MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at the during the House Committee on Appropriations Oversight Hearing on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) with Director David Marroni. Below are a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a video of his remarks

“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Mr. Marroni for being here and joining us today. We’ve heard much discussion of improving government efficiency and reducing waste this past year. All of us should share that objective. Although I have serious doubts about the Administration’s commitment to those goals, we all ought to agree that those objectives ought to govern how we administer our federal real estate portfolio. We want to make sure we have the right amount of space and the right type of space for our federal employees to do their jobs on behalf of the American people as effectively and as safely as possible. I always say we need to rightsize the government, not increase – decrease, but rightsize for the job that we give them. I recognize that’s no easy task, as I’m sure Director Marroni would agree, but it is also clear that the General Services Administration management of our federal real estate is wanted in some cases. I’d like to quote from [the] Inspector General’s report that was released just this week, and I have that report here and I imagine you brought it with you. I’d like to quote from that: ‘GSA is not consistently addressing deficient security fixtures at the GSA control facility, and as a result, is leaving the public, employees and property at risk from security threats.’ That finding ought to concern every Member of this committee and this House. Much of that report was redacted, but it indicated that – I presume, for security reasons itself – but it is indicated the GSA failure to meet this crucial responsibility was due in part to the immense cost of installing and maintaining security measures. To see the perils of this issue, just look down Pennsylvania Avenue.

“The Trump Administration is trying to move the FBI headquarters from the dilapidated and falling down J. Edgar Hoover building to the Reagan Building just a little way away. Moving the FBI out of one old, exposed, and inadequate building into another old, exposed, and inadequate building is not a solution. When former FBI Director Robert Mueller, who just died, approached me in 2009 about finding a new home for the FBI, he emphasized that the Bureau needed a new, secure, and consolidated facility on a large campus. The Reagan Building fails to meet the FBI security and operational issues. It was not designed as a secure law enforcement facility, rather, emphatically, as an open, accessible office for both public and private tenants. As a matter of fact, I have an article here that reflects that objective. To use the words of Paycom Fred and Partners, the architectural firm that designed the facility, quote, ‘The Reagan Building emphasizes access and permeability. Access and probability are great features of an international trade center, which the Reagan Building was designed to fulfill, but not a law enforcement and intelligence agency.’ An article in Chicago Tribune, published about the building in 1997, noted the very fact. It said, ‘The Reagan Building, quote, will open the standoffish domain of the federal bureaucracy to the city and teach an important lesson to the post Oklahoma City bombing era, when the temptation is to turn all government buildings into impressive fortresses.’ But the FBI headquarters needs to be impregnable.

“Even if the Reagan Building were not located between two major thoroughfares, 14th Street and Pennsylvania, it still would not meet Inter-Agency Security Committee facilities security level standards. The GSA says it will take at least $1.5 billion to retrofit the building. But anyone familiar with the GSA knows that project. These always cost much more, and the Architect of the Capitol said it would be cheaper to build a fourth building for the House than to locate Members while repairs are being made to Rayburn into the Madison Building. This ill-conceived effort to move the FBI into the Reagan Building is indicative of the dysfunction that exists at GSA. Director Marroni, I’m going to be asking you some questions as I told you I would. And I imagine you share some of these concerns which are reflected in this report as issues contributed to the mismanagement of our federal real estate. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have 13 seconds and I’ll yield back.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), an active member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and Helsinki Commission, denounced the Trump regime’s shocking complicity in the trafficking of Ukrainian children and retaliation against researchers who revealed this latest outrage. A newly released report by the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University revealed the direct involvement of Russian oil companies Rosneft and Gazprom in the trafficking of Ukrainian children—two companies that Trump recently lifted sanctions on. According to the report, 2,000 Ukrainian children were taken to Russian reeducation camps owned by Rosneft and Gazprom subsidiaries. In response to the report, the Trump regime withheld Congressionally-approved funding for the Humanitarian Research Lab’s efforts tracking kidnapped children—funds that were secured under the leadership of Rep. Doggett. 

“Trump is helping the kidnappers, not the kidnapped. As he lifts sanctions on companies trafficking Ukrainian children, he retaliates against the people trying to find them,” said Rep. Doggett. “When the State Department learned of Yale’s report, they ceased all contact with the program. Yale was supposed to receive $5 million of the $15 million Congress appropriated for these efforts — money that is now in jeopardy. Meanwhile, Rosneft and Gazprom can bank billions for the Kremlin war machine with no consequence for their role in child trafficking. Yale told the truth about what Trump’s policies mean for trafficked children. Like so many others, it is being punished for it.”

Rep. Doggett continued: “Researchers have done painstaking, courageous work to document these crimes and to keep the world’s attention on the children that Putin has stolen. They deserve a government that support their work instead of sabotaging it. 35,000 children are waiting.”

The Geneva Convention defines the forced transfer of children from an occupied territory to the occupying state as a war crime. By lifting sanctions on these companies and moving to suppress the reports of their crimes, Trump continues to appease the war criminal behind them all – once again putting Putin over American values and interests. 

Watch the Congressman’s remarks here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) helped lead passage of bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, which protects beachgoers and coastal economies by ensuring water is safe for swimming and recreation.

The legislation passed the House by a sweeping bipartisan vote of 378–32 and now heads to the Senate. It reauthorizes key EPA water quality programs through 2031, including the BEACH Act, which funds testing and public notification systems for contamination at coastal and Great Lakes beaches.

“New Jersey’s beaches are a cornerstone of our economy and our identity,” said Pallone. “Our bill makes sure residents know when the water is safe and, just as importantly, gives states the tools to go upstream and stop pollution at its source. That’s how you protect public health and keep our shore open for business.”

First enacted in 2000 by Congressman Pallone, the BEACH Act requires the EPA to set national standards for water testing and provide grants for state and local monitoring programs. The updated legislation expands testing to include shallow waters where children and seniors are more likely to swim. The updated law also expands how states can use funding — not just to detect contamination, but to trace it back to its source, helping stop pollution before it reaches the shoreline.

Recent data from Environment America underscores the urgency: in 2025, more than 60 percent of U.S. beaches experienced at least one day of potentially unsafe contamination levels, often driven by sewage overflows and stormwater runoff.

With House passage secured, the bill now moves to the Senate.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Newsmax’s Wake Up America to discuss TSA agents struggling to make ends meet as Democrats vote to withhold their paychecks and keep the Department of Homeland Security shut down to appease their radical base.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On the radical direction of the Democrat party:“You’re seeing Democrats that just want chaos to appease the radical base, the Mamdani wing of their party. That’s who’s driving the Democratic Party today. It’s not your father’s Democrat Party where you can just reason and, you know, Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan working things out. They hate Donald Trump and they want chaos. They don’t care if it affects people adversely. You see it. They know that families are waiting 4 hours at airports, missing flights, you know, not being able to make vacations or funerals or weddings. They don’t care. And we’re going to have a vote today on the House floor. You’re going to see the vote. And look, it’s a very straightforward vote. Do you want to fund the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, Coast Guard, all of that, yes or no? It’s two buttons, yes or no. And you’ll see Republicans voting yes. And you’re going to see Democrats voting no to make people go to work. 100,000 of these agents having to go to work without getting paid because Democrats are voting no.”On Democrats voting for chaos and lawlessness:“You know, we’re going to continue to give more opportunities. The vote you’re going to see today is going to be the eighth time that Congress will be voting to fund this department. And eight times Democrats keep voting no. When will they take yes for an answer? I mean, look at all the changes President Trump has made to the Department of Homeland Security. We have a new secretary now, Markwayne Mullin, who’s going to do a great job. He’s over there. Tom Homan’s come in, made major reforms. You know, you’re seeing lots of changes in how enforcement’s working.“But oh, by the way, the murderers are still out there, as we saw in Chicago, another horrible death, young, beautiful girl shot down by an illegal who Joe Biden and Democrats let in. And Democrats are voting to keep those borders open and let more murderers into our country. This is a major fight that America needs to understand. You know, Republicans are fighting for law and order. Democrats want to defund the police. They want lawlessness. They want open borders. And they’re defending the criminals who come here illegally and harm Americans. It’s insane. I can’t explain it. I don’t know if you can. It makes no sense. But these people are crazy, as Donald Trump said at the State of the Union.”On TSA agents struggling to make ends meet because of Democrats’ political games:“[The TSA Deputy Administrator] also testified that TSA agents are sleeping in their cars because they can’t pay rent. So imagine, you know, you talked about all the checks that they’ve missed… they’ve gone 49% of this fiscal year without a paycheck because Democrats cruelly voting to deny them pay while they’re doing this important job to keep our country safe. Whose side are these Democrats on, by the way, when they would rather side with violent criminal illegals over Americans who want to be safe and TSA agents who are just doing a job to let you go to an airport and get on a plane and not have to worry that a terrorist was going to get on that plane with some kind of bomb-making device. I mean, this is a pre-September 11th mentality that Democrats have right now. And it’s the votes, you can see it’s a very transparent vote. You can go look at it. Call my office if you want to see the vote today and get a list of who voted yes and who voted no to keep defunding the police and defunding our TSA agents, who are barely making it. They’ve got rent due, they’ve got to try to eat. I mean, there’s food shelters, setting up food shelters for TSA agents at airports. Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for voting no today.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Representative Brendan F. Boyle (D-Pa.), led over 45 lawmakers in reintroducing the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act, legislation that would apply a wealth tax to fortunes above $50 million. According to a new analysis, the bill would generate $6.2 trillion in revenue over the next decade, more than double the score of the bill when it was first introduced five years ago and enough money to pay for investments like universal child care, free community college, Medicare expansion, and more — without raising taxes on 99.85% of American households.

“As millions of families are struggling under the weight of inflation, tariffs, and rising gas prices, the richest billionaires continue to see their net worth grow. We live in the richest country in the world, but that wealth is incredibly concentrated in a tiny group of people. It’s time to tax the rich and level the playing field to ensure that every American has a chance to succeed,” said Representative Jayapal. “The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act is a major step toward making sure the wealthy finally pay their fair share. With this legislation, we can narrow the racial wealth gap and invest trillions of dollars in health care, schools, clean energy, housing, and more to improve lives in communities across America.”

“While multi-millionaires and billionaires are getting richer and richer, families are getting squeezed by a rigged economy. My bill is about basic fairness and making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share. It’s time for the government to stop listening to the richest of the rich and start working for working people,” said Senator Warren.

“A secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than the CEO. The current tax code is rigged against working people and the middle class. Our proposal finally changes this and makes billionaires pay their fair share,” said Representative Brendan F. Boyle.

While millions of families are struggling, billionaires have watched their fortunes skyrocket. According to an analysis from economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, the richest 0.1% of Americans hold nearly as much wealth as the bottom 90% of families combined. Instead of tackling this inequality, the Trump administration has turbocharged the crisis, slashing health care coverage for millions of families to deliver over $1 trillion in tax cuts to the top 1%.

The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act would level the playing field and narrow the racial wealth gap by asking the wealthiest 260,000 households in America, or the top 0.15%, to pay their fair share. The bill would establish a 2% annual tax on the net worth of households and trusts valued at over $50 million and an additional 1% annual surtax (3% total annual tax) on the net worth of households and trusts above $1 billion. The bill also includes robust anti-evasion and avoidance measures, including $100 million in new funding for the IRS and a 40% “exit tax” on the wealth of ultra-millionaires and billionaires who renounce their citizenship to avoid the tax.

10 Senators co-sponsored the bill, the largest coalition of Senate cosponsors supporting the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act to date: Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Additionally, 39 Representatives co-sponsored the bill, the largest coalition of House supporters to date: Representatives Greg Casar (D-Texas), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Donald Beyer Jr. (D-Va.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), and Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).

With the $6.2 trillion in revenue the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act would generate, the federal government could make serious investments in lowering costs for families. The revenue could pay for all the following policies combined — with money left to spare:

• Provide universal, affordable childcare
• Lower rents by building millions of new homes
• Slash child poverty by expanding the Child Tax Credit
• Lower the Medicare eligibility age to 55
• Offer universal paid family leave
• Establish tuition-free community college

The bill is endorsed by nearly 40 unions, advocacy groups, and national organizations, including: Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), UNITE HERE, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Communications Workers of America, National Education Association, United Steelworkers, Americans for Tax Fairness, Public Citizen, Americans for Financial Reform, Main Street Alliance, Patriotic Millionaires, P Street, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Groundwork Collaborative, Oxfam America, People’s Action Institute, the Sunrise Movement, MomsRising, Center for Law and Social Policy, Take on Wall Street, Health Care For America Now, Indivisible, Jobs With Justice, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Responsible Wealth, United for a Fair Economy, Liberation in a Generation, Voices for Progress, Coalition for Human Needs, Liberation in a Generation, Climate Hawks Vote, Organized Power in Numbers, Tax the Greedy Billionaires, and Campaign for America’s Future.

“It’s time the super-rich start paying their fair share. By asking the ultra-wealthy to contribute just a small percentage of their extreme fortunes, we can generate trillions in revenue to invest directly in the needs of everyday Americans—lowering costs, expanding opportunity, and strengthening the middle class. The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act will help ensure that prosperity is shared by all who create it, not concentrated in the hands of a few,” said Jody Calemine, AFL-CIO Director of Advocacy.

“Anti-worker extremists in Congress and their billionaire backers are slashing safety net programs and rigging the tax code to make the ultra-wealthy richer as working families are pushed closer to the brink. The working people who keep this country running shouldn’t be the ones carrying a heavier tax burden than the richest 0.1%. It’s past time billionaires paid their fair share, so we can invest in the public services that working people need — from child care to health care to food support. Congress must pass Senator Warren and Rep. Jayapal’s Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act now,” said Lee Saunders, President of AFSCME.

“Working Americans understand that in order to ensure a strong future for our communities, we must raise revenue to invest in critical infrastructure and other shared resources. Yet the ultra-rich continue to hoard wealth, skirting the tax code to avoid paying their fair share. Our union applauds Sen. Warren’s efforts to hold these freeloaders accountable so that they too contribute to our nation’s enduring success,” said Roxanne Brown, President of USW International.

“Our tax system is unjust. It is littered with loopholes that benefit the ultrawealthy, allowing them to game the system while working people pay higher rates than Wall Street’s billionaires and multi-millionaires. The Ultra-Millionaire Tax is a key policy needed to make the superrich pay their fair share of taxes and build an economy that works better for the rest of us,” Ericka Taylor, Co-executive Director of Americans for Financial Reform.

“To whom much is given, much is expected: That is not simply what many of us believe spiritually; it is the foundation of a progressive income and wealth tax code. Billionaires and ultra-millionaires have reaped the benefits of globalization and other economic trends that enabled their wealth to soar. The tax code should not insulate this windfall; it must be fairer,” said Randi Weingarten, President of AFT. “Unlike what the current administration has done to create more of a windfall, the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act would level the playing field for working families and ask the 250,000 wealthiest households to finally begin paying their fair share. Working families deserve an economy that gives them a shot at a better life and a tax code that doesn’t bend over backward to reward wealth over work.”

“We have long treated care as a private burden rather than a public responsibility, shifting the burden onto families and expecting underpaid, undervalued workers to carry the weight. By asking the wealthiest households to finally pay their fair share, the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act is our opportunity to make meaningful investments in our care infrastructure and ensure that families across the country can afford childcare and have paid leave care workers earn family-sustaining wages, and older Americans age and disabled loved ones live with dignity. This legislation is a transformative step toward an economy that values dignity for the many, not just wealth for the few.” said Haeyoung Yoon, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for the National Domestic Workers Alliance.

“The American public is rightly infuriated by the very wealthy being able to avoid paying their fair share in taxes, especially when everyday people are having such a hard time making ends meet as costs continue to rise,” said Susan Harley, managing director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division. “The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act would not only begin to rebalance the gross inequities in our tax code but it would also generate trillions of dollars in new revenues that can be reinvested in programs that make life more affordable for everyone.” 

“Across the country, American families are struggling while the ultrarich drive up costs, lay off workers, and hoard their wealth. This consolidation of wealth threatens our democracy and our economy. The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act from Senator Warren and Congresswoman Jayapal is more than just a tax proposal; it’s a vision for rebuilding our economy around the everyday people who power it, instead of the billionaires at the top,” said Emma Lydon, Managing Director of P Street.

“For far too long, the wealth of ultra-millionaires and billionaires has continued to rise while investment in basic services has stagnated or been cut altogether. Under Republicans and President Trump, Congress is spending trillions of dollars on tax cuts that only benefit the ultra wealthy while everyday Americans feel the pressure of an increasingly unaffordable cost of living,” said David Kass, Americans For Tax Fairness’s Executive Director. “The Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act asks the wealthiest 0.15% of households to pay a 2% tax on wealth over $50 million—3% above $1 billion—generating $6.2 trillion over 10 years. This would help raise the revenue necessary to enact policies that would help lower costs for working families, including funding universal childcare, affordable housing, an expanded Child Tax Credit, Medicare at 55, paid family leave, and tuition-free community college. If we want an economy that works for all Americans and not just the wealthy few, we need legislation like this to rebalance the scales towards workers and families.”

“The United States is capable of sustaining the rich, stable and free economy and country the vast majority of Americans—regardless of political party—actually want. The only way to ensure we get there, though, is by building a tax system that puts a check on the extreme inequality that threatens our economy and our democracy,” said Morris Pearl, Chair of Patriotic Millionaires. “Millionaires like me want less inequality because we and our families will be better off in a society with less economic disparity. And it’s not because I’m good or altruistic. I am not any more altruistic than the next person, I’m just greedy for a different kind of country than some other rich people in America. I’m willing to pay more in taxes if it means helping us become the kind of country I know we can be. The Patriotic Millionaires are proud to support the Ultra Millionaire Tax Act, and we urge Congress to act quickly to make this law.”

Issues: Jobs, Labor, & the Economy

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined colleagues for a ceremony to commemorate the installation of the plaque honoring the bravery of the law enforcement officers who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

LEADER JEFFRIES: We are here to recognize the heroism of the hundreds of dedicated Capitol Police, Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement officers who stood in this building and across these Capitol grounds to defend the Congress, defend the country and defend the Constitution on January 6, five years ago, in 2021, from thousands of bloodthirsty rioters.

Their heroism will never be forgotten. January 6 is a day that should forever live in infamy. A violent mob incited by Donald Trump attacked the Capitol as part of an effort to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Because of the extraordinary bravery of heroic officers who put their lives on the line, this unprecedented attack on our country and on our democracy failed. But it did come at a heavy price.

More than 140 brave men and women of law enforcement were seriously injured as a result of being violently assaulted. Officers were forced to engage in hours of unprecedented hand-to-hand combat. Many were whipped, beaten with pipes and assaulted by bear spray. Some were even pummeled by Confederate flagpoles.

They were outnumbered by a violent mob, but never overwhelmed. Many, of course, have suffered lasting physical and psychological damage. Some tragically lost their lives.

Despite this, on his first day in office, the current President pardoned hundreds of violent felons who brutally assaulted our police officers while storming the Capitol. He unleashed these criminals into our communities and many now pose an ongoing threat to public safety to everyday Americans and to this very Capitol itself.

Yet our brave and heroic officers continue to show up each and every day in this moment of extreme political violence to keep us all safe. That’s why we’re so grateful that this tribute to our heroes will now reside in the same location where they so bravely and heroically defended the Capitol, the citadel of our democracy.

It will now forever stand as a timeless and permanent testament to their incredible courage and incredible patriotism. And we will never let their service and their sacrifice be whitewashed.

May God bless the dedicated men and women of law enforcement, the Capitol Police, the DC Police Department and all those who heroically served this country on that fateful day of January 6 and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
 
Full remarks can be watched here.

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

Resolution Adopted on International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Recognizes Grave Crime and Institutional Impact of Slavery

Pressley Also Denounces U.S. Ambassador’s Rejection of UN Resolution

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement praising the UN General Assembly for adopting a resolution expressing support for reparations and declaring the trafficking and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. The resolution was introduced by the Republic of Ghana at the UN General Assembly in New York this week. Rep. Pressley also denounces U.S. Ambassador Dan Negrea’s decision to reject the resolution, minimize the crime of slavery, and deny the need for reparations.

“The fight for reparative justice demands both moral clarity and transformational change—and this UN resolution marks an essential step in recognizing the inhumane enslavement of our African ancestors and addressing the systemic oppression of Black people. This resolution signifies international solidarity and a united conviction to build a more just world, accounting for and confronting the impact of slavery that has burdened generations of Black folks. Our movement for reparations—like my legislation, H.R. 40—is a pathway toward truth, reconciliation, and accountability for the deep, structural injustices that continue to ravage Black communities.

“As we celebrate this historic resolution, I vehemently denounce the U.S. Ambassador’s vote against the resolution and false claims against the movement for reparative justice. Hiding behind the notion that there’s no legal right to reparations just because slavery was once legal is morally bankrupt and historically inaccurate. Slavery was always a crime against humanity, no matter what the law said at the time, and its legacy is still harming Black communities today. That means we still have a responsibility to repair that harm. It is anti-Blackness that is rooted in the earliest sins of our nation, seen in the racist attacks coming out of this hostile White House, and enabling the systemic oppression rampant in every corner of our society. We have a duty and obligation to confront past wrongs and the centuries of trafficking, enslavement, and violence against Black people. Justice delayed is justice denied, and we will not back down in our pursuit of healing and reparatory justice.”

Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of H.R. 40, historic reparations legislation that would address the harmful legacy of slavery and establish a federal commission to develop reparations proposals for African American descendants of enslaved people.

In February 2025, during Black History Month, Rep. Pressley and Senator Cory Booker reintroduced H.R. 40, serving as a powerful counterweight to the unprecedented onslaught against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump Administration and a call to action to address the systemic oppression of Black people.

In April 2025, Rep. Pressley met with Northeastern University’s Center for Law, Equity, and Race to discuss efforts and further action in a shared push for reparative justice. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley hosted a briefing on H.R. 40 to provide congressional staffers and their offices an expanded look into the bill, its 36-year legislative journey – led by Congressman John Conyers and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee – and its vital role in the reparative justice movement.

Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has championed policies to address the harmful legacy of slavery and support the true liberation of Black America, including Baby Bonds, a People’s Justice Guarantee, student debt cancellation, addressing the Black maternal morbidity crisis, supporting Black-owned microbusinesses, promoting anti-racist public health policy, and more.

Congresswoman Pressley is the lead sponsor of the People’s Justice Guarantee (PJG) – her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system. 

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

Headline: Carter, Pfluger praise Mystic Flood safety alert bill passing committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) and Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) today celebrated the passage of the Mystic Alerts Act out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

This bill will strengthen the emergency alerting framework by directing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish standards and requirements that allow alerts to be delivered via satellite connectivity, ensuring redundancy when traditional networks are down.

Watch Rep. Carter’s remarks here.

Rep. Carter speaks at full Energy and Commerce Committee hearing

“My granddaughters were staying at Camp Mystic when the devastating floods claimed the lives of many young girls, including their cousin, Janie Hunt,” said Rep. Carter. “Camp should be a place of joy, adventure, and lasting memories. But for these girls, the trauma they experienced will stay with them forever. Like Representative Pfluger, this issue is deeply personal to my family, and I look forward to our continued work to pass the Mystic Alerts Act so that no child or family has to endure a tragedy like this again.

“When disaster strikes, communication infrastructure is often the first thing to fail, especially in rural areas. After the devastating floods of July 4th in Central and West Texas, we must ensure every American receives life-saving emergency alerts when it matters most,” said Rep. Pfluger. “I’m grateful the Mystic Alerts Act passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today with unanimous, bipartisan support.”

Read full bill text here.

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

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement amid investigations into a Boston police officer shooting and killing Stephenson King, a Dorchester resident, during an alleged carjacking in Roxbury.

“I am deeply alarmed by the recent shooting by police in Roxbury of Stephenson King. My heart is with his family as we grieve this killing and everyone impacted in our community,” said Rep. Pressley. “The District Attorney’s office moved quickly to bring charges, and it is essential that Stephenson’s family has access to body camera footage to ensure a full, truthful account of the shooting, along with critical resources to support their healing. While justice would mean Stephenson’s life was not taken in the first place, we must have transparency and accountability. That means holding everyone involved to account. The trauma of violence reverberates far beyond a single instance, so we must remain committed to enacting policies that truly keep us all safe.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) — On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, Congressman Al Green, a Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, shared remarks during a Homeland Security Committee hearing entitled, “The Ultimate Grift: How DHS Is Enriching the President and His Allies at Taxpayer Expense.”

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s remarks to the witness by clicking here. The hearing remarks highlighted are also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).