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

Pressley Calls Out Trump’s Pardons of Convicted Fraudsters and His Own Record of Financial Misconduct

“If Republicans on this committee were serious about accountability and condemning fraud, they would start with the convicted fraudster in the White House.”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – In a fiery exchange in the House Oversight Committee today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) slammed Trump and Republicans for being unserious about rooting out fraud as they ignore Trump’s pardons of convicted fraudsters, which have resulted in the loss of $1.4 billion dollars in restitution and fines. When Congresswoman Pressley questioned Republican Minnesota legislators about whether they support Trump’s pardons of George Santos, global crypto company BitMEX, and January 6^th insurrectionists, the witnesses refused to take a stand.

The exchange came during the committee’s hearing on federal funds in Minnesota.

Last month, Congresswoman Pressley released a report revealing how Donald Trump’s use of clemency and pardons has neglected many of the most marginalized and impacted communities. The report highlighted, among other things, that Trump has used his clemency authority to shield extremists and erase massive financial penalties for insurrectionists, the wealthy, and well-connected.

An excerpt from the exchange is below and the video is available here.

Transcript: In Fiery Exchange, Pressley Blasts Trump, Republicans’ Hypocrisy on ‘Fraud’ in Hearing on Minnesota
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
January 7, 2026

REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you. Mr. Chair. 

Let me just begin by making this plain: credible fraud must be investigated and prevented. 

Every dollar that is stolen from public programs is a dollar that is taken from a child who needs care, a senior who needs food, or a family that is already struggling to make ends meet. 

Ms. Robbins, I want to just begin with a basic question, and please answer yes or no:

When someone is convicted of defrauding the public, do you believe that they should be held accountable? 

MS. ROBBINS: Yes. 

REP. PRESSLEY: So if we’re serious about fraud, then we also have to be serious about accountability. 

Ms. Robbins, what does, do you mind just expounding, what does accountability look like to you?

MS. ROBBINS: We want to prosecute everyone who’s committed a crime, and we want to fire officials in the agencies that are liable for allowing the failure of internal controls.

REP. PRESSLEY: Okay, so Ms. Robbins, let me be more clear, what should happen to fraudsters who steal public dollars?

MS. ROBBINS: They should go to jail. 

REP. PRESSLEY: In my opinion, accountability means restitution. It means consequences, like incarceration, that help ensure that it doesn’t happen again, you know, as a real deterrent and accountability.

It means that money taken from families and the public is returned to them, but that is not the standard that is being set by Donald Trump, who is wielding his clemency authority to allow fraudsters to escape accountability altogether.

Last month, my office published a clemency report titled “Trump’s Clemency Gap: How Trump’s Pardons Are Ignoring the People Who Need Them the Most.” I ask unanimous consent to enter this into the record. Thank you.

Now to the witnesses who serve in the Minnesota state legislature on the Fraud Prevention Committee, let’s walk through these pardons for fraudsters, and we all care about fraud. 

So, Ms. Robbins, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Rarick, Donald Trump pardoned George Santos, who defrauded voters and owed them $370,000 in restitution to victims. Raise your hand if you oppose this pardon.

REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Mr. Ballou.

MS. ROBBINS: Ma’am. I would have to look at the law and the facts of the case. We cannot know the facts of all these individuals.

REP. PRESSLEY: Please don’t deflect. This is a very public case. You know who George Santos is. You know exactly what he did. We just agreed that, you know, fraud is unacceptable and so and you just talked about accountability. 

You said, if people commit fraud and exploit the public good, that they should be incarcerated. So this is not a complicated question.

So I will give you all one more opportunity. Ms. Robbins, Mr. Hudson, and Ms. Rarick, raise your hand if you oppose the pardon of George Santos. 

MR. HUDSON: Not playing this game. 

REP. PRESSLEY: It’s not a game. It’s real life. It’s not a game at all. Okay, but I will take your refusal to go on record, not only as cowardice, but that you do agree with that pardon of that fraudster. Moving on. 

Donald Trump also gave, this has never been done before, presidential pardons to corporations that committed fraud. One example is the crypto company BitMEX that violated US law and was fined $100 million.

Now raise your hand if you oppose Trump’s pardon of this crypto company.

Thank you, Mr. Ballou.

MR. HUDSON: Not participating. 

REP. PRESSLEY: Okay again. I’ll take your refusal to not raise your hand in opposition. That means that you support this pardon of this corporation that frauded folks to the tune of $100 million.

MR. HUDSON: Refusal to participate is not an expression one way or another. 

REP. PRESSLEY: Reclaiming my time.

[cross talk]

REP. PRESSLEY: Reclaiming my time. You are not in order with the rules of committee. This is my time. Do not speak over me. 

Mr. Chair? You are not in order with the rules of the committee. This is my time.

I ask the questions and you answer, but you’re too much of a coward to answer. So we’re going to move on.

Now yesterday was the five-year anniversary, and I want to note, of the January 6 insurrection. And on Donald Trump’s first day in office, he pardoned 1,500 insurrectionists, including Brian Christopher Mock who’s from Minnesota. 

Are y’all gonna say you don’t know who that is? He’s from Minnesota. 

Now, he kicked, shoved, and threw a flag pole at police officers, you know, law enforcement that you claim to support, and he did all of that in the name of fraud. 

He was an election denier, so an election fraud lie. Now he claims he did these things in the name of patriotism, but really, he’s just a criminal. 

So raise your hand if you oppose Trump’s pardon of this Minnesota individual.

MS. ROBBINS: Ma’am this grandstanding — 

REP. PRESSLEY: This is not grandstanding. This is accountability, and you are hypocrites.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Johnson released the following statement: 

“The video shows an armed, masked agent violating law enforcement policy by improperly using deadly force in repeatedly firing his gun into a moving vehicle. The result: a woman executed for at most violating a traffic ordinance. This is the unlawful killing of a human being, and like Derek Chauvin this officer should be arrested and charged with murder.”

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

Pressley Renews Call to Abolish ICE, Demands Investigation to Ensure Accountability

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the horrific murder of a woman in Minnesota by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Pressley motioned to subpoena all records and footage related to the shooting, but Republicans obstructed it.

Footage of Congresswoman Pressley’s motion to subpoena is here.

“The murder of a woman in Minnesota by ICE agents in broad daylight is horrific and unacceptable. This harrowing tragedy should never have happened, and my heart breaks for the victim, their loved ones, and the entire Minnesota community.

“ICE is a rogue, violent agency that moves with reckless disregard for human life and due process, and it has no business in our communities. It must be abolished and the agents involved must be held fully accountable.

“DHS’ claim that an agent shot in self-defense is a bold-faced lie and the video footage is damning. But after I moved to subpoena all records and footage related to this killing, Republicans shamefully voted it down—demonstrating once again that they have never cared about law and order or keeping our communities safe.

“What happened today is a despicable consequence of Donald Trump’s campaign of terror, fear, and demonization of vulnerable communities and we cannot allow it to be normalized in America. I demand a thorough and independent investigation into this tragedy so the victim, her loved ones, and the public get the accountability and transparency they deserve. It’s time for the Trump Administration to end its cruel, unlawful mass deportation agenda once and for all.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah 6th District Wisconsin)

Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) voiced strong support for a coalition of family and faith-based organizations urging House leadership to address marriage penalties embedded in federal welfare programs as part of a future budget reconciliation package.

Grothman has long led efforts in Congress to eliminate policies that penalize marriage and undermine family stability. Grothman has repeatedly warned that federal welfare rules discourage marriage, weaken families, and trap parents and children in cycles of dependency – in some cases costing families tens of thousands of dollars simply for choosing to marry.

Ending marriage penalties is not a partisan topic. Congressman Grothman has worked across the aisle on this issue, introducing bipartisan legislation, the Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, recognizing that the federal government should not punish Americans for forming stable families.

“Marriage penalties are one of the most damaging and misguided features of the federal welfare system,” said Rep. Glenn Grothman. “For decades, Washington has punished families for getting married, discouraging responsibility and trapping parents and children in long-term dependency. This apparently commonsense proposal to stop punishing marriage will not be without its enemies.

“And it is not just about economics: children in single-parent or unstable homes are more than twice as likely to be abused or neglected[1], often by unrelated adult partners in the household. Encouraging strong, stable families can help protect children and prevent these types of domestic tragedies.

“We cannot fully say that America is great again while we still have these marriage penalties in place. Strong families lead to stronger communities and a stronger nation, and it’s time our policies reflected that. I’ve been pushing to fix these inequities for years, and now Congress has a real opportunity to end these penalties, reward families, and stop federal policies that undermine marriage.”

Key Excerpts from the Coalition Letter

“Marriage is at the heart of strong families. Decades of research show that children do better when raised in married households, and that strong families reduce poverty, improve economic outcomes, and foster the social stability necessary for a thriving nation. Yet too many federal means-tested programs actively discourage marriage, penalizing the very values our country should be encouraging. In certain cases, these penalties can amount to as much as $27,727, making marriage financially irrational for many families.”

 

“Polling shows that this issue has broad support across the country as 82 percent of Americans agree the welfare system should not penalize parents for marrying. Moreover, marriage penalties drive up long-term welfare costs by discouraging self-sufficiency and trapping families in dependency, undermining both fiscal responsibility and family stability.”

The letter was led by American Principles Project and signed by Heritage Action, Capability Consulting, Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, Advancing American Freedom, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of Southern Baptist Convention, AdvanceUSA, Coalition for Jewish Values, Faith and Liberty in the Nation’s Capital, Eagle Forum, Family Policy Alliance, Students for Life Action, Faith and Freedom Coalition, Independent Women’s Forum, Family Watch International, Brad Wilcox, and Jamie Bryan Hall.

Grothman is continuing his work to eliminate marriage penalties. On January 13, 2026, he will host a panel discussion titled, ‘Marriage and the Government: How Public Policy Undermines Marriage’. Grothman will be joined by the Republican Study Committee, the Values Action Taskforce Chairman Congressman Robert Aderholt, the Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector, the American Principals Project, and other groups to discuss possible solutions to eliminate these penalties, their negative effects on society, and how to restore the American Family. More information will be forthcoming.

[1] https://thelifeofasinglemom.com/single-mom-statistics-the-truth-about-single-moms/#:~:text=Bureau%2C%202018).-,Abuse,to%20use%20drugs%20or%20alcohol

-30- 

U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives

Link to letter: 2026 Marriage Penalties Letter to Speaker.docx

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)

Following expressions of support by the White House and Speaker Johnson, Co-Chairs of the National Prayer Breakfast, Reps. Ben Cline (VA-06) and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), announced today that the events at the Hilton and the Capitol will reunite as a single gathering in 2026, continuing a tradition of fellowship and unified prayer that has existed for several decades. The breakfast will be held at the Washington Hilton in Northwest DC on February 5, 2026.

“This decision reflects both gratitude for how we adapted during an unprecedented time and excitement about continuing this year’s gathering in the tradition by which it has long been defined,” said Rep. Cline, Co-Chair of the National Prayer Breakfast. “The purpose of the event is to bring Members together with the President in a spirit of humility, reflection, and prayer.”

The National Prayer Breakfast was first held in 1953, following the efforts of Abraham Vereide, a Norwegian-American Methodist minister who believed deeply in the power of prayer and personal relationships among leaders. What began as a small prayer gathering between President Eisenhower and Members of Congress quickly grew into an annual tradition, drawing leaders from across the nation and around the world.

“For more than seven decades, this breakfast has offered a consistent space for leaders to pause, reflect, and pray with leaders across the country and around the world,” said Rep. Jackson, Co-Chair of the National Prayer Breakfast. “Returning to the Hilton this year and reuniting the breakfast honors that history while looking ahead with renewed purpose.”

The 74^th National Prayer Breakfast will be held at 7:30am Thursday, February 5, 2026.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce issued the following statement following the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) approval of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program proposal.

“Today marks a historic milestone in the efforts to get all Kentuckians connected to fast and reliable broadband. After years of burdensome requirements preventing the BEAD Program from connecting a single home, the NTIA just fully accepted Kentucky’s proposal, which will bring 86,400 unserved and underserved locations in the Commonwealth online,” said Chairman Guthrie. “This historic $376.9 million investment in our Commonwealth would not have been possible without the work of the Trump Administration to provide much-needed reform to the program, following outreach and engagement from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress to streamline broadband permitting and ensure BEAD money is deployed quickly and efficiently across Kentucky and the nation.”

“Congratulations to Kentucky on the approval of its final BEAD proposal,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth. “The state’s disciplined approach—delivering significant savings, a strong technology mix, and robust skin in the game—truly exemplifies how the Benefit of the Bargain reforms have helped maximize the impact of taxpayer dollars while delivering universal connectivity to the Bluegrass State.”

Background:
– The BEAD Program was a $42.45 billion program established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to provide federal funding to connect every American to high-speed broadband.
– The NTIA worked with state broadband agencies to develop plans based on topline funding levels, with the NTIA having the authority to approve state plans.
–The Biden Administration’s unnecessary and burdensome requirements prevented the $42 billion program from connecting a single home, failing to deliver for our unserved and underserved communities.
– On June 6, 2025, President Trump’s NTIA released new guidance announcing the removal of these unnecessary burdens and required entities to run one more bidding round before submitting final proposals for approval.
– As Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Chairman Guthrie has worked with his colleagues on the Committee and NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth to reform the BEAD program through regulation and to advance legislation that streamlines the permitting process for the deployment of broadband nationwide.

The final Commonwealth of Kentucky BEAD proposal, approved by the NTIA, can be found here.

A map of awards for projects can be found here.

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

Today in Minneapolis, a masked Department of Homeland Security agent shot and killed an unarmed woman who was not the target of an immigration enforcement action.

There is no evidence that has been presented to justify this killing. Secretary Kristi Noem is a stone-cold liar and has zero credibility. The masked ICE agent who pulled the trigger should be criminally investigated to the full extent of the law for acting with depraved indifference to human life. 

I pray for the loved ones of the victim and stand with the people of Minneapolis during this difficult time. The American people must reject this cruelty and extremism. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

WASHINGTON – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), released the following statement regarding the recent shooting by ICE in Minneapolis.

“The brutal, unnecessary shooting death of a woman in Minneapolis today by an ICE officer is a shocking and devastating tragedy and a stain on our entire nation.  

“The agents carrying out these ICE raids are federal officers with a sacred duty to uphold the law and protect our communities, not terrorize them. Those officers responsible for today’s horrific shooting must face a thorough investigation and be held to full account for their actions.

“Sending strength to the Minneapolis community. Chicagoland knows all too well the trauma and terror Trump’s chaotic immigration operations bring to otherwise peaceful communities.

“Our President should be making America and Americans safer. He is failing.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro:

“Nicolas Maduro has been indicted in U.S. courts for drug trafficking, stole the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, and has denied the Venezuelan people their just democratic aspirations. He is unquestionably a bad actor who deserves to face justice.

“Those facts alone, however, do not relieve President Trump of his constitutional obligations or give him blanket authority to send the U.S. military into a foreign land. 

“President Trump owes the American people clear and convincing evidence that Maduro and the Venezuelan regime posed an imminent threat to the United States and our citizens, and a clear legal justification for using military force without prior authorization from Congress. 

“The President must also present Congress with a credible strategy for what comes next. The Administration needs to explain how it intends to prevent Venezuela from further collapsing, becoming a failed state, and potentially destabilizing the entire region—posing an even greater threat to the American people and our allies.”

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