MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON, DC – As President Trump and congressional Republicans are working overtime to make college unaffordable and unattainable for millions of working-class families in order to provide tax breaks to billionaires, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today introduced legislation to make public colleges and universities tuition free for 95% of students. The College for All Act would be the most transformative investment in higher education in 60 years and would substantially improve the lives of millions of students throughout the United States.

“Congress can and must ensure that working families never have to take out crushing loans to purse an education,” said Jayapal. “The College for All Act will free students from a lifetime of debt, invest in working people, and transform higher education across America by making a degree more accessible to poor and working families across this country. This is more important now than ever as Trump continues to attack education in this country through attempts to strip funding from universities and to dismantle the Department of Education.”

“In a highly competitive global economy where technology is changing the very nature of work and the jobs we perform, we need the best educated workforce in the world,” said Sanders. “Our nation used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with a college degree. Today, we are in 11th place behind countries like Japan, South Korea, Canada, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. That is not a prescription for a strong American economy of the future. It is a prescription for failure. Instead of increasing the cost of college in order to give more tax breaks to billionaires, we have a better idea. We are going to make public colleges and universities tuition free so that working class students can succeed and are not burdened with a lifetime of debt.”

Making public colleges and universities tuition free is not a radical idea. In 1944, as World War II was coming to an end, the U.S. government made free higher education available to all those who served in the armed forces. That act not only improved the financial well-being of the Greatest Generation, but it also laid the groundwork for the greatest expansion of the American middle class in U.S history. Moreover, over 50 years ago, many of our most prestigious public colleges and universities were also tuition free or virtually tuition free.

Since this legislation was first introduced ten years ago, several colleges and universities in America have provided free tuition for working class and middle class students including every state college in New Mexico, the State University of New York, the University of Texas, the University of Wisconsin, and Arkansas State University.

Other wealthy countries like France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland have made their public colleges and universities tuition free or virtually tuition free because they understand the value of investing in their young people.

The College for All Act would guarantee tuition-free community college for all students and allow students from single households earning up to $150,000 a year, and married households earning up to $300,000 a year, to attend college without fear of being saddled with student loan debt.

The College for All Act would also:

• Double the maximum Pell Grant award for students enrolled at public and private non-profit colleges;
• Establish a $10 billion grant program to improve student outcomes and address equity gaps at underfunded public colleges and universities;
• Triple federal TRIO program funding;
• Double GEAR UP funding; and
• Double mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Read the bill text here.

Read a summary of the bill here.

Issues: Arts & Education

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

Full Hearing Recording Available Here

Washington, DC — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Ranking Member of the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee, delivered the following remarks at the subcommittee’s fiscal year 2026 budget hearing for the Army Corps of Engineers (Civil Works) and the Bureau of Reclamation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us. You build America, and we respect that. I welcome this opportunity to examine recent actions for the budget requests for the Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.

Thank you to our witnesses for devoting your lives to the nation and for joining us today. Your agencies play a critical role in developing the resources of our land while mindful of our obligations to future generations. Your vital work strengthens our economy, sustains life on Earth, and ensures public safety against the now constant onslaught of both increasing natural and human-caused disasters across our country, which is growing in population, headed to half a billion people. For example, the Corps played a vital role in clearing the waterways after the Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. Thank you so much. And you are currently carrying out wildfire debris removal in Los Angeles County. Thank you for your exemplary service to our country. You hold us together, and all those who serve in the Corps and the Bureau.

The proposed cuts to the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation are not just misguided — they are dangerous. Slashing their budgets and eroding their workforce endangers people’s lives and public safety, undermines economic growth, and weakens our national — the national welfare of the country — in the face of climate change.

Let’s start with the Corps of Engineers. Your work is not just about dams and levees. It’s about protecting lives and building America’s public infrastructure to manage flood control systems that safeguard our communities from the devastating effects of extreme weather. And we saw that this past week, with the terrible tornadoes from St. Louis and all surrounding states.

Along the shores of Lake Erie — the largest freshwater system in the world — we know what’s at stake. Erosion, rising lake levels, the problems with algal blooms, and increasingly violent storms threaten homes, businesses, and public assets. We cannot build a safe and a habitable environment for our growing population on shrinking budgets and shrinking staff.

In the Great Lakes region, modernization of projects like the Soo Locks are a prime example of long overdue investments that will turbocharge our economy. One hundred percent of America’s domestic iron ore passes through the Soo Locks. Think about how important that makes this strategic infrastructure.

Steel is a $500 Billion industry, it supports 123 thousand middle-class jobs, and I’m a strong advocate for reshoring the US steel industry and growing those numbers, but we have to modernize the shipping lanes and the waterways, and our ports, for today and the future. This project will ensure our heartlands’ maritime, industrial, agricultural, and commercial products are safe and efficiently moved.

Think about our region, it is the shortest distance by way of the Atlantic Ocean to the ports of northern Europe and beyond. Canada, the Great Lakes, and St. Lawrence Seaway hasten global trade, and President Eisenhower understood its place within our continental enterprise and global defense. So must we, as we witness the dawn of the new arctic age.

Similarly, the Brandon Road project, aims at arresting the potential enormous economic and environmental damage that can be unleashed by the invasion of the Asian carp. They could exterminate local and regional aquatic fish and species, and that would be devastating to our Great Lakes’ $7 Billion fishery and its $16 Billion recreational boating industry. These are astounding numbers.

The Corps of Engineers has a return on investment of over 200 to 1 in terms of economic benefits for every dollar invested. Ports, locks, and inland waterways maintained by the Corps are vital arteries for our very large nation and its commerce. In the Great Lakes region alone, these investments ensure that goods — from American steel to Ohio soybeans — can reach domestic and global markets. And cuts to this work would cause costly delays, limit our competitiveness, and harm local economies.

Now, to the Bureau of Reclamation. Though it serves primarily the Western United States, its importance cannot be overstated. The Bureau manages water supply for over 31 million Americans in the dry, and I guess I would say, coming from my part of the country drier, Western states, irrigates 10 million acres of farmland, and generates hydropower for millions of homes.

In this time of unprecedented drought and water stress, we must bolster — not diminish — Reclamation’s capacity to invest in sustainable water systems and innovative conservation technologies. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover understood what development west of the Mississippi River would require. So must we.

Let’s be clear: disinvestment in the Corps and Bureau now will lead to higher costs down the road. Deferred maintenance becomes disaster recovery. Preventable failures become national emergencies.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle — this is not the time to retreat. It is time to lead. We must provide these agencies with the resources they need to protect our growing population, strengthen our economy, and safeguard our environment for generations to come.

Finally, I truly condemn the extreme politicization of critical Army Corps’ construction funding decisions, as we saw in last week’s work plan. It is yet another reminder that Congress must reclaim its authority over funding decisions by passing full-year appropriations bills.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and Members and our guests. I yield back.

# # #

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement on the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

“Congress and Virginia’s 11^th District lost a legislative titan today with the passing of Gerry Connolly. I join his family, friends, colleagues, and constituents in mourning this monumental loss. Gerry was a skillful lawmaker with a passion for making sure our government worked efficiently, ethically, and always for the people. In addition to his work as Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Gerry was a passionate voice on foreign relations. I was grateful to get to work with him over the years on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Gerry was a lifelong public servant who cared deeply about making a difference and serving his community in Northern Virginia. We will miss him.”

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

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement on the passing of his longtime friend and colleague, Congressman Gerry Connolly:

“Gerry Connolly was one of a kind, and I am heartbroken that he has passed.

“Gerry will leave a towering legacy of accomplishment in Fairfax County, he was a forceful advocate for our region and the people in it. Everyone who runs for office says they want ‘to get stuff done,’ but comparatively few actually succeed. Gerry got stuff done for years in Fairfax, where he advocated successfully for projects including the Silver Line and the Cross County Trail, which now bears his name. Then he brought the same attitude and outlook to Congress, where he wrote and passed a major postal reform, led efforts to create the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission, and was one of the most tireless and active advocates for the federal workforce ever to serve in Congress. Gerry was especially proud to have been named the House’s ‘most effective legislator,’ and to have earned the trust of his colleagues to lead our Caucus on oversight and government reform, topics he knew more about than almost anyone.

“Everyone who worked with him knew Gerry as a pugnacious fighter for his constituents, for good government, and for a range of causes around the world. He was also warm, witty, and loyal, and he loved acting in community theater as a company member of the Providence Players of Fairfax. Above all, Gerry was beloved by his family, friends, and staff. Megan and I send our condolences to all of them, and especially my best wishes to Smitty, Caitlin, and their family.”

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

The Democratic Caucus, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country have lost a hardworking, humble and honorable public servant with the passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly. 

For more than three decades, Gerry relentlessly defended our democracy on the Oversight Committee, where he became a Subcommittee Chair and then the Ranking Member. As the co-author of the Issa-Connolly Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), he was instrumental in overhauling our federal IT laws and ensuring our government institutions remain strong and secure. He used his foreign policy expertise as both a Senate staffer and a Member of the People’s House to bolster our transatlantic alliance, serving twice as the President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Even as he battled a difficult cancer diagnosis, Ranking Member Connolly continued to push back against the unprecedented attacks on the federal workers in his district and across the country.

In addition to his legislative wisdom, Gerry always brought his signature mirth and wit to the House, making even something like proxy voting a point of levity during an otherwise challenging time in our nation. My prayers, and those of the entire House Democratic Caucus, are with Congressman Connolly’s loved ones and the devoted staff who he considered to be his family. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

ICYMI: Griffith Appears on Fox & Friends First to Discuss House GOP Efforts to Pass “Big, Beautiful Bill”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) — U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) was presented with the 2025 Statesmanship Award by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) in a ceremony tonight in Washington, D.C.

In presenting the prestigious award to Case, the FMC said:  “U.S. Representative Ed Case, who has the rare distinction of being both a current Member and a former Member, is a leader on issues ranging from education to environmental protection and more, bringing his collaborative and collegial approach to often-difficult debates as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations and otherwise.

“He exemplifies a pragmatic and productive approach to legislating that FMC considers essential for the nation’s success.”

Case was joined in receiving this year’s award by U.S. Representative Young Kim (R-CA, and a graduate of St. Andrews Priory (now St. Andrews Schools) in Honolulu), and U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

On receiving the award, Case said: “I’m deeply honored and somewhat embarrassed to receive this award, as there are a number of my House colleagues who deserve it.

“I have always believed as they do that our representative democracy relies absolutely on inclusion and responsiveness to real citizen concerns with real practical problem solving. That is the only approach that will lead us out of this disturbing time to deep national division and polarization and validate to the rest of our world that democracy remains the best path forward.

“It doesn’t mean that we ignore deep policy disagreements and debates and make the tough decisions when required. But it does mean that we must consciously and constantly work to strengthen the institutions and ability of our government to solve them. 

The FMC (https://www.usafmc.org/) was founded over a half century ago and, at some 800 members today, is a “bipartisan, nonprofit, voluntary alliance of former United States Senators and Representatives, advocating for representative democracy at home and abroad.”

Its annual Statesmanship Award is given to Members who have demonstrated a life-long dedication to solutions-based governing, respectful debate, and placing the interests of citizens above politics.

Case served as U.S. Representative for Hawaii’s 2^nd Congressional District from 2002 to 2007, following which he continued his involvement with Congress on various FMC efforts.  He was re-elected to the U.S. House in 2018 and is now serving his sixth full term in the House. He has served on the House Committee on Appropriations since his return to Congress, currently on the Subcommittees on Defense and on Homeland Security. Among other activities, he serves as Vice Chair of the House Problem Solvers Caucus (https://problemsolverscaucus.house.gov/), a bipartisan group of Members of Congress -evenly split between Republicans and Democrats – committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation.

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Attachments: Pictures of U.S. Representatives Ed Case and Young Kim at tonight’s Statesmanship Awards ceremony, along with the Award to Case.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

San Diego, CA  – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) made the following statement regarding the data from the Point-in-Time Count released by the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness:

“I’m encouraged by the decrease in the number of families and veterans who are unsheltered. The results show our investments have us headed in the right direction, yet we know that much more must be done to shelter our neighbors,” said Rep. Peters. “We must build more low- and middle-income housing and we must do it faster and we must protect the services available to those in need.”

The 2025 Point-in-Time Count identified 9,905 people in San Diego County who are homeless, compared to 10,605 a year ago.

The data shows that proven strategies are making a difference. Homelessness among Transitional Youth (18 to 24 years old) decreased by 22 percent. Rep. Peters recently celebrated the opening of a new youth shelter which he secured $1.5 million for as part of the City of San Diego’s Safe Shelter for Transition-Age Youth (Safe STAY) program. The shelter will provide wrap-around case management to help young people exit homelessness through education, employment, and supportive services. 

Still, too many San Diegans remain unsheltered, with many of them living in their cars. According to the Point-in-Time Count results, the population of people living in their vehicles rose by 7 percent. Rep. Peters’ staff recently toured the new H-Barracks safe parking site, San Diego’s 7th safe parking site. The site will add 190 spaces, nearly doubling the capacity of the Safe Parking Program, and will offer critical services to connect individuals and families to housing.

Rep. Peters participated in Point-in-Time Count in January, which he does every year when he is not in Washington, D.C. for votes in the House of Representatives.

“The best way to learn is to talk to people living on the street and hear their stories,” Rep. Peters said. “I thank every volunteer and service provider and will keep pushing to bring home federal resources to support our local partners.”

During his time in Congress, Rep. Peters has led many efforts to increase homelessness funding for the San Diego region, provide more shelter beds, make housing more affordable, and incentivize housing construction. In addition to the recent opening of the youth shelter which he secured funding for, in the last several months, he has:

• Launched the Build America Caucus, a bipartisan group dedicated to cutting the self-imposed red tape that has led to out-of-control housing costs and other lagging investments.
• Launched the YIMBY Caucus, a first-of-its-kind group working to promote pro-housing growth policies that lower costs, help people achieve the dream of home ownership, and create vibrant, walkable, and transit-connected communities.
• Urged the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to finish processing and disbursing Fiscal Year 2024 homelessness funds that had yet to be sent out and requested that HUD adhere to the recent congressionally approved two-year homelessness funding cycle.

Rep. Peters’ legislation that is now law in this space includes:

• The Veteran HOUSE Act, which became law in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2021 and is working to tackle veteran homelessness by expanding the Department of Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
• The Housing Assistance Efficiency Act, which became law in 2015 and is helping non-profits directly administer homelessness assistance grants to those who need it by eliminating a bureaucratic step previously requiring non-profits to connect homeless individuals with federal agencies to receive aid.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 1147, the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act. This legislation, introduced by Congressman Valadao earlier this Congress, would make the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) more accessible for our disabled veterans by establishing a permanent advisory committee within the VA to allow for direct and regular communication with the Secretary on behalf of disabled veterans. Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) co-led this legislation.

“I’m proud to see the House pass my Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act with strong bipartisan support,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bill gives disabled veterans a permanent voice at the highest levels of the VA, ensuring that their experiences help shape the policies, services, and facilities they rely on. Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and we have a responsibility to remove the barriers that stand between them and the care they’ve earned, and this bill brings us one step closer to fulfilling that promise.”

The Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act:

• Requires the VA Secretary to create a permanent advisory committee on issues related to the accessibility of VA benefits, services, and facilities for veterans and employees with mobility impairments, hearing, visual, cognitive, or other disabilities.
• Eliminates an inactive Department of Veterans Affairs advisory committee not established by Congress, consolidate two smaller committees, or recommend the termination of an inactive committee established by Congress to the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs.
• Would be composed of 15 individuals including disabled veterans, experts, employees, and veteran service organization representatives.
• Provides informal consultations and advice to the Secretary and other VA officials, as well as formal reports. 

Read the full bill here.

Prior to the vote, Congressman Valadao spoke on the House floor to urge passage of the bill. You can watch his full remarks here or read them as prepared below:

I urge my colleagues to support the Veterans Accessibility Advisory Committee Act, which would make the Department of Veterans Affairs more accessible for our disabled veterans.

Our veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and we have a responsibility to make sure they receive the benefits and services they’ve earned.

Sadly, too many disabled veterans face unnecessary obstacles in accessing care because of avoidable barriers at the VA.

This bipartisan bill would create a permanent advisory committee within the VA made up of disabled veterans, experts, and advocates who understand these challenges firsthand. 

This committee will give our veterans a direct line to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs—ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are prioritized.

This is a commonsense, bipartisan step to improve oversight, enhance accessibility, and uphold our nation’s commitment to the men and women who have sacrificed so much defending our freedoms.

I want to thank Chairman Bost and his staff at the Committee on Veterans Affairs for their work on this important bill to make the VA more accessible for the disabled veterans it serves.

Thank you, and I yield back.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

ICYMI: Stefanik Joined Mornings with Maria on FBN to Speak About Enacting President Trump’s Agenda, Harvard’s Ties to China, and Joe Biden’s Health Scandal | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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