Congressman Al Green Releases Statement Denouncing the Supreme Court’s Decision that Weakens a Landmark Civil Rights-Era Law

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC)—On Thursday, April 30, 2026, Congressman Al Green released the following statement:

“Yesterday’s decision by the Supreme Court regarding Louisiana’s congressional maps is a profound setback for voting rights and representative democracy. At a time when our nation should be strengthening access to the ballot and ensuring fair representation for all Americans, this ruling instead turns back the clock on the Civil Rights Movement and decades of progress.

The Court’s decision undermines the principle that every voice deserves to be heard and that electoral maps must reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. For generations, Americans have fought to dismantle barriers that dilute the voting power of marginalized communities. This ruling threatens to erode those gains and signals a troubling retreat from the protections that have helped move our democracy forward.

If we are indeed being forced to revisit the struggles of the 1960s, then we must be prepared to meet this moment with the same resolve those struggles required. Protestation is not only appropriate, it is essential. Peaceful protest has always been a cornerstone of progress in this country, and it remains one of the most powerful tools the American people have to demand justice and accountability. 

I stand with those who believe in a fair and inclusive democracy. I will continue to work alongside my colleagues in Congress as well as activists and communities across the nation to ensure that the right to vote is protected and that our electoral systems reflect the will of the people, not the interests of a few.”

Read More (Steube, Carter Introduce Bipartisan Save America’s Families Forests Act)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

April 29, 2026 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Aaron Bean (R-Fla.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Greg Murphy (R-N.C.), and Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas) today introduced the Save America’s Family Forests Act. This bill would allow forest landowners to immediately expense reforestation costs following a qualified natural disaster, accelerating recovery and reinvestment in rural economies.
“In Florida, our family forests face constant threats from hurricanes and severe flooding that can wipe out years of timber production overnight. When disaster strikes, family forest landowners need tax relief when replanting costs hit, not years later. That’s why I’m co-leading the Save America’s Family Forests Act. This bill extends proven expensing policies to family forests in the wake of natural disasters so can recover faster, supply affordable timber, and support rural economies,” said Rep. Greg Steube.
“Georgia’s family forest landowners are essential to our economy and our way of life,” said Rep. Carter “It’s the number one state for forestry, supporting rural jobs, strengthening supply chains, and keeping our environment healthy and resilient. By building on proven expensing policies, this bill ensures they can recover quickly after disasters and continue managing healthy, productive forests,” said Rep. Buddy Carter. 
“Alabama’s Black Belt and rural communities depend on healthy, working forests for jobs and economic opportunity. As wildfires and severe weather events become more frequent, we must help landowners recover and rebuild. I’m honored to join my colleagues in advancing this bipartisan effort to support family forest landowners,” said Rep. Terri Sewell.
“Northeast Florida’s forests are essential to our environment and our economy, and they’re under real strain from ongoing wildfires. Family forest landowners and the timber industry play a vital role in restoring these lands, but they need the flexibility to recover and replant quickly after damage. The Save America’s Family Forest Act gives them that support, helping Florida’s forestry families keep their land productive and our natural resources strong for the future,” said Rep. Aaron Bean.
“After catastrophic wildfires and other natural disasters, forest landowners face unnecessary delays in reforesting due to outdated tax policy. The Save America’s Family Forests Act provides the certainty landowners need to reinvest quickly, restore forest cover, and keep these landscapes healthy. Proud to serve as a co-lead of this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our natural resources,” said Rep. Mike Thompson. 
“North Carolina’s family forest landowners face growing risks from storms and natural disasters, especially after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, and they need commonsense tax policy that supports recovery. The Save America’s Family Forests Act helps keep working forests productive and in family hands by accelerating reforestation investment when it matters most, while also supporting efforts to expand domestic timber production and strengthen our rural economies,” said Rep. Greg Murphy.
“Rural communities across America need champions who understand what’s at stake. This legislation gives forest landowners the tools to act fast, protect their investment, and keep their land productive for generations to come. America’s timber industry needs parity when it comes to relief and recovery from natural disasters. This bill ensures the tax code is working for them, not against,” said Rep. Nathaniel Moran.
“Outdated tax policy shouldn’t penalize family forest owners for doing the right thing after a natural disaster. Forcing landowners to wait years to recover reforestation costs only delays recovery and discourages reinvestment in working forests. Florida Farm Bureau strongly supports the Save America’s Family Forests Act because it delivers a commonsense fix—allowing landowners to expense reforestation costs when they’re incurred. This bill will accelerate recovery, strengthen rural economies, and help ensure America’s family forests remain productive and sustainable for generations to come.” —Jeb S. Smith, President, Florida Farm Bureau Federation
“Private working forests play a vital role providing wildlife habitat and access for sportsmen and women, but as recent natural disasters have shown, recovery costs can impede forest restoration. We thank the bill sponsors for introducing the Save America’s Family Forests Act to modernize federal tax policy to help landowners keep forests working sustainably for wildlife, rural communities, and opportunities for hunters and anglers.”—Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
“Family forest landowners play a vital role in keeping America’s working forests healthy, resilient, and productive, but recovering from natural disasters can create significant financial challenges. The Save America’s Family Forests Act provides a commonsense solution by allowing landowners to reinvest more quickly in reforestation when it matters most. By building on proven expensing policies, this legislation will help ensure our forests remain a strong foundation for rural economies, domestic timber production, and long-term environmental stewardship.” —Forest Landowners Association
Background:Forest landowners do not have access to federal crop insurance, leaving them exposed to major losses after hurricanes, wildfires, and other natural disasters. Currently, the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) allows landowners to recover reforestation costs over 8 years. Once timber is harvested after replanting or acquisition, the taxpayer’s basis is generally exhausted, limiting tax relief that could be claimed through casualty loss if natural disaster strikes in the future.
At the same time, forest landowners are required to amortize replanting costs over several years, delaying relief when disasters strike. The Save America’s Family Forests Act fixes this by allowing forest landowners to expense replanting costs immediately after a qualified natural disaster, helping family forest landowners strengthen rural economies that rely on them most.
Read the bill text here.

Rep. Haley Stevens Introduces “Release Your Taxes Act,” Building on Call for Transparency in Congress

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens introduced the Release Your Taxes Act, legislation to require Members of Congress and candidates for Congress to publicly disclose their tax returns—bringing greater transparency and accountability to Washington.

Rep. Stevens released her own 2025 tax returns ahead of Tax Day and now she is introducing legislation to require all Members of Congress to do the same.

“Ahead of Tax Day, I released my 2025 tax returns, and now I’m urging all Members of Congress and candidates for Congress to do the same,” said Rep. Stevens. “I’m not a millionaire, and at a time when Michiganders are sick and tired of politicians running for office to get rich, we owe the public the transparency they deserve.”

The Release Your Taxes Act:

  • Requires Members of Congress and candidates for Congress to annually disclose their tax returns to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Senate within two days of filing with the IRS.
  • Requires new candidates for Congress to disclose their tax returns within thirty days of filing to run for office.
  • Requires Members of Congress and candidates for Congress to disclose their 2025 federal tax returns within 30 days of enactment of this law.
  • Requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate to create a public database of Members of Congress and Congressional candidates’ tax returns, and display the names of all Members and candidates not in compliance with this law.
  • Defines tax returns as Form 1040 and Schedule A of a federal tax return, as well as any application for a filing extension or explanation why a return was not filed.

The bill applies to tax years 2025 and beyond, setting a clear, forward-looking standard for transparency. This is Rep. Stevens’ latest effort to help increase transparency and accountability in Congress. She introduced the No Getting Rich in Congress Act earlier this year.

Text of the bill is available here.

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Rep. Haley Stevens Slams Supreme Court Decision on Voting Rights Act

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

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais:

“The right to vote, and have every American’s vote matter equally, is foundational to our democracy. Generations of Americans put their lives on the line to secure that Constitutional right and generations of Americans have benefited from the protections of the Voting Rights Act.

“For decades, the Supreme Court has undermined that landmark law, culminating in today’s decision which opens the door for states to racially gerrymander their districts and sets us back on centuries of progress. This shameful Republican effort is an echo of a bygone era to dilute the vote of Black Americans, cheat their way out of losing power, and trample on the ideals our nation was founded on.”

 

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DelBene Statement on Republican Budget Resolution

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

DelBene Statement on Republican Budget Resolution

Washington, D.C., April 30, 2026

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement after voting against the Republican budget resolution.

“This budget does absolutely nothing to lower costs when families are struggling with high health care premiums, expensive grocery bills, and unaffordable gas prices due to Republican policies. Instead of addressing the issues that actually matter to families, this bill writes another blank check to ICE, providing $70 billion to continue terrorizing our communities.

“Despite Republican claims, this bill also does nothing to end the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, putting paychecks at risk for countless TSA, Coast Guard, and FEMA employees.

“The American people have been clear – they want a Congress that works to lower costs and keeps our communities safe. The Republican budget is completely out of touch, fails to address the cost-of-living crisis, and only creates more chaos.”

Rep. Loudermilk on Reauthorization of FISA Sec. 702 – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington, D.C. (April 29, 2026) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement on the U.S. House vote on S. 1318: Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act:

“Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we have faced a Constitutional dilemma, how to balance the constitutional responsibilities of the federal government to ‘provide for the common defense,’ while simultaneously protecting an individual’s right to privacy, and ensuring due process. Since the passing the Patriot Act, I have opposed the government intrusion into a U.S. citizen’s private communications without the due process requirement of obtaining a search warrant. With my experience in military intelligence, I also understand the importance of FISA in deterring attacks on the United States, our citizens, and allies. This is why I fought hard to impose reforms in FISA, to strike a balance between the government’s responsibility to provide safety and individual right to privacy.

“With the recently adopted reforms yielding positive results, and additional enhancements to ensure compliance, I believe the legislation just passed continues to allow those charged with the defense of the U.S. the tools and authority necessary to maintain our national security, while also protecting the rights of Americans. Individual liberty is paramount to a free society, and I am confident that this legislation is sufficient in maintaining that liberty.”

Rep. Loudermilk on Passage of Budget Resolution – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (April 29, 2026) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement following the U.S. House vote on S.Con.Res 33: Setting forth the congressional budget for the United States for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.

“Border security and immigration enforcement are vital elements of any sovereign nation and are too important to be left unfunded. I continue to believe that Homeland Security should be funded in its entirety through proper annual appropriations; but the ability to ensure ICE and Border Patrol can operate without the threat of constant interruptions is vital to our national security.

“Americans consistently show support for enforcing secure borders and the removal of foreign criminals, and my Republican colleagues and I are using every avenue available to deliver on this issue, as our colleagues across the aisle stand in opposition to the rule of law. Protecting the American homeland should be a core function of our government, and this legislation allows us to ensure that it will.”

Congressman Allen Votes for Budget Framework to Fund ICE and Border Protection

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Congressman Allen Votes for Budget Framework to Fund ICE and Border Protection

Washington, April 30, 2026

Last night, House Republicans passed S. Con. Res. 33, which establishes a congressional budget to responsibly fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) through the end of President Trump’s term, ensuring these agencies are able to keep the American people safe from threats. Upon passage of S. Con. Res. 33, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the following statement:

“House and Senate Democrats have made it abundantly clear that their loyalty lies with illegal immigrants, not with the American people, and not with the brave individuals tasked with securing our border and deporting criminals who have illegally entered our country. While Democrats continue to obstruct funding for the Department of Homeland Security, House Republicans are working to ensure these vital national security agencies have the resources they need to keep Americans safe. This was an easy yes vote.”

BACKGROUND: Adoption of S. Con. Res. 33 will unlock the process by which Congressional Republicans can fund ICE and CBP through the entirety of President Trump’s term with a simple majority vote in the Senate. This bill makes the FY2026 annual appropriations process whole, ensuring that ICE and CBP can continue the historic progress they have made under the Trump Administration to address the consequences of Democrats’ disastrous open-borders policies.

MATSUI STATEMENT ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS PASSING BLUEPRINT TO FUND ICE AND CBP

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) released the following statement after House Republicans voted to pass S. Con. Res. 33, a budget resolution that will act as the blueprint to fund ICE and CBP through the reconciliation process.  

“Today, I voted no on one of the cruelest measures I have seen during my time in Congress. House Republicans passed an outrageous budget resolution that sets the stage to blindly pour billions more into ICE and CBP. No real accountability. No effort to fix the deep injustices in our immigration system,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “ICE has become a rogue, paramilitary force. They have killed innocent people in the streets, detained children, and used recklessly aggressive tactics that tear families apart and inflict lasting harm on our communities. We have to be clear-eyed about what we are confronting. This is a system that is fundamentally broken at its core. We need to tear it down and replace it with one that protects constitutional rights and due process, treats people with dignity, and lives up to our values. Instead, Republicans are choosing to double down on cruelty. I will not stop fighting back. Our country is and should be better than this chaos.”

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LEADER JEFFRIES ON MS NOW: “IT WAS A TOTALLY DESPICABLE DECISION GUTTING SECTION 2 OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT”

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s The Briefing, where he emphasized that Democrats will continue to aggressively push back against Republican efforts to undermine our elections and voting rights.

JEN PSAKI: Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Okay, so I think when we all saw the ruling come down today, I mean, it shook a lot of us to the core, probably shook you. Not that it was necessarily unexpected, but it threw into question so much of what many people have fought for for decades over the course of time. And I think for a lot people, just on the technicalities of it, they made them freak out. Like it’s gonna make it harder to win the House. I know, today, I mean, I referenced earlier, the New York Times said that this could result in half of the, in a dozen seats lost to Democrats in the South over the course of time. That’s not immediate. Mark Elias said today it could be more like two seats at risk leading up to November. As you’re thinking about the nitty gritty of this, you have a lot of skin in the game here. You could be the House Speaker soon enough. How many seats do you think this could impact leading up to November?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it was a totally despicable decision in terms of gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which up until this point had been the preeminent piece of civil rights legislation in American history as part of our march toward a more perfect union and achieving a multiracial democracy. And there was a lot of sacrifice. A lot of people bled. People died to actually get to a point where you had an unfettered right to vote that was free of racial discrimination and intimidation. And the Supreme Court majority, of course, has just ushered that back in, in part because they are doing everything they can, it appears, to artificially give Donald Trump a Republican majority in the Congress and in the Senate, which of course he’s at risk of losing because his presidency has been a disaster and the Republicans have been nothing but sycophants and rubber stamps for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. We’re going to make sure that there’s a free and fair election in November and this voting rights decision by the Supreme Court has come late enough in the process that I agree entirely with Mark Elias that at the end of the day, at best, it may give the Republicans an additional seat or two in advance of November of 2026 and then we have to battle it out in connection with 2028.

JEN PSAKI: So I want to get there in just one second. I just want to ask you too about Florida because Florida just passed, of course, this redistricting effort today. That could garner them a couple of additional seats in Florida. You kind of threatened maximum warfare. I think it was last week you said that. Just in that specific case, what does that look like? I know there’s a question of like who has standing to file a lawsuit. What’s the next steps there to even fight that particular effort?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, they’re going to be Florida voters who are going to file a lawsuit as soon as DeSantis signs this gerrymandering scheme into law because the Florida voters in 2010 enacted the Fair Districts Amendment that explicitly prohibits partisan gerrymandering and explicitly prohibits communities of interest, towns and villages and cities and counties, from being broken up, particularly to benefit one party, which was done in this instance, the Republican Party, and to target Democratic incumbents who were elected by the people of Florida. And so this map is blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. And we’re going to pursue every litigation avenue in state court that is available to the voters. At the same period of time, as was done in Texas, this DeSantis dummymander is going to create additional opportunities for Democrats to defeat Republican incumbents while fighting hard to hold on to our Democratic incumbents who were put into harm’s way. They’re not getting an additional four seats out of Florida in the same way that Texas Republicans are not getting an additional five seats out of Texas, particularly in this midterm election where everything continues to break in our way because Republicans have been a complete and total disaster. And we’re continuing to center the people as it relates to our commitment to making their life more affordable and driving down the high cost of living.

JEN PSAKI: And they’ve miscalculated. I mean, this could be the case in Florida too, even as they’ve, even some Republicans there have expressed that concern. So let’s talk about—because it’s not that you and many people want you to be the House Speaker, it’s also you want to stay House Speaker and we’re talking about a lot more states at risk leading up to 2028. There are a lot of things on the table that could be fighting back I mean, of course there would be fighting, passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. But Trump is not—he’s still going to be in office. He’s not going to sign that. There is additional redistricting efforts that could be undertaken, but some of those could impact, I mean, majority-minority districts potentially. How do you think about the balance of those things? What are the tools that you are willing to deploy in this maximum warfare effort?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The Congressional Black Caucus will continue to lead in this effort and we’ll partner with them, with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. But here’s an important thing to understand. When you see these caucuses grow over time, the growth has largely come in districts that aren’t majority-minority. In fact, many Asian American, Latino and African American Congressmembers right now represent swing districts that we’ve repeatedly flipped. With respect to the CBC, right now there are 56 members of the Congressional Black Caucus in the House, four in the Senate. But of those 56, only 11 represent majority-Black districts. Only 11. And you have at least 15 or 20 who are representing districts that are about 15% or less African American population in the community. So we have the ability, as has been demonstrated repeatedly, to get elected in communities that are diverse all across the country and to put the American people first regardless of race and we’ll retain that ability notwithstanding what Republicans may try to do. Now the Deep South has a history of intense racial discrimination and we’re going to have to deal with that in a variety of different ways, including by recognizing the fact that this Supreme Court still is going to have to contend with the 14th Amendment and intentional discrimination claims that we can still bring. That’s the reason why the Governor of Alabama today, the Republican conservative Governor, said our hands are tied in Alabama, there’s nothing that we could do to try to impact the two congressional districts that are represented by African Americans in the state of Alabama because they are prohibited by the 14th Amendment from changing their map.

JEN PSAKI: This is—this fight is going to continue because they’ve decided that the only way to win is to disenfranchise voters and make it harder to participate. Leader Jeffries, thank you for being here. I really appreciate it.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.