MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.), Ranking Member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee; Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee; Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus (CEC); Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Vice Chair of the CEC; and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Co-Chair of the CEC introduced the Fit To Serve Act today, which affirms the rights of transgender people to serve in the United States Armed Forces by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, including a diagnosis or potential diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
The bill was filed in response to Executive Order 14183 issued by President Trump on January 27, 2025which effectively bans transgender people from serving in the United States military. On February 20, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued guidance to implement President Trump’s military transgender ban, which resulted in the filing of legal challenges. On March 27, a federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the DoD from enforcing the ban. On May 6, the Supreme Court stayed the injunction, allowing the Trump Administration to enforce the ban as the lawsuit proceeds.
“Any person who is willing to put their life on the line to protect and defend the United States of America deserves our honor and respect—full stop,” said Rep. Houlahan. “The Trump Administration’s hateful and discriminatory attack on transgender service members, who serve effectively in positions across our Armed Forces, is reprehensible and will undoubtedly weaken our national security. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to introduce The Fit to Serve Act, which will put an end to the President’s culture wars against our transgender service members.”“As I have said repeatedly, thousands of transgender service members have served openly with honor and distinction in combat zones and carrying out high-stakes missions for nearly a decade. They are held to the exact same rigorous standards as every other Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, Guardian, or Coast Guardsman. Banning them simply because they are transgender will not strengthen our military—it will weaken it. Enforcing this bigoted policy for the sake of cruelty and to score partisan points is antithetical to what the United States of America and our Armed Forces stand and fight for,” said Rep. Smith. “Transgender service members have put their lives on the line in defense of our freedom—we in Congress must now fight for their ability to serve and their fundamental right to exist.”
“Every person that steps up to serve our nation in uniform should be treated with the utmost respect, yet the Trump-Vance Administration has continuously attacked our nation’s transgender service members for daring to serve openly. These service members have continuously shown they are fit, qualified, and willing to serve, but Trump still wants to kick them out—purely for political purposes,” said Rep. Takano. “I believe strongly that Trump’s transgender military ban is unconstitutional and will ultimately fail in the courts, but as a co-equal branch of government, Congress has a duty to protect those who protect us. I’m proud to join Ranking Member Smith in introducing this bill to ensure long-lasting, explicit protections for our transgender service members.” 
“Our transgender service members just want to do their jobs – and we should let them. They’re equally qualified as all other service members and have proven their talent, expertise, and experience are invaluable. But by kicking out thousands of transgender service members from our military, Donald Trump is prioritizing discrimination over our national security. That’s why I’m proud to stand with those who’ve already sacrificed so much for us and to co-lead the Fit To Serve Act,” said Rep. Jacobs.
“Our country should be supporting anyone willing to answer the call to serve our country, protect our freedoms, and defend our national security,” said Rep. Sorensen. “Ending gender-identity discrimination makes our military stronger and helps fill our ranks with qualified service members who deserve to serve with dignity.”
On May 8, DoD set a June 6 deadline for transgender Active Component service members and a July 7 deadline for transgender Reserve Component service members to self-identify for voluntary separations. The military is expected to then initiate involuntary separation procedures for transgender service members once the voluntary self-identification eligibility window concludes.
The Fit to Serve Act seeks to thwart these efforts by affirming the rights of transgender people to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces by:

Prohibiting the denial of accession, reenlistment, or continuation of service on the basis of gender identity, including a diagnosis or potential diagnosis of gender dysphoria;

Prohibiting the involuntary separation of a service member on the basis of gender identity, including a diagnosis or potential diagnosis of gender dysphoria; and

Ensuring access to medically necessary health care coverage for service members.

A copy of the bill text can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Representative August Pfluger (R-TX) introduced the Comprehensive Operations for Unmanned-System Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response (COUNTER) Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to enhance airspace security at military bases. A companion bill was also introduced today in the Senate by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AK).
“In recent years, there has been a disturbing increase in threats posed to U.S. military bases by unmanned aircraft systems, including from systems controlled by foreign adversaries. Despite this, our armed forces continue to tell us that they lack the authority to protect the skies over some of our most sensitive military installations,” said Rep. Houlahan. “Today’s introduction of the bipartisan COUNTER Act marks the next step towards delivering the expanded authorities our military needs to address the threats of unmanned aircraft systems and keep these facilities safe.”“Unauthorized drone activity near and over U.S. military installations has become a persistent and growing national security concern. In the past year alone, there were more than 350 drone detections at 100 different military installations,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This is why I am proud to help lead the bipartisan COUNTER Act, which gives our armed forces the clear authority they need to take down hostile drones and defend our most sensitive installations. As a fighter pilot with hundreds of hours in combat experience, I know firsthand how critical airspace security is — and how urgent this action has become.”“Leaving American military facilities vulnerable to drone incursions puts our service members, the general public, and our national security at risk. Our bill will expand the Department of Defense’s authority to neutralize unauthorized drones,” said Senator Cotton. “As commercial drones become more commonplace, we must ensure that they are not being used to share sensitive information with our adversaries, to conduct attacks against our service members, or otherwise pose a threat to our national security. This legislation will enable DoD to more effectively mitigate threats from drones and allow for better interagency cooperation to keep Americans safe. I am proud to be introducing this important piece of bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed,” said Senator Gillibrand. Full text of the legislation can be found here.The COUNTER Act would:

Expand the definition of a “covered facility” as it is in current law, enabling more bases to apply for approval to detect, track, and, if necessary, neutralize drones.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) hosted a roundtable discussion with local law enforcement officers and first responders focused on recruitment, retention, and public service. At the event, Rep. Houlahan announced the reintroduction of her Public Service Student Loan Payment Completion Fairness Act to make a long-overdue modernization to the PSLF Program and simplify the loan forgiveness process for public servants. This legislation, co-led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), was endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police.  

At present, the law requires applicants to be employed in a public service job at the time of student loan forgiveness. That means public servants who have dutifully completed their 120 payments and spent 10 years in public service may become ineligible for forgiveness if they change employers. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick’s legislation would simplify the process, improve applicant success rate, and incent more Americans to become public servants by removing the provision requiring individuals to be employed in public service at the time of forgiveness.  

“When Pennsylvanians and Americans dedicate a decade or more of their lives to serving our communities, they deserve our support to cut through bureaucratic delays and receive the student loan forgiveness we have promised,” said Representative Houlahan. “Our community, Commonwealth, and country are made stronger because of dedicated public servants, and as a former AmeriCorps teacher, I’m proud to introduce this commonsense reform to help our nation’s teachers, law enforcement officers, first responders, nurses, and others.”  

“Those who choose public service—whether in a classroom, a squad car, or a hospital ward—do so out of a sense of duty, not personal gain. They sacrifice, they serve, and many take on student debt to do it. Our bill ensures they’re not denied loan forgiveness because of a technicality. If we want to recruit and retain the best in public service, we must show service is respected, and commitments made will be commitments kept,” said Representative Fitzpatrick. 

In a letter written to Representatives Houlahan and Fitzpatrick, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police Patrick Yoes endorsed the bill, adding, “An officer’s route for advancement is highly dependent on education, which can be a large hurdle for entry level officers who may not be able to afford higher education. Correcting the statute in this way would enable our nation’s public servants, who serve and protect their communities, to receive a better education and, in turn, will help them to be better law enforcement officers, first responders, and teachers.” 

Reps. Houlahan and Fitzpatrick hope their bipartisan, commonsense legislation will improve applicant success. Data from the Department of Education demonstrates how the many ancillary requirements of the PSLF program significantly impede the applicant success rate. Out of the 442,277 individuals who met employment certification and Direct Loan requirements and submitted program forms through September 2021, 98% did not immediately qualify because they did not meet other PSLF requirements, such as the onerous provision addressed in this legislation.  

Read bill text here. 

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and nonprofit leader. She is serving her fourth consecutive term representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. Houlahan is the first female veteran to be named as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Houlahan is also chair of the Economic Growth and Cost of Living Task Force on the New Democrat Coalition. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released the following statement after Republicans passed their budget bill in the House:  

“It is devastating that in the wealthiest country in the world, Republicans have chosen to target the most vulnerable Americans by cutting the programs that help them — all so that the wealthiest in our nation can get massive tax cuts.

“Communities across the country will suffer. Thousands of El Pasoans will have less money in their pockets and less access to health care and nutrition programs. 

“Instead of helping hardworking Americans, this legislation – the centerpiece of the Trump domestic agenda – will make our country poorer, sicker and hungrier.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

This morning, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) testified before the U.S. House Armed Services Committee during the committee’s Member Day hearing. The hearing was an opportunity for Members to highlight issues of high importance to their communities as the committee crafts the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The Congresswoman’s testimony highlighted concerns about the misuse of military assets along the border, the need for a new 32^nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command headquarters building on Fort Bliss and ensuring protections for Department of Defense civilians tasked with conducting enhanced oversight of military housing. 

Video of the Congresswoman at the hearing can be found here and her remarks as delivered can be found below:

“Good morning, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith. I miss serving on the House Armed Services Committee so much that I’m here today to testify before you on Member Day. I want to thank you both for your leadership. I so appreciate the bipartisan process in crafting the NDAA every year, and I’m here to offer my own recommendations since I cannot do it as a member of the Armed Services Committee.

“As you both know, I have the incredible privilege of representing Fort Bliss, and as the representative for Fort Bliss, I’d like to highlight some of the concerns that I have, which I’ve shared with you all before. So, none of this is new.

“One of my primary concerns is regarding this administration’s unprecedented use of DoD assets for operations that traditionally fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security. In recent months, we have seen this Administration use military airlift to deport migrants out of Fort Bliss, an absurdly expensive operation to set up a migrant detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, and a plan to establish migrant detention camps on military installations around the country. DHS has requested these DoD support operations be provided on a non-reimbursable basis – which is egregious, as funds appropriated to DoD should be used to provide for our service members and focus on global threats, not misuse assets and resources when more cost-effective alternatives are available.

“As we near the start of construction of a migrant detention facility on Fort Bliss, the first installation subjected to such plans thus far, I would like to iterate my opposition to this misuse of our military bases. The last time Fort Bliss was required to build and support a holding facility, it was as part of Operation Allies Welcome, when a large facility was built to hold over 10,000 Afghan refugees that the U.S. evacuated and processed in coordination with DHS. That mission alone set Fort Bliss back on readiness levels by approximately two years. I remain deeply worried that allowing migrant detention facilities onto our military bases and directing surges of troops along the border will have similar effects on our readiness at a time when we cannot afford to do so. 

“I would also like to add that such operations also jeopardize civil military relations in communities like my hometown of El Paso, where we are so proud of Fort Bliss, our soldiers and their families. At a time when border crossings are at historic lows, constituents in my district have few answers as to why Strykers – armored fighting vehicles – are patrolling our community, carrying DHS personnel, who have patrol vehicles of their own. I think it is important to note that in President Trump’s first term, his own Secretaries of Defense opposed using the military for federal law enforcement matters, as they revered our military as an institution and understood that involvement of our armed forces in domestic political matters set a dangerous precedent, both for our military and our communities at home.

“I have a number of other requests, but as I’m running out of time, I will make sure to submit those to you all. I also look forward to working closely with you as I serve on the Milcon/VA subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and would like to ensure that the work we did last Congress under the Quality of Life panel, that we fulfill that promise through our appropriations as well as through the authorization process.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member. I yield back.”

Below are the rest of the Congresswoman’s remarks that were submitted to the committee:

“I’d now like to turn my attention to Fort Bliss infrastructure. Fort Bliss is home to the 32^nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC) headquarters. The 32^nd AAMDC is a theater level air and missile defense organization with a worldwide 72-hour deployment mission. The men and women of the 32^nd AAMDC’s brigades are constantly deployed, keeping our own servicemembers, assets, and those of our allies safe all over the globe. Despite the dire importance of this command, their headquarters building is incredibly outdated, and the state of their decrepit SCIF is unacceptable. I hope to work with this Committee and the Army to ensure the 32^nd AAMDC gets a new, state of the art HQ building in coming years. As you know, new military construction requires both authorization and appropriations, so I look forward to partnering on this effort through my seat on the MILCON subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee.

“Lastly, I look forward to working with Members of this Committee to ensure that proposed civilian workforce reductions, outlined as a goal by Secretary of Defense Hegseth, do not negatively impact this Committee’s efforts to ensure robust civilian oversight of unaccompanied housing and increase the frequency of inspections. The House Armed Services Committee’s Quality of Life Panel focused heavily on improving the oversight of military housing facilities, and it would be a great disservice to our service members if Congress does not fight to protect the very DoD civilian positions we have charged with administering routine inspections of military housing.

“Thank you again for allowing me to outline objectives for your consideration as you craft the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act. I am so grateful for all I learned in my six years serving on your committee, and I have used that experience to inform my work on the Committee on Appropriations, where I continue my advocacy for the men, women and families of Fort Bliss and our military at large. I look forward to working with you to ensure Congress protects and provides for them in FY26 and the years to come.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Late last night, the House Budget Committee took up the Republicans’ disastrous reconciliation bill and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) voted no. Republicans reconvened the committee at 10pm ET to pass their bill, which had failed on Friday after several Republicans blocked it to negotiate further – and even more damaging – cuts to Medicaid. 

“Republicans just approved a budget that will rip away healthcare, end nutrition programs, explode the national debt and be incredibly harmful to every American except those in the top 0.1%,” said Rep. Escobar. “This bill makes America sicker, poorer and hungrier so that billionaires can enjoy massive tax breaks.”

The Penn Wharton Budget Model, a non-partisan scorekeeper released their analysis of the Republican budget bill. According to their economists, Americans who make less than $51,000 a year would see their after-tax income fall by about $700 as a result of the Republican proposal beginning next year. 

This would devastate low-income communities such as El Paso, where 43% of El Pasoans earn less than $51,000 according to census statistics.

But the top 0.1 percent? The Penn Wharton Budget Model shows that the top 0.1 percent would see their after-tax income increase by an average of more than $389,000 starting next year.

With this budget, Republicans are deliberately choosing to explode the deficit, and kick 13.7 million people off their healthcare. Americans will be sicker, poorer and hungrier because Republicans have chosen to prioritize billionaire handouts.

Video of the Congresswoman’s reaction after the vote can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jason Crow (CO-6), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Dan Goldman (NY-10), and more for a press conference to continue their calls on Republicans to finally place the commemorative plaque honoring the U.S. Capitol police officers that protected the Capitol on January 6^th.

As part of H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, Democrats included a provision requiring the Architect of the Capitol to obtain an honorific plaque listing the names of all officers from various law enforcement agencies who responded to the violence on January 6, 2021. This provision set a deadline of March 2023 for the plaque to be displayed. 

Despite the plaque having been finished, House Republicans have refused to hang up the plaque, nor have they offered a timetable to do so.

In January, Congresswoman Escobar joined nearly 60 Democrats to request an update from Speaker Johnson about the status of the plaque’s placement.

Photos of the event can be found here. Video of her remarks can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16)

Following the alarming arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and threats of arrest to Members of Congress due to a recent oversight visit to the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility, U.S. Representatives Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jason Crow (CO-6) today sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons to condemn the recent events and urge them to issue clarifying direction to DHS personnel about the explicit legal right that a Member of Congress has to access a detention center. 

“During a site visit by three Members of Congress – Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rob Menendez, and LaMonica McIver – Newark Mayor Ras Baraka waited outside in a fenced-in parking lot as protestors gathered on the other side of the fence,” they wrote. “He was told to leave the fenced-in part of the parking lot and, despite complying with the request, was arrested by ICE agents. Subsequently, a DHS spokesperson indicated that arrests of the attending Members of Congress are ‘on the table,’ alleging that one of them ‘body-slammed’ an ICE officer – a claim uncorroborated by witnesses or available video evidence.”

They continued, “The Department itself has affirmed the oversight duties of Members of Congress in guidance posted by ICE dated to February 2025. Arresting Members of Congress for performing their lawful oversight duties cannot be ‘on the table’ because that action would be explicitly unlawful.”

“We anticipate your prompt confirmation that clarifying direction has been given by May 17, 2025,” the representatives concluded.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN)

Rep. Burchett to Introduce Legislation to Codify President Trump’s Executive Orders