MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman French Hill (AR-02) has introduced legislation to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a vacant U.S. Forest Service building and its surrounding land in Perryville, Arkansas, to Perry County.

Rep. Hill said, “For years, this building has sat empty when the people of Perry County could have put it to good use. My bill will change that. By transferring it to the county, it will give the community the space it needs for youth programs, agricultural education, and conservation efforts that strengthen families and support our local economy. This is a smart use of public resources and a clear win for the community. I’m proud to lead this effort and look forward to seeing this legislation become law so Perry County can finally put this building to work for its people.”

The 0.81-acre parcel, located at 1069 Fourche Avenue, includes a federal building operated by the U.S. Forest Service. The building is vacant, and the U.S. Forest Service has no plans to use it going forward. While the building will require repairs and updates, Perry County has the funds to make the necessary improvements. Once conveyed and repaired, the property will support permanent operations of the University of Arkansas Extension Program and the Perry County Conservation District, and serve as the meeting space for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

Several local leaders and Perry County residents have voiced their support for the building to be conveyed to Perry County.

Perry County Judge Larry Blackmon said, “The prospect of being able to use this building means a lot to the citizens of Perry County. It will let us turn a vacant space into something useful for our kids, local farmers, and conservation work without putting extra strain on the county’s budget. Having control of the building will help us serve our community for years to come, and I’m truly grateful to Congressman Hill and his team for their help in making it possible.”

Donnie Crain, president of the Perry County Chamber of Commerce, said, “We pride ourselves in Perry County as being ‘Rural Arkansas at its best’ — and our Extension Service and the resources that they provide are a big component of our community. The transfer of this facility will not only bolster the efforts of the University of Arkansas Extension Service but also foster a stronger, more resilient Perry County.”

Amy Branch, chair of the board of the Perry County Conservation District, said, “This transfer would provide significant benefits to our community and support several county agencies. Consolidating resources in one location will improve coordination, communication, and efficiency, ultimately enhancing the services we provide to the residents of Perry County. Having a suitable facility to house these efforts is essential to continue environmental stewardship and support for landowners, farmers, and residents.”

Kallem Hill, president of the Perry County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, said, “This facility holds significant potential to serve as a vital resource for our community. By securing a dedicated space for their operations, we believe the Extension Service will be able to enhance its outreach and impact, thereby benefiting the entire Perry County population. Its transfer to Perry County will ensure that the building is maintained and utilized effectively, contributing to the continued growth and development of our agricultural community.”

Jacob Farnam, board president of the Perryville School District, said, “This facility has the potential to become a vital hub for the Perry County Extension Service and 4-H Youth Development Programs, delivering significant benefits to our community — particularly its young people. This transfer would empower the Extension Service and 4-H to strengthen Perry County for years to come.”

Rose Gunther, a local resident, said, “As a 4-H member, I witnessed firsthand the dedication of our extension staff, who often faced challenges in securing enough space to conduct vital programming. Whether it was for cooking classes, public speaking exercises, or hands-on projects like the Kids Chef Challenge, our staff frequently had to scramble to find suitable venues, stretching resources thin. Securing the U.S. Forest Service facility would offer a much-needed solution to these challenges.”

Ettamarie Belden, a local resident, said, “I have been a 4-H leader and volunteer for over 50 years, and our county has always been short of space for 4-H activities as well as adult activities and training. It would be a blessing to be able to put this area to use.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mark Amodei hosted a commemorative tree dedication ceremony on the United States Capitol Grounds to honor the people of Nevada. 

In 1983, a Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) was planted near the Cannon House Office Building to represent Nevada. It was sponsored by then-Representative Harry Reid and has since been removed. 

To continue this tradition, Rep. Mark Amodei has selected a Jefferson American Elm, a tree well-suited to a wide range of growing conditions. The tree was planted near the south side of the lower West Terrace of the West Front of the United States Capitol facing the National Mall. 

“This project has been years in the making, and I’m grateful to see it finally come to fruition,” said Rep. Mark Amodei. “Today, the people of Nevada are honored with the planting of a Jefferson American Elm that will flourish in our nation’s capital for generations to come. If you find yourself in Washington, D.C., I encourage you to visit this tribute symbolizing the people who make the Silver State so great.”

Rep. Mark Amodei was accompanied by members of the Nevada Delegation: Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

MINNEAPOLIS—Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement after visiting Doğukan Günaydın, an MBA candidate at the University of Minnesota, who has been held in an immigration detention at the Sherburne County Jail for nearly a month:

“Yesterday, I drove to the Sherburne County Jail to meet with Doğukan Günaydın, an MBA candidate at the University of Minnesota, who has been in immigration detention for nearly a month.

“When Mr. Günaydın was arrested by immigration agents in March, he had valid student status and had not violated this status. Seven hours after he was detained, his student status was terminated without notice or legal basis. Officials later said that his visa was revoked because of a years-old DWI charge – a charge for which Mr. Günaydın had already completed what was required of him under the law. His attorney and others have emphasized that this charge alone does not provide legal basis for the termination of his status. A federal judge granted Mr. Günaydın bond last week, saying that the government was “substantially unlikely” to win their case to deport him. Officials responded by claiming he is a danger to public safety and filing an appeal in order to keep him in detention.

“I would never condone drinking and driving, and at the same time, I can recognize that people make mistakes, and that our criminal justice system exists for the purpose of addressing harms such as this. Notably, our immigration laws also contain provisions designed to hold immigrants accountable for certain serious crimes, of which a single low-level DWI conviction is not included.

“Across the country, the Trump administration has revoked or terminated thousands of student visas due to minor infractions – some as minor as speeding tickets – and in some case cases, for no identifiable reason at all. It is clear to me that these initial cases are the Trump administration testing the waters to see how far we will allow them to go. Already, we are hearing that the Trump administration is planning to target any and all other visa holders who have anything on their record at all. It is easy for them to attack students first, because they are young and they are usually studying here temporarily. It is easy to muddy the waters by calling students criminals. But if we stay silent while this happens, they will undoubtedly come for law-abiding visa holders and permanent residents. In fact, they are already proceeding on those fronts.

“The way these detentions are taking place is reminiscent not of a nation of laws, but of authoritarian regimes. The Trump administration does not apply the law fairly, using the label of ‘criminals’ as a pretext to achieve its anti-immigration agenda. To suggest Mr. Günaydın must be held in detention because he is a danger to public safety shows that to the Trump administration, the presence of any immigrant at all is a danger to public safety. This is not about law and order – it is about purging our country of people from specific countries or with specific points of view.

“We must all stand in solidarity with Mr. Günaydın and international students across the country facing these undemocratic and unlawful tactics. If due process does not exist for one of us, it does not exist for any of us.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) issued the following statement after U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) announced that she will not run for re-election in 2026:

“I am sorry to hear my dear friend Rep. Jan Schakowsky has decided to depart the House of Representatives at the end of the 119th Congress. Over the past 26 years, she has consistently delivered results to better the lives of her constituents and her fellow citizens across the country. Because of Jan’s record of accomplishment, I have no doubt that the people of Illinois’ 9th district would have selected her to be their voice in Washington again, as they did 14 times before. That she decided not to run is a great loss for the Congress and the country. 

“From the Affordable Care Act to many of the historic bills we passed in the 117th Congress, Jan was integral to some of the most significant legislative achievements of the past quarter century. As one of our Chief Deputy Whips, she worked tirelessly to help unite our Caucus around solutions to some of our nation’s most pressing issues. She is a longstanding champion for organized labor, for our nation’s seniors, and for consumer advocacy – a record which predates her time in Congress. 

“Jan’s success as a legislator is built on her integrity, intellect, and kindness as a person. Sadly, those values have become harder and harder to come by in American politics today – and so too have leaders like Jan. I thank her for her decades of service and wish her, her husband Bob, and their family well as this chapter comes to a close.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10)

Washington D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10)’s Falun Gong Protection Act to impose sanctions on the Chinese Communist Party for engaging in forced organ harvesting and other human rights violations against the practitioners of Falun Gong passed the United States House of Representatives.

“The United States, as the beacon of freedom around the world, cannot be silent when the Chinese Community Party is engaged in systemic torturing, incarceration, and forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners,” said Congressman Scott Perry. “I’m encouraged by Congress taking steps to hold the CCP accountable for these atrocities.”

In 2020, the Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China found an “incomprehensible gap” between the number of transplant operations in the People’s Republic of China in comparison to the number of eligible registered donors. Falun Gong practitioners are a main source of organs for forced organ harvesting in China.

The Falun Gong Protection Act imposes sanctions on those who participate in or facilitate forced organ harvesting. The bill directs the Secretary of State to determine whether CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong constitutes crimes against humanity or genocide, alongside a required report on CCP organ transplant policies and practices. Additionally, the bill makes it U.S. policy to avoid any cooperation with the CCP as long as its forced organ transplant industry continues.

The world is becoming aware of the atrocities committed against people who simply want the freedom to practice their religious beliefs – like the practitioners of Falun Gong.

Read the bill here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

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

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, which oversees funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s abrupt termination of arts grants nationwide:

The Trump Administration’s sudden cancellation of hundreds of previously awarded National Endowment for the Arts grants—just hours after the President proposed eliminating the agency entirely in his budget—is an outrageous attack on our nation’s cultural heritage and a reckless decision that will hurt local economies across the country. 

My office is already hearing from treasured Maine arts organizations that were notified late last night that their grants had been abruptly terminated. These organizations, like countless others, had already made programming decisions for the upcoming season and were counting on these funds to pay artists and workers.

Clearly, President Trump fundamentally misunderstands the role of the Endowment—which, through its relatively small budget, underpins the $1.2 trillion economic powerhouse that is the arts and cultural sector. These grants create jobs, support institutions that anchor Main Streets in even the smallest and most rural communities and generate significant additional private investment.

The claim that these grants are being redirected to ‘align with the President’s priorities’ is both disingenuous and concerning. This appears to be yet another attempt to force a cultural institution to serve the President’s pet projects rather than its sacred and longstanding mission to serve the American people. 

As co-chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus and as Ranking Member on the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds the NEA, I will do everything in my power to fight back against this illegal and disgraceful decision. I call on my Republican colleagues—many of whom are longtime supporters of the Endowment—to join me in standing up for our local arts organizations, which drive economic growth and enhance quality of life in every corner of the country. The arts aren’t partisan—they’re essential to who we are as Americans, and vital to the fabric of our communities.

 

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

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD):

Dismantling the EPA’s Office of Research and Development is an unconscionable attack on science and public health. This so-called ‘reorganization’ is a thinly veiled attempt to extinguish the agency’s world-renowned scientific expertise by shuffling scientists to process chemical reviews for industry.

EPA seems to be jumping at the chance to appease DOGE by eliminating federal programs that research new and emerging threats to America’s air and water, jeopardizing public health for the sake of “efficiency.”

 The administration’s claim that this restructuring serves the public interest ignores the basic facts: More than 1,000 critical scientific positions face elimination, including irreplaceable chemists, toxicologists, and environmental biologists. This action violates both congressional intent and federal law. Congress explicitly appropriated funds for EPA’s science and technology initiatives in the current budget—funds that cannot be legally impounded or diverted.

ORD’s work is critical to addressing environmental hazards like PFAS contamination, assessing the health impacts of toxic chemicals, and responding to natural disasters. States rely on the expertise from ORD to meet their regulatory obligations, and dismantling this office will not only stall vital research but also strip the EPA and State partners of their ability to make informed, science-based decisions that protect public health. 

This move follows a disturbing pattern of politically motivated purges within the EPA, where allegiance to the president and his fossil fuel allies takes precedence over expertise and public service. We’re witnessing the transformation of a vital regulatory agency into a rubber stamp for corporate polluters, with career scientists being displaced while industry influence expands. Such actions jeopardize the health and safety of all Americans, particularly those in vulnerable and underserved communities already bearing disproportionate environmental burdens.

I have formally opposed this reckless plan and urge Administrator Zeldin to reverse course immediately. The integrity of the EPA’s scientific research must be preserved to ensure sound policymaking and the continued protection of public health and the environment. The American people will not stand by while their fundamental right to clean air, water, and a healthy environment is sacrificed for the profits of a few.

In March, Pingree, alongside Senate Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), sounded the alarm over the EPA’s plans to dismantle ORD. In a scathing letter to EPA Administrator Zeldin, the ranking members warned this proposal is not just illegal, but would have devastating consequences for human health and the environment.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brian Babin (R-TX)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) has introduced legislation to officially rename the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Chambers County, Texas, as the “Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge,” honoring the memory of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, whose life was tragically cut short in 2024.

In June 2024, Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered in Houston, Texas. Two illegal aliens, allegedly members of the dangerous Tren de Aragua gang, have been charged in connection with her death. In response to this horrific tragedy, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14229 on March 5, 2025, directing that the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge be renamed to honor Jocelyn’s memory. Congressman Babin’s legislation will permanently enshrine this change into law.

“Jocelyn’s murder was a devastating reminder of the consequences of an unsecured border and the innocent lives lost as a result,” said Babin. “Renaming this refuge not only honors Jocelyn’s love for animals and the outdoors, but it also ensures her beautiful spirit will live on in a place of peace and life — a stark contrast to the evil that took her from us far too soon.”

Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), who represents nearby areas in Southeast Texas, added: “Southeast Texas—and our entire nation—will never forget Jocelyn Nungaray. Now, we have a beautiful place that will forever honor her memory and the life she was so cruelly robbed of. This tribute is the very least we can do for the Nungaray family after enduring an unthinkable tragedy no family should ever face.”

Background:

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, located near Houston, is a cherished habitat for countless species and a beloved destination for Texans and visitors alike. Naming the refuge after Jocelyn is a fitting way to honor her love for animals and preserve her spirit within the Texas landscape she called home.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources for further consideration.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Announces Departure of Chief of Staff