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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata

Headline: Amata Expects American Samoa’s Port Funding to Be Secured

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is expecting American Samoa’s funding to be secured, despite the current partial government shutdown. American Samoa has one House-passed funding addition that Congresswoman Amata requested now awaiting the vote that will end the shutdown, while another recent announcement is completed and was signed into law a week ago.  

Her House-passed requests include $1 million in project funds for port improvements, awaiting one last vote, and a $900,000 boost to American Samoa’s operations fund via OIA that was signed into law in late January. These appropriations legislative packages also contain broadly all other federal funding and services that the territory receives from various U.S. departments and agencies over the course of a year, including formulas and grants.

The House has successfully passed the traditional 12 appropriations bills for the year, but the Senate did not pass half of them in time to prevent a partial shutdown at midnight January 31, when the Continuing Resolution expired. Senators held up the remaining government funding over disagreements regarding Department of Homeland Security support levels. However, it is a partial shutdown because six of the 12 appropriations, already passed, were signed into law. 

Currently, a negotiated compromise proposal could be sent to the House this week that would pass full-year funding for remaining departments, agencies, and programs, including American Samoa’s port funding.  

“I’m very confident our funds will be secured,” said Congresswoman Amata. “American Samoa’s funding is in the House-passed appropriations bills that include the Department of Transportation, while the Department of the Interior is already funded. Our remaining funds are right at the finish line. I’m optimistic the necessary agreement will be in place soon, government funding will be voted through, and this partial shutdown will end much sooner than the unfortunate one that lasted from October 1 through November 12, 2025.”

She continued, “I oppose these shutdowns as they are generally unnecessary and funding disagreements should be resolved for the good of the country before deadlines.”

Funded departments include Agriculture, with its Nutrition programs, including American Samoa’s grant; Interior, with $29 million for American Samoa operations and other grant support; Veterans Affairs; Commerce; and Justice. Some of the key funded agencies include EPA, NOAA, and FDA. 

Departments awaiting final passage include Transportation, with highway and port funds for American Samoa; HHS; Labor; Education; Defense, which funds the military pay raise Congress already authorized; and Homeland Security. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), along with 12 other plaintiffs, were  granted emergency relief in his lawsuit to uphold congressional oversight at federal immigration detention facilities. A federal court ordered the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to temporarily restore Members’ right to unannounced congressional oversight of federal detention facilities. 

Under federal law, Members of Congress have the right to conduct unannounced oversight of DHS facilities used for immigration detention, including facilities run by ICE and those operated by private companies. However in January, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem secretly imposed a policy requiring that Members of Congress provide seven days’ notice before being granted access to federal immigration detention facilities. 

“Following the law is not optional,” said Congressman Crow. “2025 was the deadliest year at federal immigration facilities in decades. The Trump administration is using billions of taxpayer dollars to carry out a violent and lawless immigration agenda with virtually no transparency or accountability. Today’s ruling was another victory on behalf of oversight and work to hold this administration accountable.”

In July 2025, Congressman Crow sued the Trump Administration after it unlawfully denied him from a federal detention facility in Aurora.

Additional Members of Congress who were recently denied access to federal immigration detention facilities joined Crow as plaintiffs in the lawsuit: Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Norma Torres (D-CA-35), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-36), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Lou Correa (D-CA-46), and Kelly Morrison (MN-03).

Since his election to Congress, Crow has fought to promote transparency, oversight, and accountability in federal immigration detention centers. He introduced bipartisan legislation guaranteeing Members of Congress the right to conduct unannounced, in-person oversight visits of ICE detention facilities, including to check on any concerns related to public health and the humane treatment of detained individuals.

Crow regularly conducts oversight of Aurora’s immigration detention facility. Since 2019, he has visited the facility to conduct oversight ten times. Crow’s staff have also visited the facility more than 80 times to conduct oversight. Public reports of such visits, along with conditions at the facility, are published on Crow’s website.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

Emergency Ruling Reaffirms the Right and Duty of Members of Congress to Conduct Unannounced Inspections Amid Alarming Reports of Abuse

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after voting against the minibus funding package for Defense, Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS), and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD):

“This package includes real and meaningful wins for public health, medical research, working families, and communities in Denver. That includes funding for diabetes research and community health clinics,” said DeGette. “However, good policy can only do so much when this administration continues to act lawlessly, bypass Congress, and drag our country toward unnecessary conflict while demanding ever-growing military budgets.

“I cannot fund an administration that is bombing multiple countries, threatening allies like Denmark and Canada, and ignoring Congress’s role in authorizing the use of force.”

The Defense portion of the package increases Department of Defense funding to $838.7 billion, $8.4 billion above the Trump administration’s own budget request. That is in addition to the more than $150 billion already provided to the Pentagon under the Big Bad Bill.

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement before voting against the Department of Homeland Security funding bill:

“The Trump administration has weaponized ICE and Border Patrol, turning those agencies into masked, hostile police forces that are terrorizing the American people. ICE has become a rogue agency that has gone far beyond its original mandate. It should be immediately dismantled.
 
“I will not support funding for the Department of Homeland Security when ICE and Border Patrol agents are assaulting protestors, detaining and arresting people with impunity, inciting violence, and shooting and killing American citizens. Furthermore, Secretary Kristi Noem and her thugs have been acting in violation of court orders and in contempt of Congress, and she should be impeached.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after Donald Trump announced a health care “proposal.”

“Today is the last day of open enrollment, and Donald Trump is floundering. His proposal is a feeble attempt to save face as he knows that the American people do not trust him or Congressional Republicans when it comes to health care. They have failed to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. Instead, they are advocating for failed policies that don’t work, including junk plans and provisions that increase what Americans pay for premiums on quality insurance.

“The rest of the plan is just minor tweaks to existing policies which will not increase transparency nor meaningfully lower costs for the American people. It also doubles down on his failed drug pricing deals which will harm American innovation while not helping Americans at the pharmacy counter. Finally, it includes PBM reform which would be law right now if Donald Trump and Elon Musk hadn’t killed it at the end of 2024.

“This proposal confirms that Republicans have no real plan to address the health care crisis they created. At the end of the day, this announcement from the Trump administration will do nothing to truly lower the cost of health care in the United States. I call on Republicans to come to the table with Democrats and find a bipartisan solution that will lower health care costs and make care more accessible for every American.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata released the following statement emphasizing World Cancer Day on February 4th:

“Modern nutrition and health care knowledge have done wonders for our overall longevity and well-being, but cancer remains an especially difficult illness to fully defeat. Fortunately, medical understanding, procedures and technologies are always growing to develop more effective treatments. Sadly, cancer still ends up affecting almost every family or circle of friends at some point in every lifetime, and we all know a survivor or those battling this disease.

“The goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness, improve prevention, and save lives. Our first tool against cancer is the earliest possible detection to start rapid treatment. It’s a fact that American Samoa has additional challenges due to our remote geography. We continue to work towards improved infrastructure, better equipment, telehealth access, and doing what we can to attract and keep good doctors and nurses. We are blessed with the dedicated health care professionals choosing to serve our people here. Thank you to each one of you, and we support you.”

The 2026 appropriations effort, upon either final passage in the Senate or a House/Senate compromise likely this week, includes a variety of bolstered support for cancer efforts, and out of this comes funding for American Samoa. Final passage is expected for $47 million for National Institutes of Health this year, $7 billion for National Cancer Institute, over $30 million for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and $55 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative programs, and over $410 million for CDC cancer programs. None of these amounts will change in final congressional negotiations, and these funding efforts have been widely applauded by various major cancer fighting organizations.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Congressmen Bill Foster (D-IL) and Pete Sessions (R-TX) announced the introduction of bipartisan legislation to strengthen America’s digital identity infrastructure and protect individuals, businesses, and government programs from rapidly rising identity fraud and theft. The Stop Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Act establishes a government-wide approach to addressing vulnerabilities in online identity verification that are increasingly exploited by organized criminal networks and hostile nation-states.

“It is important that Congress responds to the growing wave of identity theft and fraud in the United States by strengthening our digital identity infrastructure,” said Congressman Foster. “I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation with Congressman Sessions to provide states with the support they need to safeguard Americans’ personal information and strengthen consumers’ ability to protect themselves against identity theft and fraud.”

“Identity fraud is one of the fastest growing threats facing American families, our financial system, and the integrity of government programs,” said Congressman Pete Sessions. “Criminal organizations and hostile nation-states are exploiting outdated identity systems, costing taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and putting Americans’ personal information at risk. I am grateful to Congressman Foster for co-leading this important, bipartisan legislation, and for his partnership in advancing common sense solutions that strengthen security and protect privacy.”

Jeremy Grant, Coordinator of the Better Identity Coalition, welcomed the bipartisan effort.

“Millions of Americans are victims of identity theft and fraud each year, leading to billions of dollars in losses, because it is far too easy for criminals and hostile nation-states to compromise the tools we use to protect identity online,” said Grant. “We’re thrilled to see Congressmen Sessions and Foster come together to recognize the importance of these challenges and put forth common sense legislation to help Americans better protect their security and privacy in the digital world.”

Identity theft and fraud continue to impose massive costs on Americans and taxpayers. In 2023 alone, more than 353 million people were impacted by data breaches. The Government Accountability Office has estimated that federal programs could lose between $233 billion and $521 billion annually to fraud—much of it tied directly to compromised identities. During the COVID era, identity-based fraud in unemployment programs alone was estimated between $100 billion and $135 billion. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network reporting shows that more than 70 percent of suspicious activity reports filed by banks are now tied to identity fraud, encompassing hundreds of billions of dollars in transactions.

The legislation responds to these growing threats by establishing an identity fraud prevention innovation grant program for states. These grants would help states modernize identity systems, develop secure digital versions of existing credentials where they choose to do so, and protect against emerging risks such as artificial-intelligence-driven deepfakes. The bill builds on work already directed by Congress for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop voluntary digital identity guidelines, while recognizing that many states and local agencies lack the resources to implement them.

Importantly, the bill does not mandate digital identification, does not eliminate physical credentials, and does not require any individual to obtain or use a digital driver’s license or digital identity. Participation by states and individuals remains voluntary.

A copy of the legislation can be found here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

Headline: Congressman Veasey Slams Abbott's Decision That Hurts Texas' Universities, Hospitals, and Businesses

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) issued the following statement in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s directive ordering Texas public universities and state agencies to halt new H-1B visa petitions through the end of the 2027:

“Abbott’s decision to freeze H-1B visa petitions at Texas public universities and state agencies is a blow to Texas’ workforce,” said Congressman Veasey. “Texas’ economy has thrived because we attract qualified workers, researchers, doctors, educators, and students who bring their talents and hard work to strengthen our communities. This order undermines that legacy.”

This action will impact thousands of families, students, and workers who contribute every day to our state’s success. It will make Texas less competitive economically, weaken our workforce, and erode the standing of our higher education and medical institutions at a time when innovation and talent are critical to our future.

Congressman Veasey also criticized the governor’s expanded investigations into university visa usage, calling them wasteful and ineffective:

“Governor Abbott’s so-called investigations do nothing to fix our broken immigration system. They waste taxpayer dollars, sow fear, and offer no real solutions. Immigration reform requires serious leadership and bipartisan cooperation — not political stunts that scapegoat immigrants and damage Texas’ economy.

Texas should be competing to attract the best talent in the world, not driving it away. We must reject fear-based politics and focus on policies that grow our economy, support families, and keep Texas strong. 

Governor Abbott is less qualified than any H1-B visa holder for his position. Let’s start at the top first if we are talking about cutting out unqualified individuals.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Newhouse (4th District of Washington)

Headline: Newhouse Requests Emergency Status for Yakima-Tieton Canal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) sent a letter alongside Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA), Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to Andrea Travnicek, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science, requesting the Bureau of Reclamation designate a state of emergency and at risk of imminent failure for the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District’s Main Canal.

“As a result of severe damage from the 2024 Retreat Fire, and landslide danger as a result of the December 2025 atmospheric river system that affected Washington State, the canal is, and remains, in a state of emergency,” the Members wrote. 

They added, “The urgency of this situation is dire and requires immediate attention and intervention. Our shared constituents are counting on the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation to partner with the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District in this critical effort to minimize the risk of imminent harm to public health and safety and economic viability for those that reside in the Yakima Basin.” 

Language was included in the conference report of H.R. 6938, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026 requiring the Bureau of Reclamation to determine whether the state of the Yakima-Tieton Canal is an emergency within 30 days of enactment of the law. 

Rep. Newhouse voted for this package, and it was signed by President Trump on January 23, 2026. 

If the Bureau designates the state of the canal is an emergency, the agency will have 30 days to issue emergency funding for rehabilitation.  

The 12-mile Yakima-Tieton Canal serves approximately 28,000 acres of irrigation in the Yakima Valley. 

See the full letter here. 

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