MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, December 2, 2025, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) will hold his annual telephone town hall regarding Medicare Open Enrollment. Kelly will be joined by officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on the call.

With Medicare enrollment season in full swing, the panel hopes the tele-town hall will answer questions for both new and current enrollees. Medicare Open Enrollment runs annually from October 15-December 7.

If a resident of Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District would like to join the call, they are encouraged to use the pin-less participant dial-in number below. A livestream will also be available on Rep. Kelly’s Facebook page.

DETAILS

Who: U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly and officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
What: Live Telephone Town Hall on Medicare Open Enrollment
When: Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 6:30p.m. ET
Pin-less Participant Dial-in Number: 855-531-1063
Livestream:Facebook.com/MikeKellyPA

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Lead, where he reiterated that Democrats are committed to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits and that Republicans have a responsibility to their constituents to join Democrats and stop premiums from skyrocketing.

ERICA HILL: It’s quite a menu to present to our first guest, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. He is, of course, the House Minority Leader. Good to have you with us, Leader Jeffries. I would love to start with healthcare and a reality check, frankly, given that we are now five weeks away from the expiration of those ACA subsidies. I was speaking yesterday with Republican Congressman Nick LaLota, who told me that before we spoke, he had been in meetings about a potential deal. Just how much bipartisan work is actually happening behind the scenes right now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening. Great to be with you. We are in the middle of the open enrollment period, and tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles because Republicans refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. It appeared as if the President and the administration was prepared to extend these tax credits for at least two years, or at least provide a good-faith proposal for Congress to consider, until House Republicans, led by Speaker Johnson, apparently intervened because they have zero interest in keeping healthcare affordable for the American people. That’s very unfortunate. These Republican extremists have been playing games with the healthcare of the American people all year, and things appear like they’re going to get worse because of Republican unwillingness to address the Affordable Care Act tax credit issue in advance of the end of this year.

ERICA HILL: So I will say some of CNN’s reporting is that a number of Republicans said that they only learned about this after those details were leaked to the press. The proposal, you’re right, did draw heavy criticism from conservatives who, according to CNN’s proposal, had panned—CNN’s reporting, rather, had panned—the proposal for including an extension of the ACA subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. But you’re saying there are no Republicans who want to move forward on this. Can you just give me a sense, though, how much support do you believe there is among Republicans if this is, in fact, the President’s proposal? If this is what he puts forth, how much support do you think that could have?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it seems to me that the votes do exist in the House of Representatives, as well as potentially in the Senate, to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. But unfortunately, House Republican leaders have zero interest in doing that. This is the same group of people who have brought us this Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating people all across the country. Keep in mind that Republicans this year, in their One Big Ugly Bill, enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. 14 million Americans are on the brink of losing their health insurance as a result. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all across the country. Republicans in the appropriations process right now are trying to enact devastating cuts to the Centers for Disease Control, about $1.7 billion in cuts. That would be the largest cut to the CDC in American history. And at the same time, they’re going after medical research, vaccine availability and of course, they refused to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which provide affordable health insurance to working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans, but House Republicans could care less.

ERICA HILL: So just real quickly, so we can put a button in this. You’re saying it is Republican leadership that are responsible for killing this. Are you saying that they have that much power with the President? That they are able to go to President Trump and say don’t do this and he is listening to them?

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a really good question because on every other issue, House Republicans have basically functioned as a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. Generally, when Donald Trump says jump, House Republicans just ask the question, how high? But when it comes to extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits, now all of a sudden, House Republicans want Congress to act like a separate and co-equal branch of government. That’s extraordinary. But that’s consistent with the fact that under Republican complete control of government, all we’ve seen are costs going up. The cost of living in this country is out of control. Republicans promised to lower costs on day one. They’ve done nothing to do that. So housing costs are out of control, grocery costs out of control, child care costs out of control, electricity bills skyrocketing and now healthcare costs are about to skyrocket because of the Republican unwillingness to do something about the Affordable Care Act tax credit expiration.

ERICA HILL: So, last question for you on this point, because I do have some other topics I want to get to. To get traction on this, you once mentioned using a discharge petition, which, of course, is the same strategy that forced a House vote on releasing the Epstein files. Where does that stand?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, we have over 200 signatures on our House Democratic-led discharge petition that will result in just a straight, clean three-year extension on the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And if House Republican leadership is unwilling to do anything about this issue, all we need are a handful of rank-and-file House Republicans to join us as Democrats, and we can get this done for the American people. So, we will be pressing this case upon our return to Washington next week.

ERICA HILL: All right, well, keep us posted. Let us know where you stand on getting those, that handful of Republicans. I do want to move on to what we are seeing in terms of the backlash, the reaction to this video that was put out, of course, by six Democratic lawmakers urging servicemembers not to follow illegal orders. The FBI is now seeking to schedule interviews with them in response, saying—those lawmakers saying—in response in a joint statement that ‘no amount of intimidation or harassment would ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution.’ As the Democratic Leader, do you believe your Members should sit for interviews with the FBI?

LEADER JEFFRIES: There’s no basis to this FBI investigation. Unless the FBI actually presents credible evidence as to why they are seeking to interview these four Members of the House and two Members of the Senate, then I think we have to look at this whole request skeptically. Again, it was Donald Trump who ordered the FBI and the Department of Justice to investigate these Members. He accused them of treason. He threatened them with death. And so, it’s not clear why we should take this investigation credibly. This is not something where the FBI is trying to follow the facts, apply the law and be guided by the Constitution.

ERICA HILL: I do think it’s important to point out we have been told that the—that the Pentagon is looking into an investigation, and what we know about the FBI, according to our reporting, is that they’re seeking to schedule interviews. So are you saying, though—I just want to put a pin in this as well—are you saying that they should not sit for those interviews?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, that’s a determination that ultimately will be made by these patriotic Members, all of whom serve the country, either as national security professionals, in the military or both. But what I am suggesting is that we should look at this so-called interview request and whatever investigation is underway from this extreme administration very skeptically because it was all apparently ordered by Donald Trump. Now, ultimately, the Members and their lawyers are going to make the determination as to what’s the next appropriate step in this so-called process related to the Trump administration.

ERICA HILL: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, appreciate your time. Thank you.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on Spectrum News NY1’s Inside City Hall with Errol Louis, where he reiterated that Democrats are committed to driving down the high cost of living while Republican extremists will stop at nothing to benefit their wealthy donors.

ERROL LOUIS: Joining me now for a wide-ranging interview on that and a number of other topics is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He also represents parts of Brooklyn, including all or part of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Canarsie, Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay. Welcome back to the program. Always good to see you.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Great to be with you.

ERROL LOUIS: I wanted to get your reaction to today’s big news about the case being dismissed against Letitia James.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it was a welcome development. Attorney General Tish James is a tremendous public servant, a champion for the communities throughout New York City and New York State, as well as beyond, really, a national leader pushing back against the extremism of the Trump administration. As a result of her outspokenness, the Department of Justice filed this phony indictment against her, and I’m thankful that it was dismissed. The so-called Department of Justice under the Trump Administration is a malignant clown show. And they got what they deserve today. And we’re gonna continue to stand by Tish James until this whole matter is definitively over.

ERROL LOUIS: As an attorney, how serious was the error by the Justice Department? I was reading the decision, and I was thinking, man, you’re not supposed to make these kind of mistakes.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, absolutely. We’ve seen this over and over again, but this is what happens when effectively there are no credible attorneys running the Department of Justice. They all answer to Donald Trump, who’s just using the Justice Department as a weapon against his perceived adversaries as part of him unleashing all of this extremism against the American people. And by the way, the American people are rejecting it up and down the ballot across the country. We just saw that recently with the off-year elections earlier this month.

ERROL LOUIS: Okay, we’ll get back to the elections in a minute. Let’s let’s stay local for a minute and talk about some of the local politics. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was talking today, says that Democratic leadership—and he’s, I think he was talking nationally— he says, are not prepared, are not tough enough, are not fighting hard enough in the direction that the nation and the party needs to go. I wanted to get your reaction to that.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, I have no idea what he’s talking about. By the way, Democrats literally across the country, in New Jersey, in New York, in Virginia, in Pennsylvania, in Georgia, in Mississippi, right, in California, across the country, up and down the ballot, race after race after race, have won elections. This represents a pushback that’s dramatic against the extremism of the Trump administration, and Democrats actually articulating an affirmative agenda as it relates to making life more affordable for the American people. What about winning across the country does he not get?

ERROL LOUIS: Okay, well, let’s peel it back a layer. There’s discussion locally. There was even talk about somebody wanting to challenge you. We still don’t know whether or not Chi Ossé, the City Council Member, is going to do that. But there’s some discussion about whether or not Democratic leadership, and that’s a term we’ll try and nail down in, I guess, in just a second. But your wing of the Democratic leadership is either not tough enough, not forceful enough, not engaged enough. What’s your sense of that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think what we just saw over the last several months on the House Democratic side, partnering with Chuck Schumer and our colleagues on the Senate, is week after week after week pushing back against the Trump administration, making very clear to them that, of course, at all times we will find a bipartisan path forward to fund the government, but that there were lines in the sand, including making sure that any spending agreement actually makes life better for the American people and that we were not going to support a spending agreement that continued to gut the healthcare of the American people.Every single Democrat in the House and the Senate stood up against Donald Trump and the Republican One Big Ugly Bill. Why did we do that? Because back in July, when they jammed that bill down the throats of the American people without a single Democratic vote, they ripped healthcare away from everyday Americans, we pushed back aggressively against that. They enacted the largest cut to supplemental nutrition in American history, cut $186 billion from SNAP, literally ripping food from the mouths of children, seniors and hungry veterans. We pushed back aggressively against that. And all of that was done by Republicans so they could enact massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors.

ERROL LOUIS: Are we going to go through this all over again on January 30?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, now we’re in the middle of a fight, as we approach December 31, where we’re going to continue to make clear that we need the Affordable Care Act tax credits extended so that tens of millions of people, including over a million people here in New York State, don’t see their healthcare premiums dramatically increased. And everywhere I go in the community, in the city, across the country, people are urging us to continue to stay in that fight, which we will, until we win this fight.

ERROL LOUIS: A recent CBS poll asked Democratic voters, well, actually voters overall, to describe their party in one word. For a majority of all voters and more than 40 percent of Democrats, the word that they chose is, ‘weak.’ What aren’t you doing? Is this a messaging problem? Is there some new strategy you might want to try?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think what’s interesting is that this weak party just won elections all across the country. So, there’s a juxtaposition, and I think part of it is that Donald Trump is unleashing extremism on the American people week after week after week. This incredible, unprecedented assault on the economy, on healthcare, on nutritional assistance, on veterans, on everyday Americans, on law-abiding immigrant families, on the rule of law and of course, on democracy itself. And so, we are in a more-is-more environment, and as Democrats, we have to continue to do more. But I think what we’ve decisively seen, literally all across the country, and we’ve been winning elections, by the way, since the end of January,when we flipped the seat in the Iowa State Senate, that Donald Trump had just won by 21 points the previous November. We flipped that seat, and we’ve been winning the elections ever since. That said, we can’t take our foot off the gas pedal. We have to continue to press forward and articulate our affirmative agenda. We want to lower the high cost of living. We want to fix our broken healthcare system. And of course, we need to clean up corruption in this country so we can deliver an America that actually works for working-class folks.

ERROL LOUIS: Yeah, one thing about all of this. When I see a word like weak or people saying you’re not fighting hard enough, look, you come through here and I see you’ve got like a level of security you didn’t used to have to travel with. There’s been serious threats against you, at least one of which resulted in quite a bit of publicity. How are things going as far as that part of your life?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, well, you know, I appreciate you raising that. When you push back aggressively, all of us in the House and the Senate, governors, mayors, local elected officials, of course, we see extremists on the other side of the aisle who start to target you. And that’s certainly been a reality, particularly, you know, throughout the year. The particular situation that unfolded a couple of weeks ago, of course, was some individual who was pardoned by Donald Trump for attacking the Capitol on January 6, and we know hundreds of these people, violent felons, have actually been pardoned by the President on his first day in office and then released back into communities. So I’m more concerned about the impact that that has on public safety in neighborhoods throughout America. This is from a group of people, by the way, Errol, who promised that they were going to lower costs on day one. But costs haven’t gone down on day one, costs are going up. The Trump tariffs are creating life that is more expensive for everyday Americans, thousands of dollars of additional expenses per year. And that’s why we’re continuing to wage this healthcare affordability fight and pressing our Republican colleagues to do the right thing and extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

ERROL LOUIS: Among the chattering classes, the consultants and the commentators and so forth, there’s an assumption that Democrats are going to win control of the House. The polling, at least at this stage, seems to suggest that on a generic ballot, people think that they want to vote for Democrats more so than Republicans. That’s enough to win the control of the House and perhaps make you the Speaker of the House. If that should happen, how will life be different for New Yorkers?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, we’re going to continue to work hard to stop the extremism from being unleashed on the people of New York City, New York State and across the country, serve as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. That’s what the framers of the Constitution wanted. That’s not what we’re seeing from our Republican colleagues, who are nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. And if any of my House Republican colleagues dare to push back, even gently, against Donald Trump, they get run out of office, as we just saw with Marjorie Taylor Greene. House Democrats, in the majority, are also going to try to move an affirmative agenda that recognizes that far too many people in this city work hard, play by the rules, but can’t get ahead, can barely get by, are living check-to-check.And we actually have to do something to make life more affordable in the city, as the Mayor-elect is working hard to do, in the state, as Governor Hochul is working hard to do and of course, down in Washington, where we’ve seen no action from our Republican colleagues, but as House Democrats, we will press forward to try to accomplish.

ERROL LOUIS: Okay, speaking about affordability, Mayor-elect Mamdani publicly urged the New York City DSA not to endorse Chi Ossé in a primary against you. Did you speak with him before that? Was there an actual or implied kind of alliance that you had with him?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we actually didn’t talk about the politics related to primaries in any great detail. We spent a lot of time talking about, and continue to do so, talking about his continued emphasis on affordability and public safety. And I think, as we saw most recently when the Mayor-elect met with Donald Trump, continuing to stay focused on those issues and delivering for the people of New York will pay dividends. And everybody needs to lean in to make sure that the Mayor-elect is successful, that the governor is successful, because if that in fact is the case, if he’s successful, then the people that we represent will be successful because the city of New York will be successful.

ERROL LOUIS: What do you make of that summit or that meeting between Mamdani and President Trump the other day in the Oval Office?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, it was kind of an extraordinary thing, but Donald Trump clearly recognizes that Mayor Mamdani is committed to trying to turn things around from an affordability standpoint. And he also knows, meaning the President, that he’s failed in that regard. And hopefully, we’ll see, actually, Donald Trump try to emphasize those issues of lowering the high cost of living across the country a little more and partner with the city of New York as opposed to trying to target the city of New York. So I thought it was a great success, and—

ERROL LOUIS: Have you ever had a meeting like that with the President?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I think the most recent meeting that I had with the President was a few days before Donald Trump and Republicans decided to shut the government down. And we agreed to strongly disagree on the issues because we made clear at that moment that we were not supporting any partisan Republican spending bill as long as it gutted the healthcare of the American people. And we did not support that partisan Republican spending bill a few days later, when we hit the October 1 deadline.

ERROL LOUIS: So, you know, something that across both sides of the aisle, that I’m hearing from you is that there’s actions being taken by the Republican majority at the behest of the White House that have nothing to do with winning elections, right? That it’s clearly not going to be popular. We see the effects that are going to hit even Republican districts when the cost of healthcare premiums goes through the roof. We know that it’s not popular. The polling suggests that. You have hard evidence in the form of these elections, like you said, from coast to coast, up and down the ballot. How does this continue to sort of go in a destructive path that just not only hurts individual families, but is politically just not working for anybody?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, it’s incredible to me, first and foremost, that my Republican colleagues are actually hurting the people that they represent. Like, when you enact the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, they’ve now set in motion hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers closing in their communities, rural America and all across the country. And apparently they could care less, because they were ordered by Donald Trump to do so. When you are on the verge of allowing the Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire, the 10 states that are most impacted are all Republican-run states. Everyday Americans throughout the country are going to get hurt, but it’s West Virginia, it’s Wyoming, it’s Alaska, it’s Tennessee, it’s Mississippi, it’s South Carolina, I believe, Alabama, Texas, these states, North and South Dakota, who are most impacted by the Affordable Care Act tax credits expiring. And my Republican colleagues could care less.

ERROL LOUIS: Well, I mean, if this is part of your messaging for the fall elections, and it’s happening about a year from now, can you wait that long? Is that what the message is going to be, or are people going to have to endure all of this pain, or is there kind of another way to sort of set up a Democratic alternative?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, one of the reasons why we’ve waged a fight and we’ve launched the discharge petition, as was most recently done successfully with the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, we as Democrats in the House have launched a discharge petition to try to force an up-and-down vote on a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And all we’ll need at the end of the day is just a handful of our Republican colleagues to join us. And if that, in fact, is the case, then we can save healthcare in terms of affordability for the people that I’m privileged to represent throughout the 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn, for people in New York City, for people in New York State and across the country. All we need is a handful of Republicans, including a handful from New York State, like Mike Lawler and others. Just join us.

ERROL LOUIS: Okay.

LEADER JEFFRIES: And if you’re willing to do so, we can actually get something done for the people they represent.

ERROL LOUIS: Where are the seats that you’re targeting, that you are planning to flip between now and next year?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, you know, we believe that in this environment,we’ve got 25, 30, 35 different seats that we actually are in position to win. Now, we only have to win three. But they’re all across the country, a handful here in New York. We’ve got at least one, maybe two, in New Jersey. We’ve three to four in Pennsylvania, three to four in Michigan, one or two in Wisconsin, at least two in Arizona, several opportunities now in California. We’ve got some seats that we’ve got to hold in Texas, but maybe a handful that we can pick up as well. So, coast to coast, across the country, north, south, east and west—

ERROL LOUIS: Okay.

LEADER JEFFRIES: —we’re gonna work hard to take back the House.

ERROL LOUIS: Who’s the leader of the Democratic Party, if I asked you? Everybody’s got their own opinion about this.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s my honor to be the House Democratic Leader, and I have a job right now to lead about 215 Democrats in the House of Representatives. It’s a big job, and I’m working hard to do the best that I can.

ERROL LOUIS: Okay, we’ll let you get back to it. Thanks so much for coming by.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

ERROL LOUIS: Happy holiday to you.

Full interview can be watched here.

###

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference in Brooklyn with Assemblywoman Stefani Zinerman and local leaders making food more accessible and affordable in Brooklyn and across the country.

LEADER JEFFRIES: These are very challenging times that we confront, and we know that people are struggling with the high cost of living in our community, in our city and across the country. And no one in America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, should ever go hungry. No one. But we know, unfortunately, that the reality is very different. And that we’ve got some forces within the government who, instead of addressing the fact that there are millions of people in our country who are food insecure, are making things worse.

Earlier this year, there were a group of people who passed what we refer to as the One Big Ugly Bill. And in it, not only did they rip away Medicaid from 14 million people, triggering a wave of hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers closing, setting that painful reality in motion. In the same toxic piece of legislation, they enacted the largest cut to SNAP in American history, ripping $186 billion in nutritional assistance from hungry children, seniors, families and veterans. It was a shameful thing, and we’re working hard, and we’ll continue to do everything possible until we get those toxic SNAP cuts reversed. Until we get them reversed.

We know in the midst of this affordability crisis, people are struggling with housing, people are struggling with healthcare and people are struggling with food, and having to make decisions about whether to put food on the table, pay the rent, get access to the medicine that they need to live a dignified life. That’s unacceptable in this great country. It’s also one of the reasons why we’re so thankful for St. John’s Bread and Life, for the Food Bank and for the work of these great organizations that we will continue to support. Thankful for what they do during the holiday season, but this is work that is done each and every day, each and every month, year after year. And as the Member of Congress from this great community, I pledge to continue hard to support it.

Last thing that I’d mention is that in this community—proud to have grown up in Crown Heights, continue to go to church in Bedford-Stuyvesant, right down the block where my grandmother lived for a long period of time—that we’ve seen tremendous progress as it relates to some of the violence issues that our community has suffered throughout the years, homicides and gang-related violence and things of that nature. And we know there’s still progress to be made in those areas. But it’s always been the case that in our community, right here in central Brooklyn, that more people have always died from drive-thrus than drive-bys. It’s always been the case. More people in our community have died from drive-thrus than drive-bys because of the lack of access to affordable, healthy food, triggering a wide variety of illnesses, from hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, other forms of heart disease, obesity that creates all sorts of health complications. More people in our community continue, and it’s always been true, have died from lack of access to healthy food, fruits and vegetables, nutritious meals that is affordable, than they have from gun violence or other things that have plagued our neighborhoods. That’s why making sure that we continue to support organizations like St. John’s Bread and Life, Food Bank for New York City and others will continue to be a high priority until we can bring about the moment in this great community, in the city, in this country, where not a single family ever goes hungry. 

God bless you, and Happy Thanksgiving. 

Full press conference can be watched here.

###

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, where he highlighted that Democrats are dedicated to making life more affordable rather than prioritizing the interests of the wealthy, well-off and well-connected:

BRIAN LEHRER: So, on the Affordable Care Act, I don’t have to tell you that the extended subsidies will expire at the end of the year, and premiums are projected to double without those. The Senate Republicans primaried a vote, the Senate Republicans, but not House Speaker Mike Johnson. Now I see reporting that President Trump will propose a two-year extension with some other changes. Have you seen details of that yet?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Not seeing details, and Donald Trump has not had any conversation with any Democrats on Capitol Hill, as far as I know, about moving forward. For weeks, we made clear that on December 31, tens of millions of Americans were going to experience dramatically increased healthcare premiums because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. The same group of people who, back in July, with great urgency, enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. As a result of their actions, hospitals, nursing homes, community-based health centers are closing. We know in that same [One Big Ugly Bill], what they did was also rip food away from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans by enacting a $186 billion cut to SNAP, the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American History. And they did all of that in order to pass massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors, which they made permanent. And now, at the 11th hour, Donald Trump purportedly has a proposal. Here’s our view as House Democrats. We’ve put forth a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits to make sure that working-class Americans, everyday Americans and middle-class Americans can have the same level of certainty as it relates to their health insurance costs that Republicans just provided to their billionaire donors in enacting massive tax cuts for them and then making those tax cuts permanent.

BRIAN LEHRER: Well, what could House Democrats support? The reporting I cited said Trump will propose a two-year extension. You just said a three-year expansion of the extended ACA subsidies. Reportedly, the President wants a few things, like lower income limits for getting any subsidy and no version of Obamacare policies that have premiums of $0. Can you confirm that or say if you’re open to those? Maybe you’re not so far away if you’re talking about a two-year extension versus a three-year extension.

LEADER JEFFRIES: We’ll have to look at the details of President Trump’s purported proposal and its impact on small business owners, on entrepreneurs, on working and middle-class individuals in an environment where life in this country is already too expensive. And it’s interesting to me that the President and Republicans seem interested in taking things away from folks as opposed to being additive. That said, you know, if there’s a proposal that is offered up, we’ll evaluate it on the merits, look at the four corners of it, and then figure out, you know, how to proceed. It’s unfortunate that though Democrats started aggressively making clear as soon as early September that we needed to deal with this prior to October 1, when notices were going to go out to tens of millions of people about their health insurance, that Republicans have delayed and delayed and delayed. And now at the 11th hour, let’s see, you know, whether their proposal has any merit.

[…]

CALLER: Good morning. Yes, thank you. And I’d like to thank you for all that you’ve done for the New Yorkers, for all of us. And I actually wanted to know what your plan is in terms of making housing more affordable, specifically for our young people. I have two sons who are born and raised in New York. And they are college graduates, they work hard, and they cannot afford to live in the City. So I want to know if there’s a proposed plan for there really to be affordable housing. I know we use that term lightly, but unfortunately, it has not actually manifested.

BRIAN LEHRER: Linda, thank you very much. Well, we know that’s one of the reasons Mayor-Elect Mamdani was elected. How about a federal role in that? Do you see one?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, absolutely. And Linda, thank you so much for calling in and for that very important point that you made. I think there are far too many young people in this city, and certainly that’s the case throughout the country, who don’t believe that the American dream, which has always been largely anchored in homeownership, can be achieved. And that’s a shame because in this great country of ours, when you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to live a comfortable life and live what I’ve sometimes referred to as the good life. Good-paying job, good housing, good healthcare, good education and ultimately a good retirement. And there are far too many people, particularly young people, who are working hard and playing by the rules, doing what they were told to do, but are unable to get to that last step. Living the good life. Achieving the American dream. And so it’s important for us to lean in on this question of the high cost of living aggressively and across every level of government—city, state, and federal. And so your question, Brian, certainly the federal government needs to get into the business of affordable housing. Now there’s several things that can be done. Use the tax code to incentivize the construction of housing that people can afford. That means a dramatic expansion of the low-income housing tax credit. That means making sure that we are incentivizing and making it more affordable for people to pay a down payment on their first home, similar to what President Obama did in the aftermath of the Great Recession. That’s a program that I think we can consider, too, reviving, which is a significant tax credit that can be used to defray the down payment costs, which often prevent people from being able to purchase homes. We can also look at portability in terms of how you can transfer mortgage rates that are lower, as opposed to them basically fluctuating, depending on whatever the moment that exists, and that locks housing into place and prevents young people from being able to take over mortgages that might otherwise be affordable. So there’s a variety of different things that we will propose over the next year and work hard to implement if the American people give us the privilege of serving in the majority after the midterm elections.

[…]

BRIAN LEHRER: You know, lots of people have theories about why President Trump was so complimentary to Mamdani at the White House on Friday. Do you? And then we’re out of time.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, I think Republicans are on the run in terms of their failure to deliver policies that actually make life more affordable for the American people. And we saw that decisively in their electoral defeats that took place. The American people are running away from Republican extremism and running toward the Democratic values that we’ve been articulating, fighting to drive down the high cost of living, fighting to fix our broken healthcare system and fighting to clean up corruption and making clear to the American people that you deserve better than what they’ve gotten from Donald Trump and Republicans since January 20. And perhaps it was an acknowledgement, of course, that the vision that was articulated throughout the campaign and continues to be articulated as Mayor-elect Mamdani transitions from where he is now to taking over the city on January 1 is one that New Yorkers embraced, and it’s one that was embraced by the people of New Jersey with Mikie Sherrill and her decisive win. It’s one that was embraced by people of Virginia when Abigail Spanberger won a historic victory, and Democrats swept across the state up and down the ballot as we did throughout the nation. So maybe it’s part of a retreat that we’re seeing from Donald Trump, recognizing that they better start embracing and addressing the issues that matter for the American people, or they’re going to get wiped out in the midterm elections next year.

Full interview can be listened to here.

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

Headline: Newhouse, Daines Urge House Leadership to Pass Legislation to Build More Hydropower

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) sent a letter to Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise urging swift passage of their “Build More Hydro” bill – S. 1020/H.R. 2072.

“We write to you to urge the passage of S.1020 (H.R. 2072), our ‘Build More Hydro’ bill, a bipartisan bill that authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for critical hydropower projects nationwide. On July 9, 2025, S.1020 passed the Senate by unanimous consent and the House received the bill on August 1, 2025, where it remains held at the desk awaiting action.  

If S. 1020 is not enacted, 37 unconstructed, FERC-licensed hydropower projects across 15 states, representing more than 2.6GW of baseload power and $6.5 billion in investment, are at risk of termination…

…Since the introduction of this bill, approximately 100MW of hydropower has been put on hold with an additional 36MW forced into limbo by the end of the year because of congressional inaction. Hydropower supplies baseload electricity to over 30 million homes, provides 96% of utility-scale energy storage, and remains vital to flood control, water storage, irrigation, and grid reliability services… 

Losing these projects would undermine grid reliability at a time when we can least afford it. Advancing S.1020 before the end of the year is an essential step to protect American energy security, ensure reliable power to communities across the nation and prevent the loss of billions in investment,” Newhouse and Daines wrote in the letter.  

Senator Daines’s S. 1020, which passed the U.S. Senate with unanimous consent in July 2025, would extend construction deadlines for critical hydropower projects nationwide and increase American energy production. Rep. Newhouse introduced the companion legislation, H.R. 2072, earlier this year.

Read the full letter here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

In a historic moment for our nation’s farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and landowners, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Zeldin announced a new proposed ruling to define Waters of the United States (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. This common-sense regulation protects our state’s waters while also unleashing American economic prosperity, and it was an honor to be in attendance and provide a few words of my support.

For too long, our federal government has weaponized the definition of our nation’s waterways to seize our states’ ability to determine what is best for their landowners, farmers, small businesses, and more. Letting our states determine what’s best for their own resources shouldn’t be a complicated issue, but decades of bureaucracy have certainly made that into a reality.

As a sitting member on the Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, this is an issue that I have been focused on for quite some time that deeply affects Arkansas, its waterways, and the folks who are responsible for keeping our economy growing. For years, I have worked extensively to ensure the rights of our states, farmers, small businesses, and local communities are protected.

Since the 1972 Clean Water Act, the term Waters of the United States (WOTUS) has been long debated. However, the Obama-era 2015 Clean Water Rule muddied the waters and has since abused the rule-making process of the executive branch, creating clear overreach of federal authority on our waterways by allowing federal agencies to essentially act as zoning and land czars with little-to-no checks or balances on their power. This week’s commonsense ruling puts our states back in the driver’s seat, prioritizes Arkansas farmers and business owners, and takes a step toward reining in federal overreach.

There is no doubt that Administrator Zeldin has everyday Americans in mind, and I look forward to working with him in both of my roles on the T&I Waterways and Resources subcommittee and as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee to enact commonsense regulations that protect our navigable waterways, hardworking Arkansans, and constitutional separation of powers. 

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

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) reintroduced the ATF Improvement and Modernization (AIM) Act, legislation to strengthen the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) ability to combat gun crime in our communities. The lawmakers’ effort comes as the Trump Administration seeks to undermine the ATF, including by working to eliminate it as a standalone agency – merging it with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – and proposing a nearly 30 percent decrease in its budget. In the face of these actions, the lawmakers’ legislation would reassert the ATF’s authority to keep our communities safe, including by removing irresponsible statutory restrictions that stand in the way of the ATF’s mission to protect the public from violent offenders, criminal organizations, and the illegal use and trafficking of firearms.

“Too many American lives have been torn apart by gun violence in our country – yet gun industry hardliners have conspired to put up roadblocks that hamper law enforcement efforts to combat this deadly scourge. Our legislation eliminates these barriers and strengthens the ATF’s ability to crack down on gun crime and illegal firearm trafficking that allows deadly weapons to fall into dangerous hands. This is a common-sense way to tackle the gun violence epidemic and save lives,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“The gun violence epidemic continues to take a huge toll on our country, killing nearly 50,000 Americans every year,” said Rep. Don Beyer. “We cannot accept Trump’s efforts to stop law enforcement from addressing gun violence, which includes mass transfers of agents away from the ATF. Congress owes it to American families to take decisive action to ensure the ATF has the tools it needs to make American communities safer, and our AIM Act would do just that by removing barriers that hamper the ATF’s mission. I appreciate Senator Van Hollen, Ranking Member Raskin, and the gun violence prevention leaders who worked with us to craft this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.”

“The AIM Act will revitalize the ATF’s ability to crack down on gun traffickers and ‘bad apple’ gun dealers and overhaul outdated regulations that hinder the Bureau’s ability to protect our communities,” said House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin. “I’m proud to join this important effort to combat gun trafficking and violent crime.”

The AIM Act removes irresponsible statutory restrictions that impede ATF’s mission to protect the public from violent criminals, criminal organizations, and the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, as well as its ability to support law enforcement and other public safety partners in communities nationwide. The bill modernizes ATF processes to help law enforcement officials in tracing firearms involved in crimes. Permitting ATF to consolidate and centralize the records it receives from firearms dealers will improve its current non-searchable system, which unnecessarily stalls criminal investigations. With a centralized, searchable digital database, law enforcement will be better able to detect patterns that indicate gun trafficking. The AIM Act also allows the FBI to maintain background check information longer than the current 24-hour limit. This change helps to deter fraud and facilitate firearms retrieval actions if the agency learns, after the fact, that a gun sale was improper.

This legislation also enhances ATF’s capability to crack down on “bad apple” gun dealers. Permitting stricter compliance requirements and reforming the rules governing federal license revocation will ensure that firearms dealers comply with laws and regulations that protect the public from dangerous weapons. Lastly, the AIM Act will make ATF more responsive to the public, including journalists, researchers, and potential litigants, whose access to ATF gun trace data is currently restricted.

The text of the AIM Act is available here.

The AIM Act is supported by March For Our Lives, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence, GIFFORDS, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Newtown Action Alliance, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Enough of Gun Violence.

“The gun industry has enjoyed decades of special protections at the expense of public safety –  and young people are paying the price. The ATF Improvement and Modernization Act is a critical step toward accountability. By giving the ATF the tools it needs to trace crime guns, hold reckless dealers accountable, and modernize outdated systems, this bill helps protect communities from the daily toll of gun violence. We’re proud to support this legislation and grateful to Senator Van Hollen and Representative Beyer for continuing to lead with urgency and moral clarity,” said Jaclyn Corin, Executive Director, March For Our Lives.

“For far too long, the agency charged with overseeing gun laws in this country has been underfunded and hamstrung by antiquated systems. This was by design, preventing the ATF from adequately overseeing critical components of the gun industry. We applaud Senator Van Hollen and Representative Beyer for reintroducing The ATF Improvement and Modernization Act (AIM) Act this session. This much needed Act will help bring the ATF into the 21st century,” said Karen Herren, Executive Director, Marylanders to Prevent Gun Violence.

“For too long, ATF has been forced to operate with one hand tied behind its back, unable to fully enforce our country’s gun laws and hold bad actors accountable. The AIM Act would change that, reversing outdated restrictions and ensuring ATF has the authority and resources it needs to crack down on illegal gun trafficking, shut down rogue gun dealers, and modernize systems that hinder efforts to trace crime guns. We commend Senator Van Hollen and Representative Beyer for their leadership in strengthening this critical agency and improving public safety,” said Vanessa Gonzalez, Vice President of Government & Political Affairs at GIFFORDS.

“One of the major causes of American gun violence is the unique and unprecedented protections from oversight that the gun industry has been provided,” said Brady President Kris Brown. “The ATF Improvement and Modernization Act will allow ATF to more effectively and efficiently oversee the corporate firearms industry and hold accountable those actors who are engaging in negligent, irresponsible, or illegal business practices which fuel the criminal gun market. Brady is proud to endorse this legislation and applauds Sen. Van Hollen and Rep. Beyer for their leadership on this issue.”

“As a neighbor of the Sandy Hook shooter and someone who has spent more than a decade working with families devastated by gun violence, I know the deadly cost of tying law enforcement’s hands. For too long, reckless restrictions have stopped the ATF from protecting the public from gun traffickers and bad-apple dealers. Senator Van Hollen’s AIM Act removes those barriers—modernizing gun tracing, strengthening background checks, and restoring transparency—so law enforcement can save lives and protect our children and families,” said Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance.

“Gun Violence is a Public Health Emergency and the #1 leading cause of death for children in our communities across the United States. We can no longer allow the gun lobby to hold the lives of American people in their hands. We are endorsing the ATF Improvement and Modernization Act being re-introduced by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Beyer because we deserve to live free from Gun Violence. Accountability to the gun industries is key,” said Celeste Iroha, Founder and President of Enough of Gun Violence.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)

Rep. Bacon Announces Chamber Support for Legislation to Restore Congress’ Constitutional Role in Trade

Omaha, Neb. – Today, Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) announced he has received support from the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln Chamber of Commerce for his bipartisan legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy. H.R. 2665 The Trade Review Act of 2025 requires that unilateral tariffs proposed by the executive branch receive congressional authority.

“By requiring clear justification and timely review of new tariffs, the Trade Review Act of 2025 helps prevent disruptive cost swings and strengthens Nebraska companies’ ability to keep Nebraska’s economy competitive and growing,” said Todd Bingham, President and CEO of the NE Chamber of Commerce & Industry. “This legislation delivers real benefits for Nebraska businesses by bringing greater stability and predictability to U.S. trade policy. Nebraska Chamber members across industries – from agriculture to manufacturing – depend on consistent markets and manageable input costs. We thank Rep. Bacon for being a strong advocate for Nebraska and its world-class businesses.”

“We hear from businesses every day that unexpected tariff actions are driving up costs, delaying investments, and threatening the long-term competitiveness of Nebraska. H.R. 2665 introduces the level of transparency, accountability, and congressional oversight that our employers urgently need,” said Heath Mello, President & CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber. “By requiring timely economic impact assessments and ensuring Congress has a meaningful role, this legislation provides a more predictable environment for companies planning major capital investments. The Greater Omaha Chamber strongly supports this effort that gives employers the stability they need to grow and we thank Rep. Bacon for his leadership on this critical issue.”

“The Lincoln Chamber appreciates Congressman Don Bacon’s leadership on trade and his assertion of congressional authority. Congressman Bacon’s Trade Review Act of 2025 gets it right. Congressional authority and pro-active engagement is vitally important in developing trade policies, which are so important to Nebraska’s economy.” – Jason Ball, President & CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.

“This administration has overstepped by imposing tariffs that are bad for American consumers and businesses alike. It’s time to return tariff authority back to Congress and the people by passing this legislation,” said Rep. Bacon. “I’m thankful for the support of Nebraska’s businesses as we work to return the power of imposing tariffs to the legislative branch, where it belongs.” 

Rep. Bacon has publicly stated his support for some tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration while also maintaining that the Constitution gives Congress the task of imposing tariffs under Article I Section 8. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

Read Letter PDF

ATLANTA, GA – Yesterday, Congressman David Scott (GA-13) and Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-4), sent a letter to Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Director, Jeff Cowan, callingon him to hold chronic environmental polluters accountable and take decisive action to revoke the permits of repeat offenders. The letter highlights EPD’s inability to conduct meaningful oversight of companies who routinely fail to comply with state and federal environmental laws as they continue to jeopardize the health and safety of our metro-Atlanta communities.

The lawmakers pointed to multiple incidents across Georgia where industrial facilities, including those operated by Dérivés Résiniques et Terpéniques (DRT) and BioLabs, have repeatedly violated state and federal clean air and water laws—as evidence of a systemic breakdown in enforcement within EPD. They emphasize that Georgia’s environmental enforcement lag continues to expose neighborhoods—particularly vulnerable and low-income communities—to dangerous levels of air pollution and contaminated waterways.

“Georgians deserve clean air, safe water, and an environmental regulator that puts their health and safety first,” said Congressman David Scott. “For too long, chronic polluters have operated with minimal accountability, and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s inaction has allowed dangerous practices to continue unchecked. These failures don’t fall evenly. Black and brown communities are too often the ones forced to bear the brunt of toxic air, contaminated water, and the constant fear of industrial accidents. No community should live with these preventable threats because oversight fell short.”

“For years, corporate polluters have endangered Georgia communities with fires, toxic releases, and repeated violations,” said Congressman Johnson. “This pattern of disregard for public health and safety is unacceptable. No company is entitled to operate in our state if it cannot follow the law. EPD must act decisively and revoke these permits until these facilities can demonstrate they are no longer a threat to the health and safety of our residents.”

Both DRT and BioLabs have amassed years of serious violations, including dangerous chemical leaks in Effingham County and multiple fires and toxic releases at the BioLabs facility in Rockdale County. Additionally, a disastrous 2024 explosion forced 17,000 evacuations and sent over 1,000 Georgians to emergency rooms with serious injuries. However, the EPD has repeatedly failed to issue timely penalties, conduct rigorous inspections, enforce consent decrees, or provide the public with transparent and accessible information. In addition to calling for the revocation of all active permits held by DRT and BioLabs until they can demonstrate full, sustained compliance, the letter requests Director Cowan provide detailed responses regarding:

• Criteria the EPD uses to determine when a “pattern of violations” warrants stronger enforcement, and why that threshold is rarely met.
• Concrete changes EPD is making to ensure companies with a long record of repeated violations are not allowed to expand or continue operations without proving long-term compliance.
• Support for the creation of a publicly available “repeat violators list” for Georgia industries, including a comprehensive review of historical company violations, corrective actions, and risk management practices, similar to other states.
• Steps EPD has taken to establish a clear enforcement timeline and improve communication with impacted communities; ensuring Georgians have a voice when the Division reviews environmental permits for repeat offender.
• Efforts to strengthen internal EPD transparency around investigations, penalties, and interagency coordination with federal partners.

The letter was endorsed by: Georgia WAND, Science for Georgia.

Full letter can be accessed HERE.

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