MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Washington, D.C. — Today, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced the Hold ICE Accountable Act, legislation to establish an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate unlawful conduct by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In January 2026, ICE agents fatally shot two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis. Neither had a criminal record and public evidence has raised significant questions about the circumstances. In addition, recent reports have raised alarm over DHS and ICE practices, including excessive force, wrongful detention, racial profiling, and more than 40 deaths in ICE custody since the start of the Trump Administration.

The legislation creates a clear process to appoint an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate alleged illegal conduct by DHS personnel that occurred after January 19, 2025.

“No one is above the law. Period,” said Rep. Stevens. “The American people deserve confidence that ICE officers will be investigated fairly and thoroughly, no matter who is involved. Every single one of Trump’s ICE officials, from the very bottom to the very top, including senior leadership, must face justice for the crimes they commit. ”

Following the model of the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, the Hold ICE Accountable Act would:

• Allow the U.S. Attorney General or any State Attorney General to request a Special Prosecutor with the authority to investigate alleged illegal activity by DHS officers and employees occurring after January 19, 2025.
• Establish a process to appoint the Special Prosecutor, who must be independent, have no ties to the current administration, and demonstrate integrity, impartial judgment, and relevant experience.
• Grant full investigative and prosecutorial authority, equivalent to that of a United States Attorney, including the power to pursue related offenses such as perjury, obstruction of justice, destruction of evidence, and witness intimidation.
• Authorize the Special Prosecutor to hire staff necessary to carry out their duties.
• Ensure independence from Trump’s Department of Justice while maintaining oversight by Congress and the courts.
• Protect the Special Prosecutor from political retribution, allowing for removal by the Attorney General only for good cause—such as misconduct or incapacity—with any removal subject to judicial review. A Special Prosecutor improperly removed may be reinstated.
• Eliminate qualified immunity for any DHS officer or employee indicted by the Special Prosecutor, allowing for civil actions against ICE officers and strengthening accountability.

Stevens has been leading the fight to hold ICE accountable in Congress and to rein in Donald Trump’s repeated abuses of power during his Administration.

• Stevens called for the immediate removal of Secretary Kristi Noem and cosponsored an effort to impeach her in the House of Representatives.
• Following Secretary Noem’s removal, Stevens called on the Senate to delay confirmation of Noem’s successor unless ICE reforms were secured.
• Stevens and her Michigan colleague, Rep. Hillary Scholten visited an ICE detention facility in Baldwin, Michigan, to tour conditions and demand answers to their letter over the death of detainee Nenko Gantchev in ICE custody in December. Following their visit, Stevens and Scholten doubled down on their demands for answers from ICE and Secretary Noem.
• Stevens cosponsored H.R. 7163, a proposal to divert ICE’s $75 billion slush fund to state and local law enforcement agencies. Stevens also voted against the “One Big Beautiful Bill” which authorized the slush fund in the first place.
• Last year, Stevens cosponsored the VISIBLE Act to prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks and concealing their identities.
• Stevens joined over 150 of her colleagues in demanding that ICE end its surge of officers in Minnesota and conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of an ICE agent.
• Stevens introduced the Stop Trump’s Abuse of Power Act, legislation to prevent the President from deploying the military against Americans without express consent from state officials, an authoritarian tactic this President has used repeatedly to fuel fear and intimidation during aggressive ICE crackdowns.
• Stevens voted against the Laken Riley Act, which would sweep thousands of people into jails and detention centers at enormous taxpayer expense while diverting key law enforcement resources and potentially violating civil liberties.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

Washington, D.C. – Today, in response to an inquiry led by U.S. Congresswomen Andrea Salinas (OR-06) and Val Hoyle (OR-04) and Senator Jeff Merkley and signed by Senator Wyden and U.S. Congresswomen Bonamici, Dexter, and Bynum, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director Todd Lyons confirmed that, “ICE is not currently planning to expand current detention facilities or open any new long or short-term detention facilities in Oregon.”

“Oregonians never wanted an ICE detention facility in our state, especially as ICE and DHS have repeatedly abused their power and terrorized our communities,” said Salinas. “I am glad that the Administration confirmed they currently have no plans to build or expand any ICE detention facility in Oregon. I have consistently demanded full transparency and accountability from ICE and the Trump Administration for their misconduct, and I will keep using every avenue available to call out ICE’s overreach and keep our communities safe.”

“Again and again, ICE has been caught lying to the American people, so we should be skeptical of anything they tell us,” said Merkley. “Trump is hellbent on deploying his secret police across Oregon, and we won’t stand for it. I say HELL NO to any plans to expand ICE facilities or operations in Oregon, whether it’s office space, detention centers, or anything else the Trump Administration cooks up.”

“The President has taken us into war, gas and grocery prices are skyrocketing and people can’t afford health care,” said Rep. Val Hoyle. “We need leadership that actually puts the needs of Americans first instead of spending taxpayer dollars to militarize our streets. We don’t need more money wasted on having a larger ICE presence here to harass, intimidate and detain hardworking Oregonians based on the color of their skin. Thanks, but no thanks.”

On February 12, 2026, Congresswoman Salinas and Senator Merkley led their democratic Oregon delegation colleagues and ten additional House Members in a letter opposing any plans to open or expand ICE detention facilities in Oregon, including a potential facility in Newport. They also demanded details about the safety and standards of “soft-sided” facilities. 

On March 26, 2026, Acting Director Lyons responded to confirm that ICE currently does not have plans to build or expand any ICE facility in Oregon. The response indicates that ICE does not plan to move forward with a soft-sided detention facility in Newport, as had previously been reported. The response also provided details about the conditions of their soft-sided facilities. It claims that detainees are provided with three nutritious meals a day, that facilities are subject to inspections and audits conducted by the DHS Office of Inspector General, and that detainees are provided with sufficient clean clothing. These claims are contrary to many reports from detainees inside ICE facilities, and the Members will continue pushing for the truth about conditions in ICE facilities.

“Oregonians do not want or need ICE in our state,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “ICE has confirmed that they do not plan to open any additional detention facilities in Oregon, and we will hold them to that while we work to make our communities safer by getting masked, armed ICE agents off our streets.”

“ICE should be defunded and dismantled—and it should not be allowed to build new detention facilities anywhere. I’m grateful that in our home state of Oregon, ICE has said there are no plans to expand or build any new detention facilities. Oregonians are united in rejecting the cruelty this agency brings to our communities,” said Dexter.

“ICE has already caused so much damage in our community. From tear-gassing kids to tearing families apart, this agency is out of line and has no place in our cities,” Rep. Bynum said. “I’m glad that ICE confirmed that they do not have any plans right now to add detention facilities in Oregon. I’ll continue to work with my colleagues to keep them out of our city and our state.”

Click here or see below for the full letter response from Acting Director Todd Lyons:

Thank you for your February 13, 2026 letter to the Department of Homeland Security(DHS). I am responding on behalf of the Department. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is committed to safe, secure, and humane environments for all of those in its custody. ICE continues to evaluate bedspace requirements and availability and is committed to strategically using existing detention beds in a fiscally responsible manner. As part of its detention operations, aliens in ICE custody are housed at a variety of facilities across the United States, including ICE owned and operated facilities; federal, state, county, or local facilities contracted through intergovernmental service agreements; and contractor owned and operated facilities. ICE constantly evaluates its detention needs and contract structures based on changes in immigration patterns, the operational needs of the agency, and the availability of resources.

ICE’s enhanced enforcement operations have resulted in a significant number of arrests of criminal aliens, requiring greater detention capacity. As part of these efforts, ICE is exploring various options to increase bedspace capacity nationwide working in collaboration with federal partners such as the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of War, and the Bureau of Prisons.ICE will continue to prioritize its resources and work closely with its network of federal, state, local, and private sector partners to ensure the agency can acquire sufficient bedspace to fully achieve its mission.

Regarding potential detention facilities in Oregon, ICE is not currently planning to expand current detention facilities or open any new long or short-term detention facilities in Oregon. As for detention expansion outside of Oregon, ICE issued a solicitation under the U.S. Naval Supply Systems Command’s Worldwide Expeditionary Multiple Award Contract vehicle to identify vendors to provide comprehensive detention operations and wraparound services including facility, grounds maintenance, and operations services at all newly acquired facilities. ICE anticipates making awards under this solicitation in the coming months and plans to onboard facilities by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. All detention facilities are acquired, constructed, and operated in accordance with federal regulations, court orders, and national detention standards. Unfortunately, ICE cannot provide additional details due to law enforcement sensitivity and operational security maintenance.

Additionally, you request information regarding the capacities of ICE’s soft-sided facilities. Camp East Montana, located in El Paso, Texas, is an over 72-hour facility with an average length of stay of 10 days. The Krome North Service Processing Center, which includes a soft-sided facility, in Miami, Florida, is an over 72-hour facility with an average length of stay of 23 days.

All of ICE’s detention facilities, including soft-sided facilities, are contractually obligated to operate in accordance with one of several sets of detention standards. The detention standards describe a facility’s immigration detention responsibilities, explain what detainee services a facility must provide, and identify what a facility must do to ensure a safe and secure detention environment for staff and detainees.

Specifically, soft-sided facilities operate in accordance with National Detention Standards 2025. To ensure compliance with each contract’s terms and conditions and the applicable detention standards, DHS and ICE employ a robust, multilevel oversight and compliance program. At the agency level, Detention Service Managers and Detention Standards Compliance Officers monitor detention conditions through daily on-site compliance reviews to identify deficiencies, areas of concern, contract and facility issues, and to facilitate corrective actions. Additionally, facilities are subject to inspections and audits conducted by the DHS Office of Inspector General, the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the DHS Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman, and the ICE Office of Detention Oversight within ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

During their immigration proceedings, detainees are afforded numerous procedural protections that ensure they are provided with notice and an opportunity to be heard. In removal proceedings, these protections include, but are not limited to, the right to be represented by an attorney, to contest any charges of removal, to present evidence, and generally to examine evidence against them. While the government does not provide attorneys at the government’s expense, all those arrested by ICE and placed into removal proceedings are provided with a list of free legal services and aid resources, including pro bono providers. 

Additionally, ICE facilities continue to provide detainees with opportunities to meet privately with their current or prospective legal representatives, legal assistants, interpreters, and consular officials. While in-person contact visits remain available at the request of legal representatives, non-contact legal visitation (e.g., video teleconference) is available, wherever possible. This offers an alternative for attorneys to communicate with detained clients in a timely and efficient manner, especially when in-person visitation is not possible or practical.

While in detention, detainees reside in temperature-controlled environments at all times. Furthermore, detainees are provided with three nutritious meals a day and meals that support specialized diets, including religious diets and more than a dozen therapeutic diets, as well as cultural preferences. Menus are reviewed and approved on a regular basis by a registered dietitian to ensure appropriate nutrition is provided. Additionally, detainees are provided with clean bedding and “sufficient clean clothing” during their time in detention.

Currently, the Office of Professional Responsibility does not inspect state-owned and operated facilities such as the soft-sided facility in Miami, Florida. The Office of Detention Oversight conducts congressionally mandated compliance inspections of ICE detention facilities that house ICE detainees pursuant to contractual obligations. Camp East Montana is currently the only soft-sided facility subject to Office of Detention Oversight inspection. The Office of Detention Oversight inspected Camp East Montana, which is contractually obligated to the National Detention Standards 2025 inspection standard, from February 10 to 12, 2026. The report is currently being drafted. ICE will publish the final report by April 13, 2026, 60 days after the inspection.

In your letter, you request “a detailed list of every detention standard that has been waived for a soft-sided facility in CY 2025.” As previously mentioned, all of ICE’s detention facilities operate in accordance with national detention standards. ICE has not approved any waivers of detention standards for any of the soft-sided facilities.

Thank you again for your letter. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata

Headline: Amata Emphasizes Congressional Intent for $3 Million ASCC Funding She Requested

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is emphasizing Congress’s intent that $3 million go to American Samoa Community College (ASCC) out of the yearly ASG Operations Fund from the Office of Insular Affairs (OIA), which receives $29 million for American Samoa from Congress through Interior Appropriations.

Group picture at ASCC with educators and congressional staff

These funds have been secured for fiscal year 2026, and Congresswoman Amata has testified about these funds, requesting an overall increase, for the upcoming fiscal year 2027 appropriations process. 

For the past three years, at Congresswoman Amata’s request, $3 million of the Operations Fund is to be allocated to ASCC, as passed by Congress. The fund is currently $29 million, so the remaining $26 million of the fund is still an increase of several million over past funding. The fund has been boosted by Congress most years since fiscal year 2018, due to Amata’s yearly efforts.

“I greatly appreciate Chairman Tom Cole of the Appropriations Committee ensuring that our ASCC report language was included, and accompanies the final version passed into law,” said Congresswoman Amata. “This expresses clear congressional intent, worded in the manner common to Washington legislative report language, conveying the spending instructions and expectations of the Appropriations Act.”

“I know our college personnel and faculty are doing good work with their limited resources,” continued Aumua Amata. “These funds should make a visible difference for our campus, classrooms, equipment and scholarship efforts – all to help our students take their next step.”

“In making these funding requests to influential Chairmen and senior Members of Congress, I always emphasize our islands’ record of service, our population of veterans and military families, and the realities of our island economy, and these considerations are the underlying basis for this appropriation to benefit our college,” said Aumua Amata. “ASCC is a major priority as accessing college education can be a real financial and geographic challenge for our students.”

“What better way to make use of operations funds than by investing in our territory’s college and students?” Amata concluded. “We want to empower every high school graduate with achievable options to consider here in our own islands.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), a senior member of the House Agriculture and House Financial Services Committees, announced a list of twenty Community Project Funding priorities in the 13^th Congressional District for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations cycle.

Each Fiscal Year, Members of Congress can request Federal funding from the House Committee on Appropriations for up to fifteen community projects in their home districts. As part of that process, Congressman David Scott solicited requests through stakeholder meetings and member level engagement and submitted the list of projects outlined below. These Federal dollars provide vital resources to improve transportation and water infrastructure, enhance public safety, and help veterans access lifesaving health care.

“In every vote I cast and every bill I fight for, my focus is simple: delivering results for the people I represent in the 13^th District,” said Congressman David Scott. The nearly $32 million in Federal funding I have requested is going directly back into our neighborhoods—to repair roads, modernize schools, expand access to clean water, and create good-paying jobs. These priorities represent crucial investments in infrastructure and services that will strengthen our communities and bolster local economies for Georgians. I look forward to working closely with officials from across the district on each request to ensure we address the needs of the hard-working families we serve.”

Congressman Scott’s projects include:

Project: Gwinnett Hidden Forest Water Main Replacement

Description: The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners would use this funding to replace and construct approximately 4,500 feet of pipe to replace substandard drinking water distribution mains in the Hidden Forest neighborhood.

Project: Newton County Alcovy Pump Station Improvement Project

Description: Newton County would use this funding to replace existing raw water pumps, repair the Alcovy Pump station deck, and install new electrical feed equipment to increase water supply by 4.5 million of gallons per day.

Project: Lawrenceville Redland Creek Greenway – phase I

Description: The City of Lawrenceville would use this funding to develop a pedestrian and multi-use trail connecting downtown Lawrenceville and the Gwinnett County Discovery Park, ensuring ADA accessibility.

Project: Stockbridge Willow Springs Drinking Water Replacement Project

Description: The City of Stockbridge would use this funding to replace failing water distribution pipes and replace lead service lines with new, lead-free service line.

Project: Gwinnett Accessible Pedestrian Upgrades Project

Description: The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners would use this funding to make several pedestrian improvements in high-traffic areas, including the installation of accessible pedestrian signals, crosswalk infrastructure and curb ramps.

Project: Rockdale County Trail and Parks Safety Project

Description: Rockdale County would use this funding to install safety cameras at parks, trailheads, and along trails in the county and purchase all-terrain vehicles to improve safety and security within Rockdale County parks and trails, deterring vandalism and illegal dumping while assisting law enforcement with reliable footage and allowing parks staff to patrol trails.

Project: Clayton Police Department Real Time Crime Center Expansion Project

Description: The Clayton County Police Department would use this funding to upgrade its real-time crime center, including closed circuit television monitoring, license plate reader systems, flock camera integration, real-time video monitoring and analytics, and data sharing equipment.

Project: Henry County Schools Food Hub Project

Description: The Henry County Public Schools Foundation would use this funding to establish a no-cost, school-based food hub, including installing shelving, refrigeration inventory-tracking software, and other equipment needed to develop a food hub.

Project: Jonesboro Accessible Playground Project

Description: The City of Jonesboro would use this funding to make upgrades to Massengale Park, a park centrally located near one of the busiest commercial areas in the city, to improve accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Project: Rockdale County Accessible Outdoor Improvements – Phase I Project

Description: Rockdale County Public Schools would use this funding to implement phase I of a capital project improving access to outdoor learning and community-facing school spaces, including for students with disabilities.

Project: Stockbridge Willow Springs Clean Water Project

Description: The City of Stockbridge would use this funding to replace wastewater infrastructure in the Willow Springs Neighborhood. Specifically, the project will replace 2,245 linear feet of force main and upgrade manhole and air release infrastructure.

Project: Snellville Downtown and Briscoe Park Connecting Trail Project

Description: The City of Snellville would use this funding to develop 2,000 linear feet of paved trail to connect Briscoe Park with Snellville’s newly revitalized downtown to provide greater access to downtown Snellville, connecting private business, community centers, and recreational opportunities.

Project: Newton County Health Equipment Project

Description: The Newton County Board of Commissioners would use this funding to purchase Stryker Cardiac Monitors, Lucas CPR Devices and training units, and service plans for the devices to allow Newton County first responders to better respond to public emergencies and provide critical care.

Project: Gwinnett County School-Based Health Center

Description: Gwinnett County Public Schools would use this funding to renovate a school-based health center and purchase capital equipment including exam tables and high intensity lighting to provide health services to Gwinnett students.

Project: Lovejoy Multi-Modal Safety & Economic Connectivity Project

Description: The City of Lovejoy would use this funding to improve pedestrian and commuter safety along commercial corridors, including sidewalk connectivity, pedestrian crossing improvements, installation of lighting infrastructure, and ADA-compliant ramps.

Project: Lovejoy Public Safety Equipment Project

Description: The City of Lovejoy would use this funding to purchase police cruisers, license plate readers, a radar unit, laser speed detection devices, and storm warning system software to better enforce laws, respond to crime, and inform law enforcement operations during extreme weather events.

Project: Regional Impact Health Foundation Workforce Development and Health Support Mobile Unit

Description: The Regional Impact Health Foundation would use this funding to purchase a 38-foot mobile unit including private intake rooms, a medical exam room, ADA accessibility features, wheelchair lift, check-in station, and cabinetry to provide job placement services, physical therapy, and behavior health support.

Project: Rockdale County Fire Safety Training Complex Project

Description: Rockdale County would use this funding to construct a Fire Safety Training Complex to allow local law enforcement and other first responders to train in fire safety more easily, improving recruitment and retention and helping first responders better respond to fire emergencies.

Project: University of Georgia Research Infrastructure

Description: The University of Georgia would use this funding to purchase lateral-move irrigation systems, upgrade electrical and control systems, and purchase research and data collection systems to improve agricultural research and practices in Georgia.

Project: MARTA Mobility Paratransit Fleet Modernization and Reliability Initiative

Description: The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority would use this funding to replace two MARTA Mobility paratransit vehicles that have exceeded their federally defined useful life to provide paratransit services for individuals with disabilities.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Timelines have lapsed and required administrative procedures are not being followed

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

Today during his opening remarks at a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity oversight hearing, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, underscored the need to take comprehensive action to tackle the housing crisis that is impacting veterans in New Hampshire and across the country.

Pappas began: “We know that housing prices, along with pretty much every other expense a family faces, like energy and groceries, continue to rise. As veterans spend more money at the pump and at the grocery store, they have less to spend on rent, their mortgage, or to save for a down payment. From what I hear constantly from my constituents, and I’m sure this applies to all of my colleagues too, affordability concerns aren’t a hoax—they’re a huge concern of Americans, and I’m thankful that we’re holding this hearing in recognition of that.” 

Underscoring the need for comprehensive legislation like the updated 21st Century Road to Housing Act, he continued: “That’s why we need a whole-of-government approach to tackle the housing crisis, lower costs for veterans and all Americans, and put homeownership back within reach for everyone. We should explore comprehensive policies that would provide real savings, tangible affordability, and accessibility to home loans for veterans. We need to focus on legislative packages like the updated, Senate-passed 21st Century Road to Housing Act which House leadership has yet to put to the floor for a vote. This bipartisan bill includes bills I helped introduce and would cut red tape to build more housing, strengthen assistance to middle-class homeowners for improvements and repairs, and expand access to the VA Home Loan program by ensuring veterans are made aware of the benefit during the loan application stage.” 

Highlighting examples of successful efforts in New Hampshire, Pappas said: “In my state of New Hampshire, we’re moving in that direction: we have a first-in-the-nation veterans campus in Franklin, which is a partnership between the private sector, government, and the nonprofit community, funded with federal dollars and providing critical housing for our veterans. We’re empowering our non-profit and VSO partners, including Harbor Care, that have stepped up to fill a need for emergency, transitional, and permanent housing for veterans.  

“Let’s also focus on what this hearing should be about: affordability, and that big-picture conversation about how to bring down costs and make life better for veterans and all Americans,” he concluded.

Last week Pappas called on House leadership to bring the Senate-passed 21st Century Road to Housing legislative package up for a vote. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation includes several bills Pappas co-leads and supports to increase access to home loans, cut red tape, and lower costs to build housing, including the VA Home Loan Awareness Act to help more veterans take advantage of the VA Home Loan program. 

WATCH THE HEARING HERE.

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.

Pappas has worked to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase the affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. In April, 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.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

“The deal is outrageous. It’s devastating for local news, devastating for consumers, devastating for freedom of the press. But perhaps most problematic of all, Mr. Speaker, it is unlawful.”

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, where he emphasized that while the Trump administration is brutalizing American citizens and entering a reckless war of choice, House Democrats remain committed to making life more affordable for the American people.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Leading off our discussion tonight is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. Mr. Leader. I want to begin with the TSA issue, which seems to be Donald Trump’s latest move on this. Is it possible for the Department of Homeland Security to actually fund TSA the way Donald Trump seems to be suggesting they will?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes, you know, what’s interesting, Lawrence, in their One Big Ugly Bill, which, of course, ripped away Medicaid from at least 14 million Americans and literally took food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans because of the fact that they enacted the largest cut to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance in American history. They gave $191 billion to DHS. 10 billion of that can be used any way that Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security wants. And so over the last 41 days, effectively, Donald Trump has chosen not to pay TSA when ordering Republicans to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. And so he’s always had this ability, but clearly he wanted to hold TSA agents and the American people hostage across the country while creating chaos at airports, trying to get Democrats to back away from our position.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: So, I mean, you know, I’ve been trying to make it clear that Senate Democrats have been voting every day, every day to fund TSA. Every day of these long lines, Senate Democrats have been trying to vote to fund it, and Republicans in the Senate have blocked it. Sometimes it’s hard to tell out there. People, you know, out there following these things, standing in a line for four hours in an airport. Who’s to blame for this? It’s those people in Washington. Tonight, Donald Trump has just said, ‘It’s up to me. I did it, and I can now undo it in effect.’ Isn’t that what we’ve learned from Donald Trump tonight?

LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s exactly what we’ve seen. And House and Senate Democrats over the last several weeks have repeatedly made clear that we need to reopen every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, TSA and FEMA and the Coast Guard and our cybersecurity professionals, every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, other than, of course, ICE, which needs to be brought under control. And we’ve also made clear we are not going to fund Donald Trump’s extreme and violent mass deportation machine. But Republicans who control the House, the Senate and the presidency made the determination that they want to hold TSA agents hostage and forced them for weeks now to work without pay when Donald Trump at any point over the last 41 days could have made clear that they need to get paid. Thankfully, we’ve now compelled him to do just that.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: So Donald Trump’s statements to the Senate were two things. One, don’t vote for funding TSA unless the Democrats vote for funding ICE. But also, he was telling them, do not vote on anything except the voting legislation that Donald Trump wants, that require passports, birth certificates and other things to vote that we’ve never needed before. And also hands over every state’s voting rules to Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security, which—that does not, as far as we know, have the votes, even the necessary Republican votes in the Senate, to pass it, but that’s what Donald Trump has been saying the Senate should be doing instead of funding TSA.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, that’s correct. In fact, as you pointed out, Lawrence, Donald Trump has said, don’t do anything. We’re dealing with an affordability crisis in the United States of America. We’ve got this reckless war of choice that we’ve got to end, that Donald Trump has gotten into. They’re spending billions of dollars to drop bombs in the Middle East, but are unwilling to spend a dime to actually make life more affordable for the American people. And then on top of all of that, he’s trying to jam the so-called SAVE America Act down the throats of the American people. This is voter suppression on steroids, and it doesn’t have the pass—votes to pass the Senate, and of course, in the House, was strongly opposed by Democrats, and we will continue to do so. We’re going to do everything we need to do to make sure, Lawrence, that there’s a free and fair election in November. And when that happens, Democrats are taking back control of the House of Representatives, and Senate Democrats are on a path to do the same thing.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: What’s your reaction to Donald Trump today in the Cabinet Room when he’s asked about negotiations to end the war that he started, and he says, I don’t care?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, that was an incredible thing for him to say. Effectively, he was saying, I don’t really care about the hardship that is being inflicted on the American people. We’ve seen gas prices are skyrocketing out of control in an environment where people are already struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. Many Americans can’t thrive and can barely survive. Donald Trump could care less about it, and he said that in his own words today from the White House. At the same period of time, apparently, he could care less about the fact that thousands of troops are being put into harm’s way in this reckless war of choice. And American lives, heroes, patriots, have already lost their lives up until this point. And yet, Donald Trump doesn’t care.

LAWRENCE O’DONNELL: Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for joining us tonight.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you much.

Full interview can be watched here.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today on the House floor, before 206 Democrats voted against funding the Department of Homeland Security, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) called out Democrats for prolonging Americans’ suffering. Leader Scalise highlighted Democrat hypocrisy by pointing to Hakeem Jeffries’ past remarks, calling it ‘legislative malpractice’ to not fully fund DHS.’

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks.  
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:“I rise in strong support of Congressman Ciscomani’s bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. And Madam Speaker, this is a bill that should have passed weeks and weeks ago. In fact, today will mark the third time that this House has voted to fully fund the department. In case you want to know how that vote went, there’s been a record vote twice already in the House. You can see who’s voting yes to fund TSA agents, to fund the people at the Department of Homeland Security who work every day to keep us safe here in America – all the Republicans, almost every Republican voting yes, every one on March 5th. Almost every Democrat voted no on March 5th, voted no to shut the department down. The Democrats shut this down, Madam Speaker.“January 22nd was the first vote. Almost a party-line vote. Republicans voting yes to fund the department. Democrats voting no. March 5th, same thing. Republicans voting yes to fund the department, Democrats overwhelmingly voting no to shut it down.“Now, there is a day today where they can seek redemption and stand up for those workers, the TSA agents who are showing up for work and not getting paid. Do you know that if you’re a TSA agent in America, this fiscal year, Madam Speaker, you have gone 49% of this year without a paycheck? That’s disgraceful…“At my home airport in New Orleans, people were sleeping overnight so they’d have a chance to make their flight. There are people waiting over 3 hours and still missing a flight, Madam Speaker, to go maybe on a family vacation, maybe they’ve got to go to a funeral or a wedding. This is disrupting the lives of real people. Let me tell you what the TSA [Deputy Administrator] testified to yesterday, just yesterday. The TSA [Deputy Administrator] told lawmakers that their agents have ‘received eviction notices, lost their childcare, missed bill payments, and been charged late fees, damaged their credit, defaulted on loans, and have been unable to even qualify for a loan to help ease the financial burden during the shutdown.’ That was testimony given yesterday, and it’s totally avoidable. That kind of pain should not be inflicted on our federal workers….“We’re going to give [Democrats] an opportunity to do the right thing because the American people are sick and tired of it, and they should be. But there’s going to be a moment of accountability real soon. In about an hour, America will be able to see who’s voting yes to fund these people that are working so hard and who’s voting no to keep the chaos going, to keep the long lines going.“Now, I’d like to say I’m going to read you some good news. I want to read you a quote from Hakeem Jeffries. Madam Speaker, I think this is an important quote that everybody should listen to right now. This is Hakeem Jeffries, and I quote, ‘We are here today to do a single job, and that should be to fund fully the Department of Homeland Security. Anything else is an abdication of our responsibility. Anything else is an act of legislative malpractice. We’re playing political games at a time when the safety and the security of the American people is being threatened.’ That’s Hakeem Jeffries, Madam Speaker. Unfortunately, that was Hakeem Jeffries from February of 2015. What happened to that Hakeem Jeffries? How will Hakeem Jeffries of 2026 vote? The previous two times, we know, Madam Speaker, the vote was no. But in 2015, said it would be an act of malpractice to shut this department down.”