MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The Weeknight where he emphasized that Democrats will continue pushing back on the reckless Republican scheme to rip away the healthcare and nutritional assistance of the American people. 

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Joining us now, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Well, sir, I know we’re going to get to the tariffs in a second, but first your reaction to what we’re seeing now from the bill that Republicans in the House of Representatives have put out from the Ways and Means Committee writ large. This is the bill, if you will, and there are lots of thoughts going around about it. But your reaction, sir. Is this what you expected from your Republican colleagues?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening. Great to be with everyone. Donald Trump and House Republicans promised that they were going to lower the high cost of living in the United States of America. They, of course, have failed to do that. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. So that’s a broken promise. Instead, they are trying to enact one of the largest healthcare cuts in American history, if not the largest. At this point, it looks like $715 billion in cuts to Medicaid that will devastate children and families and seniors and everyday Americans with disabilities. Hospitals could close. Nursing homes could shut down. And the reality is, because of this House Republican bill, if it were to pass and become law, people will die. And this is all being done in service of trying to provide a massive tax break to MAGA billionaire donors like Elon Musk, and give almost nothing to everyday Americans that Donald Trump and House Republicans promised they would focus on when they lied repeatedly on the campaign trail last year.

MICHAEL STEELE: You know, Mr. Leader, on Saturday, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted the deficit impact of this bill is well above the Ways and Means allowable increase of 4 to 4.5 trillion, so lawmakers are going to need to make adjustments, including offsets and so forth. You have NBC news noting Speaker Johnson convened a video call on Monday with members of both the tax writing Ways and Means Committee and the SALT Caucus, group of blue state Republicans, to sort of address that. So you have the reality, sir, that they can’t control the numbers the way they like in order—because of the fact that, to your point, they’re going to have to make some steep cuts in areas that they’re saying they’re not going to make those cuts. And then you have unresolved other issues among the more middle of the road, conservative, moderate Republicans on SALT and other issues. How do you see this playing? How does this get shaped in the House ultimately? Particularly the Democrats decide to go, all right, you guys put your bill on the table and see what happens.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there’s a great deal of uncertainty. You have House Republicans fighting with House Republicans, House Republicans fighting with Senate Republicans. They don’t know whether to take orders from Donald Trump or Elon Musk or both. The whole thing is in disarray. They’ve decided to go it alone with this one big ugly bill and try to jam these far-right extremist policies down the throats of the American people. And, you know, we’ll see what happens this week. We’re going to continue to press our case as Democrats that we are defending the healthcare of the American people. Republicans, of course, are trying to undermine it. And this is not inconsistent with what they’ve repeatedly tried to do, which is take away healthcare from the American people. What’s egregious about this situation is that it’s all being done in service of trying to reward the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. And then to make matters worse of course as you indicated, Michael, they are further adding to our nation’s debt and deficit. These people aren’t fiscally responsible. They’re fiscally irresponsible. They need to stop lying and pretending that the case is otherwise to the American people.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: So they released this sweeping tax plan today, except they’ve not actually dealt with, as Michael referenced there, the real friction point here, which is SALT. Let me read you just a little bit of the reporting. A legislative text currently calls for the SALT deduction cap to be hiked to $30,000, and applies only to those who make up to $400,000 a year. One House Republican close to the process told NBC News there would be enough GOP votes to sink the bill if that SALT figure remains in the final product. I want you to game this out with me. If those, you know, Republicans who say that SALT is a deal breaker because they represent districts where that is a deal breaker for their voters, let’s say they fold. Let’s say they decide not to hold the line, they vote with Trump on this tax plan, on this budget. Do you currently believe you can flip their seats?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes. And you know, these Republicans who have been, you know, allegedly advocating to address the situation with State and Local Tax Deduction are all phonies. Understand that in 2017, it was Republicans through the GOP Tax Scam that imposed the tax cap, the SALT cap, $10,000 on everyday Americans and as a result, have cost people in states across the country, in places like New York, in New Jersey, in Connecticut, in Illinois, Pennsylvania and California, amongst others, thousands of dollars a year in additional cost. That is because of what Republicans did in 2017. And so, if nothing were to happen with respect to the State and Local Tax Deduction provision this year, then the cap would go away, and it would provide thousands of dollars of additional income to everyday Americans. And so, the notion that Republicans are going to try to get away with a $30,000 per year cap—that’s not helping middle-class Americans across the country. And these so-called swing seat Republicans in these blue-leaning states will be held accountable next year, and many will lose.

SYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Before we get to the tariffs. Mr. Leader, there is reporting from March 31 in the Guardian that talks about how Republican districts were the ones that have benefited the most from these clean energy spending bills. This is from the bills that were passed in the Biden administration, the tax rates Republicans who now control Congress have to decide if they will eliminate, the IRA’s grants and, more crucially, the tax credits that have spurred a boom in clean energy activity in their own districts. A total of 78% of the spending has gone to Republican-held suburban and rural districts across the U.S. That’s according to data from Atlas Public Policy. In this current bill that we now know about, and scanning through it, there are reductions here that will hit those Republicans in those districts. There’s also a severe cut to Medicaid that the—and I’m just going to read here—the Congressional Budget Office on Sunday night said that 8.6 million people would go uninsured if the health portions of this package become law. Do you have four Republicans, five Republicans or any of the, you know, 12 Republicans, frankly, that have signed letters indicating that they are concerned about the deficit or the Republicans that have signed letters indicating that they’re concerned about cuts to Medicaid, who are willing to vote with you against this bill? What does your whip count tell you?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, you know, that remains to be seen, whether these Republicans who have taken all these public positions, because they are on the run in the communities they represent all across the country. The American people are unhappy with them and the failure of Republicans to be a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. They’re just functioning as a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme policies. But this is going to be the ultimate test. Now, with respect to the clean energy tax credits, and you correctly point out Symone, that many of the provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, standing up a clean energy economy, creating clean energy jobs and also cheaper energy, have benefited red districts and red communities and red states across the country. So, to vote to repeal these things is a vote to undermine the very constituents that you represent. Now, there were 21 Republicans who signed a letter saying don’t touch the clean energy tax credits. Where are those 21 Republicans right now? All it takes is a fraction of them to actually keep their word as communicated to the people that they represent, and the bill will fail. And so, you’ve got challenges with respect to fiscal irresponsibility, challenges as it relates to Medicaid, challenges as it relates to State and Local Tax Deduction, challenges as it relates to the clean energy tax credits. All you need are three or four Republicans in either the House or the Senate to just keep their word to their constituents, and this bill will fall. We’re going to continue to strongly oppose these egregious provisions that don’t help the American people, they hurt the American people, and press our Republican colleagues to have some courage and some backbone for their constituents and do the same.

MICHAEL STEELE: So there’s an interesting—the politics here is very interesting, so I love Symone’s question because it really just kind of reframes some realities that I think Democrats are going to have to work through. And one of them, and what you’re starting to hear on the streets right now is that the Republicans are doing this little Artful Dodger kind of game where they’re, you know, they’re now talking about, oh, we’re going to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans. And Trump is floating that out there. And, of course, you’ve got a whole lot of reminiscent playback to ‘read my lips, no new taxes’ from George Bush 41. But now, you have the president also on Monday issuing an executive order asking drug makers to voluntarily reduce the prices of key medicines in the United States, but the order cites no obvious legal authority to mandate lower prices with this executive order. Trump also opted not to propose measures that could have more teeth, such as calling for his administration to work with Congress on legislation or writing regulations to change how government health programs pay for some drugs. That’s not the point, right? The point is, hey, I’m cutting drug prices. So do you see politically, the Republicans, not so much legislatively doing anything with teeth, but rather framing political narratives that make it more difficult for Democrats, as Symone offered up a little bit before, to go after some of those seats that could be on the chopping block otherwise.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, they’re certainly going to try, but the reality is the core promise that Donald Trump and Republicans made to the American people was that they were going to improve the economy, and they inherited one that was moving in the right direction. The big challenge was the high cost of living in the United States of America. It’s a challenge that we need to tackle. They promised that costs would go down on day one, that they would address inflation. Costs haven’t gone down, they’re going up. Inflation is going up. And a lot of it has to do with Trump’s reckless mismanagement of the economy, particularly as it relates to the on-again, off-again tariffs and the mess that he has made with respect to the American economy. And so, fundamentally, no matter how much Republicans try to distract from that reality, they will be held accountable for their failure to keep their word, for their failure to lower the high cost of living and, in fact, to actually increase costs and make life more unaffordable for everyday Americans. And as you pointed out, with respect to this so-called executive order, it has no force of law. And so, it’s not a serious effort to lower costs. If there was a serious effort, we’d actually have seen up until this point, more than 100 days into this administration, a single bill that was actually designed to address the high cost of living in the United States of America. Instead, we get legislation to try to rename the Gulf of Mexico.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: Leader Jeffries, you referenced tariffs so I’ll allow this to be the last question. China took a tough stance on the threat of increased tariffs from the U.S. They managed to bring that threat down without any real concessions. If you are the Chinese, what have you learned about the Art of the Deal?

LEADER JEFFRIES: China punked the administration and the administration backed down. That’s no surprise because we’ve seen that happen over and over and over again.

ALICIA MENENDEZ: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much for being with us.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Text of Bill (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) Congressman Zach Nunn (IA-03), and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) reintroduced legislation to address rising maternal mortality rates by increasing access to comprehensive care for pregnant women on Medicaid. The Harnessing Effective and Appropriate Long-Term Health for Moms on Medicaid (HEALTH for MOM) Act would support state-led efforts to coordinate maternity care through maternal health homes.

“My grandmother died giving birth in the 1950s, and it is shameful that over half a century later, we still have a maternal morbidity crisis that is killing our loved ones and destabilizing our communities,” said Rep. Pressley. “Our bill would help address the maternal health crisis—which is disproportionately impacting Black and low-income folks—by helping vulnerable families access high-quality, culturally congruent maternal care. I’m grateful to our colleagues for their partnership. It’s time for Congress to pass this bill without delay.”

“At-risk mothers in Iowa are being failed by a system that makes it too difficult to access basic care,” said Rep. Nunn. “This bill gives states the tools to build strong, community-based support systems for expecting mothers—especially in rural areas—so every woman has access to the care she needs for a healthy pregnancy and delivery.”

“Broadlawns sees firsthand the critical need for accessible, coordinated maternal care. Supporting initiatives that expand access and improve outcomes aligns directly with our mission to provide high-quality care for every patient—before, during, and after pregnancy,” said Proctor Lureman, President and CEO of Broadlawns Medical Center.

The United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 80% of maternal deaths are preventable, yet nearly 2 million women live in maternity care deserts—regions with limited or no access to essential services.

More than 400,000 babies are born each year in areas with restricted access to maternity care, and the average pregnancy-related healthcare cost is nearly $19,000 per birth. For families with insurance, this still amounts to over $2,800 in out-of-pocket costs—creating a significant barrier to care.

To address these challenges, the HEALTH for MOM Act would provide grants to states to establish maternal health homes. These health homes would deliver coordinated maternity care through individualized, patient-centered care plans, helping reduce emergency room visits and costly hospital stays associated with pregnancy complications.

Text of the bill can be found here.

As a founding member of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, Congresswoman Pressley has been a longtime champion of maternal health and reproductive justice.

• Throughout her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has convened roundtable meetings with maternal health advocates and practitioners in the Massachusetts 7^th Congressional District.
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley (MA-07) and Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Patty Murray (D-WA), in partnership with disability justice and reproductive justice advocates, unveiled a bicameral resolution calling for equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as “Disability Reproductive Equity Day.”
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley announced the re-introduction of the Mamas First Act, legislation that directly and meaningfully addresses the maternal mortality crisis by expanding Medicaid to include doula and midwifery care. 
• In May 2024, Rep. Pressley marked Mother’s Day with a powerful speech on the House floor in which she called for meaningful policy change to better support mothers and caregivers, including maternal health justice, affordable childcare, universal paid leave, reproductive freedom, home and community-based services, and more.
• In October 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced the MOMMIES Act to improve maternal health outcomes.
• In June 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.
• In May 2023, Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-04) introduced a resolution recognizing the role doulas play in providing culturally competent maternal health care, addressing racial inequities, and supporting healthier outcomes for mothers and their babies.
• In December 2022, the House passed Congresswoman Pressley’s amendment to strengthen maternal health care for people who are incarcerated.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care following the Dobbs decision.
• In November 2021, at a briefing held by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), Congresswoman Pressley delivered testimony on the growing racial disparities in maternal health and the urgent need to combat the Black maternal mortality crisis. Her full testimony at the briefing is available here.
• In May 2021, she introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act, to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage for pregnant people and expand coverage to include culturally competent and community based doula care.
• In March 2020, she first introduced the Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act, legislation to improve maternal health care and support for pregnant individuals who are incarcerated, as part of the Momnibus legislative package. 
• In 2019, she introduced The People’s Justice Guarantee ─ a comprehensive framework to transform the American criminal legal system into one that guarantees justice for all.  She also introduced the Healthy MOMMIES Act with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to expand Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60-days postpartum to one year.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI-4), co-chairs of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum, reintroduced the Fiscal Commission Act. Their commonsense legislation would establish a bipartisan, bicameral, and open-doored commission to tackle our nation’s long-term debt, help us avoid automatic and across-the-board cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and secure a more prosperous future for our children. The commission would be required to put forward recommendations on adjusting both taxes and spending to reduce our borrowing, hold field hearings, and educate the public on its work.   

“When I first introduced this legislation two years ago, we estimated that interest payments on the national debt would exceed defense and Medicaid spending in a decade. Today, we are already at that point,” said Rep. Peters. “Our accelerating fiscal crisis threatens to bankrupt our children’s future. Congress has been too timid or too afraid to act but kicking the can down the road only makes solving this problem more costly and painful. ‘Regular order’ and the status quo have not worked for the last twenty years, we owe it to the American people to do something different.”  

“Our bipartisan Fiscal Commission Act is the most practical, immediate, and comprehensive action Congress can take right now to end our nation’s deepening fiscal crisis,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “If we do not address the unsustainable trajectory of our national debt, Americans who rely on Medicare and Social Security will face mandatory cuts to their benefits. We can protect and preserve these vital programs while improving the fiscal health of our nation by passing the Fiscal Commission Act and finally forcing Congress to act.” 

Fromer Senator Rob Portman said, “one of our challenges as a country is how to find common ground to solve tough policy problems. Sometimes, when Congress can’t find a way forward, we have turned to bipartisan commissions to break through partisan gridlock to move the country forward. I believe we have reached that moment when it comes to addressing our unsustainable federal debt. A bipartisan group of key lawmakers and outside experts established by Congress has the potential both to bring people along by outlining the fiscal crisis in an objective and transparent way and to chart a responsible, bipartisan way ahead. I applaud Representatives Huizenga and Peters for introducing the Fiscal Commission Act. Their leadership shows that Democrats and Republicans can still work together to confront tough issues and put the country’s long-term interests first.” 

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said, “A bipartisan fiscal commission would give the country’s fiscal situation the attention it urgently deserves. Fixing our growing debt will not be easy, but the Fiscal Commission Act would create a venue for serious, cross-party dialogue and help pave the way toward a more sustainable fiscal future. We commend Representatives Huizenga and Peters, co-chairs of the Bipartisan Fiscal Forum, for their leadership in putting forward a thoughtful, serious proposal to confront one of our greatest long-term challenges.” 

Ben Ritz, Vice President of  the Progressive Policy Institute, said “at a time when our government is spending more money on interest payments than it is on national defense or Medicaid, Congress should be working to get our debt under control — not add to it with several trillion dollars of unfunded tax cuts. The Fiscal Commission Act is a small first step towards fixing the problem rather than making it worse.” 

The Fiscal Commission Act would create a committee of  

16 members selected by Congressional leadership of each party. Each party leader selects 4 members (3 colleagues from their chamber and 1 outside expert). Final makeup would be 6 House members (3 R, 3 D), 6 Senators (3 R, 3 D), and 4 outside experts (2 R, 2 D). Approving the commission’s recommendations requires a majority vote including at least 3 members of each party, and outside experts do not vote. 

Background: 

Reps. Peters and Huizenga first introduced the Fiscal Commission Act in September 2023. The legislation passed out of the House Budget Committee in January 2024. 

The Fiscal Commission Act is supported by Representatives Ed Case (D-HI), Herb Conaway (D-NJ), Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Jared Golden (D-ME), Adam Gray (D-CA), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), William Timmons (R-SC), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Blake Moore (R-UT), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), David Schweikert (R-AZ) , John Moolenaar (R-MI), David Rouzer (R-NC), Erin Houchin (R-IN), David Valadao (R-CA), & Andy Barr (R-KY). 

Read the full text of the Fiscal Commission Act here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

Washington, DC – Today, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to address the childcare needs of law enforcement officers and their families. The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will help local police departments establish childcare options for their officers and address the nationwide police staffing shortages by making it easier for parents to enter and stay in the field. Rep. Peters is joined by Representatives David Valadao (CA-22), Josh Harder (CA-9), and Darrell Issa (CA-48) as co-leads on this legislation. 

  

“Access to quality, reliable childcare is essential to recruitment and retention of the best, most representative police force we can have,” said Rep. Peters. “Our officers go out every day and ensure our children are safe — the least we can do is make sure there is someone to watch their kids when they are on duty. San Diego is leading the way to expand childcare opportunities for police officers, and I am working to support those efforts at the federal level.” 

 

“Our Central Valley police departments continue to face staffing shortages, and we need real solutions to support the people who put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” said Rep. Valadao. “By making childcare more accessible for officers working long, irregular hours, this bipartisan bill reduces a major barrier for working parents in law enforcement and helps improve public safety in our communities.” 

 

“We have a responsibility to provide our police officers with the tools, training, and equipment they need to safeguard our streets and protect our communities,” said Rep.  Issa. “This bill represents a creative and innovative approach to not only advance law and order everywhere it is needed, but allowing these brave men and women on the front lines to be both parents and police.” 

 

“This is a no brainer – keeping our families safe starts by recruiting and retaining top-tier police officers,” said Rep. Harder. “Making sure our officers have access to quality, affordable child care means we increase the pool of talented, diverse recruits and keeps officers on the streets helping our communities.” 

 

The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act will: 

− Establish a pilot program under the Administration for Children and Families to supply grants to law enforcement agencies to provide child care benefits to their officers. 

− Authorize $24 million in funding for each of the next five fiscal years. Law enforcement agencies will be able to use this funding to construct or operate new center for police departments’ exclusive use, offer scholarships to subsidize the cost of care, or provide assistance for care for children with disabilities.  

− Allow law enforcement agencies, local governments, and child care providers to determine each of their responsibilities while requiring local entities to contribute a scaled matching requirement over a three-year grant period. 

− Set aside 20% of the total grant funding for police departments employing fewer than 200 officers. 

− Require HHS to report to Congress the grant recipients, corresponding law enforcement agencies, employee retention and recruitment data, and the unmet child care needs of other first responder sectors. 

 

 

San Diego is home to a first-of-its-kind local law enforcement child care facility which opened last year. 

  

“As leaders of the 30×30 Initiative to advance women in policing, we commend Congressman Scott Peters for introducing this crucial legislation. Access to affordable, reliable child care is essential to recruiting and retaining women in law enforcement and other public safety roles. This bill represents a vital step toward investing in structural supports that improve the workplace for all employees and enhance public safety outcomes.” — Maureen McGough, Co-Founder, and Dr. Tanya Meisenholder, Director, 30×30 Initiative 

 

“Law Enforcement Officers struggle daily trying to maintain a family life. Their schedules are both erratic and not predictable. Through their shift work, mandatory overtime court appearances and unpredictable critical incidents, they have to arrange care for minor children. It is often nearly impossible. This bill would provide that safety net for these dedicated public servants while allowing them to be responsible parents.”  — Sam Cabral, President of the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA) 

 

“The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act removes barriers to entry and retention for law enforcement parents by helping agencies establish childcare centers specifically tailored for officers and the nonstandard hours they work. The San Diego Police Officers Association, a NAPO member organization, created the first such childcare center in the nation and it has yielded a marked improvement in police work by easing the stresses and worries of childcare for officer parents.  This bill contributes to safer communities by assisting in the recruitment and retention of law enforcement officers.  We stand with Congressman Peters in support of this important bill and thank him for his leadership and support of the law enforcement community.” — Bill Johnson, Executive Director, National Association of Police Organizations 

 

“Law enforcement officers have extremely demanding jobs, which are made even more difficult by the often-unconventional hours and the stresses of shift work. It is even more challenging for officers with young children. Many of these officers work nights or have non-traditional hours and may not have viable options for affordable childcare. Since most childcare programs only operate during traditional hours, the programs are often unable to accommodate law enforcement families.  The Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act addresses this issue by authorizing $24 million per year through Fiscal Year 2030 and will help law enforcement agencies establish childcare programs that work for these families. We are proud to support Representative Peters’ efforts to pass this legislation.” —  Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police 

  

“PORAC strongly supports this bill to help ensure accessible and affordable childcare for peace officers across the nation. This vital legislation tackles childcare barriers for officers, boosting recruitment, retention, and public safety. PORAC is proud to lead the charge for our nation’s law enforcement families.” — Brian Marvel, President of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) 

  

“As recruiting and retention of police officers has become increasingly challenging across America, the San Diego Police Officer’s Association appreciates and supports Congressman Peters’ innovative Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act.  Childcare, in both rising cost and limited availability, has become a barrier to mothers and parents protecting and serving their communities.  This Act will help bridge that gap and help recruit from a wider group of people who want to serve their communities.” — Jared Wilson, President of San Diego Police Officer’s Association 

 

“Thank you, Representative Peters, for your unwavering commitment to the vital issue of childcare assistance for law enforcement officers and deputies. I am a firm believer that our law enforcement officers and deputies deserve comprehensive support both on and off the job. Grant funding for childcare services is a crucial step in acknowledging the unique challenges these dedicated professionals face. As a profession that works around the clock, our employees make personal sacrifices to fulfill our mission of keeping everyone safe. Investing in our deputies ensures they can focus on protecting the community while knowing their families are cared for. I stand strongly in support for the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act.” – Kelly A. Martinez, Sheriff, San Diego County 

 

 

Background: 

In recent years, law enforcement agencies have struggled to retain, hire, and train officers. At the same time, the nation has faced a shortage of child care providers, driving up costs and reducing options for working families. Police officers, in particular, are challenged by their nonstandard work schedules, with most child care centers operating under a 9 to 5 work day. Rep. Peters’ legislation would help ease this significant barrier to entry and retention for parents who wish to pursue careers in law enforcement and would help expand child care capacity in regions that are most in need. 

  

Full text of the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

Abundance-Oriented Caucus to Focus on Peters’ Priorities: Unleashing American Energy, Building More Housing, Investing in Science

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50), along with a bipartisan group of Congressmembers, launched the Build America Caucus as a founding member. The caucus will support the abundance movement: to ensure government delivers for Americans by tackling the self-imposed red tape that has led to a constricted and costly energy system, out-of-control housing costs, decades of infrastructure delays, and lagging investments. The caucus will also reinforce America’s lead in, and need to support, scientific discovery. The American people have lost faith in government’s ability to get things done, and instead often see government as an obstacle to timely results. The Build America Caucus will work to restore the public’s trust by advancing substantive legislation to cut red-tape and lower the cost of living.  

Rep. Peters’ remarks at the caucus launch below:  

“America prides itself on accomplishing big things:  winning world wars, sending man to the moon, or discovering the next medical breakthrough.  

“During World War II, San Diego factories built a bomber an hour, a bomber an hour.  

“We did it because the need was urgent. So, we found a way.  

Our challenges have not gone away — our capacity to achieve great things has. 

“Homelessness is on the rise, our electrical grid can’t meet future demand, and our competitors like China are supplanting our role as the scientific powerhouse of the world. 

“We know we must build more housing, expand our grid, and invest in basic scientific research. Yet, we let NIMBYs from both sides hold projects hostage. We let so-called “environmental” groups mire transmission and clean energy projects in decades of litigation. And this administration slashes scientific funding and deters the best minds in the world from coming here. 

“Today, we launch the Build America Caucus, the pro-growth abundance caucus, to think bigger and take real action to solve these problems, not just pay lip service. People are frustrated with all the delay, gridlock, and government-imposed red tape. Too often, we as lawmakers see that problem as the system we work in, instead of the system we have the power to change.  

“I am working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to rework the 50-year-old environmental laws that are ironically used to stop clean energy projects. This isn’t easy. We came close last year with the Energy Permitting Reform Act in the Senate, but it came with immense opposition from those who think the status quo is acceptable. We know that it is not. 

“This caucus will stand ready to face the pressure from all sides on strong bipartisan efforts like this, as a commonsense majority that tunes out the noise so that we can get shit done.  

“There are many political fights in D.C., but when I go back home, what I hear about over and over is the cost of living. The cost of housing, and electricity, and childcare. They are counting on us to put politics aside to make their lives better. That’s exactly what the Build America Caucus plans to do.”  

Background:  

Representative Peters has long championed the movement to make government more efficient, build more housing, update outdated laws to deliver reliable and affordable energy to power our economy, and invest in scientific innovation.

Rep. Peters’ legislation in this space includes:

The Building Chips in America Act* 

The BIG WIRES Act 

The SPEED and Reliability Act 

The FASTER Act 

The Advanced Reactor Fee Act*  

The Build More Housing Near Transit Act 

The Fix Our Forests Act 

*Now law 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA-50) and Kevin Kiley (R-CA-03) and U.S. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Chris Coons (D-DE) reintroduced legislation to restore patent eligibility for inventions that are essential to the life sciences and technology industries. Their Patent Eligibility Restoration Act will help support American businesses and universities from foreign actors that stand to steal their innovations.  

“For more than two centuries, a U.S. patent has guaranteed inventions will be protected from theft, helping the U.S. become the innovation capital of the world. San Diego, in particular, is the proud home of a thriving life sciences and technology ecosystem that has benefited from these protections,” said Rep. Peters. “Over the last 15 years, however, several Supreme Court decisions have created confusion about what exactly is eligible for a patent. Innovators, consumers, and even the judges who adjudicate patent law have called on Congress to provide clarity on what can be patented. I look forward to working with Congressman Kiley, Senator Coons, and Senator Tillis to advance our Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and protect American innovation.” 

“American innovators have been at a disadvantage in recent years because of the U.S. patent system,” said Rep. Kiley. “Convoluted Supreme Court rulings and tests on subject matter eligibility have made it increasingly difficult for inventors to receive patents, leading to foreign companies overtaking our own. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the bi-partisan Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, which will dramatically reverse this trend, and unleash a tide of economic growth and job creation here at home.” 

“When American innovators know their ideas are eligible for patent protection, they take the risks that push us into the future – whether that’s the next medical test or the latest AI technology,” said Senator Coons. “PERA restores clarity to the law on what can be patented and what cannot – guidance that federal courts have been requesting for years and that the Supreme Court has refused to provide. Congress must step up to provide America’s inventors with the stable legal foundation they need to produce the cutting-edge technologies that power our economy.” 

“Clear, reliable, and predictable patent rights are imperative to enable investments in the broad array of innovative technologies that are critical to the economic and global competitiveness of the United States, and to ensuring the national security of our great country,” said Senator Tillis. “Unfortunately, a series of Supreme Court decisions have rendered patent eligibility law unclear, unreliable, and unpredictable, resulting in U.S. inventors being unable to obtain patents in areas where our economic peers offer patent protection. This is particularly concerning in the economically critical areas of biotechnology and artificial intelligence. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation maintains the existing statutory categories of eligible subject matter, which have worked well for over two centuries, while addressing inappropriate judicially created eligibility limitations by creating clear rules for what is eligible. We cannot allow foreign adversaries like China to overtake us in key areas of technology innovation due to the current state of patent eligibility law. I look forward to continuing to work with all stakeholders on this important matter. Passing patent eligibility reform is one of my top legislative priorities.” 

Background: 

Throughout our history, patent law has generally recognized three limited judicial exceptions to patent eligibility: abstract ideas, natural phenomena, and laws of nature. Since 2010, the Supreme Court has handed down several rulings that vastly expand those three initial exceptions. As a result, new medical diagnostics, like those pioneered by the biosciences community in San Diego, are almost entirely excluded from patent eligibility. 

There is widespread bipartisan agreement in Congress and across recent Administrations that reforms are necessary to restore the United States to a position of global strength and leadership in key areas of technology and innovation, such as medical diagnostics, biotechnology, personalized medicine, artificial intelligence, 5G, and blockchain. 

PERA would replace vague judicial exceptions like “abstract ideas” and “laws of nature” with a clear statutory framework for determining patent eligibility. This change will give inventors and courts predictable guidelines, reducing confusion and inconsistency in patent determinations. 

By broadening patent eligibility to include areas like AI and medical diagnostics, PERA brings U.S. patent law in line with our international competitors. This alignment will help prevent innovation and investment in these areas from drying up in the United States and flowing to countries with more accommodating patent systems. 

Full text of the bill is available HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

San Diego, CA – Today, Representative Scott Peters released the following statement upon learning of the passing of Pope Francis:

“Pope Francis’s loss is particularly painful today, as so many of us were heartened to see him celebrate the Resurrection of Christ yesterday. He reminded Catholics – and all Christians – of the core values of our faith: caring for the poor and most vulnerable among us, outreach to those in most need of acceptance, healing and forgiveness, nurturing the planet and God’s creation, courage, faith, and love and inclusion for all of God’s children.  

“I was honored to speak at the Vatican’s global climate conference in 2017. Pope Francis lived up to his given name for the Saint from Assisi, who considered all living things his brothers and sisters. Pope Francis’s moral clarity and commitment toward climate action through his Encyclical on climate change and leadership have been critical to the movement to save God’s planet. May God bless him and may he rest in peace.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

U.S. and China Agree to 90-Day Tariff Pause As Trade War Continues

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) issued the following statement after President Trump announced a 90-day pause in U.S.-China tariffs and cutting the U.S. tariff rate from 145% to 30%. In response, China is lowering its tariffs on U.S. goods from 125% to 10%.

“Trump paused his tariffs on Chinese imports because of one word: Christmas,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “During my tour of the Port of Los Angeles, I learned retailers weren’t placing orders for the holidays due to Trump’s tariffs. That means we would be seeing severe shortages right now, making it nearly impossible or incredibly expensive for families to find the perfect Christmas gift—including clothes, electronics, and toys like dolls. Trump may be backing off now, but the economic damage is done. Shipments are still delayed, empty ships aren’t returning to carry our agricultural exports, and getting things back on track will take more than a month. The worst part is that working families are paying the price.”

Rep. Jimmy Gomez — a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees trade — has been holding the administration accountable in committee and led the Congressional Dads Caucus in calling out the harm to working families, and fighting to pass legislation to shut down Trump’s global tariffs, prevent him from punishing allies, and put Congress back in charge of trade. He recently visited the Port of LA to hear directly from port staff and highlight the real-world consequences of President Trump’s tariffs on imported goods — including a projected 35% drop in cargo volume next week. 

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

This week, U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Mike Ezell (R-MS-4) introduced the Mariner Exam Modernization Act, which directs the U.S. Coast Guard to develop and implement a plan to modernize the Merchant Mariner Credentialing exam, aiming to eliminate redundancies and improve efficiency within 270 days of receiving recommendations from a dedicated working group.

“The men and women pursuing careers in the maritime industry shouldn’t be held back by an antiquated credentialing system,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The Mariner Exam Modernization Act is a commonsense step to ensure our licensing process reflects the skills mariners actually need on the job—eliminating redundancy, updating outdated requirements, and making the path to certification more efficient. This legislation is about strengthening our maritime workforce and ensuring the Coast Guard’s processes keep pace with the needs of the 21st century.”

“Our mariners deserve a credentialing system that reflects the realities of today’s maritime industry—not outdated exams and unnecessary hurdles. I’m proud to co-lead the Mariner Modernization Act to bring transparency, accountability, and real-world input to the process. This is about building up America’s maritime workforce and supporting the professionals who keep America’s maritime commerce moving safely and efficiently,” said Rep. Ezell. 

“USA Maritime supports the effort to modernize the licensing exam for merchant marine officers through the Mariner Exam Modernization Act.  The maritime industry continues to evolve and change, but the Coast Guard’s licensing exam hasn’t.  The Mariner Exam Modernization Act will remove redundancies, ensure testing isn’t duplicative with other licensing requirements, and align testing with the realities of serving in the 21st century merchant marine. We look forward to working with Congress to pass this bill and remove one more impediment to creating new Merchant Marine officers,” said Brian Schoeneman, Chairman, USA Maritime.

“Transportation Institute supports the Mariner Exam Modernization Act and applauds Congressman Carbajal for his leadership in solving the mariner workforce crisis.  His dedication to the American mariner is remarkable, and we are grateful to have his support as we address this challenge together,” said Sara Fuentes, Vice President, Government Affairs, Transportation Institute.

“The Navy League of the United States has long championed the importance of the American mariner to our national and economic security.  We are proud to support Congressman Carbajal’s Mariner Exam Modernization Act as part of the effort to grow our maritime workforce,” said Mike Stevens, Navy League CEO and 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.

“The Consortium of State Maritime Academies strongly supports the “Mariner Exam Modernization Act“. This legislation will reduce the redundancy between The STCW Code and the National Exam. It will also eliminate the requirement for the Academies to dedicate time in the academic program on subjects that are outdated, and not currently used by professional mariners.  Additionally, it will substantially increase the value of the exam review teams (working groups).  Collectively, these efforts will allow us to assist with the goal of alleviating the current mariner shortage,” said G. P. Achenbach, Ed. Rear Admiral, U.S. Maritime Service, President, Consortium of State Maritime Academies.

The current Coast Guard licensing exam process for Merchant Mariner Credentials is outdated, redundant, and unnecessarily burdensome for aspiring mariners. Candidates must repeatedly demonstrate the same competencies, first through years of hands-on assessments and then again on a seven-part written exam—discouraging new entrants and diverting time from more relevant modern training like cybersecurity. 

Additionally, the exam includes obsolete content and lacks a modern review system, leaving graduates underprepared for the realities of today’s maritime industry.