MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, D.C. -Earlier today, Representatives Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Vern Buchanan (FL-16) celebrated their introduction of the USMCA Travel and Tourism Resiliency Act, legislation aimed at strengthening the travel and tourism sector during the upcoming joint review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) and positioning the United States to maximize global travel opportunities ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.  As the United States prepares to commemorate America 250, an initiative expected to drive historic levels of domestic and international travel, the legislation ensures that the travel and tourism industry has a formal voice in North American trade discussions. The bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative to advocate for the establishment of a Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group as part of the USMCA Joint Review. While the agreement includes joint working groups for other key industries, travel and tourism – one of the largest contributors to the U.S. economy – remains unrepresented.  With America 250 expected to draw millions of international visitors, ensuring seamless cross-border travel and cooperation with Canada and Mexico – our two largest trading partners – is critical to fully realizing the economic benefits of this milestone celebration.

“Travel and tourism are major drivers of the U.S. economy, supporting millions of jobs, generating significant export revenue, and strengthening communities across the country,”said Congressman Gus Bilirakis, Co-Chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus. “As we prepare to welcome the world for America’s 250th anniversary, establishing a dedicated Travel and Tourism Trade Working Group will provide a focused forum to address trade barriers, expand market access, and enhance cooperation, ensuring this critical sector continues to contribute to economic growth, competitiveness, and resilience.”

“For districts like ours that welcome millions of visitors each year, tourism isn’t just an industry, it’s a driver of jobs and economic growth,” said Buchanan. “As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, ensuring seamless, efficient travel between the United States, Canada and Mexico is essential to keeping our tourism industry strong. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the USMCA Travel and Tourism Resiliency Act to ensure travel and tourism are fully represented during the upcoming USMCA joint review and to keep our economy open for business.”

The USMCA Travel and Tourism Resiliency Act reflects Congress’s commitment to leveraging the America 250 initiative to promote economic opportunity, cultural exchange, and international engagement across North America.

 

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) and Congressman Pat Harrigan (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation to improve federal coordination of methane monitoring technologies and methane emission data-sharing, to better support the methane mitigation industry and prevent revenue loss due to leaks.

“Identifying methane leaks is critical for the success of the American energy and methane mitigation industry,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “Innovative technologies are available to capture methane leakage, but a primary challenge is finding and tracking those leaks. Our legislation would coordinate monitoring systems and technologies to identify leaks more quickly and effectively than they can now.”

“American energy competes in global markets where credibility matters. Right now, methane data is scattered across different systems, which makes it harder for U.S. producers to clearly show how they operate,” said Rep. Pat Harrigan. “This bill directs NASA to use the satellites and data infrastructure it already runs to deliver more accurate methane measurements, without adding new regulations or expanding enforcement authority. When measurement is solid, American energy is stronger, exports are more competitive, and our national security is better protected.”

The Methane Monitoring Science Act would direct the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to develop a science-based strategy to assess our present and future methane monitoring and detection capabilities. This strategy would include:

• Assessments of various methane monitoring technologies in use including ground-based, airborne, and space-based sensors, and technologies that monitor at the source- and site-level,
• The integration of methane monitoring data from other indicators, ranging across large and small methane emission events, and
• Ensuring data and tools can be operationalized for federal research and development purposes and by non-Federal entities to support rapid mitigation of methane leaks.

Full text of the Methane Monitoring Science Act is available here. This bill was included through an amendment in the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026, which was reported out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on February 4, 2026.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

U.S.  Representative Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), led over 55 of their colleagues in pressing Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the impacts of ICE’s violence on children, including lasting physical and psychological trauma. 

“ICE and CBP operations that treat children like collateral damage threaten their physical and mental health and wellbeing… This disregard for child welfare undermines the government’s core child-protection obligations,” wrote the lawmakers. “Yet your agency does not appear to be taking any action to speak out against or investigate the impacts of the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda on children.”

Under the Trump administration, children have been exposed to increasingly violent and intense immigration enforcement operations. ICE has carried out raids at schools, daycare centers, and even a child’s birthday party. Here in Chicago, ICE agents forcibly detained a daycare teacher in front of her students and deployed tear gas near an elementary school, sending children running and teachers scrambling for cover. Even when children are not the direct target, their exposure to this violence creates lasting trauma.

“[ICE and CBP’s] practices have triggered national outrage and risk traumatizing children and depriving them of access to education and basic services, with lasting consequences for their behavioral, physical, academic, and emotional well-being,” wrote the lawmakers.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.) to discuss Democrats threatening to shut down the Department of Homeland Security, the SAVE America Act, and Democrats’ hypocrisy on voter ID.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:On the consequences of Democrats shutting down the Department of Homeland Security:“Let’s just look at what would happen if the Democrats get their way. You can see from their leaders, they are clamoring for another government shutdown. If the Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security, they’re claiming it’s about defunding ICE. But as they know, and as you know, in the Working Families Tax Cut, we funded ICE through the rest of President Trump’s term. So ICE is funded. But what is not funded if the Democrats get their way? They will literally shut down funding for disaster relief in FEMA in the middle of a storm, that in New York City alone, you want to see what socialism gets you, 18 people now have frozen to death under the leadership of the socialist Mamdani. That’s what Democrat leadership gets you.“They want to shut down TSA. So just take [Hartsfield-Jackson], LaGuardia, those two airports alone, having been shut down, if the Democrats get their way, will wreak havoc with tens of millions of Americans who just want to go see their family members, want to travel for a wedding, or whatever the case may be.“Maybe they’re trying to start a small business and want to go to another city to try to create some jobs. They won’t be able to do that because Democrats want to have a tantrum – not to defund ICE, because, again, ICE is fully funded – but just because they want to cause chaos in America to get open borders. That’s part of their wishlist in their demand letter they sent to President Trump. And of course, the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard comes in and rescues people when disasters happen. They want to shut them down. They intercept boats that are bringing drugs into our country. That’s who the Democrats want to shut down this week.“Luckily, Republicans in the House have sent a bill over to the Senate to prevent this chaos from happening. We’ll see what happens in the Senate. The President is trying to negotiate with Democrats, but they’ve proven they really don’t care about the American people. They did it before with the longest shutdown in American history, wreaking havoc to tens of millions of people, and they’re willing to do it again.”On the SAVE America Act and Democrats’ hypocrisy on voter ID:“You can’t have anything more basic than protecting the right to vote. Because as we all fight to ensure that every person, ‘one person, one vote’ is the mantra. But if somebody is stealing your vote, then they’re nullifying your vote. Two basic requirements are in this bill, the SAVE America Act. One is to register to vote, you have to prove citizenship, real common sense legislation. Everybody understands what that means. They worked really hard to make sure that every state can still do the things that they do uniquely while allowing for that prevention of fraud measure. And then the other is when you vote, you have to show a picture ID.“As the Whip said, you look at some of the Democrats feigning outrage. As Chuck Schumer calls it, Jim Crow. Where was Chuck Schumer when you tried to get into the Democrat National Convention in 2024? Guess what? Chuck Schumer made you show a picture ID to get into his own convention that he’s calling Jim Crow. Is that what his new name is? You had Senator Ossoff just this weekend had a town hall meeting. Guess what you had to do to get into Senator Ossoff’s town hall meeting? You had to show a picture ID.“Americans get this. It’s common sense that you have to show a picture ID to vote. Anybody that’s against that is saying that they want rampant voter fraud.”

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

A Consistent Advocate for DEIA, Pressley Has Stridently Condemned Trump’s Anti-DEIA Measures, Fought for Equitable Policies Amid his Attacks

Text of Letter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congressman Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) led 29 of their colleagues in demanding Donald Trump answer for his harmful executive actions attacking diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) across the federal government and private sector. In their letter, the lawmakers request a full accounting from the Trump administration on the implementation and impact of his executive orders, urging transparency for such reckless actions.

“One year ago, your administration launched an unprecedented assault on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) through Executive Orders 14151, 14168, 14170, and 14173,” wrote the lawmakers. “Altogether, these executive actions amount to a coordinated rollback of civil rights protections and a deliberate effort to intimidate the private sector into abandoning long-standing equity commitments.”

The lawmakers laid plain the critical impact of DEIA principles that improve the effectiveness of government and ensure support for vulnerable communities across all sectors.

“In practice, DEIA principles have guided decades of progress that strengthened civil rights protections, expanded access to opportunity, and improved federal services,” continued the lawmakers. “For example, NASA expanded accessibility across its facilities and educational programming, ensuring students with disabilities can better participate in STEM opportunities. The Small Business Administration launched targeted initiatives to strengthen veteran business outreach, advance Native American economic development, and combat anti-Semitism.”

Additionally, the lawmakers condemned Trump’s targeting of DEIA and his mass firing frenzy across the federal government, which resulted in the job loss of nearly 317,000 federal workers, as well as his intimidation tactics across the private sector to retreat from DEIA initiatives.

“Mentions of ‘DEI’ and its core principles have all but vanished from Fortune 500 reports,” the lawmakers said in their letter. “Furthermore, your administration has slashed billions of dollars in DEIA-related funding, as well as jeopardized nearly $1 billion in life-saving National Institutes of Health research on heart disease, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and substance use – grants threatened not because they are unworthy of research, but because they promoted equity.”

The letter calls into question these executive orders and their compliance with federal civil rights, accessibility, and equal employment opportunity laws. As such, the lawmakers demand the following information on impact and implementation of the EOs:

• The total number of federal employees whose positions were eliminated, defunded, reassigned, placed on administrative leave, or otherwise altered as a result of Executive Orders 14151, 14168, 14170, and 14173;
• A comprehensive list of all DEIA-related programs, offices, initiatives, and advisory bodies that have been discontinued, downsized, renamed, defunded, or otherwise modified pursuant to these Executive Orders;
• All guidance, memoranda, directives, training materials, internal analyses, or communications issued to federal agencies regarding the interpretation or implementation of these Executive Orders;
• All convenings, meetings, e-mails, correspondence, statements, and additional communications between the administration and private-sector entities, contractors, or external organizations concerning the adoption of DEIA restrictions.

The full text of the letter can be accessed here.

Joining Rep. Pressley in this letter are Representatives Joyce Beatty, Shontel Brown, Andre Carson, Gil Cisneros, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Dwight Evans, Cleo Fields, Maxwell Frost, Sylvia Garcia, Jonathan Jackson, Pramila Jayapal, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Tim Kennedy, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Summer Lee, Betty McCollum, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Lateefah Simon, Eric Swalwell, Shri Thanedar, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities, and transform the criminal legal system to center the dignity, humanity, and equality of everyone who calls America home —especially during the second Trump Administration.

On January 22, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful executive actions on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the placement of DEI employees on leave ahead of their eventual layoffs.

Throughout Trump’s first year in office, Rep. Pressley has fought for federal workers and the essential services they provide to communities who need it most.

In February 2025, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, legislation to establish a federal commission to examine the lasting legacy of slavery and develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.

In May 2025, she and Congressman Paul Tonko led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation of the impact of Donald Trump’s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums – namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women’s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture – attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities.

Earlier this year, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump’s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.

Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Booker are the lead co-sponsors of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.

Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Security, Integrity, and Enforcement, is leading 62 Members of Congress in demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rescind its July memo denying bond hearings to certain detained immigrants.

“ICE created a legal fiction on which to rely: that all immigrants who entered without inspection, regardless of the timing of their entry, are to be treated as if they are still seeking admission at the border, and therefore afforded fewer protections under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA),” wrote the Members.

Typically, immigrants in the U.S. have been afforded the right to request a bond hearing before an immigration judge. Todd Lyons, Acting ICE Director, however, arbitrarily determined that immigrants who entered between ports of entry, even if they have been living in the United States for decades since that initial entry, are no longer eligible for bond hearings.

This policy has been rejected in court by judges from 35 different states, appointed by every single President since Ronald Reagan, including 33 appointed by President Trump himself. Despite hundreds of rulings that these individuals are entitled to bond hearings, immigrants across the country continue to be denied bond hearings due to ICE’s policy.

“This must end. As executive branch appointees, your job is to enforce the law. Over 300 judges have told you 1,600 times exactly what the law is. Now you must follow it. Rescind this absurd memo and allow detained immigrants the opportunity to obtain bond hearings,” concluded the Members.

The full letter can be read here.

The letter was signed by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-At Large), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Greg Casar (TX-35), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeline Dean (PA-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7), Valerie Foushee (NC-4), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesus “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Henry “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).

Issues: Immigration

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

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson discussed the SAVE America Act and the Democrats’ outrageous and false arguments against it. Speaker Johnson also highlighted how the American economy – spurred by Republican policies – continues to defy expectations.

“The question is often asked by pollsters, and the polling consistently shows 80 to 90% of Americans believe that proof of citizenship and proof of valid ID should be required to vote,” Speaker Johnson said. “There are a few issues in American politics that have that level of bipartisan support; this is one of them.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

On the SAVE America Act:

Now we have the SAVE America Act. It’s identical legislation as the SAVE Act on the proof of citizenship, but as you heard, now, voters would have to display a valid ID to participate in federal elections. Again, a no brainer. So, in other words, it simply requires you are who you say are in order to vote. And if that sounds like a no brainer, it’s because it is. The question is often asked by pollsters, and the polling consistently shows 80 to 90% of Americans believe that proof of citizenship and proof of valid ID should be required to vote. There are a few issues in American politics that have that level of bipartisan support; this is one of them. The issue has so much support because it’s just common sense. Americans need an ID to drive, to open a bank account, to buy cold medicine, to file for government assistance, and as is noted by the Leader, you even need an ID to attend the events of most Democrat politicians and even the Democrat National Convention. So why would voting be any different from that? They can’t answer that question. And so, they come up with all these crazy excuses of why they can’t support.

They’ve attempted so many arguments to oppose the pass of this simple legislation. First, they argued that we were too close to a federal election to make changes to voting procedures. That was last Congress, and of course that was nonsense. Then they argued that noncitizens and unregistered individuals don’t actually vote, and then we proved that they did, so then they changed their argument again. Then they argued that the SAVE Act disenfranchises married women who would have to change their last names. That was actually, you remember, that was a whole line of argument. And now this is their current argument. Now, Democrats are saying, breathlessly, the SAVE Act would result in voter suppression and voter disenfranchisement. It’s nonsense. Do you know what actually disenfranchises voters? When noncitizens participate in our federal elections and counteract the votes of registered American voters. That’s what we have to stop.

On Democrats fearmongering about the SAVE America Act:

Democrats have gone so far as to call this the return of Jim Crow laws. That’s what you heard Chuck Schumer say, and he just has no shame. It’s not the first time Schumer said this. Now just think of the history of it. In 2021, when Georgia state legislators, they did it in the state, they passed the election integrity legislation. Chuck Schumer came out – many national Democrats too – called it Jim Crow 2.0. I mean, he did that thing with his hands and pounded the podium. Okay, well, here’s what really happened. Georgia experienced record turnout in the 2022 election after the reform, particularly among minority groups. And in fact, in a poll commission by the University of Georgia after the election, they went to ask people how they felt about that election and how it was conducted. And they talked to black voters. And the respondents, the poll said, “Did you have a poor experience in the election?” And guess how many black voters in Georgia said after their reforms, they had a poor experience? Zero. Literally no one said that.

Not only were there arguments blatant fear mongering. Chuck Schumer and everybody, they were dead and wrong too. And speaking of Georgia, Leader Scalise noted that John Ossoff, Senator Ossoff, had his big event there. And, you know, he said that the SAVE Act is “A bad faith bill cynically intended to disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.” That’s what Senator Ossoff said. But of course, at the event where he said that he required photo ID to attend. Democrats want to verify your identity to attend their campaign rallies, but not to participate in the elections they’re running in. Despite the vehement and incoherent and frankly, ridiculous opposition for Democrats, Republicans will continue to stand with the overwhelming majority of Americans who want secure elections. We’re going to do the right thing. We’re going to do the commonsense thing, and we’re going to pass this, and you’ll see that reflected on Wednesday when we do that very thing.

On the success and growth of the American economy:

Gallup published findings from a new poll, and here’s what the headline says: “Americans expect economic growth and stock market gains in 2026.” The American people have good reason to feel this optimism… Since Republicans reclaimed the House, we began last January, to do the work. We promised the American people we would do it; we got it done. We secured key fiscal reforms in the debt ceiling agreement, we kept discretionary spending flat, saving hundreds of billions of dollars to date, we secured a $1.6 trillion cut to mandatory spending through the Working Families Tax Cuts, and so much more. And that’s just in the House. President Trump has been a very busy as well. His trade policy and the tariffs have brought in hundreds of billions in new revenue, more than 2024. And there’s hundreds of billions more on the way. President Trump’s policies have reoriented global trade, resulted in trillions of commitments for foreign direct investment here, a reduction in the trade deficit and all-time highs for US exports. And we’re just getting started.

We have all the necessary ingredients for economic flourishing. The combination of the House Republicans’ efforts to restore fiscal sanity, President Trump’s trade agenda, and the pro-growth, pro-energy policies in the Working Families Tax Cuts have reignited a supply side growth surge that nobody can deny. You’re watching the economic growth numbers that are off the charts. It’s going to be over 5%, I think 5.4% is the estimate for what Q4 would finally yield. And Q1 of this year is expected to continue that surge. We think that’s going to happen all the way through the year. And so do the voters. So do the American people. According to the poll, under Republican leadership, the US economy has consistently grown and far exceeded all the expectations that they told us that would happen. The CBO and others were way off.

The tangible, immediate benefits of our policies are indisputable. Interest rates are down, inflation is down, gas prices are significantly decreased and have hit all-time lows in decades. Tax rebates are at an all-time high, you’ve got tens of millions of American families will be able to keep more of their money in their own pockets, and all of that is by design. We made promises, keeping our promises by every conceivable metric. Americans are better off today under Republican governance than they were under the Democrats. And these trends are only going to continue. Democrats keep talking about affordability, Republicans are delivering it.

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Santa Cruz, CA – U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta convened a roundtable with local law enforcement and community leaders from California’s 19th Congressional District to coordinate responses and prepare resources for communities against the brutality, violence, and lawlessness displayed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). At a press conference following the roundtable, Rep. Panetta emphasized the need for cooperation between all levels of government, as well as with local social services, to support and protect communities in the 19th Congressional District from potential ICE and CBP activity.

The leaders discussed the fear they are seeing in the communities they serve and the importance of a cohesive strategy in the face of growing uncertainty.  They further talked about the ways in which together then can maintain the trust of our communities.

“We’re doing everything we can to prevent ICE and CBP from infringing on our civil liberties by preparing local resources and coordinating our community responses to protect people,” said Rep. Panetta. “Under this Administration and the majorities in the House and Senate, leadership must come from the ground up. We, in the 19th Congressional District, must continue to come together and partner, not just to protect our most vulnerable, but to prepare to protect everybody.”

These efforts to coordinate a cohesive local response to the threat ICE and CBP pose across the country build on Rep. Panetta’s efforts to push back on the Administration at the federal level. Last week, he voted against another funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, demanding accountability from the Administration for the deaths of American citizens in Minneapolis. He also joined Congressional veterans in demanding ICE and CBP Interior Operations Stand Down.

Rep. Panetta has called for the removal of Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller and the removal and impeachment of the DHS Secretary. If DHS Secretary Noem remains in office, Rep. Panetta supports Congressional articles of impeachment for her removal. He also supports legislation to help control ICE and CBP, including bills to limit force and require de-escalation training, hold agents accountable when they break the law, ban masks for agents, limit enforcement in sensitive areas, limit the Administration’s authority to target citizens of a specific nation, and to redirect partisan approved funding to help people afford healthcare. In addition to short term action, Rep. Panetta also believes that long term immigration reform is needed to fix the asylum system and to build pathways to legalization for law-abiding immigrants and their families who continue to contribute to our economies and communities.

To watch a video of Rep. Panetta’s remarks at the press conference, click here.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) wrote a letter to President Donald Trump and senior cabinet officials advocating for enhanced protections of the domestic shrimp industry after the framework of the new trade agreement between the U.S. and India included lower tariffs on Indian seafood.

Rep. Higgins wrote, “The people of Louisiana and their coastal communities depend on a vibrant wild-caught seafood industry that has sustained Gulf Coast families for generations. The reduction of tariffs on Indian goods will reopen the floodgates to low-quality, farm-raised Indian shrimp. India has long been among the largest importers of shrimp to the United States, and the temporary relief provided by your earlier tariff actions allowed our shrimpers to breathe again.”

“In the absence of higher tariffs on Indian seafood, I respectfully urge your administration to take other steps to protect our domestic shrimp industry within the framework of the new agreement. This can be achieved by enhanced inspections under 21 U.S. Code § 381(h), vigorous enforcement of existing antidumping and countervailing duties through 19 U.S. Code § 1671, the imposition of shrimp-specific safeguards to prevent a renewed surge of underpriced imports, and supporting legislation such as H.R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act, which would allow the destruction of product that does not meet American health standards,” Rep. Higgins continued.

Read the full letter here.