MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today led all Committee Democrats in sending companion letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman Brian Mast reiterating Committee Democrats’ demand for public hearings on the state of negotiations with Iran.

60 days into this war, the Committee has held no public hearings and received no comprehensive briefings on U.S. strategy, objectives, or diplomatic efforts.

A PDF of the letter to Secretary Rubio can be found here.

A PDF of the letter to Chairman Mast can be found here.

“…This ceasefire, intended to create space for diplomacy following weeks of dangerous war and repeated escalation, has significant strategic, military, and economic implications for the United States and our allies. Yet Congress has received no information regarding the Administration’s negotiating objectives, the contours of proposals under discussion, or the potential pathways toward either a durable agreement or renewed conflict.

“Public reporting indicates that recent talks have addressed core issues including Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief, regional security arrangements, and the future of maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz, but have thus far failed to produce an agreement. These developments underscore the urgency of ensuring that Members are fully informed as the Administration considers next steps.”

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus for a press conference where they made clear that they will continue to fight back against extreme MAGA Republicans and Donald Trump’s strategy to rip the right to vote away from the American people.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Today’s decision by this illegitimate Supreme Court majority strikes a blow against the Voting Rights Act and is designed to undermine the ability of communities of color all across this country to elect their candidate of choice. But we’re not here to step back, we’re here to fight back. Now, when this decision came out earlier today—it’s an unacceptable decision, but not an unexpected decision. Because this isn’t even really the Roberts Court. It’s the Trump Court. And what we would expect from the Trump Court is an effort to continue their scheme to suppress the vote and rig the midterm elections and beyond. Because these extremists have failed America in every possible way. They failed on the economy, they failed on healthcare, they’re failing as it relates to this reckless and costly war of choice. The extremists have completely and totally failed America. So they’ve concluded, aided and abetted by the Trump Court, that they have to cheat to win.

But the reality of our experience, our journey, now more than 400 years, is that we view a setback, and this is one, but we view setbacks as nothing more than a setup for a comeback. And America has the great opportunity to keep the comeback going by exercising your right to vote in November and making it clear that it’s not Donald Trump or his Supreme Court majority that should be the ones to decide who gets to represent you in Congress. It’s the American people. Now, they’ve tried to do everything they can—particularly in the aftermath of the 2008 election—they’ve tried to do everything that they can to eliminate and erase our journey, our struggle, our march in this country toward a more perfect union.

And now we’re at a point where affirmative action is gone, diversity is gone, equity gone, inclusion gone, racial tolerance gone, the Voting Rights Act largely gone, but guess what, extremists, we’re still here. And we’re not going anywhere. And we believe in this country. Not a perfect country, but we recognize that what we’ve been given is a march toward a more perfect union. And at this moment in time, we are urging everyone to summon the courage, the character and the conviction of those heroes, like John Lewis and Rosa Parks and so many others, upon whose shoulders we stand. They had to fight through moments of turbulence, trials and tribulations. But every single time, they fought through those moments and were able to usher in a new era of progress. And that’s what this moment represents right now. It’s turbulent. It’s chaotic. It’s extreme.

But all of us are going to summon that courage, that character, that conviction and show up and stand up and speak up for what we know is right, to get this situation turned around. We will not let their scheme to rig the midterm election and beyond be successful. And when we take back the majority in the aftermath of the November 2026 elections, one of our first acts is going to be to make sure we pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Amendment Act so we can end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.

Full availability can be watched here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

DelBene Announces 2026 Congressional Art Competition Winner

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

April 29, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced legislation to reauthorize and improve the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP). This federal grant program helps build connected active-transportation routes, including trails, sidewalks, and bikeways that support the health and economic growth of our communities.

Robust funding for active transportation is critical to meeting the growing demands from rural, suburban, and urban communities in California and across the country for convenient, accessible, and well-maintained biking and walking routes. As ATIIP authorization expires at the end of the year, the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) Reauthorization and Improvement Act would reauthorize the program for $250 million annually for FY2027 through FY2031 and ensure necessary resources are delivered to our communities.

“Americans deserve safer and easier paths to walk and bike in their communities to be active, travel longer distances without relying on cars, and stay connected,” said Congressman Huffman. “Supporting our communities with better walking and biking networks is good for people and the planet. Our bill to extend and fund the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) would provide much-needed federal resources to improve bike lane networks, sidewalks, and multi-use trails across the country.”

“Trails, sidewalks, and bikeways connect people together and to the places most important to them. These are active transportation networks that knit communities together, support outdoor recreation, strengthen local economies, and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. It’s just smart infrastructure,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would reauthorize a critical federal program that I helped secure in the bipartisan infrastructure law to ensure communities can make strategic investments in this space. I will continue working to pass this legislation and ensure we are improving infrastructure, supporting healthy, vibrant communities, and delivering a 21st-century transportation system to the nation.”

“As a recreational cyclist and member of the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I’m proud to cosponsor the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) Reauthorization Act,” said Congressman Mike Quigley. “Renewing this program will continue the creation of bike routes and park trails throughout Chicago and other cities—connecting our communities in a way everyone can enjoy.”

“The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program is the only federal program dedicated to establishing safe, connected routes to walk and bike to the places people need to go and it is sorely needed; with $40 requested for every dollar that has been made available. Rep. Pappas’ bill addresses the need for consistent, guaranteed annual investment so that this critical program can deliver mobility, safety and economic benefits on the scale that was intended by Congress in the last federal transportation bill,” said Kevin Mills, Vice President of Policy at Rails to Trails Conservancy.

“The Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) is the kind of policy our nation needs to get federal funding flowing to these critical projects—from the Maine-to-Florida East Coast Greenway to similar efforts in Detroit, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and beyond. We are grateful for Rep. Pappas’s leadership in building a path forward by dedicating federal support for transformational greenway planning, design, and construction toward a healthy, sustainable, and thriving future,” said Dennis Markatos-Soriano, East Coast Greenway Alliance Executive Director.

“Across the country, we’re seeing growing demand for more safe and connected places to ride a bike,” said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “Investments like the Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program are essential to meet that demand and unlock healthier, safer communities alongside stronger local economies. We commend Congressman Pappas for his leadership in advancing policies that improve the safety and accessibility of bicycling in communities nationwide.”

This legislation is supported by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, New Hampshire Rail Trails Coalition, Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, East Coast Greenway Alliance, PeopleForBikes, the League of American Bicyclists, and Southern Environmental Law Center. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is leading a letter with over 200 signers to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership in support of ATIIP.

Bill text is here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Today, Congressman Ken Calvert introduced a resolution condemning California and other states for enacting policies that restrict domestic oil production, increase gasoline prices, and undermine American energy security and national defense. The resolution calls out the California policies that restrict energy supplies and increase costs, which impact consumers – including the U.S. military. Last month, Rep. Calvert wrote an op-ed in the Orange County Register about the consequences of the restrictive energy policies enacted in Sacramento. 

“California’s radical anti-energy policies are having a devastating effect on our economy as well as our national security,” said Rep. Calvert. “The high taxes and burdensome red tape put in place by liberals in Sacramento have resulted in declining energy production as well as refining capacity. While California families are routinely hit with the highest gasoline prices in the country, the one thing worse than expensive energy is no energy. Recent global events have once again exposed the dangers of a heavy dependence on foreign sources of energy. The readiness of the military bases located throughout California is dependent on reliable energy sources. California must revisit these ill-advised policies for the sake of our economic and national security.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered remarks on the House Floor in support of S. 1318, the Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act, which reauthorizes Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Below are a video and transcription of his remarks:
 

Click here to watch a video of his remarks.

“I thank the gentleman for yielding, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. When I was Majority Leader in 2008, Mr. Blunt, who was then in the leadership of the Republican Party, Senator Kit Bond, and Senator Jay Rockefeller, who co-chaired the Intel Committee in the United States Senate, and I worked together in a very difficult context. And that context was, the Bush Administration had asked for information from the telecoms, telecoms had given the information, and there were really no firewalls as to what that information was. And so, the four of us worked with the Intelligence Committee of the House to come up with legislation which would solve the problem of making sure that we were secure as a country and that the privacy of our citizens were secure. We think we accomplished that objective – and in fact, the leadership in the Senate voted for it, President Obama, then a Member of the Senate, voted for it, and Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Clyburn, and I voted for it, along with others. The Republicans were overwhelmingly for it. In September 2012, we did it again. Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Hoyer, [and] Mr. Clyburn voted for it. We did it again in January of 2018, and Pelosi, Hoyer, Clyburn, Wright, Ryan, McCarthy, and Scalise all voted for it.

“The point I want to make is this has been a bipartisan process with bipartisan presidential buy into the necessity to have this legislation adopted to keep Americans safe, while also adopting significant reforms in 2008, some reforms thereafter to provide for the privacy protections to the American people. It is a balance, but it is a balance that I think we have achieved. I think we ought to pass this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do so. Our FISA reauthorization bills are how Congress ensures that our nation is protected in the first instance against threats from terrorist groups and foreign adversaries. Our intelligence services have the difficult task of catching threats before they materialize and providing critical information to national security leaders. As many here will remember, the attacks of September 11th, 2001, occurred after our national security agencies failed to identify, track, and coordinate known threats. 25 years later, we have learned these lessons, and we continue to grapple with essential questions about how to balance the needs of our national security with protecting Americans’ liberties.

“That is an ongoing process, of course, and I know Democrats on the Committee, led by Ranking Member Himes, were diligent in pushing for reforms to Section 702 that would make those protections stronger for Americans while still delivering the tools needed. This bill does not include all of the reforms, of course, none of the bills that we consider have all the things we’d like to have in them. But, in testimony from Avril Haines, who headed up the DNI under the Obama Administration – excuse me, under the Biden Administration, she believes this is absolutely essential. Other members of the Obama Administration and the Biden Administration believe [that] this legislation is essential. I believe this legislation is essential, and I urge my colleagues – having worked on this since 2008 – to adopt this legislation and make America as safe as we possibly can. I yield back.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), introduced the Gas Prices Relief Act, legislation to help lower gas prices through the end of the year as they continue to climb due to President Trump’s reckless war in Iran. The Gas Prices Relief Act of 2026 would suspend the federal gas tax to cut nearly 20 cents per gallon for the rest of the year, ensuring temporary relief lasts long enough for gas prices to come back down permanently. Congresswoman Schrier is joined in introducing this legislation by Congressman Josh Harder (CA-09). 

“At a time when President Trump’s Middle East war is skyrocketing gas prices and making life even more unaffordable, Congress needs to do all it can to bring down costs for American families,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Washingtonians need immediate relief, and cannot wait until the war ends to see gas prices fall. I am proud to introduce this much-needed bill to bring immediate relief, and I will continue to be laser-focused on lowering the cost of living.”

“Valley commuters are facing a runaway rollercoaster of prices at the pump that have been out of control for weeks, and our families need some immediate relief,” said Congressman Harder. “$100 just to fill up your tank is unacceptable – we need the war in Iran to end, but we can’t wait months for prices to come down. That’s why I’m pushing to suspend the federal gas tax and lower gas prices right now.”

Two months after the start of the war, gas prices continue to rise:

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

“Whether you’re a politician, a prince, or a president—we will not let go and a reckoning is on the way.”

45 Minutes Later, Republicans Announce Date for Bondi’s Appearance

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Oversight Democrats in filing a resolution to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in civil contempt of Congress after she failed to appear for her legally-binding, bipartisan subpoena to be deposed on the Epstein investigation and the White House’s cover-up of the Epstein files. The resolution would instruct the House of Representatives to go to court to compel Bondi’s testimony.

This morning, Rep. Pressley joined Ranking Member Garcia and colleagues for a media availability on the resolution. Less than an hour later, Oversight Republicans announced a date for Bondi’s appearance.

“Today we filed contempt charges against Pam Bondi to hold her accountable for defying her legal obligation to testify on her handling of the Epstein files—an important step toward accountability for survivors. Less than an hour later, Republicans announced a date for her appearance,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. “Republicans cannot run from their cover-up of powerful, wealthy, and well-connected predators like Donald Trump. Whether you’re a politician, a prince, or a president—we will not let go and a reckoning is on the way.”

In March 2026, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform secured a bipartisan subpoena for then-Attorney General Pam Bondi following a motion supported by all Committee Democrats joined by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Lauren Boebert, Rep. Michael Cloud, Rep. Scott Perry, and Rep. Tim Burchett. The bipartisan subpoena passed the House Oversight Committee 24 to 19. On April 14, 2026, Pam Bondi refused to appear for her deposition before the Oversight Committee, despite the lawful bipartisan subpoena the Committee issued. The subpoena remains legally binding, even after Bondi was fired. The subpoena followed the Department of Justice’s botched release of the Epstein files and the continued White House cover-up.

Footage of Congresswoman Pressley’s remarks during the media availability is available here and a transcript is available below.

Transcript: Pressley Joins Oversight Dems Filing Contempt Charges Against Bondi, Demands Accountability for Epstein Survivors
U.S. House of Representatives
April 29, 2026

Just to level set why we’re all here: it is about the survivors. And this is quite literally a matter of life and death.

From our earliest meetings with the survivors, they made impassioned appeals to us that this not be one more demonstration of what has been an institutional betrayal for decades, where many have been complicit in protecting the powerful, the wealthy, and well-connected who participated in this pedophile Ponzi scheme.

We stand before the Oversight Committee room, a room now that bears the painting of Elijah Cummings, who reminded me as a freshman when I started on this committee that the work of the Committee on Oversight is to be in efficient and effective pursuit of the truth.

And under this Republican majority, everything that they have done has flown in the face of the integrity of this committee and what our job is.

[Republicans have] canceled hearings. [Bondi] has defied and not complied with a legally binding subpoena.

Our resolution is essential in getting us one step closer to accountability for the victims who have been sentenced with a lifetime sentence of navigating trauma and depression and suicide ideation, whose bodies were violated, whose dignity was violated, whose dreams were violated.

We have a responsibility to them that these vermin be held accountable for their vile acts.

And whether you are a politician, a prince, or a president, we will not let go and a reckoning is on the way.

—

In recent interviews, Rep. Pressley described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her.

Throughout her time in Congress, Rep. Pressley has been a champion for justice for survivors of sexual violence and reproductive freedom.

In July 2024, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act of 2024. In June 2024, Rep. Pressley renewed her calls for accountability and survivor-focused solutions following the damning reports of a toxic work environment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  In June 2024, Rep. Pressley also sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) requesting information about the botched closure of FCI Dublin, abuse of women while they were being transferred to other facilities, and BOP’s management of investigations into the staff sexual misconduct and abuse at FCI Dublin and other federal BOP facilities.

Rep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of H.R. 5388, legislation that would prevent the Secretary of Education from rolling back Title IX protections for survivors, as well as H.Res. 560, a resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, following reporting on new allegations of sexual misconduct committed by the Associate Justice.

In April 2019, following the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, Rep. Pressley issued a statement honoring her mother, Sandra Pressley, a survivor of domestic violence. Rep. Pressley is also the lead co-sponsor of an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would establish the first-ever grant program dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which passed the House of Representatives in March 2021.

###