MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) in reintroducing the Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act, legislation to help colleges and universities prevent alcohol and substance misuse and make sure students have access to recovery support when they need it. If passed, the bill would fund college prevention and recovery services at $75 million over five years.

“A comprehensive approach to confronting the addiction epidemic must include both prevention efforts and recovery services as well as a focus on young people,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bill provides critical steps forward by bringing evidence-informed treatment to our colleges and universities to educate students on substance misuse and help those working to overcome substance use disorder. The addiction crisis is deeply personal for New Hampshire families, and I will continue supporting efforts that address its root causes, strengthen prevention efforts, and ensure individuals in need receive proper support to recover.” 

College should be a place where students can learn, grow, and build their futures. Yet too many students face substance misuse without access to prevention programs, mental health care, or recovery services that allow them to stay healthy and stay in school. This legislation takes direct steps to support students and prevent illegal substance use, reduce misuse, improve public health, and improve campus safety.

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act:

• Promotes evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies on college campuses.
• Encourages integration and collaboration in campus-based health services to address substance use and mental health.
• Requires the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to identify and promote successful programs.
• Authorizes $15 million annually to help colleges and universities implement proven solutions, including early screening, peer support, counseling, recovery services, and re-entry assistance.

“New Mexico has shown that when we treat education as a foundation for well-being, families and communities thrive. This bill brings that same approach to our college campuses by helping students get the support they need to learn, stay enrolled, and build a future. When students succeed, our whole country is stronger,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández.

“As elected officials, it’s important that we give families confidence that their children will have the support they need as many of them leave home for the first time,” said Congresswoman McBath. “Substance and alcohol misuse can impact anyone, and unfortunately, we’re seeing those challenges grow. I’m grateful to join with my colleagues once more to empower our education institutions to improve their prevention efforts and expand recovery resources for our students.”

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act is endorsed by a broad coalition of educators, health professionals, advocacy organizations, and higher education institutions, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Council for Mental Wellbeing, American Federation of Teachers – NM (AFT-NM), American College Health Association (ACHA), American Psychological Association Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals, ACPA-College Student Educators International, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Congressman Chris Pappas’s (NH-01) bipartisan Medal of Honor Act, legislation to increase the monthly pension for Medal of Honor recipients, was signed into law. This legislation would increase the monthly pension for recipients to $67,500 annually. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration bestowed by the United States. There are 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.

“The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest military decoration, symbolizing the valor the distinguished men and women of our military displayed in extraordinary moments. Our responsibility as Americans is to ensure that all our service members and veterans are honored both during and after their service, and one way we will do that is by ensuring all of our Medal of Honor recipients are financially secure after their military service is over,” said Congressman Pappas. “I worked across the aisle to get this legislation passed and signed into law, and I will always work to ensure we keep our promise to our service members and veterans.”

Background:

The first Medal of Honor was given in 1863 to Army Private Jacob Parrott. Since then, there have been 3,536 Medal of Honor recipients, with 61 currently living. In 1916, Congress created a special pension for recipients of $10 per month for life. In 1961, Congress raised the monthly payment from $10 to $100. The last congressional pension raise was in 2002 when the pension was raised to $1,000 per month. The current Medal of Honor pension was set at $1,406.73 per month, without cost-of-living adjustments. This bill provided the first congressional pension raise for Medal of Honor Recipients since 2002.

In January 2025, Pappas reintroduced the bipartisan Medal of Honor Act. Following him speaking on the floor in support of legislation, the bill passed the House in February 2025.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced bipartisan legislation to better support olive growers and producers by pushing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track approval of long-overdue standards of olive oil varieties. Led with Rep. David Valadao (CA-22), the bipartisan Olive Oil Standards Act would require the FDA to create the first-ever standard of identity (SOI) for olive oil products.

The U.S. consumes a lot of olive oil – 381,000 tons in 2022 – and locally olive production is the fourth largest fruit commodity in San Joaquin County. However, there is a wide variety of olive oil types, and mislabeling of products makes it incredibly difficult for healthy, high-quality extra-virgin products to break out from fraudulent alternatives. Significant delays at the FDA in processing requests for a uniform grading standard have made this problem much worse. 

“We already have the best olives grown right here in our own backyard, but Valley products are being crowded out in the grocery aisle by fake and fraudulent products. That hurts local businesses and shoppers,” said Rep. Harder. “It’s past time to crack down on misleading products once and for all. This common sense bill gives shoppers the transparency they need to buy local and keep their families healthy.”

How the Olive Oil Standards Act protects Valley communities: 

• Clear Labels – Mandatory labeling to distinguish authentic virgin and extra virgin products from refined and crude alternatives.
• No Frauds – Enforcement against misleading or fraudulent products intended to deceive consumers.
• Healthier Options – Increased transparency for shoppers who want to be able to make science-based, informed decisions for feeding their family.

“The Central Valley is one of the nation’s leading regions for olive oil production, and as demand grows, it’s important industry standards can keep up,” said Congressman Valadao. “By establishing identity and grade standards, we can protect consumers from misleading labeling, promote transparency in the marketplace, and ensure a level playing field for our domestic olive oil producers. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan solution to bring long-overdue clarity and accountability to the olive oil market.”

“This legislation is a win for U.S. olive oil consumers and farmers,” said Kimberly Houlding, President and CEO of the American Olive Oil Producers Association. “When enacted, it will ensure that what is on the label is in the bottle and that the health benefits and value of extra virgin olive oil are preserved for all.”

Harder has made supporting Valley agriculture communities a top priority. Harder secured language in this year’s government funding legislation to require the FDA to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite past efforts to establish an olive oil SOI, as well as report to Congress on progress made. Harder is also leading bipartisan legislation to expand transparency in canned goods.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, leaders of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force and the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus led a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country.

According to reports, roughly 2,800 SAMHSA grant termination notices were issued nationwide, cutting off funding for critical community programs effective January 13, 2026.

“Addressing mental health and substance use disorders is a bipartisan priority and should never be treated as a partisan issue,” the lawmakers wrote. “Every state relies on SAMHSA funding to respond to pressing mental health and addiction challenges, and abruptly pulling these resources will cause real harm to individuals, families, and communities.”

The letter was spearheaded by Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Donald Beyer (D-VA-08), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA-02), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), and Kim Schrier (D-WA-08).

The members emphasized that Congress has worked on a bipartisan basis to reduce stigma, expand access to care, and strengthen prevention and recovery efforts nationwide. They warned that the administration’s action directly undermines those efforts and jeopardizes lifesaving services.

The letter urges the administration to immediately rescind all grant terminations and ensure that SAMHSA programs continue to serve their congressionally intended purpose of delivering critical mental health and addiction resources to communities in need. The lawmakers also requested detailed information from the administration by January 16, 2026, including the total number of grants terminated, the programs affected, and the specific rationale for each termination. They further questioned how the cancellations align with the recently signed SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized many of these programs for five years.

“The need for mental health and substance use disorder services has never been greater,” the members continued. “Too many people across the country are already struggling to access care. This decision only makes that crisis worse.”

The members stressed that they will continue to press the administration until the grants are fully restored and communities receive the support Congress intended.

A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that although she was able to get 17 out of 20 anti-D.C. provisions stripped from the fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) D.C. appropriations bill passed by the House last night, the remaining three provisions that impose policies on D.C. without its consent demonstrate the need for D.C. statehood so the 700,000 D.C. residents have the same decision-making power over their own local policies that residents of the states enjoy. 

Norton secured many victories for D.C. in the bill. Importantly, the version passed by the House provides $40 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), increases the DCTAG annual award from $10,000 to $15,000, and increases the lifetime award from $50,000 to $75,000.

Norton secured the following victories:

• The bill provides $40 million for DCTAG, an increase in the annual DCTAG award from $10,000 to $15,000, and an increase in the lifetime DCTAG award from $50,000 to $75,000.
• The bill would provide $90 million for emergency planning and security costs related to the federal presence in D.C.
• The bill exempts D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2027.
• The bill provides $8 million for D.C. Water for ongoing work to control flooding in D.C. and to clean up the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek Park.
• The bill provides $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.
• The bill provides $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
• The bill provides $53 million for the D.C. Public Defender Service, an entity established by Congress to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $46 million for the Defender Service, which pays private lawyers to represent indigent clients in both criminal and civil matters in the local D.C. courts.

Norton expressed disappointment that the bill would prohibit the District from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and on recreational marijuana commercialization. Norton was also disappointed that the bill devotes substantial funding to the private school voucher program that Congress imposed on the District. The program has failed to improve academic achievement, as measured by math and reading test scores. The D.C. voucher program is the only federally funded voucher program in the U.S. 

“While I was able to get 17 of the 20 anti-D.C. provisions that were present in the original House version stripped from this bill and secure major investments for District residents, including a historic increase in D.C. Tuition Assistance Grants, the remaining riders once again impose policies on D.C. without its consent. 

“As long as Congress can override the will of 700,000 D.C. residents on matters as personal and local as reproductive health and local governance, the case for D.C. statehood remains as urgent and undeniable as ever.”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) secured many victories for D.C. in the fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) D.C. appropriations bill, which was marked up and passed last night by the House Rules Committee. The House is expected to consider the bill today. 

In addition to other victories for D.C., the bill would secure $40 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG) and increase the DCTAG annual and lifetime awards. The bill does not include 17 of the anti-home rule riders included in the House version of the bill.

Norton secured the following victories:

• The bill provides $40 million for DCTAG, an increase in the annual DCTAG award from $10,000 to $15,000, and an increase in the lifetime DCTAG award from $50,000 to $75,000.
• The bill has two existing legacy riders: a rider prohibiting D.C. from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and one prohibiting D.C. from spending its own local funds to commercialize adult-use marijuana. The original House version of the bill contained 20 anti-home rule riders.
• The bill would provide $90 million for emergency planning and security costs related to the federal presence in D.C.
• The bill exempts D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2027.
• The bill provides $8 million for D.C. Water for ongoing work to control flooding in D.C. and to clean up the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek Park.
• The bill provides $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.
• The bill provides $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
• The bill provides $53 million for the D.C. Public Defender Service, an entity established by Congress to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $46 million for the Defender Service, which pays private lawyers to represent indigent clients in both criminal and civil matters in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $52.5 million for implementation of the SOAR Act, equally divided among vouchers, charter schools and D.C. Public Schools.

Norton expressed disappointment that the bill would prohibit the District from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and on recreational marijuana commercialization. Norton was also disappointed that the bill devotes substantial funds to the private school voucher program that Congress imposed on the District. The program has failed to improve academic achievement, as measured by math and reading test scores. The D.C. voucher program is the only federally funded voucher program in the U.S. 

“Although I’m disappointed that House Republicans continue to exert control over D.C., a district they do not represent, by adding anti-home rule riders, I am pleased that the 17 other riders that were included in the original House version weren’t included in the version passed by the Rules Committee,” Norton said. 

“D.C. has a larger population than two states and its residents are equally worthy of making decisions about their own local affairs and the future of their own local government. The 700,000 people who live in the nation’s capital are no less worthy of the benefits of democracy than any other Americans. I’ll use every tool at my disposal to see that they receive as many of those benefits as possible.”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, today introduced a bill to apply the District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977 (DCHRA) to employees of the local D.C. courts and the D.C. Public Defender Service (PDS). In 2022, the D.C. Court of Appeals held that the DCHRA, which protects employees of the D.C. government and private employers from discrimination, does not apply to employees of the local D.C. courts. The court has not ruled on the applicability of the DCHRA to PDS employees.

“The local D.C. courts and the D.C. Public Defender Service are unique entities, and they sometimes fall through the regulatory cracks,” Norton said. “They are neither federal nor D.C. government entities, though both were created and are funded by Congress, and their employees are treated as federal employees for some employee benefits. I want to ensure that their employees have comprehensive protections from and remedies for employment discrimination.”

While employees of the local D.C. courts and PDS are protected by federal anti-discrimination laws, the DCHRA provides much broader protections and remedies for workers than federal employment anti-discrimination laws. 

The D.C. Council may have the authority to pass such a bill itself, but only Congress has the clear authority to do so, given the express limitations in the D.C. Home Rule Act on the Council’s authority to legislate on matters affecting the local D.C. courts and given that Congress has generally served as the legislative body for PDS. 

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sanford D Bishop Jr (GA-02)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) voted for H.R. 7006, a bipartisan funding bill that covers financial services, general government, national security, and the U.S. Department of State. The funding will help hard-working Americans with tax filing assistance. The programs funded by this bill also help entrepreneurs and small business owners succeed and create jobs. The bill also helps states with election security and supports America’s diplomatic efforts around the world. 

“While this bill is far from perfect, it keeps the federal government open and working for the people and is a great improvement over the bill that initially came out of committee. Hardworking Georgians are the driving force of our state’s economy. This bill makes sure that the federal government is a solid partner as they set up businesses. It supports the IRS mission to be as responsive as possible to the taxpayer and seeks to ensure they get the refunds they are owed in a timely manner,” said Congressman Bishop. “Georgians should be able to trust that the government is spending their taxpayer dollars fairly, and this bill reasserts Congress’s Constitutional authority to direct the Trump Administration’s spending.”

H.R. 7006 passed by a bipartisan vote of 341-79 in the U.S. House, and it now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration before being signed into law by the President.

This bill is a result of hard work by Democrats and Republicans finding a bipartisan pathway forward. It will prevent $163 billion in cuts proposed by the Trump Administration, the most drastic of which would have decimated programs that help entrepreneurs, strengthen cooperation with our international allies, and help small businesses in rural areas secure loans.

Some highlights from H.R. 7006 include:

• $1 billion for the Small Business Administration, including $330 million for new Entrepreneurial Development Programs
• $45 million for Election Security Grants to be given to states to determine how to secure federal elections in their states
• $324 million for the Community Development Financial Institutions programs that focus on high poverty areas
• $456 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy
• $3 billion to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for Taxpayer services like pre-filing education and taxpayer advocacy
• $6.8 billion for a new National Security Investment Program which consolidates previously separate economic and regional support efforts
• $5.5 billion for humanitarian assistance, including through a new International Humanitarian Assistance account that consolidates previously separate disaster assistance and migration/refugee support programs
• $1.4 billion for the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement, which fights drug trafficking and transnational crime
• $850 million for the American First Opportunity Fund, under congressional oversight, which supports emerging priorities

Last week, Congress passed Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation for the U.S. Departments of Justice, Commerce, and Energy as well as federal programs covering science, water, and the environment. Congressional Democrats and Republicans continue to negotiate on legislation that will fully fund the remaining federal departments, agencies, and programs before funding runs out at the end of this month. The bill reaffirms Congress’s power of the purse.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sanford D Bishop Jr (GA-02)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) urged the Trump Administration to reverse course on its recent decision to cancel billions of dollars in Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants. These grants provide resources for overdose prevention, addiction recovery, and mental health services and support local courts, healthcare providers, and community organizations that take on these challenges.

“At a time when the Trump Administration is willing to go to war over drug trafficking, its commitment to the fight seems less than genuine if they are simultaneously retreating from Americans who need our support here on the homefront. These cuts will make our communities more dangerous and cost the lives of those struggling with mental health and drug addiction,” said Congressman Bishop. “These cuts are a message to all the local community partners – our courts, our healthcare providers, and thousands of patients throughout Middle and Southwest Georgia that the might and strength of the United States is not focused on helping them.”

“Bipartisan investments in these federal programs that I have supported, along with my Democratic and Republican colleagues, over the past few years have been successful and resulted in the number of overdose deaths falling for the past two years. Today’s cuts by the Trump Administration jeopardizes the advances we have made,” added Congressman Bishop. “The Administration needs to reverse course on this misguided and harmful decision to gut mental health care funding.”

The local community was quick to react as well, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Columbus, Georgia.

“As a representative of NAMI Columbus on the Community Advisory Board of the Accountability Court, I am deeply concerned about the loss of approximately $900,000 in SAMHSA funding to the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit’s accountability courts. These funds support Veterans Court, Drug Court, and Mental Health Court and provide essential treatment services for justice-involved individuals and vulnerable populations,” said Vanessa Dickert, Columbus Programs Manager for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Accountability courts are evidence-based and proven to reduce recidivism, and the elimination of this funding jeopardizes community health, and recovery outcomes.”

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) voted against the fiscal year 2026 State Department funding bill and released the following statement explaining his vote:

“I voted against this bill because it puts no guardrails on the Trump Administration’s reckless use of taxpayer funds to escalate military action or unilaterally enable civilian occupation abroad. That’s why I introduced the No Occupation of Venezuela Act—to make clear that no president can use federal funds to bypass Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing the use of force. Congress cannot allow end-runs around the Constitution.”