MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Department is delivering over $1.05 billion to replace the 65-year-old Blatnik Bridge on I-535 connecting Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin, across the St. Louis Bay. 

“Today marks a tremendous milestone for our Northland communities. With the official disbursement of Blatnik funds, we will soon see ground break on this critical replacement project,” said Congressman Pete Stauber. “For decades, the Blatnik Bridge has carried 33,000 vehicles daily, serving as a vital lifeline for commerce and commuting between the Twin Ports and the broader region. Yet, time has taken its toll, which is why I have made it a priority in my tenure to secure this investment for its replacement. Soon, we will see the launch of a project that will create union jobs, ensure stronger supply chains for industries, and guarantee smoother and safer commutes for workers and tourists. I’m proud to have helped bring this project across the finish line, and I look forward to seeing this bridge arise anew and unlock lasting economic benefits for the Twin Ports for generations to come.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are delivering critical dollars to rural America. This Department inherited an unprecedented Biden-Buttigieg backlog of 3,200 grants that were announced to much fanfare but never actually delivered,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “As a son of Wisconsin, I know just how vital this bridge is to the future of Superior and Duluth. After months of hard work, our team is ready to get this money out the door and shovels in the dirt. I want to thank Congressman Stauber for his tireless advocacy for this project on behalf of his constituents and Wisconsin neighbors to the south.”

Congressman Stauber has been a strong advocate for delivering these funds to Minnesota and Wisconsin. After Biden-Buttigieg passed over Minnesota DOT’s application for funding, Congressman Stauber led a bipartisan effort to get funds allocated.

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

“It’s the people’s data. It’s the people’s money. And we can’t innovate financial privacy laws without our communities being at the center of those decisions.”

WASHINGTON – Today, at a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) emphasized the need for consumers’ autonomy over their financial information and history and protection from big banks and FinTech companies sharing such data without explicit consent. Rep. Pressley urged support for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Open Banking rule, which would allow consumers to not only share financial information with financial platforms but also have autonomy over their financial data to share with other financial institutions of their choosing.

A transcript of Congresswoman Pressley’s remarks is available below, and the video is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul (R-Texas) discussed the importance of revitalizing our nation’s defense industrial base at a committee hearing titled, “Reforming America’s Defense Sales.”

Click to watch

Full Exchange:

Rep. McCaul: Mr. Chairman, appreciate you having this important hearing. When I was chairman, signing off on weapon sales I thought was one of the most important duties and responsibilities of this committee. This is the committee of war and peace, and it could not be more relevant than it is today with the actions in Iran, which I fully support. Since 1979, a dark veil of terror has reigned over the Middle East, and thanks to President Trump, that shroud is being lifted. These weapons have never been more important than they are right now at this moment.

Mr. Secretary Duffey, I totally agree with you: America First doesn’t mean America alone. We do have allies. We help them with NATO, but they need to help us as well. And the Strait of Hormuz is a good example of that. The president has called upon our allies to help open up the straits for the global supply of energy. Unfortunately, the news today is they have denied that assistance, and it’s to their own detriment.

But when it comes to the sales, I set up the arms sales task force headed up by now-UN Ambassador Mike Waltz. That was a precursor to the chairman’s TIGER Task Force. I want to congratulate you, sir, on the work of that task force, and Commander Zinke, for his great work on that. Because the way I look at the arms sales is, it’s a great not only from a military defense tool, but also from a diplomacy standpoint. This can be used to gain allies, say in the Middle East, like Saudi, against our adversaries like China. Weapons were withheld in the prior administration to Israel, to my great consternation. I passed [AUKUS Pillar II] to get around some of these international restrictions.

So, there are a lot of problems that need to be fixed. One is the political bureaucracy of Congress that I think the chairman has tackled head-on. The other one is the needs that we have throughout the world. We have several conflict zones or hot zones, I call them. It started with the implosion of Afghanistan, the Russian invasion into Ukraine, Chairman Xi’s unholy alliance with Putin, threatening Taiwan, and the Ayatollah raising his ugly head in the Middle East on October the 7th, which was supposed to be Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran, and troops in Syria together to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

So my question is to Mr. Secretary Duffey: As we move the THAAD system, by the way, from South Korea to the Middle East, we are being stretched very thin. And given the myriad of threats that we have, and I know some of this gets outside of your domain, sir, but what do we need to do to backfill the stockpiles? But more importantly, as we look at Ukraine as a laboratory for modern warfare systems like the drones — and I applaud Ukraine for assisting the United States in the Iran conflict to counter these dangerous Shahed drones that were made by Iran and sold to Russia, used to kill Ukrainians, now to kill Americans — what can we do not only to backfill the stockpile, which we’ll be passing a supplemental bill to pay for that, but how can we move towards modernization of weapon systems like what we’re seeing in the theater of the Ukraine-Russian conflict?

Secretary Duffey: Congressman, thank you for your question, and thank you to you and the committee for your leadership on this issue. I think it’s imperative for us to be able to make the change that we need, for us to have such universal commitment to the need for change. I’d like to talk about the fact that we have agreement for change on both sides of the aisle, both sides of the river, both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue, and that really creates the conditions for us to be able to make change.

I think the ability to reform the FMS process is inextricably linked with our need to reform the acquisition process, because as you look at what are the constraints in the FMS system, I do believe our industrial base capacity is a key constraint that really inhibits our ability to fulfill the pipeline of FMS orders that we have. And we’ve been working on that at least since I first arrived in the administration, and certainly following my confirmation last June. Secretary Hegseth rolled out the acquisition transformation strategy on August 7th, and I can get into that detail throughout the hearing today.

But I think most importantly, what’s emerged from that reform effort are deals that precede these hostilities with some of our key industrial partners, Raytheon and Lockheed, to triple or quadruple the production capacity of key munitions like Patriots, THAAD interceptors, Tomahawks, Standard Missiles — the kinds of weapons that we rely on for the defense of our nation and our allies.

Rep. McCaul: With my time limited, if the chairman will allow me one quick question. So it’s asymmetric warfare now in the Strait of Hormuz. We spend millions of dollars on interceptors to take down a drone that’s worth maybe [$20,000]. That is what I’m talking about the modern warfare that is happening — and Ukraine is a laboratory. What are we doing to advance that cause? Because we’re not going to win, certainly in terms of pricing as well, when we’re paying millions of dollars to take down a [$20,000] drone.

Secretary Duffey: Yes, sir. So we do have a partnership with Ukraine and some of their counter-UAS capabilities that are effectively low-cost, that are effective in combating the Shahed drone. We also have developed with partners the FALCO system, APKWS, which is a low-cost rocket that has a high probability of kill for counter-UAS. So I do think we have emerging technologies, and then we’re always working — I think we’re not quite there yet, but we’re putting a lot of effort into directed energy, which is a very low-cost option for counter-drone.

Rep. McCaul: Excellent. Thank you. I yield back.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees — joined Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss the latest on Operation Epic Fury, Democrats’ DHS shutdown, and more.

Click to watch

Excerpts from the interview:

On the success of Operation Epic Fury:

“Well, look, this whole thing started in 1979. It began with weak leadership by President Carter, and it’s going to end with strong leadership by President Trump. The military objective here is being accomplished. In fact, they’re ahead of schedule. They’re [destroying] the Navy, the Air Force, they’re getting rid of the sea mines in the straits. The drones are probably one of the top issues right now, and they’re dealing with that to clear the straits out, to have free access to energy going through that sector. The attack on Kharg Island, which is a crown jewel — 90% of the [crude oil] exports out of Iran come from there — is like a ‘checkmate’ on the Supreme Leader. It was absolutely brilliant military strategy. So the military objective is very clear, and it’s going very well. …

“Think about this: A world without Iran, without this regime of terror, a free Iran where normalization under the Abraham Accords can now take place, where you have the Gulf states now aligned against Iran … was unheard of a year ago. The guts and the courage of this president to take this on for future generations, even though [there is] short-term pain for long-term gain, is quite extraordinary.”

On what comes next for Iran:

“Once the military objective is completed, then the people of Iran can rise up. They need leadership, they need weapons, they need communications. I know Mossad and Israel, they know where the IRGC targets are. We have decapitated the Ayatollah, his executive cabinet, but there [is more] to do. When you get into that phase, it does get more complicated, and I do think that may not be the role of the United States completely. It probably shouldn’t be. And I think Israel has a role to play, you know, on that one. But at the end of the day, free and fair elections in Iran is going to [result in] a far better Middle East. And that’s a tricky part of this, but I do think it’s achievable.”

On Russia’s collusion with Iran:

“I do think Russia has provided military intelligence to Iran to hit our military targets, to kill Americans. I don’t think they should be rewarded by lifting sanctions. Having said that, the president is doing certain things to bring down the price of gas, [including releases from] the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and that’s done internationally, you know, as well. But this will have far-reaching geopolitical ramifications. When you think about Venezuela being freed and liberated to Iran, [that has an impact] on Russia and China as you point out earlier. You know, all the energy coming to China from Kharg Island is going to be cut off. That has far-reaching implications. But I do think Mr. Putin has not been sincere, and I think he has not made any concessions. I don’t like to see him rewarded, but I know this is a short-term lifting of sanctions.”

On the Democrats’ continued DHS shutdown:

“I remember the Boston bombing when I became chairman [of the House Homeland Security Committee], and I investigated that. You know, we saw this bombing scenario in New York [as] very reminiscent; it could have been a bigger attack than the Boston bombing. And since that time, [we’ve seen attacks in] Austin, Texas, in my hometown, to Virginia, you know, a veteran being shot down and killed — not overseas but in a classroom — and then the synagogue … and you’re going to see more. The idea of shutting down the Department of Homeland Security at such a high terror threat level is unconscionable. I think it’s political malpractice, it is criminal, and if they continue this, Shannon, they will have blood on their hands.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) has launched a $35 million campaign to triple U.S. transmission capacity. As part of the campaign, ARPA-E awarded Virginia Tech, based in Blacksburg, Virginia, a $2.5 million award. The funding will support design development of a novel power electronics converter. The funding is supported by the agency’s Disruptive DC Converters for Grid Resilient Infrastructure to Deliver Secure energy (DC-GRIDS) program. 

In response to this news, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“As electricity demand in the United States is projected to surge, it is necessary to update our electric grid infrastructure. ARPA-E is responsible for identifying key projects that develop cutting-edge technologies and are strategic to America’s energy security. 

“This $2.5 million award to Virginia Tech as part of the DC-GRIDS program helps the university advance innovative energy security solutions that bolster the U.S. electric grid.”

BACKGROUND

Virginia Tech’s project is one of 12 selected to support the DC-GRIDS program.

ARPA-E notes that the DC-GRIDS awarded projects will focus on developing high voltage direct current (HVDC) technologies that transform conventional alternating current (AC) infrastructure. The Virginia Tech project can potentially enable more resilient and cost-effective energy transmission for the future.

In September 2025, Congressman Griffith announced a $39.9 million ARPA-H award to Virginia Tech for the development of a new biosensor.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Dads Caucus Chair Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) convened the first-ever National Summit on the Caregiving Crisis, bringing together Members of Congress, labor leaders, advocates, and policy experts to confront a key driver of rising costs for American families: the high cost of care.

The summit marked a growing effort within the Democratic Caucus, led by Rep. Gomez and a coalition of House leaders, to elevate caregiving as a central cost-of-living issue, and to advance policies that lower costs, support caregivers, and strengthen the care economy.

Throughout the day, Members of Congress, policy experts, and advocates outlined a forward-looking agenda to rebuild care infrastructure, expand access to affordable childcare, establish national paid family and medical leave, strengthen the caregiving workforce, and expand home and community-based services for seniors and people with disabilities.

Senator Andy Kim (NJ), a founding member of the Congressional Dads Caucus during his time in the House, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the growing pressures facing families in the “sandwich generation” who are balancing care for children and aging parents at the same time.

At a midday press conference, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA), Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (TX), and New Democrat Coalition Chair Brad Schneider (IL) joined Rep. Gomez and other members of the Dads Caucus to underscore a shared commitment across the Democratic caucus to lower the cost of care and deliver relief for working families.

“I convened the first-ever Dads Caucus National Summit on the Caregiving Crisis to bring leaders, advocates, and families together to chart a path forward,” said Dads Caucus Chair Gomez. “Childcare is unaffordable, care workers are underpaid, families caring for aging parents are stretched to the brink, and most Americans still don’t have basic paid family leave. We need real solutions to bring down costs and make care affordable for the millions of Americans who depend on it.”

“I am extremely lucky that my baby has a safe, loving place to go every day. Many Americans are not so lucky. Raising a child in America is too hard and too expensive. Democrats must put forward bold, simple solutions for childcare that every single family can afford,” said Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar.

The summit builds on Rep. Gomez’s broader effort to elevate affordability issues in Congress. Last year, he hosted the National Summit on the Housing Affordability Crisis to address rising housing costs, another major driver of household costs. Together, housing and caregiving represent two of the largest financial burdens facing households nationwide.

Rep. Gomez founded the Congressional Dads Caucus to challenge outdated assumptions about caregiving and to elevate policies that support working families. What began as a small group has grown to more than 50 Members of Congress, including Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Members from across the Democratic caucus reflecting growing momentum to treat caregiving as a national economic priority.

The National Caregiving Summit is part of an ongoing effort led by Rep. Gomez and his colleagues to build a modern affordability agenda focused on lowering costs for working families, and to position caregiving at the center of that work moving forward.

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

WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson discussed the absurdity of House Democrats demanding to defund CBP and ICE as a condition for reopening TSA, FEMA, and other critical DHS agencies.

“[Democrats] latest proposal would only partially fund DHS while stripping funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection. As Leader Scalise just reminded you, the discharge petition is really a petition to defund the police,” Speaker Johnson said. “The law enforcement agencies that are the part of the Department of Homeland Security are what they’re targeting. Democrats refuse to reopen TSA and FEMA and the Coast Guard and these other critical functions of government unless they can reopen our borders to illegal aliens.”

Watch Speaker Johnson’s press conference remarks here.

On Democrat efforts to defund Customs and Border Protection:

As one of the primary agencies responsible for protecting the homeland, Customs and Border Protection plays an irreplaceable role in our national security framework. This is not a game. Our CBP agents stand on the front lines. They protect our nation against transnational crime, drug and child trafficking, and terrorist threats before they reach our communities. It is our largest federal law enforcement agency. CBP is the largest federal law enforcement agency. Any bill that strips its funding, weakens our defenses against terrorist plots, undermines the integrity of our borders, and disrupts lawful travel through US ports of entry, including the millions of American and international travelers processed at our airports every single day.

Now, it bears repeating, in just the last two weeks, we have had four jihadist attacks on American soil, all of which originated from perpetrators who are already inside the country. Every one of those attacks fall squarely under the purview of the Department of Homeland Security. And the Democrats don’t want to fund it. And now they’re demanding we strip funding from the very agency responsible for stopping all of that. It’s another dangerous game; a political game by Democrats that’s as foolish as it is perilous.

On the dangerous Democrat shutdown:

[Democrats] had the longest shutdown in history last fall, as we all know, and now they’ve got the third. Today is a direct result of Democrats taking the Department of Homeland Security hostage in order to protect criminal illegal aliens. That’s exactly what it is. Here’s some of the stats: roughly 120,000 DHS employees, including 50,000 TSA agents, are going without pay for yet another week. FEMA’s ability to respond to natural disasters is increasingly imperiled. We had some big weather events, as you might have noticed in the last 24 hours. Our agency of government that is responsible for assisting with that is being hampered. American airports obviously are reaching a breaking point, so severe that airlines are pleading with Democrats to please fund the Department of Homeland Security. It’s fallen on deaf ears. Four separate times, Republicans have voted to fully fund DHS since this chaos ensued. Four times, and on each of those times, Democrats voted almost unanimously to block the funding.

On Democrats attempting to return to open border policies:

Democrats opened our borders wide to tens of millions of illegal aliens for four years under Joe Biden, including untold numbers of violent, hardened, and repeat criminals. That is an objective fact, and no one can refute it. They could have closed the border anytime. As you all know, I pleaded with President Biden after I became Speaker to do it. And he pretended as though he did not have the authority to close the border. They chose that. They chose to keep the border wide open, and they looked away. And that happened until President Trump was returned to office, and obviously we secured the border in a very short number of days because the law was always there. He always had the authority, and thankfully we got a Commander in Chief who understands national security and safety. And now when our borders are finally secure and when criminal illegal aliens are finally being held to account for breaking our laws, now the Democrats want to reverse course. They want to go back to open borders. They want to defund the agencies that are responsible for keeping law and order.

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

WASHINGTON — Today in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol, Speaker Johnson hosted President Donald Trump and Taoiseach of Ireland, Micheál Martin, for the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon, a St. Patrick’s Day tradition which began in 1983.

The event featured remarks from Speaker Johnson, President Trump, and the Taoiseach as well as a musical and dance performance from the Irish musical “Where Eagles Fly” and the Gardiner Brothers.

Following the luncheon, Speaker Johnson hosted the Taoiseach for a bilateral meeting to discuss the United States-Ireland relationship.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here

Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

So grateful again to have you all with us. I hope you’re enjoying this special event and the extraordinary meal that’s still being prepared and presented. So, thank you for that.

I know many of you have been attending this luncheon for many years. The President and I were just speaking, and I think this is his sixth of these events. It’s my third and we look forward to it every year. It’s a tradition that many of you know. It’s been going for four decades because it began back in the Ronald Reagan era. Two proud sons of Ireland—one was a Republican, one was a Democrat—President Ronald Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill, originally joined forces to celebrate the enduring bond of Ireland and the United States. 

We have kept the tradition going ever since. The Friends of Ireland has been a bipartisan tradition, and we look forward to it every year. And of course, this luncheon is just one of the many ways that America is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day around the country.

Of course, New York City, is a great place, lots of Irish Americans there. They host the longest running St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world that dates back to 1762. That’s right. I can’t believe you didn’t know that, Senator Welch.

In our state, Steve Scalise and I hail from Louisiana, they celebrate a little differently. St. Patrick’s Day often falls in the midst of Mardi Gras, so they toss Mardi Gras beads, they put on their own spin on everything. They even throw cabbages and potatoes from the Mardi Gras floats.

In Chicago, famously of course, they dye the city’s river bright green, and that’s always interesting. I’m not entirely sure that’s happening again this year because our Health Secretary, RFK Jr., might’ve banned it. But, we’ll see. We’ll see.

Now, if you’re familiar with this event, you know that speakers traditionally share their stories of their Irish roots and their long-lost relatives from the homeland. I unfortunately am not Irish. My folks come from, my mother’s side from Sicily. So, ‘Mike Johnson’ is so boring. You wouldn’t know that. But my maternal grandfather was Nunzio Messina. Okay? I could have been somebody. I could have been Vinny Messina.

But anyway, this is my third year hosting and I’ve exhausted all my stories. But I do want to say, I do have Irish credibility because I married a beautiful Irish woman. Kelly is my wife, over here, Kelly. Her maiden name is Lary. And it used to be, originally O’Leary. So, Kelly O’Leary, that’s pretty Irish, right? I think I qualify.

I’m certainly a great admirer of the Irish spirit and of course, the indelible mark that Irishmen and women have left on our country. There’s an old saying that the Irish, like the presence of God himself, are everywhere. And that certainly holds true here in Congress, as well as most of the history of our extraordinary nation.

Irish influence in America dates back to the earliest days of our great country. In fact, some of the most fiery patriots, the ones who inspired our Founders to declare their independence, were the Irish. And when the father of our country, George Washington, needed an army, it was the Irish who made up roughly one third of the fighting force.

Their determined spirit and their love of liberty were so well known that a top British official is said to have lamented, “We have lost America through the Irish.” And that’s bragging rights.

Perhaps it was that famous Irish charm, or perhaps it was their rather exuberant ways that made a lasting impression on George Washington himself. Now being the dutiful and stoic general that he was, he rarely picked favorites among his ranks. He was famous for how he did that. But if he ever did, it would’ve been in the winter of 1780. On that winter, Washington’s men were enduring. Some of the harshest conditions of the entire war were while camped at Morristown, New Jersey. The food had been rationed, supplies were scarce, and they had below freezing temperatures that made every task somehow more miserable. Washington knew he had to do something to improve the spirits and morale of his men. So, on March 16, he issued a rare order. The next day, March 17, all work would cease and every soldier would stop to properly celebrate this unexpected day off. It was the day of respite and recovery and merriment. And as Washington noted, a day held in particular regard by the people of Ireland.

Now, here’s what I find so interesting about this story. Despite the brutal conditions and despite the shortages in food and supplies, and despite some men going without shoes on their feet, the Irish somehow managed by what I can only assume to be divine intervention, to find beer. Steve, they found beer in the midst of all that. Ever since then, we’ve continued to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, and we carry on that proud tradition here again today in many ways, the story of America cannot be told without the story of the Irish, we are intertwined in that way.

Your love of freedom, your grit and industriousness, and your proud and resilient spirit, all of which have shaped the character of our country through great servants like Kennedy and Reagan and O’Neill and countless others, many of whom have Irish roots are serving with us still today, many here with us here today. And, America celebrates her 250th anniversary. And in the midst of that, we celebrate the great legacy and reaffirm this enduring and eternal friendship.

And now, without further ado, it’s my honor to introduce our next speaker. It’s a man who spent a lifetime working with the Irish first to build skyscrapers and golf courses and now trade deals and diplomatic ties. It is my great honor to host him here in the Congress every time he comes down the street. He is our great 45th and 47th President, Donald J. Trump.

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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) joined Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (MD-03) and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) to recognize the House passage of the Mitigation Action and Waterman Support (MAWS) Act.

This legislation, which was introduced last July, would establish a pilot program in the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office to facilitate a market for Chesapeake Bay blue catfish in the pet and animal food industry in an effort to take millions of pounds of these harmful fish out of our waterways. NOAA will administer grants to pet and animal food manufacturers to ensure watermen are properly incentivized to catch blue catfish and establish transportation, processing, and manufacturing structures for a long-term market. Throughout this two-year pilot, NOAA will collect data on the ecological and economic impacts of this program. NOAA will then report best practices, lessons learned, and recommendations to Congress.

“The Chesapeake Bay is the beating heart of Maryland, and invasive blue catfish threaten the very ecosystems and communities that the watershed sustains,” said Congressman Hoyer, an original cosponsor of the MAWS Act. “I was proud to join my friend Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth on the MAWS Act and help secure passage of this vital legislation to combat blue catfish and protect our beloved Bay.”

“With House passage of the MAWS Act, we are one step closer to creating new opportunities in a growing market for blue catfish, which pose a direct ecological and economic threat to the Chesapeake Bay. While we can all do our part and order blue catfish when we see it on a menu, this is not a problem that we alone can eat our way out of,” said Congresswoman Elfreth. “That’s why we need bipartisan, innovative solutions, like the MAWS Act, that strengthen our local economy and preserve the health of the Bay. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this legislation past the finish line. If we can prove this innovative strategy works in the Chesapeake, my hope is it can utilize similar tools in waterways across the country – like invasive carp in the Mississippi and Great Lakes.”

“The MAWS Act will facilitate a new market for invasive blue catfish — protecting the biodiversity of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Rep. Wittman. “I am pleased that the House has passed this legislation, and I look forward to seeing it advance to the Senate. Preserving the health of the Bay remains one of my top priorities, and I am proud to have joined Congresswoman Elfreth in leading this critical legislation.”

Blue catfish are not only contributing to the ecological biodiversity challenge of the Bay, but also causing significant economic damage to Maryland and Virginia’s seafood industries. They are now the most abundant biomass in the Chesapeake Bay. Despite being safe and nutritious for human consumption, watermen are struggling to sell enough blue catfish to combat the rapidly growing population, partially due to a rule that redirects inspection for this species to the USDA, unlike every other fish that is inspected through the FDA.  

Following today’s passage, the bill moves to the Senate for further consideration. The full bill text is available HERE. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Monday, March 16, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28), Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Reproductive Health Care Task Force and Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus (RFC) Contraception Task Force, joined DWC Whip Nikema Williams (GA-05), RFC Vice Chair Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), and DWC and RFC members Sharice Davids (KS-03) and Dina Titus (NV-01) in leading 128 Members in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

The letter urges HHS to extend Title X grants that provide critical family planning funding to health care centers nationwide after months of delayed guidance from the agency. Title X-funded health centers are lifelines in their communities, providing high-quality family planning and sexual health care, including cancer screenings, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV testing, contraceptive services and supplies, pregnancy testing, and other essential health care services.

In their letter, Rep. Chu and fellow members demand that HHS immediately award a one-year full funding extension to all current Title X grantees. This extension is critical because HHS failed to release the funding guidelines for months, only to release them late last Friday and give applicants only one week to submit their materials. HHS’s rushed approach could delay critical funding to grantees.

The members explained that Title X funding is critical to providing high-quality family planning and sexual health care, detailed how the failure to extend Title X funding is yet another example of Republicans attacking essential reproductive health care, and urged HHS to extend funding to protect essential health care.

Read the full letter from Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and Reproductive Freedom Caucus here.

In addition to letter leads Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Whip Nikema Williams, Reproductive Freedom Caucus (RFC) Vice Chair Lizzie Fletcher, and DWC & RFC members Sharice Davids, and Dina Titus, the letter was signed by Alma Adams, Pete Aguilar, Yassamin Ansari, Jake Auchincloss, Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Donald Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Julia Brownley, Shontel Brown, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Troy Carter, Greg Casar, Ed Case, Sean Casten, Gilbert Cisneros, Katherine Clark, Steve Cohen, Angie Craig, Jasmine Crockett, Danny Davis, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Suzan DelBene, Christopher Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, Maxine Dexter, Debbie Dingell, Lloyd Doggett, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, Bill Foster, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, Jesús García, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Josh Gottheimer, Adelita Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Pablo Hernández, James Himes, Steven Horsford, Chrissy Houlahan, Jared Huffman, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Sara Jacobs, Henry Johnson, Julie Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, William Keating, Robin Kelly, Timothy Kennedy, Ro Khanna, Greg Landsman, George Latimer, Summer Lee, Susie Lee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Ted Lieu, Stephen Lynch, John Mannion, Doris Matsui, Lucy McBath, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Betty McCollum, Morgan McGarvey, James McGovern, Gregory Meeks, Robert Menendez, Grace Meng, Kweisi Mfume, Dave Min, Gwen Moore, Joseph Morelle, Kelly Morrison, Seth Moulton, Kevin Mullin, Jerrold Nadler, Eleanor Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Johnny Olszewski, Chris Pappas, Nancy Pelosi, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Nellie Pou, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Deborah Ross, Patrick Ryan, Andrea Salinas, Mary Gay Scanlon, Janice Schakowsky, Bradley Schneider, Hillary Scholten, Terri Sewell, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, Greg Stanton, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Suhas Subramanyam, Eric Swalwell, Emilia Sykes, Mark Takano, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, Lori Trahan, Gabe Vasquez, Nydia Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson.