RELEASE: HILL STAFFER AWARDED WCSA OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) today announced that Savannah Berryman, his Director of Operations, was selected as the recipient of the 2026 Operational Excellence Award by the Women’s Congressional Staff Association (WCSA).

The Operational Excellence Award recognizes a scheduler or operations professional whose organization, coordination, and execution are essential to the success of a congressional office. Ms. Berryman was nominated by other Hill staffers in recognition of her exceptional leadership, attention to detail, and unwavering commitment to serving Arkansas’s Second Congressional District.

Rep. Hill said, “Savannah is the backbone of this office. She ensures that Central Arkansans have every opportunity to meet with my team and me, and she keeps my days on schedule, all while making sure the office runs smoothly. This award is well-earned. I couldn’t be prouder of her, and I’m deeply grateful to have such an outstanding performer on my team.”

Ms. Berryman has been with Congressman Hill’s office for nearly 3 years.

The award was presented Friday, April 17th at the WCSA Awards Celebration, where Berryman was honored alongside other outstanding congressional staff on Capitol Hill.

The Women’s Congressional Staff Association is dedicated to supporting, connecting, and recognizing women who serve in congressional offices through professional development and leadership opportunities.

Newhouse Announces Staff Updates

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

Headline: Newhouse Announces Staff Updates

For Immediate Release: May 1, 2026
Contact: Juan Ayala, (202) 713-7750

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse announced the following staff changes in his D.C. and district offices:  

Washington, D.C. Office

Noah Yantis, Chief of Staff

Athena McAllister, Director of Operations 

Josie McLaurin, Legislative Director

Juan Ayala, Communications Director

Kellie Chong, Senior Policy Advisor

Katie Paxon, Legislative Assistant

Robert Bugner, Legislative Aide

Max Willens, Staff Assistant / Press Assistant

District Offices

Ashley Stubbs, Senior Advisor

Vicki Holleman-Perez, District Director

Rachel McClure, Senior District Representative

Alice Harder, Caseworker

Nancy Munson, Caseworker

Emily Garza, Outreach Coordinator

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Representatives Massie and Gluesenkamp Perez Introduce Bipartisan Bill to End Capital Gains Taxes on Family Farms

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Thomas Massie (4th District of Kentucky)

For Immediate Release
Contact:
John Kennedy, 202-225-3645 (Rep. Massie)
Vince Morris, 202-225-3536 (Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez)

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) announces the introduction of H.R. 8591, the No Capital Gains Tax on Family Farms Act. The bill removes capital gains on the sale or exchange of a farm between family members (including children, siblings, cousins, and their spouses). Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) is the co-lead on the legislation.

“This bill will allow farmers to sell their land to family members without being forced to pay punitive capital gains taxes,” said Rep. Massie. “This change to the tax law will help sustain America’s multi-generational family farms by reducing the financial pressure on landowners to sell productive farmland to real estate developers and data center operators.” 

“The wealth and health of our nation is married to the soil health and vitality of our farms-this bill recognizes that we need to change financial structures to advance the generational work of good farming,” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “When a loved one dies and ag land is split up for taxation, it disrupts the generational work that it takes to build healthy soil. By its very nature, the work of building healthy soil can’t be done on the same cycle as a 30-year mortgage.  We can’t treat land like any other financial asset, as though we’re just dividing nickels and dimes, and expect good results. Current tax policy breaks up generations of work and planning. The end result of that approach is an erosion of national health- I’m glad to work with my colleague on a solid step towards keeping farmland together and working.”

Under current law, if a farmer were to sell their land to a child and retire, the transfer would incur steep capital gains taxes. The No Capital Gains Tax on Family Farms Act changes this by allowing qualifying family-to-family transfers to happen without incurring capital gains tax. Under the terms of the legislation, gains from the sale of qualified farm property are excluded from gross income. 

To discourage the immediate resale of farmland to property developers, the farm recipient retains the original basis of the property for a 10-year holding period. After that period, the basis steps up to the fair market value at the time of transfer, encouraging long-term family ownership while deterring short-term speculation.

Original cosponsors of H.R. 8591 include Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO), Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC), Rep. Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX).

The text of the No Capital Gains Tax on Family Farms Act is available at this link.

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Hoyer Statement on Passage of FY26 Department of Homeland Security Funding Bill

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

WASHINGTON, DC –  Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement on the passage of a bill to fund all agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), except Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): 
 

“On February 11th, 2026, Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro and I introduced a bill that would fund the law-abiding agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, excluding ICE and CBP. House Republicans rejected this legislation, and DHS shut down 3 days later. On March 27th, 2026, the Senate passed essentially the same bill by unanimous consent, which, again, House Republicans rejected. On April 30th, 2026, the House passed legislation that accomplishes the very objective that Democrats have been pushing for since February 11th – 78 days later.

“After passage of the bill, Speaker Johnson immediately went on to say that every Democrat is against immigration enforcement and border security. That is false. Democrats are against the lawlessness that has resulted in the death and illegal incarceration of U.S. citizens and other individuals. These continued attempts to flip the narrative and avoid accountability for holding this critical funding hostage are shameful. House Republicans kept DHS shut down for over 70 days due to their unwillingness to work across the aisle and find common-sense reforms that protect the American people from the criminal and unconstitutional conduct of ICE and CBP. 

“Moving forward, I encourage my Republican colleagues to abandon their partisan agenda and work with Democrats to create substantial reforms to our country’s immigration enforcement.”

Norton Introduces Resolution to Designate May 1, 2026, as “D.C. Statehood Day”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today introduced a resolution to designate today, May 1, 2026, as “D.C. Statehood Day” and calling for statehood for the nation’s capital through enactment of her Washington, D.C. Admission Act.

“This week King Charles addressed a joint session of Congress, highlighting that historically, ‘no taxation without representation’ has been a shared democratic value between our two countries. But taxation without representation is still alive and well for 700,000 residents of the nation’s capital,” Norton said. “D.C. residents pay more in federal taxes per capita than any state, and more federal taxes overall than 26 states. D.C. residents have fought and died in every war since the Revolution, and they deserve the benefits of voting representation in Congress and full local self-government.

“D.C. deserves to become the 51st state, and I introduce this resolution to name May 1st, or 5/1 ‘Statehood Day’ for this very reason.”

The text of the resolution follows.

H. RES. __

Recognizing the disenfranchisement of District of Columbia residents, calling for statehood for the District of Columbia through the enactment of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, and expressing support for the designation of May 1, 2026, as “D.C. Statehood Day”.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. Norton submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform


RESOLUTION

Recognizing the disenfranchisement of District of Columbia residents, calling for statehood for the District of Columbia through the enactment of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act, and expressing support for the designation of May 1, 2026, as “D.C. Statehood Day”.

Whereas the United States was founded on the principles of consent of the governed and no taxation without representation;

Whereas District of Columbia residents are denied voting representation in Congress and full local self-government;

Whereas the District of Columbia pays more per capita Federal taxes than any State and pays more Federal taxes than 26 States;

Whereas statehood would give District of Columbia residents voting representation in Congress and full local self-government;

Whereas Congress has the constitutional authority to pass the District of Columbia statehood bill, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51 and S. 51), which would admit the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, and reduce the size of the Federal district;

Whereas the Admissions Clause of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to admit new States, and all 37 new States were admitted by Congress;

Whereas no State would have to consent to the admission of the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth;

Whereas the District Clause of the Constitution gives Congress plenary authority over the Federal district and establishes a maximum size of the Federal district, but not a minimum size nor a location of the Federal district;

Whereas the 23d Amendment to the Constitution allows the Federal district to participate in the electoral college, while not establishing a minimum size nor a location of the Federal district;

Whereas the Constitution does not establish any prerequisites for new States, but Congress has generally considered 3 factors— 

(1) population and resources;

(2) support for statehood; and

(3) commitment to democracy;

Whereas the District of Columbia has a larger population than 2 States;

Whereas the District of Columbia has a larger gross domestic product than 15 States and a higher per capita gross domestic product than any State;

Whereas the District of Columbia has a higher per capita personal income than any State;

Whereas 86 percent of District of Columbia residents voted for statehood in 2016; and

Whereas District of Columbia residents have been fighting for voting representation in Congress and full local self-government for more than 200 years: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) supports the designation of “D.C. Statehood Day”; and

(2) calls on Congress to pass the Washington, D.C. Admission Act (H.R. 51 and S. 51).

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THOMPSON CO-SPONSORS BIPARTISAN RESOLUTION CELEBRATING SIKH HISTORY MONTH

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA

Washington, D.C. – For generations, Sikh Americans have served, built, led, and strengthened communities across the United States. Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) joined a bipartisan resolution recognizing April as Sikh History Month and honoring Sikh Americans’ faith, heritage, service, and contributions to our nation. The month provides a fitting point of recognition for Sikh history and identity, often coinciding with Vaisakhi, a defining observance that marks the founding of the Khalsa in 1699.

“Proud to have joined in recognizing April as Sikh history month. For generations, Sikh Americans have served, built, led, and strengthened communities across the United States. I’ve experienced firsthand the welcoming and hardworking nature of our Sikh community in Northern California and I am grateful for the community’s contributions to our culture,” said Thompson.

The resolution recognizes Sikh Americans’ contributions to the United States while promoting greater education, awareness, and respect for religious diversity.

The resolution advances several key goals, including:

  • Recognizing the history, culture, heritage, and contributions of the Sikh community;
  • Highlighting Sikhism’s core principles of equality, social justice, community service, and human dignity;
  • Promoting education about Sikh identity, history, and articles of faith;
  • Encouraging public programs, classroom discussions, and cultural events to foster awareness and respect;
  • Honoring Sikh Americans’ contributions through military service, entrepreneurship, humanitarian relief, civic leadership, and advocacy for human rights; and
  • Reaffirming America’s commitment to religious liberty, pluralism, and the freedom of all people to live their faith openly and with dignity. 

Rep. Panetta’s Statement on the Vote to Fund DHS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) released the following statement on the House passage of a bill to fund Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA):

“Today, the House of Representatives finally voted to fund TSA, Coast Guard, CISA, and FEMA.  Although I’m pleased that Congress passed this legislation to fund those critical agencies under DHS, I’m deeply disappointed that it took so long for Speaker Mike Johnson to bring this bill to the House floor for a vote.  This bipartisan bill passed the Senate unanimously and was sent to the House over a month ago.  Yet, Speaker Johnson refused to allow Congress to vote on the bill to fund those agencies and properly pay those workers as a way to get more funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) without implementing any meaningful reforms to those troubled agencies.

“The purely partisan One Big Beautiful Bill Act that was signed into law last summer injected over $75 billion into ICE and $65 billion into CBP.  Since that time, and based on this Administration’s overreaching mass deportation policy driven by Stephen Miller, we’ve seen thousands of untrained ICE and CBP agents sent into communities across our country acting lawlessly, irresponsibly, and with impunity, creating chaos and even causing deaths to American citizens.  I and many of my Congressional colleagues refused to provide any more funding through the annual appropriations process to either of those troubled agencies until there were meaningful and commonsensical reforms to ICE and CBP with their training, operating, and law enforcement protocols and procedures.  However, instead of reaching across the aisle to work with us on a compromise for such reforms, Speaker Johnson and the Majority refused to deal with Democrats and held out for another purely partisan Republican reconciliation bill that will provide billions more in funding for ICE and CBP without any reforms being implemented.  

“Instead of reaching across the aisle to find a solution, Speaker Johnson continues to go at it alone and give into this President’s every demand. Now that TSA, Coast Guard, CISA, and FEMA are finally funded after an inexcusably long delay, it’s well past time for the Speaker and his majority party to come to the table and get serious about reforming ICE and CBP.  That way, the 119th Congress can finally stand up to this Administration and its dangerous mass deportation policies and live up to our constitutional obligations to protect the American people.”

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Congressman Al Green Joins Rev. Dr. Max Miller Jr., Local Faith and Community Leaders to Host Press Conference on Alarming Supreme Court Voting Rights Decision in Louisiana v. Callais

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Houston, TX) —On Friday, May 1, 2026, Congressman Al Green will join Rev. Dr. Max Miller Jr., local faith and community leaders, to host a press conference regarding the Supreme Court’s alarming decision in Louisiana v. Callais and its implications for voting rights, fair representation, and representative democracy. The ruling disenfranchises marginalized communities by weakening protections intended to ensure equitable access to political representation and voting power. 

Rev. Dr. Max Miller Jr. stated, “The Civil Rights Movement was rooted in the church, where faith and justice walked hand in hand. Too many prayed, marched, and sacrificed for the right to vote for us to accept decisions that weaken fair representation. People of faith must continue to stand together to protect the dignity of every voice and every vote.”

Congressman Al Green stated, “We are witnessing the erosion of protections that helped ensure fair representation. The Supreme Court’s ruling affects all Americans who believe voting carries value. This alarming decision threatens to dismantle generations of hard-fought progress born out of the Civil Rights Movement. We must protest and protect the fundamental right to vote and ensure every voice is fairly represented in our democracy.” 

Click here to watch the YouTube Live Stream of the event at 10:30 AM CT.

U.S. House Passes Homeland Security Funding Bill Ending Shutdown For All Department Of Homeland Security Agencies Except ICE and CBP

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, responsible for all federal discretionary funding, announced that the U.S. House passed legislation earlier passed by the U.S. Senate to fund all of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 except immigration enforcement in two agencies, bringing an end to a shutdown affecting thousands of federal workers. The President has signed the bill into law. 

“Today’s action will fund DHS and end the painful and unnecessary shutdown, other than for the contentious immigration enforcement agencies,” said Case. “This will continue important government services, restart paychecks for hard working government employees at our airports and elsewhere, ensure continued FEMA disaster response following the Kona Lows, fully restore Coast Guard operations nationwide and allow other critical homeland security work to restart.” 

Case is a member of his Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which was responsible for drafting the legislation and negotiating a compromise with the Senate.  

The measure follows the approach advocated for by Congressman Case since the shutdown began. He was an original cosponsor of H.R. 7481, a compromise DHS funding bill to fund most agencies in DHS except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to ensure that others are not unfairly punished while Congress focuses its attention on ICE and CBP reforms. 

Case said, “I will continue to work with likeminded Members of Congress to advocate for ICE and CBP reforms. We need to enforce our immigration laws, but we cannot do so by surrendering our values.” 

The final bill appropriates $48 billion to the covered DHS agencies and includes various provisions to provide more oversight on the Trump administration’s immigration-related policies and actions. It supports most of DHS including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and more.

It does not provide funding for ICE or CBP’s Border Patrol; those employees are currently being paid from last year’s reconciliation law. 

The measure included Case’s request for $1 million in Community Project Funding (CPF) to install a new information system in the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s (HIEMA) Emergency Operations Center.  It will serve as a centralized platform for real-time information sharing, situational awareness and multi-agency coordination, and help ensure the safety and well-being of communities across the State of Hawai‘i. 

“This new IT system will share information in real time so that emergency responders can make informed decisions and take necessary actions to save lives and protect property in the event of a disaster,” said Case.  

The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here: https://case.house.gov/services/funding-disclosures.htm.  

The bill also responds to concerns raised about the Trump administration’s immigration efforts by: 

·         Directing DHS to develop and implement a standard uniform policy to ensure that federal law enforcement personnel are clearly identifiable as such, 

·         Strengthening oversight of ICE and reconciliation funds through a $37 million increase (20 percent) to the DHS Office of Inspector General, and 

·         Including funding for both the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, two offices the Trump Administration shuttered last year. 

Case also secured a number of other key programs and provisions for Hawai‘i and the Indo-Pacific, including: 

·         $337 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA.

·         $342 million for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.

·         $342 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program.

·         $116 million to support the Coast Guard’s expanding mission in the Indo-Pacific.

·         $15 million for the Coast Guard’s Honolulu Homeport Project, which funds expansion of operations and cutter maintenance activities at Base Honolulu.

·         $96 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a $5 million increase over FY 2025, which funds University of Hawaii’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.  

·         $48 million for FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System.  

·         Language requiring a report on the opportunity for the Coast Guard to acquire additional pier and related space at Base Honolulu.  

·         Language requiring a report on unmet requirements for the infrastructure at the Coast Guard’s Air Station Barbers Point.  

·         Language encouraging TSA to address potential degradation of security scanning equipment at open-air airports.

 The measure also includes the following priorities requested by Case

·         $13.9 billion for the Coast Guard overall.

·         $65 million for the National Computer Forensic Institute, through which 397 state and local law enforcement officers from agencies in Hawai‘i have received a host of forensic training courses.   

·         Report language supporting the growth of CISA support in the Pacific Islands.  

·         Language requiring a report on Coast Guard engagement and needs in the Indo-Pacific.

·         Language requiring a briefing on the Coast Guard’s role in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major issue in the Indo-Pacific.

·         $584 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative under FEMA.

·         $494 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funding to protect against terrorism and other threats.

·         $124 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program.

·         $95 million for FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program.

·         $46 million for the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program.  

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Huffman, Jayapal Support Plaintiffs Aiming to Depoliticize National Parks Access

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

April 30, 2026

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) filed an amicus brief in the case of Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum, supporting the plaintiffs. The case challenges the Department of the Interior’s unprecedented decision to feature a portrait of President Trump on America the Beautiful national park passes.

“Donald Trump has a sad, desperate need to see his own face everywhere he looks. The America the Beautiful pass gets a family to their first geyser, a Gold Star family to the trail their son loved most, a road tripper to a quiet morning at the rim of the canyon. These are American places, cared for and paid for by the American people. Turning that pass into a glamour shot of Trump tells every one of those Americans their parks now come stamped with his ego. They don’t. We’re going to court to keep the America the Beautiful pass exactly that, America’s,” said Huffman.

“Trump is acting like an authoritarian, putting his face on buildings across Washington, DC, on our money, and even on American the Beautiful passes — replacing Glacier National Park,” said Jayapal. “This is flagrant self-promotion and an unacceptable politicization of our National Parks. This move also violates law passed by Congress, yet another in a long list of oversteps by the Trump’s Executive Branch of their constitutional authority.”

The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act of 2004 established the America the Beautiful Pass, an annual access pass to National Parks, aiming to make public lands more accessible. Per that legislation, the passes feature the winners of an annual photo competition run by the National Park Foundation. The 2026 winner featured a photo of Glacier National Park, which will now be replaced by a picture of President Trump. Center for Biological Diversity v. Burgum aims to block the Department of the Interior from following through with this move.

The full text of the brief can be read here

The brief was also signed by André Carson (IN-07), Ed Case (HI-01), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Dave Min (CA-47), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Dina Titus (NV-01), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).