MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and Dean of the Florida Delegation, issued the following statement after the House passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

Vice Chair Díaz-Balart said, “I am pleased to have voted in support of this legislation which puts farmers, ranchers, and rural communities first. Supporting our agricultural communities is essential, as they are the backbone of our state’s economy. This legislation ensures the safety of our food and medical products and reinforces key programs that protect consumers. It advances responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, while bolstering national security through stronger safeguards on foreign agricultural interests, and prioritizing research and inspection efforts that keep our agricultural sector competitive and resilient.

I commend full Committee Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chairman Andy Harris for advancing this second funding bill through House passage, and I look forward to continuing to support additional legislation that prioritizes our country and the American people while reining in wasteful spending.”

Fiscal Year 2027 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act Key Takeaways

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides a total discretionary allocation of $26.27 billion, which is $380 million (1.4%) below the Fiscal Year 2026 enacted level.

The act prioritizes agencies and programs that protect our nation’s food and drug supply; support America’s farmers, ranchers, and rural communities; and ensure low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs. The legislation is fiscally responsible and refocuses programs on their core mission while putting the health, safety, and prosperity of American producers and consumers first.

Champions U.S. farmers, agriculture, and rural communities by:

• Supporting Florida’s citrus industry and providing over $72 million for citrus health response, including over $11 million to combat citrus greening disease.
• Directing the FDA to review current nutrition label rules so consumers receive accurate information for their diet-related health decisions.
• Continuing critical investments in agriculture research, rural development loan programs, and animal and plant health programs.
• Providing funds to ensure the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices.
• Ensuring low-income Americans have access to nutrition programs.
• Reining in harmful regulations proposed during the Biden Administration that dictate how poultry and livestock producers raise and market their animals.
• Increasing resources for the Food Safety and Inspection Service to fund frontline meat and poultry inspectors and bolster support for state inspection programs.
• Delivering $1.16 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which is a priority to protect American agriculture from foreign pests and diseases.
• Maintaining “Buy American” provisions that maximize the federal government’s use of services, goods, products, and materials produced and offered in the United States.

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

• Addressing foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by improving the tracking system of foreign-owned land and adding the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review agricultural transactions, including purchases made by China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
• Directing USDA to provide transparency into research funding involving foreign governments, including China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
• Increasing inspection of foreign drug manufacturing facilities in China and India
• Providing funding for land-grant universities to conduct agricultural research to ensure American producers are better equipped to compete with China.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

###

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill.

Vice Chair Díaz-Balart said, “Across Florida’s 26^th District, communities will gain from critical investments that strengthen infrastructure, improve public safety, and expand essential services. This funding, which I secured, will help meet local needs while delivering lasting benefits for residents throughout our district.

At the same time, this legislation continues to prioritize our national security, modernize infrastructure, and support the essential services that Americans depend on every day. I am grateful for the leadership of Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack in advancing this important measure through committee.

I remain committed to supporting measures that strengthen our national security, safeguard American taxpayer dollars, and deliver results for the American people, and I look forward to seeing this bill pass the House.”

Díaz-Balart secured $42.2 million for Southern Florida priorities:

• $14.9 million – Amelia Earhart Park Community Center
• $8 million – Miami Lakes Senior Center 
• $5 million – Miami Lakes Septic to Sewer Conversion
• $8.3 million – City of Hialeah Neighborhood Roadway and Drainage Improvements, SE 4th-6th Avenue Corridor and W 9th Avenue Corridor
• $5 million – Miami Lakes 82nd Avenue Drainage Improvements 
• $1 million – Golden Gate City Wastewater Lift Station Property Acquisition
• Bans new commercial flights to the anti-American Cuban regime
• Fully funds Air Traffic Control Operations and allows the FAA to hire 2,300 Air Traffic Controllers.
• Ensuring sufficient air traffic controllers to keep our skies safe and efficient
• $4 billion for FAA Facilities and Equipment to build a world-class national airspace system.
• Because Miami International Airport is one of the busiest international gateways in the country, the $4 billion investment in FAA Facilities and Equipment will directly strengthen air traffic operations that South Florida depends on—modernizing communications systems and improving safety technology
• Protects housing assistance for over 1.2 million vulnerable households while promoting self-sufficiency and accountability at HUD.
• This funding protects critical housing assistance relied upon by vulnerable families, seniors, and people with disabilities in Florida’s 26th District—while ensuring HUD focuses on self‑sufficiency and strong accountability so taxpayer dollars are used effectively.

Díaz-Balart Secured Provision Blocking State Sponsors of Terrorism from Accessing U.S. Facilities:

• For the third year in a row, Congressman Díaz-Balart was successful in securing language blocking state sponsors of terrorism––such as Cuba, Iran, Syria, and North Korea––from accessing U.S. government facilities. This followed mediareports of Cuban regime operatives being invited by the Federal Aviation Administration to visit sensitive U.S. governmental facilities, like the Air Traffic Control Towers, during the Biden Administration. This raised alarms in Congress among the South Florida Congressional Delegation, including Reps. Carlos A. Giménez (FL-28) and María Elvira Salazar (FL-27). As a result, this language has once again been included in this funding bill.

Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Key Takeaways

Invests in transportation safety and rebuilds America by:  

• Keeping our skies safe and helping build a world-class air traffic control system by providing $22.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
• Providing the FAA with resources to hire 2,300 new air traffic controllers and replace dated telecommunication infrastructure. 
• Supporting America’s maritime dominance through investments in our maritime workforce and infrastructure.

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

• Upholding America First priorities by guaranteeing that the U.S. has the most modern, safe, and efficient transportation system in the world. 
• Empowering the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to refocus housing assistance to promote self-sufficiency while maintaining support for America’s most vulnerable – including the elderly and disabled.
• Reinforcing President Trump’s executive orders on American security and innovation. 
• Rebuilding America with more than $6.3 billion in new budget authority for highways, rail, airports, and maritime infrastructure. 

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

• Promoting defense readiness capabilities by funding the U.S. Merchant Marines, state Maritime Academies, shipyards, and the strategic sealift programs – including the Cable Security Fleet, Maritime Security Program, and Tanker Security Program.
• Supporting America’s vehicle and aircraft manufacturers to ensure global leadership and to counter China’s malign influence.
• Maintaining “Buy American” provisions that maximize the federal government’s use of services, goods, products, and materials produced and offered in the United States.
• Providing $92 million for new Department of Transportation (DOT) cybersecurity infrastructure initiatives.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

###

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, issued the following statement after the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2027 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Vice Chair Díaz-Balart said, “I commend full Committee Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson for moving this effort forward. This measure champions key priorities such as American energy dominance and competitiveness and reduces burdensome–at times harmful–red tape, all while cutting wasteful spending.

Additionally, I am grateful for Chairman Simpson’s leadership, which helped highlight important needs in Florida, such as Everglades restoration. This includes protecting our region’s native tribes, such as the Miccosukee, so they continue to have vital protections against any federal proposed wilderness designation that could affect their free movement and precious access to sacred lands, such as the Big Cypress National Preserve.

As co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Everglades Caucus, I am proud to continue supporting major Everglades preservation and restoration efforts through critical funding and through the codification of the Clean Water Act’s Section 404 program to streamline processes so that important work can move faster and more effectively.”

Díaz-Balart secured $11.6 million for Everglades Restoration and an additional $4 million for Southern Florida priorities:

• $11.6 million for Everglades Restoration through the National Park Service.
• $2.8 million for the City of Hialeah, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Water Meter Modernization project.
• $1.2 million for the Town of Medley’s Water Main Improvements project located in NW 78th St, NW 82nd Street and NW 84th Avenue
• $520,000 for the Town of Medley’s Water Main Replacement project located in NW 68th Ct and NW 68th Place
• $75 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program for the development and implementation of programs benefiting wildlife and their habitats.
• $4.75 million to address water qualityby providing funding for critical harmful algal bloom research.
• $1 million in direct funding for South Florida to expand water qualityand ecosystem health monitoring and prediction network.
• Report language supporting the Tribe’s ongoing efforts with the Department of the Interior to review subsurface mineral rights on their land.
• Bill language ensuring that no part of Big Cypress National Preserve may be designated as wilderness, a longstanding priority of Congressman Díaz-Balart to protect access for the Tribes and broader public.
• Bill language codifying Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 programfor the State of Florida.

Fiscal Year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill Key Takeaways

The bill fully funds the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, estimated at $650 million, and prioritizes funding for Tribes and wildland fire.

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

• Reducing our reliance on foreign countries for critical minerals by promoting access to resources here at home through blocking certain land withdrawals and reinstating mineral leases in the Superior National Forest.
• Promoting domestic mining by ensuring ancillary mining activities can be approved, fixing the Rosemont decision that created additional red tape and regulatory uncertainty for mining operations.
• Providing $774.84 million for Tribal Public Safety and Justice programs, which is a 36% increase over the FY26 enacted level, to combat drug trafficking while preventing and solving violent crimes.
• Providing the requested increase of $134 million for National Park Service Park Protection, which includes targeted funding for the U.S. Park Police to boost the force’s capacity in the D.C. area consistent with Executive Order 14252, Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.

Champions American energy dominance and reduces regulatory burdens by:

• Providing the requested increase for onshore oil and gas development at the Bureau of Land Management.
• Affirming efforts to responsibly develop Alaska’s energy potential, reducing reliance on foreign oil and advancing Executive Order 14153, Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.
• Providing the requested increase for offshore critical mineral leasing to advance Executive Order 14285, Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources.
• Prohibiting the use of the social cost of carbon, which has stymied new development.
• Prohibiting multiple U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rulings used to weaponize the Endangered Species Act against land users and energy producers.
• Addressing the harmful impacts of the Cottonwood decision to improve forest management.

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

• Unifying firefighting activities across the Department of the Interior, implementing the Administration’s proposal to create the U.S. Wildland Fire Service.
• Supporting the Administration’s request to implement the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2024.
• Prohibiting the use of funds to promote or advance critical race theory.
• Prohibiting the use of funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion training or implementation.
• Prohibiting funds for moral conviction discriminatory action.

Safeguards American taxpayer dollars and preserves core functions by:

• Prohibiting funding for regulating emissions from manure management systems or livestock production.
• Blocking funding for the Presidio Trust.

Protects access to public lands by:

• Blocking restrictions on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands.
• Preventing additional regulations on ammunition, ammunition components, or fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act or any other law.
• Prohibiting restrictions on where standard lead ammunition and fishing tackle can be used on certain federal lands or waters unless conditions are met.

A summary of the bill is available here. 

Bill text is available here.

A table of included Community Project Funding requests is available here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

---

---

Previous Article

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

In new letter to DOT Secretary Duffy, leaders demand answers for the secret, politically driven process that resulted in the appointment of Penn Transformation Partners as the “master developer” for the Penn Station renovation

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, NYC Comptroller Mark Levine, Assemblymembers Tony Simone (District 75) and Micah Lasher (District 69), State Senators Liz Krueger (District 28) and Erik Bottcher (District 47), and New York City Councilmember Carl Wilson (District 3) railed against Donald Trump’s attempt to make New Yorkers pay for his takeover of Penn Station. 

“The Trump administration has weaponized the Department of Transportation against New Yorkers in a blatant attempt to steal money, land, and power,” said the lawmakers. “The Penn Station redevelopment process has broken every precedent and trampled on the rights of New York City residents and the hundreds of thousands of riders who use Penn Station every day. There has been no transparency on the overall cost, who will pay this unknown price, no input from the MTA or key stakeholders, and no public proposal over which land will be used and for what purposes now or later. New Yorkers’ voices have been muted from the discussion happening between billionaires behind closed doors.  

The lawmakers continued, “Additionally, the legislation moving through Congress right now—the McDowell and Moulton Amendment—is a blatant attempt to advance the Trump agenda, hurting New Yorkers in the process. The amendment strips away local control and hands broad authority to a Trump-controlled Amtrak and his real estate developer friends. These entities, all of whom have a significant financial stake in this project, would have the ability to permanently reshape land use around Penn Station while exempting themselves from New York’s laws, weakening our tax base, and bypassing our communities. Without any discussion or negotiation, Amtrak and big real estate would now be exempt from local zoning laws and New York City real estate taxes. The current process has already shown a disregard for New Yorkers. If the McDowell-Moulton Amendment is adopted, New Yorkers’ homes and hard-earned dollars will be up for grabs by Donald Trump and the billionaires and multinational corporations he handed this project to. This is an infringement on local authority and New Yorkers’ pocketbooks.”

“We represent Penn Station, the riders who rely on the transportation it facilitates, and the community members who live here. We will never stop fighting to make sure their voices are heard, and their hard-earned dollars are protected from corrupt efforts to fulfill Donald Trump’s fantasies for Penn Station and New York City,” said the lawmakers.

“Before anything else, Penn Station’s rebuild should save commuters time and money,” said Riders Alliance Policy & Communications Director Danny Pearlstein. “A secret selection process and legislative land grab are the opposite of the transparency and accountability riders deserve. We must have reassurance that riders’ needs aren’t taking a back seat to private ambition. With so much at stake for millions of people far beyond the West Side of Manhattan, it’s essential that New York leaders have a seat at the table to protect what belongs to riders and advance our needs throughout the renovation.”

“My New York City neighborhood, including all of Block 780, should never have been under the threat of destruction by former governor Cuomo or the Amtrak, MTA and NJ Transit Railroads and their allies including the RPA for an unneeded, horrendously expensive, outdated and inefficient terminal track southern expansion of Penn Station.  The case for this destruction of a vibrant New York City neighborhood was never made as industry standard Rail Traffic Controller dynamic modeling simulations were never performed.  These simulations should have been used to determine if through running plans could meet future capacity needs within the existing footprint of Penn Station before an expansion was even considered by the Railroads and their allies.  Such simulations have or are being performed for every other capacity expansion proposed for Penn Station including Penn Access and the Empire Corridor.   No government agency — federal, state or local — should ever be able to demolish an entire neighborhood and waste so much taxpayer money to build an expansion train station when these simulations haven’t been performed.  We have and continue to ask the DOT and others for transparency on this issue.  If the Railroads have performed such simulations, it is time for them to stop wordsmithing objections to their production and share the results with the public. If Andy Byford and the Penn Transformation Partners are sincere in their promises to see our neighborhood spared we hope they will see to it that RTC simulations are performed and the matter of the need for a southern expansion of Penn Station is finally put to rest,” said Eugene Sinigalliano,  251 West 30th Street Residential Tenants Association.

###

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing with Jacqui Heinrich, where he highlighted Democrats’ commitment to ending Donald Trump’s war of choice in the Middle East, lowering the high cost of living and pushing back on the corruption being unleashed by Republicans in Washington, DC and across the country.

Leader Jeffries on Donald Trump’s war in Iran: We as Democrats—and Republicans—particularly in an environment right now where this is day 100 of Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice, have to be focused on ensuring, one, that we always, at all times, protect the national security interests of the American people. That’s not what’s happening right now as it relates to what’s going on in Iran. In fact, Iran is stronger now than they were before this reckless and costly war of choice was started and life is more expensive, particularly as it relates to gas prices. And so, as it relates to national security interests, I think front and center right now is ensuring that the Senate moves on the Democratic resolution that just passed the House of Representatives to actually end this reckless and costly war of choice and put the American people first, which is what the President promised that he was going to do. Not start wars in the Middle East, but stop them. Unfortunately, the Trump administration has turned around and done the exact opposite.

Leader Jeffries on Republican failure to lower costs: This Republican-controlled Congress has failed the people of this country. They promised to lower costs on day one. Costs haven’t gone down. Costs have gone up. The cost of living in this country is out of control. There are far too many people of every race, of every region, all across this country who are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they are unable to actually thrive. They can barely survive. People are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. So as House Democrats, we’re going to continue to focus on driving down the high cost of living and addressing the problems that the American people have asked us to confront.

Leader Jeffries on Bill Pulte and U.S. National Security: The policies haven’t changed, but the people in office certainly have. And in fact, the FISA court has expressed concern that there have been violations of policy as it relates to this current administration. The other thing that should be pointed out is that we’re being asked to trust the privacy and the national security interests of the American people, not just to Donald Trump, but also to Kash Patel and now Bill Pulte, who has been put forward as the Acting Director of National Intelligence. Republicans have criticized that nomination, or Donald Trump elevating this particular individual, because he has no national security background, he has no law enforcement background and he has no military background. He is deeply unqualified. It’s dangerous to put him in the office. And so, yes, there are real concerns as it relates to moving forward with FISA 702 at a moment in time, particularly when the President injected this hand grenade in the middle of sensitive negotiations…Bill Pulte will jeopardize the safety and the security of the American people if he’s allowed to proceed in this position as Director of National Intelligence. That’s not a partisan position, by the way. Democrats and Republicans have a big problem with this, including Senate Majority Leader, Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Now, as it relates to FISA 702, you’ve got Democrats and Republicans on both sides of this issue. We recognize the importance of the tool as a vehicle to protect the national security interests of the American people, while at the same time, we have to protect the privacy and the civil liberties of the American people and you’ve got people on both sides of this issue.