MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Nick Begich (AK-AL) are urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prioritize the health and well-being of air traffic controllers as they work to reach full staffing at all U.S. airports.

“Nationwide, controllers ensure the safe and efficient movement of roughly 45,000 daily flights serving nearly 3 million passengers and cargo operations 24 hours per day, every day of the year,” wrote the Members. “For too long, controllers have struggled to use the paid time off that they earned and have experienced scheduling practices that rely too much on overtime to overcome staffing shortages. These talented professionals have dedicated their lives to aviation safety, and the FAA must prioritize their health and safety as they work to reach full staffing.”

In the last decade, the number of certified air traffic controllers has decreased by 6 percent, even as there has been a 10 percent increase in the number of flights relying on their guidance.

The 2024 FAA Reauthorization law included many provisions aimed at growing the air traffic controller workforce and reducing their strain and fatigue. In the meantime, as the FAA implements these provisions, the vast majority of air traffic control facilities remain critically understaffed.

“In order to maintain the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world, it is vital that the FAA prioritize the health and well-being of air traffic controllers and other aviation safety professionals,” the Members continued.

The full text of the letter can be read here.

The letter was also signed by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Angie Craig (MN-02), Madeline Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Dwight Evans (PA-03), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús G. “Chuy”  García (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Nick LaLota (NY-01), Greg Landsman (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Dave Min (CA-47), Seth Moulton (MA-06), James Moylan (GU-AL), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) secured $850,000 in federal Community Project Funding in Fiscal Year 2026 to repair and replace the deteriorating retaining wall along Upper Prospect Road in Atlantic Highlands, a critical infrastructure project aimed at improving roadway safety and maintaining reliable access for residents and emergency services.

 

“This funding allows Atlantic Highlands to address a serious safety issue before it becomes an emergency,” said Pallone. “Repairing the Upper Prospect Road retaining wall protects drivers, preserves access for residents and first responders, and ensures this roadway remains safe and reliable for the community.”

 

The Upper Prospect Road retaining wall supports a key roadway serving a residential neighborhood and is essential to maintaining safe vehicular passage. Recent inspections have identified significant structural deterioration across multiple sections of the wall, raising concerns about potential failure if repairs are not made. A collapse could disrupt traffic, limit access for emergency responders, and isolate nearby homes.

 

“The Borough of Atlantic Highlands is grateful for the assistance Congressman Frank Pallone has always provided in securing federal funds. It is integral to the long-term safety and sustainability of the municipality that its infrastructure is maintained and repaired when needed. The overall municipality will benefit from these improvements to the Upper Prospect Road retaining wall. We are thankful to have a congressman who always looks out for the interests of the constituents in New Jersey’s 6thcongressional district, which includes our beautiful and historic borough of Atlantic Highlands,” Mayor Lori Hohenleitner.

 

The project will replace the failing sections of the retaining wall to stabilize the roadway and reduce the risk of future damage. The improvements are intended to protect public safety and support the long-term resilience of local infrastructure.

 

The Upper Prospect Road retaining wall project was requested by Pallone through the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations process, which allows members of the U.S. House to direct Community Project Funding toward high-priority local infrastructure needs.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), introduced the Know Before You Drive Act, a bill aimed at improving road safety and saving lives by ensuring that car manufacturers accurately explain and represent the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) limitations in their vehicles. 

“Advanced Driver Assistance Systems features such as collision warnings, driving control assistance, and blind-spot monitoring are becoming very common in new vehicles and can be incredible safety tools if used appropriately. However, these tools that are meant to keep us safe can actually cause significant danger when manufacturers misrepresent their capabilities, and drivers don’t clearly understand their limitations,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “My bill will improve safety on our roadways by preventing manufacturers from making false and misleading claims about a car’s driver assistance systems and will require them to provide understandable explanations of what these systems are capable of and what responsibilities drivers need to maintain.”

The Know Before You Drive Act prohibits car manufacturers from making any representations that a partial driving automation system can function as an automated driving system or has capabilities beyond what the system or feature can perform. This legislation also requires manufacturers and dealers to provide a notice to customers at the time of sale, detailing the partial driving automation system, its capabilities and limitations, and the subtasks the driver is still expected to perform. Subtasks include object event detection and response, supervising a partial driving automation system, and responding to the system’s request to intervene or performance-relevant system failures.

Congresswoman Schrier recently spoke on this legislation during a Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade subcommittee hearing last month. To view Congresswoman Schrier’s remarks, click here. 

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

WASHINGTON — With tax filing season underway, 91% of Americans are finding it easier than ever to file their taxes thanks to President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts.

This year, Americans are spending less time on paperwork and keeping more of their hard-earned money.

SIMPLER TAX FILING IN 2026

• Largest tax refunds in history projected this season
• 210 million hours saved collectively on tax preparation
• $13 billion in compliance costs reduced
• Over $10,000 more in annual take-home pay for working families

PERMANENTLY EXPANDED STANDARD DEDUCTION

The Working Families Tax Cuts permanently locked in and enhanced the doubled standard deduction, simplifying filing for more than 90 percent of taxpayers.

New standard deduction levels:

• $15,750 for single or married filing separately filers
• $31,500 for married couples filing jointly
• $23,625 for head of household filers

REDUCING PAPERWORK FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND WORKERS

• The Working Families Tax Cuts cut unnecessary IRS paperwork and simplify reporting requirements:
• Increased the income reporting threshold to $2,000 before small businesses must send certain tax forms
• Restored the 1099-K reporting threshold to $20,000 and 200 transactions
  • Reverses Democrats’ $600 single-transaction requirement for third-party payment platforms like Venmo
• Reduced paperwork requirements for independent contractors and farmers
• Eliminated extra reporting burdens on small and occasional payments
• Made compliance simpler for gig workers and small business owners

Less paperwork. Less hassle.

PROTECTING TAX RELIEF IN DEMOCRAT-RUN JURISDICTIONS

Congressional Democrats voted against the tax cuts that are now putting more money in Americans’ pockets — and Democrat leaders in Washington, D.C. and blue states around the country are attempting to block those same provisions from taking effect locally.

This week, the House passed a joint resolution overturning the D.C. Council’s recent action to block tax relief and restoring the full benefits of the Working Families Tax Cut for workers and businesses in the District of Columbia.

The D.C. council sought to prevent implementation of:

• No tax on tipped wages
• No tax on overtime wages
• Increased standard deduction
• Key business tax relief provisions

This action by House Republicans ensures workers in the nation’s capital receive the same tax relief as families across the country.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (15th District of Texas)

Pushes for more action on Mexico’s water debt and New World Screwworm prevention efforts

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Old Bridge, NJ—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today launched his 2026 Youth Advisory Council at the Old Bridge Public Library, kicking off a year-long civic leadership program for students across New Jersey’s Sixth District.

 

This year’s council includes 134 students from 28 high schools across 29 towns –the largest group yet to participate in Pallone’s 11-year initiative aimed at encouraging civic engagement among area youth.

 

 

During the kickoff meeting, Pallone spoke about the importance of civil engagement and participating in the democratic process. Throughout the year, youth council members will meet with Pallone and his staff to develop their own legislative recommendations. The program culminates with students presenting their policy recommendations directly to the Congressman.

 

“It is inspiring to see the next generation stepping up to tackle the challenges facing our country. For the past 11 years, the Council has provided young people from across the Sixth District with a seat at the table to share their ideas, collaborate, and help shape solutions,” Pallone said. “I look forward to hearing their proposals and working to bring their ideas to Washington.”

 

Now in its 11th year, Pallone’s Youth Advisory Council provides hands-on experience in public service and policymaking.  To join the council, students must demonstrate a commitment to governance and public service, answer a series of questions, and provide letters of recommendation.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

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

Washington, DC — Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) sent the following letter to Chairman Comer ahead of Ghislaine Maxwell’s deposition in the House Oversight Committee tomorrow. In the letter, Rep. Khanna outlines the specific questions he intends to ask Maxwell and requests confirmation as to whether she plans to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege in response to those questions.

To read the full letter, click here or see below:  

The Honorable James Comer 

Chairman 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC

20515

Dear Chairman Comer,

It is my understanding that Ms. Ghislaine Maxwell intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and decline to answer all substantive questions at her upcoming deposition before the House Oversight Committee.

This position appears inconsistent with Ms. Maxwell’s prior conduct, as she did not invoke the Fifth Amendment when she previously met with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche to discuss substantially similar subject matter.

I understand that Ms. Maxwell intends to assert this privilege on a “blanket basis” by reading a prepared statement at the outset of the deposition and refusing to permit Members to question her individually through counsel, rather than invoking the privilege on a question-by-question basis.

Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, I am submitting in this letter the questions I intend to ask at Ms. Maxwell’s deposition and request confirmation from the Chair as to whether she intends to invoke the Fifth Amendment in response to the following questions:

1. On December 17, 2025, you filed a habeas corpus petition stating that “four named co-conspirators” and 25 men who entered into secret settlements were not indicted as part of the investigation. Is that statement accurate?

2. Who are the four co-conspirators and the 25 men, other than Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused minors at Epstein’s island, his New Mexico ranch, or his New York residence, and why do you believe they were not indicted?

3. What information, evidence, or personal knowledge do you have regarding why these individuals were not charged or prosecuted by federal authorities?

4. It is well documented that you, President Donald Trump, and Mr. Epstein had a social relationship, and there are several photographs of you together. Did you or Mr. Epstein ever arrange, facilitate, or provide access to underage girls to President Trump?

5. After President Trump publicly stated that he would “look at” a possible pardon for you, did you or anyone acting on your behalf have any discussions with him or his representatives about a pardon or reduced sentence in exchange for your silence?

6. What client lists or records did you or Mr. Epstein maintain that document the identities of clients or associates?

7. Please identify any foreign governments or intelligence services, including those associated with Russia and Israel, that Mr. Epstein shared information with or otherwise acted on behalf of, and describe the nature and purpose of any such relationships.

To avoid any doubt about the scope of Ms. Maxwell’s Fifth Amendment claim, please confirm that Ms. Maxwell intends to invoke the Fifth Amendment on these questions. Furthermore, I request this document be moved into the official record at the start of Ms. Maxwell’s deposition.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Best, 

Ro Khanna

Member of Congress

U.S. House of Representatives

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s State of the Union, where he emphasized that Democrats will continue pushing back aggressively to rein in ICE and DHS that are using taxpayer dollars to brutalize the American people instead of to make their lives better. 

DANA BASH: Here with me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you so much for being here this morning. I want to start with what you released this past week, a list of 10 proposed reforms including, but not limited to, a mandate for judicial warrants to search private property and a ban on masks, also a mandate for agents to wear body cameras. The Republicans say they are open to some of these, but others, especially the specifics on judicial warrant, are non-starters. Only five days now until the Department of Homeland Security will shut down. Are you willing to accept anything less than this full list of demands?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Not at this point. We start with a basic premise that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not brutalize or kill American citizens like Renee Nicole Good or Alex Pretti. We know that ICE is completely and totally out of control. They’ve gone way too far, and the American people want them reined in because immigration enforcement should be fair, it should be just and it should be humane. So dramatic changes are necessary to the manner in which the Department of Homeland Security officers are conducting themselves before any funding bill should move forward.

DANA BASH: So you say, very clearly, that this—and it’s clear in your proposals—this is about reining in ICE and the CBP. But those agencies, as you well know, are very well funded already through the Big Beautiful Bill Act—that’s what the President called it—and it passed last year. So what that means is that a shutdown would really only impact unrelated agencies, FEMA, TSA, FAA. So how is pushing for these changes and potentially not getting there help rein in an immigration crackdown?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our plan is to get there on behalf of the American people. That’s why we need to press forward aggressively and ensure that there are legislative changes enacted as part of any DHS spending bill because that’s the way that you change behavior. And these are common sense changes, things like mandatory body cameras. Judicial warrants should absolutely be required before ICE agents can storm private property and rip everyday Americans out of their homes in such a violent fashion. Of course, we need to make sure that there are no masks so that ICE is conducting itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country. That shouldn’t be controversial. It shouldn’t controversial that we are demanding that the Fourth Amendment constitutional protections are adhered to as it relates to the way in which ICE is conducting itself. We also need to make sure that state and local officials have the ability to conduct independent investigations so that when ICE or CBP or other officers violate the law, they can be investigated and prosecuted and held accountable for those violations of state and local law, not being able to govern themselves with impunity, which is the case right now.

DANA BASH: Just real quick, are there any negotiations going on about these reforms that you want?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Unfortunately, we haven’t heard back from the White House or Mike Johnson or Leader Thune in terms of the demands that we’ve put on the table, common sense demands on behalf of the American people. And so, in our view, the ball is in the court right now of the Republicans. Either they’re going to agree to dramatically reform the way in which ICE and other immigration enforcement agencies are conducting themselves so that they’re behaving like every other law enforcement agency in the country, or they’re making the explicit decision to shut down the Coast Guard, shut down FEMA and shut down TSA, and that would be very unfortunate.

DANA BASH: I want to turn to a big debate about elections. The President said this week that, or this past week, that he wanted to nationalize elections at the White House and on Capitol Hill. They say that what they mean legislatively is pushing what they call the SAVE Act, which would mandate Americans show proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate—and also potentially more information about their registration—to vote. Now, I understand you don’t support things like a passport, for example. But requiring basic ID in order to vote is really popular. A Pew poll from a few months ago showed 83% of Americans, including 71% of your fellow Democrats, support requiring an ID to vote. Why are they wrong?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I haven’t said that they’re wrong. We know that states are the ones who are empowered to conduct elections, and every state should be allowed to decide the best way to proceed to ensure that there’s a free and fair election. Here in New York, there are, in fact, voter identification requirements. The question is that what Republicans are trying to do is to engage in clear and blatant voter suppression. They know that if there’s a free and fair election in November, they’re going to lose. In fact, Republicans have been losing every single election since Donald Trump was sworn in in January of last year, including, most recently, decisively in Texas and, of course, losing all across the country, up and down the ballot in the November off-year elections in places like New Jersey or Virginia or New York—

DANA BASH: Yeah, and they’ve been losing. But I mean, Virginia is a good example. They have a requirement to show your ID, and Democrats won very, very handily across the way. So why not maybe even just take that off the table and say, okay, maybe not a passport or birth certificate, but show ID?

LEADER JEFFRIES: First of all, every state is empowered to be able to make a decision on their own, and we completely and totally support that. What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalize the election—translation, steal it. And we’re not going to let it happen. We stopped them in terms of their gerrymandering efforts where they were going to try to redraw congressional maps in red states throughout the nation, not expect Democrats to respond forcefully and try to rig the midterms. They failed. We stopped Donald Trump from being able to federalize the National Guard, which we believe was probably part of some toxic attempt to unleash troops on American cities all across the nation and intimidate people from voting. And we’re going to stop them from nationalizing the election. This is going to be a free and fair election. It’s going to be conducted like every other election where states and localities have the ability to administer the law.

DANA BASH: I do want to ask about a video that President Trump shared, a racist video. And it depicted former President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama as apes. About 12 hours later, the White House blamed a staffer for the post, removed it. But the President says he doesn’t need to apologize because he didn’t make a mistake.

LEADER JEFFRIES: He definitively needs to apologize. It was a disgusting video, and the President was rightly and appropriately and forcefully denounced by people all across the country—Democrats and even a handful of Republicans who finally showed some backbone in pushing back against the President’s malignant bottom feeder-like behavior.

DANA BASH: I do want to quickly ask about something else that the President wanted to do. He asked your counterpart in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, for the chance to rename both Dulles Airport and also Penn Station after him. And if Schumer agreed to that, then he would lift a freeze on—$16 billion freeze—for New York and New Jersey and the Gateway Tunnel there. What’s your reaction to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Listen, it’s another example of Donald Trump trying to force presidential graffiti down the throats of the American people. It’s completely and totally unacceptable. Of course I’m a hard no, as I believe is the case with Leader Schumer, House and Senate Democrats. The President is unlawfully withholding funds for Gateway. This guy’s priorities are completely and totally unhinged. But this is the Republican Party right now. These are people who engaged in the largest cut to Medicaid in American history as part of their One Big Ugly Bill. They ripped food out of the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. They’ve failed to do anything to make life more affordable for the American people. And, in that same One Big Ugly Bill, enacted massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors and gave ICE a $75 billion slush fund so they could kill and brutalize American citizens like Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. These people are completely and totally out of control. The American people know it, which is why we’re going to continue to press the case to lower the high cost of living, to fix our broken healthcare system, to clean up corruption and to actually get things done as Democrats for the American people.

DANA BASH: Okay, thank you so much for being here this morning. Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader in the House of Representatives.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

“This administration’s ongoing effort is an attempt to obscure the clear abuses being perpetrated by the president and his allies, while depriving communities across the country of reliable, accessible local news.”