MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Washington D.C. — Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) delivered opening remarks during the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee markup of the Build America 250 Act. Below is a full transcript of his remarks, which can also be viewed here:

“Mr. Chairman, I want to commend you and Ranking Member Larsen for the bipartisan spirit that helped shape this bill. While I appreciate the work that has gone into this legislation, however, there are some serious shortcomings that I hope this Committee can address today.

As the sole Member of this Committee representing New York City, I am deeply concerned that this bill fails to adequately prioritize rail and transit infrastructure, systems that are essential not only to my district, but to the economic strength of the nation.

“For example, the Amtrak Northeast Corridor carries more than 800,000 passenger trips each day and serves as a backbone of interstate travel and commerce. Yet this bill falls short of the investment needed to modernize aging infrastructure, improve accessibility, address deferred maintenance, and ensure long-term reliability and resilience.

“At the same time, transit systems like the MTA continue to operate within a federal framework that disproportionately favors highways over public transportation. Despite serving millions of riders each day and anchoring one of the nation’s most productive regional economies, the MTA, like other public transit systems, receives a far smaller share of federal support than highways. This legislation does little to address that imbalance or provide the sustained investment needed to strengthen one of the nation’s most heavily used transit systems.

“When New York’s transit network falters, the consequences extend far beyond the region, affecting mobility, productivity, and economic performance nationwide. Yet this bill continues to lean toward highway expansion at the expense of stronger investment in rail and transit, an approach that is shortsighted and out of step with our transportation and economic needs. Rail and transit must be treated not as secondary priorities, but as core national investments.

“Just as important, this bill must include strong guardrails to ensure transportation laws are implemented faithfully and as Congress intended. This legislation will mean little if the Executive Branch can delay, obstruct, or selectively undermine its execution. Over the past 16 months, this administration has stalled transit projects, withheld Congressionally appropriated infrastructure funding, and injected politics into decisions that should be driven by public need and economic benefit—not political retaliation.

“New Yorkers know this risk firsthand. The Trump Administration has baselessly threatened funding for the Gateway Program—one of the nation’s most critical rail projects—attacked New York City’s congestion pricing efforts, and shaped planning for revitalization of Penn Station through a closed-door process that prioritizes private interests and the highest bidder over transparency, public oversight, and the transportation needs of New Yorkers.

“If we fail to establish stronger oversight and protections against politically motivated delays or selective enforcement, we risk authorizing investments that communities may never fully receive.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthen this bill and better serve the transportation needs of New Yorkers and all Americans.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight to discuss Republicans’ work with President Trump to lower costs for working families, prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and contrast the GOP’s commonsense agenda with Democrats’ increasingly extreme rhetoric and policies.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On the Trump Administration preventing a nuclear-armed Iran:“The president’s been trying to wind this thing down. You saw him just in the last few days talking about trying to get this negotiated to a ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, working with the neighboring countries in the Middle East to get a peace agreement. So, I think Congress needs to continue to let the president do what he’s doing to, number one, make sure Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. That’s the main objective. And then ultimately get this resolved peacefully. And then let’s move on and see great things happen in the economy.”On Democrats prioritizing radical politics while Republicans prioritize working families:“But at the end of the day, it’s going to be a dogfight going into November. And really, this, Katie, is going to be a contrast election. And it’s a contrast between what Republicans are doing, working with President Trump to make life more affordable for families, and the Democrat Party that’s gone off the rails with the Mamdani wing that’s literally crazy. You look at their policies, leftist policies all around the board. You know, the government-run grocery stores, higher taxes, open borders. They’re still clamoring for open borders. They want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. It’s like anything that President Trump wants, they just want to be against, even if it’s good for America. They were adamantly against more money in the pockets of overtime workers, shift workers, cops, senior citizens that got a huge tax deduction. Every Democrat voted no. So those are the things we’re going to be going into November talking about.“I feel very strongly we’re going to hold the House and we can grow the majority. It’s not going to be a huge majority on either side because if you look at the district lines, everybody’s lines are tighter. But at the same time, we’ve got a real compelling message. What we’re fighting for: We are fighting for working families to try to get this economy in this country back on track. And Democrats are literally trying these crazy policies. And it’s just hatred of Donald Trump every day. And, you know, hatred and anger is not an American value. And I think that’s going to be what voters look at, the two sides, who’s best to go fight for working families.”On Democrats’ dangerous rhetoric:“It’s dangerous, you know, because you look— I mean, President Trump has had three — not one, not two— three assassination attempts on his life. And the people that tried to kill the President are using the exact rhetoric, violent rhetoric, from those Democrat elected officials. And they know it. And yet they’re so scared of their radical base that they can’t talk like normal human beings. You see, they think they have to curse at people and they have to use all this inflammatory language and talk about killing people. This, this is America. We solve our differences at the ballot box. You can’t denounce political violence, and in fact, you have to advocate for it? You’ve already lost with the voters.”On the Congressional baseball game, raising money for charity: “We practice at six in the morning. [Rep.] Roger Williams is our skipper. He is a major league ballplayer. We care about this a lot. You know, we’re competitive people, Katie. You know, we practice early, and then we go to our normal jobs over at the Capitol. But, you know, we want to win. We want to beat the Democrats.“But it’s also a great cause. You know, we raised last year over $2.5 million for local youth charities. This year, we’re already ahead of that schedule. The Nationals, the Washington Nationals, have been great about letting us use their beautiful baseball park. It’s carried live, so you can actually see it. 28,000 people came to the stadium last year to watch. We have more people than most Major League Baseball teams. Yeah, I don’t even have an NIL deal, Katie. You know, the multimillionaire baseball players don’t even have like 10,000 people. We have 28,000. Maybe not the same quality of baseball, but we’re passionate. We want to win. We’re going to win again this year. But, we, we surely, care about what we’re doing to help those youth charities too. And it does bring everybody together.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY 2027 Legislative Branch bill. Below are a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a video of his remarks.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and thank [you] Chairman Valadao for his work on this bill, and certainly the Ranking Member, my dear friend, and the Ranking Member of the subcommittee. When I look at this bill alongside all the others we’ve considered, Mr. Chairman, there’s one theme that I think connects them all: they are all sounding retreat from our Constitutional responsibilities. Very frankly, I think this bill is deeply underfunded, given the responsibilities we have. I think the MRAs are not sufficient. I think the committee staff is not sufficient – I’ll speak about that – to oversee a bureaucracy of two million people. The majority, in my opinion, in so many instances, wants to take the cops off the beat; no oversight, no accountability. In many cases, no hearings. Now, I want to congratulate Mr. Valadao because I think we had more hearings than anybody else. Mr. Chairman, thank you for that.

“This bill, as I said, raises the MRA accounts to pay our staff a little more, certainly not as much as they deserve. The bill does not provide for increases in pay for leadership staff and committee staff. Why is that important? Because it is leadership staff and committee staff that really has the intellectual heft and the time in grade to give us the opportunity to have real, significant, effective oversight. No cops on the beat. It’s not just this bill, of course. We marked up the FSGG bill in April, gutting IRS enforcement and reducing funding for election security. We say we want to have people operating effectively, but if you have no hearings, and you have staff that is not experienced and effective, you’re not [going to] have oversight. Cutting 5% from the Office of Government Ethics while it remains dangerously headless, no leader. Frankly, cutting all of these – and the President, when he came to office, talking about waste fraud and abuse, the first thing he did was fire all the IGs. [They] were not political. And this bill hamstrings the FTC, and the SEC. No cops on the beat.

“Last week, we had a CJS bill, which handcuffs on leading scientists from being able to help solve critical problems. And but for, in my opinion, Chairman Rogers, it would have been deeper, and I thank him for doing that. And this morning, we marked up an Energy and Water bill that cuts $252 million, or 12%, from the program that helps prevent rogue states like Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. No cops on the beat. This applies not only to the content of these bills, but to the character of our process. Very few hearings – hear me, very few hearings. I’m not sure what we’re basing our opinion on with all these subcommittees, but it is not hearings. Very few hearings, not a single hearing in FSGG since the markup. And only one hearing – two hearings before that. In a general sense, they will really just be placeholders, these bills, until we inevitably fail and have to take up a CR – shamefully short of our responsibility. No cops on the beat. If we abdicate our responsibility as a coequal branch of government, we will no longer be one. Or to put it another way, as I’ve said now, at least three times, we are continuing to be the authors of our own impotence.

“Trust in Congress as an institution is already very low. Our constitutional framers are mourning the death of Article One. They knew the danger of an overly powerful executive in a weak legislature was possibly one of their greatest fears. When Benjamin Franklin famously said, as he walked out of the Constitutional Convention, people asked him what he had created, he said ‘A Republic.’ But then we all know, he added, ‘If you can keep it,’ and the only way you can keep it is through being vigorous in oversight. As the people’s representative, that means us. It’s our job. Sadly, I feel, though, we are engaged in both misfeasance and malfeasance as an institution. If we do not assert Congress’s equal power of our constitutional system so critical to the check of abuse of power, which our founders so feared, it will be destroyed, and tyranny and corruption will be its progeny. I yield back.”

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

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee met to consider the Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act. This bill includes funding for U.S. Capitol operations, the Library of Congress, and the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service Leadership. Congressman David Valadao (CA-22), Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, released the following statement on the bill’s passage out of full committee markup.

“After months of hard work preparing the Fiscal Year 2027 bill as Chairman of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, I’m proud to see it advance out of full committee markup,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bill ensures Congress has the resources necessary to effectively serve the American people while also reducing unnecessary spending and refocusing our priorities on core responsibilities. Importantly, it strengthens funding for the Capitol Police to ensure the historic Capitol complex remains safe and accessible for Members and staff, as well as students, families, and visitors from across the country. I’m grateful to Chairman Cole for his leadership and guidance throughout this process, and I appreciate the hard work of my subcommittee colleagues. I look forward to building on this momentum as the bill moves through the legislative process.”

Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole said, “Our foremost duty is to our constituents – and the FY27 Legislative Branch bill equips the People’s House to uphold the trust placed in it through responsible governance and effective oversight. It supports key functions of our democracy, strengthens office operations and constituent services, and reinforces efficiency and accountability throughout government. With the summer season ahead, we are further reminded of the importance of the safety and security of the Capitol grounds for visitors, staff, and members alike – and this measure ensures the United States Capitol Police are resourced and prepared. Chairman Valadao crafted legislation that positions Congress to serve the nation, remain responsive to constituents, and steward taxpayer dollars wisely. I’m proud to have our seventh measure advanced out of the full committee.”

Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao began the markup with remarks on the bill. Watch his full remarks here or read as prepared below:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. First, I would like to express my appreciation to you and your leadership staff for their support in keeping the appropriations process moving in a timely manner again this year. Returning the process to regular order has enabled our agencies to plan their budgets and priorities with certainty, making their operations more efficient and effective. Thank you for all of your efforts and the excellent results. I would also like to express my appreciation to Ranking Member DeLauro and Ranking Member Espaillat for their partnership and commitment to moving these bills. 

Today I am pleased to introduce the Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch Appropriation bill for the committee’s consideration.

I would like to remind our Members that this bill marks another step of many, towards providing final FY27 funding for the offices and agencies within the legislative branch of our government.  As we worked within our allocation, we did our best to respond to the priorities of the Members in executing their constitutional duties, while supporting the operations of the Congress, the Capitol Complex, and the people who serve it. 

This bill provides $5.4 billion for House and Joint Items; in keeping with longstanding tradition, we leave Senate items for the other body’s consideration.

I want to take a moment to note a few priorities for Members on both sides of the aisle. First, we maintain the new Member security program, increase funding for the U.S. Capitol Police, fully fund the request from the Office of Legislative Counsel, increase funding for the Green and Gold Congressional Aide Program, and the Members’ Representational Allowance to account for rising costs across the nation and to assist with workforce retention and institutional knowledge. 

This bill also supports the addition of new primary services for female Members of Congress through the Office of the Attending Physician, continues the ongoing investment for the critical renovation of the Rayburn House Office Building, and provides for the employees and programs of the Library of Congress and the essential services they provide the Congress.

I’d like to thank all Members for their requests, especially our Subcommittee Members for their contributions and engagement, and the Subcommittee staff. These efforts have resulted in this Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch bill. I look forward to continuing to work together in the days ahead as we move the bill through the legislative process both here in the House and in final negotiations with the Senate. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today introduced the Protect Gulf Life Act to nullify the March 31 decision by the Endangered Species Committee – also known colloquially as the “God Squad” or the “Extinction Committee” – to broadly exempt all oil and gas operations across the Gulf from complying with Endangered Species Act protections.

“Congress did not establish the Endangered Species Committee to give out sweeping exemptions to special interests, and this abuse of power is another corrupt handout to benefit industry at the expense of threatened species,” said Rep. Beyer. “If Trump wants to address the energy crisis and outrageous price spikes he caused, he should simply end his illegal war against Iran. This unprecedented decision bypassed legally-required procedures, blocked my attendance at a public meeting, and put some of the Gulf’s most vulnerable wildlife at even greater risk of extinction. This is a particular threat to the Rice’s whale, the only whale species found exclusively in U.S. waters, of which only about 50 remain. The consequences of weakening these protections extend far beyond a single species, and my Protect Gulf Life Act would restore these protections to ensure a healthy Gulf ecosystem that supports thriving fisheries, tourism, recreation, and coastal economies across the region.”

The Endangered Species Committee was created by Congress to address extraordinarily rare situations in which a proposed federal project conflicts with endangered species protections and no reasonable alternatives exist. This was only the fourth time the Endangered Species Committee met since its creation in 1978 and the first time it has been convened on national security rather than economic grounds. Unlike prior Endangered Species Committee decisions, which focused on narrowly defined projects affecting a specific threatened or endangered species, the March 31 exemption applies broadly to all oil and gas operations across more than 600,000 square miles of the Gulf and affects 20 threatened and endangered species. The Endangered Species Committee also failed to comply with multiple procedural requirements established under the Endangered Species Act, including public notice and transparency requirements.

Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Jared Huffman (D-CA), and Darren Soto (D-FL) are original co-sponsors of the Protect Gulf Life Act.

This legislation is also supported by organizations including the Animal Welfare Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice Action, the Endangered Species Coalition, Oceana, Save the Manatee Club, Sea Turtle Conservancy, Sierra Club, and the Turtle Island Restoration Network.

“We commend Congressman Beyer for standing up to the God Squad and speaking out at a time when our nation’s endangered wildlife are at greatest risk from an antagonistic administration. This important legislation to rescind the God Squad’s illegal and unprecedented action is as critical as protecting the last remaining 50 Rice’s whales. Without this legislative action, our cherished marine wildlife, from the Rice’s whale to manatees and sea turtles, will suffer from this brazen abuse of the God Squad process,” said Andrew Bowman, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife.

“The Trump Administration’s so-called God Squad’s vote to let the oil-and-gas industry wipe endangered species off the face of the planet is not only illegal, but also the opposite of what Gulf communities want,” said Earthjustice Action Legislative Representative Kristin Butler. “This egregious free-pass to kill Gulf wildlife won’t lower gas prices, which are skyrocketing due to a self-made crisis by the White House. But it will erase beloved species like manatees, sea turtles, and whales. The proposed “Protect Gulf Life Act,” which would reverse the widely unpopular God Squad decision, could be the difference between thriving Gulf wildlife and the ecosystems they support, and permanent extinction.”

“The Protect Gulf Life Act is the kind of courage our most endangered species need right now,” said Oceana Campaign Manager Julia Singer. “This bill would put a stop to the reckless move by the Trump administration to put short-term profits over entire species’ survival. When a species is gone, it’s gone. The Endangered Species Act is the safeguard against that calamitous and entirely avoidable outcome. With this act, we can ensure species like the Rice’s whale live to see another day. We commend Representatives Beyer for his leadership on this issue and urge Congress to join in the overwhelming public support for these protections by passing this bill.” 

Full text of the legislation is available here, with a one-pager available here.

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

Today, Congressman Adrian Smith’s (NE-03) legislation to expand healthcare access for America’s seniors passed out of the Ways and Means Committee. The Main Street Pharmacy Access Act now awaits consideration on the House floor.   
 
If signed into law, the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act would empower local pharmacists to play a more active role in community health by allowing Medicare Part B reimbursement for testing and treating common respiratory illnesses. In accordance with existing state laws, this change would make it easier for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries to receive timely care right at their neighborhood pharmacy. 
 
“Nine out of ten Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy, making pharmacists among the most accessible healthcare professionals in our communities, especially in rural areas. Yet outdated bureaucratic barriers keep seniors from getting the prompt, expert care pharmacists are trained to provide close-to-home. My Main Street Pharmacy Access Act is a practical, bipartisan fix to ensure that patients can access the care they need—when and where they need it. I am grateful a bipartisan group of my colleagues voted yes on this legislation, and I look forward to its passage on the House Floor,”said Smith. 

Click the image above to listen to Smith’s remarks at today’s hearing 
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video

Following is a transcript of Smith’s hearing remarks as prepared for delivery:  

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the members of the Committee for considering theMain Street Pharmacy Access Act, formerly known as ECAPS.  

I would like to give special thanks to Mr. Schneider, who has been terrific to work with on this legislation.  Across Nebraska and throughout rural America, access to health care can be a challenge. By nature of living in a rural area, oftentimes patients must drive significant distances to receive health care. 

The long drive can be a significant obstacle to receiving care in a timely manner, especially for seniors. It can be the reason someone delays, for example, getting a flu test. If they do have the flu, that delay can lead to the illness progressing and a late start on treatment. 

I mention seniors here because, despite private insurance and Medicaid providing coverage, Medicare does not provide reimbursement to pharmacists for testing and treating common respiratory illnesses. 

A person could go their whole life getting tested for the flu by their community pharmacist. But the day this person turns 65 and enrolls in Medicare, the community pharmacist no longer offers them the same service because Medicare doesn’t pay for it. In turn, the senior now may have to drive several towns over to get a flu test. 

Pharmacists are among the most accessible health care professionals in the country. Approximately nine in ten Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy. Pharmacists play an important role in filling health care gaps, particularly in rural areas, and this role shouldn’t end when a person turns 65.

My Main Street Pharmacy Access Act takes a practical, targeted approach to addressing this gap for seniors. Our legislation allows Medicare to reimburse pharmacists for testing and treating common respiratory illnesses. 

Importantly, this bill doesn’t touch the scope of practice. It totally defers to states, and states will continue to determine what pharmacists are permitted to do. But in states where pharmacists are allowed to test and treat common respiratory illnesses, this bill allows Medicare to cover it, just like private insurance and Medicaid already do.   

This bill is about access. This is about making life easier for Medicare beneficiaries. Improving access to basic testing and treatment can help patients receive care earlier and reduce unnecessary emergency room visits.  

I appreciate the broad bipartisan and stakeholder support this legislation has received from pharmacists, some of whom are in the audience today, along with patient advocates and rural health organizations.   

I thank my colleagues who have worked collaboratively on this issue with me, and I urge members to support the bill. 

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined House and Senate Democrats for a press event where he highlighted the unified Democratic opposition to the reckless Republican budget that does nothing to make life better for hardworking American taxpayers.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege to stand with our Senate colleagues, House and Senate Democrats, united together in strong opposition to this reckless Republican budget that will not make life better for the American people. It will continue to make things worse. Here in America, our country is far too expensive. The cost of living is out of control. Housing costs are too high. Grocery bills are too high. Gas prices are too high. Utility bills are too high. And healthcare costs are way too high. America is too expensive. And it’s a direct result of failed Trump-Republican policies.

We believe in this country that there are far too many people struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. Hardworking American taxpayers who can’t thrive and can barely survive. That is unacceptable in the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and things need to change. Democrats believe that in this great country of ours, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life and the good life. We believe that in this country, every single American should be able to afford to go see a doctor when they need one. That in this great country of ours, access to high-quality and affordable healthcare can’t simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. Access to high-quality and affordable healthcare should be a right available to every single American. And that’s what we’re going to continue to fight hard to bring about.

We believe that in this great country we have a broken immigration system. We’re committed to making sure we always have a strong, a safe and a secure border. But this broken immigration system, it should be fixed in a comprehensive and in a bipartisan way. We believe that taxpayer dollars in this country should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not subsidize corruption of Donald Trump and his cartel. That taxpayer dollars should be used to make the lives of everyday Americans more comfortable, more affordable, give them the ability to experience a middle-class life and beyond. And that taxpayer dollars under no circumstances, which is one of the major problems with this reckless Republican budget, taxpayer dollars under no circumstances should be used to brutalize or kill American citizens or violently target law-abiding immigrant families. That’s unpatriotic, unacceptable and it’s un-American, which is why we are strongly opposing this bill. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, it should be just and it should be humane. But that’s not what’s happening in America right now. ICE remains out of control and we’re committed to reining them in.

And so, there’s a clear choice that the American people are going to be asked to confront over the next several months. Do you want an affordable country that Democrats are fighting hard to bring about, or do you want a country that solely is benefiting the wealthy, the well-off and the well connected? Do you want a country that brings people together, which is what we are committed to doing, or country where Republicans are continuing to tear us apart? Do you want to move America forward or do you want to turn back the clock? That’s the choice that the American people are confronting.

And Democrats remain committed to driving down the high cost of living, to fixing our broken healthcare system, to getting ICE under control, to ending this reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East and to cleaning up corruption wherever it’s found—in the Congress, in the White House and certainly across the street in the United States Supreme Court. Democrats are going to fight hard to make your life better.

Full press event can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) introduced the Restoring the American Homebuyers Dream Act to open more opportunities for citizens and legal residents to own homes without competition from people in the country illegally. The bill would allow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to share Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes.

ITINs are numbers the IRS gives to individuals residing in the U.S. both legally and illegally who lack a Social Security Number (SSN) for paying taxes. Each illegal alien in our nation (estimated at over 14 million) could apply for an ITIN, using it to compete against American citizens in the housing market. Implementing an information sharing system between the IRS and DHS allows the federal government to see who is using these numbers and which users may be in the country illegally. This action helps authorities enforce existing laws and reduce the number of illegal aliens participating in the housing market.

In 2024, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing called The Border Crisis: The Cost of Chaos. Testimony from Steven Camarota, Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, showed a double-digit increase in housing costs in areas with the highest rates of immigration.

“Over the past decade, access to the American Dream has drastically diminished for everyday men and women seeking to raise their families in the land of the free and the home of the brave,” said Congressman Biggs. “As the number of illegal aliens in the United States has climbed, affordability has become harder to come by – especially in the housing market, where first-time home buyers have largely been priced out of the arena due to the combination of skyrocketing costs and overwhelming interest rates. I’m pleased to offer this solution to help close the loopholes, secure the system, and ensure that homeownership is again within reach for American citizens and legal residents who built this nation and play by its rules.”

This legislation protects the data of American citizens using an SSN.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) markup of the surface transportation reauthorization bill, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was pleased with the victories she was able to secure for D.C. in the bill. The surface transportation bill is reauthorized every five years and sets the funding, policies, and priorities for the nation’s highways, public transit and rail programs. The last reauthorization was included in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), passed in 2021. 

“At a time when polarization and partisanship are causing legislative gridlock, I’m pleased that this bipartisan bill includes many victories for the nation and its capital,” Norton said. “The bill enables critical investments in passenger rail, including making the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation eligible for five significant federal grant programs. It equips the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with the tools needed to protect consumers from predatory household moving company fraud and it makes ‘blue envelope’ programs, which improve interactions between police officers and drivers with difficulty communicating through speech during traffic stops, eligible for federal transportation grants for the first time. Significantly – and unusually, for the current Congress – the bill contains no riders targeting D.C.

“The bill delivers broad investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit and bike infrastructure, which will boost our economy by increasing the country’s capacity to safely transport goods and people. I’m proud of the scope of critical issues this legislation addresses and look forward to voting for its passage out of Committee.”

Norton secured the following victories in the bill:

• Provides $1.596 billion for D.C. in federal-aid highway funding over the five-year life of the bill, compared to $1.342 billion over the five-year life of IIJA. The amounts for all core transit formulas go up, and D.C. is added to several new transit formulas it was excluded from in the IIJA.
• Includes the full text of the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act, a Norton bill to equip the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with the necessary tools to protect consumers from a growing type of fraud perpetrated by scammers in the interstate transportation of household goods and also establishes a household goods consumer protection working group (Sec. 5301-5305).
• Extends section 601(f) of the Passenger Rail Improvement Act of 2008 to provide federal funding for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority capital projects and preventive maintenance through 2031 (Sec. 3109).
• Treats D.C. the same as the states within the Bus and Bus Facilities formula program (Sec. 3024).
• Treats D.C. the same as the states within the Growing States and High-Density formula program (Sec. 3025).
• Makes D.C. eligible for grants under the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program (Sec. 1119).
• Makes D.C. eligible for grants under the National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration Grant Program (Sec. 7107).
• Makes the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation eligible for grants under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, Mega, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, and National Intercity Passenger Rail Partnership program (NIPRP, formerly Federal-State Partnership), as well as the new Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant program (BUILD—Sec. 7506; Mega—Section 7505; CRISI—Sec. 10104; NIPRP—Sec. 10106; STAG—Sec. 1124).
• Makes blue envelope programs eligible for funds under NHTSA’s 402 grant program (Sec. 4002).
• Clarifies the Secretary has the power to remove a commercial driver training provider from the official Training Provider Registry for failure to maintain and enforce policies against sexual assault (Sec. 5204).
• Codifies the Transit Workforce Center to train frontline transit workers and funds the Center at the same levels as the National Transit Institute with dedicated Highway Trust Fund dollars (Sec. 3010).
• Does not include any riders targeting the District of Columbia.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During National Police Week, U.S. Congressmen John H. Rutherford (FL-05) and Henry Cuellar (TX-28) introduced the Federal Agents Secure Travel (FAST) Act to give federal law enforcement officers free Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck to make airport security more efficient, support our federal law enforcement officers, and make air travel safer for all Americans.

“Our federal law enforcement officers dedicate themselves and their careers to keeping Americans safe and upholding the rule of law,” said Rutherford. “They go through extensive and rigorous background checks prior to employment, making them the perfect candidates for expedited, safe travel through TSA PreCheck. Having more federal law enforcement officers in the air and in our airports makes air travel safer for all Americans, as does promoting efficient security protocols. That’s why I introduced the bipartisan FAST Act with Congressman Cuellar to support our law enforcement officers by providing them with access to safe, efficient air travel.”

“Federal law enforcement officers are already trusted to uphold the law, protect our communities, and meet rigorous security standards,” said Cuellar. “They should not have to navigate unnecessary red tape or pay additional fees to access TSA PreCheck. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense step to improve efficiency, support our federal agents, and maintain the strong security standards that keep the traveling public safe.”

The FAST ACT has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

“Federal law enforcement officers are entrusted with protecting our nation and responding to threats at a moment’s notice, both on and off duty,” said Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) National President Mathew Silverman. “The FAST Act provides these officers with access to expedited airport security screening, which is a practical and well-deserved benefit that recognizes their service, enhances travel efficiency, and helps ensure they can move quickly when operational or personal circumstances require. We thank Reps. Rutherford and Cuellar for their continued leadership and steadfast commitment to the federal law enforcement community.”

Many federal law enforcement officers travel as part of their official duties. This new benefit would make it easier for those officers to travel, while not compromising the high standards of the TSA PreCheck program. The bill is modeled off a program that gives servicemembers and Department of War civilians access to free TSA PreCheck.