MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Santa Cruz, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) convened a roundtable discussion with leaders, professors, and researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) to hear firsthand how the ongoing federal funding freeze is undermining scientific progress, educational opportunities, and workforce development in California’s 19th Congressional District and beyond.

During the listening session, UCSC faculty and researchers outlined the damaging effects of the Trump Administration’s funding freezes, executive orders, and arbitrary grant reviews, including delayed projects, halted research activities, frozen USDA NextGen grants, and disruptions to graduate student and faculty funding. Participants also expressed deep concern over the long-term impact on UCSC’s ability to compete for federal research dollars, attract talent, and sustain innovative, community-focused research in fields like climate science, agriculture, and public health.

“This federal funding freeze is more than a bureaucratic delay, it’s an assault on scientific discovery, education, and the hardworking researchers who power generational innovation in our communities,” said Rep. Panetta.  “The impacts we discussed today at UC Santa Cruz are a clear reminder that politics in Washington are jeopardizing the future of research and workforce development across our district.  I will continue to push back against these arbitrary and harmful actions, advocate for transparency and stability, and ensure that the voices of our research institutions are heard at the highest levels.”

“At UC Santa Cruz, we see firsthand the real-world impacts of federal research investment,” said UC Santa Cruz Chancellor Cynthia Larive.  “With federal support, our faculty and staff are making groundbreaking advances in personalized medicine, sustainable agriculture and pioneering technologies like smart bandages.  Across the UC system and at research universities nationwide, federal dollars drive innovation, create jobs, and keep the U.S. at the forefront of discovery.  Slashing federal research funding threatens America’s economic foundation and its educational excellence.”

“NIH support fuels our local economy, supporting everyone from the researchers at UCSC and the employees who administer the grants to the small businesses they frequent — the coffee shops, the restaurants, even the construction workers building on campus and in the community,” said UC Santa Cruz Professors Susan Carpenter, Needhi Bhalla, and Carol Greider.  “Slashing this funding will have a devastating ripple effect, impacting jobs, local businesses and the overall prosperity of our community.  It’s not just about research; it’s about the economic livelihoods of our community members.”

Rep. Panetta has taken numerous actions to oppose the Administration’s funding freezes and attacks on higher education and research, including:

• Cosponsoring the Department of Education Protection Act to block any efforts to shutter the Department of Education.
• Demanding transparency on clean energy and infrastructure projects placed on hold.
• Joining congressional coalitions opposing the NIH’s proposed cap on administrative funding, which would slash vital resources for university research.
• Collecting stories from constituents, researchers, and institutions about funding challenges to inform his congressional advocacy.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) along with Reps. Dan Goldman (NY-10), Troy Carter (LA-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Linda Sánchez (CA-38) introduced the Data Of Government Health Entities must be Protected from Overreach by Unelected Nonsecure Disruption (or DOGE POUND) Act to prevent inappropriate intrusion into sensitive health care systems. 

“Over 1 million Coloradoans rely on Medicaid, and their health care and personal information must be protected from the illegal schemes of Elon Musk and DOGE,” Rep. DeGette said. “The federal government is entrusted with highly sensitive data, and we must ensure it stays in the hands of qualified public servants—not unelected billionaires like Musk. While Trump and his corrupt cronies are busy trying to dismantle our health care system for personal gain, this bill would put an end to their gross overstep of power and keep them from meddling in Americans’ health care and private information.”

“Americans’ personal and sensitive health information is not for sale, regardless of how much money Elon Musk paid Trump for unfettered access to it,” Rep. Goldman said. “Trump and Musk’s ‘special government employees’ are not exempt from the rule of law that mandates background checks and oversight for those who have access to our social security numbers, medical records, financial information, and more. This legislation will provide a necessary check on any administration’s ability to give unqualified, unvetted partisans access to our most sensitive personal and medical data, and I’m proud to fight for every American’s right to live free from DOGE’s invasion of our privacy.”

“The DOGE POUND Act is a critical safeguard against reckless interference in Louisianians health care. No one should have to worry that their private medical information or essential care decisions could be hijacked by political chaos or corporate overreach. This legislation ensures that only trusted, qualified civil servants—not unaccountable billionaires or rogue enterprises—can access sensitive health data. Protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and the ACA from corruption and abuse is not just common sense, it’s a necessity for the health and security of millions of Americans,” said Rep. Carter, Sr. 

“We can’t let Elon Musk and his DOGE bros dismantle our government and raid our personal and sensitive health data,” said Rep. Pressley. “With Trump and Republicans letting them do just that, our bill would protect our right to privacy and tell Musk and Doge: hands off!” 

“Elon Musk and DOGE are unlawfully accessing Americans’ most sensitive personal and medical data. It’s unacceptable for unelected and unvetted individuals to have such access to this private information. Our would put an end to this severe breach of privacy by strengthening protections that prevent anyone from accessing personal data for political purposes,” said Rep. Sánchez.

Americans deserve to know their private information and essential health care is safe from politically motivated chaos. To ensure their privacy, the DOGE POUND Act would: 

• ensure only trustworthy, established civil servants can access individually identifiable health information held by Medicare and other Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) entities,
• require the Inspector General of HHS to investigate each unauthorized access of such data and report to Congress on it, and 
• provide for penalties of up to five years in prison for ineligible individuals who access or use HHS data or individuals who allow HHS data to be accessed by unauthorized individuals. 

Background

In February, aides from DOGE were granted access to the payment and contracting systems at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS provides health coverage to more than 160 million Americans through various programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Recent polling shows that 63% of Americans are concerned about DOGE’s access to sensitive information, and 55% believe Elon Musk has too much power.

Read the full bill text here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Brian Mast (FL-18)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (FL-21) introduced the National Garden for America’s 250th Anniversary Act, to establish President Trump’s National Garden of American heroes. This bill facilitates the creation and upkeep of this national site, establishes a tax-credit contribution fund, and enables the Secretary of the Interior to exchange and acquire land for the garden’s location.  

“I am proud to support President Trump’s celebration of American heroes on our great nation’s 250th anniversary,” said Rep. Brian Mast. “The National Garden will be a beautiful site to honor our history and recognize prominent American founders and generations of trailblazers. America’s past and present is filled with heroes from all walks of life and this new garden will soon be open to the public to forever remember their contributions.”

In January of 2021, President Trump issued an executive order establishing a statuary park named the National Garden of American Heroes (National Garden). To begin the process of building this new monument to our country’s greatness, he also created the Interagency Task Force for Building and Rebuilding Monuments to American Heroes and directed its members to plan for construction of the National Garden. 

According the the executive order, “the National Garden will feature a roll call of heroes who deserve honor, recognition, and lasting tribute because of the battles they won, the ideas they championed, the diseases they cured, the lives they saved, the heights they achieved, and the hope they passed down to all of us — that united as one American people trusting in God, there is no challenge that cannot be overcome and no dream that is beyond our reach.”

This new legislation pushes President Trump’s plan another step forward, bringing us closer to opening the site to the American public to enjoy.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking of the Subcommittee on the Military and Foreign Affairs, Rep. Stephen Lynch, and Rep. Robert Garcia led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Chairman Comer demanding the Committee uphold its duty to conduct real oversight and schedule a hearing with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.  Today’s letter follows this week’s report in The Atlantic that several members of the National Security Council and the White House Cabinet participated in a highly sensitive group chat on the Signal messaging application regarding a military operation in Yemen, which included a journalist not authorized to receive that information.

“I am attaching hereto a letter addressed to the National Security Adviser, Director of National Intelligence, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Secretaries of the Treasury, Defense, and State, and the Vice President demanding an immediate briefing on this matter.  We urge you to join us in this critical demand,” wrote the Members. “We also urge you to schedule hearing immediately with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz to allow the Committee to assess the extent of the harm to American national security interests as a result of this shocking and reckless unauthorized disclosure of highly sensitive and potentially classified information.”

A former national security official who has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations has observed with respect to the Signal breach that “[c]ommunicating sensitive, operational information in this manner increases the likelihood of inappropriate disclosure which places military personnel at risk,” and raises questions about violation of federal law governing the safeguarding and retention of government information.  

“Given the grave threat to American national security from these unsecured communications, as well as your repeatedly stated concern for the protection of classified information, we trust that you will enthusiastically join us in demanding immediate answers from the Trump Administration and will publicly announce your intention to hold a hearing in the near future to evaluate the harm resulting from the Signal chat,” the Members concluded. 

Click here to read the letter to Chairman Comer.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee Military and Foreign Affairs, Rep. Stephen Lynch, and Rep. Robert Garcia led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding an immediate briefing on how and why America’s national security secrets ended up in a group chat on an unauthorized messaging app that included a journalist.   

“We write with great alarm regarding The Atlantic report that you, as members of the National Security Council and President’s Cabinet, participated in a series of highly sensitive conversations on the free and open-source Signal messaging application to plan a military operation in Yemen and shared highly sensitive, potentially classified information with a person who was not authorized to receive such information. We demand an immediate briefing to assist Congress in understanding the extent of the damage and intelligence exposure that this reckless and unrestricted transmission of highly sensitive national security information has caused, as well as the parameters and legality of senior officials using Signal to communicate and delete deliberative messages,” wrote the Members.

In the unclassified group chat, the senior officials discussed the merits of a strike on the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, including relevant concerns about U.S. national interests and impacts on American allies.  Hegseth outlined operational information about the current position and posture of actively deployed U.S. military forces that, had it been “read by an adversary of the United States, could conceivably have been used to harm American military and intelligence personnel.”

Not only did the use of Signal pose a risk to the lives of men and women of the military, jeopardize the operation, and embarrassingly advertise to our adversaries the reckless attitude of our nation’s senior leaders, but the inclusion of Mr. Goldberg raises questions as to whether senior government officials in the chat acted in accordance with the Espionage Act.  

“This extraordinary breach of trust also raises questions as to whether Mr. Waltz and the other senior officials have failed to comply with federal recordkeeping requirements, given the fact that ‘Waltz set some of the messages in the Signal group to disappear after one week, and some after four.’  Accordingly, we request a briefing from each of you regarding the damage or intelligence risks caused by the use of Signal for the operation and the leak of highly sensitive or classified information, the factual timeline of events, the methods and protocol for handling critical national security information, as well as recordkeeping protocol no later than March 28, 2025,” concluded the Members.  
 

Click here to read the letter to U.S. Vice President JD Vance, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, reintroduced the Cameras in the Courtroom Act, legislation to ensure transparency and accountability in the judicial branch by televising open proceedings before the United States Supreme Court. Connolly originally introduced the Cameras in the Courtroom Act in the 112th Congress and has reintroduced it in nearly every Congress since. Bipartisan companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

“Our nation’s highest court is in desperate need of transparency and reform,” said Connolly. “The Supreme Court is not some mystical priesthood that can operate outside of the public view. It is a coequal branch of government and must be accountable to the American public. Our legislation strengthens efforts to restore trust in an institution that for too long has operated in the dark. It’s time for cameras in the courtroom.”

“It’s time to put cameras in the Supreme Court so Americans can finally see arguments and decisions in cases that will affect them for generations to come. This bipartisan bill shines a light into the judicial branch of government so more than just a few hundred lucky Americans can watch proceedings in the Court’s historic halls,” Durbin said.

“The judicial branch has a massive impact on our daily lives and the lives of generations to come, yet few Americans get the chance to see our nation’s courts in action,” Grassley said. “Allowing cameras access to the federal and Supreme Courts would boost transparency and help Americans grow in confidence and understanding of the judiciary.”

The Supreme Court currently allocates roughly 50 seats for the general public to witness cases. This significantly limits the public and the media to one-dimensional and sometimes distorted views of the Justices’ actions. State and federal courts, including all 50 state supreme courts, already allow recording equipment of various degrees.

Text of the legislation is available here.

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

Washington, DC – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today called for the immediate resignation of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth following revelations that he shared classified U.S. military plans in a Signal group chat with several members of Trump’s Cabinet and the Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg. Hegseth and several members of the Trump administration previously denied that senior officials had shared classified information on the commercial messaging app and?attacked the reporting as false.

“It is now undeniable that Secretary Hegseth not only shared classified U.S. war plans over Signal, but also lied about it to the American public. This gross incompetence puts American servicemembers in jeopardy and risked having our adversaries intercept a potential roadmap of U.S. strategic planning.

“The most stunning aspect of this debacle is that a journalist—mistakenly included in the chat—showed more care with sensitive U.S. military plans than the Trump administration officials entrusted to protect them. The Atlantic responsibly withheld the exchange from publication until the Trump administration issued multiple false denials, exposing not just negligence but an active cover-up. Rather than acknowledge the gravity of the breach, the administration has deflected, dismissed, and attempted to bury its own reckless conduct.

“Pete Hegseth must resign immediately. If his lack of qualifications for this role wasn’t already evident, this latest scandal confirms he is dangerously unfit for the job. But Hegseth is far from the only incompetent risk factor in this administration. Trump himself has shown extreme disregard for handling classified materials, as evidenced by the stashing of classified documents in a bathroom at Mar-a-Lago. Now his top national security officials are casually discussing military strikes in a group chat, and their dismissal of the severity of these communications leads me to believe the use of Signal was not a one-off.

“This isn’t just irresponsible, it’s a direct threat to our troops, allies, and global standing. Republicans who hold the gavels in Congress, and relevant federal watchdog agencies, must launch credible investigations into the nature of the Trump administration’s mishandling of classified information and violations of the Federal Records Act. The American people deserve to know whether Trump officials are hiding official communication in private channels without archiving it as the law requires.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon, Houlahan, Panetta, Bergman Reintroduce the Unity Through Service Act

The bipartisan, bicameral reintroduction coincides with the Fifth anniversary of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service’s final report. 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Jack Bergman (R-MI), reintroduced the Unity Through Service Act. The reintroduction marks the fifth anniversary since the release of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service’s final report, which first recommended the bill’s provisions. The bill was also reintroduced in the Senate by Jack Reed (D-RI) and Todd Young (R-IN).

This bipartisan, bicameral bill would establish the Interagency Council on Service to coordinate reviews of current programs and plan new strategies for recruitment. The legislation would authorize a joint advertising and recruitment program between the Department of Defense, the Corporation on National and Community Service, and the Peace Corps in order to share information. Moreover, the bill would help transitioning service members find future service opportunities and create a quadrennial report to Congress about public service initiatives.

“I know first-hand the importance and value of service to your country as a retired Air Force General. We have seen a decline in the number of young Americans signing up to serve in our nation’s armed forces and public service, and this commission will help to answer the question of ‘why?’ We need to be able to attract qualified individuals with critical skills necessary to serve,” said Bacon.

“Having served in the Air Force and as a Teach for America educator, I know the profound impact national service can have to improve someone’s life and community,” said Houlahan. “This bipartisan legislation is an important step that will revitalize national service in this country. The bill will boost the ongoing collaboration between America’s military, public, and national service organizations to create new opportunities for our citizens to serve. Through service, I know we can reforge the bonds of unity that tie us all together.”

“Ever since the pandemic, the number of Americans participating in volunteer work has been on the decline,” said Panetta. “I’m proud to work alongside Rep. Houlahan on the Unity Through Service Act which would implement elements of our larger Inspire to Serve Act to establish an Interagency Council on Service to promote opportunities for military service, national service, and public service.   In service to others, we perpetuate our democratic values and I look forward to continuing to fight for impactful legislation to better mobilize Americans volunteering for the betterment of their community and country.”

“The Unity Through Service Act will be a bridge between service entities, providing education, support, and coordination between our military and civil service,” said Bergman. “This legislation will drive enthusiasm to serve our Nation among young people. I’m proud to help lead this bill to will continue advancing our military capabilities.”

The bill is also endorsed by notable public service organizations.

“As we celebrate the fifth anniversary National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service’s Inspired to Serve report, With Honor Action is proud to endorse the Unity Through Service Act. As a veteran-founded and veteran-led organization, we strongly believe in the critical role that service, both in and out of uniform, plays in our democracy. By creating an Interagency Council on Service and coordinating efforts across federal agencies, this bill strengthens civic engagement and promotes service opportunities for all Americans,” said Rye Barcott, CEO of With Honor Action. “We applaud the leadership of Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Jack Bergman for their continued service to our nation.”

“On behalf of our nation’s State and Territorial Service Commissions, we thank Rep. Houlahan (D-PA), Rep. Bacon (R-NE), Rep. Bergman (R-MI), and Rep. Panetta (D-CA) for their support of the bipartisan Unity Through National Service Act. National service enables Americans to address critical issues in our communities and instills a sense of mission and purpose in those that serve. We look forward to engaging with the Interagency Council on Service to advise the President on ways that national, military, and public service partners – and importantly our states – can work together to promote and expand opportunities to serve our country and improve those experiences,” said Kaira Esgate, CEO of America’s Service Commissions. “Critically, the Council would also develop new interagency partnerships to address national challenges and support the transition between branches of service and into careers. We urge Congress to advance this bipartisan legislation as soon as possible.”

“National service is a powerful force for uniting Americans in common purpose, and the Unity through Service Act represents an important step forward in ensuring more people can serve,” said AnnMaura Connolly, President of Voices for National Service. “By elevating service and fostering greater collaboration across agencies, this bill will help strengthen national service programs, open new pathways to service, and enable more Americans to contribute to their communities and country. The Voices for National Service community is grateful to Representatives Houlahan, Bacon, Bergman, and Panetta for their leadership and their continued commitment to expanding opportunities for service.”

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

Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Russ Fulcher (R-ID) today reintroduced a bipartisan bill to authorize the National Mall as the location for the memorial honoring the women who worked on the home front during World War II. The World War II Women’s Memorial Location Act is the next legislative step needed after Congress passed bipartisan legislation in 2022 authorizing the establishment of a memorial.

Under current law, an act of Congress is required to place a commemorative work on the National Mall. This bill advances a decade-long effort to properly honor the more than 18 million trailblazing women – known as Rosie the Riveters – who worked as riveters, pilots, engineers, electricians, mechanics, code breakers, and more—most of which women had been previously told they were incapable of.

“Our Rosies answered the call when our nation needed them most, redefining the role of the American woman and opening the door wider for generations to come,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “This bill will take us one step closer to ensuring our Rosies receive the recognition they deserve, and I am honored to lead legislation to honor their service and commitment to America and their unwavering ‘can do’ spirit. We will always be thankful for their strength, bravery, and lasting impact on our nation.”
 
“During World War II, millions of American women answered the call to serve our nation by holding down our home front. In Idaho, many women took to running farms and ranches while others went to factories around the USA to build planes, munitions, and ships to support the war effort,” said Congressman Fulcher. “I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to honor their service, sacrifice, and patriotism by securing the location for a memorial in our nation’s capital, supported entirely through private funds.”

“The unwavering courage and determination of these women, and the lasting impact of Rosies on future generations undeniably deserve to be honored on our nation’s National Mall. Without it, the full story of WWII goes untold,” said WWII Women’s Memorial Foundation CEO and Founder Raya Kenney. “This bill ensures that this memorial is built in its rightful place near the existing WWII memorial, where it can stand as a testament to the extraordinary legacy of these women’s service and sacrifice. We call on Congress to swiftly enact this legislation so that America’s living Rosies—who are celebrating their 98th, 99th, and centennial birthdays—can see their memorial come to fruition in their lifetime. The introduction of this legislation is an important step forward in our efforts to etch the memories of these inspiring women on our nation’s National Mall. Thank you to Senators Shaheen and Blackburn and Representatives Dingell and Fulcher for fighting to preserve the stories and legacies of the women who shaped American history during WWII.”

During WWII, the percentage of women in the workforce rose to nearly 37%. The lasting labor impact of the working women of WWII is clearly demonstrated in today’s U.S. workforce, which is nearly 58% women.

Dingell has long worked to ensure the Rosies’ work and legacy is honored and remembered, hosting a group of 11 Rosies on a visit to the Capitol. She also helped pass the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Rosies. The original Rosie the Riveter, Rose Will Monroe, moved to Michigan to build B-24 bombers at Willow Run in Ypsilanti.

View a summary of the bill here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Emmer (6th District of Minnesota)

Emmer Reintroduces Legislation to Provide Regulatory Clarity for Digital Assets | Press Releases | Congressman Tom Emmer

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