MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

“Tim Walz has successfully led Minnesota through challenging times and enacted historic reforms,” says Minnesota Democrat

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

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement on Saturday morning: 

“President Trump must cease U.S. military strikes on Venezuela immediately. The actions taken today by the Trump administration are blatantly illegal. Venezuela poses no imminent national security threat to the United States and Congress has not voted to authorize any use of force in the region. Speaker Johnson must call the House of Representatives back into session immediately to reign in this out-of-control President.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the administration’s unconstitutional military action in Venezuela.

“The president’s reckless decision to put our servicemembers in harm’s way by attacking a sovereign nation without a coherent rationale or approval from Congress is unconstitutional, destabilizing to the region, and deeply damaging to America’s reputation around the world.

“While there is not a single individual who will defend the actions of a murderous and illegitimate dictator in Nicolas Maduro, the use of military force to enact regime change in a foreign nation has proven disastrous to our national security and economic interests in recent history. Moreover, such shortsighted decision-making will only embolden despots around the world, giving tyrants in Russia and China an excuse to utilize their own military forces to depose leaders with whom they disagree.

“Whether it was the illegal strikes in Iran, Nigeria, or off the coast of South America, there is no question that this careless decision is the culmination of Congressional Republican refusal to hold the Executive Branch accountable and maintain the checks and balances that are essential to strategic and well-informed foreign policy. Now, because of this dereliction of duty, the president claims our troops and tax dollars will ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as a proper transition can take place’. 

“As Congress returns to Washington, the administration must immediately brief the people’s elected representatives about the legal justifications of this attack, the short-term risks to our troops and civilians, and the long-term strategy to ensure the situation in Venezuela does not result in another quagmire that the American people do not support and cannot afford.”

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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the January 6^th insurrection and the attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

“Today marks the fifth anniversary of the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol Building and our constitutional Republic, incited by the President of the United States in his despicable attempt to remain in power after knowingly losing a free and fair election. On this solemn day, we are reminded of the fragility of our democracy as well as our sacred duty, entrusted to us by generations prior, to protect it for the generations still to come. 

“As we condemn those who participated in the first violent attempt to prevent the transfer of power in American history, we must also give thanks to the countless law enforcement officers who defended our nation during a time of grave peril. Tragically, some of those heroes are no longer with us today due to injuries sustained during that horrific event, but it is our responsibility to ensure their memory and sacrifice are remembered. It is because of those heroes that our Republic still stands today, even if the assault on the Constitution and the rule of law remain.

“Unfortunately, rather than unifying the nation in defense of the values that have made our nation truly great, the current administration and select members of Congress have actively worked to erase the memory of that day by pardoning those who participated in the violence, lying about the seriousness and coordination of the attack, and even unlawfully denying an honor to the memory of those who defended our democracy. This shameful stain will, rightfully, stick with them until the end of time.

“For a quarter of a millennia, the United States has grown into the most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world because of our commitment to the democratic principles of freedom, equality, and the supremacy of the rule of law, not the supremacy of a singular race, religion, or class. Although January 6^th will remain as one of the darkest days in American history, let it also be a flashing signal about the delicacy of democracy and the vigilance necessary to ensure it continues for our progeny.”

“If we do not lay aside our partisan view of what happened on January 6^th, history will surely lay us aside.”

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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman DeSaulnier issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s announcement of plans to illegally freeze $10 billion in funding for child care subsidies and social services for low-income children in California and four other states with Democratic governors.

“Playing politics with the lives of children by stealing billions of dollars meant to support their care and development is a new level of depravity for the Trump Administration. Targeting programs that Democrats and Republicans created together that support working families and children is not America First and will only damage our workforce and economy in the long run. If the Administration has the resources to pursue an endless regime-change war in Venezuela like it claims, it certainly can afford to support our own children. Congress alone authorizes funding and I call on my Republican colleagues in the House to denounce, investigate, and hold hearings on this cruel, anti-American, and illegal Executive overreach.”

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

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today released the following statement on the Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela:

“There is no question that Nicolás Maduro is a dictator who has brutalized his people and dismantled Venezuelan democracy. The Venezuelan people deserve freedom, self-determination and the rule of law – just as all people do.

“But the Constitution is clear: the power to authorize military actions belongs to Congress. No president has the authority to unilaterally launch military action simply because they believe it is justified. All members of Congress have a duty to call out President Trump’s blatant violation of our Constitution. I hope my Republican colleagues will do the same.

“Serious questions remain unanswered: How many American troops have been deployed to Venezuela and how long will they be there? What actions is the U.S. taking to prevent chaos and violence in the region? Will the president’s illegal military actions end with Venezuela or will our military be used to also go after legitimate, democratically elected leaders in Latin America, as he has threatened with Mexican President Sheinbaum? Was this military operation solely motivated to extract Venezuelan oil for American companies as the president repeatedly alluded to in his press conference? And what will prevent this from becoming another endless war that the American people do not want?

“The president’s press conference failed to address any of these concerns. NATO and the international system depend on the U.S. to be a responsible leader. It’s time for President Trump to come clean to Congress, the American people and our international allies.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reintroduced the District of Columbia Transportation Funding Equality Act, which would make D.C. eligible for three federal programs that support the development and revitalization of public transportation systems in the same manner that states are currently eligible. The bill would also make D.C. eligible for a program to support the replacement and removal of infrastructure that damages the ecosystems of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

“D.C. residents pay the same federal taxes as residents of all 50 states,” Norton said. “D.C. should be treated as a state in federal programs since its residents pay more federal taxes per capita than any state. This bill will give D.C. equitable access to four vital grant programs to improve its public transportation systems and infrastructure.”

Norton’s full introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the District of Columbia Transportation Funding Equality Act

January 6, 2026
 

Today, I introduce the District of Columbia Transportation Funding Equality Act.  This bill would make the District of Columbia eligible for three federal programs that support the development and revitalization of public transportation systems in the same manner as states are eligible for these programs.  It would also make D.C. eligible in the same manner as states are eligible for a transportation program that would support the replacement and removal of infrastructure that damages the ecosystems of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.  D.C. residents pay the same federal taxes as residents of the states and therefore D.C. is almost always treated as a state in federal programs. 

First, this bill would treat D.C. as a state in the High-Density States Formula for certain grants from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund.  Currently, only states are eligible for these grants.  Second, this bill would treat D.C. as a state under the Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. Under the formula grants for this program, each state is authorized to receive a minimum of $4 million per year, while D.C. is authorized to receive a minimum of only $1 million per year.  Third, this bill would treat D.C. as a state under the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program. Currently, only states and units of local government are eligible for these grants, and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has held that D.C. is ineligible, even though D.C. operates as the functional equivalent of a city, county and state.  Fourth, this bill would treat D.C. as a state under the Safe Streets for All Program.  Cities, counties and political subdivisions of a state are eligible for this program, but DOT has held that D.C. is ineligible. 

The programs in this bill fund the modernization of bus and rail fleets, the purchase of zero-emission transit vehicles, the improvement of transit station accessibility for all users, the extension of transit services to new communities, the replacement and repair of culverts and the implementation of roadway safety improvements for all road users. 

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. 

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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 on Tuesday to require the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to install security cameras at all USPS facilities to protect USPS employees, customers and property.

“I’ve asked USPS to expand the use of security cameras at postal facilities in the District of Columbia and across the country after learning that a D.C. resident was robbed in the parking lot of a post office in D.C.,” Norton said in the bill’s introductory statement. “The parking lot was not monitored by a security camera. USPS responded that it was not financially feasible to install and maintain security cameras at every postal facility. This bill authorizes appropriations for security cameras at postal facilities.”

Norton’s full introductory statement follows.

 

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

on the Introduction of the Postal Facilities Security Camera Act

December 30, 2025

Today, I introduce the Postal Facilities Security Camera Act.  This bill would require, subject to appropriations, the United States Postal Service (USPS) to install security cameras at each postal facility to protect USPS employees, customers and property.  This bill would also authorize appropriations to carry out the camera program.

I asked USPS to expand the use of security cameras at postal facilities in the District of Columbia and across the country after learning that a D.C. resident had been robbed in the parking lot of a post office in D.C.  The parking lot was not monitored by a security camera.  USPS responded that it was not financially feasible to install and maintain security cameras at every postal facility. 

USPS should have security cameras monitoring its facilities—both inside and outside—to protect employees, customers and property.  Security cameras can deter crime and assist in arrests and prosecutions.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet, delivered the following remarks at House Democrats’ hearing marking five years since the January 6 attack on the Capitol, featuring testimony from former law enforcement, state officials, Members who were present at the Capitol on that day, and a Jan. 6 participant who rejected Trump’s pardon, amid an ongoing effort by Republicans to whitewash the truth.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Capitol has been a building permanently etched in my mind from an early age. It regularly came into my view as daily life took my family and I around the District of Columbia. To me, the Capitol was always citadel — a beacon of freedom, democracy and justice. At the age of ten I developed the vision that one day I would serve there as a legislator.

I was always so proud even today I’m still in awe of the U.S. Capitol, what it stands for, and the fact that it is my workplace, and has been for 19 years!

On January 6, 2021, amidst social distancing in response to the COVID pandemic then still ongoing, I was so proud to be one of a limited number of members of the House to be in the chamber to witness the certification of the 2020 elections. Though somewhat envious of those who were seated on the floor, I nonetheless savored the honor of having a seat in the House gallery from which I could observe the solemn proceeding.

As the peaceful transfer of power was taking place in the chamber, the proceedings were rudely, then violently interrupted. The disorder became louder and louder as the insurrectionists got nearer and nearer. The cacophony shut down the Speaker and caused the business of the House to stop. From the gallery, I watched as the Speaker was extracted from the Chair, and my colleagues evacuated from the floor. What would happen to us in the gallery?

The situation became scary, dire, and dangerous. I felt like a sitting duck. In those moments while in self-preservation mode I thought of jumping from the Gallery onto the floor so that I could be evacuated. My thoughts then turned to my colleagues also in the Gallery, and my thoughts turned to my moral responsibility to them. I would never leave them to save myself.

As we were being spirited out of the chamber into the hallway, I saw dozens of violent insurrectionists lying spread eagle on the marble floor, under gunpoint of the Capitol Hill Police.

I later learned that all those insurrectionists had been released without charges because there was not enough law enforcement manpower to take them into custody. They all walked. They came into the U.S. Capitol, disrupted our work and desecrated this citadel of democracy. They all walked.

Needless to say, I was gratified later when more than 1,500 perpetrators were prosecuted, some of the worst offenders receiving 20-year sentences. There was a sense that people had been held accountable for their crimes.

Then on January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump shot Lady Justice on 5th Avenue in broad daylight by pardoning each and every January 6 insurrectionist. It was a blow to justice and the Rule of Law in America. And my sense of anger at injustice has intensified as Donald Trump and lapdog Republicans in Congress do everything in their power in an unholy and futile attempt to whitewash and rewrite the history of what happened on January 6.

While Donald J. Trump and MAGA Republicans continue their systematic assault on truth and justice, I will proudly stand in the breech with House Democrats and all people of goodwill, to defend the concepts of truth, freedom, liberty, and justice for all, which IS Democracy in America.

I want to thank the Capitol Hill and Metropolitan Police for protecting us on January 6, I want to thank Leader Jeffries and Chairman Thompson for holding this hearing to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of this fateful day, and I want to thank Speaker Emerita Pelosi for her leadership during those difficult times.

For hi-res video, click HERE. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

President Trump’s actions with respect to Venezuela raise serious concerns, not only about his apparent tolerance for authoritarian behavior abroad, but about his willingness to disregard democratic norms at home.

I join with millions of people and elected officials who believe that the principles of democracy are relevant and essential for all people, not just the powerful, but also the most vulnerable.

I have no respect for President Nicolás Maduro. I agree that drug trafficking originating in Venezuela must be addressed, and that the Venezuelan people deserve competent leadership and a stable, functional system of government in which the people, not force rule.

However, for the President of the United States, acting as Commander in Chief, to invade another country, attempt to impose leadership, and unilaterally determine that nation’s future is wholly unacceptable and has no place in our constitutional system.

Congress, not the executive alone, holds the authority over acts of war. For that reason, I join my colleagues in calling for immediate briefings from the executive branch to fully inform Congress of the nature, scope, and objectives of this action.

At a minimum, these events raise profound constitutional concerns. At worst, they represent a direct violation of the separation of powers that underpins our democracy.