MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Lafayette, CO — Today, Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02) issued a statement celebrating the Sundance Institute naming Boulder, Colorado as the new host of the Sundance Film Festival starting in 2027: 

“I’m incredibly excited to welcome the 2027 Sundance Film Festival to one of the best cities in the country, Boulder, Colorado, which I’m proud to represent. This announcement is a tremendous win for the state of Colorado, and I’m proud to have partnered with Governor Polis and local civic leaders to help make it a reality. The festival will elevate our state’s small businesses and tourism industry, and spur economic development for all of Colorado. A big win all around!”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) held a press conference to discuss the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act that would prevent inmates from using contraband cellphones in prison facilities by allowing state and federal prisons to use cellphone jamming systems.

Click here to watch the full press conference or read Congressman Kustoff’s remarks as prepared:

Good morning and I want to thank all of you for being with us. Today, in the House of Representatives we will introduce the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act. I’m glad that we are able to do this today.

I want to thank so many people, all the correctional leaders, the Correctional Leaders Association, the American Correctional Association, our State Attorneys General, our Governors, and so many others across the nation who are supporting our efforts.

I think this is a simple issue; I think it is one we can all get behind. Frankly, it’s a no-brainer. 

It should not be possible for people behind prison bars to order hits on people, to conduct gang activity, and to traffic drugs while behind the walls of the prison. The extent of coordinated criminal activity carried out by inmates is a serious threat to everyone — those who guard and protect those in prison and those in our communities. 

In my home state of Tennessee, we had an inmate who used a contraband cellphone to organize and orchestrate a drug conspiracy by shipping packages full of drugs to his girlfriend. Now, this is outrageous. You can tell these stories and hear these stories in all 50 states across the country.

I’m a former United States Attorney — it was an honor to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee — I know first-hand how dangerous this activity is and how prevalent it has become. If we want to stop crimes from behind bars, then we must allow state and federal prison officials to jam these signals.

When criminals go to prison, their days of calling the shots are over. They shouldn’t be able to do it from behind the prison walls. If there is no cell signal, there is no crime. 

It is critical that the federal government support, defend, and provide the necessary resources for correctional facilities to operate effectively and to ensure the well-being of the public. That’s why we are introducing the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act today.

By preventing criminals from conducting operations from behind bars, we can crack down on crime in this nation and we can protect inmates, the guards, and the public at large.

Congress should act now—because each and every day that we wait, innocent lives remain at risk.

 

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

 

###

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

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement on the mass firing of 10,000 federal workers at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):

“Amid major health challenges, including outbreaks of bird flu and measles Trump and RFK Jr. are undertaking an extreme and dangerous purge of health and medical expertise from the Department of Health and Human Services.

“They’re taking a hatchet to medical research for cures to diseases and gutting the workforce that administers Medicare and Medicaid and supports individuals with disabilities and new moms. And they’re drastically undercutting our ability to fight future epidemics, if they should arise, and present-day health crises including the opioid epidemic and massive strains on America’s mental health infrastructure.

“I am also horrified to see the functional elimination of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, our point agency on research to improve the health care delivery and efficiency, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Health Resources and Services Administration, which leads efforts to improve access to care for the uninsured. They’re making these cuts to essential health-providing agencies to put more money into billionaires’ pockets.

“Meanwhile RFK Jr. is bringing in a team of kooks, loons, and weirdos to throw out sound science on vaccines that has saved tens of millions of lives. The American people will undoubtedly suffer harmful consequences if this plan is carried out.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D, NJ-06) joined Representatives David Rouzer (R, NC-07) and John Rutherford (R, FL-05) in launching the bipartisan Coastal Communities Caucus for the 119th Congress. The caucus is a bipartisan group highlighting the unique concerns of those who live, work, and do business along America’s coasts, including the Atlantic, Pacific, Great Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, and island states and territories.

The launch event, held on Capitol Hill, featured a panel of community leaders and state and local officials, including representatives from New Jersey, who provided insight into the economic, environmental, and infrastructure needs of coastal regions. Pallone emphasized that the Coastal Communities Caucus will serve as a resource for lawmakers seeking to develop policies that protect coastal economies, ecosystems, and communities.

“Growing up on the Jersey Shore, I’ve seen firsthand how vital our coastal communities are—not just to New Jersey’s economy, but to the entire country,” Pallone said. “From strengthening storm resilience and providing healthy fisheries to supporting a thriving tourism industry, our coastal communities face distinct challenges that require tailored solutions. Our caucus will ensure those challenges remain a bipartisan priority in Congress, so we can continue advocating for the people who live and work along our shores and the millions who visit them each year.”

The Coastal Communities Caucus provides Members of Congress with education and networking opportunities  to facilitate bipartisan cooperation on legislative solutions that bolster coastal economies, promote environmental sustainability, and strengthen infrastructure. 

Today’s event included:

• Grace Hanlon, Executive Director, Jersey Shore Partnership
• Derek Brockbank, Executive Director, Coastal States Organization
• Nick Angarone, New Jersey Chief Resilience Officer
• Alex Reed, Director, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Amber Westerbur, Program Manager, Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Gary Jones, Director, Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors
• Nicole Elko, Executive Director, American Shore and Beach Preservation Association

“A thriving and resilient coast is critical to New Jersey’s communities and economy,” said Nick Angarone, New Jersey Chief Resilience Officer and Coastal Manager. “I am grateful for the opportunity to bring attention to the growing challenges faced by our coastal communities at today’s Coastal Communities Caucus launch event, and look forward to working together towards long-term solutions for our vulnerable coasts.”

“The American Shore & Beach Preservation Association applauds the Coastal Communities Caucus for educating Members of Congress to the economic benefits of U.S. shores and beaches.  For example, beach tourists annually generate $520 billion in economic output, $240 billion in direct spending, and $36 bil­lion in taxes to federal, state, and local governments.  Continued federal investment in our nation’s coastal infrastructure is critical to sustain this important economic engine.” – Nicole Elko, Ph.D., Executive Director, and American Shore & Beach Preservation Association

“America’s coastal communities are an economic driver producing $10 trillion and goods and services, and home to 40% of the American population. They are represented at the state and congressional level by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Coastal States Organization is pleased to support the Congressional Coastal Communities Caucus, which convenes Members of Congress to discuss the unique concerns of those who live, work, and do business along the coast, and seek bipartisan solutions to support these important communities.” – Derek Brockbank, Executive Director, Coastal States Organization

“As a Floridian, I know just how important our coastal communities are to our state and our country,” said Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-05). “In Northeast Florida, we are blessed to have miles of coastline, running along the Atlantic Ocean, and shorelines along the intracoastal waterways and St. Johns River. We are also not strangers to natural disasters and dangerous algal blooms that threaten the livelihood and wellbeing of our coastal communities. I remain committed to working with local, state, and federal leaders, including my fellow members of the House Coastal Communities Caucus, to protect our coastline. It’s critical we ensure our water quality and beaches stay healthy so all Floridians, and Americans who visit our shores, can enjoy everything our beautiful state has to offer.”

“As a key pillar of our economy and the nation’s leading textile producer, North Carolina’s textile industry is vital. It sustains thousands of jobs, strengthens rural communities, and fuels innovation. The bipartisan Textile Caucus is committed to protecting our domestic industry, advocating for fair trade, and supporting America’s cotton growers,” said Congressman Rouzer (R-NC-07)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and his Democratic colleagues have forced the Trump Administration to delay a controversial plan to eliminate phone-based services at the Social Security Administration (SSA) — a move that would have created massive barriers for millions of Americans, especially seniors and people with disabilities who rely on live phone support to access their benefits.

The delay follows a hard-hitting letter from Pallone and signed by over 60 House Democrats, demanding that SSA reverse course. The lawmakers warned that stripping away phone-based services would gut a vital access point at an agency already strained by surging workloads, staff shortages, and widespread field office closures.

“This Administration is rightly feeling the heat,” said Pallone. “Trump’s plan would have been devastating for the seniors and disabled New Jersayans who don’t use the internet and can’t get an appointment at a field office. It’s unacceptable for the Trump Administration to force them into a broken digital system with no backup. Public outcry has bought us time, but we’re not letting up.”

Last week, Pallone wrote to SSA Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek, raising alarm over reports that the agency, under pressure from the White House, was rushing to implement sweeping changes without sufficient planning, transparency, or input from the public. According to the agency’s own data, SSA receives nearly 80 million calls each year, and roughly 40 percent of all Social Security claims are processed over the phone.

The proposed changes would have eliminated a key method of identity verification by phone, requiring individuals to either prove their identity online — despite technical issues and access gaps — or travel to in-person offices that are often understaffed or closed altogether.

Following the outcry, SSA announced it will delay the changes until at least April 14 and partially roll back its identity verification requirements for Medicare, disability, and SSI applicants. But Pallone made clear this is only a temporary reprieve.

“Trump and Musk have made no secret of their desire to dismantle Social Security, and this was one more step in that direction,” Pallone continued. “We’re not going to let them sabotage the system in plain sight. Americans who’ve worked their whole lives and paid into the system deserve real service, not endless hold times and website error messages.”

Read the full letter Pallone sent SSA here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

Senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24), led a group of 69 House Democrats in a letter to National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the incredible incompetence displayed by their use of Signal to communicate highly sensitive national security information.

“The Trump Administration’s national security team demonstrated incredible incompetence and carelessness by using Signal to communicate highly sensitive national security information,” said Rep. Carbajal. “These reckless actions not only jeopardized the safety of our country, but it also put the lives of servicemembers at risk. Secure communication channels are essential to protecting our national security, and the use of platforms like Signal to communicate highly classified information is a clear failure in safeguarding the trust placed in our government. There must be accountability for this dangerous lapse in judgment, starting with the immediate resignation of Secretary Hegseth. We cannot afford to allow this negligence to go unaddressed.”

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

The letter was also signed by: Representatives Veronica Escobar, Marilyn Strickland, Sarah Elfreth, Derek Tran, Brad Sherman, Greg Stanton, LaMonica McIver, Patrick Ryan, Gilbert Cisneros, Jr., Norma Torres, Ritchie Torres, Jonathan Jackson, Mark Pocan, Gabe Vasquez, Jill Tokuda, Brendan Boyle, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Rick Larsen, Luis Correa, Brittany Pettersen, Robin Kelly, Jan Schakowsky, James McGovern, Sarah McBride, Dave Min, Wesley Bell, Nellie Pou, Jared Huffman, André  Carson, Steve Cohen, Nikema Williams, Raul Ruiz, Jim Costa, Mark Takano, Madeleine Dean, Julie Johnson, Marc Veasey, Sara Jacobs, Yassamin Ansari, Val Hoyle, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, George Latimer, Dina Titus, Darren Soto, Chris Pappas, Ted Lieu, Judy Chu, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Mike Levin, Glenn Ivey, Dwight Evans, Melanie Stansbury, Jerrod Nadler, Marcy Kaptur, Mikie Sherrill, Yvette Clarke, Paul Tonko, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Robert Menendez, Maggie Goodlander, Bradley Schneider, Eric Swalwell, Jennifer McClellan, Vicente Gonzalez, John Garamendi, Alma Adams, Janelle Bynum, and Teresa Ledger Fernandez.

March 26, 2025

Dear Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, Director Gabbard, and Mr. Waltz,

We write to express grave concern over your handling of sensitive information regarding military operations in Yemen and potential risks to our servicemembers carrying out this mission. The Atlantic reported that their Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal group chat on March 13 titled “Houthi PC small group.” Fortunately, an American journalist was added and not anyone who could have used this information to cause significant harm to the United States.

As more evidence has come to light, the misconduct in the group chat has become further undefendable and inexcusable. You all jeopardized the lives of servicemembers. There must be accountability starting with the immediate resignation of Secretary Hegseth.

The degree of incompetence, carelessness, and irresponsibility is difficult to underscore. It is incomprehensible that the heads of the world’s most powerful government were unknowingly sharing secret military plans and knowingly using an unsecure communications method to do so. A bad actor or foreign contact could have easily been added to this Signal group instead of Mr. Goldberg. This experience was so absurd that Mr. Goldberg thought it more likely to be a disinformation campaign or artificial intelligence than several key members of our government, many who sit on the National Security Council.

This encounter calls into question the way in which this operation was discussed. It was reported that classified or highly sensitive information was being shared over Signal. Information that if leaked to the wrong sources could have resulted in dire national security consequences. As the article goes on to state, there are legitimate questions on whether laws like the Espionage Act or laws on preserving official federal records were violated.

If you had not added a non-government individual to this Signal group, then this breach would never have come to light. This does not inspire confidence that other classified communications have been handled through proper channels or that this national security team is taking these issues seriously.

We hope you understand the gravity of this situation. The decisions you make have a significant impact on our national security and the safety of our servicemembers. We will be demanding accountability and transparency in what transpired. For the sake of our national security, we ask that you fully and willingly cooperate with Congress in any forthcoming hearings or investigations.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Chellie Pingree (ME-01) denounced plans by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to eliminate all of the agency’s offices and positions related to environmental justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Their letter follows Administrator Zeldin submitting the EPA’s statutorily required reorganization plans to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations. This reorganization was slated to take effect as soon as yesterday.

“We reject and oppose the so-called reorganization actions submitted to our Committees…that would not reorganize, but instead eliminate, all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and all environmental justice offices and positions at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by March 26, 2025,” wrote the Ranking Members of the Appropriations subcommittees that oversee funding for the EPA. “Additionally, in violation of the above referenced section, the Agency failed to comply with longstanding reorganization and reprogramming requirements.  We are alarmed at the President’s and your efforts to dismantle programs designed – and funded on a bipartisan basis – to address the disproportionate environmental harms predominantly suffered by low-income, rural, and racially diverse communities.”

“Countless other examples show how communities are persistently marginalized, such as ‘Cancer Alley’ in Louisiana where a concentration of many petrochemical plans and refineries contaminate the air and land of surrounding Black and underrepresented communities; when the state of Mississippi neglected to repair a failing drinking water system for decades that serves 160,000 people in the minority-majority city of Jackson, exposing the entire population, including children, to high levels of lead and sewage; and when the Tennessee Valley Authority moved four million cubic yards of spilled coal ash, which has been shown to cause brain cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia, to a predominantly Black community of Uniontown, Alabama,” they continued.The Senate and House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittees funded, on a bipartisan basis, these programs at the EPA. For environmental justice, the EPA programs provided $100 million for fiscal year 2022, $108 million for fiscal year 2023, $100 million for fiscal year 2024, and most recently $100 million for fiscal year 2025. The senior lawmakers stressed, “This funding must be allocated through dedicated programs by staff with knowledge and experience to support marginalized communities like these – a task made impossible by firing staff and closing these critical offices.”

“We reject and oppose these office closures and staff terminations as well as the illegal impoundment actions that have already been taken to eliminate funding for these annual appropriations and funding provided under the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice and DEI programs,” the Appropriators strongly concluded.

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here and follows below:

Dear Administrator Zeldin:

We reject and oppose the so-called reorganization actions submitted to our Committees on March 20, 2025 pursuant to section 442 of Division E of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42) and subsequently carried forward in the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (P.L. 119-4)  that would not reorganize, but instead eliminate, all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and all environmental justice offices and positions at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by March 26, 2025.  Additionally, in violation of the above referenced section, the Agency failed to comply with longstanding reorganization and reprogramming requirements.  We are alarmed at the President’s and your efforts to dismantle programs designed – and funded on a bipartisan basis – to address the disproportionate environmental harms predominantly suffered by low-income, rural, and racially diverse communities. 

The concept of environmental justice is not new.  It began nearly 50 years ago when wealthy residents in Warren County, North Carolina, protested the siting of a toxic waste plant near their neighborhood.  Instead, the plant was constructed in a rural and low-income area, polluting the area with PCBs, cancer-causing toxic chemicals.  

Countless other examples show how communities are persistently marginalized, such as “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana where a concentration of many petrochemical plans and refineries contaminate the air and land of surrounding Black and underrepresented communities; when the state of Mississippi neglected to repair a failing drinking water system for decades that serves 160,000 people in the minority-majority city of Jackson, exposing the entire population, including children, to high levels of lead and sewage; and when the Tennessee Valley Authority moved four million cubic yards of spilled coal ash, which has been shown to cause brain cancer, lung cancer, and leukemia, to a predominantly Black community of Uniontown, Alabama.

These events and others prompted the EPA to convene the first Environmental Equity Work Group in 1990, followed by the establishment of the Office of Environmental Justice in 1992. By 1994 the federal government ordered the integration of environmental justice into federal agency missions and work. This work is not new to the federal government or EPA and environmental justice at the EPA has always been about all Americans having the right to the same environmental protections and benefits regardless of race, color, national origin, or income.

Our Committees have specifically provided funding – again, on a bipartisan basis – for environmental justice programs, including $100 million for fiscal year 2022, $108 million for fiscal year 2023, $100 million for fiscal year 2024, and most recently $100 million for fiscal year 2025.  This funding must be allocated through dedicated programs by staff with knowledge and experience to support marginalized communities like these – a task made impossible by firing staff and closing these critical offices.

We reject and oppose these office closures and staff terminations as well as the illegal impoundment actions that have already been taken to eliminate funding for these annual appropriations and funding provided under the Inflation Reduction Act for environmental justice and DEI programs.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Russell Vought, the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with concern at the damage done by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after mass dismissals of the bureau’s personnel.

The letter seeks answers to a series of questions, including “When do you anticipate CFPB investigations resuming?”

The letter reads in part:

“I write with concern regarding the unlawful actions taken by the Trump Administration to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB or ‘Consumer Bureau’) and what it means for consumers in my congressional district. This includes illegal orders to stop work, the plans for a mass dismissal of employees on top of the 10 percent of employees that were already dismissed, and the incursion of Elon Musk’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) to access sensitive data on millions of consumers and competitors to businesses owned by Mr. Musk. The CFPB is the only Federal agency solely dedicated to protecting consumers from financial fraud, scams, and other unfair, deceptive and abusive products and practices in the financial marketplace, and halting CFPB supervision and enforcement is placing consumers at greater risk.

“Since its inception, the Consumer Bureau has returned more than $21 billion to consumers of which $3.3 billion came from relief from the Civil Penalty Fund. In my state of Tennessee, we have seen over $67 million returned to more than 145,000 consumers—from the Civil Penalty Fund alone.  Furthermore, 133,589 consumers in my state have submitted complaints about various financial products and services since December 2011, including 8,203 servicemembers, with consumer complaints rising by 97 percent from 2023 to 2024.”

See the entire letter here.

# # #

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. requesting the Secretary commit to protecting long-term care and support services for seniors.

“By the year 2050, nearly 20 percent of the United States population will be 65 or older, compared to 15 percent today,” Dingell writes. “As the nation ages, experts are also contemplating what the increase in the aging population will mean for the workplace, economy, healthcare, and senior living, and what needs to be done to support seniors and the caregivers they rely upon now.”

“Medicaid is the primary source of payment for long-term care in America. Medicaid covers long-term services and supports (LTSS) for roughly 9.3 million older adults and people with disabilities, with roughly 700,000 of those people living in nursing homes,” Dingell continues. “Among people aged 65 and over, about 70 percent will need LTSS in their lifetime. To provide this coverage, Medicaid spends about $200 billion on all LTSS, with $59 billion spent specifically on nursing home care. In addition to funding care in institutional settings, states can seek waivers through Medicaid to provide coverage of Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) which allow people to receive services in the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

“House Republicans are proposing to structurally change the Medicaid program by implementing at least $880 billion in crippling cuts. Because the proposed cuts are so severe, states will have to re-evaluate the level of services they provide. Medicaid cuts would place an enormous financial burden on older adults, people with disabilities, and their families, especially for those who have already spent down their assets and resources to qualify for Medicaid,” Dingell concludes. “Consumers could have to forego needed care entirely, or their family members would be forced to choose between covering their children’s expenses, saving for their own retirement, or helping their loved one.”

Specifically, Dingell requested answers to the following questions:

1. Will you commit to ensuring that the quality of care for long term care services will not be impacted by the actions of the Trump administration?
2. Have you considered how a minimum $880 billion cut to Medicaid will impact access to LTSS?
3. What is the administration’s plan to support seniors who rely on LTSS?

The letter is also signed by Representatives Sanford Bishop, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Yvette Clarke, Troy Carter, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Dwight Evans, Timothy Kennedy, LaMonica McIver, Terri Sewell, Seth Magaziner, Bennie Thompson, Jennifer McClellan, Lori Trahan, Maxine Waters, Marilyn Strickland, Lou Correa, Hank Johnson, Sarah McBride, Seth Moulton, Mark Pocan, Tom Suozzi, Stephen Lynch, Pramila Jayapal, Nanette Barragan, John Larson, Rashida Tlaib, Andre Carson, Chris Pappas, Maggie Goodlander, Julia Brownley, and Jim McGovern.

View the full text of the letter here.

Dingell has long been a leader in Congress on expanding access to care, specifically home- and community- based services, and supporting the care workforce. She has introduced the Better Care Better Jobs Act and HCBS Access Act to enhance Medicaid funding for home care, strengthen the caregiving workforce, improve quality of life for families, and boost the economy by creating good paying jobs to make it possible for families and workers alike to thrive.