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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig – a member of the Congressional Native American Caucus – joined Reps. Janelle Bynum (OR-05) and Troy Downing (MT-02) in introducing legislation to reauthorize the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA).

NAHASDA was first enacted in 1996 and remains the primary vehicle for providing federal housing assistance to Native American communities through the Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) program. Although the program continues to receive annual appropriations, it has not been reauthorized since 2008 – leaving Tribal nations to navigate a growing housing crisis with outdated tools.

“Right now, nearly 40% of on-reservation housing is considered substandard and that’s unacceptable,” said Rep Craig. “Without ample housing in Indian Country, Tribal Members have struggled to access the health care, economic opportunities and education they deserve. That’s why I’m leading the effort to re-authorize NAHASDA and provide much-needed federal housing support to Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized Tribal communities.”

This legislation has been developed in partnership with the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC), which represents over 475 Tribes and Tribal housing organizations across the country. The bill has received support from the Bipartisan Policy Center Action, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the Native CDFI Network, the Housing Assistance Council and NeighborWorks.

This Congress, Rep. Craig requested over $10 million in federal funding for the Native American Relending Demonstration in the Fiscal Year 2027 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service budget. If approved, this funding will help improve homeownership opportunities in rural areas for Native American communities.

Rep. Craig is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Historic Preservation Fund Reauthorization Act to continue funding the State and Tribal Historic Preservation Office, which maintains and protects historic Tribal buildings and landmarks.

In 2023, Rep. Craig secured $1.16 million to upgrade the Prairie Island Indian Community’s energy efficiency technology, which provides on-reservation housing with long overdue access to modern, energy-efficient home appliances. Thanks to these critical upgrades, Prairie Island has been able to eliminate over 35,307 pounds in CO2 emissions per year.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval against the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s recent rule regarding Adverse Effect Wage Rates for H-2A workers. The DOL failed to provide a notice-and-comment period for the rule as required by the Administrative Procedure Act. Original co-sponsors of Lofgren’s resolution include Reps. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05).

“We have a well-crafted plan to reform America’s H-2A program in the bipartisan Farm Workforce Modernization Act I introduced,” Rep. Lofgren said. “Yet Trump’s Labor Department decided to just act unilaterally and issue this rule without the proper comment period required by the Administrative Procedure Act. H-2A reform is necessary, but it needs to happen through a legislative process that includes consensus among stakeholders, not through this misguided, illegal administrative route.”

Rep. Lofgren’s resolution has the support of organizations including Agricultural Justice Project, Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Casa Azul de Wilson, Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, Inc. (CDM), Economic Policy Institute, Farmworker Justice, the Guatemalan Maya Center, Inc., Justice for Migrant Women, Legal Aid Justice Center, Migrant Clinicians Network, National Immigration Law Center, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), United Farm Workers (UFW), UFW Foundation, and We are CASA.

“Across the country, farm workers including U.S. citizens are already suffering the direct and indirect impacts of Trump’s illegal wage cut,” said Teresa Romero, President of the United Farm Workers. “Smaller paychecks for the same work and greater competition with foreign guest workers who are cheaper than ever to hire. President Trump’s callous disregard for proper procedure and rule making process is having real world consequences for some of the hardest working people in America. We proudly support Rep. Lofgren’s holding the administration to account and fighting to reverse this illegal rule and restore fairer wages to farm workers.” 

“The UFW Foundation is proud to stand with Representative Lofgren as she introduces this CRA to protect farm worker wages,” said Erica Lomeli Corcoran, Chief Executive Officer of the UFW Foundation. “The farm workers who feed all of us should be able to also feed themselves and their families with the wages they make. Instead, this administration is unlawfully cutting their wages and transferring billions from workers to employers. We need to do what is right for our farm workers and stop these wage cuts.”

UFW and UFW Foundation are challenging this rule in court, and a hearing on a preliminary injunction took place on March 18. The text of Rep. Lofgren’s resolution can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) issued the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 8029, the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act. This marks the third time that the House has passed a bipartisan funding package to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

“The House has taken bipartisan action three times to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. The same cannot be said for Senate Democrats, who continue to shift the goalpost and refuse to negotiate in good faith with their Republican counterparts to get a bill across the finish line.

“Democrats in the Senate have been offered reasonable deals to reopen DHS, yet continue to oppose any compromise in an effort to appease their radical, open borders base. Their continued inaction leaves Americans less safe, and thousands of dedicated federal employees working without a paycheck. Ahead of the upcoming busy travel week, Americans are now facing record airport security wait times, all due to the ongoing DHS shutdown.  It’s time Democrats stop playing games and find a solution to end this ridiculous shutdown.”

Background: 

– The partial government shutdown for DHS has lasted 40 days, beginning on February 14, 2026. DHS funding supports important federal agencies that ensure the safety and well-being of the American people, including: the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and more. DHS has been unfunded and operating under a government shutdown for longer than it has operated funded during fiscal year 2026. 

– As a result of the ongoing DHS shutdown, travelers are experiencing the longest airport security wait times in the history of the TSA, according to the agency.

– Senate Democrats initiated this partial shutdown in an attempt to defund and reform ICE. Throughout this shutdown, ICE and CBP have continued to operate normally (including agents receiving pay), due to funding allocated to the agencies in the Working Families Tax Cuts. 

– This week, Senate Republicans offered Democrats another deal, which included many Democrat demands, to fully fund DHS. This deal was rejected by Senate Democrats, who counteroffered with additional requests. A rundown on this negotiation can be found HERE.

– The House passed a bipartisan funding package on three occasions with Congressman Guthrie’s support:
-On January 28, 2026, the House passed H.R. 7147 by a vote of 220 to 207.
-On March 5, 2026, the House reasserted its position and voted to pass H.R. 7744 to fund DHS by a vote of 221 to 209.
-Today, as Senate negotiations continue, the House voted a third time to assert its position on DHS funding by passing H.R. 8029, a bipartisan package, by a vote of 218 to 206.

– The Senate has repeatedly voted and failed to advance a funding package five times as of March 25, 2026. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This afternoon, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks after a bipartisan majority of House members voted to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security for a third time. Once again, the overwhelming majority of House Democrats refused to provide funding for TSA agents, disaster relief, and our national security and instead chose to prioritize the welfare of criminal illegal aliens.

“So, the question for the Democrats right now is, and it’s a serious question: how long is this going to go on? Are we going to wait until somebody brings a firearm on a passenger airplane? Are we going to wait until we have a natural disaster that we cannot take care of? This is not a game, but these are not serious people,” Speaker Johnson said. “And they have demonstrated once again that they are putting the welfare of criminal illegal aliens above American citizens.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

We are quite frustrated right now. We keep saying that the coming election is about a contrast for America between common sense and crazy. And you just saw it on display here once again. For the third time now, almost every Democrat in the House except for 4 voted against the bipartisan, bicameral Department of Homeland Security funding bill. It would reopen DHS and get our airports running again.

And they did that for one reason: because they are trying to protect criminal illegal aliens. That’s what this entire debate is about. And there’s no way for them to hide from that. And they keep putting votes on the board.

I have suggested, and I suggested yesterday in a press conference, we should probably take this vote tally, blow it up on a poster and put it at every airport terminal around America. The Democrats just voted for the third time to make you stand in those long lines and to jeopardize our country.

You think at what’s at stake right now. We have noted that the Department of Homeland Security is the third largest department of the federal government. We have 10 agencies in DHS. They happen to be all the agencies whose job it is to keep Americans safe.

You’re talking about FEMA. Do you know that our disaster relief funds are being depleted right now? You’re talking about TSA; you’re talking about the Coast Guard. They’re not getting paychecks right now. And that’s why we have all this calamity and all of this danger.

So, the question for the Democrats right now is, and it’s a serious question: how long is this going to go on? Are we going to wait until somebody brings a firearm on a passenger airplane? Are we going to wait till we have a natural disaster that we cannot take care of? This is not a game, but these are not serious people.

And they have demonstrated once again that they are putting the welfare of criminal illegal aliens above American citizens. We are mourning the death of Sheridan Gorman, a young college student from Chicago who was murdered by an illegal alien because of Democrat policies.

Joe Biden had the border wide open. The Democrats in the White House in the last administration left the border wide open. They apprehended this guy, the murderer, and they let him go. And then he went to Chicago. Why there? Because that’s a sanctuary city.

They arrested him there for another crime, and they put him out on the streets again. And he shot a young American citizen, a college student in the head, from the back. This is what’s happening in America because these people are putting the welfare of criminal illegal aliens over Americans.

This is a vote tally; I just wanted to bring a little visual aid. We just print these out after the votes. This is the resolution right before the funding bill. The resolution was to “Express the support of the House of Representatives for the Department of Homeland Security.” Here’s your vote tally: every Republican obviously voted yes. 187 Democrats voted against a resolution to support the Department of Homeland Security.

Here’s a real profile in courage for the 13 who voted present. They don’t even have the guts to tell you what they stand for. This upcoming election, again, is a contrast for America. It’s a contrast between common sense and crazy. And the Democrats are making crazy policy decisions right now, and it is hurting real Americans. And we’ve had enough of them.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Pressley Demands Pay, Dignity for TSA Workers as Agency Shutdown Reaches 40 Days

Pressley Co-Led Congressional Stop Project 2025 Task Force

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today on the House floor, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Founder of the Stop Project 2025 Task Force, slammed Republicans for blocking multiple Democratic-led proposals to fund key agencies like TSA and FEMA, and shed light on a targeted proposal in Project 2025 to privatize TSA and strip TSA workers of their right to unionize.

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks is available below, and the video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Slams GOP for Denying TSA Workers Pay, Highlights Project 2025 Plot to Privatize, De-Unionize TSA

U.S. House of Representatives

March 26, 2026 

Mr. Speaker,

I rise today on behalf of our dedicated TSA workers—workers throughout the country, including in the Massachusetts 7th who take pride in their essential work and they call Boston Logan International Airport their employer.

They have gone 40 days without pay for their essential work.

The Trump administration does not care about protecting our workers or serving the travelling public.

This is all a ploy for power and pushing an inhumane agenda against our immigrant neighbors.

Now, let’s go back to Project 2025.

I was a co-founder of the Stop Project 2025 Task Force here in the House.

Project 2025 proposed privatizing TSA screening, shifting airport workers away from the government and its protections and into the hands of private contractors. It called for the de-unionizing of TSA workers immediately.

What we see unfolding right now—this is not a contingency plan. It was always the plan.

And to bring in ICE agents, who continue to be paid, as if they will be able to step in for these highly trained, dedicated, and still unpaid TSA workers is not a solution.

Mr. Speaker, these are the lives and livelihoods of our neighbors, who are strained by missing paychecks and an inability to put food on the table.

Democrats have put forward multiple proposals to keep key agencies such as TSA and FEMA funded, while not giving another cent to ICE.

Republicans have refused each and every time. The cruelty is truly the point.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

Dear neighbor,

American consumers are being hurt by rising inflation, rising gas prices, and diesel prices topping $5 for only the second time in U.S. history. This week, however, Trump’s Director of the National Economic Council, Kevin Hassett, said that hurting consumers is “the last of our concerns.” Trump’s decisions over the past year have already hurt everyday Americans and will continue to do so. 
 
Even before the war in Iran, the economy was on shaky ground. The labor market was weak, businesses and workers were facing uncertainty from tariffs and AI, and employers cut 92,000 jobs last month. Groceries and household essentials remained too expensive, and healthcare costs were rising after Republicans cut ACA tax credits and Medicaid funding to help pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans. Inflation has also increased this year, with PPI rising to 3.4% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
Now, those challenges remain, and the country is also dealing with the fallout of an unconstitutional war with no clear strategy in place. Many parts of California are experiencing gas prices well over $5. Meanwhile, the stock market has fallen, and mortgage rates have risen as the bond market reacts to the uncertainty surrounding this war. 
 
I talked about this and more during the Democratic Caucus’ weekly press conference.

Last week, it was my pleasure to hear from so many constituents during my telephone town hall. We discussed a wide range of local and national issues affecting families across California’s 36th District. 
 
I heard from many constituents concerned about the integrity of our upcoming elections. I share those concerns. Democrats are working closely with civil society organizations, nonprofits, civil rights groups, and state attorneys general to prepare legal strategies, coordinate lawyers and election observers, and respond to potential threats. We are also actively opposing the SAVE Act, which would make it much harder for many Americans to vote, especially those without passports or birth certificates, including married women whose legal names no longer match their birth records. 
 
These are perilous times, and the strength of our democracy depends on the participation and vigilance of the people. Democrats in Congress will continue doing everything possible to defend our democratic institutions. Ultimately it will be the American people who determine the direction of the country by speaking out and participating in the democratic process in the coming months. 
 
We covered many other issues during the town hall. If you would like to hear the full conversation, you can listen to the recording here. Forums like these give me the opportunity to hear directly from constituents, and I am always grateful to represent such an engaged and thoughtful community. 

LA COUNTY FOOD RESOURCES: The LA County Office of Food Systems has resources to learn more about the LA County food system and a dashboard to find more information on efforts to promote access to food across the county. Visit here for more.

BY LA FOR LA: LA County has put together a network of people to help with substance use and overdose prevention, mental health, and housing/food assistance. Check out the resource page here.

CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION: High school students are encouraged to participate in this year’s Congressional Art Competition. Submissions are now open until Friday, March 6, 2026, at 5 PM PT. For more information, visit here.

YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL APPLICATIONS: Students in 9th-12th grade can now apply to join our district’s 2026-2027 Youth Advisory Council. This is an opportunity to work directly with my office to collaborate on key issues for young people. Applications are now open until Friday, June 26, 2026, at 5:00 PM PT. Visit here for more information.

SUMMER INTERNSHIPS: My Los Angeles and Washington offices are now accepting applications for our Summer 2026 Internship Program. You can find out how to apply here.

My Los Angeles office is available to help with federal agency issues at (323) 651-1040, or you can visit our webpage here.

I look forward to updating you again soon. 

Warmly,

Ted 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) released the following statement after voting against a bill that does not rein in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Customs and Border Protection:

“For the third time, Speaker Johnson has prolonged a Department of Homeland Security shutdown instead of meeting with Democrats to pass a funding bill that would pay TSA and FEMA. President Trump has doubled down on his demands to attach a voter suppression bill to DHS funding in an obvious attempt to cheat our election system. He’s sent paid ICE agents to loiter at airports, while unpaid TSA workers handle hours-long security lines. These are not the actions of a President who cares for the people, but rather the actions of a man desperate to cling to power. I will not give another dime to ICE or CBP that terrorize our communities. I refuse to submit to Republicans who bend the knee to this President.”

Rep. Kelly signed the discharge petition to force a vote on a bill that would fund DHS, except for ICE and CBP, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), alongside Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), and Emilia Sykes (D-OH), led a bipartisan letter urging Congressional appropriators to provide essential funding to make healthy food and good nutrition a core pillar of America’s healthcare system as part of the FY 2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies funding bill.

In the letter to Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the bipartisan coalition emphasized the urgent need to address diet-related disease and rising healthcare costs through “Food is Medicine” initiatives.

“Good nutrition is fundamental for restoring and maintaining health,” the lawmakers wrote, noting that poor diets have “strong ties to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gut health, mental health, cancer, and more.” 

The lawmakers’ request for federal funding and an enhanced focus on better nutrition comes amid an ongoing surge in the cost of treating diet-related diseases—an increase which is crushing healthcare systems, federal and state budgets, and private employers. Notably, the combined healthcare spending and lost productivity from poor diets and food insecurity are estimated to exceed $1.1 trillion each year, emphasizing the immediate need for congressional action.

“Further action must be taken to support food is medicine efforts,” the lawmakers concluded. “We have it in our power to save lives, improve nutrition, and lower health care costs by directing more federal resources toward better integrating nutrition into our healthcare system.”

Specifically, the bipartisan coalition is requesting targeted investments to expand research on food is medicine at NIH, additional funding for HHS to bolster ongoing food is medicine work and expand access to medically tailored meals and produce prescriptions, enhanced nutrition support through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and continued efforts to address maternal health by helping clinics provide nutrition services to at-risk mothers.

The full text of the letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata on Wednesday presided for part of a legislative hearing that examined 12 new Veterans’ bills, the first step in their legislative process through the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) following introduction. Note this group of bills is separate from the 27 bills examined on March 18 by the full Committee, where Aumua Amata serves as Vice Chairman. 

Congresswoman Amata presiding over Veterans’ legislative hearing on Wednesday

The HVAC Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is led by Chairwoman Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia), who presided for the first portion of the hearing, then Congresswoman Amata held the center chair for part of the hearing. 

“I’m pleased we have plentiful Veterans legislation to continue working on and send the best of these bills forward to the full House of Representatives for votes,” said Congresswoman Amata. “Many of these bills address specific service needs or VA reforms resulting from listening to Veterans constantly in testimony, roundtables, and meetings. I will continue to provide updates from Washington.”

The hearing provided the first examination of the following legislation: 

• H.R. 7280, the Veteran DATA Act
• H.R. 6654, the Veterans Affairs Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act
• H.R. 7319, the VA Bonus and Relocation Recovery Act
• H.R. 7683, the VA Fiscal Management Modernization Act
• Discussion Draft, the Vets CLEAR Act
• Discussion Draft, the Veterans Affairs Subcontractor Competition and Opportunity Network Act
• Discussion Draft, to amend title 38, United States Code, to require that certain sterile processing technicians of the Veterans Health Administration hold appropriate professional certifications, and for other purposes
• Discussion Draft, to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the rate of pay for care or services provided under the Community Care Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs based on the location at which such care or services were provided, and for other purposes
• Discussion Draft, to establish an entitlement to a supplemental period of unpaid parental leave for employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Discussion Draft, to deem certain individuals as parents of Department of Veterans Affairs employees for purposes of determining entitlement to certain family and medical leave for such employees
• Discussion Draft, to prohibit the downgrading of law enforcement positions in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes
• Discussion Draft, to amend Title 38, United States Code, to establish the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Subcommittee Chairwoman Kiggans stated that the hearing examined “12 bills covering a wide range of issues, all aimed at strengthening accountability, improving care, and ensuring VA delivers on its commitments to those who served. These bills address critical areas including oversight of VA operations, protection of veterans’ data, workforce retention and accountability, small business opportunity, payment reform, and improvements to the quality and safety of healthcare veterans receive every day.”

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