MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, released the following statement on the news that the Trump Administration has moved to end collective bargaining rights for a wide ranging group of federal employees, including staff at the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“This latest Executive Order is a direct attack on workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain for better wages, safe conditions, and full benefits. It will harm not only working families but also our security, defense, and the well-being of our veterans who receive benefits and care through the VA. I will fight this order and continue to do everything I can to protect workers who are under attack every day from this administration.”

“The right to collectively bargain is foundational. That’s why I also support the PRO Act which will help strengthen our middle class by ensuring workers have the ability to stand together and use their collective power to negotiate. Unions built the middle class in this country and play a critical role in advocating for all American workers. I am proud to support legislation that will ensure those who put in a hard day’s work have a seat at the table and a say in their future.”

Earlier this month, Congressman Pappas helped reintroduce H.R. 20, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a comprehensive, bipartisan proposal to protect workers’ right to come together and bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer workplaces.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

New Hampshire will lose $80 million in crucial public health funding from this decision by the Trump administration

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

The New Hampshire delegation are calling on President Donald Trump, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley, and Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Director Alex Meyer to immediately reverse the President’s March 14 Executive Order dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and implement all Congressionally appropriated funds for IMLS and its entities. 

The delegation wrote, in part: “We write with dismay at your attempt to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) ‘to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.’ We urge you to immediately reverse your March 14 Executive Order regarding IMLS and implement all Congressionally appropriated funds for IMLS and its entities. No agency authorized by Congress can be dismantled without another act of Congress. IMLS was established by an act of Congress in 1996.” 

They continued: “The Granite State received more than $1.5 million from IMLS in FY2024 alone, with the money going to statewide initiatives including an interlibrary loan system, the creation of a digital library, and literacy projects like the Summer Reading Program. From the Museum of the White Mountains to the Currier Museum of Art, New Hampshire’s museums are educational assets that make world-class exhibits accessible to students and families. They also power our local economies: The American Alliance of Museums and Oxford Economics estimate that museums supported 3,574 jobs and contributed $265 million to our state’s economy in 2017.”

They concluded: “American support for IMLS transcends party lines. We urge you to focus on supporting museums and libraries and reconsider your Executive Order that would strip educational, economic, and technical assistance opportunities from our constituents.”

The full text of the letter can be found here.

New Hampshire’s federal delegation has been outspoken about the devastating impact that dismantling the IMLS will have on our libraries, communities, and economy.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered a powerful statement and line of questioning at a hearing of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust. Congressman García’s remarks focused on the alarming ways in which Donald Trump and Elon Musk are exploiting AI to target Americans and their deliberate dismantling of essential AI safeguards. Congressman García criticized Republicans for their unquestioning allegiance to Trump and Musk, warning of the growing risks of the unchecked weaponization of AI. 

During the hearing, the Congressman asked Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya about the implications of AI and what protections are needed for workers. You can watch Congressman García’s remarks and Commissioner Bedoya’s answer here. 

Below is a transcript of Congressman Garcia’s remarks at today’s subcommittee hearing. 

Thank you, Chairman Fitzgerald. 

As usual, so far in this hearing it looks like my colleagues on the Republican side of this panel is here to champion corporate interests over workers and consumers. Today their obedience is making them argue against even reasonable regulation of the AI industry. 

While not surprising, it’s still incredible to see them making these claims with a straight face given everything that’s going on. 

Let’s start with the fact that the Trump Administration, and its billionaire overlord Elon Musk, are weaponizing AI to carry out their lawless and unpopular agenda. They are using AI to arbitrarily surveil students, expand the power of DHS and ICE, and gut federal agencies.

In the hands of billionaires and authoritarians like Musk and Trump, AI is a loaded gun waiting to be used on immigrants, workers, and consumers. This is exactly why it’s absurd to oppose common-sense regulation of the AI industry. Let’s talk about what that common sense could be.

It’s also absurd because we know what happens when we don’t enforce antitrust and consumer protection laws against technology companies. As my colleagues have pointed out, the failure to apply these laws to Big Tech companies at the dawn of the social media age has led to the dominance of these companies, which have routinely abused workers, exploited consumers, and deployed their technology to expand surveillance and trample on privacy rights. 

That is the consequence of inaction. 

We must learn from our mistakes, and we must prioritize workers and consumers over corporate profits.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

If you missed my virtual immigration forum in Spanish held on Tuesday, March 18, please visit my website or my YouTube page to watch the recording. My special guests, Marilu Moreno of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and immigration attorney Vanessa Esparza of the National Immigrant Justice Center, had the opportunity to answer many questions from the audience.

This event was conducted in Spanish.If you know of anyone who could find the information helpful, please forward this message to them. The recording cab be accessed by going to my website or to my YouTube. If we didn’t have an opportunity to answer your questions,please call my Southwest office at (773) 475-0833 or my Western Suburbs office at  (773) 342-0774. 

 I stand with you and will not stop fighting for you!

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) has introduced new legislation to fight corruption and crack down on dark money influencing U.S. elections.

“Dark money” campaign spending—undisclosed spending meant to influence political elections—has dramatically increased in recent elections. Roughly $1 billion in television, online advertisements, and mailers have been spent since 2010, when the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision gave rise to dark money groups.

Congressman Crow’s End Dark Money Act would fight corruption and close loopholes that allow mega-donors to hide their political contributions through so-called “social welfare” organizations. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) joined Congressman Crow in introducing this legislation.

“Corruption is harming the American people and making it harder for working families to achieve the American Dream. That’s why in Congress, I’m focused on fighting corruption, lowering costs, and taking on the power of special interests on our government,” said Congressman Crow. “Americans are sick and tired of special interests and billionaires like Elon Musk using campaign finance loopholes to influence our elections. My legislation would increase transparency and accountability in our elections to return power back to the voters and begin to restore the American people’s faith in our democracy.”

“The whole world is witnessing an unelected billionaire, Elon Musk, buy his way into the Oval Office and receive unprecedented power. For every Elon in plain sight, we have millions of mega-donors who remain hidden. Under current policies, the faces behind massive political spending like this are usually kept in the dark. The End Dark Money Act stops this shady abuse of the system and, in the process, empowers voters and strengthens our democracy,” said Congresswoman Williams.

The End Dark Money Act would repeal current prohibitions and allow the Internal Revenue Service to issue new guidelines to ensure non-profits adhere to their social welfare mission or be required to register as a PAC, disclose their donors, and risk losing their tax-exempt status.

The End Dark Money Act is supported by the End Citizens United Action Fund and Public Citizen.

“Dark money is one of the most corrosive and corrupting forces in our elections and government. It allows billionaires and special interests to operate in the shadows, manipulating our democracy without accountability,” said End Citizens United Action Fund President Tiffany Muller. “Congressman Crow’s End Dark Money Act is a commonsense solution that will shine a light on undisclosed money, giving the American people the ability to see who’s trying to influence election and policy outcomes. We’re incredibly grateful for Congressman Crow’s continued leadership and dedication to addressing this growing threat.

“Many of those who fund campaigns want to remain in the shadows,” said Craig Holman, Ph.D. of Public Citizen. “These financers hiding in the shadows have been able to thwart disclosure of their political spending by exploiting inside connections in Congress, attaching riders to legislation that prohibit the IRS from even considering rules to disclose dark money donors. Congressman Crow’s End Dark Money Act is necessary legislation to remove these secretive legislative riders and open the books on wealthy influence peddlers.”

Congressman Crow has long championed the End Dark Money Act. After he was first elected in 2018, it was his first bill he introduced as a Member of Congress. Crow has been a leader in the fight against corruption in Congress, having served as the co-chair of the End Corruption Caucus. He has also introduced other legislation, including the SHINE Act, DISCLOSE Act, and TRUST in Congress, to end the influence of special interests in our elections.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Lafayette, CO — This week, the Center for Effective Lawmaking released scores for the 118th Congress, once again ranking Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02) as one of the most effective lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Neguse earned the title of the 2nd most effective House Democrat, the 7th overall most effective lawmaker in the Chamber, and most effective lawmaker of the Colorado House delegation. 

“I’m proud of the work our team accomplished in the 118th Congress on behalf of the state of Colorado — including enacting laws to increase drought preparedness, support our rural schools, and reform disaster management resources for floods, wildfires and more. Each of these legislative efforts will benefit the people of our great state that I’ve privileged to serve, from the Western Slope to northern Colorado, and we’ll keep rolling up our sleeves to deliver real results each and everyday,” said Rep. Neguse. 

Since first assuming office in 2019, Neguse has received distinctions in this annual report, finishing as the No. 3 overall most effective lawmaker last Congress and ranking No.8 among House Democrats and earning the title as the top freshman legislator for “exceeding expectations” in his first term, the 116th Congress. 

The Colorado Congressman has never wavered in his ability to make an impact for his communities, receiving top rankings despite which party had a majority in the Chamber. An achievement the Center for Effective Lawmaking made note of in their report: “Moving beyond Rep. Castro, we see that Representative Neguse and Delegate Norton continued their trends of being among the “top 10” most effective Democratic lawmakers, even though the Democrats were now the minority party in the 118th Congress. This speaks to their abilities to navigate the legislative process whether in the majority or minority party.” 

Background

Congressman Joe Neguse has represented Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District since 2019. He is currently a senior member of House Leadership, having been elected by his colleagues to serve as House Assistant Minority Leader in March 2024.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) — a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, which oversees tax and trade policy — released the following statement as Donald Trump’s new round of reciprocal tariffs takes effect:

“Trump’s dumb tariffs are nothing more than a tax on working families, raising prices on everything from groceries, clothes and shoes to cars and construction materials. He’s tearing apart the backbone of LA’s economy—our construction, ports, and hospitality and tourism industry—at a time of already soaring costs when we need to build more homes and recover from the devastating LA wildfires. We’re already seeing job losses in key American sectors due to his tariffs. There’s no strategy here—just chaos, higher costs, and economic uncertainty for working families. Mark my words: today’s the day the Trump Slump turned into the Trump Recession.”

BACKGROUND:

President Trump announced a new round of tariffs, including a baseline 10% tariff on almost all goods from nearly all countries with even higher tariffs for around 60 other countries. This follows a 25% hike on steel and aluminum, additional duties of up to 25% on imported automobiles and auto parts, along with a 25% tariff on certain goods from Canada and Mexico. Economists and small business leaders have warned these moves will increase costs on essential goods and strain industries already impacted by inflation. In Los Angeles, where communities are still rebuilding after recent wildfires, rising construction costs will worsen the housing crisis, while auto repair shops, tourism businesses, and local employers will face higher costs and slowed growth.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, joined Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), and Dan Goldman (NY-10) in calling on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately halt any efforts to misuse confidential taxpayer data for immigration enforcement.

In a letter to Acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Gomez and 61 House Democrats raised alarms over reports that DHS has requested Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), address data, and other sensitive tax information to facilitate large-scale immigration operations—even when individuals are not suspected of any crimes. These revelations come amid concerning reports that Treasury officials, including the IRS’s acting Chief Counsel, were removed for resisting such efforts.

“We write to express our grave concern regarding reports that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is considering disclosing taxpayer information… to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes,” the Members wrote. “Such actions would undermine taxpayer confidentiality, erode trust in our nation’s tax system, and have a chilling effect on compliance, particularly among immigrant communities who contribute billions in tax revenue annually.”

The Members pointed to long-standing legal and policy protections that strictly limit how taxpayer data can be used and shared. Under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code, tax return information may only be disclosed in narrow, well-defined circumstances—none of which include civil immigration enforcement.

“The IRS has long maintained that tax compliance must be encouraged through confidentiality protections. Any deviation from this guiding principle risks eroding public trust and discouraging taxpayers from fulfilling their obligations,” the letter continues. “If immigrants fear that filing taxes could expose them to deportation, many will choose not to file, reducing Federal revenues… while shifting resources to the informal economy.”

The letter also cites previous legal guidance from the IRS’s Office of Chief Counsel, as well as warnings from the National Taxpayer Advocate that such actions would undermine voluntary compliance and the integrity of the tax system.

Gomez and his colleagues are demanding a formal clarification of the agencies’ current policies and any communications between the IRS and DHS regarding the use of tax information for immigration enforcement. They also urge the IRS to publicly reaffirm its commitment to taxpayer privacy.

Read the full letter here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and all House Intelligence Committee Democrats are calling on Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the Intelligence Community to launch an independent investigation into a Signal group chat where senior Trump administration officials shared detailed plans for a U.S. military strike on Houthi terrorists in Yemen.

Last week during a committee hearing on worldwide threats, Rep. Gomez (CA-34) pressed Director Gabbard over conflicting testimony, raised concerns about Defense Secretary Hegseth’s judgment, and warned that sharing classified information over insecure platforms put national security at risk.

“Since you and other intelligence community leaders testified about the group chat before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence last Wednesday, there have been new developments,” the 11 Members wrote. “First, the bipartisan leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee requested the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense conduct an inquiry into the facts and circumstances of the chat. Second, the Wall Street Journal, citing multiple U.S. officials, reported that a key American ally ‘provided sensitive intelligence from a human source in Yemen on a key Houthi military operative’ who was targeted in the U.S. military attack; that National Security Advisor Mike Waltz sent texts on the Signal chain following the attack—noting the U.S. had ‘positive ID’ that the building in which the operative was located had collapsed—that may have been linked to information from that source; and that the U.S. ally complained to the United States that Mr. Waltz’s texts had become public. The Wall Street Journal’s reporting, if accurate, is deeply concerning.”

The Members continued: “These developments underscore the need for the intelligence community, under your leadership, to conduct a parallel inquiry into the chat, to complement the congressionally-requested inquiry by the DOD IG and the inquiry that is—according to your testimony—apparently being conducted by the National Security Council.”

In addition to Rep. Gomez, Representatives Jim Himes (CT-04), André Carson (IN-07), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Jason Crow (CO-06), Ami Bera (CA-06), Stacey Plaskett (VI-AL), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Mike Quigley (IL-05) signed the letter calling for the independent intel probe.

The full text of the letter is available here.

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