MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Washington, D.C. (September 2, 2026)—Today, Rep. Hank Johnson, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet, delivered opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing on renewing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) fee-setting authority and protecting a fair, accessible patent system that rewards American innovation and ingenuity.

Thank you, Chairman Issa.

The USPTO’s fee-setting authority has given it the flexibility to move its workers remote, plan its budgets ahead, and tailor fees for small and micro entities. Originally, it was set to expire in just a few days on September the 16th. Yesterday, however, House and Senate Republicans were generous enough to kick the can down the road until after they are reelected. The authority is now set to expire on December 12th, 2026. Failing to reauthorize the USPTO’s fee setting authority risks transforming a traditionally nonpartisan agency into one that serves political ideology over merit.

Ensuring that USPTO remains a beacon of American innovation means not just reauthorizing the fee setting authority but ensuring USPTO advisory committees can continue to advise the USPTO without interference by this administration. Two months after he was inaugurated, Trump’s Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick fired every member of PPAC and TPAC. A year and a half later, they finally swore in the first few new members.

When Congress originally authorized fee setting authority under the America Invents Act, we built in several oversight measures to ensure that this power could not be exercised without transparency but rather with public input and independent expert review. PPAC and TPAC remain a critical part of those guardrails. Their full and independent participation is essential to ensuring that fee-setting remains accountable to all who rely on our patent and trademark systems, the big and the small. That is why these committees must be fully constituted as they are a necessary safeguard for independence.  

And that independence matters. If we do not give USPTO the flexibility it needs to set fees, access to our patent system will be taken over by special interests. This will make it even harder for small, independent inventors to protect their inventions and easier for those who can pay-to-play to infringe on those rights.

How do we know? Because we are already seeing this happen in the rest of the executive branch. Every day we learn again how easy it’s become for oligarchs and powerful companies to buy a seat at Donald Trump’s table. Millions of dark money in campaign contributions. Lavish gifts like private jets, and business deals. Rampant insider trading on predictive markets. Access to the Trump White House has transformed into a currency that only the rich and famous can afford.

And while the wealthy are busy buying a seat at the table, Americans across the country are left paying the price. Constituents of Georgia’s 4th Congressional district are struggling to afford rent or pay their mortgage, and the cost of groceries continue to skyrocket. Hardworking families should not struggle to afford healthcare while Elon Musk becomes a trillionaire, and while Donald Trump lines his own pockets through unabashed greed built on the backs of American taxpayers.

Conflicts of interest and self-dealing have become routine features in Trump’s Washington, blurring the line between public service and private financial gain. This was a man who campaigned on draining the swamp, and yet all Trump has done is put it behind a velvet rope and began charging an admissions fee. Because in Trump’s America money buys access. Access buys influence. And influence too often becomes the law for everyone else. Innovation should not be a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. So, I, for one, am determined to not allow USPTO to be sucked in to that swamp.

Reauthorizing this fee setting authority with the transparency, public participation, and independent oversight that Congress intended is essential to keeping our patent system working for all—not just for those with the closest connection to big tech, the aspiring oligarch class, or the Trump White House. We have just a few months to get this done. This is not time for Members or big money special interests to advocate for changes to the way the USPTO operates because they’re not happy with Director Squires’ Patent Trial and Appeals Board actions. I think we are overdue to examine proposals like Rep. Ross’s PREVAIL, which would reform PTAB abuses. I’m sure some of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree with me, just as others disagree. But I’m not trying to make those changes right now. We have a program that everyone agrees has been successful; inserting our own USTPO agendas into the debate will only serve to make this reauthorization controversial.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. While I think this hearing is unnecessary and a distraction from the disastrous policies of the Trump Administration, I do believe it is vital that Americans truly understand the importance of allowing this agency the independence and discretion it needs to keep America at the top of our global innovation economy. Because if we want to continue to lead the world in the technological advancements of tomorrow, then we must ensure today that the institution most responsible for protecting those innovations is independent and built to last.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

(Washington, DC) — Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding an Energy Subcommittee hearing titled, Powering the Nuclear Renaissance: Accelerating U.S. Leadership in Advanced Nuclear Reactors.

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren’s (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below:

Good morning and thank you, Chairman Weber and Ranking Member Ross, for holding this important hearing. And thank you to each of the witnesses for being here today.

This Committee has long supported the development of advanced nuclear technologies in a bipartisan way. In fact, under former Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s leadership, we passed the first comprehensive authorization of our nation’s nuclear energy R&D enterprise in 15 years as part of the Energy Act of 2020, and then we provided billions in forward funding for these authorized activities in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act over the following two years.

Thats because we recognize the vital role that nuclear energy currently plays – along with our substantial renewable and energy storage assets – in providing clean, reliable power to our nation. And we are encouraged by the potential for advanced nuclear technologies, including fusion I might add, to do so much more.

This is why I am also so concerned about several actions taken by this Administration that would undermine our country’s ability to develop and rely on these technologies in the years to come. President Trump’s legally dubious and completely unjustified firing of the Senate-confirmed Commissioner and former Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Chris Hanson, can never be viewed as an acceptable precedent. By all accounts on both sides of the aisle, Mr. Hanson was doing an excellent job balancing the NRC’s longstanding, critical mission to ensure the safety of our domestic nuclear fleet with thoughtful reforms to accelerate and reduce the costs of NRC’s processes. But clearly none of that mattered to this President.

The Administration has also fired and actively encouraged the loss of hundreds of key expert staff across various agencies that would be necessary to actually carry out the goals for nuclear energy that they say they are trying to achieve, including at the NRC and the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Energy, Clean Energy Demonstrations, and Loan Programs Offices.

President Trump has signed several Executive Orders with the clear goal of undermining the independence and the authority of the NRC, attempting to establish an alternative reactor licensing process at the Department of Energy with far less transparency or opportunity for public engagement than the NRC’s well-established practices. Here I will note that the complaints of a small number of startup companies with ties to the Administration do not justify gutting an agency that has been a gold standard for the world in ensuring nuclear safety.

The broader nuclear energy community recognizes that one disaster resulting from these actions would severely harm the entire industry – a short-sighted “move fast and break things” approach could frankly be catastrophic. 

Lastly, it must be noted that the Department has proposed major cuts to its nuclear energy RD&D activities in each of its budget requests so far, including a proposal to cut its flagship Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program by 51% in FY 2026, and a proposed funding cut for the Office of Nuclear Energy overall by 9% in FY 2027. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” that this Congress passed last year also included a massive cut to support for DOE’s Loan Programs Office, substantially reducing its ability to support new nuclear projects that Secretary Wright has insisted are at the top of its agenda. And no, renaming the Loan Programs Office as the “Office of Energy Dominance Financing” does not make this move any less unwise.

I believe there remains plenty of common ground for us all to work together to support and improve our nation’s nuclear energy capabilities. But we can do better than what we’ve seen in the last 19 months of this Administration. If America is going to lead the world in 21^st century nuclear technologies, we must do better.

With that I yield back. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) introduced the We Can’t Wait Act. This bill addresses an unnecessary hardship in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, giving individuals who have been determined disabled and eligible for benefits the choice to receive their earned benefits immediately, rather than waiting five months, in exchange for a modestly reduced monthly benefit.

Under current law, even after the Social Security Administration determines someone is disabled and eligible for SSDI, they must wait another five months before receiving their first payment. For someone who is unable to work, that delay can mean falling into debt, losing their home, or going without needed medical care. The We Can’t Wait Act gives newly approved beneficiaries the choice to receive their earned benefits sooner while maintaining an actuarially sound benefit structure. 

Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) introduced companion legislation in the Senate earlier this year. 

“The We Can’t Wait Act is a commonsense, bipartisan solution that gives Americans greater access to the benefits they have earned when they need them most. Someone who has been determined disabled and unable to work should not have to face an extensive wait for the support they depend on. This legislation provides beneficiaries with greater flexibility during an incredibly difficult time by giving them the option to receive their benefits sooner. I will continue working to ensure Congress is doing everything possible to strengthen Social Security and make sure it works for the Americans who rely on it,” said Congresswoman Miller. 

National and regional organizations endorsing the bill include: Alliance for Aging Research, American Association of People with Disability, Cancer Action Network, American Council of the Blind, Assure Disability, Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Bender Consulting Services, Inc., Brain Injury Association of America, Center for HIV Law and Policy, Communication First, DisABILITY Law Center of Virginia, Disability Rights Maine, Disability Rights North Carolina, Disability Rights Pennsylvania, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, HEUMANN Perspective, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Disability Representatives, National Association of the Deaf, National Disability Institute, National Disability Rights Network, National Federation of the Blind, National Industries for the Blind, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives, National Organization on Disability, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Respectability, Tenderloin Housing Clinic, and the World Institute on Disability. 

Read the We Can’t Wait bill text here. 

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

Today Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Greg Steube (FL-17) introduced the Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act, legislation that would clarify that a nonprofit’s federal tax-exempt status does not constitute federal financial assistance.

The bill amends Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code to state that a federal income tax exemption does not count as federal financial assistance for organizations described under sections 501(c), 501(d), or 401(a).

There are roughly 2 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. Many operate without any direct government assistance, thereby avoiding the compliance burdens that federal subsidies often impose. When the tax code was written, Congress intended for a clear distinction between nonprofits that do and do not accept government assistance. This bill affirms Congress’ intent and limits legal uncertainty.

“Nonprofits across the country rely on clear, consistent federal rules to continue serving their communities effectively. In recent years, conflicting court decisions have created uncertainty by suggesting that nonprofits could be subject to regulations that Congress never intended for them. This bipartisan legislation would clarify that an organization’s tax-exempt status is not federal financial assistance. It would protect charities, philanthropies, community‑based organizations, and religious institutions from unnecessary regulations so they can stay focused on delivering critical services,” said DelBene.

“Nonprofits across the country depend on their tax-exempt status to carry out their work. That status should never be treated as a form of government assistance,” said Steube. “The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act puts a clear, permanent rule in statute so nonprofits do not have to worry about their tax exemption being reinterpreted as a government handout.”

“Nonprofit organizations are the heart of our communities. They play an essential role in supporting families and hardworking Americans, advancing research, educating students, and providing countless other public benefits, often stepping in where government and business can’t or shouldn’t. Their strength lies in their independence. The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act protects tax-exempt organizations independent from the federal government from unnecessary and burdensome risks of litigation or bureaucratic overreach. We appreciate Congressman Greg Steube (R-FL) and Congresswoman DelBene for their bipartisan leadership so nonprofits can continue to focus on their missions,” said Community Impact Coalition Co-Chairs: Tommy Goodwin and Mary Wheatley.

“Associations are among the most trusted institutions in American life,” said Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, President and CEO, American Society of Association Executives. “They set the standards that keep products safe and professions credible, train and credential the workforce, and convene the people who solve problems no single company or agency can solve alone. That work depends on their independence. The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act makes clear what has always been true: tax exemption is not federal financial assistance, and it should never become a lever for government control over organizations that accept no federal dollars. ASAE thanks Congressman Steube and Congresswoman DelBene for introducing this important legislation and urges members of Congress to support it.”

“Representing family forestry businesses across Rural America, the Forest Landowners Association understands firsthand the important role nonprofit organizations play in strengthening communities and advancing the interests of the people and industries they serve,” said Scott Jones, CEO, Forest Landowners Association. “Tax-exempt status is not a government grant or subsidy, and it should not be treated as federal financial assistance. The Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act provides important clarity and protects organizations like FLA from unnecessary regulatory burdens that could hinder our ability to carry out our missions. FLA is proud to support this bipartisan legislation.”

“Community Associations Institute (CAI) is proud to support the Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act,” said Dawn M. Bauman, CAE, CEO of CAI. “Nonprofit organizations like CAI play an essential role in providing important resources to support the integrity and strength of America’s communities. This legislation helps ensure CAI can continue to prioritize our members and provide the education, advocacy, and resources they need to support thriving community associations. We thank Congressman Steube and Senator Lankford for their leadership on this important legislation.”

The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of nonprofit organizations, including the Community Impact Coalition, Career Education Colleges and Universities, American Society of Association Executives, National Scleroderma Foundation, Women in Trucking, Florida Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, Community Associations Institute, The Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild, Inc., Household and Commercial Products Association, American Rental Association, American Council of Academic Physical Therapy, Bostrom, National Association for Regulatory Administration, Association Management Services, Inc., Association CEO, American Society for Nondestructive Testing, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and the National Emergency Number Association.

The full text of the Safeguarding America’s Nonprofits Act is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and Bob Latta (R-OH-05) introduced the bipartisan Biomanufacturing Excellence, Domestic Resilience, Output, and Competitive Know-how Act, or the BEDROCK Act. This legislation would help turn products invented in America into products made in America—supporting American manufacturing jobs, strengthening American supply chains, and reducing American dependence on Communist China.

Biomanufacturing uses biology to make products at industrial scale, such as new materials and medicines. American companies lead the world in discovering these new products, but all too often, the factories, suppliers, and jobs required to produce them at scale move overseas. Communist China has repeatedly made biomanufacturing a national priority; they now dominate the world’s fermentation capacity.

“America’s manufacturing might has been hollowed out for decades,” Congresswoman Dingell said. “This bipartisan bill will strengthen and create good-paying jobs, as well as reduce our reliance on China. I am proud to support this effort to invest in America’s workers and ensure we do not cede our competitive edge to our adversaries.”

“Northern Ohio knows that manufacturing is the lifeblood of our economy,” Congressman Latta said. “For far too long, America has pioneered new inventions, only for Communist China to build the facilities—stealing the jobs that come with them. The BEDROCK Act would help reshore that work. This bipartisan legislation would create new opportunities for Ohio workers, strengthen the biomanufacturing supply chain, and make it easier for American manufacturers to produce at home.”

The BEDROCK Act would:

• Designate a senior Department of Commerce official to lead efforts to strengthen U.S. biomanufacturing competitiveness;

• Assess critical supply-chain inputs, domestic production capacity, commercialization barriers, and reliance on China and other foreign adversaries;

• Develop a prioritized action plan and consolidate existing federal resources to address the most significant risks and barriers; and

• Map federal commercialization processes, establish FDA and EPA points of contact, and publish industry-led practices to help companies scale production.

Read the full bill HERE.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

As a response to renewed federal attention on issues that impact American beef, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) is helping lead a Congressional letter to U.S. President Donald J. Trump. In the letter, lawmakers express their concerns about recent federal actions, highlight policy recommendations and reaffirm Republicans’ support for working with the Trump Administration to help America’s cattle producers.

Commenting on the letter, Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:

“Ranchers and farmers in Virginia’s Ninth District who work to feed their families and communities must put in long hours, compete in a volatile marketplace and battle with weather-related challenges.

“As a result, these dedicated agricultural and livestock leaders need voices in Congress to protect their interests. Accordingly, I am proud to outline my support in this letter for finding ways to support cattle producers in the Ninth District, which is the biggest cattle-producing Congressional district east of the Mississippi River.

“I believe good action can come from working together with our cattle producers and federal partners. Now is a time to bring together all sides, coordinate on policy options and outline an agenda that continues to deliver safe, affordable and high-quality beef.”

BACKGROUND

A draft copy of the letter can be found here.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, celebrates the Passage of H. Res. 1490, Providing for the Condemnation and Denouncement of Socialism in all its Forms:

“Socialism and the government takeover of our lives have no place in America. It is anathema to our way of life and the American Dream.

I am proud to have supported this important resolution denouncing socialism and safeguarding our nation’s integrity. Socialism has wreaked havoc across our hemisphere. The catastrophic impact of socialism is undeniable. Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua are vivid reminders of the destructive consequences that socialist governance can have on societies and nations: decades of dictatorship and repression, the destruction of once-thriving nations, and forcing millions to flee their homeland. 

America was founded upon the principles of individual liberty, representative government, and the God-given rights of its people. We must never take these freedoms for granted or allow an ideology with such a devastating historical record to gain an unchallenged foothold. 

We must remain steadfast in defending those principles, and ensuring that the United States never follows the destructive path that has brought repression and ruin to countless others.

I am appalled to see that 192 Democrats chose to oppose this resolution and refused to condemn this anti-American ideology responsible for so much suffering and oppression. America must learn from history and reject socialism in all its forms.

I will always stand for freedom, economic opportunity, and the constitutional rights that make our nation exceptional.”

Resolution text can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

JOLIET – Today, Representative Lauren Underwood released the following the statement after meeting with leadership at Prime Healthcare:

“Illinois deserves better than what Prime Healthcare is offering. 

Six weeks ago, I requested a meeting with Prime leadership after reading news reports they were discontinuing inpatient pediatric services at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. After our initial request for a meeting was sent on July 22, Prime delayed several times in finding a time that worked for their leadership team, but finally agreed to schedule the meeting for September 1 at 11 a.m. CT.

At 11:00 a.m. today exactly, as our meeting started, Prime sent news outlets a press release announcing further closures to units that provide essential maternal health care, including obstetrics services at Saint Joseph and in Aurora at Mercy Medical. They were unable to provide substantive answers on the Saint Joseph pediatric closure – the topic I had requested the meeting to discuss – instead steering the discussion to the obstetrics closure announcements being made in real time. Then, 23 minutes into the meeting, we received an email from Prime with materials attempting to justify the obstetrics closures. This is not how a company with nothing to hide operates. I believe my community deserves to see that email, so I’m releasing it publicly here.

Based on my conversation with them today, Prime does not appear to have adequately prepared for the speedy closures announced this morning, which are targeted for October 1. They have made no plans to help moms who will have to travel for care access transportation, or even any efforts to understand how this decision will affect their health. Prime’s justification for the decision hinges on Silver Cross Hospital taking on St. Joseph patients, and Edward Hospital taking on Mercy Medical patients, but Prime confirmed in our meeting today that at least one of those transfer agreements isn’t even in place. This carelessness puts moms and babies in our community at risk. 

As a nurse and founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I’m especially concerned about the impact these closures will have on communities of color across Illinois. Prime’s assertion that consolidating obstetric care in the city of Chicago is somehow “addressing maternal health disparities” the families in Joliet and Aurora face is detached from reality. One in three Illinois counties is already a maternity care desert, and our moms need more support and convenient care, not less. 

Unfortunately, these latest developments are consistent with the pattern of revenue-focused decisions and broken promises our community has witnessed since Prime announced its acquisition of the nonprofit Ascension system in 2024. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board can still stop these closures, and I hope the State will take quick action to preserve access to obstetric and inpatient pediatric care in the areas affected. Our country’s broken system is already on the brink of collapse after Donald Trump signed the biggest healthcare cuts in American history into law last year, and further closures will be devastating for Illinois families.”

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

UPDATE: Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians

On Tuesday, June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with its plans to rip legal status away from nearly 350,000 current Haitian and Syrian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. Following this decision, the Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of TPS for Haitians and Syrians, effective July 27, 2026.

Individuals who have lost TPS may be impacted in different ways, including loss of protection from deportation and loss of work authorization. However, there may be alternative legal pathways to remain and work in the United States. To learn more about what the end of TPS means for you and your family:

• All TPS holders regardless of designation should visit the USCIS website for the latest updates on their TPS status. 
• Visit the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs website to learn more about what the expiration of TPS status means for impacted New Yorkers. Resource documents are available in English, Arabic, French and Haitian Creole.
• Contact the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), whose Legal Support Centers offer free, confidential immigration legal help. Free, safe and confidential immigration legal services are available regardless of your immigration status and in your language by calling the MOIA legal support hotline at 800-354-0365 or visiting nyc.gov/knowyourrights.

Donald Trump’s cruel immigration agenda will force hundreds of thousands of TPS holders to return to a dangerous and deeply unstable environment, putting people at great risk. House Democrats will continue pushing back to protect our communities, including the vibrant Haitian diaspora that calls New York City home.

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

UPDATE: Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians

On Tuesday, June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with its plans to rip legal status away from nearly 350,000 current Haitian and Syrian Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders. Following this decision, the Department of Homeland Security announced the termination of TPS for Haitians and Syrians, effective July 27, 2026.

Individuals who have lost TPS may be impacted in different ways, including loss of protection from deportation and loss of work authorization. However, there may be alternative legal pathways to remain and work in the United States. To learn more about what the end of TPS means for you and your family:

• All TPS holders regardless of designation should visit the USCIS website for the latest updates on their TPS status. 
• Visit the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs website to learn more about what the expiration of TPS status means for impacted New Yorkers. Resource documents are available in English, Arabic, French and Haitian Creole.
• Contact the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), whose Legal Support Centers offer free, confidential immigration legal help. Free, safe and confidential immigration legal services are available regardless of your immigration status and in your language by calling the MOIA legal support hotline at 800-354-0365 or visiting nyc.gov/knowyourrights.

Donald Trump’s cruel immigration agenda will force hundreds of thousands of TPS holders to return to a dangerous and deeply unstable environment, putting people at great risk. House Democrats will continue pushing back to protect our communities, including the vibrant Haitian diaspora that calls New York City home.