MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) today voted in his Appropriations Committee against his majority colleagues’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies funding measure.  

The bill, which covers most of the federal government’s efforts for U.S. agriculture and rural development through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and related agencies for the Fiscal Year 2027 beginning October 1 of this year, totals some $204 billion, most of which is mandatory spending through national farm support and other programs.

The discretionary spending level subject to the annual appropriations process is set at $26.3 billion, a $1.1 billion decrease from the current year, for USDA’s non-forestry and rural development programs, the Farm Credit Administration, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Food and Drug Administration.

“I opposed this bill because it slashes funds for the SNAP program, which has already seen more than 6,700 people in Hawai‘i lose critical food assistance following enactment of the President’s budget reconciliation bill, which I opposed last year. The FY 2027 funding bill also decimates the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and fails to fund the McGovern-Dole international emergency food assistance program,” said Case, who is in his eighth year on Appropriations and previously served four years on the House Committee on Agriculture.  

 Case highlighted further deficiencies with the bill, including:

• Eliminating $200 million from the fresh fruit and vegetable benefit from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).  
• Reducing funding for the Emergency Food Assistance Program, which provides food to low-income or elderly individuals at no cost to them during times of disaster
• Slashing Food for Peace by 25 percent, a program that supports American farmers while delivering critical assistance to people facing famine worldwide.
• Eliminating the Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Program, which provides reimbursements to producers for the high costs of transporting agricultural commodities or inputs. 

Despite drastic reductions, Case successfully worked to protect Native Hawaiian programs that are under direct threat by the Trump administration. As one example:  “The bill provides $5 million for Education Grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. This program addresses the educational needs of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines and prepares low-income students for careers related to food, agricultural and natural resources.”

Through his assignment on the Committee, Case secured $1.9 million for the Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) through two Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects that specifically focus on local needs in Hawai‘i.

The first project, an aviation fuel tender, will significantly strengthen HFD’s ability to sustain aerial firefighting and rescue operations during extended emergencies. The tender will allow for reliable on-site fueling capability, ensuring firefighting aircraft can remain operational near the incident rather than losing valuable time traveling long distances to refuel.

The second project is for a helicopter hoist training simulator. The simulator will allow HFD’s personnel to improve their skills, rehearse emergency procedures and practice complex hoist maneuvers without placing additional strain on the aircraft. It will boost readiness and extend the life of essential equipment, enabling HFD crews to consistently provide fast, dependable aerial rescue services.

The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here.

Case further worked with his Democratic colleagues Representatives Veronica Escobar and Henry Cuellar of Texas to offer an amendment to fully restore proposed cuts to the Rural Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants Program. These grants are designed to specifically assist American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Colonia (any identifiable unincorporated community within 150 miles of the United States-Mexico border with a population less than 1 million residents) communities with their safe water and waste disposal need. 

Case spoke in full Committee on their amendment to educate colleagues on the unique history and needs of the Hawaiian Home Lands with which this program assists; his remarks are here.

While Case and his colleagues earned bipartisan support for their amendment, it was not adopted on an unusual tie vote. Case did secure the undertaking of his colleagues to continue to work on the omission as the measure moves through the legislative process.

Other provisions in the bill of interest to Hawai‘i that Case worked to secure include: 

• $124 million for the USDA Wildlife Damage Management Program, which helps to prevent the spread of the Brown Tree Snake to Hawai‘i
• $3 million for agricultural canine detection and surveillance for invasive species and diseases.  
• $1.6 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including $209 million for combating specialty crop pests.  
• $365 million for agriculture quarantine inspections to prevent infestations of pests and diseases.  
• $15 million for the Minor Crop Pest Management Program to provide expert assistance to minor and specialty crop producers.  
• $8 million for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program that is designed to prevent water source pollution.  
• $5 million for Aquaculture Centers and $2 million for related aquaculture research programs.  
• $2.5 million for the Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research Grants for Insular Areas Program.  
• $10 million for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Account.

The measure also incorporated the following Case requests: 

• Provides just under $17 million for the Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, allowing it to continue researching Rapid ‘Ōhi‘a Death, genetic improvements in coffee and cacao and additional plant disease cures.
• Provides $1 million for the Food Donations Programs for Pacific Island Assistance.
• Funds Hatch Act agricultural research to land-grant universities in all 50 states, insular areas and the District of Columbia to conduct research on all aspects of agriculture. The University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience receives roughly $1 million per year from this program.
• $1.2 billion for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is $11 million above the FY 2026 enacted level, to fund our nation’s frontline meat and poultry inspectors.
• $37.9 billion for Child Nutrition programs, which is $59 million above the FY 2026 enacted level 

This measure is the fourth of the twelve bills to be taken up by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2027.

Despite Case’s opposition, the bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.  

A summary of the Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA and Related Agencies Appropriation bill is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, issued the following statement after House Republicans voted to extend S.1318, the Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, through April 2029:

“In 2024, when House Republicans extended FISA at President Trump’s urging, we did so with the largest FBI and FISA reforms in decades. The reauthorization included 56 new civil rights reform mandates implemented to establish guardrails to protect Americans’ right to privacy. This FISA extension will continue to protect American civil rights and U.S. national security from hostile foreign threats.”

Background:

Since the 2024 law took effect, U.S.-person queries have decreased. The law restricts law enforcement from checking the 702 databases for evidence of a crime, ensuring 702 information is used only for foreign intelligence. Today, only 6% of law enforcement personnel have access to FISA 702 data, and in 2025, only 3% of all 702 data was accessed.

Critically, FISA is meant to target bad actors outside of the United States. The U.S. government cannot use Section 702 to target Americans’ electronic communications for collection–that would require a warrant under a different FISA authority.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, D.C.) — On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Congressman Al Green delivered remarks on the House floor condemning health care cuts and highlighting a constituent who was unable to afford a double lung transplant due to rising premiums.

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s speech on his official YouTube page or by clicking here. The floor speech highlighted is also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter). 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

WASHINGTON — Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke on the House Floor in opposition to the inclusion of $70 billion in funding for ICE and Border Patrol in Republicans’ budget resolution. You can watch the full video here. Below is a transcript of her remarks:

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“I rise today in strong opposition to this Republican effort to funnel another 70 billion dollars to ICE and CBP to continue their inhumane, illegal and reprehensible actions. 

“This effort is even more incomprehensible considering it comes after Trump and Congressional Republicans already created an 85 billion dollars slush fund for ICE during the last budget reconciliation process. 

“In my district, ICE has used that money to terrorize Minnesotans, particularly our Black and Brown communities through “Operation Metro Surge.”

“We watched in horror as ICE agents murdered Renée Good and Alex Pretti, in broad daylight.

“We witnessed our neighbors being snatched off the street, pulled from their homes and cars, all without warrants.

“And with tears in our eyes, we saw dozens of children ripped away from their families, friends, and schools–shipped to detention centers out of state.

“Our communities are still recovering from the devastation caused by the federal occupation and the blatant trampling of the rights we, as Americans, hold dear. 

“We cannot send this rogue and unaccountable agency another cent.

“I urge my colleagues to vote NO.

“Thank you, and I yield back.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today led all Committee Democrats in sending companion letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman Brian Mast reiterating Committee Democrats’ demand for public hearings on the state of negotiations with Iran.

60 days into this war, the Committee has held no public hearings and received no comprehensive briefings on U.S. strategy, objectives, or diplomatic efforts.

A PDF of the letter to Secretary Rubio can be found here.

A PDF of the letter to Chairman Mast can be found here.

“…This ceasefire, intended to create space for diplomacy following weeks of dangerous war and repeated escalation, has significant strategic, military, and economic implications for the United States and our allies. Yet Congress has received no information regarding the Administration’s negotiating objectives, the contours of proposals under discussion, or the potential pathways toward either a durable agreement or renewed conflict.

“Public reporting indicates that recent talks have addressed core issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, regional security arrangements, and the future of maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz, but have thus far failed to produce an agreement. These developments underscore the urgency of ensuring that Members are fully informed as the Administration considers next steps.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus for a press conference where they made clear that they will continue to fight back against extreme MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump’s strategy to rip the right to vote away from the American people.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Today’s decision by this illegitimate Supreme Court majority strikes a blow against the Voting Rights Act and is designed to undermine the ability of communities of color all across this country to elect their candidate of choice. But we’re not here to step back, we’re here to fight back. Now, when this decision came out earlier today—it’s an unacceptable decision, but not an unexpected decision. Because this isn’t even really the Roberts Court. It’s the Trump Court. And what we would expect from the Trump Court is an effort to continue their scheme to suppress the vote and rig the midterm elections and beyond. Because these extremists have failed America in every possible way. They failed on the economy, they failed on healthcare, they’re failing as it relates to this reckless and costly war of choice. The extremists have completely and totally failed America. So they’ve concluded, aided and abetted by the Trump Court, that they have to cheat to win.

But the reality of our experience, our journey, now more than 400 years, is that we view a setback, and this is one, but we view setbacks as nothing more than a setup for a comeback. And America has the great opportunity to keep the comeback going by exercising your right to vote in November and making it clear that it’s not Donald Trump or his Supreme Court majority that should be the ones to decide who gets to represent you in Congress. It’s the American people. Now, they’ve tried to do everything they can—particularly in the aftermath of the 2008 election—they’ve tried to do everything that they can to eliminate and erase our journey, our struggle, our march in this country toward a more perfect union.

And now we’re at a point where affirmative action is gone, diversity is gone, equity gone, inclusion gone, racial tolerance gone, the Voting Rights Act largely gone, but guess what, extremists, we’re still here. And we’re not going anywhere. And we believe in this country. Not a perfect country, but we recognize that what we’ve been given is a march toward a more perfect union. And at this moment in time, we are urging everyone to summon the courage, the character and the conviction of those heroes, like John Lewis and Rosa Parks and so many others, upon whose shoulders we stand. They had to fight through moments of turbulence, trials and tribulations. But every single time, they fought through those moments and were able to usher in a new era of progress. And that’s what this moment represents right now. It’s turbulent. It’s chaotic. It’s extreme.

But all of us are going to summon that courage, that character, that conviction and show up and stand up and speak up for what we know is right, to get this situation turned around. We will not let their scheme to rig the midterm election and beyond be successful. And when we take back the majority in the aftermath of the November 2026 elections, one of our first acts is going to be to make sure we pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act so we can end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.

Full availability can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

DelBene Announces 2026 Congressional Art Competition Winner

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

April 29, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced legislation to reauthorize and improve the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP). This federal grant program helps build connected active-transportation routes, including trails, sidewalks, and bikeways that support the health and economic growth of our communities.

Robust funding for active transportation is critical to meeting the growing demands from rural, suburban, and urban communities in California and across the country for convenient, accessible, and well-maintained biking and walking routes. As ATIIP authorization expires at the end of the year, the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) Reauthorization and Improvement Act would reauthorize the program for $250 million annually for FY2027 through FY2031 and ensure necessary resources are delivered to our communities.

“Americans deserve safer and easier paths to walk and bike in their communities to be active, travel longer distances without relying on cars, and stay connected,” said Congressman Huffman. “Supporting our communities with better walking and biking networks is good for people and the planet. Our bill to extend and fund the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) would provide much-needed federal resources to improve bike lane networks, sidewalks, and multi-use trails across the country.”

“Trails, sidewalks, and bikeways connect people together and to the places most important to them. These are active transportation networks that knit communities together, support outdoor recreation, strengthen local economies, and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. It’s just smart infrastructure,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would reauthorize a critical federal program that I helped secure in the bipartisan infrastructure law to ensure communities can make strategic investments in this space. I will continue working to pass this legislation and ensure we are improving infrastructure, supporting healthy, vibrant communities, and delivering a 21st-century transportation system to the nation.”

“As a recreational cyclist and member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m proud to cosponsor the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) Reauthorization Act,” said Congressman Mike Quigley. “Renewing this program will continue the creation of bike routes and park trails throughout Chicago and other cities—connecting our communities in a way everyone can enjoy.”

“The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program is the only federal program dedicated to establishing safe, connected routes to walk and bike to the places people need to go and it is sorely needed; with $40 requested for every dollar that has been made available. Rep. Pappas’ bill addresses the need for consistent, guaranteed annual investment so that this critical program can deliver mobility, safety and economic benefits on the scale that was intended by Congress in the last federal transportation bill,” said Kevin Mills, Vice President of Policy at Rails to Trails Conservancy.

“The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is the kind of policy our nation needs to get federal funding flowing to these critical projects—from the Maine-to-Florida East Coast Greenway to similar efforts in Detroit, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and beyond. We are grateful for Rep. Pappas’s leadership in building a path forward by dedicating federal support for transformational greenway planning, design, and construction toward a healthy, sustainable, and thriving future,” said Dennis Markatos-Soriano, East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director.

“Across the country, we’re seeing growing demand for more safe and connected places to ride a bike,” said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “Investments like the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program are essential to meet that demand and unlock healthier, safer communities alongside stronger local economies. We commend Congressman Pappas for his leadership in advancing policies that improve the safety and accessibility of bicycling in communities nationwide.”

This legislation is supported by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition, Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, East Coast Greenway Alliance, PeopleForBikes, the League of American Bicyclists, and Southern Environmental Law Center. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is leading a letter with over 200 signers to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership in support of ATIIP.

Bill text is here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District