MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, with the Ways and Means Committee to hold a field hearing at YESCO about the One Big, Beautiful Bill. Estes heard from Americans who shared their work experience and insight on how the One Big, Beautiful Bill would benefit them, their families, and their businesses. He spoke about the tax relief and pro-growth policies included in the historic legislation. Read his remarks below and watch here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) spoke at a Ways & Means Committee field hearing held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. He talked about the growth small businesses across the country will experience as a result of the One Big, Beautiful Bill. Read his remarks below and watch here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (D-HI-01) and U.S. Congressman James Moylan (R-Guam) today announced they have introduced a measure in the U.S. House of Representatives to address loopholes in a 1920 law that incentivize U.S. domestic trade ships to be built and repaired in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

That law, the Jones Act, is widely recognized as creating domestic shipping monopolies that artificially inflate the cost of critical imported goods to Hawai‘i, Guam and other non-contiguous parts of the United States.

“Under long-standing loopholes in maritime law, Jones Act shippers can and do outsource major vessel parts fabrications and modifications to foreign shipyards, primarily those in the PRC,” said Case. 

“These modifications are not minor, and often include full engine replacements, liquefied natural gas conversions and other critical overhauls. Through further loopholes, these modifications largely avoid the 50% import duty imposed on foreign ship repair.”

Case said the Jones Act is usually defended on domestic industrial base and national security grounds. “However, under long-standing loopholes in maritime law, the Act has led to an accelerating decline in domestic shipping, with less than 100 Jones Act vessels now in service, many of them committed to specialized uses,” said Case. “The results have included extreme monopolistic conditions and exorbitant shipping prices, especially for those parts of our country with no real transportation alternatives.”

“But equally so, this poses a significant and immediate national security concern, especially if this same work, which cannot be done economically or practically under any circumstances in the U.S., at least without cripplingly higher shipping costs hitting the whole country and not just our non-Continent locations, can be done in shipyards located in allied or partner countries, such as Japan and South Korea – nations with world-class maritime industries and deep national security alignment with the United States.”

“This bipartisan bill is about modernizing outdated maritime laws that have unfairly burdened Americans in places like Guam and Hawai‘i for decades,” said Moylan. “By closing loopholes that benefit the People’s Republic of China and instead partnering with trusted allies like Japan and South Korea, we can grow our shipbuilding capacity, support good-paying jobs, and deliver real relief for families and businesses. I’m proud to join Congressman Case in advancing a smarter, stronger maritime strategy that puts all Americans—and our national security—first.”

Case and Moylan say their proposed Merchant Marine Allies Partnership Act would address four concerns:

·        the domestic build and repair requirement is largely honored in the breach by Jones Act shippers who profess agreement with the Jones Act, take its monopolistic benefits, but outsource the build and repair wherever possible for profit motive;

·        the United States clearly should not be reliant on adversaries such as the PRC to build and repair our coastal trade vessels;

·        even if the law is revised to eliminate all such loopholes, the domestic industrial base could not sustain domestic shipping needs, and;

·        the United States and its territories have strong partners and allies in countries such as Japan and Korea with world-class shipping capabilities who can assist them with their needs at more affordable shipping prices and markedly reduced national security concerns.

Case and Moylan say their proposed legislation seeks to realign Jones Act requirements and incentives in a way that serves all of national security, coastal trade capacity and lower shipping (and thus consumer) prices. It does so by:

·        Exempting U.S. companies from the 50% tax on major vessel modifications if the work is performed in shipyards located in allied nations, such as Japan and South Korea, rather than adversarial nations like the PRC.

·        Allowing ships purchased from allied countries to qualify for the coastal trade by granting them a Jones Act exemption, ensuring more flexible access to quality vessels without incentivizing PRC shipyards.

·        Providing a path for companies from allied nations to operate foreign-built, foreign-crewed vessels in coastwise trade, under appropriate regulatory conditions, in recognition of the global nature of modern shipping.

Their Merchant Marine Allies Partnership Act comes on the heels of three other measures they introduced earlier this year that proposed amendments to the Jones Act:

• the Noncontiguous Shipping Relief Act, which exempts all noncontiguous U.S. locations, including Hawai‘i and Guam, from the Jones Act (text of the measure is here);
• the Noncontiguous Shipping Reasonable Rate Act, which benchmarks the definition of a “reasonable rate” which domestic shippers can charge as no more than ten percent above international shipping rates for comparable routes (text of the measure is here; and
• the Noncontiguous Shipping Competition Act (text of measure is  here), which rescinds the Jones Act wherever monopolies or duopolies in noncontiguous Jones Act shipping develop.

Text of the Merchant Marine Allies Partnership Act is here

Text of Case’s Congressional Record remarks on introduction is here

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced $66,032,669 in grant funding for San Bernardino County’s Head Start Programs to ensure children in the Inland Empire have access to quality early childhood education programs.
“As a former Head Start teacher’s aide, I’ve seen the life-changing impact early childhood education can have on a child’s future,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This grant funding will help ensure that more kids in the Inland Empire have access to high-quality early learning opportunities, setting them up for success in school and beyond. I’m proud to help deliver this funding for San Bernardino County’s families and remain committed to expanding opportunity for every child in our community.”
“We’re incredibly grateful to receive this $66 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This funding is a big win for the children and families of San Bernardino County. It recognizes the important work our Head Start programs are doing to help young children build a strong foundation for school and life, while also supporting parents every step of the way. With this grant funding, we’ll continue working hard to make sure every child in our community has the chance to thrive through quality early education,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe.
The funding comes as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families’ Office of Head Start. The grant will support San Bernardino County’s Head Start Center-Based and Home-Based programs that provide children between the ages of three to five and their families with comprehensive services to meet their educational, social, health, nutritional and emotional needs.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday evening, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) hosted a telephone town hall with Dr. Anish Mahajan, Chief Deputy Director at LA County Department of Public Health; Dr. Mitesh Popat, CEO of Venice Family Clinic; and Dr. Andrea Turner, CEO of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Congressman Lieu and his guests discussed concerns from LA County constituents about the Republican health care cuts in the Big Ugly Bill, H.R. 1. Congressman Lieu voted no on this bill.  

Congressman Lieu’s telephone town hall took place on House Democrats’ Medicaid and Medicare Matters Day of Action to oppose Republican health care cuts. 

Listen to the full telephone town hall here

“Approximately 14,000 residents are going to lose their health insurance in California’s 36^th Congressional District under this big, ugly law,” said Rep. Lieu. “California, statewide, will see a $150 billion cut, at least, in federal funding from Medi-Cal, which is what we call Medicaid in California, and over 2 million Californians will lose health insurance. And so, this is a very dramatic law that’s going to affect many people in California.” 

“We work on making sure the food is safe, we protect the water and soil, we prevent outbreaks and respond to outbreaks of bird flu and other diseases, we do work around sexual and reproductive health. We’re essentially working for you, 24/7, for the 10 million residents of LA County,” said Dr. Mahajan. “But what the Republican Congress has done with their ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ has put a lot of this at risk. About 50% of LA County’s public health budget depends on federal grants and federal resources.”

“The net effect of all of this seems to be that the federal government is waging a war on poor people and people of color,” said Dr. Popat. “I can conclude no less based on these myriad of actions that have been taken. And to me, as a son of immigrants, it’s unconscionable, it’s un-American, it’s not what makes this country great.”

“The impact of the Medicaid cuts in the recently approved Big Bill is beyond comprehension,” said Dr. Turner. “As a safety net hospital, we care for people who are often underserved, but that does not mean they are not working. Many are parents whose jobs don’t provide affordable health insurance, families doing their part in our communities who rely on us for care. These are hardworking people, the backbone of our country.”

The Republican-passed Big Ugly Bill will have devastating consequences for Southern California. Health insurance premiums will increase, especially for those on the Affordable Care Act, and Southern California hospitals will face millions in increased costs.

Congressman Lieu will continue to fight back against these harmful cuts. 

For more opportunities to hear directly from the Congressman, subscribe to our newsletter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

TAMPA, Fla. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the Trump Administration’s proposal to repeal the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) “Endangerment Finding” that serves as an essential public health safeguard and allows regulation of greenhouse gases and dangerous climate pollution:

“American families and businesses deserve better than the higher cost of living and corruption of the Trump Administration and colluding polluters. Repeal of EPA’s ‘Endangerment Finding’ grants free rein to polluters without regard to increasingly expensive and deadly heat waves, floods and droughts, and other extreme weather. Dirty air and higher health care costs and energy bills will be the result. Americans will pay more for property and flood insurance while billionaires and powerful polluters pocket massive profits.

“For Floridians, the stakes could not be higher. After last year’s brutal hurricane season – and while our communities face record-breaking heat, floods and stronger storms – policymakers should be focused on reducing costs and reducing pollution. Yet, Trump, EPA Administrator Zeldin and polluters do not care about the harm to everyday Americans. To them, polluter profits come first, and hardworking Americans last. Again, the Trump Administration is abandoning average Americans in favor of billionaires, wealthy corporations and political expediency.”

The “Endangerment Finding” is based on the fact that greenhouse gas pollution is fueling a dangerously heating climate, which harms our health, our families, our communities and our wallets. Repealing it would allow Big Oil and Gas companies to pollute without limits and eliminate safeguards that reduce harmful pollution and improve air quality. With this action, Republicans are making our kids sicker, our air dirtier, and our communities more vulnerable to extreme weather – at the same time, they’re ripping health care away from 15 million Americans and making the cost of care more expensive for millions more.

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

600+ Northwest Washington State Residents Respond to Rep. Larsen’s ‘Share Your Story’ Webpage

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

“Today’s job report revealed that only 73,000 jobs were added to the economy last month, with unemployment increasing to 4.2%. Additionally, we saw a revision that 258,000 fewer jobs were added the previous two months than initially thought. The American economy, once the envy of the world in the post-COVID era under President Biden, is facing new uncertainty thanks to Trump and his disastrous policies. 

“In addition to a weak showing from the job market, August kicks off with Trump’s decision to raise sweeping tariffs that will dramatically increase costs for American families. Analysis from the Yale Budget Lab estimates that these tariffs will increase food prices by 3.4%, costing an average family an additional $2,200 a year. The average price of a car in America will increase by $5,900. Americans will see similar prices on a variety of other consumer goods. Meanwhile, Americans will continue to see other costs – from their health care premiums to their energy bills – increase as a result of Republicans’ Big Ugly Law. While our economy is flashing red warning lights, Republicans chose to tell Americans, ‘You’re On Your Own’ by pulling the rug out from millions while giving tax breaks to the wealthiest.

“Trump claimed he would lower costs. Instead of putting his money where his mouth is, he is putting working Americans’ money in the furnace.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter Introduces ERIC ADAMS Act Holding Sanctuary City Mayors Accountable for Murders Committed by Illegal Immigrants

Carter Introduces ERIC ADAMS Act Holding Sanctuary City Mayors Accountable for Murders Committed by Illegal Immigrants

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

This morning the July jobs report showed that the U.S. labor market slowed markedly in the second quarter of 2025, with only 106,000 total jobs added, an average of just 35,000 jobs per month over the last three months. Most job growth during this period came in two sectors, health care and social assistance, which were the target of major funding cuts by Republicans and President Trump in the recently-enacted H.R. 1; without these sectors the U.S. economy would have lost jobs on balance during the second quarter.

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves as Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee and is a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, issued the following statement:

“Today’s brutal jobs report confirms that President Trump’s tariffs are a major drag on the U.S. economy. But as Trump’s tariffs slowly strangle the economy, he is announcing huge new tariffs that will squeeze it even harder.

“Those of us who opposed Trump’s trade wars warned from the beginning that they would raise prices for the American people, hurt relationships with our allies, and damage small businesses with self-inflicted chaos and uncertainty. Now Trump’s tariffs are causing inflation to rise, economic growth slowed in the first half of 2025, and the job market – a primary source of strength and stability through fluctuations in the post-pandemic economy – is weakening sharply. Everything we warned would happen is in fact happening.

“As Trump piles massive new tariffs on key trading partners with bogus justifications, for instance on Canada or Brazil, or no justification at all, as in the case of India, Switzerland, Taiwan, and others, the costs will once again be paid by the American people via higher prices. None of the promised benefits are materializing, we are not seeing a ‘golden age’ and we are actually losing manufacturing jobs. It is becoming increasingly clear that there is no strategy here, only a determination to bully other countries – no matter how much it harms America.

“Democrats have bills that would stop this madness, but not only are Republicans unwilling to break with Trump as he wrecks our economy, they just made the damage even worse by enacting the largest health care cut in history.”

Rep. Beyer serves on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, chairs the New Democrat Coalition’s Trade Task Force, and serves as Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee. He is the sponsor of the Congressional Trade Authority Act, which would rein in presidential abuses of authorities under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, and the co-lead, with Rep. Suzan DelBene, of legislation to end abuses of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff authorities.