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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on the reports of sexual abuse and harassment by César Chávez:

“It was with great sadness that I learned of the egregious revelations reported by the United Farm Workers about César Chávez. We must listen to the survivors, speak their truth, and uphold the values of dignity and justice in the face of conduct that deplorably betrays those principles.

“Words are inadequate to heal the trauma of Dolores Huerta and the courageous women who have already come forward, but may it be a comfort that so many people are praying and expressing support for them during this unimaginable time.

“A movement is about the people—not any one person—and its strength lies in the values it upholds. We can honor the farmworker movement—and the generations who sacrificed to build it—while also confronting painful truths. No legacy is above accountability.”

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore (R-WV) voted yes on H.J. Res. 139, a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. 

Congressman Riley M. Moore released the following statement:

“I’m proud to vote YES on Congressman Andy Biggs’ Balanced Budget Amendment. Washington’s out-of-control spending is like a bomb waiting to go off. Our spending addiction is driving our nation deeper into debt and putting future generations at risk. It’s time Congress starts living within its means—just like hardworking American families must. Getting our fiscal house in order isn’t optional. It’s absolutely imperative for our future.”

Introduced by Andy Biggs (R-AZ), this amendment would restore fiscal discipline and curb Washington’s skyrocketing debt by requiring the federal government to operate under a balanced budget. The proposal would limit federal spending to the average revenue collected over the previous three years, adjusted for inflation and population growth, while allowing exceptions only in cases of war or national emergencies with approval from a two-thirds supermajority in Congress. The amendment also requires a two-thirds majority for any new tax or tax increase, ensuring that lawmakers cannot rely on higher taxes to offset excessive spending. The measure will impose long-term financial accountability and protect future generations from unsustainable deficits.

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

Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-03) issued the following statement in response to the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) awarding $100 million to the Fort Laramie Tunnel Rehabilitation Project for repairs and enhancement of the groundwater irrigation canal in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming.  
 
“This funding is welcomed news for Nebraska’s agricultural producers who farm the nearly 55,000 acres this canal supports. Since the tunnel’s collapse in 2019, I have worked to secure the resources needed to rebuild this critical irrigation project and get water flowing again. Irrigation is the lifeblood of western Nebraska agriculture, and this investment—made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts I proudly supported—brings us one step closer to that goal. I look forward to working with the Trump administration to ensure that this funding is appropriately distributed so both Nebraska and Wyoming are able to reap its full benefits.” 
 
BACKGROUND:  
 
Last July, Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts which authorized and appropriated $1 billion to the Bureau of Reclamation to utilize for water conveyance and surface water storage enhancement projects across the United States.  
 
Recently, the Trump administration announced the Fort Laramie Tunnel Rehabilitation Project would receive a $100 million investment through the Department of Interior.  
 
This funding builds upon the $14,625,000 Smith secured for this project in the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill.  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, during a Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health hearing, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) highlighted the importance of advancing his legislation, the Restore Protections for Dialysis Patients Act.

The bipartisan legislation aims to ensure that individuals with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) continue to have equitable access to private healthcare and to provide protection of the Medicare Trust Fund. Kelly co-leads the bill with Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Neal Dunn, M.D. (R-FL), Danny Davis (D-IL), John Joyce, M.D. (R-PA), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA).

“For years, I’ve heard personal stories from constituents — and even my own family members — who have lived with End Stage Renal Disease and who rely on dialysis. Patients deserve to know their benefits will be in place when they need them,” said Rep. Kelly. “This legislation aims to improve both patient care and patient outcomes. Thank you to Chairman Smith and Chairman Buchanan for holding today’s hearing to highlight this important issue.”

Rep. Kelly first introduced this legislation in December 2023.

BACKGROUND

The legislation follows a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that has allowed private health plans to prematurely force ESRD patients onto Medicare, creating disruption in coverage for patients and their families and shifting a significant financial burden onto taxpayers.

In 1981, Congress amended the Medicare Secondary Payer Act (MSPA) to add language to protect against private health insurers from designing benefit plans to push individuals with ESRD onto Medicare prematurely.

For decades, health plans have abided by the principles of MSPA, benefitting both beneficiaries and taxpayers.

In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that health plans can effectively push ESRD patients onto Medicare, prompting a need for Congress to introduce legislation to clarify the Medicare Secondary Payer Act and protect ESRD patients from being kicked off of their private health plans.

You can read bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement on accusations against Cesar Chavez:

“I am deeply troubled by the facts uncovered by the New York Times about Cesar Chavez. I believe the survivors who have come forward to talk about Chavez’s abusing girls, teenagers and women showed a tremendous amount of courage by telling their stories and I stand with them. 

“It’s difficult and painful to see someone you respected and trusted as a leader revealed in this way. It feels like a betrayal, and abusers, at any level, should be held accountable. At the same time, no single person defines the movement for justice for farmworkers. This movement is bigger and more powerful than any one individual. Right now, our priority must be supporting the survivors and making sure they are heard.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

Today, U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) are reintroducing 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.

“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.”

“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.”

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 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.

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

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.