MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Rep. Hank Johnson, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc:

“Today’s draconian Supreme Court decision effectively ending nationwide injunctions makes it much more difficult for federal courts to protect our constitutional rights from Trump’s authoritarian overreach. This decision replaces the concept of Justice For All with a ‘pay to play’ system that works only for those who can afford to pay a lawyer to fight for their rights in court. I am more committed than ever to working to secure the constitutional rights of every American in this country – not just those who have curried the President’s favor.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Questions Wisdom of Bypassing Opportunity To Open US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, this week led a letter to Coke Morgan Stewart, acting director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, to inquire as to why her office no longer plans to launch the Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and will instead open it at the USPTO’s Alexandria, Virginia, headquarters.

The letter was cosigned by Georgia U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, and Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Congressman Rich McCormick (GA-07).

The members request answers to their questions about the change by July 9.

The letter states that at the time when Atlanta was chosen — after a lengthy and protracted process — to be the Southeast office that “the USPTO’s press release announcing the Atlanta office, the city’s “growing and diverse economy,” coupled with the resources available to its large number of startups and innovators “made it a top location for the Southeast Regional Office.” Atlanta, according to the USPTO, “has an active and highly ranked research development community with five Tier 1 research universities, one of the top-tier Veterans Administration research hospitals in the nation, and the Centers for Disease Control.”

As far as Congressman Johnson is concerned none of that has changed.

“The entire point of the Unleashing American Innovators Act was to increase participation in the patent system by women, people of color, military veterans, individual inventors, and other groups that are underrepresented in the system,” said Ranking Member Johnson. “Atlanta was rightfully chosen to be that hub because of our vibrancy, innovation and top-notch research institutions. Patents and trademarks are critical elements in creating job growth and jobs and careers of the future. I sincerely hope that the USPTO reconsiders this terrible mistake.”

To read the letter, click HERE.

Full letter below

June 24, 2025
Coke Morgan Stewart
Acting Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

Dear Acting Director Stewart,

On Friday, June 6th, 2025, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced that it no longer plans to launch the Southeast Regional Outreach Office (SEROO) in Atlanta, Georgia, and will instead open it at the USPTO’s Alexandria, Virginia headquarters. We find this decision highly concerning, and we write to request additional information regarding the decision-making process that resulted in this mistake.

After the success of the four regional offices created in the America Invents Act of 2011, Congress sought to add offices around the country to improve Americans’ access to USPTO services. Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass the Unleashing American Innovators Act (UAIA), which President Biden signed into law on December 29, 2022.

The legislation required the USPTO establish a Southeast Regional Office within 
three years of enactment as well as a community outreach office in the northern New England region within five years of enactment, among other provisions designed to bolster USPTO outreach to small and medium-sized businesses across the country.

Atlanta, Georgia was chosen as the SEROO location after a lengthy process designed to meet the requirements stipulated under the UAIA, namely considering the proposed sites’ 1) number of patent-intensive industries, 2) number of research-intensive institutions, and 3) number of existing government, legal, and business frameworks that support intellectual property-intensive industries.

As part of this process, the USPTO issued a request for comments seeking public input on potential regional office locations and received more than 200 comments from the general public, USPTO employees, city and state officials and the business community.

According to the USPTO’s press release announcing the Atlanta office, the city’s “growing and diverse economy,” coupled with the resources available to its large number of startups and innovators “made it a top location for the Southeast Regional Office.”

Atlanta, according to the USPTO, “has an active and highly ranked research development community with five Tier 1 research universities, one of the top-tier Veterans Administration research hospitals in the nation, and the Center for Disease Control.”

While Alexandria, Virginia is in the southeast region of the country, Americans living there are already served by the USPTO headquarters. Regional patent offices allow the USPTO to reach Americans where they live and work. This is not disputed. In fact, the USPTO has an established history of supporting regional offices. In its 2024 report the USPTO wrote, “With the establishment of the regional offices, the USPTO has been able to reach a more diverse set of stakeholders at a more local scale.”

Regional offices, the USPTO continued, allow it to customize in-person educational programming, “including seminars or workshops that educate customers about the patent application process or how to employ IP strategies for entrepreneurs.”

The USPTO has also acknowledged that regional offices are good for the health of our patent ecosystem. Opening regional offices, it wrote in 2024, “has had a positive impact on employee recruitment, and has led to the onboarding of over 400 patent examiners” since 2012.

Regional offices created unique detail opportunities that “create benefits for the employee, the agency, and the public.”

Atlanta was chosen after an intensive process that invited public input. In contrast, the USPTO’s decision to ignore stakeholders and open the SEROO in Alexandria instead was made with no public explanation whatsoever. We therefore request that the USPTO respond to the following questions by July 9, 2025.

1. Did the USPTO consider the required factors under the UAIA for the establishment of an SEROO? If yes, please describe the process in detail.

2. What was the involvement of non-USPTO personnel in the decision to open the SEROO at the USPTO headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia?

3. How does the USTPO plan to engage with the southeast region from Alexandria, Virginia? Please describe the in-person programming planned particularized to the southeast region.

4. Does the USPTO plan to allow the public to comment on the decision not to open the regional office in Atlanta, as decided in 2023?

Sincerely,

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. 
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet | Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives

Jon Ossoff, United States Senator

Raphael Warnock, United States Senator

David Scott
Member of Congress

Lucy McBath
Member of Congress

Rich McCormick, MD, MBA
Member of Congress

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Letter to the Secretary: ‘Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressional Hepatitis Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., expressing grave concern over his recent dismissal of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and warning of the consequences for public health, particularly in the fight against liver disease and cancer.

“For decades, ACIP has served as a trusted, science-based body guiding the nation’s vaccine policy,” said Congressman Johnson. “Its recommendations – including the hepatitis B birth dose – have been instrumental in preventing chronic disease and saving lives. Gutting this committee undermines the progress we’ve made in public health.”

The hepatitis B vaccine is the first-ever vaccine proven to prevent cancer as it can stop chronic hepatitis B infections – the leading cause of liver cancer in the U.S. The universal birth dose recommendation, in place for over 30 years, has driven a 95% reduction in infant hepatitis B infections nationwide.

The letter also emphasizes the role of the hepatitis A vaccine in reducing outbreaks and safeguarding individuals with chronic liver disease, noting that 37 states have reported outbreaks since 2016.

The Caucus Co-Chairs reaffirmed their support for a rigorous vaccine approval process and welcomed further dialogue with Secretary Kennedy to ensure policies continue to be grounded in science, transparency, and a commitment to preventing chronic disease and cancer.

“Great strides have been made in the last several decades, and countless lives have been saved,” the letter concludes. “To alter the government’s recommended vaccination schedule would not only move us backwards but will cause people to die needlessly.”

To read the letter, click HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

Statement of Representative Danny K. Davis

In Opposition of the Big, Bad, Inhumane, and Ugly Republican Bill – July 3, 2025

I rise in strong opposition and could never vote for this Big, Bad, Inhumane, and Ugly bill because it will wreck health care delivery, take food from hungry children, sentence seniors to early deaths, eliminate jobs, and destabilize our economy just to give the super rich and wealthy more influence, more power, more wealth.  It takes from the poor, from the disabled, from the sick, and from the hungry and gives to the wealthy.  

This bill is cruel.  

It is immoral.  

It is a crime about to happen. 

It is draconian.

It is dangerous.

It is criminal.

So, if you want to stop crime, vote no as I will. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

Congressman Danny K. Davis Condemns Unilateral Military Threats, Urges Diplomacy Over War in U.S.–Iran Relations

Go ahead once again, President Trump has overstepped his bounds and is acting like a king, dictator, or something worse. Without any interaction or discussion with Congress, he has attacked congressional intelligence. Anything else. Yeah, like the song said, WAR, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing but to kill. Mean, mainly, disrupt and destroy.

The American people are demonstrating each and every day that we believe Peace and diplomacy are better ways of settling disputes. There’s uncertainty as to what Iran may have or may be developing in the way of nuclear weapons. Let’s rely on intelligence, not the thinking of one man and a few advisors who think whatever they think; let’s negotiate, not bomb.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) joined with Congressman Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and nine other members of Congress to introduce the bipartisan PBM Reform Act, legislation that protects patients and independent pharmacies from harmful business practices used by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

“I’m proud to co-lead the PBM Reform Act to crack down on abusive practices by pharmacy benefit managers and drive down the cost of prescription drugs for working families,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “This bipartisan legislation brings long-overdue transparency and accountability to the prescription drug supply chain, ensuring patients, not middlemen, come first.”

Specifically, the PBM Reform Act:

• Ban “spread pricing” in Medicaid and move to a transparent system that ensures pharmacies are fairly and adequately reimbursed for serving Medicaid beneficiaries.
• Establish new requirements for PBMs under Medicare Part D, including a policy to delink PBM compensation from the cost of medications and increase transparency. 
• Promote transparency for both employers and patients in their prescription drug plans, with semi-annual reporting on drug spending, rebates, and formulary determinations.
• Require Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” contract terms in Medicare Part D pharmacy contracts and enforce oversight on reported violations.

As Ranking Member of the Health and Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee, Congressman Krishnamoorthi has introduced several pieces of bipartisan legislation aimed at reining in the power wielded by PBMs over patients and small, local, independent pharmacies.

The PBM Reform Act comes just months after a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) interim staff report found PBMs prioritize their own pharmacies over independent businesses and significantly upcharge for specialty generic drugs such as those used to treat HIV, cancer, and other serious medical conditions. These practices have allowed the three largest PBMs to grab control of 80 percent of the prescription drug market, contributing to more than 2,000 local and independent pharmacy closures in 2024. In Illinois alone, 73 percent of counties are classified as pharmacy deserts and have no pharmacies located within 10 miles.

In January, Congressman Krishnamoorthi toured Del-Kar Drugs in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, where he spoke about how pharmacy closures are hurting people of color. Congressman Krishnamoorthi also cited data that between 2015 and 2020 in Chicago, more than half of pharmacy closures came in majority Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Joining Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Carter in introducing the PBM Reform Act was Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Greg Murphy (R-NC), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Derek Tran (D-CA), Rick Allen (R-GA), John Rose (R-TN), and Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY).

“It’s time to bust up the PBM monopoly, which has been stealing hope and health from patients for decades. As a pharmacist, I’ve seen how PBMs abuse patients firsthand, and believe that the cure to this infectious disease is transparency, competition, and accountability, which is exactly what our bipartisan package provides,” Congressman Carter said.

“For too long, pharmacy benefit managers have been allowed to operate unchecked, raising prices and preventing many patients from getting the medications they depend on,” Congresswoman Dingell said. “I hear from too many Michiganders, especially seniors, who can’t conveniently access the prescriptions they need, due to exploitative PBM practices complicating access to their local pharmacies. Their harmful, aggressive tactics are only getting worse, and we must take action now to protect pharmacies and lower patient costs. I remain committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this across the finish line.”

“Unaffordable health care, unclear pricing practices, and a burdensome system that is difficult to navigate has created life-threatening barriers to care for Americans,” Congressman Murphy, M.D, said. “At the heart of this problem are pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), middlemen who withhold money from independent pharmacies, obscure drug costs, and make out like bandits, all at the expense of patients. This corruption of the health care delivery system must stop. For years, we have heard from small business owners, physicians, and patients about the damage greedy PBMs have inflicted. I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation to put an end to the extortion and lower drug costs through increased transparency and competition.”

“For too long, PBMs have served as unregulated middlemen, driving up prices for life-saving medications for patients,” Congresswoman Ross said. “Nobody should have to choose between paying for life-saving medication and putting food on the table. Our bipartisan PBM Reform Act will protect Americans from abusive practices that raise prices and reduce fairness. I’m proud to work with Rep. Carter on these long overdue reforms. It’s past time to hold PBMs accountable and ensure every American can access the medications they need.”

“It’s time to put an end to the shady and manipulative practices of pharmacy benefit managers. For too long, PBMs have driven up drug prices and padded their pockets while independent community pharmacies are being pushed to the financial brink. My colleagues and I are committed to changing that. This legislation delivers long-overdue accountability, increases transparency, lowers out-of-pocket costs for families, and saves taxpayer dollars. Local pharmacies and the patients they serve are at a breaking point, and they deserve relief. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill and look forward to passing real PBM reform that will deliver for both patients and providers,” Congressman Harshbarger said. 

“Pharmacy Benefit Managers line their pockets and drive up the cost of life saving drugs at the expense of South Texans and the community pharmacies they depend on — this is shameful, dangerous, and must be stopped,” Congressman Gonzalez said. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Buddy Carter that puts patients first, increases price transparency, and holds PBMs accountable.”

“PBM reform has long been a pressing issue, not only in rural Georgia, but across the nation. I am proud to work with Representative Carter on this commonsense package to eliminate the use of spread pricing, make prescription drugs more affordable, and establish rigorous oversight over PBM tactics that threaten access to care. Our health care system is in need of patient-centered, cost-effective, market-driven solutions and this package delivers,” Congressman Allen said.

“Seniors should be able to fill the prescriptions they need without having to drive long distances or pay exorbitant costs,” Congressman Rose said. “For far too long, Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) have favored large chains and driven away customers from independent pharmacies, especially those in rural communities. I am proud to co-lead this legislation, which will be a gamechanger for countless Tennesseans.”

“Southern California families are seeing their cost-of-living skyrocket, especially the cost of essential health care. I’m laser-focused on bipartisan, common-sense solutions that bring down costs and ensure that our economy works for working families. My experience running a community pharmacy with my wife showed me firsthand the urgent need for greater transparency and accountability in how Pharmacy Benefit Managers operate. That is why I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan effort with Representatives Carter and Dingell to reform PBM practices, increase transparency, and put patients first,” Congressman Tran said.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this critical PBM reform package, which cracks down on the exploitative pricing tactics of pharmacy benefit managers to make prescription drugs more affordable,” Congresswoman Malliotakis said. “PBMs’ shady practices have left consumers footing the bill and are driving many ‘Mom & Pop’ pharmacies in my district out of business. Our legislation will deliver long-overdue reforms to increase price transparency and protect patients. Now is the time for Congress to act and get PBM reform across the finish line.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (R-UT), co-chairs of the bipartisan Caucus to End Youth Vaping, sent a letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary urging stronger enforcement against illegal e-cigarette products that are fueling youth nicotine addiction. The effort for greater enforcement comes as more than 6,000 flavored e-cigarettes, many of them targeted and advertised at children and young people, remain available for purchase online and in stores, despite the FDA having only authorized the sale of 34 e-cigarettes.

“These products come in a large variety of youth-appealing flavors, such as pink lemonade, cotton candy, and bubblegum,” the lawmakers wrote, noting that 87.6 percent of youth users reported using flavored products, and 70.3 percent cited flavors as the reason they vape. “Some of the latest e-cigarette products now have built-in video games and smartphone-like features…allowing kids to play video games, send text messages, and use social media.”

“We applaud Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Maloy and their colleagues for their leadership in urging the FDA to prioritize efforts to continue reducing youth use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. We join them in calling on the FDA and other federal agencies to utilize all tools at their disposal to prevent youth tobacco use, including enforcement actions to prevent illegal e-cigarettes from being imported, distributed, and sold in the United States,” Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said.

The lawmakers pointed to widespread youth e-cigarette use and the aggressive marketing of products with high nicotine levels and kid-friendly features in the letter. In 2024 alone, over 1.6 million youth, including nearly eight percent of high school students, used e-cigarettes, with 42 percent of high school users reporting frequent or daily use. The lawmakers also expressed their concern about the recent layoffs at the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, warning that a smaller staff will make a crackdown on these illegal e-cigarettes challenging. The lack of enforcement opens the door for Big Tobacco to shackle more young people to addiction and the numerous health hazards and chronic diseases that come along with it, such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Joining Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Congresswoman Maloy in drafting the letter were Reps. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Mike Kennedy (R-UT), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Burgess Owens (R-UT), Blake Moore (R-UT), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL).

The full letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

SCHAUMBURG, IL – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to Senate Republicans passing their budget reconciliation bill:

“Senate Republicans just rammed through a budget bill that guts our social safety net and slashes over $1 trillion from Medicaid—all to bankroll massive tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Millions will lose health care, families will go hungry, and the ultra-wealthy will cash in. This isn’t fiscal responsibility—it’s moral failure. I’ll fight this cruel betrayal of working Americans every step of the way.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

CHICAGO – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) visited a Planned Parenthood of Illinois (PPIL) facility in downtown Chicago to discuss the potentially drastic impacts of President Donald Trump’s proposed spending bill and the Supreme Court’s decision last week that allows states to cut off government funding for Planned Parenthood. Following a tour of the center, Congressman Krishnamoorthi joined a press conference with PPIL Interim President and CEO Tonya Tucker, providers, and community advocates to denounce both the budget proposal and the Supreme Court decision, calling them both dangerous for Illinoisans and Americans across the country, no matter where they live. The congressman’s visit to the PPIL center came a week after the three-year anniversary of the Dobbs ruling that has allowed nearly 20 states, including several neighboring Illinois, to pass near or total abortion bans.

“Targeting Planned Parenthood isn’t just about reproductive rights, it’s a direct attack on basic health care for thousands of Illinoisans,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “From the Trump administration’s illegal withholding of Title X funding to the Supreme Court’s Medina ruling allowing states to exclude Planned Parenthood from Medicaid to the GOP’s push to slash $1 trillion from the program, the message is clear: women’s health is on the chopping block. I’ll fight tooth and nail to stop these cruel cuts and protect reproductive health care for all.”

During the press conference, Senate Republicans began voting on their massive reconciliation budget package. This legislation calls for billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, which could result in more than 700,000 Illinoisans losing access to their health care, including more than 30,000 Planned Parenthood patients. Congressman Krishnamoorthi remains committed to fighting back against any cuts to Medicaid and other critical social safety net programs and will vote against the Republican budget bill if it reaches the House floor this week.

Both Congressman Krishnamoorthi and PPIL’s Tonya Tucker also called attention to the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to gut Planned Parenthood, even in states such as Illinois that have become sanctuary states for reproductive health care in the years following the Dobbs decision. Under the current Republican budget proposal, one-third of Planned Parenthood health clinics could close nationwide. President Trump has also attempted to withhold federal funding for Title X, which provides resources for family planning and preventative health services, and block coverage for reproductive health care under the Affordable Care Act.

The Supreme Court’s decision last Thursday to allow states to completely cut off government funding for Planned Parenthood will also have wide-ranging negative consequences, not just for abortion care but also for non-abortion health care such as screenings for cancer, tests for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and other reproductive care. Illinois already serves as a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of Americans who live in neighboring states that have enacted near or total abortion bans or have forced the closure of most or all of their Planned Parenthood clinics.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

Legislation comes after Trump deployed National Guard to LA, threatened to ramp up ICE enforcement in Chicago