MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), co-chairs of the Get The Lead Out Caucus, today led 43 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins and Vice Chair Patty Murray requesting that the Senate oppose the repurposing of $250 million that was appropriated for FY2026 by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for lead service line replacement.

“To urgently achieve the decade-long task of removing lead service lines once and for all, it is crucial that this funding be protected. Too often, our local communities do not have the resources and capacity to address this health risk without a more aggressive funding approach to this growing crisis,” the lawmakers wrote. “EPA data show there are millions of lead pipes still supplying drinking water in districts throughout all 50 states and territories. The wide distribution of lead service lines threatens the health and safety of our constituents, and especially our children who are particularly vulnerable to lead.” 

“While it has been estimated that removing all the nation’s lead service lines will require at least $45 billion, the benefits of removing these lead pipes and reducing the health impacts of lead in tap water far outweigh these costs. EPA found that the benefits of removing lead pipes and reducing lead levels in tap water exceed the costs by more than tenfold,” the lawmakers continued. “These benefits include protecting about a million infants from low birthweight-related complications, preventing thousands of children from suffering from ADHD, and avoiding 1,500 fatal heart attacks. Reducing lead levels in tap water also will reduce the damage to Americans’ kidneys and immune, reproductive, and nervous systems. A more comprehensive assessment by academic experts found that the total benefits of reducing lead levels in tap water are at least 35 times higher than the costs. Other independent analyses have confirmed that simply removing lead service lines will yield benefits of at least 14 times the costs over coming decades.”

“Ensuring that the full existing IIJA funding for removing lead service lines is retained will help keep us on track with the decades-long objective of ensuring that tens of millions of Americans’ tap water in every state in the union is protected,” the lawmakers concluded. “We therefore urge you to ensure that the IIJA funding for lead service line replacement is retained in full. Too many communities still lack access to safe drinking water and this increase in funding is needed to help ensure everyone has clean water.”

View the full text of the letter here.

The letter is signed by Representatives Paul D. Tonko, Robin L. Kelly, Troy A. Carter, Sr., Robert J. Menendez, Darren Soto, Greg Landsman, Haley M. Stevens, Ted W. Lieu, Kristen McDonald Rivet, Cleo Fields, LaMonica McIver, Summer L. Lee, André Carson, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Gwen S. Moore, John W. Mannion, Shri Thanedar, Eric Sorensen, Steve Cohen, Delia C. Ramirez, Dan Goldman, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Sara Jacobs, Julia Brownley, Derek T. Tran, Pramila Jayapal, Frederica S. Wilson, Maggie Goodlander, Seth Moulton, Dwight Evans, Nikki Budzinski, Gabe Amo, Donald S. Beyer Jr., Bennie G. Thompson, Jerrold Nadler, Mark Pocan, Maxine Waters, Grace Meng, Sarah McBride, Angie Craig, James P. McGovern, Marcy Kaptur, and Jesús G. “Chuy” García. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) received a letter from the University of Michigan in response to the December 11th letter she sent demanding they hold an urgent community forum in Ypsilanti Township to address questions about the Ypsilanti Data Center.

As data centers continue to move into communities across Michigan, including the 6th congressional district, Dingell will continue to insist that communities have a say about what is being built in their backyards. She will fight to ensure promises made to communities are upheld, including strong guarantees in these projects that the cost of utilities and water are not passed onto residential ratepayers, local water sources are protected, the environment is not harmed, and that potential noise issues are dealt with. These processes must be entirely transparent, and the concerns of the communities must be addressed and included in decision-making.

In the letter University of Michigan President Domenico Grasso writes:

“Thank you for your December 11 letter. The University of Michigan appreciates your engagement on behalf of your constituents, and I value your partnership as we work to address concerns and communicate clearly about the status of our high-performance computing facility project in partnership with the Los Alamos National Laboratory.”

Excerpts from the letter:

“From the outset, the university has committed to being good neighbors and community citizens and following a careful, transparent, and data-driven process. As we have shared previously, the project remains in the due diligence stage, and no final site selection has been made. We recognize that the absence of definitive technical details has contributed to community uncertainty, and as our evaluations proceed, we are committed to sharing accurate information as soon as it becomes available.”

“More broadly, we share your view that communities deserve clear, timely and accessible information. The issues you outlined–environmental impacts, first responder capacity, ratepayer impacts and the distinction between commercial data centers and federally supported research facilities–are important and deserve detailed explanation.”

“You are correct that communities across Southeast Michigan are facing uncertainty as data center related projects accelerate across the state. This broader context underscores the need for deliberative, evidence-based decision-making. While this project differs significantly from commercial data centers, we recognize that this distinction has not always been clear in public dialogue. We are committed to improving public understanding of this effort and its purpose.”

View the full text of the letter here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio requesting that the State Department address significant delays to visa appointments arising from expanded vetting requirements for H-1B visa applicants and their dependents.

“On December 3, 2025, the State Department announced it would expand the requirement that an online presence review be conducted for all H-1B applicants and their dependents, in addition to the students and exchange visitors already subject to this review,” Dingell wrote. “This change in policy comes as many families are traveling abroad for the holidays and have had visa appointments booked months ahead of time to align with their travel.”

“There is a serious issue arising throughout the country, including many families in my District whose visa appointments have been delayed multiple months and who are now stuck in limbo, unable to return home. In one case, the visa appointment was rescheduled less than 48 hours before the appointment was supposed to take place,” Dingell continued. “Their new appointment was scheduled for three months after the original appointment, with no consultation with the family. They had already traveled to reach their appointment and without the new visas they cannot get back to their lives in the United States. One of their children, who is an American citizen, will miss months of school if the family cannot move up their visa appointment. They are trapped abroad with no recourse. It is unacceptable their lives and many others are being upended by this sudden new review requirement.”

“Our children should not be the ones paying for these policy changes with their education. These families deserve clear answers from the State Department regarding the delays the new policy has created and an understanding of how and when they can return to their lives. They have jobs, homes, and friends that are expecting their timely return,” Dingell concluded. “The lack of clarity regarding how families in these situations can proceed is concerning. In light of these facts, I respectfully ask the Department to provide a detailed explanation of how the Department plans to address circumstances like that of the family in my District, to ensure they can return home in a timely manner. I also ask to be informed of the timeline for the new visa review process, including how long it is expected to take with the new online presence review, and what safeguards are being considered to prevent families from being left in limbo as they try to get back home to the United States.”

View the full text of the letter here.

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

House Approves Critical Reforms for American Energy Production and Infrastructure Projects

These key reforms will expedite infrastructure projects, unleash American energy production, and boost economic growth

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Ranking Member on the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee, condemned the White House’s announcement that the board of the Kennedy Center voted to rename the building the “Trump-Kennedy Center” and released the following statement: 

“The Kennedy Center is a national cultural institution established by Congress, and is statutorily named the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. No board vote or social media post from the White House Press Secretary has the legal authority to change that without an act of Congress.

Since Donald Trump took over the board and installed himself as Chair, he has worked to dismantle the Kennedy Center’s legacy and has effectively run it into the ground. Ticket sales have never been lower. Artists are staying away. At the same time, the Trump Administration has launched a series of unprecedented attacks on the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Library of Congress—clawing back funding and going to outrageous lengths to eliminate personnel and exhibits that don’t adhere to their twisted version of history and culture.

The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, who was a fierce champion of the arts and a believer in free expression. He would be appalled to see his legacy twisted into a propaganda vehicle for a president who has shown open hostility to artists and cultural institutions. That Trump has the gall to put his name before Kennedy’s is just another example of his profound egomania—and the ridiculous lengths he’s willing to go to fabricate his own legacy.

I will do everything in my power to stop this. Congress must assert its authority and conduct aggressive oversight. The Kennedy Center belongs to the American people, and its name and mission are not negotiable.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

Today, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Zero Food Waste Act, legislation that would create a new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant program to reduce food waste nationwide. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) reintroduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. 

“Families are stretching every dollar right now, yet enormous amounts of perfectly good food are still being thrown away instead of reaching people who need it. The Zero Food Waste Act aims to fix that disconnect. Our bill tackles hunger and rising food costs head-on by helping communities recover surplus food, expand local nutrition programs, and build systems that make better use of the resources we already have,” said Congresswoman Pingree, co-founder of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus. “Reducing waste also means cutting methane emissions from landfills and easing the environmental burden of producing food that never gets eaten. Our bill will strengthen local economies by creating jobs in food recovery, composting, and waste-reduction infrastructure and ultimately move us closer to meeting our national food waste reduction goals.”

“It is unacceptable that as food insecurity grows across our country, nearly half of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, costing consumers billions of dollars and fueling the climate crisis. This level of waste is especially troubling when so many families are struggling to put food on the table, and when food production and food waste are major drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. We can and must confront these two critical, interconnected challenges, and we must do so with urgency,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “The Zero Food Waste Act will give local governments the tools they need to cut waste and build more sustainable, resilient food systems that better support families and strengthen our communities. I am also grateful to Senator Booker and Congresswoman Pingree for their partnership as we work to curb food waste, support those in need, and protect our environment for generations to come.”

“On top of already strained grocery budgets, food waste costs each American consumer around $700 per year. Nearly 40 million tons of food go to waste each year, which is a costly misuse of the significant resources that go into growing, transporting, buying, and preparing food, said Senator Booker. “The Zero Food Waste Act will create grants to make sure foods that otherwise would’ve needlessly gone to the landfill get eaten, upcycled into other products, or composted instead. We can keep more money in Americans’ pockets, simply by making sure the food we grow gets eaten or put to good use,” said Senator Cory Booker. 

“Congress has the ability to support significant food waste reduction efforts through the Zero Food Waste Act, which would create the first EPA grant program specifically intended to fund the planning, measurement, and implementation of food waste reduction projects. The $650 million authorized for the program under the Act will enable local, state, and tribal governments across the U.S. to operationalize the food waste solutions that make the most sense in their region. The Zero Food Waste Act is an important opportunity for Congress to take action on food security, economic development, and the environment,” said Emily Broad Leib, Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic.

Background

In the U.S., nearly half of all food produced is lost or wasted, which means an estimated $408 billion is spent on growing, processing, transporting, storing, and disposing of food that is never consumed. Landfills are now the third-largest source of methane in the U.S., and food is the single largest input by weight in our landfills and incinerators.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the EPA announced a goal of reducing the U.S.’s food waste by 50% by 2030. To achieve that goal, the federal government must increase its support for state and local efforts to eliminate food waste.

The Zero Food Waste Act would create a new EPA-administered grant program for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and for nonprofits, to support three types of grants: planning grants, measurement grants, and reduction grants. Planning grants could be used to investigate the kinds of food waste mitigation projects or policies that would be most impactful within a given community. Measurement grants could be used to better understand the amount of food waste generated in the state or community.

Reduction grants could be used to fund an assortment of different types of projects. For instance, food waste prevention projects could stop the generation of food waste. Recycling projects could reuse food waste as a feedstock for other non-food products, such as composting. Rescuing projects could redirect surplus food to places like food shelters. Upcycling projects could make new food from ingredients that would otherwise go to landfills. Additionally, localities could use the grant funding to implement food waste landfill disposal or incineration restrictions designed to stop food waste.

The Zero Food Waste Act is endorsed by The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), World Wildlife Fund, and ReFED.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), along with Representatives Dave Min (CA-47), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Gabe Amo (RI-01), David Valadao (CA-22), and Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced the Armenia Security Partnership Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to strengthen U.S. policy toward Armenia while holding the Government of Azerbaijan accountable for continued aggression and human rights abuses.  It requires the President of the United States to certify to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps to:

• Completely withdraw all military forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia;
• Unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners;
• Cease engaging in hostilities toward Armenia; and
• Recognize the right of return for ethnic Armenians to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and commit to the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious sites in the region.

If the President is unable to make such a certification, the bill would:

• Require a comprehensive review of U.S. security assistance to Armenia to identify gaps in Armenia’s long-term defense needs and assess the threat posed by Azerbaijan; and
• Prohibit the reauthorization of the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, thereby enforcing existing statutory prohibitions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Armenia is a key partner in a volatile region and deserves meaningful support as it faces continued threats to its sovereignty and security,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “This legislation sends a clear message that the United States will not turn a blind eye to aggression, human rights abuses, or the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians. Accountability must be at the center of our foreign policy.”

Congressman Pallone added, “For far too long, Azerbaijan has been allowed to act with impunity to destabilize the South Caucasus, commit horrific human rights abuses, and threaten the Armenian people. Our bill is a great step in the right direction to finally hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity and threats to lasting peace in the region. I look forward to working with Congressman Bilirakis and the rest of my colleagues to pass it into law.”

“A durable peace in the South Caucasus must be built on respect for sovereignty, human rights, and international law, not force or coercion,” said Congressman Brad Sherman, Democratic Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenia Caucus. “Azerbaijan’s continued aggression against Armenia, the detention of Armenian prisoners, and the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites demands a serious response. This bipartisan legislation makes clear that the United States will not reward violations of international law and that Armenia deserves a reliable partner as it works to secure its borders and pursue a just and lasting peace.”

“As co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Armenia Security Partnership Act,” said Congressman Valadao. “Azerbaijan’s aggression in the South Caucasus has gone on for far too long, and this bipartisan bill takes meaningful steps to hold them accountable for ongoing human rights abuses and hostilities against the sovereign territory of Armenia.”

The Members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, have long worked to promote policies that uphold international law, protect vulnerable populations, and support regional stability.

“We thank Congressman Bilirakis for proactively introducing this important, bipartisan, legislation. Azerbaijan’s continuing aggression toward Armenia and its reluctance to fully embrace the August 8 Joint Declaration must stop if a just and durable peace is to be achieved,” said Timothy Jemal, President of Global ARM. “We are hopeful this bill will receive broad, bipartisan support, and that Congress will actively consider and pass this legislation to strategically bolster peace negotiations and support U.S. interests in the South Caucasus.”

“The ARMENIA Security Partnership Act represents a common-sense approach to both checking Azerbaijani aggression and strengthening America’s partnership with Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “This bipartisan legislation grounds U.S. policy in concrete benchmarks for peace – the release of Armenian prisoners, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from occupied Armenian land, and the protection of Armenian cultural heritage. We need to stop incentivizing continued Azerbaijani hostility, by normalizing its genocide of Artsakh and ongoing violations of international law, and start holding its Aliyev regime accountable for its crimes.”

“We commend Congressmen Bilirakis and Pallone for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this vital legislation,”said Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director of the Armenian Assembly. “Azerbaijan’s continued unlawful holding of Armenian hostages underscores the need for this bill and the importance of enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, while also strengthening America’s support for Armenia’s security and sovereignty.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman published an op-ed in the Washington Times highlighting the importance of the SPEED Act, legislation that will simplify and streamline America’s overly burdensome permitting process. The legislation will allow America to start building again, which will create new jobs, reduce costs, and unleash American energy. Read the full op-ed below or here. The SPEED Act: Helping America build againThe economy today faces a large but, thankfully, simple problem. Our demand for energy is rising faster than our ability to generate it. The solution is also simple: build more infrastructure — more power plants, more roads, and pipelines — so we can produce more energy.
President Donald Trump’s administration has made it clear that energy dominance is a priority. The private sector is ready to invest billions in energy abundance, and workers are ready to break ground on next-generation infrastructure. Unfortunately, for decades now, shovel-ready projects across the country have been routinely stalled and even strangled by our antiquated federal permitting system.As AI data centers and reshored manufacturing drive demand higher, Congress has to decide whether the next decade brings the United States an energy crisis or global energy dominance. Permitting reform — specifically the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act — is a generational opportunity to deliver higher wages and real affordability for working families.At the heart of permitting dysfunction today is the National Environmental Policy Act. Passed in 1969, NEPA used to require federal agencies to consider the environmental impact of any new government construction project. But five decades of bureaucratic mission creep and agenda-driven lawsuits have twisted the original, sensible law into a black hole of costly red tape.For construction workers to law professors to small business owners, the very word “NEPA” is today more synonymous with waste and abuse than environmental protection. Consider that the average NEPA Environmental Impact Statement from 2013 to 2018 totaled 575 pages and took nearly five years to complete. A quarter of them took six years or more. These delays cost the economy hundreds of billions of dollars.And even when reviews do get completed, approved projects face a gauntlet of expensive, time-consuming lawsuits. NEPA is the nation’s most litigated and frivolously litigated environmental statute. According to research by the Breakthrough Institute, it takes an average of more than four years to resolve legal challenges after publication of NEPA environmental review documents. And where do these lawsuits come from? Ten extremist environmentalist groups are responsible for 35% of all NEPA lawsuits.The scrapped Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a textbook case. It was a 600-mile, $8 billion project, initially approved in 2015 to deliver affordable natural gas from West Virginia to North Carolina. By the time the project was abandoned in 2020, NEPA had delayed it 894 days, and litigation another 570 days. Billions of dollars’ worth of affordable and reliable energy for one of the fastest-growing regions of the country was lost. And all the jobs, economic development, and tax revenue that went with it disappeared in a tsunami of legal fees and broken promises.These aren’t failures of planning or engineering. They are failures of policy. And in 2025, the federal government’s tolerance for NEPA’s red tape is becoming existential. If the U.S. cannot build energy and mineral infrastructure, China will surpass us in AI technology — for both civilian and military applications. That would have disastrous economic and strategic consequences for America and our allies. If, due to our policy failures, we cede global leadership to China, America would become a less safe, less affordable, and less free country.A generation from now, we cannot tell our children that a heavily abused permitting process contributed to losing the AI arms race. If Congress passes the SPEED Act, we won’t have to.The bill, scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives this week, fixes several of NEPA’s systemic problems by restoring the law to its original purpose: a procedural review for proposed projects.The SPEED Act would restrict NEPA lawsuits to parties actually affected by a project and establish reasonable filing deadlines.It would codify key elements of the Supreme Court’s Seven County decision, clarifying judicial review in NEPA cases. It would align judicial remedies with the fact that NEPA is, after all, a procedural statute, not a progress impediment.Finally, the SPEED Act would reaffirm the scope of NEPA reviews as they were initially intended.The SPEED Act would establish clear rules and a level playing field for federal projects across all agencies and industries. It enjoys bipartisan sponsorship in the House and support from over 300 NEPA-adjacent industries and organizations.NEPA was originally written to facilitate thoughtful growth, not reckless obstruction. The SPEED Act restores its proper function and will finally empower the people to build. The challenges we face demand that we act. It’s time to pass the SPEED Act and protect America’s future.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria to discuss cutting costs for hardworking families through lower premiums, historic tax cuts, permitting reform, and President Trump’s America First agenda. Despite House Democrats’ failed efforts to stop Republicans’ work, Leader Scalise emphasized that House Republicans will continue delivering for the American people.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On Democrats shutting the government down to try to stop President Trump’s historic agenda:“Look, I think Democrats today wake up with the socialist left taking over their party, the Mamdani wing of the party, and they want to shut the government down every day. They want to fight Donald Trump every day and try to block anything we’re doing to move this country forward. I think the American people are sick of it. Look, most Americans just want to go about their daily lives. They want gas prices to go down, as President Trump talked about last night. They want their wages to go up, Maria, as President Trump also talked about last night. Democrats here in Washington have been voting against every one of those policies to do those things. We pass bills to lower gas prices. Every Democrat voted no. We pass bills to prevent the largest tax increase on American families, including low-income families. Every Democrat voted no. They’ve proven they want to shut the government down, and they want to raise taxes and costs on hardworking families, including low-income families. We’re going to keep doing our work for the American people. Sometimes we’ll get bipartisan votes, even if we don’t, we’re going to keep passing these bills, Maria, because we need to keep working with President Trump to deliver on the promises we made and turn this great country around.”On House Republicans fixing the health care system that Democrats broke:“You’ve just seen the radical left, look Ro Khanna said it proudly. He voted to shut the government down. He wants all Americans on government-run health care. It’s, by the way, failed in every country it’s been tried. Maria, does everybody in America want to be on Medicaid? That’s what Democrats are doing. Look at the Affordable Care Act. They’ve shoveled hundreds of billions of dollars to insurance companies, and yet the price is still unaffordable. They called it the Affordable Care Act. That was a lie. They said, ‘If you like your doctor, you can keep it.’ That was a lie. They promised insurance prices would go down $2,500 a family. That was a lie. Everything they said about health care was a lie. Are they really going to be the ones to fix it? We want to lower health care costs for 100% of Americans. That’s what we brought yesterday. Democrats have voted time and time again to raise health care costs on 95% of Americans, and they voted against the bill yesterday that would lower costs. Everybody in America could see who wants to lower your health care premiums — it’s Republicans — and who’s voted to raise those premiums and bail out insurance companies who are getting record profits. It’s bizarre.”On Republicans working to lower costs after years of Bidenflation:“We need to keep pushing policies that are going to lower costs. But as you see, Democrats are voting to raise costs, to make things unaffordable. People went through the 40-year high on inflation under the Biden years. Biden jacked up inflation. Costs are high. We’re bringing them down, but they’re not down enough. We want to keep doing that. President Trump talked about it last night. We’ve made progress. It’s not as much as we want to make. I’d like it if Democrats would vote with us every blue moon to lower costs, but we’re going to keep doing it. We need to keep lowering costs, making things more affordable, getting the economy moving, and increasing wages for families. We’re going to be doing that early in the new year.”