Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
Congresswoman has been a Consistent Advocate for Immigrant Families Unlawfully Targeted by ICE, Spoken Out Against Criminalization of Children
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley issued the following statement condemning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) arrest of a 13-year-old boy from Everett and his transfer to a detention center in Virginia. Congresswoman Pressley has been a dedicated advocate for immigrant families unlawfully targeted by ICE and has spoken out against policies that criminalize children instead of investing in community-based supports that keep people safe.
“It is absolutely alarming that the Trump Administration and its rogue ICE agents would abduct a 13-year-old child, transport him to a facility over 500 miles away without his family, lawyer or a court knowing, and reportedly subject him to harrowing, inhumane conditions, including inadequate nutrition and sleeping on a concrete floor with an aluminum blanket while still healing from a broken foot.
“He is a 7th-grader who should have been met with compassion and care, not criminalized and sent to an adult prison.
“The Trump Administration must stop violating the constitutional rights of our constituents. I join the chorus of community voices demanding basic adherence to due process, preservation of this child’s constitutional rights, and his immediate return to his family.”
Earlier this year, Congresswoman Pressley traveled to a detention center in Louisiana to meet with her constituent Rümeysa Öztürk, who was being unlawfully detained and subjected to inhumane conditions in retaliation for her protected speech.
Last month, Congresswoman Pressley spoke out against a Republican-led bill that would authorize children as young as 14 to be tried as adults in the criminal legal system and instead urged Republicans to support community-based, trauma-informed public safety solutions. She later slammed Trump and Republicans for pushing punitive, fear-based policies instead of investing in community violence intervention programs.
Congresswoman Pressley has also championed the People’s Justice Guarantee, her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system, including banning the prosecution of children under the age of 18 in adult courts and ensuring juveniles are not housed in adult prisons but in community- or home-based rehabilitation programs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he emphasized that while Republicans remain on vacation after shutting the government down and taking away healthcare from millions of Americans, Democrats are ready to negotiate a bipartisan spending bill to reopen the government.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s day 14 of the Trump-Republican shutdown. House Democrats and Senate Democrats remain committed to finding a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government, enact a spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis.The American people know that Republicans have shut the government down because of their unwillingness to provide healthcare to everyday Americans, working-class Americans and middle-class Americans. The Republicans have created a healthcare crisis that is devastating people all across the country—working-class America, rural America, urban America, small-town America, the heartland of America and Black and brown communities all throughout America.
That Republican healthcare crisis includes, but is not limited to, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers closing all throughout the country because of what Republicans did in their One Big Ugly Bill. The country faces a possible $536 billion cut to Medicare if Congress doesn’t act by the end of this year. The Republicans continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which is going to result in tens of millions of Americans experiencing dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles all across the country, including most significantly in states that Donald Trump won. And Republicans could care less. House Republicans canceled votes two weeks ago, canceled votes last week, canceled votes this week. House Republicans are on vacation. House Democrats are on duty here in Washington, DC ready to reopen the government, ready to support our troops and hardworking federal civil servants and ready to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is crushing people all across the country in an environment where the cost of living is already too high because of failed Republican policies like the Trump tariffs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash, where he highlighted the hypocrisy of Republicans in shutting down the government while refusing to meet with Democrats to deliver a bipartisan spending agreement that makes life better for the American people.
DANA BASH: Day 14, we’re officially entering the third week of the government shutdown, and we’re just days away from federal workers missing their first paychecks. Today, the White House warned that layoffs will continue, and on Capitol Hill, there are few signs of anything except a stalemate. Minority Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries is here now. Thank you so much for being here, sir. I want to start by sort of [trying] to reset. We are two weeks into this shutdown. Your proposal to fund the government included permanently extending Obamacare subsidies, restoring cuts to Medicare in the Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill, which is now law. Is that still what you want, all of that, in order to get Democrats’ vote to reopen the government?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our position from the very beginning is that we want to sit down, have a bipartisan discussion. Now, we want reopen the government, enact a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people, and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating people all across the country, working-class Americans, middle-class Americans as well as everyday Americans. From our policy perspective, I think what we’ve made clear is that you’ve got to cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare. That involves addressing the Medicaid crisis that Republicans have created, a Medicare crisis, hospitals, nursing homes, community-based health clinics closing all across the country, and, of course, extending the Affordable Care Act tax credit so that tens of millions of Americans don’t experience dramatically increased healthcare costs.
DANA BASH: So all of that is in the bill that you tried to pass and it didn’t pass, that’s in your proposal. But you started that answer by saying we want to sit down and talk about it. That suggests that what you just said is negotiable, is it?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I think we’re always ready and willing and able to have a good faith discussion with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to entertain any ideas that they may put forth with respect to both reopening the government and, of course, decisively addressing the Republican healthcare crisis. The problem that we confront, Dana, is that Republicans have gone radio silent since the shutdown began. No conversations, no meetings, no discussions. Donald Trump has held them back from even having a meaningful engagement to try to find common ground.
DANA BASH: You’re right down the hall from Mike Johnson’s office. I know exactly where you are. You could probably take a few steps and go knock on the door and talk to him. Have you tried that?
LEADER JEFFRIES:Speaker Johnson hasn’t been given permission to have a conversation with me or Leader Schumer and he said as much earlier today.
DANA BASH: So you don’t think he would talk to you at all?
LEADER JEFFRIES: We can have a conversation, but the problem is that until they get the green light to actually have a meaningful discussion to try to find common ground and a bipartisan path forward and a willingness to address the damage that Republicans have done to the health, the safety and the economic well-being of the American people, then of course any informal discussion is going to be not fruitful.
DANA BASH: So you mentioned that there’s nothing on the table. That is true from the leadership, but you know better than I that a lot of times solutions to these problems don’t come from the leadership, they come from bipartisan coalitions in the rank and file. And there is a proposal, a bipartisan proposal in the House to extend the Obamacare subsidies for one year and reopen the government. Would you consider that if the Speaker would put that on the Floor?
LEADER JEFFRIES: The Speaker has made clear he doesn’t support extending the Affordable Care Act. In fact, what they want to do—
DANA BASH: But what about you? Would you support that? Call his bluff?
LEADER JEFFRIES: What I support is a meaningful extension of the Affordable Care Act. I’m happy to entertain any reasonable proposal that is put forward. There has not been one. And the reason is, we know Republicans have now, for more than 70 different times over the last 15 years, tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and so they’re not interested in meaningfully addressing this healthcare crisis. They’re not interested in extending the Affordable Care Act tax credits even though earlier this year as part of their One Big Ugly Bill they enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history and at the same time, permanent tax breaks for their billionaire donors. That’s unbelievable and now they’re not even willing to consider even a modest extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits for working-class Americans. That’s their priorities.
DANA BASH: But that’s—it depends on who the they are. There are enough Republicans on a piece of legislation, if all the Democrats supported it, that would extend those Obamacare subsidies for one year.
LEADER JEFFRIES: I think our position has been—
DANA BASH: Just on the policy, would you support that?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I think I’ve been very clear, which is that that is not a proposal that I’m prepared to support at this particular point in time.
DANA BASH: How come?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s very simple, because working-class Americans, everyday Americans and middle-class Americans deserve the same level of certainty and assurance as to their healthcare costs in an environment that the cost of living is already out of control. Electricity prices through the roof, housing costs through the roof, grocery costs through the roof. Now tens of millions of Americans about to experience dramatically increased premiums, copays and deductibles. We should provide these everyday Americans with the same type of certainty—
DANA BASH: But what about reopening the government? Yeah, and that makes sense. I understand that. What about supporting that, along with reopening the government, because the Republicans don’t feel that they are feeling any political pain now. I mean, you saw the White House, the OMB Director put out something about that they’re battening down the hatches because they’re paying troops, law enforcement and they’re making permanent cuts to the federal workforce while this shutdown is happening.
LEADER JEFFRIES:Republicans have been engaging in mass firings and attacking hardworking federal employees since the very beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency. And so, to the extent that this is continuing, it’s more of the same. Cruelty for them is the point. We’ve been very clear, as Democrats, again, we’ll find a bipartisan path forward. We want to reopen the government. We want make sure that our hardworking federal employees and civil servants get paid. But we also have to address the Republican healthcare crisis. And the American people clearly know who shut the government down. Republicans control the House, the Senate and the presidency. They are blaming them because it’s their responsibility. And they’ve adopted a my way or the highway approach from the very beginning of this presidency. And that unfortunately has continued through this shutdown.
DANA BASH: I want to play something that the New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said to a very full room while he was campaigning in New York last night.
VIDEO OF ZOHRAN MAMDANI: There is something special in this room tonight. It’s power. It’s the power of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers united, ready to usher in a new day. It is the power of a movement that won the battle over the soul of the Democratic Party.
DANA BASH: Mr. Leader, does Mamdani and that movement represent the soul of your party?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well the Democratic Party, of course, is extremely diverse, and it’s represented by people like Mikie Sherrill—
DANA BASH: But there’s only one soul.
LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s represented by people like Mikie Sherrill who obviously is en route to becoming the next Governor of New Jersey, Abigail Spanberger, who’s about to become the next Governor of Virginia. I haven’t spoken to Zohran since the shutdown started. I do look forward to having a conversation with him before early voting starts in New York later on this month.
DANA BASH: He’s a Democratic Socialist. Is that the soul of the Democratic Party? Or is it the Democratic candidates you just referenced?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Here’s my view of what the Democratic Party represents. We believe in a strong floor and no ceiling, that in America, if you work hard and play by the rules, there should be no ceiling to your success, for yourself, for your family, for your children. At the same period of time, we believe in this country, wealthiest country in the history of the world, there should a strong floor, anchored in things like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid that Republicans are decimating, that Democrats brought to the people of this country.
DANA BASH: Mr. Leader, thank you so much for being here today. Appreciate it.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)
Mr. Speaker,
I rise today to say aloha and congratulations to the newest cohort of Teach For America (TFA) Hawaiʻi.
TFA, a critical national nonprofit partner since 1989 in our effort to eliminate educational inequality, continues its mission to “enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational excellence.” By recruiting and training college graduates to teach in high-need schools for at least two years, it aims to expand educational opportunities for all.
This school year, TFA Hawaiʻi marks its 20th year of service to the State of Hawai‘i by welcoming 103 corps members to classrooms across our islands. In total, the TFA network in Hawaiʻi now has 631 corps members and alumni, collectively improving the lives of over 18,000 students.
I especially commend the program’s focus on locally-rooted leadership. TFA Hawaiʻi has recruited 259 corps members and alumni who are kamaʻāina, born and raised in our islands, including 89 Kānaka Maoli. They embody the sense of kuleana and community responsibility necessary to provide critical education support for our keiki.
The impacts of our TFA Hawai’i kumu – or teachers – have lasted far beyond their initial commitment, with over 500 alumni remaining in education across Hawaiʻi, 15 of them now serving as school leaders.
Their mission reminds us of the ʻōlelo noʻeau “hahai no ka ua i ka ululā’au.”: the rain follows the forest. By intentionally investing in this forest of local talent, we ensure a bright future for all our students.
I offer my mahalo to the new corps members and alumni for their continued service.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — On Day 14 of the Democrat Government Shutdown, Speaker Johnson held a press conference in the Rayburn Room of the U.S. Capitol alongside House GOP Leadership and Rules Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx to highlight the unserious, partisan demands included in the Democrats’ $1.5 trillion counterproposal to reopen the government, including $200 billion in health benefits for illegal aliens and tens of millions of dollars for “climate resilience in Honduras” and “LGBTQI+ democracy grants in the Western Balkans.”
“They want to spend $2.9 million of your dollars for desert locust risk reduction in the Horn of Africa. $2 million for organizing for feminist democratic principles in Africa. We are not doing that,” Speaker Johnson said. “These are unserious proposals from unserious people. They are playing games while real Americans are being harmed adversely by the shutdown.”
On the unserious provisions included in the Democrat funding proposal:
They’re demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending paid for by American taxpayers. And I want us to be specific. I want you to know what that counterproposal includes because we’ve not yet gone into all the details of it because it’s large and very absurd. But here’s some of the highlights of this. It would reverse commonsense reforms that Republicans made in the Working Families Tax Cut that keep illegal aliens off taxpayer-funded healthcare. This is a fact. Page 57, section 2141 of their counterproposal as we’ve been posting everywhere. And they would add the illegal aliens, non-citizens back to taxpayer funded benefits. It would cost taxpayers nearly $200 billion. They would also remove a very reasonable and modest work requirement that we put on able-bodied young men with no dependents. As we’ve said, they should not be riding the wagon and taking Medicaid that is intended for vulnerable populations – the elderly, disabled, and young pregnant women, for example, and not young able-bodied men without dependents who are playing video games. We put that into the law because it’s common sense. Their counterproposal would reverse that. So, taxpayers would be funding them.
Again, they would make permanent COVID-era Obamacare subsidies without any income caps or any other reforms at all. They would make that permanent and that would cause taxpayers an estimated $358 billion. They would take away the $50 billion that we put into law to support rural hospitals. They would remove that and they would send a $500 million to liberal news outlets by refunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It would also restore up to $5 billion of American taxpayer funds for wasteful spending for international projects. Here’s a couple of examples, this is in their legislation, their counterproposal on the CR to keep the lights open. This is what they want to do: they want to spend $24.6 million of your hard-earned dollars as a taxpayer for climate resilience in Honduras. They want to spend $13.4 million for civic engagement in Zimbabwe. They want to send $3.9 million for LGBTQI+ democracy grants in the Western Balkans. They want to spend $2.9 million of your dollars for desert locust risk reduction in the Horn of Africa, and $2 million for organizing for feminist democratic principles in Africa.
On Chuck Schumer’s hypocrisy:
Yesterday, we decided to do a little count of the number of times that Chuck Schumer has supported continuing resolutions just since he became the leader of the Democrats in the Senate in 2017. That number came out to 29 out of 30 continuing resolutions. That’s how many times he wholeheartedly, enthusiastically supported CRs enacted into law. That’s a 97% support rate.
What’s changed? Well, this time his job is on the line. We’ve explained this very clearly because everybody can see the obvious political motivation here behind his decision to shut the government down right now. He helped us avert a shutdown in March by doing the right thing and supporting virtually identically same CR that we’re offering today. And his radical base went crazy, and they haven’t forgiven him for it. That’s why Chuck Schumer is opposed to it today. That’s what changed. It’s very obvious this government shutdown is plainly and simply an exercise in image rehabilitation. This is an attempt at image rehabilitation for Chuck Schumer. So selfishly completely about himself, he is shutting the government down to hurt other people.
On Democrats begging to negotiate in private:
What Chuck Schumer means when he says that he wants us to negotiate, what he is demanding, and he said it publicly, I can’t believe he says the quiet parts out loud sometimes, but he wants a backroom deal. He wants a backroom deal that the American people will never see. He literally has said, we need the top four leaders to go into a room and work this out. Why does Chuck Schumer say that? Because that’s how he’s operated for decades. He’s been in Congress since 1980. I was nine years old in the third grade when Chuck Schumer got here. He is the broken status quo.
We are trying to break the status quo so government works better for the people. And Chuck Schumer is resistant to that because he can’t even imagine the way the founders intended for this to work. He doesn’t want this open to everybody involved, all Members and a bottom-up process. He wants four people to go in a backroom and just make this deal and foist it down upon everybody else. I’m not participating in that. Chuck Schumer doesn’t like that. He doesn’t like that we’re trying to get Washington to work again, because he doesn’t know how to operate in that kind of system. And we’re certainly not going to allow the American people to be taken hostage for his political gain.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
“If these credits expire, thousands of people we represent face double, triple or quadruple price hikes in their premiums,” said Wasserman Schultz. “But you all know what that really means. Families will be forced to drop coverage. Chronic diseases will go undiagnosed. ERs will be flooded. People will needlessly die. Our communities will be ravaged. And it’s not just ACA families who will be hit.”
Washington, DC – Today,U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Darren Soto (FL-09), and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) shared how Florida residents face extreme impacts if Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits are allowed to expire. During a press conference this morning, the Democratic lawmakers stressed that it was urgent for Republicans to negotiate to lower healthcare costs, end the GOP shutdown, and avoid an unfolding insurance coverage crisis.
“If these credits expire, thousands of people we represent face double, triple or quadruple price hikes in their premiums,” said Wasserman Schultz. “But you all know what that really means. Families will be forced to drop coverage. Chronic diseases will go undiagnosed. ERs will be flooded. People will needlessly die. Our communities will be ravaged. And it’s not just ACA families who will be hit.”
Government funding ran out on September 30th, and Republicans have plunged the nation into a healthcare crisis. Yet GOP leaders refuse to negotiate with Democrats to end a government shutdown and prevent hundreds of thousands of Americans from losing coverage and millions more from seeing costs skyrocket.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Without democracy, peace and prosperity are an impossibility. As authoritarianism rises all around us, María Corina Machado’s brave fight against tyranny shines a guiding light for all of us who challenge injustice, violence, and threats to democracy
Washington DC — U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) released the following statement today after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded its 2025 Peace Prize to María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader whose democratic resistance against an authoritarian regime inspires the world:
“Without democracy, peace and prosperity are an impossibility. As authoritarianism rises all around us, María Corina Machado’s brave fight against tyranny shines a guiding light for all of us who challenge injustice, violence, and threats to democracy. For years, she has fearlessly confronted the murderous Maduro regime and given voice to the Venezuelan people’s demands for the restoration of the rule of law, a free press, and fair and transparent elections. Her dedication to peace in the midst of Maduro’s brutality is an inspiration to Venezuelans and all who fight these same threats, even here in America. I’ve been honored to meet with María Corina and work alongside her to protect human rights for all Venezuelans—including Venezuelan Americans. The Nobel committee rightly recognized Machado’s fight for peace. No one is more deserving.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21)
Today, Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22) released the following statement as the hostages in Hamas’ captivity were released.
“After more than two years of devastating captivity, the twenty remaining living Israeli hostages were released from Gaza, bringing profound relief and joy for their families and so many,” said Rep. Frankel. “Gratitude goes to the President and all whose cumulative efforts made this day possible. I give special thanks and recognition to the hostage families for their unrelenting advocacy to free their loved ones. Much work remains to secure a lasting peace and prosperity for the region. But today, our hearts must celebrate.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California
FRESNO, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas.
“After two years of pain, horrific suffering, and uncertainty, the hostages held by Hamas have been released. We now have a tentative ceasefire, hopefully it lasts. The hostages have been reunited with their families, and this is good news. My thoughts and prayers are with those whose loved ones did not return but who never lost hope,”said Congressman Costa.
Today marks a critical and important first step in this agreement. It is essential that all parties continue to honor each phase, along with increasing the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, to pave the way toward a stable and lasting peace for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
As thousands of federal workers work without pay due to the Republican government shutdown, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24)requestedthe Chief Administrative Officer of the House to withhold his pay until the federal government is fully reopened.
“I stand in solidarity with the servicemembers, air traffic controllers, and other federal workers on the Central Coast and beyond who are now at risk of missing paychecks because Donald Trump and congressional Republicans shut down the government. If our federal workers are not getting paid, neither am I,”said Rep. Carbajal.“Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House. This is their government shutdown, and I continue to call on them to work with Democrats to reopen the government, pay our federal workers, and stop health insurance costs from skyrocketing.”
Some federal workers received their last paycheck on Friday, October 10th.
Last week, Carbajalsigned onto a letterurging House Speaker Mike Johnson to protect servicemembers’ pay during the Republican shutdown.
During past government shutdowns and furloughs both in Santa Barbara County government andin Congress, Carbajal has similarly forgone pay in solidarity with impacted workers.
Democrats in both the House and Senate have argued that any deal to reopen the federal government needs to protect the expanded tax credit subsidies for health insurance purchased through Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges. Those tax credits and the eligibility for them were expanded by Democrats in 2021 under then-President Biden and are scheduled to expire at the end of December. If the tax credits are not protected in a stopgap bill, millions of Americans could lose their health insurance.
If Republicans allow these vital tax credits to expire, an estimated 35,000 Central Coast residents will face higher health care costs, and nearly 10,000 could lose coverage entirely.