MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  This week Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) secured House passage of six legislative measures aimed to expand affordable housing, protect homeowners, and strengthen community financial institutions that finance housing development across Central Ohio and communities nationwide.

The measures passed under suspension of the rules as part of H.Res. 1299, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act,a bipartisan package for housing and community banking reform designed to increase housing supply, modernize financing tools, and make homeownership a reality for working families. The vote comes as families across Central Ohio continue to face mounting housing challenges, including rising rents, limited housing inventory, and growing concerns about affordability.

“For too many Americans, homeownership feels impossible,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “My bills are a critical first step toward addressing the growing housing crisis across our country. These reforms will help spur housing development, direct investment where it is needed most, and strengthen the local financial institutions that finance affordable housing projects. Young people and working families deserve a fair shot at achieving the dream of homeownership. It’s time we make that dream a reality.”

Beatty Bills Included in the Housing Package: 

• H.R. 2031 – HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act

  • Included in Section 501, this legislation strengthens the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program by reducing burdensome compliance requirements for small properties and increasing flexibility for nonprofit housing providers serving low- and extremely low-income households.

• H.R. 6726 – Reforms to Housing Counseling and Financial Literacy Programs Act of 2025

  • Included in Section 101, this bill supports foreclosure mitigation counseling for borrowers who are at least 30 days delinquent on mortgage payments, helping families avoid foreclosure and remain in their homes.

• H.R. 5913 – Community Investment and Prosperity Act

  • Included in Section 203, this legislation expands banks’ ability to invest private capital into affordable housing, small business lending, and community revitalization by increasing the public welfare investment cap from 15 percent to 20 percent.

• H.R. 3234 – Keeping Deposits Local Act

  • Included in Section 902, this bill modernizes the treatment of reciprocal deposits to improve liquidity for small and midsize banks, enabling them to expand local lending and support affordable housing development.

• H.R. 3709 – Advancing the Mentor-Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act

  • Included in Section 908, this legislation codifies the Treasury Department’s Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program to strengthen partnerships between large banks, community banks, and minority depository institutions (MDIs), helping smaller lenders better support housing and community development efforts.

• H.R. 5429 – HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act

  • Included in Section 801, this bill requires the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Agriculture (USDA), and Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate and share housing-related research, data, and market information to improve federal housing policy and program delivery.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) made the following statement after the House Oversight Committee released a report titled, “The Cost of Doing Nothing: How Tim Walz and Keith Ellison Fueled Minnesota’s Fraud Explosion.” The bombshell report exposes how senior Minnesota state officials, including Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, knew about widespread taxpayer fraud in federally funded social programs for years, had the authority to stop payments and ban fraudulent providers from participating in these programs, but repeatedly failed to act. 

Congressman Stauber stated, “History will never forget that Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison knew about the fraud plaguing Minnesota for years and turned a blind eye to it. Investigators found that concerns about allegations of racial discrimination contributed to their decision to allow these fraudsters to keep operating, and state employees who raised concerns about the fraud faced retaliation instead of support. This is unacceptable. As a result of their dereliction of duty, $9 billion in Medicaid funds and $300 million in federal child nutrition funds have been lost. This week, the House will consider ten bills aimed at protecting taxpayer funds and combatting improper payments in federal programs, and we will continue to work alongside President Trump’s anti-fraud taskforce to ensure this type of malfeasance can never occur again. Fraud is an invisible tax on hardworking Americans, and Republicans are working to eliminate it because that’s what the American people demand and deserve.”

Key findings from this report include: 

• Governor Walz and Attorney General Ellison were aware of rampant fraud in Minnesota’s social services programs as early as 2019 but failed to take action to prevent the theft of billions of taxpayer dollars. 
• Minnesota state agencies had the authority to stop or suspend payments to providers suspected of fraud without requiring independent direction from courts, law enforcement agencies, or the federal government but failed to act. 
• Minnesota officials continued directing taxpayer dollars to Feeding Our Future and other high-risk entities despite identifying serious red-flags, enabling billions of dollars in federal funds to go to fraudsters. 
• Testimony and documents show that concerns about litigation and accusations of discrimination were cited as reasons for continuing payments to suspected fraudsters. 
• The Walz Administration retaliated against state employees who raised concerns about fraud, while senior state officials prioritized managing political and media fallout over addressing known fraud vulnerabilities. 
• Failures to prevent fraud resulted in an estimated $300 million in federal child nutrition funds and $9 billion in Medicaid-related funds to be lost. 

Read the full report HERE.

During House Oversight’s investigation into Minnesota fraud, Congressman Stauber had an opportunity to waive on to the House Oversight Committee and question witnesses about the ongoing fraud in Minnesota. 

He has also introduced a number of bills to combat fraud, including the Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act, legislation that penalizes childcare providers who commit fraud in federally funded programs. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Sharice Davids marked the start of the FIFA World Cup with remarks on the U.S. House floor, celebrating Kansas City’s role as one of the tournament’s host cities. Beginning this week, Kansas City will host six matches and serve as the home base for four national teams during the FIFA World Cup. Davids is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional FIFA World Cup 2026 Caucus.

The World Cup is expected to deliver significant economic benefits to Kansas City and communities across the country. With thousands of visitors expected to travel to the region, Kansas City could see approximately $650 million in economic activity. Nationwide, the tournament is projected to generate 185,000 full-time jobs, $30.5 billion in gross output, and $17.2 billion in GDP.

For years, Davids has helped lead federal efforts to ensure host cities, including Kansas City, have the resources needed to successfully prepare for the tournament. Through her leadership, Congress secured more than $625 million for safety and security efforts and $100 million for transit operations to support host cities across the country.

Davids has also convened multiple community conversations across the Kansas City region, bringing together federal, state, and local partners to coordinate preparations on public safety, transportation, healthcare, small business support, and other key priorities ahead of the tournament.

Read Davids’ full speech below:

Mr. Speaker, later this week, the FIFA World Cup will kick off here in the United States, and I couldn’t be more excited for Kansas City to welcome the world.

As the founder of the Congressional FIFA World Cup 2026 Caucus, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand just how much work has gone into preparing for this moment. And today, I want to thank everyone who helped make it possible.

From local leaders and small businesses to first responders, transit workers, volunteers, and organizers, countless people have spent years preparing for these next five weeks.

The matches will bring excitement, visitors, and economic opportunity to the Kansas City Metro Area. And the impact won’t end when the final whistle blows. The investments we’ve made in infrastructure, transportation, safety, and community development will benefit Kansas City and our surrounding communities for generations to come.

This is a chance to showcase what makes our community so special: our hospitality, our culture, our BBQ, our love of sports, and our ability to come together to accomplish big things. The world is coming. Kansas City is ready. It’s going to be an incredible celebration. I yield back.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a bill to create a national commission to combat sexual harassment in the nation’s major industries and workplaces. The commission would report to Congress on recommended changes in law or regulations and is modeled on legislation Congress enacted to combat other national problems. Norton, the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), issued the first federal guidelines holding sexual harassment to be a violation of equal employment laws, which were later upheld by the Supreme Court.

“Sexual harassment remains a pervasive problem in workplaces across the country, affecting workers in every industry and at every level,” Norton said. “In recent years, survivors have helped bring long-overdue attention to this issue, and our nation has made important progress in holding individual perpetrators accountable. But sexual harassment is not merely the result of isolated bad actors. It’s often enabled by workplace cultures and power imbalances that allow misconduct to go unchecked.

“A national commission would help shine a light on the systemic factors that contribute to sexual harassment and identify meaningful solutions to prevent it. Unlike investigations that depend on individual workers coming forward, often at great personal and professional risk, a commission would take a proactive approach, examining workplace practices, policies and structures that permit harassment to persist. Workers should not bear the burden of exposing these failures alone.”

Congress has created similar national commissions on other issues such as gambling, preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and terrorism.

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Nortonon the Introduction ofthe National Commission to Combat Workplace Sexual Harassment Act

Today, I introduce the National Commission to Combat Workplace Sexual Harassment Act, which would establish a national commission to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.  This bill is modeled on bills Congress has passed to establish commissions to address other national problems.  Specifically, this bill would establish a commission to carry out a comprehensive investigation and study of sexual harassment in the workplace, including recommending changes in laws and best practices to prevent, investigate, respond to and penalize sexual harassment.

Our constituents expect Congress to address the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace.  The commission would hear from a cross section of workers—from office and factory workers to retail and food service workers.  A national commission could help reduce sexual harassment in the workplace.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, DC [6/8/2026] – Today Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Judy Chu (CA-28), and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) led 83 of their colleagues in conducting oversight of the recently-launched Moms.gov. 

Moms.gov launched in May with the purported goal of offering guidance to expectant mothers, but the website instead features potentially harmful information about crisis pregnancy centers and puts sensitive health information at risk. The Congresswomen demanded Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provide answers about HHS’s goals in developing, funding, reviewing, and operating Moms.gov.

“This website purports to be a resource to support the health and well-being of women and families, yet it deceives vulnerable people by sending them to anti-abortion centers, or so-called ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ that are not real medical providers,” the Representatives wrote. “Additionally, these organizations often engage in questionable data collection practices of individuals’ sensitive health information. We have long raised concerns about deceptive practices that jeopardize patient privacy and mislead people seeking reproductive health care, and we urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to guarantee that all federally supported public-facing maternal health resources provide medically accurate, evidence-based, and comprehensive information and protect Americans’ private health information.”

The Representatives noted that the “Find Pregnancy Centers Near You” feature on Moms.gov appears to direct users to Option Line, a 24/7 contact center managed by Heartbeat International, a nationwide anti-abortion organization and network of over 1,000 crisis pregnancy centers. Heartbeat International’s mission is to make abortion “unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations,” and it has faced significant scrutiny regarding the collection, storage, and handling of sensitive reproductive health information through services including the Option Line.

“Deciding whether or when to bear a child is a deeply personal decision that should be made by the patient and trusted health care providers using medically-accurate and comprehensive information, not by opponents of reproductive freedom,” the Representatives wrote. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services already has resources with comprehensive information for women on reproductive health, including pregnancy, birth control methods, infertility, sexually-transmitted infections, and more. Moms.gov is duplicitous, a waste of government resources, and a thinly-veiled attempt to push a far right agenda onto people at a vulnerable time in their lives.”

The letter is supported by the Democratic Women’s Caucus, Reproductive Freedom for All, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Power to Decide.

In addition to Bonamici, Sykes, Chu, and DelBene, the letter was signed by 83 of their colleagues, including Representatives Gabe Amo, Becca Balint, Wesley Bell, Don Beyer, Julia Brownley, Nikki Budzinski, André Carson, Sean Casten, Joaquin Castro, Gil Cisneros, Yvette Clarke, Steve Cohen, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Diana DeGette, Chris Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, Maxine Dexter, Dwight Evans, Lizzie Fletcher, Bill Foster, Lois Frankel, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Chuy García, Sylvia Garcia, Dan Goldman, Adelita Grijalva, Val Hoyle, Jared Huffman, Jonathan Jackson, Sara Jacobs, Hank Johnson, Julie Johnson, Robin Kelly, Tim Kennedy, Ro Khanna, John Larson, Summer Lee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Stephen Lynch, Lucy McBath, Sarah McBride, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Betty McCollum, Morgan McGarvey, Kelly Morrison, Seth Moulton, Kevin Mullin, Eleanor Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Chris Pappas, Scott Peters, Brittany Pettersen, Mark Pocan, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Deborah Ross, Andrea Salinas, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, Hillary Scholten, Adam Smith, Greg Stanton, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Suhas Subramanyam, Mark Takano, Shri Thanedar, Dina Titus, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, Lori Trahan, Nydia Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Frederica Wilson.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

We write to express significant concerns about the misleading information presented through the recently launched website, Moms.gov. This website purports to be a resource to support the health and well-being of women and families, yet it deceives vulnerable people by sending them to anti-abortion centers, or so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” that are not real medical providers. Additionally, these organizations often engage in questionable data collection practices of individuals’ sensitive health information. We have long raised concerns about deceptive practices that jeopardize patient privacy and mislead people seeking reproductive health care, and we urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to guarantee that all federally supported public-facing maternal health resources provide medically accurate, evidence-based, and comprehensive information and protect Americans’ private health information. 

Every year, thousands of people seeking objective and medically sound reproductive health care end up in fake women’s “health centers,” sometimes referred to as crisis pregnancy centers. Many if not most of these clinics falsely and deliberately advertise themselves to potential clients as health care clinics that will provide comprehensive, medically accurate information, as well as legitimate medical care such as pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and prenatal care, but most crisis pregnancy centers have the sole purpose of convincing pregnant clients not to have an abortion. Crisis pregnancy centers routinely use a variety of deceptive tactics, including making false claims about available reproductive health care and disseminating inaccurate, misleading, and stigmatizing information about abortion and contraception. For example, a crisis pregnancy center in Pennsylvania told a pregnant woman that she had a miscarriage, but the patient was still experiencing pregnancy symptoms. The woman went to a doctor who told her that she still had a viable pregnancy. 

Additionally, most crisis pregnancy centers in the United States do not employ licensed medical personnel and do not provide referrals for birth control or abortion care. Crisis pregnancy centers across the country are preventing people from accessing critical reproductive health care and intentionally delaying access to time-sensitive prenatal and abortion services. Reproductive health includes a broad range of services that include access to abortion, contraception, fertility and infertility care, maternal and perinatal care, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections, and protection from sexual and gender-based violence. Having access to this full range of information and services is critical to a healthy pregnancy and positive outcomes for both the mother and child. 

According to publicly available information, the “Find Pregnancy Centers Near You” feature on Moms.gov appears to direct users to Option Line, a 24/7 contact center managed by Heartbeat International, a nationwide anti-abortion organization and network of over 1,000 crisis pregnancy centers. Heartbeat International’s mission is to make abortion “unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations,” and it has faced significant scrutiny regarding the collection, storage, and handling of sensitive reproductive health information through services including the Option Line and the organization’s “Next Level Content Management Solution” (Next Level CMS) data platform.

Public reporting has raised concerns that Heartbeat International developed Next Level CMS to collect and centralize extensive personal and reproductive health information from individuals seeking pregnancy-related information and services, including names, addresses, phone numbers, pregnancy status, sexual and reproductive histories, ultrasound information, test results, and information related to whether an individual may be considering abortion care. Publicly available materials for Next Level CMS have stated that the system “harnesses the power of big data” and includes a “Client Risk Tracker” intended to keep affiliated crisis pregnancy centers informed about an individual’s perceived “risk level” for obtaining an abortion.

Heartbeat International’s Option Line hotline has reportedly fielded contacts from millions of individuals seeking pregnancy-related information and services, despite the fact that many crisis pregnancy centers affiliated with Heartbeat International are not licensed healthcare providers and are therefore not subject to the same federal medical privacy regulations under HIPAA that apply to hospitals, clinics, and licensed medical professionals. As a result, individuals may disclose highly sensitive reproductive health information, including pregnancy status, sexual and reproductive histories, ultrasound information, and abortion-related inquiries, without receiving the privacy protections and confidentiality safeguards they may reasonably expect in a legitimate healthcare setting. Heartbeat International and its affiliates have been known to mislead pregnant people, claiming that they are HIPAA-covered entities and that client data remains protected. In 2024, a watchdog organization filed a complaint on behalf of thirteen women whose names were made public by a Louisiana crisis pregnancy center affiliated with Heartbeat International and confirmed that the sensitive information of the center’s patients are not protected by HIPAA.

Deciding whether or when to bear a child is a deeply personal decision that should be made by the patient and trusted health care providers using medically-accurate and comprehensive information, not by opponents of reproductive freedom. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services already has resources with comprehensive information for women on reproductive health, including pregnancy, birth control methods, infertility, sexually-transmitted infections, and more. Moms.gov is duplicitous, a waste of government resources, and a thinly-veiled attempt to push a far right agenda onto people at a vulnerable time in their lives. 

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, women have died because some elected officials put politics over women’s lives and refuse to allow people to make their own decisions about whether and when to have a child. Some pregnant women have been forced to wait until they are at risk of death before doctors will provide them care. Twenty five million women live under state abortion bans. Maternal mortality rates are increasing, with Black mothers disproportionately impacted by these deadly bans. In 2019, Black mothers in states that went on to ban abortion were 2.2 times as likely as white mothers to die as a result of pregnancy or birth. By 2023, after abortion bans were enacted, this disparity widened to being 3.3x more likely to die. Even before the Dobbs decision, maternal death rates in 2020 were 62 percent higher in states that ban or restrict abortion than in states where it was accessible. 

The federal government has a responsibility to give people who seek pregnancy-related information honest, comprehensive, and medically sound guidance, and to protect individuals’ privacy. At a time when access to reproductive health care is increasingly under threat, federal platforms must uphold the highest standards of accuracy, transparency, and confidentiality.

To better understand HHS’s goals in developing, funding, reviewing, and operating Moms.gov, we request responses to the following questions:

• What offices, agencies, contractors, or outside organizations were involved in the development, design, or operation of Moms.gov?
• What was the decision making process in determining that Option Line would be the primary tool through which users on Moms.gov would be able to find pregnancy resources near them? What review process was used to verify the medical accuracy and completeness of information provided through the site?
• Were licensed medical providers or comprehensive reproductive healthcare providers considered for inclusion in the directory? If so, what criteria were used to include or exclude them?
• What review process was used to verify the medical accuracy and completeness of information provided through the site?
• Were reproductive health experts, including licensed medical providers, OB-GYNs, and public health professionals, consulted during the development of the platform?
• Moms.gov, when pointing its users to a directory of pregnancy centers, states that “the majority of pregnancy centers offer limited medical services.” Does HHS have a plan to disclose which pregnancy centers listed on Moms.gov are licensed healthcare facilities staffed by licensed medical professionals?
• How does HHS ensure that users understand the differences between federally qualified health centers that offer comprehensive evidence-based medical care and pregnancy centers that may offer only limited or non-clinical services?
• What safeguards are in place to prevent federally supported resources from directing users to organizations that disseminate medically or otherwise inaccurate information?
• What disclosures are provided to users regarding whether listed organizations provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, are licensed medical providers, or have religious or ideological affiliations?
• Did HHS review or approve content relating to “Abortion Pill Reversal” (APR) that appears on websites linked through Moms.gov? If so, what scientific evidence, clinical guidance, or medical authorities did HHS rely upon in determining that such content was medically accurate and appropriate for inclusion on a federally supported resource?
• Does HHS consider “Abortion Pill Reversal” to be an evidence-based medical intervention?
• Why does the information for contraceptive options on Moms.gov exclude the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive options and legally available reproductive healthcare services? What experts were consulted in determining contraceptive options to include or exclude?
• Does Moms.gov, or any affiliated contractor, vendor, hotline, or partner organization, including Option Line or platforms associated with Heartbeat International’s “Next Level” data management system, collect user data including geolocation information, IP addresses, names, phone numbers, addresses, pregnancy information, sexual or reproductive histories, ultrasound information, menstrual cycle information, or other personally identifiable information?
• Are Heartbeat International, Option Line, and affiliated crisis pregnancy centers linked through Moms.gov subject to HIPAA or other federal medical privacy laws in the same manner as licensed healthcare providers? If not, what privacy standards govern the collection, storage, retention, transfer, and disclosure of this information, and will Moms.gov issue a disclaimer on the site to indicate as such?
• Does Heartbeat International or any affiliated organization retain, monetize, sell, transfer, or otherwise share information collected from users who access services through Moms.gov?
• Has HHS reviewed whether affiliated organizations linked through Moms.gov use tools or systems intended to assess, track, categorize, or monitor an individual’s likelihood of seeking abortion care?
• Has HHS provided any federal funding, grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or technical assistance to Heartbeat International, Focus on the Family, or any affiliated organizations in connection with Moms.gov or associated referral services? If so, please provide the amount, funding source, and purpose of such funding.
• Will states, TANF-funded programs, federally funded grantees, or other entities be encouraged or required by HHS to direct individuals to Moms.gov?
• Why does Moms.gov direct pregnant workers to information about workplace health risks without also informing users that they may have legal rights to reasonable accommodations and workplace protections under federal law, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act?
• Will HHS commit to reviewing and removing any content or referrals found to be misleading, incomplete, or inconsistent with established medical standards?

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

 U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) is seeking immediate attention and action from state leaders in Michigan to address the health and safety concerns at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti. The congresswoman’s effort follows reports that a third woman died in less than a month at the facility. In a new letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Congresswoman Dingell reiterated her years-long concerns regarding the ongoing reports of toxic mold and other serious health, safety, medical, and living condition issues at Huron Valley. 

“This facility is the only correctional facility in the state that houses women, and it falls within the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Concerns have been raised repeatedly by women in custody, their families, advocates, attorneys, medical professionals, and the public. Too many continue to report that the underlying problems remain unsolved. It is essential that you give this issue your immediate attention and take urgent action to address the serious issues threatening the safety of these women under MDOC supervision,” Congresswoman Dingell said. 

Congresswoman Dingell ended the letter urging the state to direct every appropriate effort to ensure that any studies, inspections, environmental assessments, or reports concerning toxic mold and other health and safety conditions are released to the public. She also included a series of questions with a request for answers by June 19, 2026. 

“I urge you to direct every appropriate effort to ensure that any studies, inspections, environmental assessments, or reports concerning toxic mold and other health and safety conditions at Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Facility are released to the public,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “If the Attorney General’s office is preventing the release of these materials, I ask that you work with the Attorney General to make them available, along with clear next steps to address what led to these conditions.”

Congresswoman Dingell is a leading voice in the Democratic Women’s Caucus in the House of Representatives and has long been a champion for the health and safety of women, both before and since entering Congress. In July 2023, the congresswoman toured the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility to learn more about the rehabilitation, career, and educational resources and medical care at the facilities, as well as hear from inmates about their experiences.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE and text is below:

Dear Governor Whitmer:

I am writing to express my continuing concern regarding the ongoing reports of toxic mold and other serious health, safety, medical, and living condition issues at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in my district in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The recent deaths of three women in custody–including two women who died on May 13 and May 17, and another woman who died over this past weekend on the morning of June 6–underscore the urgent need for immediate intervention and accountability. 

This facility is the only correctional facility in the state that houses women, and it falls within the jurisdiction of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC). Concerns have been raised repeatedly by women in custody, their families, advocates, attorneys, medical professionals, and the public. Too many continue to report that the underlying problems remain unsolved. It is essential that you give this issue your immediate attention and take urgent action to address the serious issues threatening the safety of these women under MDOC supervision. 

No one should be subjected to conditions that threaten their health and well-being. But for years, there have been alarming reports of the condition of and treatment facing women in custody at the facility. Several have come forward with their experiences of having to clean toxic mold without proper safety equipment and describe a disturbing lack of medical care. Instances of toxic mold are particularly troubling because of the potential for respiratory illness and other long-term health consequences. The women’s experiences raise significant questions about whether adequate safeguards are in place to provide safe, humane, and adequate care to those in its custody, especially in light of the sudden and tragic deaths of Rebecca Fackler, Khaira Howard, and Ashley Hoath, who died within a month of each other. 

I’ve visited the facility for hours and spoken directly with women who are terrified for their wellbeing. Their concerns–and the concerns of the broader community–remain unaddressed, and public confidence in the facility has plummeted. These concerns warrant immediate review and meaningful corrective action to ensure that all individuals in state custody are treated humanely and provided with a safe environment.

The State of Michigan has both a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that correctional facilities are safe, humane, and operated in a manner that protects the health and dignity of every person in its custody. Transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining public trust in this facility, but unfortunately, the state’s failure to make testing results publicly available and its continued lack of response to residents’ legitimate concerns have only eroded confidence in the facility’s safety. 

I urge you to direct every appropriate effort to ensure that any studies, inspections, environmental assessments, or reports concerning toxic mold and other health and safety conditions at Huron Valley Women’s Correctional Facility are released to the public. If the Attorney General’s office is preventing the release of these materials, I ask that you work with the Attorney General to make them available, along with clear next steps to address what led to these conditions. As long as these reports remain unavailable, questions will persist about the severity of the problems and whether they are being adequately addressed. The women at Huron Valley, their families, staff, and the people of Michigan deserve access to the facts and the confidence that comes from an open and accountable process.

Given the urgency of these concerns, I request answers to the following questions by Friday, June 19, 2026.

1. How many grievances related to mold, environmental hazards, medical care, or unsafe living conditions have been filed during the past five years? 
    

2. How often is the facility tested for environmental and safety hazards, and by whom?
    

3. What remediation efforts have been undertaken in the last year, and how has the state verified their effectiveness? 
    

4. What is the process to address a safety concern after it is identified by a woman in custody or staff member of the facility?
    

5. When a woman in custody falls ill or is injured, what is the process for getting her timely and appropriate medical care? Who makes this decision?
    

6. If care is delayed or denied for a woman in custody for any reason, what options are available for her to appeal the decision?
    

7. In the last year, how many women have needed medical care? How many requests for medical care have been denied?
    

8. What investigations have been initiated regarding the deaths of Rebecca Fackler and Khaira Howard? Were either women receiving ongoing medical treatment at the time of death, and were there any outstanding requests for medical care? 
    

9. How do you ensure investigations into deaths at the facility are independent and not influenced by staff who were potentially involved in the incident? 
    

10. How many deaths have occurred at the facility in the past 10 years and what were the causes?
     

11. Are there any other threats to the health of women at the facility that the letter did not address? What steps are you taking to address those threats? 

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell, Moolenaar Introduce Legislation to Prevent Offshoring Biotech Industry to China

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Dingell, Joyce Recognize HS Awareness Week

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, June 4, seven Community Project Funding requests totaling $5.4 million from U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

The legislation, H.R. 8646, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, was approved by a vote of 213 to 210.

The legislation now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

The following projects requested by Kelly that were included in the legislation are:

• City of Corry Regional Public Safety Building (Corry, Erie County): $1 million
• Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company Engine Replacement (Connoquenessing, Butler County): $800,000
• Venango County Public Safety Radio Project: $2 million
• PA Fellows Club Fire Department Fellows’ Club Volunteer Fire Department & Ambulance Service (Conneautville, Crawford County): $637,500
• Mercer County Cooperative Extension & Emergency Center Renovations: $251,081
• The Harrisville Volunteer Fire Company Brush/Utility Truck (Harrisville, Butler County): $225,000
• Wilmington Area School District Agricultural Workforce Innovation Center (New Wilmington, Lawrence County): $500,000

Learn more about these and other projects requested by Rep. Kelly in the FY2027 budget here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) today called on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Gov. DeSantis and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson to move quickly to deliver $346 million in long-delayed savings she championed for Florida families.

The rebates are designed to help families lower their monthly utility bills through home energy-efficiency improvements, weatherization upgrades and more efficient appliances.

“Floridians are paying too much for nearly everything right now—from housing and insurance to groceries and utility bills. Energy costs remain a significant burden for many families, especially during Florida’s long, hot summers when air conditioning is a necessity,” said Rep. Castor. DOE finally released updated guidance last week for the Home Energy Rebates Program that should allow states to distribute rebate savings to Floridians. The updated guidance is an important step in getting long-overdue savings to Florida families as they grapple with an intense affordability squeeze.”

DOE’s updated guidance explicitly contradicts U.S. law by imposing new restrictions that limit consumer choice and create barriers to adoption. DOE’s decision to issue guidance that conflicts with the law is another attempt to thwart energy efficiency savings for consumers. At every turn, the Trump Administration has sided with polluters and special interests to the detriment of hardworking Americans. Nevertheless, the home rebates still provide a significant opportunity to help families reduce costly energy waste, improve home comfort and lower monthly utility bills.

Florida is slated to receive approximately $346 million through the Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) initiatives. The funding was secured through legislation championed by Rep. Castor and included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Florida’s funding was approved in January 2025, but implementation has been delayed by the Trump Administration since then. Rep. Castor is encouraging both federal and state officials to quickly complete any remaining steps so Floridians can begin accessing the savings as Congress intended.