MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Grothman Bill to Streamline Foreign Medical Accreditation Advances Through Education and Workforce Committee

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), Congressman Tom Barrett (R-MI), and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA) introduced the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act to ensure that no autonomous or artificial intelligence-enabled weapon system used by the United States military can carry out an intentionally lethal strike without meaningful human oversight or a human decision-maker in the loop. The bill would establish a clear legal requirement that commanders and operators retain appropriate levels of human judgment in decisions involving the use of lethal force.

“No machine should ever be given the power to decide to kill a human being on its own. Allowing AI systems to independently select and engage targets carries serious risks; machines cannot understand morality or the value of human life, nor can they be held accountable for mistakes, war crimes, or catastrophic escalation,” said Rep. Beyer. “These life and death decisions must remain in human hands. As AI becomes more powerful and more integrated into military systems, Congress has a responsibility to establish clear guardrails and responsible standards for the military use of AI. Our legislation would ensure that a human decision-maker always remains in the loop and integral to the chain of command when lethal force is involved.”

“Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly critical role in strengthening our national defense, but it should never be the one making life-or-death decisions,” Rep. Barrett said. “We must establish safeguards now to ensure these technologies are used ethically and transparently. This bipartisan bill sets clear limits to make sure people stay in control whenever lethal force is involved while allowing our military to continue leading the world in technological innovation.”

“AI mistakes on the battlefield have the potential to be catastrophic: civilian casualties, friendly fire, unintended escalation, and calculations made on faulty data,” said Rep. Jacobs. “These aren’t risks worth taking – not when they can result in unnecessary lives lost or war. That’s why I’m proud to join Congressman Beyer and Congressman Barrett in introducing legislation to ensure that humans are meaningfully involved before autonomous or AI-enabled weapon systems are used for lethal force. This is a common-sense step to help our military keep pace with emerging technologies while upholding our commitments to international humanitarian law and ethics.”

This legislation is also supported by organizations including Council for a Livable World, Common Defense, and Win Without War.

“Council for a Livable World is pleased to support the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act as it would mark a clear step forward toward ethical oversight of emerging military technologies, which thus far have been outpacing guardrails and regulations,” said Council for a Livable World Executive Director and Former Congressman John Tierney. “This bill identifies and proposes a remedy to the dangers of unmitigated autonomy of weapons, particularly weapons of mass destruction. Every lawmaker should understand the importance of keeping Americans safe by ensuring a human is always involved in decisions affecting human life. Unlike humans, machines can’t apply judgments based on values and morals, and all available evidence shows machines have an alarming propensity for error. Americans should not have to face the consequences of automated weapons technology running amok. It’s essential that policy makers debate and resolve how to address this critical security issue, and we applaud Rep. Beyer’s focus on such a serious and urgent matter.”

“Common Defense strongly endorses the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act,” said Common Defense Political Director Naveed Shah. “As an Army veteran who served in Iraq, I know the moral responsibility that comes with taking human life in combat, decisions that must never be handed over to machines. This bill ensures meaningful human control over lethal autonomous systems, restores accountability to war-making, and prevents machines from deciding the rules of engagement.”

“Decisions impacting human life and safety should never be handed off to algorithms,” said Win Without War Government Relations Associate Sofia Guerra. “When these systems fail, whether through bad data or rubber-stamp approvals, the costs are incalculable. This bill is a critical step to ensure that humans, accountable to both international law and the consequences of their actions, are making the most serious decisions regarding the use of force.”

Full text of the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act is available here.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered the keynote address at The Faith and Politics Institute’s “Redeeming the Souls of Our Nation” Dinner ahead of the sixth anniversary of the passing of Congressman John R. Lewis (GA-05) on Friday, July 17th, 2026. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery: 

“Thank you, Shana. I want to congratulate you and your eleven colleagues from Cohort Five on completing your fellowship. Each of you has taken it upon yourself to carry the banner for which John Lewis stood and taught throughout his life. He would be so proud of this group – and excited to meet Cohort Six, which is beginning its fellowship year.   
 
“John Lewis was more than my friend. He was an inspiration, my colleague, and – most importantly – my brother. When John came to Congress in 1987, I sought him out. I had been serving in the House for six years, but John was already a hero of mine when he first stepped onto the Floor as a freshman. He and I both had our formative political experiences during the Civil Rights Movement. John, of course, was a student leader of that movement. He marched, he sat in, he was jailed and beaten. He organized Freedom Rides. When he “walked with the wind” across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965, John became an icon at just twenty-five years old. The following year, I was a young lawyer and Congressional staffer running for State Senate in Maryland. I ran on a desegregation and fair-housing platform. I won because I went door to door in the African American community and worked to register and turn out the Black vote in a district that George Wallace had carried in 1964 and where many Black voters told me no one had ever asked them to cast a vote before, let alone some skinny white kid who had just finished law school. After I was elected, one of the first votes I cast in 1967 was to repeal Maryland’s 300-year-old law banning interracial marriage. I was twenty-seven. Not much older than you are now. Never underestimate the impact young people can have on our democracy, on our communities, and on shaping the direction of this country. We saw it with great Americans like Alexander Hamilton, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Dolores Huerta – and we see that same determination today in young people like you.     
 
“Many of you today remember John in his older years. But for those of us who knew him over the decades, John always carried the same youthful spirit that first led him organize fellow students in the 1960’s. In 1960, he sat in against segregation in Nashville. In 2016, he sat in against gun violence on the Floor of the House of Representatives. In 1963, he spoke before Dr. King at the March on Washington and challenged this nation to do something about police violence. In 2020, in his final weeks, he called on us not to give up in seeking justice after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. By 1966, John had already been arrested forty times for protesting segregation and voter suppression. In the twenty-first century, he was arrested for protesting against genocide in Darfur and for the rights of immigrants. Dr. King called him “the boy from Troy.”  Even until his last days, John held on to the restlessness and fearlessness of a young man. He dared to dream and never let it go. I have referred to him as “Saint John.” The most Christ-like individual I have met over the course of my life – a man who lived his faith, suffered for what he believed to be right, and challenged all of us to take risks for change. The Beloved Community of which he spoke often was as much a hopeful vision as it was sacred challenge. It calls on us to imagine an America where change stems from nonviolence, where progress springs from kindness, and where unity comes from mutual respect.   
 
“For the young people here tonight – the Fellows and the Scholars – who are emerging leaders in the movement for equality, justice, and opportunity, I urge you to do what John did: never stop dreaming of what could be and never stop fighting to make it so. As John demonstrated, the passion and determination you have now need never diminish as the years progress. We may grow older and grayer but hope and faith and conviction must never age. When I walked beside John over the bridge in Selma, year after year at the annual pilgrimage, I could see on his face something timeless, something steady. It was, I now understand, the face of a twenty-five-year-old who dreamed, who yearned, who believed in what others said was impossible. Now, I look upon your faces. I see the same idealism and impatience. Embrace it. Harness it. Never let it go.  
 
“In his final message to his fellow Americans, published after he died, John described it as “the highest calling of your heart.” This calling gives you purpose. Surely, it will be the instrument of a better future for us all. One of John’s heroes was Senator Robert Kennedy. Kennedy, speaking to students in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1966, said: “Everyone here will ultimately be judged – will ultimately judge himself – on the effort he has contributed to building a new world society and the extent to which his ideals and goals have shaped that effort.” By that standard, John Robert Lewis’s actions and life were testament to his fidelity to his ideals and goals. Dr. King, Gandhi, and Mandela – I’m sure – all said upon receiving John into their company: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’ Like two of the three servants in Jesus’s Parable of the Talents, John multiplied the message he had received, and the community was more beloved because of it. May God bless and keep the memory of my friend John Lewis. And may his legacy continue to be honored and exalted in your work.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) introduced a resolution recognizing the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in federally funded health research to advance scientific excellence, and ensure equitable outcomes for patients in the United States.

“Medical research should be guided by science, not politics. If we want to develop the next generation of treatments and cures, our research must reflect the people those discoveries are meant to serve,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “Americans deserve confidence that taxpayer-funded research is evidence-based and focused on improving health outcomes for everyone.”

The resolution comes as the Trump administration considers a sweeping proposal that researchers warn would inject politics into the federal scientific grant process and weaken the longstanding peer review system used to evaluate federally funded biomedical research. The proposal has drawn opposition from physicians, scientists, patient advocates, and leading scientific organizations, who argue it would undermine scientific integrity and America’s leadership in medical innovation.

The resolution is endorsed by the HIV Medicine Association, Alliance for Aging Research, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Brem Foundation to Defeat Breast Cancer, GO2 For Lung Cancer, The Infectious Diseases Society of America, Gerontological Society of America, American Society for Microbiology, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

“The Alliance for Aging Research applauds Congresswoman Dingell’s lifelong commitment and continued leadership to ensure the findings of taxpayer funded biomedical research are relevant to all patients. Broad, vague, and politically opinionated prohibitions on essential research considerations such as diversity and inclusion only serve to undermine scientific integrity and ultimately, our global leadership in health innovation,” said Scott Frey, Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government Relations.

“Maintaining scientific integrity in medical research and ensuring that research study participants reflect the diversity of our population and the disproportionate impacts of diseases is critical for the health of all Americans. Because infectious diseases spread from person to person, it is in everyone’s interest to support research that helps keep everyone in our communities healthy. Placing politics above scientific merit and enabling drastic swings in research priorities every four years will undermine scientists’ ability to deliver lifesaving new cures and weaken our capacity to develop medical countermeasures for future outbreaks and biothreats,” said Ronald G. Nahass, MD, MHCM, FIDSA; President, Infectious Diseases Society of America.

“Giving federal political appointees (under any administration) the power to decide what science gets funded would quickly destroy the innovation that has enabled the United States to be the world leader in science for the past 70 years,” said James C. Appleby, CEO of the Gerontological Society of America.

“By introducing significant uncertainty and politics into federal health research, the Federal Financial Assistance rule proposed by the Office of Management and Budget would set back efforts to end the HIV epidemic in America and around the globe. Researchers must address the needs of the populations most heavily impacted by HIV, including people of color and LGBTQ+ and transgender individuals in their studies. They must also be able to maintain international collaborations that continue groundbreaking developments in treatment, vaccine, and cure research in order to dramatically alter the trajectory of the HIV epidemic for all,” said Anna K. Person, MD, FIDSA — Chair, HIVMA.

“ASM is deeply concerned that the proposed ban on DEI will harm programs to increase participation in science – harming, not helping, scientific progress and the effectiveness of government funding and of private sector needs. In fact, diversity in thoughts, perspectives and experiences is not only desirable, but essential to solve complex problems, which is what science is about,” said Stefano Bertuzzi, American Society for Microbiology, CEO.

A copy of the resolution can be found HERE.

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

(Washington, DC) – Today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released a report titled, “Attribution of Extreme Weather and Climate Events and Their Impacts.“ The report, according to the NASEM, “provides a comprehensive assessment of the current capabilities of extreme event attribution (EEA) — a scientific field that analyzes whether and to what extent human-caused climate change influenced an individual extreme weather event, such as a specific heat wave or hurricane.”

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) made the following statement:

“Understanding how human activities super-charge climate and weather events is critical to addressing them. Knowledge is power, and bolstering our understanding of extreme weather attribution is necessary to mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change. Now, we must act on the best available science and hold big polluters accountable for reckless and unchecked emissions. I applaud the National Academies for their years of work on this. We should see this as an opportunity to build incentive systems for these organizations to address emissions and support alternatives to burning fossil fuels that catalyze devastating climate events, from unrelenting heat domes to deadly floods.

“Unfortunately, the reaction to this report from climate skeptics, MAGA Republicans, and the President will not be one that is rational, useful, or even sane. They have spent weeks building an opposition campaign against this very report because they feared what it would say. But if you follow the money, it’s clear who they are protecting. They would rather continue to deepen their pockets with dirty money than make sure we can keep people safe from extreme climate and weather events. They bend over backwards to protect big polluters at the expense of their own constituents. Fires, drought, floods, and hurricanes threaten every single American. It feels abstract until an apocalyptic scene is in your own town.”

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

Local organization warns delayed federal funding may force imminent staff layoffs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens joined over 200 House Democrats in calling for independent investigations into Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero’s deaths and that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) halt removal proceedings against the witnesses.

“Both of these incidents have created enormous fear and outrage in the community, and raise serious questions about the safety of community members, regardless of immigration status,” wrote the Members. “Far too many people, Americans and noncitizens alike, are dead as a result of DHS’s reckless actions. There must be accountability and independent investigations.”

The letter comes after Rep. Stevens called the killings “horrifying and outrageous” earlier this week, as well as her introduction of the Hold ICE Accountable Act which would establish a process to appoint a special prosecutor to review alleged illegal conduct by agents with the Department of Homeland Security, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

DHS agents, including ICE agents, have shot at least 23 people since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. Six of these shootings have been fatal, resulting in the death of U.S. citizens and individuals who posed no public safety threat. In two previous shootings, ICE has claimed that victims were also “weaponizing” their vehicles, claims that have turned out to be false statements as evidence emerged.

In addition to the demands for an independent investigation and the commitment that witnesses to the killing of Mr. Salgado Araujo not be deported, the Members are asking for a detailed breakdown of all training materials and guidelines around vehicle stops. 

The full text of the letter to DHS Secretary Mullin and ICE Acting Director Venturella can be read here.

Stevens has been leading the fight to hold ICE accountable in Congress and to rein in Donald Trump’s repeated abuses of power during his Administration:

• Following leadership and direct action from Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens, ICE announced it will abandon plans to convert a warehouse in Romulus into an immigration detention center and instead sell the facility. 
• Stevens introduced the Hold ICE Accountable Act to establish an independent Special Prosecutor to investigate unlawful conduct by DHS personnel.
• Stevens called for the immediate removal of then-Secretary Kristi Noem and cosponsored an effort to impeach her in the House of Representatives. Following Noem’s removal, Stevens called on the Senate to delay confirmation of Noem’s successor unless ICE reforms were secured.
• Stevens and her Michigan colleague, Rep. Hillary Scholten, visited an ICE detention facility in Baldwin, Michigan, to tour conditions and demand answers to their letter over the death of detainee Nenko Gantchev in ICE custody in December. Following their visit, Stevens and Scholten doubled down on their demands for answers from ICE and Secretary Noem.
• Stevens cosponsored the PUBLIC SAFETY Act, a proposal to divert ICE’s $75 billion slush fund to state and local law enforcement agencies. Stevens also voted against the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which authorized the slush fund in the first place.
• Last year, Stevens cosponsored the VISIBLE Act to prohibit ICE agents from wearing masks and concealing their identities.
• Stevens joined over 100  of her colleagues in demanding that ICE end its surge of officers in Minnesota and conduct a thorough investigation into the death of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of an ICE agent.
• Stevens introduced the Stop Trump’s Abuse of Power Act, legislation to prevent the President from deploying the military against Americans without express consent from state officials, an authoritarian tactic this President has used repeatedly to fuel fear and intimidation during aggressive ICE crackdowns.
• Stevens voted against the Laken Riley Act, which would sweep thousands of people into jails and detention centers at enormous taxpayer expense while diverting key law enforcement resources and potentially violating civil liberties.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

Bills strengthen paid teaching opportunities and national service programs to recruit more men

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Washington, D.C. — In case you missed it, Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse was joined by Ranking Members Robert Garcia, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Richard E. Neal, Committee on Ways and Mean, for his monthly news conference earlier this week. The Members spoke of President Donald Trump’s pervasive self-dealing and House Democrats’ efforts to put a stop to this administration’s unparalleled corruption.

Click HERE to watch the full press conference. 

Find a transcription of Rep. Neguse’s opening remarks below. 

NEGUSE: I’m here today with two of our most prominent Ranking Members in the House Democratic Caucus—Ranking Member Richie Neal, of course, of the prestigious Ways and Means Committee, and Ranking Member Robert Garcia of the Oversight Committee. 

And we’re here to convey a very simple message to the American people. There’s a lot going on right now, but something that I believe was lost in the news over the course of the last several weeks is the simple fact that in the history of our country, no president has profited off of public office more than Donald Trump. According to financial disclosures released just a few weeks ago, roughly, I believe, 15 days ago, the president’s income in 2025 soared to over $2.2 billion. Think about that $2.2 billion with a “b,” more than half of which was generated by his crypto empire that him and his family have been busily building. 

How do we know that Donald Trump is using the White House to increase his personal wealth? Because, besides the fact that these brazen self-enrichment schemes are happening in broad daylight, the numbers, the empirical data, tell the story. In 2024, before returning to office, Trump’s profits were just under a third of what they were in his first year back in Washington, D.C. 

Meanwhile, the American people are struggling—from Massachusetts to California to Colorado, where I have the privilege of serving. Under the Trump Administration, gas prices are up, groceries are more expensive, affordable health care is out of reach for millions. Not to mention the social safety net, meant to support families and communities across our country, has been ripped out from under them. 

At the end of the day, the Congress has a constitutional obligation to hold this President and his administration accountable and to root out corruption wherever we see it. And I am grateful that we have two incredibly talented Ranking Members who are committed to doing precisely that. 

Continue reading for additional quotes from Representatives Neal and Garcia: 

“Tax laws are supposed to apply equally, whether you’re a school teacher, a small business owner, or indeed the President of the United States. The administration continues to try to bend the institutions of governance to their will for the purpose of advancing his own interest,” said Ranking Member Neal. “[A federal judge in Florida] has spoken, and now Congress has a responsibility to continue to demand clear accountability. And if we don’t put our eyes and scrutiny of these matters, it ill serves our constitutional function and it allows this enrichment that we’re witnessing to continue. The American people deserve more.” 

“[A]s Americans are struggling with gas, groceries, the cost of goods, paying the rent, Donald Trump and their family are enriching themselves…The crypto scheme might be the most blatant corrupt thing that the folks and people in the community can see, but what we’re not seeing are the real estate deals being done by the sons, we’re also not seeing the direct work that Jared Kushner is doing to enrich himself and his family with an investment fund that the Saudis pumped $2 billion in, we’re not seeing the corruption of selling pardons, the corruption of selling pay-to-play at the White House, literally ticketed events at the People’s House. And so, whether it’s the crypto scheme, whether it’s the real estate deals, whether it’s the selling of pardons, whether it’s the sons enriching themselves off real estate deals after their father’s doing diplomacy, all of that comes back to a White House that is centered on enriching themselves and at the same time taking away from taxpayers,” said Ranking Member Garcia. 

###

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

Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area warns delayed federal funding may force imminent staff layoffs.