MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-09) re-introduced the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act, which would provide an incentive for all states to extend child welfare support and services for foster youth through age 21. 

Over 20,000 young people age out of foster care each year, often without a supportive adult presence in their life. Research shows that extending support into the first few years of adulthood can make a clear, positive difference in the lives of youth in care. This includes: increasing the likelihood of youth completing high school, enrolling in college, and finding employment, increasing the likelihood that youth feel they have enough people to turn to for support and guidance, and decreasing that odds that youth experience food insecurity, homelessness, or incarceration. 

In recognition of this, over 36 states, the District of Columbia, and nine Tribes have extended Title IV-E foster care for youth beyond age 18 following Congress passing the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act in 2008, which gave states the option to do so. By providing an incentive for additional states to extend care, the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act would help more child welfare agencies prevent the foster youth in their care from aging out of the system alone and unsupported on their 18^th birthday.

“Too many young people across the country lose crucial foster care supports the moment they turn 18. But in California, one of the first states to extend foster care through age 21, we have seen the positive impact additional support through the transition into adulthood has on physical and mental health, economic success, and overall satisfaction with life,” said Rep. Chu. “I’m proud to author this bipartisan bill with Rep. Houchin to help more states support young adults from 18 to 21 with the services they need to thrive as they step into adulthood.”

“As someone who dedicated the first part of my career to child services, I am thrilled to co-lead the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through 21 Act alongside Rep. Chu. Our goal is to provide vital support and services to young adults navigating the challenges of aging out of foster care,” said Rep. Houchin. “I have witnessed the positive impact of such programs firsthand. By extending care through age 21, we ensure that these individuals have the resources and essential opportunities for a successful transition into adulthood.”

The Increasing Access to Foster Care Through 21 Act would:

• Provide a financial incentive to states to take up the option to extend care by removing Title IV-E income eligibility requirements for youth ages 18-21, which currently tie a young person’s eligibility for services to the income of their often-estranged parents or legal guardians, thereby ensuring states receive the federal match for their costs.
• Provide that by opting to extend care through age 21, youth who voluntarily leave care at 18 would have the ability to re-enter care should they need to.
• Ensure categorical eligibility for extended care for youth ages 18 through 21.
• Request the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to issue guidance in consultation with the Department of Labor (DOL) on how case workers can better connect foster youth with Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth job programs.

“Journey to Success applauds Reps. Chu and Houchin for their bipartisan legislation to remove burdensome and outdated barriers to extended foster care,” said Hope Cooper, Journey to Success campaign manager. “Extended foster care improves young adult outcomes in employment, education, and housing stability—and even a small dose can make a meaningful difference. By making it easier for states to extend care through age 21 and removing unnecessary eligibility hurdles, this bill will help more young people access the stability and support they need to thrive. On behalf of the youth we serve, we’re grateful to Reps. Chu and Houchin for their leadership in expanding opportunity and helping pave the way to bright futures that all young people deserve.” 

“The Child Welfare League of America is pleased to endorse the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through 21 Act,” said Linda Spears, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. “Federal data tells us that compared to youth that leave foster care at age 18, youth who remain in care longer have better outcomes across multiple measures. This legislation builds on the advances in supports and service provision made by states that currently extend foster care beyond age 18 and is a positive step toward ensuring that all young people in foster care have the option to remain in care until age 21, regardless of where they live. CWLA applauds Representatives Chu and Houchin for their commitment to improving support for older youth with child welfare system involvement.” 

“The Increasing Access to Foster Care through Age 21 marks a significant milestone in how our country supports young people transitioning from foster care to adulthood. This legislation challenges states not only to provide extended foster care, but to increase quality, accessibility and long-term financial sustainability of these services. Research-backed, high-quality extended foster care available in every state will help ensure better outcomes for young adults. Equally important, this bill acknowledges that the voices and lived experience of young people must be centered as they navigate their transition to independence. Youth Villages commends Representatives Chu and Houchin for advancing a thoughtful, step-by-step approach that provides states with a clear framework to strengthen their systems to provide high-quality extended foster care program to every young adult,” said Patrick Lawler, CEO, Youth Villages

“For years, young people with foster care experience have told us exactly what they need—and one of the clearest messages is that 18 is too soon to be on your own. Representatives Chu and Houchin leading this bill is a direct response to that call. Every young person, in every state, deserves the time and support to grow into adulthood feeling connected and stable—and by incentivizing states to extend care through 21, this legislation helps make that a reality. FosterClub is proud to stand behind it,” saidCeleste Bodner, Executive Director of FosterClub, the national network for youth in foster care.

“Extending the critical supports of foster care until age 21 can make a significant difference in the outcomes for the 20,000 youth who age out of care each year,” said Debbie-Ann Anderson, president of the National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA). “NACHSA applauds Representative Chu and Representative Houchin for their continued, bipartisan efforts to provide additional federal funding for county child welfare agencies so we can better prepare this important population for the transition to adulthood. We urge Congress to quickly pass the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act.” 

“As an early-adopter of extending foster care benefits to age 21, California county child welfare agencies have seen first-hand the significant benefits and improved outcomes for our transition-aged foster youth across many aspects of their lives, from improved earnings and educational attainment, to reduced homelessness and incarceration,” said Carlos Marquez III, Executive Director of the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA). “CWDA applauds the reintroduction of the Increasing Access to Foster Care Through Age 21 Act to provide additional federal resources to support these efforts.” 

“At SchoolHouse Connection, we see every day how homelessness after foster care and lack of supportive relationships can derail education and opportunity. We strongly support policies that keep young people connected to the support they need to succeed. We are grateful to Representatives Chu and Houchin for introducing this essential legislation and for their leadership on behalf of young people. This bill reflects what research and lived experience tell us: extending care and allowing re-entry can improve education, housing, economic mobility, and long-term well-being,” said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director, SchoolHouse Connection. 

“We envision a world where every young person is well-supported in their community and has the resources they need to thrive. This legislation is a major step toward that goal,” said Allison Green, Chief Legal Officer of the National Association of Counsel for Children. “By incentivizing states to give young people the option to remain in care through age 21, youth will be more likely to be safe, housed, educated, and employed—in short, the foundation necessary to transition to adulthood.” 

The bill is endorsed by Journey to Success, Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), Youth Villages, FosterClub, National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA), National Association of Counties (NACo), County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA), California State Association of Counties (CSAC), SchoolHouse Connection, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Youth Law Center, Foster Success, Children’s Advocacy Institute, National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC), National Center on Adoption and Permanency (NCAP).

Click here for the bill text. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

U.S. Department of Transportation funding for the MidSouth Development District

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

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Fox News Sunday, where he made clear that political violence is never acceptable, and that Democrats and Republicans must come together in a bipartisan way to lower the high cost of living and fix our broken immigration system.

SHANNON BREAM: Joining me now, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Good to have you back on Fox News Sunday this morning, sir.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning.

SHANNON BREAM: Ok, so you said last night, in the wake of this, you said, ‘it’s time to end the political violence.’ How do we do that, sir?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, I’m thankful for the bravery and the heroism of the Secret Service and the men and women of law enforcement. I’m grateful that everyone, from the President and First Lady on down are safe, who attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and certainly thankful that this brave Secret Service agent, who was shot, has been released from the hospital and is on his way to a full and complete recovery. Listen, I think that here in America, we can have strong disagreements, but it’s important for us to agree to strongly disagree without being disagreeable with each other. And it is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it’s targeted at the right, the left or the center. We have issues that we have to work out amongst each other, that’s embedded in the First Amendment that was being celebrated last night. But what is also embedded in the First Amendment is the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government peacefully.

SHANNON BREAM: Yeah, and we had protesters last night outside the dinners as we do every year. And you’re right, I mean, especially here in D.C., we see a regular protest. We celebrate the First Amendment, and that was what so much of last night was about. But there are those out there, and our polling continues to show, especially younger voters and younger people think that political violence is justified against your opponents. How do we speak into that? How do change those minds? That’s the next generation who increasingly says it’s fine to use that against your opponents.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think it’s going to be important for all of us, whether that’s the President, the Cabinet, Members of Congress, people in the Senate, Governors, state and local elected officials all across the country, to do the best that we can to set the most appropriate example. Again, to disagree with each other strongly when necessary, to battle it out in the public sphere of ideas, but to make sure that we respect the opposition in terms of those disagreements that are anchored in principle and also to make clear that everybody, whatever your ideological perspective is, we all love America and we all want to make sure that this country is the best that it can possibly be, particularly as we approach the 250th birthday on July 4th and work hard together to make the next 250 years even better than the first.

SHANNON BREAM: Yeah, we do have some work to do. And you have work to do on the Hill as there’s still a continuing battle over a number of big issues. But continuing with DHS funding, we understand that, in a matter of days probably, the paychecks will run out for Secret Service agents like the one who was injured last night. Thankfully, that protective vest did its job. But you might have heard the Attorney General, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier say, it’s time to stop using these kinds of employees, DHS employees, as pawns. So what do you make of his characterization of that issue as we still ask these people to show up for work, but they may soon be doing it, life or death situations, without a paycheck?

LEADER JEFFRIES:Well, we have to make sure that every single Secret Service agent continues to get paid, every single TSA agent, the Coast Guard and FEMA, as well as the hardworking men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. Actually, there’s been a bipartisan bill sent over by the Senate, not once, but twice, that has been pending before the House of Representatives now for weeks. Every single Senate Republican, every single Senate Democrat, the President himself as well as House Democrats have all expressed support for that bipartisan bill that will fund the Department of Homeland Security, including the Secret Service, with the exception of ICE and the mass deportation machine because that issue needs to be worked out separately. And for the life of me I’m not sure why that bill hasn’t been brought to the Floor of the House of Representatives. When we return tomorrow, it should be taken up immediately and it will pass on a strongly bipartisan basis, so we can make sure that the Secret Service gets paid.

SHANNON BREAM: Well, I’ve talked to some folks in GOP House leadership who think that there will be more motivation, they’re hoping at least on a bipartisan basis, to do full funding. It doesn’t sound like that’s an idea that you’re open to right now, but we’ll track that this week as you all get back here and get back to work. I want to talk about this. As that is playing out, your counterpart over on the Senate side, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate Floor this week, he said that nobody respects ICE or the Border Patrol. And the President actually asked for an apology to that. He says, ‘It’s one of the most egregious, incorrect, unpatriotic and dangerous statements I have ever heard from a professional politician. He must immediately apologize to these great patriots. And I mean now.’ Do you think there is an apology owed to Border Patrol and ICE?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I didn’t track that statement on the [Senate] Floor. I know Chuck Schumer is an incredibly patriotic individual. He cares about this country. All of us, with respect to whatever disagreements that we may be having relative to spending billions of dollars to fund ICE, which in some instances has been used to brutalize or kill American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. Certainly, I have a problem with that aspect of what has happened. But taking a step back, we want strong border security, we want to make sure that immigration enforcement in this country is fair, just and humane and is actually targeting for deportation violent felons who are here illegally as opposed to law-abiding immigrant families or, God forbid, American citizens as we’ve seen in many different instances. But perhaps most importantly, we have a broken immigration system, and we actually should fix it, and fix it in a comprehensive and in a bipartisan way, while we also deal with some of the other challenges that the American people face, such as the high cost of living. Let’s come together as Democrats and Republicans to actually make life more affordable for the American people.

SHANNON BREAM: Well, one of the other priorities, too, and I wish we had more time, but given the breaking news, we’re kind of limited. I’d love to talk with you more about these redistricting fights, that Virginia referendum goes to its State Supreme Court tomorrow, and many others. But obviously, Democrats are feeling bullish on flipping the House. And this week, Axios reported that there’s a push for day one impeachment: ‘Democrats pushing their colleagues to begin building the case against President Trump now in anticipation of a day one impeachment vote if they retake the House.’ If you become Speaker, is that your top priority?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Of course not, and I’ve made clear from the very beginning that our top priority is going to be to drive down the high cost of living. We believe in this country, you work hard, you play by the rules, you should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life, in fact, to live the good life. And that means a good-paying job and good housing, good healthcare, good education for your children and when it’s all said and done, a good retirement. That’s been the American dream for decades, but for far too many people, that American dream has slipped out of reach.And we should be focused on actually doing the type of things necessary to ensure that people in this country cannot simply survive, but they can thrive.

SHANNON BREAM: And that, of course, will be the heart of all of these midterm campaigns. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you for coming back. Good to see you.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee and co-author of the SHIPS for America Act, issued the following statement in response to the White House’s 90-day extension of the Jones Act waiver, allowing non-American-flagged ships to transport goods:

“President Trump’s Jones Act waiver is nothing more than a desperate attempt to clean up a crisis of his own making and is another example of him doing the exact opposite of ‘America first.’  

“Let’s be clear: waiving the Jones Act will do absolutely nothing to lower gas prices. The sky-high cost of gas has almost nothing to do with domestic shipping and has everything to do with Trump’s reckless and stupid war of choice in Iran.

“An extension will only damage our maritime industrial base and weaken our national defense by creating an unequal playing field, putting international ships above American vessels. Where American ships must abide by international labor and safety standards, foreign vessels do not. This is not competition, it’s surrender.

“While I can understand why President Trump is trying to reverse his self-made economic and national security calamity after misleading the American public about the justification for, and progress of, the war in Iran, propping up foreign shipping at the expense of American industry is not the solution. Trump is now allowing China to undercut our domestic manufacturers, put Americans out of work, and make us reliant on foreign vessels.

“If we are serious about rebuilding America’s maritime strength, we shouldn’t retreat—we should rebuild, we should compete, and we should put American ships and American workers first.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced the approval of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for five additional projects in Louisiana’s 3rd District, totaling $27,421,264.33. The reimbursements to local government and non-profit entities add to the over $5 billion in previously announced recovery funds and cover damages incurred due to the impact of Hurricanes in the area. 

Rep. Higgins said, “DHS Secretary Mullin is a friend, and he is working with President Trump to ensure that communities in South Louisiana are properly looked after. My office will continue to work side by side with our federal partners to ensure necessary resources are delivered.” 

Much of our official Congressional work to advance recovery projects occurs behind the scenes. Funding finalization and the associated formal announcement are the result of sustained efforts over many months with FEMA and state and local stakeholders. All funding will be delivered to the State of Louisiana. The state is responsible for disbursing the funds to each sub-recipient.

Below is a list of projects in Louisiana’s Third Congressional District for which FEMA grants were recently approved. 

• $1,853,281.43 for The Society of the Roman Catholic Church of the Diocese of Lake Charles for management costs related to Hurricane Laura. 
• $1,680,999.33 for Greater St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church for repairs to its south campus building due to damages inflicted by Hurricane Laura.
• $8,739,019.93 for Lafourche Parish School Board for permanent repairs to South Lafourche High School due to damages inflicted by Hurricane Ida.
• $10,139,852.34 for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for repairs to Vandebilt Catholic High School due to damages inflicted by Hurricane Ida. 
• $5,008,111.30 for Terrebonne Parish for repairs to public buildings and infrastructure due to damages inflicted by Hurricane Ida.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

This legislation will strengthen U.S. leadership in AI by improving AI standards and evaluation, expanding research infrastructure and R&D, modernizing federal AI adoption and risk management, supporting workers and small businesses, addressing AI-enabled crimes, and expanding AI education and workforce opportunities.

“Last Congress, the Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence brought together 24 Members of Congress from across 20 House committees to examine a wide range of policy challenges and opportunities presented by artificial intelligence,” Reps. Lieu and Obernolte said. “The Task Force conducted numerous stakeholder discussions and roundtables, engaging with more than 100 experts from industry, academia, government, and civil society to develop a broad set of recommendations. As the Task Force’s Republican and Democratic leaders, we are pleased to introduce a legislative package grounded in that work. The American Leadership in AI Act builds on the strong bipartisan foundation already laid by our colleagues, incorporating and advancing bipartisan legislation previously introduced by Members across the House. By unifying these efforts, this package reflects the thoughtful, consensus-driven work already underway and translates it into a cohesive strategy to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI. At a time of deep political division, this package demonstrates that serious, forward-looking policymaking is still possible. We look forward to continuing to work with our former Task Force colleagues and others to advance these bipartisan solutions.”

Background on The American Leadership in AI Act

The American Leadership in AI Act brings together more than 20 bipartisan proposals to implement key recommendations from the Bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence report issued last Congress. The bill is designed to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI while promoting responsible innovation and safeguarding the public.

Key Objectives

Strengthen our capacity to measure and evaluate AI

• Advances voluntary standards, testing frameworks, and evaluation tools

• Increases U.S. leadership in international standards-setting to help shape global AI standards and specifications

• Directs the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) to identify and promote best practices for transparency, safety, security, and performance

Build research infrastructure and drive innovation

• Expands access to shared research resources

• Supports collaboration across academia, industry, and government

• Promotes ambitious, mission-driven research through competitive initiatives across critical sectors

Modernize federal AI governance, procurement, and security

Expand AI education and protect the workforce

Safeguard Americans and deter harmful deepfakes

• Strengthens safeguards to deter AI-enabled crime

• Enhances legal remedies to deepfake victims and increases penalties for AI-enabled fraud and impersonation

• Supports whistleblowers who expose AI-related risks and misconduct

More on the 118th Congress’s AI Task Force

In February 2024, Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries established a bipartisan Task Force on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore how Congress can ensure America continues to lead the world in AI innovation while considering guardrails that may be appropriate to safeguard the nation against current and emerging threats.

Membership:

Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Co-Chair
Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-16)
Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-09)
Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11)
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06)
Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08)
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)
Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11)
Rep. Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Rep. Valerie Foushee (NC-04)
Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)

Rep. Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Chair
Rep. Darrell Issa (CA-48)
Rep. French Hill (AR-02)
Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27)
Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02)
Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06)
Rep. Kat Cammack (FL-03)
Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18)
Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-45)
Rep. Eric Burlison (MO-07)
Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15)
Rep. Rich McCormick (GA-06)

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

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

– Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) sent a letter requesting the Trump Administration publicly release both the feasibility study and action plan developed in compliance with President Trump’s Executive Order regarding expanding services at the Manchester VA Medical Center (MVAMC). The President’s budget request for FY2027 includes increased funds to expand services at MVAMC. Still, neither the feasibility study nor the action plan developed by the Administration has been released for public review.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “In a briefing on April 15, 2026, VA confirmed that both the study and the action plan are complete and have been submitted to the White House. VA also confirmed that the study presented multiple options, and that the White House and VA jointly selected the option reflected in the FY2027 Presidential Budget Request for the construction of a “new VA-owned medical center providing comprehensive outpatient services in Manchester, New Hampshire.””

However, VA has repeatedly refused to share those documents with Congress, “despite the fact that a subsequent briefing from VA officials indicated that a decision has been made and an interagency agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is set to begin implementation this month.”

The delegation closed by highlighting the importance of ensuring New Hampshire veterans have input and oversight into this decision, writing, “Transparency about what options were considered, what data was relied upon, and whether New Hampshire stakeholder input was incorporated is essential to Granite State veterans’ ability to evaluate your Administration’s actions and whether they support their needs.”

The delegation has requested that the Administration make both plans available no later than April 28, 2026.

The full letter can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore presented a $900,000 check to support the expansion of Marshall University Aviation’s in-person training program, strengthening workforce development in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle and addressing critical shortages in the aviation industry.

The funding, secured through Congressman Moore’s work on the House Appropriations Committee, will support the construction of a new training facility dedicated to aviation education and industry training. The expanded facility will provide hands-on instruction for aspiring pilots, dispatchers, and unmanned aerial system operators, while also offering stand-alone courses and customized training opportunities for local businesses.

The Marshall University Aviation expansion will serve both students and working professionals, helping to build a pipeline of talent equipped to meet industry needs. The facility will also play a key role in supporting regional employers by offering specialized training programs tailored to workforce demands.

The project is expected to enhance aviation training capacity in the region and position West Virginia as a leader in workforce development within the rapidly growing aviation sector.

Congressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:

“The investment in Marshall University’s aviation program is a commitment to West Virginia’s future workforce and economy. This new facility will expand opportunities for training in pilot certification, dispatch operations, and unmanned aerial systems, while also supporting the needs of local businesses. I’m proud to have secured $900,000 in funding through my work on the House Appropriations Committee.”

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