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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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

In a letter to DHS and ICE, Rep. Craig presses Administration on use of Palantir tools to surveil the American public and fuel immigration enforcement operations

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — As negotiations between the United States and Iran continue, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today voted against a war powers resolution that would weaken the U.S. position by withdrawing military forces from the region. 

Golden released the following statement:

“The purported aim of this and other War Powers resolutions is to stop the hostilities. Thankfully, the United States and Iran are currently in a ceasefire, and we are negotiating over critical questions of national security and international order. I believe we must maintain a strong negotiation position over Iran’s nuclear program, freedom of movement in the international waters at the Strait of Hormuz, and how to achieve a durable peace between our two nations. At this moment, a resolution like this would weaken our hand.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Randy Weber (14th District of Texas)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14), Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing, “Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance.”

Watch Subcommittee Chairman Weber’s opening statement here.

Read Subcommittee Chairman Weber’s opening statement below:

“Welcome to today’s hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance. I recognize myself for five minutes for an opening statement.

“Well, good morning, you all. You can tell I’m from Texas. Good morning, and welcome to today’s Energy Subcommittee hearing titled Subsurface Science and Technology: American Energy and Mineral Dominance.

“The United States is blessed with an abundance of natural resources across our magnificent country. For over a century, our nation has generated a significant portion of its power directly from subsurface resources such as coal and natural gas. Technological breakthroughs in subsurface sciences have enabled us to access these resources in new and innovative ways, unlocking potential that was once thought, quite frankly, impossible.

“A great example of this is the geothermal energy sector. Previously, geothermal energy was limited to certain regions due to extremely specific conditions required for it to be a viable energy source. For a geothermal well to be successful, the required combination of shallow heat, permeable rock, and available water had to be present to extract heat from the Earth and generate electricity. If any of these requirements were not met, a geothermal well would not generate power. As a result, the few areas capable of supporting geothermal electricity generation were tapped decades ago, which left the industry in a position where some believed that its full potential had already been reached.

“Thanks to innovation in the oil and gas sector, geothermal is getting a new lease on life. Over the last few decades, oil and gas have been at the forefront of new drilling and extraction technologies and methods. These breakthroughs have helped address issues that traditional geothermal energy has faced in the past. Next-generation geothermal systems are also well suited to play a role in leveraging established technologies like hydraulic fracturing and drilling deeper to access hotter rock, bringing baseload geothermal to new regions across the entire country.

“The timing for these enhanced geothermal systems to be commercialized could not be better. Energy demand is skyrocketing as we are not only onshoring manufacturing, but also electrifying our lives and working to stay ahead of the Chinese Communist Party in the artificial intelligence race. It is very important to ensure that the U.S. is positioned for a prosperous future.

“The Department of Energy underwent a reorganization in November 2025. This reorganization resulted in the establishment of two key offices for today’s hearing: the Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office and the Office of Critical Minerals, Minerals, and Energy Innovation. With their creation, DOE made the subsurface—and, by extension, geothermal energy and critical minerals—a priority moving forward.

“These offices have already announced funding opportunities to accelerate the deployment of next-generation geothermal energy, while helping ensure a safe and secure supply chain for the good old U.S. of A.

“We have seen recently how geopolitical events can impact not only our economy, but the global economy. This underscores the importance of strengthening domestic supply chains to meet both our energy and critical mineral needs. It also highlights the need to continue advancing cutting-edge innovation.

“The discoveries made by oil and natural gas companies that led to hydraulic fracturing, much of it from the Galveston, Texas area, and the hydraulic fracturing boom have helped insulate the U.S. from electricity price shocks, thanks to our enormous natural gas production capacity. This has enabled us to support our allies with LNG shipments to Europe and Asia, not only during the current supply disruption, but in previous ones as well.

“The ability to bring a new baseload power source to market during an energy supply crunch is an enormous win for the American people. Paired with DOE’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on critical minerals from foreign countries that may not have always had our best interests in mind, this creates a powerful one-two punch for the subsurface community.

“I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today and for their testimony, and I look forward to a very productive discussion.

“With that, I yield back my time.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

Senate Republican Majority Reverses Twenty-Year Mineral Withdrawal Protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, America’s Most-Visited Wilderness Destination