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Graves Moves to Protect Small Businesses from Predatory Lawsuits Over Websites

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06) introduced the Protecting Small Businesses from Predatory Website Lawsuits Act, legislation that puts gives small businesses a chance to make websites accessible for Americans with disabilities, instead of being caught up in exploitive sue-and-settle schemes.

Small businesses in North Missouri and across the country are being hit with copy-and-paste demand letters, claiming their websites aren’t ADA-compliant. Instead of giving these small businesses a chance to make things right, these trial attorneys are demanding cash or threatening to drag these mom-and-pop shops into years of expensive litigation.

“Small businesses should not be targeted and exploited for a quick cash grab. They should not have to choose between paying a lawyer or paying their employees. These lawsuits are not about helping or ensuring access for customers, they are about making money off hardworking business owners. This bill gives small businesses much-needed protection,” said Graves.

The bill amends the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so a civil lawsuit over website compliance cannot be filed until the owner/operator of the website is notified of their website’s noncompliance with ADA standards. The owner/operator would then have 180 days to bring it into compliance. By allowing small business owners a chance to make things right, this legislation protects Main Street America, while strengthening the ADA by ensuring more websites are accessible to Americans with disabilities.

You can read the bill here. 

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Speaker Johnson Announces Winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge

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

WASHINGTON — Today, Speaker Johnson announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District. Since 2013, the Congressional App Challenge has encouraged tens of thousands of young Americans to explore STEM, coding, and computer science and has connected Members of Congress with emerging technologies. 

First place winners, brothers Aiden Zhao & Kevin Zhao.

This year’s applicants, six students from Caddo Magnet High School and Benton Middle School, were selected by a panel of four judges comprised of professors from local universities. 

“OpenNeuroLens,” the first-place app designed by Caddo Magnet High School students Aiden Zhao and Kevin Zhao, automates EEG data analysis and visualization to make advanced brain research accessible and affordable to students and labs. Aiden and Kevin’s web-based app was originally developed as part of a research project at LSU Health Shreveport, studying firefighters’ cognitive performance after physical exertion.

Aiden and Kevin will be invited to the House of Code and will receive a copyright fee waiver through the ARTS Act, and their app will be on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.

Speaker Johnson encourages all students across Louisiana’s Fourth Congressional District to participate in the annual Congressional App Challenge. To learn more, visit www.congressionalappchallenge.us or our website for more information on the 2026 application and submission deadlines.

First Place

App: OpenNeuroLens*

Designers: Aiden Zhao and Kevin Zhao (Caddo Magnet High School)

Second Place

App: SafER Connection

Designers: Sara Kilpatrick, Nora Butler, & Hannah Schaefer (Benton Middle School)

Third Place

App: Tank Survival 

Designer: Steward Lokitz (Caddo Magnet High School) 

*Selected to represent the LA-04 Congressional District in the U.S. Capitol Building. 

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Congressman Baird Votes to Keep Government Funded, Support Disaster Relief and National Security

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Congressman Baird Votes to Keep Government Funded, Support Disaster Relief and National Security

Washington, February 3, 2026

Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of the Senate Amendments to H.R. 7148, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026:

“Just a few months ago, Congressional Democrats put the American people through the longest shutdown in American history, causing chaos and leaving millions of Americans without paychecks or essential services. I am disappointed that my Democrat colleagues would stand against funding the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which not only protects our nation’s borders and removes criminal illegal immigrants, but also provides critical funding for FEMA’s disaster relief programs and for TSA to keep our skies safe. My Republican colleagues and I, in a return to responsible governance, passed all twelve appropriations packages to keep our government funded. I supported these government funding bills when they first came through the House, and I voted in favor of this package today to ensure that our government remains open and continues to operate on behalf of the American people.”

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At Start of Black History Month, Norton Introduces Bill to Award Congressional Gold Medal the First 13 African American Officers in the U.S. Navy

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At the beginning of Black History Month, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reintroduced a bill to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to the “Golden Thirteen,” which were the first 13 African American officers in the United States Navy. In 1944, 16 African American men completed the required training course to become officers and passed their exams. Twelve of those men were commissioned as officers and a 13th was made a chief warrant officer, while no reason was given by the Navy as to why the remaining three men did not receive the commissions they had earned.

“These officers passed their exams with high marks, despite being given half the standard amount of training time,” Norton said. “When the group was accused of cheating and were forced to retake their exams, these men passed once again and scored higher on the exam than the first time, ultimately earning the highest average of any class in Navy history at the time. These men served their country honorably, even with the challenges against them. They oversaw all-Black units and the training of Black recruits. It’s time now that we honor these brave men with a Congressional Gold Medal to thank them for their service.”

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

on the Introduction of the Golden Thirteen Congressional Gold Medal Act

February 2, 2026

Today, I introduce the Golden Thirteen Congressional Gold Medal Act.  This bill would award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 men who became the first African American commissioned and warrant officers in the United States Navy.

In 1944, the Navy began officer training for 16 African American men.  At that time, there were no African American officers in the Navy.  These 16 men were expected to complete their officer training in eight weeks, even though officer training was normally 16 weeks.

These 16 men supported each other, including by placing blankets over their windows and studying as a group by flashlight at night. Each brought to the group his own expertise to help the others.

When their officer training was completed, all 16 passed their exams.  With some claiming that the group must have cheated, the group was forced to retake certain exams, and the group scored even higher.  The average grade for the group was 3.89 out of 4.0, the highest average of any class in Navy history at that time.

Even though all 16 men passed their exams, the Navy commissioned only 12 of the men, and a 13th was made a chief warrant officer.  Three returned to the enlisted ranks, with no reason given by the Navy.

During the men’s careers, they oversaw all-Black units or the training of Black recruits.  One would go on to make his career in the Navy after World War II, with the rest returning to civilian life.  In the 1970s, Captain Edward Secrest, a former instructor, gave the group the name the “Golden Thirteen.”

I urge my colleagues to support this bill to honor the first African American officers in the Navy: Jesse Walter Arbor; Phillip G. Barnes; Samuel Edward Barnes; Dalton Louis Baugh, Sr.; George Clinton Cooper; Reginald Ernest Goodwin; James Edward Hair; Charles Byrd Lear; Graham Edward Martin; Dennis Denmark Nelson; John Walter Reagan; Frank Ellis Sublett, Jr.; and William Sylvester White.  The three men who passed their exams but were not made officers were Augustus Alves; J.B. Pinkney; and Lewis “Mummy” Williams.

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Jayapal Statement on DHS Funding “No” Vote

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Committee, released the following statement regarding her “no” vote on the continuing resolution to reopen the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

“I have been clear since the beginning of this funding fight: I will not be complicit in sending another dime to DHS as they continue their reign of terror on the Twin Cities and communities across this country.

“There is nothing that I am calling for today that I will not continue to call for over the next 10 days while Congress negotiates. We must immediately get these agents out of our cities. There must be due process, a requirement for judicial warrants and bond hearings, every agent must not only have a bodycam but be required to use it, take off their masks, and in cases of misconduct, there must be immediate, independent investigations. We cannot fold on our demands — our very democracy and people’s Constitutional rights are at risk.

“We cannot trust this DHS, which already has received an unprecedented funding spike for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to operate within the bounds of our Constitution or our laws. And for that reason, we cannot continue to fund them without significant and enforceable guardrails.”

Issues:

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DelBene Statement on Government Funding Legislation

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

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) released the following statement on the government funding bill that passed the House today.

“ICE is terrorizing families in our communities and causing violence across our nation with American tax dollars. The recent horrific tragedies in Minnesota are just the latest examples of an unchecked agency rotting from the head down under Secretary Kristi Noem’s failed leadership. Democrats in Congress are demanding stronger legal guardrails, real oversight, and meaningful accountability. Because of our pressure, the White House is now at the negotiating table to address these concerns.

“Given the lawlessness we’ve witnessed under the Trump administration, I could not vote for legislation that provides additional resources to ICE without much-needed oversight and accountability. Democrats must use the ongoing negotiations over the next two weeks to secure the critical reforms Americans are demanding for ICE. Any potential agreement that comes before the House must protect innocent Americans and rein in this rogue agency.”

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Garamendi Pens Article on Nuclear Weapons Oversight in Harvard Law School Journal on Legislation

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) on Thursday, February 5th, the last nuclear weapons treaty between the U.S. and Russia, Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08) published an article in Harvard Law School’s Journal on Legislation titled “How Congress Can Stop Worrying and Learn to Govern the Bomb: A New Era of Congressional Responsibilities in Nuclear Weapons Policy,” calling for  Congress to reclaim its responsibility for nuclear strategy. 

If New START expires, the United States and Russia will no longer have a legally binding limit on the deployment of their strategic nuclear forces for the first time in over fifty years. As the threat of a new arms race continues to grow, nuclear modernization programs continue to spiral in costs, and hawkish voices are calling for a resumption of nuclear testing. Congress must reassert its oversight authority over nuclear weapons policy to challenge the dangerous nuclear status quo.

“For too long, Congress has ceded its constitutional authority to govern nuclear weapons to the Executive Branch. As a result, nuclear weapons treaties are crumbling, nuclear weapons programs’ costs spiral out of control, and the chances of nuclear war have skyrocketed in recent years. It’s high time Congress pulls up a seat at the table,” said Congressman Garamendi. “This article serves to make that case to all my colleagues in Washington who care about endless spending of taxpayer dollars and the rising risks of nuclear war around the world.” 

In his article, Congressman Garamendi argues that Congress must reassert its constitutional powers over nuclear weapons oversight and play a more active role in shaping nuclear policy. Below is an excerpt from Congressman Garamendi’s article: 

“In recent years, Congress has adopted a permissive posture toward nuclear expansion and continued projects despite significant cost growth and timeline overruns. Recently, Congress has tellingly neglected to hold public hearings on major failures and declined to press defense leaders on underlying assumptions about the role of nuclear weapons in national strategy. […] 

“Although Congress has tools to influence nuclear strategy and oversee the development and employment of America’s nuclear arsenal, in recent years, Congress has failed to use them effectively. For example, a recent Strategic Posture Review was conducted by a bipartisan congressional commission but failed to evaluate the key constraint at the core of congressional responsibilities: cost. […] 

“Congress’s approach reflects an increasing deference to military leadership and acceptance of military theories on how weapons could or should be used. It indicates a return to a reliance on the “nuclear priesthood” of past years, rather than on Congress’s own assessment of how to balance the costs and risks of nuclear weapons.” 

Garamendi has been a longtime leader on nuclear issues throughout his career. For decades, the Congressman has written and spoken extensively on nuclear weapons and deterrence, proposing sensible legislation to reduce costs and risks to nuclear programs. This year, he included a report on the escalation dynamics of integrating artificial intelligence in nuclear decision-making in the NDAA conference report. 

Congressman Garamendi is a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and a co-chair of the Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group in Congress. In these roles, the Congressman has spoken forcefully for the elevation of congressional dialogue on nuclear weapons. 

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Chairman Guthrie Leads Effort to Eliminate Fraud in Federal Health Programs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brett Guthrie (2nd District Kentucky)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, delivered the following opening statement at today’s hearing, examining fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. This hearing follows the largest Department of Justice health care fraud bust in history and the widely reported allegations of welfare fraud in states like Minnesota. 

Oversight of federal health programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, falls under the jurisdiction of Chairman Guthrie’s committee. In addition to launching the investigation that led to today’s hearing, the Committee also recently sent a letter seeking answers about alleged Medicare fraud in Los Angeles County.

Chairman Guthrie’s opening statement as prepared for delivery:

Good morning and thank you, Chairman Joyce, for holding this hearing on Medicare and Medicaid fraud.

Today’s hearing sounds the alarm on the tremendous loss of taxpayer dollars to fraud – and the real consequences for patients, providers, and public trust.

Together, Medicare and Medicaid provide health coverage to more than 140 million Americans, including seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families, pregnant women, and children. These programs are lifelines, not abstract budget figures. When they are exploited and plundered, Americans lose access to care, confidence in the system, and resources intended to improve health outcomes.

Each year, tens of billions of dollars are lost to fraud, waste, and abuse. But financial loss is not the only consequence of these fraud schemes. When providers bill for services never rendered or criminals flood Medicare or Medicaid with fake claims, the system becomes harder to oversee, less responsive to legitimate patients, and financially unstable. Health care costs rise for everyone, and trust in these critical programs erodes.

Operation Gold Rush illustrates the growing scale of the problem. This recent, nationwide enforcement action by the Department of Justice was the largest health care fraud takedown in history. This operation targeted several health care fraud schemes leading to criminal charges against 324 defendants in 50 federal districts and 12 State Attorneys General’s Offices across the U.S. The various schemes involved over $14.6 billion in intended loss.

Twenty-nine of those defendants were charged for their roles in transnational criminal organizations that used stolen identities of over one million Americans—spanning all 50 states—to submit over $10 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare for durable medical equipment that patients never ordered or received. Many seniors learned their Medicare or other personally identifiable information had been compromised only after being denied legitimate care.

This was not an administrative error—it was organized crime exploiting our nation’s health care programs. We must ensure taxpayer dollars are used for quality health care, not siphoned off by criminal enterprises. Republicans took steps to this end in HR 1, and we must continue the effort to preserve Medicare and Medicaid for those who need these programs.

I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today. With that, I yield back.

Chairman Guthrie’s full opening statement can be found here. 

Chairman Guthrie’s five minutes of questioning can be found here. 

Additional highlights from today’s hearing provided by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce can be found here.

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Scalise: House Republicans Will Be the Responsible Party, Once Again

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), and Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) to discuss Democrats’ opposition to funding the government and Republicans’ efforts to prevent another long, painful Democrat shutdown.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:“Once again, today, Republicans will reopen the government after Democrats shut it down. It’s like we’ve seen this movie before, just a few weeks ago, that Democrats shut the government down for a record amount of time. It took President Trump working with Republicans to finally get it reopened. We’re going to do that again today. As the whip said, if some Democrats want to join us, we welcome them. But you’ve seen their leaders, like Hakeem Jeffries, say they want to keep the government shut down. You’d ask why. Well, it’s surely not over ICE because we’ve already funded ICE in the One Big Beautiful Bill.“What does a no vote mean today? If Democrats, like Hakeem Jeffries, vote no today, they’re voting against a 3.8% pay raise for our troops. That’s in this package. What they’re saying is they don’t want our troops to even get paid, let alone get a pay raise. Because, as it stands today, troops will not get their next paycheck if Hakeem Jeffries and Democrat leaders get their way. TSA agents who keep our airports operating so people can go see relatives flying around the country, that will shut down if Democrats vote no. FEMA is right now giving aid to a lot of states that have had massive damage from freezes. Democrats voting no shuts that down.“And so Republicans will be the responsible party, once again, to keep the government open, to reopen this government, and focus on the priorities that the voters elected Donald Trump and House and Senate Republicans to go implement. We will keep doing that work, even with a razor-thin margin. I know, yes, sometimes the odds look lower than the Patriots winning the Super Bowl, but that’s okay, because we are here to do a job, and we’re going to do that job. Whoever wants to join us on the Democrats’ side is free to.”

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Hoyer: Let Us Give the Ukrainians the Loud Voice of the Congress of the United States

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

WASHINGTON, DC – This morning, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Members of Congress and Ukrainian leaders to deliver remarks at a press conference hosted by Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) to kick off the start of Ukrainian Week 2026. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
 

“Thank you very much, Marcy Kaptur and Mike Quigley, for leading this caucus and raising the banner of freedom that America has stood for over a century; 250 years, to be exact. Madam Ambassador, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your commitment. Thank you for representing an extraordinarily courageous people; people who have stood in the cold – much colder than this, as Mike Quigley pointed out – who are being attacked every day. The White House yesterday, I heard – not yesterday, but a few days ago, Mr. Witkoff said, ‘We were so appreciative that Mr. Putin has agreed to stop for a week the savagery that he is visiting on the Ukrainian people.’ Of course, he didn’t keep that week.

“Ladies and gentlemen who stand before me, people who are watching, Ukrainians, Americans, and those of all nations who are committed to democracy, the Ukrainians have shown courage. The people in that House now need to show courage. We have had over 300 votes every time we have put a bill on the Floor to support Ukraine. Over half of the Republicans on every vote, save one of 12. We now have 214 Democrats who have signed – excuse me, 215 who have signed a petition which will bring to the Floor of that House the Ukrainian Support Act. That’s not talk. That’s action, which is what we need. You’ve heard it. We have two Republicans who have signed that, notwithstanding the fact [that] I believe there are hundreds more who say they support Ukraine. At this press conference, I ask one more, one more person to sign a discharge petition that says, ‘Support Ukraine.’ Not with words, but with action, with an articulation of support, a commitment of money, a sanction on the aggressor: the criminal Putin.

“So, I am pleased to join all of you in raising high that banner. Talk to everybody in the Congress of the United States who have not signed that petition and say, ‘On this almost fourth anniversary, stand up, speak up, speak out. Sign the discharge petition.’ Let us give the Ukrainians the loud voice of the Congress of the United States [in] supporting their quest for freedom, democracy, and sovereignty. Thank you.”