MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Thomas Massie (4th District of Kentucky)

For Immediate Release
Contact: massie.press@mail.house.gov
Contact #: 202-225-3465

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie announces the introduction of H.R. 3795, the Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025, legislation requiring the Comptroller General to conduct and publicly release a full audit of gold reserves held by the United States. The Comptroller General’s audit will include gold held in “deep storage” locations such as Fort Knox, Kentucky.

“Americans deserve transparency and accountability from the institutions that underpin our currency,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. “In February, President Trump said ‘We’re going to Fort Knox. . .to make sure the gold is there.‘ The Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025 will provide the full disclosure President Trump seeks and the American public deserves.”

The Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025 further requires the Comptroller General to conduct subsequent audits of the nation’s gold reserves every five years. In addition, the Comptroller General is instructed to report on the sufficiency of measures currently in place to ensure the physical safety of the gold reserves, to provide a full accounting of encumbrances against the gold reserves, and to document any sales, purchases, disbursements, or receipts over the past 50 years that have affected the gold reserves.

Rep. Massie’s legislation is cosponsored by Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Addison McDowell (R-NC), and Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX).

The text of H.R. 3795 is available at this link. 

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

Toledo, Ohio – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a senior member of House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation introduced the bipartisan Gold Star Spouse Healthcare Enhancement Act. Currently, surviving spouses retain healthcare coverage through TRICARE in the “active-duty family member” category for just three years after their servicemember passes away. After three years, they automatically shift to “retired family member” status, which forces them to pay higher fees and out-of-pocket costs. This Act effectively removes the three-year limitation for Gold Star Spouses, enabling them to retain “active-duty family member” status and eligibility for healthcare coverage.

“As we approach Memorial Day, Congressman Bacon of Nebraska and I have introduced a bipartisan bill to recognize the sacrifice of Gold Star spouses by expanding their healthcare benefits. Military service requires our men and women to risk their lives fighting and defeating America’s enemies,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “They selflessly put self above country and accept this risk to secure Liberty across the globe. We owe so much to those who answered the call to serve, and perished in defense of our nation. Caring for their surviving spouses is a part of that commitment. I encourage our colleagues to support the Gold Star Spouses Healthcare Enhancement Act as one small way we can honor the debt that surviving spouses are owed by our grateful nation.”

“As a nation we have a responsibility to the Gold Star spouses of servicemembers who sacrificed their lives overseas defending the United States’ interests, and this legislation is a small step forward in honoring their sacrifice and caring for their families,” said Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02). “Current law makes thousands of Gold Star spouses pay the retiree rate for healthcare. The Gold Star Spouse TRICARE Act of 2024 will allow Gold Star spouses to be treated as ‘active-duty members’ instead of a family member of a retiree so they will no longer have to incur additional costs to either continue TRICARE Prime or transition to TRICARE Select.”

You can find a full copy of the bill text for the Gold Star Spouse Healthcare Enhancement Act by clicking here.

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

Toledo, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Senior Member on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration announced the award of $2,619,292 from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD) through the Rural Energy For America Program (Reap) Renewable And Energy Efficiency Program for projects in Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Sandusky, and Williams Counties.

“Today’s announcement of more than $2.6 Million in clean energy grant awards is a major investment in operations both big and small in our rural communities,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “By supporting renewable energy systems, and energy efficiency improvements, we are not only cutting costs for our small businesses, and farmers, but also creating jobs and stimulating economic growth for rural communities in Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Sandusky, and Williams Counties. These projects underscore our commitment to reinvesting in our people, while building sustainable, and resilient energy infrastructure across our region of Northwest Ohio.”

The Rural Energy For America Program (Reap) Renewable And Energy Efficiency Program grants awarded to Northwest Ohio are as follows:

• $1,000,000 grant awarded to B&B Molded Products Inc. in Defiance County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 699.6-kilowatt (kW) roof mounted solar array for B&B Molded Products in Defiance, Ohio. This project is expected to save $103,358 in annual energy costs and generate 1,308,194 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 130 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset nearly 24 percent of the business’ annual energy consumption.
• $106,887 grant awarded to Russell Zeedyk in Defiance County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a 90.2-kilowatt (kW) ground mounted solar array for Russell Zeedyk. This project is expected to save his operation $14,828 in annual energy costs and generate121,136 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 12 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 65 percent of the business’ annual energy consumption.
• $507,131 grant awarded to Krumwiede Farms in Erie County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install an energy efficient grain dryer for John Krumwiede. The project is expected to save $32,946 in annual energy costs and save 638,985 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 59 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 51 percent of the business’ annual energy consumption.
• $122,595 grant awarded to Bret Dennis in Fulton County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install an energy efficient grain dryer for Bret Dennis in Wauseon, Ohio. This project is expected to save $15,617 in annual energy costs and save 8,152 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power one home. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 56 percent of the business’ annual energy consumption.
• $156,267 grant awarded to Bernath Farms LLC. In Fulton County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install a104.76-kilowatt (kW) ground mounted solar array at Bernath Farms in Wauseon, Ohio. This project is expected to save $21,276 in annual energy costs and generate 140,049 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 13 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset nearly 78 percent of the farm’s annual energy consumption.
• $500,000 grant awarded to Robert Brown in Williams County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install an energy efficient grain dryer for Robert Brown and his family farm in Bryan, Ohio. This project is expected to save the farm $11,570 in annual energy costs and save 190,025 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 19 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 63 percent of the business annual energy consumption.
• $43,821 grant awarded to Stryker Welding in Williams County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to install a 42 kilowatt (kW) roof mounted solar at Stryker Welding in Stryker, Ohio. The project is expected to save $7,761 in annual energy costs and generate 42,295 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power four homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 98 percent of Stryker Welding’s annual energy consumption.
• $182,591 grant awarded to Warner Brothers Farms in Sandusky County.
  • This Rural Development investment will be used to purchase and install an energy efficient grain dryer at Warner Brothers Farms in Vickery, Ohio. This project is expected to save $10,456 in annual energy costs and save 168,647 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, enough to power 16 homes. This energy efficiency upgrade will offset 50 percent of the business’ annual energy consumption.

The REAP program, established under the 2008 Farm Bill and expanded by subsequent Farm Bills and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), enables rural businesses and agricultural producers to access funding for renewable energy projects. These initiatives include wind, solar, geothermal, and small hydropower energy, as well as energy efficiency improvements.

RD is a mission area within the USDA which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural parts of the United States. USDA RD has a loan portfolio over $224.5 Billion, and administers nearly $16 Billion in program loans, loan guarantees, and grants through their programs. They promote economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks, credit unions and community-managed lending pools. It offers technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations. RD also provides technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs and helps rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing, and make health and safety repairs to their homes.

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

Toledo, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus released the following statement on reporting of successful Ukrainian drone strikes operations deep into Russian territory, which hit airfields including the Belaya air base in Russia’s Irkutsk region, destroying more than 40 Russian planes deep in Russian territory.

“For the continuing horror Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has exacted on the people and free nation of Ukraine, this multiple strike by Ukrainian drones on key Russian military air field assets is long overdue,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Russia is the 3rd largest military in world. It encompasses 11 time zones and is rich in oil and minerals. Its population is more than 3 times the size of Ukraine. Nonetheless Putin covets the territory of Ukraine, the lowest income nation in Europe. Despite the odds, Ukraine’s soldiers and citizenry have nobly resisted Russia’s invasion since 2014 to regain their Liberty.”

“This comes while Russia also is enlisting thousands of North Korean troops who are being forced to fight by their Dictator Kim Jong Un. Today as June begins, may President Trump use all his persuasive power and impose further sanctions on Russia, or work with Congress to do so. I hope that we can soon bring the warring parties to negotiate an end to this unnecessary and costly war defiling Europe and our planet,” concluded Congresswoman Kaptur.

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

Toledo, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development released the following statement upon the news that the Department of Energy has cancelled 24 projects nationwide, totaling $3.7 Billion in investment in American manufacturing, including a $45.1 Million investment in an Industrial Demonstration Project for Libbey Glass LLC’s Toledo, Ohio facility.

“The abrupt termination of $3.7 Billion in clean energy investment is shortsighted and malicious. This decision will raise energy costs for American families and undermine our nation’s competitive edge. In Northwest Ohio, it endangers jobs, and undermines manufacturing in our critical glass industry, while empowering China and our global competitors,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Nationwide, DOE is not only raising the cost of energy in Red Districts and Blue Districts — we’re ceding ground to global competitors racing ahead in innovation and energy efficiency. This decision undercuts American innovation, discourages private-sector investment, and harms workers like the ones I represent who are counting on these projects for jobs and economic revitalization. The American people deserve leadership that meets the moment — not one that backs away from the challenge of a clean, affordable energy future. If the Trump Administration was looking to give Communist China everything they wanted, they are well on their way.”

Below are a list of actions Ranking Member Kaptur has taken related to DOE’s frozen funding and award cancelations

 since the start of the Trump Administration:

1. Jan. 31, 2025: Sent letter to DOE Acting Secretary regarding funding freeze
   1. Kaptur, Murray Demand Answers on Trump Administration Freezing Energy Department Investments to Lower Americans’ Energy Costs
   2. Rep. Kaptur co-led a letter with Sen. Murray.
2. Feb. 13, 2025: Released factsheets on funding freeze impacts
   1. Kaptur, DeLauro Release Seven Fact Sheets Detailing How Trump’s Funding Freeze is Raising Energy Prices and Undermining Energy Dominance
   2. Seven factsheets were released which detail how the funding freeze impacts each state for the programs listed below.
      1. Home energy rebate program
      2. Electric grid programs
      3. Hydrogen hubs program
      4. Battery manufacturing programs
      5. Industrial demonstrations program
      6. Weatherization assistance program
      7. Loan program
3. Feb. 26, 2025: Sent follow-up letter to Jan. 31 letter on funding freeze
   1. Kaptur, Murray Follow-Up, Demand Answers from Trump DOE as it Continues to Block Investments to Lower Americans’ Energy Costs
   2. Rep. Kaptur again co-led a letter with Sen. Murray to Secretary Wright..
4. Apr. 2, 2025: Sent letter to DOE Acting Inspector General regarding award cancelations
   1. House Energy Leaders Call for Investigation into Department of Energy’s Scheme to Cancel Awards and Contracts
   2. Rep. Kaptur co-led a letter with Rep. DeLauro, Rep. Pallone, Rep. Castor, Rep. Lofgren and Rep. Ross calling for an investigation into the agency’s scheme to cancel competitively awarded contracts and potential for political targeting.
5. May 7, 2025: Pushed Secretary Wright at Department of Energy budget hearing on funding freezes and cuts at DOE
   1. Ranking Member Kaptur Remarks at Fiscal Year 2026 US Department of Energy Budget Hearing
   2. Transcript of Ranking Member Kaptur exchange with Secretary Wright:

RANKING MEMBER MARCY KAPTUR:

So one of the things I have to ask about is my own district. I don’t understand why there was a project that was to be awarded to a glass company. And for some reason, it was pulled or it’s sitting somewhere over there, and it has caused all kinds of problems for the company. You’re a businessman. You would understand this if I can find the right sheet here.

There’s so many sheets of paper. It’s called Libbey glass and they have two furnaces. I come from an industrial part of America and life there has been hell for a long time because we forgot what the defense industrial base of this country really is. And we’ve been trying to catch up, but it’s been hard.

And oh, here it is. OK. So the department had $6 billion in DOE investments that were leveraged with $14 billion of private sector investment. And one of those companies, Libbey Glass, which gave me permission to even use their — I’m even afraid to use their name in public. They’re a great company. They’re a legacy company in our community.

I’ll start to cry. They’re generous and they work hard. And they are to replace four regenerative furnaces with two larger hybrid electric furnaces to reduce the carbon intensity of its Toledo Ohio facility by up to 50 percent. And the department is considering canceling more than 60 percent of their industrial demonstration projects, which would be devastating to our community.

And this is a company that never left the city. They didn’t go out into the suburbs, OK, and break more ground. They’re a responsible company. And for this award review and cancellation process, how is DOE or any part of your administration assessing which DOE projects will be canceled or continued? What criteria are you using?

And even if DOE chooses not to cancel any of these awards, these actions are creating mass confusion. Unemployment is going up in our area, by the way, and companies have canceled almost $8 billion in energy manufacturing projects so far just this year, five times more than was canceled last year. So given your private sector background, what can you do to help me understand what is happening to this particular company in the review process? Where are they?

SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT:

Representative Kaptur, I appreciate your passion for industrial America, keeping the industries we have, bringing new industries home. We are so aligned on that. It’s one of the things I’m excited about this administration. We’ve outsourced so many of those jobs overseas. I was lucky. I grew up in suburban America and got a great education.

I’ve had a dreamy life. I could have been born somewhere else. I could have had a very different life. I share your passion.

RANKING MEMBER MARCY KAPTUR:

Thank you.

SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT:

I share your passion. So I think I mentioned briefly, I walk into a department that I am very passionate about energy and all that. I want to support as many activities and projects as we can, to save American industry and grow American industry. So fully aligned on that. I think I gave the numbers before, but I walked into a thing where $100 billion had been shoveled out the door in 76 days.

SECRETARY CHRIS WRIGHT:

I’m responsible for that money now, either in money out the door or committed to money to go out the door. I can’t look at American taxpayers, including taxpayers in your district and say, yes, we invested $2 billion and we built a bridge to nowhere. We built something and now it’s just closed because it had no marketplace, it had nowhere to go. So let me give you a quick little summary. So the answer is we haven’t canceled any projects because we’ve been slow and careful and deliberative. We’ve developed a process. And in the next few months, we will run hundreds of projects, including those through our thing.

And if it’s viable and it’s going to create jobs and it’s going to do these great things, we’re going to support that project. And the simple little criterion we’re looking at is legal, um, that technology, is the technology viable? Is the engineering done competently? Is there a market for the thing that’s being built?

Is there a financial model that that co-funding is coming in together with the DOE funding, so the project can be complete? And does it add to national or economic security? It sounds like that one, if all the other things work certainly would. And it is aligned with this agenda?

RANKING MEMBER MARCY KAPTUR:

Mr. Secretary, thank you for that, putting that on the record, but that was already approved. You are reviewing something that was — all the appropriated money was already there. Those decisions had been made. So that is a very — this is a very strange process because that — those dollars weren’t to be spent, um, already as we work toward the ’26 budget.

6. May 12, 2025: Released factsheet highlighting Secretary Wright’s Lies at Hearing
   1. Kaptur and DeLauro Expose Energy Secretary’s Lies

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement today on the May jobs report: 

“As today’s jobs report indicates, the job market grew modestly last month, with 139,000 jobs added to the economy and unemployment hovering around 4.2%. While positive, the Trump era is averaging one third the monthly job gains we experienced during the Biden Administration, a slowdown that is contributing to Americans’ concerns about our economy.

“House Republicans passed Donald Trump’s ‘big, ugly bill,’ which will heap $2.4 trillion on to our national debt. The bill’s historic cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will deprive 16 million Americans of their health insurance over the next decade. It will also cut food assistance for 11 million Americans. Experts also predict that the bill will increase the cost of energy for the average American family by $400 a year. Meanwhile, this extreme, partisan legislation will give trillions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. This reckless spending has rattled the world’s confidence in America’s ability to pay its debts and led credit rating agencies to downgrade our AAA credit rating.

“Trump continues to increase costs for Americans and lower growth forecasts for the U.S. economy, causing expectations of a recession to rise. The past few months make it clear that Trump intends to do the same thing to the economy that he has done with so many of his past businesses: run it straight into the ground.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — House Republicans continue to enact President Trump’s legislative agenda and codify executive orders. Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed a series of legislation this week to protect America’s small businesses.

“This week, House Republicans codified another set of President Trump’s executive orders to protect American small businesses. The Biden-Harris Administration ignored Main Street America and instead prioritized illegal aliens and dismantled the American people’s trust in the Small Business Administration (SBA), but Republicans have fought and won support for hardworking Americans and entrepreneurs,” Speaker Johnson said. “From ending taxpayer-subsidized open borders to restoring oversight capabilities at SBA, House Republicans continue to bring common sense back to government and refocus agencies on their core missions. We will keep passing the President’s executive orders and working in lockstep with this Administration to fulfill our commitment to the American people.” 

“For the past four years, American small business owners have been tossed aside by the Biden-Harris SBA for illegal immigrants and government bureaucrats,” House Committee on Small Business Chairman Williams said. “This week, we took a critical step in codifying President Trump’s executive orders and protecting small businesses. Thank you to my colleagues in the House Republican Conference for advancing legislation that will restore trust and accountability to the SBA and prioritize the hardworking entrepreneurs of Main Street America.”

H.R. 2987 – Capping Excessive Awarding of SBLC Entrants (CEASE) Act

“Small businesses deserve a reliable program that works for them, and that means keeping our community banks at the core of the system,” Rep. Bresnahan said. “President Trump and I agree, we shouldn’t be incentivizing fraud and abuse by flooding the program with risky, underregulated institutions. My legislation caps the number of non-bank SBLC licenses, ensuring taxpayer-backed guarantees are not handed out to lenders the SBA cannot properly oversee. I am proud to see my legislation passed, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to send the legislation to the White House.”

H.R. 2966 – American Entrepreneurs First Act

“By passing my American Entrepreneurs First Act, House Republicans have, once again, come together to support common sense reforms protecting America’s hard-earned tax dollars from being lost to waste, fraud, abuse, and theft by hostile foreign actors,” Rep. Van Duyne said. “The American Entrepreneurs First Act ensures Small Business Administration funds are directed to American businesses and not accessible by individuals or businesses with foreign or undocumented ownership and verifies the age of all recipients. I urge our Senate colleagues to quickly pass this important measure, which is supported by President Trump and SBA Administrator Loeffler, as a vital verification step to confirm American tax dollars are being spent to strengthen American small businesses.”

H.R. 2931 – Save SBA from Sanctuary Cities Act

“By circumventing federal law and encouraging illegal immigrants to come into our communities, failed sanctuary city policies have created a growing public safety crisis,” Rep. Finstad said. “This important legislation codifies two of President Trump’s pro-business executive orders that protect SBA employees and safeguard our entrepreneurs by relocating SBA offices out of sanctuary cities. In doing so, it ensures that communities which uphold the rule of law will have access to the resources they need to better serve small business owners. I am proud that my House colleagues passed this legislation, and I look forward to supporting it through the legislative process.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Joe Kernen and Becky Quick on CNBC’s Squawk Box to highlight the pro-growth provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill which will provide jet fuel to the U.S. economy and help put the U.S. back on a sound fiscal trajectory.

Watch Speaker Johnson on Squawk Box here

On social media not being representative of real life:

The American people are sort of caught up in the drama of this, but I don’t think at the end of the day, tweets and, and social media posts really determine what’s most important to the American people. I think what they’re concerned about is what we all promised on the campaign trail, what President Trump was elected to do, the mandate that we got by 77 million popular votes. And that is to make sure that the border is secure, to rebuild our military industrial base at a very difficult time. That’s the only new spending in this bill.

The rest of it is securing historic tax cuts for the people, making the tax cuts permanent, having a pro-growth set of infusion into the economy, jet fuel of the economy, which is what this bill will provide, and at the same time, a historic level of savings for the American people. It’s a fiscally responsible product. It is the first in a series of steps to get us back on a sound fiscal trajectory. And I think, Joe, it’s a very important message for us to send to the bond markets, the stock market, investors, job creators, entrepreneurs, risk takers around the world. And here, of course, in the US economy. The Congress is serious. We have steady hands on the wheel. We’re going to address the debt problem at the same time as we are making the economy work again, and we can’t wait to get that done.

On reducing the deficit and national debt:

I love Rick Scott, Mike Lee and Ron Johnson. I mean, they’re good friends. We have lots of discussion about this. We are all deficit and debt hawks. We’re concerned about the fiscal trajectory of the country. The national debt is the number one national security threat, we have to address it. But here’s what I think Ron is missing in all of this is. He’d like to cut, you know, $8 trillion overnight, some huge figure like that. So would I, but we don’t have the votes to do that. And if you did that that quickly, it would actually do real harm to the US economy. So we have to do this in a step-by-step sequence.

Look, I liken this to an aircraft carrier. Y’all have heard my analogy. I mean, we did not get in this situation overnight. The US economy is like a large vessel on the sea. You don’t turn it on a dime. It takes a mile of open ocean. But this is the largest turn on that wheel that we’ve had since I’ve been alive. I mean, this is the largest cut in spending that any legislative body on the face of the earth in all human history has ever achieved. And we did that by a long, deliberate process of getting everyone there. Remember, I have a very diverse Republican caucus. I’ve got people from very different districts across the country. They all see the same problem set with different lenses. And I’ve got to concoct 218 votes, currently 217 votes to get something across the line. So, we did that. We reached equilibrium, we achieved this massive achievement with the package.

On the repercussions if the One Big Beautiful Bill Act isn’t signed into law:

If we don’t get this bill passed, not only are the American people going to have the largest tax increase in US history descend upon their heads at the end of this year when all this expires, but all these other pro-growth incentives in the economy won’t happen. And small business owners and job creators and entrepreneurs will not expand their businesses. Wages won’t go up. The job participation rate will remain low, and inflation will continue to increase. We won’t have the solutions.

But also, remember, if we don’t deliver on this and we don’t deliver a little bit on SALT relief, then we’re not going to have the house majority. And if we lose the house majority, the Democrats take over, they will impeach Donald Trump. I would forecast probably on the first few days of the new Congress, next January, January ‘27, and everything will go to chaos. So this team has to stay in power. This team has to stay working on our plan to get our fiscal trajectory back. And it all begins with the one big beautiful bill. Everybody who is criticizing this is playing with fire. We have got to deliver this product. We promised the people we would, and I think we will by July 4th.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) railed against the Trump administration’s plan to turn over Americans’ most personal information that was harvested by Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers to Palantir so the company can build dossiers on every American.
“Under the Trump Administration, DOGE aggressively collected sensitive data across agencies, breaking down firewalls that are supposed to protect us. Then came the Executive Order directing agencies to ‘eliminate information silos’ – basically, to share and pool that data,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “And just last week, we learned that Palantir, a Silicon Valley company known for building surveillance tools, is being hired to build AI-powered profiles on every American using the data DOGE collected. It’s hard to overstate how dangerous this is.”
CLICK HERE or the image below to watch Trahan’s remarks. A transcript is embedded below.

Last week, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration has drastically increased federal contracting with Palantir, a Silicon Valley tech firm started by Peter Thiel who has donated heavily to Republican campaigns. Palantir has historically worked closely with the Pentagon and the intelligence community to provide big data analytics and AI products, and in recent years has expanded its customer base to include private companies, civilian agencies, and state and local governments. According to the Times report, the company is now being directed to use its AI systems to merge the personal data of Americans collected by different federal agencies into one database, essentially creating a profile on every person in the country.
During the hearing today, Trahan pointed out how this type of system could be weaponized by the government against Americans.
“Let me just give you an example – a hypothetical, of course, but not a far-fetched one. Sarah is a regular American. She pays her taxes, owns a gun legally, and is raising her daughter Emma on her own. She and Emma rely on Medicaid to get the care they need,” Congresswoman Trahan continued. “One day, Sarah shares a post on Facebook. She’s concerned about something the President said about firearms, and she posts so. But in Washington, an AI-powered monitoring system flags her post. A political appointee digs into her personal data and sends emails to agency heads urging them to take action against her.”
“Within days, Sarah’s life falls apart,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “The IRS audits her and claims she owes thousands. Emma’s doctor says her Medicaid isn’t active anymore, and now Sarah has to pay out of pocket. Now, to be clear, this story is made up. But it’s not science fiction. It’s an alarm. It’s a warning.”
In March, Trahan announced an effort to rewrite the Privacy Act of 1974, a 50-year-old law designed to protect Americans’ privacy that has not been meaningfully updated since its passage in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Dozens of organizations and individuals have responded to Trahan’s request for information about how to strengthen privacy protections while preserving the ability to modernize and improve the efficiency of government services.
“I’ve spent the past three months talking with civil liberties groups, privacy experts, and people across the country – and the one thing is clear: We need stronger privacy laws,” Congresswoman Trahan concluded. “I believe we can protect people’s data and modernize government to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. These goals are not at odds – they’re linked.”
—————————————–
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks As Delivered
House Oversight and Government Reform Hearing: The Federal Government in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
June 5, 2025

Trahan: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you allowing me to be a part of this important conversation.
Over on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is where I usually serve, we have a lot of conversations about technology, and one thing is always clear: data is at the heart of AI. That’s why I believe that any serious discussion about AI has to start with a conversation about privacy. And that’s what I’m here to do today – to sound the alarm about a deeply troubling trend: our own government’s growing appetite for Americans’ personal data.
Let me just give you an example – a hypothetical, of course, but not a far-fetched one.
Sarah is a regular American. She pays her taxes, owns a gun legally, and is raising her daughter Emma on her own. She and Emma rely on Medicaid to get the care they need.
One day, Sarah shares a post on Facebook. She’s concerned about something the President said about firearms, and she posts so. But in Washington, an AI-powered monitoring system flags her post. A political appointee digs into her personal data and sends emails to agency heads urging them to take action against her.
Within days, Sarah’s life falls apart. The IRS audits her and claims she owes thousands. Emma’s doctor says her Medicaid isn’t active anymore, and now Sarah has to pay out of pocket.
Now, to be clear, this story is made up. But it’s not science fiction. It’s an alarm. It’s a warning.
Mr. Schneier, you talked in your testimony about coercion as an “adversarial use” of data. What kinds of coercion could bad actors inside the government use if they had detailed profiles on every American?

Mr. Schneier: I would think of it as selective investigation. The government has enormous powers to investigate people, and the question is who they choose to investigate. There’s a famous book from many years ago called “Three Felonies a Day” – that we in our normal lives commit three felonies a day because there are just so many rules and we don’t know them.
So given things like that, who you choose to enforce the law on matters. So this data can be used to select people whom to investigate, people whom to charge. And this could be used selectively by any regime – even not the U.S. – any country that wants to do this.
Trahan: Unfortunately, this isn’t a hypothetical trend – it’s already happening.
Under the Trump Administration, DOGE aggressively collected sensitive data across agencies, breaking down firewalls that are supposed to protect us. Then came the Executive Order  directing agencies to “eliminate information silos” – basically, to share and pool that data. And just last week, we learned that Palantir, a Silicon Valley company known for building surveillance tools, is being hired to build AI-powered profiles on every American using the data DOGE collected.
It’s hard to overstate how dangerous this is.
Mr. Schneier, are you worried that once this data is centralized, future administrations – no matter their party – could weaponize it? I mean, are we on the verge of opening Pandora’s box?
Mr. Schneier: I don’t know if Pandora’s Box has been open years ago, but certainly giving this power to a government is something that feels very un-American. There are reasons why this data was siloed. There are reasons why we didn’t have these powers.
I mean you can imagine humans doing this well before AI, but we chose not to. So AI can certainly make this more efficient, but yes this is power in the hands of a human who wants to wield it for ill can do that very efficiently.
Trahan: We need a national reckoning on privacy. That means strong oversight of this Administration and its tech partners, and real legislation to protect Americans’ rights.
You know, I’ve spent the past three months talking with civil liberties groups, privacy experts, and people across the country – and the one thing is clear: We need stronger privacy laws.
I believe we can protect people’s data and modernize government to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse. These goals are not at odds – they’re linked.
So if you’re listening and you’re concerned about what’s happening – about Big Tech, about government overreach, about your family’s privacy – call my office. Let’s have a national conversation. Let’s protect the freedom our founders fought for and the privacy we all deserve.
And one last thing I just wanted to mention because over the course of this hearing, the Chair has suggested that no one on the other side of the aisle called attention to the harms of the Republicans’ ten-year ban on state AI regulations. That’s patently false.
We had robust debate on the Energy and Commerce Committee with several Democratic members, myself included, calling attention to this provision during and after our 26-hour markup. In fact, Democrats offered an amendment to strike the language entirely. So Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record the results of the recorded vote.
Chairman: Without objection.
Trahan: Thank you. I yield back.
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