MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier today on the House Floor during a pro forma session of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) delivered a forceful rebuke of House Republicans’ refusal to negotiate a continuing resolution that protects the health care of hardworking Ohioans and millions of Americans.

“Let’s be clear: Democrats will not vote for legislation that doesn’t extend Affordable Care Act tax credits,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “The American people deserve Members of Congress who advocate for them, their loved ones, and their health care. While Democrats are working tirelessly to keep costs down, Republicans are on vacation. We need to stop the cuts, lower the costs, and save health care for the millions who depend on it.”

Beatty underscored what’s at stake for Ohioans in her district:

• Tens of thousands in her district will pay an average of $670 more each year for health insurance premiums if ACA tax credits expire (source: House Committee on the Budget).
• For a 60-year-old couple earning $82,800 a year, annual premiums will rise by $16,962 – a 242% increase (source: House Committee on the Budget).

These increases go into effect at the end of this year. Notifications to ACA Marketplace participants will be sent shortly, as open enrollment begins November 1.

“Democrats have put solutions on the table, but Republicans have refused to even show up,” Beatty continued. “If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans would rather vacation than address the health care crisis they created.”

Watch Congresswoman Beatty’s direct address from the House floor HERE: “Stop the cuts, lower costs, and save health care.”  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) released the following statement after Donald Trump and House Republicans shut down the federal government:

“Republicans control the House, the Senate, and the White House. And THIS is the best they can do: shut down YOUR government and make YOUR health care more expensive.

All day yesterday, Democrats showed up ready to work. We were on the Floor of the House of Representatives during a pro forma session, ready to fund the government and protect health care. Republicans did not even bother. They would rather vacation than negotiate. Democrats are ready to do our jobs, reopen the government, and protect your health care.

If we do not extend health care tax credits now, hundreds of thousands will lose coverage and millions more will see costs soar at the start of next year, with Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace enrollment beginning on November 1. The Republican response has been a spending bill that ends those very credits.

The cost for Ohioans in the Third Congressional District is significant*:

Health care providers know what is at stake. Catharyne Henderson, a surgical oncology nurse at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center James Cancer Hospital, warned at yesterday’s press conference with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries that skyrocketing premiums threaten her patients’ survival.

This second shutdown under Donald the Deal-maker Trump is not leadership. It is FAILURE.

Democrats will keep fighting to stop the cuts, lower the costs, save health care, and keep YOUR government functioning. Republicans chose higher costs. We are choosing YOU.”

To view my remarks from the Capitol at midnight on the shutdown, click HERE.

* Source: House Budget Committee

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

COLUMBUS, OH – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03) issued the following statement on the passing of Ann B. Walker:

Today, I honor the life and legacy of my dear friend, Ann B. Walker, a trailblazing Columbus journalist, radio host, editor, and columnist. 

During her decades-long career in journalism, Ann became the first female and African American journalist to cover Columbus City Hall and the State of Ohio along with being the first woman to work in Columbus broadcast management, paving the way for Black female journalists across the Buckeye state.  

Ann bravely gave a voice to the Black community in Columbus, interviewing Martin Luther King Jr., conducting bold reporting on timely issues throughout Columbus, and humanizing the African American community. She spoke truth to power, in every way possible, even in the face of potential consequences. 

May she rest in power, and may her legacy live on through our own, everyday activism.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Black Caucus, and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, reintroduced the bicameral Voter Purge Protection Act to prohibit states from using questionable voter purge tactics that have been employed in Ohio and across the country to take tens of thousands of eligible voters off the voting rolls. 

The Voter Purge Protection Act comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed lawsuits against eight states, including California, for their refusal to hand over unfettered access to their state’s sensitive voter information and registration lists to the federal government. A coalition of public interest organizations recently sued the Trump Administration for its efforts to create massive government databases to purge voter rolls.

This legislation prohibits the removal of individuals from the voter rolls due to changes in residence or not voting in previous elections, unless supported by objective and reliable evidence that the voter has died or moved out of the state, among other protections for registered voters and states administering elections.

“We can’t overlook how so-called ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ voter purges have stripped countless Americans—particularly low-income citizens and people of color—of their voice at the ballot box. Revoking someone’s registration simply because they didn’t return a mailed notice undermines the very foundation of our democracy, especially when so many of those letters never even reach voters,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “Use It or Lose It” is not Democracy. Protecting the people’s right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the Voter Purge Protection Act is a critical step toward preventing these harmful and unnecessary purges.”

“It should concern every single American, regardless of party, that the President of the United States wants fewer eligible Americans to vote, not more,” said Senator Padilla. “As the Trump Administration prepares for widespread voter purges by unlawfully demanding states’ entire sensitive voter files and building massive databases to run this voter data through, it’s clear that President Trump and his allies are quietly laying the groundwork to cling to power by manipulating who gets to cast a ballot. With our democracy under attack, our bill would prevent unwarranted voter purges, protect voters, and preserve voting rights for both red and blue states, all while allowing for responsible voter roll maintenance.”

Last year, the Ohio Capital Journal reported an instance in Ohio demonstrating the dire reality of restrictive voter purge practices. Nearly 160,000 people were recently purged from Ohio’s voter rolls, with many of them purged due to having not voted at their registered address in the past four years. Ohio civil rights organizations, like the Ohio Organizing Collaborative and the Ohio Conference NAACP have advocated against the purge, noting that more than half of Ohio voters who might be purged from the state’s voter rolls are registered in counties where a majority of the population is people of color. 

The Voter Purge Protection Act reflects Congresswoman Beatty’s long-standing commitment to protecting access to the ballot box and strengthening democracy for every American. Together, with Senator Padilla, she remains steadfast in ensuring every eligible voter—no matter their zip code, race, or party—can make their voice heard and their vote count.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

Today, U.S. Representative and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee Member Mike Quigley (IL-05), along with U.S. Senate Democratic Whip and Senate Appropriations Committee Member Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL-07), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy to demand answers about the Trump Administration’s decision to “put on hold” $2.1 billion in federal funding for Chicago’s infrastructure projects, including the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Red Line Extension Project and CTA’s Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Program.

“On October 3, 2025, the OMB Director posted a social media announcement and the Federal Transit Administration subsequently sent letters to the CTA notifying the transit agency that the Administration was withholding disbursements of previously approved federal funding for these projects, totaling $2.1 billion dollars. The stated reason for this pause was the issuance of the September 30, 2025, interim final rule (IFR) for the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program and the Airport Concessions DBE (ACDBE) program, which prohibit race- and gender-based contracting requirements for DOT’s federal grants,” the lawmakers began their letter.

“To pause this funding for projects that have executed contracts or issued awards prior to the publishing of the IFR creates funding uncertainty at the state and local level. It also threatens jobs, economic development, and the livelihood of hardworking Americans who rely on public transit every day,” the lawmakers wrote.

The lawmakers underscored the necessity of the RPM Program and emphasized that funding disruptions would delay the work on the Red Line Extension Project.

“The Red and Purple Modernization (RPM) Phase One project, which began construction in 2019, has already created more than 2,600 construction trade labor jobs as of Jan. 31, 2025. The project reached a major milestone in July of this year, opening four new, 100 percent accessible Red Line stations that replaced century-old stations,” they wrote.

“The Red Line Extension project, which will build 5.5 miles of new track and four stations, is set to break ground at the beginning of next year. Advanced construction work, including demolition, utility relocation, and soil boring work, has already begun. The Red Line Extension is estimated to directly create 12,512 construction jobs and indirectly create 59,800 jobs in local communities. Approximately 24 percent of residents in the project corridor live below the poverty level and 25 percent travel over 60 minutes to their jobs, exceeding citywide averages,” the lawmakers continued.

The lawmakers concluded their letter by requesting in-depth answers about the unprecedented nature of the funding pause.

“Illinoisans, who pay more in federal taxes than they receive back in federal spending, will feel the economic brunt of this funding pause. As their congressional representatives, we seek to ensure this review is completed ethically, timely, and legally so those working on and around these critical projects can continue their work to modernize America’s infrastructure,” the lawmakers concluded their letter.

In January 2025, Durbin, Duckworth, and members of the Chicago congressional delegation announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) had approved a full funding grant agreement for Red Line Extension Project.  The funding agreement contractually obligated $1.9 billion in federal funding.  On October 3, Director Vought rejected that contractual agreement by putting those funds on hold.

The 5.6-mile extension of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line to Chicago’s southern border is the first rail transit extension in Chicago in 30 years.  It would serve roughly 100,000 people, most of whom are from low-income households on Chicago’s South Side, and will benefit tens of thousands of working families and individuals in surrounding suburbs and communities.  The project is expected to generate $4.4 billion in economic activity in the County during the construction phase.  The City of Chicago also has targeted areas near future RLE stations for significant local investment.

The RPM project aims to rebuild the century-old Red and Purple Line track structure and stations north of Belmont.  Durbin has secured more than $1 billion in federal funds for RPM over the years, including $956 million for the Core Capacity Program that Durbin created as a member of the MAP-21 transportation bill in 2012.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which Durbin, Duckworth, and members of the Chicago-area delegation supported, designated $89.9 billion in transit funding, and Illinois will receive the fourth-highest amount in direct transit funding at $4.1 billion under the Law.

A copy of the full letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement:

“After two years of devastating violence, the first phase in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas is long-awaited good news. I will be watching developments very closely, and I call on all parties to fully implement the agreement. 

“In the coming days, I hope to see the violence stop, all remaining hostages be released, and a significant surge in humanitarian aid into Gaza. The United States and our partners in the region must do our part to help maintain a lasting peace, ensure Israel’s long-term security, rebuild Gaza, and establish a true path forward for the peaceful coexistence of two states for the Palestinian and Israeli people.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Releases Statement on Boeing Increasing 737MAX Production

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

Estes Applauds Kansas Air National Guard’s 184th Wing’s Selection for Prestigious Point Defense Task Force

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

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and U.S. Representative Don Beyer (VA-08) led their 161 colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought urging OMB to follow the law—which President Donald Trump signed in 2019—that requires furloughed federal employees to receive back pay during a government shutdown. The members underscore that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, which was passed and signed into law during the last shutdown under President Trump, is clear that all federal employees, whether they are excepted or furloughed, are entitled to back pay after a government shutdown ends.

“During the 2018-2019 shutdown, we worked with President Trump to enact the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) of 2019, the intent of which is clear – federal employees are entitled to retroactive pay in the event of a government shutdown. We applauded President Trump for signing this bipartisan bill into law,” the members wrote.

“The law is clear: all impacted government employees, regardless of excepted or furloughed status, are entitled to back pay after a government shutdown ends, which is consistent with the guidance currently provided by federal agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM),” the members wrote. “OPM’s shutdown guidance from September 2025 still states that furloughed federal workers will be provided back pay once the government reopens.”

The members continued, “The decision by OMB to remove critical guidance on federal employee back pay is causing unnecessary stress for the federal workforce comprised of nearly 2.2 million employees.”

“We request you immediately clarify and update the Frequently Asked Questions During a Lapse in Appropriations Document and other relevant materials to affirm that furloughed employees will receive back pay, as is required by law,” the members concluded.

In addition to Kaine, Murkowski, Van Hollen, Alsobrooks, Warner, Beyer, and Hoyer, the letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). It is also cosigned by U.S. Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC-12), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Ami Bera (D-CA-06), Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), Shontel Brown (D-OH-11), Julia Brownley (D-CA-26), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05), André Carson (D-IN-07), Greg Casar (D-TX-35), Ed Case (D-HI-01), Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20), Judy Chu (D-CA-28), Yvette Clarke (D-NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Jim Costa (D-CA-21), Angie Craig (D-MN-02), Danny Davis (D-IL-07), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Diana DeGette (D-CO-01), Suzan DelBene (D-WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), Maxine Dexter (D-OR-03), Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Dwight Evans (D-PA-03), Shomari Figures (D-AL-02), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX-07), Bill Foster (D-IL-11), Lois Frankel (D-FL-22), John Garamendi (D-CA-08), Jesús García (D-IL-04), Robert Garcia (D-CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA-34), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05), Jahana Hayes (D-CT-05), Pablo Hernández (D-PR-01), Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Val Hoyle (D-OR-4), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL-01), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37), Bill Keating (D-MA-09), Robin Kelly (D-IL-02), Greg Landsman (D-OH-01), John Larson (D-CT-01), Summer Lee (D-PA-12), Susie Lee (D-NV-03), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-03), Mike Levin (D-CA-49), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Stephen Lynch (D-MA-08), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Lucy McBath (D-GA-06), Sarah McBride (D-DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Betty McCollum (D-MN-04), James McGovern (D-MA-02), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), Robert Menendez (D-NJ-08), Grace Meng (D-NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07), Dave Min (D-CA-47), Gwen Moore (D-WI-04), Joe Morelle (D-NY-25), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Frank Mrvan (D-IN-01), Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), Jerry Nadler (D-NY-12), Joe Neguse (D-CO-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02), Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05),  Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), Chris Pappas (D-NH-01), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), Mike Quigley (D-IL-05), Delia Ramirez (D-IL-03), Emily Randall (D-WA-06), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Luz Rivas (D-CA-29), Deborah Ross (D-NC-02), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25), Andrea Salinas (D-OR-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), Hillary Scholten (D-MI-03), Bobby Scott (D-VA-03), Terri Sewell (D-AL-07), Brad Sherman (D-CA-32), Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12), Adam Smith (D-WA-09), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA-10), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), Tom Suozzi (D-NY-03), Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14), Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13), Mark Takano (D-CA-39), Mike Thompson (D-CA-04), Dina Titus (D-NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12), Jill Tokuda (D-HI-02), Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15), Derek Tran (D-CA-45), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), Juan Vargas (D-CA-52), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), James Walkinshaw (D-VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Nikema Williams (D-GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL-24).

 Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Director Vought:

The Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) recent update to the Frequently Asked Questions During a Lapse in Appropriations document implies that furloughed federal workers are not entitled to back pay. Additionally, a draft OMB memo stated the administration would deny back pay to furloughed federal workers for the current government shutdown. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, we worked with President Trump to enact the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act (GEFTA) of 2019, the intent of which is clear – federal employees are entitled to retroactive pay in the event of a government shutdown. We applauded President Trump for signing this bipartisan bill into law. 

On January 16, 2019, the Senate unanimously passed the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act to guarantee back pay for all impacted federal workers once a government shutdown ends. This law was enacted during the longest government shutdown which lasted 35 days at the end of 2018, and into the beginning of 2019. Prior to the law’s passage, Congress had to pass specific legislation after each shutdown to ensure furloughed workers received back pay. 

Explicitly, the law guarantees back pay for all federal employees in the event of a government shutdown. “Each employee of the United States Government or of a District of Columbia public employer furloughed as a result of a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for the period of the lapse in appropriations, and each excepted employee who is required to perform work during a covered lapse in appropriations shall be paid for such work, at the employee’s standard rate of pay, at the earliest date possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates, and subject to the enactment of appropriations Acts ending the lapse.” The law requires that retroactive pay be required in the event of any government shutdown after December 22, 2018.

The law is clear: all impacted government employees, regardless of excepted or furloughed status, are entitled to back pay after a government shutdown ends, which is consistent with the guidance currently provided by federal agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). OPM’s shutdown guidance from September 2025 still states that furloughed federal workers will be provided back pay once the government reopens. The decision by OMB to remove critical guidance on federal employee back pay is causing unnecessary stress for the federal workforce comprised of nearly 2.2 million employees.

Thus, we request you immediately clarify and update the Frequently Asked Questions During a Lapse in Appropriations Document and other relevant materials to affirm that furloughed employees will receive back pay, as is required by law.

Sincerely,