MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Washington, D.C. — Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Representative Jay Obernolte (R-CA) announced the launch of the Bipartisan Space Weather Caucus, which aims to advance scientific research on space weather, address security risks, and develop strategies to protect critical infrastructure from space weather-related disruptions. As Co-Chairs Neguse and Obernolte will coordinate with members from across the political spectrum on efforts to ensure resilience against disruptions to GPS systems, emergency response networks, electrical grids, and satellites vital for weather forecasting and telecommunications. 

The Caucus also recognizes that space weather poses serious risks to astronauts in space. The group will support improvements in space weather forecasting to help usher in a new era of American space exploration, enabling astronauts to safely venture beyond Earth’s magnetic field for the first time in generations. 

“Colorado is a hub for aerospace, space weather forecasting and scientific research—with folks across our state making ground-breaking advancements in our understanding of how space weather affects different technologies on Earth, including satellite electronics, radio communications, GPS signals, spacecraft orbits, and even electrical power grids. All systems and infrastructure we rely on daily,” said Congressman Neguse. “As our national security and economy become more dependent on these systems and advanced telecommunication networks, it’s important that we stay ahead of new challenges and enhance our understanding of the constantly changing conditions in the environment in space. And the Bipartisan Space Weather Caucus aims to do exactly that—ensuring our nation is prepared and ready to lead in the 21st century and beyond.”

“Space weather can disrupt the communications, GPS, electric grid, and satellite systems Americans rely on every day,” said Congressman Obernolte. “As our economy and national security become increasingly dependent on space-based technology, Congress has an important role to play in supporting better forecasting, research, and preparedness. I am proud to launch the Bipartisan Space Weather Caucus with Congressman Neguse to help strengthen our resilience and support the future of American space exploration.” 

Other members of the Caucus include Representatives George Whitesides (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Nick Begich (R-AK), and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN).  

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

Washington, D.C. — As New World Screwworm (NWS) cases continue to spread through New Mexico and Texas, raising concerns across Western states, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper penned a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) imploring the agency to swiftly expand surveillance and response activities to prevent the pest’s further spread.

The New World Screwworm is a destructive pest that threatens livestock, wildlife and rural economies. It’s been nearly 60 years since the last outbreak of NWS on U.S. soil, and recent confirmed cases in states bordering Colorado have increased concerns for local farmers and ranchers.  

“[W]e urge the USDA to take additional swift actions to expand surveillance and response activities and resources to prevent further spread, protecting ranchers and livestock across both Colorado and the country. As you know, NWS pose a serious threat to our wildlife, farmers, and ranchers, and overarching impacts to rural economies. We are concerned by the spread of cases from Texas to New Mexico, and encourage you to take strong steps to prevent further spread. Screwworm infestations can cause severe injury, illness, and even death in cattle and other livestock—causing significant economic losses for agricultural producers and disruptions to animal health,” wrote Neguse, Bennet, and Hickenlooper. 

In their letter, the Colorado lawmakers request USDA take steps to bolster surveillance activities and inspections across the state, noting that an infestation could be catastrophic for rural and ranching communities.  

“Protecting Colorado’s agricultural economy from New World Screwworm is intrinsically tied to our nation’s food security. Preventing the northward spread of this pest shields supply chains, maintains system stability, and ensures that our ranchers remain resilient. It must be noted that if this parasite breaches Colorado borders, the financial and operational burden of response and mitigation activities would be catastrophic to our producers and our state.” 

Colorado agriculture officials have already activated measures to prevent and control a potential outbreak, including coordinating the release of sterile flies to carry out the sterile insect technique. The letter from Neguse, Bennet, and Hickenlooper encourages continued cooperation between state and federal agencies. 

The lawmakers concluded, “[W]e urge the USDA to take swift action to enhance surveillance and response efforts, expand available resources, and plan for necessary state support to keep our nation and our agricultural communities safe from further infestations.” 

Read the full letter HERE and below:

The Honorable Brooke Rollins

Secretary

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20250

Dear Secretary Rollins,

We write to express our growing concern regarding the recent New World Screwworm (NWS) outbreak in the United States. As members of the Colorado congressional delegation, we urge the USDA to take additional swift actions to expand surveillance and response activities and resources to prevent further spread, protecting ranchers and livestock across both Colorado and the country. 

As you know, NWS pose a serious threat to our wildlife, farmers, and ranchers, and overarching impacts to rural economies. We are concerned by the spread of cases from Texas to New Mexico, and encourage you to take strong steps to prevent further spread. Screwworm infestations can cause severe injury, illness, and even death in cattle and other livestock—causing significant economic losses for agricultural producers and disruptions to animal health.

We urge the USDA to bolster surveillance activities, enhance animal inspections, ensure animal traceability, and prioritize expanding sterile fly production capabilities. Concurrently, we request collaboration with producers, veterinarians, and other stakeholders in Colorado to provide clear guidance and technical assistance on NWS prevention, detection, treatment, and reporting. Robust outreach, surveillance, and coordinated response efforts are essential to limiting the spread of infestations. We also support USDA’s continued use of sterile fly releases, coordination with the State of Colorado’s animal health officials, and assistance to Colorado and other states to enhance prevention and response efforts. Further, improving early detection can help animal recovery and help minimize potential losses for producers. 

Protecting Colorado’s agricultural economy from New World Screwworm is intrinsically tied to our nation’s food security. Preventing the northward spread of this pest shields supply chains, maintains system stability, and ensures that our ranchers remain resilient. It must be noted that if this parasite breaches Colorado borders, the financial and operational burden of response and mitigation activities would be catastrophic to our producers and our state. In the event of an outbreak, Colorado would need immediate and significant USDA financial assistance to execute a successful response and recovery effort. Therefore, we urgently request that USDA establish emergency cooperative agreements to ensure the necessary state financial aid.

In sum, we urge the USDA to take swift action to enhance surveillance and response efforts, expand available resources, and plan for necessary state support to keep our nation and our agricultural communities safe from further infestations.

Sincerely, 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to prohibit permanent fencing at Lafayette Square Park. She became concerned after reading recent reporting indicating that the Trump Administration plans to install permanent fencing around the park located in front of the White House.

Lafayette Square has long welcomed First Amendment demonstrations, vigils and public gatherings. It serves as a place where Americans can peacefully assemble within sight of the White House and engage directly in a democratic tradition,” Norton said. “The openness of Lafayette Square and our democracy is our strength, not a security weakness that needs to be fenced off.  Permanent fencing at Lafayette Square would send the wrong message to the nation and the world by continuing to transform our democracy from one that is accessible and of the people to one that is exclusive and fearful of its own citizens.

“Public property should be open to the public. We should not leave citizens peering at their democracy from behind permanent fences.”

Norton has long advocated for using the least restrictive means necessary for securing public property, introducing a bill with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to prohibit permanent fencing at the Capitol and a separate bill to prohibit permanent fencing at the Supreme Court. She also introduced a bill to authorize a 21-member commission, with the president designating nine members and the House and Senate leadership each designating six members, to investigate and offer recommendations on the balance between public access to and security in federal buildings and other federal property.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the No Fencing at Lafayette Square Act

July 6, 2026

Today, I introduce the No Fencing at Lafayette Square Act, which would prohibit the installation of permanent fencing around Lafayette Square.  This bill would help ensure that one of our nation’s most important public spaces remains open and accessible to the public.

According to press reports, the Trump administration plans to install permanent fencing around Lafayette Square, a federal park next to the White House.

While I understand the importance of protecting the White House, which is already surrounded by a 13-foot-high fence, we can and must maintain our commitment to security without sacrificing public access by using the least restrictive means necessary to address security.

Lafayette Square has long welcomed First Amendment demonstrations, vigils and public gatherings.  It serves as a place where Americans can peacefully assemble within sight of the White House and engage directly in a democratic tradition.  The openness of Lafayette Square and our democracy is our strength, not a security weakness that needs to be fenced off.  Permanent fencing at Lafayette Square would send the wrong message to the nation and the world by continuing to transform our democracy from one that is accessible and of the people to one that is exclusive and fearful of its own citizens.

Fencing is an incredibly imprecise security tool.   It is more likely to keep out tourists, residents, students and peaceful demonstrators than those determined to do harm.  In many respects, it is another form of security theater, where it makes a place look secure while masking the need for more effective and modern security measures.

Furthermore, Lafayette Square is in a mixed-use neighborhood.  The park is used every day by D.C. residents and visitors from across the country and around the world.

The distance between government and the people has grown, with trust in government at an all-time low.  We should not increase that distance by placing intimidating barriers between public servants and the people they serve, especially when such barriers are not necessary.

Security is not only about reducing risk.  It is also about safeguarding the freedoms and values that anchor our country, not only for ourselves but for future generations.  Public property should be open to the public.  We should not leave citizens peering at their democracy from behind permanent fences.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Rep. Gomez Statement on Fatal ICE Shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

MILWAUKEE, WI. – Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01), Vice President JD Vance, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), highlighted their work to eliminate fraud within critical federal programs. According to US Department of Justice (DOJ), fraudsters cost Wisconsin Medicaid more than $15.5 million between 2019 and 2022 and more than $6.5 billion nationwide.

“Inadequate fraud prevention standards have opened the door to criminal actors and harmed American families and children,” said Steil. “Program resources should go to those in need, not fraudsters and criminals. I’m proud to work alongside VP Vance and the Trump Administration to protect vulnerable Americans and root out waste, fraud, and abuse.”

Background:

• According to US DOJ, fraudsters cost Medicaid more than $6.5 billion including more than $15.5 million in Wisconsin between 2019 and 2022.
• US DOJ filed charges against 455 defendants including:
  • A Milwaukee funeral home owner who is facing 14 felony counts of fraud for stealing nearly $1 million from Medicaid.
  • A Milwaukee prenatal care company owner who is accused of stealing more than $5.4 million from Medicaid.
• Other recent WI Medicaid fraud charges include:
  • A Milwaukee prenatal care company owner who was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for stealing more than $2.3 million from Medicaid.
  • A Milwaukee business owner accused of defrauding Medicaid of more than $2 million for personal care services that were never delivered.
• In July 2025, the Working Family Tax Cuts (WFTC) was signed into law. The bill helps fight waste, fraud, and abuse and strengthens critical programs like Medicaid to protect them for who they were designed to serve: children, pregnant women, and disabled Americans:
  • Work requirements – requires able-bodied adults without young children to work 20 hours per week to receive benefits
  • Eligibility integrity – Strengthens eligibility integrity to remove deceased individuals, remove duplicate enrollees, and perform eligibility verification two times per year
  • Increases Medicaid spending by more than $100 billion over the next 10 years
• Listen to Rep. Steil’s remarks here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

July 08, 2026 | Press Releases

PUNTA GORDA, FL — Rep. Greg Steube joined Senator Ashley Moody today in Punta Gorda to announce the recovery of $1.8 billion in delayed FEMA disaster reimbursements statewide, including approximately $64 million headed to Charlotte County. This historic achievement is largely possible thanks to the Trump Administration’s efforts to clear FEMA’s disaster reimbursement backlog.
“Charlotte County has waited years for the money FEMA already agreed to pay. That’s not how disaster recovery is supposed to work,” said Rep. Greg Steube. “I’m grateful to President Trump, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and FEMA for helping cut through the bureaucracy and get these long-overdue dollars moving.”
“Florida has been waiting on essential disaster assistance funds for hurricane recovery since 2017— I’ve been in the Senate for less than a year and a half and have worked hard to bring nearly $2 billion of outstanding FEMA funds back home to Florida. I’ll continue fighting to deliver the federal support Floridians need while making the disaster recovery process more transparent, efficient, and accountable,” said Senator Ashley Moody. 
“This reflects our ongoing partnership with state and local leaders with more than $1.2 billion to Florida communities in the last 90 days,” said Rob Ashe, FEMA Region 4 Regional Administrator. “Our FEMA team in Florida continues to fulfill President Trump and Secretary Mullin’s promise to deliver effective federal assistance to the state. Thank you to Rep. Steube for being a valued partner in supporting ongoing recovery efforts.”
The funds reimburse eligible disaster recovery projects that FEMA had already approved but left unpaid for years, forcing state and local governments to carry the costs. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and FEMA, these long-overdue reimbursements are finally reaching Florida communities. In Charlotte County, much of the delayed funding stems from Hurricane Ian recovery projects. Some of the longest outstanding reimbursements date back to Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Today’s announcement builds on recent momentum at the federal level to accelerate disaster recovery funding for Florida communities. On July 2, FEMA announced an additional $124 million in funding for 70 disaster recovery and hazard mitigation projects across Florida, bringing the agency’s total support to the state to more than $1.2 billion over the past 90 days. That funding has supported communities recovering from Hurricanes Helene, Milton, and other recent natural disasters.
Rep. Steube will continue working with President Trump, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, FEMA, and local leaders to ensure Southwest Florida communities receive every disaster recovery dollar they are owed as quickly as possible.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (CA-32), Norma Torres (CA-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), and California Democratic Congressional Delegation Chair Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) led the California Democratic Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to congressional leadership urging that no supplemental funding package move forward until Congress passes long overdue federal disaster assistance for California communities devastated by the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and other communities across the country recovering from major disasters.

More than 100,000 Californians were displaced by the January 2025 wildfires, which destroyed more than 13,000 homes and properties, claimed more than two dozen lives, and caused an estimated $275 billion in economic damage. Despite the scale of the devastation, the Administration has not taken a single step to submit a supplemental disaster funding request to Congress. This inaction is on top of the Trump Administration delaying or denying Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) emergency aid, with FEMA’s own data showing that the Trump Administration is making it harder to access disaster aid and moving more slowly than previous Administrations to help disaster-hit communities.

In the letter, the members wrote:

“It is deeply disappointing that since January 2025, not a single step has been taken by the White House to submit a request for federal disaster aid, not just for California, but also for the over 30 States, Tribes, or Territories with major disaster declarations.”

“President Trump’s Administration is prioritizing the war in Iran over helping American communities recover from devastating disasters… Instead of taking up the June 24, 2026, Iran War supplemental request, we believe that Congress should immediately draft a federal disaster aid supplemental to help Americans rebuild their communities from the most deadly and costly wildfires in recent history.”

The letter notes that while the Administration requested more than $67 billion for military operations related to President Trump’s costly war of choice in Iran, it has failed to request the approximately $34 billion in federal disaster assistance needed for California’s wildfire recovery, along with billions more needed by disaster-impacted states, Tribes, and territories across the country.

The California Democratic Congressional Delegation reaffirmed its commitment to working on a bipartisan disaster relief package that ensures American families receive the support they need to rebuild their homes, businesses, and communities.

Additional signers of the letter include: Aguilar, Pete; Barragán, Nanette; Bera, Ami; Brownley, Julia; Carbajal, Salud; Chu, Judy; Cisneros, Gilbert; Correa, J.; Costa, Jim; DeSaulnier, Mark; Friedman, Laura; Garamendi, John; Garcia, Robert; Gomez, Jimmy; Harder, Josh; Huffman, Jared; Jacobs, Sara; Kamlager-Dove, Sydney; Khanna, Ro; Levin, Mike; Liccardo, Sam; Lieu, Ted; Lofgren, Zoe; Matsui, Doris; Min, Dave; Mullin, Kevin; Panetta, Jimmy; Pelosi, Nancy; Peters, Scott; Rivas, Luz; Ruiz, Raul; Sánchez, Linda; Sherman, Brad; Simon, Lateefah; Takano, Mark; Thompson, Mike; Torres, Norma; Tran, Derek; Vargas, Juan; Waters, Maxine; Whitesides, George.

Full letter

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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

(Washington, DC) — U.S. Congressmen Ed Case (D-HI-01) and James Moylan (R-Guam) have introduced a measure in the U.S. House to boost U.S. efforts to counter growing transnational crime in the Indo-Pacific.

“Our Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative Act addresses the growing use of Pacific Island nations as transit hubs for cross-Pacific illegal drug trade by  transnational criminal networks, particularly narcotics traffickers,” said Case, a founder and Co-Chair of the House Pacific Islands Caucus, a bipartisan Member group focused on the Pacific (https://pacificislandscaucus-case.house.gov). 

“Our fellow Pacific Island nations which are being victimized as stop-offs in this Pacific drug highway are now suffering from related domestic crisis including addiction broader public health, such as an HIV epidemic in Fiji primary spread by unsafe injecting practices,” said Case. “Our Pacific ‘ohana (family) have clearly prioritized this crisis and asked for our continued partnership in both reducing the trade to start with and addressing its consequences.”

“Guam sits at the crossroads of the Indo-Pacific, and we understand better than most that transnational crime does not stop at borders,” said Moylan. “Strengthening law enforcement partnerships throughout the Pacific protects our communities, reinforces our alliances, and advances America’s strategic interests in the region. The Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative is a smart investment in regional security, and I’m proud to support efforts that ensure Guam continues to play a leading role in keeping the Indo-Pacific safe, secure, and resilient.”

Case and Moylan noted that while much attention has focused on precursor chemicals moving eastward across the Pacific to illicit drug producers in the Western Hemisphere, a lesser-known trafficking route moves cocaine and methamphetamine westward from the Americas through Oceania to Australia and New Zealand, where significantly higher street prices generate enormous profits for criminal organizations.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations division (HSI) spearheaded the Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative by establishing internal policies and procedures for coordination among HSI Honolulu, HSI Domestic Operations, and HSI International Operations to disrupt and deter transnational criminal organizations that exploit Pacific Island nations as transit points for the movement and concealment of illicit contraband bound for the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Case, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security which oversees and funds DHS including HSI, said, “This is not just a regional challenge for the Pacific Islands.

“Those inflated profits flow right back to transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere, strengthening the networks that threaten communities throughout the U.S.

“Our Pacific partners and allies have also been working tirelessly on this issue, including by coordinating with U.S. government agencies like HSI and the Joint Interagency Task Force – West, but they need more support and our measure is part of that answer.”

The Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative Act would:

·        Establish in statute HSI’s Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative;

·         Require four full-time HSI personnel at HSI Honolulu and HSI Guam to oversee the Initiative;

·         Require an annual report to Congress on the activities of the Initiative; and

·         Specifically authorize $5 million a year for the Initiative.

o   Text of the Pacific Islands Liaison Initiative Act is here

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

Lawmakers warn the proposed Marine Minerals Administration could weaken independent safety oversight established after Deepwater Horizon and leave workers, communities, and taxpayers more vulnerable to another preventable disaster

July 08, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), urging the agency to investigate whether a proposed agency consolidation within the Department of the Interior (DOI) would undermine the independent offshore safety oversight Congress established after Deepwater Horizon and leave workers, communities, and taxpayers at greater risk.

The letter follows an announcement from the Trump administration in April that DOI is consolidating the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (OEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to create the new Marine Minerals Administration (MMA), while proposing draconian cuts to the Interior in its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget request.

“The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster was one of the worst environmental catastrophes in our nation’s history, killing 11 workers and releasing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico… In response, in October 2011, the Department of the Interior dissolved MMS and established the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to separate offshore leasing and resource development responsibilities from independent safety and environmental enforcement functions. The reorganization was intended to address the very regulatory failures that contributed to the Deepwater Horizon disaster by ensuring that offshore safety and environmental protection would not be subordinated to industry pressure or revenue generation,” the lawmakers began.

“Sixteen years later, offshore oil and gas development has only increased. U.S. oil production remains near record highs, with approximately 95 percent of offshore production now occurring in deepwater environments that present substantially greater technical, operational, and environmental risks… At the same time, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are aggressively pursuing expanded offshore leasing, opening additional areas to drilling, and reducing royalty rates that shortchange taxpayers while incentivizing further fossil fuel extraction,” the lawmakers continued.
“Interior’s April 2026 announcement that it intends to reconsolidate BOEM and BSEE into a new Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) raises serious concerns about whether Interior is collapsing the firewall between resource development and independent safety oversight that was established after Deepwater Horizon,” the lawmakers noted. “These concerns are compounded by the fact that Interior is pursuing this reorganization amid significant workforce reductions, including staffing losses resulting from the 2025 Deferred Resignation Program and additional proposed cuts in the fiscal year 2027 budget request. The Department is simultaneously expanding the scope of its responsibilities to include offshore critical minerals leasing and other new activities.”

The lawmakers concluded the letter by requesting GAO to investigate the creation of the new Marine Minerals Administration, and the steps that the Trump administration is taking to ensure that the agency can properly oversee deep-sea mining efforts to prevent another disaster like Deepwater Horizon.

The letter, led by Huffman in the U.S. House of Representatives and Heinrich in the U.S. Senate, is also signed by U.S. Representative Luz Rivas (D-Calif.) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.).

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Ms. Brown,

The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster was one of the worst environmental catastrophes in our nation’s history, killing 11 workers and releasing millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. In the aftermath of the spill, multiple investigations identified regulatory failures and deeply entrenched ethical issues and conflicts of interest within the former Minerals Management Service (MMS), which simultaneously prompted offshore development, collected royalties, and conducted oversight. In response, in October 2011, the Department of the Interior (Interior) dissolved MMS and established the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to separate offshore leasing and resource development responsibilities from independent safety and environmental enforcement functions. The reorganization was intended to address the very regulatory failures that contributed to the Deepwater Horizon disaster by ensuring that offshore safety and environmental protection would not be subordinated to industry pressure or revenue generation.

Sixteen years later, offshore oil and gas development has only increased. U.S. oil production remains near record highs, with approximately 95 percent of offshore production now occurring in deepwater environments that present substantially greater technical, operational, and environmental risks. New frontier projects, including the recently approved Kaskida development, are pushing into ultra-deepwater conditions characterized by extreme pressures, temperatures, and operational complexity. At the same time, the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are aggressively pursuing expanded offshore leasing, opening additional areas to drilling, and reducing royalty rates that shortchange taxpayers while incentivizing further fossil fuel extraction. Interior has also expanded its focus on cataloging offshore critical mineral deposits in anticipation of future seabed mining activities that carry poorly understood, but likely significant, environmental risks.

Against this backdrop, Interior’s April 2026 announcement that it intends to reconsolidate BOEM and BSEE into a new Marine Minerals Administration (MMA) raises serious concerns about whether Interior is collapsing the firewall between resource development and independent safety oversight that was established after Deepwater Horizon. Interior has asserted that the reorganization will improve coordination, but the Department has provided little detail explaining how combining these functions would strengthen independent environmental review and safety enforcement, particularly at a time when offshore development activities are becoming increasingly complex and risky.

These concerns are compounded by the fact that Interior is pursuing this reorganization amid significant workforce reductions, including staffing losses resulting from the 2025 Deferred Resignation Program and additional proposed cuts in the fiscal year 2027 budget request. The Department is simultaneously expanding the scope of its responsibilities to include offshore critical minerals leasing and other new activities. Together, these developments raise significant questions about whether the proposed consolidation would undermine the independent oversight and institutional capacity necessary to protect offshore workers, coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and taxpayers from another preventable disaster.
To help Congress better understand the potential implications of establishing MMA, we request that GAO examine the following:

1. To what extent has Interior defined specific, measurable objectives that support its broader goals for reconsolidating BOEM and BSEE into MMA?
2. To what extent has Interior engaged in transition planning to ensure that MMA meets its specific objectives while also maintaining the resources needed to maintain the oversight functions currently managed by BOEM and BSEE?
3. To what extent has the agency taken steps to ensure it will have the needed resources and capacity, including the scientific expertise, for effective oversight of the development of the nation’s offshore energy and marine mineral resources?
4. To what extent did Interior take steps to ensure that the new agency’s processes and decision-making—including as they pertain to permitting—will be based on sound science that is independent of undue outside influence?
5. What steps did Interior take to ensure the new agency has developed a framework for consultation and stakeholder engagement, specifically, on the agency’s expanded scope of authorities for offshore minerals leasing? How will MMA’s processes uphold Tribal trust responsibilities and states’ authorities for consistency review under the Coastal Zone Management Act?

Sincerely,

Watch Ranking Member Huffman discuss the report’s findings.

“Donald Trump’s hijacking of America’s 250th birthday will go down as one of the most corrupt, brazen abuses of public trust in presidential history, even by the dubious standards of this administration. As our country prepared to celebrate a milestone that belongs to every American, Trump and his operatives launched a hostile takeover of the bipartisan commission established by Congress to lead the celebration. When that failed, they sidelined the commission, siphoned its resources, and infiltrated a beloved national charity under cover of a shadow corporation that shielded them from public scrutiny. Then they proceeded to deceive donors, solicit foreign money, sell access to the President, award no-bid contracts to Trump loyalists, harvest Americans’ personal data, and push a white-washed, Christian nationalist version of history,” said Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif).

“But they didn’t account for us. Over the past year, our investigation has pursued the truth about the machinations, schemes and abuses of trust they’ve tried to hide. We’ve uncovered extensive evidence of corruption, self-enrichmentand potential crimes. The Republican majority in Congress, which has far more investigative tools and power than we do, could have joined us in conducting serious oversight and demanding answers. Instead, they’ve used their power to shield the individuals and entities involved.

“The American people deserve to know the truth about how the official national celebration of our country’s 250th anniversary was stolen, along with a large – and so far unaccounted for – sum of their taxpayer dollars. So, today – against the obstruction and resistance of our Republican colleagues – we are dragging this fiasco out of the shadows and shining a bright light on the corruption and fraud surrounding Freedom 250. We can’t stop from tarnishing the country’s July 4th celebration, but we can stop it from ever happening again – we can protect the next government program, the next fund, the next thing that’s supposed to work for all of us, from being exploited and misused this way. That’s why we must confront this grift and corruption now. From our earliest days, America has stood for government by the people, not powerful tyrants. We will fight to keep it that way.”

When the nonpartisan, congressionally chartered America250 Commission refused to bend to the President’s demands, the White House built a replacement – Freedom 250 LLC – and declared it the central platform for the national celebration. The White House lodged this shadow organization inside the National Park Foundation so it could exploit the credibility and donor relationships of a beloved public charity while operating outside the transparency rules Congress wrote into law for the commission.

Key Findings

• The President put himself at the center of the nation’s birthday. Trump issued an executive order making himself and the Vice President Chair and Vice Chair of a White House task force, then staged his own birthday as a national event twice: the Army’s 250th military parade on June 14, 2025, and a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, run under the Freedom 250 banner.
• The White House built Freedom 250 on deceit. Musical performers, among others, were misled about programming and connections to Trump’s political machine. Fundraisers may have misled donors who intended to support America250 and handed them Freedom 250’s banking information, routing contributions meant for the nonpartisan foundation to the President’s substitute entity instead. The report finds that, if true, this could constitute wire fraud and charitable solicitation fraud under federal and District of Columbia law.
• Freedom 250 sold access to the President and courted foreign money in America’s name. The organization circulated sponsorship packages starting at $500,000 and climbing above $10 million, backed by a “historic photo opportunity” with President Trump. Its CEO solicited foreign governments, corporations, and individuals at the World Economic Forum in Davos to fund the President’s priorities. If foreign funds reach the President’s vanity projects, the report finds the conduct would clearly violate the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause.
• Trump and his operatives cashed in. Event Strategies, Inc., the firm that helped plan the January 6th rally, has collected tens of millions in federal contracts connected to the anniversary, including a master contract worth up to $100 million. Trump traded in the stock of companies that donated to Freedom 250 and staged a White House UFC fight that shamelessly promoted his own investments and business ventures. Freedom 250’s event registration process was run through Campaign Nucleus, the firm founded by Trump campaign operative Brad Parscale, which uses artificial intelligence to score visitors and target “persuadable” voters. Thousands of unwitting fans handed over their personal information at a free FIFA World Cup Fan Zone on the National Mall. Freedom 250’s official merchandise is sold by the Trump campaign’s official merchandise vendor, Ace Specialties, and agencies have purchased the merchandise and required employees to wear it.
• The White House imposed a false, Christian nationalist history. Federally funded “Freedom Trucks” carried revisionism and outright falsehoods to schoolchildren, including an AI rendering of George Washington claiming, “our rights are a gift from God,” a statement Washington is not documented to have made. The Interior Department also urged employees to wear Freedom 250 pins and threatened discipline against those who refused the pin, which anonymous employees took to calling their “Vichy pin,” a reference to World War II-era lapel pins that served as loyalty and propaganda badges.
• Freedom 250 created a blueprint for corruption. The report concludes Freedom 250 is “a blueprint, not a one-time abuse,” already test-driven at the Department of Agriculture, where the administration steered companies with business before the government to donate through a conservation charity into a fund the Secretary controls.

The investigation drew on confidential disclosures from sources interviewed by Committee Democrats, internal Freedom 250 documents and talking points obtained by the Committee, sworn testimony from two Committee hearings, and written responses from the National Park Foundation and the National Forest Foundation.
Republicans on the Committee refused to conduct any oversight to hold the administration accountable, even when Democrats repeatedly raised evidence of wrongdoing at Republicans’ own hearing entitled, “All in for America250: Public-Private Partnerships Supporting America’s Semiquincentennial on our Public Lands.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum testified he was “not aware of the final decisionmaker” behind Freedom 250, and the Department has refused to provide that information since.

Read the full report here.