MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL), co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Coalition on Adoption, today joined a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives in calling on the Trump Administration to engage with the People’s Republic of China to resolve the suspension of its intercountry adoption program, which has left numerous American families and children in uncertainty.

In August 2024, China abruptly halted its intercountry adoption program, a decision that has profoundly affected many U.S. families awaiting the arrival of their adopted children. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some are nearing the age at which they will no longer be eligible for adoption, underscoring the urgency of this matter.

“The sudden termination of China’s adoption program has left many children and American families in a state of uncertainty and distress,” said Congressman Aderholt. “As co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, I am deeply concerned about the well-being of these children and the emotional toll on families who have been waiting to welcome them into their homes.”

Congressman Aderholt, along with a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives, has sent a letter to the Trump Administration, urging it to prioritize this issue in diplomatic engagements with China. The letter emphasizes the need to finalize pending adoption cases to ensure that these children can be united with their adoptive families in the United States.

“We request that the Administration act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases,” the letter states. “Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family.”

The letter was co-signed by a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives, including:

• Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
• Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
• Representative Danny Davis (D-IL)
• Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
• Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
• Senator Katie Britt (R-AL)
• Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
• Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
• Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
• Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
• Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX)
• Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
• Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
• Senator John Fetterman (D-PA)
• Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Senator John Hoeven (R-ND)
• Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI)
• Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)
• Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
• Senator Angus King (I-ME)
• Senator James Lankford (R-OK)
• Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)
• Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)
• Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
• Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
• Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
• Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA)
• Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)
• Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD)
• Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO)
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
• Senator Tina Smith (D-MN)
• Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
• Senator John Thune (R-SD)
• Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)
• Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
• Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
• Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA)
• Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS)
• Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
• Senator Todd Young (R-IN)
• Representative Brian Babin (R-TX)
• Representative Don Bacon (R-NE)
• Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
• Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
• Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN)
• Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL)
• Representative Mike Carey (R-OH)
• Representative Dan Crenshaw (R-TX)
• Representative Suzan DelBene (D-W

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL) and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced today the reintroduction of the Deliver for Democracy Act in the 119th Congress. This bipartisan legislation seeks to improve the efficiency and reliability of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), particularly in the delivery of periodicals and newspapers, ensuring that Americans have timely access to critical news and information.

Congressman Aderholt emphasized the urgency of addressing USPS inefficiencies:

“For far too long, we’ve seen the United States Postal Service struggle to meet the expectations of the American people, particularly in delivering newspapers and periodicals in a timely manner,” said Congressman Aderholt. “As information moves faster than ever in today’s world, it is unacceptable that our postal system is falling behind. This legislation is about holding USPS accountable and ensuring they prioritize timely, reliable delivery. The Postal Service has been a backbone of communication in our country since before the founding of our nation, and we must take action to restore the level of service Americans expect and deserve. I am pleased to partner with Congressman Cleaver on this effort, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to see this bill become law.”

“Local news is the lifeblood of a thriving democracy, ensuring that Americans are well-informed about the current events consuming their communities,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Unfortunately, as Postmaster General DeJoy’s Delivering for America Plan has led to constant delivery delays and unreliable service, I’ve heard from many constituents that have struggled to receive their periodicals on time. I’m proud to introduce the bipartisan Deliver for Democracy Act to address these challenges and ensure our local news is being delivered on time, as expected.”  

The Deliver for Democracy Act will accomplish three key objectives:

1. require the USPS to either achieve at least a 95% on-time delivery rate for periodicals (as highlighted in their own plan) or an improvement of at least 2 percentage points to use its 2% surcharge authority for that class of mail;
2. require USPS to annually report to the Postal Regulatory Commission on its progress, including on-time delivery data for newspapers in its periodical service performance measurement; and
3. instruct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study and submit a report to Congress on options for alternate USPS pricing schemes to improve the cost margins with periodicals.

The following members of Congress have cosponsored this legislation: Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Donald Davis (D-NC), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Angie Craig (D-MN), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Jim Costa (D-CA), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

President Trump has also recently expressed his frustrations with the performance of the U.S. Postal Service and has proposed making other reforms to improve operations.

The Deliver for Democracy Act is also supported by the National Newspaper Association and the News Media Alliance.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Middletown – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) held a “Coffee with Our Congressman” community event for residents in the Middletown area to meet him and ask questions about the latest news out of Washington. The event was hosted at The Twin Pine Event Center, with over 150 residents in attendance. 

“My event today was open to the entire Middletown community. Residents from both parties showed up and it was clear from the beginning that many residents are concerned about the chaos coming out of the Administration. As your Congressman, I’m working to fight back against the President’s unlawful actions in Congress, in the courts, and in the court of public opinion,” said Thompson. 

“Thank you to the over 150 community members who attended today’s event, and the countless more who have written me, called my office, and raised their voices against this administration’s unlawful and unethical actions. There’s a reason that Republican leaders are urging their party not to hold town halls. Americans are rightfully angry over threats to their personal data, health care, veterans’ services, Social Security, and more. The President and his party are losing in the court of public opinion.” 

Friday’s event was one in a series of community events Thompson has hosted across our district. Since the President took office in January, Thompson has worked to combat the Administration’s unlawful actions and protect Americans’ sensitive data from DOGE. Some of Thompson’s actions include: 

Congressional Action

Rep. Thompson voted NO on the Republican Budget, which slashed Medicaid, nutrition funding and other services, and voted NO on Congressional Republicans’ partisan Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill, which enabled deeper Trump-Musk cuts to programs Americans rely on every day. 

Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care and nutrition programs add up to the exact cost for their planned tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Congressional Republicans are sacrificing the programs Americans rely on in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich. That’s why Rep. Thompson has coauthored dozens of bills and letters to demand answers from the President and hold him accountable. 

Rep. Thompson continues to use his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee to hold the President’s feet to the fire. Rep. Thompson, alongside Ways and Means Democrats, has introduced a Resolution of Inquiry to obligate the Department of Treasury and DOGE to answer questions on their unlawful access to sensitive taxpayer information and the federal payment systems. He also joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry to demand answers from the Social Security Administration on their proposed mass layoffs and closures of field and regional offices. 

Rep. Thompson has also cosponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which will protect the nation’s payment system from reckless and unlawful interference and ensure that anyone who accesses the federal government’s central payment system with a personal financial conflict faces criminal penalties. 

Court Action

Rep. Thompson has joined House Democrats to support over 108 lawsuits against the President’s unlawful executive orders, including his firing of Inspectors General and termination of civil servants.

Public Opinion

Rep. Thompson stands with the millions of Americans who are outraged at the President’s unlawful actions. Since January, Rep. Thompson has held community events and posted updates online reaching over half a million people. Through town halls, coffees, press conferences, and online video updates, Rep. Thompson is working daily to update Americans about the chaos coming out of Washington and how Democrats are working to combat it. 

Public pressure is yielding results. Already, Congressional pressure, litigation, and public outrage have: 

• Stopped the funding freeze for federal programs
• Forced the reinstatement of tens of thousands of federal workers
• Prevented DOGE access to certain sensitive data
• Stopped the President’s attempt to end constitutional Birthright Citizenship
• Reinstated bird flu researchers
• Reinstated nuclear safety engineers
• Stopped efforts to remove air traffic control workers and other FAA employees making flying safer
• Rehired some agriculture researchers including those doing smoke exposure research

This is only the beginning. Rep. Thompson remains committed to working on behalf of Fourth District residents to protect the programs they rely on and strengthen our democracy. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Congressional Republicans’ plan to slash health care to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich will harm care for everyone

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Sonoma – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) held a “Coffee with Our Congressman” community event for residents in the Sonoma Valley to meet him and ask questions about the latest news out of Washington. The event was hosted at The Red Grape, with over 150 residents in attendance. 

“My event on Monday was open to the entire Sonoma Valley community. Residents from both parties showed up and it was clear from the beginning that many residents are concerned about the chaos coming out of the Administration. As your Congressman, I’m working to fight back against the President’s unlawful actions in Congress, in the courts, and in the court of public opinion,” said Thompson. 

“Thank you to the over 150 community members who attended today’s event, and the countless more who have written me, called my office, and raised their voices against this administration’s unlawful and unethical actions. There’s a reason that Republican leaders are urging their party not to hold town halls. Americans are rightfully angry over threats to their personal data, health care, veterans’ services, Social Security, and more. The President and his party are losing in the court of public opinion.” 

Monday’s event was one in a series of community events Thompson has scheduled across our district. Since the President took office in January, Thompson has worked to combat the Administration’s unlawful actions and protect Americans’ sensitive data from DOGE. Some of Thompson’s actions include: 

Congressional Action

Rep. Thompson voted NO on the Republican Budget, which slashed Medicaid, nutrition funding and other services, and voted NO on Congressional Republicans’ partisan Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill, which enabled deeper Trump-Musk cuts to programs Americans rely on every day. 

Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care and nutrition programs add up to the exact cost for their planned tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Congressional Republicans are sacrificing the programs Americans rely on in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich. That’s why Rep. Thompson has coauthored dozens of bills and letters to demand answers from the President and hold him accountable. 

Rep. Thompson continues to use his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee to hold the President’s feet to the fire. Rep. Thompson, alongside Ways and Means Democrats, has introduced a Resolution of Inquiry to obligate the Department of Treasury and DOGE to answer questions on their unlawful access to sensitive taxpayer information and the federal payment systems. He also joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry to demand answers from the Social Security Administration on their proposed mass layoffs and closures of field and regional offices. 

Rep. Thompson has also cosponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which will protect the nation’s payment system from reckless and unlawful interference and ensure that anyone who accesses the federal government’s central payment system with a personal financial conflict faces criminal penalties. 

Court Action

Rep. Thompson has joined House Democrats to support over 108 lawsuits against the President’s unlawful executive orders, including his firing of Inspectors General and termination of civil servants.

Public Opinion

Rep. Thompson stands with the millions of Americans who are outraged at the President’s unlawful actions. Since January, Rep. Thompson has held community events and posted updates online reaching over half a million people. Through town halls, coffees, press conferences, and online video updates, Rep. Thompson is working daily to update Americans about the chaos coming out of Washington and how Democrats are working to combat it. 

Public pressure is yielding results. Already, Congressional pressure, litigation, and public outrage have: 

• Stopped the funding freeze for federal programs
• Forced the reinstatement of tens of thousands of federal workers
• Prevented DOGE access to certain sensitive data
• Stopped the President’s attempt to end constitutional Birthright Citizenship
• Reinstated bird flu researchers
• Reinstated nuclear safety engineers
• Stopped efforts to remove air traffic control workers and other FAA employees making flying safer
• Rehired some agriculture researchers including those doing smoke exposure research

This is only the beginning. Rep. Thompson remains committed to working on behalf of Fourth District residents to protect the programs they rely on and strengthen our democracy. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Vacaville – On Monday, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) held a “Coffee with Our Congressman” community event for residents in the Vacaville area to meet him and ask questions about the latest news out of Washington. The event was hosted at Journey Downtown, with over 200 residents in attendance. 

“My event on Monday was open to the entire Vacaville community. Residents from both parties showed up and it was clear from the beginning that many residents are concerned about the chaos coming out of the Administration. As your Congressman, I’m working to fight back against the President’s unlawful actions in Congress, in the courts, and in the court of public opinion,” said Thompson. 

“Thank you to the over 200 community members who attended Monday’s event, and the countless more who have written me, called my office, and raised their voices against this administration’s unlawful and unethical actions. There’s a reason that Republican leaders are urging their party not to hold town halls. Americans are rightfully angry over threats to their personal data, health care, veterans’ services, Social Security, and more. The President and his party are losing in the court of public opinion.” 

Monday’s event was one in a series of community events Thompson has scheduled across our district. Since the President took office in January, Thompson has worked to combat the Administration’s unlawful actions and protect Americans’ sensitive data from DOGE. Some of Thompson’s actions include: 

Congressional Action

Rep. Thompson voted NO on the Republican Budget, which slashed Medicaid, nutrition funding and other services, and voted NO on Congressional Republicans’ partisan Fiscal Year 2025 funding bill, which enabled deeper Trump-Musk cuts to programs Americans rely on every day. 

Congressional Republicans’ proposed cuts to health care and nutrition programs add up to the exact cost for their planned tax cuts for the ultra-rich. Congressional Republicans are sacrificing the programs Americans rely on in order to fund tax cuts for the ultra-rich. That’s why Rep. Thompson has coauthored dozens of bills and letters to demand answers from the President and hold him accountable. 

Rep. Thompson continues to use his position on the powerful Ways and Means Committee to hold the President’s feet to the fire. Rep. Thompson, alongside Ways and Means Democrats, has introduced a Resolution of Inquiry to obligate the Department of Treasury and DOGE to answer questions on their unlawful access to sensitive taxpayer information and the federal payment systems. He also joined his Democratic colleagues to introduce a Resolution of Inquiry to demand answers from the Social Security Administration on their proposed mass layoffs and closures of field and regional offices. 

Rep. Thompson has also cosponsored the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, which will protect the nation’s payment system from reckless and unlawful interference and ensure that anyone who accesses the federal government’s central payment system with a personal financial conflict faces criminal penalties. 

Court Action

Rep. Thompson has joined House Democrats to support over 108 lawsuits against the President’s unlawful executive orders, including his firing of Inspectors General and termination of civil servants.

Public Opinion

Rep. Thompson stands with the millions of Americans who are outraged at the President’s unlawful actions. Since January, Rep. Thompson has held community events and posted updates online reaching over half a million people. Through town halls, coffees, press conferences, and online video updates, Rep. Thompson is working daily to update Americans about the chaos coming out of Washington and how Democrats are working to combat it. 

Public pressure is yielding results. Already, Congressional pressure, litigation, and public outrage have: 

• Stopped the funding freeze for federal programs
• Forced the reinstatement of tens of thousands of federal workers
• Prevented DOGE access to certain sensitive data
• Stopped the President’s attempt to end constitutional Birthright Citizenship
• Reinstated bird flu researchers
• Reinstated nuclear safety engineers
• Stopped efforts to remove air traffic control workers and other FAA employees making flying safer
• Rehired some agriculture researchers including those doing smoke exposure research

This is only the beginning. Rep. Thompson remains committed to working on behalf of Fourth District residents to protect the programs they rely on and strengthen our democracy. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Washington – Today, Representative Mike Thompson (CA-04) announced that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released guidance for qualified wildfire survivors applying for tax relief under Thompson’s bipartisan Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2023. The guidance can be found here. 

“Federally declared wildfires in 2015, 2017, and 2018 devastated entire communities across our district and across the state of California. Entire towns were destroyed. Thousands of people lost homes, and dozens of people lost their lives. 

“My work to deliver tax relief to these survivors didn’t end when President Biden signed my bill into law in December. I worked with my colleagues to urge the IRS to issue guidance to those applying for relief and today is another step in ensuring survivors get the relief they need and deserve.” 

BACKGROUND

The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act supports the nearly 70,000 qualified survivors who suffered significant losses during three major federally declared California fires in 2015, 2017, and 2018 who have received related settlement payments.

Many California wildfire survivors have already been taxed on their settlement payments, with some even losing access to certain federal benefits as a result of their compensation wrongly being considered income. 

Rep. Thompson introduced the original legislation to provide tax relief to qualified wildfire victims in the 117th Congress and worked to advance the legislation ever since.

Last Spring, Rep. Thompson and Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17) led a bipartisan group of 218 Members of Congress to successfully advance a discharge petition which forced House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act to the House floor for a vote. The historic advancement of Rep Thompson and Rep. Steube’s petition marked only the third time a House discharge petition had succeeded in the 21st Century. Their efforts succeeded as the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act passed the Senate and was signed by President Biden at the end of 2024. 

The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act excludes from taxpayer gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received by an individual taxpayer as compensation for expenses or losses incurred due to a qualified wildfire disaster (a federally declared disaster declared after 2014 as a result of a forest or range fire). It also excludes relief payments for losses resulting from the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment on February 3, 2023 and designates Hurricane Ian, among other federally declared disasters, as a qualified disaster for the purposes of determining the tax treatment of certain disaster-related personal casualty losses. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) issued the following statement condemning President Trump’sExecutive Order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education.

“President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he has no interest in providing for everyday Americans. He has already targeted our families’ health care, nutrition, and safety – and now, he has made it his mission to dismantle our children’s futures and gut our public education system,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Shutting down the Department of Education would have dire consequences that will impact our most underserved for generations. Our public education system provides free and equal access to all children, regardless of their circumstances. The Department of Education is the backbone of our higher education system, it provides children with disabilities a safe place to learn, fresh food to those who need it, and crucial assistance to struggling parents.”

“Once you receive a high-quality education; it can never be taken away,” Matsui continued. “And we know there is nothing Donald Trump fears more than the truth and facts. President Trump cannot abolish the Department of Education without an act of Congress. I will fight to protect our children and grandchildren from being deprived of their future.”

                                               

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 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, along with SEEC Member Rep. Debbie Dingell – an original author of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund – sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to demand that the EPA direct Citibank to immediately release the legally obligated money from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. They led a total of 82 Members of Congress in signing the letter.

“We write to you in response to the Trump Administration’s persistent and shocking attempts to undermine the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). For weeks, Citibank has withheld congressionally authorized GGRF funding at your direction without any justification, and now, despite failing to produce any evidence of wrongdoing, the Trump Administration has requested that GGRF awardees turn over records to the FBI and appear in federal court. And last week, you further escalated EPA’s inappropriate attack on the program by announcing the termination of existing GGRF contracts without any evidence that the grantees were in breach of the terms of their agreements. Last night, a federal judge responded and blocked the EPA’s attempt to claw back billions in legally obligated dollars, slamming EPA for providing “no legal justification for the termination” and for failing to follow due process. We are stunned by this unprecedented campaign of intimidation, and we call on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to direct Citibank to immediately release these legally obligated funds,” said the letter. 

“We find it extremely troubling that GGRF funds continue to be the target of a political witch hunt without any justification or evidence of wrongdoing. The EPA’s actions have unnecessarily spurred great economic uncertainty, and now, the eight nonprofit recipients of NCIF and CCIA funding are at risk of going bankrupt and some have already begun to furlough their workers. In the absence of a clear explanation to awardees for why these funds continue to be frozen, we urge EPA to direct Citibank to release these funds without further delay so that these federal dollars, as intended by law, can help American families and businesses begin to lower their energy bills, spur local economic development, and work towards healthier, safer communities across the country.”

The letter can be found here.

Background

Last month, the Trump Administration launched a broad, far-reaching attack on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), a historic program established in the Inflation Reduction Act to expand access to low-cost, high-impact clean energy financing. Last week, Administrator Zeldin announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would terminate contracts with all eight awardees under the GGRF’s National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator – threatening $20 billion in critical clean energy and local economic development projects. For weeks, neither EPA nor Citibank had provided the nonprofit grantees with any explanation to justify the freeze. To date, three of the largest GGRF awardees individually sued a combination of Citibank and EPA. On March 18, the courts responded by blocking the EPA’s attempt to reclaim billions in legally obligated dollars deposited at Citibank because the EPA “gave no legal justification for the termination” of GGRF contracts and failed to follow due process.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) released the following statement after the passing of former Congresswoman Nita Lowey.

“I am heartbroken by the passing of former Congresswoman Nita Lowey,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Nita was a dedicated public servant, a trailblazer, a fierce advocate for her constituents, and a dear friend. As the first woman to lead the House Committee on Appropriations, she championed critical issues, from public broadcasting and environmental protection to advancing women’s health and promoting diplomacy abroad. Her legacy of service continues to make a lasting impact on communities throughout the country and the world. My prayers are with her family during this difficult time.”

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