Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)
Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA) announced that Brooke Justus, an 11th-grade student at the Burton Center for Arts and Technology in Salem, has been named the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for Virginia’s Sixth District. Her piece, titled “A Roanoke Forest,” will be displayed in the United States Capitol for the next year.
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide initiative to showcase the creativity and talent of high school students. In Virginia’s Sixth District, students from across the region submitted impressive works of art. In addition to the winning entry, artwork from the three runners-up will be displayed in the Congressman’s district offices.
As part of her recognition, Brooke traveled to Washington, D.C., this week, where she met with Congressman Cline and saw her artwork on display in the U.S. Capitol.
“Each year, the Congressional Art Competition is a great opportunity to recognize the talent of students across Virginia’s Sixth District, and Brooke’s piece, ‘A Roanoke Forest,’ is a proud representation of our region,” said Rep. Cline. “It was a pleasure to meet her in Washington and see her artwork displayed in the Capitol for visitors from across the country to enjoy.”
Below are the winners of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition:
First Place: Brooke Justus
School: 11th Grade, Burton Center for Arts and Technology
Title: “A Roanoke Forest”
Southern RegionalRunner-Up: Maddie Grow
School: 10th Grade, Grow Classical School
Title: “Downtown Lexington”
Central RegionalRunner-Up: Claudia Allemeier
School: 11th Grade, Harrisonburg High School
Title: “Crowned Cranes”
Northern RegionalRunner-Up: Mariska Sharma
School: 9th Grade, John Handley High School
Title: “Vivaldi”
For more information about the Congressional Art Competition, click here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) today announced that the Congressionally funded Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has approved a $224,000 grant to the West Lauderdale Water and Fire Protection Authority for the installation of emergency backup generators at six critical booster pump stations. The project, located in Florence, Alabama, will benefit communities in both the 4th and 5th Congressional Districts by ensuring uninterrupted water service during power outages.
“This new grant means thousands of families and businesses in West Lauderdale County will no longer have to worry about losing water access when the power goes out,” said Congressman Aderholt. “Reliable infrastructure is the bedrock of strong communities, and this investment ensures not only basic services, but also public safety through uninterrupted fire protection.”
The six diesel-powered generators—expected to produce more than 540,000 kWh annually—will serve over 5,000 households and 120 businesses. In addition to greater resilience during inclement weather, the project will generate an estimated $58,900 in annual cost savings by reducing service disruption and damage from outages
This water infrastructure grant follows an earlier ARC award in March of nearly $1 million to the Florence-Lauderdale Port Authority to restore aging mooring cells at the city’s vital inland port on the Tennessee River. That project, part of ARC’s Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), will help preserve essential river-based commerce and protect jobs tied to transportation, agriculture, and manufacturing in the region.
“These back-to-back ARC grants show a strong commitment to Lauderdale County’s infrastructure and economy,” Aderholt added. “From clean water to reliable ports, we are securing the assets that support daily life and long-term opportunity in northwest Alabama.”
For more information about ARC’s mission and programs, visit www.arc.gov.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) released a statement following peaceful protests in Chicago against the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE):
“Yesterday, thousands of people exercised their constitutional right to peacefully assemble in Chicago to defend their immigrant neighbors. Unlawful detentions and arrests by ICE in the city have caused fear, chaos and untold grief in immigrant communities. The separation of families and random deportation quotas are cruel. I will continue to defend the human dignity of those who choose to call Illinois their home and the civil rights of protestors.
“As protests in Chicago continue to remain peaceful, I warn against any similar actions taken by President Trump in Los Angeles. He deployed the Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles, calling protestors ‘violent, insurrectionist mobs.’ Where was the National Guard when MAGA extremists stormed the Capitol? I still remember crawling on my hands and knees on the House gallery with my colleagues as we escaped on January 6 – that was a violent insurrection. President Trump needs to stop escalating the situation in Los Angeles and pull out the Marines and National Guard. These abuses of power against our democracy would not be welcomed in Chicago.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), in partnership with Democratic leaders, hasintroduced legislation to posthumously award the esteemed Congressional Gold Medal to former Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represented New York’s 13th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for nearly 50 years. His congressional career included a Chairmanship tenure on the influential Ways and Means Committee and countless legislative achievements.
The following Members join Rep. Meeks as original cosponsors of the legislation: Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Congressman Adriano Espaillat,Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, Congressman Ritchie Torres, and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal.
“Congressman Charles Rangel embodied the true spirit of uplifting one’s community,” said Congressman Gregory W. Meeks. “Known as the ‘Lion of Lenox Avenue,’ he proudly represented the people of Harlem with unparalleled passion. He was a fierce advocate for justice and equity, consistently using his platform to uplift those whose voices too often went unheard. He authored more landmark legislation than anyone in Congress. He continuously broke barriers as a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and serving as the first Black Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Through the creation of the historic Rangel Fellows Program at the U.S. Department of State, he helped pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive Foreign Service. Most importantly to me, he was a mentor and dear friend who will be greatly missed. His legacy will certainly inspire generations of leaders to come.”
“Charlie Rangel was a giant — a force of nature who helped shape the soul of New York, the heart of Harlem, and the conscience of the Congress,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. “From the battlefields of Korea, to the halls of Capitol Hill, where he became one of the most influential voices for justice, equality, and opportunity, Charlie never stopped fighting for those too often left out, looked over and left behind. A founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a longtime leader of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel made history not for its own sake, but to open the doors of power and opportunity to others. He gave voice to the voiceless and power to the powerless, and his beloved Harlem — and our entire nation — are better for his service. I was proud to serve with Congressman Rangel for my 18 years in the House and to call him a friend for many more; so it is a privilege to introduce legislation to award him the Congressional Gold Medal to honor his legacy and to inspire future generations of leaders.”
“Congressman Charles B. Rangel served our nation with distinction and honor, fighting for the American people and delivering for the constituencies of Harlem, El Barrio, Upper Manhattan, and the Northwest Bronx, which he represented in Congress for nearly 50 years,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “A renowned feat, impactful in his service and commitment to our nation and dedication to all whose lives he touched along the way. It is with gratitude and a tremendous level of respect that I introduce this legislation with the support of my U.S. Senate and House colleagues to recognize the extraordinary life and legacy of Congressman Rangel, the Lion of Lenox Avenue, forever enshrining his indelible mark on American policy and our nation’s history.”
“Charles Rangel was a true New Yorker and a beloved son of Harlem, who earned his recognition as ‘the Lion of Lenox Ave,’ through a lifetime of tireless service to the community he held so close to his heart,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “This devoted public servant was a mentor to many and a friend to many more, and I’ll always consider it one of the great blessings of my life to have called him both. As a decorated war hero, founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, and leader within Congress for decades, Charlie’s legacy is absolute and undeniable. And it deserves to be celebrated. I can think of no man more deserving of a Congressional Gold Medal, and I am proud to join this effort to ensure his name is forever tied to Congress’ highest honorific.”
“Charlie Rangel was a lion of Harlem, a legend of Congress, and a proud son of New York,” Congressman Ritchie Torres.“He spent nearly five decades in the House lifting up the voices of those too often unheard. His leadership in civil rights and public service left an indelible mark on our city and our country. I’m proud to support the effort to honor his towering legacy with a Congressional Gold Medal, a fitting tribute to a life of extraordinary service.” “Charlie Rangel will be remembered as a brilliant legislator and a devoted public servant who spent his life fighting for fairness and justice,” said Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal. “Whether it was his decorated service in Korea or his trailblazing ascent and tenure as a Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he was a steward of change who redefined what was possible for millions of Americans. His impact and legacy on the development of landmark legislation, most notably, the Affordable Care Act, speak louder than any award ever could, but there is no one more deserving of the Congressional Gold Medal.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)
Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01)joined Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02)in announcing that the New Hampshire State Society Event, “Experience New Hampshire,” will return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. The New Hampshire Congressional delegation and other members of Congress will attend the event, which exhibits Granite State businesses and their first-class products in the U.S. Capitol. This year’s event marks the New Hampshire State Society’s 14th year hosting the reception.
“By highlighting our state’s small businesses and their unique products and services, Experience New Hampshire brings Granite State culture to our nation’s capital,” said Congressman Pappas. “In New Hampshire, small businesses are the fabric of our communities, economy, and way of life. I am once again thrilled to join our federal delegation in welcoming guests to this popular event, and I look forward to seeing fellow Granite Staters and their small businesses in D.C.”
“From our world-famous maple syrup to tourism in the White Mountains, Experience New Hampshire showcases the businesses, institutions and entrepreneurs that make the Granite State a uniquely wonderful place,” said Senator Shaheen. “By allowing businesses to share their products and services and to connect with industry leaders and policymakers, the reception puts New Hampshire on the map. I’m thankful to the New Hampshire State Society for their work year after year to make this event possible.”
“Experience NH provides an opportunity to showcase some of the many small businesses, vendors, foods, and artists that make our state so great,” said Senator Hassan.“I look forward to Experience NH every year and I appreciate all those who are joining for this year’s celebration and helping bring our Granite State spirit to Washington.”
“New Hampshire is home to the best of America,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “I’m proud to partner with New Hampshire’s federal delegation and the New Hampshire State Society to help bring a taste of the Granite State to Congress and connect New Hampshire businesses and innovators with legislators and leaders in our nation’s Capitol.”
Some participating businesses this year will include Echo Farm Puddings, Contoocook Creamery, Shire’s Naturals, Concord Regional Technical Center, the New Hampshire Maple Producers, SkiNH, The Spicy Shark, and more.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON —The heroic men and women of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) work around the clock to detain and deport criminal illegal aliens from the U.S. Since President Trump returned to office, ICE has deported murderers, wife-beaters, child sex predators, and violent gang members, making our communities safer. Despite the important work this agency does day in and day out, Democrats take the side of the criminals and want to defund and dismantle it.
“Peaceful” Anti-ICE Protests in Los Angeles
“While Republicans are supporting the men and women of ICE through the One Big Beautiful Bill, Democrats are fighting for illegal aliens and against law enforcement agents. They’re defending the violent anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles. They visited a violent MS-13 gang member and human trafficker in El Salvador,” Speaker Johnson said. “They charged an ICE facility in Newark and clashed with ICE officers. That was members of the House of Representatives doing that. They’re advocating for people to dox ICE agents and making them targets for threats from radicals. And they’re calling for the elimination of ICE.”
DEMOCRATS IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“I believe that ICE, an agency that was just formed in 2003 during the Patriot Act era, is a rogue agency that should not exist.” – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
“Every single ICE agent who’s engaged in this aggressive overreach and are trying to hide their identities from the American people, will be unsuccessful in doing that…every single one of them, no matter what it takes, no matter how long it takes, will, of course, be identified.” — Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
“I don’t know of any police department that routinely wears masks. We know that there are other groups that routinely wear masks. NSC-131 routinely wears masks.” — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu
“This is not immigration policy that we’re seeing unfold. This is domestic terrorism.” – Rep. Kamlager-Dove
Activists are taking these words to heart. According to the Department of Homeland Security, brave and patriotic ICE agents are facing a 413% increase in assaults against them.
Federal law enforcement officers thatkeep our communities safe deserve our support. And the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers it.
Makes the largest investment in border security and interior enforcement in a generation, providing over $150 billion to secure the border and deport illegal aliens
Includes $45 billion to expand ICE detention capacity
Provides $12 billion in funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, and 1,000 criminal investigators, among others
Provides $10,000 bonuses to Border Patrol and ICE agents
Includes $1.2 billion to hire 200 immigration judges and to expand immigration courtroom space
Includes $14.4 billion for air and ground transportation sufficient to support at least 1 million removals per year
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)
Today in the full Appropriations Committee markup of the Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026, Senior Appropriator Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) called out the Trump Administration’s hypocrisy, touting a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda while stripping access to healthy food away from families and children. A summary of the bill is available here.
“14,000 families use WIC in my state. That’s a lot in a state of only 1.3 million people. This is a way to make sure we have healthier fruits and vegetables and better health outcomes for young children in their diet,” Pingree said. “You know, this is the administration of ‘MAHA’—Make America Healthy Again. And how do we expect to make America healthy if we are not going to make sure that people get that healthy food in their diet?”
Watch Pingree’s opening remarks here; Watch the full markup here.
In her opening remarks, Pingree also railed against the bill’s attacks on supporting farmers impacted by the effects of climate change, dispelling the notion that these programs are “woke” or part of a “liberal climate change agenda.”
“When we talk about conservation funds and the cuts there, or the ‘climate change agenda’ as if it’s some woke thing – who deserves more attention than our farmers who are dealing with this extreme weather? That is our responsibility and these programs that help them to access no till agriculture or cover crops or more irrigation. These are the very things that we should be funding now,” Pingree said. “Our farmers deserve our attention. This is not woke. This is not some crazy liberal climate change agenda. This is what’s really going on with our weather right now. And we are derelict in our duty. We are not holding up our responsibility to farmers.”
A transcript of Pingree’s full remarks is copied below:
I’m disappointed that I can’t support this bill. The Agriculture Appropriations Committee in this bill is my second favorite subcommittee after, of course, the work I do with Mr. Simpson on the Interior bill. And I am sorry that this bill isn’t a better piece of work from this committee.
One of the things I love about this bill is that we’re really focusing on farmers and what people eat, and we need to ask ourselves, as we look at this bill in its entirety, what are we doing to help our farmers stay on their farms, to access capital, to be sure that they can purchase or own a farm, to increase their family income, to make ends meet, and to keep their farms in business during these ever challenging times?
The reason you’ll hear a lot today, and we’ve already heard some about the cuts to the local food purchase assistance program and the local foods and schools programs, and I’m going to talk about it today in much more detail in an amendment, is because it is such a good example of a program that was designed to give farmers contracts to supply food to local schools, food banks, and other entities in our home states.
We spend so much time talking about how to get more healthy foods in our diets, how to make sure we give farmers the contracts they need, and for the farmers in Maine who lost those contracts when this was ridiculously cut, it was part of making ends meet. It was part of their winter income. As part of what they had planned for everything from yogurt to carrots to apples to a whole variety of other things.
And that was true in states across the country. And we’ve ended that program and that is an example of something that we should be doing the reverse of in this program. There are other cuts to making sure people get healthy food in their diet, the cuts to WIC – fruits and vegetables that we will talk about more in an amendment today, 14,000 families use WIC in my state.
That’s a lot in a state of only 1.3 million people. And again, this is a way to make sure we have healthier fruits and vegetables, better health outcomes for young children in their diet. You know, this is the administration of “MAHA” – Make America Healthy Again. And how do we expect to make America healthy if we are not going to make sure that people get that healthy food in their diet?
Housing is another cut in this bill. Housing is the number 1 or 2 issue for so many people in my state. The cost of housing, the challenges with finding affordable housing. And we are making cuts there, $46 million of cuts overall to rural development staffing. I have a constituent in my district, Hillary, who is disabled in her 40s.
She was getting a home through an RD loan. It’s her only viable pathway to home ownership. She’s taken all the steps she needs to: completed her homebuyer education, submitted her paperwork on time … But after years of delays, because of funding cuts, she’s finally where she should be, but there is no staff to process her loan to answer the phone.
Her calls and emails are going unanswered, and there’s a question about whether or not she will get to the finish line. Those staffing cuts are throughout our districts, in our local offices, and we talk about how to make sure our farmers are able and eligible to get the funding, whether it is, through a conservation program, through a loan.
But so many of our offices now are understaffed and underfunded, and I know we will be talking more about that. We’ll talk about the cuts. The Dairy Farmers Innovation program. In my state, dairy farmers are under assault, just barely making it. Now, so many of the amendments we’ll have today, we’re going to hear this reply: “Oh, that’s just woke Democratic thinking” or “that’s climate change agenda” or that’s “pre-pandemic money or pandemic money that we don’t need anymore.”
But you know we learned a lot of lessons in the pandemic. We learned that our supply chains were broken, that we should buy more locally. That’s why we have these programs. Yet we’re having them cut out from under us. When we talk about conservation funds and the cuts there, or the “climate change agenda” as if it’s some woke thing – who deserves more attention than our farmers who are dealing with this extreme weather? That is our responsibility and these programs that help them to access no till agriculture or cover crops or more irrigation or a whole variety of other things are the very things that we should be funding now.
Our farmers deserve our attention. This is not woke. This is not some crazy liberal climate change agenda. This is what’s really going on with our weather right now. And we are derelict in our duty. We are not holding up our responsibility to farmers and to making sure our constituents get that healthy food. We’ll have many opportunities to talk about this today.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)
Today, during the House Appropriations Committee’s markup of the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree blasted Republicans’ proposed funding cuts, speaking out against glaring issues in the bill, including giving DOGE unfettered access to the VA and ignoring critical resilience efforts for Maine’s public shipyards. A summary of the bill is available here. Click here to watch Pingree’s opening remarks; Watch the full markup here.
Pingree’s full remarks are copied below.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I am extremely disappointed to see the damage to the vital funding for the MilCon-VA bill that is done in this bill before us today.
Just to mention a few things. You’ve heard people talking about the 80,000 proposed staffing cuts [at the VA], which is absolutely a way to move forward to privatizing our veterans’ medical care. This cuts veterans’ and families’ access to reproductive health care and has many more problems that we’ll have a chance to address in our amendments that will be coming soon.
But I want to talk about a couple of specific impacts that we will see in Maine. The first one is called Installation Resilience funding—a $30 million cut. Now it’s kind of a wonky term, but it will mean a lot to our state.
For those of you who don’t know, I am blessed to have the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in my district. Luckily, there’s no one in here from New Hampshire, because sometimes they think it’s a New Hampshire shipyard. But it’s very clearly in Maine, even if it’s called Portsmouth. It is in Kittery, Maine, and it is a vital military facility where we overhaul, repair, and modernize our U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered subs—specifically, the Los Angeles and Virginia class.
This shipyard, for you history buffs, was established in 1800, and the first ship they built was a 74 gun warship called the USS Washington in 1814. It was a vital shipyard during World War II, where we constructed 75 submarines and had up to 25,000 people there working every day.
Now, I’m very grateful to this committee for consistently investing in upgrades and improvements in the drydock and modernization of facilities there. But you should know that when you build on the coast—any of your coast, my coast, the West coast—it is not stable. And if you were in Maine in 2024, just a year ago in November, we had two severe storms that wiped out about 50% of our working waterfronts. And even this year, there has been some of the greatest sea level surges in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard recorded in all time.
So, what happens then? It risks flooding of our nuclear submarines. You can imagine how expensive and delicate this operation is.
This year, they had to use sheets of plywood to keep the dry docks from flooding. The millions and millions of dollars you have invested are now being kept safe with some sheets of plywood. Why would we spend millions of dollars in the SIOP (Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Project) to modernize these facilities, if we’re not going to spend a measly $30 million for resilience funding?
It just doesn’t make any sense. You know why? Because resilience is one of those prohibited words. Perhaps it’s woke. Perhaps it means climate change. So, for the sake of some prohibited words and things that people think don’t actually matter, we are not going to protect our essential investment. Now, as you can imagine, I could go on and on, but I do want to mention one more thing.
The staffing cuts that are being proposed, and have already happened, whether it’s through the DOGE or the deferred resignation—by the way, that deferred resignation that Elon Musk thought up means that you let people out of their jobs, say, “Go ahead, go home, don’t go to work,” but we’ll keep paying you till September—and we can’t fill those vital positions.
So, all those people who thought, huh, maybe I should take the buyout because I might get fired are sitting home wishing they were at work, getting paid. And we are spending the taxpayers’ dollars for people to do nothing. I am lucky to represent a VA clinic. I also have Togus, a medical facility in my district. And I want you to know the number one call that we get from veterans who call in for constituent service—and I know you all do a lot of veterans’ services in your offices, too—is the wait times for VA appointments. It used to be about 17 days, which is a long time to wait, but most recently we heard from a vet who was recently separated and waited 63 days to get to that appointment. You tell me it’s not going to get worse if we layoff 80,000 more people.
The need is there. These cuts are shameful. The damage we’re doing in this bill will be shameful. I’m sorry. I can’t support it. And I yield back my time.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)
Washington, D.C. –The Antiquities Act of 1906, signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt, was designed to protect areas of cultural, historical, and scientific significance. Its purpose is to preserve these vital resources for the public and for future generations.
The Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine this law will set a dangerous precedent. Rolling back protections not only disregards the intent of the Antiquities Act, it puts at risk the very lands and resources this law was meant to safeguard.
This action would harm veterans, tribal communities, working families, and endangered species. It strips away protections that uphold our responsibility to leave the earth better than we found it, for the benefit of generations to come.
This is yet another attack in a long line of actions targeting California. I will not stand by while our public lands, communities, and future are under threat. I will keep fighting to protect what belongs to all of us.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore issued the following statement after the EPA announced plans to scrap the Biden-era Clean Power Plan 2.0 earlier today:
“The Biden-Harris war on affordable, reliable American energy ends today. By reversing these job-killing regulations, President Trump and Administrator Zeldin make it clear: the Green New Scam is over and American energy dominance is back. These EPA regulations would have shuttered every coal-fired power plant in America, bankrupted many coal mines, laid off thousands of coal miners, and driven up the cost of electricity for every American.
“In a time when our nation’s adversaries are burning more coal than ever before, President Trump knows the only way to bring back jobs from overseas and fuel the Golden Age of America is by unleashing American energy, and today’s announcement once again confirms it’ll be coal-fired!”