MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Today, ahead of the House vote on the Iran War Powers Resolution, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the House Floor denouncing President Trump for bypassing Congress while American servicemembers lose their lives and hundreds more are injured.

Watch Pelosi’s Floor remarks here.

Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s Floor remarks below:

Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I thank him for his courageous leadership bringing this legislation to the Floor.

We are the House of Representatives. Article One of the Constitution gives the power to declare war to the Congress of the United States. And why? Because we are the Representatives of the people of the United States.

And it is important for the people of the United States to understand the reason why, the purpose, the strategy of it all, and also to approve of the use of force.

Of course, the President did not do that.

And for some reason, there are those in this body who have been willing to abdicate the power of the House of Representatives and the Congress of the United States to declare war.

But the gravest cost, of course, to this war is not just that the American people have not had the explanation by way of the Congress.

The cost is human. Thirteen brave American servicemembers have lost their lives. Hundreds more have been injured, and more than a thousand civilians in the region have perished.

Of course, the cost is in the billions and the President said we can’t do child care because we have to spend money on war. We don’t have to spend money on war. 

We all agree that they cannot have a nuclear weapon. President Obama did that diplomatically. The current President threw that out and decided to go to war without a plan, without a strategy, without an exit plan, and really without even explaining his purpose to the American people.

I urge our colleagues to respect who they are, Members of Congress with the power to declare war, and insist on voting on this motion put forth by the distinguished, soon to be Chairman again of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Thank you.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Watch Pressley Make Final, Powerful Appeal to Colleagues to Protect Haitian Neighbors, Support our Communities, Care Economy

Bipartisan Measure Now Heads to the U.S. Senate

Pressley Floor Speech (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus, secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families, and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation. The measure now heads to the United States Senate.

Earlier today, the House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Pressley’s bipartisan discharge petition by a vote of 220-207 to extend Haiti TPS for three years. Congresswoman Pressley won a key procedural vote on the discharge petition yesterday and managed debate on the House floor prior to today’s successful vote. Last month, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support—only the 15^th discharge petition to do so in the last 40 years.

Congresswoman Pressley issued the following statement upon House passage of Pressley’s discharge petition to force a vote and underlying legislation by Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-04) to extend Haiti TPS until April 2029:

“This is a monumental victory in a long-fought battle to protect the safety, dignity, and humanity of our Haitian neighbors. This win would not be possible without the strength and organizing power of the broad, diverse coalition to defend our Haitian siblings—a movement that has seen the humanity in the Haitian parents, workers, caregivers, faith leaders, business owners, and children who contribute so much to our communities daily.

“Democrats and Republicans alike have come together to support our Haitian neighbors not just because this is good, commonsense policy, but because it is the right, humane thing to do.

“To our Haitian neighbors in the Massachusetts 7^th and across this country—this is for you. Today, we are closer than ever to getting this over the finish line, and the Senate must pick up this critical priority without delay. The lives of our Haitian families, neighbors, and friends depend on it.”

Congresswoman Gillen issued the following statement:

“I’m thrilled that the first bill I introduced in Congress has just passed the House. I was proud to lead the bipartisan effort to extend TPS for law-abiding and tax paying Haitians who would face horrific conditions if forced back to Haiti. Not only would this threaten the lives of our neighbors it would have a devastating effect on our economy. The push will go on after this important victory and I urge the Senate to take up this measure and show the compassion and good sense to protect our Haitian community members.”

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s final appeal on the House floor ahead of final passage is available below, and the video is available here.

Transcript: House Passes Pressley-Led Measure to Extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti, Now Heads to Senate
U.S. House of Representatives
April 16, 2026 

Thank you. Mr. Speaker, once again, my colleagues across the aisle prove that they have no idea who or what actually makes this country great. 

It seems you don’t know who are the brilliant and effective educators in your classrooms, in our classrooms, or the owners of the restaurants that might provide your favorite meal. Or even more, the health care provider, the home health care provider, that is taking care of your aging loved one, or doing that in a hospital or a nursing home. 

I know firsthand how important our Haitian neighbors are to our communities, to civic life, to culture, to workforce, to our economy. 

During my mother’s cancer battle—may she rest in peace and power a battle of CLL Leukemia, that she ultimately lost—in her final days as her only child and her medical proxy, working daily to extend her life and to center her dignity while she spent her final moments in that hospital room and bed. 

The room was cold, but the Haitian nurses who cared for her provided much needed warmth and compassion—oiling her scalp, braiding her hair, going above and beyond to comfort my mother. I’m eternally grateful to those women for their kindness, their competence, and their empathy.

And I will not stand idly by why our Haitian neighbors are denigrated, dehumanized, criticized, or forced to live in fear of deportation. 

The unique care provided by my mother and millions of people cannot be replaced by AI.

Haitian TPS holders are not the problem. Quite the contrary—they are part of the solution. They are not our enemies. They do not exploit our nation. They enhance it. 

Secretary Kennedy himself has said that we are in a caregiving crisis. 

One in four of our health care workers are Haitian—long-term health care. And one in five of our health care workers are Haitian. 

The caregiving crisis impacts families throughout America. Our seniors need care to age with dignity and community. It is Haitian TPS holders who disproportionately serve as caregivers and home health aides who, during the pandemic, risked their lives to care for the sick and the ailing. 

Further, with the lack of affordable housing leading to an increase in evictions and a decrease in home ownership, it is Haitian TPS holders who are part of the solution as construction workers helping to build our housing supply.

You have selective amnesia or are simply in denial about who and what actually makes this country great. 

You are the beneficiaries of their contributions. 

Haitian TPS holders are not the problem. They support our families, our economy, and our country. They are our neighbors, our educators, our congregants, people we work and worship with, and they are our friends. 

That is why I support my bipartisan legislation to extend Haiti TPS and I urge my colleagues to vote YES.

—–

Congresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

This week, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.

In February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.

• On June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.
• On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.
• On March 18, 2025,  Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.
• On February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.
• On April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.
• On April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
• On March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly  for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
• On March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
• On March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.
• On December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.
• On December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• On August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.
• On May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island. 
• On May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.
• In February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.
• On March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.
• On February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.
• On February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.
• In April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border. 
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.
• On July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
• On November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti. 
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.
• On October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback. 
• On September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.
• On August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.
• On July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.
• In July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.
• In May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Watch Pressley Manage Floor Debate on Her Bipartisan Discharge Petition

Final Passage Vote For Underlying Bill Set for Thursday Afternoon

Pressley Floor Debate | Pressley Press Conference

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s (MA-07) effort to extend Temporary Protected Status for Haiti was successfully adopted. By a vote of 220-207, the House of Representatives passed her bipartisan discharge petition to extend Haiti TPS for three years, teeing up a vote on final passage later today on the underlying bill by Rep Laura Gillen (NY 04). Congresswoman Pressley won a key procedural vote on the discharge petition yesterday and managed debate on the House floor prior to today’s successful vote.

Yesterday, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Gillen held a press conference alongside colleagues and advocates calling for the extension of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Following the press conference, Congresswoman Pressley went to the House floor to advance her discharge petition on Rep. Gillen’s bill and trigger the first procedural House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti until April 2029.

Last month, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

Congresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

This week, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.

In February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.

• On June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.
• On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.
• On March 18, 2025,  Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority:
• On February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.
• On April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.
• On April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.
• On March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly  for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.
• On March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.
• On March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.
• On December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.
• On December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.
• On December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
• On August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.
• On May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island. 
• On May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.
• In February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.
• On March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.
• On February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.
• On February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.
• In April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border. 
• In September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.
• On July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
• On November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti. 
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.
• On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.
• On October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback. 
• On September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.
• On August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.
• On July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.
• In July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.
• In May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Washington, D.C. — Amid the ongoing Colorado River crisis, Democratic Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Republican Representative Celeste Maloy (R-UT) led a bipartisan coalition of Members in urging the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure any drawdowns of Flaming Gorge—a critical, high-capacity water bank—and other upper basin reservoirs remain in compliance with existing agreements and governing laws. 

The letter was co-signed by fellow Upper Basin lawmakers, including Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT), Jeff Crank (R-CO), Jeff Hurd (R-CO), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Jason Crow (D-CO), Mike Kennedy, M.D. (R-UT), and Gabe Evans (D-NM).

The Colorado River has experienced persistent drought conditions over the past 25 years, and Upper Basin states, including Colorado, actively regulate water use in response to reduced flows. Existing state laws can require water users to take mandatory, uncompensated cuts, which carry significant impacts to communities but are taken to ensure communities across the West live within the available water supply.

After a record-hot winter, Lake Powell, which serves as a water bank for Lower Basin states, is at just 23% full. These conditions have led to proposed drawdowns of Flaming Gorge and other upper basin reservoirs.  

Neguse and his colleagues’ message underscores the need for all seven states to work together to ensure long-term sustainability of the Colorado River and its reservoirs for years to come.

“We write as Representatives of the Upper Colorado River Basin States to underscore the importance that any proposed drawdowns for Flaming Gorge and other upper basin reservoirs remain in compliance with existing agreements and governing laws,” wrote the lawmakers. 

“[It] is critical that any releases made by the federal government from Flaming Gorge and other upstream reservoirs are in compliance with existing agreements, governing laws, and are done for the direct purpose of protecting Lake Powell. There must be clear guidance on how these proposed releases will protect elevations at Lake Powell, and once the releases have been completed, Flaming Gorge and other upstream reservoirs must be fully recovered. These releases must also be appropriately sized, as continued water storage is necessary for long-term sustainability.” 

 They concluded, “Millions of people across the West rely on the Colorado River, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure long-term sustainability of the River and reservoirs for years to come.”

The Colorado River basin spans seven states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—and provides water for over 40 million people in the West.  

Rep. Neguse, Co-Chair of the Colorado River Caucus, has been a leading voice in discussions regarding worsening levels of drought in the Colorado River Basin. He and other Members of Congress are actively working to address this issue, enacting significant bills that invest in drought resilience and water management into law in the 118th Congress. 

Neguse has also partnered across party lines with fellow Western Slope Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CO) to get the Trump administration to release critical federal drought management funding for Colorado and to move forward proposals that would safeguard the critical water source. 

Read the lawmakers’ full letter HERE and below: 

 

The Honorable Scott Cameron 

Acting Commissioner

Bureau of Reclamation

1849 C Street NW 

Washington, D.C. 20240

 

Dear Acting Commissioner Cameron, 

We write as Representatives of the Upper Colorado River Basin States to underscore the importance that any proposed drawdowns for Flaming Gorge and other upper basin reservoirs remain in compliance with existing agreements and governing laws. 

The Western United States and Colorado River Basin are experiencing historic drought conditions, in what could be the worst year on record. The Colorado River has consistently experienced drought conditions over the past 25 years, and record high temperatures coupled with low snowpack and precipitation across the basin this year are only further exacerbating the crisis. As we continue to face these conditions, we must all live within the available water supply to ensure sustainability into the future. 

The Upper Basin States continue to actively regulate water use within their states in response to the decreased available flows. Existing state laws in the Upper Basin require water users to take mandatory, uncompensated cuts to water rights that date back to the 1800s — actions taken in direct response to the decreased runoff and water levels along the river. These cuts have significant impacts on water users, including Upper Basin Tribes, and local communities and economies, but are taken in order to live within the available water supply. 

Therefore, it is critical that any releases made by the federal government from Flaming Gorge and other upstream reservoirs are in compliance with existing agreements, governing laws, and are done for the direct purpose of protecting Lake Powell. There must be clear guidance on how these proposed releases will protect elevations at Lake Powell, and once the releases have been completed, Flaming Gorge and other upstream reservoirs must be fully recovered. These releases must also be appropriately sized, as continued water storage is necessary for long-term sustainability. 

Millions of people across the West rely on the Colorado River, and it is our shared responsibility to ensure long-term sustainability of the River and reservoirs for years to come. We appreciate your attention to this important matter. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) voted for the War Powers Resolution to stop President Donald Trump’s war against Iran. House Republicans defeated this measure to rein in the President by213-214.

“President Trump entered a war against Iran with no strategy, no exit plan and no clear objectives. Now, he’s scrambling to justify his war of choice—even lashing out at the Pope—because he knows a vast majority of Americans disapprove,” said Rep. Kelly. “This war has already cost the U.S. an estimated $40 billion during a time when hardworking Americans face $4 per gallon for gas, three-year high inflation rates, and a possible global recession. Instead of defending the American people, Republicans in Congress surrendered our Constitutional war powers to an unhinged President.”

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

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to immediately release Olivia Andre, a 19-year-old student who has been detained in the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas since November. In a letter to ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons, Pingree questioned the legal basis for Andre’s continued detention, as no explanation has been given to Andre or her legal counsel. 

“ICE has failed to provide any clear, written explanation for why she alone continues to be detained. This lack of transparency, especially to Ms. Andre and her legal counsel, is unacceptable and indefensible,” Pingree said. 

Andre and her family are asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and have been living in Portland, where Andre was a first-year nursing student. The rest of her family—mother Carine Balenda Mbizi; brother Joel Andre, 16; and sister Estafania Andre, 14—were released from the Dilley Processing Center last month. 

Pingree’s letter comes amid reports of deplorable conditions at ICE detention centers, particularly at the Dilley facility, where detainees have reported severe lack of medical care, inadequate access to food, water, personal hygiene, and basic care. Andre has reportedly lost over 20 pounds since being detained. Her mental health has suffered as a result of detention and unnecessary family separation, writing in a letter to Pingree that she feels “lost, alone, and many times feel like I no longer have the strength to keep going.”

This inhumane treatment is causing real long-term trauma for detainees—especially young people and children, who are particularly vulnerable to long-term psychological and developmental harms. 

“ICE’s failure to provide counsel with the basic grounds of her ongoing detention reflects a serious breakdown in process and raises profound due process concerns,” Pingree continued. “When the government deprives someone of their liberty, it should at the bare minimum be able to clearly state why. Here, ICE has failed to do that.”

“ICE is not free to detain individuals without explanation,” Pingree said. “Every additional day that passes without a clear explanation only deepens my belief that this detention lacks any lawful or articulable basis.”

The full letter is available here and is copied below.

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Dear Acting Director Lyons and Field Office Director Vergara,

I write to request a clear and immediate explanation of the legal basis for Olivia Andre’s continued detention and to call on your agency to promptly release her from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

 

Ms. Andre remains in ICE custody despite her mother and two siblings, who were detained with her, being released. ICE has failed to provide any clear, written explanation for why she alone continues to be detained. This lack of transparency, especially to Ms. Andre and her legal counsel, is unacceptable and indefensible.

 

Even more troubling, Ms. Andre’s attorneys have repeatedly requested this information in conjunction with requests for her release and have not received any response. ICE’s failure to provide counsel with the basic grounds of her ongoing detention reflects a serious breakdown in process and raises profound due process concerns. When the government deprives someone of their liberty, it should at the bare minimum be able to clearly state why. Here, ICE has failed to do that.

 

To my knowledge, ICE has not made, or at the very least has not communicated, any individualized custody determination in Ms. Andre’s case. If such a determination does exist, ICE must explain the specific statutory or regulatory authority it is relying on, identify the individualized factors it claims justify her continued detention, and explain why that information has been withheld from her legal representatives despite repeated requests.

 

If no such determination exists, and I have difficulty imagining there is, then ICE must explain on what basis Ms. Andre remains in custody at all, particularly when a federal court has issued a stay of removal in her case.

 

Holding a 19-year-old student in indefinite detention when she cannot be removed from the country and doing so without clearly articulating or communicating a lawful justification, raises serious concerns about arbitrary detention and is a failure of accountability.

 

ICE is not free to detain individuals without explanation. Every additional day that passes without a clear explanation only deepens my belief that this detention lacks any lawful or articulable basis. I expect a prompt response.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Pago Pago — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata released the following statement celebrating Flag Day 2026, as American Samoa marks 126 years with the United States. 

“Our Flag Day is always special, but last year and this year are part of major historic milestones. Last year was our 125th Flag Day celebration, and this year has added significance as we are just 11 weeks from America 250, July 4, 2026, the 250th birthday of the United States. While we celebrate our ties with the USA now in our traditional way, we also look forward to nationwide celebrations in a few short months for the Sesquicentennial of the nation. 

“Every April 17, we celebrate the first official raising of the American flag, first in Tutuila and joining four years later, we also honor the important addition of Manu’a. We respect the memory of our forefathers in 1900 and 1904, who were our Matai chiefs of the time. They agreed to join the U.S., while taking careful steps to preserve our islands as Samoan in culture. Because of their precaution and precedent, while we’ve modernized with the rest of the world, we still have our Samoan way, our language, our land and Matai traditions. 

“We are proud to be part of a country that has sacrificed for the cause of freedom, and supports the ideals of constitutional and democratic governments, free elections, human rights and religious freedoms. 

“As the U.S. celebrates America 250, American Samoa’s tradition of patriotism and military service is part of that celebration. We should never miss an opportunity to honor our many Veterans, Service Members, and military families. 

“God bless American Samoa and the USA. Have a happy 126th Flag Day!”

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor, where he emphasized that while the Trump administration is wasting taxpayer money on a reckless war of choice in Iran, Democrats are committed to making life more affordable for the American people.

LEADER JEFFRIES: How dare anyone on this Floor question the patriotism of Greg Meeks or any Member on our side of the aisle? And you know what often happens, my Republican colleagues, when they can’t defend the merits of a particular situation, can’t defend the fact that Donald Trump, as candidate, promised not to start any wars but to stop them—his words, not ours. When you can’t defend the fact that billions of dollars are being spent every day to drop bombs in the Middle East, but Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people. When you can’t defend the things that have taken place under this administration, the fact that the American people know life hasn’t gotten better for them, life has gotten worse, life has gotten more expensive, less affordable. When you can’t defend your policies, you question the patriotism of Democratic Members of Congress?

There are patriots on both sides of this conflict of this issue. As a matter of fact, we know there are combat veterans on the Republican side and the combat veterans on the Democratic side who may share different views about the nature of this conflict. Jason Crow is a combat veteran. He opposes this reckless war of choice. Are you going to question his patriotism? Pat Ryan is a combat veteran who opposes this reckless war or choice. You question his patriotism? Mike Thompson served in Vietnam, combat veteran, opposes this reckless war choice. You question his patriotism as well? Why don’t you just argue the merits of your position as opposed to attacking the patriotism of people on the Democratic side of the aisle?

But as far as I’m concerned, the most patriotic thing that we can do is stand up to ensure that our men and women in uniform aren’t being recklessly sent into a costly war of choice, more than 12 of whom have already lost their lives, hundreds of whom have been seriously injured. Let’s just argue the merits of Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice and stop the ad hominem attacks, which aren’t a sign of strength. It’s just a sign of Republican weakness in terms of your ability to persuade the American people as to why Republicans are on the right side of this unpopular war.

Now, this war of choice, this reckless and costly war, was entered into without any plan, any objective, any exit strategy, any public support and any approval of the United States Congress. There are five different objective reasons to have a problem with what’s going on in the Middle East right now. In fact, we’re just trying to help Donald Trump bring to life his own words that as President, he wasn’t going to start wars in the Middle East. He was going to stop them. Donald Trump’s own words. You question his patriotism?

The reality is this war costing the American people, taxpayers, billions of dollars a day, at the same time when Republicans are ripping healthcare away from the American people. This reckless war of choice costing the American people billions of dollars a day, at the same time when costs are going up because of the tariffs, thousands of dollars a year in additional expense that everyday Americans are paying. This reckless war of choice costing the American people billions of dollars a day, when at the same time, Republicans are unwilling to spend a dime to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. This reckless war of choice costing the American taxpayer billions of dollars at the same period of time when grocery bills in this country are out of control, and far too many people are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they’re struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. Can’t thrive and can barely survive. We’re standing up for the American taxpayer and expressing support for this War Powers Resolution so we can put an end to this costly and reckless war of choice.

These are just some of the reasons why we oppose what is taking place right now. And in fact, there are many who are now arguing in the public domain that as a result of what Donald Trump and Republicans have done over in the Middle East, Iran, in some instances, is stronger now than they were before, have effective control of the Strait of Hormuz. They didn’t have that before. But now they do. And as a result, Americans are paying increased gas prices that are soaring, more than $4 a gallon, the largest, in fact, monthly increase in gas prices from March to April than the country has seen in more than six decades. Just another reason to have a problem with Donald Trump’s reckless war of choice.

So I just ask my Republican colleagues, debate us on the merits. Enough with the ad hominem attacks. It’s a sign of weakness, not strength. Take your position. We take our position. We feel very comfortable that we’re standing on the side of the American people, standing on the side of the Constitution, standing on the side of the principle that if we’re going to spend billions and billions of taxpayer dollars, it should actually be spent to make life more affordable for the American people, not plunge us into a reckless and costly war of choice that is actually making life more expensive for the American people in provable and tangible ways.

Vote Yes on the Meeks Resolution, so we can stop this reckless and costly war of choice and actually get back to doing the business of the American people and making their lives better, not worse.

Full Floor speech can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) issued the statement below following the War Powers Resolution vote in the U.S House of Representatives.

“Trump’s reckless and illegal war in Iran needs to be stopped. Just over a week ago, he threatened to eliminate a ‘whole civilization’. These are heinous words for a President to say and is another clear signal that Congress must intervene before Trump escalates this conflict even further.

“For too long, this Republican-led Congress has been a mere bystander as Trump has continuously violated norms and laws. We’re now at the point where Republicans’ compliance could inflict serious damage to our national security, our economy, and our global standing. Republicans and Democrats, together, have a Constitutional duty to hold the President in check. Today, I voted ‘yes’ on the War Powers Resolution to stop Trump’s warmongering. The stakes are simply too high for continued inaction.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

Kennedy refuses to answer whether President Trump authorized cutting pro-vaccination public health campaigns