes the Senate and dies in the House?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, if there’s a bill that passes the Senate, there will be tremendous pressure on Mike Johnson, Steve Scalise and House Republicans to bring that bill to the floor for an up-or-down vote, and the votes will exist in the House of Representatives. I call upon some of my Republican colleagues, more traditional conservative colleagues, or the so-called swing seat Republicans to actually press their leadership to give the people of this country an up-or-down vote on something meaningful that will extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
JOE MATHIEU: Just lastly, President Trump today will be receiving, we understand, the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. Does Donald Trump deserve credit, as he says, for ending eight wars?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, it’s unclear what eight wars he’s talking about. What the American people clearly want to see from this President is action related to the challenges that we face in this country—lowering the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system, making life better for everyday Americans. That’s the Democratic commitment, that we actually should deliver on the promises that Republicans made to lower the high cost of living, but refuse to address in a country that’s the wealthiest in the history of the world, but there are far too many people who are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck, can’t thrive, can barely survive. And that should not be the case in this great country. We should allow for a situation where every single person who works hard and plays by the rules can afford to live a comfortable life, live the good life, good-paying job, good housing, good healthcare, good education for your children and ultimately, at the end of the day, a good retirement. That’s the American dream. We need to bring it to life for every single American.
JOE MATHIEU: Democratic Leader in the House, Hakeem Jeffries. Leader, thank you for being with us today once again on Bloomberg.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to end the universal Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose recommendation for newborns:
“This administration’s anti-science agenda is going to get kids killed. The vote by members of ACIP to end the universal Hepatitis B vaccine birth dose recommendation for newborns is not supported by science and is incredibly reckless. Donald Trump and RFK Jr. have eroded Americans’ confidence in public health and diminished our capacity to protect the public, from hawking unproven treatments to ousting trusted medical experts across the federal government. Now, because of an ACIP stacked with vaccine conspiracy theorists, children will be more likely to get preventable diseases and die.
“I renew my demand to the Republican leadership to bring RFK Jr. before the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee to explain his assault on science. There must be accountability as this administration makes decisions that jeopardize the health of American children.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
28 California lawmakers to President Trump, Secretary Burgum: “Further industrialization off our coast will inevitably pollute our beaches, spelling disaster for California’s economy and detrimentally impacting the rest of the country, which relies on California as an economic engine.”
December 04, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02), along with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), led 26 members of the California Democratic Congressional delegation in condemning the Trump Administration’s official draft 2027-2032 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program that includes six lease proposals off the coast of Northern, Central, and Southern California. The plan proposes opening vast swaths of previously protected federal waters — including the California coast — to new oil and gas drilling for the first time in over 40 years, disregarding bipartisan opposition.
The Trump Administration’s overwhelmingly unpopular proposal directly targets areas former President Joe Biden withdrew from future leasing in January 2025, when he protected 625 million acres. In their letter to President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, the lawmakers stressed that this plan would undermine state laws that prohibit new offshore drilling along its 1,110-mile coastline and ban new leases for oil and gas infrastructure in state waters.
“We stand united with the overwhelming majority of Californians who fundamentally oppose any proposal that would expand offshore drilling and risk our state’s invaluable, ecologically unique coast,” wrote the lawmakers. “This proposal, coupled with ongoing efforts to reduce federal staffing and funding for agencies that protect our environment, including for safety and oil spill response, is not only dangerous but outright reckless.”
“As we have repeatedly seen in California and other parts of the country, offshore drilling is a ticking time bomb,” continued the lawmakers. “Any expansion of offshore drilling in the waters off the coast of California and the spills that would inevitably accompany it would be devastating to the communities we represent.”
The lawmakers emphasized the devastating impacts new oil and gas leasing would have on California’s environment, military readiness, and diverse coastal economy, threatening the state’s tourism, recreation, fisheries, deepwater port commerce, and defense infrastructure industries. California’s marine economy accounted for $51.3 billion in GDP and $26.7 billion in wages, and pollution off its coast would significantly damage the state’s world-leading economy, hurting the entire country.
California began efforts to block offshore drilling in 1969 when an oil rig off the coast of Santa Barbara leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean, blanketing beaches with a thick layer of oil and killing thousands of marine mammals and birds. It was the largest oil spill in U.S. history until the Exxon Valdez spill 20 years later. In the past decade, the 2015 Refugio State Beach oil spill and the 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill have further demonstrated the immense risks of offshore drilling expansion.
In addition to Representative Huffman and Senator Padilla, the letter was also signed by Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11), and Representatives Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.-31), Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.-07), Dave Min (D-Calif.-47), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.-29), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-14), Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39), Derek Tran (D-Calif.-45), and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52).
Representative Huffman and Senator Padilla have been leading the charge against offshore oil and gas leases. Last month, Padilla and Huffman issued a joint statement and hosted a press call condemning the Trump Administration’s sell-off to Big Oil immediately after it was announced. In October, Padilla and Huffman led over 100 lawmakers in demanding President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum immediately cease any plans to open new offshore oil and gas leases in U.S. federal waters off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, in the Arctic Ocean and northern Bering Sea off of Alaska, and in the Eastern Gulf.
On Earth Day, Huffman and Padilla, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Representative Frank Pallone (D-N.J.-06), announced a pair of bills to permanently protect the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from the dangers of fossil fuel drilling. Padilla and Huffman’s West Coast Ocean Protection Act would permanently prohibit new oil and gas leases for offshore drilling off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. In 2021, Senator Padilla joined West Coast Senators in calling on Senate leadership to include the West Coast Ocean Protection Act in the Senate version of the budget reconciliation bill after an estimated 126,000 gallons of oil spilled off the coast of California.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Mr. President and Secretary Burgum:
We write in strong opposition to the Draft Proposed Program (DPP) for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. We specifically want to express our strongest opposition to the inclusion of the Northern California OCS Planning Area, the Central California OCS Planning Area, and the Southern California OCS Planning Area in the DPP for oil and gas leasing disposition.
We stand united with the overwhelming majority of Californians who fundamentally oppose any proposal that would expand offshore drilling and risk our state’s invaluable, ecologically unique coast. This proposal, coupled with ongoing efforts to reduce federal staffing and funding for agencies that protect our environment, including for safety and oil spill response, is not only dangerous but outright reckless. As we have repeatedly seen in California and other parts of the country, offshore drilling is a ticking time bomb. Any expansion of offshore drilling in the waters off the coast of California and the spills that would inevitably accompany it would be devastating to the communities we represent.
In April 2025, California officially became the fourth-largest economy in the world, behind only the United States, China, and Germany in global rankings. Our economy is diverse and robust, including sectors such as tourism, recreation, fisheries, deepwater port commerce, and Department of Defense infrastructure. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), California’s marine economy alone accounted for $51.3 billion in GDP and $26.7 billion in wages in 2021. The economic well-being of these sectors is dependent upon a healthy and clean coastline. Further industrialization off our coast will inevitably pollute our beaches, spelling disaster for California’s economy and detrimentally impacting the rest of the country, which relies on California as an economic engine.
California is all too familiar with the devastating impacts of oil spills. The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill remains the largest in our state’s history—and one of the landmark spills in U.S. history. Immediate damage to birds, intertidal organisms, beaches, and the economy was severe. That experience galvanized Californians and secured an unshakable commitment to protecting our coastline. The more recent 2015 Refugio oil spill and 2021 Huntington Beach oil spill reinforced our strong opposition to any offshore drilling expansion.
Our Congressional delegation, state leaders, and dozens of California municipalities and Tribes have expressed their opposition through resolutions or comment letters, along with state groups and citizens. The bipartisan consensus against expanded offshore drilling has been clear and consistent over five decades. This has resulted in current state laws that include a permanent ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling along California’s 1,110-mile coastline and a prohibition on new leases for oil and gas infrastructure in state waters that enable increased oil and gas production from federal waters. As stated in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)’s Request for Information and reinforced by the comments BOEM received from our state, “As a result of Congressional moratoria, subsequent Presidential actions, and consistent opposition by the States of Washington, Oregon, and California to any activity off their coasts, the Pacific OCS has not been included in any National OCS Program since the 1987–1992 Program.”
In addition to the economic and environmental reasons for not expanding drilling off California’s coasts, our national defense would be better served by keeping additional oil rigs away from our shores. California’s waters and coastline are strategically vital, hosting a significant number of military installations, key logistics routes, and special-use airspace. Allowing oil and gas development, or the risk of spills, in areas where our servicemembers routinely operate would undermine military readiness and pose risks to national security.
For these reasons and more, we write in strong opposition to the Proposed Program (DPP) for the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program. We specifically want to express our strongest opposition to the inclusion of the Northern California OCS Planning Area, the Central California OCS Planning Area, and the Southern California OCS Planning Area in the DPP for oil and gas leasing disposition. We appreciate your attention to this matter.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)
Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) unveiled its “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” proposal to reset the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards.
“The Biden Administration manipulated fuel economy standards to impose a de facto electric vehicle mandate,” said Congressman Baird. “These Biden-era CAFE standards were a financial disaster for our great American automakers and consumers, skewing the market in favor of electric vehicles that Americans simply did not want. I am pleased to see President Trump and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy continue their historic deregulation efforts by reversing these overburdensome, unrealistic regulations. The NHTSA’s proposal is a great victory for automakers and consumer choice and will make vehicle ownership more affordable for every American.”
Background:
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) oversees the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards program, which regulates how far a vehicle must travel on a gallon of fuel. The NHTSA is required to set CAFE standards to a maximum feasible level.
The Biden Administration’s CAFE standards mandated a 2% increase in fuel efficiency for model years 2027-2031 for passenger cars, and a 2% increase per year for light trucks for model years 2029-2031 to bring the average light-duty vehicle fuel economy up to approximately 50.4 miles per gallon by model year 2031.
The Trump Administration’s “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” proposal resets CAFE standards for model years 2022-2031. NHTSA’s proposal increases the fuel economy standard by 0.5% per year for passenger cars from model years 2023 through 2026, followed by 0.35% in model year 2027, and 0.25% from model year 2029 to 2031. For light trucks, NHTSA is proposing an increase of 0.5% for model year 2023 through 2026, followed by 0.7% in model year 2027, and 0.25% from model year 2029 to 2031. This proposal would achieve a fleet average fuel economy of 34.5 miles per gallon by model year 2031, a far more realistic goal.
Freedom Means Affordable Cars is also projected to save the American people $109 billion over the next five years and save families $1,000 on the average cost of a new vehicle.
More information on the proposal can be found here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Haley Stevens(MI-11) and Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11) today introduced the Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act, legislation to help more workers from underrepresented and disadvantaged communities join the growing cybersecurity field. The bill establishes a new diversity program at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and requires CISA to expand existing education and outreach activities and promote cybersecurity careers to a diverse audience. Bill text available here.
The bill was introduced with 27 original co-sponsors and is endorsed by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).
According to Cyberseek data, there are currently more than 500,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States, with these jobs taking 21% longer to fill than other tech positions. The Aspen Institute estimatesthat only 9% of cybersecurity workers are Black, only 4% are Hispanic, only 1% are Native American, and only 24% are women.
Cybersecurity workforce shortages have worsened under the Trump Administration, which has halted numerous workforce development programs and enacted massive staff cuts at CISA. This decrease in staffing has reduced the capacity to fulfill cybersecurity recommendations by 10%, creating a vulnerability in our nation’s efforts to deter foreign attacks and strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity network.
“Our cybersecurity infrastructure depends on having the best workforce possible,” said Congresswoman Haley Stevens. “I’m proud to join Rep. Shontel Brown in introducing the Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act to increase recruitment and expand opportunities for cybersecurity professionals. Connecting Michiganders with good-paying jobs that keep us safe is a win for everyone.”
“When our cybersecurity workforce includes everyone, our systems thrive. By bringing in Americans from all backgrounds, we can make our country more secure, expand access to good-paying jobs, and strengthen our economy. Cybersecurity is a fast-growing field that is absolutely essential to our security and our competitiveness, and we don’t have enough workers to meet current demand. This bill tackles that shortage head-on. While the Trump Administration is laser-focused on closing doors, this bill creates more pathways to success for people from all backgrounds. I am proud to introduce this legislation with Congresswoman Stevens and I look forward to building further support in Congress,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown.
“As a nonprofit association dedicated to building a future-ready digital trust workforce, ISACA strongly supports this legislation to expand opportunities in the cybersecurity field. Creating these critical cybersecurity pathways provides meaningful careers, strengthens our communities and improves our nation’s cyberresilience.” said ISACA Global Government Relations and Public Affairs Director, Emily Bastedo.
The bill’s original cosponsors include House Committee on Homeland Security Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Troy Carter (LA-02), Former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Steven Horsford (NV-04), Rep. Delia. Ramirez (IL-03), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC, 00), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Andre Carson (NV-07), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Nydia Velasquez (NY-07), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Stacey Plaskett (VI-00), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Dave Min (CA-47), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Dwight Evans (PA-03), and Valerie Foushee (NC-04).
CISA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is the operational lead for federal cybersecurity and the national coordinator for critical infrastructure and resilience.
Stevens and Brown first introduced this legislation during the 118th Congress.
The Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act
Establishes new diversity program at CISA: 180 days after enactment the Director of CISA shall establish a program to promote the cybersecurity field to diverse communities.
Program shall be established within CISA’s Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program.
CISA shall conduct outreach to promote awareness of cybersecurity employment to educators, unions, chambers of commerce, workforce development officers, schools, and other institutions.
Program Scope: The new program created by the Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act is tasked with promoting the cybersecurity field to:
Disadvantaged communities
Older individuals
Racial and ethnic minorities
Women
People with disabilities
Geographically diverse communities
Socioeconomically diverse communities
Individuals from nontraditional educational paths
Veterans
Individuals who were formerly incarcerated
Authorization of Appropriations and Reporting
The Expanding Cybersecurity Workforce Act authorizes $20 million annually to the Department of Homeland Security through 2030 to carry out the program.
The legislation requires CISA to report to Congress annually on the efficacy of the program
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, hosted a shadow hearing titled Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Detention Abuses. Twenty-five Members of Congress attended this hearing.
“Today, according to ICE’s own statistics, 73 percent of people held in ICE detention have no criminal conviction and the vast majority of the remaining 27 percent have minor convictions such as traffic violations. ICE has been arresting people at courthouses when they’re trying to follow the legal process. They are profiling immigrants around the country, picking people up for the language they speak or the street corner they hang out on,” said Jayapal. “So immigration detention centers are full of mothers and fathers and beloved community members while those who pose a threat are free. Amidst this surge in detention, conditions have gone from bad to worse with terrible overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, long waits to get medical help if received at all, and inedible food, described by some as ‘dripping with blood.’ Multiple pregnant women have been shackled and even suffered miscarriages due to their mistreatment in detention. And since Trump took office, in just 10 months, there have been 23 in-custody deaths – a shocking number and more than any year since 2005. As Republicans refuse to conduct oversight, I will continue to hold these hearings to ensure that ”
This hearing featured witness testimony from Sarah Owings, an attorney representing multiple formerly detained and currently detained immigrants, including 54 Korean workers from the Hyundai plant that was raided in September, Mildred Pierre, the wife of Rodney Taylor, who is currently being held at the Stewart Detention Center, Laura St. John, the Legal Director of the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project, and Kate Voigt, a Senior Policy Counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“Overcrowding worsens already poor detention conditions, especially in remote private prisons that lack sufficient medical staff and equipment to address the complex health needs of detainees who have chronic conditions and who are being denied release in nearly all circumstances,” said Sarah Owings. “The government’s continued investment in expanding detention infrastructure does not address these underlying issues; instead, it allows them to become even more widespread.”
“The world needs to know what is happening to people like Rodney including solitary confinement, no access to water, limited to no medical attention, and deplorable conditions at Stewart Detention Center,” said Mildred Pierre, Rodney Taylor’s wife and advocate who has been right by his side through all of his detainment testified the horrific conditions Rodney has endured as a double amputee in detainment. “Rodney’s health has been impacted as a result of limited medical attention for his prosthetics that requires charging daily.”
“The Trump administration is creating hopelessness by design,” said Laura St. John, Legal Director at the Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project. “We’ve seen people unjustly kept in detention for months or years while this administration makes repeated attempts to remove them to third countries. Additionally, an abrupt change of law around bond eligibility has functionally eliminated release options for most people. This remains true despite numerous federal courts holding that the Agency’s new interpretation is contrary to law. Thousands of people now face months, if not years, in detention if they fight their case without any review by a judge to determine whether their detention is fair, just, or necessary. At the same time, conditions in detention centers are rapidly worsening. We thank Ranking Member Jayapal and the Members in attendance for their commitment to shining a light on how this administration is treating people in immigration detention.”
“ICE is turbocharging $45 billion in taxpayer dollars to rapidly expand ICE detention capacity across the country,” said Kate Voigt, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU. “Without the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties – and other oversight agencies that were also eliminated in March – there is no effective internal oversight mechanism while immigration detention is exploding in scale. The ACLU thanks Ranking Member Jayapal for her commitment to conducting oversight of the abuses happening in detention facilities across the country, and we encourage all Members of Congress to hold ICE accountable for its egregious actions.”
Jayapal was joined at this hearing by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Val Hoyle (OR-05), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mark Takano (CA-39), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) announced $2.737 million in Community Project Funding for New Jersey’s First Congressional District. This funding was secured through the Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026 (H.R. 5371), which funds programs under Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction–VA through fiscal year 2026.
“This Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of how important it is to give back to the community I’m honored to serve. These investments reflect why voters sent me to Congress: to fight for working families and strengthen the health, safety, and quality of life in South Jersey,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “From delivering new fire trucks that will make our communities safer to expanding access to telehealth, these dollars will make a real difference for our families and first responders. I’ll keep fighting every day to deliver our fair share of federal resources to South Jersey.”
”The Borough Council and I are grateful to share that the Borough of Magnolia has been awarded $822,000 in federal funding to support the purchase of a new fire apparatus. We humbly thank Congressman Donald Norcross for securing this funding and for his continued support,” said Mayor BettyAnn Cowling-Carson. “This investment not only provides significant savings for taxpayers but also ensures that our volunteers can continue delivering reliable, professional emergency services for years to come.”
“Maryville is deeply grateful to Congressman Norcross for his ongoing commitment to expanding access to treatment across Southern New Jersey,” said Jared Levy, CEO of Maryville. “This federal support will allow us to strengthen the systems and resources needed to reach more individuals struggling with substance use and mental health challenges. This investment means improved access, stronger recovery outcomes, and healthier communities.”
“The Borough of Westville, the Westville Fire District #1, Board of Fire Commissioners along with the members of the Westville Fire Department extend their sincere gratitude to Congressman Donald Norcross for his continued support of the Borough of Westville and our dedicated career and volunteer firefighters,” said Mayor Fritz H. Sims, Jr. “This funding will allow the Westville Fire Department to continue to have the resources necessary to operate effectively, serve the Borough at the highest level, and remain fully equipped to provide extremely effective, reliable, and professional emergency response services for many years to come.”
Community Funding Recipients and Project Descriptions:
$822,000 to Borough of Magnolia
This project will provide the Magnolia Fire Company with a new fire engine to replace aging equipment and ensure reliable emergency response for residents
$1,015,000 to Maryville Southern New Jersey Telehealth
This project will expand Maryville’s telehealth programming across Southern New Jersey by upgrading its electronic medical record system and related hardware, cybersecurity tools, and IT support.
$900,000 to Westville Fire District
This project will fund a new rescue pumper for the Westville Fire District to strengthen emergency response in Westville, surrounding communities, and nearby highways such as I-295 and the New Jersey Turnpike.