MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren released the following statement on the passing of her former colleague, Congressman Barney Frank:

“Barney Frank was a friend and colleague,” Rep. Lofgren said. “One of the brightest people to serve in the House, he was a fearless advocate with a wicked sense of humor and command of parliamentary procedure. He helped bring our country towards a more perfect union but wisely cautioned against litmus tests as the country moves forward. I’m thankful for the years I had the chance to serve with him. My thoughts are with his family.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mario Díaz-Balart, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, issued the following statement following the announcement of the indictment of Raúl Castro: 

“For far too long, previous administrations turned a blind eye to justice for the three American citizens and one lawful permanent resident who were brutally and unjustifiably murdered under the direct orders of Raúl Castro. Those four innocent men, flying defenseless in their Cessnas, never stood a chance when Castro ordered MiG fighter jets to ambush and kill them without warning. This was a deliberate act of murder, and Raúl Castro must finally be held accountable for this crime. Today marks the beginning of that long‑denied path toward justice, made possible by the decisive actions of President Trump and the resolve of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quińones.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY 2027 Energy and Water Development bill. Below are a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a video of his remarks.

“Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank Ms. Kaptur for her work on this bill and her knowledge of the subject. I also want to thank Mr. Fleischmann. I want to thank Mr. Fleischmann in particular because I know, going forward, you are prepared to work with us so that we can have a bill supported by both sides of the aisle, which is good for the country, and I think good for the bill.

“The gentlelady from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur, has spoken extensively about America’s energy independence. She is absolutely right: this bill is about our energy independence. However, if we were to adopt this bill as currently drafted, it would deepen – not relieve – our dependence on foreign energy because it not only fails to make the investments we need in diversifying our energy sources, but it also makes cuts to programs that support an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including a more resilient energy grid, which, as we all know, is failing. Because of President Trump’s war of choice against Iran, Americans are paying more for energy, even as they were already struggling with higher prices on many goods resulting from the tariffs. As a matter of fact, I’m urging the construction of signs at every gas station in America [that say] ‘Pay Trump’s War Tax Here.’ They’re doing it big time. This bill matters because Americans deserve to have their government and their representatives work to bring energy costs down, not up, [and] not ignore the problem and tell them – you’ve heard me say this before – to the American consumer and the American people, American families: you’re on your own.

“As the Ranking Member of this committee has pointed out, there’s a 40% cut. The bill cuts $1.3 billion from the Department of Energy’s Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation program. It cuts efforts to secure rare earth and other minerals essential to our manufacturing competitiveness. In the 117th Congress, when I was Majority Leader, we enacted the CHIPS and Science Act. I’m very proud of that achievement, and we ought all be proud of that achievement. It was led by Democrats, but it was a bipartisan effort. That bill made a generational investment in America’s advanced manufacturing sector – critically important to our competitiveness and national security. But building microchips, semiconductors and advanced batteries, and other high demand products domestically, as we all know, requires secure supply chains for critical materials. We shouldn’t be slashing funding for that effort by over $1 billion, period. I hope that in the final analysis, that will not happen because this bill would do just that. In addition, it cuts ARPA-E by 14% at a time when – given competition from China and other nations – we ought to be putting more resources into advanced research initiatives. We need to invest more, not less. We need to be more ready, not less ready.

“The majority’s bill would also endanger our national security by cutting funding for nuclear nonproliferation efforts. The Ranking Member of the full committee and the Chair – the Ranking Member of this subcommittee have both mentioned that very critical issue. President Trump said he was attacking Iran in order to stop its regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That’s an important goal. But it is hypocritical for Republicans to support President Trump’s $30 billion, give or take, effort in the war, while simultaneously cutting funding that helps prevent regimes like Iran’s from obtaining nuclear weapons. What don’t I get here about this relationship? There are other problems with this bill, of course, which I’m certain will be discussed during today’s markup, not limited to its cuts to environmental cleanup. I hope we can address these shortcomings through the very thoughtful amendments being put forward on the Democratic side. There is no reason, no reason why we cannot work together to get this bill right, and I yield back eleven seconds.”

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

Follows Trump Administration’s Reinstatement of Firing Squads and Searching for Methods to Return to the Use Of Electrocution and Lethal Gas For Executions

Bill Text (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 20 Representatives and 17 Senators in the reintroduction of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, bicameral legislation to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. This bill is particularly important today given that last month, the Department of Justice (DOJ) under President Trump announced that it was bringing back firing squads and seeking to return to the use of electrocution and lethal gas for executions.

“The death penalty is a racist, discriminatory, and deeply flawed punishment and must be abolished once and for all. But with states across the country in the midst of an unprecedented execution spree and Trump shamefully reviving federal firing squads, America is doubling down on state-sanctioned killing instead of ending it,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Our bill would get the federal government out of the business of executing its own citizens, and save the lives of the people failed by our criminal legal system, including Black, brown, and low-income people. Congress must move with urgency to pass this bill and I’m grateful for Senator Durbin’s ongoing partnership.”

“The death penalty is not a punishment reserved for the worst of the worst; it is one reserved for the poorest of the poor. And it is a penalty disproportionately faced by Black Americans. It is far from clear that the death penalty even serves its primary purpose. There has yet to be any evidence conclusively demonstrating that the death penalty deters people from committing heinous crimes compared to the threat of life in prison,” said Senator Durbin. “I am grateful to Representative Pressley for her partnership and our colleagues who are joining us in this important effort. It is time to end this cruel and unusual punishment once and for all.”

The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act of 2026 would end the use of the death penalty by the federal government. Specifically, the bill would prohibit the imposition of the death penalty as punishment for any violation of federal law and require the re-sentencing of those previously sentenced to death row. The legislation was originally introduced by Durbin and Pressley in July 2019 following DOJ’s announcement under the first Trump Administration that it would resume the use of the death penalty.

In July 2020, the first Trump Administration ended a 17-year hiatus on federal executions when it executed Daniel Lewis Lee, and followed that with six more executions between July 16, 2020, and September 24, 2020. After his defeat at the polls in the November 2020 election, President Trump and political appointees at DOJ ramped up the pace of executions during the lame duck period of his presidency.

On the first day of his second term, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Restoring the Death Penalty and Protecting Public Safety,” directing the Attorney General to pursue the death penalty wherever possible, and in February 2025, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi officially lifted the Biden Administration’s moratorium on federal executions.

Along with Congresswoman Pressley, the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act is cosponsored by Representatives Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Troy Carter Sr. (D-LA-02), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Henry “Hank” Johnson Jr. (D-GA-04), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Summer Lee (D-PA-12), Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-06), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24).

Along with Durbin, the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act is cosponsored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Coons (D-DE), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act is endorsed by 416 organizations. A full list of endorsing organizations can be found here.

“With the executions in five states this week and last week, no other issue exemplifies the disintegration of the rule of law and a failure to protect the least among us like the death penalty in the United States in 2026,” said Abe Bonowitz, Director/Co-Founder of Death Penalty Action. “This is why now is exactly the right time for Congress to be called upon to fix what it can of this mess. Death Penalty Action is proud to stand with Representative Pressley yet again as she leads the effort to shine a spotlight upon the evils of capital punishment.”

Bill text is available here.

Since 2019, Congresswoman Pressley has introduced and championed the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, bicameral legislation with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row.

Congresswoman Pressley has also led calls for President Biden to use his clemency authority to address mass incarceration, commute federal death row, and reunite families. She applauded the President for granting pardons to 39 individuals and commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 individuals on home confinement, and has encouraged him to continue using that authority. She also commended President Biden for commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on death row and re-sentencing them to life in prison.

Rep. Pressley has been an outspoken advocate for abolishing the federal death penalty and her Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act is informed by her People’s Justice Guarantee, a comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system.

• In July 2019, Rep. Pressley and Senator Dick Durbin introduced bicameral legislation to prohibit the use of the death penalty at the federal level and require re-sentencing of those currently on death row. The legislation was reintroduced in 2021 and 2023.
• In December 2024, on Human Rights Day, Rep. Pressley and advocates renewed their calls for clemency and urged President Biden to commute the death sentences of the individuals on federal death row and resentence them to a prison term.
• In November 2024, Rep. Pressley and her colleagues wrote to President Biden urging him to use his clemency authority to address longstanding injustices in our legal system before taking office, including by granting clemency to those on death row.
• In January 2024, Rep. Pressley and Senator Durbin issued a statement on the Department of Justice’s decision to seek the execution of Payton Gendron, who committed the heinous, racially-motivated mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket in 2022.
• In January 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Durbin submitted a comment letter in response to a Department of Justice (DOJ) Request for Information (RFI) regarding the regulations governing federal executions. 
• In March 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of the death penalty in the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev case, urging passage of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, and calling on President Biden to take executive action to halt federal executions, commute the sentences of those on death row, and more.
• In December 2021, Rep. Pressley and Chair Raskin wrote to the Department of Justice requesting information about whether the DOJ plans to resume federal executions and procure pentobarbital sodium for use in such executions.
• In May 2021, Rep. Pressley announced that the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act now has the support of over 90 Members of Congress and 265 national and grassroots organizations across the country.
• In January 2021, Congresswoman Pressley and Congresswoman Cori Bush (D-MO) led more than 35 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to President Biden calling on him to commute the sentences of every person on federal death row. 
• Later that month, Congresswoman Pressley and Reps. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and Robin Kelly (IL-02) wrote to then-Attorney General-nominee Judge Merrick B. Garland urging him to prioritize President Biden’s commitment to working with Congress to end the federal death penalty and incentivizing states to end capital punishment across the country. 
• In December 2020, Congresswoman Pressley led 41 of her House colleagues and three Representatives-Elect on a letter calling on President-Elect Joe Biden to end the use of the federal death penalty on his first day in office.
• In November 2020, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Durbin, along with Senators Patrick Leahy and Cory Booker, wrote to Attorney General Bill Barr calling for a halt on all scheduled federal executions during the presidential transition period.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) joined Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) in introducing the Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act. Companion legislation has been introduced in the United States Senate by Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA). This bipartisan legislation would create a competitive grant program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand scratch cooking in schools.

Scratch cooking allows school districts to prepare their own meals using fresh, locally sourced ingredients instead of serving pre-assembled or processed meals. This innovative approach incorporates a farm to table system in the school setting that helps to reduce water, carbon, and waste footprints.

Research shows that school meals are the most nutritious food source for American schoolchildren. Through scratch cooking, students are afforded the opportunity to consume whole, healthy fruits and vegetables, which are key for healthy growth and brain development in children.

“With increasingly limited funding, school districts across the country are struggling to provide students with consistent access to healthy food options,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Scratch cooking helps address this challenge by giving school food programs the tools to prepare healthier, more sustainable meals while empowering local schools to serve hearty, nutritious food made with fresh ingredients. I am grateful for Congresswoman Jahana Hayes’ leadership on this important issue, and I am proud to work alongside her to ensure school meal programs across the country can nourish children, support their long-term health and success, and help build a more sustainable future for their generation and generations to come.”

“Healthy eating fuels the brain and leads to improved academic performance and emotional well-being. Scratch cooking brings fresh, nutritious meals into schools and strengthens local partnerships with farmers and producers, said Congresswoman Hayes. “The Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act is a comprehensive way to create healthy eating habits at an early age, which students can carry well into adulthood.”

“School nutrition is local health infrastructure. It shapes how children learn, how families are supported, and how communities invest in the next generation. Through our work with local schools, nutrition professionals, farmers, and community partners, we have seen that many districts want to serve fresher, healthier meals, but need the tools, training, and local partnerships to make that shift sustainable. This effort will help close that gap, so more children have access to healthy meals that support their learning and reflect a community-wide commitment to their future,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick.

“Fresh and nutritious food should be accessible for students across America, and school meals are often one of the most reliable sources of nutrition for kids. I’m proud to join Representatives Hayes, Fitzpatrick, and Brownley to introduce this bipartisan, bicameral legislation to expand federal funding so schools have more resources to prepare healthier meals for young Americans,” said Senator Schiff.

The Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act has been endorsed by the Chef Ann Foundation, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), National Education Association (NEA), School Nutrition Association (SNA), and School Nutrition Association of Connecticut, and ScratchWorks.

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Issues: 119th Congress, Climate Crisis, Education, Food Insecurity

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson highlighted House Republicans’ bipartisan efforts to lower the cost of housing for working families, support America’s veterans, and ensure immigration enforcement and border security are funded for the remainder of President Trump’s term. Speaker Johnson also highlighted Democrats’ refusal to support the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum unless biological men are included.

“It’s going to increase the supply and it’s going to make it easier for local banks to deploy capital in their own communities. And all those things are going to help with the cost of living, help with affordability,” Speaker Johnson said. “It’s going be a big thing for the people. The House and Senate remained closely aligned on getting the best possible product to the President’s desk. And we’ll do that in very short order.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s remarks here.

On Budget Reconciliation 2.0:

Republicans are still on track to complete the reconciliation process on time by the June 1 deadline that we set. Leader Scalise talked about that. We’re going to fully fund immigration enforcement and border security and our reconciliation bill. Again, it’s worthy of note. That is rather a shocking proposition. The Democrats don’t want to have anything to do. Think of it. They don’t want to give $1, one penny, to border enforcement, border security, and immigration enforcement. So sadly, we’ve got to do that ourselves. We don’t yet know exactly what form that bill will take because it’s still going through the parliamentary process there and working through the committees and the floor vote. But we’ll process it as soon as we get it, and we’re anxiously awaiting it in the House. We expect that it’s going to happen here by Thursday. That’s the hope.

On House Republican legislation to support America’s veterans:

And we give credit where credit’s due. And I want to thank our Republican House Chairman Mike Bost and Representative Tom Barrett, who worked on these two bills that will safeguard the constitutional rights of American veterans and deliver meaningful relief to Gold Star families at a time when the world faces grave threats, not the least of which include Iran – the largest state sponsor of terror. Every one of us is keenly aware that American strength and freedom are not free. And they’re paid for by the selfless service of military personnel who serve our nation every single day. And we’re reminded of that fact. We’re going to pause to remember those and their families, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We benefit from their heroic work every day. And we should never take that for granted.

On Democrats prioritizing transgender men over biological women:

Nicole and others have done a lot of good faith work for years on this. 230 bipartisan co-sponsors is the actual number right now. But suddenly, in spite of that, Democrats are all backing out. And you heard Leader Scalise talk about this. It’s just an incredible thing. Why are they backing out? Simply because the bill reinforces an objective truth that a museum for women – get ready – should showcase only women. Okay? That’s the concept that got them all riled up. Here’s the language of the commonsense amendment that was added to the bill that made all the Democrats run for the hills. “The museum shall be dedicated to preserving, researching and presenting the history, achievements and lived experiences of biological women in the United States.”

The addition of the word biological made then all run for the hills. I mean, if that’s controversial in Democratic Party, we’re in serious trouble. The party that purports to support women, demanding that the museum include biological men. The Democrats may be okay ceding control of their party to the most radical Far-Left people in the country. But Republicans are not going to be any part of that. We’re not going to stand for it and neither are the overwhelming majority of Americans who still believe in common sense

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

House Passes Transformational Housing Affordability Legislation to Help Restore American Dream for Working Families

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) applaud the House Appropriations Committee’s recent adoption of Congressman Espaillat’s amendment to close the data broker loophole. 

The amendment, which received bipartisan support, prohibits the FBI, DEA, U.S. Marshals, and ATF from using taxpayer dollars to purchase the personal data of those living or traveling in the United States. The Espaillat amendment is derived from the Fourth Amendment is Not For Sale Act, bipartisan legislation authored by Rep. Lofgren, Senator Wyden, and Republican colleagues. 

Adoption of the amendment will deliver substantive protections to millions of residents and travelers in the United States, whose data have been purchased from third party vendors through the Data Broker Loophole and subsequently used by the Trump Administration to target immigrants, political opponents, among others. 

“Now more than ever in our digitally connected society, it is critical that our personal information remains protected and not easily accessible or sold to federal agents to further President Trump’s targeted attacks against immigrant communities and political opponents,” said Rep. Espaillat. “Adoption of my amendment was a major, bipartisan victory that will further the shared momentum in support of new, strengthened protections around our private data.” 

“We must prevent intelligence agencies from purchasing our data to get around the 4th Amendment,” Rep. Lofgren said. “Our digital data opens a window into the most sensitive areas of our private life, and it’s critical that Congress protects Americans’ right to privacy. I thank Congressman Espaillat for introducing our legislation as an amendment, and I thank the House Appropriations Committee for protecting Americans’ civil liberties.” 

“Congressman Espaillat deserves a lot of credit for putting on a full court press to pass this amendment and secure commonsense protections for Americans’ rights,” said Sen. Wyden. “I’m proud to be working with Representatives Espaillat and Lofgren to stop Donald Trump from abusing personal data and end-run the Fourth Amendment. It is long past time for Congress to crack down on shady data brokers and government purchases of sensitive data without any court oversight.”