MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter bill preventing maternal deaths and improving health outcomes for mothers heads to Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  The House of Representatives today passed Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter’s (R-GA) Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2025 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. 

This bill reauthorizes support for State-based maternal mortality review committees through FY 2030. Additionally, it directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to disseminate best practices on maternal mortality prevention to hospitals, professional societies, and perinatal quality collaboratives.

“I’m proud to champion the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act, which will improve health care outcomes for mothers at all stages of pregnancy. Georgians are severely impacted by our nation’s alarming and preventable maternal mortality crisis, and this bill will help ensure that all families have access to lifesaving health care resources. I urge the Senate to quickly send this bill to President Trump’s desk so we can improve health care outcomes for mothers nationwide,” said Rep. Carter.

“Reauthorizing these vital maternal and infant health programs allows us to continue addressing preterm birth and maternal mortality at a time when the United States received a D+ on the 2025 March of Dimes Report Card,” said Stacey Y. Brayboy, March of Dimes, Sr. Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs. “Enactment of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act provides the authority needed to invest in essential CDC programs, ensuring we have the accurate data and actionable prevention strategies required to give every mom and baby the best possible start.”

Read the full bill text here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter bill extending telehealth access for patients passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter’s (R-GA) Telehealth Modernization Act of 2025, a bill to extend telehealth flexibilities for seniors on Medicare through December 31, 2027, passed the House today as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.

Absent congressional action, telehealth flexibilities in Medicare are set to expire on January 30, 2026.

“Telehealth is a vital part of our health care system, and we must ensure that it is available to patients who need it. By extending telehealth flexibilities for patients, we are making health care more accessible, regardless of their physical location. As a pharmacist, one of my top priorities has been increasing the accessibility and quality of health care; this bill does both, in a bipartisan manner, and paves the way for more patients and providers to use 21st century technology,” said Rep. Carter.

“This bill marks a major win for the millions of patients and clinicians who rely on telehealth and shows real momentum for telehealth policy. We are hopeful this legislation will advance, and are urging policymakers to take strong, swift action. We greatly appreciate the ongoing bipartisan support from Representative Carter and our telehealth champions in Congress, as well as President Trump’s Administration, and their continued efforts to secure years-long extensions for telehealth services,” said Alexis Apple, Deputy Executive Director, American Telemedicine Association (ATA) Action and Vice President of Federal Affairs, ATA.

Read the full bill text here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter celebrates passage of his key PBM reforms to lower costs for patients

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today celebrated House passage of key portions of his PBM Reform Act as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026. After more than a decade of advocacy, Rep. Carter’s efforts have resulted in a major win for patients and pharmacies that will increase transparency, preserve patient access to pharmacies, and lower health care costs by reforming the middlemen – pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

“As a pharmacist from coastal Georgia, I came to Congress with the goal of building a health care system that put patients before profits,” said Rep. Carter. “PBMs have been stealing hope and health from the American people for decades, inflating prescription drug costs, forcing pharmacy closures, and blocking access to medications. To that I say: Not on my watch. The PBM mafia has officially been put on notice. I call on the Senate to pass this bill and help build a quality, accessible, and affordable health care system for patients.”

Included in this funding package are Rep. Carter’s policies to:

• Prohibit PBM compensation in Medicare Part D from being tied to the manufacturer’s list price of a drug in an effort to reduce drug prices and save money for taxpayers.

• Promote price transparency for prescription drugs purchased by employer health plans by ensuring PBMs provide group health plans and issuers with detailed data on prescription drug spending at least semi-annually. Such data includes gross and net drug spending, drug rebates, spread pricing arrangements, formulary placement rationale, and information about benefit designs that encourage the use of pharmacies affiliated with PBMs. The section also ensures that health plans and individuals can receive a summary document regarding information about the plan’s prescription drug spending.

• Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to define and enforce “reasonable and relevant” Medicare Part D contract terms, including information about reimbursement and dispensing fees, and establish an appeals process for pharmacies to dispute terms that do not follow the reasonable and relevant standards. CMS also has enforcement authority to impose monetary penalties, and CMS will receive $188 million for implementation.

• Promote transparency by allowing CMS to track payment trends to pharmacies and pharmacy inclusion in PBM networks, including a designation of essential retail pharmacies.

The PBM provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, boast support from key stakeholders. 

“The PBM Accountability Project commends Representative Carter’s leadership in advancing meaningful PBM reforms. His efforts to increase transparency, curb abusive middleman practices, and protect patients and independent pharmacies are a critical step toward lowering prescription drug costs at the pharmacy counter and restoring accountability to the drug pricing system,” said Mark Blum, Managing Director of the PBM Accountability Project.

“For independent community and long-term care pharmacies, the PBM reforms included in this package are as welcomed as they are long overdue. We’re grateful for the doggedness of pharmacy champions like Rep. Cater in advancing them through House, and look forward to getting this through the Senate and to the president’s desk as quickly as possible. Independent pharmacies and the patients they treat need relief from PBM manipulations, and they need it soon,” said Anne Cassity, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).

“The bill contains long-overdue, urgently-needed pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) middleman reforms that are crucial for reducing Americans’ drug costs and preserving access to their trusted pharmacies – which are being forced to close at an ever-accelerating rate,” said Steven C. Anderson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President and CEO. “The PBM reforms are essential for seniors in Medicare and for their pharmacies. These reforms would advance the clear priority of Congress and the Trump Administration to bring down peoples’ drug costs, to bring healthcare more in-reach for all Americans, and to confront the PBM middlemen’s exorbitant profit-grabbing at the expense of taxpayers, all people, and local pharmacies. This bill must be enacted with these PBM reforms without delay.”

“Congress stands at the precipice of passing the most important legislation in history to reform the pharmacy benefit management industry. For too long, giant PBMs have taken advantage of their own clients – America’s employers and purchasers – to drive their own profits at the expense of working families. The comprehensive PBM reform legislation mandates end-to-end transparency, finally giving employers the information they need to ensure their employees and families are receiving the best price on drugs. Critically, the bill requires PBMs to transparently pass on all rebates and discounts to plan sponsors, ensuring that employers are paying a fair price for drugs and PBMs are only being paid on value added services,” said Shawn Gremminger, MPP, President and CEO, National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.

“Enacting the PBM reform measures in H.R. 7148 would be a significant and long-awaited step forward for patients and pharmacies. It is time to hold the PBMs accountable and put an end to abusive PBM practices that steer patients towards pricier drugs, charge steep markups on medicines and extract billions of dollars in hidden fees,” said Mike Stigers, Wakefern Food Corp. President.

“Affordable access to medications is essential for people with MS to manage their disease and live their healthiest lives. We continuously hear from those with MS on the challenges they face in getting their life-changing medications,” said Steffany Stern, VP of Advocacy, National MS Society. “The PBM reform provisions included in the minibus package are important steps in putting patients first and bringing much needed transparency to opaque business practices. We applaud Representative Carter for his longstanding leadership in championing bipartisan reforms to support patients.”

Read full bill text here.

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

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) is calling on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to provide a full and detailed accounting of the legal basis for arrests made during her agency’s expanded immigration enforcement operation in Maine. In a letter to Noem on Thursday, Pingree expressed her outrage over the operation, which DHS has disturbingly dubbed “Catch of the Day.” 

“While Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the authority to enforce federal immigration law, that authority is neither unlimited nor exempt from oversight,” Pingree wrote. “Enforcement actions that result in hundreds of individuals being abducted, serious and numerous apparent violations of due process rights, and widespread fear in immigrant communities require immediate, forthright answers.”

Pingree is demanding answers about who DHS has detained and why, where they were taken, whether their due process rights are being protected, and more pressing questions the Administration has so far not answered. 

Beyond the conduct of the operation itself, Pingree said DHS’s name for the operation is “dehumanizing, offensive, and wholly inappropriate for a federal law enforcement action involving real people, families, and communities.” 

“Referring to human beings as something to be caught in a net reflects a disturbing disregard for human dignity and reinforces the perception that this operation was designed to intimidate and degrade rather than to uphold the law responsibly,” Pingree said. “Such language is not humorous, and not consistent with the Department’s supposed commitment to professionalism and civil rights.

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Dear Secretary Noem,

I write to express my profound outrage regarding the recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation underway in my home state of Maine. The execution of this operation and the Department’s related public messaging represent a deeply troubling breakdown in accountability, transparency, and respect for the Constitution. 

While Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the authority to enforce federal immigration law, that authority is neither unlimited nor exempt from oversight. Enforcement actions that result in hundreds of individuals being abducted, serious and numerous apparent violations of due process rights, and widespread fear in immigrant communities require immediate, forthright answers. 

In my capacity as a Member of Congress, I demand a full accounting of the legal basis for arrests made during this operation.

• I am requesting a comprehensive report of “Operation Catch of the Day” that answers:

  • How many individuals were taken into custody pursuant to valid judicial warrants signed by a federal judge or magistrate;

  • how many were arrested without such warrants;

  • of those detained, how many had prior convictions for violent or otherwise dangerous crimes; and

  • how is the Department defining “dangerous criminal” when publicly characterizing this operation?

• Alarming reports suggest that basic due process protections may have been disregarded. Please explain, in detail:

  • How ICE ensured that individuals were informed of their constitutional and statutory rights at the time of arrest;

  • how many detainees were provided timely access to legal counsel; and

  • how many were placed into expedited or summary removal proceedings without a meaningful opportunity to present claims for relief under U.S. law.

• The Department must also account for the immigration status of those detained:

  • How many individuals taken into custody possessed documentation demonstrating authorization to remain in the United States, including pending asylum claims, Temporary Protected Status, lawful permanent residency, or other valid authorization?

  • What verification procedures were followed prior to detention, and how many lawfully present individuals were nevertheless detained, even temporarily, as a result of this operation?

• Additional transparency is necessary regarding where detainees were taken following arrest.

  • Where are these individuals currently being held, and under what custody classifications? 

  • Were families, legal representatives, or local officials notified prior to or following such transfers, or were individuals effectively disappeared from their communities without notice?

I am also outraged by multiple reports from Maine indicating that ICE agents engaged in brazenly intimidating and threatening behavior toward bystanders and local residents. According to local reporting, an ICE agent drove to the home of a resident who was observing and documenting an operation that morning and told her, “This is a warning. We know you live right here.” Residents also reported that agents threatened bystanders with pepper spray, creating a climate of fear and coercion. Agents’ visible presence during a school commute alarmed parents and community members, sending a clear message that ordinary citizens could be targeted simply for lawfully observing activity. You state that you are no longer allowing American citizens to be terrorized, yet that is exactly what your agents are doing: terrorizing everyday Americans for practicing their legal rights. This, yet again, suggests your operation was never intended to be a targeted enforcement activity, but rather an attempt to sow confusion, disrupt daily life, and create a pervasive atmosphere of cruelty.

Beyond the conduct of the operation itself, I am deeply disturbed by its name, “Operation Catch of the Day.” This terminology is dehumanizing, offensive, and wholly inappropriate for a federal law enforcement action involving real people, families, and communities. Referring to human beings as something to be caught in a net reflects a disturbing disregard for human dignity and reinforces the perception that this operation was designed to intimidate and degrade rather than to uphold the law responsibly. Such language is not humorous, and not consistent with the Department’s supposed commitment to professionalism and civil rights.

Finally, I am appalled that ICE appears to have prioritized a partisan media narrative over communication with the communities and officials most directly impacted by this operation. It appears Fox News received an exclusive look into the operation, as local officials, community leaders, legal service providers, and impacted families went without basic information. This approach gives the unmistakable impression that the operation was designed to generate political optics rather than to carry out careful, targeted, and lawful immigration enforcement. If the Department is prepared to publicly showcase this operation to the press, it should have no difficulty providing Congress, and therefore the affected communities, with full transparency and accountability.

Let me be clear: congressional oversight of federal law enforcement is not discretionary, and it is not subordinate to public relations strategy. I expect full and prompt cooperation. I look forward to your written response to all questions posed above within the next 48 hours, along with all relevant documentation.

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

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the following statement on increased immigration enforcement operations in Maine:

After first granting Fox News exclusive access to federal agents on the ground in Maine, Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security has finally confirmed details about their operation “Catch of the Day”—a truly heinous and inhumane name. DHS reportedly has a “list of 1,400” people and had already, as of Tuesday night, detained 50 individuals. While the Fox News report and DHS’s own statement conveniently only detail a handful of individuals detained who allegedly do have criminal records, we know many of those who have been picked up do not. 

One, for instance, is a mother of four, who had just dropped her kids off at school when she was picked up by agents. Another, a teenager who was buying his lunch for school was grabbed in a grocery store parking lot. And a caregiver for people with disabilities was detained while on his lunch break.

Let me be absolutely clear: this operation does not serve the public interest in any way. It exists solely to meet anti-immigration quotas.

I’ve heard from countless employers who are desperately worried for their employees—all of whom are authorized to work and remain in this country and are vital to our workforce, community, and economy. 

Many are scared to leave their houses; to send their kids to school; to go to work or the grocery store, the hospital, or the pharmacy. Because they know that, regardless of their immigration status or lack of criminal record, they could be detained by violent, masked agents for no reason other than the color of their skin. And because they have seen how agents behave. In Minneapolis. In Chicago. In LA. And in every other “blue” city this Administration has set its sights on.

My office and I are continuing to assist our constituents and their loved ones however we can. I remain committed to holding this lawless Administration accountable for their abuses, demanding transparency, and getting Noem removed from office. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

Tonko Votes NO on Funding for DHS and ICE

Opposes funding agency amidst brutal & deadly crackdown against communities

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released a statement on House Republicans’ legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE):

“The militarization of American cities is dangerous and un-American. At Donald Trump’s direction, ICE has discarded its core mission and is operating without accountability—targeting and terrorizing nonviolent people, violating Americans’ constitutional rights, and fueling fear in communities across the country.

“The Trump Administration promised to focus on violent felons. Instead, agents have grown more reckless. Last year, 32 people died in ICE custody – the most in decades. American citizens have been detained and brutalized, mothers ripped from their babies, and an American murdered in the street.

“Congress must rein in this lawlessness. House Democrats fought to strengthen oversight, accountability, and Civil Rights protections. Unfortunately, House Republicans rejected those safeguards in allegiance to Trump over country. By voting for this legislation, House Republicans are enabling significant abuses of power they claim to oppose. I cannot sanction taxpayer dollars being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens and immigrant families, so I voted no.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) voted to pass the final Fiscal Year 2025 “minibus” appropriations bill, a package of 3 funding bills that will help address higher energy costs and build stronger and safer communities.

“It’s heartening to see Democrats and Republicans come together to reject the harmful budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. Democrats also forced Republicans to strip many harmful policies from the funding bills and put guardrails on some of the worst tangents of the President.  In the end, the appropriations package is good news for working families, seniors, students, Veterans, military families, and the economic engines of the Tampa Bay area.

“For example, the funding package rejects Trump’s proposed cuts to lifesaving medical research that benefits patients, the Moffitt Cancer Center, University of South Florida and local researchers. The package also rejects proposals to cut funding for K-12 education, including students in Hillsborough and Pinellas Public Schools. The package provides critical resources to modernize air traffic control facilities, hire thousands of new air traffic controllers, and keep our skies safe. And it fully delivers the 3.8 percent pay raise our service members have earned, honoring their sacrifice and ensuring military families can better keep up with rising costs.”

“A significant number of Tampa Bay area community priority projects I championed are funded to support housing, transit, schools and neighborhoods across the Bay area. These investments will lower the cost of living, boost opportunities through skills training, create jobs, support Veterans, and address housing affordability.

“I’m grateful to my Democratic colleagues for standing strong to reject extreme cuts pushed by MAGA Republicans following shutdowns, showdowns and continuing resolutions.” 

The package now goes to the Senate for action next week and then to the President’s desk.

Castor’s previous Community Funding Projects have secured billions of dollars in investments in the Tampa Bay area for projects ranging from transportation and infrastructure to affordable housing to education and research.

Castor Community Funding Projects

Ed White Senior Housing Redevelopment – Housing Authority of the City of St. Petersburg – $3,150,000

This funding would be for the conversion of a former hospital into 71 units of affordable housing for low-income elderly residents with supportive services on site and clean, efficient energy upgrades.

Ferry Dock at the St. Pete Pier – Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority – $850,000

This funding would be used to construct a permanent ferry dock to be used by the ferry service to connect two major cities through efficient public transit, spur economic development, increase tourism opportunities, and reduce local congestion.

HCPS Family Community Center – Hillsborough County Public Schools – $2,000,000

This funding would be used to support the physical expansion of an integral support center for students and families in Hillsborough County to allow for more tutoring services and digital literacy activities for families.

Robles Park Village Critical Infrastructure – Housing Authority of the City of Tampa – $1,200,000

This funding would be used to support critical infrastructure for the new Robles Park Village Redevelopment, which will increase affordable housing, generate employment opportunities, and connect residents to community services.

Castor has secured significant federal investments in the Robles Park redevelopment, including $4,000,000 for an innovative Smart HUB and funding to support critical infrastructure, through previous Community Funding Requests and federal grants.

88th Avenue North Storm Drainage Improvements – City of St. Petersburg – $1,145,144

This funding would be used to alleviate flooding, bolster stormwater system capacity, and reduce risk to property damage in an area impacted by frequent heavy rain events.

Chamberlain High School Technical Training Center – Hillsborough County Public Schools – $250,000

This funding would be used to expand academic and workforce opportunities for high school students to meet Tampa Bay’s growing economy and allow students to gain hands-on experience and industry-recognized skills.

Hillsborough Community College Artificial Intelligence Center – Hillsborough Community College – $250,000

This funding would be used to establish a high-tech Artificial Intelligence Center to provide a critical career pipeline to in-demand jobs, strengthen American competitiveness, and support a local community college as an economic engine.

MLK Street South Flooding Alleviation – City of St. Petersburg – $1,145,144

This funding would be used to elevate and improve MLK Street South from 30th Avenue South to 36th Avenue South to address persistent flooding events in a major thoroughfare in South St. Petersburg.

San Martin Boulevard Bridge Replacement – Pinellas County – $850,000

The funding would be used for the replacement of the San Martin Boulevard Bridge, improving connectivity for St. Petersburg residents, rehabilitating an important hurricane evacuation route, and providing the final link of the 75-mile Pinellas Trail loop for pedestrian and bicycle access.

SMART Tech Industry 4.0 Lab – St. Petersburg College – $850,000

This funding would be used to create a lab to provide training and education for today’s high-tech manufacturing workforce in South St. Petersburg, improving the pipeline for jobs in the semiconductor, mechatronics, automation, and robotics industries.

USF Veteran Workforce Support Center – University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus – $3,000,000

The funding would be used to support a clean and efficient energy remodel of an aging, hurricane-damaged facility to expand resources, career counseling, and workforce training to student veterans and military-connected students.

West River Walk Expansion – City of Tampa – $250,000

This funding would be used to complete the 12.2-mile pedestrian and bicycle path along the Hillsborough River, expanding safe mobility options between jobs, schools, and homes while restoring the native shoreline.

Castor has championed the Riverwalk for nearly two decades—leading with $300,000 in community funding in 2007 and later securing $11 million in federal grants in 2012 and $24 million in 2020.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Yesterday, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce advanced H.R. 4214, the Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Act. This critical legislation, introduced by Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) this Congress, is a necessary solution in response to the Biden-Harris Administration’s harmful final rule for Fine Particulate Matter, otherwise known as PM 2.5 standards.

This legislation would modernize the process for obtaining preconstruction permits and meeting compliance requirements for revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). 

During yesterday’s markup, Congressman Allen delivered the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, prior to the bill’s passage:

“Simply put, the Biden-Harris Administration’s unworkable rule to revise PM 2.5 standards tied the hands of job creators and manufacturers. It was the result of a bad process and provisions that allowed the Biden-Harris Administration to exploit the Clean Air Act to unfairly punish job creators and manufacturers. This bill provides much-needed clarity that will prevent these abuses from happening again.

“The Golden Age of America is upon us, and House Republicans are committed to eliminating unnecessary compliance and implementation burdens that harm our states, business communities, and economic development. 

“My legislation provides much-needed clarity for the process of obtaining preconstruction permits and meeting compliance requirements for revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Importantly, it protects American job creators from attempts in future administrations to abuse the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Specifically, this bill would require the EPA to publish implementing regulations and guidance when establishing or revising National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

“Too often, understaffed state agencies are forced to implement regulations on tight timelines with little to no guidance from the EPA. Currently, regulations go into effect as soon as they are final, but it often takes EPA months or even years to release implementation guidance on the rule. States depend on EPA’s implementation guidance to understand the requirements and come into attainment.

“This bill also requires guidance on how to submit preconstruction permit applications under new or revised standards. If EPA fails to do its job, then new standards will not apply to permit applications.

“This is about streamlining permitting and ensuring our state agencies have the proper guidance needed to properly do their jobs. It will remove costly delays and uncertainty that industries and developers often face when they try to build and invest in America.

“The Clean Air and Building Infrastructure Improvement Act will pave the way for more manufacturing and investment in America, creating jobs and investment while also protecting our environment. Thank you, and I yield back.”