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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Combat Russia’s Attack on Religious Freedom

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) joined Helsinki Commission Chairman Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), and Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Mike Quigley (D-IL) to introduce Countering Russia’s War On Faith Act.

Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators John Kennedy (R-LA) and Sheldon Whitehouse, Ranking Member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission (D-RI).

This bipartisan legislation requires the Secretaries of State and Defense to jointly report on Russian efforts to persecute, suppress, and violate the religious freedoms of faith communities in Ukraine and Russian-occupied territories. It also directs the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals found to have engaged in these actions.

“Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is not only an attack on a country that seeks democracy, free markets, and alignment with the West, but also includes a deliberate campaign to suppress and persecute religious communities,” said Rep. Bacon. “The Countering Russia’s War on Faith Act will ensure we fully document these abuses and hold those responsible accountable through sanctions. I’m pleased to join Rep. Wilson and my colleagues in this bipartisan effort to stand up for religious liberty and the Ukrainian people.”

 “Russia targets and kills persons of faith as a matter of policy wherever it invades. War criminal Putin seeks to prevent free worship of all believers and crushes any faith not subservient to its state-run church and corrupt former KGB agent Patriarch Kirill or otherwise submit itself to repressive state control,” said Rep. Wilson, Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. “Believers in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine are targeted with particular ferocity. It is critical that we counter Russia’s War on Faith.”

“Putin is a war criminal conducting genocide in Ukraine. He is also attempting to erase expressions of Ukrainian identity, including religious freedoms. This legislation makes plain that these human rights violations will be a focus of our foreign policy and that the United States will always defend religious liberty,” said Rep. Cohen.

“Russia’s war in Ukraine is not only an assault on sovereignty—it is a calculated, systemic assault on religious freedom. For Americans, the freedom to worship is among our most fundamental liberties, and we do not stand by when it is crushed by force. This legislation ensures these crimes are documented, perpetrators are identified, and real consequences follow. Peace through strength requires accountability, and the persecution of people of faith cannot be met with silence,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick.

“Russia’s widespread religious persecution in Ukraine dates back centuries, and is a horrific reminder that this new war of occupation was never just about land, but about forcible Russification and the erasure of Ukraine’s pluralistic and free way of life,” said Rep. Kaptur, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. “This important legislation calls out the abuses committed by the Russian state and its agents against Ukrainian Christians, Jews, Muslims, and other faiths. Russia perversely portrays Ukraine as a persecutor of Christians, when it is Moscow that has destroyed over 600 churches, synagogues, mosques, and places of worship in Ukraine throughout this war. These new attacks are a shameful reminder of Russian pogroms and attacks on religious communities dating back centuries. The United States must hold these war criminals accountable and defend religious freedom and the right of all Ukrainians to worship as they choose.”

“Vladimir Putin’s brutal war on Ukraine is not just about violating its sovereignty, but erasing the democratic values Ukraine has embraced. He seeks to erase freedom of religion in Ukraine by disproportionately targeting places of worship and practitioners of any religion other than his own,” said Rep. Quigley. “I am proud to cosponsor Rep. Wilson’s Countering Russia’s War on Faith Act to make it clear that those who burn churches, persecute religious communities, and try to erase religious diversity will be held accountable. The United States must lead with moral clarity by defending religious freedom and confronting Putin’s abuses.”

“Religious liberty is not a suggestion in America – it’s one of our founding promises protected by the Constitution and lived out every day by generations of freedom-loving Americans. Anyone with a brain larger than a single cell organism knows that Vladimir Putin does not respect nor share that view. The Countering Russia’s War on Faith Act shines a bright light on Putin’s religious persecution and responds with real consequences,” said Sen. Kennedy.

“Putin’s murderous regime has repeatedly bombed places of worship, murdered clergy members, and persecuted Ukrainian communities not aligned with the Putin-allied Russian Orthodox Church. It’s time for the U.S. to take a stand for religious freedom and explore sanctions against individuals engaging in these brutal human rights abuses in Ukraine,” said Sen. Whitehouse.

Background

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, over 600 churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious sites have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 50 Ukrainian clergy have been killed. Protestant, Catholic, Crimean Tatar, and Orthodox Christian communities not aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church have faced raids, forced re-registration, and criminal prosecution. The Russian Orthodox Church, led by Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, has publicly described the invasion as a “holy war,” providing ideological justification for systematic religious suppression in occupied territories.

The full text of HR-8433 (S-4379) is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke at a press conference, where he emphasized that while Republicans are celebrating legislation that harms the American people, Democrats remain committed to lowering the high cost of living in America.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day, and so I want to welcome our very special guests who are here. And if you would desire, you will get priority on the questions that you get to ask. But thank you for being here, and have a wonderful experience with your dads and moms and family members throughout the day.

Let me begin by expressing our condolences on the passing of the Honorable David Scott, former Chair of the House Agricultural Committee, a tremendous leader who had a tremendous life story and a tremendous commitment to improving the lives of the people that he was privileged to represent in the great state of Georgia, which he loved. He rose up from humble beginnings to become a trailblazing chair of a Committee of great importance to the people that he served and was a leading advocate on a whole host of issues of importance to farm country, to rural America and to the metro Atlanta region that he served in such a tremendous way.

Republicans have made clear that their priority is to continue to fund ICE and the violent Trump mass deportation machine, as opposed to making life better for the American people. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out at the end of this month, and there’s a bipartisan bill that would fund DHS, other than ICE and the violent mass deportation machine, that was sent over by the Senate to the House weeks ago. Every single senator, every Democrat and every Republican, supports the bipartisan DHS funding bill that House Republicans have refused to take up because they want to continue to jam their extreme ideology down the throats of the American people.

Republicans have spent the last few weeks celebrating themselves with silly resolutions on the House Floor, congratulating themselves on bills that they have passed, which have actually done damage to the American people, including rural America. It’s extraordinary. But no wonder the American people have concluded that Donald Trump and Republicans have failed on the economy, and that it’s Democrats who are the ones who are actually focused on driving down the high cost of living, making America an affordable place to live and improving the quality of life of everyday Americans.

Full event can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Yesterday, Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, Jared Huffman (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Indian and Insular Affairs Subcommittee, sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to immediately review the transfer of thousands of acres of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land in central Arizona to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, a foreign-owned mining venture with significant financial ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The land, called Oak Flat or Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache, is also sacred land connecting the Western Apache to their religion, history, culture, and environment, transferred over objections of the tribe. 

In the letter, the lawmakers raise concerns about the possible national security implications posed by the transfer to a company owned by international mining conglomerates, BHP and Rio Tinto. The Members note that the two foreign companies have significant ties to the PRC, either through ownership or the sales of their mining products. The Members also highlight the proximity of the project to Luke Air Force Base, a major U.S. military operational and training facility, which is one of the sensitive installations on the CFIUS “List of Military Installations and Other U.S. Government Sites.”  Given that the transaction raises potential national security risks given the strategic importance of critical minerals like copper and the site’s location, the Members believe that a review by CFIUS is merited. 

“In the FY15 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress directed USFS to transfer 2,422 acres of the Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper, which it defined as ‘a Delaware limited liability company, including any successor, assign, affiliate member, or joint venturer.’ The statutory language explicitly failed to acknowledge that Resolution Copper is owned by BHP and Rio Tinto, two of the largest foreign mining corporations in the world,” wrote the lawmakers. “Taken together, the facts outlined in this letter present a potential major national security concern: the transfer of one of America’s largest undeveloped critical mineral deposits to a foreign-owned entity with substantial financial ties to the PRC, in close proximity to sensitive U.S. military installations and emerging advanced weapons infrastructure.”

In closing, the lawmakers urge CFIUS to conduct a comprehensive review of the transaction and assess the risks associated with foreign influence over the extraction, processing, and disposition of critical minerals from U.S. public lands, as well as the implications of long-term industrial operations near sensitive military and defense infrastructure.  

Read the full letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today on the floor of the House of Representatives, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García led his Progressive Caucus colleagues in a series of speeches to highlight the many ways President Trump’s 2027 Budget Request will make life harder for their constituents, and how he is funding a war of choice over the people’s needs and priorities.

Video of the Congressman’s speech can be found here.

These are excerpts from Congressman García’s speech:

On housing:

“…the President’s Budget Request eliminates 4 billion dollars of affordable housing investments, wiping out programs that help families find housing, stay in their homes, and get back on their feet.

“My district has suffered from severe floods over the last two years, and some of my constituents were displaced from their homes. But as rents rise, Trump wants to cut the programs designed to help keep a roof over their heads.”

On energy:

“The President’s Budget Request also eliminates LIHEAP, a program that helps 5 million families afford their utility bills—leaving them unable to cool their homes in the summer or pay heating bills in the winter.

“When you combine that with the surging price of gas because of Trump’s illegal war with Iran, Trump is making the American people suffer twice.”
 

On nutrition programs:

“And as if this wasn’t bad enough, Trump’s budget proposal also calls for deep cuts to food assistance like SNAP and WIC. These are programs that help mothers and young children afford fruits and vegetables.”

On funding a war of choice:

“So with all these cuts, what is Trump increasing the budget for? One word—war. As he proposes to cut 73 billion for housing, food, education, and health, he is asking for 1.5 trillion for the Pentagon— a record-shattering amount that demonstrates just how detached Trump is from our constituents’ needs and priorities.
 

“Trump started a cruel, illegal, deeply unpopular war that costs billions every day, sent gas prices skyrocketing, and triggered a global fuel crisis.

“This Budget Request would enable him to do more destruction with more money—while lining the pockets of his defense contractor friends. This makes us all less safe.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21) and Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), bipartisan co-chairs of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus, introduced a resolution recognizing April 19 through April 25, 2026, as National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.
The resolution recognizes the impact that crime, victimization, and mass violence have on victims, survivors, and communities across the country. It also honors the advocates, service providers, and organizations that work every day to support survivors and uphold their rights.
This year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week theme, “CommUNITY,” highlights the importance of connection in supporting healing, strengthening victim services, and ensuring victims’ rights are protected.
“National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is a time to stand with survivors, honor their strength, and recognize the advocates and organizations working every day to support healing and justice,” said the co-chairs of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus. “This resolution reaffirms our bipartisan commitment to ensuring victims and survivors are treated with dignity, connected to the services and resources they deserve, and supported every step of the way.”
Read the full text HERE.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, DC — Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) introduced the Stop Deadly Denials Act to no longer allow Medicare Advantage plans to require prior authorization for necessary medical items and services. The legislation would ensure patients are able to receive fair affordable coverage without added administrative burdens from prior authorization that frequently block care. 

“It’s time we stop allowing Medicare Advantage to profit off the Medicare name while denying critical coverage,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “Affordable quality healthcare is a human right. I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Rep. Jayapal and stop Medicare Advantage from using prior authorization to delay and deny medically necessary care.”

“Medicare DisAdvantage makes it harder for patients to get the care they need – often leading to delays and denials of care that can be deadly. We’re now seeing the Trump Administration bring this tactic to Traditional Medicare as well, denying Americans care they need, and that they would have received before the implementation of the WISeR model. I’m leading the Stop Deadly Denials Act with Rep. Khanna because we must urgently ensure corporate insurers can’t deny care to those who need it. Patients, doctors, and advocates have been sounding the alarm about denials of care for years: it’s time for Congress to address these serious concerns,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

“Since its inception, Medicare Advantage has gamed our health care system to profit off our seniors and people with disabilities,” said Jamie Brown, RN and NNU president. “Nurses applaud Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Ro Khanna for introducing the Stop Deadly Denials Act to put an end to prior authorization in Medicare Advantage. It’s time we take on corporate health insurers who use delaying and denying care to exploit our patients, and we have to stand firm in our commitment to ensure these same tactics are not used in Traditional Medicare. We must protect Medicare in our fight to pass Medicare for All!”

“Prior authorization is a tool used by Big Insurance to delay and deny care, often standing between patients and the care they need. By aligning Medicare Advantage with traditional Medicare, blocking harmful experiments like WISeR, and stopping the use of unaccountable algorithms to override physicians, this legislation will make it harder for Big Insurance to deny care to those who need it.  It also ensures transparency and accountability by requiring full public input before any future models move forward. We thank Congressman Ro Khanna for introducing this vital bill and urge Congress to pass it without delay,” said Rachel Madley, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Health and Democracy.

“Insurers shouldn’t be profiting from denying seniors the care that they need and are entitled to receive. We know that privatized Medicare plans overturn around 80 percent of their denial of care decisions upon appeal, but count on few enrollees filing those appeals. The privatized Medicare plans aggressively and mechanically deny requests for prior authorization because they know they can get away with it. The Stop Deadly Denials Act would finally put a stop to these practices and prevent perverse experiments that threaten to bring further prior authorization into Traditional Medicare,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President of Public Citizen. 

The Stop Deadly Denial Act: 

• Eliminates prior authorization for all Medicare Advantage Part A and Part B services unless required in traditional Medicare.
• Blocks WISeR and any substantially similar prior authorization model in Traditional Medicare.
• Prohibits CMMI from testing any prior authorization model that imposes prior authorization for Part A/B services, uses AI or algorithm-driven denials without physician review, or outsources prior authorization determinations outside Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs).
• Requires CMS to use full notice-and-comment rulemaking for all future models starting in 2027. 

Read the full text of the legislation here.

Cosponsors: Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN), Representative Debby Dingell (D-MI), Representative Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI) 

The full list of organizations that have endorsed the Stop Deadly Denials Act of 2026 include: National Nurses United (NNU), Centers for Health and Democracy, Public Citizen, Just Care USA, Social Security Works, the Labor Campaign for Single Payer, and Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) will host a reception in honor of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition on Friday, April 24, at the Mary Collins Community Center.

WHAT: 2026 Congressional Art Competition to highlight the artistic talent of high school students from Congressional District 26 

WHO:

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, students, parents, principals, and teachers. 

WHEN:

Friday, April 24^th at 4:00 p.m.

WHERE:

Mary Collins Community Center

15151 NW 82^nd Avenue

Miami Lakes, FL 33016

RSVP:

All interested credentialed media may RSVP to Andrea.Morales@mail.house.gov

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the leading Congressional advocate for decriminalizing marijuana, today welcomed the U.S. Department of Justice decision to loosen restrictions on medical marijuana by rescheduling state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III. But he said more needs to be done to remove recreational use of marijuana from Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act in the following statement:

“Today’s DOJ decision is a small step in the right direction but is limited in its application since it doesn’t affect recreational marijuana possession under federal criminal law, nor remove the disproportionately harsh life-altering criminal penalties associated with it. Those include not qualifying for federal nutrition assistance and restrictions on federal housing. As a longtime advocate for removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, I will continue to work to get marijuana reclassified so that the lives upended by misguided federal prosecutions can be avoided.”

Congressman Cohen held a press conference on Monday (4/20) with individuals formerly incarcerated in Federal Prison for marijuana offenses alongside Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), and Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), and advocates for decriminalizing and declassifying cannabis at the federal level. There he reiterated his call for Trump to expedite the descheduling of cannabis. Later, he participated in a policy briefing with men incarcerated for marijuana possession who had their sentences commuted. There are still 3,000 federal prisoners serving time for marijuana offenses, and I am heading up a letter to Trump and his pardons czar Alice Marie Johnson seeking the release of those sentenced for non-violent marijuana offenses – a group less dangerous than the January 6 insurrectionists he pardoned on his first day back in office.

On March 27, Congressman Cohen wrote to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrator Terrance Cole seeking clarity on how and when President Trump’s demand that marijuana be rescheduled was being implemented. See that letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), alongside U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), introduced the bicameral Climate Change Education Act, which would establish a Climate Change Education Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide grants and technical assistance to state and local education agencies, institutions of higher learning, professional associations and academic societies, and youth corps organizations. The legislation would help ensure that graduating students are trained to live, work, and lead in a world increasingly impacted by climate change.

“The climate crisis has left no corner of the globe unscathed, especially not my home state of California,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “From longer wildfire seasons to rising sea levels to increasingly frequent and deadly natural disasters, climate change is already wreaking havoc on our communities, ecosystems, infrastructure, and economy. As this crisis worsens, younger and upcoming generations stand to suffer the most. That is why we must invest in education opportunities that will equip students with a thorough understanding of climate change and the skills needed to curb its effects, safeguard public health, and secure a competitive clean energy economy. Climate literacy is a critical solution to a problem that will disproportionately impact today’s youth, and it is our moral imperative to help them build a climate-resilient future for generations to come.”

“We cannot fully confront the existential threat of climate change without a thorough understanding of the impact it will have on our lives and the steps we must take to combat it. Students learning these lessons today will be on the frontlines of the fight to save our planet. With this legislation, we will ensure our students and teachers are equipped with the knowledge and support they need to help us address this challenge today and in the future,” said Congresswoman Dingell.

“Young people today are inheriting a hotter and more dangerous planet, and they deserve to have the knowledge and technical skills necessary to solve and survive the climate crisis,” said Senator Markey. “The Climate Change Education Act is an investment in students, teachers, and a sustainable future. As extreme weather, rising seas, and climate-fueled health risks are increasingly obvious in our day-to-day lives, this bill would empower students with information and support the next generation of scientific champions. I thank Congresswomen Dingell and Brownley for this partnership on legislation that builds power and a better future.”

The Climate Change Education Act would support climate literacy by authorizing $50 million per year between fiscal years 2027 and 2032 for grants and cooperative agreements between NOAA and education entities. The bill stipulates that 40 percent of the funds for higher education institutions and youth corps organizations would be directed to environmental justice communities.

Read the full bill text here.

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Issues: 119th Congress, Climate Crisis, Education, Environment

Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) joined Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) to introduce the Transit Workforce Development Act, a bill to expand workforce training and strengthen the pipeline of skilled workers needed to support the nation’s public transportation systems.  

The bill amends federal transit law to allow a greater portion of existing bus and bus facility grants to be used for workforce development, including training programs, registered apprenticeships, and labor-management partnerships.  

Public transportation agencies across the country are confronting significant workforce shortages, compounded by rapid technological changes such as the transition to zero-emission buses. These advancements require new technical skills, including expertise in high-voltage systems, electronic diagnostics, and advanced safety procedures. However, current training programs remain limited and underfunded.  

“Today’s transit buses are way different under the hood compared to twenty or even ten years ago. Battery electric buses require a different set of skills to not only repair and maintain, but to operate. Our Union has been a leader in developing transit workforce development programs to train our members with the skills and knowledge to have successful careers in public transit,” said John Costa, President of Amalgamated Transit Union International. “We commend Representative Wilson and the other 19 Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for introducing the Transit Workforce Development Act.  It is long overdue!”     

“Public transit is a service that so many working families rely on, and it is crucial that we are investing in the workforce training needed to keep these systems safe and reliable as transit vehicle technology advances,” said Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO. “TTD strongly supports the Transit Workforce Development Act because it will help to solve some of the current challenges facing transit systems, and promote job quality, retention, and recruitment in the industry.”    

The Transit Workforce Development Act addresses these challenges by:  

• Increasing the workforce development set-aside from 5 percent to 10 percent under the Low or No Emission Bus Program 

• Allowing up to 10 percent of bus and bus facility grant funds to be used for workforce training 

• Expanding training eligibility across all federal bus programs under 49 U.S.C. §5339 

• Supporting registered apprenticeships and labor-management training partnerships  

The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  

Cosponsors of the bill also include Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Patrick Ryan (NY-18), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and Dina Titus (NV-01).  

Read the full bill text here.  

Read the bill summary here.  

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Issues: 119th Congress, Transportation and Infrastructure