MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), and Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) are leading 74 lawmakers in calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enact urgent reforms to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. As the Trump administration and Elon Musk look for ways to cut fraud and wasteful spending, corporate MA plans should be a major target to save billions each year.

Unlike Traditional Medicare, MA plans are administered by private insurers and have been found to be fraught with waste and abuse while sacrificing patient outcomes for higher corporate profit and threatening the overall solvency of Medicare. 

“Initially promoted as a way to save taxpayer dollars and improve quality of care, the Medicare Advantage program has continuously cost more than if the same enrollees were covered by Traditional Medicare and has not improved health outcomes. We strongly urge you to rein in the wasteful and harmful practices committed by corporate health insurers in MA,” wrote the Members.

The private insurance companies running MA plans mislead the public by claiming their plans save money and improve care. However, private insurers in MA overcharged CMS by at least $83 billion in 2024 without any improvements to the quality of care for patients. These overpayments to private insurers threaten the stability of the entire Medicare program for the 65 million Americans who rely on it. 

“At a time when Americans are paying nearly $26,000 per family in premiums per year, while the largest US insurer made $23 billion in annual profits, reining in profiteering could not be more important,” continued the Members. 

The Members are specifically calling on CMS and the Department of Health and Human Services to take the following actions: 

• Eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments by improving risk adjustment calculations in the proposed 2026 Medicare Advantage Rate Notice;
• Strictly enforce the overpayment regulations for Medicare Advantage Organizations outlined in the 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule;
• Strengthen enforcement against MA insurers that illegally deny care;
• Address additional barriers to care, including by enforcing statutory requirements compelling insurers to disclose the methodology behind algorithms used for coverage decisions, and;
• Enact reforms to reduce disparities in care.

“We cannot continue to allow Medicare Advantage to be a source of profit for greedy companies and suffering for seniors and people with disabilities. Medicare Advantage has never delivered on the promise of actually lowering the cost or improving the quality of care,” said Eagan Kemp, Health Care Policy Advocate for Public Citizen. “In the short term, there must be enhanced oversight of the Medicare Advantage program to ensure enrollees get the care they need and bring down unnecessary overpayments. In the long run, we must improve and expand traditional Medicare to guarantee it is around for decades to come.”

“Every day in my work as a gynecologic oncologist, I witness the harms inflicted on my patients by the profit-driven Medicare Advantage plans they were forced into by economic circumstances or their retirement plans. Care delays and denials decrease their chances of cancer cure and lead to needless suffering and hours of wasted healthcare provider time,” said Dr. Diljeet K. Singh, M.D., DrPH, PNHP President. “I urge all members of Congress to fight for your constituents by taking the actions outlined in this letter to “Eliminate waste and abuse from overpayments, strengthen enforcement against MA insurers that illegally deny care, address additional barriers to care, and enact reforms to reduce disparities in care.”  Please support this effort to protect the health of all Medicare enrollees, extend the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund, and curb billions in taxpayer overpayments driven by for-profit insurers.”

“Medicare Advantage is a failed experiment. It has failed to reduce the cost of delivering quality care and it fails patients when they are sick and need it the most. What Medicare Advantage is doing very well is siphoning precious public funds into private corporate coffers by denying patient care and overcharging the government,” said Dr. Jamila Headley, Be A Hero Executive Director. “Patients in this country are in an incredibly bleak moment as tens of millions of Americans face the impact of devastating cuts to our public health programs, as Republicans in Congress propose hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, and as the administration mulls over the implementation of Project 2025 plans to make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option. This is not what the American people want and it will surely make us sicker.”

The letter is cosigned by Alma Adams (NC-12), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Danny Davis (IL-07), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Al Green (TX-09), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Robert Scott (VA-03), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Lauren Underwood (IL-04), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05). 

It is also endorsed by Just Care USA, Social Security Works, Families USA, Consumers Council of Missouri, Physicians for a National Health Program, People’s Action, Center for Health Progress, Center for Health and Democracy, The People’s Lobby, MoveOn, National Nurses United, Progressive Maryland, Center for Medicare Advocacy, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, Connecticut Citizen Action Group (CCAG), Physicians for a National Health Program of Minnesota, Public Citizen, Be A Hero, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), PSARA (Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action), Healthcare NOW, United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE), Michigan United, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Citizen Action of New York. 

The full text of the letter can be read here. 

Issues: Health Care

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Washington, DC — Today Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE), John Larson (D-CT), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) introduced the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, legislation to help address the shortages in essential veterinary services facing rural communities.

Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

The members released the following statements:

“Veterinarians are vital to the work of Americas farmers and ranchers and the integrity of our food supply chain. Yet many areas of the country suffer from lack of access to their services,” said Rep. Smith. “This bipartisan bill would make commonsense tax relief available to veterinarians who choose to live and work in the communities which need their help to care for their livestock and protect the agriculture industry from pests and disease. I thank my colleagues for joining me to reintroduce it.”

“Veterinarians are essential not just to the health of our beloved pets, but the well-being of livestock and the safety of our food supply in Connecticut and across the country,” said Rep. Larson. “By expanding access to veterinarian student loan reimbursement, our bipartisan legislation will help alleviate care disparities for livestock in our rural communities and make it more affordable for students to pursue a veterinary career path.” 

“The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act will eliminate unnecessary taxes to ensure quality treatment for veterinarians in rural communities like those in Minnesota’s Seventh District so they can continue their important work caring for America’s livestock and maintaining our supply chains,” said Rep. Fischbach. “I am proud to introduce this legislation with my Ways and Means colleagues to maximize the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program for rural America.”

“Rural communities across the country continue to face shortages of veterinarians, putting strain on farmers, ranchers, and our food supply,” said Rep. Panetta. “The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would fix an outdated tax policy that limits the impact of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program by making those loan repayments tax-exempt.  By strengthening this program, we can ensure rural areas throughout the country have access to the veterinary care they need.”

Additional cosponsors of the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act include: Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), David Rouzer (R-NC), Mike Carey (R-OH), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Don Davis (D-NC), Trent Kelly (R-MS), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Betty McCollum (D-MN)

The legislation is supported by the American Veterinary Medial Association (AVMA). AVMA released the following statement on the legislation:

“Recruiting and retaining veterinarians through the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act is key to protecting our nation’s food supply, preserving animal welfare, and upholding public health,” said Dr. Sandra Faeh, AVMA President. “Livestock and public health veterinarians are essential to strengthening the nation’s animal health infrastructure and agricultural economy. We urge Congress to address this increasingly important issue by passing the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act.” 

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) provides student loan reimbursement to veterinarians who chose to practice for three years in federally designated shortage areas. A similar program, the National Health Service Corps, provides loan repayments to medical doctors and other human health practitioners.

Despite the similarity of these programs, National Health Service Corps loan repayments are exempt from federal withholding tax, while VMLRP payments are not. To address this inconsistency, The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would codify a similar exemption for VMLRP.

Read text of the bill here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Washington, DC — Constituents of Third District Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) are invited to meet with a member of his staff during April in Wayne, Center, Pender, Hartington, Ponca, Tryon, Mullen, Hyannis, North Platte, Dakota City, Lexington, Tekamah, Broken Bow, and Stapleton.

A staff outreach event is an opportunity for constituents to meet directly with a member of Smith’s staff about federal issues, receive assistance with a federal agency interaction, or take advantage of the services available through his office.

Smith, who has offices in Grand Island, Scottsbluff, and Nebraska City, will provide a staff member at the following times and locations: 

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 

Wayne County Courthouse 
219 W. 6th Street, Wayne 
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Knox County Courthouse
206 Main Street, Center
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CT 

Monday, April 7, 2025 

Thurston County Courthouse
106 S. 5th Street, Pender
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. CT

Tuesday, April 8, 2025 

Cedar County Courthouse
101 S. Broadway Street, Hartington
9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. CT

Dixon County Courthouse
302 W. 3rd Street, Ponca
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT 

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 

McPherson County Courthouse
500 Anderson Street, Tryon
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CT

Hooker County Courthouse
303 NW 1st Street, Mullen
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. MT 

Grant County Courthouse
105 E. Harrison Street, Hyannis
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. MT

Monday, April 14, 2025 

Lincoln County Courthouse
301 N. Jeffers Street, North Platte
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. CT

Dakota County Courthouse
1601 Broadway Street, Dakota City
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Dawson County Courthouse
700 N. Washington Street, Lexington
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. CT 

Monday, April 28, 2025 

Burt County Courthouse
111 N. 13th Street, Tekamah
9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. CT

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 

Custer County Courthouse
431 S. 10th Street, Broken Bow
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CT 

Logan County Courthouse
317 Main Street, Stapleton
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. CT

For additional information, please contact Smith’s Grand Island office at (308) 384-3900, his Scottsbluff office at (308) 633-6333, or his Nebraska City office at (402) 874-6050.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sander Levin (9th District of Michigan)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Washington, DC —Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) introduced the bipartisan Telling Everyone the Location of Data Leaving the US Act (TELL Act), to protect American data from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“The American people should not be at risk for exploitation by China or CCP state aligned companies mining their data. In the 21st century, we must ensure that our people know who has access to their data, and actively work to safeguard protections defending personal information from our adversaries,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Our bipartisan legislation will strengthen consumer protection and allow the American public to know if their data has been compromised by China or Chinese state owned companies.”

“Communist China has consistently proven it will stop at nothing to undermine US national security interests, including the exploitation of sensitive information,” said Congressman Rick Allen (GA-12). “The TELL Act will help ensure Americans’ personal data does not fall into the hands of the CCP regime, while also delivering much-needed accountability. As data security becomes increasingly important to the American people, I am proud to introduce this legislation to strengthen privacy protection laws and build on President Trump’s peace-through-strength agenda.”

BACKGROUND: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has broad federal jurisdiction over consumer data use and privacy. The TELL Act would enable the FTC to endorse rules that would make it easier for Americans to know if China has compromised their data and if it is being stored, transferred, or exposed to China or companies owned by the Chinese Communist Party. Under this legislation, failing to disclose this information or providing false information will result in civil fines from the FTC.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Reps. Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Mike Carey (OH-15), and John Larson (CT-01) unveiled their bipartisan Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act of 2025. The bill incentivizes the conversion of existing vacant and underutilized commercial properties into new housing.

“The housing crisis is squeezing family budgets, while empty commercial and office buildings sit unused in downtowns and in suburban and rural communities,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “Our bipartisan bill converts these empty commercial buildings into homes families can afford—a smart way to fix both problems. We need a housing boom like we haven’t seen since World War II, so this legislation is a no-brainer. We’re helping people live where they work by filling vacant real estate and increasing our housing supply.”

“High costs of living have driven up housing prices for working families and it is cutting into budgets during kitchen table discussions,” Rep. Carey said. “There is a solution right in front of us: add existing buildings to the housing supply. Right now, vacant commercial and office space is sitting unused, and converting these properties into housing is often so expensive it isn’t worth doing. This bipartisan bill will allow communities to expand their supply of affordable housing by upgrading existing buildings, allowing American downtowns and main streets to thrive with new investments.”

“As many businesses moved to hybrid work models during the COVID-19 pandemic, downtowns in cities like Hartford saw dramatic changes, including new building vacancies,” said Rep. Larson. “The bipartisan Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act offers a new path forward by supporting the conversion of many of these unused office spaces into reliable housing options. I am thrilled to introduce this innovative solution with my colleagues to expand access to quality, affordable housing for residents and spur economic growth in our cities.”

BACKGROUND:

Nearly half of Americans say there isn’t enough affordable housing in their communities. The U.S. needs to build more than 4 million rental units by 2035 to meet the demand, according to Pew Research. Meanwhile, many office buildings sit empty. With about 30% of workdays now remote after the pandemic, the value of commercial real estate has dropped by an estimated $413 billion.

The Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act would help turn those empty buildings into homes. It offers a federal tax credit—modeled after the successful Historic Preservation Tax Credit—to support the conversion of old office and commercial buildings into housing.

The tax credit covers 20% of the cost to convert a qualified building. The bill requires that at least 20% of the new housing be reserved for working people for at least 30 years to make sure this helps people who need it most.

This bill is supported by the following groups: The Real Estate Roundtable, American Hotel and Lodging Association, American Land Title Association, American Resort Development Association, American Seniors Housing Association, CCIM Institute, ICSC, Institute of Real Estate Management, Latino Hotel Association, Mortgage Bankers Association, NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, Nareit, National Apartment Association, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Realtors, National Multifamily Housing Council, National Rental Home Council, Council of Development Finance Agencies, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, Up for Growth Action, and International Downtowns Association.

You can read the bill text here.

As Chair of the first-ever Congressional Renters Caucus, Rep. Gomez has been leading efforts in Congress to address the housing crisis and protect renters nationwide. His legislative priorities include:

• The Community Housing Act, which invests over $500 billion into building affordable housing that stays affordable.
• The Rent Relief Act, which would provide a tax credit to renters, ensuring they receive the same benefits that homeowners do.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Daniel Webster (11th District of Florida)

Washington, D.C. — Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, released the following statement after voting to pass H.R. 1048, the Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act, legislation that protects the integrity of higher education from foreign influence. 
 
“Foreign influence in our nation’s colleges and universities poses a serious risk to our national security,” said Rep. Webster. “America’s higher education institutions should be free from foreign coercion and put the education of our students first.”
 
H.R. 1048 requires foreign donations, contracts, and ownership stakes in higher education institutions to be transparent. It also places restrictions on institutions from engaging in contracts with foreign entities of concern unless a national security waiver is granted, proving that the partnership benefits American students and upholds U.S. economic and security interests. 
 
“I’m pleased that this bill includes an amendment with language I introduced to restrict Hong Kong, Macau, and any other special administrative region within the People’s Republic of China. This closes a critical loophole that the Chinese Communist Party has exploited to obscure its influence.”
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Daniel Webster (11th District of Florida)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Florida Congressman Daniel Webster, R-Clermont, voted to pass H.J.Res 75 and H.J.Res 24, resolutions to overturn Biden-era Department of Energy regulations on commercial refrigerators, walk in-coolers, and walk-in freezers.
 
“Today, House Republicans took a stand for American small businesses, working families, and commonsense,” said Rep. Webster. “This bill rejects yet another costly, top-down mandate from the Biden Administration that would have punished America’s small businesses and families in pursuit of their radical green agenda.”
 
From December 2024 to January 2025, then-President Biden’s Department of Energy finalized rules that would limit consumer choice and increase costs for small businesses and American families. The Biden Administration caved to far-left activist’s demands for new energy standards for refrigeration equipment, walk-in coolers, and walk-in freezers.
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07)

Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) released the following statement:

“President Trump’s executive order to erode voting rights and give Elon Musk access to the American people’s personal voter information is a clear power grab intended to disenfranchise and intimidate voters. Trump is once again showing that he has no regard for the U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, or the fundamental principle that all Americans, regardless of their race, creed, or color, have a right to have their voice heard at the ballot box.

“To be clear, this executive order has nothing to do with protecting the integrity of our elections. These are the actions of a wannabe dictator, and we will not stand by as he attempts to dismantle the core principles of our democracy!

“The American people’s right to vote is sacred, and I will continue the fight to pass H.R. 14, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, in order to restore the full protections of the Voting Rights Act and protect the American people from the authoritarian actions of the Trump Administration.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Washington, DC — Today Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) reintroduced legislation to ensure federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds are used to help the neediest Americans. The bill, the Targeting TANF to Families in Need Act, would direct states to ensure TANF assistance is targeted toward households with income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line. Currently no federal eligibility limits for TANF exist. 

The congressmen released the following statements: 

“Ensuring TANF programs help families who need it most get back on their feet is tremendously important,” said Rep. Smith. “This bill would help states ensure TANF implementation is focused toward its intended goal of restoring beneficiaries to gainful employment and self-sufficiency. I thank Rep. Moran for joining me in this effort, and I look forward to working with my Ways and Means Committee colleagues to advance this legislation.” 

“I’m proud to join Congressman Adrian Smith in introducing this legislation that reforms the TANF program so that it can continue to meet its original and important purpose to provide temporary assistance for needy families,” said Rep. Moran. “Without reform, though, TANF’s current expansive program will remain inefficient and bloated—like so much of the federal government—and will simply add to the national debt with very little to show as a return on this investment in families. With the reforms in this bill, working families and their children will continue to receive the support they need to achieve independence while promoting the critical values of personal responsibility, hard work, and self-sufficiency. More of these types of reforms are needed across government to bring higher value to the taxpayer for the use of their money.” 

Read text of the bill here. 

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