MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

“This Administration continues to make history for all the wrong reasons. This is beyond the pale. The disregard for human life. The disregard for national security.”

“Under this Administration, the United States’ foreign policy is a failure. Decades of diplomatic efforts to build good will and keep the American people safe have been upended. We have an unelected billionaire gutting life-saving programs like USAID’s essential work to feed newborns and to get medicine to war zones.”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, in a speech on the House floor, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) slammed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Trump Administration officials for their blatant disregard of national security after it was revealed they shared war plans on a group chat using a phone messaging app that included aa journalist. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley demanded Hegseth’s resignation and called for everyone involved to be investigated by Congress.

A full transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks, as delivered, is available below and the full video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Calls for Pete Hegseth Resignation, Rails Against DoD for Disregarding National Security, Human Life
U.S. House of Representatives
March 26, 2025

Madam Chair, I rise today to call out the recklessness of those in this Administration entrusted with our national security.

I did not think I would see a day where someone with the highest security clearance is using a phone messaging app to treat matters of national security with such blatant disregard.

Celebrating with emojis in a group chat as they unlawfully authorize military actions.

I struggle to find a reference point.

This Administration continues to make history for all the wrong reasons.

This is beyond the pale.

The disregard for human life. The disregard for national security.

Let me just make this abundantly clear to the American people – secure channels of communication do exist to discuss classified military action. They sure as hell are not a signal group chat.

Information like this – it is imperative that it be handled with sensitivity.

Under this Administration, the United States’ foreign policy is a failure.

Decades of diplomatic efforts to build good will and keep the American people safe have been upended.

We have an unelected billionaire gutting life-saving programs like USAID’s essential work to feed newborns and to get medicine to war zones.

And meanwhile, you have a cast of characters in these roles having nothing to do with merit, but simply their fealty and loyalty to Donald Trump.

A cast of characters ordering military strikes in a group chat with a random journalist in it.

This is nothing to be cavalier about.

This is not a drill, it is not a joke, and every person involved should be investigated by Congress.

In particular, Pete Hegseth is proving himself to be grossly unqualified to lead the Department of Defense and should have never been confirmed by the Senate.

This national security failure is proof that he cannot serve this country’s best interest and I call for Pete Hegseth to resign. 

I yield.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested and detained Rumeysa Ozturk, an international student with legal status in a graduate program at Tufts University. 

“This is a horrifying violation of Rumeysa’s constitutional rights to due process and free speech. She must be immediately released,” said Rep. Pressley. “And we won’t stand by while the Trump Administration continues to abduct students with legal status and attack our fundamental freedoms.”

Yesterday, Rep. Pressley issued a statement following reports of ICE activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

With the 38-State Threshold for Ratification Met, Resolution Takes Critical Step Toward Enshrining Gender Equality in Constitution

Resolution Text

WASHINGTON – Today on Equal Pay Day, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), along with Congresswomen Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), and Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), reintroduced their bicameral resolution to overcome a significant obstacle to the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This resolution would remove an arbitrary deadline set by Congress in 1972, affirming the ERA as the 28th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex.

“For centuries, women – particularly women of color and LGBTQ+ folks – have been treated as less than – less deserving of pay, less protected by law, less free to show up as our authentic selves in a world that constantly pushes us down,” said Rep. Pressley. “By enshrining the ERA into law, we are taking the necessary step to center our most vulnerable and marginalized communities, close the gender wage gap, combat sex discrimination, reduce gender-based violence, ensure freedom over our bodies, and more. The time is now to affirm gender equality once and for all.”

“The state of Alaska ratified the ERA and amended the State Constitution in 1972, and that is a legacy I am proud to continue advocating for at the federal level,” said Senator Murkowski. “It is past time for the equal rights of women to be guaranteed in the United States Constitution, and I will continue to advocate for the passage of this resolution until that is achieved.”

“I am proud that Hawaii was the first state to ratify the ERA, but we must finally amend the Constitution to ensure that the next generation of women are guaranteed equal rights,” said Senator Hirono. “With the reintroduction of this resolution, we reaffirm our commitment to fighting for equal opportunity and equal rights for all. It has been over a century-long fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and we won’t stop until gender equity is enshrined in the Constitution.”

“Women throughout history have fought tirelessly against sexism and inequality, refusing to accept a world that denied them their full rights. Their courage paved the way for progress—but the fight is far from over. We are grateful for the leadership of Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Mazie Hirono, and Rep. Ayanna Pressley in reintroducing this important resolution, recognizing the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. This Women’s History Month we renew our commitment to the pursuit of true gender equality. The women who came before us didn’t give up, neither will we,” said Zakiya Thomas, President & CEO, ERA Coalition.

“The Equal Rights Amendment is a short yet powerful declaration — ‘Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex,’” Congresswoman Dean said. “Words matter—and we must be explicit in our Constitution to ensure that equality is a reality for every person in our nation. I’m grateful for Congresswoman Pressley’s leadership in this century-long fight and in the enduring legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chislom and others before us. We must expand the mission of the 19th Amendment and fulfill the promise of the ERA.”

“When I was 27, I represented my state at the National Women’s Conference in Houston—and I still have the ERA pin I wore that day. I’ve kept it all these years because the fight isn’t over. Two years ago, I went to Seneca Falls and met with the next generation of activists. Let me tell you—they are just as committed, just as fearless, as I was back then. And like me, they’re still waiting for this country to guarantee women the same constitutional protections as men,” said Congresswoman Garcia. “Those fighting against the ERA are the same ones who fear powerful women—the ones who pay us less, promote us less, and try to silence us. It’s long overdue to make the ERA the 28th Amendment of the Constitution. I stand today for justice, for fairness, and for future generations of women and girls who deserve fairness, justice, and equality of opportunities.”

“There is no deadline for equal rights,” said Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove. “The United States Congress and the required number of states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, which is over 100 years in the making. An arbitrary deadline will not stop progress on equal rights. Now is the time for Congress to pass this resolution to ensure that we enshrine equal protections for our mothers, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers who have championed this cause.”

“Generations of women, especially women of color, have relentlessly fought for equal rights in a system that has long denied them fairness under the law — and that fight is far from over,” said Rep. McClellan. “I led the fight in Virginia to make our Commonwealth the final state needed to ratify the ERA, taking a stand on the right side of history. Now, we must finish the job by enshrining gender equality in the Constitution once and for all.”

The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced 100 years ago to codify gender equality. Since 1923, the constitutional amendment was introduced in every session of Congress until it passed in 1972 in both the House and Senate. Congress then placed an arbitrary seven-year deadline on the ratification process before extending the deadline to 1982, but only 35 ratified the ERA before the arbitrary deadline.  However, with the recent ratifications of the ERA by Nevada in 2017, Illinois in 2018 and Virginia in 2020, the 38 states needed for certification of the ERA to be become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has now been reached.

Ratifying the ERA, which states, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex”, would affirm women’s equality in our Constitution, enshrining the principle of women’s equality and an explicit prohibition against sex discrimination in the nation’s foundational document.

As the 28th Amendment, the ERA would serve as a new tool—for Congress, for federal agencies, and in the courts—to advance equality in the fields of workforce and pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment and violence, reproductive autonomy, and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Enshrining this protection in our Constitution also ensures enduring protections for all Americans across the country.

It would also signal to the courts that they should apply a more rigorous level of review to laws and government policies that discriminate on the basis of sex, making it more likely for them to be struck down.

Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), led H.J.Res.25 in the 118^th Congress, a joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the ERA and take a critical step toward enshrining gender equality in the United States Constitution.

Text of the resolution is available here.

• In January 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement commending President Biden for declaring that the ERA is the law of the land and urging the Archivist of the United States to publish the ERA as the 28^th Amendment to the Constitution.
• In December 2024, Rep. Pressley Rep. Pressley and former Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) led over 120 colleagues on a letter urging the President to Publish the ERA.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of the Equal Rights Amendment’s introduction.
• In December 2023, ahead of the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Equal Rights Amendment in the Senate, Rep. Pressley (MA-07) and Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) hosted a Centennial Reception Exhibit at the Library of Congress. 
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush commemorated July 21, 2023 as the 100th anniversary of when the Equal Rights Amendment was first unveiled.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley led her colleagues in filing a “discharge petition” that could compel the House to hold a vote on H.J. Res. 25, her joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the ERA and enshrine it as the 28^th Amendment.
• In July 2023, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in unveiling a resolution recognizing the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28^th Amendment to the Constitution.
• In June 2023, during Pride Month, a coalition of LGBTQ+ grassroots organizations expressed support for H.J.Res. 25, a bicameral joint resolution to affirm the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and enshrine gender equality in the U.S. Constitution.
• In April 2023, Rep. Pressley and the Congressional Caucus on the Equal Rights Amendment rallied behind the Senate’s efforts to bring the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to a vote. Later that day, Rep. Pressley responded to the failed passage on the House Floor.
• In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01) led their colleagues in launching the first-ever Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In March 2023 ahead of the ERA Caucus launch, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful House floor speech commemorating the legacy and contributions of Black women at the forefront of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In March 2023, on the House floor, Rep. Pressley honored the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and her contributions as a legislator, including her advocacy to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.
• In February 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Lois Frankel (FL-21) and the Democratic Women’s Caucus, issued a statement applauding the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
• In January 2023, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Cardin led their colleagues in introducing a bicameral, joint resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the ERA and recognize the amendment as a valid part of the Constitution.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Boston and other municipalities in Massachusetts.

“Boston is a safe and welcoming city. In sharp contrast, the scare tactics, fear, and division coming from this Trump Administration are causing harm and terrorizing elders, children, and families in our community,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “ICE and CBP should immediately share information on any residents detained. This agency’s rogue behavior, performative stunts, and lack of transparency are endangering our neighbors and raises grave concerns that they aren’t operating lawfully or with any accountability. As the Congresswoman for Boston and the Massachusetts 7th, I will always work with our state and local leadership to protect the rights of our immigrant neighbors.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

LOWELL, MA – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), the only former Division I woman athlete in Congress, released her bracket for the 2025 March Madness Women’s Basketball Championship.
“Women’s college basketball is growing at an incredible pace, inspiring the next generation of athletes to pick up a ball and chase their dreams – just like stars such as JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and so many others,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “I see it firsthand with my daughters, who helped me fill out this year’s bracket. We’re all in for the Trojans and can’t wait to watch the action unfold.”
CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s 2025 March Madness Bracket

Trahan, who was recruited to play volleyball at Georgetown University, is the author of the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, the most pro-athlete NIL legislation introduced at the federal level. She also introduced the Fair Play for Women Act to close Title IX loopholes that colleges use to overcount the number of women athletes in their programs. On the House Energy and Commerce Committee, she has been a vocal advocate for protecting the rights athletes have secured in recent years, including in a recent hearing where she raised concerns about schools’ plans to adopt a revenue-sharing model that would shortchange women athletes and violate Title IX. Last year, she invited University of California, Los Angeles Quarterback Chase Griffin to testify before Congress in opposition to legislation that would curtail athletes’ rights.
In November, Trahan led members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus in requesting that the U.S. Department of Education issue guidance on how Title IX applies to college athlete pay. Following the lawmakers’ request, the Department issued a fact sheet clarifying colleges’ obligation under Title IX to offer equal opportunity to college athletes with respect to publicity, support services, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) offerings, and direct payments. In February, the Trump Administration rescinded the guidance, arguing that it lacked “a credible legal justification.”
Prior to the 2022 March Madness tournaments, Trahan partnered with Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) to host a virtual summit on inequities in college athletics. She hosted a panel with women athletes and advocates, including former Oregon Women’s Basketball player Sedona Prince, former Cornell Women’s Volleyball player Sydney Moore, and Former Division I athlete and award-winning author Katie Lever.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of House Democratic Leadership, announced her effort to reform the Privacy Act of 1974, a 51-year-old law regulating how the federal government collects, maintains, utilizes, and disseminates Americans’ personally identifiable information. In a Request for Information issued today, Trahan is requesting input from civil society groups, privacy experts, current and recently terminated government technologists, and concerned members of the public.
“Americans’ right to privacy, enshrined in our Constitution, is being fundamentally challenged. Unaccountable billionaires, inexperienced programmers, and unvetted political appointees are perpetrating the biggest government privacy scandal since Watergate, when President Nixon weaponized his access to people’s personal information to target political opponents ranging from companies to politicians to everyday Americans,” Trahan wrote.
The Privacy Act of 1974 was enacted in response to growing concerns about government surveillance and the misuse of personal information, particularly following the Watergate scandal. The law establishes safeguards for how federal agencies collect, maintain, and disclose personal records. It also grants individuals the right to access and amend their records held by federal agencies and restricts unauthorized disclosure of personal information. The Privacy Act has not been updated since its initial passage more than a half-century ago.
Over the past two months, the Trump administration has allowed Elon Musk and “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” staff to access Americans’ most sensitive data, including through the Treasury Department’s payment system, federal employee personnel records, student loan borrowers’ information, and disaster victims’ claims for emergency assistance. DOGE staff have even requested access to personal taxpayer data through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). These data breaches have sparked at least eight lawsuits under the Privacy Act, but the Trump administration is actively trying to defeat those lawsuits and continue DOGE’s access to Americans’ personally identifiable information.
“The combination of challenges stemming from unchecked government officials and significant technological advances warrant a reevaluation of the Privacy Act of 1974 and related laws governing privacy and federal information technology,” Trahan concluded.
Answers to Trahan’s Request for Information will inform legislation to update the nation’s privacy laws, starting with the Privacy Act. Responses can be emailed to PrivacyActRFI@mail.house.gov by April 30th.
Trahan’s effort is supported by a number of former government technologists, civil liberty groups, and privacy experts.
“Reforming the Privacy Act of 1974 is essential. The government collects an incredible amount of personal and sensitive data about Americans, and while agencies can choose to adopt best practices around privacy and security, the federal enterprise lacks appropriate safeguards. The Privacy Act lacks necessary provisions to address modern challenges presented by national-scale data breaches, widespread adoption of AI, and the need for secure cross-agency information sharing. Additionally, it lacks sufficient transparency and accountability mechanisms for how agencies use emerging technologies to collect, store, and analyze personal information. Updating the Privacy Act is crucial to ensuring that it remains effective in safeguarding citizens’ data while enabling responsible and efficient governance,” said Ann Lewis, former Director of Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration (GSA). “I thank Rep. Trahan for her leadership in taking an important first step with this RFI.” 
“The federal government collects and stores vast quantities of personal data, much of which is sensitive and which can cause severe harm to people if wrongfully disclosed, improperly accessed, or misused. The Privacy Act serves an essential function – to protect people from these harms. The Act, however, is in desperate need of reform. It is a very old law, passed about 50 years ago, and it must be strengthened to deal with the challenges we face today. Through some misguided interpretations, the Supreme Court has unfortunately weakened the enforcement of the Privacy Act, and the Act also has many soft spots and other problems,” said Daniel J. Solove, Eugene L. and Barbara A. Bernard Professor of Intellectual Property and Technology Law at George Washington University Law School. “Given the enormity of the privacy threats we face today, the need for a stronger Privacy Act is essential.”
“The Privacy Act was enacted before the advent of the personal computer industry, so it comes as no surprise that there are questions about whether this long standing guardrail should be updated to account for today’s uses of data and technology,” said Elizabeth Laird, Director, Equity in Civic Technology at the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT). “As the past six weeks have shown, existing privacy protections that oversee the federal government’s access to and use of Americans’ most sensitive data would benefit from additional scrutiny, so we support a public, transparent inquiry.”
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s systems store troves of information, including sensitive financial information, consumers’ complaints about shady businesses, and investigations into companies like X. To get access, I had to undergo rigorous cybersecurity and privacy trainings, document my requests for access, and have those requests approved by my supervisor,” said Erie Meyer, former Chief Technology Officer at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). “It isn’t clear that DOGE employees have had to do any of that, and yet they were granted a level of blanket access to systems that seemingly no employee in CFPB’s history has ever received. To me, it is abundantly clear that Americans‘ privacy rights are being violated. I applaud Rep. Trahan’s effort to take a hard look at the Privacy Act, and to address privacy abuses and account for the tremendous risks posed by technologies like artificial intelligence.”
“For fifty years, the Privacy Act has stood as a bulwark against the mishandling and political weaponization of personal information held by federal agencies. But decades of technological change and the current administration’s assault on privacy underscore the urgent need to strengthen those defenses,” said John Davisson, Director of Litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). “Rep. Trahan’s inquiry into how the Privacy Act should be updated and fortified could not be timelier. EPIC strongly endorses this effort, and we look forward to working together with Rep. Trahan to restore privacy protections and the rule of law to the federal government’s safekeeping of personal information.”
“I’m delighted to see the effort by Congresswoman Lori Trahan and her staff to begin the process of revising the Privacy Act of 1974,” said Bob Gellman, former Congressional staffer on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and author of the report, From the Filing Cabinet to the Cloud: Updating the Privacy Act of 1974. “There’s been a longstanding need to bring the Act up to date to account for modern approaches to privacy protection, new information technologies, and current information sharing activities.”
“Part of the reason we started We the Builders is because we were so alarmed by incursions into previously well-guarded data systems across government. Our mission is informing our readers about how the current administration’s activities could affect them. We originally joined government to deliver human-centered programs and services while protecting the privacy of Americans,” said We the Builders, a coalition of current and former federal civil servants. “We believe there are short- and long-term means of addressing this problem. Right now, we are getting information out and collaborating across a wide coalition to fight back against the degradations of service delivery. Longer term, it’s critically important we support efforts like Rep Trahan’s to modernize laws like the Privacy Act.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, partnered with Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA)  to reintroduce the bipartisan Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability (TLDR) Act, legislation requiring that online companies make their terms-of-service contracts more accessible, transparent, and understandable for consumers.
“Consumers shouldn’t have to wade through pages of dense legal jargon just to use a website or app,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “Right now, companies force users into an all-or-nothing choice: agree to everything or lose access entirely. No negotiation, no alternatives, no real choice. They exploit this imbalance by burying critical terms in confusing contracts, knowing most people don’t have the time to sift through them just to send a message or make a quick purchase. The TLDR Act puts power back in consumers’ hands by requiring companies to provide clear, transparent summaries of their terms – something the American people overwhelmingly support.”
“Americans deserve the ability to make informed decisions online without having to navigate confusing pages of legal jargon,” said Senator Luján. “Far too many companies take advantage of consumers by burying critical details about their data policies and shield themselves from legal liability in complicated terms-of-service agreements. The TLDR Act will end these harmful practices and help empower and protect consumers. Informing consumers is a bipartisan issue, and I’m proud to join my colleagues to provide real choice online.”
“Nobody is going to read pages of legal jargon. Companies should be required to provide terms of service that people without a law degree can understand,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Americans have the right to know how their data is collected and used.”
Terms of service agreements, sometimes referred to as “terms-of-use” or “end user license agreements,” outline how a consumer may use a website or application. These legal documents have increased in length and complexity, leading to fewer Americans reading the terms of service before agreeing. A 2012 study found that it would take 76 work days for the average American to read the agreements for the websites and platforms they routinely use, and a 2022 poll found that nearly 9 out of every 10 Americans have agreed to a company’s terms of service without reading the contract first.
To address the potential for abuse with long, complicated terms of service agreements, the TLDR Act requires that online companies, with the exception of small businesses, include a nutrition label-style summary table at the top of their terms of service and tag the full, long-form terms with XML tags, making the agreements more accessible and understandable for consumers and researchers alike. The bill also mandates that the summary inform consumers about how their data is collected and shared, including by requiring companies to produce a graphical representation of how their consumer data is shared with third parties.
A digital copy of the TLDR Act as reintroduced can be accessed HERE. A full list of endorsing organizations and quotes of support can be accessed HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of House Democratic Leadership, voted against a continuing resolution put forward by House Republicans that will cut $22.8 billion in funding for health care for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals while also jeopardizing Americans’ housing, health care, and ability to retire.
“When young men and women put on the uniform to defend our nation, we make a solemn promise to stand by them – not just while they serve, but for the rest of their lives. Today, House Republicans shattered that promise by passing a government funding bill that guts $23 billion in critical health care funding for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic chemicals. These heroes risked everything for our country, and now the GOP is turning its back on them when they need us most.”
“But the betrayal doesn’t stop there. This bill will evict tens of thousands of hardworking Americans, threatening families with homelessness at a time when they’re already struggling to make ends meet. It will allow Donald Trump to fire thousands of Social Security workers, delaying lifesaving benefits for seniors who have spent their lives paying into the system. And it hands over billions in taxpayer dollars to Elon Musk by giving him free rein to steer federal contracts to his own companies and line his pockets at the public’s expense.”
“This bill is a disgraceful giveaway to Republicans’ billionaire donors like Elon Musk at the expense of veterans, families, and seniors, and I’ll have no part of it.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), the only former Division I woman athlete in Congress, raised concerns during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on college sports about schools’ plans to adopt a revenue-sharing model that would shortchange women athletes and violate Title IX.
“Thanks to Title IX, I became the first in my family to graduate from college—an opportunity made possible by a scholarship to play Division I volleyball. Through that experience, I saw firsthand the transformative power of higher education and college athletics. That’s why I’m deeply troubled by the Trump Administration’s actions, which threaten to undermine higher education and strip future generations of the opportunities that athletes like me were afforded,” said Congresswoman Trahan.
“If we’re serious about establishing fair federal standards on NIL, revenue-sharing, or athletes’ employment rights, then athletes themselves must be at the center of these conversations. Otherwise, we risk undoing the tremendous progress made in recent years with one-sided proposals that fall far short of what our nation’s athletes deserve.”
Trahan’s line of questioning can be viewed by clicking HERE or the image below. A transcript is included below.

In November, Trahan led members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus in requesting that the U.S. Department of Education issue guidance on how Title IX applies to college athlete pay. Following the lawmakers’ request, the Department issued a fact sheet clarifying colleges’ obligation under Title IX to offer equal opportunity to college athletes with respect to publicity, support services, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) offerings, and direct payments. In February, the Trump Administration rescinded the guidance, arguing that it lacked “a credible legal justification.”
Earlier this year, Trahan reintroduced the Fair Play for Women Act to close Title IX loopholes that deprive women and girls of athletic opportunities in college and K-12 sports. Last year, she invited University of California, Los Angeles Quarterback Chase Griffin to testify before Congress in opposition to legislation that would curtail athletes’ rights. The next month, she Last year, she partnered with Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) to reintroduce the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act, legislation they first introduced prior to the Supreme Court’s Alston v. NCAA decision to establish an unrestricted federal right for college athletes to market their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), grant international athletes the right to monetize their NIL, and place sensible guardrails on collectives.
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Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks as Delivered
Energy & Commerce Committee Hearing
March 4th, 2025
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for our witnesses today, especially our players. The state of college athletics, while imperfect, it’s better today than it was four years ago. Now it may not be better for the people who have historically benefited from the guise of amateurism, but it’s certainly better for athletes, and those are the folks who have always created the value in this industry. But while I celebrate the progress, I remain concerned about the inequities that persist in college athletics, and with respect to NIL, I worry that universities’  plan to finally share revenue directly with athletes could again short change women at a time when women’s sports are seeing a massive surge in popularity. Mr. Whitman, are you aware of the tentative agreement in the House v. NCAA lawsuit that will require the NCAA to pay out nearly $2.8 billion in damages to current and former athletes dating back to 2016 with 75% going to football players, 15% for men’s basketball players, 5% for women basketball players, and 5% for all other athletes?
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: I am aware. Yes.
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: I figured, then you – and great. I wouldn’t expect any other answer. You must also be familiar with the filing in that case by Barbara Osborne, an independent Title IX specialist with extensive experience auditing collegiate institutions who study the House settlement terms. If the lopsided terms of the House settlement were used in an institution, Ms. Osborne claimed she would have advised the institution that they were violating Title IX. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to enter Miss Osborne’s report on the gender inequities present in the House settlements revenue model into the record. Thank you. Mr. Whitman, you advocate that Congress codify a revenue sharing framework, that is, and I’m quoting here from your testimony, largely in line with what is contemplating by the House settlement. Your testimony comes amid reports that Power 5 schools like the University of Georgia are already planning to use those same thresholds in their future revenue sharing model scheduled to take effect later this year. Mr. Whitman, can you understand why many current and former women athletes like myself are alarmed that NCAA institutions and leaders are adopting a revenue sharing model that only gives women at most 10%?
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: Thank you for the question Congresswoman. This is an issue that has weighed heavily on our campuses as we have tried to evaluate how to apply, – excuse me –  an old, a 50 year old law to a new set of facts that weren’t contemplated when that law was passed. We have worked very earnestly to consult with a variety of different counsel to gain some clarity on that issue, and all that we have learned through those conversations is there seems to be some lack of consensus around exactly how that law will apply to these new opportunities that we can make available to our student athletes. What we know is that we’re seeing an explosion in popularity in women’s sports. We know that people who work in college athletics remain very strong champions of advancement in our women, amongst our women’s teams. But we also see that we are faced with some, some really challenging balancing of equities in a case like this one. If we were to apply Title IX in the sense that of the traditional financial aid balancing proportionality, we would potentially be diverting money away from the athletes who generate that revenue, many of whom are student athletes of color, many of whom come from underprivileged backgrounds. On the flip side, we  understand that if we were to maintain those revenues with the student athletes who generate it, we wouldn’t be potentially passing as much of it along to our female student athletes. And so it creates a really challenging dynamic for us to navigate on campus. What we know – 
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Which is why I asked that question, because, as you’re aware, in your role as Director of Athletics, Title IX requires that if a school awards financial assistance to athletes, they must, quote, provide reasonable opportunities for such awards for members of each sex in proportion to the number of students of each sex participating in interscholastic or intercollegiate athletics, end, quote. Surely the model that Georgia and other schools plan to use cannot comply with Title IX.
NCAA DI Council Chair Josh Whitman: We don’t think that’s been identified or established. We think there’s a lack of clarity around how Title IX will apply to these new payments. We currently comply with Title IX, we’re required to comply with Title IX, we have every intention of continuing
Congresswoman Lori Trahan: Well at a time when women haven’t seen their fair market value because they’ve never had the benefit of promotion or boosting, at a time when women’s Fandom of college sports is surging, I would hope that we would not base forward looking and forward looking frameworks for how we’re going to distribute those revenues based on a model where women were short changed. So I thank you for the extra time, Mr. Chairman and I yield.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

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