MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) are teaming up to introduce an amendment to the Farm Bill that fights back against immunity for chemical companies and protects the health of Americans. Republicans’ Farm Bill, which is expected to be taken up by the House next week, includes provisions that would shield chemical manufacturers like Bayer from lawsuits and would preempt state and local warning label laws or usage regulations for potentially harmful products. The Pingree-Massie Protect Our Health Amendment would remove this harmful language from the Farm Bill. Cosponsors of the amendment include Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Eli Crane (R-Ariz.), and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.).

“Big Chemical has spent years trying to buy exactly this kind of protection from Congress: immunity from lawsuits, weaker safeguards, and a federal override of state and local pesticide protections. This Farm Bill would hand it to them on a silver platter,” Pingree said. “If a company’s product makes people sick, that company should be held accountable. If states and local communities want to put stronger protections in place, they should have every right to do so. I’m grateful to Congressman Massie and Congressman Fitzpatrick for joining me in this fight. This is beyond politics and party lines. Congress should be protecting families, farmers, and children, not doing favors for Bayer and other chemical giants.”

“Americans need to know: our government is under siege by lobbyists for German company Bayer,” said Massie. “Bayer has spent over $9 million lobbying for exemption from liability for harm its chemicals, like glyphosate, might cause. To Make America Healthy Again, Congress should remove the language containing the pesticide liability shield from the Farm Bill.”

Pesticides in the United States are regulated under a combination of federal, state, and local laws. Debates over state and local authority to regulate pesticide use have been litigated for decades, particularly in cases involving widely used chemicals such as Roundup and paraquat, which have been linked to serious health harms. Many states, cities, and counties have adopted measures to restrict pesticide spraying near schools, homes, and public spaces, citing the heightened vulnerability of children to toxic exposure and risks to brain development, reproduction, and long-term health.

Seven states—Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Maryland, Utah, Nevada, and Vermont—do not preempt local governments from regulating pesticide use within their jurisdictions. In Maine alone, there are more than 30 state and local regulations related to pesticide use and warning requirements that would be undermined or preempted under this Republican pesticide provision in the Farm Bill.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia, issued a statement condemning President Trump’s plans to send Afghan allies at Camp As Sayliyah (CAS) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“President Trump should be ashamed of forcing our Afghan allies into an impossible choice: return to Afghanistan and face likely Taliban reprisals or be sent to the DRC, a country grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis and ongoing conflict. This is unjust to both the Afghans at CAS and the Congolese people. These individuals stood with the United States throughout a 20-year war, many serving alongside American troops in combat. In return, we made a promise to protect them after the Taliban’s takeover. Abandoning that commitment not only betrays our allies, it sends a dangerous message to future partners that U.S. promises cannot be trusted.

“This administration has failed to uphold America’s word to these Afghan allies, especially after creating this crisis and imposing an arbitrary deadline. Congress established the SIV program and supported other pathways for Afghans. We call on Republicans who helped lead those efforts to join Democrats in urging the Trump administration to exercise national interest waiver authority to admit vetted Afghans and fulfill America’s commitments. It’s not too late to reverse course and honor our promises to those who served alongside us.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) penned an op-ed in the Washington Times urging his colleagues in Congress to join him in unleashing America’s energy independence by passing his Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, making nationwide, year-round E15 a reality.

Click here to read the op-ed in full or read an excerpt below:

We already know E15 works. It is compatible with 97% of vehicles on the road today and can be delivered through existing infrastructure. Summertime waivers have demonstrated its success, but we cannot continue to substitute temporary fixes for permanent solutions.  

The question is no longer whether E15 makes sense; it does. The question is whether my colleagues in Congress will join me and do the right thing.  Nationwide, year-round E15 is not just an energy policy; it is a practical step toward a stronger, more secure, and affordable future.

With unprecedented support from the administration and leadership across Washington, the opportunity is here. It’s time for bad actors to get out of the way so Congress can cement America’s energy independence by making nationwide, year-round E15 a reality once and for all.  

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition, where he made clear that Democrats will continue to push back on Republican extremism and their attempts to rig the midterm elections.

MICHEL MARTIN: More on what this result in Virginia could mean for the Democrats, we’re joined by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He represents New York’s Eighth Congressional District in Brooklyn. Good morning, Leader Jeffries, thanks for joining us once again.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning. Great to be with you.

MICHEL MARTIN: How is this outcome in Virginia affecting your goal of Democrats regaining control of the House in November? You just heard my colleague Ashley Lopez say it seems like it’s pretty much a wash.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Our primary goal in connection with what took place in Virginia—and we’re thankful to the people of Virginia who, by voting yes, have stopped the MAGA power grab. Donald Trump indicated that he was going to rip away 10, 12 or 15 seats from the people of this country in states like Texas and Missouri and North Carolina as part of an effort to rig the midterm elections. That effort has now been thwarted.

MICHEL MARTIN: So do you think it’s essentially a wash, as Ashley Lopez pointed out, or do you think that Democrats kind of have an edge here?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think the challenge right now for Republicans is that in Texas, for instance, they engaged in the Dummymander. They claimed that they were ripping five seats away from Democrats. They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three. But we have of course responded in kind because our goal is to make sure that there’s a fair national map so that it’s the voters of this country who are the ones to decide who’s in the majority in connection with the midterm elections.

MICHEL MARTIN: You know, Virginia’s elected Democratic Governor Abigail Spanberger by a 15-point margin a few months ago. She was one of the most prominent advocates for this redistricting measure. But the referendum itself was approved by a narrow margin. Is there a warning sign here for Democrats that countering Trump is not going to be enough in a competitive environment this fall?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We always knew that it was going to be an incredibly close race. Virginia is a purple state. Governor Spanberger is a tremendous leader, ran a great campaign, she’s doing an amazing job. But it’s important, Michel, to remember that in November of 2020, Virginians voted 65 to 35 to put into place a constitutional amendment for nonpartisan redistricting through an independent committee. And so we were asking the voters of Virginia to respond in a temporary way to a national crisis that was started by Donald Trump in an environment where two-thirds of the people of Virginia had decided just a few years ago to go in a different direction. So it was an extraordinary undertaking, but the people of Virginia responded because they understood the assignment, and that’s to make sure we have a free and fair midterm election.

MICHEL MARTIN: Well, you know, the party in power historically loses seats during midterm elections, so there’s an inherent midterm advantage there. But Democrats have also been doing well in recent special elections. What’s your sense of what’s working for Democrats right now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s a combination of articulating a vision to address the affordability crisis that does exist in this country. It’s not a hoax. The cost of living right now is out of control all across the country. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs haven’t gone down, they’ve gone up. And we’ve made clear as Democrats that we’re going to focus on improving the ability of everyday Americans to live a comfortable life, an affordable life and the good life. And Donald Trump continues to just jam these extreme policies down the throats of the American people. And Democrats have made clear we’re going to push back against these things, like his reckless and costly war of choice, where billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted over in the Middle East. But these same Republicans won’t spend a dime to actually make healthcare affordable to the American people.

MICHEL MARTIN: But does that mean that people are voting for the Democrats, or does that mean that they’re voting against Trump and the Republicans? And is that enough, if that’s the case, is that enough to sustain momentum into November?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think the connective tissue in all of these races, and we’ve been winning races now for 16 consecutive months beginning in January of 2025, running all the way through what took place earlier this month in Wisconsin with a decisive victory in a battleground state where we won by 20. And of course, overperforming again in a special election in New Jersey. All of our candidates have been talking about our commitment to lowering the high cost of living, to fixing our broken healthcare system, to making sure we get ICE under control and have immigration enforcement in this country that’s fair, just and humane and to stopping this costly and reckless war of choice in the Middle East.

MICHEL MARTIN: If you’ve got a couple more minutes for me, I just have a couple more questions. On that question of sort of fighting for the little guy, if I can, if I can call it that—it’s a cliche, but that’s the best thing I can think of for now. The Department of Homeland Security is still shut down. And it’s—according to the new Secretary, they’re going to run out of money in just a couple of weeks. Is this sustainable for the Democrats? I mean, the Democrats have been arguing that these changes in the way ICE—these ICE tactics need to change in order to agree to more funding. But can you sustain this if people continue to not be paid and people like the TSA workers don’t get paid again?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump and Republicans decided to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. Unfortunately, right now, we have a bipartisan bill that the Senate passed not once, but twice unanimously that would reopen the Department of Homeland Security with the exception of ICE and [CBP], and Mike Johnson and Republicans refuse to actually bring it to the Floor for an up or down vote. If it’s brought to the Floor it will pass overwhelmingly. And so, Republicans have made clear that they are the ones who have chosen to shut down the Department of Homeland Security and risk a situation where we may see renewed chaos at airports and TSA agents not being paid, if in fact it is the case, according to the Homeland Security Secretary, that their slush fund is about to run out of money.

MICHEL MARTIN: And I do have to ask you about the fact that three lawmakers have just resigned under threat of expulsion. That’s just in the last week and a half, and there are concerns about a fourth. These cases are all different, but there are some similarities there. Is there a problem in Congress that needs to be fixed with the ethics of some of its Members? Is there something that needs be different?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Members of Congress need to be held to the highest ethical standards and certainly we cannot under any circumstances tolerate sexual harassment or sexual violence. And so, one of the things that we believe needs to be done is that the Ethics Committee, in a bipartisan basis, should figure out how we can actually improve the circumstances here so that people are being held accountable for behavior that clearly crosses the line in a variety of different ways.

MICHEL MARTIN: But it’s already against House rules to have these kinds of relationships with subordinates and it has been confirmed—well one of the Congressmen denies it, but one of them admits that he did have this kind of relationship. So what needs to happen here to ensure that that doesn’t keep happening?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Both have resigned and that’s an important step that has been taken. And in both instances there needs to be, clearly, criminal investigations that play themselves out.

MICHEL MARTIN: That’s Hakeem Jeffries. He’s a Democrat from New York and the House Minority Leader. Mr. Leader, thanks so much for your time.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you so much.

Full interview can be listened to here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

WASHINGTON, D.C.- This week, Congressman Andy Biggs introduced The Monitor Accountability Act to set clear rules for courts’ use of federal monitors. The bill responds to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) monitorship, appointed in 2013 and expanded repeatedly despite near‑total compliance. The Department of Justice has acknowledged the county’s progress and supports ending the monitorship.

Since 2013, three Maricopa County sheriffs have implemented the court’s mandated reforms, yet the monitor has added new demands far beyond the original ruling. Taxpayers have absorbed nearly $350 million in costs, including more than $32 million paid directly to the monitor and his firm. The prolonged intervention has also worsened deputy attrition and recruitment challenges, affecting MCSO’s ability to serve Maricopa County.

“I have watched the consequences of these federal monitors up close and personal in Maricopa County for over a decade,” said Congressman Biggs. “The federal monitor’s continued existence in our county and propensity for moving the goalposts from his original charge only serves to exploit taxpayers and undermine the brave work of the men and women who serve our communities – and this is only one of dozens of similar arrangements across the country. It’s time for Congress to take back the reins from rogue judges and monitors who have exceeded appropriate bounds. That’s why I’ve introduced the Monitor Accountability Act to protect taxpayers and public safety.”

If enacted into law, the Monitor Accountability Act would require federal district courts to follow common-sense rules when appointing monitors to oversee state or local government agencies. This legislation includes the following terms:

• Term limits: Monitors may serve no more than five years and cannot be reappointed under the same court order, preventing long‑term control by any single individual.
   
• No revolving door: Successive monitors cannot come from the same law firm or employer, ensuring independence.
   
• Fee caps & transparency: Monitor compensation is capped and courts encouraged to require pro bono or reduced-cost work to control costs and ensure transparency.
   
• Public input: Courts must announce the proposed monitor and allow public comment before appointment.
   
• Off-ramp for states / localities: A monitorship may only be extended if the state or locality has not achieved substantial and sustained compliance, preventing open‑ended oversight.
   
• Judicial transfer: After six years, the case must be reassigned to a different judge to avoid prolonged control by a single court.
   
• Retroactive fix: Immediately covers monitorships older than six years, including Maricopa County, triggering required replacement of both monitor and judge.

“Congressman Biggs’s Monitor Accountability Act will bring much-needed oversight to the practice of court-appointed federal monitors,” said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels. “We’ve seen this problem first-hand in Arizona: Maricopa County has been the victim of a rogue monitor for more than 13 years, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and shifting resources away from keeping the community safe. This bill will correctly re-prioritize law enforcement over the financial interests of monitors exploiting the system.”

In February, Congressman Biggs chaired a House Judiciary field hearing in Phoenix highlighting the detrimental impacts of the MCSO monitorship. You can watch the hearing here.

The Monitor Accountability Act will be marked up in the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday.

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

Pappas’s legislation would permanently codify the Office of Congressional Ethics, protect the board from partisan attacks

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig’s bipartisan bill to expedite broadband infrastructure projects on federally-managed lands and connect more Minnesotans with high-speed internet passed the House of Representatives.

The Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act, if passed by the Senate and signed into law, would help improve access to high-speed internet in rural and underserved communities, especially in states with large amounts of federal land. The state of Minnesota contains 3.4 million acres of federal land.

The bill streamlines the permitting process for broadband projects on federally-managed lands by directing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to lead an interagency strike force with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to improve coordination, set review goals and hold agencies accountable.

The United States faces a persistent digital divide. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), approximately 5.8 million homes and businesses lack access to high-speed internet, while 31 percent of the geographic area of the United States lacks 4G LTE high-speed mobile broadband coverage. Many of these unserved locations are near property owned by the federal government.

“From online classes to telehealth to remote work, the ability to get online is changing the way we learn, conduct business and take care of ourselves,” said Rep. Craig. “That’s why it’s so important that folks across Minnesota, from urban and suburban to rural communities, have access to the online resources they need to succeed. We should be making it easier, not harder to expand broadband infrastructure, and that’s exactly what my bill will do. I’m proud to see the House pass this important legislation today and will keep working to get it passed in the Senate and signed into law.”

As a co-chair of the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus, Rep. Craig has led the effort to connect Minnesota’s rural communities to high-speed internet.

Last June, Rep. Craig wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urging the Administration to follow through on its promise to deliver high-speed internet to rural communities through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. 

Last Congress, Rep. Craig led a group of Members in urging Speaker Johnson to take action to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provided 23 million American households – and over 244,000 Minnesota households – with access to affordable high-speed internet. She later introduced the Secure and Affordable Broadband Extension Act to increase funding for federal broadband accessibility programs like the ACP, which expired in June of 2024.

In 2024, she secured a $1 million federal investment to improve internet access in Le Sueur County, Minnesota.

The Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act was co-led by Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO). You can read the full text of the bill HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Today, Congressmen Ken Calvert (CA-41), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), Lou Correa (CA-46), and Randy Fine (FL-6) introduced the ACCESS Act, H.R. 8396, legislation designed to help small businesses comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and protect them from serial litigants. The bill is supported by the American Booksellers Association, the Workplace Solutions Association, and the National Bicycle Dealers Association.

“As a former small business owner, I know that our job creators on Main Street face tremendous challenges to keep the doors open,” said Rep. Calvert. “Congress should be protecting small businesses from serial litigants trying to exploit laws, like the ADA, for personal gain. We can protect the disabled, small businesses, and the jobs they create by passing the ACCESS Act and giving owners with a reasonable window of time to address any disabled access issues. I appreciate my colleagues, Rep. Correa, Rep. Obernolte, and Rep. Fine, joining me in this effort to help our small business owners.” 

“Too many small businesses are being targeted by predatory, drive-by lawsuits that do nothing to improve accessibility for the disabled,” said Rep. Obernolte. “This legislation restores common sense by giving business owners the chance to fix legitimate ADA issues before facing costly litigation. More lawsuits won’t solve this problem. Instead we need compliance, education, and real improvements that ensure accessibility for everyone.”

“ADA requirements are crucial to making our communities accessible to neighbors with disabilities, and small businesses here in Orange County work hard to comply with these rules,” said Rep. Lou Correa. “Small business owners don’t always know when they are violating building codes, and they should be given time to fix it when they realize they don’t meet these requirements. This is how we can help keep Main Street businesses from being sued, save money, and create more accessible communities.”

“On behalf of the American Booksellers Association, we want to thank Congressman Calvert for introducing the common-sense ACCESS Act,” said David Grogan, Director, ABFE, Advocacy & Public Policy, American Booksellers Association. “This legislation provides a crucial notice and cure period to end frivolous lawsuits targeting small businesses. The ACCESS Act is pro-small business and pro-strong ADA regulations; by providing a grace period for ADA fixes, it will stop meritless lawsuits while strengthening and clarifying ADA regulations for website owners — guaranteeing that any legitimate ADA violation is fixed in a timely fashion. For years, independent bookstores have been key targets of lawyers falsely claiming non-compliance to intimidate stores into agreeing to costly settlements. These law firms are not interested in ensuring that websites and physical spaces are ADA compliant. As a result, small business owners end up spending thousands of dollars. This jeopardizes both their ability to fix any real ADA issues and their ability to keep their doors open for business. We believe the ACCESS Act of 2025 solves this growing problem, ensuring true accessibility for all.”

The ACCESS (ADA Compliance for Customer Entry to Stores and Services) Act would alleviate the financial burden small businesses are facing, while still fulfilling the purpose of the ADA. Any person aggrieved by a violation of the ADA would provide the owner or operator with a written notice of the violation, specific enough to allow such owner or operator to identify the barrier to their access.  Within 60 days, the owner or operator would be required to provide the aggrieved person with a description outlining improvements that would be made to address the barrier. The owner or operator would then have 60 days to either fix the issue or make substantial progress towards fixing the issue. The failure to meet any of these conditions would allow the suit to go forward.

The purpose of the ADA is to ensure appropriate remedial action for those who have suffered harm. Although there are times when litigation by harmed individuals is necessary, there are an increasing number of lawsuits brought under the ADA that are based upon a desire to achieve financial settlements rather than to achieve the appropriate modifications. 

ADA lawsuits are especially prevalent in California.  According to one analysis, there were more ADA lawsuits in California than the 49 other states combined. 

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26), the Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and member of the Defense Subcommittee on Appropriations, issued the following statement after the Committee’s unanimous approval of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs funding bill for fiscal year 2027: 

“I’m grateful to Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chair John Carter for their leadership in advancing this bill. I’m proud to support legislation that delivers for the brave men and women who have selflessly served our country. By standardizing proven software VA-wide, language I secured in the bill, we’re giving veterans in Collier and Miami-Dade counties access to faster care, less paperwork, and systems that actually work. Supporting our veterans has always been a priority for me, and I will continue to ensure they receive the care and resources they deserve.”

HIGHLIGHTS – MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2027

The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill provides a total discretionary allocation of $157 billion, which is nearly $4 billion (3%) above the Fiscal Year 2026 enacted level. The bill reflects priorities of the America First agenda by including critical investments in military infrastructure that support readiness and the military families that utilize them. In addition, the bill provides $323.9 billion for mandatory programs, for a total of $469.49 billion in overall funding for Fiscal Year 2027.

Champions our veterans by:

• Fully funding veterans’ health care programs. o Fully funding veterans’ benefits.
• Maintaining funding for research, mental health programs, and other programs relied upon by veterans.
• Investing over $2 billion in capital improvements for VA Medical Facilities and four national cemeteries.

Supports the Trump Administration and the mandate of the American people by:

• Protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of veterans by preventing the VA from sending information to the FBI about veterans without a judge’s consent.
• Fully funding the Community Care account, which empowers veterans to seek specialty care to meet their unique needs.
• Supporting the Trump Administration’s efforts in improving mental health and suicide prevention among veterans.

Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:

• Providing robust funding for military construction, enabling continued investment in the Indo-Pacific region and infrastructure necessary to support United States advanced weapons systems.
• Maintaining the prohibitions on the closure of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the use of military construction funds to build facilities for detainees on U.S. soil.
• Prohibiting the VA from purchasing resources directly or indirectly from Communist China.

Department of Defense (Military Construction and Family Housing)

• $90 million in additional funding for design of barracks and child development centers vital for the quality of life for servicemembers and their families to address barrack deficiencies identified by the Government Accountability Office.
• $60 million above the enacted level for the demolition of excess and obsolete infrastructure, saving taxpayers money and lowering long-term facility maintenance costs at DoD.
• Continues robust prior year funding of the INDOPACOM minor military construction pilot program.
• $50 million in additional funding for oversight of privatized family housing and continued robust investments in DoD family housing. 

Department of Veterans Affairs

• Fully funds veterans’ medical care at $138.2 billion, which is equal to the FY27 Budget Request.
• Fully funds veterans’ benefits and toxic exposure-related needs for FY27. $54.6 billion for the Toxic Exposures Fund (TEF).

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