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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Long Branch, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced the recipients of the Congressional Award, this year’s U.S. Service Academy nominees, the winners of the 2026 Sixth Congressional District High School Arts Competition, the Congressional App Challenge and the winners of the Poetry Showcase at an awards ceremony. Students representing multiple local schools were honored at a reception at Middlesex College. 

Pallone honored the 2026 recipients of the Congressional Award. Created by his predecessor, the late U.S. Rep. Jim Howard, the Congressional Award recognizes the initiative, achievement, and volunteer services of young people. The recipients include:

Bronze Congressional Award Recipients:

• Alperen Akardere, Piscataway
• Brandon Kaiserman, Aberdeen
• Rishi Shah, Parlin

Silver Congressional Award Recipients:

• Neil Arestani, Edison
• Josephine Bednarsh, Rumson
• Brody Gray, Rumson
• Nyla Martin, Rumson

Gold Congressional Award Recipient:

• Alexander Poon, Edison

 

“The Congressional Award is given to individuals whose accomplishments and dedication to their communities exemplifies the best qualities of the future,” Pallone said. “I’m proud to award this honor to this year’s recipients, and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.” 

The New Jersey Congressman also honored the candidates he nominated to the U.S. Service Academies. The nominees include:

U.S. Air Force Academy

• Neil Arestani, Edison High School
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Liam Kuntz, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
• Zijie Ye, Marine Academy of Science and Technology

 

U.S. Naval Academy                                      

• Angelina Freel-DiPalma, Communications High School
• Jack Furlong, Christian Brothers Academy
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Robert Noble, Saint Joseph High School
• Donovan Post, Marine Academy of Science and Technology
• Justin Trivino, Metuchen High School
• Matthew Velarde, John F. Kennedy High School
• Zijie Ye, Marine Academy of Science and Technology

 

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

• Julian Arango, Saint Joseph High School
• Neil Arestani, Edison High School
• Angelina Freel-DiPalma, Communications High School 
• John Germak, Regis High School
• Dev Goel, Metuchen High School
• Connor Han, Woodbridge Academy Magnet School
• Christopher Runde, Old Bridge High School
• Yash Sharma, John P. Stevens High School
• Justin Trivino, Metuchen High School

    

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy                  

• Emma Rollins, Colts Neck High School
• Evan Rollins, Virginia Military Institute

                  

“The value of military service to our nation cannot be overstated, and I am proud of the commitment that these nominees have shown to serving their country,” said Pallone. “These nominees showed outstanding academic and extra-curricular achievements, leadership, and motivation in serving our country. Our nation’s service academies are some of the highest caliber institutions that are committed to graduating leaders of character, honor, and integrity. New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District is home to so many bright and qualified students. I wish all the nominees the very best of luck in the future and thank them for their willingness to serve.”

Young artists from various schools in Middlesex and Monmouth counties participated in this year’s art competition. Local judges chose first, second and third place winners. They also awarded 15 honorable mentions. The first-place winner, Siqi Ye, will have her artwork displayed for the next year in the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  

Congressional Art Competition Winners:

First Place: Siqi Ye, John P. Stevens High School

Second Place: Sophia Lojko, Piscataway High School

Third Place: Tristan Quiapo, Sayreville War Memorial High School

Honorable Mentions: 

• Gabrielle Callueng, Edison High School
• Gabriel De Jesus, Sayreville War Memorial High School
• Destiny Diaz, Perth Amboy High School
• Sahiti Garlapati, John P. Stevens High School
• Madeleine Hargreaves, Highland Park High School
• Meghan Jiang, John P. Stevens High School
• Johan Munoz, East Brunswick Magnet School
• Krishna Patel, John P. Stevens High School
• Suhana Patodi, John P. Stevens High School
• Adriana Pereira, Sayreville War Memorial High School
• Elizabeth Poole, Piscataway High School
• Asiyah Sharif, Piscataway High School
• Shelby Streberger, Red Bank Regional High School
• Sophie Sun, John P. Stevens High School
• Lena Jae Zicari, Raritan High School

 

“I have long believed that Congress should play a major role in encouraging interest in the arts,” Pallone said. “This competition provides a forum to help the aspiring young artists of our area gain recognition and exposure. Young artists can gain confidence in themselves and their abilities by displaying their work and having it evaluated by knowledgeable judges.”

Pallone also announced the winners of the 2026 Congressional App Challenge. The competition encourages students to explore STEM education and highlights the value of computer science.

First Place: Eric Dai and Vaibhav Sitaraman, both from Edison Academy Magnet School, with the app, RoadWatch, an AI-powered dashcam system that revolutionizes how both drivers and local governments interact with road infrastructure.

Second Place: Vivana Satiani of John P. Stevens High School and Siddharth Mirchandani of Edison Academy Magnet School, with the app, APMaster.ai, an accessible, AI-powered study platform that helps students prepare for AP exams more efficiently and confidently.

Third Place: Vijeta Garg, Tanush Kandpal, Winston Law and Tanush Lingala, all from Edison High School, with the app, Orwell, which promotes civic engagement by breaking down the legalese of Congressional bills and conveying them in an accessible manner to the American youth. 

“The Congressional App Challenge is an important platform for students to showcase their skills in programming and computer science while supporting the next generation’s interest in STEM subjects. I will continue to support investments in STEM education so that our country remains at the forefront of innovation and research. I congratulate this year’s winners and encourage everyone who has an idea to submit it for the competition next year,” said Pallone.

Finally, Pallone announced the winners of the Poetry Showcase. The Poetry Showcase coincides with National Poetry Month, which is celebrated during the month of April. The showcase allows students of all ages to express themselves in writing under one of three thematic categories: District Pride, Voices of Change, and Our Common Ground.

“The Poetry Showcase is a wonderful opportunity for students of all ages to express themselves in writing while exploring themes that I believe resonate with their community,” Pallone concluded. “This year, we received over 500 submissions, which is a testament to our students’ dedication to literature and language. I want to thank everyone who participated and commend them for their commitment to this literary art.”  

Our Common Ground

 

• Taylon Clarke, Assumption Catholic School, Elementary School Award 
• Emma Pitre, Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School, Middle School Award 
• Meghan Chewning, Shore Regional High School, High School Award

  Voices of Change

   

• Amelia Sansaricq, Assumption Catholic School, Elementary School Award
• Jayon Alford, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, Middle School Award
• Ariel Marshall, Long Branch High School, High School Award 

  District Pride

   

• Aarav Arumugan, Woodbrook Elementary School, Elementary School Award
• Sonika Doshi, Edgar Middle School, Middle School Award 
• Abdullah Muzammil, South Plainfield High School, High School Award

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

The bipartisan amendment to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act will now go to the Senate for consideration

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

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Greg Landsman (OH-01) introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to end a controversial pilot program that is using AI to delay and deny health care for seniors on traditional Medicare.

In January 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model in six states: Washington, Ohio, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arizona. The program contracts with private companies to use AI to review claims for certain procedures and pays those companies based on how many claims they deny.

Earlier this month, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) determined that WISeR is subject to the Congressional Review Act, meaning that before the policy can take effect, CMS must submit it to both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Given this determination, DelBene and Landsman introduced this Congressional Review Act resolution, allowing Congress to review and disapprove of WISeR. If the CRA resolution passes both chambers, the WISeR program would be stopped. 

“WISeR is a dangerous program that is denying care to Medicare patients so companies can profit. In just the first few months of the program, we’ve seen stories from across Washington state of seniors suffering while conditions worsen as they await approval for treatments their doctor prescribed. This program implements the same flawed prior authorization scheme from Medicare Advantage into traditional Medicare. If scaled up, it would be a back door to privatizing Medicare. It is causing needless delays, worsening conditions, and costing us more in the long-run. Congress needs to step up and put an end to WISeR,” said DelBene.

“Instead of letting doctors decide what’s best for their patients, the Trump administration is experimenting with a dangerous AI model that’s delaying and even denying critical care for seniors. Congress needs to act,” said Landsman.

DelBene also introduced a standalone bill to end the program. She has also urged Congress to block it in the annual government funding process.

The text of the resolution can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) had two bills he co-leads and an additional bill he is a cosponsor of pass the House as part of the House’s amended 21st Century Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream (ROAD) to Housing legislative package. This legislation would address the high cost of housing for Granite Staters by increasing access to home loans, cutting red tape, lowering costs to build housing, and more.

Pappas co-led and supports several provisions in the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, including: 

• The Accelerating Home Building Act to support local governments in expediting permitting and home-building processes to lower costs for Granite Staters.

• The Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act to empower the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to expand statutory loan limits for manufactured homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by an average of 107% across all loan types.

• The VA Home Loan Awareness Act to help more veterans take advantage of the VA Home Loan program. 

“New Hampshire’s housing needs have reached a crisis point, and it is critical that we do all we can to increase the supply of affordable housing and lower costs on everything from rent to construction to repairs,” said Congressman Pappas. “This package passing the House is an important step forward, and I’m going to continue working to see my legislation to cut red tape to build more housing, strengthen assistance to middle-class homeowners for improvements and repairs, and expand veterans’ access to the VA Home Loan program signed into law. I remain committed to working with anyone to deliver for New Hampshire and ensure that homeownership can be a reality for every hardworking Granite Stater.”

TheProperty Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act would boost America’s housing supply by:

• Expanding FHA’s Title I loan program by increasing limits and extending terms on loans for manufactured homes—one of the largest forms of affordable housing currently ineligible for federal funding;

• Allowing FHA to index property improvement loans to inflation and expand the data it uses when setting loan limits for manufactured homes, securing Title I as an essential tool for the future as home costs continue to rise;

• Extending Title I financing to ADUs, a versatile means of expanding America’s housing supply. 

Nationwide, communities are investing in a process called pattern zoning, in which architects and local governments develop pattern books full of pre-approved, standardized plans and designs. Specifically, the Accelerating Home Building Actwould: 

• Establish a pilot HUD-administered grant program to fund the creation of pattern books with a focus on missing middle and infill construction; and

• Provide set-asides for rural communities and prioritize high-opportunity areas and localities working to reduce barriers to housing development.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Planning Association, Congress for the New Urbanism, Up for Growth Action, National Apartment Association, Smart Growth America, Main Street America, and the National Association of REALTORS. You can view a one-pager on the legislation here.

The VA Home Loan program offers veterans no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and interest rates that are often lower than rates for conventional FHA loans. Despite these benefits, only 13 percent of veterans access the VA Home Loan program. Among veterans who don’t use the VA Home Loan program, 33 percent say they are not aware of the program. TheVA Home Loan Awareness Actwould help better inform veterans of opportunities provided by the VA Home Loan program by:

• Adding a disclosure to the Uniform Residential Loan Application (URLA) informing veterans they may be eligible for a VA Home Loan and directing applicants to consult their lender for more information about the VA Home Loan program; and

• Instructing the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review and report to Congress on lenders’ adoption of these URLA updates.

Background:

New Hampshire is on track to be 90,000 units of housing short in the next decade, while the median home sale price in the state has risen to over half a million dollars. New Hampshire’s median rent has now reached $2,143 per month, the ninth highest in the country.

Pappas has worked to ensure Granite State communities have the resources they need to increase the affordable housing stock and tackle the housing crisis. Last year he helped introduce the bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act to support affordable housing financing and development by expanding and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. He also co-leads the Supporting Projects to Unleash Residential (SPUR) Housing Actto lower the cost of building new housing developments through a grant program to offset state and local impact fees. In 2024, he and the New Hampshire delegation welcomed more than $30 million in federal grants to build more affordable housing across the Granite State.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Pocan (2nd District of Wisconsin)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) announced he’ll be introducing the Tax the Grift Act, a bill to tax all payouts from President Trump’s $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” at 100 percent so that all taxpayer funding goes back to the Treasury rather than into the hands of Trump allies.  

“Donald Trump just can’t stop grifting. He’s now using taxpayer dollars to create a $1.776 billion slush fund for his friends who claim they were ‘persecuted’ by Democrats, including January 6th insurrectionists who attacked police officers and tried to overturn an election, with next to no oversight. This bill will claw back every penny. Americans should not be forced to bankroll payouts for people who attacked our democracy or are just friends with Trump.”

Background:

The Justice Department announced on Monday that, as part of a deal to settle Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, a new $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” will be created to allow so-called victims of “political targeting” to petition for financial compensation. This fund is just the latest scheme through which Trump intends to funnel taxpayer dollars to his political allies. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids voted to pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation aimed at expanding affordable housing supply, lowering housing costs, strengthening renter protections, and supporting community financial institutions that help Kansans access homeownership and housing development opportunities.

“Rising housing costs are hitting families across Kansas, and people are tired of feeling like homeownership or affordable rent is moving further out of reach,” said Davids. “This bipartisan bill takes practical steps to build more housing, strengthen protections for renters and homeowners, and crack down on large corporate investors buying up homes. It’s the kind of commonsense work Congress should be focused on to help lower costs and create more stability for families.”

The updated House package — an amended version of the Senate bill — preserves nearly 90 percent of the Senate’s approach while restoring several bipartisan housing provisions the House previously passed and that Davids supported this year. It also addresses concerns raised about the Senate version by maintaining protections against large institutional investors purchasing single-family homes, while preserving new rental housing construction and preventing forced home sales that could lead to unnecessary evictions.

The legislation includes provisions to:

• accelerate construction of multifamily, manufactured, and rural housing; 
• expand access to small-dollar mortgages;
• prohibit large institutional investors owning more than 350 single-family homes from purchasing additional single-family houses;
• strengthen protections for families living in federally assisted housing;
• establish a renter complaint hotline and public resource center for resolving renter disputes with large institutional investor landlords;
• and support community banks, credit unions, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), and rural lenders that help finance housing projects and mortgages. 

The House version also removes Senate provisions opposed by housing advocates that could weaken tenant protections and federal oversight in public housing programs. More than 30 national housing organizations urged House leaders to pass the updated package, and several housing industry groups that previously opposed the Senate bill announced support for the amended House version in recent days.

Across Kansas, there is a shortage of rental homes that are affordable and available to low-income households, causing many families to spend more than half of their monthly income on housing. It’s estimated that in 2021, Kansas had more than 55,000 fewer rental homes than needed. Also, currently 40 percent of renters in Johnson County are housing cost-burdened, meaning these families and others across the state must forego necessities — food, healthcare, childcare — to afford rent.

Last year, Davids released her Housing Affordability Agenda, outlining a path forward for bipartisan legislation in Congress to ensure every American has access to safe, decent, affordable housing and the amenities needed to thrive. Her agenda centers on expanding supply, reducing cost burdens, and strengthening consumer protections in the housing market.

In February, Davids convened local housing and community development leaders in Olathe to discuss strategies to expand affordable housing access for Kansans. Also, she and former Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-KS-02) previously urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to schedule a vote on bipartisan legislation that boosts affordable rental housing options in rural, suburban, and urban Kansas. Davids has also secured federal funding for multiple housing projects across Kansas’ Third District, from rural to urban to suburban communities.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) to highlight House Republicans’ efforts to support veterans, lower housing costs, honor women’s contributions, and back law enforcement while calling out Democrats for repeatedly opposing common-sense legislation.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks.
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:On paying tribute to America’s fallen service members:“I really want to thank my colleague and dear friend Jake Ellzey for those warm words and really kind of reminding everybody what Memorial Day is really all about, why we pause to pay tribute to those men and women, especially who gave their lives, who did not come home. And obviously, you know some of them, served with them. And it wears even heavier on your heart, but it wears on all of us. And so we remember them. We will say prayers for their family, but we’re also taking action.”On taking care of veterans and protecting their rights: “The bills, as the Whip mentioned, that we’re bringing to the floor, Chairman Bost’s committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee, is dedicated to making sure that we’re properly taking care of our men and women in uniform, but especially those who don’t make it back. And the fact that the survivor benefits have not been adjusted for decades is an embarrassment. And we correct that oversight that has gone on for way too long, by bringing that up to where it needs to be to help those families who don’t have their loved ones with them, but still have bills to pay, have kids to raise. And that’s an important bill.“The Second Amendment protections, of all people, who should have those? It surely should be those who fought to defend the rights that we have. They surely should not have less rights than American citizens who did not participate in our military. And so that bill at least gives them equity and parity to make sure that our veterans are not treated less than every other American citizen when it comes to Second Amendment rights.”On House Republicans prioritizing affordable housing: “The housing bill that we’re going to be voting on today is really, really important to lower housing costs for all American families. This is a bill that French Hill, the Financial Services Committee, did incredible work on to make sure we got the policy right. Clearly, there were some differences between the House and Senate. You see, many of those problems were addressed in the changes in the amendments that Chairman Hill is bringing forward in the bill that is on the suspension calendar today. I think you’re going to see a very strong vote, which shows that all of us want to see lower housing costs, but we need to change laws. We need to simplify some of the laws so that we can lower those housing costs. This is something that every American in this country is going to be happy to see, to have lower housing costs.”On Democrats rejecting common sense, Women’s History Museum:“One of the bills you’re going to be able to watch a really interesting vote on tomorrow is the Women’s Museum. You know, we’re bringing a National Women’s Museum. Shouldn’t be controversy at all, except for the fact that the Democrat Women’s Caucus has now come out against a women’s museum. And you would ask why. That doesn’t make any sense. And it doesn’t. But it shows you how crazy the other side is right now and how void of common sense the Democrats are. There is one condition that is in that bill that they took objection to. Now you think about it, everybody for years had been asking for a women’s museum to be created. And in the creation of it, they said the only people that can be honored in a women’s museum are biological women. And because that word ‘biological women’ is in there, every Democrat woman came out against the bill. So let’s see how they explain that to people back home who would say, what world are you living in where you don’t want to pay tribute to women? And we’re going to have that vote anyway. But it just shows you how far their party has strayed.”On Democrats turning their back on law enforcement: “You saw that vote last week on Law Enforcement Week, a week, again, to pay tribute to our men and women in uniform who keep our communities safe. The police, a lot of them were up here from all over the country. We had a resolution by Zach Nunn to pay tribute to our men and women in law enforcement. Unbelievable that 86% of Democrats voted against that resolution. So when people go back home and say they support the men and women in blue, you don’t support them when you vote no on a resolution that pays tribute to our men and women in uniform. So the defund the police movement is alive and well in the Democrat Party when 86% of Democrats last week voted against cops – it was disgusting to watch. But I think police and anybody who supports men and women in uniform all across the country were watching that vote. One more example of the sharp contrast between Republicans moving common-sense legislation and Democrats going off the deep end of crazy, totally void of common sense.”

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Department of Justice announced the creation of an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of a $1.7 billion settlement to resolve President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Treasury Department:

“Our Framers never envisioned a president using his authority over the enforcement of the law to force a favorable settlement in his own tax case and shield his family and Trump-affiliated companies from future audits. The terms and scope of this settlement raise serious questions about the ability of the Justice Department to operate under this Administration free from unjust political influence. The giveaway of taxpayer funds to the President’s political supporters as a reward for their loyalty to him over their patriotism to our country is sickening. 

“This is just the latest example of this Administration’s rampant corruption. Again and again, we see this President undermine our democracy, test the limits of the rule of law, and enrich himself and his friends at taxpayers’ expense. Perhaps even more egregious is that this Republican Majority is complicit by refusing to hold the President and his appointees accountable. Congress must assert its oversight power and use every tool to hold this President and his Administration accountable to the American people.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, released the following statement on the bipartisan amendment to the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act:

“This is commonsense, family first legislation that lowers costs and increases access to the American dream of home ownership. By getting rid of wasteful regulatory barriers, communities in the greater St. Louis region will be able to build the housing they need to address the high cost of living.  Missouri families are feeling the pinch of housing costs, and my House colleagues and I stepped up to streamline home construction and help parents get an affordable mortgage on a house they love.  This bill also cuts red tape and allows banks to deploy more capital into their communities, freeing up funding that Missourians can use to finance a home purchase or start a business.

“Today’s legislation is the end result of months of bipartisan work to make life easier for our friends and loved ones looking to find a home and I am proud to support it.  Stable and affordable housing is crucial to supporting families as they grow the next generation, and this legislation achieves that goal.”