MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

June 03, 2026

Watch Rep. Levin’s Remarks Here

Washington, D.C.—Today, during a House Appropriations Committee markup, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced an amendment to prohibit leasing activities for oil and gas off the coast of California and in the Eastern Gulf near Florida. The amendment was rejected by Republicans on the Appropriations Committee—including Republican Members who represent Florida.

In November 2025, the Trump Administration announced new offshore drilling plans for the nation that would include up to 34 offshore lease sales covering approximately 1.27 billion acres of United States coastline, including three lease sales in Southern California and three more throughout the rest of the state. The plan would also include 21 lease sales off the coast of Alaska and seven in the Gulf of Mexico, including two in the Eastern Gulf near Florida. The proposed leasing areas include waters used by the U.S. military for training, testing, and operations.

Since entering Congress in 2019, Rep. Levin has fought extensively for a ban on offshore drilling off the coast of California. In April 2025, he reintroduced he reintroduced the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act to ban offshore drilling along the Southern California coast. He also co-sponsored Rep. Jared Huffman’s (CA-02) West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would ban offshore drilling throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. Rep. Levin’s bill has been endorsed by numerous environmental groups and cities throughout the 49^th Congressional District.

Rep. Levin’s amendment would have prevented new offshore drilling leases off the costs of California and Florida in order to protect coastal economies, military installations, tourism, and the environment.

Read Rep. Levin’s remarks as prepared for delivery below:

I am proud to represent 50 miles of beautiful Southern California coastline and the vibrant coastal economy that relies on its clean and healthy ocean ecosystem.

It is well known how much our coastline supports the economy, from tourism, to recreation, to fisheries, to deepwater port commerce.

But what we do not talk about enough is the fact that our coastline is also home to a broad network of military installations, testing sites, and naval training areas that are essential to our military readiness, including Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in my district.

It’s not just California that relies on a healthy coastline; every one of us from a coastal state knows just how important the ocean is to our constituents and our military.

Which is why I am so concerned that the first proposal on the 11^th National Outer Continental Shelf Program would open waters off the coast of California and in the Gulf off of Florida to offshore drilling.

Last year, the Interior Department proposed to expand drilling into the Eastern Gulf near Florida as well as the entire California coast, where no new drilling has taken place in more than 50 years.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard all use at least one range off California or in the Gulf, and at least two dozen military bases rely on these waters in some capacity.

So I rise today to offer an amendment to prohibit leasing activities for oil and gas off the coast of California and in the Eastern Gulf near Florida.

In California, the waters off our shore are actively used by the men and women of our armed forces to train, test, and maintain the readiness that keeps this country safe and that keeps our adversaries in check.

The waters off Southern California are some of the most militarily significant in the world. This is where we project power into the Pacific.

Yet as you can see, the proposed leasing expansion in California overlaps significantly with areas that the US military uses for training and operations.

These offshore waters are where these service members rehearse the missions that matter most. Where next-generation systems get tested. Where readiness is built so that when the moment comes, our military is prepared.

That includes the amphibious assault exercises, ship-to-shore raids, small unit landings, and that are essential to how our servicemen and women train and certify for deployment.

These are not optional exercises. They are required before deployment.

The same is true on the Florida coast. The proposed drilling expansion in the Eastern Gulf would mean real impacts to military readiness.

The region acts as critical training ground and retired military leaders have been ringing the alarm bell about the risks that new offshore drilling would pose in the Gulf.

From weapons and aircraft testing to training exercises, having access to open water in the Eastern Gulf is critical to our military operations.

Yet again, as you can see, the proposed leasing expansion significantly overlaps with military training and operations areas off the Florida coast.

Think about what that actually looks like in practice.

New drilling creates new physical and logistical conflicts in some of the most sensitive testing ranges in the country. It creates conflicts between commercial activity and military necessity that simply should not exist.

Permanent oil platforms cannot be moved for military exercises.

There is also an environmental dimension to this that cannot be ignored.

The risk of oil spills is very real, and one that our Southern California community experienced all too recently.

A pipeline leaked just off the Orange County coast, releasing tens of thousands of gallons of crude oil into the ocean, making the shoreline unsafe for fishing and tourism for months.

Now ask yourself: what happens when that kind of catastrophe occurs not off a tourist beach, but in the middle of an offshore range complex or an active training corridor?

For all these reasons, new drilling off the coasts of California and Florida opposition faces bipartisan opposition from communities and elected officials.

I hope that everyone can stand by our colleagues from California and Florida to support my amendment to prevent new drilling in these sensitive areas.

Thank you and I yield back.

##

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

LOS ANGELES, CA — Today, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) conducted an unannounced oversight visit at the B-18 federal detention facility in Los Angeles, marking one year since President Trump deployed federal forces to Los Angeles and dramatically escalated immigration enforcement operations across the region.  

The visit comes as Rep. Gomez continues ongoing oversight efforts aimed at ensuring transparency, accountability, and proper treatment of individuals held in federal custody.  

“For the past year, I’ve worked to hold the Trump administration accountable for its actions in Los Angeles,” said Rep. Gomez. “When the administration tried to block congressional oversight, I fought back in court and won. Since then, I’ve continued using my lawful oversight authority to monitor conditions inside detention facilities and ensure the public gets answers.”  

Over the past year, Rep. Gomez has repeatedly sought information about federal immigration enforcement operations and detention conditions in Los Angeles. After being denied access to facilities where individuals were being held, Gomez challenged the administration’s restrictions in court and successfully secured the right to conduct oversight visits.  

Since then, Gomez has conducted multiple inspections of federal detention facilities, meeting directly with detainees, reviewing conditions inside facilities, and pressing federal officials for answers regarding the treatment of individuals in custody.  

One year after federal forces were deployed to Los Angeles and immigration operations intensified across the region, Rep. Gomez continues to conduct oversight on behalf of the communities he represents and to ensure federal agencies remain accountable to the public. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Washington – Today, Representatives Mike Thompson (CA-04), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and David Valadao (CA-22) led a bipartisan coalition of 14 California lawmakers in requesting that Québec Premiere Christine Fréchette remove the current restrictions barring the importation and sale of American wine in Québec.

“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies,” wrote the lawmakers. “Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market.”

“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québécois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes,” continued the lawmakers.

The lawmakers highlighted the United States’ extended history of close collaboration with Québec through a relationship built on shared trade, culture, and economic success. Québec’s top export market is the United States, and the United States is Québec’s largest supplier. Nearly three-quarters of Québec’s 2024 exports went to the United States, worth a total of $91.2 billion, and a third of Québec’s total imports in recent years have come from the U.S.

In addition to Reps. Thompson, Panetta, and Valadao, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) and Reps. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Jim Costa (CA-21), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Young Kim (CA-40), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), and Kevin Mullin (CA-15) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Premier Fréchette:

Thank you for your recent visit to Washington and your work to promote U.S.-Québec trade relations. In pursuit of that shared goal, we are writing to express our belief that lifting the current restrictions on the importation and sale of American wine in Québec would be beneficial to both Québec and the United States.

The United States and Québec share a long-standing relationship grounded in trade, cultural exchange, and mutual economic benefit. As you know, the U.S. is the top export market for Québec and received 73.5 percent of Québec’s exports in 2024, worth $91.2 billion. The United States is also Québec’s largest supplier, accounting for 33.3 percent of total imports in past years.

Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies. Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market.

Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes. We would welcome the opportunity to continue to engage in dialogue and work collaboratively toward a resolution.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

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Congressman Mike Thompson is proud to represent California’s 4th Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo Counties. He is a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Rep. Thompson is Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. He is also Co-Chair of the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Wine Caucus and a member of the fiscally-responsible Blue Dog Coalition.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mark Amodei announced that all 20 of his Community Project Funding requests, totaling over $29 million, for NV-02 were accepted following the House Appropriations Committee’s release of the FY27 bills for Interior and Environment; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies; and Commerce, Justice, and Science. 

“I’d like to give a special thanks to the Subcommittee Chairs and their staff for carefully reviewing every submission and determining the projects I submitted to improve NV-02 met all qualifications,” said Rep. Mark Amodei. 

“These investments will bolster our police force and enhance public safety. They will maintain quality drinking water for our communities and rehabilitate our waterway infrastructure. They will also support our pro-growth goals by advancing initiatives that improve the efficiency of our roads, schools, and airport.

“I’m proud to be Original Nevada’s Congressman delivering all twenty of our district-focused priorities during my final appropriations season for pure Nevada, and I look forward to watching these investments pay off while someone else handles the late-night votes.”

FY27 Community Project Funding Secured:

Commerce, Justice, and Science:

Recipient: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office

Amount: $2,000,000

Project Description: This project will support the replacement of aging, end-of-life equipment with modern radios, repeaters, and supporting infrastructure; upgrades to backhaul from legacy copper lines to fiber; and the addition of redundancy, including backup power, diverse routing, and alternate sites, to ensure reliable, interoperable communications for first responders. 

Recipient: Carson City Sheriff’s Office 

Amount: $1,085,000

Project Description: This project will support the purchase of a multi-agency, multi-discipline response vehicle to replace the current apparatus and provide improved functionality, mobility, technology, and reliability for critical incidents and major events. 

Recipient: City of Sparks 

Amount: $2,500,000

Project Description: This project will support the purchase of seven drones for a Drone as a First Responder program, investigative and forensic crime analysis software, gunshot detection expansion, additional live cameras and license plate readers, and modernization of a regional mobile command center. 

Recipient: University of Nevada, Reno 

Amount: $2,963,000

Project Description: This project will support the deployment of 15 meteorological stations with real-time data visualization and community outreach to improve flood, fire, and water supply forecasting, including enhanced data to support water planning. 

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:

Recipient: Lander County 

Amount:$2,160,000 

Project Description: This project will support the construction of a sanitary sewer lift station and associated mainline extension along Sheep Creek Road in Battle Mountain, Nevada, represents a critical investment in public health, environmental protection, and community growth. The project will reduce septic system density, preserve vital groundwater resources, and provide the infrastructure necessary to support sustainable development identified in the Lander County Master Plan. 

Recipient: City of Yerington 

Amount: $1,500,000 

Project Description: This project will support the Critical Drinking Water Rehabilitation and Improvement Project, which addresses urgent deficiencies in the City of Yerington’s municipal water storage system. Five water tanks require rehabilitation to maintain compliance with drinking water standards after the 2023 Nevada Department of Environmental Protection Sanitary Survey identified significant deficiencies, including corrosion and rust confirmed by a follow-up engineering assessment. 

Recipient: Storey County 

Amount: $1,500,000 

Project Description: This project will support the Silver City Watermain Replacement Project, which will replace the approximate 8,500-linear-foot (1.6 miles) of a nearly 150-year-old transmission main, stretching from State Route 342 to an existing County water storage tank. The proposed transmission main will traverse along the terrain, parallel to the existing main’s original alignment. The original line was installed in the 1870s and is in dire need of replacement to deliver safe drinking water to Virginia City. 

Recipient: City of Fernley 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the Highway 50 Looping Water Mainline project, which will extend a water main along US 50A from Nevada Pacific Boulevard to Julia Lane. The project provides essential redundancy, fire-flow reliability, and hydraulic stability in a high-growth, high-traffic regional corridor and will provide a reliable drinking water source for the community surrounding Farm District Road. 

Recipient: Lyon County 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the South Plant Effluent Pumping Improvements project. The existing effluent pumping surrounding the current pump station and other disposal sites near the South Plant needs standby effluent pump and upsizing the force main under the Carson River in order to maximize the effluent delivery to the reuse sites. The current system deficiencies limit the effluent disposal capacity of the utility impacting the overall wastewater management in the utility’s service area. 

Recipient: Kingsbury General Improvement District 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the modernization of the Kingsbury General Improvement District’s existing wastewater infrastructure serving the Stateline community. The project will construct new sewer conveyance infrastructure redirecting wastewater flows from the aging Market Street Lift Station to the Douglas County Lake Tahoe Sewer Authority Beach Lift Station, eliminating aging lift station infrastructure and removing asbestos cement force main that feeds into Edgewood Creek. 

Recipient: City of Carlin 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the replacement of the aged Oak Street Sewer Lift Station that has gone beyond its economic useful life that serves 2,519 citizens of Carlin, which is a rural small town located in northern Nevada. This funding request is vital for the City of Carlin in order to keep the existing system operating for its citizens. 

Recipient: City of Fallon 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the construction of a 3,000,000-gallon municipal water storage tank for the City of Fallon to improve reliability and resilience of the community’s municipal water system. A new water tank is necessary to improve drinking water storage capacity in the community water system, increase fire flows, fulfill the needs of a growing community, and give the ability to provide storage redundancy for the Fallon Naval Air Station in the event of an emergency. 

Recipient: City of Yerington 

Amount: $500,000 

Project Description: This project will support the Critical Wastewater Rehabilitation and Improvement Project, which addresses urgent deficiencies in the City of Yerington’s wastewater treatment system identified by the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP). Recent inspections determined that the City’s sewer pond liners are in unsatisfactory condition and that failing equipment within the collection system is causing inadequate conveyance of raw sewage to the treatment ponds. These failures have resulted in raw sewage backups in a residential neighborhood and insufficient odor mitigation, creating significant public health, environmental, and quality-of-life concerns. 

Recipient: Lyon County 

Amount: $1,000,000 

Project Description: This project will support the rehabilitation of Sewer Station 4 Lift Station in Lyon County. Sewer Lift Station 4, located at 490 Dayton Valley Road, Dayton, NV has reached its end of life and needs rehabilitation to extend the life of the lift station and ensure continued operation in the sewer collection system. The Lift Station also needs to be equipped and upgraded with proper instrumentation and control facilities to function efficiently. 

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development:

Recipient: Washoe County Sheriff’s Office

Amount: $3,000,000

Project Description: This project will support a roof retrofit, hangar door replacement, and upgrades to fire suppression systems and concrete infrastructure for the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. 

Recipient: Carson City 

Amount: $1,000,000

Project Description: This project will support the completion of the interior and exterior ADA-related improvements of the Carson City Community Center. The funds will be used to implement critical infrastructure and add system upgrades to improve safety and accessibility. 

Recipient: Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority 

Amount: $2,344,000

Project Description: This project will support the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority to acquire modern snow removal equipment for the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. The funds will be used to replace two runway brooms and two snowplows, three that were purchased in the late 1990s and one purchased in 2006, with two multifunction units. One multifunction unit replaces both a broom and a plow. These new units are more efficient and will improve the ability to keep the airport operational in the face of major winter weather. 

Recipient: City of Fernley 

Amount: $1,000,000

Project Description: This project will support the City of Fernley’s Gustafson Road and Bridge Replacement Project. The funds will be used to replace a failing, weight-restricted bridge over the Truckee-Carson Canal, which will be able to service heavy vehicles such as emergency fire and rescue trucks. 

Recipient: Town of Gardnerville 

Amount: $750,000

Project Description: This request will support the town of Gardnerville’s Service Drive, Pep Circle, and Venture Drive Reconstruction and ADA Upgrades Project. The funds will be used to fund the reconstruction of three worn-down and damaged roads. 

Recipient: Humboldt County School District

Amount: $1,000,000

Project Description: This project will support the Winnemucca Grammar School, a 100-year-old historic elementary school. The Humboldt County School District closed the building in February 2026 after engineering evaluations identified structural deficiencies that pose a significant safety risk, and the district has had to temporarily send 300 students to an elementary school ten miles outside of town. The funds will be used to fix structural deficiencies that pose safety risks and allow the school district to serve the student population within the community. 

PLUS…

In addition to the FY27 appropriations funding, I successfully secured support for two other community initiatives: 

Recipient: Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority Terminal Modernization Project

Project Description: Through conversations with my former House colleague and current Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, I emphasized the importance of this terminal modernization project. This $20 million investment will replace aging concourses with modern, efficient facilities that address capacity constraints driven by rapid population growth and increased passenger demand. The finished project will leave the community with a family-friendly airport, full of space to enjoy the surrounding views, including post-security outdoor space to get fresh air and enjoy the beautiful weather of our region. By investing in this key entry point, we are effectively investing in the economic vitality of the entire Nevada business and tourism ecosystem. 

Recipient: RTC of Washoe County

I had previously helped secure nearly $10 million for Washoe RTC to buy hydrogen fuel cell electric buses to replace aging diesel buses and install fueling infrastructure and create a workforce development program. After several holdups with the Department of Transportation, I worked directly with Transportation Secretary Duffy to have these funds delivered to Washoe RTC. It’s great to see this project come to fruition!

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01) reported that his Appropriations Committee approved two more of its twelve Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills: the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and the Interior/Environment funding measures.  

The FY 2027 T-HUD funding bill proposes a total $92.2 billion for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness and the U.S. Department of Transportation, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a reduction of 8% from current Fiscal Year 2026.  

The Interior/Environment bill proposes a total $39 billion for the U.S. Department of the Interior, including the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Forest Service, and various independent agencies including the National Endowments on Arts and the Humanities, a further reduction of 2% off a steep reduction in FY26.

“In both cases, I could not accept the overall result which is to walk away from key federal programs to assist with top priorities for our country and Hawai’i in affordable housing, transportation,  environmental protection and historical and cultural preservation,” said Case. He cited the following examples from the T-HUD measure, which significantly cut or eliminated key programs including:

·         The HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the only federal program dedicated to developing affordable housing.

·         The Housing Counseling Assistance Program, which helps families obtain, sustain and retain their homes.

·         The Continuum of Care Program, which supports local service providers in community-based approaches to rehouse individuals and families and build pathways towards greater self-sufficiency.

·         National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.

·         The Asian Pacific American Center, which documents and shares the contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders to the nation’s history. 

·         The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, which help to finance local water infrastructure projects.

“However, I did succeed in incorporating many of my requests that are directed at Hawai’i-specific needs, starting with Native Hawaiian-focused housing programs”, said Case. Specifically:

T-HUD

The bill provides $15 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant and $28 million for the Native Hawaiian Housing Loan Guarantee Fund. The funding represents a significant victory for Native Hawaiian housing programs, which have faced heightened scrutiny and proposed cuts this year, including the President’s proposal to eliminate both programs entirely. By rejecting those cuts, the bill preserves critical federal investments that expand housing opportunities and support Native Hawaiian communities across Hawaiʻi.

The bill also included Case’s request to continue funding for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which plays a crucial role in enhancing the safety of the helicopter and small aircraft industry through accident investigation, analysis and recommendations to prevent future incidents, including several fatal accidents throughout Hawai‘i. The $175 million provided to the NTSB will help make Hawai‘i safer in response to the many aviation tragedies and accidents endured by the state in recent years.

The bill further includes the following funding requested by Case for programs to improve access to affordable housing in Hawai‘i and nationwide: 

·         $5 million for core housing research partnerships with Native Hawaiian serving institutions among other minority serving institutions.

·         $38.8 billion for the Tenant Based Rental Assistance Program, Section 8.

·         $3.3 billion for the Community Development Block Grant formula program, which support state and local government efforts to increase access to affordable housing, community assistance services and jobs.

·         $290 million for Emergency Solutions Grants, which support emergency shelters, rapid rehousing programs and homeless prevention.

Other transportation and infrastructure programs requested and secured by Case include: 

·         $372 million for the Maritime Security Program.

·         $123 million for the Port Infrastructure Development Program.

·         $105 million for assistance to small shipyards like Kalaeloa/Barbers Point.

·         $21.7 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including $1 million to assess the capabilities of using transponder landing systems in space and weather constrained airports such as those in Hawai‘i.  

Finally, through his assignment on the Committee, Case also secured two Member-designated Community Project Funding projects that specifically focus on local needs in Hawai‘i: 

·         $1.8 million for the City and County’s Chinatown Affordable Housing Project. These funds would help to preserve much-needed housing by upgrading mechanical systems, making roof and waterproofing improvements and installing accessibility enhancements.

·         $250,000 for the Hawai‘i State Department of Education’s Safer Hawai‘i Schools Pilot Program. These funds would enhance the security infrastructure for Ruth Keli‘ikōlani Middle School by helping to build a new security camera system.

The House’s Community Project Funding rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.  

Interior/Environment  

The bill includes the following requests by Case: 

·         $5 million for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State of the Birds Activities to respond to the urgent needs of critically endangered birds that now face possible extinction. These funds are helping to save numerous endemic birds in Hawai‘i that have been devastated by climate change and avian malaria.

·         $4.6 million for Japanese Confinement Site Grants and funding for the Amache National Historic Site, which was one of ten incarceration sites established by the War Relocation Authority during World War II to detain Japanese Americans who were forcibly removed from their communities on the West Coast.  

·         $80 million for State Fire Assistance, which provides financial and technical support directly to states to enhance firefighting capacity, support community-based hazard mitigation and expand outreach and education to homeowners and communities concerning fire prevention. 

·         $65 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Adaptation Science Centers, which includes the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center based out of the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. These centers provide regionally relevant scientific information, tools and techniques to resource managers and communities in Hawai‘i in response to our changing climate.  

·         $62 million for State Historic Preservation Offices which help preserve Hawaii’s treasured historic properties.

·         $29 million for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Cooperative Research Units Program, which includes the Hawai‘i Cooperative Fishery Research Unit.

These two measures are the 8^th and 9^th of the twelve bills taken up by the House Appropriations Committee to collectively fund the federal government for FY 2027 (commencing October 1, 2026).  Both bills now move on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration. 

A summary of the THUD Appropriations bill is available here.

A summary of the Interior Appropriations bill is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. French Hill (AR-02) introduced H.R. 9148, the Scipio Jones House Assessment Act. If passed, this bill would require the Department of the Interior (DOI) to do a special resource study of the Scipio Jones House with a report to Congress three years after enactment. The study would lay the groundwork for preserving the house and potentially bringing it into the National Park System.

Rep. Hill said, “Scipio Jones is one of the most important figures in American civil rights history, and a proud Arkansas native. He saved 12 men from death row, took their case all the way to the Supreme Court, won, and changed constitutional law for every American who has ever stood accused. While I’m grateful to the City of Little Rock for helping to save this landmark, I’m concerned that the Scipio Jones property continues to be vacant and to deteriorate, and I’m proud to lead the effort to restore it in a way that honors this great Arkansan’s legacy.”

Background

Specifically, this bill would evaluate:

• The national significance of the study area,
• The suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a unit of the National Historic Landmark and affiliated area of the National Park System.
• The feasibility of making the home an extension of the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.
• Alternatives for preservation and protection of the study area
• Cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives.

In 2020, Rep. Hill’s bill to permit a portrait of Scipio Jones to be displayed at the Little Rock post office that bears his name was signed into law. The portrait, painted by Arkansas artist Wade Hampton, was unveiled at the post office in February 2022.

About Scipio Jones:

Scipio Africanus Jones, who was born to an enslaved person in 1863, attended Walden Seminary (now Philander Smith University) and then attended Bethel Institute (now Shorter College), earning his bachelor’s degree in 1885. In 1889, Jones passed the bar and was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Arkansas in 1900 and by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1905.

After the horrific massacre of Black Americans in Elaine, Arkansas, in 1919, Scipio Jones defended 12 wrongly accused Black men who had been charged with murder and condemned by all-white juries.

Despite the Elaine Massacre being described as a “race riot,” most of the victims were Black and most of the aggressors were white. With his clients already facing execution, Jones fought their convictions in both state and federal courts. An appeal was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court arguing that the accused had been denied due process of law. After reviewing the case, the Supreme Court agreed and overturned the convictions. Moore v. Dempsey changed the nature of the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. The landmark ruling allows federal courts to hear and examine evidence in state criminal cases to ensure that the defendants’ constitutional due process rights are protected.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.– Congresswoman Joyce Beatty announced today that she has secured two additional Fiscal Year 2027 Community Project Funding requests totaling $1.29 million to expand access to behavioral health, substance use recovery, primary care, and women’s health services in Central Ohio.

The two projects bring Congresswoman Beatty’s total Fiscal Year 2027 Community Project Funding requests to 20 projects totaling $13,772,868 for infrastructure, workforce development, public safety, scientific research, youth services, environmental improvements, and health care initiatives throughout Ohio’s Third Congressional District. 

“Americans need better access to critical health care services,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “This funding will expand access to behavioral health treatment, substance use recovery, primary care, and women’s health services. I’m proud to support these investments to help ensure more Ohioans receive the quality care they deserve.”

Lower Lights Community Behavioral Health Expansion Project

• Recipient: Lower Lights Christian Health Center
  Funding Request: $540,000
  • The funding would support the construction of a 5,000-square-foot second-floor expansion for a Behavioral Health and Substance Use Recovery Center at Lower Lights Christian Health Center. The project will expand access to outpatient mental health and addiction treatment services in Franklin County’s underserved neighborhoods, helping address critical service gaps for low-income and uninsured residents who often face long wait times, transportation barriers, and limited access to coordinated care.

Capital Park Expansion Project

• Recipient: Heart of Ohio Family Health Centers
  Funding Request: $750,000
  • The funding would support the expansion and renovation of the Capital Park clinic and the purchase of an ultrasound machine and colposcope. The project will increase access to primary care and women’s health services in a Medically Underserved Area, serving a patient population in which approximately 75 percent are women and children and 87 percent live at or below the Federal Poverty Level.
     

These funding requests were submitted as part of the annual appropriations process for FY27. All funding requests will be finalized and officially made available after the appropriations bills are passed by Congress and signed into law by the president.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Washington, D.C. – United States Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), David Valadao (CA-22), and Mike Thompson (CA-04) led a bipartisan coalition of 14 California lawmakers in requesting that Québec Premier Christine Fréchette remove the current restrictions barring the importation and sale of American wine in Québec.

“Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies,” wrote the lawmakers. “Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market.” 

“Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes,” continued the lawmakers.

The lawmakers highlighted the United States’ extended history of close collaboration with Québec through a relationship built on shared trade, culture, and economic success. Québec’s top export market is the United States, and the United States is Québec’s largest supplier. Nearly three quarters of Québec’s 2024 exports went to the United States, worth a total of $91.2 billion, and a third of Québec’s total imports in recent years have come from the U.S.

In addition to Reps. Panetta, Valadao, and Thompson, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) and Reps. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Jim Costa (CA-21), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Young Kim (CA-40), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), and Kevin Mullin (CA-15) also signed the letter.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Premier Fréchette:

Thank you for your recent visit to Washington and your work to promote U.S.-Québec trade relations. In pursuit of that shared goal, we are writing to express our belief that lifting the current restrictions on the importation and sale of American wine in Québec would be beneficial to both Québec and the United States.

The United States and Québec share a long-standing relationship grounded in trade, cultural exchange, and mutual economic benefit. As you know, the U.S. is the top export market for Québec and received 73.5 percent of Québec’s exports in 2024, worth $91.2 billion. The United States is also Québec’s largest supplier, accounting for 33.3 percent of total imports in past years.

Unfortunately, the restriction on American wine has had damaging consequences for regional consumers, businesses, and producers who had no influence over national policies. Québec consumers have historically enjoyed access to a wide variety of American wines, and their absence limits choice in the marketplace, while cutting off a $434 million market.

Reopening the market to American wine would restore consumer choice and signal a commitment to restoring fair and balanced trade for Québecois consumers and American wineries who have no connection to the underlying trade disputes. We would welcome the opportunity to continue to engage in dialogue and work collaboratively toward a resolution.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)