MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Yesterday, Representative Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12), alongside Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), introduced the Farmers’ AID Relief Act, amending the Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) program to better serve farmers affected by hurricane damage.

The HIP-WI program is a wind-based insurance option managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and designed to protect farmers impacted by hurricanes. The program relies on storm-tracking data systems to determine eligibility for the program; however, those systems are vulnerable to inaccuracies, leaving many farmers who experienced significant crop losses without federal protection. 

For example, during Hurricane Helene, the data used for HIP-WI showed the storm traveling through the middle of Georgia. In reality, Helene shifted east, causing widespread damage to farms in the southeast and eastern parts of Georgia. Unfortunately, USDA is required to use the inaccurate data set when determining HIP-WI eligibility, causing unnecessary financial hardship for Georgia’s farmers.

The Farmers’ AID Relief Act updates HIP-WI so the program better reflects real-world storm paths and protects farmers affected by damage.

“After the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, many of Georgia’s farmers were unfairly denied the relief they needed and deserved. The Farmers’ AID Relief Act directs the USDA Secretary to expand the data considered and identify alternative methods for determining eligibility for indemnity payments under the Hurricane Insurance Protection–Wind Index endorsement. I am proud to co-lead this bill and will continue working diligently to deliver real solutions for our farmers,” said Rep. Allen.

“By enacting this common-sense fix to the HIP-WI program, farmers will be adequately insured and protected against hurricanes that ravage crop yields. We must learn from the failures of Hurricane Helene and protect our farmers from future losses,” said Rep. Carter. “Agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry, and amending this program will strengthen food security and protect our farmers who feed the nation.”

“I am glad to work with Congressman Carter and Congressman Allen to introduce today’s bill which will apply the lessons we learned from Hurricane Helene so that when the next storm hits us, we are better prepared to help farmers in need,” said Rep. Bishop. “When an area is hit by a storm, the Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index, or HIP-WI, is used to determine if agricultural producers can get a portion of the deductible for underlying crop insurance covered as part of disaster relief. When storms knock out the weather monitoring equipment used to measure HIP-WI, we want to make sure our producers are not left behind because these crucial data systems may be down.”

“This legislation ensures that when hurricanes strike and official weather data falters, reliable numbers from trusted sources step in to guarantee that insured farmers aren’t left stranded. It strengthens the promise of the program by providing a commonsense safeguard so Georgia farmers can count on fair assistance when storms hit hardest. We appreciate Congressman Carter’s continued focus on this issue and wholeheartedly encourage its expedited progress towards becoming law,” said Tom McCall, President, Georgia Farm Bureau.

This bill will:

• Direct the Secretary of Agriculture to create an alternate dataset for HIP-WI determinations to be used in the event of an incomplete data set.
• Set uniform standards for the collection and use of the alternate data set. 

Read full bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) convened its Board of Directors for its quarterly business meeting in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. During the meeting, the Board announced plans to extend coal plant operations to generate reliable energy for local power companies in the TVA service area.

In response to the TVA decision, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: 

“The American electric grid faces serious pressures in delivering needed power for American families. These pressures demand that we use all sources of power available.

“Meanwhile, our grid continues to be tested, most recently by Winter Storm Fern. This extreme weather event threatened blackouts in the TVA region.

“Therefore, it is essential to keep reliable forms of baseload power online. This TVA announcement to extend coal plant operations reflects the urgent need to bolster our electric grid.

“I will continue my work in Washington, DC, to fight against harmful coal plant retirements, highlight a reliable, affordable energy solution and advocate for communities in Virginia’s Ninth District.”

BACKGROUND

The TVA is a federally owned public power corporation that operates four active coal-fired fossil plants with a combined net output of 5,944 megawatts.

The electricity generated and transmitted from TVA plants is sold to local power companies such as Powell Valley Electric Cooperative and the Bristol Virginia Utilities Board, which serve Southwest Virginia communities.

Congressman Griffith is Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus. 

In April 2025, Congressman Griffith attended a White House event where President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting the American coal industry.

Later in 2025, Congressman Griffith voted to codify one of these executive measures to reestablish the National Coal Council.

In May 2025, Congressman Griffith celebrated the Department of Energy’s announcement to designate metallurgical coal as a critical material.

In June 2025, Congressman Griffith penned an op-ed on federal policies that can help bolster America’s electric grid.

Coal continues to play an essential role in meeting domestic energy demands. During Winter Storm Fern, a 31% jump in coal generation helped the electric grid meet peak demand. For PJM Interconnection, which serves Virginia and 12 other states, coal accounted for a major portion of the energy generation mix.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Releases Statement on Boeing Plans for Fourth MAX Production Line

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet decision to deepen control over the West Bank: 

“The decision by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet to deepen Israeli control over the West Bank and advance de facto annexation is deeply troubling. By making it easier to expand settlements, weakening the Palestinian Authority, and fundamentally alter the facts on the ground, these actions deliberately and potentially irreversibly erode the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution. Policies that make the two-state solution less attainable only make peace harder to achieve, weaken U.S. leverage, and risk undoing progress to de-escalate conflict throughout the region.”  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

[LEADER JEFFRIES ON UNIVISION: “DHS SHOULD USE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE, NOT TO VIOLENTLY TARGET OR BRUTALIZE EVERYDAY AMERICANS AND LAW-ABIDING IMMIGRANT FAMILIES.”]

Hoy, el Líder de los Demócratas Hakeem Jeffries apareció en Despierta América, donde enfatizó que los demócratas continuarán luchando por las reformas necesarias para el DHS antes de apoyar la legislación de financiamiento.

[Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Despierta América, where he emphasized that Democrats will continue fighting for the reforms needed to DHS before supporting funding legislation.]

REMARKS AS INTERPRETED LIVE

SATCHA PRETTO: Gracias señor congresista por acompañarnos esta mañana en vivo desde Washington, DC.

LÍDER JEFFRIES: Buenos días. Un placer estar contigo.  

[LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning. Great to be with you.]

SATCHA PRETTO: Estamos a solo dos días del cierre del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional. En las últimas horas, el partido republicano ofrece una contrapropuesta. ¿Estaría dispuesto el partido demócrata a considerarla?

LÍDER JEFFRIES: Nosotros creemos que ICE está fuera de control y que necesitan ser [frenados]. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional debe usar los dólares de los contribuyentes para mantener seguro las comunidades, no para violentamente brutalizar a todos los estadounidenses comunes y corrientes y los inmigrantes y sus familias que cumplen con la ley. Por lo tanto, un cambio drástico es necesario en el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional antes de que se permita obtener fondos. 

[LEADER JEFFRIES: We believe that ICE is out of control and that they need to be reined in. The Department of Homeland Security should use taxpayer dollars to keep communities safe, not to violently target or brutalize everyday Americans and law-abiding immigrant families. Therefore, dramatic change is necessary at the Department of Homeland Security before any funding bill moves forward.]

SATCHA PRETTO: Y bien, vamos a compartir en pantalla los diez puntos que exige el partido demócrata para evitar que el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional se quede sin fondos. ¿Estaría el partido demócrata dispuesto a ceder en algunos de estos puntos tomando en cuenta que ambas cámaras del congreso son de mayoría republicana? Y de ser así, ¿cuáles serían?

LÍDER JEFFRIES: Creemos nosotros que todas las exigencias hechas en nombre del pueblo estadounidense es una reforma importante pero siempre estamos dispuestos nosotros a comenzar una negociación de buena fe para tratar de encontrar el terreno común necesario para causar impactar la diferencia en la vida del pueblo estadounidense. El cumplimiento de inmigracion debe de ser justo y humano. Eso no es lo que está ocurriendo en estos momentos. Donald Trump prometió tener como objetivo a los criminales violentos. En vez, los agentes de ICE y el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional están brutalizando a los ciudadanos estadounidenses y a los inmigrantes y sus familias que cumplen con la ley. Eso no es aceptable. Así no somos nosotros. Y por lo tanto, se necesita un cambio osado, drástico y significativo para poder darle apoyo a cualquier proyecto de ley que le de fondos al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional.

[LEADER JEFFRIES: We believe that every single demand that has been made on behalf of the American people is an important reform, but we are always willing to enter into a good-faith negotiation to try to find the common ground necessary to make a difference in the lives of the American people. Immigration enforcement should be fair, it should be just and it should be humane. That’s not what is taking place right now. Donald Trump promised to target violent felons. Instead, ICE and DHS agents are targeting and brutalizing American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families. That is unacceptable. That’s not who we are. And therefore, we need bold, dramatic and meaningful change in order to support any funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.]

SATCHA PRETTO: Y bien, justo vamos a ver escuchar lo que dice el director interino de ICE, Todd Lyons, durante esta audiencia ante el comité de Seguridad Nacional de la cámara baja. 

GRABACIÓN DE TODD LYONS [RECORDING OF TODD LYONS]: The families of ICE personnel have been made to feel unsafe in their homes. I know this firsthand because my family was targeted. But let me send a message to anyone who thinks they can intimidate us: You will fail. 

SATCHA PRETTO: Congresista Jeffries, cual es tu reacción a esta declaración que brinda Todd Lyons? 

LÍDER JEFFRIES: Todd Lyons y los agentes de ICE son los que están tratando de intimidar a las familias, a los niños y a las comunidades con sus tácticas violentas y brutales. El pueblo estadounidense no va a sentirse intimidado. [ICE no debe de tener] como objetivo niños de cinco años de edad que tienen una mochila de Spider-Man. Eso no es aceptable. ICE no debe tener en su objetivo las escuelas, las iglesias y sitios de oración. [ICE no debe tener en su objetivo los lugares de votación que están amenazando hacerlo. ICE no debe tener en su objetivo] las personas que están en hospitales o que están visitando a sus seres queridos que tienen enfermedades, indolencias y desesperación. El pueblo estadounidense es quien no va estar intimidado. Los demócratas tampoco vamos a estar intimidados. Vamos a luchar para defender la comunidad latina, los inmigrantes y sus familias que trabajan tanto y los valores estadounidenses. 

[LEADER JEFFRIES: Todd Lyons and ICE agents are the ones who are trying to intimidate families, children and communities with their violent and brutal tactics. The American people are not going to be intimidated. ICE should not be targeting five-year-old children who are wearing Spider-Man backpacks. That is unacceptable. ICE should not be targeting schools. ICE should not be targeting houses of worship and churches. ICE should not be targeting polling sites, which is something that they are threatening to do. ICE should not be targeting people who are in hospitals or who are visiting their loved ones who are encountering sickness and illness and despair. It’s the American people who are the ones who are not going to be intimidated. Democrats are not going to be intimidated. We are going to fight to defend the Latino community, hardworking immigrant families and American values.]

SATCHA PRETTO: Hakeem Jeffries, líder de la minoría demócrata en la cámara baja. Agradecemos enormemente que nos haya acompañado aquí primero en Despierta América. En vivo desde Washington, DC.

LÍDER JEFFRIES: Gracias.

[LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.]

La entrevista completa se puede encontrar aquí.  

[Full interview can be watched here.]

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) — On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Congressman Al Green, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, shared remarks in a Financial Services Hearing entitled, “Oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission.”

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s remarks by clicking here. The hearing remarks highlighted are also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).  

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the House Committee on HomelandSecurity — questioned Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons at a committee hearing, entitled “Oversight of the Department of Homeland Security: ICE, CBP, and USCIS.” 

Click to watch

Full Exchange:

McCaul: A decade ago, when I chaired this committee, Mr. Thompson and I passed a bill to authorize ICE into law. It was a bipartisan effort. It passed the House overwhelmingly — both Republican and Democrat.

A decade later, here we are. The [Democrats] have called to abolish ICE; now they’re trying to shut it down. So what has happened in that ten years?

Let’s go back to the last four to five years. What happened in this country and at the border? As someone who lives in a border state, Texas, we saw the most dangerous wide-open border that I’ve seen in my 22 years in Congress.

Ten to twelve million people — and that’s what we know about, [but] I think it’s far greater — came into this country, many of them dangerous, violent criminals [and] some known or suspected terrorists, which I find extremely dangerous.

That’s why I served as an impeachment manager for Mayorkas because he violated federal law. The federal statute says — as a former federal prosecutor I know this — “shall” detain aggravated felons. What did Mayorkas do? He told his agents, “that’s discretionary; you can release them.”

As a result, we had tens of thousands of aggravated felons left on the streets of America to roam freely — not to mention the human sex trafficking of children, Mr. Lyons, as you pointed out.

So what is the administration trying to do? They’re trying to remove a public safety threat from the United States of America.

That is their job. Restoring public safety should be the number one priority.

And one of the problems here, as I examined it, is that Minnesota — Minneapolis in particular is a sanctuary city. What does that mean? That means it’s a magnet. … They’re protected under the current situation because state and locals will not cooperate with federal law enforcement.

In fact, Mr. Lyons, is it not true that they were not honoring ICE detainers that were put on dangerous felons in prison so that you could remove them from the United States?

Lyons: That is correct sir. The detainers were not honored at the local level in Minneapolis.

McCaul: This is the number one violation. In addition, the rhetoric on the Left led to [an] over 1,000% increase in assaults on ICE officers, an increase of over 8,000 [percent on] death threats to them. 

All this created a perfect storm for our officers being thrown into this situation. And then Agent Bovino came into the picture, and I would argue, in fairness, that he escalated the situation by the way that was handled.

Your officers are not trained to effectuate crowd control; they are trained to move in surgically, [to] go in and remove these dangerous, violent criminals from the United States of America.

I’ve called for de-escalation after the two deaths, the two shootings that took place. I believe these roving patrols should be done at the border, rather than in the major cities of the United States. 

So when the president decided to remove Agent Bovino and put in Tom Homan, whom I’ve known for years, a consummate law enforcement professional, I commended the president. And what has been done since Mr. Homan came into the job?

We now have targeted law enforcement operations. He is returning to the original mission of ICE. He is working with state and locals to do the crowd control. He is getting them to honor the ICE detainers. He is also getting the body cameras put on them. And the roving patrols, in his words to me, should be done at the border, not in major cities.

My question to you, Mr. Lyons: [Are Mr. Homan’s] operations in Minneapolis now bringing the situation under control?

Lyons: We’ve seen de-escalation in the fact that the protests — while they still go on — have subsided, and ICE has been allowed to do their targeted, intelligence-driven enforcement operation.

Just the other night, local authorities arrested 54 protestors at the local level, where ICE officers did not have to be engaged in that.

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

WASHINGTON – Over the weekend, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul — chairman of the Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group (IPG) — led a bipartisan congressional delegation (CODEL) to Mexico. While there, the delegation met with Mexican lawmakers and other government officials to identify ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on pressing topics including regional security, counternarcotics, immigration, trade, and agriculture.

The bipartisan delegation included IPG Ranking Member Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Dan Meuser (R-Penn.), and Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas).

“I’m proud to have led this delegation to Mexico to collaborate with many crucial partners, including our counterparts in Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies,” said Chairman McCaul. “With robust bipartisan representation from both the U.S. and Mexico, it’s clear that strengthening our bilateral relationship is a nonpartisan issue. Much progress has already been made under the Trump and Sheinbaum administrations on mutual priorities like security, trade, and immigration, and I look forward to deepening our collaboration for the benefit of both of our nations and the broader region.”

“I greatly appreciate Chairman McCaul’s partnership in leading this delegation, which underscored how vital sustained, bipartisan engagement with Mexico is to advancing priorities that affect border communities,” said Ranking Member Cuellar. “We had constructive discussions with Mexican lawmakers and senior officials on regional security, counternarcotics, immigration, trade, agriculture, and border infrastructure. These conversations are essential to strengthening border security, stopping the deadly flow of fentanyl, protecting American agriculture, ensuring USMCA delivers for U.S. workers, supporting cross-border trade, and holding Mexico accountable to its water treaty obligations. For South Texas, these issues have direct consequences for our economy, our security, and our communities, making continued coordination with Mexico a necessity, not a choice.”

In Mexico City, the delegation first stopped at the U.S. Embassy to receive a full briefing on U.S.-Mexico relations from Ambassador Ronald Johnson and his team. While there, they met and thanked several U.S. Marines who are serving in the country.

Next, the delegation met with Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente to discuss the importance of our bilateral relationship, regional security, and countering China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Before leaving Mexico City, the delegation held a meeting with members of Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies, including Chamber President Kenia López Rabadán. The meeting featured representation from both chambers and six of Mexico’s political parties, including the ruling and opposition coalitions. Topics of discussion included security, trade, water, screwworm, and regional relationships.

The delegation also visited San Miguel de Allende, where they met with Mayor Mauricio Trejo Pureco and Governor Libia Dennise García Muñoz Ledo to discuss trade, tourism, opportunities in the upcoming USMCA renegotiation, and more.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the country approaches the eighth anniversary of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which claimed 17 innocent lives, including 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, we remember the victims and their families.

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, Dean of the Florida Delegation, continues to lead efforts to strengthen school safety measures as an original cosponsor of Congressman Burgess Owens’ (UT-4) Alyssa’s Act.

Congressman Díaz-Balart said, “I’m proud to continue my work in school safety, this time as co-sponsor of Alyssa’s Act, which will establish national school safety standards, including silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement.

I commend Rep. Owens for his commitment to education and safety initiatives and appreciate the opportunity to work alongside him, Alyssa’s parents, Lori and Ilan Alhadeff, and Max Schachter, father of Parkland shooting victim Alex Schachter, to make our schools safer for current and future generations.”

Congressman Owens said, “Our children are our future and our most important national resource. Alyssa’s Act will save lives, plain and simple. I am grateful for the bipartisan support we’ve gathered on this bill that would disseminate the best evidence-based practices, resources, and tools available to us to help keep our students safe in the hands of schools and districts across the country.”

Lori Alhadeff, CEO of Make Our Schools Safe said, “Alyssa’s Act sets clear, lifesaving standards for emergency response in our schools because when seconds matter, there is no time for confusion. Every classroom deserves a direct line to help. These standards are not optional they are the difference between chaos and coordination, between tragedy and lives saved.”

Max Schachter, Alex Schachter’s father and Founder & CEO of Safe Schools for Alex, said, “In an emergency, every second matters. During the Parkland school shooting, by the time law enforcement arrived 24 people had already been shot and/or killed—including Alyssa and my little boy, Alex. No family should ever endure that kind of loss. Every teacher needs the ability to immediately alert everyone on campus including law enforcement.

I am deeply grateful to Representatives Diaz-Balart and Owens for sponsoring Alyssa’s Law. I look forward to working with them to pass this very important piece of school safety legislation.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee (NSRP), along with Representatives Carlos A. Giménez (FL-28) and María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) sent a letter to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the U.S. Department of Commerce demanding a full review and immediate action to deny any licenses that allow U.S. persons or entities to conduct business with the Cuban regime, a designated State Sponsor of Terrorism.

Read the full letter here or below.

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart said, “I said it during President Trump’s first term, and I will say it again: I am convinced the anti-American dictatorships in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua will not survive another term of bold and decisive American leadership under President Trump.

“The Cuban regime is weaker today than it has ever been. History makes clear that there is only one approach that works against brutal dictatorships: zero tolerance and maximum pressure.

“That means enforcing U.S. law, which prohibits all businesses from dealing with the Cuban regime and cutting off every dollar that props up a State Sponsor of Terrorism, as Congress mandated in the LIBERTAD Act of 1996.”

Congressman Carlos A. Giménez said, “President Trump’s decisive actions have brought us closer than ever to the collapse of the Communist regime in Cuba. We’re asking to shutdown every source of income the regime uses to repress the Cuban people. Close the valve of free oil from Venezuela, close the valve of flight and remittances, and close the valve of these businesses shipping luxury products from the US to Cuba, which undermines the intent of Congress and President Trump’s common-sense policy against the regime. God willing, the Castro regime will not survive these four years of President Donald J. Trump!”

Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar said, “U.S. law is clear: sanctions exist to deny economic support to the Cuban dictatorship until real democratic change occurs. That is why we are urging the Administration to review and revoke any licenses that directly or indirectly benefit regime-controlled entities, strengthen scrutiny of future licenses, and fully enforce the LIBERTAD Act. Every dollar denied to the regime brings the Cuban people one step closer to freedom.”

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