MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

Headline: Newhouse Applauds Rescission of Conservation and Landscape Health Rule

Press Release 
For Immediate Release: May 12, 2026
Contact: Juan Ayala, (202) 713-7750

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) rescission of former President Biden’s Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, know as the Public Lands Rule. 

“The previous Administration made a concerted effort to attack our Western Way of Life,” said Rep. Newhouse. “By including conservation as a multiple use under FLPMA, contrary to Congressional intent, unelected bureaucrats threatened to lock up millions of acres across the West. Conservation is an implicit benefit of other multiple uses, it is not in and of itself a use. I applaud Secretary Burgum for reversing this harmful regulation.” 

Background 

The Conservation and Landscape Health Rule was issued on May 9th, 2024. This rule elevated conservation as a discreet “use” of public lands, contrary to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1974’s intent and framework. By reversing this rule, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) eliminates mechanisms which threatened to restrict productive use of public lands.  

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) today passed a resolution through the House Foreign Affairs Committee, with original cosponsor Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), condemning the attacks on civilians in Sudan and calling for a negotiated end to the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia. The measure passed 44-2 with bipartisan support. 

“The ongoing civil war in Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian crises the world has ever seen. It is critically important that today the House Foreign Affairs Committee recognized that fact in a bipartisan way and moved this resolution forward,” said Jayapal. “50 million people are caught in the crossfire as two military forces have waged a war with absolutely shocking atrocities against civilians. And that suffering has only been exacerbated by rampant malnutrition and famine as armed actors impede humanitarian aid. The full House must take up this resolution urgently to call for our government to use its leverage to bring an end to this war that has gone on for far too long.”

“For three years, the international community has essentially ignored the devastating war in Sudan that has evolved into the biggest humanitarian and displacement crisis in the world,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs. “The health system has largely collapsed, millions of people are hungry, and some have even resorted to eating leaves or animal feed because they can’t find enough food. But today we took an important step forward. I’m so grateful that the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed our resolution to condemn the attacks on civilians in Sudan and call for an end to external support to the RSF and SAF. The United States has leverage with the external actors who are fueling this horrific war, and it’s long past time that we use it.”

“I thank Rep. Jayapal for this urgent resolution,” said Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks. “We must do more to end this brutal conflict, which is only being prolonged by the steady flow of arms from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other external actors to the warring parties. The Trump Administration must take decisive steps to curb the flow of arms to the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces, press them to ensure unfettered humanitarian access to populations in need of assistance, and work to negotiate an end to this conflict to prevent any further atrocities against Sudanese populations.”

More than 400,000 people have been killed and over 14 million displaced since the start of the war. It has been determined by the State Department that both the SAF and RSF have committed war crimes, and that the RSF has committed crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. 

It is estimated that 20 million Sudanese people are facing acute levels of food insecurity, and nearly 34 million people require urgent humanitarian assistance. 

Jayapal and Jacobs introduced the resolution on the third anniversary of the war’s start. The resolution formally denounces this crisis and calls for safety and security for the Sudanese people, an end to external, material support to the SAF and RSF from outside actors, recognizes the continued resilience of Sudanese civil society and calls on the Trump administration to take clear steps to help negotiate an end to the war. 

The full text of the resolution can be read here.

Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, DC [5/13/26] – Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) announced that Eric Chen, a junior from Lincoln High School, won the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Oregon’s First District. 

Chen’s painting, “Departure,” will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Chen and one guest are also invited to attend an award ceremony in Washington, D.C., with other first-place winners from around the country. 

“Arts education teaches students lifelong skills, and I know the student artists who participated in the Congressional Art Competition will benefit from their passion for the arts no matter what path they take in the future,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “Congratulations to Eric for winning this year’s Competition! I look forward to seeing his art on display in DC.” 

“This painting depicts a touching moment of my mom and grandma conversing with each other right before my family departs from a visit to China,” said Eric Chen. “My mom is a first-generation immigrant to the United States, where she has lived for decades; it is where all her responsibilities are… My grandma is unable to leave her home, each longs for the company of the other.”

Ananthika Vinod, a sophomore from Westview High School, received an honorable mention for her piece, “Unfurling.” Vinod’s art will be displayed in Congresswoman Bonamici’s Beaverton office for one year. 

Local art leaders selected the Congressional Art Competition winner and honorable mention for Oregon’s First District. This year’s judges were John Goodwin, Director of Philanthropy at Portland Art Museum, and Ryan Burghard, Public Art & Artist Programs Coordinator at the Oregon Arts Commission. 

Congresswoman Bonamici held a showcase and celebration with judges, educators, family members, and student artists to announce the Congressional Art Competition winner and honorable mention. A picture of Chen with their artwork can be found here.

Bonamici has been a strong advocate for the arts and arts education throughout her time in public service. She is the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional STEAM Caucus, which promotes the integration of the arts and design with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. 

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

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), co-chair of the Congressional Postal Caucus, helped introduce the Vote by Mail Protection Act in response to President Trump’s unlawful executive order to severely restrict mail-in voting. This legislation would invalidate the order and prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to implement it, protecting the ability of Americans to vote by mail.

“Voting by mail is a safe and effective way to cast a ballot and has been for over a century. President Trump is attempting to undermine states’ rights to run their own elections, tamper with the independence of the U.S. Postal Service, and disenfranchise Americans. Congress needs to stand up for their constituents and their fundamental right to vote,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would nullify President Trump’s unlawful executive order to protect mail-in voting for seniors, disabled Americans, overseas service members, and all those who use it to ensure their voice is heard. I’ll always stand up for free and fair elections and Granite Staters’ ability to cast their ballot whether it be in-person or by mail.”

President Trump’s executive order, signed on March 29, directs the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Social Security Administration and state governments, to compile lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state and requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver ballots only to voters whose names appear on those lists. This order poses a significant threat to the millions of citizens who depend on mail-in ballots to participate in the democratic process of voting, and it establishes a dangerous precedent for political interference in the operations of USPS.

Each individual state has constitutional power to regulate federal elections within its own state. The executive order attempts to transfer control over voting eligibility and mail-in voting regulations to the Executive Branch. It also forces the non-partisan, independent USPS to exceed its traditional public service mission by directing the agency to determine which mail-in votes will be counted and refuse the delivery of any ballot cast by otherwise eligible voters if they are not named on newly created federal voter lists.

The Vote by Mail Protection Act is endorsed by Public Citizen, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors.

Pappas helped introduce this legislation alongside Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42), Congressional Postal Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), and Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11). Full text of the Vote by Mail Protection Act is here.

Pappas and Budzinski led 101 members demanding that President Trump rescind his unconstitutional executive order that would effectively limit vote-by-mail. The lawmakers raised concerns about the feasibility of the order and the negative consequences it could have for postal employees, as well as the timeliness of mail delivery.

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference, where he made clear that while inflation is skyrocketing as a direct result of Republican policies, Donald Trump and his sycophants in Congress are using taxpayer dollars to rip away healthcare and drag us further into a reckless war of choice instead of making life better and more affordable for everyday Americans.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump has made clear that he and the Republican Party don’t give a damn about the personal finances of the American people. It’s an extraordinary admission. But the reality of the Trump presidency and Republican control of the House and the Senate has regularly made that very point because under the presidency of Donald Trump and Republican control in Congress, the economy is a disaster. Costs haven’t gone down, costs have gone up. And it’s a direct result of Republican policies. The Trump tariffs have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. At the same period of time, Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice, where billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted, has resulted in life becoming more expensive for the American people, particularly as it relates to the dramatic increase in gas prices.

In the Trump-Republican economy, inflation is at a three or four year high. The cost of groceries is out of control, gas is out of control, goods are out of control, housing prices are out of control and the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people has ripped away the ability of millions of everyday Americans to be able to go see a doctor when they need one. Donald Trump and Republicans promised to love and cherish Medicaid. They turned around and enacted their One Big Ugly Bill, which is the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And as a result, hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers [are] closing all across the country, particularly in rural America. The economy is a disaster and we know why—because Donald Trump and Republicans don’t give a damn about the personal finances of the American people. Donald Trump said it and he meant it.

Full conference can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA (May 13, 2026) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) has reintroduced a $360 million anti-crime and victim aid bill with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Evans’ bill, the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act, would establish a grant program at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.

The bill would authorize $60 million per year in grants for each of the next six federal fiscal years, beginning with the one that starts Oct. 1, 2026.

“This bipartisan bill would help our state and local police solve more fatal and non-fatal shooting cases. This would be a huge win for public safety in Philadelphia and across the country – district attorneys can’t bring cases that don’t reach them, so this would help make our neighborhoods safer,” Evans said. “As someone who has pushed for help for victims of gun violence, I’m also very pleased that this bill would provide victims and family members with mental health resources and assistance with shelter, wage, and relocation costs.” 

“The VICTIM Act will provide law enforcement with the funding, training, and technology needed to solve more homicide and non-fatal shooting cases. By helping agencies investigate these serious crimes more effectively, this legislation will deliver justice for victims’ families, support the officers working these cases, and strengthen public safety across Nebraska,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), the lead House Republican co-sponsor.

In the Senate, the bill’s lead sponsors are Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

“When our heroes in blue do not have the resources to solve violent crimes, families and communities pay the price. In Louisiana and across America, too many police departments are being asked to fight today’s violent criminals with yesterday’s tools. The VICTIM Act would give law enforcement the key financial and technical support they need to put violent criminals behind bars and deliver justice for victims,” Kennedy said.

Booker said, “Solving violent crime is the most powerful deterrent we have, and it starts with giving law enforcement what they actually need: detectives, forensic technology, and investigative training. When murders go unsolved, it denies victims and their communities justice, signals that authorities don’t care about public safety, and leaves perpetrators without consequences. With nearly half of homicide cases remaining unsolved, we cannot afford to keep shortchanging law enforcement. I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation, which dedicates critical resources to improve clearance rates so that law enforcement can solve these cases and every family gets the accountability they deserve.”

The VICTIM Act would help law enforcement:

• Train detectives and police personnel to investigate, solve, and respond to homicides and non-fatal shootings. 
• Hire additional detectives and investigative personnel. 
• Invest in technology needed to solve crimes. 
• Train police personnel to address the needs of victims and family members of homicides and firearm-related violent crimes. 
• Provide victims and family members with mental health resources and temporary assistance.

The bill would also require recipients of VICTIM Act grants to report how they use the funds to the DOJ, which would collect and provide that information to Congress.

The full text of the VICTIM Act is available here.

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. Evans’ website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on Youtube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

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 Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) during Police Week to honor the brave men and women of law enforcement who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe. Leader Scalise highlighted House Republicans’ efforts to support law enforcement officers and their families, while contrasting Democrats’ repeated pushes to defund the police.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks.
On honoring fallen officers and their families:“Every week, we pay tribute to our men and women in uniform, our law enforcement officers who keep our community safe. But this week is a special week where we all come together as Police Week to pay tribute to especially those law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate price. Over 100 last year that were killed in the line of duty protecting our communities.“Sheriff [Mike] Ezell said it so eloquently – last night, we had a wonderful tribute on the Capitol steps that the Speaker led, where we had not only a large number of members of Congress, but we had some family members – families whose loved ones were lost as law enforcement officers. And it was tear-jerking to hear those stories. A young girl who lost her father and he’ll never be there for her again. And she recalled the memories she had of her father. And then, of course, that morning when she heard her mom answering that phone call to find out that her husband had been killed in the line of duty, killed by a repeat offender, as the Whip talked about, happens way too often because the criminal justice system fails all of us in so many ways. But it puts our law enforcement officers at risk too, which is why we need to make sure we get the policy right.”On the courage law enforcement officers show every day:“I think a lot of you were in the room just a few weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and we hear about it a lot. I’ve seen it personally. I would not be alive today if not for the bravery of law enforcement officers. But think about it for everybody who was in the room at the Washington Hilton. We all heard the chaos, and nobody really knew what was going on. You knew there was a shooter. You heard the calls, you didn’t know if he got in, but he didn’t get into the room. And why did he not get into the room? He got through armed, and his intention was to come in and kill the President of the United States and, frankly, kill everybody else he could that was in that room. But he never got there because law enforcement went to the danger. You saw them doing it right in real time. They ran to the danger, when everybody else was running for cover to protect themselves, it was the law enforcement officers who risked their lives.“It takes a special kind of person to answer that call. And thank God they do. And so that’s why we celebrate them every day, but especially this week, we really pause to remember those who gave their life protecting our communities.”On House Republicans’ legislation supporting law enforcement:“We’re bringing a number of bills to the floor this week in remembrance of Law Enforcement Week to try to help give more tools to our police officers across the country. We’re also bringing a really important resolution by Zach Nunn to pay tribute to law enforcement, thank them for what they do, and also to stand up against these crazy ideas like defund the police. It’s still going on today. You know, you saw a major shutdown finally ended two weeks ago, the Department of Homeland Security, all over the idea that Democrats still want to defund police. You know, whether it’s federal law enforcement, local law enforcement, state law enforcement, the titles of the law enforcement officers can change, but the Democrat mantra is the same. They want to defund them at every level, and we will not let it happen. We won’t.“We’re going to always back the blue. It’s a shame everybody doesn’t, but we will. And then you’re going to see that continue to play out this week on the House floor in actual votes, and we’ll be watching those votes closely. Really, really appreciate what our men and women in law enforcement do every day to keep our communities safe. God bless them. God bless their families.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Says “Don’t tell me, John Roberts, that the Supreme Court of the United States is not political. It is an arm of the Trump White House.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) testified to the Rules Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of his legislation, H.R. 8365, the Monitor Accountability Act, which is scheduled to be considered on the floor later this week.

This bill will end the grift exemplified by the federal court monitor in Maricopa County, which has far outlived its original purpose and cost county taxpayers $350 million.

Congressman Biggs’ prepared remarks are as follows:

“As you may know, monitors oversee compliance with consent decrees and settlements. When the federal government enters into a consent decree or other settlement with a state or local government, a monitor is appointed by the court to implement and monitor compliance with the terms of the consent decree or court order. Courts appoint monitors on a case-by-case basis under individual consent decrees and enforcement agreements, resulting in a variable number of active monitors at any given time.

“H.R. 8365 would place conditions on a district court’s appointment of a monitor of a state or unit of local government. These conditions include a cap on fees, a term limit on the monitors and judges overseeing monitor cases, public comment on the selection of the monitor, and providing a public accounting of the activities of the monitor. In several cases, monitorships have remained in place for a decade or longer. The tenure of some monitors has prompted debate over whether this oversight remains narrowly focused on ensuring compliance with the consent decree or if it expands into sustained managerial control of agency operations.

“The tenure of longer-serving monitors has also raised concerns regarding costs, duration, and accountability of monitors. Some court monitors have amassed a great deal of wealth at the taxpayers’ expense and have no incentive to conclude their monitorships. For example, in Maricopa County, Arizona, the monitorship of the County sheriff office has cost the taxpayers almost $350 million since 2013. Since it began, about $32 million has been paid directly to the monitor’s firm. The same monitor has been accused of charging exorbitant fees without producing results in similar monitoring duties in New York, California, Michigan, and Louisiana. 

“To be clear, this bill does not end monitors. It only requires that a fresh set of eyes is placed on jurisdictions subject to a monitor.

“And let me give credit where credit is due. While I agreed very little with the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, this bill codifies reforms based on five core principles first proposed by the Biden-Harris Administration. In 2021, the Department of Justice reviewed monitor practices and proposed reforms. Those reforms included applying a series of principles that included limiting costs and conflicts of interest, ensuring monitors’ accountability, compliance assessment, community engagement, and efficient reform.

“This is what the Monitor Accountability Act does.”

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