MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

(Washington, DC) — Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding an Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee hearing titled, Balancing Biotechnology Innovation and Biosecurity: Securing U.S. Leadership in a Global Race.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren’s (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below:

Good morning. Thank you to Chairman McCormick and Ranking Member Sykes for this hearing. Thank you to our witnesses for appearing today.

I want to start, Mr. Chairman, by asking unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the American Society for Microbiology, one of our country’s oldest and most respected scientific societies. I agree wholeheartedly with Ranking Member Sykes that the voices of the scientific community need to be heard in this discussion, and ASM has a valuable perspective on these issues.

One of the things that they point out in their letter is that the McKinsey Global Institute has estimated that as much as 60% of the physical imports to the global economy could in principle be produced biologically. That is a stunning possibility, and I see that one of our witnesses is connected with Dr. Endy. Visiting Dr. Endy’s lab at Stanford – it is mind-blowing to see what the possibilities are.

This Committee has long and really impressive legacy of bipartisanship and oversight for biotechnology and biosecurity. Our bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act had several provisions tasking our agencies to support research on the safety and security implications of engineering biology. In this Congress, we approved H.R. 3029, a bill to support nucleic acid screening research at NIST. This bill has since passed the full House and I urge our counterparts in the Senate to take it up. We are also looking closely at the legislative ideas catalyzed by our colleagues from the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology.

For years, this Committee has maintained a deep understanding of, and respect for, the spirit of openness that animates life science research. Republicans and Democrats alike have taken biosecurity and safety seriously, while understanding that to be the world leader in biotechnology, we must be tactful of how we legislate and perform oversight on biosecurity. Unfortunately, the term “strategic” does not adequately define the actions of the Trump Administration and how it has approached these issues. Ranking Member Sykes talked at length about many of these concerns. I will focus instead on what is at stake for us to lose.

One of the things I want to talk about, Mr. Hodges, is your work with Dr. Endy at the Hoover Institution. Dr. Endy was part of the research community that contributed to the development of one of the very first synthetic cells created entirely from scratch – a remarkable achievement for American life science. And when I texted him congratulations, he did text back saying, “We beat China.”

So that was a good step forward.Dr. Endy importantly recognizes that the U.S. cannot, as he says, “ride the breaks” on biotechnology innovation and expect to remain a world leader. I remember touring the lab. There is a little sign that one of the scientists made that says, “The Wright brothers didn’t need a license.”

We have to keep that in mind if we are going to be successful. That doesn’t mean that we don’t take security seriously. We do, but we have to make sure that we don’t stifle innovation in a way that is not strategic.

I just want to say a final thing on a concern that I have that’s not really in the purview entirely of this Committee. And that’s the fact that for years, we in the United States have benefitted from the fact that 80% of foreign-born STEM researchers have wanted to stay in the United States and become Americans with us. For a variety of reasons, hostility towards immigrants, lack of visa availability, the number of people coming from other countries to get their PhDs in STEM has dropped. And the number who want to stay after has also dropped precipitously. That is bad news for our country. A little under 50% of American Nobel Prize winners were Americans who are here by choice. Americans born in another country who decided to become one of us. Losing that will harm us and it will not only harm the research done here, but also our international partnerships and our dialogue and transparency.

So with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you for this hearing on this important topic.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – At today’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus and current vice chair of the committee — spoke with DC Fire and EMS Department Chief John Donnelly, FDNY Chief of Fire Prevention Thomas Currao, and Chief Secretary Officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Greg Ehrie.

They discussed the strides made in protecting Americans from terrorism 25 years after 9/11 and the need to continuously adapt and innovate our technologies. Rep. McCaul also asked the witnesses about the evolving aviation threat posed by modern drones.

 

Click to watch

Full Exchange:

McCaul: You know, I vividly remember that day as we all do. Horrific day. For us, it’s living history. For many now, it’s textbook history in the schools. After 9/11, I became the Chief of Counterterrorism and National Security in the Western District of Texas. I became a student of counterterrorism, and then became chairman of this committee. [I] worked very closely with NYPD and the New York Fire Department as well.

I remember [in] 1993, we had a pre-warning: Ramzi Yousef trying to bring down the World Trade Center. And it was originally a plot to hit 12 synagogues simultaneously, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel. He modified his plan to take down the symbol of economic power, the World Trade Center, one pillar, one building toppling over the other. As you all know, he came actually relatively close to achieving that goal if the bomb had gone off closer to one of the pillar beams.

But then he escapes, meets with his uncle Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He develops the Bojinka plot. I knew the Diplomatic Security Corps officer who arrested him, and eerily, they found baby dolls in his apartment stuffed with chemical explosives to [bring] onto airplanes to blow them up. The Bojinka plot also being 12 airliners, symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel. He conspires with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed on 9/11.

The idea that planes could be turned into suicide missions was something that was not imaginable, and it was a failure of imagination. We saw planes hijacked, but not turned into cruise missiles targeted at buildings. In this case, three symbols of power: economic, military, and what in Arabic [is] called the building of laws, which was the United States Capitol.

The threat was aviation then. I believe it’s also aviation today. I chaired the special events task force on the FIFA games, and the number one focus [was] drones and the impact that drones could have. I just got back from Ukraine, saw the amazing drone capabilities they’ve developed in this war against Russia, this conflict. But the modern aviation threat 25 years later is my question for the three of you.

We worked very hard, and the chairman passed the Safer Skies Act to help federal, state, and local to protect these events. But I’d like for the three of you to comment now on what I consider to be an old threat being aviation, but in a more modern capacity, and that is the threat of drones. Perhaps I could start with Chief Donnelly and work my way through.

Donnelly: Drones bring a new threat to us, and we don’t clearly understand it—meaning the evolution of drones and what their capabilities really are and really aren’t leaves us in a spot where it’s hard to prepare. We are preparing that these weapons can do things in our community that could be delivered by a car or by some other method, so we prepare [for] that. I think the second part of the challenge is awareness of drones.

As you know here in the District of Columbia, the airspace is extremely restricted, and any drone that’s up should be official. But sometimes there’s so many different agencies with them up here, it takes a while to sort out whether or not it’s an official one. And that isn’t a local thing, that’s a federal thing. That’s all the different federal agencies putting them up. So here in the district, we are working with our partners in the Secret Service, with Capitol Police, with the Metropolitan Police Department.

McCaul: Well, you have a lot of federal buildings, including the United States Capitol. I know there are federal agencies assigned to that, but I do think coordination, like with the Safer Skies Act, the intent behind that should apply.

Donnelly: Yeah, and that’s where we want to be. We want to be coordinated so that when a drone’s up, we know if it’s good or bad. I’m confident that we can respond to the threats that they bring, but the coordination, the awareness of what their real capabilities are would be helpful.

McCaul: Thanks. Chief Currao?

Currao: Thank you very much for the question. First of all, thank you for the support. It was grant funding that allowed the FDNY to really build a very robust drone and robotics program. It is a program that’s come to quite significant fruition. We use it a lot in our fire and rescue operations in a marine environment.

And we have actually been a leader working with a lot of our counterparts to actually develop policy. I think from our perspective, our biggest concern is the threat of even just a drone over a special event, over a large area, mass panic. We readily identify—you mentioned Ukraine—that these, uh, drones can be weaponized, and we’re concerned about chemicals, biologicals, other dispersion methods.

And I agree with Chief Donnelly, we’re still trying to understand what is the real threat vector, right? How effective would it be? But in many ways, I’m very concerned about the fact that we could have a mass panic situation at something like the New York City Marathon, [or] any of those particular areas. 

McCaul: Or the Boston Marathon.

Currao: Boston Marathon, absolutely.

McCaul: And by the way, Firehouse 10 is the most dramatic experience, and seeing the flag that flew on 9/11 just always blows me away when I see it. But, Mr. Ehrie?

Ehrie: No, sir, I agree with your assessment. We, like my colleagues, we’re watching this, and the technology is outstripping our ability to identify and mitigate the technology. And certainly what we’re seeing over in Ukraine is the perfection of drone warfare, and that can be extended out across the full spectrum of threats we’re going to face, everywhere from criminal, a delivery system, all the way up to a catastrophic counterterrorism attack.

As you well know from your work with FIFA, it was our biggest fear that there was going to be something that came out in a drone that we could not either identify, and we certainly have a very limited capacity to mitigate that threat if we did identify it. Uh, as the chairman asked, we are extremely near [the]aviation industry, [you] see this over the airports. It was years ago in Scotland that a drone basically parked itself over the airfield, didn’t do anything, but it stopped all transportation. The airport had to shut down.

That threat is still existent today. We would not have a way to take that drone down unless it was a kinetic piece, so we’re working very closely. If there’s something this committee could do, especially on the federal level, a regulation they could put out there, but we need to identify the right technologies to counter this threat.

McCaul: Very helpful. I yield back.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) — On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Congressman Al Green, a Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, shared remarks during a Homeland Security Committee hearing entitled, “25 Years Later: Evolutions in Federal, State, and Local Counterterrorism Efforts Since 9/11.”

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s remarks to the witnesses by clicking here. The hearing remarks highlighted are also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

Full Text of Bill (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Greg Casar (TX-35) reintroduced the Patriotic Corporations of America Act, legislation to ensure federal taxpayer dollars support companies that treat their workers fairly, respect workers’ rights, protect the environment, and pay their fair share.

The legislation would establish high-road standards for companies seeking federal contracts, requiring contractors to meet baseline standards on wages, workers’ rights, and environmental responsibility. It would also give preference in the federal contracting process to companies that demonstrate strong records on collective bargaining, retirement benefits, CEO-to-worker pay ratios, and diversity in leadership.

“Taxpayer dollars should help create good jobs and strengthen communities, not reward corporations that cut corners at the expense of working people,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “If a company wants to do business with the federal government, it should be held to a higher standard. Our legislation makes clear that federal contracts should go to companies that respect their workers, protect their rights, pay their fair share, and invest in the communities they serve.”

“Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t bankroll corporations that bust unions, dodge taxes, and replace workers with AI,” said Congressman Greg Casar. “The Patriotic Corporations of America Act sets a simple rule: if you want a federal contract, you have to do right by working people. Anything less is not patriotic, and not acceptable.”

“The AFL-CIO welcomes the introduction of the Patriotic Corporations of America Act of 2026 that would guarantee that U.S. taxpayer dollars go to employers that are headquartered in the United States, play by the rules, ensure fair wages and treat workers with respect,” said AFL-CIO Policy Director Candace Archer. “We applaud Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Greg Casar for introducing this important legislation that will promote family- and community-sustaining jobs right here at home.”

Under the Patriotic Corporations of America Act, companies would be required to meet standards including:

• Pay Fair Wages: Pay workers at least $15 per hour or 110 percent of the federal minimum wage, whichever is higher.
• Commit to Unions: Agree to remain neutral during union organizing campaigns and not hire replacement workers or close a business in response to a work stoppage.
• Respect Workers’ Rights: Demonstrate that the company has not been found in violation of, or settled claims involving, workers’ labor rights.
• Protect the Environment: Demonstrate that the company has not paid a penalty or settled a claim involving an EPA violation in the previous five years.

The bill would also give preference in the federal contracting process to companies that:

• Maintain a CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio of no more than 100-to-1.
• Contribute at least 5% of payroll to a portable pension fund.
• Have a collective bargaining agreement with their workers.
• Have women and people of color make up at least 40% of top executives and board members.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Ways & Means Committee passed the bipartisan H.R. 10357, the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act, legislation co-led by U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the Ways & Means Tax Subcommittee, which provides a comprehensive framework for the tax treatment of digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins.

The legislation, which passed 38-5, modernizes the federal tax code for digital assets by simplifying rules for ordinary crypto users while establishing clearer tax reporting and compliance requirements for investors, businesses, and digital-asset brokers, among others.

The Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act also includes Kelly’s legislation, the Charitable Deductions for Digital Asset Donations Act, legislation that would allow for widely traded digital assets to be eligible for charitable contributions.

“Digital assets are an increasingly important part of our economy, and the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act allows our tax code to keep pace with innovation,” said Rep. Kelly. “This legislation provides a clear roadmap for Americans who use digital assets, and it establishes rules of the road for taxation and enforcement without granting special treatment.”

You can WATCH and DOWNLOAD Rep. Kelly’s remarks during Wednesday’s markup here.

The legislation:

• Creates a tax exemption for network + transaction fees of $10 or less.
• Simplifies tax accounting for certain digital assets
• Provides simplified accounting for gain and loss on widely traded digital assets 
• Makes it easier for individuals to donate their digital assets to charity
• Provides a treatment of U.S. Dollar Stablecoin transactions while also clarifying taxation of mining and staking
• Strengthens digital-asset tax reporting and compliance.

The legislation, introduced by Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), now advances to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration.

In addition to Rep. Kelly, co-sponsors of the Digital Asset Tax Certainty Act include Reps. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Aaron Bean (R-FL), Mike Carey (R-OH), Steven Horsford (D-NV), David Kustoff (R-TN), Max Miller (R-OH), and Rudy Yakym (R-IN).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

CHICAGO — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced today that Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW), located in his Congressional District, will receive $5,475,808 in federal grant funding for improvements and reconstruction of paved taxiways and pavements.  

The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration as part of the Airport Improvement Program which funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting, and airport markings. 

“Midway Airport is a major domestic travel hub for the Midwest and a source of employment for constituents in my district,” said Congressman García. “The funds from this grant will allow it to continue serving travelers safely and efficiently so it can continue to be an attractive option for people traveling to and from Chicago. I am proud to have worked to secure it.”

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

U.S. Fish and Wildlife signals support for Harder’s bill during legislative hearing earlier today

VIDEO from the hearing is available here

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that his bill to stop the golden mussel invasion is advancing in Congress. Earlier today, the U.S. House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries held a bipartisan hearing on Harder’s Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act and highlighted the need for halting the mussels’ spread and kickstarting eradication efforts.

“The Service works closely with partners to combat golden mussels – last summer, we conveyed a work group to evaluate immediate and long-term needs,” said Dave Miko, Acting Deputy Director for Operations at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, during the hearing. “The work group is developing a national control and management plan to guide and coordinate efforts. In January 2025, the Service published a proposed rule that would add golden mussels to the list of injurious wildlife. The service recognizes the importance of addressing invasive species and supports the goals of H.R. 3717.”

Golden mussels are using the Delta as the staging ground for a continental invasion:

• The first U.S. sighting of golden mussels occurred near the Port of Stockton in 2024 and the infestation now ranges as far south as San Diego County.
• A single female mussel can produce up to one million offspring a year, and in some river systems, they have spread up to 150 miles per year on average.
• If left unchecked, the infestation could threaten the water supplies relied upon by 27 million Californians and $50 billion in agriculture.

“Our community is on the front lines of efforts to prevent a continental infestation, but we deserve more than just becoming the nation’s quarantine zone,” said Rep. Harder. “That’s why I introduced legislation to supercharge control efforts and invest in eradication technologies, and I’m grateful to see these solutions gaining support in Congress. Washington should quickly pass this bill into law to halt the golden mussel invasion and kick them out of our waterways once and for all.”

How the Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act works:

• Deploys a rapid response program to monitor, contain, and begin eradicating the current infestation.
• Invests in new technology and inspection stations to speed up local eradication efforts.
• Increases state, local, and federal coordination through a comprehensive report on best practices and new guidance on golden mussel prevention.

 

“The golden mussel is the most significant invasive species threat California’s water infrastructure has faced in a generation, and it will not stay isolated to California either,” said Rachel Murphy, General Manager for the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD). “The Golden Mussel Eradication and Control Act gives the country the tools to respond: a lead agency, a focused program, applied research, technical assistance, and a way to share what works. CCWD strongly supports the bill, and thanks Congressman Harder for his leadership in bringing it forward.”

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

Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-07), a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, led a bipartisan group of 10 congressional leaders on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pressing House leadership to take immediate, urgent action to address risks posed by this rapidly advancing technology. The push came in the wake of the OpenAI agent cyberattacks on Hugging Face and subsequent warnings from leaders and researchers at prominent AI companies about the societal and existential risks posed by unrestrained advances in the technology.
In addition to Trahan and Beyer, the letter was signed by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-33), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16).
“We call for your joint leadership on an urgent Congressional response to recent incidents involving advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models that have profound implications for economic and national security. Congress has a singular opportunity to respond swiftly and effectively to these warning shots before true catastrophes occur,” the lawmakers wrote. “Congress must urgently advance legislation to mitigate the risk of more serious incidents, especially those that could threaten critical infrastructure, our financial system, and other institutions that every American depends on.”
“The House of Representatives could and should immediately take up legislation that would strengthen AI oversight, security, and transparency. There currently exist dozens of bipartisan bills that committees of jurisdiction have reported. Members of both parties have also worked in recent months to fast-track bipartisan legislation that is ready to be considered by committees of jurisdiction. We believe these bills should be carefully and urgently advanced through the legislative process,” the lawmakers continued.
A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.
In July, Trahan and Obernolte introduced the FRONTIER Act, bipartisan legislation that would set the first federal safety rules for the most powerful AI systems, requiring the companies that build them to be transparent about the risks, submit to independent safety reviews, and report dangerous incidents to the government. The proposal has been endorsed by a broad coalition of independent AI safety organizations, industry stakeholders, and others.
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced a bipartisan resolution designating September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month to increase awareness of gynecologic cancers and encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment.

“Gynecologic cancers affect approximately 100,000 women every year, yet too many face diagnosis when it is already far along,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “This bipartisan resolution is meant to break down stigma, make sure women know the warning signs, and encourage early detection. Early diagnosis saves lives, and we must ensure every woman has access to the comprehensive, affordable care she needs.”

“Gynecologic cancers affect thousands of women and families every year, and knowing the warning signs can make a real difference,” said Congressman Bacon. “This resolution will help raise awareness, encourage women to talk with their doctors when something does not seem right and support earlier diagnosis and treatment. I’m pleased to join Rep. Dingell in recognizing September as Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month.”

The resolution is endorsed by the Society for Gynecologic Oncology.

“Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the five gynecologic cancers and ensure people know the signs and symptoms that may signal a need to speak with their healthcare provider. Early detection and timely access to high-quality, specialized care can make meaningful difference in outcomes and save lives. By increasing awareness, equipping people with the information they need, and breaking down barriers to care, we can help more people get the right diagnosis, treatment, and support, when they need it,” said Matthew A. Powell, MD, President, Society of Gynecologic Oncology.

A copy of the letter can be found HERE.