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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon to Retire at End of 119^th Congress

Touts Accomplishes and Pledges to Continue Outstanding Service and Pursue Legislative Initiatives

Omaha, Neb. – Today, Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee (CITI), announced he will not seek reelection in 2026 and will retire at the end of the 119th Congress. 

“After consultation with my family and much prayer, I have decided not to seek reelection in 2026 and will fulfill my term in the 119th Congress through January 2, 2027. After three decades in the Air Force and now going on one decade in Congress, I look forward to coming home in the evenings and being with my wife and seeing more of our adult children and eight grandchildren, who all live near my home. I’ve been married for 41 years, and I’d like to dedicate more time to my family, my church, and the Omaha community. I also want to continue advocating for a strong national security strategy and a strong alliance system with countries that share our love of democracy, free markets and the rule of law. 

“During the remainder of the 119th Congress, we will be focused on finishing the job. Providing top-notch constituent services in the district, for which we were recognized in 2021 with the Congressional Management Foundation’s Democracy Awards for Constituent Services in 2021, will be a priority as it always has been.  

“To date, we have processed close to 8,500 casework/requests for assistance; we have helped people who were wrongly marked as deceased, helped citizens in distress around the world return home; helped people devasted by disasters such as flood and tornadoes, literally climb out of the ruble and connect them with resources; we have solved problems with Medicare, Social Security and IRS problems, passports and immigration, and so much more. Our team has worked diligently every day to advocate for and deliver on behalf of our constituents. 

“Legislatively, I aim to work to get five agricultural bills passed that were included as part of the Farm Bill, including the increase of defenses for our nation’s food supply chain and removing barriers for the next generation of farmers seeking to establish their operations. I will continue my work on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and lay the groundwork for a new VA hospital in Omaha.  

“My service to our great nation started in the Air Force, where I served sixteen assignments, five commands and four deployments and will continue in Congress until the end of the 119th Congress. I’d like to find new ways to serve our great country.  I have a love for national security, and I’ll always be a proponent for old-fashioned Ronald Reagan Conservative values.  It has been an honor to serve the 2nd District of Nebraska and the nation, and I thank our constituents for trusting me to represent them. I am proud of the work we have done and will continue to do until the lights in the office are turned off for the last time. Thank you, and God bless America.” 

Highlights from Rep. Bacon’s Congressional Career 

Legislative Record 

• Most bills signed into law in the 118^th Congress and bill totals as of Jan. 2025 

·         Total number of stand-alone bills enacted into law: 2 

·         Total numbers of bills enacted through NDAA: 33 

·         Total number of bills enacted through non-NDAA legislation: 3 

·                     Total number of bills introduced that became law: 38 

Defense 

Rebuilt and Improved Offutt AFB & Camp Ashland 

• Delivered forceful congressional advocacy for Offutt Air Force Base, one of the district’s leading engines of economic growth and prosperity 
• Led the fight in the House to secure critical resources to respond to the devasting 2019 floods 
• Engaged with the Secretary of the Air Force to prevent the permanent loss of the flying mission 
• Secured more than $1.5 billion for the cleanup, rebuild and critical improvements to Offutt AFB – one of the largest employers in the region – including a new runway 
• Worked tirelessly to protect, modernize, and replace aircraft fleets at Offutt AFB including the RC-135, WC-135 and E-4B 

Confederate Base Names: Original co-sponsor for H.R. 7155, National Commission on Modernizing Military Installation Designations Act, the bi-partisan legislation in the House to re-designate military bases named after Confederate generals 

Spearheaded the Restoration of DoD Electronic Warfare Capability 

• Drove major legislative reforms requiring the Pentagon to develop a new EW strategy, implementation plan and other organizational reforms 
• Secured more than $1.5 billion to double the size of the USAF’s fleet of EA-37B Compass Call aircraft, the most powerful and sophisticated electronic attack aircraft in the world 
• Helped guide the establishment of the Joint EMSO Center (JEC) at STRATCOM 

Relentlessly Championed Initiatives to Modernize America’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent 

• Secured more than $75 million establish the NC3 technical engineering and development hub in Nebraska 
• Advocacy helped speed the establishment of the new 95th Wing at Offutt focused on NC3 operations 
• Helped secured more than $500 million to advance development of the future E-4C SAOC aircraft which will be based at Offutt 

Championed Improvements to Military Quality of Life  

• Led the most significant and comprehensive package of legislative reforms to improve the quality of life for military servicemembers and families in US history 
• Largest single-year increase for junior enlisted pay ever (14.5%) 
• Billions in critical improvements to military housing and barracks  
• Major expansion and improvements to childcare for military families 
• Fought for employment reforms and RIF protections for federally employed military spouses  

Conference Committee 

• Passage of major national defense legislation in 2017, 2018 and 2019 that reversed the dangerous decline in military readiness after years of neglect and funded the modernization of US military capabilities 

• Named to select House-Senate Armed Service Conference Committee for 3 straight years 

Agriculture 

• Responsible for numerous provisions in the Farm Bill, including language related to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccine and measures to address foreign ownership of farmland and improve SNAP administration 
• Original sponsor of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which established lynching as a federal hate crime 

Education 

• STOP School Violence Act of 2018 (co-sponsor) – Provides DOJ money for grants to states and local governments to improve security including the placement and use of metal detectors and other deterrents measures at schools and school grounds. Fighting for $125 million in FY’20 to fund these grants 

Civil Rights and Holocaust Education 

• House Republican lead for Anti-Lynching Legislation making lynching a federal crime – Language was amended into H.R. 35 and passed House 2/26/20) 
• Helped lead effort to push H.R. 943 – Never Again Education Act which was signed by the President 5/29/20 
• Worked with state leaders on getting Holocaust Education requirements enacted into state statute 
• Leader on support for non-profit security grants for religious institutions 

Veterans Affairs 

• Finalized additional funding for the VA’s Ambulatory Care Center and pushed House Leadership to go ahead and pass the bill while my friend Brad Ashford was still in office 

• CHIP IN Bill: Congressman Bacon’s CHIP IN Bill, H.R. 3888, was incorporated into HR 5293: Department of Veteran Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2021, extending the program through 2025 
• HR: 217 in the 119^th – seeks to extend the program and expand authorities to include minor projects and non-recurring maintenance projects (passed House) 

• Led Congressional efforts to support Gold Star families and survivors; championed significant legislation to care for and honor these families 

• Lifetime installation access for survivors 
• Major reforms to military veterans transition assistance programs 
• Mandated regular meetings with DoD leadership and surviving families 

Infrastructure and Jobs Act:  

• Voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $165 million for Nebraska’s 2nd District: Eppley, modernization of natural gas lines and other projects 

Eppley Airfield 

• Over $77.1 million of improvements to Eppley Airfield from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding and other sources 

• Make it a true international airport 
• Increase flights and inspection areas 
• Streamline process of checking in and TSA for consumers 

Other Community Funding projects of note: 

• (2024) Wahoo Airport Runway – $4.3 million 
• 2024) Saunders County Emergency Radio Equipment – $2.6 million 
• (2024) City of Omaha N. 24th Street Lighting Project – $4.17 Million 
• (2023) OPPD Grid Resiliency and Modernization – $7.7 million 
• (2023) City of Omaha North 24^th Street Streetscape Improvement Projects Phase II – $4 million 
• (2023) Blackstone Business Improvement District – $2 million 
• (2022) North 24^th St. Streetscape Improvements – $3 million 
• (2022) the CHOICE $50 million federal grant to redevelop the Southside Terrace Garden Apartments and the surrounding Indian Hill neighborhood in South Omaha. 
• (2019) the CHOICE neighborhood grant program, which awarded $25 million for the 75 North project to the City of Omaha and Omaha Housing Authority for 5 years 

Other Accomplishments/Recognitions 

• Founded the bipartisan For Country Caucus 

• Co-chair of bipartisan Caucus made up of 30 veteran members of Congress, evenly divided between R’s and D’s 
• Objective of the Caucus is to work in a nonpartisan way towards a more productive government. Members serve with integrity, civility and courage 

• Restarted the Main Street Caucus 
• Co-chair of the Congressional Electronic Warfare Caucus, leading voice in Congress to advance and reform US capabilities to defend and dominate the electromagnetic spectrum
• In 2023, appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council by former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy 
• Center for Effective Lawmaking 

• One of the top ten effective legislators in the 118^th congress, 2^nd most effective Republican 
• Most effective Republican in the 117^th Congress and fourth overall, despite being in the minority party 

• Rated #1 Most bi-partisan Republican 117^th Congress-Common Ground Committee 

• Earned a perfect score by the Common Ground Committee of 110 (2024) 
• Rated #1 in 2022 by Common Ground Committee with a score of 104 out of 110 

• 2021 Democracy Awards-Constituent Services, Congressional Management Foundation  

• Over the course of 8 and ½ years, the office has processed close to 8,500 casework/requests for assistances including people who were erroneously marked as deceased; devastated by disasters such as floods and tornadoes literally climb out of the rubble and connect them with resources to rebuild; and in distress around the globe trying to return home. 
• Other cases include problems with Medicare, passports or immigration, helping veterans get their benefits, cutting through red tape to solve Social Security and IRS problems, and others. 

• 2024 Democracy Awards- Workplace Environment, Congressional Management Foundation  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), along with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation aimed at closing the ‘boyfriend loophole,’ which allows stalkers and abusers to access guns because they weren’t married to their victim. The Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act prevents convicted stalkers, and all former dating partners convicted of a domestic violence offense, from buying or owning firearms, regardless of when the relationship occurred. 

“Federal law includes a ‘boyfriend loophole’ that allows abusive dating partners subject to protection orders and convicted stalkers to access firearms. This loophole is a serious danger that has cost lives and will continue to do so until we address it,” said Dingell. “I know this fear all too well. Growing up, I lived in a house with a man – my father – who should not have had access to a gun. No child, spouse, or partner should have to experience the trauma my family did. This legislation will close this loophole once and for all by ensuring abusive dating partners subject to protection orders and convicted stalkers cannot get their hands on a firearm. Perpetrators of violence – including dating partners – should not be able to access a firearm, and I will not stop fighting until we can deliver on this promise.”

“If someone has been convicted of stalking or abusing their partner, they should never be allowed to buy a gun. That’s common sense. But unfortunately, loopholes in federal law still put survivors at risk,” said Fitzpatrick. “This bill closes those gaps, ensuring all violent offenders are held to the same standard—spouse, boyfriend, or otherwise. I’ve long made combatting domestic violence and stalking a priority and will continue advancing policies to guarantee every survivor is protected.”

“The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act included provisions from my bill to close the boyfriend loophole, but there is still more we need to do to address gun violence and keep firearms out of the hands of abusive dating partners and convicted stalkers,” said Klobuchar. “As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the serious emotional and physical toll stalking takes on victims, especially when guns are involved. By preventing convicted stalkers from purchasing guns, our common sense legislation will protect victims and help save lives.”

The Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act would:

• Prevent those convicted of certain stalking offenses from purchasing firearms;
• Clarify that abusive dating partners subject to certain court orders are treated the same as an abusive spouse;
• Update the definition of “dating relationship” for purposes of federal firearm prohibitions to include “individuals who have or have had a continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature,” regardless of when the relationship occurred. The law currently requires that the dating relationship is “recent,” which could exclude abusers convicted of domestic violence against partners from a prior relationship.

This bill is endorsed by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Moms Demand Action, GIFFORDS, Jewish Women International, and Legal Momentum. 

“Victims and survivors of domestic violence in any intimate or dating relationship, regardless of marital status, are vulnerable to the threat of firearms. Every day, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (The Hotline) hears from those whose abusive experiences include the use of firearms to threaten, coerce, and control them. And tragically, thousands of victims have lost their lives by firearms,” said Marium Durrani, Vice President of Policy at The Hotline. “We applaud the incredible bipartisan dedication of these Members of Congress to finally close these dangerous loopholes to better protect victims and survivors from gun violence and we urge Congress to act— lives are on the line.”

“Survivors of dating violence and stalking deserve the full protection of the law, regardless of their relationship status. For too long, a dangerous loophole has allowed abusive partners and stalkers who are not married to their victims to access firearms, despite posing clear threats to survivor safety,” said NNEDV President and CEO, Stephanie Love-Patterson. “This gap in our laws has had deadly consequences. Abuse is abuse, whether it happens within a marriage or not. Every survivor deserves safety, justice, and the opportunity to rebuild their life free from fear. We applaud Representatives Dingell and Fitzpatrick, and Senator Klobuchar, for their leadership and for taking this critical step toward saving lives.”

“Letting abusers keep their guns is a death sentence for too many women—especially Black women,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “This bill is a life-saving solution, and we’re proud to support its reintroduction. We can’t claim to care about families and freedom while ignoring the deadly intersection of domestic violence and firearms.”

“Our laws have big loopholes in them that make it easier for domestic abusers to get guns and have very real consequences for victims of domestic violence and stalking. This is an unacceptable and dangerous reality that puts the lives of women and children at risk across the country,” said Emma Brown, Executive Director at GIFFORDS. “95% of Americans support blocking domestic abusers from having guns, including 94% of Republicans. We are grateful to Senator Klobuchar and Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick for their steadfast leadership on this issue.”

“The risk of a woman being killed by her intimate partner increases 400% when that partner has access to a firearm. But most victims of intimate partner violence are dating partners and under current law do not have the same protections from armed abusers as married survivors do,” said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International. “Jewish Women International applauds Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick and Senator Amy Klobuchar for re-introducing legislation that will fully close the dating and stalking loopholes and for their ongoing leadership to disarm domestic abusers.”

“For far too long, survivors of dating violence and stalking have been left exposed by a glaring weakness in our gun safety laws—the so-called ‘boyfriend loophole.’ This bipartisan legislation represents a long-overdue step toward protecting all survivors, regardless of relationship status. By finally closing this loophole, we can stop known abusers from accessing deadly weapons and interrupt the cycle of violence before it escalates further,” said Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director of Legal Momentum. “The data is undeniable: when abusers have access to firearms, the risk of homicide increases fivefold. The link between guns and lethality in intimate partner violence is not just well-documented, it’s devastatingly clear and our laws must reflect this reality. Legal Momentum strongly supports this legislation because no survivor should be left unprotected simply because the law failed to recognize their relationship or the threats they face. Safety should never depend on a legal technicality.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA (June 30, 2025) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) today announced that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026, concluding a distinguished career in public service spanning over four decades.

“Serving the people of Philadelphia has been the honor of my life,” said Evans. “And I remain in good health and fully capable of continuing to serve. After some discussions this weekend and thoughtful reflection, I have decided that the time is right to announce that I will not be seeking re-election in 2026. I will serve out the full term that ends Jan. 3, 2027. I am deeply proud of what I have been able to accomplish over my 45 years in elected office — from revitalizing neighborhoods block by block to fighting for justice, economic opportunity, investments in infrastructure and education. I cannot express the gratitude that I have for the trust that voters put in me as their voice in both state and federal office. It has been a privilege of a lifetime to serve as their advocate in government.”

Evans emphasized that he will continue to serve his constituents fully until the end of his term, that his offices will remain open, and that he will support a smooth transition for his successor.

A Legacy of Service to Philadelphia

Born in North Philadelphia and raised in the Germantown and West Oak Lane neighborhoods, Dwight Evans began his career as a teacher in the city’s public schools and as a community organizer with the Urban League. In 1980, at just 26 years old, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, where he served for 36 years. He made history as the first African-American chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, serving in that powerful role for two decades.

Among his signature accomplishments in Harrisburg was spearheading the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, which brought healthy grocery stores and thousands of jobs to underserved communities and became a national model for bringing healthy food to food deserts in both urban and rural areas. He was also instrumental in the creation of Pennsylvania’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, which became the model for nationwide CHIP.

In 2016, Evans was elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District (later redistricted as the 3rd), succeeding longtime Congressman Chaka Fattah. In Congress, he serves on the influential Ways and Means Committee, which oversees Social Security, Medicare, taxes and trade, and has served on the Small Business Committee and Agriculture Committee, advocating for equitable economic development, criminal justice reform, funding for school repairs, affordable housing, and access to health care and healthy food.

In 2025, Evans has fought to defend gains made during the Biden-Harris administration and against the pending Trump “Reverse Robin Hood” bill that would give the richest another tax cut and cut Medicaid and SNAP food aid. He fought the bill during a nearly 18-hour markup in the Ways and Means Committee, and voted against it in the full House – a vote two Republicans slept through, including one 31 years younger than Evans. He will vote against it again if the Senate returns it to the House.

Evans has been a vocal supporter of key legislation including the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. He also introduced bills to address gun violence, finance repairs to schools, invest in historically Black colleges and universities, and promote economic empowerment in urban communities.

Throughout his time in public office, Evans remained rooted in his neighborhood — living just blocks from where he grew up — and never wavered in his commitment to building a better Philadelphia for all.

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. He recently announced that his office returned to or saved $4.5 million for constituents in 2024 in cases involving federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2024 figure brings Evans’ office’s total to more than $45.5 million returned to or saved for constituents during his first eight full years in Congress.

Evans serves on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, including its Subcommittee on Health. The committee oversees Social Security, Medicare, taxes, and trade. Evans’ website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on YouTube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

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

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

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs — discussed the importance of the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s work in Iran with Senior Advisor for USAGM Kari Lake.

Click to watch

Full exchange below:

 Chair Emeritus McCaul: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Lake, thanks for being here today. I want to thank you for visiting with me in my office to talk about these challenges that you’ve outlined. I think the chairman has outlined them quite well. I want to commend you for reforming USAGM. I think every new administration has a right and responsibility to do so. Your testimony has highlighted systemic problems that must be addressed — more importantly, security lapses, misuse of visas, weak editorial oversight, and much more. I look forward to authorizing this agency with the chairman and his authorization bill to correct these abuses.

 I remember President Reagan used Voice of America when I was entering college, as a frontline voice against Soviet oppression. It was the Voice of America, not the Voice of anti-America. 

Recently, I used the Voice of America and the Open Technology Fund to translate my report on the origins of COVID-19. We disseminated it through mainland China — broke through the firewall. It went viral [and] got the attention of the CCP foreign minister, who spoke out against me and the report. That’s the kind of impact this agency needs to reach. 

With the events in Iran — we need America’s voice in Iran right now. We need to ensure the Iranian people hear the truth: that we do not intend to harm them, but rather their oppressor and this theocratic regime of the Ayatollah. We need communications inside and outside of Iran. 

This week, General Vogel, the CENTCOM commander, said the Voice of America is a critical tool for American security. You’ve outlined why there are many insecurities. I hope we can go back to that core mission.

So my question is, Ms. Lake, how are you working to fix the Voice of America so it is the Voice of America — and not anti-America — in Iran? And [how are you using] the Open Technology Fund to achieve the mission — the core mission that Congress intended?

Ms. Lake: Thank you for that question, and thank you for laying out when it was a better agency. You’re right, Ronald Reagan used it — a great broadcaster, one of the great communicators — and he used it, but times have changed, and it’s still doing 1990-style television in a world where people are getting their information right here on their smartphones. It’s in the back pocket, and so we need to update it and modernize it. But President Trump’s executive order dated March 14^th has called for this agency to be brought to its statutory minimum. 

I’m glad that you mentioned Iran, because one of the languages that is required in the statute is Farsi, and we are still broadcasting in Farsi. And Ranking Member Meeks said that we have not been, and that in a panic we started to put news out in Farsi. That is actually not true. We were in the process of effectuating President Trump’s executive order, and in the process of doing that, several malicious lawsuits were started up, and the judge froze us from being able to get news on. We literally were frozen in place because of all these lawsuits.

Once we were freed to start putting news on, we immediately went to what the statutory minimum is, and one of the languages is Farsi going into Iran. I’m very proud to say that when President Trump — when the bombings happened over the weekend on Saturday and when President Trump started to speak, we had a crew in on Saturday delivering President Trump’s message to the people of Iran in Farsi. It was translated and it went out. Sometimes a lean and mean and smaller staff makes it easier to get things done. In one of the emails that I got from our Persian team, they actually said that. They were able to move quicker because it was smaller, the bloat had been diminished. And I’m really proud of the fact that we got that on.

We are going to continue to operate at the statutory minimum. We are putting out content in Pashto, Dari, Mandarin, Farsi, and Spanish through the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. 

Chair Emeritus McCaul: Thank you for that response. I think it’s very important right now that the Iranian people hear the American story and the American message, and I commend you for your efforts to reform. I encourage you to get that message into Iran right now. Communication inside and out is so important for those people if they’re going to rise up against this oppressive theocracy that we’ve endured since 1979. I yield back.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs — released the following statement on the United States’ successful strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

“The United States government has long maintained that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. Today, President Trump backed that commitment with decisive action — demonstrating the kind of leadership that does what it takes to protect American lives.

“President Trump gave the Iranian regime every chance to pursue diplomacy and spare their people further devastation. Instead, they chose to escalate their nuclear ambitions — announcing a new enrichment site just last week.

“Make no mistake: If Iran were to obtain nuclear weapons, the regime would pose an existential threat not only to Israel, which they call the ‘little Satan,’ but especially to the United States, their so-called ‘great Satan.’ Only the U.S. military — the most capable in the world — could neutralize that threat.

“Without leaving any boots on the ground in Iran, this limited, targeted operation sent a powerful message of deterrence that I hope and believe will lead to greater peace across the region. Iran, its proxies, and any enemy of the United States should think twice the next time they intend to harm our nation — because President Trump means what he says.

“May God bless the brave men and women of our armed forces who executed these strikes, and may God bless the United States of America.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

McCaul’s bill to dedicate the post office in honor of Sergeant Waugh became law in 2024

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs — introduced a resolution alongside Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) designating July 6th, 2025, as “A Day of Compassion” in honor of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday. 

“Despite having faced persecution, oppression, and unspeakable violence at the hands of the CCP, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has maintained inner peace and continues to preach compassion — inspiring not only his own people, but the entire world,” said Rep. McCaul. “I was honored to meet him in Dharamsala last year to voice the U.S. government’s support for the people of Tibet, emphasize the friendship between our two peoples, and learn more of his courageous, peaceful, and sacrificial leadership. Ahead of His Holiness’s 90th birthday, I am proud to introduce this resolution calling for ‘A Day of Compassion’ and affirming Tibetans’ fundamental human rights as we look forward to the day the Dalai Lama and his people can return to their homeland in peace.”

“His Holiness the Dalai Lama is an inspiration to millions of people around the world, including to me,” said Rep. McGovern. “His teachings on religious tolerance, non-violent responses to conflict and violent extremism, and peace-building are both timeless and urgently needed in our present circumstances. He has been a passionate advocate for the freedom and dignity for the Tibetan people. It is appropriate for Congress to honor the 14th Dalai Lama and his countless accomplishments on his 90th birthday. May his next one be celebrated in Lhasa.” 

“This resolution expresses a wonderful, bipartisan recognition that His Holiness the Dalai Lama stands as a global icon of compassion and honors his lifelong commitment to strive for peace and justice for his homeland and the people of Tibet,” said International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) President Tencho Gyatso. “Swift passage of this resolution led by HFAC Chairman Emeritus McCaul and Congressman McGovern, will bring joy and inspiration to all those celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, and perhaps most critically, provide hope and inspiration to the Tibetan people in Tibet for whom even a simple public acknowledgement of the Dalai Lama’s birthday remains a dangerous act.”

The resolution is co-signed by Representatives Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), and Young Kim (R-Calif.).

Background:

This resolution designates July 6, 2025, as “A Day of Compassion” to honor the upcoming 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and recognize his lifelong commitment to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and the preservation of Tibetan culture. It reaffirms bipartisan U.S. support for the Tibetan people’s right to self-determination, opposes Chinese government interference in Tibetan practices, and expresses deep respect for the Dalai Lama’s moral leadership and humanitarian contributions to the international community.

To read the full resolution text, click here.

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