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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

STOCKTON – Last night, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) nominated eight local students to national military service academies during a ceremony at the Teacher’s College of San Joaquin. The celebration included the students’ teachers, families, local leaders, and active servicemembers. The selected students are high school seniors from Mountain House, Stockton, Tracy, and Ripon. 

“Nominating local Valley students to be the next generation of leaders at our national service academies is one of the highest honors of my job. I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work and determination of these incredible students,” said Rep. Harder. “This accomplishment isn’t easy – it takes top grades, leadership inside and outside the classroom, and a deep commitment to service. I know they will represent our community proudly in their careers of service.” 

Harder was joined by Dr. Troy Brown, Superintendent of the San Joaquin County Office of Education, as well as state and local elected officials’ offices, educators from across the Valley, students and their families, the Girl Scouts, active servicemembers and JROTC representatives, and local veterans.

Members of Congress can nominate students from their district to attend service academies, which include the United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, New York. 

Dozens of students apply every year, making the nomination process extremely competitive. Qualified applicants display high academic standing, strong standardized testing scores, demonstrable leadership skills, and top physical fitness. Nominees who are accepted at service academies commit to serving in the U.S. military for at least five years upon completion.

Students from California’s 9th Congressional District nominated to the service academy Class of 2029 include:

Shayon Deb – Senior at Mountain House High School who was nominated for the United States Naval Academy.  

Austin Fannin – Senior at Lincoln High School who was nominated for the United States Naval Academy and the United States Merchant Marine Academy. 

Levi Huynh – Senior at Lincoln High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy.  

James Wilkins – Senior at Ripon High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Naval Academy. 

Hudson Peterson – Senior at Heritage High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Naval Academy, and the United States Military Academy.

Carson Malogan – Senior at Tracy West High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy.  

Vincent Arnaudo – Senior at St. Mary’s High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Naval Academy.

Atticus Carter Park Chan – Senior at Lincoln High School who was nominated for the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Naval Academy.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

MANTECA – Last night, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) met with dozens of local seniors at the Del Webb Community Center to hear their thoughts and share an update from Washington D.C. This is the latest in a series of listening sessions Harder is hosting across the community to make sure Valley voices are being heard in Congress. 

Del Webb neighborhoods are 55+ adult communities that provide active and social lifestyles to residents.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Nearly 65,000 wildfires burned almost 9 million acres in the U.S. last year alone 

In less than a month, Southern California fires caused more than $250 billion in damages

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09), and Reps. Scott Franklin (FL-18), Joe Neguse (CO-02), and Greg Stanton (AZ-04) introduced bipartisan, first-of-its-kind legislation to fundamentally fix federal wildfire prevention. Created with the input of wildfire experts and firefighting agencies, the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act responds to the megafire crisis by modernizing existing fire prevention efforts and responding directly to the needs of the first responders on the front lines of this fight.

Just last year, nearly 65,000 wildfires raged across the U.S., burning almost 9 million acres. California continues to be on the front lines of this crisis – in less than a month, the Southern California fires earlier this year caused more than $250 billion in damages. Meanwhile, more and more Valley communities continue to be added to the list of areas at risk of severe destruction.

“Thousands of acres in California burned just weeks ago, and thousands more are at risk because Washington has failed to address our years-long megafire crisis. That stops now,” said Rep. Harder. “This bipartisan bill fundamentally changes our approach to wildfire prevention and gives our firefighters, communities, and public health officials the tools they need to fight back effectively.”

The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act takes a four-part approach to combating the dangerous rise in megafires:

• Combats firefighter shortages by establishing a new Middle Fire Leaders Academy and grant programs to train and hire more firefighters.
• Retains expert wildland firefighters with increased benefits and better working conditions.
• Improves fire response time with updated technology like developing risk maps and establishing the Joint Office of Fire Environment Center.
• Addresses the public health crisis caused by wildfire smoke by establishing a nationwide real-time air quality monitoring and alert system.

“Our brave federal firefighters fight tirelessly to mitigate wildfires, which have been a growing threat across our nation,” said Rep. Franklin. “It’s critical to equip our firefighters with the tools, resources and benefits they need to conduct effective wildfire management and recruit and retain the best talent. The Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act is a comprehensive package that enhances our wildfire prevention strategies, improves response times and addresses workforce challenges. I’m proud to support this legislation to ensure our firefighters are better prepared to face these increasingly severe threats and give our courageous men and women the flexibility they deserve.”

A one-pager on the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

2024 USDA rule limits low-income families’ access to healthy dairy products

Nearly 1 million Californians are impacted by the rule

WASHINGTON – Today, following a rule from last year that unfairly restricted low-income families’ access to milk in grocery stores, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect consumers’ ability to buy milk using their WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) benefits. 

Nearly 1 million low-income Californians receive food assistance through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. However, a rule finalized last year from the U.S. Department of Agriculture restricted the amount of milk available to these parents, limiting their options at a time when 90% of the U.S. does not get enough dairy in their diet. Harder’s Protecting Mothers and Infants’ Access to Milk Act is a simple fix that restores the pre-rule dairy allowance for WIC recipients, ensuring shoppers can make the best decision for their families.

“As a dad and a consumer, it’s absurd to me that the government would choose to limit parents’ ability to buy healthy milk for their kids,” said Rep. Harder. “This bipartisan bill restores families’ choice in the grocery aisle and makes sure that our local dairy farmers can keep our families well-fed.”

Food assistance programs not only help low-income families, they also support agriculture communities and farmers by boosting spending on local produce. Restoring full access to dairy products helps support families, farmers, and the local economies that power the Valley’s agriculture industry. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Patty Murray (WA), and Homeland Security Subcommittee Ranking Member Chris Murphy (CT) released the following statement on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem ending the collective bargaining agreement with tens of thousands of frontline employees at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA):

“Transportation Security Officers keep Americans safe. They often work long hours and in difficult conditions to stop threats and protect air travel. Secretary Noem’s decision to abandon them and end the collective bargaining agreement between TSA and its workers is yet another slap in the face by the Trump Administration to working men and women. This agreement improved retention at TSA, keeping more dangerous criminals, drugs, and weapons off our planes. Now, after firing critical employees at the Federal Aviation Administration, the Trump Administration is weakening TSA’s airport security screening too.

“In recent years, we led the effort to improve transportation security by providing TSA with the resources to ensure stability and experience in these positions. Today’s news undermines that progress. The Department’s statement does not defend its decision with facts, but with complaints about union dues and workers using hard earned benefits like family and medical leave. Rather than spend her time policing how hard-working DHS employees choose to spend their money, Secretary Noem should focus on keeping our national transportation network secure.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Women’s Retirement Protection Act of 2025 (WRPA), legislation to help close the retirement gap and improve women’s financial security.

“As women strive for economic equality in this country, we must make sure they can retire with dignity,” said Underwood. “That means protecting their financial future and preventing a spouse from draining shared retirement savings without consent. Senator Baldwin and I introduced the Women’s Retirement Protection Act to address economic inequalities and help women achieve financial security and independence.”

“Every Wisconsinite who works hard their whole lives toward retirement should have a secure safety net to fall back on. Unfortunately, barriers like unequal pay and time off for caregiving hold too many women back from making this dream a reality,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to extend protections for women in the workforce and ensure more Americans get the hard-earned retirement they deserve.”

Women lag significantly behind their male counterparts in retirement savings—in 2023, their median retirement income was 83.6percent of men’s retirement income. Because of these financial challenges, women ages 65 and older are 25% more likely to live in poverty, compared to men in the same age group. This is partly because women face systemic barriers, like unequal pay and time out of the workforce for caregiving duties, which make it more difficult to adequately save for retirement.

For many working families, their 401(k) plan is often their largest asset aside from their home. Under current law, one spouse could take a distribution or a loan from the plan without the other spouse’s knowledge or consent.

The WRPA addresses some of the challenges that disproportionately affect women as they plan for their financial futures. The legislation would:

1. Strengthen consumer protections to protect retirement savings by establishing spousal protections, similar to those that are available for defined benefit plans, for defined contribution plans like a 401(k). This will prevent one spouse from making decisions that might undermine a couple’s retirement resources without the other’s knowledge and consent;
2. Increase financial literacy by providing grants for community-based organizations to help provide information and financial tools to women who are of working or retirement age;
3. Support women with low incomes and survivors of domestic abuse seeking retirement benefits by providing grants for community-based organizations that help them get qualified domestic relations orders, and make sure they receive the retirement benefits they are entitled to following a divorce or legal separation. 

In the House, the legislation is co-led by Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), and Donald Norcross (NJ-01). In the 117th Congress, a provision from Underwood’s Women’s Retirement Protection Act of 2021 was signed into law, expanding retirement plan eligibility for part-time workers, most of whom are women.

The WRPA is endorsed by the AARP, National Women’s Law Center, and Pension Rights Center.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON—Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) appeared before the House Veterans Affairs Committee during a hearing on her legislation, the Copay Fairness for Veterans Act. This bill would make health care more affordable for veterans by eliminating copay requirements for preventive health services that are recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Resources & Services Administration.

Underwood testified to the bill’s enormous impact on veterans and urged the Committee to pass the legislation without delay:

“Despite their sacrifices and commitment to our country, veterans – unlike civilians and active duty servicemembers – are still at risk of being charged out-of-pocket costs for services like cancer screenings, mammograms, diabetes care, and screenings for depression and anxiety,” Underwood said. “My Copay Fairness for Veterans Act rights this wrong by eliminating out-of-pocket costs for veterans seeking the high-quality VA health care they have earned.”

Mr. Jon Retzer, Deputy National Legislative for Health of the Disabled American Veterans, also testified in support of the Copay Fairness for Veterans Act:

“We support this bill in accordance with DAV Resolution No. 246, which calls for legislation to eliminate or reduce VA and DOD health care out‑of-pocket costs for service-connected disabled veterans to improve health care access, provide financial relief, enhance health equity and encourage routine care. This bill reflects our nation’s commitment to supporting our veterans and ensuring they receive the care they earned.”

Footage for Underwood’s full testimony can be found here. Additional photos can be found here.

The Copay Fairness for Veterans Act is endorsed by Disabled American Veterans, Minority Veterans of America, Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service, National Women’s Law Center, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON – Representative Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced the Job Protection Act, legislation designed to strengthen and expand Family and Medical Leave (FMLA) protections to tens of millions of workers nationwide.

“No one in America should have to choose between keeping their job and taking time off to care for a new child, an aging parent, or their own health,” said Underwood. “The Job Protection Act would be the largest expansion of FMLA in history, and make sure that working people can take care of themselves, and provide for their loved ones, without having to worry about their job security or putting their career plans on hold.”

“Millions of Americans every year need to rely on the Family and Medical Leave Act to take care of themselves or their families. Unfortunately, almost half of the workforce does not have access to these important protections,” said Senator Smith. “The Job Protection Act would close these gaps and extend family and medical leave protections to millions more workers. Under this bill, fewer people would have to choose between their jobs and taking care of their families.”

The Job Protection Act would expand FMLA by extending protections to employees of small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. It eliminates the 1,250-hour requirement at a single workplace, ensuring part-time and multi-job workers are also protected. The bill also reduces the time an employee must work before qualifying for FMLA from 12 months to 90 days, making it easier for those re-entering the workforce to take leave without fear of losing their jobs.

The Job Protection Act has earned the support of over 30 national, state, and local organizations. A fact sheet on the Job Protection Act can be found here.

“Although we estimate the Family and Medical Leave Act has allowed people to take time off to care for themselves and their loved ones more than 500 million times, many are left out of its protections and those left out are more likely to be workers of color. We continue to fight for the workers and caregivers left out and who cannot rely on their job waiting for them when they return from caring for themselves or their loved ones. The reintroduction of the Job Protection Act is proof of Rep. Underwood and Sen. Smith’s commitment to the fight for all workers, whether they are full- or part-time workers, or new on the job,” said Sharita Gruberg, Vice President for Economic Justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “Caring for yourself or your family without fear of losing one’s job should be available to every worker. Until a national, comprehensive paid family leave policy is passed, we will continue to advocate for workers to get these kinds of well-deserved protections.”

“The Job Protection Act is a critical piece of legislation in the advancement of family-friendly policies in this nation. The right to return to your job after taking leave is one of the most essential components of leave that will assure equity for all workers. In the absence of a federal paid family and medical leave program, ensuring the expansion of the Family Medical Leave Act to cover workers in businesses of all sizes, including part-time workers, is an important step forward. Representative Underwood and Senator Smith’s leadership on this is a shining example of the type of care-first representation and legislation this country’s workers and families need and deserve. This mirrors the important progress that Family Values @ Work’s Network has made at the state level to make leave accessible to millions of workers. We are proud to support this legislation, and look forward to supporting it as a key step towards comprehensive paid family and medical leave.” said Liana Cassar, Interim Executive Director of Family Values @ Work 

“We thank Senator Tina Smith and Representative Lauren Underwood for their continued leadership on leave. Working people are desperate for solutions to afford and care for their families and we are all paying attention to the leaders fighting for them right now — the leaders who are putting working families’ needs over billionaires. Every one of us will need to take time away from work at some point to recover, to welcome a child, to care for a parent or family member, and every one of us should have the dignity and protection of our job and a paycheck while we do,” Dawn Huckelbridge, Director of Paid Leave for All.

“No one should be forced to choose between caring for themselves or a loved one and keeping their job — but millions face this exact choice,” said Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO President. “Union workers have made incredible progress securing paid family and medical leave in contract negotiations. However, our nation’s outdated labor laws still deny this essential right to the many workers who are juggling multiple jobs or part-time shifts. On top of every other stress when you live paycheck to paycheck, no one should worry that they will lose their job because they get sick or have a baby. That’s why we’re proud to support The Job Protection Act, which will right this wrong and finally guarantee workers the leave protections they deserve.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON – Today, Members of the Illinois Democratic congressional delegation, Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), and Lauren Underwood (IL-14), released the following statement condemning the Trump administration’s illegal actions to steal federal funds from the people of Illinois:

“The Illinois Democratic congressional delegation is united in condemning the Trump Administration’s efforts to steal taxpayer dollars from the hardworking communities we represent to pay for more giveaways to billionaires and the biggest corporations,” the Members said. “These unconstitutional federal funding cuts will immediately raise costs for Illinois families and destroy critical services that pay our teachers, support first responders, house homeless veterans, save lives through medical research, and so much more. We will not stand for these illegal efforts to withhold funding from Illinoisans, who already pay nearly $6 in taxes for every $1 we receive in direct support from the federal government.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)