Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)
Washington, DC — Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) released the following statement after his bipartisan bill,the Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed the House by 427-1:
“This fight isn’t about politics –– it’s about humanity. It’s about justice for the courageous survivors and taking on the Epstein class who have been shielded for too long. Passing my bipartisan bill with Representative Thomas Massie today is a step toward changing our rotten system and standing up for American values. When we are united and work across the aisle, amazing things can happen, but our work isn’t done. We need a full release of the Epstein files,” said Rep. Ro Khanna.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)
For Immediate Release Contact: Tionee Scotland November 28, 2025 202-808-6129
PRESS RELEASE
CONGRESSWOMAN PLASKETT EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES ON PASSING OF ELISA MCKAY
U.S. Virgin Islands – Congresswoman Plaskett released the following statement expressing condolences on the passing of Elisa McKay:
“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of Elisa McKay, a beloved artist, educator, and pillar of our Virgin Islands community.
Elisa was a truly remarkable woman whose creative spirit and generous heart touched countless lives across St. Croix and throughout our territory. As a self-taught artist, she channeled what she described as a divine expression, creating work that reflected her deep love for our islands, our culture, and our people. Her art was an extension of her soul—vibrant, authentic, and deeply rooted in her Crucian heritage.
Beyond her artistic talent, Elisa dedicated herself to uplifting our community in so many ways. She served as an educator, taught yoga for four decades, worked tirelessly with our seniors through the Interfaith Coalition, and gave her time and wisdom to numerous organizations including Unity of St. Croix, the St. Croix Environmental Association, and the Women’s Coalition. Her compassion, spiritual leadership, and commitment to service made our Virgin Islands a better place.
Elisa lived with purpose and love, seeing the divine in everyone she encountered. Our community has lost a truly special soul, and she will be deeply missed.
My heartfelt condolences go out to her daughter Ayanna Joy McKay, whom Elisa considered her greatest accomplishment, and to all who knew and loved her. May her memory be a blessing, and may her artistic legacy continue to inspire us for generations to come.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)
Larsen Releases Statement on Shooting in D.C.
Everett, WA, November 27, 2025
Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement:
“I condemn the senseless violence committed in Washington D.C. against two brave National Guard members. I support local and federal law enforcement efforts to hold the shooter accountable. My thoughts are with the family of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, and with Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe as he fights for his life.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s The Briefing with Jen Psaki, where he pointed out how Republicans are waging an all-out assault on the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans while Democrats are keeping up the fight to protect the health, safety and well-being of the American people.
JEN PSAKI: Welcome back. And joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, it’s great to see you. Thank you for taking the time tonight. I just want to start by asking you about this shooting today, of course, in Washington. It’s, of course, the day before Thanksgiving. These two National Guard members were away from their homes in West Virginia following orders and serving their country when they were shot today in Washington. I know you put out a statement earlier, but what has been—we’ve learned a lot over the last couple of hours—What’s been going through your head today as you’ve been digesting all of this news?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s a terrible tragedy, and we certainly are praying for the recovery and the well-being of these two patriotic National Guard members, as well as standing with not just them but their families and their communities on the eve of Thanksgiving. Also, now that we have a shooter who’s not just in custody and we’re thankful for the work of local law enforcement in swiftly apprehending an individual, but now we need to begin to understand, in the context of the investigation, what happened, why it happened and how we can take steps to prevent this from ever happening again.
JEN PSAKI: There’s a lot. I mean, as you mentioned, the suspect is in custody. He’s been identified as a 29-year-old Afghan national. The mayor of D.C. has said this was a targeted attack, and the FBI has announced they’re going to investigate it as a possible act of terrorism. I was just talking with my prior guest about this. You mentioned some of the questions you have about what happened, why. What else are you hoping to learn as this investigation unfolds over the next hours and days?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we need to know what inspired the shooter, how he got access to the weapon that was used, whether the shooter acted alone or whether it was in concert with other individuals, either foreign or domestic. And these are naturally questions that are going to have to be answered by a thorough law enforcement investigation. And, of course, we need the suspect prosecuted to the full extent of the law. And then as we move forward, we need to think about how we can prevent this type of violent act from ever occurring again, as it relates to both the National Guard, but, of course, how we can protect the men and women of law enforcement who protect and serve communities all across the country on a daily basis, week after week, month after month, year after year.
JEN PSAKI: I should mention that the President is addressing the shooting right now. We’ll play some of that in a moment, depending on what he says. But the Trump administration has already tonight requested a stay of a federal judge’s ruling last week that the deployment of the National Guard in D.C. is illegal. And also, as you well know, Secretary Hegseth also announced that Trump has ordered 500 additional National Guard troops to D.C., joining the 2,200 already. Obviously, what has happened today is an incredible tragedy with these two National Guardsmen, but this is a city you spend a great deal of time in. What do you make of those two actions, just hours after this shooting?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think the Trump administration is going to have to justify to the American people why these actions are being taken as part of the broader effort to deploy National Guard troops all across the country. These are reasonable questions that the American people deserve answers to, not simply in the context of the actions that Donald Trump and the Secretary of Defense have taken today, but generally in terms of understanding what their overall public safety strategy may be in a country where so many Americans understandably have concluded that things are moving in the wrong direction over the last year or so and that we’ve got to find a better path forward.
JEN PSAKI: Let me ask you about one of those areas and I know this is on the minds of people—a lot of things are—as they head into Thanksgiving and the holidays and that is of course the cost of healthcare and the expiration that is going to be happening in just six weeks of these ACA tax credits. It’s been, I mean, a bit of a whipsaw, whirlwind this week. I don’t know how you feel with Donald Trump saying he was in favor of extending those tax credits. It seemed like he backtracked after Republicans said he shouldn’t, even though they’re off politically. I know there’s a lot of things happening right now, including more than around 200 or more than 200 signatures for this discharge petition, but what do you see as a path here, either with Republicans, with a lot of them, or with a smaller number, to extend these tax credits?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, here’s the bottom line. We’re in the middle of a devastating Republican healthcare crisis that is threatening the safety and the well-being of tens of millions of Americans, in a year where they’ve already enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all throughout America. We know that because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, people all across the country, in the middle of this holiday season, are about to experience dramatically increased healthcare premiums. In some cases, those health insurance costs are going to increase by $1,000 or $2,000 per month, if there’s a failure to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, because it’s a program that serves working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans all across the country, including in rural America. And for some reason, Republicans refuse to do what is necessary to protect the healthcare of the American people. And so, clearly, the answers aren’t going to come from the President. The answers aren’t going to come from House Republican leaders, who’ve been missing in action from day one. It’s gonna take Democrats, compelling just a handful of people on the other side of the aisle to do the right thing so we can extend these Affordable Care Act tax credits. The clock is ticking. We only have to December 31.
JEN PSAKI: Just to dig into that further, I mean, you had, just last week—it feels like a long time ago, but the discharge petition moved forward almost unanimously in the House. Only one person voted against it on the Floor. You’ve said you have the votes, you think you have votes, to do a similar tactic, a discharge petition, on these healthcare tax credits. How close are you? And is that something that we could be looking at even the week after Thanksgiving?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, absolutely. As soon as we return to Washington, we’re going to continue to press our case. We’ve introduced, of course, as you referenced, this discharge petition that now has north of 200 signatures. We’ll only need a handful of House Republicans, at the end of the day, to join us, and we can extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years. We’re pressing for a three-year extension so we can give working-class Americans the same level of certainty that Republicans just gave to their billionaire donors when they passed the One Big Ugly Bill and made tax credits—tax breaks for their billionaire donors permanent. And now, many of my Republican colleagues can’t find a dime in order to help out everyday Americans. It’s extraordinary. We’re going to continue to press the case in the House. We’re gonna continue to work with Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats as they press the case in this Senate and do everything we can to get this done by the end of next month.
JEN PSAKI: A lot of them are going to have tough races next year. Seems like voting against healthcare and making healthcare more expensive is a very dumb political move, but I’m not here to give them advice, per se. Let me ask you about another thing that has been floating around this week. Obviously, a big story has been—I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the Republicans seem to be in a bit of disarray over there, and there’s rumors and lots of reporting that a number of them are considering leaving Congress before the midterms over frustrations with Trump and with Mike Johnson. That would obviously have a huge impact on a lot of people, most specifically you. Are you preparing for the possibility that Democrats could be in the majority before the midterms?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we certainly are working as hard as we can to make sure that we flip the three seats necessary next November to take back control of the House so we can begin the process of ending this national nightmare. But as you’ve indicated, there’s a GOP civil war that’s going on on the other side of the aisle. Donald Trump fighting with Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was his biggest supporter. Mike Johnson and John Thune fighting with each other. Nancy Mace, of course, fighting with every single person in the House Republican Conference. It’s a mess over there, and it is our expectation that in the next few weeks, upon return from the Thanksgiving recess, you’re going to see some reasonably high-profile Republicans continue to announce that they’re either not seeking reelection or resigning in the middle of the Congress. And if enough of that happens, when we get back to full strength as Democrats, which will be 215, some interesting things could occur in this Congress in advance of the midterm elections.
JEN PSAKI: We’ll look forward to that. It feels like the time—it’s only a couple weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, but what you’re telling me is there could be votes for a discharge petition on healthcare. We’ll see. And there could be more high-profile resignations. Well, that seems like something we’ll all look ahead to in December. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much and have a happy Thanksgiving.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your viewers.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)
November 26, 2025
Rep. Levin & Mel Vernon
Oceanside, CA—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) recognized Mel Vernon, Captain of the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians, author, professional musician, and esteemed public speaker and educator, as his November 2025 Constituent of the Month.
For more than 15 years, Mel has worked with Southern California teachers and educators, emphasizing the history, culture, and folklore of the Luiseño people through various mediums. He has authored multiple stories, including Kíicha Nights, Coyote Dreams and Mel and the Blue Arrow, a children’s book that shares Native American traditions and culture. He also performs live storytelling and co-facilitates a flute circle to increase civic engagement and awareness, helping ensure the cultural preservation of Luiseño heritage.
He is a member of the planning committee for the Valley Arts Festival, which celebrates Oceanside and its Indigenous community, and serves on the Community Engagement Panel for the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. He also served as President of the Rotary Club of San Luis Rey (Oceanside) in 2021 and was a recipient of the Rotary Club’s Peacebuilder Nominee award in 2022. Impressively, Mel plays guitar in his classic rock band, The Kings of La Jolla.
Rep. Levin recognized Mel for his outstanding record of community engagement, cultural preservation, and his daily commitment to raising awareness of Luiseño heritage. He is an inspiration for all members of the community. Mel’s work reminds us to never forget, and learn from and celebrate the Indigenous population that has lived on this land for countless generations.
See below for Rep. Levin’s statement recognizing Mel Vernon in the Congressional Record:
“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Mel Vernon as my November 2025 Constituent of the Month.
“Mel Vernon is an example of what it looks like to dedicate ourselves to community engagement and cultural preservation. For more than 15 years, he has worked with teachers and educators across Southern California to ensure the history of the Luiseño people is not forgotten. Mel is committed every day to increasing awareness. I’m proud to support the work of Mel and so many others who serve our community. It’s an honor to recognize his accomplishments and service thus far.
“Mel is a great community leader, author, and musician. His preservation efforts remind us that, as a community, we benefit from learning about and celebrating the Indigenous population that has lived on this land for countless generations. I admire his devotion to preservation and am grateful we have people like Mel in our district who are dedicated to educating our communities about the great Luiseño people.”
ABOUT THE CONSTITUENT OF THE MONTH PROGRAM:
Rep. Levin’s Constituent of the Month program recognizes outstanding North County San Diego and South Orange County residents who have gone above and beyond to help their neighbors, give back to their community, and represent the best of our country. Rep Levin’s October 2025 Constituent of the Month was Annalise Aitken, a 17-year-old San Clemente resident, student, and volunteer extraordinaire, and his September 2025 Constituent of the Month was Logan Bailey, an actor who recently starred in his first movie.
Solana Beach, CA – Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) was joined by a bipartisan coalition of officials including, Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner, State Senator Catherine Blakespear, Assemblymember Laurie Davies, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, and environmental groups Oceana and Surfrider, to oppose and sound the alarm on the Trump Administration’s new offshore drilling plans for Southern California’s coast.
The proposals include as many as 34 offshore lease sales covering approximately 1.27 billion acres of United States coastline. In California, there would be six lease sales, three of which would be in Southern California. The plan would also include 21 lease sales off the coast of Alaska and seven in the Gulf of Mexico, and create a new administrative planning area called the South-Central Gulf of America.
“Offshore drilling puts our communities at direct risk of toxic spills that threaten public health, harm marine life, destroy habitat, and jeopardize an economy that generates tens of billions of dollars each year. Coastal communities do not want this. Democrats do not want this. Republicans do not want this. That is why I introduced the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act to fully ban new drilling off our coastline.” said Rep. Levin. “Cities throughout our district have stood together and endorsed this legislation because protecting our coast is common sense. I will continue fighting against this decision because protecting the people I represent is not optional. Our coast is not for sale. California says hell no.”
In April 2025, Rep. Levin introduced the Southern California Coast and Ocean Protection Act¸ which would ban offshore drilling along the Southern California coast. He also co-sponsored Rep. Jared Huffman’s (CA- 02) bill, West Coast Ocean Protection Act, which would ban offshore drilling throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. Rep. Levin’s bill has been endorsed by numerous environmental groups and cities throughout the 49th Congressional District.
“California knows all too well that oil spills kill wildlife, contaminate fisheries, tarnish beaches, and impact people reliant on clean oceans,” said Ashley Blacow-Draeger, Field Campaign Manager for Oceana. “California is well along its transition away from offshore drilling, with numerous oil platforms already in various stages of decommissioning. Oceana stands united with state and federal elected officials from both parties, local communities, and the public who have resoundingly opposed the expansion of offshore drilling over the last several decades to protect the future of our coast forever.”??
“Our beautiful coast is not for sale, and it’s clear that the Trump Administration is really determined to drag us backward and undo any environmental progress we have achieved. It wasn’t that long ago in 2021 that tar balls were washing up on the San Diego shores from a spill in Orange County; that spill closed beaches, impacted small businesses and fishing operations, and destroyed habitat and wildlife. Offshore drilling contributes very little to our overall oil supply, but in return can be detrimental to the environment, public health and local economies. I am proud to stand alongside Congressman Levin and others to fight against this harmful decision,” said Assemblymember Tasha Boerner.
Rep. Levin has advocated extensively for a ban on offshore drilling. In November 2024, Rep. Levin sent a letter to the Biden Administration that resulted in the withdrawal of future oil and natural gas leasing in sensitive coastal areas across the country, including in Southern California. In January 2025, the Trump Administration once again opened these areas to drilling and has taken measures to expand offshore drilling and roll back environmental regulations.
BOSTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, wrote to the Trump Administration calling for equitable, comprehensive guidance on the implementation of the newly created child savings accounts, known as Trump Accounts. Congresswoman Pressley, who has long championed Baby Bonds as a tool for closing the wealth gap, is urging the Administration to ensure the new savings accounts do not widen the wealth gap and worsen economic inequality.
The Congresswoman’s letter comes as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fails to issue timely guidance to families, businesses, non-profits, and local and state governments on the implementation of Trump Accounts.
“The United States of America is proclaimed as the land of opportunity where even a child born into poverty could live a prosperous life. However, for too many families, that opportunity remains out of reach, due to policy decisions that unfairly prioritize the wealthy and leave our most vulnerable families behind,” wrote Congresswoman Pressley in her letter to Treasury Secretary and Acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent. “The creation of new child savings accounts has the potential to be a transformative tool for economic justice, but I am concerned that provisions in the Republican-passed H.R. 1 will perpetuate inequality.”
In 2019, Congresswoman Pressley introduced Baby Bonds legislation with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) that would create a federally funded savings account for every child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright rather than a privilege. The bill was purposefully and expertly drafted to disrupt intergenerational poverty, close the racial wealth gap, and give every 18-year-old support to start a business, buy a house, or pursue higher education.
In her letter, Congresswoman Pressley urged the IRS to develop regulations to alleviate the harm Trump Accounts would cause by expanding wealth inequality, ignoring poor and low-income families in urban and rural communities, and causing children born into rich families to disproportionately benefit while others continue to struggle. The Congresswoman noted that unlike Baby Bonds, Trump Accounts increase taxes on families, lose money based on stock market decline, and provide a meager one-time contribution as part of a limited five-year program.
“It is important to deliver real benefits to the American public, which requires sharing details in a transparent manner,” the Congresswoman continued. “Absent clear implementation details, parents of newborns will not save, businesses and non-profits will not contribute, and local and state governments will not be able to support their constituents.
Congresswoman Pressley also asked Secretary and Acting Commissioner Bessent to answer a series of questions about the implementation of Trump Accounts and urged him to meet with Democrats, experts, and advocates before 2026.
In a Washington Post op-ed published in June, Congresswoman Pressley and economist Darrick Hamilton urged Congress to reject Trump Accounts and instead embrace Baby Bonds to close the wealth gap and advance economic justice. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Booker urged the Treasury Department’s advisory committee to study the merits of Baby Bonds and embrace them in its upcoming reports to the Treasury Department about ideas that could advance greater equity in the economy.
Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities.
Building on the legacy of Black women in the civil rights movement, Rep. Pressley led a historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee.
In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on the issue of full employment and the Civil Rights history of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. Powell conceded, for the first time in Federal Reserve history and on the Congressional record, that the Fed alone cannot get the United States to full employment.
Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker, is the lead co-sponsor of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.
Rep. Pressley introduced the Equity in Government Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.
Rep. Pressley has also called on the five largest banks in America to provide a detailed update on the racial equity commitments the institutions made following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Rep. Pressley was also a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates like the NAACP—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people.
Congresswoman Pressley has also consistently sounded the alarm on the crisis of unemployment among Black women in America, and demanded the Federal Reserve take action.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)
Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement after the Navy announced the cancellation of the Constellation-class frigate program:
“I am disappointed to see the Administration abandon the Constellation-class frigate program, which would have a significant impact on the future of the Navy.
“Naval Station Everett (NSE), which is located in a deep water port with proximity to the Indo-Pacific, will compete aggressively to be the homeport for new Navy missions. A strong and growing NSE will create local jobs that have concrete impacts in the communities I represent – groceries on the table, school supplies in backpacks, gas in minivans and more economic activity that has ripple effects on other local businesses and workers.
“This decision demands transparency and a clear plan for filling the capability gap left by the frigate program’s cancellation. I will keep fighting for a new class of smaller surface combatant ships and the small shipyards we need to modernize and strengthen the Navy’s fleet. The Navy will need every available pier in order to reach its shipbuilding goals.
“I will continue to ensure that decisions about ship homeporting sustain jobs for Northwest Washington and keep our country safe. Northwest Washington has always answered the call to serve, and I will hold the Navy and the Administration accountable to do the same by investing in the fleet, in the workforce, and in the future of Naval Station Everett.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)
Washington, D.C.– Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore (WV-02) and Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) applauded the Trump Administration’s decision to secure the future of America’s national parks through a new fee structure that ensures international visitors are paying their fair share to keep our national heritage beautiful. The recent policy, issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, establishes an Annual Pass that will cost $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents and will apply an additional $100 surcharge per foreign visitor to enter 11 of the most visited national parks while keeping the entrance fee for Americans the same.
The National Parks system faces a $23 billion deferred maintenance backlog. This America-First policy will ensure our children and grandchildren can enjoy our great natural heritage for years to come, beautify our National Parks, and secure funding to address our critical maintenance backlog.
Congressman Moore and Congressman Zinke issued the following joint statement:
“President Trump and Secretary Burgum are putting Americans first by asking foreign visitors to pay their fair share while holding entrance fees steady for the American people. This policy ensures that our beautiful national heritage is preserved and the critical maintenance backlog is addressed so that America’s national parks will remain affordable, well-maintained, and financially sustainable for generations to come. We owe it to future generations of Americans – our children and grandchildren – to ensure our beautiful natural heritage that God created is well preserved.
Now, Congress must act to codify this America-First fee structure by passing our bill, The PATRIOT Parks Act. Our legislation is essential to guaranteeing that these reforms remain in place for generations to come, and that Americans are put First in our own parks.”
In July, Congressman Riley M. Moore (WV-02) and Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01) introduced the PATRIOT Parks Actin the House- which codifies President Trump’s Executive Order “Making America Beautiful Agenda by Improving Our National Parks.” Senators Jim Banks (R-IN) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.