Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)
ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Kudlow to Discuss President Trump Holding Harvard Accountable and House Republicans Passing His Agenda in Congress | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Trump cut $106 million to Massachusetts schools, imperiling literacy programs, air quality updates, math tutoring, and more.
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), joined Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, and the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Representatives Richard Neal (MA-01), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and Bill Keating (MA-09) in writing to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon after the U.S. Department of Education notified the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that the Department would rescind $106 million in funding already disbursed to school districts across the state for K-12 education. This clawback is part of a nationwide Trump administration effort to wrest from 41 states more than $2 billion in funding intended to support students and educators.
In the letter the lawmakers write, “Congress authorized this funding as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and Massachusetts has continuously distributed it to local school districts. The Trump administration advised Massachusetts that American Rescue Plan Act funding would remain available until March 2026. As of last week, school districts across the Commonwealth expected to receive it, to the tune of $106 million. Relying on the expectation set by the Trump administration, school districts and schools developed their budgets and made spending decisions. For example, the New Bedford school district allocated funds for a school-based health center. Some school districts were anticipating using the funding for mental health supports, security, air quality improvement, and math tutoring.”
The lawmakers continue, “Instead, many school districts will now lose millions of dollars. New Bedford faces more than $15 million in losses. Springfield could lose more than $47 million. Although the Department represented that it would instead consider making funding available to states on an ‘individual project-specific basis,’ that pathway would create red tape by requiring school districts to invest time and resources to request funding that the Trump administration promised would remain available. The Administration’s reneging on its funding promise is both harmful and incredibly frustrating to students, families, educators, and school district leaders, especially considering that the funding the Administration is now pulling back may be used to fuel billionaire tax cuts at the expense of students.”
The lawmakers conclude, “The about-face on the continued availability of this essential funding is an insult to the hardworking educators, school staff, and public officials who are dedicated to providing students the best possible opportunities. Massachusetts gives students the best education in the country. We urge you to reverse course and allow leaders in the Commonwealth to deliver for students and communities without continued chaos and disruption.”
Impacted school districts in Massachusetts:
Representative Pressley has continuously fought back against the Trump administration’s attacks on education and standing up for students, educators, and their families. On March 20, she condemned Trump’s executive order dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. On February 10, she took to the House floor to uplift the essential federal role of in education and give Republicans a well-needed history lesson.
On February 6, Representative Pressley, Senator Markey, members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, along with the Massachusetts Teachers Association, American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of School Committees, and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, released a joint statement after President Trump vowed to dismantle the Department of Education.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)
CHICAGO, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) met with Cook County Health CEO Dr. Erik Mikaitis and leaders from Protect Our Care Illinois for a roundtable discussion with local health care providers, advocates, and patients on the devastating impact of Medicaid cuts proposed by Congressional Republicans. The event followed the House GOP’s passage of a budget resolution that would pave the way for $1.5 trillion in federal spending cuts. According to policy experts, the plan could strip health care coverage from up to 862,774 Illinoisans while jeopardizing access for all 3.4 million Medicaid recipients across the state—including two out of every five infants and two-thirds of nursing home residents.
“Let’s be clear: House Republicans’ plans to cut Medicaid would be draconian and extreme,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “We’re not talking about abstract numbers—we’re talking about real people who will lose their health care, their peace of mind, and, in some cases, their lives. I grew up relying on programs like SNAP and public housing. These programs gave me a shot at the American Dream, and I won’t stop fighting to protect them for the next generation.”
Congressman Krishnamoorthi voted against the Republican budget resolution last week and pledged to continue fighting it in the House. He also called out Republican leadership for pursuing drastic cuts to safety-net programs like Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans.
“Every Medicaid proposal being discussed or debated at the federal level will negatively impact our communities. Whether it is eliminating ACA expansion or provider taxes or implementing work requirements or per capita caps, these changes will result in eligible residents in need losing access to health care,” Dr. Erik Mikaitis, Cook County Health CEO, said. “Medicaid is one of the most effective public investments we can make in the health of Americans, and I am grateful to Congressman Krishnamoorthi and our Illinois delegation for their commitment to protecting this essential program.”
“Republicans in Congress are rushing massive cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax breaks that only benefit the wealthy and big corporations,” Kathy Waligora, EverThrive Illinois and founding member of Protect Our Care Illinois, said. “If they are successful, health insurance will be terminated for many of the 3.4 million Illinoisans enrolled in Medicaid, including half of our kids and pregnant people. There is only one path forward for the health of our people and our communities, and Protect Our Care Illinois is standing with people across our state to send a message to Congress: Hands off of our Medicaid.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
Washington, DC – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, alongside Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, and Johnny Olszewski, Democratic Members of the Africa Subcommittee, today issued a joint statement marking the two-year anniversary of the outbreak of war in Sudan:
“It is time to permanently end the brutal violence perpetrated by the warring parties in Sudan and return to a path toward peace and a civilian-led democracy. On this somber day marking two years since the outbreak of the Sudan war, we call on the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and allied militias to come to the negotiating table and put a stop to this brutal conflict. They all must ensure unfettered humanitarian access and abide by their repeated commitments to protect civilians, end reprisal killings, and ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes and other atrocities.
“External actors like the UAE must immediately stop fueling the conflict by arming the warring parties and instead work with international partners to apply pressure on the parties to reach an agreement. And all conflict stakeholders must recognize that, in order for any peace agreement to be successful, it must include Sudanese civil society members as full participants and contributors. Additionally, a sustainable peace agreement must provide for an end to military rule, the establishment of a civilian government, and a clear roadmap to democratic elections.
“We call on President Trump and his administration to stop exacerbating the situation in Sudan through unlawful aid cuts and to immediately restore all U.S. foreign assistance for Sudan and its humanitarian crisis. Mutual aid societies like the Emergency Response Rooms are critical lifelines for conflict-affected civilians, and they deserve more international support. This moment demands renewed and consistent attention from the United States government and our partners in order to bring an end to the killing and help the Sudanese people emerge from this national nightmare.”
Additional background: Since the war started, over 150,000 people in Sudan have been killed, more than 12 million displaced from their homes, and 25 million – half of Sudan’s population – currently face acute food insecurity in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. The U.S. State Department found the warring parties – the RSF and SAF – have committed war crimes and other atrocities, including mass sexual violence. The State Department also determined the RSF has committed genocide. Over the weekend, the RSF escalated its attacks in El Fasher, targeting civilians, relief workers, and lifesaving services in Zamzam, Abu Shouk, and Naivasha IDP camps.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov
c: 202.913.0126
WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement:
“Among the limitless list of Donald Trump’s abuses, illegality, and cruelty, what this disgraceful president has engineered in El Salvador is an atrocity comparable only to America’s most mortal sins. Without convictions and, in many cases, without even trials, his administration expelled hundreds of men innocent in the eyes of the law to a foreign prison 3,000 miles from their families. However, in the eyes of Donald Trump, our laws are secondary to filling up his quota for human suffering. Let’s be clear: this is an existentially dangerous situation for our nation.
“Yesterday, this administration’s vile undertaking culminated in an Oval Office meeting between Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, the president of El Salvador. There, we watched these two eager, up-and-coming dictators who are obsessed with keeping and accruing power fall abruptly powerless when asked if they’d abide by the United States Supreme Court’s unanimous order to save the life of an innocent man, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Rather than admit their error in condemning Mr. Abrego Garcia to rot in El Salvador’s violent mega-prison, CECOT, they lied and maligned him as a ‘terrorist.’ They mocked the reporters who questioned their actions. And they feigned total exasperation that any court would have the authority to give them orders.
“In the same meeting, we also heard President Trump tell the small tyrant to his left that ‘Home-growns are next’ – a reference to his intention to inflict the same fate upon American citizens. What’s more, the president’s promise comes in the aftermath of his Administration’s proposed partnership with the despicable gang of mercenaries and war criminals known as Blackwater, which has volunteered to design their next phase of mass detention. In the context of this administration’s war against due process and the rights of everyone in this country to the presumption of innocence, these developments are deeply, deeply disturbing.
“While this situation is already severely troubling, I am certain it will only continue to deteriorate without Congressional intervention. To my Republican colleagues, I ask you to stand up for justice and against authoritarianism. I ask you to commit yourself to the truth and to what is right. And, when you fail to answer, I ask: what will it take for you to say that innocent men do not have to die just so the president does not have to admit he’s wrong?
“We know the Trump Administration broke the law when it sentenced these men to a gulag in El Salvador. We know it’s breaking the law again by not even trying to overturn the death sentences it has passed. And, while I am haunted by what has transpired from the deliberate actions of this president and his administration, we now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is no longer a Constitutional crisis – it’s an all-out catastrophe. On the orders of this president, our foundational principle of “Innocent until proven guilty” is over. Donald Trump believes every and any American is either guilty today, or guilty tomorrow. Under this administration, it’s only a matter of time until our day comes.”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02) led a letter signed by 37 Members of Congress to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, expressing concerns regarding the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14225 calling for a fast-tracked expansion of U.S. timber production.
“We urge you to consider the devastating and long-lasting impacts that increased logging will have on our federal forests and future generations of Americans,” wrote the lawmakers.
Federal forests provide a multitude of services for all Americans, and unchecked expansion of logging on these lands threatens our access to clean air, clean water, and the iconic recreational spaces that millions of Americans visit every year. By issuing E.O. 14225, President Trump is prioritizing timber production over all other uses of public lands—regardless of ecological impacts or wildfire mitigation.
“We are particularly concerned that the President’s push to expand timber production will target older trees,” the lawmakers continued. “[…] Mature and old growth forests are a vital resource, providing important habitat for endangered species, mitigating climate change through the absorption and long-term storage of carbon, and protecting vital watersheds that many Americans depend on. Older trees are often more resilient to wildfires because of their thick protective bark and higher canopies. Clearing the way for the destruction of precisely the type of tree that is the best at resisting wildfires is counterproductive and ironic.”
As Co-Chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC) and Co-Chair of the SEEC Lands, Waters, and Nature Task Force, Congresswoman Matsui has long been a champion of protecting public lands and critical habitat, preserving the environment, and advancing nature-based approaches to addressing climate change. This letter follows a series of letters the Congresswoman led in April 2023, April 2024 and September 2024, urging the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to take additional measures to protect old-growth forests.
A copy of the letter can be found below and HERE.
Dear Secretary Rollins and Secretary Burgum,
We write to express our concerns regarding the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order (E.O.) 14225 calling for a fast-tracked expansion of U.S. timber production. Our federal forests provide a multitude of services for all Americans, and unchecked expansion of logging on these lands threatens our access to clean air, clean water, and the iconic recreational spaces that millions of Americans visit every year. While ecologically appropriate thinning can be important for preventing and reducing the severity of wildfire in some circumstances, E.O. 14225 explicitly prioritizes timber production, regardless of ecological impacts or wildfire mitigation. We urge you to consider the devastating and long-lasting impacts that increased logging will have on our federal forests and future generations of Americans.
All of this comes as the Trump administration is working to dramatically reduce the workforce of federal land management agencies. Efforts to hollow out agencies raise significant concerns about the ability of the remaining personnel to facilitate the requirements of the E.O. while simultaneously preparing for the upcoming wildfire and tourism season. This is especially perplexing, and we encourage you to ensure that the desired focus on timber production does not come at the expense of other critical priorities.
We are particularly concerned that the President’s push to expand timber production will target older trees. There are alarmingly few old-growth forests left in the United States, and those that remain are found largely on federal lands. Mature and old growth forests are a vital resource, providing important habitat for endangered species, mitigating climate change through the absorption and long-term storage of carbon, and protecting vital watersheds that many Americans depend on. Older trees are often more resilient to wildfires because of their thick protective bark and higher canopies. Clearing the way for the destruction of precisely the type of tree that is the best at resisting wildfires is counterproductive and ironic.
Furthermore, E.O. 14225 entirely ignores the legal mandate from Congress to manage these public forests for multiple uses, not just timber production, in the National Forest Management Act. We are deeply concerned it directs agencies, including your own, to undermine both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA) in order to fast-track timber harvesting. NEPA guarantees that communities have a seat at the table to work in an informed and cooperative manner with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to generate the best alternatives for achieving desired conditions in our forests. Any policy changes directed by E.O. 14225 must not come at the expense of public involvement in decision making.
We are equally concerned about the direction to exploit ESA emergency provisions and the Endangered Species Committee; this seemingly attempts to allow logging projects to bypass essential protections for endangered species and worsen the ongoing biodiversity crisis.
Given the potentially devastating effects on the environment and human health of this rash and short-sighted E.O, we urge you to consider the long-term consequences. Our forests are essential to protect our climate, safeguard biodiversity, maintain our clean water supply, and provide the kind of recreation opportunities that have long been central to the American way of life.
We look forward to ongoing coordination and communication as your respective Departments interpret and implement the directives E.O. 14255.
# # #
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)
On Monday, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) joined Department of Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Representative Austin Scott (GA-08) in touring the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin. During the visit, the group met with Veterans, facility leaders, and VA employees. The Secretary’s visit marks the first time a VA secretary has visited the Carl Vinson VAMC in 15 years.
“Secretary Collins is committed to reforming the VA to better serve our nation’s Veterans and I am grateful that he took the time to visit the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center in Dublin. We had productive and thoughtful conversations with the current leadership team, Veterans, and staff about needed improvements at the facility to ensure that those who have selflessly served our country receive the high-quality care they have earned. Our Veterans in the 12th District and across the state should feel confident that they have a partner and tireless advocate in Secretary Collins, and I will continue to work in lockstep with the administration to achieve our shared mission of excellence at the VA,” said Congressman Allen (GA-12).
“Under President Trump, VA is putting Veterans first. That starts by having honest conversations like the ones we had in Dublin this week. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from local Veterans and staff, whose feedback will help us make VA work better for Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
“I appreciate my long time friend, Secretary Collins, visiting the Dublin VA Hospital this week. Secretary Collins is a good man, and I’m confident that veterans’ health care will improve under his leadership in Georgia and nationally,” said Congressman Scott.
Successful VA accomplishments and milestones reached during the second Trump Administration so far include:
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
April 15, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Doris Matsui (CA-07) led 37 of their colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, expressing concerns regarding President Trump’s Executive Order that calls for a fast-tracked expansion of U.S. timber production.
“We urge you to consider the devastating and long-lasting impacts that increased logging will have on our federal forests and future generations of Americans. Federal forests provide a multitude of services for all Americans, and unchecked expansion of logging on these lands threatens our access to clean air, clean water, and the iconic recreational spaces that millions of Americans visit every year. By issuing E.O. 14225, President Trump is prioritizing timber production over all other uses of public lands—regardless of ecological impacts or wildfire mitigation,” the lawmakers wrote.
“We are particularly concerned that the President’s push to expand timber production will target older trees,” the lawmakers continued. “Mature and old growth forests are a vital resource, providing important habitat for endangered species, mitigating climate change through the absorption and long-term storage of carbon, and protecting vital watersheds that many Americans depend on. Older trees are often more resilient to wildfires because of their thick protective bark and higher canopies. Clearing the way for the destruction of precisely the type of tree that is the best at resisting wildfires is counterproductive and ironic.”
In addition to Reps. Huffman and Matsui, the letter was signed by Reps. Betty McCollum, Sean Casten, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Jerrold Nadler, Pramila Jayapal, Maxine Waters, Kevin Mullin, Steve Cohen, James P. McGovern, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Adriano Espaillat, Jan Schakowsky, Sara Jacobs, Shri Thanedar, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Julia Brownley, Mark DeSaulnier, Andrea Salinas, Diana DeGette, Salud Carbajal, Mike Quigley, Emanuel Cleaver, II, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Zoe Lofgren, Paul D. Tonko, Judy Chu, Becca Balint, Ted W. Lieu, Melanie Stansbury, Mike Levin, Suzanne Bonamici, and Joe Neguse.
Read the full letter here.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Bacon & Chu Statement on White House’s Proposed Budget Cuts to NASA Science
WASHINGTON – Recently, President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) reportedly sent a preliminary budget plan to NASA that proposes a 50% cut to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and to eliminate funding for the Mars Sample Return (MRS) mission led by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which is owned by NASA and administered by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Rep. Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) and Judy Chu (CA-28), who both co-Chair the bipartisan Congressional Planetary Science Caucus, released the following joint statement today in response:
“As Co-Chairs of the Planetary Science Caucus, we are extremely alarmed by reports of a preliminary White House budget that proposes cutting NASA Science funding by almost half and terminating dozens of programs already well underway, like the Mars Sample Return mission and the Roman Space Telescope. NASA Science is a cornerstone of our nation’s space program, supporting thousands of jobs nationwide and driving countless scientific discoveries and technological advancements. If enacted, these proposed cuts would demolish our space economy and workforce, threaten our national security and defense capabilities, and ultimately surrender the United States’ leadership in space, science, and technological innovation to our adversaries. The United States must be the first to land and return samples from Mars and return humans to the moon for the first time in more than half a century. We will work closely with our colleagues in Congress on a bipartisan basis to push back against these proposed cuts and program terminations and to ensure full and robust funding for NASA Science in Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations. Together, we must maintain America’s preeminence in space.”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), led 58 of their colleagues in a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Senior Official Performing the Duties of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Cameron Hamilton expressing deep concern over the reckless attempt to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and the risk that halting approved BRIC projects poses to vulnerable communities.
The BRIC program plays a critical role in supporting pre-disaster mitigation and strengthening community resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters. In Colorado, where wildfires have burned over 1.5 million acres in the last 25 years, BRIC funding has been used to upgrade infrastructure, modernize water systems, and reduce wildfire risks in high-threat areas. BRIC saves lives, protects homes and schools, and reduces the devastating costs of recovery.
In a letter, the Members shared: “Across our districts, natural disasters are no longer confined to a ‘season’; instead, the risks persist throughout the year, and it’s critical to prepare our communities as we learn to live with worsening natural disasters. Building resilient communities is an undeniable role of the federal government, and the unlawful termination of BRIC abandons our commitment to the communities that we serve.”
The Members continued: “The urgent and timely need for action on natural disaster preparedness and mitigation cannot be overstated. Any delay in funding and implementation of critical programs threatens the safety and resilience of our communities.
The Members are demanding the following:
Full text of the letter can be found HERE.