MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Congressmen Johnson, Raskin reintroduce Bivens Act That Would Allow Citizens to Recover Damages for Constitutional Violations by Federal Officials

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Introduces Senate Companion

Johnson, Whitehouse reintroduce Constitutional Accountability Act To Hold Police Accountable

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) reintroduced the Bivens Act, legislation that allows citizens to recover damages for constitutional violations committed against them by federal officials, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Justice (DOJ), and federal prison officials, among others. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) introduced the Senate companion. 

Congressman Johnson and Senator Whitehouse also reintroduced today the Constitutional Accountability Act, legislation to hold federal law enforcement agencies and police departments accountable for unconstitutional conduct by their officers.  

“Under this lawless administration, federal officers are using excessive force and violating constitutional rights in our streets with impunity,” said Congressman Johnson, ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet. “If federal officials violate the Constitution, they should be held to the same standard as state and local officials, full stop.”

“We are reminded every day that when federal agencies trample constitutional rights, Americans are too often left without any meaningful remedy or path to justice. The Bivens Act is an answer to that crisis. This bill would restore the basic promise that no federal officer is above the Constitution and no person whose rights have been violated is beneath its protection,” said Congressman  Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. “At a moment when ICE’s constitutional abuses have shaken communities across the country, this legislation is more urgently needed than ever.”

“Honest courtrooms are often the best way to ensure accountability by public officials, including law enforcement, at all levels of government.  But this Supreme Court’s confusing judicial precedent prevents victims from going to court to hold federal officials accountable for clear and often egregious constitutional violations,” said Senator Whitehouse, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action and Federal Rights.  “Our Bivens bill would reopen the courthouse doors to these victims and encourage more responsible conduct by federal officials.”

After the Civil War, Congress enacted 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to ensure that state and local officials could not violate individuals’ federal constitutional rights with impunity. Section 1983 is designed to allow individuals to sue state and local officials to recover damages for constitutional violations. It is the primary tool victims of police misconduct and other government abuse use to seek redress for constitutional injuries at the state and local level. There is no comparable statute providing an express cause of action for victims of constitutional violations perpetuated by federal officials.

Instead, victims of constitutional or statutory violations by federal officials have been left to implied causes of action. Since the 1970s, the U.S. Supreme Court’s Bivens doctrine has recognized limited circumstances in which the Constitution itself authorizes a self-executing remedy for damages. But the Court has significantly curtailed the availability of Bivens claims in recent years. In February 2020, the Court in Hernandez v. Mesa went so far as to note that “it is doubtful” today’s Court would have recognized Bivens claims at all. 

In the most-recent Continuing Resolution, U.S. Senators inserted the carve-out in response to revelations that the FBI, during special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the January 6, 2021, insurrection, subpoenaed the phone records of several Republican senators. It allows them a new legal right to hold federal officials accountable – but not ordinary citizens. The Bivens Act says no matter who the victim is, courthouse doors should be open. 

House cosponsors: Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC); Summer L. Lee (PA-12); Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02); Dave Min (CA-47); Steve Cohen (TN-09); Jared Huffman (CA-02); Maxine Dexter (OR-03); Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08); Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03).

Supporting Groups: American Civil Liberties Union; Amnesty International; American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC); Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC); Brennan Center; Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; Center for Policing Equity (CPE); Constitutional Accountability Center; Institute for Justice; Justice in Motion; Kids in Need of Defense; Lawyers for Good Government; Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF); Muslim Advocates; NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF); National Immigrant Justice Center; National Partnership for New Americans; Project on Government Oversight (POGO); Protect Democracy; Secure Justice; Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC); Southern Poverty Law Center; The Advocates for Human Rights; The Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project (ASAP); The Black Police Experience (BPX, LLC); UnidosUS.

Read the Bivens Act of 2025 HERE. 

Read the Constitutional Accountability Act HERE.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

“Holding federal government officials accountable for unconstitutional actions is a nonpartisan principle that protects all of us. The Project On Government Oversight supports the Bivens Act of 2025, which would ensure that the constitutional rights of people are not violated with impunity. POGO commends Representative Johnson for leading the effort to fix this gap in the law, and we look forward to working with anyone willing to join this important effort.” — Don Bell, Policy Counsel, The Constitution Project

“Section 1983 is a civil rights statute that allows Americans to sue government officials who violate the Constitution. The Bivens Act closes a loophole in Section 1983 by including federal officials within its reach. This is a common sense solution that brings all officials, no matter whether they work for local, state, or federal government to the same level of accountability. Whether it’s ICE, IRS, or ATF, all should be forced to answer in the court of law for their unconstitutional actions.” — Anya Bidwell, Senior Attorney, Institute for Justice

“An inmate at a federal prison is beaten and his abusers withhold his only recourse to report the abuse — but he cannot sue. Another prisoner is raped repeatedly by his corrections officer, but there is no avenue for relief. And now, people are swept off the streets by masked, unidentified federal ICE agents — including babies — but they have no recourse. Just as federal powers have hit their apex, federal accountability has hit its nadir. Congress must act now to rectify this national injustice.” — Khadijah Silver, Supervising Attorney for Civil Rights, Lawyers for Good Government

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

Headline: Newhouse Introduces Legislation to Fight Newborn Opioid Dependency

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) introduced the Maddie’s Infant Recovery and Children’s Legislative Emergency (MIRACLE) Act alongside Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) and Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA) to study Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). 

“As the opioid and drug epidemics spread through communities in Central Washington, and across the country, there is very little being done to address its impacts on the next generation,” said Rep. Newhouse. “NAS is a critical condition that puts newborns in a situation they had no control over, with serious, lasting implications threatening their health early on. This legislation directs federal resources to expand our understanding of NAS, close gaps in research and data on how it affects babies, and ensure we are equipped to treat this condition through our federal healthcare system.” 

Rep. Baumgartner said, “As a father and a member of the Spokane community, I have seen the courage and hope that Maddie’s Place brings to families facing the unimaginable challenge of neonatal abstinence syndrome. Every child in Eastern Washington deserves a healthy start, yet too many newborns—through no fault of their own—begin life in pain because of the opioid crisis. The MIRACLE Act stands for compassion and common sense. It gives us essential data to better care for newborns in need, helps states like ours offer proven recovery nursery solutions, and empowers caregivers at Maddie’s Place and across America who provide grace and healing every day. I’m proud to champion real progress for families in Eastern Washington and help every child begin life with hope.”

Rep. Schrier said, “As a pediatrician, I’ve seen the discomfort of newborns withdrawing from narcotic exposure, and as the incidence of NAS rises, we need more research into long term impacts. Children’s well-being has always been one of my top priorities. I’m proud to work with my Washington delegation colleague, Congressman Newhouse, to introduce this legislation that will further our understanding of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and potential treatment options for impacted newborns.” 

This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a study of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). Specifically, it requires the Secretary to:  

• Conduct a national study on NAS prevalence, health outcomes, and service gaps.
• Identify barriers to data collection and accuracy at the state level.
• Evaluate care models at Pediatric Transitional Care Facilities (PTCFs), which provide wraparound care for infants and parents at far less Medicaid cost than the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

The MIRACLE Act will provide Congress and all 50 states with the data needed to shape evidence-based and cost-effective policies that address NAS nationwide. 

The legislation is supported by Maddie’s Place, a nonprofit recovery nursery in Spokane, Washington, that provides free-standing, nurturing care for babies experiencing withdrawal due to prenatal substance exposure. 

Shaun Cross, President, Maddie’s Place, said, “Within our national drug crisis is a much more sinister, silent crisis:  the tens of thousands of substance exposed infants born each year in our communities.  The MIRACLE Act will give these infants and their struggling parents a voice by seeking the data we don’t have and raising awareness about the success stories coming out of a handful of clinics like Maddie’s Place.” 

Background 

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a condition that affects newborns who receive opioids or addictive substances through the placenta during pregnancy. Babies have withdrawal symptoms during their first few days of life and typically remain in a neonatal intensive care unit until their body rids itself of the drug or substance in their systems. These symptoms can persist for months and cause lasting effects and risks as children grow.

The incidence of NAS has increased substantially in the past decade, and this has coincided with the reported increase in use of opiates among pregnant mothers, which includes those that are prescribed and other forms such as fentanyl. 

The legislation is supported by Maddie’s Place, a nonprofit recovery nursery in Spokane, Washington, that provides free-standing, nurturing care for babies experiencing withdrawal due to prenatal substance exposure.  

See full bill text here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative James E (Jim) Clyburn (6th District of South Carolina)

WASHINGTON – Today, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Ranking Member James Clyburn led 204 of their House colleagues in a letter to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, requesting the Department work with Congress to prevent 170,000 people from losing their homes in the dead of winter.

On top of the more than 770,000 people currently without housing throughout the United States, 170,000 more people would be pushed out of their homes as a result of the Trump administration’s significant and unnecessary delay in making  applications available for Continuum of Care (CoC) grants – known as a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – coupled with new restrictions within the CoC program.

“Nearly $3.7 billion in CoC grants awarded nationally during the FY24 cycle will begin expiring on December 31, 2025. The timing of the FY25 CoC NOFO represents the most delayed issuance of a NOFO for the CoC Program over the last 10 years, and consequentially, will result in the most prolonged funding gap for this critical homelessness prevention program,” the letter states. “We believe that the timing of the issuance of the NOFO, combined with major policy changes for the FY25 competition, will cause major disruptions to homeless services at the local level through the Winter and into Spring 2026, threatening housing assistance for at least 170,000 people currently served through the CoC Program.”

HUD’s Continuum of Care program is one of the nation’s largest and most effective programs in combatting homelessness. More than 750,000 veterans, unaccompanied youth, people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, and other struggling Americans rely on its support across the country.

Ranking Member DeLauro and Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Patty Murray introduced legislation in September which would have prevented this funding shortfall, as well as a government shutdown. Republicans voted against it. However, the relevant provision is already written and can easily be adapted to another piece of legislation, unless the Trump administration and Republican leadership block it.

“These grants serve as a lifeline for more than 400 communities across the country and we are prepared to work with you to help ensure resources appropriated by this Congress continue to serve those most in need without delay,” the letter concludes. “We appreciate your attention to this critical and timely matter.”

To read the full text of the letter, click here.

The relevant provision in the DeLauro-Murray bill can be found under Sec. 166 here.

A summary of that bill can be found here.

A joint statement from Ranking Members DeLauro and Clyburn can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative James E (Jim) Clyburn (6th District of South Carolina)

Lawmakers to Trump Administration: Taxpayers should not be “compelled to subsidize political speech.” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Jared Huffman (CA-02), co-chairs of the Congressional Freethought Caucus, and James Clyburn (SC-06), Chair of the Democratic Faith Working Group, along with Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, led six of their colleagues in objecting to the Trump Administration’s attempts to exempt two specific organizations from the law. In a new letter to Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service Scott Bessent, the lawmakers urged the Trump Administration to withdraw a proposed settlement in National Religious Broadcasters Association v. Bessent which carves out exceptions to the foundational principle of separation of church and state.

For the past 70 years, a provision of the tax code known as the Johnson Amendment has insulated nonprofits, faith-based organizations and houses of worship from electoral politics. In order to qualify for 501(c)(3) status, nonprofits and houses of worship cannot engage in tax-exempt political speech. Despite widespread support for the Johnson Amendment among thousands of nonprofits and houses of worship, the Trump Administration reversed course on a lawsuit targeting the Johnson Amendment in an attempt to exempt two churches from complying with the law. 

“Congress has considered and rejected multiple attempts to modify the Johnson Amendment,” the lawmakers wrote. “Members have long understood the moral imperative of shielding nonprofit service organizations, including houses of worship, from electoral politics while protecting taxpayers from being compelled to subsidize political speech. Your Proposed Consent Decree is nothing more than a transparent end-run around Congress, which has consistently rejected attempts to change this 70-year-old law. 

“The Proposed Consent Decree seeks to exempt two specific organizations favored by the government out of the more than 1.5 million 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States from following the law,” the lawmakers continued. They noted that the reasoning in the proposed settlement “blows the door wide open for both secular nonprofits and all other religious organizations to petition the courts for their own free pass to engage in tax-exempt electoral speech. This settlement radically reinterprets the law and creates another opening for political actors to use charitable nonprofits to anonymously funnel unlimited money into elections.”

“The IRS should reject the false tension that the religious Right has tried to create between these two principles,” the lawmakers concluded. “The Religious Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses are equally essential, and they stand best when they stand together.”

The letter was also signed by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and André Carson (IN-07).

Read the full letter below and here.

Dear Acting Commissioner Bessent, 

The great Congressman John R. Lewis, an ordained Baptist Minister and hero of the Civil Rights Movement, issued a moral call to his colleagues on November 8, 2017: 

“Fifteen years ago…Democrats and Republican came together to preserve the last remaining sanctuary that was free from partisan politics. In our heart of hearts, we understood that we had a moral responsibility to put the good of our nation before campaigns. My friends, we need that vision and unity again today.”

Congressman Lewis was defending the Johnson Amendment—a foundation stone in the nation’s wall of separation between church and state and a shield for tax-exempt organizations’ integrity—as the House Committee on Ways and Means considered an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to demolish it. In this same spirit, we are writing to express our serious concerns regarding the settlement that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has proposed in the matter of National Religious Broadcasters Association et al v. Bessent. 

The Proposed Consent Decree asks the Court to exempt two religious organizations from obeying the law by reinterpreting the verbs “participate” and “intervene” and classifying communications from houses of worship to their congregations as compliant with the Johnson Amendment without any accompanying explanation for that classification. This reinterpretation is not permissible under the statute as enacted and sustained by Congress; presents serious constitutional concerns as a potential violation of the Equal Protection Clause; fails to disclose any fiscal effects of reinterpreting the law; and sidelines the principled and compelling opposition expressed by thousands of nonprofits, houses of worship and faith-based organizations that would be harmed by adopting this proposal.

Congress was in the process of modernizing the tax code in 1954 when then-Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson offered a provision clarifying reasonable boundaries between electoral politics and tax-exempt activities, including religious exercise. It was so noncontroversial at the time that Congress incorporated the Johnson Amendment without extended debate and Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law. Congress has considered and rejected multiple attempts to modify the Johnson Amendment because, as Congressman Lewis noted, Members have long understood the moral imperative of shielding nonprofit service organizations, including houses of worship, from electoral politics while protecting taxpayers from being compelled to subsidize political speech. Your Proposed Consent Decree is nothing more than a transparent end-run around Congress, which has consistently rejected attempts to change this 70-year-old law.

As explained in a letter sent to then-Commissioner Billy Long on July 18, 2025, the Proposed Consent Decree seeks to exempt two specific organizations favored by the government out of the more than 1.5 million 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States from following the law. In exempting two religious entities in terms limited to religious activities, the IRS is creating an Equal Protection Clause violation which could spread as organizations seize upon this Proposed Consent Decree to sue for their own exemptions. The settlement’s reasoning blows the door wide open for both secular nonprofits and all other religious organizations to petition the courts for their own free pass to engage in tax-exempt electoral speech. This settlement radically reinterprets the law and creates another opening for political actors to use charitable nonprofits to anonymously funnel unlimited money into elections.

The Proposed Consent Decree also fails to acknowledge the potential costs of implementing this ill-judged settlement. The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation evaluated the Johnson Amendment repeal measure that Congressman Lewis opposed in 2017 and determined that such legislation would cost taxpayers $2.1 billion over 10 years. While the ultimate cost of the Proposed Consent Decree would ultimately depend on the extent of the exemptions granted, we are concerned that there will be very real costs to taxpayers if more nonprofits are able to engage in electoral activity. Under current law, political donations are subject to federal and state taxes. If this Proposed Consent Decree takes effect, contributions could be redirected from taxable sources to the churches covered by the settlement to become newly tax-deductible, with more to follow if and when other religious organizations and nonprofits seek the same allowance. The result would be reduced federal revenue. If you have prudently estimated the potential costs of this settlement and its aftermath, we urge you to publicize the results of your calculations.

We are also concerned that your Proposed Consent Decree would harm the many religious institutions and people of faith who oppose weakening the Johnson Amendment. During previous attempts to weaken the law, more than 4,600 faith leaders, 5,800 nonprofit organizations and 106 religious and denominational organizations expressed strong and principled opposition. Faith leaders across religious denominations united across their differences to affirm that “faith leaders are called to speak truth to power, and we cannot do so if we are merely cogs in partisan political machines.” If this decree weakening the Johnson Amendment shield goes into effect, houses of worship in which the clergy and congregation wish to remain apolitical could be pressured to engage in taxpayer-subsidized electoral politics by elected officials, candidates or donors. Such an outcome would be highly detrimental to religious freedom in America. 

The First Amendment protects religious communities in two different ways—through the Establishment Clause, which prevents the government from imposing or endorsing one or more religions, and the Free Exercise Clause, which protects every person’s right to worship in whatever manner they choose. The IRS should reject the false tension that the religious Right has tried to create between these two principles. The Religious Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses are equally essential, and they stand best when they stand together. Neither has been violated by the Johnson Amendment as it has been interpreted since 1954, with equal applicability to all nonprofit organizations. 

Congress has repeatedly chosen to maintain the Johnson Amendment in statute, and we reject the notion that the IRS can unilaterally reinterpret 70 years of this settled law. We urge you to withdraw your Proposed Consent Decree. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

KETV’s Rob McCartney honored at Congress by Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon

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

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued the following statement after Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez announced she would not seek another term in the House of Representatives:

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez is a trailblazer, tenacious truth-teller and transformational figure. Throughout her career in public service, she has been an incredible advocate for the communities she is privileged to represent.

Rep. Velázquez made history in 1984 as the first Latina ever to serve in the New York City Council. In 1992, she became the first Puerto Rican woman ever elected to the House of Representatives. For more than three decades, she has continued to break barriers in Congress, including as the first Latina to serve as Chair of a congressional committee. Nydia has always been a voice for the voiceless, a defender of democracy and a relentless champion for the self-determination of Puerto Rico.

During a once-in-a-century global pandemic, Small Business Committee Chairwoman Velázquez helped stand up the Paycheck Protection Program that protected small businesses and their workers, created millions of jobs and rescued the economy. 

Known to anyone who has witnessed her passion and advocacy firsthand as “La Luchadora,” there is nobody better to have in your corner than Nydia. From the very beginning of my journey in the Congress, Rep. Velázquez has been a tremendous mentor, friend and partner. It’s been an immense honor to learn from her and serve alongside her in the New York delegation. 

She will be deeply missed by the House Democratic Caucus, and we all wish her and her family the very best in this next chapter.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Statement on Reports of Coast Guard Downgrading Swastikas, Nooses and Confederate Flags as Hate Symbols

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

Kristi Noem is a corrupt disgrace who is doing grave damage to the integrity and reputation of the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Coast Guard. 

The recent reporting that the Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses and Confederate flags as hate symbols is shameful. Unfortunately, it is not surprising given that the Trump administration peddles hate and intolerance with malign consistency.  

The swastika is a symbol of hate associated with the murder of six million Jews during the Holocaust. The Confederate flag is part of a painful history of racial oppression in America that enslaved Africans in this country for hundreds of years. The noose is directly tied to the thousands of horrifying lynching deaths of African Americans during the Jim Crow era. These are unquestionably hateful symbols that have no place in civilized society. 

The Coast Guard must reverse course immediately and Kristi Noem should resign. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), John Garamendi (CA-03), Vince Fong (CA-20), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), and Sharice Davids (KS-03) introduced the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Amendments of 2025, a bipartisan bill to update and improve a loan program that funds critical water and wastewater infrastructure projects through modernized water systems in the San Joaquin Valley and California. 
“Water is the lifeblood of our valley; therefore, we must continue to invest in our water infrastructure. We know that where water flows, food grows, and nowhere is that more evident than in the agricultural heartland of the San Joaquin Valley. Over 10-year periods, we have either too much water and flood conditions or too little water and drought conditions,”said Congressman Costa. 
“That is why I am proud to lead a bipartisan piece of legislation that includes my bill, the “Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act.” This effort will help strengthen the tools needed to modernize our water systems and protect every drop of water possible.” 
BACKGROUND 
The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014 (WIFIA) established the WIFIA program, a federal credit program administered by the EPA and other agencies for eligible water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Under this program, eligible borrowers, including state, Tribal, and federal government entities, apply for low-interest, flexible loans to fund water infrastructure projects. These loans are invaluable resources that allow local governments to meet the infrastructure needs of their respective communities at an affordable rate. 
The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Amendments of 2025 would improve WIFIA by extending funding for the program, expanding eligibility for loans, and other common-sense reforms. 
Specifically, this bill aims to: 

Broaden and restore WIFIA funding and financing eligibility to state entities and non-federal cost shares in federally involved projects. This includes state-led water storage projects, transferred works of the Bureau of Reclamation, and congressionally authorized Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) projects. 

Authorize the use of collaborative project delivery methods for WIFIA projects, allowing more flexibility and reducing the time and cost of the project.  

Allow certain federal water infrastructure loans to have maturity dates of up to 55 years.

Reauthorize the USACE WIFIA program through FY2029.    

Rep. Jim Costa’s Restoring WIFIA Eligibility Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at strengthening water quality and storage infrastructure across the Western United States, is a main part of this bill. It accelerates investment in the nation’s aging water systems by offering long-term, low-cost loans for major water projects.  
This bill would clarify that federally owned infrastructure managed and operated by non-federal entities, such as the San Luis Delta-Mendota Water Authority, can utilize WIFIA funding to finance water infrastructure projects, such as the C.W. “Bill” Jones Pumping plant. 

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

WASHINGTON — After four years of record inflation and skyrocketing costs, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are delivering lower taxes, lower prices, and a renewed commitment to putting American citizens first.But in some blue states, Democrats are making life even more unaffordable — setting aside core services for seniors, law enforcement, and infrastructure while pouring billions into health benefits for illegal aliens.

CALIFORNIA

Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s final budget makes clear that affordability for American families is not a priority. California is spending $10 billion on health care for illegal aliens while allocating just $348 million for state police — all while Californians grapple with soaring costs and the nation’s highest taxes.

Key facts:

• Illegal aliens now make up 11% of Medi-Cal enrollees — about 1.7 million people.
• Their benefits consume 25% of all state Medicaid dollars.
• The cost is 35% higher than Newsom’s own January estimate.
• California is considering a $900 tax on the uninsured while illegal aliens pay $30 monthly premiums.

Newsom dismisses criticism as “California derangement syndrome.” But for working families who are already struggling from Democrats’ record inflation and higher taxes to fund benefits for illegal aliens, it’s simply reality.

ILLINOIS

In Illinois, Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker is spending $629 million on health care for illegal aliens: more than the state spends on roads, senior meals, foster care, and the arts combined. And taxpayers are footing the bill.

Key Facts

• $629 million — Spent on health care for noncitizens in FY2025
• $1.6 billion — Total spent on similar programs since 2021
• 30,000 — Illegal aliens currently enrolled in the state plan
• $200 million — Budget deficit despite new limits on coverage

Instead of strengthening public services for Illinois families, Democrats are draining core programs to sustain one of the least affordable sanctuary-state systems in the country.

OREGON

Democrats have devoted $1.5 billion to Oregon’s Healthier Oregon program — more than double the $717 million budgeted for state police. The program offers free, full health coverage to noncitizens regardless of legal status, with enrollment nearly doubling projections and driving a $260 million shortfall.

Key facts:
• $1.5 billion — Total program cost for 2025–27 (state + federal)
• $1.2 billion — State share, per Oregon Health Authority
• 25% — Portion federally reimbursed
• >1,100% increase — Spending growth since the program’s launch in 2021

While Oregon families battle higher taxes and rising premiums, Democrats are rapidly expanding a runaway program that is becoming one of the most expensive sanctuary-state health systems in America — adding an even heavier burden on taxpayers already struggling under four years of inflation.

THE BOTTOM LINE

From coast to coast, blue states are spending billions on health care for illegal aliens while cutting core services for American citizens. In California, Illinois, and Oregon, Democrat governors have made clear where their priorities lie — and it isn’t with working families, law enforcement, or seniors.

• California: 28× more on illegal-alien health care than police
• Illinois: More than roads, seniors, and foster care combined
• Oregon: Nearly 2× more than state police

President Trump and Congressional Republicans will continue delivering real relief — lowering costs, restoring accountability, and putting American families FIRST.

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