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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined House and Senate Democrats for a press event where he highlighted the unified Democratic opposition to the reckless Republican budget that does nothing to make life better for hardworking American taxpayers.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege to stand with our Senate colleagues, House and Senate Democrats, united together in strong opposition to this reckless Republican budget that will not make life better for the American people. It will continue to make things worse. Here in America, our country is far too expensive. The cost of living is out of control. Housing costs are too high. Grocery bills are too high. Gas prices are too high. Utility bills are too high. And healthcare costs are way too high. America is too expensive. And it’s a direct result of failed Trump-Republican policies.

We believe in this country that there are far too many people struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. Hardworking American taxpayers who can’t thrive and can barely survive. That is unacceptable in the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and things need to change. Democrats believe that in this great country of ours, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live an affordable life, a comfortable life and the good life. We believe that in this country, every single American should be able to afford to go see a doctor when they need one. That in this great country of ours, access to high-quality and affordable healthcare can’t simply be a privilege available only to the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. Access to high-quality and affordable healthcare should be a right available to every single American. And that’s what we’re going to continue to fight hard to bring about.

We believe that in this great country we have a broken immigration system. We’re committed to making sure we always have a strong, a safe and a secure border. But this broken immigration system, it should be fixed in a comprehensive and in a bipartisan way. We believe that taxpayer dollars in this country should be used to make life more affordable for the American people, not subsidize corruption of Donald Trump and his cartel. That taxpayer dollars should be used to make the lives of everyday Americans more comfortable, more affordable, give them the ability to experience a middle-class life and beyond. And that taxpayer dollars under no circumstances, which is one of the major problems with this reckless Republican budget, taxpayer dollars under no circumstances should be used to brutalize or kill American citizens or violently target law-abiding immigrant families. That’s unpatriotic, unacceptable and it’s un-American, which is why we are strongly opposing this bill. Immigration enforcement in this country should be fair, it should be just and it should be humane. But that’s not what’s happening in America right now. ICE remains out of control and we’re committed to reining them in.

And so, there’s a clear choice that the American people are going to be asked to confront over the next several months. Do you want an affordable country that Democrats are fighting hard to bring about, or do you want a country that solely is benefiting the wealthy, the well-off and the well connected? Do you want a country that brings people together, which is what we are committed to doing, or country where Republicans are continuing to tear us apart? Do you want to move America forward or do you want to turn back the clock? That’s the choice that the American people are confronting.

And Democrats remain committed to driving down the high cost of living, to fixing our broken healthcare system, to getting ICE under control, to ending this reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East and to cleaning up corruption wherever it’s found—in the Congress, in the White House and certainly across the street in the United States Supreme Court. Democrats are going to fight hard to make your life better.

Full press event can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) introduced the Restoring the American Homebuyers Dream Act to open more opportunities for citizens and legal residents to own homes without competition from people in the country illegally. The bill would allow the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to share Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) information with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for immigration enforcement purposes.

ITINs are numbers the IRS gives to individuals residing in the U.S. both legally and illegally who lack a Social Security Number (SSN) for paying taxes. Each illegal alien in our nation (estimated at over 14 million) could apply for an ITIN, using it to compete against American citizens in the housing market. Implementing an information sharing system between the IRS and DHS allows the federal government to see who is using these numbers and which users may be in the country illegally. This action helps authorities enforce existing laws and reduce the number of illegal aliens participating in the housing market.

In 2024, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability held a hearing called The Border Crisis: The Cost of Chaos. Testimony from Steven Camarota, Director of the Center for Immigration Studies, showed a double-digit increase in housing costs in areas with the highest rates of immigration.

“Over the past decade, access to the American Dream has drastically diminished for everyday men and women seeking to raise their families in the land of the free and the home of the brave,” said Congressman Biggs. “As the number of illegal aliens in the United States has climbed, affordability has become harder to come by – especially in the housing market, where first-time home buyers have largely been priced out of the arena due to the combination of skyrocketing costs and overwhelming interest rates. I’m pleased to offer this solution to help close the loopholes, secure the system, and ensure that homeownership is again within reach for American citizens and legal residents who built this nation and play by its rules.”

This legislation protects the data of American citizens using an SSN.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee (T&I) markup of the surface transportation reauthorization bill, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she was pleased with the victories she was able to secure for D.C. in the bill. The surface transportation bill is reauthorized every five years and sets the funding, policies, and priorities for the nation’s highways, public transit and rail programs. The last reauthorization was included in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), passed in 2021. 

“At a time when polarization and partisanship are causing legislative gridlock, I’m pleased that this bipartisan bill includes many victories for the nation and its capital,” Norton said. “The bill enables critical investments in passenger rail, including making the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation eligible for five significant federal grant programs. It equips the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration with the tools needed to protect consumers from predatory household moving company fraud and it makes ‘blue envelope’ programs, which improve interactions between police officers and drivers with difficulty communicating through speech during traffic stops, eligible for federal transportation grants for the first time. Significantly – and unusually, for the current Congress – the bill contains no riders targeting D.C.

“The bill delivers broad investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, transit and bike infrastructure, which will boost our economy by increasing the country’s capacity to safely transport goods and people. I’m proud of the scope of critical issues this legislation addresses and look forward to voting for its passage out of Committee.”

Norton secured the following victories in the bill:

• Provides $1.596 billion for D.C. in federal-aid highway funding over the five-year life of the bill, compared to $1.342 billion over the five-year life of IIJA. The amounts for all core transit formulas go up, and D.C. is added to several new transit formulas it was excluded from in the IIJA.
• Includes the full text of the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act, a Norton bill to equip the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with the necessary tools to protect consumers from a growing type of fraud perpetrated by scammers in the interstate transportation of household goods and also establishes a household goods consumer protection working group (Sec. 5301-5305).
• Extends section 601(f) of the Passenger Rail Improvement Act of 2008 to provide federal funding for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority capital projects and preventive maintenance through 2031 (Sec. 3109).
• Treats D.C. the same as the states within the Bus and Bus Facilities formula program (Sec. 3024).
• Treats D.C. the same as the states within the Growing States and High-Density formula program (Sec. 3025).
• Makes D.C. eligible for grants under the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program (Sec. 1119).
• Makes D.C. eligible for grants under the National Culvert Removal, Replacement and Restoration Grant Program (Sec. 7107).
• Makes the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation eligible for grants under the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, Mega, Consolidated Rail Infrastructure Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program, and National Intercity Passenger Rail Partnership program (NIPRP, formerly Federal-State Partnership), as well as the new Surface Transportation Accelerator Grant program (BUILD—Sec. 7506; Mega—Section 7505; CRISI—Sec. 10104; NIPRP—Sec. 10106; STAG—Sec. 1124).
• Makes blue envelope programs eligible for funds under NHTSA’s 402 grant program (Sec. 4002).
• Clarifies the Secretary has the power to remove a commercial driver training provider from the official Training Provider Registry for failure to maintain and enforce policies against sexual assault (Sec. 5204).
• Codifies the Transit Workforce Center to train frontline transit workers and funds the Center at the same levels as the National Transit Institute with dedicated Highway Trust Fund dollars (Sec. 3010).
• Does not include any riders targeting the District of Columbia.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During National Police Week, U.S. Congressmen John H. Rutherford (FL-05) and Henry Cuellar (TX-28) introduced the Federal Agents Secure Travel (FAST) Act to give federal law enforcement officers free Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck to make airport security more efficient, support our federal law enforcement officers, and make air travel safer for all Americans.

“Our federal law enforcement officers dedicate themselves and their careers to keeping Americans safe and upholding the rule of law,” said Rutherford. “They go through extensive and rigorous background checks prior to employment, making them the perfect candidates for expedited, safe travel through TSA PreCheck. Having more federal law enforcement officers in the air and in our airports makes air travel safer for all Americans, as does promoting efficient security protocols. That’s why I introduced the bipartisan FAST Act with Congressman Cuellar to support our law enforcement officers by providing them with access to safe, efficient air travel.”

“Federal law enforcement officers are already trusted to uphold the law, protect our communities, and meet rigorous security standards,” said Cuellar. “They should not have to navigate unnecessary red tape or pay additional fees to access TSA PreCheck. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense step to improve efficiency, support our federal agents, and maintain the strong security standards that keep the traveling public safe.”

The FAST ACT has been endorsed by the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

“Federal law enforcement officers are entrusted with protecting our nation and responding to threats at a moment’s notice, both on and off duty,” said Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) National President Mathew Silverman. “The FAST Act provides these officers with access to expedited airport security screening, which is a practical and well-deserved benefit that recognizes their service, enhances travel efficiency, and helps ensure they can move quickly when operational or personal circumstances require. We thank Reps. Rutherford and Cuellar for their continued leadership and steadfast commitment to the federal law enforcement community.”

Many federal law enforcement officers travel as part of their official duties. This new benefit would make it easier for those officers to travel, while not compromising the high standards of the TSA PreCheck program. The bill is modeled off a program that gives servicemembers and Department of War civilians access to free TSA PreCheck.

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

Washington, D.C. – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) joined Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and members of the House Ways and Means Committee to introduce legislation to prevent a sitting president from profiting from lawsuits against the United States government. The Stop Letting United States Heads Funnel Unauthorized Nontransparent Dollars Act of 2026 (SLUSH FUND Act) would tax the President’s unethical $1.776 billion slush fund meant to benefit January 6 rioters and other allies of the President at 100%, rightfully returning taxpayers’ money back to the people of the United States. 

“As the war in Iran and harmful tariff policies continue to raise prices on food, fuel, fertilizer, and other goods, the President also wants to use taxpayer dollars to award his cronies and allies, including January 6 insurrectionists, through a $1.8 billion slush fund. This Administration’s senseless so-called ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ is yet another example of the President’s unacceptable and corrupt abuse of taxpayer funds for political gain,” said Rep. Panetta. “Our legislation would ensure any sitting president who sues the U.S. government faces an 100% tax on any payout that they receive from a trial or settlement so that innocent taxpayers don’t get stuck footing the bill.”

“This president continues to use the Office of the Presidency for personal gain, including by suing the federal government to line the pockets of January 6th insurrectionists who attacked law enforcement and tried to overturn our democratic election. That’s unacceptable,” said Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Ranking Member Thompson. “My legislation ensures if a sitting president sues our government while in office, they get taxed 100 percent on any money paid through a trial or settlement.”

“Donald Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit center using taxpayer dollars to reward the same extremists who attacked our democracy on January 6th, and enrich his family empire, all while Republicans look the other way,” said Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal. “If the President wants to run a corrupt slush fund for insurrectionists and political cronies, the American people shouldn’t be forced to bankroll it. That’s why I’m grateful to Tax Subcommittee Ranking Member Mike Thompson for stepping in and leading legislation that makes clear: no president is above the law, and no taxpayer should have to subsidize this kind of brazen self-dealing.”

Rep. Panetta and the Ways and Means Committee Members introduced the SLUSH FUND Act in response to the news that President Trump settled his reckless lawsuit against the IRS for a $1.776 billion slush fund he plans to make available to January 6 rioters and other MAGA enablers. 

The SLUSH FUND Act would impose a 100% excise tax on any settlement payment received from a fund whose assets are derived from a civil suit initiated by a President against the United States. The legislation also imposes an additional 50% penalty on any willful attempt to avoid or evade the tax. To ensure compliance and transparency, the bill requires information reporting on payments from the fund to both the individual receiving the payment and the Secretary of the Treasury, including notice that such payments are subject to the 100% excise tax.

Failure to file the required information reports would result in a $10,000 penalty per failure. The bill further requires the Secretary of the Treasury to make these information reports publicly available. The legislation would take effect on May 20, 2026.

In addition to Reps. Panetta and Thompson, the SLUSH FUND Act is cosponsored by 15 other House Ways and Means Committee Members including, Reps. Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), John Larson (CT-01), Danny Davis (IL-07), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Susan DelBene (WA-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Don Beyer (VA-08), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Tom Suozzi (NY-03). 

Full text of the bill is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (NY-05) joined Ranking Member Bill Keating (MA-09) and Democratic Members of the House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee, Representatives Dina Titus (NV-01), Jim Costa (CA-21), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Sarah McBride (DE-AL), in demanding Secretary Rubio release information on the State Department’s foreign assistance objectives in Europe.

U.S. foreign assistance is a key tool of U.S. foreign policy which strengthens U.S. national security, promotes democratic values, and creates long-lasting bonds between Americans and people around the world. Rather than utilize foreign assistance to strengthen our alliances and partnerships, the Trump administration has taken an axe to the United States Agency for International Development and fired more than 1,300 career State Department employees, doing away with vital institutional knowledge and expertise. At the same time, this administration has slashed foreign assistance budgets and left an unprecedented aid gap that the Department has yet to fill, particularly in Europe.

“Foreign assistance plays a central role in advancing our national security and democratic values. Therefore, we believe the Department should be more transparent and forward-leaning regarding the use of foreign assistance funds to support America’s interests and be accountable to Congress and the American people,”said the Members of Congress. “Unfortunately, after more than 1,300 State Department employees were fired through Reductions in Force (RIFs) and the administration’s illegal dismantling of USAID, we are concerned that the impacts of the Department’s reorganization extend well beyond internal bureaucratic reshuffling…. Put simply, this administration has left an unprecedented aid gap that the Department has yet to fill.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro.

“Raúl Castro should be held accountable for the murder of Americans over international waters. But this indictment looks less like a pursuit of justice and more like a pretext for escalation, potentially even an illegal invasion of Cuba.

“There is no military solution, and no amount of sanctions will bring about a better future for the Cuban people. If the Trump administration is serious about building a new relationship, as Secretary Rubio claims, it should work with Congress to reform the failed and draconian sanctions regime that has hampered the ability of administration after administration to negotiate a meaningful opening with the island.

“The administration must also end its senseless oil blockade, which is exacerbating the suffering of the Cuban people, plunging hospitals, homes, and private businesses into darkness. The only way to foster real change is to empower the Cuban people themselves, not by doubling down on a failed approach that punishes them while yielding no progress.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (15th District of Texas)

Disruptions at South Texas ports of entry may threaten the regions’ expected economic boost as fans travel for matches in U.S. and Mexico.

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