Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Governor Maura Healey, and members of the Massachusetts’ congressional delegation announced that Massachusetts is receiving $105.78 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Low- or No-Emission Grant Program and the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Competitive Program.

Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these competitive programs provide funding for transit agencies to reduce emissions and expand and improve public transit service by purchasing buses that use low- or no-emission propulsion technologies; constructing or upgrading bus-related facilities; and/or further developing the public transit workforce.

“There’s been no shortage of political divisiveness and chaos in Washington lately, but my focus remains where it’s always been – on delivering for the hardworking families I represent,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That means fighting for investments that make daily life more affordable and more efficient for folks across our entire district. With these federal investments, our families, workers, and students will have access to new LRTA and MEVA buses that will help reduce costs for riders, improve reliability, and make it easier for families to get where they need to go.”

“With these awards, communities from the Berkshires to Boston will be able to modernize their bus fleets and keep their infrastructure in a state of good repair so people can affordably and reliably get to work, school, medical appointments, and recreational opportunities,” said Senator Markey. “I’m grateful to Governor Healey and her administration, Senator Warren, our federal congressional delegation, and our RTAs and local partners for their work to make this funding a reality. We’re on the road to better and more reliable bus service.” 

“Low and no emission buses deliver smoother rides, lower costs and healthier air,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These funds will help transit authorities across the state purchase new buses and deliver the service that the people of Massachusetts deserve. I’m grateful for the team at MassDOT, the MBTA and our RTAs, as well as for Senators Warren and Markey and our Congressional delegation for their strong leadership to secure this funding.” 

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration has made it a priority to pursue every dollar available and I’m proud of our collective teams across our Regional Transit Authorities and the MBTA for their collaboration and hard work to secure this $105.7 million in competitive grants that will enable us to modernize our bus fleets and facilities,” said Interim Transportation Secretary Phillip Eng. “I thank FTA Administrator Marc Molinaro for this award and with the support of our federal partners, Senator Warren, Senator Markey and the Congressional delegation, these investments will enhance service, safety and accessibility for all delivering cleaner new efficient buses that make it easier for people to choose transit and leave their car behind.”

“Reliable, affordable public transit is a lifeline for families in Central and Western Massachusetts,” said Congressman James P. McGovern. “This federal investment will help our regional transit authorities replace aging buses, cut harmful emissions, and keep riders safe and moving. It means better service for workers, students, and seniors who depend on public transportation every single day. I’m grateful to Senators Markey and Warren, Governor Healey, and all our partners who worked to secure these funds. Together, we’re delivering real improvements that strengthen our communities and support a cleaner, more sustainable future for our commonwealth.”

“Massachusetts is leading the way toward the healthier, more affordable future that working families deserve. This transformative investment in clean buses is the latest win in Democrats’ fight for faster, easier, and more sustainable commutes. I’m proud to be working alongside Governor Healey and our state leaders to strengthen the Commonwealth’s public transit, and I look forward to seeing these dollars put to work,” said House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark.

“Massachusetts is leading the nation in building a cleaner and more reliable public transit system, and this investment will lead to more reliable service, lower emissions, and a transit system that connects more people to jobs, schools, and opportunity. I’ll continue to work to bring more federal resources to Massachusetts to deliver real progress for riders across Massachusetts,” said Congressman Seth Moulton.

“Transit justice is an economic, climate, and racial justice issue, and our policies and budgets must reflect that. These meaningful federal investments will help make our transportation infrastructure more safe and sustainable while connecting folks in the Massachusetts 7th and beyond to essential resources like jobs, schools, healthcare, and the grocery store,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “I’ll keep pushing to invest in public transit as the public good that it is.”
 
The awards to Massachusetts during this round of funding include:

FY25-26 Low- or No-Emission Program

Lowell Regional Transit Authority: $7,158,564 

Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority: $7,194,360 

Berkshire Regional Transit Authority: $5,381,341 

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority: $78,566,512 

FY25 Buses & Bus Facilities Program

Berkshire Regional Transit Authority: $3,000,000 

Pioneer Valley Transit Authority: $4,475,955 

 
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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

Headline: Newhouse Calls for FAA Review of Inslee’s Horse Heaven Hills Wind Farm

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) sent a letter to Federal Aviation Administrator (FAA) Bryan Bedford requesting a re-examination of a previous determination on the Horse Heaven Hill Wind Project’s potential hazardous impact on airspace in the region. 

“I share the concerns of the residents in the Tri-Cities with the proposed wind project because of potential devasting impacts to the airspace. It includes commercial flights to PSC, Department of Defense military training routes, medivac flights from Oregon to the area’s only level II trauma center, and the utilization of air tankers for aerial firefighting. This project adds unnecessary and significant risks to aviation that need to be recognized and considered,” Rep. Newhouse wrote in the letter. 

Newhouse added, “Unfortunately, former Governor Jay Inslee ignored these potential impacts to air operations and stakeholder concerns when he expediently permitted this project…There remains a great deal of concern about its impact on safe and reliable air operations. I believe a rigorous re-examination of the prior determination of no hazard is essential to properly and accurately assess this project’s impact on the community.” 

In November 2024, Former Governor Jay Inslee approved a 24-mile-long wind farm on the Horse Heaven Hills in Benton County, WA. The project has been met with staunch opposition from local residents, state legislators, and tribal communities.

Read the full letter here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Today, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan 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. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) introduced the legislation alongside Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), 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.

“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.”

“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 Congressman 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.

“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, 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. 

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

Click here to watch Rep. Dingell speak on the House Floor ahead of the bill’s passing.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell, Bergman Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Permanently Extend Telehealth Flexibilities

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Releases Statement on Trump Administration Changes to Immigration Processes

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) recently joined House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) in introducing the Healthy Competition for Better Care Act. This bipartisan legislation promotes transparency in health care, cracks down on anti-competitive practices, and removes restrictions preventing competition in health care markets.

“I have often said that the best way to lower health care costs for hardworking Americans is to enhance competition in the marketplace. For too long, anti-competitive practices have driven up premiums and out-of-pocket costs while simultaneously limiting consumers’ ability to choose the health care plan that meets their needs,” said Congressman Allen. “The Healthy Competition for Better Care Act proposes comprehensive reforms to improve our flawed system by increasing transparency, fostering greater competition, expanding access to quality care, and lowering skyrocketing health care costs. I thank Representative Arrington for his leadership on this legislation and look forward to its consideration by the Education and Workforce Committee.”

“Americans are paying too much for too little health care,” said Chairman Arrington. “My Healthy Competition for Better Care Act cracks down on anti-competitive practices, removes unnecessary restrictions, and gives patients the freedom to find better-quality and lower-cost care. This bipartisan legislation puts hardworking families first, ensures fair competition, and puts patients, not bureaucrats, back in charge of their health care.”

“ERIC strongly supports the ‘Healthy Competition for Better Care Act’ because it promotes transparency, eliminates anti-competitive barriers, and empowers patients to choose high-quality, lower-cost care,” said Melissa Bartlett, Senior Vice President of Health Policy at The ERISA Industry Committee. “Encouraging these value-driven provider partnerships is essential to helping employers and employees access the best care at the best prices. We applaud Representatives Arrington, Davis and Allen for introducing the legislation and look forward to working with them to advance more affordable health care solutions.”

 BACKGROUND:

• The legislation promotes transparency in health care, cracks down on anti-competitive practices, and removes restrictions preventing competition in health care markets. In all, making health care better for patients and lowering health care costs.
• The legislation enables more group health plans and health insurance issuers to enter into agreements with providers that guide enrollees to high-value providers and provide incentives to encourage enrollees to seek higher-quality, lower-cost care.
• The legislation was scored by the Congressional Budget Office last Congress to save an estimated $4.9 billion over 10 years.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Today, Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Lois Frankel (D-FL-22) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to authorize funding for Student Veteran Success Centers at colleges and universities nationwide, helping student Veterans transition from military to academic life.

“I have personally visited many schools that offer Student Veteran Centers and spoken with the Veterans who utilize them. The Veterans confirm that the enhanced services and specialized resources provided through the centers are invaluable as they seek to successfully reintegrate into civilian society,” said Rep. Bilirakis. “I hope my colleagues will join us in expediting passage of this important initiative.”

“As the mother of a U.S. Marine War Veteran, I know how demanding the transition from military to civilian life can be,” said Rep. Frankel. “Our Veterans are patriots who have served our country-they deserve every tool to succeed in their next chapter. Student Veteran Success Centers provide the academic support, mentorship, and community that help them thrive.”

Student Veterans face unique challenges, including long breaks from school, service-related disabilities, PTSD, and family responsibilities, which can lead to higher dropout rates and limited job opportunities.

The Veteran Education Empowerment Act reauthorizes the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success grant program through FY2033, supporting institutions in creating and operating Student Veteran Success Centers. Since its creation, the Department of Education has awarded nearly $50 million to more than 100 schools, including $4 million to eight institutions in Florida.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, DC-Last night, 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.

“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 Congressman Bilirakis.

“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.”

“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 Congressman 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, the House delivered long-overdue hope for the millions of Americans and their families struggling with a rare disease,” said Congresswoman 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-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.