MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Today, Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement:

“The President’s speech tonight should be about lowering costs and creating jobs. Instead, he will continue spreading lies about American elections. The truth is simple: Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. America’s elections are secure, transparent and run by state and local officials from both parties.

“After the 2020 election, the CIA, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies investigated the vote and found no evidence of foreign interference. More than 60 courts rejected challenges to the outcome of the 2020 election. Republican and Democratic election officials alike confirmed the results. There was no evidence of widespread fraud that changed the outcome of the election.

“As Americans prepare to vote again this fall, I am focused on protecting the right of every eligible citizen to cast a ballot and have that ballot counted.

“Before Election Day, I am supporting all efforts to protect access to the ballot box, defend Washington state’s secure vote-by-mail system and ensure election officials have the resources they need to administer free and fair elections. On Election Day, I will work to stop voter intimidation and ensure polling places around the country remain open. After Election Day, I will work to ensure all ballots are counted.

“President Trump can lie all he wants, but the American people decide elections.”

Rep. Larsen is an advocate for free and fair elections, expanding access to the ballot and Washington state’s vote-by-mail system. For more than a decade, he has advocated for and reintroduced legislation to protect U.S. citizens who face disenfranchisement because of restrictive voter identification laws (America Votes Act). Rep. Larsen is a co-founder of the Congressional Voting Rights Caucus.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) joined U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and nearly 200 Members in calling for independent investigations into Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero’s deaths and are demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) halt removal proceedings against the witnesses.

“On the heels of two fatal shootings carried out by ICE in the span of a week, I joined my colleagues in demanding an independent investigation free from interference,” said Congressman Sherman. “The deaths of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastián Guerrero demand answers. The conduct of ICE demands accountability.”

“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.”

On July 7th, ICE agents shot and killed Mr. Salgado Araujo, a father of three U.S. citizens who had resided in the country for 35 years. He was reportedly not ICE’s target in their operation, and despite ICE’s claims that Mr. Salgado Araujo “weaponized his vehicle,” no evidence to substantiate that claim has been presented, and it is disputed by witnesses in the vehicle. 

On July 13th, ICE agents shot and killed Mr. Guerrero, a father who also was reportedly not the target of enforcement actions. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims to have shot him in concern for “public safety” after he “attempted to flee.” The agency does not allege that at any point officers feared for their safety. Video of this killing shows ICE officers handcuffing Mr. Guerrero even after he had been shot in the head. 

DHS agents, including ICE agents, have shot at least 21 people just 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.

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

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) introduced the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, legislation to help address the nation’s persistent health care workforce shortage by helping internationally educated health care professionals overcome barriers to practicing in the United States. Of the two million college-educated immigrants currently living in the United States, roughly 14 percent hold health-related degrees. Yet many remain unable to work in their professions because of licensing, credentialing, language, and other barriers, even as hospitals, clinics, and long-term care providers across the country struggle to fill critical positions. According to the Migration Policy Institute, this underutilized talent represents a missed opportunity to strengthen the nation’s health care workforce while contributing to an estimated $10 billion in lost federal, state, and local tax revenue each year.

“Across the country, communities are struggling with health care workforce shortages while highly qualified doctors, nurses, and other health professionals trained overseas remain sidelined by unnecessary barriers,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “Our legislation will help connect these talented professionals with the support they need to earn U.S. credentials, join the workforce more quickly, and expand access to quality care for patients across the country.”

“It makes no economic sense to have trained nurses and doctors working far outside their field while hospitals can’t fill shifts and patients wait longer for care,” said Congressman Smith. “This bill doesn’t lower a single standard — it removes barriers that keeps qualified professionals from contributing at the level of their skills. That’s a practical, commonsense fix to a workforce problem employers across the country are asking us to solve.” 

“The 9th District is one of the most diverse in the nation, and that diversity is an economic asset. In Kent, SeaTac, Tukwila, and South Seattle, we have neighbors with health care degrees and years of clinical experience who want nothing more than to serve their communities,” Smith continued. “Putting their talents to work means shorter wait times, more culturally competent care, and stronger family incomes right here in King County.”

 

Specifically, the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act would establish a grant program administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to:

1. Support local- and state-level partnerships among health care organizations, community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and state and local governments to help internationally educated health care professionals enter the U.S. health care workforce. 
2. Help internationally educated health care professionals overcome barriers to licensure and employment by: 
   1. Assisting with obtaining overseas academic and training records and navigating the U.S. licensing and credentialing process; 
   2. Providing work-readiness programs, peer support, mentoring, and culturally competent career counseling; 
   3. Expanding access to prerequisite coursework, continuing education, and English-language instruction; and 
   4. Supporting opportunities to address classroom and clinical instructor shortages. 
3. Prioritize partnerships focused on helping health care workers serve rural communities or fill critical workforce shortages in underserved areas. 

The legislation is supported by: Advocates for Community Health, Afghan Cultural Society, American Geriatrics Society, American Public Health Association, American Seniors Housing Association, America’s Essential Hospitals, Arkansas United, Association of Clinicians for the Underserved, Association of Dental Support Organizations, Ballad Health, California Immigrants Resources Center, CGFNS International, Chemeketa Community College, Federation of American Hospitals, Gerontological Society of America, Global Cleveland, IMPRINT Coalition, Intealth, International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Service of San Diego, LeadingAge, Lifepoint Health, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains, Medicos Unidos Venezuela, National AHEC Organization, National Association for Geriatric Education, National Association of Community Health Centers, National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Association of Indian Nurses of America, National Association of Rural Health Clinics, National Black Nurses Association, National Immigration Forum, National League for Nursing, National Rural Health Association, National Skills Coalition, Pars Equality Center, Los Angeles, Philippine Nurses Association of America, Portland Refugee Support Group, Providence Public School, Restore Education, RUSA LGBTQ, Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, Synergy Texas, Talent Beyond Boundaries, The International Medical Graduates Academy (TIMGA), The Welcoming Center, Tiyya Foundation, UnidosUS, Upwardly Global, US Together, Virginia Rural Health Association, Hospital and Healthcare Association, Welcome Back Initiative, Welcoming City, and World Education Services.

A full copy of the bill text is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) and Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today reintroduced the Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act, bicameral legislation to protect students from predatory higher education programs—which are often run by for-profit colleges—that target financially vulnerable students, leave borrowers buried in debt, and force taxpayers to foot the bill for federal aid that never delivered on its promise.

The legislation would ensure that predatory and worthless degree programs are ineligible for federal financial aid dollars. The updated bill also responds to the Trump Administration’s recent attacks on college affordability, including a final rule that fails to ensure federal student aid only flows to programs that keep their commitments to students and delays accountability for programs preparing students for occupations where a majority of workers receive tipped income.

“Students should never spend years earning a degree, take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and then discover they were never actually qualified for the career they were promised,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “Higher education should be a pathway to the middle class—not a pipeline to debt. Our bill ensures colleges receiving taxpayer dollars actually prepare students for the careers they promise.”

“Students should not be saddled with a worthless degree or mountains of debt for pursuing the dream of higher education,” said Senator Merkley. “The Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act restores common-sense protections so graduates are not left with unmanageable debt and ensures that federal funds are not going toward worthless college degrees. This is a win-win for both students and taxpayers—delivering on the promise of quality education, meaningful career opportunities, and the responsible investment of federal financial aid dollars.”

The Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act would:

• Ensure students and taxpayers are not left footing the bill for predatory and worthless degree programs by making these programs ineligible for federal education assistance funds. 
• Restore a strong debt-to-earnings standard for for-profit college programs and non-degree certificate programs at any school so that programs that consistently leave graduates with unmanageable debt relative to their earnings lose access to federal aid. 
• Ensure the earnings premium test, which measures whether the typical graduate from a program who received federal aid earns at least as much as a typical high school graduate, applies to undergraduate certificate programs. 
• Guarantee that programs preparing students for occupations where a majority of workers receive tipped income are not subject to a one-year delay in program eligibility consequences. 
• Require all programs—including distance education programs—to meet any federal or state licensure requirements and programmatic accreditation necessary for graduates to enter their intended field. 
• Ensure states can apply and enforce their laws against online schools based in other states to provide consistent student protections. 

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-07).

The bill is endorsed by The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS); AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services; New America’s Higher Education Program; Third Way; EdTrust; and The Century Foundation.

“This bill takes important steps to protect students from worthless degrees that do not lead to the jobs they were promised and builds on efforts to ensure taxpayer dollars are not wasted on programs that do not deliver for students,” said Christopher Madaio, Senior Advisor for Federal and State Accountability at The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS).

“Students deserve confidence that the degrees they pursue will open doors—not leave them with broken promises or unaffordable debt. By codifying and strengthening accountability for low-financial-value programs, this legislation reinforces the principle that federal dollars should support programs that deliver real opportunity and economic mobility. Third Way applauds Senator Merkley and Representative Krishnamoorthi for their leadership in protecting students and safeguarding taxpayers’ investment in higher education,” said Michelle Dimino, Director of Education at Third Way.

“Students deserve programs that deliver real economic opportunity, not mountains of unaffordable debt. The Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act would help restore meaningful accountability in higher education and protect students from low-value, often predatory programs,” said Carolyn Fast, Director of Higher Education Policy and Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation.

“Research has consistently shown that the number one reason students go to college is to get a good job. This bill takes a meaningful step toward ensuring students can get that job and earn enough to repay the debt they take on when they enroll,” said Wesley Whistle, Project Director for Student Success & Affordability at New America.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) joined Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY), Sharice Davids (D-KS), and Seth Moulton (D-MA), along with leaders from The Trevor Project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Mental Health Liaison Group, to call on the Trump Administration to immediately restore the specialized LGBTQ+ youth crisis services formerly available through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s “Press 3” option. Although the Department of Health and Human Services has committed to restoring the services before the end of the year, the bipartisan coalition urged the Administration to immediately implement the funding Congress has already appropriated and restore the specialized LGBTQ+ youth crisis services without further delay.

“Before the Trump Administration ended it, the 988 Lifeline’s specialized LGBTQ+ youth crisis services connected with nearly 1.6 million young people during some of the darkest moments of their lives. When you reach that many young people, you’re meeting a real need and making a real difference. Congress came together on a bipartisan basis to restore these lifesaving services and appropriated the funding to make it happen. Congress did its job. Now the Trump Administration must implement the law and restore these services without another day’s delay,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi helped secure $33.1 million to restore the 988 Lifeline’s specialized LGBTQ+ youth crisis services and introduced bipartisan legislation to protect them permanently. According to The Trevor Project, 41 percent of LGBTQ+ young people in Illinois seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 48 percent of transgender and nonbinary youth.

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

Legislation would improve VA’s ability to identify and treat veterans with service-related respiratory conditions

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) reintroduced H.R. 9643, the Comment Integrity and Management Act, legislation to protect the federal rulemaking process by requiring agencies to verify that public comments are submitted by humans. Read the bill text here. 

This legislation responds to the growing usage of artificial intelligence and automated tools to flood agencies with large volumes of computer-generated comments. These tactics dilute the views of legitimate individuals and can lead to a false sense of public opinion. The bill was previously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2024.   

“In America, public input should play a crucial role in shaping federal policy,” said Rep. Higgins. “As AI and other technologies advance, it is important that we preserve the integrity of constituent interactions. This legislation will ensure that Americans’ voices are not drowned out by automated content generated by bad actors.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) — chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee — penned an op-ed in The Washington Examiner honoring Senator Lindsey Graham’s legacy and calling on Congress to pass his sanctions bill.

Congress must honor Lindsey Graham’s legacy by passing this bill

Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul

July 16, 2026

Rarely in life do you meet someone who genuinely embodies the weight and responsibility of the word “leader.” Sen. Lindsey Graham was one of those men. … We shared the same worldview: America is strongest at home when we project strength abroad.

[…]

Graham and I were both in Ukraine near the end of his life. While we were not traveling together, we shared the same mission.

[…]

Graham knew this war would only end when maximum pressure is placed on Putin and he is forced to seek a negotiated agreement — one that gives the Ukrainian people true security guarantees, unlike the failed Budapest Memorandum. That is why he spent the last year working on a strong Russia sanctions bill, which I promised to introduce in the House.

[…]

America has lost a giant, and the Senate has lost a statesman of unmatched conviction. His legacy will endure not just in the policies he championed but in the steadfast example of leadership he set for us all. There could be no greater tribute to his life and legacy than for Congress to pass his sanctions bill.

[…]

Let us move forward to realize Graham’s vision and achieve this noble pursuit of peace. 

Click here to read the full op-ed in The Washington Examiner

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Michael McCaul (10th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Emeritus Michael McCaul returned from private travel to Ukraine. While there, he met with Ukrainian troops near the front lines of the war, observed drone operations, received an award from President Zelensky, and held robust discussions with several other government officials and military leaders. Chairman Emeritus McCaul released the following statement on his trip:

“Critics said this war would be over in four days, but four years later, reports from the battlefield reveal Ukraine is turning the tide. Empowered by the 2024 supplemental bill I fought to pass, Ukrainians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation — particularly in drone technology — inflicting unsustainable losses on the Russian Federation. Following the successful NATO summit, the optimism in Ukraine was palpable. It was an honor to meet again with President Zelensky and with troops near the front lines to applaud their success and reaffirm American solidarity.

“I commend President Trump for allowing Ukraine to produce its own Patriot systems — a critical defense against Russia’s large-scale attacks targeting not military assets, but innocent civilians. We must pair this support with crippling economic pressure on Vladimir Putin — as Lindsey Graham championed in Kyiv in his final days. Congress has a duty to carry this momentum forward and enact his strong Russia sanctions bill, which I will introduce in the House. Now is the time for moral clarity and conviction. The free world must not waver as we seek to halt Putin’s campaign of aggression and secure lasting peace.”

McCaul was first escorted to the Donbas region, where he met with Ukrainian troops at a frontline operations center to learn about their success in the Donbas and assure them of U.S. support. This location was further east in Ukraine than any American official has traveled since the beginning of the war.

McCaul in the Donbas with a private security detail of former U.S. servicemen

Next, McCaul traveled to Kyiv, where he met with President Zelensky, who presented him with the Order of Merit for his support for Ukraine — especially his work to champion and pass the 2024 supplemental package. In the meeting, they discussed the implications of the successful NATO summit, Ukraine’s innovation and momentum on the battlefield, and congressional efforts to enact tough sanctions on Russia.

McCaul receives the Order of Merit from President Zelensky (photos courtesy of the Presidential Office of Ukraine)

McCaul meeting with the head of sanctions for President Zelensky’s office

McCaul also met with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Stefanchuk Ruslan Oleksiiovych and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha. In these meetings, discussions focused on how Ukraine is working to bolster its air defense as Russia continues its large-scale missile and drone attacks. McCaul expressed his continued support for deepening Ukrainian-American cooperation in air defense and affirmed President Trump’s decision to allow Ukraine to produce its own Patriot systems. McCaul recently introduced a bill with Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) to increase security cooperation and strengthen defense capabilities between the United States and Ukraine.

McCaul with Chairman Stefanchuk (photos courtesy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine)

McCaul with Foreign Minister Sybiha (photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine)

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, McCaul surveyed Ukrainian-made drones — including offensive, counter-UAS, and transport drones — that showcase Ukraine’s technological innovation. McCaul has often commended the Ukrainians for effectively turning the battlefield into a laboratory for advanced weapons systems.

McCaul at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine)

McCaul then visited with both American and Ukrainian drone manufacturers — including SkyFall, which manufactures 7,000 drones per day — and spent time at a drone operations center to learn more about Ukraine’s use of modern warfare. At the drone center, he observed drones dropping supplies and planting mines.

McCaul at Pegasus Arms observing drone activity

On his final day in Ukraine, McCaul received a briefing from the International Cooperation Directorate of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, in which he learned about how Ukraine is turning the tide of the war, as well as how Russia is investing in its military in response.

He also visited a Bring Kids Back rehabilitation facility for children who had previously been kidnapped and sent to Russia, indoctrinated against their own country, abused and tortured in camps, or even sent to the front lines to fight on behalf of Russia. At the facility, he met with five children and their guardians — as well as doctors and psychiatrists helping the children — to hear their stories and share his support for the children of Ukraine. McCaul also viewed Russian textbooks that are being taught in the occupied territories, which contain propaganda preparing Ukrainian children for a broader war against NATO.

Reports indicate that 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted since the start of the war, with some estimates much higher, and McCaul has consistently championed their cause.

McCaul with doctors and patients at the rehabilitation facility (photos courtesy of Bring Kids Back)

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

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), released the following statement on his vote on Rep. Thomas Massie’s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 State Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. 

“This Republican foreign aid bill debated yesterday decimates needed humanitarian aid and undercuts American diplomacy around the world. Republicans included an amendment to the bill by Rep. Massie that could block all foreign aid to Israel, including programs I strongly support that are focused on peacebuilding and humanitarian aid. I voted no on Rep. Massie’s amendment because I ardently believe in peacebuilding programs which are working daily to bring people together, rather than divide them.  

“Despite its title and messaging, the amendment was drafted in such a broad way that it leaves the Trump Administration, who will implement it, with wide discretion to decide which funding accounts should be blocked. This creates the false impression that Congress had ended their support. That’s not honest policymaking, and it’s not how we should approach an issue with such profound humanitarian consequences.

“Israel has the right to exist and the right to defend their people, and I believe the U.S. should continue to have a strong strategic alliance with Israel. However, the status quo is not tenable; not for the Israeli people long term, not for the Palestinians trying to live in an ever-shrinking territory in the West Bank, and certainly not for the people still suffering in Gaza. 

“It is outrageous that this Republican bill provided no aid for the Palestinian people continuing to suffer in Gaza. 

“If Congress is serious about examining and changing U.S. policy, then we should debate and vote on legislation that actually does what it claims to do.” 

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Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.