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Republicans Advance Largest Pentagon Budget in History while Cutting Billions from Domestic Investments

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

The $1,072,210,299,000 military budget is the most expensive ever, while the Trump administration requests even more funding

WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee today advanced their 2027 funding bill during the full committee markup. The bill sets the Pentagon budget at more than $1 trillion – the largest in U.S. history and a $234 billion increase over 2026. The excessive increase in Defense spending comes as Republicans propose nearly $13 billion in cuts to domestic programs that support working people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

The legislation:

  • Abandons our allies and partners by failing to support Ukraine with funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and allowing the Administration to cut forces in Europe.
  • Allows Secretary Pete Hegseth to arbitrarily cut $1 billion from across the Department of Defense without consulting Congress, further ceding power to the Trump Administration under the false assumption of savings from the use of Artificial Intelligence tools.
  • Undermines democracy at home and harms our military readiness by deploying National Guard to the District of Columbia for “beautification” activities and to other U.S. cities at the President’s will.
     

“The American people overwhelmingly oppose President Trump’s war with Iran. Instead of listening to their concerns about the cost of living and holding President Trump accountable, this bill doubles down on the President’s war of choice by providing the Department of Defense with over a trillion dollars. It’s an unprecedented sum that comes at the cost of funding for our nation’s education, workforce training, and international diplomacy. Cutting funding for engineering, math, and science programs will hamstring our future national security workforce. Cuts to the Department of State will paralyze American diplomatic efforts at a time when threats to our nation are growing, not shrinking. Instead, Republicans have prioritized support for an unnecessary National Guard mobilization in Washington, D.C. and funding a battleship that has not even been designed yet.” Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) said. “My constituents sent me to Washington to stand against the war, invest in diplomacy, and deliver lower costs for working families. That is what I intend to do, and I will oppose this legislation until we can find a bipartisan consensus on our funding priorities.”

Congresswoman McCollum’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery are here.

“At a time when American families are begging for relief from high prices, the Trump administration is deaf to their pleas. Instead of providing relief, they are cutting domestic programs that support families who are struggling with the cost of living.” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “At the same time they proposing nearly $13 billion in cuts to domestic investments, they are proposing the most expensive military budget in American history. More than $1 trillion for the Pentagon, and the administration has come back to Congress with another request for even more funding. It is a $1.1 trillion floor, but who knows how high the ceiling will be. Despite the excessive increase in funding proposed in this bill, it does not include funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. Our partners and allies deserve better than broken promises. I support a strong national defense. I support the courageous men and women who serve our country in uniform. And I understand the need to make investments accordingly. But we need not cut non-defense programs that lower costs and help families afford basic necessities like groceries, housing, childcare and health care. We ought to work together to provide relief for American families. That is what I intend to do as we continue our work on this committee.”

Congresswoman DeLauro’s opening remarks as prepared for delivery are here.

Republicans amended the bill to include a series of hyper-partisan, culture-war provisions that target LGBTQ+ servicemembers, restrict access to reproductive healthcare for servicemembers, and change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War which would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

In contrast, Democrats offered amendments to:

  • Rescind a proposed budget rule that would inject partisan politics into grant funding.
  • Apply the same basic guardrails that the Appropriations Committee includes in their bills to money passed through reconciliation.
  • Increase funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative by $400 million.
  • Prevent the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces from Europe, abandoning our allies.
  • Remove funding for President Trump’s Golden Dome vanity project.
  • Remove funding for the continued deployment of National Guard troops in the District of Columbia.
  • Prohibit the use of funds for war in Iran.
  • Investigate potentially corrupt loans to companies with ties to the Trump family.
  • Limit the Secretary of Defense’s travel budget by 25% until he provides justification for the removal of certain military officers.

A summary of House Republicans’ 2027 Defense bill is here. A fact sheet of the bill is here. The full text of the bill is here.

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Trahan Leads 125 Lawmakers Calling on Trump Administration to Reverse Harmful Rule Changes to Health Research Grant Process

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, was joined by Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Suzan DelBene (WA-01) in leading 125 members of Congress demanding that the Trump Administration stop a proposed rule change to the traditionally nonpartisan federal grantmaking process. The letter, written to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, demonstrated how the administration’s proposed changes will impede critical health research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and at research institutions across the country. 
“We write in opposition to the Office of Management and Budget’s disastrous and likely unlawful proposed rule that would devastate American health care innovation for generations,” the lawmakers wrote. “…This alarming change would convert our venerable gran review process into a political obstacle course and insider’s game, irreparably damaging our nation’s leading health research institutions, including the National Institutes of Health and its grantees across the country.” 
Since the end of World War II, NIH has relied on qualified peer reviewers and nonpolitical expert evaluators to determine which health care research puts Americans’ tax dollars to best use. This thorough, nonpolitical process has set the global standard for high-quality grant review and propelled U.S. institutions like the NIH and its grantees to the forefront of scientific innovation, discovery and research. 
New proposed rule changes from OMB will give partisan political appointees final say over grant decisions and sideline the longstanding and trusted peer review process. Undoing the peer review process in favor of political grantmaking will delay and disrupt health care research that millions of Americans depend on. 
“OMB’s guidance would provide little recourse to people subject to political retribution,” the lawmakers continued. “President Trump’s sacking of thousands of NIH researchers and scientists has led to severe understaffing and grant approval delays at NIH. This rule change would make an already problematic situation disastrous.” 
A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.
Additional signers of the letter include Representatives Mark Pocan, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Sharice L. Davids, Adriano Espaillat, Maxine Waters, Suhas Subramanyam, Nancy Pelosi, Bennie G. Thompson, Mike Quigley, Danny K. Davis, Mark DeSaulnier, Mary Gay Scanlon, Janelle S. Bynum, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Sylvia R. Garcia, William R. Keating, Madeleine Dean, Steny H. Hoyer, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Becca Balint, Seth Moulton, April McClain Delaney, Rashida Tlaib, Steve Cohen, Steven Horsford, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Sarah Elfreth, Adam Smith, Pete Aguilar, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Pablo José Hernández, Chris Deluzio, Jonathan L. Jackson, Joyce Beatty, Richard E. Neal, Stephen F. Lynch, James R. Walkinshaw, André Carson, Jimmy Panetta, Shontel M. Brown, Gwen S. Moore, Christian D. Menefee, Yassamin Ansari, Timothy M. Kennedy, Brad Sherman, Ted W. Lieu, Adelita S. Grijalva, Andrea Salinas, Maxine Dexter, M.D., Haley M. Stevens, John B. Larson, Valerie P. Foushee, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Mike Levin, Lateefah Simon, Analilia Mejia, Kathy Castor, Jennifer L. McClellan, Jan Schakowsky, Paul D. Tonko, Robin L. Kelly, Eric Sorensen, Judy Chu, Johnny Olszewski, Jr., Greg Stanton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ro Khanna, Deborah K. Ross, Emanuel Cleaver II, Glenn F. Ivey, Nellie Pou, Juan Vargas, Joaquin Castro, Frederica S. Wilson, Chellie Pingree, Gabe Amo, Mark Takano, Derek T. Tran, Shri Thanedar, J. Luis Correa, John Garamendi, Angie Craig, Kweisi Mfume, Julia Brownley, Zoe Lofgren, Seth Magaziner, Debbie Dingell, Sarah McBride, Sean Casten, Grace Meng, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ayanna Pressley, Wesley Bell, Jasmine Crockett, Melanie Stansbury, Sam T. Liccardo, Kelly Morrison, Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Maggie Goodlander, Salud Carbajal, Chrissy Houlahan, Troy A. Carter, Sr., Shomari Figures, Dina Titus, Rick Larsen, Terri A. Sewell, Bill Foster, Julie Johnson, Jake Auchincloss, Mike Thompson, Jared Huffman, Delia C. Ramirez, Lizzie Fletcher, Rosa L. DeLauro, Brittany Pettersen, Bradley Scott Schneider, Emily Randall, Jim Himes, Pramila Jayapal, Jahana Hayes, Lois Frankel, and Dwight Evans. 
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Carbajal-Backed Policies to Reduce Housing Costs Passes Congress

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which passed Congress on June 23rd, includes language from the Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All (DASH) Act. U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) co-led the introduction of the DASH Act with U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (D-OR-04) to make housing more affordable for working families and combat the rise of children and families experiencing homelessness.

The DASH Act, which is led by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in the Senate, addresses the lack of affordable quality housing through policies like creating a new down payment tax credit for first-time homebuyers, expanding and improving housing tax credits, incentivizing the construction of more affordable housing, and supporting families with children who are at risk of becoming homeless by improving services and access to housing vouchers.

“For many Central Coast families, housing is their biggest monthly expense. Whether they’re renting or buying, housing costs have gotten out-of-control,” said Rep. Carbajal. “I co-led the introduction of the DASH Act with Congresswoman Hoyle to lower costs for renters and first-time homebuyers, help those experiencing homelessness, and incentivize the construction of more housing units. I’m proud that language from the DASH Act passed Congress, and I’ll keep working to get the rest of the legislation across the finish line.”

Detailed provisions from the DASH Act included in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act are below:

  • Makes the Multi-Family Housing Preservation and Revitalization (MPR) program permanent, helping preserve and improve existing rural rental housing while keeping rents affordable for tenants.
  • Expands access to rural housing vouchers so more low-income households can qualify when certain federally financed rural housing properties leave the program.
  • Clarifies how rural housing voucher amounts are calculated to prevent ambiguity about what assistance people will receive.
  • Allows property owners six months to reassign unused rental assistance to another eligible tenant. If it is not used during that time, the assistance is transferred to eligible families in other rural housing properties. This prevents assistance from disappearing and ensures it keeps serving rural low-income families somewhere else in the program.

Carbajal has long been a leader to bring down housing costs and address homelessness. Since 2021, Carbajal has worked with federal housing agencies to bring back more than half a billion in federal dollars to the Central Coast to lower housing costs.

In 2024, the Biden administration adopted Carbajal’s Home for the Brave Act to improve veterans’ access to housing assistance programs.

In April 2025, Carbajal co-introduced the Housing for All Act, a landmark bill that would provide ten years of new and increased funding for construction of new housing units, rental assistance, hotel and motel conversions, and more.

In June 2025, Carbajal introduced the American Dream for All Act to help first-time homebuyers purchase homes. The legislation would create a federal pilot program that provides down payment assistance loans to first-time homebuyers.

In August 2025, Carbajal introduced bipartisan legislation to unlock federal dollars for safe parking programs. Safe parking programs provide safe overnight parking locations for people experiencing homelessness and living in their vehicles as well as supportive services, like rapid rehousing services and facilities like restrooms and showers.

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Griffith Announces $1,500,000 EPA Brownfields Grant to Mount Rogers Planning District Commission

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new federal funding for U.S. communities through the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup grant program. The EPA awarded Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, based in Marion, Virginia, a $1.5 million assessment grant to support brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach activities.

Congressman Griffith continues to voice his support for the Brownfields Program, which delivers millions of dollars to Southwest Virginia communities to help with potential economic development projects. 

Following the EPA grant notice, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Redevelopment of brownfield sites in Virginia’s Ninth District are promising projects that account for economic growth potential. 

“This EPA Brownfields Grant for $1.5 million helps Mount Rogers Planning District Commission further explore opportunities that redevelop local brownfield sites.”

BACKGROUND

Mount Rogers Planning District Commission promotes regional cooperation and planning between the Counties of Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, Washington and Wythe and the Cities of Bristol and Galax.

In 2025, Congressman Griffith announced that LENOWISCO Planning District Commission received multiple Brownfield-related grants from the EPA. That funding supported community-wide assessments of local brownfields.

Since 2019, other Ninth District communities to receive Brownfields Program funding include Pennington Gap in Lee County, Dublin and Pulaski in Pulaski County, Bluefield in Tazewell County, Martinsville City and Bristol City. Data available here.

Before his July 2025 appointment as Health Subcommittee Chairman, Congressman Griffith chaired the Subcommittee on Environment.

In March of 2025, Congressman Griffith chaired a hearing on the EPA’s Brownfields Program. Scott County Native and LENOWISCO Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller testified to the panel and discussed the Program’s importance to Southwest Virginia communities.

LENOWISCO Planning District Commission serves the Counties of Lee, Wise and Scott and the City of Norton.

The Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.

A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

Brownfield Assessment grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.

According to the EPA, Assessment Coalition grants are designed for one “lead” eligible entity to partner with two to four eligible entities that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own EPA cooperative agreement and otherwise would not have access to Brownfields grant resources.

Congressman Griffith’s e-newsletter on the Program can be found here.

In March 2026, Congressman Griffith’s remarks during a legislative hearing on the EPA Brownfields Program can be found here.

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Griffith Announces $1 Million EPA Brownfields Grant to Martinsville

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new federal funding for U.S. communities through the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup grant program. The EPA awarded the City of Martinsville a $1 million Multipurpose grant to support brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, community outreach and cleanup activities at a local brownfield site. 

Congressman Griffith continues to voice his support for the Brownfields Program, which delivers millions of dollars to Southwest Virginia communities to help with potential economic development projects. 

Following the EPA grant notice, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Redevelopment of brownfield sites in Virginia’s Ninth District are promising projects that account for economic growth potential. 

“This EPA Brownfields Grant for $1 million helps Martinsville further explore opportunities that redevelop local brownfield sites.”

BACKGROUND

In 2025, Congressman Griffith announced that LENOWISCO Planning District Commission received multiple Brownfield-related grants from the EPA. That funding supported community-wide assessments of local brownfields.

Since 2019, other Ninth District communities to receive Brownfields Program funding include Pennington Gap in Lee County, Dublin and Pulaski in Pulaski County, Bluefield in Tazewell County, Martinsville City and Bristol City. Data available here.

Before his July 2025 appointment as Health Subcommittee Chairman, Congressman Griffith chaired the Subcommittee on Environment.

In March of 2025, Congressman Griffith chaired a hearing on the EPA’s Brownfields Program. Scott County Native and LENOWISCO Planning District Commission Executive Director Duane Miller testified to the panel and discussed the Program’s importance to Southwest Virginia communities.

LENOWISCO Planning District Commission serves the Counties of Lee, Wise and Scott and the City of Norton.

The Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.

A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

Brownfield Assessment grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach.

According to the EPA, Assessment Coalition grants are designed for one “lead” eligible entity to partner with two to four eligible entities that do not have the capacity to apply for and manage their own EPA cooperative agreement and otherwise would not have access to Brownfields grant resources.

Congressman Griffith’s e-newsletter on the Program can be found here.

In March 2026, Congressman Griffith’s remarks during a legislative hearing on the EPA Brownfields Program can be found here.

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Major Housing Bill with Pappas Provisions Heads to President’s Desk

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

The package includes two bills co-led by Pappas, the Accelerating Home Building Act and the Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act

Yesterday Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) had two bills he co-leads and an additional bill he is a cosponsor of pass the House as part of the 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing legislative package. This legislation would address the high cost of housing for Granite Staters by banning Wall Street hedge funds and private equity firms from buying up single-family homes, increasing access to home loans, cutting red tape, lowering costs to build housing, and more.

Pappas co-led and supports several provisions in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, including: 

  • The Accelerating Home Building Act to support local governments in expediting permitting and home-building processes to lower costs for Granite Staters.
  • The Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act  to empower the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to expand statutory loan limits for manufactured homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by an average of 107% across all loan types.
  • The VA Home Loan Awareness Act to help more veterans take advantage of the VA Home Loan program. 

“The high cost of housing is a top issue I hear from Granite Staters about. This bipartisan legislation takes important steps forward to stop Wall Street from buying up single-family homes and driving up costs, increase our supply of affordable housing, and lower costs on everything from rent to construction to repairs,” said Congressman Pappas. “The President must sign it into law as soon as possible so we can reverse our housing crisis and ensure that the dream of homeownership can become a reality for all Granite Staters.”

The Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act would boost America’s housing supply by:

  • Expanding FHA’s Title I loan program by increasing limits and extending terms on loans for manufactured homes—one of the largest forms of affordable housing currently ineligible for federal funding;
  • Allowing FHA to index property improvement loans to inflation and expand the data it uses when setting loan limits for manufactured homes, securing Title I as an essential tool for the future as home costs continue to rise;
  • Extending Title I financing to ADUs, a versatile means of expanding America’s housing supply. 

Nationwide, communities are investing in a process called pattern zoning, in which architects and local governments develop pattern books full of pre-approved, standardized plans and designs. Specifically, the Accelerating Home Building Act would: 

  • Establish a pilot HUD-administered grant program to fund the creation of pattern books with a focus on missing middle and infill construction; and
  • Provide set-asides for rural communities and prioritize high-opportunity areas and localities working to reduce barriers to housing development.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Planning Association, Congress for the New Urbanism, Up for Growth Action, National Apartment Association, Smart Growth America, Main Street America, and the National Association of REALTORS. You can view a one-pager on the legislation here.

The VA Home Loan program offers veterans no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and interest rates that are often lower than rates for conventional FHA loans. Despite these benefits, only 13 percent of veterans access the VA Home Loan program. Among veterans who don’t use the VA Home Loan program, 33 percent say they are not aware of the program. The VA Home Loan Awareness Act would help better inform veterans of opportunities provided by the VA Home Loan program by:

  • Adding a disclosure to the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) informing veterans they may be eligible for a VA Home Loan and directing applicants to consult their lender for more information about the VA Home Loan program; and
  • Instructing the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review and report to Congress on lenders’ adoption of these URLA updates.

Background: 

New Hampshire is on track to be 90,000 units of housing short in the next decade, while the median home sale price in the state has risen to over half a million dollars. New Hampshire’s median rent has now reached $2,143 per month, the ninth highest in the country.

Pappas has worked to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. Last year he helped introduce the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support affordable housing financing and development by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. He also co-leads the Supporting Projects to Unleash Residential (SPUR) Housing Act to lower the cost of building new housing developments through a grant program to offset state and local impact fees. In 2024, he and the New Hampshire delegation welcomed more than $30 million in federal grants to build more affordable housing across the Granite State.

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Congressman Aderholt Speaks at Unveiling of Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Aderholt, a member of the America 250 Commission, joined Speaker Mike Johnson and other Members of Congress at the unveiling of the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, which will be sealed for 250 years until America’s quincentennial on July 4, 2276.

This is an opportunity to document historic milestones through contributions from every state and territory.

The time capsule was created by the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act passed in February to preserve parts of American history for the next 250 years.

“I am proud to be a founding member of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission and a cosponsor of the bipartisan and bicameral Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule Act. This time capsule serves as an opportunity to document historic milestones and to tell the story of our country through the contributions of Americans from every state and territory. 

Two hundred and fifty years from now, Americans will get a glimpse into who we were and what we valued. I believe that in two hundred and fifty years, our nation will still hold close to the resilience and enduring values that made America a beacon of liberty and opportunity for generations.

And while I’m sure the artifacts they will find will seem ancient to them, I hope the items will inspire them to learn from the people that came before them and for America to continue to be a ‘shining city upon on a hill.’

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Congressman Aderholt Announces Almost $2 Million in FEMA Funding for Alabama’s Fourth District

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Aderholt announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded almost $2 million in federal funding for hazard mitigation projects in Alabama’s Fourth District.

These projects were authorized through the Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act and funded through FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation grant program.

Mitigation Projects in Alabama’s Fourth District:

  • $900,000 for Winston County
    • Road and Bridge Restoration Project
  • $893,000 for the City of Jasper
    • Flood Mitigation Infrastructure Project

“I am proud to announce almost $2 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for projects in Alabama’s Fourth District that will allow our communities to take proactive steps before future disasters and reduce natural hazard risks. Through federal funding projects, we are working to effectively improve infrastructure and protect the people and properties in local areas,” said Congressman Aderholt (AL-04).

Before funds are awarded, these communities must apply by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2026. FEMA will review all applications and disburse funding only after confirming that eligibility criteria have been met.

 

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House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks, Jacobs Issue Statement on RSF Siege of El Obeid

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

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, today released the following statement calling on the U.S. Department of State to secure an agreement halting the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) siege of Sudan’s El Obeid city:

“For the past six months, the RSF and its allied forces have destroyed hospitals, schools, and other civilian infrastructure throughout El Obeid to collectively punish civilians and maximize death and destruction. These attacks follow the RSF’s similar assault last year on El Fasher that culminated in the deaths of as many as 100,000 men, women, and children. 

“As the driver of the Quad peace process, the United States must urgently secure an agreement that halts the RSF siege of El Obeid, provides unhindered humanitarian access to the city, and establishes a humanitarian corridor and safe passage for civilians seeking to leave. Inaction in the face of a looming massacre risks delegitimizing the Quad and its ongoing efforts to broker an end to the Sudanese civil war. The Trump administration must be prepared to use sanctions and other punitive measures to protect civilians in El Obeid and to press the warring parties to cease fire and come to the negotiating table. After more than a year of lofty promises and strongly worded statements, the Quad must finally deliver for the Sudanese people.” 

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House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks Issues Statement on State Department Bypassing Congress on Arms Sale to Turkey

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

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on the State Department’s decision to bypass Congressional review on an arms sale of more than $700 million worth of equipment to the Turkish military:

“Late yesterday, the administration informed me it would once again bypass Congressional review for more than $700 million in defense articles to the Turkish military in yet another deeply troubling example of this administration’s open contempt for Congress’s oversight authority.

“In this case, the State Department did not even attempt to justify its decision. It did not invoke any emergency authority, did not present a written rationale, and for months refused to make a good-faith effort to brief me on implications of the sale for the U.S.-Turkey relationship, Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 system, and other regional security concerns. It simply informed my office that it would immediately proceed with a formal notification of the sale.

“These items will not be delivered for years, and the administration repeatedly ignored persistent requests for information and clarification on key aspects of U.S. policy. There can be no pretense that this was urgent or unavoidable. This was a deliberate choice to shut Congress out and to treat legitimate oversight as an inconvenience to be brushed aside.”