MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) today testified before a joint Democratic oversight shadow hearing hosted by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, detailing her successful lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s unlawful attempt to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and highlighting how the Administration continues to prioritize costly vanity projects over the needs of the American people.

During the hearing, titled “Monumental Waste,” Beatty recounted her legal challenge to protect the Kennedy Center and defend the rule of law after Trump-appointed trustees unlawfully stripped ex officio board members of their voting rights and voted to rename the institution.

“My testimony is about not allowing this unlawful act, protecting the rule of law, and standing up for the only living memorial to John F. Kennedy,” Beatty said. “It’s about whether powerful people can rewrite history, seize public institutions, and silence dissent.”

As an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees, Beatty filed Beatty v. Trump in December 2025 after being muted during the board meeting in which trustees voted to rename the Kennedy Center. In May 2026, U.S. District Judge Christopher R. Cooper ruled in her favor, restoring her voting rights, ordering Trump’s name removed from the building, and blocking the Administration’s planned two-year closure of the Kennedy Center.

Beatty also reflected on witnessing the removal of the unlawful signage outside the Kennedy Center after the court’s order.

“Justice has prevailed. I have not been silenced, I am no longer prevented from attending and voting in board meetings, and the name has come down,” Beatty said.

Beatty concluded by contrasting the Administration’s focus on vanity projects with the economic challenges facing American families.

“In these difficult times, American people deserve better than a President who is more focused on slapping his name on buildings than helping lower the cost of groceries,” Beatty said. “I would have much rather been here focusing on affordability and helping working families, rather than discussing Trump’s vanity projects and petty acts of defiance.”

Watch Congresswoman Beatty’s opening testimony HERE. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

(Washington, DC) — Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding a Full Committee hearing titled, Unleashing the Golden Age of Science: Examining the Priorities of the FY2027 Research and Technology Enterprise.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren’s (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below:

Thank you Mr. Chairman, and good morning Mr. Kratsios. This topic of this hearing is “Unleashing the Golden Age of Science.” That title is stunningly ironic, as this Administration is systematically destroying U.S. science, while our allies and adversaries alike look on astonished. So let me propose an alternative title: “Unleashing the Golden Age of Science in the People’s Republic of China” – because this Administration’s actions only serve to strengthen the hand of China while decimating the U.S. research enterprise.

As reported earlier this month by the Association of American Universities, major research universities across the nation accepted 15% fewer applicants to PhD programs for fall 2026 compared to fall 2025. This is on top of decreases recorded in fall 2025 admissions. These decreases were not just in fields disfavored by this administration – they were across the board in STEM fields.

International students have long been a lynchpin of U.S. leadership in science and technology, so none of us should be celebrating their 17% reduction in PhD admissions at U.S. universities. However, even more shocking given Administration rhetoric, is the fact that PhD admissions for U.S. students also dropped by 13%. So much for America First. We are destroying the seed corn for the future of U.S. science and technology. Meanwhile, China is not only doubling down on their scientific investments, they are also actively recruiting researchers away from the U.S.

Big new initiatives and promises mean nothing when agencies act capriciously – canceling grants mid-way, delaying awards for months even after they have been selected through the rigorous merit-review process, and blacklisting educational and research institutions at will. And if anyone has any doubt as to intent, just look at the proposed OMB rule effectively codifying all of these terrible practices.

Mr. Kratsios, you are the face of this Administration’s science and technology agenda. You appear to have a direct role in some of what’s been happening, but you are accountable for the entirety of it. I will focus on just a couple of egregious actions.

First, you may claim to be free-market conservatives, but the Administration is acting like a bunch of communists. Communists have the government own the means of production. The Administration are bullying American companies into handing over equity stakes in exchange for Federal funding. There is zero transparency to the public, or even to Congress, on how you intend to dispose of those shares, on what timeline, and where any profits will go. We are left to our imagination.

Given the widespread corruption of the last 18 months, what I imagine is this Administration once again disadvantaging the American taxpayer for the benefit of the President’s friends.

Next, I want to focus on the National Science Foundation, the crown jewel of our government’s support for discovery science across all fields of science and engineering. The President requested a $3 billion cut to NSF in both FY 25 and FY 26. Congress said “heck no” and funded the agency close to the FY 24 level. Yet, money is not getting out the door. There are now multiple credible reports of the Administration “taxing” up to 30% of funds for each of NSF’s research directorates, to apparently create some kind of slush fund for Administration priorities. I want to be clear: this would be in direct contravention of the funding law that Congress passed in January, and is entirely illegal.

Mr. Kratsios, you have a background in venture capital. I come from Silicon Valley myself, with a deep appreciation for the ways in which VC has accelerated innovation. But government is not VC. There is no Silicon Valley without fundamental research – the kind government funds – the kind that wins Nobel prizes. But you appear to be imposing the VC model on government. It is a dangerous game to play – one that is already hollowing out our fundamental research base and our talent pipeline.

From the targeting of major universities, to the suppression of inconvenient federal science, to the slandering of diversity in our research enterprise – all of it has helped to throw American science into crisis. Mr. Kratsios, I hope that you are prepared to give serious answers to serious questions about the actions being taken by this Administration and by OSTP specifically under your watch. I yield back.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an interview with WJR’s Kevin Dietz, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens blasted President Donald Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, accusing the administration of dragging the United States into another Middle East conflict without congressional approval, without briefing lawmakers, and without a clear strategy.

Listen to what Michiganders are hearing about Rep. Haley Stevens’ thoughts on the Iran war:

• This administration has got to be a lot more transparent. For goodness sakes, they start this war, they do it without the approval of Congress. They didn’t even brief us. We’re still not getting access to the information we need, and it doesn’t seem to be a plan.

• Oh mission accomplished. Oh, we’ve got a ceasefire with Iran. Oops, 3 days later now we don’t, you know, we’re losing troops, which is so tragic.

• We’re paying for this war as Michiganders, you know, as costs continue to go up. As, you know, the Trump administration is…giving the billionaires a tax cut, but slashing healthcare and food assistance for us, you know, a $70 billion slush fund to ICE. You know, are we safer?

• So I want to know what the plan is. I want to, I want this war to end. I have been voting every single time to get us to that place.

Stevens has continuously called out Trump’s illegal war and its impact on Michigan families. She proudly supported the Iran War Powers Resolution, calling on Donald Trump to end his illegal attacks, and has repeatedly voted to curtail his reach. Rep. Stevens has remained focused on the affordability crisis the Iran war is causing for Michigan families, fighting to install real-time gas price trackers in Congress. She’s also pushed for relief for Michiganders from Trump’s tariffs, introducing the No Tariffs on Groceries Act to lower costs.  In the face of Trump’s abuses of power, Rep. Stevens is fighting for Michigan families, putting their priorities at the top of Washington’s agenda.
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

July 22, 2026

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) led seven House Democrats in asking the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to clarify its jurisdiction over prediction markets that reference securities or related financial metrics.

“We recognize that event contracts tied to the performance of U.S. financial markets may present opportunities for investors and businesses to hedge their risks, protect their portfolios, and offset potential losses. However, without appropriate safeguards, these contracts can be highly susceptible to manipulation and insider trading,” the lawmakers wrote. “…Therefore, we urge the SEC to issue guidance regarding the regulatory treatment of event contracts that reference individual securities, securities indexes, or other related metrics, which will help provide much-needed clarity to investors, market participants, and the public.”

Event contracts, often referred to as “prediction markets”, are generally structured as financial derivatives that are called binary options. These contracts “derive” their value from whether the underlying event occurs and provide investors with a predetermined all-or-nothing payout. Leading prediction market platforms currently offer event contracts that are based on the stock prices of publicly traded companies, the market capitalization of major stock indexes, and metrics that are linked to a company’s SEC disclosures. These products are trading alongside other event contracts that are based on everything from the outcomes of sports games to the size of the national debt, the daily temperature in Chicago, and the winners of Love Island UK.

Under existing laws, the SEC has jurisdiction over derivatives markets related to securities, including security options and security-based swaps. In recent agency statements, the SEC specified that contracts based on the price of a public company’s stock, or directly on a stock index, may fit within existing securities frameworks. As a result, these contracts would need to be listed and traded on SEC-registered exchanges, offered by regulated broker-dealers, cleared through an established and regulated clearing organization, and subject to robust investor protections.

In addition to Rep. Casten, the letter was signed by Reps. Bill Foster, Jim Himes, Vicente Gonzalez, Brad Sherman, Ritchie Torres, Gregory Meeks, and Janelle Bynum.

Text of the letter can be found below. Text of the letter can be found here.

Dear Chair Atkins:

We write to request that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issue formal guidance to clarify whether event contracts that reference securities or related financial metrics are subject to SEC oversight.

Event contracts, commonly referred to as prediction markets, are structured as binary options that settle based on whether the underlying event occurs. Some prediction market platforms allow users to trade event contracts based directly on securities indexes such as the S&P 500, Nasdaq-100, or the Russell 2000, or the share prices of large publicly traded companies like Apple, Amazon, and Nvidia.

Certain exchanges also list event contracts tied to metrics disclosed in quarterly or annual SEC filings that may inform a company’s market value. This includes contracts that predict Google’s quarterly earnings, Coinbase’s total trading volume, how many restaurants Cava will open, or how many car deliveries Tesla will make.

We appreciate the SEC’s efforts to provide clarity on the regulatory treatment of innovative, new financial products. Notably, in its January 28, 2026 statement on tokenized securities, the SEC stated that “any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities, including any interest therein or based on the value thereof” is excluded from the definition of a “swap” and subject to the SEC’s exclusive jurisdiction. We further appreciate that the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reference this exclusion in the June 18, 2026 joint request for comment on the definition of swaps and security-based swaps. This suggests that event contracts based on the price of a public company’s stock or directly on a stock index fit within existing securities frameworks.

Legal experts have also indicated that contracts that are tied to specific outcomes for publicly traded companies, such as earnings announcements, could be considered securities subject to the SEC’s jurisdiction. It would be prudent for the SEC to conduct the appropriate legal analysis and determine whether these contracts should be regulated as securities products.

We recognize that event contracts tied to the performance of U.S. financial markets may present opportunities for investors and businesses to hedge their risks, protect their portfolios, and offset potential losses. However, without appropriate safeguards, these contracts can be highly susceptible to manipulation and insider trading.

Under the existing regulatory framework for derivative securities, the SEC ensures that these products are offered by regulated broker-dealers, traded on SEC-registered exchanges, and cleared through a regulated clearinghouse. These rules appropriately balance investor protections, market oversight, and innovation.

You have previously indicated that prediction markets may involve “overlapping jurisdiction” and that the SEC “ha[s] enough authority” to regulate this space. Therefore, we urge the SEC to issue guidance regarding the regulatory treatment of event contracts that reference individual securities, securities indexes, or other related metrics, which will help provide much-needed clarity to investors, market participants, and the public.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland

July 22, 2026                                                    202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT INTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO HONOR TWO VIRGIN ISLANDERS WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR NATION

U.S. Virgin Islands — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) released the following statement today regarding the introduction of two bills to name the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Based Outpatient Clinics on St. Thomas and St. Croix in honor of two Virgin Islanders who gave their lives in service to our country:

“Today, I am pleased to introduce two bills to name VA facilities in the Virgin Islands in honor of Virgin Islands veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. The St. Thomas Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be named the ‘Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake Department of Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic’ and the St. Croix Community Based Outpatient Clinic will be named the ‘Lieutenant Colonel David C. Canegata III Department of Veterans Affairs Community Based Outpatient Clinic,’” said Congresswoman Plaskett.

“Director Patrick Farrell and the team at the Caribbean VA Healthcare System deserve recognition for bringing this matter to our office. Their engagement was instrumental in moving these bills forward. If enacted, these namings would stand as a lasting tribute, ensuring that Sergeant First Class Lake and Lieutenant Colonel Canegata are never forgotten, and that every veteran who walks through the doors of these clinics is reminded of the courage of those who came before them,” Congresswoman Plaskett continued.

Director Farrell shared the following statement:

“Today’s introduction of legislation to honor Lieutenant Colonel David C. Canegata III and Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake by naming the Virgin Islands Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (VA Clinics) in their memory marks an important step toward preserving the legacy of Virgin Islands Veterans, and a testament that we are sincerely grateful for the service of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. For me, this initiative is deeply personal. I had the privilege of knowing both David and Floyd, and while history will rightly remember them as fallen heroes, I will always remember them as friends, fellow Soldiers, and proud Virgin Islanders whose lives embodied honor, humility, and selfless service. It is my hope that every Veteran, family member, employee, and visitor who enters these clinics in the years ahead, will be reminded of their sacrifice and inspired by their enduring legacy. I am grateful to the Office of Delegate to Congress Stacey E. Plaskett for advancing this meaningful effort and helping to move this vision one step closer to becoming a lasting tribute.”

“Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake and Lieutenant Colonel David C. Canegata III were exemplary Virgin Islanders who each made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. We remember their lives and their service with solemn gratitude, and we honor their memory so that others may follow their example and answer the call to duty,” Congresswoman Plaskett concluded.

Sergeant First Class Floyd E. Lake first enlisted in the active-duty Army in 1988 and joined the Virgin Islands National Guard two years later. Sergeant First Class Lake was assigned to the Virgin Islands Army National Guard and was working at the National Guard headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. Sergeant First Class Lake deployed to Baghdad, Iraq, in October 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  

Lieutenant Colonel Canegata’s service in the Virgin Islands National Guard began in 1995. In 2005, he rose to Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Planning. In December 2006, Lieutenant Colonel Canegata deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.   

On January 20, 2007, Sergeant First Class Floyd Lake and Lieutenant Colonel Canegata, along with 10 other soldiers, were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Baghdad, Iraq.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Congresswoman Dina Titus led eleven other members of Congress representing Upper Basin and Lower Basin states in sending a bipartisan letter to House leadership today urging them to include measures in a supplemental appropriations package that would mitigate the effects of extreme drought on the Colorado River.

“Bureau of Reclamation projections recently released show Lake Mead will drop below its record low of 2022 by the end of next month,” Congresswoman Titus said. “The lake is expected to drop even further to 31 feet below that level by mid-2028. We can wait no longer to address this crisis and the impacts it will have on the millions of people who rely on the Colorado River.”

Other Members of Congress signing the letter were Representatives Biggs, Stansbury, Crane, Vasquez, Stanton, Correa, Ansari, Costa, Grijalva, Hamadeh, and Gosar.

The letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Reps. Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro, chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, stated: “Any emergency funding package that aims to bolster our national security must recognize the immediate threat that prolonged drought and rapidly declining water levels in the Colorado River and its reservoirs pose to the millions of people whose lives and livelihoods depend on this resource. Federal investments are needed to build water supply resilience and reduce consumptive water use throughout the Colorado River Basin.”

The letter notes that in 2022 Congress provided $4 billion for drought mitigation measures. “Now is not the time to let federal support dry up. We recommend that the supplemental appropriations package include emergency funding for water infrastructure investments and upgrades in the Colorado River Basin and that significant funding is directed towards long-term planning for water reductions, conservation, and smart augmentation measures to protect the health and future of the Colorado River,” the Members said.

They also expressed support for a long-term agreement among the seven Colorado River Basin states that recognizes the natural limitations of the Colorado River. “Funding is urgently needed to limit the pain that could be felt by communities across the Basin in the near term and may smooth the path forward for post-2026 operating agreements.”

This letter was endorsed by Trout Unlimited; Hispanics Enjoying Camping, Hunting and the Outdoors (HECHO); Family Farm Alliance; National Audubon Society; Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP); Great Basin Water Network; The Nature Conservancy.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement ahead of her vote against the Republican-led National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“While I appreciate that there are many important provisions in this legislation that I wholeheartedly support, like a pay raise for our troops and expanded support for military families, I simply cannot vote to authorize $1.15 trillion to President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth while they continue to seek supplemental funding for their dangerous and costly war in Iran.

“I am also deeply concerned that this bill abandons our country’s LGBTQ+ veterans and servicemembers, who have put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms. These provisions do not make our country safer, and in fact, they deter Americans willing and able to serve our country. Bottom line: this legislation does nothing to rein in Trump’s executive power, end this war and take our troops out of harm’s way.”

“I am grateful to my House Democratic colleagues who worked tirelessly to secure critical provisions that push for transparency and accountability from the Defense Department, authorize health care coverage for IVF and other reproductive technologies for military families and protect collective bargaining rights. These are provisions I support, but not at the expense of more American lives lost in the Middle East, skyrocketing prices for Minnesotans and a target on the backs of our LGBTQ+ servicemembers.”

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

If enacted, this bill would be the most consequential reduction in D.C.’s authority to govern itself in the modern history of D.C. home rule.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02)

Tonight, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act. This legislation is designed to strengthen community banks, expand access to credit, and end debanking. Importantly, this bipartisan bill includes two measures authored by Huizenga that strengthen oversight and promote greater competition within the banking system.

“Washington should not be making life more expensive for Americans with needless red tape,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “Less competition means fewer financing options, higher borrowing costs, and less investment on Main Street. By cutting through the red tape this bipartisan bill reduces costs and helps community lenders make life more affordable for American families. Lastly, I am glad this legislation includes my provisions to increase accountability and reduce concentration across our financial system.”

Access to affordable credit is critical for families buying a home, farmers investing in their operations, entrepreneurs starting a business, and employers creating jobs. The Main Street Capital Access Act removes unnecessary regulatory burdens on community banks, encourages the formation of new community banks, and allows local lenders to devote more resources to making loans.

Earlier today, Congressman Huizenga spoke on the floor in support of the Main Street Capital Access Act. The video of his remarks is available below.

The Main Street Capital Access Act incorporates two bills authored by Huizenga. The FDIC Board Accountability Act that strengthens governance and accountability at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as well as the Enhancing Bank Resolution Participation Act, which broadens participation in failed-bank resolutions to promote competition, protect depositors, and reduce concentration within the banking system. Together, these measures reflect Huizenga’s continued work to ensure federal policy supports community financial institutions and the small businesses and families they serve.

The Main Street Capital Access Act passed the House by a vote of 270-155 and now advances to the Senate for consideration.