MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

Headline: Moolenaar Statement on American Strikes on Iran

Congressman John Moolenaar released the following statement on the American strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities:

“President Trump has been consistent. A nuclear Iran poses a threat to our nation, our military personnel, and our allies in the region. His decision to strike Iran is necessary to keep our nation and our allies safe, and ensure the number one sponsor of terrorism does not develop nuclear weapons.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

Headline: Moolenaar, Walberg, Bergman Introduce Legislation to Protect Line 5

Today, Congressman John Moolenaar introduced legislation to ensure Line 5 remains open to provide low-cost energy for Michigan residents. The Line 5 Act would prevent future administrations from shutting down the international pipeline. Moolenaar’s legislation is cosponsored by Congressmen Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Jack Bergman (R-MI).

“Line 5 is a vital source of energy for Michigan families. Unfortunately, the previous administration did not recognize its value to our state and fought to shut down the pipeline with bureaucratic red tape. Thankfully, the Trump administration has worked to ensure Line 5 remains open to serve Michigan residents. The Line 5 Act is a commonsense, two-page bill, which will stop future administrations from reversing the progress made by President Trump’s administration on Line 5, so Michigan families can count on it to affordably heat their homes,” said Congressman Moolenaar. 

“Michiganders rely on Line 5 for a safe, secure, and reliable supply of energy to heat their homes and power our local economy,” said Rep. Walberg. “While the Trump administration has shown its steadfast dedication to securing American energy reliability, it is vital that we prevent future presidents from shutting down this safe and essential pipeline. Energy security is national security, and we must protect our critical energy infrastructure.” 

“Line 5 is critical to Michigan families and our way of life. No president, regardless of their party – should have the power to shut it down with the stroke of a pen. Line 5 keeps energy affordable, supports thousands of Michigan jobs, and helps fuel our economy. This bill is about putting common sense and stability ahead of political agendas,” said General Bergman. 

Approximately 320,000 households in Michigan rely on propane to heat their homes. Line 5 provides 55% of the state’s propane supply. 

The text Line 5 Act can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2026 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. This bill includes critical investments to modernize military infrastructure, support readiness, and enhance the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families. It also maintains our nation’s commitment to the well-being of our veterans by providing critical resources for healthcare, pension benefits, and housing. Congressman Valadao is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations.

“I’m proud to support this bill that delivers on our promise to America’s veterans and strengthens support for our military families,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bill fully funds veterans’ health care, the VA, and key benefits our veterans have earned, while also investing in a new program to combat veteran homelessness. I’m also happy to see Central Valley priorities included—like important language related to the Bakersfield VA clinic and funding for an F-35 Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at NAS Lemoore. This is the first FY26 appropriations bill to clear the House, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to move the rest of our funding bills forward.”

Key Takeaways:

• Fully funds veterans’ health care programs. 
• Fully funds veterans’ benefits and VA programs.
• Combats veteran homelessness by investing in the new Bridging Rental Assistance for Veteran Empowerment program.
• Maintains funding levels for research, mental health programs, and other programs to support our veterans.
• Provides robust funding for military construction projects, including NAS Lemoore.
• Invests in the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Background:

The FY26 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act includes a total discretionary allocation of $152.091 billion, which is nearly $5 billion (3%) above the FY25 enacted level. This bill also provides $300 billion for mandatory programs, for a total of $453 billion in overall funding. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (15th District of Texas)

Pushes President to Issue Executive Order that Helps Struggling South Texas Businesses

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

Headline: Congressman Veasey On Trump’s Decision to Strike Iran to Boost His Political Standing

Let me clear: the Islamic Republic of Iran is a hostile regime that threatens our allies, funds terrorism, and has consistently pursued nuclear capabilities in defiance of international norms. I have no illusions about that. Tehran must never obtain a nuclear weapon — and America must be prepared to act decisively to prevent that outcome.

I pray for the safety of the US troops stationed abroad as we learn more about the details of this strike.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

Headline: Congressman Veasey Slams RFK Jr. for HHS Funding Cuts to Combat Opioid Epidemic After HHS Secretary Benefitted from Federal Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey, a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, grilled HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his proposed FY 2025-2026 budget—which includes devastating cuts to lifesaving staff, hospitals, grants, and programs aimed at combating the opioid crisis.

When pressed by Rep. Veasey to justify the cuts, Secretary Kennedy stonewalled, dodging basic questions about the harm his budget would cause. Rep. Veasey didn’t hold back—calling out the blatant hypocrisy of a man who once relied on federally funded addiction treatment programs to get clean, only to now slash funding for millions of Americans, including veterans, children, and seniors.

“This is Republican chaos, cronyism, hypocrisy, and theft on full display,” said Congressman Veasey. “They use the very programs they gut—then leave everyone else to suffer. Marjorie Taylor Greene took $180,000 in PPP loans and then voted to rip it away from other hardworking Americans. JD Vance’s mother got addiction help through programs. RFK Jr. used taxpayer dollars to recover from heroin addiction, and now he wants to defund those same programs for everyone else.”

“It’s theft. It’s a cold, callous assault on the health and lives of everyday Americans. Don’t believe the spin. The truth is right here: Republicans will use these programs for themselves, then defund them once they’re done. It’s selfish. It’s dangerous. And it’s costing lives.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) has reintroduced legislation to repeal a costly Biden-era mandate that artificially drives up construction costs on federal projects. The Biden administration’s rule reverts to a definition of “prevailing wage” that has not been used in forty years, causing a dramatic increase in the cost of federally funded construction projects. 

“This regulation puts taxpayers on the hook for artificially inflated federal construction costs. This misguided regulation is yet another giveaway to Democrat political allies at the expense of the American taxpayers. With a mounting national debt, every effort must be taken to drive down costs, not unilaterally raise them. The free market should determine wages, not a nearly century-old formula. This regulation is wrong for American taxpayers and must be stopped,” said Rep. Smucker.

Cosponsors of Rep. Smucker’s legislation are Representatives Virginia Foxx (NC-05), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), G.T. Thompson (PA-15), Richard Hudson (NC-09), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Mary Miller (IL-15), Tracey Mann (KS-01), Keith Self (TX-03), Julia Letlow (LA-05), John Rose (TN-06), Roger Williams (TX-25), Randy Weber (TX-14), Pete Sessions (TX-17), Erin Houchin (IN-09), and Jim Baird (IN-04).

What are they saying about Rep. Smucker’s legislation? 

“Associated Builders and Contractors strongly supports Rep. Smucker’s legislation to overturn the Biden administration’s Davis-Bacon final rule, which exacerbates longstanding problems with the Davis-Bacon Act’s unscientific and inefficient wage survey and wage determination process and reverses key reforms introduced during the Reagan administration. By passing Rep. Smucker’s legislation, Congress would alleviate additional costs and burdens forced on taxpayers and contractors by the Biden administration’s onerous rule.” – Kristen Swearingen, vice president of government affairs, Associated Builders and Contractors

“Americans for Prosperity thanks Congressman Smucker for his continued leadership in ending the harmful Biden era Davis-Bacon rule. His legislation would end misguided payment schemes that needlessly increase the costs of federal infrastructure projects for American families. It would also end infrastructure processes designed specifically to advantage union leaders and labor over non-union workers. Putting more money back in the wallets of American families by having their taxes spent more efficiently is exactly the kind of reforms we need to expand opportunity.” 

The bill is also supported by the National Precast Concrete Association and the National Society of Professional Surveyors. 

Background:

The Department of Labor Hour and Wage Division states: “The Davis-Bacon and Related Acts apply to contractors and subcontractors performing on federally funded or assisted contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair (including painting and decorating) of public buildings or public works.”

According to the Heritage Foundation, the Davis-Bacon Act “drives up federal construction costs by about 10%, costing taxpayers an estimated $10.9 billion per year.”

A December 2022 release from the Congressional Budget Office reports that eliminating the requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act would save approximately $24 billion over a ten-year period.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. ––Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens released the following statement: 

“For decades, Iran has been the largest state sponsor of terrorism, causing chaos in the Middle East, and putting Americans and our allies in danger. For them to obtain a nuclear weapon would make peace in the Middle East unachievable and make our country and our world an unsafe place. 

Last night, America’s armed forces carried out an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. I am relieved none of our brave American service men and women were hurt.

Like most Michiganders, I believe the last thing our country needs is to be involved in another foreign war. Any further action must receive approval from Congress. I intend to use my power as a member of Congress to ensure that this president and this administration do not continue to abuse the system of checks and balances we have in this country. I am also demanding that the Trump administration give Congress a briefing and give us intelligence rationale for this attack and ongoing threats in the region.

We also must focus on protecting American troops and civilians in the region, and work to evacuate Americans where needed. If any Michiganders are currently in Israel or the Middle East and need help getting home, please contact our district office, who has staff standing by ready to assist.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Homeland Security, voted yesterday in the full committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations measure.  

The FY 2026 Homeland Security bill proposes a total discretionary allocation of $66.4 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $1.3 billion over the FY 2025 enacted level.

Combined with the additional $26.5 billion for disaster response and $6.3 billion for programs offset by fee collections, the bill proposes to spend a total of $99.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2026. 

The bill supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and more.

“While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against this version because it dangerously underfunds disaster mitigation and cybersecurity initiatives, ultimately leaving Americans less safe,” said Case. “The Committee also was forced to draft the bill in the dark because the administration failed to provide a detailed budget request, and this is a dangerous precedent to support.”

In his remarks to the full committee here, Case focused specifically on critical FEMA assistance to for the Maui wildfire disaster as well as proposed cybersecurity cuts.

Through his assignment on the Subcommittee, Case secured $1 million for the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s (HIEMA) Emergency Operations Center IT Modernization Project. This is one of Case’s Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects that specifically focuses on local needs in Hawai‘i. The project will fund the procurement and installation of touchscreen monitors for a new information wall at the emergency operations center to facilitate emergency response communications and instantaneous information sharing.

“These facilities will share information in real time so that emergency responders can make informed decisions and take necessary actions to save lives and protect property in the event of a disaster,” said Case. 

The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here.  

Case also secured a number of other key programs and provisions for Hawai‘i, including:

·         $355 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA. 

·         $360 million for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.

·         $360 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. 

·         $60 million for increased Coast Guard operations and support funding in the Indo-Pacific, to include workforce support in housing, medical and childcare access for Coasties in Hawai‘i.

·         $15 million for the Coast Guard’s Honolulu Homeport Project, which funds expansion of operations and cutter maintenance activities at Base Honolulu. 

·         $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a $10 million increase over FY 2025, which funds University of Hawaii’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. 

·         $60 million for another Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter to be stationed in the Indo-Pacific.  

·         $40 million for FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System. 

·         Language requiring a report on the opportunity for the Coast Guard to acquire additional pier and related space at Base Honolulu. 

·         Language requiring a report on unmet requirements for the infrastructure at the Coast Guard’s Air Station Barbers Point. 

·         Language encouraging TSA to address potential degradation of security scanning equipment at open-air airports.

 The measure also includes the following priorities requested by Case: 

·         $14.4 billion for the Coast Guard. 

·         $54 million for the National Computer Forensic Institute, through which 397 state and local law enforcement officers from agencies in Hawai‘i have received a host of forensic training courses.

·         Report language supporting the growth of CISA support in the Pacific Islands. 

·         Language requiring a report on Coast Guard engagement and needs in the Indo-Pacific. 

·         Language requiring a briefing on the Coast Guard’s role in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major issue in the Indo-Pacific. 

·         $615 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative under FEMA. 

·         $520 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funding to protect against terrorism and other threats. 

·         $95 million for the Transit Security Grant Program, which protects critical transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism. 

·         $105 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. 

·         $100 million for FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program. 

·         $45 million for the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program. 

This measure is one of the twelve bills developed by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2026 (commencing October 1, 2025). The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.   

A summary of the bill is available here.  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released the following statement on the third anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing individual states to outlaw abortion services:

“Each day that passes without the federal protections enshrined by Roe v. Wade is an affront to women’s freedom,” Golden said. “Millions of women have lost autonomy over their own bodies, and millions more would be harmed by the extreme anti-choice agenda being driven across the country. I reject those efforts, and will continue to support efforts to restore reproductive freedom to every single American woman.”

Golden has been a champion of reproductive freedom throughout his time in Congress, and is an original cosponsor of two new bills that were reintroduced today. The Women’s Health Protection Act would enshrine abortion rights for patients and providers and create a federal prohibition against medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion, while the Ensuring Women’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Act would outlaw any restrictions on women traveling across state lines to access abortion services. Golden also helped introduce the Right to Contraception Act earlier this year to establish statutory protections for contraceptives.

When the Dobbs decision was released by the Supreme Court, Golden called it a “grave mistake” and added that Congress should codify the Roe and Casey v. Planned Parenthood frameworks into federal statute.

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