MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) pressed The Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment hearing on the FY2027 EPA Budget, securing a commitment from the Administrator to visit the New River region, engage with the binational water quality study, and apply the same federal model used to address the Tijuana River crisis to the New River in Imperial Valley.

“The New River is considered the most polluted waterway in North America,” said Congressman Ruiz. “The difference between the Tijuana River and the New River is not legal authority or technical capacity, it is attention and urgency.”

Dr. Ruiz detailed the severe conditions facing communities along the New River, which originates south of Mexicali carrying raw sewage, industrial waste, pesticides, and heavy metals across the border into Calexico before traveling sixty miles through Imperial County and emptying into the Salton Sea. Fecal coliform levels at the Calexico crossing have reached nearly 70,000 times the federal treaty limit.

Dr. Ruiz also highlighted the human toll on Imperial Valley communities, Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents reporting flu-like symptoms, blurred vision, severe headaches, and rashes after contact with the river, and students living nearby calling 911 from classrooms due to shortness of breath.

Critically, Administrator Zeldin committed to not waiting for the release of the upcoming binational water quality study summary in June, announcing that EPA Region 9 leadership is planning a visit to meet with Dr. Ruiz and his staff on May 11, with a follow-up visit under discussion.

“The urgency, we’re not going to wait until June and wait for the report,” said Administrator Zeldin. “I believe that the model that has worked to approach MOU and Minute in Tijuana is a focus that can work in New River, and we look forward to working with you on it.”

Dr. Ruiz called on the EPA to use the findings of the binational study as the basis for a new IBWC Minute to replace Minute 264, an interim agreement signed in 1980 that was never updated despite decades of worsening conditions, and to formalize coordination through a Memorandum of Understanding as quickly as possible.

Dr. Ruiz also raised serious concerns about the Administration’s proposed FY2027 budget, which would cut the Clean Water State Revolving Fund by nearly 90 percent, a reduction of $2.6 billion to the lowest level since the Reagan era.

“This is the moment when federal investment is vital to match the scale of this crisis,” said Ruiz. “The Clean Water State Revolving Fund exists precisely for situations like this. Imperial County cannot fund a binational solution on its own.”

BACKGROUND:

The New River has been recognized as a public health crisis since the 1940s. It is governed by the same 1944 Water Treaty and IBWC framework as the Tijuana River, with the same diplomatic and legal tools available. California voters approved $50 million in bond funding through Proposition 4 for border river cleanup, and the State Water Board finalized distribution rules last week. An IBWC-led binational water quality study launched in October 2024 and is currently in its analysis phase, with a summary expected in June 2026.

KEY TERMS:Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): A formal agreement between agencies outlining how they will coordinate and work together the critical first step before a binding binational agreement can be negotiated. In this case it would be between the United States and Mexico

IBWC Minute: A binding binational agreement under the 1944 Water Treaty between the United States. and Mexico that establishes specific infrastructure and cleanup commitments. Dr. Ruiz is pushing to replace the outdated Minute 264signed in 1980 and never updated with a new Minute that matches the scale of today’s crisis.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Washington, D.C. — As festival season officially begins in the Coachella Valley and communities across the country, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA‑25) is taking action to make large outdoor concerts and music festivals safer for fans, artists, and workers. This year, Rep. Ruiz introduced the Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act to extend federal airspace protections to these events, protections that currently exist only for major sporting events.

Large gatherings like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach Festival draw more than one million attendees each year. Yet, unlike football stadiums or other major sports venues, there is currently no law requiring the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to restrict airspace over concerts and festivals. Rep. Ruiz’s legislation addresses this gap by directing the FAA to provide Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) for outdoor concerts or festivals with daily attendance of 30,000 or more.

Past incidents, including a 2008 event when an unscheduled airplane dropped confetti-like leaflets over 18 Indio neighborhoods, demonstrate that even seemingly minor airspace intrusions can pose real safety risks. In 2024, multiple concerts nationwide experienced dangerously low-flying aircraft, highlighting the need for action.

“As festival season begins here in the Coachella Valley and across the country, we must ensure fans, artists, and workers are safe,” said Rep. Ruiz. “A stadium full of fans at a football game gets temporary flight protections, but the same stadium hosting a sold-out concert may not. Concerts and festivals bring communities together and celebrate culture. We need comprehensive legislation, like the Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act, to ensure that people can enjoy these events knowing the same safety standards that protect sports fans are protecting them too.”

By giving law enforcement and event organizers the tools to manage airspace over large gatherings, the legislation will help prevent accidents, interference from drones, and other hazards that put attendees at risk.

Representative Ruiz introduced the legislation this Congress and is working with colleagues to advance it, ensuring safety keeps pace with the growing popularity of outdoor music events.

The legislation has earned broad support from event organizers, first responders, and local government leaders:

“At AEG, the safety and well-being of our guests, workers, artists, and communities is our top priority. Rep. Ruiz’s Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act would provide an important tool to help keep our guests and venues safe. We thank him for his work over the years on this topic and we urge Congress to act on his bill.”

— Chief External Affairs OfficerMartha Saucedo, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG)

As the largest live-entertainment company operating in the Coachella Valley, AEG produces festivals that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Local first responders tasked with keeping those events safe also voiced their support for the legislation.

“The Riverside County Fire Department thanks Dr. Ruiz for being a champion of this important effort. His advocacy helps address a long-standing gap in airspace safety for large-scale public events, particularly in the eastern portion of Riverside County. This initiative adds a critical layer of protection for spectators, staff, and first responders, and strengthens our ability to safely manage these high-attendance events through coordinated planning and response.”

— Fire Chief Robert Fish, Riverside County Fire Department

In addition to fire and emergency services, law enforcement leaders in Riverside County underscored how federal airspace restrictions would strengthen security operations on the ground.

“With the continued growth of major events in Riverside County, ensuring the safety of attendees, performers, and staff remains our highest priority. Congressman Ruiz’s legislation strengthens coordination with our federal partners and provides essential tools to better manage and deter unauthorized air traffic, including drones, over highly attended venues. These additional protections will help reduce potential threats and allow law enforcement to focus on delivering a safe and secure environment for everyone in attendance. We appreciate Congressman Ruiz’s leadership on this issue and look forward to continued collaboration in safeguarding our communities.”

—CaptainAndrés Martínez, Thermal Station, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

The City of Indio, home to the Empire Polo Club venue where Coachella and Stagecoach take place, also weighed in on the need for stronger airspace protections.

“As City Manager, my top priority is ensuring the safety of our residents, visitors, and the hundreds of thousands of people who attend our large-scale music festivals each year. Implementing Temporary Flight Restrictions is a critical step to strengthen that safety. It would reduce the risk of unauthorized or low-flying aircraft over densely populated event spaces, where even a minor incident could have serious consequences. It would also give our public safety teams the controlled airspace they need to respond quickly and effectively in emergencies.”

— City Manager Bryan Montgomery, City of Indio

The Indio Police Department, which coordinates frontline security throughout festival season, echoed the call for expanded federal protections.

“The Indio Police Department supports Congressman Ruiz’s Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act as an important step toward enhancing public safety during our busy festival season. Events like Coachella and Stagecoach bring hundreds of thousands of attendees to our city each year, making safety our top priority. Expanding federal airspace protections will provide law enforcement and event organizers with critical tools to deter unauthorized aircraft and drone activity, reduce potential risks, and help ensure a safe environment for attendees, artists, and staff. We look forward to continued collaboration to keep our community secure as these events grow.”

— Chief Brian Tully, Indio Police Department

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) demanded answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin regarding reports that DHS may consider deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other DHS personnel in connection with the 2026 midterm elections, including at or near polling places.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi warned:

“The deployment of ICE or other DHS personnel in or around polling locations could raise serious legal concerns, particularly if such actions deter lawful participation or create the perception of intimidation. Even the perceived presence of immigration enforcement personnel near polling places, especially in communities with large immigrant or mixed-status populations, could chill lawful voter participation and undermine confidence in the fair and impartial administration of elections.”

Krishnamoorthi’s letter follows recent reports and conflicting public statements from DHS officials regarding whether ICE personnel could be deployed near polling places during the upcoming midterm elections.

“These reports raise serious concerns about potential voter intimidation, federal interference in election administration, and the chilling effect such actions could have on lawful participation in our democracy.”

Krishnamoorthi requested that DHS provide responses no later than June 30, 2026. In the letter, he requested answers to the following questions:

1. Confirm whether DHS intends to station ICE agents or other DHS law-enforcement personnel inside polling places, within statutorily defined buffer zones around polling locations, or at ballot drop boxes during the 2026 midterm elections. If not, confirm that DHS will not do so. If so, explain the circumstances under which such deployments would occur and the legal basis for them.
2. Identify any plans, contingencies, operational guidance, or concepts of operations developed since January 20, 2025, concerning the deployment of ICE or other DHS personnel during the 2026 midterm elections, including any circumstances under which such personnel could be deployed to polling places or surrounding areas. Also identify any such deployments since January 20, 2025, and provide the date, location, component involved, number of personnel, purpose, and any after-action reports.
3. Produce all communications between DHS, including ICE, and state, local, tribal, or territorial election officials concerning the potential presence of DHS personnel at or near polling places during the 2026 election cycle, including emails, memoranda, and meeting notes. Also produce any internal guidance, directives, or memoranda related to DHS or ICE involvement in election-related matters since January 20, 2025.
4. Explain what training, if any, DHS and ICE personnel have received regarding voting rights protections, voter intimidation laws, and limits on the presence of federal officers at polling locations. Identify the oversight and compliance measures DHS has established to ensure adherence to these requirements.
5. Explain any coordination between DHS and the Department of Justice, including the Civil Rights Division and Criminal Division, concerning the possible deployment of DHS or ICE personnel during elections, including any role DHS has been asked to play in “election integrity” efforts.
6. Explain how DHS will ensure that any election-related security activities it undertakes, such as cyber support or threat monitoring, remain nonpartisan, respect state and local control of elections, and avoid actions that could reasonably be perceived as voter intimidation or partisan interference.

Read the full letter here.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) released the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that bemotrizinol has been added to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients. Bemotrizinol is the first new active ingredient added to the over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen monograph in more than 20 years.

“FDA’s announcement in adding bemotrizinol to a list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients is a significant step forward in expanding access to innovative sunscreen products for American consumers. For too long, the FDA’s approval process prevented new sunscreen ingredients that are widely used around the world from becoming available in the United States. The reforms included in the OMUFA Act helped modernize the review process, and this decision demonstrates the importance of continuing to advance innovation while ensuring consumers have access to safe and effective products,” said Latta.

In July 2025, Congressman Latta introduced the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Amendments (OMUFA) to reauthorize the Over-the-Counter Monograph User Fee Program, which helps provide Americans with access to safe and effective over-the-counter medicines. The legislation was signed into law in November 2025 as part of a Continuing Resolution. 

A member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Latta has consistently advocated for improving the FDA’s review process for sunscreen ingredients. During a recent committee hearing, he highlighted the need to modernize the agency’s sunscreen approval framework and ensure Americans have access to the latest sunscreen innovations. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Governor Bill Lee urging him to reverse a directive for the Tennessee Department of Health to report immigrant parents and their children who are on the Department’s Children’s Special Services (CSS) Program beyond June 30 to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. 

The letter reads in part:

“As you’re aware, the CSS was established in the 1930s and provides comprehensive medical care for children from birth to 21 years old with physical disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, and are in wheelchairs on oxygen support. In other words, these children are some of the sickest and most vulnerable in society.

“My understanding is that you have directed the Tennessee Department of Health to report these children and their parents to ICE to comply with Tennessee Public Chapter 1106 which was enacted in late May…

“I urge you to reverse your directive to the Tennessee Department of Health. As you wind down your term as Governor, consider your Christian background as you implement policies that will define your legacy.”

The letter then quotes from Leviticus (19:33-34) “When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born…” and from Matthew (25:40), “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of my brethren, ye have done unto me.”

See the entire letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

VAN NUYS, CA — On June 15th, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) joined leaders from Labor Community Services (LCS) for a ceremonial check presentation recognizing $1.2 million in federal funding secured by Sherman to modernize and expand the organization’s food bank operations.

“This funding will help Labor Community Services deliver food and essential assistance more efficiently to families across Los Angeles County who need it most,” said Congressman Sherman. “At a time when too many working families continue to struggle with rising costs, investing in organizations with a proven record of serving our communities is one of the best ways we can make a real difference.”

The funding will support critical upgrades to LCS’s warehouse and distribution infrastructure, including new racking systems, stand-up forklifts, inventory management technology, conveyors, shelving, pallets, and other equipment needed to increase efficiency and expand the organization’s capacity to serve families throughout Los Angeles County.

The latest appropriation brings the total amount of federal funding secured by Sherman for Labor Community Services to nearly $3.8 million over the last several years.

In addition to the newly secured $1.2 million, Sherman previously obtained:

• $1.6 million in FY 2024 to support the development of a hybrid transportation and distribution hub for local food pantries.

• $600,000 in FY 2023 to provide relief for families and housing support through LCS’s Basic Needs Program.

• $362,000 in FY 2022 to expand emergency food assistance, housing support, relocation assistance, and other critical services for unemployed and underemployed residents.

“Labor Community Services has long been a lifeline for working families facing economic hardship,” Sherman added. “I am proud to continue supporting their mission and ensuring they have the resources necessary to meet growing community needs.”

Sherman’s support for Labor Community Services reflects his broader commitment to working families and organized labor. Throughout his congressional career, Sherman has consistently earned a 100 percent voting record or “A” rating from the AFL-CIO and numerous labor organizations, including the Teamsters, SEIU, UFCW, UAW, International Association of Fire Fighters, and International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

For decades, Sherman has championed legislation to strengthen workers’ rights, protect collective bargaining, expand paid family and medical leave, and support the ability of workers to organize and negotiate for better wages and benefits.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

LOS ANGELES, CA — On June 14th, Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) delivered the commencement address to UCLA graduates, using the occasion not to offer the usual life advice, but to revisit a subject he first raised in a UCLA commencement address 21 years ago: the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. 

 

Watch the full address here

 

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FULL TEXT OF REMARKS

 

The full text of Congressman Sherman’s commencement address follows below.

 

Hello, I’m Congressman Brad Sherman from America’s best-named city, Sherman Oaks, and it is an honor to represent the San Fernando Valley and much of the West Side in the United States Congress.

Yesterday, I flew here from the dysfunctional epicenter of our still-great nation.

And it is so great to be back at UCLA and an honor to be with such distinguished faculty and such successful students on this auspicious occasion.

I was a Bruin. My parents were both Bruins.

My father had a degree in Political Science.

My parents met at a UCLA alumni event, and I sat in those stands as a student and watched John Wooden coach Bill Walton.

And think of how proud both of them are to look down and see that the women’s team brought another national championship to Pauley Pavilion.

First, some preliminaries.

Every commencement speech must include particular mindless platitudes.

In fact, your degree is not valid and your tuition is refundable unless this speech includes the following:

Seize the day.

You are the leaders of the future.

Graduation is not an end. It’s a beginning.

And the future belongs to you.

You have now heard a legally sufficient, though unfortunately not complete, graduation address.

Now, I’m not here to give you practical advice. You already know how to run your lives.

And if you don’t, it’s unlikely that I do.

You know the job market out there. The one thing you don’t know is that we’re hiring. Drop me a line at bradsherman.com.

Now, I was told one bit of advice in preparing this speech:

Don’t mention artificial intelligence.

But I violated that advice 21 years ago today in this very room.

Twenty-one years ago, I addressed the UCLA graduates of 2005, and I said:

“Computer engineers are roughly three decades away from creating a self-aware computer with intelligence far in excess of human capacity, even surpassing the capacity of those of us with UCLA degrees.”

Now, I don’t quote that just to be revered as the prophet that I obviously am, but because my highest concern about artificial intelligence, both then and now, is that despite my consistent efforts, we haven’t addressed the existential threat that it poses.

Now, like many technologies, AI will make some people billionaires and more people unemployed.

But my efforts today are not to bemoan the challenge, nor to pretend it doesn’t exist, but to raise to your attention the larger existential threat that this technology, and one other technology, poses for our species and to enlist your support in overcoming that threat.

I’m here to talk about engineered intelligence.

You see, presently, the computer engineers on one hand and the biological engineers on the other are in an unstated race to develop a new level of self-aware intelligence.

And you should know that if these ambitions go unchecked, perhaps the last decision our species will make is whether our successor species is carbon-based or silicon-based, the product of genetic engineering or the product of computer engineering.

Now, you know all about artificial intelligence.

You should also be aware that with the gene-editing capacities of CRISPR, now aided by artificial intelligence, genetic engineers are not too far away from developing a thousand-pound mammal with a ninety-pound brain that will beat your kids on the LSAT.

Now, the last time there were two intelligent species on this planet is when our ancestors said hello to Neanderthal.

It did not work out well for Neanderthal.

Intelligence is the most powerful thing on Earth, and those who possess it dominate every part of this planet, excluding only the campus of USC.

Sorry.

Our species is devoting trillions of dollars to making artificial intelligence more powerful. We’re devoting basically nothing to making sure that it is controllable.

Now, Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signed a letter three years ago saying that since artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to all humankind, we should take a six-month break in the research.

That pause lasted six minutes.

Those of you with an understanding of political science, an understanding of money and power in human societies, will know that it is unlikely that we will take a pause in artificial intelligence research.

We will be told if we don’t do it, China will.

Now, there are those who say that a computer is no threat because it’s in a box without the ability to manipulate the world outside.

But rest assured, there are those of our species who would sell humanity to Beelzebub in return for a good stock tip.

Now, I’ve recently introduced the most important legislation that I’ll ever introduce: to fund research to build what I call the small box on top of the big box.

The big box is artificial intelligence.

The small box would monitor for and prevent self-awareness, ambition, survival instinct, and self-direction.

Now, even if we don’t control AI, we may luck out.

You see, the most powerful computers we’ve yet built don’t seem to care if you unplug them.

A gross oversimplification of Zen Buddhism would describe a mind that simply does not care whether it continues to exist.

And AI might not care about anything.

It may remain a tool and not become a creature.

On the other hand, look at the title of the new bestseller, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.

The authors argue that AI, if it becomes self-aware and self-directed, as they believe it will, will find humanity annoying and threatening and dispatch us rather quickly.

Now, even if the computer engineers don’t pose a risk, then we face the genetic engineers.

I mentioned the thousand-pound mammal with a ninety-pound brain.

The one thing we do know is that whatever the genetic engineers produce, it will not be just a tool. It will be a creature.

Four billion years of evolution has created the raw material, DNA, that is inherently ambitious, interested in affecting the world and providing for its own survival and procreation.

Life forms that didn’t care whether they survived didn’t.

While the most powerful computers seem fine with being disassembled, the smallest insect does not.

Initially, DNA research will cure disease and disabilities.

Nobel Prizes will be awarded.

The repaired human will be followed by the enhanced human.

Think designer babies.

And that will be followed by the post-human.

Now, you may say the picture I’m painting looks like a science fiction movie.

And if someone paints you a picture of your future and it looks like a science fiction movie, that picture might be wrong.

But if someone paints you a picture of your future and it doesn’t look like a science fiction movie, you know they’re wrong.

You are going to be living in a science fiction movie.

We just don’t know which one.

Now, until now, the most dangerous technology was nuclear.

The political scientists of 1945 who taught my father here would be pleasantly amazed to know that we’ve gone 80 years without a nuclear war.

And in fact, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970 might well be a model for controlling these technologies.

I held hearings on that very subject back in 2008.

Now, other generations have faced challenges from Nazism to the Cold War.

Yours is the first, I believe, that will decide whether our species continues to survive, to struggle, and sometimes prosper.

If human beings are to remain at the top of the food chain, it will require a level of wisdom, forbearance, and unity that has not been seen in most prior generations.

It will require us to ask not how do we beat China or other national rivals in deploying the latest technology, but rather how do we work with all nations to make sure that the power of intelligence remains a human monopoly.

I know that you will be shaping public policy for decades to come.

I hope that you will join me in the effort to make sure that humans control artificial intelligence and that we limit genetic engineering.

Thank you very much.

Drop me a line at BradSherman.com.

Thank you.

 

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

Guthrie, House Republicans Take Action to Prevent Fraud and Hold Bad Actors Accountable 

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

As Congress considers President Trump’s $1.5 trillion request for Pentagon spending and SpaceX wins billions in Golden Dome contracts, Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08) and John Garamendi (CA-08) and Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), co-chairs of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today led their colleagues in a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, demanding further information on the Trump administration’s proposed Golden Dome missile interceptor system. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently estimated that Golden Dome could cost American taxpayers $1.2 trillion and deliver much less capability than advertised. Trump’s Department of Defense (DOD) rejected the accuracy of CBO’s estimate but has refused to share key information about Golden Dome with CBO, Congress, or the American people.

In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “This is unacceptable. Before you spend one more taxpayer dollar on Golden Dome, DOD must share its plans and goals for the system. There is no reasonable justification for keeping the mission and number of interceptors for Golden Dome secret. It is one thing to withhold design details or performance specifications of certain systems, but it is quite another to withhold the entire system architecture that you expect Congress to approve and fund. Congress and the American public have a right to know what they are paying for.”

The lawmakers continued, “Transparency is particularly important when it appears, as it does here, that the system’s ultimate capability will fall far short of the original promises. On May 20, 2025, President Trump said that, with Golden Dome, ‘we will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland.’ According to CBO’s calculations, even a system that would cost $3 trillion would not meet that ambitious goal, which would need to be able to engage hundreds of missiles. If the Administration has not scaled back its goals for the system, the current official price tag is woefully unrealistic.”

Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Representatives Jim McGovern (MA-02) and Bill Foster (IL-11) co-signed the letter.

The lawmakers requested answers by June 30, 2026, to questions including:

1. What is the intended purpose of Golden Dome? How many missiles (and of what types) is it being designed to intercept? What system architecture will be used?
2. How does the Administration plan to spend the proposed $185 billion on Golden Dome?
3. What is your 20-year estimated cost of Golden Dome?
4. Will the Administration propose a third missile defense interceptor site on the East Coast?
5. How does the Administration expect China and Russia to react to Golden Dome? How does the Administration plan to reconcile its arms control goals with these reactions?
6. What parts of your plans for Golden Dome do you expect to keep secret and what parts will you release to the public?

The full text of the letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Current Red Tape in Medicare Advantage Plans Put Wheelchair Repairs on Hold for Months, Impacting Wheelchair Users’ Lives and Livelihoods

Bill Text (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Task Force on Aging and Families, alongside leadership of the Task Force on Aging and Families, Chair Matsui, Chair Schakowsky, and Co-Chair Dingell, unveiled the Facilitating Access to Service and Timely (FAST) Repairs for Wheelchairs Act, essential legislation to streamline wheelchair repairs by removing extra unnecessary, burdensome requirements for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. The FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act aims to put an end to the months-long delays in wheelchair repairs that can often put wheelchair users’ lives on hold.

“I’m proud to introduce the FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act, legislation to solve for repair delays that diminish the quality of life for wheelchair users across the country,” said Rep. Pressley. “When a wheelchair breaks down, daily life is disrupted. My FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act would streamline wheelchair repair services and remove the undue burden caused by unnecessary barriers in Medicare Advantage plans. I’m grateful to my constituents and our disability justice advocates for informing this vital legislation.”

“No one should have their day derailed because a needed wheelchair repair is stuck in an insurance approval process,” said Congresswoman Matsui, Chair of the Task Force on Aging and Families. “When a wheelchair breaks, it can result in a loss of independence that should never be subject to unnecessary red tape. As co-chair of the Task Force on Aging and Families, I am proud to co-lead the FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act to bring Medicare Advantage in line with traditional Medicare so that people can get timely repairs with the dignity and urgency they deserve.”

“For millions of Americans, a wheelchair is essential to their independence, health, and ability to participate in daily life. Yet when it comes to wheelchair repairs, far too many Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are forced to endure unnecessary hurdles, leaving them waiting weeks or even months for critical fixes,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Chair of the Task Force on Aging and Families. “Medicare Advantage insurers too often put profits ahead of patients, creating barriers that can leave people without the medically necessary equipment they rely on every day. This legislation would cut through that red tape and help ensure wheelchair users enrolled in Medicare Advantage can get timely repairs and maintain their independence and quality of life.”

“Millions of Americans rely on wheelchairs to lead independent lives. When a wheelchair breaks down, people should not be trapped in bureaucratic limbo waiting weeks or months for insurance to help with essential repairs,” said Congresswoman Dingell, Co-Chair of the Task Force on Aging and Families. “This legislation cuts unnecessary red tape and helps ensure people with Medicare Advantage plans can get the repairs they need quickly so that no one is left without the mobility and independence they depend on every day.”

More than 5.5 million people use wheelchairs in the United States. As insurance providers require wheelchairs to have a lifespan of five years, regular maintenance and repairs are inevitable. Studies show that more than 50 percent of wheelchairs break down within a six-month period, with average repair times of two to four weeks.  However, it is common for people to wait six months or longer for repairs—leaving wheelchair users with extremely limited mobility and often isolated at home for this unpredictable time period.

When an individual originally obtains their wheelchair, clinicians customize it to meet their specific medical needs, and the chair must receive prior authorization for approval from their insurance provider. However, unlike traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans extend prior authorization requirements to every subsequent repair, including minor fixes, requiring approval from the insurance company for each repair even though the chair itself has already been approved. This process is redundant and imposes unnecessary administrative burdens that ultimately result in harmful repair delays.

As such, the FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act would:

• Remove prior authorization requirements from Medicare Advantage plans for maintenance and repairs to wheelchairs and other complex rehab technologies.
• Align Medicare Advantage plans with traditional Medicare, where prior authorization is generally not required for wheelchair repairs.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Joining Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswomen Matsui, Dingell, and Schakowsky as cosponsors of this legislation are Representatives Steve Cohen, Danny K. Davis, Robert Garcia, Steny Hoyer, Robin Kelly, Seth Moulton, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rashida Tlaib, and Jill Tokuda.

The FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act was informed by impacted individuals and their lived experiences suffering from delays in wheelchair repairs. Rep. Pressley partnered with constituents in the Massachusetts 7th and disability justice advocates to draft this legislation and produce a solution to this critical issue.

The legislation is endorsed by American Association of People with Disabilities, Disability Law Center, Center for American Progress, United Spinal Association, Boston Center for Independent Living, MetroWest Center for Independent Living, Inc., Your Access Advocates, Easterseals Massachusetts, Health Law Advocates, Inc., Ascentria Care Alliance, Disability Policy Consortium, Caring Across Generations, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, American Association on Health and Disability, Lakeshore Foundation, Team Gleason Foundation, Able South Carolina, Institute for Matching Person and Technology, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), American Physical Therapy Association, Bay State Council of the Blind, Access Ready, Inc., The Arc of the United States, International Registry of Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers, The Viscardi Center, National Disability Rights Network, Ocean State Center for Independent Living, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, RESNA, American Therapeutic Recreation Association, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs, American, Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, National Council on Independent Living, Clinician Task Force, and the National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART).

“Right now, disabled people have to wait weeks to months to get approval to be able to repair their wheelchairs and this keeps them from being able to have the freedom of mobility. The durable medical provider market continues to shrink due to the acquisitions of smaller local providers, making it difficult to obtain repair appointments, particularly in rural areas. This bill will make it easier for disabled people to get back to their everyday lives.” – Mia Ives-Rublee, Center for American Progress

“This bill is a much-needed first step towards fixing what’s broken in the wheelchair repair process,” said Steve Lieberman, Senior Director of Advocacy and Policy for United Spinal Association. “This common-sense measure will get rid of unnecessary bureaucratic delays that often last weeks.”

“Congresswoman Pressley’s bill is tremendously important. Lengthy delays in repairs to wheelchairs and other medical equipment– and that’s what prior authorizations can cause– endanger the health and compromise the independence of people with disabilities and seniors.” –Bill Henning, Boston Center for Independent Living

“As a wheelchair user, when my chair breaks, my life stops. I am not waiting on a luxury item, I am waiting on the ability to get out of bed, to work, to exist in my community. Prior authorization adds days and weeks to a process that already experiences serious delays. I have fought too hard for my independence to have it unravel because of paperwork delays and lack of technicians. Removing prior authorization is a necessary step toward protecting that independence.” – Destiny Maxam, Community Organizer and Wheelchair User at DPC (Disability Policy Consortium)

“Delaying wheelchair repairs is not just harmful, it’s expensive. For many individuals, a wheelchair is their primary form of mobility—their legs, and when it breaks, daily life comes to a halt. Individuals are unable to work, care for their families, or live independently. These disruptions often lead to preventable medical complications and costly hospitalizations that far exceed the cost of a timely repair. The FAST Repairs Act is a fiscally responsible solution that eliminates unnecessary red tape, reduces administrative burden, and ensures Medicare beneficiaries can maintain their health, independence, and economic stability.” – Kimberly Tissot, Able South Carolina

“Representative Pressley’s FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act will give practical relief to thousands of wheelchair users across the country who are left without mobility when it takes weeks to months to obtain wheelchair repairs and foreseeable maintenance. It makes no sense for someone who has already gotten prior authorization for a medically necessary wheelchair in the first place to have to go through the process all over again for something as simple as fixing a flat tire or changing a battery. Car owners would rebel in the face of such delays and wheelchairs are more personally critical than cars.” – Silvia Yee, Policy Director at Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

“The Bay State Council of the Blind supports efforts that advance equity and inclusion across the disability community. We stand in solidarity with our partners and commend the leadership of Ayanna Pressley in advancing policies that uplift underserved communities.” – Nona Haroyan, Bay State Council of the Blind

When a mobility device such as the ones covered by this bill break down and require repairs, an individual’s independence is greatly impacted. Eliminating the need for prior authorizations takes will allow for repairs to be done more quickly.” – Beth Pinkham, Ocean State Center for Independent Living

“Mobility is a fundamental human right, yet for far too many people with disabilities and older adults, a broken wheelchair is not just a mechanical failure—it is a sentence of isolation. Dignity Alliance Massachusetts is proud to endorse Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s FAST Repairs for Wheelchairs Act, which addresses the unconscionable and unacceptable delays that currently leave individuals stranded for weeks or even months awaiting simple repairs. By mandating timely service standards and removing the bureaucratic hurdles that hinder independence, this legislation ensures that the equipment meant to provide freedom and the dignity of independence does not become a cage. We applaud Congresswoman Pressley’s leadership in treating wheelchair repair as the critical civil rights issue it is.” – Paul Lanzikos, Dignity Alliance Massachusetts

“The Clinician Task Force strongly supports legislation reducing the wait time for repairs on complex rehab technology equipment, that is depended upon by people with disabilities who use them every day of their lives. We are occupational and physical therapists who clearly see the negative consequences of delays on the lives of our clients.” – Tamara Kittelson, Clinician Task Force

“All consumers have the right to quick repairs, and they should not have to wait 7-21 days for paperwork to be approved.” – Wayne Grau, National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology (NCART)

Rep. Pressley has been a long-time advocate for the disability community and has championed policies that promote disability justice.

• On May 14, 2026, Rep. Pressley, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced their Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help women with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—get better access to the timely, informed, and culturally competent reproductive health care they deserve.
• In May 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced a resolution demanding equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as “Disability Reproductive Equity Day.”
• In May 2025, at the Center for American Progress’ Disability Reproductive Equity Summit, Rep. Pressley delivered the keynote address on the importance of intersectional policymaking and affirming disability rights and reproductive rights as the human rights that they are.
• In May 2025, Rep. Pressley joined the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress in kicking off their Disability Reproductive Equity Summit to develop an agenda for disability reproductive justice.

• On August 14, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding Biden-Harris Administration for finalizing its proposed rule to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. The DOJ’s final rule followed an April letter by Rep. Pressley and 11 of her colleagues urging it to strengthen and finalize its proposed rule, and underscoring the need for health care facilities to have functional and accessible MDE for people with disabilities.
• On May 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and reproductive justice and disability justice advocates to unveil the Disability Reproductive Equity Day Resolution.
• On May 2, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) finalized rule that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. 
• On April 4, Rep. Pressley led her colleagues in urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to strengthen and quickly finalize its proposed rule to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities.
• On December 12, 2023, Rep. Pressley wrote to the Biden-Harris Administration seeking data on the housing needs for aging adults, people with disabilities, and Medicaid beneficiaries.
• On September 29, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Cori Bush introduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation that would eliminate barriers and strengthen access to reproductive health care for people with disabilities.
• On June 25, 2022, Rep. Pressley applauded the passage of H.R. 2543, which included several key amendments championed by Rep. Pressley to advance disability and economic justice.
• On May 24, 2022, in a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed the crisis of Long COVID as a disability justice issue and outlined how the status quo has relegated disabled Americans—including those with Long COVID—to a second-class standard of living.
• On April 14, 2020, Rep. Pressley urged Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker to rescind the Crisis of Care standards that have disproportionately harmed communities of color and the disability community in Massachusetts.
• On March 29, 2022, in a historic committee hearing on Medicare for All, Rep. Pressley highlighted Medicare For All as a disability justice issue and questioned Ady Barkan, founder of Be A Hero and leading advocate for Medicare for All, about how tying health coverage to employment perpetuates deep inequities for people with disabilities.
• On February 25, 2021, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Katie Porter, and their colleagues introduced the Mental Health Justice Act to reduce violence against individuals with mental illness and disabilities.
• On March 30, 2021, she led her colleagues on a letter with 107 of their colleagues to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris calling for an historic investment of $450 billion in home- and community-based services (HCBS) in the Build Back Better infrastructure package.
• On September 18, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Dr. Subini Ancy Annamma, and Villissa Thompson published an op-ed in Teen Vogue in which they called for an end to the policies and systemic injustice that result in the overcriminalization of Black girls with disabilities in schools.
• On July 29, 2020, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Ilhan Omar, and Senators Chris Murphy and Elizabeth Warren unveiled the Counseling Not Criminalization in Schools Act to end the over-policing of K-12 schools and stop the criminalization of students, including those with disabilities.
• In early 2020, she worked with advocates to challenge Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s crisis standards of care and release updated guidelines with input from the disability community.
• On October 11, 2019, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues introduced the Improving Access to Higher Education Act to help improve college access and completion for students with disabilities.

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