MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

The bill, introduced by Rep. John McGuire (R-VA), would codify parts of President Trump’s executive order issued on March 28, 2025.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO), a former Army Ranger and Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and House Armed Services Committee, is calling on Congress to force the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to focus on its full mission, rather than diverting resources and personnel from their core functions.

Thousands of DHS employees devoted to preventing terrorism, human trafficking, and drug smuggling, have recently been reassigned to instead focus on immigration and President Trump’s mass deportation efforts, according to public reporting.

In a new letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders, Crow warns that doing so “interferes with law enforcement operations and harms U.S. national security.” Crow is urging Congress to compel, through the appropriations process, DHS to return to its core mission of protecting the American people. This is especially important as threats to Americans have increased since President Trump started a war of choice with Iran.

“As Trump creates more and more conflict around the globe, he’s also undermining the very people intended to protect us from threats,” said Congressman Crow. “This Administration is pulling people away from national security and putting them on his mass deportation campaign that’s murdering Americans and deporting citizens. They said they’d go after the worst of the worst, but instead, they’re taking away the tools that keep us safe.”

Ten other Members of Congress joined Crow in his letter.

Congressman Crow condemned the murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis. Crow recently sued the Trump Administration to uphold this right following his unlawful denial from an ICE detention facility in Aurora in July 2025. He has repeatedly condemned Donald Trump’s illegal war of choice in Iran. He voted to reclaim Congressional authority over war with Iran, and he called for Donald Trump and his cronies to end their military adventurism. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statement after he was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Agriculture.

“I’m honored Chairman Thompson has entrusted me with the responsibility of serving on the House Committee on Agriculture,” said Congressman Valadao. “As a dairy farmer, I understand firsthand the challenges our farmers, ranchers, and growers face, from rising input costs and labor shortages to unfair trade practices and the need for a strong agricultural safety net. I look forward to building on Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s work to support our producers and strengthen American agriculture. Agriculture is at the heart of the Central Valley and a critical part of our nation’s economy, and I’m ready to get to work on delivering results for the families and communities who depend on it.”

“On behalf of the House Committee on Agriculture, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Rep. Valadao,” said Chairman Thompson. “As a producer who understands the ins and outs of a family operation, Mr. Valadao appreciates the opportunities and challenges facing farm country, and this is reflected in how deeply he cares about his community and the greater agricultural industry. I can think of no one better suited to carry on Doug LaMalfa’s legacy of being a true advocate for California agriculture. While a new addition to the agriculture committee, Rep. Valadao is no stranger to supporting our farm families in the halls of Congress. I look forward to seeing how he makes his mark on the work of the committee.”

Background:

The United States House Committee on Agriculture is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, responsible for developing legislation related to America’s food supply, agriculture, and rural communities. Working alongside its Senate counterpart, the Committee on Agriculture’s jurisdiction includes farm commodity programs, agricultural trade, nutrition programs, rural development, and research that helps keep American agriculture competitive and resilient. The Committee is also responsible for oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Through its work, the Committee plays a vital role in ensuring a stable food supply, supporting rural economic development, and maintaining the strength of American agriculture.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Riley M. Moore (R-WV) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter alongside U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-NC) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), Congressman Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), along with 29 of their colleagues, urging President Donald J. Trump to press for the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri during the President’s upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

Pastor Jin, the leader of Zion Church in China, was arbitrarily detained in October 2025 alongside other church leaders as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s ongoing crackdown on unsanctioned religious communities. In their letter, lawmakers also highlighted the broader pattern of persecution against Christians, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetans, and other religious minorities across China.

In the letter, lawmakers urge President Trump to prioritize Pastor Jin’s case during his meeting with President Xi and to advocate for the release of all individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs. The letter also calls attention to widespread abuses, including arbitrary detention, lengthy prison sentences, destruction of places of worship, and surveillance and intimidation of religious communities.

Additionally, the lawmakers encouraged the Administration to utilize authorities under the International Religious Freedom Act to impose targeted sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals and entities responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.

The bipartisan letter was signed by 22 U.S. Senators and 11 U.S. Representatives, underscoring broad, bipartisan support for confronting religious persecution and advancing human rights as part of ongoing U.S.–China diplomatic efforts.

Congressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:

“Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, and the Chinese Communist Party’s continued persecution of Christians and other religious groups is an egregious violation of that principle. I am proud to stand with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to call for the immediate release of Pastor Jin and all those unjustly detained for their faith. As a Christian nation, the United States must oppose religious persecution wherever it occurs. We have a duty to hold the CCP accountable and never turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters who are suffering for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Read the full letter HERE.

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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 Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), and Congressman Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.) to discuss Democrats repeatedly voting against funding the Department of Homeland Security, forcing over 100,000 employees to work without pay, risking America’s security, and causing chaos at airports across the country.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:On Democrats creating chaos at airports: “It’s a sad moment that we’re up here still talking about the fact that the Democrats continue to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. We’ve given them multiple opportunities to do the right thing. When you see lines at every airport, people waiting hours and hours at my home airport in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong International, you’ve got people sleeping overnight the night before flights so that they can have a chance of making their flight. And for what? Because Democrats want to have yet another tantrum and create chaos in this country because they’re angry with the results of the 2024 election. It’s time for Democrats to grow up and act like adults.”On Democrats holding DHS employees’ paychecks hostage:“Tomorrow will mark the 8th time that we will have a vote in Congress to fund the Department of Homeland Security. 8 times, Democrats will have an opportunity to do the right thing. And you can go look at the votes. Watch the vote tomorrow. Watch the rhetoric from Democrats. Democrats are saying, ‘Oh, we want to fund TSA,’ except they all keep voting against the funding for TSA. And if you think this is the first time they’ve done it, they had a shutdown, a record shutdown, just a few months earlier.“Think about this statistic. For those workers, TSA workers, that many of them live paycheck to paycheck, they have gone 49% of this fiscal year without a paycheck. A TSA worker here in America has spent the last fiscal year, 49% of that time, they’ve gone without pay. It’s disgraceful what Democrats keep doing to hardworking families. These are people that have to put food on the table. These are people that have a mortgage to meet, that have to pay rent, that have to pay a car note. Maybe they’ve got a kid in school. And Democrats really don’t care about the 100,000+ workers at the Department of Homeland Security, whether it be at TSA or whether it be at FEMA or the Coast Guard.”On the dangerous consequences of Biden’s open borders:“Now, [Democrats have] done this over and over again. For what? Because they want open borders. They want to defund the police. They’ve done it over and over again. They made it crystal clear.“And you would think we’ve got the safest times in American history. We’ve had 4 terrorist attacks on our home soil just in the last month. New York, Michigan, Virginia, and Texas have had terrorist attacks in March while Democrats are voting to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. And of course, it’s been brought up: Sheridan Gorman, beautiful young girl with her future before her, murdered by an illegal who was let in during the Joe Biden open border. And Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat leader, can’t even say he would have wanted him deported after he committed more crimes after he came here illegally before he murdered her. This is how far the Democrat Party has gone off the rails. They are a party that has lost their way, and millions of people are suffering.”On Democrats repeatedly refusing to fund DHS:“We’re going to have an opportunity tomorrow for them to do the right thing. I hope they do the right thing. It’s time Democrats end the madness of keeping the Department of Homeland Security shut down at this critical time. It’s time they do the right thing. We’ll give them that opportunity again tomorrow, and we’ll see. There will be a vote that all America can look at, and it’ll be the 8th time, not the first time, the 8th time Democrats will have a chance to do the right thing and fund this department.“If you in America are waiting in a line for 3, 4 hours, or missed a flight and you want to know who’s responsible, look at the vote on the House floor tomorrow. You will see a yes column and a no column – who voted yes to fund this department and open TSA up, and fund these people that have to go to work and put food on the table for their families, and who’s going to vote no to deny that ability and make people keep missing flights. Watch that vote tomorrow.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) released the following statement in advance of tomorrow’s two-year anniversary of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge:

“The collapse of Baltimore’s Key Bridge was a tragedy bigger than Baltimore. This disaster took the lives of six members of our community and resulted in harmful aftershocks that reverberated throughout the Port of Baltimore, our state, and our nation. Working hand-in-hand with our state and local partners, Federal Team Maryland acted quickly to deliver federal funding to address the immediate priorities: recovering those we lost, clearing the shipping channel, and getting Port workers back on the job. We then took the fight to Congress, pushing relentlessly for months to ultimately pass our Baltimore BRIDGE Relief Act into law – a unified, bipartisan effort to ensure the federal government provides the full resources necessary to build a safer and stronger bridge for the future.

“But out of this tragedy, Maryland came together. Since the day the Key Bridge came down, our communities in Baltimore and throughout Maryland have demonstrated remarkable grit and resilience. Two years later, the Port of Baltimore is making a strong comeback while our state continues to make headway in the reconstruction process. As this work proceeds, our delegation will keep fighting every step of the way to ensure the federal government delivers on its legal commitment to fund 100 percent of the reconstruction until the new bridge is complete.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01), released the following statement regarding the two-year anniversary of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse and concerns over rebuilding costs.

Statement from Congressman Harris:

“Two years have passed since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge—a tragedy that took six lives and disrupted a vital transportation corridor in Baltimore. As plans for rebuilding lag behind schedule, the scale of the cost overruns is deeply concerning, particularly given that the initial state estimates have been exceeded 3-fold. It is clear this project requires stronger oversight and fiscal accountability. The company responsible for the collapse and its insurers should bear the cost of these damages, not Marylanders or American taxpayers.”

For media inquiries, please contact Michella Carter at Michella.Carter@mail.house.gov

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

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Representative Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Committee Democrats in demanding that Chairman Jim Jordan launch an investigation into allegations that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials steered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to politically connected firms through no-bid contracts and subpoena Corey Lewandowski, former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s top adviser and “special government employee,” over his central role in the spending.

Committee Democrats’ demand comes after Chairman Jordan himself said he is “concerned” and that the Committee would “take a look” at the spending. House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino also acknowledged that Mr. Lewandowski “had his hands in a lot and probably should not have.”

This letter is the latest in a series of actions taken after Congressman Neguse exposed former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s involvement in a $220 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign that financially benefited her inner circle. 

“We urge you to use the Committee’s subpoena power to compel production of documents and communications regarding Mr. Lewandowski’s role in awarding these contracts and require Corey Lewandowski to appear before the Committee for a deposition. […] Oversight of DHS is our shared responsibility. Let’s work together, on behalf of American taxpayers, to investigate these corrupt contracts and DHS’s efforts to cover them up,” Neguse, Raskin, and their colleagues wrote.” 

The facts surrounding former Secretary Noem and Mr. Lewandowski’s conduct are deeply troubling. DHS bypassed competitive bidding requirements to spend $220 million on a series of television advertisements, including spots prominently featuring Secretary Noem.

Even more alarming, $143 million was routed to a newly formed LLC created just days earlier, which then funneled funds to a firm with close ties to Secretary Noem and her senior staff—raising serious questions about whether taxpayer dollars were deliberately steered to political allies.

“Indeed, when Representative Joe Neguse confronted Secretary Noem at our Committee’s hearing on March 4 with evidence that the contracts were not competitively bid, the Secretary was forced to concede the point—insisting all the while that the process was ‘all done correctly, all done legally.’ The President himself has disavowed any knowledge of the campaign, telling reporters that, contrary to Secretary Noem’s sworn statement, ‘never knew anything about it’ and ‘I wasn’t thrilled with it.’ The ad campaign was widely reported to be a principal reason for Secretary Noem’s removal,” they continued. 

Despite Secretary Noem’s sworn testimony denying Mr. Lewandowski’s involvement, internal records reviewed by ProPublica suggest otherwise. Those records indicate that Mr. Lewandowski approved major contracts, signed off on spending before it reached the Secretary’s desk, and exercised effective veto power over expenditures exceeding $100,000—all while refusing to disclose whether he received outside compensation from entities tied to the contracts.

President Donald Trump has publicly disavowed the advertising campaign, reportedly a key factor in Secretary Noem’s removal.

The letter concludes: “In order to get answers, the Committee must investigate the person at the center of these corrupt contracts—Corey Lewandowski. […] Mr. Lewandowski was at the center of the Department’s advertising spending and is the person best positioned to explain how a quarter of a billion dollars in taxpayer money was spent. [We] therefore call on you to subpoena Corey Lewandowski to appear for testimony before the Committee.” 

Judiciary Democrats are calling on Chairman Jordan to follow through: launch a full investigation, use the Committee’s subpoena power, and compel Mr. Lewandowski to testify and produce documents detailing his role in directing DHS contracts.

Click HERE to read the letter to Chairman Jordan.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) released the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency waiver to allow for the sale of E15 gasoline during the summer driving season:  
 
“I am grateful Administrator Zeldin has issued a summertime emergency fuel waiver to allow E15 to be sold year-round. Amidst supply chain uncertainty, it’s never been clearer that biofuels are a key pillar of American energy independence.  
  
“However, Congress must pass a permanent, nationwide solution. Right now, a handful of midsize refiners refuse to allow certainty for consumers, retailers, and agriculture producers in favor of their own interests. It is clear to any reasonable person that this status quo must end. I will continue to work with my colleagues to reach a reasonable solution that strengthens the entire fuel supply chain while expanding much-needed market access for America’s biofuels producers, lowering prices at the pump, and supporting President Trump in delivering energy independence.” 

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding a Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Hearing on The Future of Low Earth Orbit: From the ISS to Commercial Platforms.

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

Good morning, and thank you Mr. Chairman, for holding today’s hearing. I also want to thank our expert witnesses for being here. 

The International Space Station (ISS) is an incredible feat of technical achievement and international cooperation. For over twenty-five years, humans have continuously occupied the Station, with NASA astronauts living and working in space alongside international partner astronauts. The ISS has served—and continues to serve—as a platform for experiments in nearly every scientific discipline: from astronomy, to atmospheric science, to particle physics, to microbiology, and so much more. Research on the ISS helps NASA understand the risks of spaceflight and test out ways to reduce that risk. 

ISS does not just advance discovery and human spaceflight. Research leveraging the unique, sometimes extreme, environment on board the ISS helps improve life here on the ground. It has helped us understand the mechanisms of certain diseases and find better treatments, for example. 

Operating such a complex facility well beyond its original design lifetime while maintaining a productive R&D portfolio is not without challenges. The last two years have seen many such challenges—some of them externally imposed, and some of them self-inflicted. Of recent concern is the Boeing Starliner mishap—which, thankfully, ended with the astronauts and the Station itself safe and healthy—but we also have seen existential budgetary threats from the Trump Administration, a cargo vehicle damaged in shipping even before reaching the launch pad, and the first-ever medical evacuation of a NASA crew from the Station, just to name a few. 

I commend NASA and the ISS Program in its response to these challenges, even though they will mean some incredibly difficult self-reflection and culture change. 

As we look to the future, operating the ISS and sustaining a U.S. presence in low Earth orbit will not get any easier. The demands of continuing to operate and fully utilize an aging station are already competing with the need to prepare to safely deorbit the Station and develop and certify one or more commercially-operated platforms. I am concerned that we are heading down a path where we squander the remaining years of the ISS, only to end up footing the bill as the primary customer for privately-owned space stations that are inherently less capable than the ISS.

Despite many hearings before this Committee and direction in statute, NASA “lacks a clearly defined and executable path to transition to a CLD before or immediately after the ISS [end of life],” according to the latest annual report of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel, or ASAP. 

Yesterday, Administrator Isaacman announced that NASA is considering adding an additional potential strategy, one that is a more phased approach to the transition to commercial LEO services than what we have been hearing about from NASA for the last decade. I look forward to learning more about this fresh approach from our NASA witness today, and getting an initial take on the implications from our other expert witnesses. 

Frankly, we are running out of time. Many of the questions we have today are the same that we have been asking at these hearings for years. NASA needs a stable, robust, executable plan, and NASA needs to execute on it. 

Thank you, and I yield back.

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