MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of House Democratic Leadership, voted against a continuing resolution put forward by House Republicans that will cut $22.8 billion in funding for health care for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals while also jeopardizing Americans’ housing, health care, and ability to retire.
“When young men and women put on the uniform to defend our nation, we make a solemn promise to stand by them – not just while they serve, but for the rest of their lives. Today, House Republicans shattered that promise by passing a government funding bill that guts $23 billion in critical health care funding for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic chemicals. These heroes risked everything for our country, and now the GOP is turning its back on them when they need us most.”
“But the betrayal doesn’t stop there. This bill will evict tens of thousands of hardworking Americans, threatening families with homelessness at a time when they’re already struggling to make ends meet. It will allow Donald Trump to fire thousands of Social Security workers, delaying lifesaving benefits for seniors who have spent their lives paying into the system. And it hands over billions in taxpayer dollars to Elon Musk by giving him free rein to steer federal contracts to his own companies and line his pockets at the public’s expense.”
“This bill is a disgraceful giveaway to Republicans’ billionaire donors like Elon Musk at the expense of veterans, families, and seniors, and I’ll have no part of it.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), the only former Division I woman athlete in Congress, raised concerns during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on college sports about schools’ plans to adopt a revenue-sharing model that would shortchange women athletes and violate Title IX.
“Thanks to Title IX, I became the first in my family to graduate from college—an opportunity made possible by a scholarship to play Division I volleyball. Through that experience, I saw firsthand the transformative power of higher education and college athletics. That’s why I’m deeply troubled by the Trump Administration’s actions, which threaten to undermine higher education and strip future generations of the opportunities that athletes like me were afforded,” said Congresswoman Trahan.
“If we’re serious about establishing fair federal standards on NIL, revenue-sharing, or athletes’ employment rights, then athletes themselves must be at the center of these conversations. Otherwise, we risk undoing the tremendous progress made in recent years with one-sided proposals that fall far short of what our nation’s athletes deserve.”
Trahan’s line of questioning can be viewed by clicking HERE or the image below. A transcript is included below.

In November, Trahan led members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus in requesting that the U.S. Department of Education issue guidance on how Title IX applies to college athlete pay. Following the lawmakers’ request, the Department issued a fact sheet clarifying colleges’ obligation under Title IX to offer equal opportunity to college athletes with respect to publicity, support services, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) offerings, and direct payments. In February, the Trump Administration rescinded the guidance, arguing that it lacked “a credible legal justification.”
Earlier this year, Trahan reintroduced the Fair Play for Women Act to close Title IX loopholes that deprive women and girls of athletic opportunities in college and K-12 sports. Last year, she invited University of California, Los Angeles Quarterback Chase Griffin to testify before Congress in opposition to legislation that would curtail athletes’ rights. The next month, she Last year, she partnered with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to reintroduce the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, legislation they first introduced prior to the Supreme Court’s Alston v. NCAA decision to establish an unrestricted federal right for college athletes to market their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), grant international athletes the right to monetize their NIL, and place sensible guardrails on collectives.
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Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks as Delivered
Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing
March 4th, 2025
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for our witnesses today, especially our players. The state of college athletics, while imperfect, it’s better today than it was four years ago. Now it may not be better for the people who have historically benefited from the guise of amateurism, but it’s certainly better for athletes, and those are the folks who have always created the value in this industry. But while I celebrate the progress, I remain concerned about the inequities that persist in college athletics, and with respect to NIL, I worry that universities’  plan to finally share revenue directly with athletes could again short change women at a time when women’s sports are seeing a massive surge in popularity. Mr. Whitman, are you aware of the tentative agreement in the House v. NCAA lawsuit that will require the NCAA to pay out nearly $2.8 billion in damages to current and former athletes dating back to 2016 with 75% going to football players, 15% for men’s basketball players, 5% for women basketball players, and 5% for all other athletes?
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: I am aware. Yes.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: I figured, then you – and great. I wouldn’t expect any other answer. You must also be familiar with the filing in that case by Barbara Osborne, an independent Title IX specialist with extensive experience auditing collegiate institutions who study the House settlement terms. If the lopsided terms of the House settlement were used in an institution, Ms. Osborne claimed she would have advised the institution that they were violating Title IX. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter Miss Osborne’s report on the gender inequities present in the House settlements revenue model into the record. Thank you. Mr. Whitman, you advocate that Congress codify a revenue sharing framework, that is, and I’m quoting here from your testimony, largely in line with what is contemplating by the House settlement. Your testimony comes amid reports that Power 5 schools like the University of Georgia are already planning to use those same thresholds in their future revenue sharing model scheduled to take effect later this year. Mr. Whitman, can you understand why many current and former women athletes like myself are alarmed that NCAA institutions and leaders are adopting a revenue sharing model that only gives women at most 10%?
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: Thank you for the question Congresswoman. This is an issue that has weighed heavily on our campuses as we have tried to evaluate how to apply, – excuse me –  an old, a 50 year old law to a new set of facts that weren’t contemplated when that law was passed. We have worked very earnestly to consult with a variety of different counsel to gain some clarity on that issue, and all that we have learned through those conversations is there seems to be some lack of consensus around exactly how that law will apply to these new opportunities that we can make available to our student athletes. What we know is that we’re seeing an explosion in popularity in women’s sports. We know that people who work in college athletics remain very strong champions of advancement in our women, amongst our women’s teams. But we also see that we are faced with some, some really challenging balancing of equities in a case like this one. If we were to apply Title IX in the sense that of the traditional financial aid balancing proportionality, we would potentially be diverting money away from the athletes who generate that revenue, many of whom are student athletes of color, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds. On the flip side, we  understand that if we were to maintain those revenues with the student athletes who generate it, we wouldn’t be potentially passing as much of it along to our female student athletes. And so it creates a really challenging dynamic for us to navigate on campus. What we know – 
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Which is why I asked that question, because, as you’re aware, in your role as Director of Athletics, Title IX requires that if a school awards financial assistance to athletes, they must, quote, provide reasonable opportunities for such awards for members of each sex in proportion to the number of students of each sex participating in interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics, end, quote. Surely the model that Georgia and other schools plan to use cannot comply with Title IX.
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: We don’t think that’s been identified or established. We think there’s a lack of clarity around how Title IX will apply to these new payments. We currently comply with Title IX, we’re required to comply with Title IX, we have every intention of continuing
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Well at a time when women haven’t seen their fair market value because they’ve never had the benefit of promotion or boosting, at a time when women’s Fandom of college sports is surging, I would hope that we would not base forward looking and forward looking frameworks for how we’re going to distribute those revenues based on a model where women were short changed. So I thank you for the extra time, Mr. Chairman and I yield.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

Lawmaker Calls for Congressional Investigation of Trump Admin Texting Classified War Plans

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) today rallied with fellow lawmakers and advocates from the Families Over Billionaires coalition in opposition to Republican efforts to cut Medicaid and divert funds into tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.

Rep. Horsford has persistently raised concerns about Republican efforts to cut Medicaid, including in an address to the Nevada State Legislature, and in an op-ed in the Las Vegas Sun.

Key excerpts:

“Politics can be complicated, but sometimes, it’s not. When the choice is between private jets and yachts for the few…Or basic medical services for pregnant women, newborn babies, disabled people, and senior citizens across the country… It’snot. The Republican plan to gut Medicaid and fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy is obscene.” 

~~~

“The American people elected Donald Trump to run our government for four years – not to dismantle it for generations. He might owe his presidency to billionaires…Republicans in Congress might owe their seats to dark money…however, the American people don’t owe the tycoons a damn thing. We will fight them every day, and in every way, for as long as they keep targeting services that keep people alive. Because we know this: when we fight together, we win.”

~~~

“American democracy is not for sale. Federal services are not slush funds for the GOP to skim from. And the people I know in Nevada, and people just like them across the country, are going to hold them accountable.”

Video of Rep. Horsford’s full remarks is available here.

Video of Rep. Horsford warning of Medicaid cuts during a joint session of the Nevada State Legislature is available here.

An op-ed Rep. Horsford wrote in the Las Vegas Sun warning about Medicaid cuts is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

LAS VEGAS, N.V. – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) today responded to news of President Trump instructing Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

 While Trump cannot close a federal agency created by Congress without Congressional approval, his move today undermines the agency’s ability to successfully meet its mission: to promote student achievement and prepare for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access to education.

 “Donald Trump has no power to close an agency, but he’s still slamming the door on children in Nevada and across the country who simply want a brighter future,” Rep. Horsford said. “This isn’t about cost savings, and it’s not about efficiency – it’s about helping the rich get richer with privatized education, and forcing the poor to suffer more as their support systems dwindle.”

 Students in Nevada will be among the hardest hit by Trump’s actions. With vast rural areas and funding challenges following the COVID pandemic, the Silver State faces significant challenges to per-pupil funding. The dynamic leads to some of the worst results in the nation for proficiency in English and math, high school graduation rates, and more.

 “Nevadans understand how vital a good education is, precisely because our state has faced challenges providing them,” Rep. Horsford continued. “A single mom working in North Las Vegas has the same hopes and dreams for her children as a hedge fund manager in Manhattan. The difference is opportunity, and by gutting the Department of Education, President Trump just made that gap exponentially larger.

 “For Donald Trump, this was a simple pen stroke to help his rich friends,” Horsford added. “For the generations of children harmed by it, this will be a lifetime of diminished opportunity and achievement. Shame on this Administration.”

 In Nevada, support from the U.S. Department of Education includes:

• Support for over 534,000 children across 700 K-12 schools –
  • Title I schools serving over 270,000 students, ensuring every child has the resources they need to learn;
  • Speech services, reading support, or other assistance benefitting 64,000 children;
  • Life skill programs (e.g. career counseling) to help students succeed beyond the classroom;
  • Before- and after-school programs to support working parents, and clubs and sports to help children live well-rounded lives;
  • Support for English language learners, rural students, military families, and Native American reservations.
• Workforce Development –
  • Career and technical education, including pathways to jobs through apprenticeship programs in traditional trades or STEM careers;
  • Job placement services to help every Nevadan who wants a job – including those with disabilities – to find a job.
• Investments in two- and four-year college and trade development –
  • Student loans supporting over 363,000 Nevadans;
  • Pell grants helping 57,000 Nevadans pursue a college degree;
  • Financial support to students at Nevada’s five minority serving institutions;
  • Support to help underrepresented students succeed, including those who are first in their families to attend college, are from lower-income households, or have disabilities.
• Improvements to schools and communities –
  • Mental health and learning support, including reading coaches, parent liaisons, counselors and psychologists.
  • Financial support to schools to help hire teachers and support staff.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) today responded to news of a leaked memo from Acting Deputy Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Doris Diaz outlining proposed claims process changes that would significantly hamper operations and prevent many Nevadans and people across America from applying for or receiving benefits.

The memo, dated March 13, suggests that applicants who cannot verify their identity with the SSA’s online system should visit a local field office in person, ending the opportunity for these individuals to apply for, or update, benefits over the phone.

 “My constituents who paid into Social Security deserve the benefits they’ve earned, regardless of whether they visit a field office,” Rep. Horsford said. “Social Security recipients may not have the mobility for an in-person visit, or they may live in remote areas without offices nearby. Either the Trump administration overlooked these very obvious facts, or they simply don’t care. Either way, my constituents deserve better.”

 The leaked memo acknowledges significant harm would follow from the policy change, estimating an influx 75,000 to 85,000 customers for already-inundated field offices each week. 

 It further acknowledges that the policy changes would create increased “challenges for vulnerable populations.”

 “This administration is shutting down SSA field offices for ‘efficiency’ and simultaneously trying to funnel scores of additional customers to them,” Rep. Horsford said. “That kind of mismanagement would hamstring any organization, and when it comes to health and wellbeing – particularly for vulnerable people in their golden years – the stakes are simply too high.”

Congressman Horsford is proud to lead the Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act with Congressman John Larson. The legislation would prevent Elon Musk’s effort to close Social Security Administration offices.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) released the following statement today as the U.S. Senate passed patchwork spending legislation proposed by Congressional Republicans in lieu of a proper budget as mandated by the Constitution.

 The partisan spending bill deeply cuts programs Nevadans depend on, while simultaneously deferring to the Trump Administration for funding decisions that should rest with Congress.

 “The constituents I represent need Democrats to stand up to this rogue administration,” Rep. Horsford said. “What they got from Senate Democrats today was capitulation instead.

 “The bill they passed is a partisan spending spree, not a good faith funding bill,” Horsford continued. “At a time when Nevadans are struggling through the worst housing crisis on record, this bill slashes $700 million from rent subsidies for low-income and working Americans. Days after Elon Musk threatened the Social Security benefits my constituents have earned, this bill makes it easier for Musk and Trump to fire thousands of Social Security Administration workers. And as veterans and military-connected families reel from news that Trump wants to fire 83,000 people from the VA, this bill drops $22.8 billion that was intended for veteran medical care, and creates an opportunity for the Trump Administration to redirect Veteran Health Administration funds to other causes, or eliminate them entirely.

 “Principled opposition means more than opposing what’s wrong – it means standing up for what’s right,” Horsford added. “Trump and Musk are already shutting the government down with each budget slashed and each civil servant fired. Passing this bill doesn’t stop their illegal assault on American government – it clears a path for them to do more.”

 More information about how the Republican Continuing Resolution will impact Americans is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

Above: (L to R) Claire DiPinto, State Senator Shelly Cruz-Crawford, Amanda Morgan, Rep. Susie Lee, Rebecca Dirks Garcia, and Catherine Nielsen 

Click HERE for video of the press conference

LAS VEGAS – Today, at Wayne N. Tanaka Elementary School, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) joined local parents of children with learning disabilities who rely on federally funded and protected special education programs, educators, and advocates to sound the alarm on the current administration’s new executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) that the President signed on Thursday. Attendees shared how federal cuts will have a personal impact on their families and students, especially students with learning disabilities. 

The DOE provides federal funding for disadvantaged students and is the watchdog for enforcing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (I.D.E.A.). Without the department, there is no federal backstop to make sure kids with learning disabilities get the education they are legally entitled to.

Despite the fact that only Congress can shutter the DOE, shutting it down and transferring duties to the state, will effectively be a tax increase for Nevada families. Federal “savings” from cutting the department will go toward wealthy tax cuts and Nevada tag payers will be caught holding the bag to pay for lost services.

Federal Funding for Nevada Education:

• Nevada received $97.2 million in federal investments for special education last year, affecting nearly 70,000 Nevada students, including over 40,000 in Clark County.
• Nevada K-12 schools receive roughly $993 million annually from the DOE. 17% of CCSD’s budget is federally sourced.
• Nevada has some of the largest class sizes in the country. Dismantling the DOE will make them even larger because educators will be laid off.
• Over half of Clark County’s 385 schools receive federal Title I funding and Nevada received nearly $161 million in Title I funding for low-income schools for the 2024-25 school year.
• $146.4 million in federal Pell Grants were awarded to NSHE students in 2023-2024.
• 31,963 NSHE students received Pell Grants in 2023-2024.
• NSHE institutions received more than $386 million for federal student aid. 

More Nevada education data can be found HERE.

Congresswoman Lee was joined by Rebecca Dirks Garcia, a mother of a child with a learning disability, the former Nevada PTA President, and current legislative chair of the Nevada PTA; Catherine Nielsen, a mother of a child with disabilities and Executive Director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities; Claire DiPinto, who is a Collaboration Center Trustee, a parent advocate, and a mother of a child with a learning disability; State Senator Shelly Cruz-Crawford, who is Principal at C.C. Ronnow Elementary School; and Amanda Morgan, Esq., Executive Director for Educate Nevada Now, a nonpartisan organization focused on supporting Nevada’s public schools.

“Any ‘savings’ from dismantling the Department of Education won’t go to Nevada students, families, or educators — they will go straight into Elon Musk’s pocket and tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations. Students will suffer – especially those with disabilities – and Nevada taxpayers will be caught holding the bag,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee. “We should be investing in our future, not in Elon Musk’s tax breaks. This executive order will go to the courts and it’s up to all of us to pressure the Republicans controlling Congress to help us protect our kids.”

“As a parent of a child with special needs, you learn real fast as you navigate through the school system in any state that the playing field is not equal for all children, especially with special needs,” said parent and Collaboration Center Trustee Claire DiPinto. “Without federal enforcement, some states could ignore their obligations toward our children’s education entirely. And guess who would suffer? Your child, who suffers from autism, who needs speech therapy. That can no longer get it due to budget cuts. Your child, who has dyslexia, who loses access to specialized reading instructions, due to budget cuts. Your child, who has ADHD who relies on classroom aids to help them stay engaged and learning.”

“Thank you, Congresswoman, and thank you for being such a vital advocate for education for so many years. I am the mom of four who, over the last nineteen years, all have benefited from either IEP or 504 protections. For my own kids, I’ve seen how the additional support and services that they receive have been vital to them accessing their education. The reality is that not all kids think, act, and learn the same way,” said parent, former NV PTA President, and current NV PTA Legislative Chair Rebecca Dirks Garcia. “We already are at a teacher shortage—the last thing we need is one more reason for teachers to be concerned about where their job is and what happens next. Because that trickles down to our kids.”

“I’m a parent of a young child with various disabilities and thank you, Congresswoman Lee, for your exemplary leadership and for shining a spotlight on this critical issue. The Department of Education has been instrumental in ensuring that every child, regardless of their background, their abilities or their ZIP code, has access to high quality education. And this situation is particularly concerning for students with disabilities who depend on federal protections and resources to guarantee that they have the same opportunities as their peers, including my child and the children of the parents that are up here today,” said parent and Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Executive Director Catherine Nielsen. “Abandoning these safeguards risks reversing decades of progress in inclusive education and civil rights. Education transcends partisan divides—it’s a fundamental right we must unite to safeguard the programs and services that empower our students to thrive.”

“At my small school of about five hundred students, the Department of Education supports Title I programming for low-income, high-risk students. And so, at my school, that is three General Ed classrooms out of my twenty-five General Ed. It provides two preschool programs for our low-income community. It provides two resource units, two resource aids, a primary autism classroom and aide. I have a self-contained FLS classroom which is the life skills classroom for students that are medically fragile: on feeding tubes, hearing impaired, vision impaired,” said Ronnow Elementary School Principal and State Senator Dr. Michelee Cruz-Crawford. “And so, when I hear people say, ‘they’re just going to shift the money,’ well we receive about $1.5 billion dollars in funding from the Department of Ed. And if you look at the history of what the Department of Ed does and why it was implemented, it was implemented to set a standard. And there is a standard across the board that grew out of our civil rights movement to make sure that all of our students are protected regardless of ability level, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity.”

“When we cut resources to education, we’re not just trimming a budget, we’re eliminating opportunities for these students in Nevada, where our schools already face significant challenges,” said Educate Nevada Now Executive Director Amanda Morgan. “Slashing the US Department of Education directly undercuts this progress. Federal programs like Title One, which sports low-income students, and IDEA, which supports students with disabilities, are lifelines.”

Before coming to Congress, Lee spent two decades leading education non-profits – reducing dropout rates and making sure our kids had the wrap-around services they needed to thrive.

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03) released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education: 

“I spent a lot of time working in public schools before I ran for Congress. 

“What I witnessed was some of our most disadvantaged students getting the help they need because of funding and protections from the U.S. Department of Education. That includes the nearly 70,000 Nevada students with disabilities who rely on federal funding for additional attention from aides, teachers, and special ed programs. Or the roughly 67 percent of students in Clark County who are eligible for additional resources in terms of free and reduced lunch and other programs. 

“Our classrooms are already overcrowded because we don’t have enough educators, and with this move teachers and aides will be laid off making our classrooms even more crowded. 

“Despite the fact that only Congress can shutter the Department of Education, this move is about taking money from our most at-risk students so Trump can reward his wealthy friends with tax breaks. It’s disgusting.  

“I’ve spent my career fighting for kids and we will fight this illegal action.” 

Before coming to Congress, Congresswoman Susie Lee spent two decades leading education non-profits, working hand in hand with students, families, and educators to help kids reach their fullest potential. 

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

Legislation Would Increase Frequency of Geothermal Lease Sales, Speed Up Geothermal Permitting