MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) will receive four grants totaling $2,447,031 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

One grant, for $678,934, is for research on novel host-adaptation mechanisms regulating Aspergillus pathogenic fitness under the direction of Dr. Jerrod R. Fortwendel from the National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Aspergillus fumigatus are a species of fungi which are the most prevalent invasive mold infections in immunocompromised individuals. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control list it as a pathogen of grave concern. Therefore, new treatments are urgently needed. This project focuses on the mechanisms of how these fungi cause damage, with the goal of identifying new targets for antifungal drugs. A second grant, for $645,060, is for breast cancer research to develop new classes of drugs which evade drug resistance under the direction of Dr. Wei Li from the National Cancer Institute.  A third grant, for $624,442, is for research on epigenetic regulation of heart function in health and aging under the direction of Dr. Zhongjie Sun from the National Institute on Aging. Epigenetic changes to the DNA are those generated by environmental factors (such as proximity to chemical processing plants or exposure to toxins from environmental pollutants) or behavioral factors, such as from smoking. This work may offer new preventative and therapeutic approaches for aging-associated kidney dysfunction and hypertension. And a fourth grant, for $498,595, is for studying neonatal cerebral vascular injury by prolonged asphyxia under the direction of Dr. Helena Parfenova of the Department of Physiology from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The neonatal brain is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in its blood supply. Cerebral dysfunction caused by excessive production of certain inflammatory markers during asphyxia (the severe lack of oxygen reaching the body’s tissues and organs) frequently produces lifelong complications. This project aims to identify new approaches to enhance vascular protection to reduce complications from asphyxia. 

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“I am always pleased to see this kind of major investment in medical research at our medical school. I congratulate Drs. Fortwendel, Li, Sun and Parfenova for obtaining this research funding and wish them all the best as they pursue their goals.”

# # #

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

In collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“Stories like Claudia’s and so many others must lead to action. Because the end of TPS means more and more of our neighbors will be targeted by ICE,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Right now, ICE agents are overrunning airports to catch law-abiding residents like Claudia, upending lives, wasting taxpayer dollars, and betraying America’s values. Every dollar we spend to build mass detention centers is a dollar not spent on making life more affordable for working families.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

Nearly 50,000 people in the Inland Empire risk losing their health coverage due to Republican cuts in the Big Ugly Bill

SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) visited Neighborhood Healthcare in Rialto and the InnovAge PACE Center in San Bernardino, two healthcare facilities impacted by Republican cuts to Medicaid and Medicare made in the Big Ugly Bill. The healthcare centers provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services to Inland Empire residents. Both centers’ patients now face the risk of losing their care due to federal cuts to health coverage programs and rising healthcare costs. 
Neighborhood Healthcare Rialto is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering primary care, dental care, pediatric care and behavioral health services to Inland Empire residents. Approximately 87% of Neighborhood Healthcare’s patients rely on Medi-Cal to pay for their care. Since the enactment of Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, the center has lost over 13% of its Medi-Cal patients due to cuts and rising costs, with further losses anticipated. 
The InnovAge PACE Center in San Bernardino offers primary care, therapy, meals and social services to nearly 1,500 Medicaid-Medicare dual-eligible seniors in the region. You can find photos from the visits above and here.
“Rialto Neighborhood Healthcare and the San Bernardino InnovAge PACE Center provide essential, quality and affordable healthcare to thousands of Inland Empire families,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “But now, many of the seniors, children, veterans and others who receive care from these centers may no longer be able to afford it thanks to Republican cuts to Medi-Cal and Medicare made in the Big Ugly Bill. I’ll keep fighting back against these reckless attacks on lifesaving healthcare programs and work to make sure that California families can get the care they need, without breaking the bank.”
“Our multi-lingual programs and resources help individuals and families with everything from obtaining insurance coverage to getting food assistance,” said Dr. Rakesh Patel, CEO, Neighborhood Healthcare. “Just as Medicare and Medicaid intended when it launched exactly 61 years ago, we believe access to quality, compassionate, whole-person care is a right, not a privilege. We don’t turn anyone away in Rialto and the surrounding areas from getting the health services they need.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Emily Randall (WA-06), and Mark Takano (CA-39) led 113 of their colleagues in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, Russell Vought, regarding reports that the Trump Administration has directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) not to renew approximately $46 million in direct HIV prevention grants supporting 96 community-based organizations across the country. Reports show that OMB instructed CDC to route these congressionally appropriated funds through state and local health departments rather than renewing the awards directly to the community-based organizations. This change could create significant disruptions in HIV prevention services, undermining longstanding congressional investments in ending the HIV epidemic.

“We write regarding reports that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) not to renew approximately $46 million in direct HIV/AIDS prevention grants supporting 96 community-based organizations (CBOs) under PS21-2102, despite Congress appropriating these funds for HIV prevention activities,” the Members began. “These organizations provide HIV testing, linkage to care, referrals for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), outbreak response, and other evidence-based prevention services that protect our citizens and help stop the spread of HIV nationwide.”

“Despite this successful model, OMB has reportedly instructed CDC to redirect these resources through state and local health departments, putting the status of this funding and the very existence of these community-based organizations in jeopardy,” the Members continue. “This reported decision raises serious concerns regarding the implementation of congressional appropriations, continuity of HIV prevention services, and the Administration’s commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.”

“According to reporting, the Administration intends for states to determine whether to subcontract funding to these organizations,” the Members go on to write. “However, this approach fundamentally changes how Congress has historically supported HIV prevention infrastructure and introduces uncertainty into organizations’ ability to continue providing uninterrupted services. Additionally, reports indicate that organizations losing direct CDC funding may also lose their eligibility to participate in the 340B Drug Pricing Program through these grants, which could greatly increase the cost of providing HIV prevention medications and related services to our communities.”

“Congress has consistently demonstrated bipartisan support for evidence-based HIV prevention programs. And unless Congress directs otherwise, appropriated funds should be administered in a manner consistent with congressional intent and longstanding program implementation… The United States has made extraordinary progress in reducing HIV transmission through sustained investments in evidence-based prevention, community partnerships, and early linkage to care. Disrupting longstanding prevention infrastructure, without a transparent public health justification, risks reversing decades of bipartisan progress and undermining congressional investments in ending the HIV epidemic,” the Members concluded.

A digital copy of the letter can be found here.

Signers (113):Mark Pocan (WI-02), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Emily Randall (WA-06), Mark Takano (CA-39), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT), Nanette Barragan (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo Hernández (PR), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), William Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE), Jim McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica Wilson (FL-24)

National Endorsements: AIDS Institute, AVAC, HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, HIV Alliance, HIV Medicine Association, Save HIV Funding Campaign, NMAC, PrEP4All, NASTAD

State/Local Endorsements: Health Services Center (AL), APLA Health (CA), Family Health Centers of San Diego (CA), APNH: A Place to Nourish your Health (CT), South Side Help Center (IL), Indigenous Peoples Task Force (MN), Hyacinth Foundation (NJ), Migrant Health Center Western Region (TN), FLAS, Inc. (TX)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

MEADVILLE, PA — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) announced he will join officials from Crawford County Veterans Services to co-host their annual Veteran Resource Fair on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the Downtown Mall in Meadville. All veterans, active-duty service members, and their families are encouraged to attend.

The Veteran Resource Fair is held in partnership with Crawford County Veterans Services. Over 50 organizations and agencies from Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District are scheduled to attend. They will be available to answer questions, provide information, and connect attendees with important services and resources.

“Our veterans and service members have sacrificed so much to protect our country, and we have a responsibility to ensure they receive the support they have earned,” Rep. Kelly said. “This annual resource fair brings trusted organizations together in one convenient location to help veterans and their families find answers, access services, and make valuable connections. I want to thank Tony Digiacomo and his team for their incredible work organizing this event every year. I look forward to welcoming everyone to Meadville.”

Anyone with questions about the event may call Rep. Kelly’s Hermitage District Office at 724-342-7170 or Crawford County Veterans Services at 814-333-7300.

 

DETAILS

Who: U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, Crawford County Veterans Services, and veterans’ agencies
What: Crawford County Veteran Resource Fair
When: Thursday, August 6, 2026, from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Downtown Mall
             900 Water St.
             Meadville, PA 16335

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

July 30, 2026 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON–U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) today introduced the Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act, bipartisan legislation that would help communities redevelop former military installations. The bill expands Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) designation to include Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites. It allows states to nominate these areas for QOZ eligibility without counting them against the current cap on eligible Opportunity Zone tracts. The bill is carried in the Senate by Sens. Dave McCormick (R-Penn.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). “As the only active-duty veteran in the House Republican Conference serving on Ways and Means, I’ve seen firsthand what these communities give to our national defense, and I know what it takes to help them rebuild when a base closes,” said Rep. Greg Steube. “This bill gives states a tool to attract private investment into these communities without taking opportunity away from any other zone already on the map.” Since 1988, the Department of War has conducted five rounds of BRAC, closing or realigning hundreds of military installations nationwide. Many of these communities continue to face economic challenges including job losses, declining tax revenues, and the cost of redeveloping aging infrastructure. BRAC sites often include substantial existing infrastructure, transportation access, and developable land well-suited to advance manufacturing, logistics, energy production, and other economic activity. Expanding Opportunity Zone eligibility to these areas is intended to encourage long-term private investment and accelerate redevelopment in communities affected by base closures. The Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act retains the requirement that states nominate BRAC locations for designation, while ensuring these tracts do not count against the total number of QOZs currently allowed under law. The full text of the Increasing Opportunity for Reindustrialization Act is available here.
###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

Full Text of Bill (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, along with U.S. Representatives Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Rob Menendez (NJ-08), reintroduced the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act to restore the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Section 13(b) consumer protection authority and ensure the agency can return money to consumers harmed by fraud, scams, and other illegal activities.

“For decades, the FTC relied on Section 13(b) to return billions of dollars to consumers cheated by scammers, fraudsters, and other bad actors until the Supreme Court stripped that authority away in 2021,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “The Consumer Protection and Recovery Act previously passed the House with bipartisan support because protecting consumers should never be a partisan issue. If you’re cheated, you deserve to get your money back. Congress should restore the FTC’s ability to put consumers first, hold bad actors accountable, and return money to victims of fraud. The American people deserve an FTC that stands up for consumers and ensures that those who break the law are held accountable.” 

“Americans deserve to know that when they are harmed by fraud, scams, or deceptive business practices, there is a path to justice. Restoring the FTC’s Section 13(b) authority will strengthen the agency’s ability to hold bad actors accountable and help consumers recover what was wrongfully taken from them,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “I’m proud to join Ranking Member Schakowsky and Congressman Menendez in reintroducing the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act to ensure the FTC has the tools it needs to protect the American people.”

“As Americans face rising costs and tighter household budgets, they cannot afford to lose hard-earned money to deceptive business practices, scams, and fraud,” said Congressman Rob Menendez. “Our legislation restores the FTC’s consumer protection authority, equipping it with the tools to hold bad actors accountable and return money to victims. I am proud to co-lead this bill with Reps. Schakowsky and Clarke so we can protect family finances and strengthen consumer safeguards.”

The Consumer Protection and Recovery Act restores Section 13(b) as a critical consumer protection tool by clarifying the FTC’s authority to seek monetary relief for consumers harmed by violations of the laws it enforces.

Specifically, the legislation:

• Explicitly provides the FTC with the authority to obtain both injunctive and monetary relief for violations of the laws it enforces, including monetary redress for consumers harmed by illegal conduct.
• Clarifies that the FTC may pursue a range of equitable remedies, including restitution for losses, contract reformation and rescission, monetary refunds, the return of property, and requiring bad actors to return their ill-gotten gains.

For more than 40 years, the FTC relied on Section 13(b) to protect consumers and secure billions of dollars in relief for individuals harmed by fraud, scams, and illegal business practices. In 2021, the Supreme Court’s decision in AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC eliminated the FTC’s ability to seek monetary relief under this longstanding authority, leaving consumers without a critical tool to recover money stolen by bad actors.

The Consumer Protection and Recovery Act previously passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in the 117th Congress following the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the FTC’s authority to recover money for harmed consumers.

###

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-12), Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, reintroduced their bicameral Restoring Justice for Workers Act, legislation to end forced arbitration clauses, protect workers’ ability to pursue work-related claims in court, and allow workers to band together to vindicate their rights. Nadler, Scott, and Murray first introduced the bill in 2018.

The bill would override the 2018 Supreme Court decision, Epic Systems v. Lewis, which allowed employers to continue to enforce forced arbitration clauses against workers. These arbitration clauses prevent workers from banding together to enforce their legal rights and are often buried in the fine print of employment contracts, meaning many workers are not aware they’ve waived their rights. The use of forced arbitration clauses that block workers’ access to the courts has led to widespread non-enforcement of workers’ rights, including their right to minimum wage, overtime, and to a workplace free of discrimination.

“Mandatory arbitration clauses hurt workers by blocking them from pursuing justice for wage theft, discrimination, harassment, and other forms of corporate abuse and misconduct. These clauses are often hidden in the fine-print of employment contracts for the purpose of protecting corporations from facing consequences of violating their workers’ rights” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12). “Every worker deserves a workplace that honors their contributions with fair treatment, respect, and dignity. This bill protects employees’ fundamental rights to access justice and empowers them to do so without unnecessary barriers. I urge my colleagues to support the Restoring Justice for Workers Act to protect and support American workers.”

“Workers should not be coerced into signing away their rights as a condition of their employment. Unfortunately, that is the reality for millions of workers across the country,” said Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). “Employers are increasingly using mandatory arbitration agreements to deny employees a fair venue to seek recourse for wage theft, discrimination, or harassment. The Supreme Court’s decision in Epic Systems v. Lewis went further by undermining workers’ rights to file joint, class, or collective legal actions. The Restoring Justice for Workers Act would help restore employees’ fundamental rights to have their day in court and join with their co-workers to hold employers accountable for unlawful conduct.”

“If an employer does something illegal, workers should be able to hold them accountable in a court of law. But far too often, big corporations will cynically leverage long and complicated employment contracts to stack the deck against their workers. It’s manipulative and wrong. This means that—for instance—if  workers are victims of wage theft, they can’t join together and go to court because they signed those rights away when they started the job. Workers shouldn’t have to choose between waiving the ability to enforce their rights and earning a living,” said Senator Murray. “That’s why it’s far past time we put an end to the practice of forced arbitration—and this bill can do just that. I’ll keep fighting until the rights of every worker are protected.”

“Binding arbitration clauses are one of the worst forms of control employers have over workers. While forced arbitration in cases of sexual harassment was thankfully finally banned a few years ago, it’s long past time we did away with this practice for all other types of violations of rights on the job as well,” said Samantha Sanders, Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy at the Economic Policy Institute. “Workers can still be forced to sign away their right to a day in court over wage theft, unsafe working conditions, racial discrimination, and more in a secretive, biased process that is tilted towards bosses. This bill would go a long way towards empowering workers – even those who don’t have the protection of a union – to have full access to the courts and the opportunity to hold their employers accountable for breaking the law.”

 

The Restoring Justice for Workers Act would:

• Open the courthouse doors for workers by prohibiting the use of forced arbitration clauses in employment contracts and prohibiting employers from requiring employees to waive their right to engage in joint, class, or collective legal action;
• Reverse the Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Epic Systems, which dismantled workers’ right to band together to hold unscrupulous employers accountable;
• Uphold the rule of law, a cornerstone of our democracy, by ensuring that workers’ rights are enforceable through our justice system;
• Ensure that post dispute arbitration agreements are not obtained by threat or coercion, that the agreement is understandable, and that the employee affirmatively consents to the agreement in writing and is fully aware of their rights in the workplace.

This bill is cosponsored by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At large), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julia Brownley (CA-26), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09). 

In the Senate, the bill is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

This bill is also endorsed by the American Association for Justice, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and the Economic Policy Institute.

 

A one pager on the Restoring Justice for Workers Act can be found HERE

Full text of the legislation is available HERE.

###