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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Ellen Mei, a MA-07 Constituent & USDA Employee, was Fired by Admin After Media Interview Warning of Looming Hunger Crisis

Pressley, Markey Sent a Letter on Ellen’s Behalf Earlier Today

Video (YouTube)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) rallied in defense of her constituent Ellen Mei—a union leader and career public servant at USDA who has helped to administer food assistance—who was unlawfully terminated after warning the public of the administration’s cuts to SNAP and staff layoffs that would jeopardize access to food for millions.

Earlier today, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding Ellen’s reinstatement.

A transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks is available below and the video is available here.

Transcript: Rep. Pressley Rallies With Constituent & Federal Worker Unlawfully Fired for Exercising Free Speech

November 14, 2025

Boston, MA

Alright, go us. Go movement.

E pluribus unum, out of many we are one, and we are one movement in the fight for humanity and in the fight for justice.

It is no wonder the Trump Administration has kept Boston on its mind and Massachusetts in its sight line.

They claim that they are about freedom, yet they attack the free press, they attack free speech, they attack our bodily autonomy, they attack our ability to read whatever books that we want.

But in Massachusetts, we are in contradiction to everything that they are for, because we are pro-humanity, and we are pro-science, and we are pro-public health, and we are pro-innovation, and we are pro-freedom, and we are pro-humanity.

Very apropos that when the young man who was exercising his freedom of speech was speaking at us and Senator Markey said, “We will not be bullied.”

This Administration has proven that the occupant in the Oval Office is a dictator, and the only way to beat a dictator is with defiance.

And that is why we are standing here in solidarity in this moment, because history has shown us that appeasement doesn’t work.

And the only thing I would say about the young man is that he was saying, “Have any SNAP recipients thanked taxpayers?”

Have you thanked any of the SNAP recipients?

Because they are the working men and women of this country.

They are the elderly who’ve worked their entire lives to make this the country that it is living on fixed incomes and because people have prioritized profit over people that they are having to make choices between their rent and food—they need that $6 a day.

The question is, have you thanked a disabled person, a working man and woman, a family that’s making contributions in community each and every single day?

Struggle does not discriminate, and hardship is not a character flaw.

And you can ask anybody that from Massachusetts to Mississippi, so sir, when you ask the question, have you thanked taxpayers if you are a SNAP recipient, you should thank those hard working families, because the people on SNAP are the working poor of this country, because of all the systemic and policy change that we need to make but have yet to do.

I just had to say that.

But back to why we’re here.

Sorry, I just could not let that go, because he’s grossly misinformed.

Look Ellen, thank you for bringing us here.

Ellen and Lane, like every federal worker that we have stood shoulder to shoulder with since DOGE—Dangerous Oligarchs Grab at Everything—took a mallet to the federal workforce, disrupting the livelihoods and lives of thousands and also disrupting the lives of the people and communities that those dedicated federal workers serve.

It has been my experience that every federal worker that has had their life disrupted has cared most about the work that would go unfinished, undone, more than they have cared about their own livelihood and life.

And Ellen and Lane and everyone else, you prove that.

Ellen, you put your livelihood on the line.

You risked a job that you were damn good at.

You put a target on your back by standing up, not only for yourself and your colleagues, but for the American people, because she took an oath to serve.

But as her Congresswoman, as her brothers and sisters in the labor movement, as her partners in pursuit of food justice for all, as humans with a shred of decency and conscience, we are here to say that while you might be willing to make the sacrifice, Ellen, we will not allow you to be a martyr.

We will not keep our heads down and hope the worst of this administration’s hurt and harm falls on someone else, and we will not be cowed by these threats.

Again, the only way to beat a dictator is with defiance.

We will listen to the canaries in the coalmine.

Ellen and her colleagues at FNS, our immigrant neighbors who fear mass agents at their schools, courts, places of worship, and the more than 300,000 Black women who have been pushed out of the workforce and disproportionately impacted by systemic attacks on our federal workers.

We will stand in solidarity with Ellen.

E pluribus unum, out of many we are one.

Because she is standing at this podium in solidarity with her fellow union siblings.

It is devastating what is to happen, but certainly not surprising in this Trump culture of political retribution and vengeance and sham investigations.

The families Trump uses as pawns during the shutdown, and all of us who dare to dream of a government that is responsive to what the people need.

That’s why we’re here. That is why we’re here.

I just wish we had a President and a cabinet that is committed to the mission of their agencies as the workers they so fervently try to purge.

But they need us to believe, they want us to think, they want a citizenry that is ignorant and uninformed, that is indifferent to the suffering of its neighbors, that is inactive.

And every time we push back, we reject their dark vision for this country as an inevitability.

They keep underestimating us.

They weren’t counting on someone like Ellen, who knows that true strength lies in our collective power, and is willing to be a lightning rod in the name of justice, of fairness.

Ellen is ready for this fight, but that’s never really been a question since I met her at our first shutdown roundtable back in October.

This morning, because I want to leverage every tool available in this moment in defense of Ellen and all our federal workers.

I wrote to Secretary Rollins demanding Ellen’s immediate reinstatement.

Thank you, Senator Markey, for joining me in that.

It is truly shameful that while communities scramble to mitigate Trump’s attempts to deny families their SNAP benefits despite court orders, Trump and the USDA were working around the clock to stifle Ellen’s voice and dissuade others from standing up and speaking out.

I mean, listen, I get it. Elections have consequences. They have the majority. They have the House, the Senate, and the White House.

But my God, who uses a majority to exact and enact harm on people?

Instead of using the power of a majority to keep families whole, to keep people healthy, to keep us safe, to uplift communities, to advance progress.

Instead, in the name of so-called efficiency, they have made people poorer, hungrier, sicker, and less safe.

They daily speak with a mouthful of scriptures, have the nerve to invoke God when they walk with a heart full of hate.

But I am so over wondering, how low can they go?

Instead, I can only ask, how hard can we fight?

And we are here today, we are digging deep fighting for Ellen and dedicated federal workers like her, who took an oath to serve, to give back to our communities daily, to literally feed our neighbors.

I’m grateful to everyone assembled here today and proud to join the launch of the FNS defense campaign to fight back.

And as always, remember, the people united will never be defeated.

The people united will never be defeated. The people united will never be defeated.

Ellen, we got your back, sister.

–

Ms. Mei is one of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers impacted by Donald Trump’s unlawful firing frenzy since he entered office and recently received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) after participating in a media interview in her personal capacity. The NOPR came during Trump and Republicans’ government shutdown, in which they weaponized critical food security programs, refused to fund SNAP, and let families go hungry.

During Republicans’ government shutdown, press outlets nationwide interviewed impacted constituencies, including federal employees, to inform the American public of their lived experiences under the shutdown. On October 2nd, Ms. Mei exercised her right to free speech to share her experience as a federal worker during a nationally televised interview. The next day, October 3rd, Ms. Mei received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) that noted the interview as cause for her removal from her position – a direct violation of her First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Text of Rep. Pressley’s and Senator Markey’s letter is available here.

Congresswoman Pressley, an outspoken champion for workers and organized labor, has led efforts in Congress to halt terminations and protect federal workers. In February, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in writing to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) urging OSC to ensure all unfairly fired civil servants are immediately rehired and protected from greater abuse, and she has applauded numerous court rulings mandating their reinstatement. In March, Rep. Pressley led her Massachusetts colleagues demanding answers about the impact of the Musk-Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal workers in Massachusetts. Rep. Pressley was also proud to welcome Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and terminated HUD worker as her guest to the presidential joint address to Congress.

Amid the Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Rep. Pressley has continued to fight to defend healthcare, reopen the government, and protect federal workers and the essential services they provide.

• Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans for harming families across America by shutting down the government, unlawfully cutting food assistance, and jacking up healthcare costs. Congresswoman Pressley also questioned witnesses about the harmful, misleading stereotypes pushed by Republicans about who relies on federal programs like the Affordable Care Act, SNAP, and Medicaid.
• Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening and press conference with SNAP-dependent food retailers to make plain how the Trump-Republican shutdown and ongoing uncertainty over November SNAP benefits is harming Massachusetts families and our local economy.
• Rep. Pressley and the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) convened to demand Donald Trump fund SNAP, with the authority and money he has readily available, to keep 42 million people in America fed—63% of whom are women and over 1 million of whom reside in Massachusetts.
• Rep. Pressley joined Reps. Jahana Hayes, Angie Craig, and 211 House Democrats on a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown. 
• Rep. Pressley joined Senator Ed Markey and leaders from Massachusetts food banks to sound the alarm on the growing crisis of food insecurity under the Republican government shutdown and its impact on Massachusetts families.
• Rep. Pressley urged National Grid and Eversource to issue an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs for households impacted by the government shutdown, including federal workers, federal contractors, and the people who depend on them.
  • Following the Congresswoman’s letter, National Grid of Massachusetts announced specific support and a payment plan opportunity for federal employees, contractors, and active military personnel in Massachusetts who are impacted by the government shutdown and concerned about paying their energy bill.
• Rep. Pressley participated in a House Steering and Policy Committee hearing in which she slammed Republicans for raising healthcare costs for families across the country and shutting down the government instead of addressing the healthcare crisis they created.
• Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus to call attention to the impacts of the Republican-manufactured health care crisis and government shutdown on women, families, and workers in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country.
• Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Republicans after they chose to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to protect families and save healthcare for millions.
• Just days into the government shutdown, Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening in Boston to highlight the harm of the shutdown to MA-07 constituents – federal workers, patients, advocates, and more.
• Amid government shutdown, Rep. Pressley and Senator Tina Smith reintroduced bill to provide back pay for federal contract workers, including low-wage food service and janitorial staff.
• Just hours before the Republicans shut down the government, Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates, colleagues, and impacted folks to demand Republicans protect healthcare and keep the government open
• Congresswoman Pressley stood in solidarity with workers and families who would be impacted by the government shutdown.
• Rep. Pressley also joined an all-day event with House Democrats to hold the line against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade and recently joined Reps. Ro Khanna (D-A), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) in introducing the bipartisan No Coffee Tax Act to repeal President Trump’s coffee tariffs, issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s repeal of its own tariffs on goods including coffee and other food items:

“President Trump is finally admitting what we always knew: his tariffs are raising prices for the American people.

“After getting drubbed in recent elections because of voters’ fury that Trump has broken his promises to fix inflation, the White House is trying to cast this tariff retreat as a ‘pivot to affordability.’ The simple truth is that Republicans want credit for something they think the Supreme Court will force them to do anyway, after oral arguments before the Court on Trump’s illegal abuses of trade authorities went badly for the Administration.  Trump is still keeping the vast majority of his tariffs in place, and his administration is also planning new tariffs in anticipation of a Supreme Court loss.

“The same logic – that Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices on coffee, fruit, and other comestibles – is equally true for the thousands of other goods on which his tariffs remain. While this move may alleviate some of the cost increases Trump caused, it will not stop the larger problems of rising inflation, business uncertainty, and economic damage done by Trump’s crazy tariff scheme. Only Congress can do that, by reclaiming its legal responsibility under the Constitution to regulate trade, and permanently ending Trump’s trade war chaos.

“All but a handful of Republicans in Congress are still refusing to stand up to Trump, stop his tariffs, and lower costs for the American people, and unless they find a backbone our economy will continue to suffer.”

Beyer chairs the New Democrat Coalition’s Trade Task Force, and is the sponsor of the Congressional Trade Authority Act, which would rein in presidential abuses of authorities under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Beyer is the co-lead, with Rep. Suzan DelBene, of legislation to end abuses of International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff authorities, and an original cosponsor of the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act, which would repeal Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930; the Reclaim Trade Powers Act, which would strike Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a law that currently allows the President to impose sweeping 15% tariffs on all imports under a “balance of payments” crisis; and the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act, which would halt President Trump’s trade wars, repeal tariffs, and reclaim Congress’ lawful authority over tariffs.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

LOS ANGELES – Ahead of Veterans Day, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) hosted his annual community forum honoring local veterans in Los Angeles County. The Congressman, an Air Force veteran, invited veterans to share stories that capture the joys and sacrifices of their service.

“I was pleased to once again host our Conversations with Veterans event, which provides veterans with a forum to share their experiences and helps our community gain a deeper understanding of the sacrifices they make for our country,” said Congressman Lieu. “Every year, getting to hear these stories—both the good and the difficult—helps guide my work in Congress on behalf of veterans. Our veterans have bravely fought for and defended our nation, and it is imperative that we, in turn, ensure their needs are fully met.”

WATCH THE RECORDING OF THE EVENT HERE

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement on Congressional Republicans’ partisan spending bill that fails to address the affordability crisis:

“The fight to lower costs and ensure Floridians have access to the health care they need is not over. To the four million Floridians who rely on the Affordable Care Act tax credits for affordable coverage, I pledge to keep standing up for you. 

“President Trump and Republicans in Congress value tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy over the health of hardworking Americans. They have turned their Big Ugly bill into a crisis with the most significant Medicaid cut in history, outrageous threats to Medicare, and relentless targeting of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans have sabotaged affordable health coverage for years by making it more expensive and harder to enroll.  

“Americans are suffering an affordability squeeze, and the least Republicans can do is work in a bipartisan way to solve the health care crisis and not inflict more pain on our neighbors.”

FL ACA Enrollees by Congressional District (In order of highest number of enrollees)

298,261 – Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R- FL-27) 

290,676 – Rep. Frederica Wilson (D- FL-24)

287,091 – Rep. Carlos A. Giminez (R-FL-28) 

272,854 – Rep. Darren Soto (D-FL-09)

258,529 – Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL-26) 

234,776 – Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL-10)

223,300 – Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25)

208, 538 – Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23)

206,614 – Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20)

168,911 – Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL-11)

168,495 – Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL-22)

152,745 – Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL-19)

150,303 – Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-21) 

141,151 – Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15)

136,624 – Rep. Scott Franklin (R-FL-18)

136,535 – Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)

133,028 – Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL-16)

127,936 – Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL-05)

127,712 – Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL-07)

126,983 – Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL-06)

121,263 – Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL-04)

120,436 – Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17)

112,852 – Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL-03)

112,261 – Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12)

109,309 – Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL-02)

106,564 – Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R-FL-08)

106,136 – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL-13)

95,589 – Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL-01) 

4,735,472 – Total FL ACA Enrollees (most in the country)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark Amodei (NV-02)

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Mark Amodei released the following statement addressing Day 28 of the ongoing federal government shutdown:

“There are consequences to shutting the government down,” said Rep. Mark Amodei. “As of today, the federal government has been closed for 28 days, and the real pain is setting in. Nearly six weeks ago, my Republican colleagues and I in both the House and Senate voted to fully fund the programs Americans rely on and ensure every federal employee and member of the military gets paid. This shutdown was completely avoidable. Yet, instead of joining us to keep the government open, Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times to do the opposite.

“There is no mystery that, despite some commendable efforts from private individuals and the administration to delay the realities of government shutdowns, everyone knows when SNAP benefits run dry and programs start shutting down.

“So, when I hear people suddenly saying, after this amount of time, ‘Oh my god, the shutdown has consequences,’ I have to ask — where has the sense of urgency manifested itself to keep the government funded so far? What has the Senate, with its 60-vote requirement, managed to get 60 votes for? The answers have become clearer by the day as to what the motivations are and who has been motivated to sacrifice people’s livelihoods and nutrition for their political gain. 

“Notions of leverage and fears about statewide elections in New York shouldn’t outweigh the basic responsibility to keep the government running and protect those who rely on it.

“And before I’m asked why I’m not seriously considering the other side of the aisle’s proposal, take a good look at what the Chuck Schumer alternative plan is: produces violent deficit results, further hampers rural health care across the nation, and spends billions of dollars creating loopholes that allow people who don’t qualify to receive benefits.

“I’m not happy about any of this, but I feel like the mechanic who has made sure that the car is running fine and the tank of gas is full, yet somebody keeps letting the air out of the tires. So, Senate Democrats, put the air back in the tires and let it roll.”

Government Shutdown Background

On September 19, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5371, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026: a clean, short-term continuing resolution designed to prevent a government shutdown. Had the Senate approved it, this measure would have extended the September 30 funding deadline to November 21, 2025.

The bill’s sole purpose was to maintain current Fiscal Year 2025 funding levels, allowing additional time for the Appropriations process to continue restoring regular order and advancing Fiscal Year 2026 funding bills.

However, Senate Democrats have now voted 13 times against this legislation, actively choosing to prolong the government shutdown. As a result, there is currently no federal funding to keep essential government agencies and programs that millions of Americans depend on operating.

I think it is important to make the point that the largest union representing federal employees, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which historically hasn’t aligned with Republicans, has publicly called for the passage of a clean continuing resolution.

Governor Lombardo’s Efforts to Reduce Shutdown Impacts

Despite the State’s inability to legally fund SNAP with state dollars, Governor Lombardo has directed the Governor’s Finance Office, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Agriculture to implement the Food Insecurity Nevada Plan, which will secure supplemental resources for SNAP beneficiaries in the event the shutdown extends beyond October 31.

Additionally, under Governor Lombardo’s direction, the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, in partnership with the Nevada Office of Emergency Management, requested $7.3 million in emergency funding to ensure participants of Nevada’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program continue receiving access to food benefits. The funding was approved by the Nevada Board of Examiners on October 14 and the Interim Finance Committee (IFC) on October 16. This funding will ensure continued food benefits for participants statewide, including pregnant women, new mothers, and young children through December 23, 2025, regardless of federal funding. Funds will be distributed weekly and only used if the USDA does not provide additional WIC food funding.

Governor Lombardo is proactively developing solutions to use every state resource available to support Nevadans in need.

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) led an amicus brief in support of the defense of New York Attorney General Tish James in the face of a blatantly biased and political prosecution by the Department of Justice, which is heeding the lawless demands of a president bent on vengeance, not justice. The amicus brief follows her indictment by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed the following amicus brief in support of New York Attorney General Tish James, who has been unjustly indicted in Eastern District of Virginia, by an unqualified pawn of President Trump, following pressure from the Trump administration and the president to go after his perceived “political enemies.”

In September, President Trump, on Truth Social, called Tish James, “guilty as hell” and said that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”. This statement is clear evidence of the vendetta President Trump holds after AG James led an investigation of the then-former president’s company, the Trump Organization, leading to a civil fraud judgment against Trump last year. Just over two weeks after his Truth Social post, AG James was indicted in Virginia. Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries are writing to the court to strongly concur with AG James’s lawyers’ argument that this case is threadbare on the merits and a biased political persecution.

“Donald Trump has corruptly weaponized the criminal justice system into his own personal retribution service, and he continues to disgrace the presidency and the country by violating the law with reckless abandon,” said Leader Jeffries. “The prosecution of Attorney General Tish James has no legitimate basis in law or fact and was brought by a woefully incompetent political hack. The American people are not fooled by Trump’s shameful attempt to bend the Department of Justice to his will. It will not stand.”

“This political witch hunt is an unfortunate representation of the Trump administration – vindictive, contemptuous of the rule of law, and corrupt,” said Leader Schumer. “After one U.S. attorney rejected this case, Trump handpicked an unqualified crony to go forward with the investigation and prosecution. This is not justice – it’s revenge. Every American – and court of law – should soundly reject this alarming lurch into authoritarianism and President Trump’s clear decision to use the Justice Department as his own partisan attack dog. No one is above the law. And no one should be able to pervert it for their benefit.”

The full amicus brief can be seen here.

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

November 14, 2025 | Press Releases

Watch the Video Here
SARASOTA — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today released the latest installment in his ongoing Veterans History Project Series, honoring the military service of constituents from Florida’s 17th District. This interview features Master Sergeant Glenn Ackerman, a U.S. Air Force veteran who served from 1986 to 2006. 
Born and raised in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Ackerman joined the U.S. Air Force after graduating from Yorktown High School in 1986. He completed Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base and Technical Training at Lowry Air Force Base. During the first few years of his service, Ackerman was assigned to Osan Air Force Base in South Korea, followed by Lindsey Air Station in Germany, Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, and McChord Air Force Base in Washington.
It was at McChord where Ackerman realized his goal of becoming an Airlift Loadmaster, piloting the C-141B and later the C-17A aircraft. As an Airlift Loadmaster for the 4th, 8th, and 21st Airlift Squadrons, MSgt Ackerman provided support to Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Northern Watch, Southern Watch, and Allied Force. His final assignment came with the 86th Air Mobility Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany where he led rapid-deployment teams to facilitate Air Mobility Operations as part of the Global War on Terror.
For his service to the United States, MSgt Ackerman was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and other campaign and service-related decorations honoring his dedication and excellence. 
“I am grateful to Master Sergeant Glenn Ackerman for his decades of service to our country in the United States Air Force,” said Rep. Steube. “As a fellow veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I thank him for sharing his experiences as an Airlift Loadmaster, providing critical support to our troops and allies around the world. His distinguished service offers a new generation of Americans an inspiring example of courage and patriotism to follow.”
Please click here to watch the full interview.
Be sure to check Congressman Steube’s YouTube channel in the future for upcoming interviews.The Office of Congressman Greg Steube will submit the interview to the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation’s veterans.Initially started in 2000, the Veterans History Project aims to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of the United States military veterans and Gold Star Families so that future generations may hear directly from the veterans and better understand their service. Researchers, scholars, and educators rely upon VHP collections as a primary source. The oral histories, photographs, manuscripts, and other original materials supplement historical texts and valued cultural resources. Veterans from all branches and ranks of the United States military who served in World War I through the more recent conflicts are eligible to participate. For more information on the VHP, please visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/.If you live in Florida’s 17th Congressional district, please visit https://steube.house.gov/services/vhp to participate.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) pressed National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Acting Administrator Sean Duffy, to provide detailed answers on reported consolidation and reorganization activities at the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland. In their letter, the delegation members highlighted Goddard’s legacy of groundbreaking achievements over the years – including its leadership in the development of GPS technology as well as the Hubble and James Webb telescopes – and expressed grave concern that recent operational changes will impact its research capabilities, undermine Goddard’s workforce, and threaten to drive top scientists to space programs abroad. The lawmakers requested answers to a series of questions around recently reported changes and urged acting Administrator Duffy to safeguard Goddard’s status as a world-leading space and earth science institution by keeping its workforce stable and sustaining its world-class research capacity.

“The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland is the premiere Space and Earth Science research center in the world. Goddard’s research and innovation has helped us answer questions about our planet, the Sun, the solar system, and the Universe. The dedicated civil servant scientists, engineers, and contractors who work at Goddard’s facilities from Greenbelt, to the Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops, Virginia, to the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas have pushed scientific boundaries. Decades of pathbreaking work mean that today, the Global Positioning System (GPS) that we all rely on daily for navigation, the satellites that help us map fires for large scale firefighting, and telescopes in outer space are all being operated by the experts at the Goddard Space Flight Center. We urge you to support the patriotic Americans that do this essential work on behalf of our country and the world and ensure that they have the resources they need to lead the United States to new frontiers,” the lawmakers wrote.

“Unfortunately, actions taken during the last nine months threaten the workers at Goddard and their ability to lead the world in this science and exploration. Between unnecessary voluntary separations, deferred resignations, reductions in force, and other pressure, thousands of civil servants and contractors are no longer working at GSFC,” they continued. “Other countries with space programs from our political allies to our adversaries have been recruiting our top scientists and researchers with massive salaries, research budgets, and the promise of stability. Where the US has considered stepping back, China has made clear they are eager to step in. We can and must re-invest in the people and centers that make America the global space leader and that starts with Goddard.

“To that end, we have heard from employees and read reports about activities taking place on the Greenbelt campus that have raised questions among the workforce about the motivations and timing of building consolidations and such moves may affect institutional research capabilities,” the lawmakers wrote, going on to list a series of questions for the acting Administrator’s response regarding the building consolidations, the impact on the Center’s technological capabilities, plans to ensure readiness for future scheduled missions, and the number of employees tasked with carrying out these operational changes during the government shutdown, among others.

The lawmakers’ questions follow:

1.      When did NASA finalize plans to consolidate buildings on Goddard’s Greenbelt campus and what is the justification for the GSFC Greenbelt campus consolidation?

• Was a cost/benefit analysis performed before finalizing any plans? If so, please provide any such analysis.
• How much is Goddard expecting to save in utility and deferred maintenance costs by the consolidation?
• How much will the consolidation cost?
• How do the moves align with the 20-year master plan for the GSFC Greenbelt campus?

2.      What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC Greenbelt campus in 2025? Please include a list of affected buildings and explanation of the changes.

• What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC since October 1, 2025?
• What is the justification for moves occurring since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations?
• Are any further moves planned for 2025?
• If so, when are they expected to start?

3.      Have any technological capabilities been impacted by moves at Goddard’s Greenbelt campus?

• If yes, what capabilities?
• Has any operable equipment been modified, recycled, or destroyed?
• What plans does NASA have for the Goddard ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC) that had been housed in Building 19?
• Have any capabilities necessary for the completion of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope been impacted, including by the closure of the propulsion laboratory in Building 11?
• How is Goddard going to mitigate these losses for design and construction of future missions?
• Please provide all analysis performed by NASA to determine what technological capabilities Goddard will require going forward to execute future missions, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

4.      How many civil servants at NASA Goddard have been called back to campus since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations for the purposes of packing up their offices or laboratories?

Text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear Acting Administrator Duffy:

The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Maryland is the premiere Space and Earth Science research center in the world. Goddard’s research and innovation has helped us answer questions about our planet, the Sun, the solar system, and the Universe. The dedicated civil servant scientists, engineers, and contractors who work at Goddard’s facilities from Greenbelt, to the Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops, Virginia, to the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas have pushed scientific boundaries. Decades of pathbreaking work mean that today, the Global Positioning System (GPS) that we all rely on daily for navigation, the satellites that help us map fires for large scale firefighting, and telescopes in outer space are all being operated by the experts at the Goddard Space Flight Center. We urge you to support the patriotic Americans that do this essential work on behalf of our country and the world and ensure that they have the resources they need to lead the United States to new frontiers.

The Space program in the United States has always been driven by curiosity and ambition to discover more about ourselves and the galaxy around us. From Project Mercury, our first human spaceflight program, to the Artemis Campaign that seeks to establish a sustained American presence on the Moon, Goddard has been involved at every turn. Scientific instruments developed at GSFC have been sent to every planet in our solar system. The Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, two of the most significant technological advancements in space imaging in human history, were developed and continue to be operated out of Goddard. This historic work provides the foundation for upcoming missions like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and the Habitable Worlds Observatory, which will serve to advance American leadership and global understanding of deep space, dark energy, and the search for planets capable of sustaining life.

Unfortunately, actions taken during the last nine months threaten the workers at Goddard and their ability to lead the world in this science and exploration. Between unnecessary voluntary separations, deferred resignations, reductions in force, and other pressure, thousands of civil servants and contractors are no longer working at GSFC. Other countries with space programs from our political allies to our adversaries have been recruiting our top scientists and researchers with massive salaries, research budgets, and the promise of stability. Where the US has considered stepping back, China has made clear they are eager to step in. We can and must re-invest in the people and centers that make America the global space leader and that starts with Goddard.

To that end, we have heard from employees and read reports about activities taking place on the Greenbelt campus that have raised questions among the workforce about the motivations and timing of building consolidations and such moves may affect institutional research capabilities.

We believe that any consolidation on the Greenbelt campus must sustain the world-class capabilities of Goddard for future science and exploration missions and comply with all applicable laws. Because we lack clarity as to what moves are currently taking place on campus, what technological capabilities are being impacted, and what these changes mean for the workforce, we request you provide answers to the following questions by November 17, 2025.

1.      When did NASA finalize plans to consolidate buildings on Goddard’s Greenbelt campus and what is the justification for the GSFC Greenbelt campus consolidation?

• Was a cost/benefit analysis performed before finalizing any plans? If so, please provide any such analysis.
• How much is Goddard expecting to save in utility and deferred maintenance costs by the consolidation?
• How much will the consolidation cost?
• How do the moves align with the 20-year master plan for the GSFC Greenbelt campus?

2.      What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC Greenbelt campus in 2025? Please include a list of affected buildings and explanation of the changes.

• What facilities changes have taken place at GSFC since October 1, 2025?
• What is the justification for moves occurring since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations?
• Are any further moves planned for 2025?
• If so, when are they expected to start?

3.      Have any technological capabilities been impacted by moves at Goddard’s Greenbelt campus?

• If yes, what capabilities?
• Has any operable equipment been modified, recycled, or destroyed?
• What plans does NASA have for the Goddard ElectroMagnetic Anechoic Chamber (GEMAC) that had been housed in Building 19?
• Have any capabilities necessary for the completion of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope been impacted, including by the closure of the propulsion laboratory in Building 11?
• How is Goddard going to mitigate these losses for design and construction of future missions?
• Please provide all analysis performed by NASA to determine what technological capabilities Goddard will require going forward to execute future missions, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory.

4.      How many civil servants at NASA Goddard have been called back to campus since October 1, 2025, during the lapse of appropriations for the purposes of packing up their offices or laboratories?

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sam Graves (6th District of Missouri)

WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06) statement on the House’s approval of legislation to end the federal government shutdown:

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

Miami, FL – The office of Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation and member of the Defense Subcommittee on House Appropriations, presented the Congressional Veteran Commendation to the following local veterans in Miami-Dade County for their distinguished service to our country: Navy Petty Officer Alejandro Sanchez and Army Staff Sergeant Frank Torres III.

Navy Petty Officer Jonas Kukelhan, who currently serves at U.S. Southern Command in Doral and regularly volunteers with the Miami-Dade Military Museum, was recognized with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his outstanding service and leadership.

“It meant a great deal to recognize these outstanding hometown servicemembers and patriots with the 2025 Congressional Veteran Commendation.

 Through my work in Congress, I have been a tireless champion for our veterans and troops – from securing a 3.8% pay raise and protecting U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami-Dade, to advancing 139 new housing units for our servicemembers and supporting legislation that expands care and benefits for veterans and their families. Our gratitude can never be enough for their service and sacrifice to our country. May God continue to bless America and our brave men and women who answered the call to serve.

A special thank you to Florida State Representatives Alex Rizo and Omar Blanco, as well as the Town of Miami Lakes Council Members, for their leadership and support.”

The Congressional Veteran Commendation is a nominations-based program designed to recognize the wartime sacrifices and peacetime community involvement of veterans residing in Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Each one of these veterans will be interviewed, and their wartime collection will be added to the Veterans History Project, sponsored by the Library of Congress.

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