MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

April 30, 2026

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) led 16 House Democrats in urging leaders of the real estate industry to provide homebuyers with critical information on the climate risks to which prospective individual home purchases may be exposed.

“While there is still room for improvement in climate risk scoring systems, the best available data will help prospective homeowners and renters properly evaluate the long-term costs and hazards associated with a given property, strengthening their ability to make a sound investment,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are alarmed at reports of pressure against entities providing such information, since doing so diminishes the public’s ability to make informed choices and undermines resilience in vulnerable communities. As climate change intensifies, it is vital to ensure transparency in real estate transactions, now and in the future.”

The letter was sent to the CEOs of Zillow, Rocket Companies (Redfin), Move, Inc. (Realtor.com), Costar Group (Homes.com), Compass, California Regional Multiple Listing Service, and the Council of Multiple Listing Services.

Recent public reporting indicates that real estate websites, such as Zillow, have been pressured to remove climate risk information from their websites. As an integral part of the real estate ecosystem, real estate information platforms often serve as consumers’ first point of contact for real estate listings, ensuring that American families have upfront access to comprehensive and trustworthy information when making some of the most significant financial decisions of their lives.

American consumers are increasingly exposed to climate-related risks in the housing market, including from high immediate insurance costs that often do not become apparent until late in the home-buying process. The problem can be even more severe in the later years of a thirty-year mortgage – as climate risks increase, homeowners may face sharply rising premiums or reduced availability of coverage. A lack of climate risk information disadvantages buyers already navigating the current affordability crisis.

In addition to Rep. Casten, the letter was signed by Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Lloyd Doggett, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Shri Thanedar, Madeleine Dean, Adelita Grijalva, Joyce Beatty, Mike Quigley, Sylvia Garcia, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Maxwell Frost, Valerie Foushee, Mike Levin, Julia Brownley, and Kevin Mullin.

A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

Dear [CEO]

We write to express the importance of upfront, consumer access to climate risk information. Concerning recent reporting indicates that the real estate website of your company, Zillow, along with several other real estate sites, have received pressure to remove climate risk information from their listings. This will harm consumer access to critical data.

As an integral part of the housing listing ecosystem, real estate information platforms often serve as consumers’ first point of contact for real estate listings. These platforms play a pivotal role in ensuring that American families have upfront access to comprehensive and trustworthy information when making some of the most significant financial decisions of their lives. Cooperation across the housing listing ecosystem in providing ready access to that information is critical.

Consumers are increasingly exposed to climate-related risks in the real estate market, including from higher insurance costs that often do not become apparent until late in the process of purchasing a home. A lack of critical risk information disadvantages buyers already navigating the current affordability crisis.

As climate change-driven weather events become more extreme, the need to identify, disclose, and price climate risk is no longer theoretical, it is current and urgent. Costly, disruptive increases in flooding, wildfires, extreme heat, sea level rise, and storm intensity are already reshaping housing markets and communities across the United States.

Recent data underscores the scale and acceleration of these risks:

• From 1980 to 2024, the United States averaged 9 weather disasters annually, causing more than $1 billion in losses. Over the past five years, that number has increased to 23 per year.

• Wildfires now burn more than twice as many trees each year as they did two decades ago. The most extreme year on record for forest fires was 2024, with at least 13.5 million hectares of forest burned, 13% more than the previous year. Northern high-latitude regions are warming at a faster rate than the rest of the planet, resulting in longer fire seasons, greater fire frequency and severity, and larger burned areas in boreal forests.

• The years 2015-2025 have been the hottest on record, with 2025 being the second or third warmest year since observations began. Extreme heat poses a high health risk to people and can have serious additional economic repercussions.

• Sea levels along the U.S. coastlines are estimated to rise an additional 10-12 inches in the next 30 years, which will increase coastal flooding by increasing tide and storm surge heights and driving impacts further inland. With sea levels projected to increase by up to 4 feet by 2100, the question for hundreds if not thousands of communities around the country may no longer be the frequency of flooding, but their very viability as residential locations.

Taken together, these trends make clear that climate risk is a present and growing financial risk. Failing to provide transparent, actionable information to consumers distorts housing markets and leaves families exposed to escalating costs that otherwise might be avoidable.

Climate hazards are already reshaping homeownership in America and have harmed millions of homeowners. Current risk assessments show that 26% of U.S. homes, valued at around $12.7 trillion, are exposed to at least one severe or extreme climate risk, including floods, wildfires, and hurricane-strength winds. Of these, around 6% of U.S. homes face severe or extreme flood risk, 6% face severe wildfire risk, and 18% are at severe risk of hurricane-strength winds.

Insurance markets are already under stress due to these events, which erodes affordability and availability. According to the U.S. Treasury’s Federal Insurance Office, homeowners’ insurance premiums from 2018-2022 rose 8.7% faster than inflation, with the steepest increases concentrated in climate-exposed zip codes. In highrisk areas, annual premiums average 82% higher than in low-risk areas. Because of rising losses, many insurers are pulling out of high-risk geographies entirely or sharply reducing coverage. As a result, millions of homeowners face soaring premiums, non-renewals, limited coverage, and increased reliance on last-resort, state-run insurance pools.

Even greater financial risk may lie ahead. Home and flood insurance are typically written on annual terms, covering risk only for the year ahead rather than the life of a mortgage. As climate risks increase, homeowners may face sharply rising premiums or reduced availability of coverage. Because mortgage agreements generally require borrowers to maintain adequate insurance, these changes could create significant financial strain and, in some cases, place borrowers at risk of default. Despite this clear mismatch between short-term insurance and long-term mortgages, the risk is rarely disclosed to homebuyers at the time of purchase.

Homebuyers are left vulnerable in this situation, as public policy and preparedness lag. Despite mounting data on climate-driven damage, many homebuyers and renters remain unaware of their immediate exposure, let alone their longer-term exposure, largely because real-estate platforms and MLS systems often do not disclose climate risk.

While there is still room for improvement in climate risk scoring systems, the best available data will help prospective homeowners and renters properly evaluate the long-term costs and hazards associated with a given property, strengthening their ability to make a sound investment.

We are alarmed at reports of pressure against entities providing such information, since doing so diminishes the public’s ability to make informed choices and undermines resilience in vulnerable communities. As climate change intensifies, it is vital to ensure transparency in real estate transactions, now and in the future.

We respectfully request your answers to the following questions by June 1, 2026:

1. Is your company committed to providing homebuyers with the best available information on the climate-related risks affecting a prospective property?

2. What data sources does your company rely on to assess climate-related risks at the property level?

3. How is this information conveyed to prospective homebuyers?

4. What feedback trends have you observed from homebuyers in response to this information?

We welcome the opportunity to engage further on how your company can continue to support informed decision-making and strengthen community resilience in the face of growing climate risks.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee met to consider its Fiscal Year 2027 bill. This measure was approved by the Subcommittee, which Congressman Valadao chairs.

“As Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, it’s been a productive few weeks working to put together a bill that reflects our commitment to fiscal responsibility while also ensuring the key functions of Congress,” said Congressman Valadao. “This legislation reduces unnecessary spending, focuses on core needs, and helps maintain the historic Capitol complex so it remains accessible for students, families, and visitors from across the country. It also increases funding for the Capitol Police to ensure Members, staff, and everyone who works in or visits the Capitol complex remains safe. I appreciate Chairman Cole’s leadership and partnership throughout this process, as well as my colleagues on the subcommittee, and I look forward to moving this bill to the full committee.”

Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole said, “The FY27 Legislative Branch bill is grounded in a simple principle: serve the American people – and do it responsibly. The measure strengthens the institutions that support democracy, safeguards the Capitol complex, and ensures Congress can meet its constitutional responsibilities to the nation with clarity and discipline. With focused investments in constituent services, oversight, security, and legislative capacity – we are reinforcing a more effective, responsive Congress. Chairman Valadao delivered on a clear focus of efficiency and accountability – while never losing sight of who comes first: the citizens we represent.”

Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao began markup with remarks on the bill. Watch his full remarks here or read as prepared below:

I am pleased to introduce the Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch Appropriation bill for the subcommittee’s consideration.

I’d like to begin by thanking Ranking Member Espaillat for the respectful and bipartisan process as we’ve worked together to develop the FY27 bill. I’d also like to thank each of our subcommittee Members for being actively engaged in the appropriations process this cycle that has resulted in the bill that we present for consideration this morning.

As we begin, I would like to remind our Members that this bill marks the first step of many, towards providing final FY27 funding for the offices and agencies within the legislative branch of our government.  As we worked within our allocation, we did our best to respond to the priorities of the Members in executing their constitutional duties, while supporting the operations of the Congress, the Capitol Complex, and the people who serve it. 

This bill provides $5.4 billion for House and Joint Items; in keeping with longstanding tradition, we leave Senate items for the other body’s consideration. 

I want to take a moment to note a few highlights of this bill, all of which are priorities for Members on both sides of the aisle. First, we are maintaining the new and existing security programs at the levels recommended by the House Sergeant at Arms and providing them with the requested funds to continue their operations. The bill also increases essential funding for the U.S. Capitol Police by over $55 million. This is an important investment in the women and men who spend their days protecting the seat of democracy – the Capitol Complex. We thank each and every one of them for all that they do to protect the Members, our visitors, constituents, and staff.

The bill under consideration today also increases funding for the Office of Legislative Counsel to assist all Member offices; it provides additional resources for the Green and Gold Congressional Aide Program which is popular among all Members, and increases the Members’ Representational Allowance to account for rising costs across the nation and to assist with workforce retention and institutional knowledge. Members on both sides of the aisle prioritized this account when submitting their requests for this bill.  

The bill also supports the addition of new primary services for female Members of Congress through the Office of the Attending Physician, continues the ongoing initial investment for the critical renovation of the Rayburn House Office Building, and provides for the employees and programs of the Library of Congress and the essential services they provide the Congress.
I want to thank the subcommittee staff on both sides for their work – from the majority, Lori Rowley and April Lyman, and from the minority, Faye Cobb. 

Again, I’d like to thank all Members for their requests, contributions, and engagement which resulted in this Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch bill. I look forward to continuing to work together in the days ahead as we move the bill through the legislative process both here in the House and in final negotiations with the Senate.

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

Headline: Carter statement on ending DHS shutdown, torching Ossoff

WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today released the following statement after voting to pass the Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026, a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“I voted with President Donald Trump and his promise to deliver a stronger, safer, and more prosperous America, funding the Department of Homeland Security. For 76 days, Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff held DHS funding hostage, putting American citizens’ safety at risk. Amid conflict with Iran, the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, a third assassination attempt on the President of the United States, and wildfires devastating South Georgia, it’s beyond clear that Senator Ossoff has turned his back on Georgians, the people he was elected to serve.

“Democrats continue to operate from a broken playbook, first attempting to defund the police, and now defunding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to block the removal of criminal illegal aliens who have taken innocent lives, like Laken Riley. While Senator Ossoff played politics, I helped deliver, alongside the President, the Working Families Tax Cuts—the largest tax cuts in American history—putting more money back in your pockets—without Democratic support. Today is no different. Republicans moved forward to fully fund DHS, first in part, then with plans to address ICE and CBP through reconciliation, again without Democratic support. I will continue to fight for President Trump, Georgians, and the America First agenda.”

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

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today released the following statement after Governor Janet Mills announced she would be suspending her campaign for U.S. Senate:

I have deep respect and admiration for Governor Mills, and I’m proud to call her a friend. While I know this decision was a difficult one, I trust her judgment—and know she’s doing what she feels is best for herself, her family, and the people of Maine. 

As the first woman to ever lead our state, Governor Mills has overseen many remarkable accomplishments: expanding access to health care, investing in public education and childcare, providing free school meals, advancing clean-energy initiatives, protecting and expanding reproductive freedom, and so much more. 

Her commitment to addressing the climate crisis has been exceptional—setting ambitious clean energy targets, investing in coastal and community resilience, modernizing infrastructure, ensuring our state remains on track to meet its emissions-reductions goals—providing other states a visionary model to follow.

I have no doubt that history will remember her as one of the best governors our state has ever had and that her legacy and impact will continue to shape our state for generations to come. 

I want to thank Governor Mills for her leadership, her accomplishments as Governor, and her unwavering dedication to the people of Maine. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

Check Presentation and Media Availability Tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

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

The leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), including Co-Chairs Reps. Doris Matsui, Mike Quigley, and Paul Tonko and Vice Chairs Reps. Don Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Sean Casten, Mike Levin, and Chellie Pingree, released the following statement in response to the House passage of the Republican-led Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) that undermines American agriculture, affordability, and public health. 

“Republicans’ Farm Bill fails to confront the crisis that America’s farmers and families find themselves in. While Americans are facing rising costs at the gas pump and grocery store, our nation’s farmers are struggling under rising input costs, market instability, costly extreme weather, a gutted U.S. Department of Agriculture, and an expensive Trump War abroad. While this Farm Bill included important provisions, Republicans included a number of poison pills that would make it even harder for millions of Americans to put food on the table and lead healthy lives.

“Electricity prices are rising faster than inflation; diesel costs are up by 45%; fertilizer costs are up by 20 to 40%; grocery prices are up 3.6% this year; and farm bankruptcies have skyrocketed by 46% in the past year alone. But instead of tackling skyrocketing inflation, House Republicans put forth a Farm Bill that exacerbates the cost-of-living crisis by cutting support for cost-saving conservation practices and on-farm solar production. Instead of protecting Americans against deadly toxins, they continued their crusade on behalf of Trump’s polluters by handing out giveaways to chemical corporations and going after our bedrock environmental protections that safeguard our health and America’s wildlife. 

“The Farm Bill should be an opportunity to invest in a robust and resilient American food supply chain. We at SEEC will continue to fight for a Farm Bill that delivers food to the table and provides stability and growth for America’s farmers.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01) introduced her Pathways for Advancement, Transition, and Hiring (PATH) to the Foreign Service Act with Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) leading companion legislation in the Senate. This bill would provide a foreign service career pathway for former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) officers.

“Those who dutifully served at USAID before the Trump Administration wrongfully dismantled the agency included some of our most talented and skilled international affairs experts in the United States government,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus. “Our national security cannot afford to lose this institutional knowledge. I am introducing my PATH to the Foreign Service Act to ensure that these officers can continue to serve their country and foster a critical aspect of the nation’s soft power as Foreign Service Officers in the State Department.”

“The State Department needs experienced professionals to effectively administer foreign assistance, which is exactly why it should be rehiring Foreign Service Officers who were working at USAID before it was illegally shuttered by the Trump administration,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill removes impediments in the hiring process so that these patriotic Americans can get back to serving their country.”

This legislation establishes a formal Foreign Service career pathway that allows former USAID members to be appointed at a grade and tenure status commensurate with their prior rank by removing certain eligibility requirements, waiving the Foreign Service Officer Test, and providing preferences to applicants with prior USAID experience. The Secretary of State and Office of Personnel Management would oversee and execute this new process. The bill provides a smooth, non-redundant path for successful USAID employees to transition to the State Department’s Foreign Service, acknowledging that these individuals have already proven their capabilities and skill sets.

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) have endorsed Congresswoman Titus’s legislation.

“The Foreign Service professionals who spent careers delivering foreign assistance and humanitarian aid at USAID are exactly who the State Department needs, now that it’s taken on that mission. The PATH to the Foreign Service Act clears the way, making it easier to bring those professionals in permanently, at the level their experience warrants. We’re grateful to Congress for recognizing that expertise,” said AFSA President John Dinkelman.

Full bill text can be found here.

Background

Immediately after President Trump took office in 2025, he signed an executive order beginning the process of dismantling USAID. Since then, hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants for critical global programs have been cancelled, while thousands of experienced, skilled development professionals have been fired. The New York Times found that a third of former USAID professionals are still unemployed, and less than half have found full-time employment.

Many USAID employees specialized in specific regions and issues. Their unique experiences are critical to informing the United States’s responses to humanitarian emergencies around the world. The PATH to the Foreign Service Act would ensure that these public servants have a pathway to employment and that the United States government does not have a “brain drain” of their knowledge and expertise, thereby protecting our national security and expanding our global influence.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Rep. Dina Titus Statement on Today’s DHS Funding Bill House Passage

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

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Grace Meng (D-NY), Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus International Women’s Rights Task Force, Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, Diana DeGette (D-CO), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Transgender Equality Task Force, and Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus Member Services Task Force and Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Transgender Equality Task, introduced the Protecting Human Rights and Public Health in Foreign Assistance Act, legislation that will nullify the Trump administration’s radical, unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule (GGR).

The Global Gag Rule prohibits international non-governmental organizations from receiving U.S. funding if they provide, promote, or even discuss abortion services, even in countries where abortion is legal. Although U.S. funds are already prohibited from being used for abortion overseas, the policy requires recipients to forgo any abortion-related activities—even when using their own, non-U.S. funds. It also restricts organizations from referring patients to providers for critical, and in many cases, lifesaving care.

In January, the Trump administration issued an unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule through three final rules—without public comment—under a new framework titled, “Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Policy.” These rules, “Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance,” “Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance,” and “Combating Discriminatory Equity Ideology in Foreign Assistance,” collectively represent an unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule. Together, these radical and far-reaching policies effectively ban all foreign assistance unless recipients conform to anti-abortion, anti-DEI, and anti-trans policies.

In addition to exporting far-right, anti-choice ideology around the world, the new policies also target the existence of minority and LGBTQ+ communities, that are often persecuted by America’s adversaries due to their acute vulnerability. By preventing organizations from directing outreach or healthcare services to these groups, even in cases of disproportionate impact, these rules will prevent American foreign aid from reaching its full effectiveness, abandon at-risk communities in their times of greatest need, and give America’s adversaries expanded license to target these groups.

“The Trump administration has already compromised U.S. foreign assistance with its obsessive culture war, putting millions of lives at risk by holding health assistance hostage unless partnering nations and programs adopt their far-right agenda,” said Rep. Meeks. “Expanding the Global Gag rule to further weaponize U.S. assistance into a broadside on vulnerable communities – including women and girls, the LGTBQI+ community, and anyone this administration deems as ‘DEI’ – undercuts U.S. global leadership, doesn’t make Americans safer or stronger, and will lead to further preventable deaths. This is not who we are as Americans. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to roll back these radical changes.”

“The Trump administration’s crusade against healthcare and global aid is putting millions of lives at risk worldwide,” said Rep. Meng. “No one will flourish under the new Expanded Global Gag Rule. These policies weaponize foreign aid and will result in greater harm, particularly for women and girls, marginalized communities, and LGBTQI+ individuals. They should never have been implemented at all, let alone without even a basic public comment process. This legislation will reverse these dangerous policies. I’m proud to lead this effort with my fellow leaders in global health, reproductive freedom, equality, and foreign aid.”

“Trump’s expanded Global Gag Rule turns nearly all foreign aid into a political loyalty test, dictating what partners can do with their U.S. and non-U.S. funding,” said Rep. Frankel. “It throws out facts, ignores experts, and puts ideology ahead of people’s lives—blocking assistance for any partner that even provides basic information about reproductive health care or doesn’t fall in line with the administration’s views on diversity and so-called ‘gender ideology.’ I’m proud to stand with Rep. Meng and my colleagues to push back on these harmful, dangerous policies—and fight for foreign aid that actually works to protect human rights and save lives.”

“For over four decades, the Global Gag Rule has been used as a deadly weapon to undermine global reproductive health,” said Rep. DeGette. “As Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, I have seen Republican presidents’ anti-abortion extremism lead to more unsafe abortions and preventable maternal deaths far too many times. Now, the Trump administration is taking it to an unprecedented level, with dangerous consequences for women and girls, minority communities, and LGBTQI+ people. Our foreign assistance dollars are meant to improve the lives of those they support, not force health care out of reach in those communities. We will not stand idly by as Donald Trump threatens to hold all foreign aid and countless communities around the world hostage to his extreme and dangerous agenda. It is past time for the Global Gag Rule to go.”

“Trump’s dismantlement of foreign assistance and global health infrastructure have already killed thousands of people across the globe,” said Rep. Jayapal. “The expansion of the Global Gag Rule, which has been used for decades to suppress reproductive freedom abroad, prevents humanitarian organizations and foreign governments from working to address racism, gender discrimination, or ethnic conflicts. These unnecessary and cruel restrictions will put vulnerable communities, especially women and girls, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk. I am proud to champion this effort to reverse the Global Gag Rule to ensure the U.S. can be a moral leader on the global stage.”

“Only Donald Trump could make the Global Gag Rule exponentially worse – expanding it to deny funding to NGOs that provide abortion care, support LGBTQ+ rights, or promote DEI initiatives, even if they don’t use U.S. dollars to provide this car,” said Rep. Jacobs. “U.S. foreign assistance could and should be used to improve people’s lives and promote stability and security – not make health care more inaccessible. That’s why I’m proud to support this bill to roll back Trump’s shortsighted and unpopular move and help deliver U.S. assistance to communities that need it.”

The expanded rules apply to all non-military U.S. foreign assistance, which totaled $39.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2024. Previous versions of the Global Gag Rule were limited to family planning and certain global health funding and applied only to foreign NGOs that provided or discussed abortion services.

Experts warn that the expanded policy will further strain an already weakened foreign aid infrastructure, reduce access to essential health services and lead to increased illness and preventable deaths. 

“No matter where you live, lawmakers should not play politics with people’s freedom, health, and lives,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “President Trump’s expansion of the global gag rule and weaponization of foreign aid endangers countless lives around the world. We’re thankful to Sens. Shaheen and Rosen and Reps. Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks for introducing this bill, which blocks the policy that disproportionately harms women, girls, young people, and LGBTQI+ people around the world. Planned Parenthood Federation of America will never stop fighting so that everyone, everywhere can get the health care they need.”

“Using taxpayer money to export the Trump administration’s anti-trans, anti-science, and anti-abortion ideological agenda isn’t just immoral – it’s antithetical to efficient, effective, and rights-based foreign assistance,” said Beirne Roose-Snyder, Senior Policy Fellow of the Council for Global Equality.“We are grateful to Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs and Meeks and Senators Shaheen and Rosen for their leadership in introducing this bill, which would block President Trump’s malicious, so-called ‘Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance’ policy. No one should be forced to choose between receiving U.S. foreign assistance to deliver lifesaving services for some and standing up for public health and the human rights of all, without exception.”

“U.S. foreign assistance has long been a strategic investment in a safer, more stable world—reinforcing shared values of freedom, dignity, and human rights. These investments have saved lives and helped build stronger alliances that have enhanced the safety, security, and resilience for Americans as well. The expanded Global Gag Rule weaponizes that assistance to impose an extreme, ideologically driven agenda. It censors experts, restricts care, undermines the sovereignty of foreign countries, and rolls back fundamental human rights,”said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO of PAI, a global reproductive health organization. “For the first time, this policy reaches across all foreign assistance, silencing U.S. organizations, global partners, and even other governments. It extends beyond U.S.-funded programs to restrict what organizations can do with their own resources, going far beyond abortion to also target gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, and DEI efforts. This is not evidence-based policy—it is a political attack on health and rights that weakens global stability and security. We are grateful to Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks, and Senators Shaheen and Rosen for their leadership to end this harmful policy and ensure U.S. foreign assistance supports global health and development, in line with the longstanding bipartisan values that have guided this work.”

“Women and girls around the world are already paying with their lives for the gutting of US aid for sexual and reproductive health, protection from violence, and women’s empowerment and inclusion. Clinics have closed, mothers have died in childbirth, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence have nowhere to turn,” said Sarah Costa, Women Refugee Committee’s Executive Director. “The expansion of the Global Gag Rule will only further endanger the lives and rights of women and girls around the world. We thank Senators Shaheen and Rosen and Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks for their leadership to stop this senseless expansion and fight for the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls. We urge Congress swiftly pass this legislation.”

“We applaud Reps. Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks and Sens. Shaheen and Rosen for introducing legislation to block the global gag rule,” said Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Director of Federal Policy at the Guttmacher Institute. “This discriminatory policy exports extreme abortion restrictions and ideologically driven mandates to countries around the world, undermining access to essential health care and vital services. Guttmacher research has already documented the harms of the policy on patients, health systems, and services, and this expanded version will only deepen those harms. This legislation is a critical step toward countering sweeping efforts to roll back rights globally and to cut off vital resources for the world’s most vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ communities around the world.” 

The bill is led in the Senate by Senators Shaheen, Schumer, Rosen, Murray, Van Hollen, Booker, Coons, Kaine, Baldwin, Hickenlooper, and Duckworth.  

A copy can be viewed here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) voted in favor of the “The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026,” also known as the Farm Bill. The legislation is a comprehensive package of legislation that supports America’s farmers, ranchers, agriculture producers, and more.

The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

The Farm Bill’s programs expand investments in rural communities, bring science-backed management back to our national forests, and restore regulatory certainty in the interstate marketplace.

Further, these programs improve risk management tools for specialty crop producers, lower energy costs in rural America, and prioritize American commodities on the global stage. The new farm bill will expand producers’ access to credit, promote precision agriculture, and enhance conservation programs for working lands.

“The 2026 Farm Bill builds upon the historic investments in agriculture programs included in the Working Families Tax Cuts passed last summer,” said Rep. Kelly, who serves as Ways & Means Tax Subcommittee Chairman. “Nearly 1 in 10 jobs in Pennsylvania is tied to agriculture. This legislation strengthens Pennsylvania farm families by investing more here at home, while also allowing local producers to trade in new international markets. The Farm Bill is a win across the board for producers and consumers alike.”

The Farm Bill is supported by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania Corn Growers Association, and more than 500 stakeholders nationwide.

By The Numbers: How The Farm Bill Helps Pennsylvania Farmers

• $155 million more in projected risk projection over the next decade via ARC and PLC in Title I of the Farm Bill.
• 30 million new base acres nationwide.
• Up to $41 million more every year in conservation through EQIP, ACEP, CSP, and RCPP programs.
• $30 million in savings for Pennsylvania producers thanks to more affordable crop insurance premiums.
• Saves over 46,000 family farms from the Death Tax.
• $1.25 billion invested in agricultural research facilities at public universities such as Pennsylvania State University.
• $1.1 billion investment in research, block grants, and crop insurance to support the $1.5 billion in specialty crops produced in Pennsylvania each year.
• Promotes national security with more than $1.6 billion for federal livestock biosecurity, protecting more than $5.8 billion in livestock and poultry products produced in Pennsylvania.