MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

PASASDENA, CA  –  Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) issued the following statement in response to California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s announcement that the California Department of Justice will launch an independent civil rights investigation into whether anti-discrimination and disability rights laws were violated during delayed emergency response and evacuation orders affecting western Altadena during the Eaton Fire.

“One year ago, the Eaton Fire took the lives of 19 of our neighbors. Of those 19 lives lost, 18 resided in the historically Black community of western Altadena and the majority were elderly and disabled. Since then, we have learned critical information about significant delays in emergency response and evacuation warnings in western Altadena that contributed to this disproportionate loss of life and devastation. But we have been lacking one important question about those delays: why they occurred in the first place. That’s why I have long called for an independent investigation and for our local, state, and federal authorities to take all necessary steps to ensure that we will be prepared for the next disaster so such a failure never happens again,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “I welcome Attorney General Bonta’s investigation into whether western Altadenans’ civil rights were violated due to these astounding delays, and I look forward to reviewing the results of this investigation and ensuring that these systemic failures are addressed in a timely and transparent manner. We owe it to the victims, survivors, and their families to ensure that these evacuation delays and failures are never repeated.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, Congresswoman Betty McCollum announced her support for legislation introduced by House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro which would fund critical components of the Department of Homeland Security without providing additional funding for ICE or Customs and Border Protection.

“Congress needs to fund FEMA, disaster relief, cybersecurity, and other functions of the Department of Homeland Security that keep Americans safe,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “But I refuse to vote for another penny for ICE and Border Patrol while they bring chaos to our state, violate Minnesotans’ civil rights, and trample on the Constitution. Democrats in Congress are working together to insist on transparency, accountability, and constraints on ICE and Border Patrol agents as conditions for funding their agencies. While we fight for those reforms, I support Ranking Member DeLauro’s new DHS funding bill, which would fund the entire agency except for ICE, Border Patrol, and the Office of the Secretary — while prohibiting Kristi Noem’s use of taxpayer-funded luxury private jets.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, is introducing the U.S. Farmworker Protection Act, legislation to protect US farmworkers and migrant workers on the H-2A program, a temporary, agricultural guest worker program. 

“By allowing an unlimited number of workers to access the H-2A program without guardrails or meaningful oversight to protect workers, the administration has put these workers at risk of dangerous and exploitative practices from employers,” said Jayapal. “We have seen wage theft, human trafficking, and labor abuses, some of which have even led to death, run rampant in this program. Capping this program, with the exception of workers who have labor protections through unions, is a major step to protect workers and employers who are acting in good faith.”

The H-2A program is an opportunity for mutual benefit for U.S.-based companies and temporary workers. However, there have been reported cases of workers dying of heatstroke, being kidnapped and assaulted, and not receiving the wages, housing, or safety equipment they were promised. 

The fact that this program is uncapped allows bad-faith employers to abuse the system without repercussion, with a seemingly endless supply of workers. The U.S. Farmworker Protection Act would cap the program at 400,000 workers annually, with an exception for those who get labor protections through union membership. 

“The trafficking, abuse, and exploitation exposed within the H-2A guest worker program should anger every American,” said UFW President Teresa Romero. “Yet this uncapped guest worker program continues to grow — undercutting local wages and jobs. This common sense legislation will impose a numerical cap on the H-2A guest worker program for the first time, stabilizing the runaway growth of the H-2A program in line with its original statutory intent. This bill is necessary to create an agricultural labor market more conducive to the needs of the farm workers who are already here and have been feeding America for decades.”

The legislation is also sponsored by Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Nancy Pelosi (CA-12), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37).

It is also endorsed by United Farm Workers; UFW Foundation; AFL-CIO; Farm Labor Organizing Committee; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); CASA; PCUN; Farmworker Association of Florida.

Issues: Immigration, Jobs, Labor, & the Economy

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON — This week, Rep. Lauren Underwood announced that her legislation to rename the Plainfield Post Office in honor of Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. passed the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform with unanimous bipartisan support. The legislation is now awaiting consideration by the full House of Representatives.

Underwood secured support from every member of the Illinois congressional delegation – Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Sean Casten (IL-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Bill Foster (IL-11), Mike Bost (IL-12), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Mary Miller (IL-15), Darin LaHood (IL-16), and Eric Sorensen (IL-17) – to honor her constituent by officially designating the Post Office Building at 14855 South Van Dyke Road in Plainfield, IL as the “Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. Post Office Building.”

Staff Sergeant Dueñez and three other U.S. soldiers were killed during an Army training exercise in Lithuania on March 31, 2025. His family described Dueñez as “someone who always wanted to protect people.” He was a beloved member of his community who enlisted right after high school and served his country for seven years.

“Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. represents the best of our community. He was an extraordinary hero who served his country with strength and resilience,” Rep. Underwood said. “I’m honored to lead this legislation to permanently commemorate his sacrifice and service. The Plainfield Post Office will bear his name as reminder of his contributions not only to his country, but to his community and family as a father, husband, brother, and son.”

Staff Sergeant Jose Dueñez Jr. was born on April 8, 1999, and was raised in Joliet along with his five sisters. Dueñez was promoted five times over the course of his service, ultimately reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant in November of 2020. He served in three overseas deployments—Poland in 2019, Germany in 2022, and Lithuania in 2025—and was recognized with two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Achievement Medals, one Certificate of Achievement, two Army Good Conduct Medals, and a National Defense Service Medal.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, Speaker Johnson led a dedication ceremony for the newly designated Frederick Douglass Press Gallery in the U.S. Capitol. The ceremony featured remarks from Speaker Johnson, Rep. Byron Donalds, and Rep. Burgess Owens.

Rep. Donalds led the bipartisan initiative to rename the House Press Gallery after Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, orator, and scholar who became the first black journalist to report from the U.S. Capitol press galleries.

“Perhaps more successfully than any American of his time, Douglass built a life and legacy off the power of his pen and his powerful voice. He wielded that power to great effect in this institution and the halls that will now appropriately bear his name,” Speaker Johnson said. “I’m proud to have played a small part in the dedication of this treasured House institution alongside my dear friend, Byron Donalds, and I want to commend Congressman Donalds for his resolve in spearheading this effort.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s press conference remarks here.

Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

Thank you all for being here. It’s an honor to welcome you to this very special event. It’s a day that’s been a long time coming. As Speaker, I have the distinct privilege of overseeing many of the institutional events and ceremonies and tributes that take place throughout the year right here in the U.S. Capitol Building – and it’s one of the fun parts of the job. Maybe the only fun part of the job now that I think about it. But today’s ceremony is a first, not just for me, but for the history of the Speakership and this building itself.

For nearly 200 years, since its inception in the 1800s, the House Press Gallery has always been named just that, the very bland, the “Press Gallery”. Neither the House Gallery nor the Senate Gallery has ever borne the name of any American in the history of this institution. That, of course, changes today with the historic unveiling of the Frederick Douglass Press Gallery.

Frederick Douglass, as you know, was an extraordinary American. I said upstairs in brief remarks that scripture is clear that we are to give honor where honor is due, and he’s certainly an American that is deserving of that honor. After escaping slavery, he prevailed through determination, grit, and brilliance. Frederick Douglass became many things. He was a renowned abolitionist, of course. He was an acclaimed journalist and editor. He was a prolific philosophical thinker. He was an orator of almost unparalleled stature in American history, almost as good as Byron Donalds. He was a trusted, close advisor to multiple presidents – most famously, of course, with Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday we celebrate today.

Perhaps more successfully than any American of his time, Douglass built a life and legacy off the power of his pen and his powerful voice, and he wielded that power to great effect in this institution and the halls that will now appropriately bear his name.

I’m proud to have played a small part in the dedication of this treasured House institution alongside my dear friend Byron Donalds, and I want to commend Congressman Donalds for his resolve in spearheading this effort. He would not let it go. He was doggedly determined to make it happen, and that’s what it takes around here.

And I want to thank as well, Chairman Graves for his involvement, the Press Gallery staff, and every one of our House colleagues who made this day possible. One of those champions is with us, a literal champion in every sense, Burgess Owens, the only Member of Congress who wears a Super Bowl ring, and he lets me wear it on occasion, and it hangs off my finger.

Byron will speak much more to the incredible legacy of this great American that we appropriately honor today, but first, I want to welcome Pastor Dennie to deliver our invocation.

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

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), ), who serves on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, today hailed the passage of a House measure to end President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, America’s neighbor and close ally to the north, which has been significantly alienated over the past year by Trump’s tariffs, tantrums, bullying and threats. The measure now goes to the Senate, which previously passed similar legislation led by Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

“President Trump’s tariffs have crushed our economy, raised prices, and alienated our allies for the past year. These effects have been particularly harmful to our strategic and economic relationship with Canada, one of our closest allies and largest trading partners. Despite the clear harm to American interests from these tariffs, House Republicans steadfastly refused to even allow a vote in Congress – which has sole authority under the Constitution to regulate taxes and trade – until now. And with this massive vote to rebuke Trump’s disastrous trade policy, everyone now knows why.

“The President admitted yesterday that he imposed tariffs on an American trading partner simply because he didn’t like a foreign leader’s tone. Donald Trump’s mercurial whims are not a national security emergency, yet his administration has dishonestly claimed in court that his tariffs are necessitated by a fictitious national emergency. In fact, new reporting strongly suggests that his latest feud with Canada is primarily motivated by a corrupt desire to benefit political allies of disgraced Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick.

“The American people see through all of this, which is one reason why Trump’s tariffs are deeply unpopular. I am glad that some of my Republican colleagues have finally chosen to do the right thing, although the vote says that Speaker Johnson is correct when he says ‘the vast majority of House Republicans agree wholeheartedly with the president’ on trade and will continue to ‘give him the latitude to continue’ his price-raising tariffs. We will have more votes to come on Trump’s tariffs, and I encourage Republicans to do the right thing, stand up to Trump, and vote to lower prices for their constituents.”

Economic analysis by the Tax Foundation finds that Trump’s tariffs cost American families $1,000 last year, while similar analysis from Congress’ Joint Economic Committee put the figure at $1,625.

Beyer chairs the New Democrat Coalition’s Trade Task Force, and is the sponsor of the Congressional Trade Authority Act, which would rein in presidential abuses of authorities under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Beyer is the co-lead, with Rep. Suzan DelBene, of legislation to end abuses of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff authorities, and an original cosponsor of the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act, which would repeal Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930; the Reclaim Trade Powers Act, which would strike Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a law that currently allows the President to impose sweeping 15% tariffs on all imports under a “balance of payments” crisis; and the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act, which would halt President Trump’s trade wars, repeal tariffs, and reclaim Congress’ lawful authority over tariffs.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

Last week, Reps. Jack Bergman (MI-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Chris Pappas (NH-01), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, led eight Members of Congress in a letter to Postmaster General David P. Steiner, demanding that he reverse a new policy in which a postmark will no longer reflect the date that someone originally mailed a letter. As a result of the Regional Transportation Optimization (RTO) plan, USPS can no longer reliably postmark mail on the day it is sent. 

The lawmakers emphasized that this change would harm Americans impacted by existing mail delays, make it harder for law enforcement to investigate and deter crime and fraud committed via mail, and undermine the ability of the Postal Service to accurately postmark letters and packages on the day they were sent by the customer. This will be especially harmful to Americans from rural areas where the Postal Service’s RTO plan has already slowed outgoing mail.

“As you know, millions of Americans rely on the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the delivery of critical items such as tax returns, bills, checks, and even election ballots. For our constituents, a delayed postmark could result in late fees on bills, essential utilities being shut off, mail-in ballots not being accepted by local Boards of Elections, or delays in receiving paychecks and refunds,” the lawmakers wrote. “This change is likely to have a disproportionate impact on rural Americans who do not always have easy access to a post office where they can request a same-day postmark, an issue that has been exacerbated by the Regional Transportation Optimization plan.”

The letter is signed by Representatives Jack Bergman (MI-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02). 

The full text of the letter can be read HERE and below: 

Postmaster General David Steiner

475 L’Enfant Plaza SW

Washington, DC 20260 

Postmaster General Steiner, 

As Members of the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, we are writing regarding the Postal Service’s December 24, 2025, final rule clarifying that a postmark will no longer reflect the date a Postal Service customer originally mailed a letter. We are concerned about how this rule clarification coupled with the delays stemming from the Regional Transportation Optimization Plan (RTO) may affect delivery of time-sensitive mail, and the ability of the Postal Service, law enforcement to effectively investigate and deter crime and fraud committed via mail, and the integrity of the United States Postal Service.

As you know, millions of Americans rely on the United States Postal Service (USPS) for the delivery of critical items such as tax returns, bills, checks, and even election ballots. For our constituents, a delayed postmark could result in late fees on bills, essential utilities being shut off, mail-in ballots not being accepted by local Boards of Elections, or delays in receiving paychecks and refunds.

This change is likely to have a disproportionate impact on rural Americans who do not always have easy access to a post office where they can request a same-day postmark, an issue that has been exacerbated by the Regional Transportation Optimization plan. As you know, the RTO plan, which has been gradually implemented across the country over the last year, has reduced the number of times mail is picked up from post offices located more than 50 miles from a Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RP&DC). The results of these changes have been clear: the RTO has added additional delays for outgoing mail from rural areas and cities that do not have an RP&DC. In 2024, a pilot version of this program was tested in the Postal Service’s Wisconsin region, and the USPS Office of Inspector General found that the changes resulted in a “decrease in service,” with “rural communities more significantly impacted.”

Additionally, we are concerned that delays in postmarking stemming from broader RTO related mail delays will hinder the ability of the Postal Service and law enforcement to investigate crimes and fraud committed via mail. By shifting postmarking from the point of origin to regional processing centers, the policy obscures where mail entered the postal system and makes it more difficult to trace mail associated with criminal or fraudulent activity. For example, in 2001, following the anthrax mail attacks on the United States Capitol and various other public officials, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was able to use the postmark to track the exact date on which the contaminated letters were sent and the location from which they were mailed. We are concerned that these changes would make it more difficult for federal law enforcement to track packages containing illicit substances, potentially resulting in increased danger for both Postal Service employees and the general public.

As Members of the Postal Service Caucus, we remain concerned that the full implementation of the RTO plan will exacerbate postmark delays for rural communities that rely on timely service from the United States Postal Service. For these reasons, we ask that the RTO plan be reversed until the Postal Service can assure customers across the country that they will not experience delayed postmarking on time-sensitive mail simply because they do not live within 50 miles of an RP&DC.

As you may expect, we have received many questions from our constituents regarding the December 24 rule change and how it will impact postmarking going forward. Accordingly, we respectfully request that you provide written responses to the following questions:

1. Did USPS take into consideration the potential delays in postmarking dates before implementing the RTO?
2. In 2025, what percentage of letters mailed had a postmark date reflecting the day the customer dropped off the letter, and what percentage had a postmark reflecting a later date?
3. Especially in regions of the country with reduced mail pickups, how does USPS notify customers that their letter will not be postmarked on the day it is mailed unless they request an in-person postmark at their local post office?
4. USPS has historically been successful in ensuring election mail is delivered to local Boards of Elections, with recent election cycles achieving over 99 percent on-time delivery. However, 16 states and the District of Columbia currently permit a ballot received after Election Day to be counted so long as it is postmarked by Election Day. Does the USPS plan to issue guidance to Americans regarding the latest date they can reliably post a mail-in ballot and still have it postmarked by election day?
5. How can you ensure that delays to postmark stemming from the RTO will not compromise the ability of law enforcement to track the originating location of a package containing an illegal substance or enclosure?
   1. If a letter is suspected to contain a chemical weapon and is expected to sit for multiple days without a postmark at its originating location, how will the Postal Service trace which employees might have been exposed? 

We appreciate your time and attention to these concerns and look forward to your response. Thank you for your continued service to the United States Postal Service and the millions of Americans who depend on it.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) sent a letter to Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick demanding his resignation following the publication of evidence of his relationship with the notorious child sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Mr. Lutnick previously denied any association with Jeffrey Epstein, however, the recently released Epstein files mention Mr. Lutnick 223 times, and they reveal that Mr. Lutnick interacted with Epstein multiple times after he claimed to have cut off all contact, including a visit to Epstein’s private Caribbean island.

“The Department of Commerce deserves a Secretary who can lead without the stain of a past relationship with this era’s most notorious child sex trafficker. You owe it to the American people to resign immediately,” Ranking Member Lofgren wrote in the letter.

“The fact that you lied about the lunch itself until you were forced to acknowledge it in front of Congress makes it abundantly clear that the public cannot trust your continued denials on this issue,” Ranking Member Lofgren continued. “You have demonstrated that you will lie about Jeffrey Epstein for as long as you think you can get away with it.”

Read the letter here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the EPA’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding—a 2009 finding that concluded greenhouse gases in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.  

“The Trump Administration’s repeal of the Endangerment Finding is beyond senseless,” said Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA). “Science Committee Democrats, climate scientists, environmental researchers, medical doctors, and peer agencies all over the world are united in affirming that this repeal will have severe consequences on public health and the health of our planet. This Administration’s manipulation of ‘science’ to increase profit for polluters at the expense of the welfare of our country, the planet, and all the people on earth, is deplorable and calls into question how far this Administration is willing to go to line the pockets of its billionaire donors.”  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

After eight consecutive failed audits, the Pentagon needs to get its act together.