MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) released the following statement: 
“I’m absolutely horrified and disgusted by the revelations and evidence that César Chávez groomed, abused, and assaulted underage girls and women. The New York Times’ thorough, years-long investigation outlines a clear pattern of sexual misconduct Chavez perpetuated over years and must be condemned by everyone in the strongest possible terms.
“I stand with and applaud the survivors, including co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, Dolores Huerta, who have bravely come forward to share their painful experiences of abuse at the hands of Chávez. 
“It’s important we remember that this movement is not made up of one man, but rather the workers it represents. I support the decision of the United Farm Workers to halt any participation in days of tribute later this month. I will instead be joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in recognizing and honoring the contributions of farmworkers and supporting the survivors. 
“Our nation is stronger when we hold those in power accountable and this case is no exception.” 

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

Headline: Carter, Taylor celebrate House Passage of bill to deport aliens responsible for defrauding American taxpayers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today celebrated House passage of the Deporting Fraudsters Act, introduced by Rep. Dave Taylor (R-OH), which he co-sponsors. This bill would render aliens, or non-U.S. nationals, inadmissible and deportable from the United States if they admit to, or are convicted of, defrauding the United States government.

This bill further makes aliens inadmissible and deportable from the U.S. if they unlawfully receive a federal, state, or local public benefit.

“Illegal alien fraudsters are draining taxpayer dollars and taking benefits from American citizens,” said Rep. Carter. “I proudly co-sponsored the Deporting Fraudsters Act because it’s common sense: if you steal from the United States and the most vulnerable in our society, you have no right to be here. I applaud the leadership of Rep. Taylor for working to protect American citizens against waste, fraud, and abuse.”

“It’s a no-brainer – if an illegal alien defrauds the United States or steals benefits from our nation’s most vulnerable, they should be permanently removed from our country,” said Rep. Taylor. “Americans work too hard to have their tax dollars and benefits stolen by illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place. My Deporting Fraudsters Act will bolster the Trump Administration’s efforts to do just that, and today I’m proud to see it take a major step toward becoming law.”

Read bill text here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon Joins Over 100 members of Congress Calling for Renewed Investment in NASA science

Washington – Rep. Don Bacon joined 102 members of the U.S. House of Representatives in signing a bipartisan letter calling for $9 billion for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in the fiscal year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The letter, led by Congressional Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Don Bacon (R-NE) and Judy Chu (D-CA), is another sign of the breadth of congressional support for NASA’s science activities ahead of the impending release of the administration’s fiscal year 2027 budget request.

“From the Apollo missions that first took us to the Moon to today’s Artemis program that will return us there and push even farther, America’s pioneering spirit has long defined our leadership in both manned and unmanned space exploration,” said Caucus Co-Chair Don Bacon. “To sustain that leadership, I’m pleased to join 102 of my House colleagues in requesting $9 billion for NASA Science in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. This investment will ensure NASA’s groundbreaking missions continue, support the highly skilled workforce that makes them possible, and keep the United States at the forefront of scientific discovery and space exploration.”

“Space exploration is vital to understanding the universe around us,” said Caucus Co-Chair Judy Chu. “Investment in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) programs drives scientific discovery, strengthens our country’s world-class workforce — including in my district in Southern California — and secures American leadership in space for generations to come. I’m thrilled to lead my colleagues in requesting $9 billion in funding for NASA’s SMD in Fiscal Year 2027.”

The requested $9 billion would restore the buying power of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate to approximately its 2020 level, enabling a rapid pursuit of breakthrough scientific exploration projects identified by the National Academies and the nation’s scientific and innovation workforce. 

Jennifer Vaughn, CEO of The Planetary Society, added:

“Congress proved with the FY 2026 budget that bipartisan support for space science is alive and well. This letter, signed by 103 Members of Congress and led by Congresswoman Chu and Congressman Bacon, shows that bipartisan congressional support is only growing stronger.

The Planetary Society thanks the Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs and their colleagues for reaffirming that the scientific exploration of space remains a defining American priority. This is a significant early signal in the FY 2027 budget process, and we remain committed to supporting Congress in its efforts to deliver the funding NASA needs to advance its pioneering program of Earth and space sciences.”

Letter to Appropriators led by the Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs, with co-signers

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Bacon, Carbajal Reintroduce Bill to Expand Benefits for Veteran Survivors of Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE-02) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to expand benefits for veterans who experienced sexual trauma during their service.

The Moral Injury Recognition and Restitution Act would change the effective date of a veteran’s claim to allow veterans who experience sexual trauma during their service to receive retroactive disability benefits, starting from the date after their discharge from service rather than the claim file date.

“One sexual assault in the military is one too many. Sexual assault in the military leaves behind a wake of trauma, anxiety, and depression,” said Rep. Bacon. “As Wing Commander at Ramstein, I established the best sexual assault prevention program in the Air Force because I recognize the importance of keeping our service members safe from this kind of violence. For those service members who do, tragically, experience sexual assault, we should ensure that they receive payment for treatments to help them recover. Changing the effective date from when veterans receive payments is the right thing to do.”

“Sexual assault in our military is a grave injustice, and it is long past time for the VA to expand benefits for those who carried this trauma back home,” said Rep. Carbajal. “The Moral Injury Recognition and Restitution Act was inspired by a Central Coast veteran who faced the same inexcusable hurdles that far too many survivors encounter when seeking help from the VA. I’m proud to join my friend and fellow veteran, Congressman Bacon, in introducing this bill to close the gaps in our system and finally deliver the justice our veterans deserve.”

Currently, most benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are calculated using the day the claim was filed.

But with survivors of military sexual traumas (including unwanted sexual contact or advances), there is a historical trend of stigma and underreporting, meaning veterans may wait years before filing a VA claim.

Congressman Carbajal and his team worked with one such case: a female veteran from the Central Coast of California who was granted benefits related to PTSD caused by a sexual trauma during her service but filed a claim more than 25 years after the injury, diminishing the total benefit that she qualified to receive.

The bill has earned the endorsement of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the largest and oldest war veterans service organization in the U.S.

The VA estimates that 1 in 3 female veterans and 1 in 50 male veterans experienced sexual trauma in some form during their service.

In certain cases, like exposure to Agent Orange or other toxic chemicals, the VA has granted retroactive benefits. But no such retroactivity exists for claims related to sexual trauma, despite the enduring effects these injuries can have on a veteran.

The full text of the Moral Injury Recognition and Restitution Act can be found here.

Congressman Bacon served in the U.S. Air Force for nearly 30 years, retiring as a Brigadier General in 2014.

Congressman Carbajal served eight years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, including active duty service during the Gulf War in 1992, where he was mobilized to Jacksonville, North Carolina.

The two lawmakers are part of the For Country Caucus, a non-partisan group of military veterans serving in Congress who are dedicated to working together in a nonpartisan way to create a more productive government.

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

On Monday, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and over 120 Members sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert Kennedy urging him to extend Title X grants that provide critical family planning funding to health care centers across the country after HHS failed to provide guidance for months. Title X-funded health centers are lifelines in their communities, providing high-quality family planning and sexual health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV testing, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and other essential health care services.

In their letter, the members demand that HHS immediately award a one-year full funding extension to all current Title X grantees. This extension is critical because HHS failed to release the funding guidelines for months, only to release them late last Friday and give applicants only one week to submit their materials. HHS’s rushed approach could delay critical funding to grantees.

In their letter, the Members explained that Title X funding is critical to providing high-quality family planning and sexual health care: “The bipartisan Title X program, championed by then-Congressman George H.W. Bush and signed into law by President Nixon, served 2.8 million people in 2023. For many of those patients, especially in rural and underserved communities, Title X health centers are their only source of health care. In 2023 alone, Title X supported 3,853 health centers across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and performed 461,085 cervical cancer screenings. These screenings have helped lower cervical cancer rates by more than half since the mid-1970s. Without timely access to the Year 5 funding of grants they have already been awarded, Title X clinics will be left without the needed support to continue to provide these screenings, contraceptive supplies, and other critical services.”

The Members also detailed how the failure to extend Title X funding is yet another example of Republicans attacking essential reproductive health care: “The failure to release guidance and open applications on time is yet another example of this administration’s ongoing assault on the Title X program, birth control, and reproductive health care access more broadly. In March 2025, HHS illegally withheld $65.8 million in Congressionally appropriated funding for the Title X program from 16 grantees with grants in 23 states, threatening essential health care access for an estimated 842,000 people, or 30 percent of all Title X patients. Many of these affected grantees still struggle to sustain the financial burden caused by that extended delay in funding. The attacks on reproductive health care from this administration and congressional Republicans continued with an estimated 15 million Americans poised to lose health insurance under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans’ failure to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, and a budget proposal and partisan spending bill for FY2026 that sought to eliminate the Title X program entirely.”

The Members closed by urging HHS to extend funding to protect essential health care: “Undermining Title X will unquestionably result in the loss of health care for patients who depend on it. Title X grantees were already awarded these funds. Those who rely on these services should not be punished by HHS’s inadequate planning. We urge you to award all Title X grantees a full funding extension for the next year before April 1. Do not stifle the life-saving work of Title X-funded centers that have helped women and families across our country for decades.”

Read the full letter here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON – Today, Representatives Lauren Underwood, Alma Adams (NC-12), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Momnibus, 14 bills that comprehensively address every driver of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States.

“80% of maternal deaths in America are preventable, and the Momnibus is designed to stop them. I’m proud to introduce this historic package with Representative Alma Adams and Senator Cory Booker to build on the progress we have made and secure the investments we need to end this crisis,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood. “This bill has the tools we need to make America a safer place to give birth, especially for the Black moms who are at the highest risk. The Momnibus will save moms’ lives, and Congress must act urgently to pass it.”

“The Momnibus Act is the most comprehensive piece of legislation ever drafted to address the maternal health crisis,” said Congresswoman Alma Adams. “The maternal mortality rate in the United States is worse today than it was 20 years ago. With all the advances of modern science, that speaks to a serious lack of investment in our research and health care systems that care for our moms. Not only that, the rate of mortality for Black women is disproportionately higher and that gap has not shrunk in decades. This is an unacceptable reality, and we must act urgently and boldly to address this crisis. The Momnibus is the solution. Congress must make the safety and health of our moms a priority and get this bill passed into law.”

“Access to high quality health care has always been a top priority for me, and it is unacceptable that the United States has the worst maternal health mortality rates among its peer countries, especially when so many of these deaths are preventable,” said Senator Booker. “I am proud to reintroduce this historic legislation, which will take meaningful steps to address the maternal health crisis and ultimately save lives. Through the Momnibus we are investing in better care, strengthening support for families, and confronting the racial disparities facing Black mothers, who are disproportionately more likely to experience serious health complications or die from pregnancy related causes. Congress must pass this legislation immediately to protect our nation’s mothers and end this crisis.”

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, a trend that continues to get worse—and Black women are three times more likely to die. But there is hope: More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.

The Momnibus is designed to end preventable maternal death in America by ending maternal health disparities, growing and diversifying the perinatal health workforce, expanding access to maternal mental health and substance use care, lowering health care costs, investing in technological solutions, closing research gaps, improving data collection, and providing direct federal funding for local community-based organizations that improve maternal health outcomes.

Underwood and Adams co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus in 2019 to advance federal solutions that save moms’ lives. They first introduced the Momnibus in 2020.

The Momnibus is made up of fourteen bills. The legislation will:

1. Make critical investments in social determinants of health that influence maternal health outcomes, like housing, transportation, and nutrition.
2. Extend WIC eligibility in the postpartum and breastfeeding periods.
3. Provide funding to community-based organizations that are working to improve maternal health outcomes and promote equity.
4. Increase funding for programs to improve maternal health care for veterans.
5. Grow and diversify the perinatal workforce to ensure that every mom in America receives maternal health care and support from people they trust.
6. Improve data collection processes and quality measures to better understand the causes of the maternal health crisis in the United States and inform solutions to address it.
7. Support moms with maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
8. Improve maternal health care and support for incarcerated moms.
9. Invest in digital tools to improve maternal health outcomes in underserved areas.
10. Promote innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical support during and after pregnancy.
11. Invest in federal programs to address maternal and infant health risks during public health emergencies.
12. Invest in community-based initiatives to reduce levels of and exposure to climate change-related risks for moms and babies.

13. Invest in research to reduce preventable causes of maternal deaths, end disparities, and improve health for women before, during, and after pregnancy.

14. Promote maternal vaccinations to protect the health of moms and babies.

200 House Democrats joined as original cosponsors: Alma Adams (NC-12), Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-00), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Ami Bera (CA-06), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Jim Costa (CA-21), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Sharice L. Davids (KS-03), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (TX-07), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jared Golden, Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Adam Gray (CA-13), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo José Hernández (PR-At large), Jim Himes (CT-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Val T. Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), William R. Keating (MA-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), John B. Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Susie Lee (NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Sarah McBride (DE-00), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Frank J. Mrvan (IN-01), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Richard Neal (MA-01), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Stacey Plaskett (VI-00), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), Kim Schrier (WA-08), David Scott (GA-13), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Haley Stevens (MI-11), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10),  Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Norma Torres (CA-35), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert Aderholt, Co-Chair of the Congressional Adoption Caucus and Chairman of the House VAT (Values Action Team), announces a victory for adoptive families. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) updated its interpretation of the partially refundable adoption tax credit included in the Working Families Tax Cuts.

Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, more money is going back into the pockets of American workers, families, seniors and small businesses. The Adoption Tax Credit is a part of Republican’s efforts to lower the cost of raising a family and ensure a more prosperous future for our children.

“One of our top priorities in the Working Family Tax Cuts was providing families with a refundable Adoption Tax Credit,” said Congressman Aderholt. “I’m pleased to report that the IRS has announced for tax year 2025, carryforward amounts of the adoption tax credit from prior years are refundable for up to $5,000 per qualifying child.”

The previous interpretation by the IRS prevented adoptive families who filed taxes from 2020-2024 from accessing part of the credit. Now, adoptive families with pre-2025 carryforwards will be eligible for the $5,000 in refundable tax credits for 2025. 

“As Adoption Caucus Chairman and a longtime advocate for children and families, this is personal,” Aderholt said. “Making adoption more affordable is both morally right and fiscally responsible. Refundability means more children can be welcomed into permanent homes, and more families can say yes to adoption without being held back by financial constraints. I’m proud to see Republicans put families first,” Aderholt added.

These are significant savings for families hoping to give a child a permanent home.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) alongside Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) introduced the Bhutan Oppression Resolution that recognizes the Kingdom of Bhutan’s responsibility for the oppression and forced eviction of more than 100,000 Nepali-speaking Lhotshampas and Sharchops during the late 1980s and 1990s, and urging long-overdue steps toward justice, repatriation, and reconciliation.

This resolution seeks to compel Bhutan to end the political and economic discrimination of these communities that have endured detention, torture, loss of citizenship, and large-scale displacement, while maintaining constructive ties with the United States. 

“I am proud to introduce my resolution alongside Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12) and take a significant step forward towards the Lhotshampas and Sharchops pursuit of justice and peace in Bhutan. We have an obligation to the Bhutanese American community to ensure the Bhutananese government respects human rights, democratic principles, and investigates human rights abuses,” said Rep. Ro Khanna

Read the full text of the resolution here.

The resolution calls for the Kingdom of Bhutan to: 

• Release all political prisoners detained for advocating democracy and human rights.
• Restore citizenship to Nepali-speaking Lhotshampas.
• Reengage Nepal on the status of displaced individuals.
• Accept the voluntary return of refugees.
• Establish an independent Truth Commission to investigate abuses from the 1990s and promote reconciliation.

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Washington, D.C. – Tonight, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) delivered remarks alongside members of the Kentucky Congressional Delegation in honoring the service and sacrifice of fallen Kentuckians U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Benjamin Pennington and U.S. Air Force Technical Sergeant Ashley Pruitt, leading a moment of silence on the House Floor. 

Congressman Guthrie’s remarks as prepared for delivery: 

“Tonight, the Kentucky Congressional Delegation rises to honor U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pennington and U.S. Air Force Technical Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, who were both killed in the line of duty while serving in support of Operation Epic Fury. Their selfless sacrifice will never be forgotten by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the United States of America. 

“Staff Sgt. Benjamin Pennington of Glendale, Kentucky, was 26 years old. Growing up in Hardin County, he ran track at Central Hardin High School and was an Eagle Scout. After graduating in 2017, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving with distinction ever since. He leaves behind a loving family and community. 

“Technical Sgt. Ashley Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky, was 34 years old. A native of Nelson County, in high school, she was a member of the Air Force JROTC program. Joining the Air Force in 2017, she found her passion as a boom operator aboard the Boeing KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. She leaves behind her devoted husband Greg, three year-old daughter Olivia, stepson Oliver, and loving parents.

“The Commonwealth of Kentucky and the United States of America will forever be grateful to these brave heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting our nation. Their families and loved ones will always remain in our prayers.

“On behalf of myself, the Kentucky Congressional Delegation, and the House of Representatives, I ask that the United States House of Representatives observe a moment of silence in their honor.

“Thank you, and I yield back.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after attending the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies’ American Indian and Alaska Native public witness hearings this week:

“As a member of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and the longest serving Native American in the House, I am resolute in my commitment to ensure tribal issues are not forgotten in this Chamber and in my Committee. I always have been – and will remain – dedicated to ensuring the federal government upholds its trust responsibility to Native Americans,” said Congressman Cole. 

“I would like to thank the tribal witnesses for taking the time and traveling to D.C. for these hearings, as their voices are truly valued when drafting legislation in the subcommittee. I would also like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson for holding this hearing and for working together with me to advance our commitment to Tribal communities across the country,” said Congressman Cole.

To watch day one of the hearing, click here. To watch day two of the hearing, click here.

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