MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced $2,316,842 in Department of Health and Human Services grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. One grant, for $784,842, will support graduate medical education. A second, for $1,077,000 from the National Cancer Institute is for integrating systems immunology with immunometabolism and cancer immunity under the direction of Dr. Hongbo Chi. A third grant, for $455,000 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will study genome stability in glia and diseases under the director of Dr. Peter J. McKinnon.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“St. Jude continues to undertake critical research in diverse fields. I congratulate Drs. Chi and McKinnon on receiving federal grants to aid in their ongoing, life-saving work. I’m also pleased St. Jude is receiving support to help build the next generation of health care researchers.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to Trump’s newly announced Canadian tariffs, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens issued the following statement:

“Donald Trump will stop at nothing to raise costs on Michigan families. Slapping a giant, shoot-from-the-hip tariff on one of our closest allies endangers our partnerships and specifically hurts Canada and Michigan’s special relationship.

“Michiganders are tired of paying higher prices for the same food. Congress must pass my No Tariffs on Groceries Act now to stop Trump’s reckless trade policies from making grocery bills more expensive.”

 

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) introduced a bill today to require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide incarcerated individuals from jurisdictions that allow those individuals to vote, like the District of Columbia and Maine, information on how to register to vote and request absentee ballots.

“People in federal custody who are eligible to vote cannot exercise this fundamental right unless they’re given information on how to cast a ballot,” Norton said. “This bill would codify some past BOP practices on providing incarcerated individuals with information on voter registration and instructing them on how to request absentee ballots. Thank you to Congresswoman Pingree for co-leading this important legislation.”

“Maine is one of only four states or territories where incarcerated people retain the right to vote, and our democracy is stronger because of it,” said Pingree. “But that right means little if eligible voters do not have the information and tools needed to exercise it. I’m proud to join Congresswoman Norton in this effort to ensure eligible voters in federal custody understand how to register and cast an absentee ballot. Removing unnecessary barriers to civic participation brings us closer to a stronger, more inclusive democracy.”

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act of 2026

July 21, 2026

Today, I introduce the Federal Bureau of Prisons Voting Assistance Act of 2026.  Congresswoman Chellie Pingree is the co-lead.

This bill would require the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide individuals in BOP prisons from jurisdictions that allow such individuals to vote, like the District of Columbia and Maine, information on how to register to vote and request an absentee ballot.  BOP would be required to provide each BOP prison information on the criteria for voter registration, instructions on voter registration, voter registration forms and prepaid envelopes for voter registration forms, if provided by the state generally.  Each BOP prison would be required to post the information and to give it to each individual eligible to vote.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) celebrated passage of her bipartisan Breast Cancer Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Act Reauthorization (H.R. 4541) with Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Diana Harshbarger (TN-01).

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States, where the average risk for developing it sometime in her life is about 1 in 8. More than 316,000 new diagnoses and 42,000 deaths are expected from breast cancer in 2025. And with incidences rising in younger women each year, the earlier it’s caught, the better the chance to survive and overcome this devastating disease.

The key to early detection and treatment starts with education and awareness. This is especially true for younger women and those at greater risk of death from more aggressive forms of breast cancer.

“Too many young women face breast cancer without the knowledge or support they need to catch it early and fight back,” said Rep. Castor. “For more than fifteen years, the EARLY Act has supported young women through outreach and resources that meet them where they are. I’m proud to lead the charge for this bipartisan reauthorization to ensure these critical initiatives that empower women to understand their risks, advocate for their health and get the tools they need to fight the disease continue.”

View Castor’s remarks on the EARLY Act reauthorization here.

The EARLY Act authorizes three programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), designed to empower young and high-risk women. This includes the Bring Your Brave effort, which amplifies stories of real women to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women between the ages of 18 and 44, and encourages them to understand their risk and the signs and symptoms. It also funds the Young Breast Cancer Survivors Program, which provides grants to non-profit organizations aimed at delivering supportive services and resources to increase patients’ survival and improve their quality of life. And it offers continuing medical education (CME) courses for health care providers about breast cancer. 

After fifteen years of successful implementation, it is now time to again reauthorize the EARLY Act to ensure that it continues to reach even more young and higher-risk women across the United States. Reauthorizing the EARLY Act is vital to continuing to save women’s lives.

The EARLY Act is endorsed by:

• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• BRCAStrong
• Breast Cancer Early Detection Coalition
• Breast Cancer Ruckus
• Brem Foundation
• Cancer Support Community
• DenseBreast-info, Inc 
• FORCE
• GE HealthCare
• Gilda’s Club South Florida
• Living Beyond Breast Cancer
• Prevent Cancer Foundation
• Sharsheret
• Susan G. Komen
• Tigerlily Foundation
• Women Health Advocates
• Young Survival Coalition

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland
July 20, 2026                                                    202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT’S STATEMENT ON VIRGIN ISLANDS HOUSING FINANCE AUTHORITY FUNDING SUSPENSION BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Washington, D.C. — Congressw

oman Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) released the following statement today regarding the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) decision to immediately suspend disaster recovery funding to the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA):

“I am in receipt of a copy of the notice to the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority (VIHFA) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the suspension of future participation in procurement and non-procurement transactions pending an investigation.  This represents the freezing (not withdrawal) of federal funding.  This is a de facto “debarment” restriction of one agency’s, VIHFA, ability to use the funds. 

“Upon receipt of the notice, my office and I immediately contacted the leadership of the committee of jurisdiction – the House Committee on Financial Services, our White House Liaison, the HUD leadership team and others in Washington, D.C. We learned that HUD leadership repeatedly warned the local government about their management of HUD funding and the lack of controls, specifically a high percentage of funds used for administrative costs and insufficient spending on projects. 

“It would appear that this is not a new issue but one that the Bryan Roach Administration has not given sufficient effort to effectively resolve. The notice from HUD makes strong allegations that VIHFA not only violated its obligation to distribute and manage taxpayer funds but also, ‘made false statements regarding its financial management controls and safeguards against conflict of interest.’  The notice clearly states that the money is not being taken away but that VIHFA is being suspended from making use of the resources.  The money is not being spent.

“Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) HUD funding, both Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) and Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) represents a complicated program under which the Government of the Virgin Islands has been unable to use the resources.  The position of HUD is that there have not been enough financial controls, procurement has not been done properly, and payments have not been made timely. The funding in this program affects not just housing but ultimately much of the local match needed for many rebuilding projects, including the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, schools, hospitals, etc. 

“The table below is not a full representation of the delay. For example, in the first table seen below, which discusses Program Areas and lists Public Facilities, 477 of 572 have been completed.  Those, however, represent small projects which only account for less than 20% of all funding amounts. We have not spent our funding quickly or efficiently and the local government is being called to task.

“This notice begins a 30-day appeal process which will require a hearing for the Government of the Virgin Islands to present a “dispute of material facts.”  In multiple discussions today with federal partners, agencies and Congressional staff, it is clear there must be a restructured turn around plan that meets the confidence of the federal government.  To date, there have been several companies that have been engaged and should have the expertise and experience to develop a plan which meets the satisfaction of the federal government. Jacobs, Ernst and Young, and Witt O’Brien’s should be asked to provide pro bono support to create a plan that responds to the real concerns of the federal government. Our major contractors who have been contracted to partner in the rebuild with the Virgin Islands should be brought along in this process. Many have independent relationships with the Trump Administration and have seen other similar issues. As a plan is developed which removes authority from VIHFA and puts the entire program in a body which has more controls and oversight, the Governor should engage with and receive support from the Legislature of the Virgin Islands by bringing them along with our major contractors into the discussion, many of whom have worked on this in other jurisdictions.

“My office will continue to be available to support and leverage our relationships in Washington, D.C. to ensure that we come to a resolution that advances the people of the Virgin Islands.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

WASHINGTON – Today, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Ranking Member Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), and Committee on Education and Workforce Members Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06), and Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12), introduced a series of bills designed to protect consumers from wrongful health claim denials by health insurers and group health plans.

The legislation follows the Committee Democrats’ recent report, titled Denied: How the Health Care Industry Stacks the Deck Against Working Families, which examined the growing problem of wrongful health claim denials and the consequences for workers and their families.

Health insurance is, fundamentally, a promise between consumers and their health plan,” said Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). “When working people do their part by paying thousands of dollars every year for coverage— they expect their plan to cover the care they need. Too often, insurers break that promise by denying legitimate claims and shifting costs onto families who can least afford it.”

The Consumer Health Claim Assistance Act, Health Claim Denial Transparency Act, Consumer Appeal Rights Enforcement Act, and CLINIC Assistance Act directly respond to the report’s call for stronger transparency, oversight, and accountability to ensure insurance companies and health plans honor the coverage they promise and that families can access and afford the care they need.

The Consumer Health Claim Assistance Act, introduced by HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier, establishes a program within the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) to support consumers whose health claims are wrongfully denied. The bill directly addresses budgetary and staffing issues at EBSA by establishing a dedicated funding stream to support the program through an annual fee that will be paid by certain plans.

“Americans’ ability to access quality, affordable healthcare is being undermined by corporate greed and improper denials of legitimate medical claims,” said HELP Ranking Member DeSaulnier. “I am proud to introduce the Consumer Health Claim Assistance Act that would help ensure the agency responsible for overseeing employer-sponsored health insurance is well equipped to assist consumers. It is past time we take decisive action to put the American people above profits.”

To read the bill text of the Consumer Health Claim Assistance Act, click here.

To read the fact sheet for the Consumer Health Claim Assistance Act, click here.

The Health Claim Denial Transparency Act, introduced by Rep. McBath, sheds light on claim denial rates by forcing the Trump Administration’s DOL to implement a longstanding requirement of the Affordable Care Act(ACA) and recommendation from the DOL Office of the Inspector General for health plans to disclose how many claims for benefits they deny each year, as well as the number of claims subject to prior authorization and the use of artificial intelligence.

“For too long, insurance companies have been able to deny claims behind closed doors. They have had no obligation to tell patients or regulators how often it happens or why,” said Rep. McBath. “The Health Claim Denial Transparency Act requires health plans to finally disclose their rates and explain more of their reasoning. The Affordable Care Act has required this kind of disclosure for years, but the Department of Labor has never enforced it. Families deserve to know that the health insurance that they pay into is actually working on their behalf.”

To read the bill text for the Health Claim Denial Transparency Act, click here.

To read the fact sheet for the Health Claim Denial Transparency Act, click here.

The Consumer Appeal Rights Enforcement Act, introduced by Rep. Lee, gives DOL the ability to impose civil monetary penalties to hold insurance companies, plans, and other actors accountable for violations of the full and fair review and internal appeal requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the ACA’s external review requirement.

“Families pay thousands of dollars every year for health insurance with the expectation that it will be there when they need it. But instead, too many people are forced to fight through confusing appeals, endless paperwork, and corporate bureaucracy while they are sick, injured, or caring for someone they love,” said Rep. Lee. “Insurance companies should not be able to wrongfully deny care and then face no consequences for violating patients’ rights. This legislation gives the Department of Labor the power to hold bad actors accountable and makes clear that denying working people a fair appeal is not simply the cost of doing business.”

To read the bill text for the Consumer Appeal Rights Enforcement Act, click here.

To read the fact sheet for the Consumer Appeal Rights Enforcement Act, click here.

The CLINIC Assistance Act, introduced by Rep. Courtney, will supplement the DOL’s work and help rebuild access to consumer assistance by establishing a grant program through which the Secretary of Labor can provide funding to law schools to create programs to assist consumers whose benefits have been denied by health insurers and employee welfare benefit plans, directly helping working people and training a new generation of consumer advocates.

“One of the disturbing trends in health care is the rising number of claim denials that patients seeking urgently needed medically necessary treatment are left with,” said Rep. Courtney. “By establishing a federal grant program through the Department of Labor to support law clinics that specialize in navigating the complex insurance appeals process, we can provide American patients, at no expense, with the expertise – and people – on their side when they’re wrongfully denied coverage.”

To read the full bill text of the CLINIC Assistance Act, click here.

To read the fact sheet for the CLINIC Assistance Act, click here.

Background
On June 18, 2024, HELP Subcommittee Ranking Member DeSaulnier and Full Committee Ranking Member Scott urged the Department of Labor to improve transparency for consumers after alarming reports of widespread denials of benefits by employment-based health plans. These plans cover more than 130 million Americans and are subject to important consumer protections under ERISA.

On November 18, 2025, Ranking Members DeSaulnier and Scott led House health leaders in urging the Trump Administration to tackle wrongful claim denials by group health plans and insurance companies and secure coverage for working people under ERISA—the largest source of health insurance in the U.S.

On April 8, 2026, Education and Workforce Committee Democrats released a Committee report titled “Denied: How the Health Care Industry Stacks the Deck Against Working Families,” examining the growing problem of wrongful health claim denials and the consequences for workers and their families.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) released the following statement after President Trump announced a 50 percent tariff on certain Canadian goods under the obscure Section 338 authority, which lacks meaningful procedural requirements, including public consultation and congressional approval:

“President Trump is completely unhinged. Days after threatening tariffs over wildfire smoke and still upset because Canada refused to bow to his absurd 51st-state threats, he’s now escalating his maniacal trade war with our neighbor, close friend and second-largest trading partner.

“Americans’ pocketbooks are already being strained by high gas and grocery prices due to his unnecessary war with Iran. Now he’s inflicting even more damage by threatening a 50 percent tariff on Canada – a harsher penalty than what he has imposed on our adversaries, including China, which is actively negotiating lower tariffs through the Board of Trade.

“Rather than repeating the mistakes of his failed trade war, President Trump should work with Canada to resolve issues in the ongoing USMCA review to protect American jobs.

“American families, workers and businesses need stability, not more chaos from a president desperate to distract from his declining poll numbers.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Between 5 million and 10 million people could lose Medicaid coverage in 2028 due to the new CMS rule. 

 Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Joe Neguse and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz led the entire House Democratic Caucus in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), urging the agency reverse course on a new rule requiring certain Medicaid applicants and enrollees to meet conditions of eligibility in order to access critical healthcare services. The framework implements work requirements mandated by the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), and has the potential to lock American families facing some of the most dire health conditions out of lifesaving care.

Neguse and Wasserman-Schultz, who have each been impacted by cancer as a caregiver and patient, respectively, also called on CMS to establish, at a minimum, automatic exemptions for patients with cancer and other aggressive illnesses.

“We write to express our profound concern regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) interim final rule titled ‘Medicaid Community Engagement Requirement for Certain Individuals.’ This interim rule will create an undue burden for beneficiaries with serious health care needs and put people at risk of losing coverage, while also creating significant implementation challenges for states. Therefore, we urge CMS to revise this rule, and until such changes are made, call on CMS to authorize states to delay implementation,” wrote the lawmakers. 

More specifically, CMS’s new rule makes it harder for cancer patients and survivors to qualify for Medicaid’s “medical frailty” exemption—stating that a medical condition must significantly impair a person’s ability to comply with the 80-hour per month work requirement. In their letter, the lawmakers argue this framework does not adequately consider the complex nature of illnesses like cancer, which can exhibit periodic or intermittent symptoms often relating to side effects of treatment or the disease itself.

The requirement also forces individuals to prove they can’t work, in an exhaustive process that increases barriers between struggling Americans and access to basic healthcare. 

“Forcing vulnerable patients to exhaustively document their symptoms simply to maintain access to basic healthcare is both imprudent and inconsistent with Federal law. Diagnoses such as an aggressive cancer require patients to receive care as soon as possible, and as you know, any delays to treatment put patients at heightened risk. These and other rapidly progressing conditions become significantly less amenable to treatment in their later stages, meaning a patient’s current capacity to work does not reflect the urgency of their medical needs.” 

The House Democratic Caucus, led by Neguse and Wasserman-Schultz, also called attention to the fact that this rule will create significant administrative and financial burdens for states. It departs from a previous definition and requires a rushed change in implementation plans.

They closed by stating that the rule goes even further than Congressional Republicans intended in their disastrous One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which already strips health care coverage from at least 17 million Americans while driving up health care costs for millions more.

The letter concluded: “While there is no way to prevent some eligible people from losing coverage due to the flawed nature of the underlying policy, which in and of itself exacts draconian cuts to healthcare programs and strips access to affordable care for millions of Americans, CMS has an obligation to implement the law in question as written. And, as noted, the new rule appears to be inconsistent with the plain language of H.R. 1, adding a new, restrictive standard that will add to the number of people losing coverage. Indeed, the evidence clearly demonstrates that creating more documentation requirements and adding complexity to the enrollment process will have a devastating effect. Therefore, in sum, we urge CMS to reconsider its interim rule to protect people with serious medical needs. CMS should also delay implementation of the new work requirements pending these changes.”

Read the full letter HERE.

In a speech on the House Floor in June, Neguse made an urgent request of the Trump administration, demanding they rescind the CMS rule that would potentially strip healthcare coverage from cancer patients and imploring his colleagues—Democrats and Republicans alike—to join him in doing the right thing and standing up for countless families that rely on Medicaid coverage to survive. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Representative Mike Simpson (ID-02), a former dentist, celebrated the House passage of their bipartisan bill, H.R. 2001, the Action for Dental Health Act.

The Bipartisan Action for Dental Health Act supports organizations and strengthens existing resources that provide essential oral healthcare to underserved communities, including seniors, children, and families living in both rural and urban areas. By increasing access to preventative dental care, the bill also aims to significantly reduce the number of costly emergency room visits.

The Action for Dental Health Act builds on a strong foundation of bipartisan, bicameral consensus as it reauthorizes a program that has benefited communities across the country. Today’s successful passage in the House is an important step in continuing to deliver these critical healthcare resources to American families.

“Oral health care is a critical part of our overall health, and preventative dental care can reduce costs for families and improve overall well-being,” Rep. Kelly said. “By reauthorizing this bipartisan program that connects people with the care they need, this legislation will help prevent serious oral health problems before they start. I’m proud to work alongside Congressman Simpson, a former dentist, to advance this reauthorization and to my House colleagues for supporting this important bill.”

“As a former dentist in Blackfoot, Idaho, I have seen firsthand the value of good oral health and the consequences of neglect,” said Rep. Simpson. “Since its implementation in 2018, the Action for Dental Health Act has improved dental care in communities across the country. Reauthorizing this legislation is critical to address the dental workforce needs and improve access to care for patients. As co-chair of the Congressional Oral Health Caucus, I am proud to partner with Congresswoman Kelly once again to see the House of Representatives pass this bipartisan bill, and I look forward to sending it to President Trump’s desk.”

The American Dental Association (ADA) has strongly endorsed the Action for Dental Health Act.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

For Immediate Release                             Contact: Tionee Scotland

July 20, 2026                                                    202-808-6129

PRESS RELEASE

CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT STATEMENT ON H.R. 9724 AND THE CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS OF RESIDENTS OF THE U.S. THE TERRITORIES

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (VI) issued the following statement regarding H.R. 9724, legislation introduced by Congressman Morgan Griffith (VA-9), which contains language to strip automatic U.S. citizenship from children born in the U.S. territories beginning in 2027:

“Protecting the citizenship and constitutional rights of the people of the United States territories is among the most important work of my office. This commitment led me to recruit two former Solicitors General — colleagues of mine from the Department of Justice (DOJ) — to argue the citizenship cases on behalf of American Samoans before the Supreme Court (Fitisemanu v. United States). Subsequently, I led hearings in Congress examining the Insular Cases and their continuing harm to the people of the United States territories. That same commitment compelled me to co-lead a bipartisan, bicameral letter — signed by 43 Members of Congress — that pushed the DOJ, under the Biden-Harris Administration, to formally repudiate the racist foundations of those cases, a standard that remains DOJ policy today. It has led me to author resolutions in the House of Representatives affirming the rights of the people of the U.S. territories. This year, I led an amicus brief filed in the Supreme Court’s recent birthright citizenship case, Trump v. Barbara, which was quoted by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. I know this history, and I know what is at stake.

“While Congressman Griffith states H.R. 9724 would solely remove “birth tourism” in actuality, the bill would strip automatic U.S. citizenship from children born in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands beginning in 2027. Its sweeping language could leave children born in the U.S. territories citizens of nowhere. The bill relies on the Insular Cases for its authority, a body of law built on openly racist reasoning which the DOJ previously renounced.

“This bill is divisive, it is racist in its foundation, and it is corrosive of the principles of American law. It fits a broader pattern in Congressman Griffith’s record of measures that diminish Black and brown people.

“To be clear—this bill has not attracted a single cosponsor. It has no discernible path to consideration, particularly given the calendar of inaction the Majority has laid out, but we do not dismiss it. We do note that the Vice President has said this is an idea the Administration is ‘looking at,’ and we take that seriously.

“My office is working with our Republican and Democratic territorial colleagues, and with members on the Judiciary and Natural Resources Committees that hold jurisdiction, to monitor this bill closely. The nearly four million Americans who call the U.S. territories home are entitled to the full dignity of their citizenship, and I will continue to defend it.”

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