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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alma Adams (12th District of North Carolina)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12) commented on the Supreme Court’s emergency stay of the Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Fifth Circuit decision regarding access to the drug Mifepristone.

“On Monday, May 4, I filed an amicus brief with over 250 of my Democratic colleagues in Congress urging them to overturn the decision of the Fifth Circuit.

“States cannot be allowed to walk back protections that women have fought to secure for decades.

“The FDA’s rigorous congressionally mandated, evidence-based process for drug regulations has approved Mifepristone’s use and their studies confirm the drug is safe regardless of how it is dispensed. Reinstating in-person dispensation requirements for Mifepristone severely limits access to the most common method of early, safe abortion.

“I have spent my career fighting for women’s access to safe and effective reproductive healthcare. For 50 years, women have been able to take control of their own bodies, and since the Dobbs decision, that control is being taken away.

“Women deserve healthcare, and abortion care is healthcare. This lower court decision cannot stand.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) applauds the United States Coast Guard’s decision to establish its Special Missions Command (SMC) at the existing Coast Guard C51 Service Center in Kearneysville, West Virginia.

This new facility will oversee the Coast Guard’s deployable specialized forces and significantly strengthen the service’s ability to respond to a wide range of national emergencies and major events, particularly as demand for these specialized capabilities continues to grow. It is expected to be commissioned on or around October 1, 2026.

“I am thrilled that the United States Coast Guard has chosen West Virginia as the home of its new Special Missions Command Center. Establishing this center in our state will allow for high-level, specialized training to be conducted in a single centralized facility, ensuring seamless coordination and readiness among these elite forces. This investment will significantly enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to prepare its personnel to respond to complex threats and critical missions, strengthening our nation’s homeland security while bringing highly skilled jobs and federal resources to West Virginia,” said Congresswoman Miller. 

“The Coast Guard’s decision to establish its Special Missions Command in Kearneysville is a testament to the capabilities and strategic value West Virginia offers. This announcement is welcome news as it will strengthen readiness, while also ensuring our service members are equipped to respond to the complex threats and emergencies we face today. I’m proud to know that this capability will be located in the Eastern Panhandle, and I look forward to seeing the opportunities and benefits brought to the region and our nation when it comes to homeland security needs. I would like to thank Admiral Lunday and Secretary Mullin for recognizing the important advantage West Virginia offers for this new capability,” said Senator Shelley Moore Capito.

“The creation of the Special Missions Command is a vital evolution for our service under Force Design 2028. We are forging our most elite operators into a single, razor-sharp instrument of national power. The Special Missions Command is not an administrative change; it is an investment ensuring these elite teams are the best trained, equipped, and organized force possible, ready to protect the Homeland and support the Joint Force,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, Commandant of the Coast Guard.

The Special Missions Command will include the following units:

• Maritime Security Response Teams serve as the Coast Guard’s first responders to maritime terrorism and other high-risk threats. They are equipped to conduct the nation’s most critical maritime security and defense operations at home or abroad, with both partner law enforcement agencies and joint services.
• Tactical Law Enforcement Teams provide law enforcement expertise across the full spectrum of maritime response situations with specific focus on counter trafficking and criminal networks attempting to exploit maritime transit zones.
• Maritime Safety and Security Teams are rapidly deployable boat teams that provide port, waterway, and coastal security capability to safeguard the public, protect the marine transportation system, and respond to maritime crime, sabotage, and terrorist activity.
• Port Security Units provide shoreside and waterborne security including point defense of strategic shipping, designated critical infrastructure, and high value assets in joint and combined expeditionary warfare environments.
• Regional Dive Lockers provide dedicated undersea capabilities for a variety of missions. These missions include ensuring the security of ports and waterways, maintaining aids to navigation, and conducting ship maintenance and repair, often in extreme environments like the remote polar regions.
• National Strike Force provides highly trained technical experts and specialized equipment to Coast Guard and other federal agencies to prepare for and respond to the most complex crises and natural disasters, including oil, hazardous substances, and chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear incidents. The force, comprised of three strike teams, an incident management assist team, and the public information assist team supports federal on-scene coordinators and incident commanders, and is poised for immediate response across the nation and globally. 

More information can be found in the United States Coast Guard’s Press Release here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

The federal funds will support the Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) Community Security Initiative across 40,000 square miles in Southern California

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust, condemned the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to authorize the sale of mango and blueberry flavored Glas e-cigarettes.

“Just days after President Trump complained that flavored e-cigarettes were not approved by the FDA, Commissioner Marty Makary caved. In one sweeping cowardly decision, the FDA sided with the President over the health of Americans, especially Black children. For decades, Black Americans have been targeted by tobacco companies, causing higher rates of heart disease, lung cancer and stroke. We are now seeing history repeat itself as companies like Glas and Juul target our youth with their more appealing—but just as addicting and deadly—flavored e-cigarettes. I refuse to see Black children taken advantage of by vape companies, and I remain committed to protecting the health of the Black community.”

The FDA previously abandoned its plans to ban menthol cigarettes just two years after the agency proposed a rule to remove the harmful product from the market. Rep. Kelly led the majority of the CBC in a letter in support of the rule, expressing her concern of the disproportionate use of menthol cigarettes amongst Black Americans. In 2019, 85% of Black smokers used menthol cigarettes compared to just 30% of white smokers. Flavored e-cigarettes, especially fruit flavors, have driven the increase of use amongst young smokers. Mango was one of the most popular Juul flavors before it was pulled off the market.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

Today, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statement in response to Ukraine’s ceasefire proposal and Russia’s continued strikes that undermine any credible path to peace:

“Ukraine has extended an olive branch: an immediate, temporary ceasefire grounded in the protection of human life and the pursuit of a just peace. In the face of Russia’s continued aggression, this proposal reflects the moral clarity of a free people: willing to seek peace, unwilling to surrender sovereignty, and determined to defend the dignity of their nation.

“For years, the world has watched Russia strike Ukrainian cities, energy infrastructure, and civilians while claiming to seek peace. Simultaneously, the Kremlin is only advancing a symbolic pause tied to its World War II Victory Day commemorations — an observance Dictator Vladimir Putin has increasingly weaponized as a tool of propaganda and imperial grievance. A ceasefire cannot be selective, conditional, or timed for political convenience. It must be real, verifiable, and honored in good faith.

“Putin should accept and fully respect Ukraine’s ceasefire beginning tonight. The choice before the Kremlin is clear: continue a war that has brought devastation to Ukraine and isolation to Russia, or take a meaningful step toward peace.

“The lesson is not distant history. It is the test before us now. Europe once again faces a war of conquest—an effort to erase Ukraine’s borders, extinguish its identity, and deny a free people the right to determine their own future. 

“History has shown where wars of aggression lead when the world looks away. It has also shown how they end: aggression rejected, sovereignty defended, and peace secured through strength. 

“We stand united— Democrats and Republicans — in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty, in defense of international law, and in recognition of the immense sacrifices already made by the Ukrainian people. We honor those who have fallen resisting tyranny and fighting for Liberty on the continent of Europe, just as we remember the lives of the 420,000 Americans and countless millions who gave their lives to defeat an ideology based on hatred and domination eight decades ago.

“The path to peace is open. The responsibility to take it rests with the Kremlin. And as one united front, we say clearly: America stands with the people of Ukraine.”

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

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Kids Central, Inc., based in Norton, Virginia, a $4,892,059 grant. The funding supports local head start and early head start projects. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Kids Central, Inc. leads head start programs in Southwest Virginia.

“This HHS grant for more than $4.8 million helps a head start program provider continue serving communities in the region.”

BACKGROUND

According to its website, Kids Central, Inc. operates two head start programs: Early Head Start and Head Start Preschool. The former supports pregnant women and infants in Wise County and the City of Norton. The latter helps children and families in Wise County, Dickenson County and the City of Norton.

As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congressman Griffith serves as the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jimmy Gomez joined more than 250 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that threatens access to mifepristone, undermines women’s health care, and weakens the FDA’s long-established scientific approval process.

The brief follows emergency appeals from mifepristone manufacturers and a temporary stay issued by the Supreme Court while the case moves forward.

In the filing, lawmakers argued that mifepristone has been repeatedly proven safe and effective through the FDA’s rigorous approval and review process. They warned that allowing courts to override science-based decisions made by medical experts would set a dangerous precedent and further restrict access to reproductive health care across the country.

“For more than 25 years, the FDA has consistently affirmed that mifepristone is safe and effective, and millions of patients have used it safely,” the lawmakers wrote in the brief. “Allowing courts to overrule evidence-based medical decisions threatens both access to care and the integrity of the FDA’s approval process.”

The lawmakers also emphasized that reinstating burdensome in-person dispensing requirements would disproportionately harm patients in communities where reproductive health care providers are already difficult to access.

The amicus brief was signed by all 47 Senate Democrats and 212 House Democrats.

The full amicus brief can be viewed HERE.