MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02)

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) and Scott Peters (D-CA) announced the introduction of the No Budget, No Pay Act. This bipartisan legislation would prevent Congress from being paid unless it does its job and passes a budget and all 12 appropriations bills on time. While the federal government is currently shutdown, dysfunction in Washington, DC is not new. Since the last major overhaul of federal budgeting and spending laws in 1974, Congress has only passed a budget resolution and all the accompanying spending bills on time once.

“We need to get our nation’s budget and appropriations process back on track,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “If Congress can’t fulfill its most basic duty to pass a budget, it shouldn’t get paid, and Members of Congress shouldn’t get back-pay either. The No Budget, No Pay Act forces the same real-world consequences on all Members of Congress that a shutdown or continuing resolution places on our troops and hardworking Americans. DC dysfunction should not be rewarded. Americans want government to get back basics and get our nation’s fiscal house in order. We can jump start this process by holding Congress personally accountable to its budgetary deadlines!”

“Our most important responsibility is the power of the purse, but Congress has again failed to do its job,” Congressman Peters said. “No Budget, No Pay will stop Members of Congress from getting paid unless they get a budget done on time. When the government shuts down, countless Americans are forced to endure the consequences. That’s why, each week for the duration of the shutdown, I am donating my take-home salary to local nonprofits working to support San Diegans who are suffering because of the shutdown.”

“Addressing our challenging fiscal situation will be difficult unless policymakers do the hard work of budgeting,” said Zach Moller, Director of the Economic Program at Third Way. “The No Budget, No Pay Act led by Representatives Scott Peters (D-CA) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI), presents a way for Congress to focus on this essential task. Ideas like this need to be in the mix as we try to both break out of a government shutdown and consider improvements to the budget and appropriations process.”

“No Budget, No Pay is a much-needed enforcement mechanism to ensure that Congress is doing its job and passing the federal budget on time – something that has not occurred since 1996. We are also deeply appreciative of the bipartisan leadership shown by Representatives Huizenga and Peters to introduce this and other bills,” said Carolyn Bordeaux, Executive Director of the Concord Coalition. “This legislation, paired with their bipartisan Fiscal Commission Act, could help this country make significant strides towards a budget process that is on time and on target to close the deficit. We urge all Members of Congress to support these bills and move them swiftly to the floor and to the President’s desk.”

On September 30^th, Congressman Huizenga requested the House of Representatives withhold his pay until the federal government reopens and the men and women serving in our military are paid.

Prior to this, Congressman Huizenga introduced the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act on September 18^th. This now bipartisan legislation would ensure our border patrol agents, immigration officers, TSA officials, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel would continue to receive a paycheck in the event of a government shutdown.

Legislative text for the No Budget, No Pay Act can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02)

Today, Congressman Bill Huizenga (R-MI) released the following statement after the Trump Administration and Pfizer announced a major price reduction agreement that will lower costs for Americans, including Medicaid recipients, in Southwest Michigan and across America. Pfizer also announced it has agreed to participate in the new direct-to-consumer TrumpRx.gov. This platform will allow Americans to purchase medicines, including primary care treatments and some specialty brands from Pfizer, that will be offered with savings up to 85% and an average of 50%.

“This announcement from Pfizer will have a significant cost-savings impact on Medicaid recipients, seniors, and families across the United States,” said Congressman Bill Huizenga. “I applaud Pfizer for their leadership and working with the Trump Administration to lower prescription drug prices and make life-saving medications more affordable for Americans.”

“I have long called for the strengthening of our domestic supply chains and reshoring of critical pharmaceutical and base chemical production in America,” continued Huizenga. “Pfizer’s decision to invest $70 billion in research and development, as well as domestic manufacturing here in the United States, is critical to achieving this goal. It is my hope that Pfizer will continue its long-standing partnership with Southwest Michigan and make further investments in Kalamazoo County.” 

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference with Democratic leadership, where he emphasized that House Democrats have returned to Washington to reopen the government while combating the Republican healthcare crisis.

LEADER JEFFRIES: This is day 15 of the Trump Republican shutdown, and House Republicans remain on vacation, having canceled all three consecutive weeks. House Democrats are here on duty, ready, willing and able to do what’s necessary to reach a bipartisan agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people, reopen the government and address the Republican healthcare crisis that is crushing people all across the country. House Democrats have repeatedly made clear, as have Senate Democrats, that we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people.

We are here to address the serious needs of everyday Americans that have repeatedly been undermined throughout this year by Donald Trump and compliant Republicans in the House and the Senate. The Republican healthcare crisis is very real. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all across the country as a result of what Republicans have done in their One Big Ugly Bill.

The fact that Republicans continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits means that tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles that may double, triple or quadruple, meaning many will pay thousands of dollars more per year, which will make their healthcare unaffordable. Republicans have also set in motion a $536 billion cut to Medicare that will occur at the end of the year if Congress doesn’t act because of toxic provisions in their One Big Ugly Bill. Medical research has effectively been halted in the United States of America, and Republicans are proposing dramatic cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health.

We are witnessing an all-out Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people. It’s unacceptable, it’s unconscionable and it’s un-American. And that’s why Democrats are standing up and fighting to decisively address this crisis that our Republican colleagues continue to visit on the American people.

Full press conference can be watched here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), Don Beyer (D-VA), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and Andrea Salinas (D-OR), congressional champions and leaders in the mental health and substance use disorder fields, called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to immediately reinstate illegally fired staff at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and provide information about the impacts of departmental reorganization and reductions in force (RIFs) on SAMHSA and its operations. In their letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the lawmakers underscored the fact that these actions — which have reduced SAMHSA’s staff by more than half since the start of the Trump administration — run contrary to bipartisan congressional intent and undermine the nation’s response to the mental health and substance use disorder crisis. Respectively, these lawmakers each serve as leaders in either the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery (ATR) Caucus, the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, or the Mental Health Caucus.

“As longtime champions of access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment and resources,” the lawmakers wrote, “we are writing in response to the disturbing news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arbitrarily and illegally fired over 100 additional employees at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Reports indicate that the latest round of firings has reduced the SAMHSA workforce to less than half of what it was at the start of the Trump Administration. These cuts fly in the face of everything Congress has worked on to prioritize the focus on mental health and substance use disorder, to reduce stigma and to expand access to prevention, recovery, and treatment.”

In the letter, the lawmakers emphasized that previous firings in April have already deeply impacted SAMHSA’s operations. They warned that at a time when the overdose and mental health crisis continues to impact communities across the nation, this latest round of reductions in force will have a devastating impact on millions of Americans seeking treatment and resources to help them overcome this disease.

“We already were truly alarmed by the initial firings made in April of 2025, where SAMHSA lost 10 percent of its staff,” continued the lawmakers. “As you well know, we are currently in the midst of a nationwide overdose and mental health crisis; one that has impacted every community in some form. Addressing mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery is a bipartisan priority and now is not the time to make more heinous cuts to SAMHSA. The work of SAMHSA is not a partisan priority. It should be a priority for every American, every member of Congress, and every Administration.”

The lawmakers also highlighted reports that the Trump administration plans to end SAMHSA’s status as an independent agency, instead folding its operations under the heading of the so-called “Administration for a Healthy America” (AHA).

“We are concerned by reports that the Administration is taking steps to stop SAMHSA from serving its statutorily approved role as an independent agency…” the lawmakers wrote. “Let’s not forget that the whole reason Congress moved SAMHSA into an independent agency was to ensure that mental health and substance use disorder treatment was prioritized despite the longstanding stigma. Protecting SAMHSA and mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery funding is essential to ensuring that millions of Americans continue to have access to critical mental health and substance use services.”

The letter concluded: “We strongly urge you to return all SAMHSA employees to their workplace immediately, so they can continue to serve the American people and carry out SAMHSA’s lifesaving mission. Too many people across the country are suffering without necessary resources. We must ensure that SAMHSA staff are there to ensure those lifesaving resources reach our communities.”

The full letter can be read HERE.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) released the following statement following reports that President Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) issued illegal layoff notices to public servants in the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Clean Energy Demonstrations, State and Community Energy programs:

“American families deserve lower electric bills. Instead, President Trump continues to reward polluters who keep electric rates high for families and small business owners. 

“Trump’s latest firings and the gutting of initiatives that lower energy costs for families add insult to injury. The American people will pay the price with higher utility bills.

“At a time when Floridians and families across the country are demanding affordable, reliable energy – and grappling with a health care crisis – these reckless attacks on clean energy initiatives make our nation less competitive and more dependent on foreign energy. I will continue fighting in Congress for clean energy jobs and lower costs for working families.”

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

Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today led 21 U.S. Representatives representing districts within the PJM Interconnection service territory, the largest power grid operator in the United States, to demand that PJM take key steps to address skyrocketing energy bills for American households. The Members stressed that PJM must use current information and technologies, particularly on batteries and Alternative Transmission Technologies (ATTs), to fully comply with FERC Order 2023 and lower energy costs.

In a letter addressed to PJM Interconnection’s President and CEO they wrote:

“Dear Mr. Asthana:

As members of Congress serving constituents within the PJM Interconnection service territory, we have a significant interest in ensuring that PJM is providing affordable electricity to its customers. There have been stark increases in electricity rates for our constituents. Some of our districts are facing electricity rate increases above 20 percent, and these unacceptably higher bills are coming when many households are already struggling to keep up with a higher cost of living. These rate increases are unaffordable and necessitate that PJM respond effectively to pursue reforms to the interconnection process that would address and prevent current and future rate hikes.

In the face of rising electricity demand, including from data centers, electrification, and increased manufacturing, it is paramount that PJM work to connect and approve new power generation projects expeditiously. Despite the predictable rise in demand, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found PJM’s interconnection queue to be amongst the most backlogged in the country, even after PJM froze the queue from accepting new applicants for several years. The average project in the queue is waiting several years for an interconnection agreement. Additionally, when projects do get through the backlogged queue, they are assessed with sky-high network upgrade costs. Because PJM has neglected to proactively support planning or building sufficient new transmission lines, each project in the queue is paying high costs for new transmission lines.

Given that more rapid interconnection could have saved our constituents from these price shocks, we feel it imperative to urge PJM to address the interconnection issue with urgency, beyond the initial reforms already undertaken. In July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) rejected parts of PJM’s compliance filing for Order No. 2023, Improvements to Generator Interconnection Procedures and Agreements. In particular, FERC found PJM’s filing inadequate regarding: charging assumptions and high grid upgrade costs for battery storage projects and consideration of Alternative Transmission Technologies (ATTs). We agree with FERC’s finding and the need to address these compliance gaps as past reforms and practices are insufficient and request that PJM fully address each of these shortfalls in its refiling, due October 22 of this year. 

It’s concerning that when battery storage projects are a low-cost technology and quick way to add capacity to the existing grid, PJM insists on relying upon on outdated and conservative charging assumptions to unfairly make battery projects uneconomic, contributing to the low penetration of this key technology compared to other regions that have deployed nearly 50 times more capacity and where batteries are helping maintain reliability. In its order, FERC found that PJM’s Order 2023 compliance proposal on operating assumptions for energy storage resources represented “an impermissible collateral attack on the final rule.” In this era of rising prices, PJM must cease its attacks on FERC’s final rule, acknowledge its requirements, and ensure that its updated compliance proposal later this month fully accounts for FERC’s orders on energy storage assumptions.

PJM must also consider all enumerated ATTs for all projects and report transparently on their evaluation. ATTs can provide substantial benefits due to their quicker deployment and lower costs compared to traditional network upgrades. Failure to consider them leads to projects paying unnecessarily high grid upgrade costs, projects dropping out of the queue, and customers paying unjust and unreasonable rates. This failure has contributed to the capacity auction shortfalls and higher prices we are seeing today. While we appreciate that PJM’s newly-developed Technical Reference Guide pushes the consideration of ATT’s, a requirement for them to be considered must be codified within PJM’s tariff.

We fully expect PJM to comply with FERC’s direction on these topics, and urge PJM to make haste in achieving the 1-2 year interconnection study timelines it promises in its compliance filing. Our constituents and their pocketbooks are counting on it.

Beyond FERC Order No. 2023, we urge PJM to pursue deeper interconnection reforms to bring much-needed capacity online quickly and to achieve these interconnection study timelines. Other grid operators have seen great results come from so-called “connect and manage” techniques, and PJM should work to make its energy-only interconnection pathway, the Energy Resource Interconnection Service, easier to use and faster than alternatives. The reality is that the grid – and our constituents – need power as soon as possible, and PJM should be pursuing every available opportunity to hook clean power up to the grid.

While PJM’s announced partnership with Tapestry to consider study automation was a step in the right direction, PJM lags behind other regions in pursuing these vital software solutions. We are concerned that automation efforts won’t deliver faster study timelines for years to come, and we ask you to accelerate these efforts and implement automation solutions within the next year.

We are further concerned by your efforts to prioritize some resource types over others, namely natural gas plants. After promising that the Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI) was a “one-time” queue jumping mechanism, PJM proposed a new “Expedited Interconnection Track” within the large load Critical Issue Fast Path. This new track would once again come before the first cycle of its regular queue is opened. This contradicts testimony that Mr. Asim Haque, PJM’s Senior Vice President for Governmental and Member Services, gave at an Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in March of this year, when he confirmed that the RRI intervention was a one-time solution, and that PJM was working to create an interconnection process that did not need manual interventions. Any proposal to again authorize queue interventions would be in immediate legal jeopardy and would waste time that PJM and our constituents do not have.

We fear that a focus on new queue-jumping fast tracks for certain resource types or projects serving certain customers betrays a lack of seriousness in fixing the regular-order queue. We urge PJM to focus instead on speeding interconnection studies for the hundreds of projects, primarily low-cost clean energy and storage, that have been lingering in PJM’s queue for years—and to open the queue to new applicants as soon as possible.

If PJM is serious about fixing the cost crisis it has had a role in shaping — the organization must take responsibility for the parts of the project development process it does control and fully address each of the above matters in its revised Order No. 2023 compliance filing while making deeper reforms to speed interconnection. Anything else would be a dereliction of PJM’s duty to provide electricity to our constituents at just and reasonable rates.”

The letter was signed by U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Sean Casten (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Greg Landsman (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Eugene Vindman (D-VA), James Walkinshaw (D-VA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).

A signed copy of the letter is available here.

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

Headline: Newhouse Congratulates Hanford on Start of Waste Treatment Plant

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) released the following statement on the start of the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP).

“Today is a historic milestone in the Hanford cleanup over two decades in the making,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Congratulations to everyone at Hanford who has worked to bring the DFLAW project online and for your unwavering commitment to the cleanup mission. I have been a proud ally to Hanford through my role on the House Appropriations Committee, and I will continue working to make sure the federal government plays its part in supporting the cleanup effort.” 

Earlier today, Bechtel announced the WTP has successfully converted the first batch of radioactive and chemical waste into glass through the vitrification process.  

The WTP will process and stabilize much of the 56 million gallons of radioactive and chemical waste currently stored in underground tanks at the Hanford site. When fully operational, the plant will process an average of 5,300 gallons of tank waste per day.  

Rep. Newhouse is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water responsible for funding the Department of Energy and the Hanford cleanup.  

### 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

MI Congresswoman Renews Push For Her “No Tariffs on Groceries Act” to Counter Trump’s Reckless Tariffs and Lower Food Costs for Working Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With Donald Trump’s government shutdown delaying the Consumer Price Index (CPI) originally supposed to be released today, inflation is still hurting Michiganders as Donald Trump continues to collect his reckless tariffs. Michiganders are feeling Donald Trump’s price hikes at the checkout line, with consumer prices rising 2.9% in August compared with a year earlier and grocery prices climbing 2.7% during the same period – the largest non pandemic increase since 2015. 

In response, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens renewed her call to take action to bring food costs down. She highlighted her legislation – the No Tariffs on Groceries Act –  issuing the following statement:

“Today’s CPI report shows what families in Michigan feel every single day and what I’ve heard from Michiganders over and over again: groceries are too expensive. Prices at the checkout line keep climbing, and hard-working families across our state are feeling the squeeze. 

“We need to take real action to make food more affordable. That’s why I wrote the No Tariffs on Groceries Act – to make sure no president can raise food prices without congressional oversight. 

“While Republicans continue to keep the government shutdown, Michiganders are struggling with rising costs–that means dinner tables with less food, families making hard trade-offs about their health care, and seniors stretching their budgets just to get by. 

“I’m going to keep fighting to lower costs and stand up to Trump’s reckless tariffs and chaos shutdown, so we can make everyday goods less expensive for Michiganders.”

###

 

 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Republican policies have pushed record numbers of borrowers into default and delinquency

“[T]his devastating increase in past due payments threatens not only individual borrowers but the broader economy.” 

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs led 70 members of Congress in a letter calling on the Trump administration to address the ongoing and unprecedented wave of student loan delinquencies and defaults, which threatens the financial stability of millions of people and could have disastrous effects on the American economy.

Recent data suggests that over 5 million student borrowers are likely in default, and almost a third of borrowers are delinquent. This “default cliff” threatens the broader economy by suppressing consumer spending and locking families out of housing and other financial opportunities as their credit scores plummet.

“Every day this Administration fails to act, more borrowers—especially low-income, Black, and brown borrowers—are pushed closer to financial catastrophe,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “This isn’t just a policy failure—it’s a moral one. If Trump and Republicans truly cared about working families and following through on their promises to lower costs, they would act now before it’s too late.”

“If the administration fails to act, millions of Americans will be pushed to financial ruin, and Trump and Republicans will own this economic catastrophe. It’s time for Secretary McMahon to focus on commonsense solutions, instead of hiking costs for families at every turn,” commented Senator Warren. 

Rather than address this problem, the Trump Administration has used the powers of the federal government to deepen the crisis. For instance, since January, the Trump administration has fired over half of ED’s staff, including workers at Federal Student Aid (FSA) who are responsible for resolving problems with student loan repayment. The administration has also created a backlog of nearly 1.1 million unprocessed income-driven repayment (IDR) applications, taking away borrowers’ access to affordable monthly payments that would significantly drop borrowers’ risks of default. 

“[T]his default cliff threatens not only individual financial hardship but also has broader economic implications that warrant immediate intervention and mitigation strategies,” wrote the lawmakers. 

The coalition urged the Trump administration to take the following steps to address the default cliff: 

• Clear the nearly 1.1 million borrower backlog of IDR applications and abandon its plans to mass deny nearly 500,000 IDR applications; 
• Create an interest-free temporary default prevention forbearance to protect borrowers who cannot afford their monthly payments; 
• Reverse all recent decisions that have increased costs for borrowers and raised the likelihood that they enter default or delinquency; 
• Begin a strong outreach campaign, in coordination with members of Congress and key stakeholders, to borrowers who are at risk of entering default or who do enter default; and 
• Pause the forced collections process until the above steps have been implemented and until the Education Department implements robust guardrails against predatory and illegal collections practices.

“The student loan default crisis is a significant threat to millions of American families and the broader economy. Congress and the Administration have a responsibility to ensure that federal student loan programs support rather than undermine economic opportunity and stability,” concluded the lawmakers. 

The coalition requested that, in order to inform their legislative responsibilities regarding the federal student loan system and the functioning of the Education Department, the Department provide answers to the lawmakers’ questions by October 28, 2025, including what steps it is taking to protect against and address the rise in federal student loan delinquencies and defaults. 

“Instead of bringing down costs, President Trump and Secretary McMahon are working double time to push millions of struggling borrowers off of an unprecedented default cliff that will be economically disastrous for families and the broader economy,” said Protect Borrowers Policy Director, Aissa Canchola Bañez. “Americans with student loan debt deserve an Administration that protects borrower rights and ensures that student loan borrowers get the relief they are entitled to under the law. The last ten months have demonstrated that the Trump Administration cares more about lining the pockets of their wealthy friends rather than shielding working families from economic ruin. We applaud Senator Warren, Representative Pressley, and their colleagues for holding the Trump Administration accountable and calling on them to take action to protect borrowers and their families from the largest mass student loan default events in modern history.”

Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), along with Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) joined in signing the letter. 

Representatives Alma Adams (D-N.C.), Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.), André Carson (D-Ind.), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.), Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.), Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Cleo Fields (D-La.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) also joined in signing the letter. 

A copy of the text of the letter can be found here.

Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people. She has consistently helped borrowers access student debt cancellation resources, including PSLF, and she was proud to welcome a union educator and PSLF recipient as her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address in March.

• On May 14, 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Ending Admirative Wage Garnishment Act, alongside Senators Warren and Booker, to suspend garnishments for student loan borrowers.
• On October 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of approximately $4.5 billion in additional student debt cancellation for approximately 60,000 workers nationwide who work in public service.
• On October 2, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined borrowers and advocates to unveil new state-by-state data quantifying the harm that Project 2025 would have on millions of public service workers nationwide.
• On September 10, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Warren and Rep. Jim Clyburn in urging the U.S. Department of Education to consider terminating its contract with student loan servicer MOHELA.
• On August 29, Rep. Pressley issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s refusal to reinstate President Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student debt relief program.
• On August 9, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Warren, Representative Dean, and their colleagues urging student loan servicer Navient to reform its flawed process to cancel the private student loans of borrowers who attended fraudulent, for-profit colleges.
• On June 25, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on federal judges in Missouri and Kansas siding with Republican states to block portions of President Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) student debt relief program. 
• On June 25, 2024, Rep. Pressley colleagues, borrowers, and advocates urged the Biden Administration to terminate the contract of federal student loan servicer MOHELA. Their calls follow MOHELA’s repeated failure to perform basic loan servicing functions and ongoing harm caused by MOHELA to student loan borrowers.
• On May 20, 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Omar, Clyburn and Wilson, led their colleagues in urging the U.S. Department of Education to ensure its proposed student debt relief rule is implemented in the most effective and efficient manner possible for millions of borrowers.
• On May 1, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s approval of student loan discharge for 317,000 borrowers who attended The Art Institutes, including over 3,500 borrowers in Massachusetts.
• On April 14, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded President Biden’s approval of an additional $7.4 billion in student debt cancellation for 277,000 borrowers.
• On April 8, 2024, Rep. Pressley hailed President Biden’s announcement of new plans to provide student debt relief for tens of millions of borrowers across the country.
• On March 21, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of $5.8 billion in additional student loan debt cancellation for 77,700 public service workers.
• On March 20, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led their colleagues in calling on federal agencies to end the practice of offsetting Social Security benefits to pay off defaulted student loans.
• On March 7, 2024, Rep. Pressley welcomed Priscilla Higuera Valentine, a first generation American, a proud union educator with Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union, and the daughter of a Colombian immigrant, who has received over $117,000 in student debt relief under the Biden-Harris Administration’s improved Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, as her guest to President Biden’s State of the Union Address.
• On February 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden-Harris Administration’s approval of $1.2 billion in student debt cancellation for nearly 153,000 borrowers nationwide, including $19.5 million in cancellation for 2,490 Massachusetts borrowers.
• On January 26, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led their colleagues in calling on the Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to host a fourth session of the student debt negotiated rulemaking to consider relief for borrowers experiencing financial hardship. She applauded ED’s announcement that it would heed their calls.
• On December 11, 2023, Rep. Pressley testified at the U.S. Department of Education’s final hearing on student debt cancellation.
• On December 11, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Representatives Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, urging him to leverage his existing and full authority under the Higher Education Act to provide expanded student debt relief to working and middle-class borrowers. 
• On November 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley emphasized the crucial role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in protecting student loan borrowers from incompetent and predatory student loan servicers.
• On November 6, 2023, Rep. Pressley joined Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Mayor Michelle Wu, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for a clinic to help federal student loan borrowers access a temporary opportunity to get closer to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). 
• On September 25, 2023, Rep. Pressley hosted a policy discussion with borrowers and advocates at which they renewed their urgent call for student debt cancellation with loan payments set to resume on October 1, 2023.
• On August 23, 2023, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Warren, and their colleagues led over 80 lawmakers in a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to swiftly deliver on his promise to deliver student debt cancellation to working and middle class families by early 2024. 
• On August 22, 2023 Rep. Pressley applauded Governor Maura Healey’s plan to provide student debt relief for health care workers in Massachusetts. 
• On June 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley responded to the President’s alternative proposal to deliver relief under the Higher Education Act and called for swift and efficient implementation.
• On June 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Supreme Court’s decision to block President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan and calling on the President to use other tools available to swiftly cancel student debt.
• On May 30, 2023, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to H.R. 3746, legislation to raise the debt ceiling, to protect student loan borrowers and preserve the Biden Administration’s pause on federal student loan payments.
• On May 24, 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Republicans’ harmful effort to overturn President Biden’s student debt relief, including his debt cancellation plan, the pause on student loan payments, and the expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• On May 24, 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech in support of President Biden’s plan to cancel student debt, which would benefit millions of people across the country.
• On April 5, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote to the CEO of SoFi Technologies and SoFi Lending Corp calling on the company to answer for its lawsuits attempting to end the student loan payment pause and force borrowers back into repayment.
• On March 7, 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Sens. Warren, Schumer, Sanders, Padilla and Reps. Clyburn, Omar and Wilson led a letter to the Biden Administration expressing continued support for President Biden’s student debt relief plan.
• On February 28, 2023, Rep. Pressley rallied with borrowers and advocates outside the Supreme Court to call on the Supreme Court to affirm the legality of President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan.
• On November 22, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the extension of the student loan payment pause.
• On October 25, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Warren toured communities across Massachusetts to celebrate the Biden administration’s student debt cancellation plan and help residents sign up for student loan relief.
• On October 12, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined parent borrowers and advocates for a discussion on the impacts of student debt cancellation on parents and families.
• On September 29, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Reps. Omar, Jones and advocates, held a press conference to call for swift and equitable implementation of President Biden’s student debt cancellation plan.
• On September 21, 2022, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor in which she heralded President Biden’s action to cancel student debt for millions of families in the Massachusetts 7th and across the nation. Watch the full video here.
• On September 12, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Warren wrote to the nine federal student loan servicers to inquire about how they are providing borrowers with accurate and timely information about student loan cancellation.
• On August 24, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement applauding President Biden’s action to cancel student debt.
• On August 10, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Warren Massachusetts joined Massachusetts union leaders in Dorchester for a roundtable discussion on student debt cancellation.
• On July 18, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley delivered remarks at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) national convention and renewed her calls for President Biden to cancel student debt by executive action.
• On July 8, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley with The Debt Collective hosted a virtual roundtable with student debt holders from all walks of life to highlight the intersectional burden the nearly $2 trillion student debt crisis has had on individuals and families. 
• On June 22, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, joined AFL-CIO and union leaders for a roundtable discussion on the importance of student debt cancellation for American workers.
• On May 20, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley applauded the Congressional Black Caucus’ (CBC) statement calling on President Biden to cancel student loan debt.
• On May 4, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley visited Bunker Hill Community College to celebrate the $1 million in federal community project funding she secured and continued her calls for President Biden to cancel student debt.
• On March 17, 2022, Congresswoman Pressley and Arisha Hatch, vice president and chief of campaigns at Color of Change, published an op-ed in Grio calling on President Biden to use his executive order authority to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.
• On December 8, 2021, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a bicameral letter to President Joe Biden releasing new data about the adverse impact of restarting student loan payments and calling on him to act to cancel up to $50,000 of student debt.
• On December 2, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley delivered remarks on the House floor in which she reiterated her calls for President Biden to cancel $50,000 in federal student loan debt by executive action.
• On October 8, 2021, Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar and their House colleagues sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona urging him to release the memo to determine the extent of the administration’s authority to broadly cancel student debt through administrative action.
• On July 29, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley issued a statement reaffirming President Biden’s authority – and the urgency – to cancel student loan debt.
• On June 23, 2021, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Congressman Joe Courtney led their colleagues on a bicameral letter to President Biden calling on him to extend the pause on federal student loan payments.
• On April 13, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley testified at a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Policy hearing to examine the student loan debt crisis in our country.
• On April 1, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Elizabeth Warren and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, held a press conference calling on President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis.
• On February 4, 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with several Democratic House and Senate leaders, led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral resolution outlining a bold plan for President Biden to tackle the student loan debt crisis. 
• On December 17, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Maxine Waters, and Alma Adams introduced a resolution outlining a bold plan for President-elect Joe Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in Federal student loan debt for student loan borrowers.
• On December 10, 2020, Congresswoman Pressley was in Yahoo Finance urging the Biden administration to cancel student debt, stressing the impact on Black borrowers.
• On May 8, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Alma Adams, and Ilhan Omar, led 28 of their colleagues and sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy calling for the universal, one-time, student debt cancellation of at least $30,000 per borrower in the next round of COVID-19 relief legislation.
• On March 23, 2020, Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Ilhan Omar introduced the Student Debt Emergency Relief Act, legislation that provides immediate monthly payment relief for federal student loan borrowers.
• On March 17, 2020, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren were on The Hill calling on congressional leadership to include student debt cancellation in the next coronavirus relief package.
• On October 11, 2019, Congresswoman Pressley introduced legislation – the Ending Debt Collection Harassment Act – to protect consumers from abusive debt collection.
• On July 17, 2019, Congresswomen Pressley introduced legislation – the Student Borrower Credit Improvement Act – to provide much needed support to private student loan borrowers with a pathway to financial stability by helping them improve their credit.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter introduces resolution recognizing October as American Pharmacists Month

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), a pharmacist by trade, today introduced a resolution recognizing October 2025 as American Pharmacists Month, honoring the hardworking health care professionals many communities rely on to provide safe, accessible, affordable, and beneficial patient care.

“The work that pharmacists do is vital to the health of not only our patients and communities, but also our entire system of care. It is crucial that we give them the support and recognition they deserve, and this resolution is a step toward fulfilling that duty. Thank you to the honorable men and women who choose to work in this profession
and put others before themselves,” said Rep. Carter.

“October is American Pharmacists Month, a time to recognize the pharmacy professionals who keep our communities healthy every day. As a pharmacist, I know firsthand how often patients rely on their local pharmacy for immunizations, medication management, chronic disease counseling, and trusted advice close to home. Working alongside Congressman Buddy Carter, I am proud to honor the millions of pharmacy team members whose commitment improves outcomes and expands access to care for families across America. This month, we say thank you and we recommit to policies that empower pharmacists to practice at the top of their license so patients receive safer, more convenient, and more affordable care,” said Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), cosponsor of the resolution. 

The resolution boasts support from key stakeholders representing pharmacists and pharmacy owners.

“American Pharmacies applauds Congressman Buddy Carter’s leadership in recognizing October 2025 as American Pharmacists Month — and for leading the way on the legislative reforms pharmacies and patients need. On behalf of our nearly 750 independent pharmacies across 38 states, we see every day how pharmacists deliver safe, accessible, and affordable care in their communities. We urge Congress to follow his lead and enact comprehensive PBM reforms that curb anticompetitive practices, bring transparency to reimbursement, and fairly value the care pharmacies provide. These changes are essential to preserving independent pharmacies and the patient access and public-health benefits they make possible,” said Steve Hoffart, Chairman, American Pharmacies/Owner, Magnolia Pharmacy

“During American Pharmacists Month, we celebrate the pharmacists who care for our communities every day — delivering medication counseling, necessary services, chronic disease support, and trusted guidance in neighborhoods across America. To unlock the full value pharmacists provide, we urge policymakers to enhance Americans’ access to pharmacist services and to enact meaningful PBM reform. With these common-sense policies, Americans can have timely access to the care they need and expect — when and where they need it,” said Steven C. Anderson, National Association of Chain Drug Stores President & CEO.

“We are grateful to Representative Carter for introducing this resolution to recognize the contributions of pharmacists in their communities. Pharmacists are integral members of the communities in which they work, live, and serve their neighbors. For many patients, they are often the most accessible health care providers,” said B. Douglas Hoey, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association. “Pharmacists provide vital healthcare services to their communities. They are medication experts who provide valuable counseling, critical health screenings, and a range of services that save lives, extend lives, and improve the quality of life, especially in underserved communities. Rep. Carter is a long-time community pharmacist, and he knows first-hand how important pharmacists are to their local communities and the country’s healthcare system. We appreciate his commitment to our profession and the patients we serve.”

“ASHP thanks Representatives Carter and Harshbarger for sponsoring H.Res 805, Recognizing October 2025 as ‘American Pharmacists Month,’” said Tom Kraus, Vice President of American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) government relations. “ASHP appreciates the recognition of the essential access to care and critical role pharmacists play in patient care.”

“As we celebrate American Pharmacists Month, I am proud to recognize the dedication and expertise of pharmacists across the nation who play a critical role in protecting public health and ensuring safe medication practices,” said Al Carter, Executive Director / CEO of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). “We thank Rep. Carter for introducing this resolution, which highlights the tireless commitment of pharmacists across the country who make a profound impact in their communities every day.”

Read the full resolution here.

###