Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) released the following statement.
“As we work to understand the situation that is developing in the Middle East tonight, I urge both sides to do what they can to prevent further escalation of violence,” said Rep. Smith. “Too many innocent civilians are at risk of getting caught in the crossfire and leaders of both countries should proceed with caution.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted against the House GOP recissions package that would recklessly cut $9.4 billion from the federal budget that was previously approved on a bipartisan basis. In addition to foreign aid cuts, which arealready having deadly consequencesand undermining U.S. support around the world, the bill defunds America’s public broadcasting, including NPR and PBS, threatening vital sources of nonpartisan news, educational programming, and emergency services for all Americans.
“Whether it’s ripping healthcare away from 16 million Americans, taking food off the table of millions more, or now defunding vital public broadcasters that millions of our fellow Americans rely on like PBS and NPR, my House Republican colleagues have made clear that nothing is off the table when it comes to budget cuts that will help pay for more tax breaks thatoverwhelmingly benefitthe wealthiest among us,” said Congressman Cleaver. “While I was hopeful that just a handful of my colleagues across the aisle would block this short-sighted and dangerous decision, it will fall upon the Senate to protect these services for the American people.”
Earlie this week, Congressman Cleaverfought to protectfunding for America’s public broadcasting by introducing an amendment to remove a provision within the Republican rescission package that would eliminate federal funding for these vital institutions. Unfortunately, the amendment was not adopted, and the cuts remained in the package passed today.
Congressman Cleaver has been a longtime supporter of America’s public broadcasting, pushing back on the Trump administration’s effort to undermine these vital services. In March, Cleaver joined a bipartisan coalition of lawmakersto callfor continued funding for public broadcasting followingreportsthe FCC had opened a frivolous investigation into NPR and PBS and signaled interest in defunding the outlets. In May, the Congressman again joined a cohort of lawmakers tocall onthe Committee on Appropriations to maintain funding for CPB programs.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10) introduced the Republic of Somaliland Independence Act, legislation formally recognizing Somaliland as a separate, independent nation. The bill redirects U.S. foreign policy to align with a new, stable and self-governing partner in a region of increasing strategic importance to the United States.
“For more than three decades, Somaliland demonstrated the kind of governance, stability, and cooperation that America should support,” said Congressman Perry. “Foreign adversaries are on the march in Africa and around the globe, and it’s in our national interest to strengthen relationships with reliable partners who share our values and contribute to our security – whenever and wherever possible.”
Somaliland straddles key global shipping routes located along the Gulf of Aden near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Currently, the government and political system of Somaliland already operates independently of Mogadishu, the unstable, conflict-ridden and fractured capitol city of Somalia. Somalia’s meritless claims over Somaliland hinder the United States’ ability to forge deeper diplomatic ties with Somaliland, a responsible partner nation that maintains internal order, conducts democratic elections, and actively counters piracy and extremism.
“Somaliland has established itself as a stable, democratic, and reliable partner in East Africa. As China expands its influence across the globe, strengthening our alliances with free nations like Somaliland is more important than ever,“ said Congressman Andy Ogles (TN-O5). “I support the people of Somaliland in their pursuit of independence and look forward to building a strong partnership with them as allies.“
“This is a smart, strategic bill, and I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of Congressman Perry’s effort to recognize Somaliland. They’ve governed themselves peacefully for decades, built strong ties with Taiwan, and refused to bow to the Chinese Communist Party. They’ve even offered the U.S. military access to a key port in the Gulf of Aden. That’s what a real partner looks like, and it’s time we treated them like one,” said Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10).
“It is a simple fact that Somaliland is a sovereign and self-governing nation separate from Somalia, and U.S. policy should reflect that,“ said Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07).
At a time of intensifying competition with China, Iran, and other hostile actors in the region and around the globe, the United States cannot afford to brush off allies. This bill ensures American leadership remains strong in East Africa, and sends a clear signal that the U.S. will stand with responsible partners who uphold stability and sovereignty.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California
WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement in response to the recent Israeli strike on Iran.
“As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am closely monitoring the situation,” said Congressman Costa.
“This attack that has taken place, given the dynamics, is not surprising. The United States, with our allies, must come together to prevent an all-out war from taking place in the Middle East.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Tonight, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the Trump administration’s unprecedented assault of Senator Alex Padilla:
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Leading off our breaking news coverage tonight is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Mr. Jeffries, thank you very much for joining us tonight. There is so much for you to consider for us. First of all, let’s begin with Governor Newsom and his big victory in court tonight. This decision that I’ve read by the judge just finds in the governor’s favor all the way through ordering the California National Guard back under the command of Gavin Newsom.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a big victory for the people of California, for the governor, for the rule of law and for democracy itself. Donald Trump had engaged in aggressive overreach. That was never a need for this deployment. Things were being managed by the LAPD, the California Highway Patrol, as well as local Los Angeles County sheriffs. We all object and reject any efforts to assault police officers, to be disruptive, to engage in unlawful and unruly behavior. That was not the issue here. The issue is, how do we make sure that we can continue to protect the peaceful assembly that is guaranteed by the United States Constitution as part of the right of every American to petition their government to try to get grievances redressed.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Judge Breyer, Charles Breyer, very carefully reviewed every single event that has happened there that could be called in any way close to violent, every single thing, every mango that was thrown, every bottle that was thrown, every fire in a dumpster that happened. The fires of those driverless cars that happened over the weekend. And he concluded that none of that was beyond the control of LAPD, and in fact, described exactly how local officials, local law enforcement, brought all of those situations under control relatively quickly, thereby proving just in terms of what actually has been happening in Los Angeles, that it was completely under control and no federal support was needed. So he has that finding, in addition to Donald Trump illegally ordered those troops to move into Los Angeles.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It was an extremely meticulous decision, and this was all about political theater for Donald Trump. He doesn’t want the American people to lock in on the fact that he’s collapsing the economy. He’s failed to lower costs. The GOP Tax Scam is going to rip away healthcare for more than 16 million people, snatch food out of the mouths of children and seniors and veterans, all in service of giving their billionaire donors massive tax breaks. These are all deeply unpopular things. And so, Donald Trump wanted to create a massive distraction in this particular instance. If Donald Trump really believed that we were on the verge of insurrection, then he wouldn’t have attended a Broadway play last evening at the Kennedy Center. It would have been in the Situation Room. Instead, he was out on a night on the town. So this was a fraudulent thing that Donald Trump and his minions at the Department of Homeland Security had engaged in, and it’s now all been exposed in a meticulous decision by Judge Breyer.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: I mean, you know, I said at the outset, when Donald Trump first sent the troops to Los Angeles, that this was specifically, specifically to try to get us to turn our cameras to Los Angeles and away from those senators walking down the halls in Washington who have not been able to come to an agreement on how to do the Trump budget bill in the Senate and to take the focus away from that bill. What are we going to find? What are voters going to find when they put their focus back on this bill and what this bill is trying to do to voters?
LEADER JEFFRIES: You know, Brendan Boyle, the top Democrat in the House on the Budget Committee, has done a tremendous job of pointing out, one, this is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, on top of the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history, all in service of trying to bring about the largest set of tax breaks for billionaires in American history. It’s extraordinary. And they are going to increase the debt and the deficit by trillions of dollars, force our children and grandchildren to pay for it. And as a result of this one big ugly bill, hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down, community based health clinics are not going to be able to operate. People are going to die because of the lack of being able to receive the medical service that they need. And so Trump is certainly trying to hide the ball from the American people. But this is a disgusting abomination. And the more the American people learn about the GOP Tax Scam, the worse it gets for them.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Senator Alex Padilla obviously became the news of the day in Washington when that video spread of him being attacked like that in a federal building, a completely secure federal building, that you have to go through metal detectors and have an appointment to get into. Here’s the United States Senator in a federal building being attacked by federal agents, with a Cabinet Secretary looking on, lying about California while that was happening. Where were you when you first saw that video and what was your reaction, maybe holding your phone in your hand looking at that video?
LEADER JEFFRIES: It was disgusting when the news broke. I was on the Hill, we were preparing for a series of votes on the Floor of the House. And when you looked at the video, first of all, to know Senator Padilla, he is just a kind and decent person, a salt-of-the-earth type of individual. He has an extraordinary story, humble beginnings, eventually became an engineer at MIT, educated, and then walked away from what could have been a very lucrative career in order to serve his community and ultimately his state. And to see him assaulted in this fashion, manhandled, and then for the Secretary to lie about it, and the Department of Homeland Security, these people have zero credibility. And so the California Delegation, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, every single part of the House Democratic Caucus stands in solidarity with Senator Padilla. If they can attack a sitting Senator in his home state in this fashion, just imagine what they have in store for the American people. That’s why all of us should be concerned. All of us need to push back, and all of us need to stand up for the principle that in the United States of America, there are no kings.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Senator Padilla has insisted that this story is not about him, it’s what it means to the rest of us. It’s what it means about the people who the ICE agents and the federal agents are going after every day. Let’s listen to what Senator Padilla said when he came out of that federal building after being the– becoming the first United States Senator in history to be manhandled, pushed by federal agents, thrown to the ground and handcuffed for speaking. That has never happened before in American history. Let’s listen to what Senator Padilla said when he emerged from the federal building today.
SENATOR PADILLA (VIDEO): I came to the press conference to hear what she had to say, to see if I could learn any new additional information. And at one point, I had a question. And let me emphasize, the right for people to peacefully protest and to stand up for their First Amendment rights, for our fundamental rights. I was there peacefully. At one point I had a question and so I began to ask a question. I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room. I was forced to the ground and I was handcuffed. I was not arrested. I was not detained. I will say this, if this is how this administration responds to a Senator with a question, if this is how the Department of Homeland Security responds to a Senator with a question, you can only imagine what they’re doing to farmworkers, to cooks, to day laborers out in the Los Angeles community and throughout California and throughout the country. Pero una gran pregunta es esta: si esta es la reacción a un senador con una pregunta, imagínense lo que están haciendo con cocineros, jornaleros, campesinos y otros inmigrantes no violentos en la comunidad de Los Ángeles, en otras áreas de el estado de California y en el país.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Leader Jeffries that statement about imagine, just imagine what they’re doing to other people if this is what they do to the United States senators does seem to be the lesson of the day.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s incredibly powerful words from Senator Padilla. I think it’s one of the reasons why there was such a visceral reaction on the Hill both because we know him to be such a good man and this is just an example of how out of control the Trump administration is at this point. We’ve seen an unprecedented assault on the economy, on healthcare, on Social Security and of course, on the rule of law, on the American way of life, on democracy itself. But that’s why it’s going to be important for all of us to continue to show up and speak up and stand up, push back aggressively against the Trump administration, their extremism against Donald Trump and his minions in Congress who are nothing more than a Reckless Rubber Stamp for his extreme agenda. And we’ll continue to do that in the Congress, in the courts, and in communities all across the country.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: In any other presidency, I would expect you to be getting briefed very soon, if not already, about what has happened on Israel’s strike against Iran tonight. Have you been briefed in any way by the intelligence services about what is happening tonight?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I have not received an extensive briefing. There was minimal outreach from the administration, but I do expect sooner rather than later that we will receive a more comprehensive briefing about the state of affairs and the situation that exists. I mean, one of the things that Donald Trump, of course, promised on day one of his presidency, in addition to lowering the cost of living that, of course, has not happened. He talked about ending the war in Ukraine. That hasn’t happened. Talked about restoring peace to the Middle East. That has not happened. And so the whole Trump presidency has been a complete failure characterized by chaos, cruelty and corruption. And, you know, I’m hopeful that cooler heads will prevail in the Middle East and the situation is de-escalated. We certainly believe that Iran should never be allowed to become nuclear capable. They are an enemy not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the free world. But we also want to see a reduction in hostilities.
LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for joining us in our breaking news coverage tonight on this important night.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)
Headline: ICYMI: Congressman Veasey Blasts Republican Hypocrisy for Badly Plagiarizing Democratic Policies, Argues Democrats Have Winning Agenda
ICYMI: Congressman Veasey Blasts Republican Hypocrisy for Badly Plagiarizing Democratic Policies, Argues Democrats Have Winning Agenda
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) is pulling no punches in his NBC op-ed, “If Republicans Are Copying Democrats, We Must Be Doing Something Right,” where he torches Republican lawmakers for publicly parroting Democratic policies while dismantling the very programs that make those policies work.
Congressman Veasey lays out how Trump and his allies are pushing legislation that loots the American safety net — all while pretending to champion working people.
“Republicans are copying our policies like knock-off brands — slapping on new labels while gutting the real product,” said Veasey. “They’re plagiarizing our ideas while sabotaging working families in the same breath.”
“We don’t resent success. We resent selfishness. We don’t loathe ambition. We oppose a rigged game. What we reject is a system in which a handful of billionaires guard the gates of opportunity, locking others out to keep the wealth all to themselves. Because the American Dream was never meant to be a gated community.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)
Headline: Statement from Congressman Marc Veasey on the Crash of Air India Flight 171
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33), a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, issued the following statement in response to the tragic crash of Air India Flight 171, which departed from Ahmedabad International Airport and claimed the lives of 290 passengers and crew:
“I am heartbroken by the devastating crash of Air India Flight 171. My deepest prayers are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this unspeakable tragedy. As we mourn the loss of 290 souls, we stand in solidarity with the people of India during this painful time.
As a proud member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I know how deeply connected our communities are. This tragedy is not just India’s loss — it is a shared loss felt across continents and cultures. The United States grieves with India today.”
In addition to being a member of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, Congressman Veasey co-chairs the Congressional Aviation Safety Caucus.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32), a Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee for 29 years, released the following statement on Israel’s attack on Iranian nuclear capabilities:
“Under the circumstances, what Israel has done is understandable and justified.
Earlier today, for the first time in 20 years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board declared that Iran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations under the Safeguards Agreement that Iran itself signed. Iran was extremely close to several nuclear bomb. Israel could not wait while Iran pretended to negotiate in good faith while racing towards a bomb.
The second wave has already begun and we expect many days and perhaps weeks of additional action. Substantial damage has been done to Iran’s nuclear program. However, the status of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is yet to be known.
It’s regrettable that Iran’s decades of violation of the non proliferation treaty which it signed has led us to a point where this is necessary. While the U.S. pulled out of the 2014 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement, Iran has been bound by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement it signed decades ago and which the IAEA determined it violated.
Israel did not take this step lightly. There will be retaliation from Iran, and likely also from the Houthis and Hezbollah. Many Israeli civilians will be killed. Israel took this action because it believed it had no other choice.
Israel could not wait until Iran had a stockpile of nuclear weapons ready to be launched.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL
House Republicans voted down Rep. Kelly’s Motion to Recommit to protect PEPFAR from recissions package
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) condemned the Trump administration’s recissions package that requests Congress to cancel $9.4 billion already appropriated by Congress.
Rep. Kelly offered a Motion to Recommit, which would have allowed her amendment to protect the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) from the $400 million cuts in the recissions package. PEPFAR is the most successful global health program to combat HIV and AIDS and has saved 26 million lives since 2003 when President George W. Bush signed it into law.
“President Trump wants to claw back $9.4 billion dollars that were already appropriated by Congress. For years, my Republican colleagues have claimed Congress’s constitutional power of the purse – but after one call from the President, they bend the knee and forked over $9.4 billion that belonged to the American people,” said Rep. Kelly. “President Trump continues his attack against PEPFAR, a program cornerstone to global health and US diplomacy. By refusing to fund PEPFAR, President Trump and his House Republicans have handed a death sentence to people around the world facing HIV and AIDS. He also weakens America’s global standing, abandons our moral responsibility, and opens an opportunity for China to take advantage. Rescinding these funds won’t solve our country’s deficit problem but rather destroy lives in the US and abroad.”
The recissions package also cuts $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, including NPR and PBS programming like Sesame Street.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Doug LaMalfa 1st District of California
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025. Passage of this bill codifies President Trump’s rescissions package, cutting $9.4 billion in wasteful federal spending.
“This is exactly the kind of action voters sent us here to take. We’re cutting nearly $10 billion in junk spending, foreign aid giveaways, woke public broadcasting, and other bloated programs that do nothing for the average American,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “The federal government has a spending problem, and this bill is a strong step toward restoring fiscal sanity, holding agencies accountable, and stopping the inflationary madness that’s been driving prices through the roof.”
Background:
The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 was enacted after President Nixon refused to spend congressionally approved funds. The law allows a president to propose rescinding funds already appropriated by Congress. Once submitted, the funds can be withheld for up to 45 legislative days. If Congress passes a rescissions bill, the funds are permanently canceled; if not, the money must be spent. The law also sets expedited procedures for Senate consideration, including a simple majority vote threshold and limited debate—meaning rescissions bills cannot be filibustered.
President Trump submitted a $9.4 billion rescissions package targeting programs deemed wasteful, politically biased, or unnecessary to taxpayers. The proposal includes cuts to foreign aid, global health spending, and public broadcasting. H.R. 4 will now make its way to the Senate for consideration.
Congressman Doug LaMalfa is Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba Counties.