MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) issued the following statement after the conclusion of the White House meeting between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and the Trump administration:

“The decision on the future of Greenland is up to the people of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark. Greenland’s future is in the hands of its people, not the United States of America, and not President Trump. President Trump’s continued military threats against our allies are shocking and unbecoming of his office. If the President is truly concerned about America’s national security in the Arctic, then the best thing he could do would be to work to strengthen the NATO Alliance. Every single Arctic nation in the world, except for Russia, is a member of NATO and it is our shared defensive posture that secures the Arctic from Russian and Chinese aggression. If the President believes that America’s security in the Arctic is confined to Greenland, then he has a highly misinformed view of the high north’s security situation. Make no mistake, if President Trump were to order U.S. military action to seize Greenland, it would be the gravest military error committed by a President in American history. The end of the NATO Alliance would be a gift to Putin that even the leaders of the Soviet Union could never have dreamed of. It must never be allowed to occur.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem demanding that DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately cease all operations in Minnesota. Additionally, the Congresswoman is seeking prompt answers to nearly a dozen questions concerning DHS’s reported search for a potential ICE detention facility in Woodbury.

Read an excerpt of the letter below or click here to view the full text of the letter on Congresswoman McCollum’s website. 

“The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on January 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross is tragic proof that the Trump administration’s immigration policy has totally failed our country and is increasing danger for Minnesotans and all Americans.  I demand that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) cease all operations in Minnesota immediately to allow local law enforcement officials to return to protecting our community from further violence and conduct a full and transparent investigation into ICE’s actions and conduct which caused this horrific shooting.  

“My constituents are deeply troubled, and many are fearful of the dramatic chaos and unrest being stoked as a direct result of the Trump administration’s tactics of ordering more than 2,000 ICE and DHS agents to Minnesota to racially profile and arrest people in their homes, their workplaces, their schools, and on our streets.  The outrageous and unprofessional behavior exhibited by ICE and other federal immigration agencies is not only making our neighborhoods, our cities, and our state more dangerous for everyone, it is making it more difficult for local law enforcement to conduct their daily work to protect and serve our community.  Our children have a right to be safe at school, at home, and in our community. As parents and adults, it is our solemn responsibility to protect our children and our neighbors from violence. It is unconscionable this now includes violence perpetrated by our own government. 

“Additionally, since December, I have been contacted by constituents and public officials who are deeply concerned about reports in the Washington Post and other publications that ICE is actively soliciting warehouse space to hold as many as 1500 detainees in Woodbury, Minnesota, located in my congressional district, and other communities across the country. Inquiries made to DHS/ICE by local officials have gone unanswered as they seek answers to their many questions about these reported plans.   

“According to comments by ICE acting director Todd M. Lyons at a border conference in April, the Trump administration’s goal is to deport immigrants like Amazon moves packages: ‘Like Prime, but with human beings.’ Not only is this plan dehumanizing, it fails to account for the fact that structures designed for storage and shipping are not fit for human habitation, because they lack adequate ventilation and temperature controls.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) are leading bipartisan legislation in the House of Representatives to address persistent staffing shortages at federal prisons across the country, including at FCI Berlin in New Hampshire. The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act would provide a 35% special salary rate increase for federal correctional officers nationwide. The legislation is led in the U.S. Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and David McCormick (R-PA). The legislation was introduced in the House alongside Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congressman Rob Bresnahan (PA-08). 

The bill is designed to boost recruitment and retention, reduce excessive mandatory overtime and burnout, enhance safety for officers and incarcerated individuals, and strengthen operations across the Bureau of Prisons. 

“Chronic staffing shortages at federal prisons risk the safety of the staff, incarcerated individuals, and communities. This bipartisan legislation would reinstate pay incentives that the Trump Administration revoked to help recruitment and retention efforts and ensure prisons have the personnel needed,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “I’ll continue working to support dedicated public employees who show up every day for New Hampshire.”

“Our federal correctional officers in Berlin have some of the toughest jobs and most important jobs in New Hampshire. But year after year, they have been asked to do more and more with less and less — and it’s just not right,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “Our bipartisan bill is about ensuring fair pay for hardworking Granite Staters and ensuring our federal prison is properly staffed with the professional and well-trained workforce it needs to operate safely and justly.”

The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced severe staffing shortages for years that have strained facilities nationwide. A February 2024 report from the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General found that reliance on augmentation and mandatory overtime has overburdened staff and may contribute to fatigue, sleep deprivation, and decreased vigilance—raising serious safety concerns. 

Specifically, the Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act would:

• Enact a special rate of pay for federal correctional officers to address chronic recruitment and retention challenges
• Establish a 35% increase to the General Schedule (GS) pay scale for correctional officers
• Apply the enhanced pay rate to officers with custodial responsibilities, including GS, GL law enforcement officers, and eligible prevailing-rate employees
• Include a sunset provision requiring the DOJ Inspector General to evaluate whether BOP has made measurable progress in reducing augmentation and excessive mandatory overtime; if progress is achieved, the special pay rate would remain in place, with findings reported to Congress 

Pappas supports the Protect America’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation to repeal a presidential executive order that stripped union rights from roughly 1 million federal workers, which passed the House in December, as well as the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) and Congresswoman Lucy McBath (GA-06) in reintroducing the Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act, legislation to help colleges and universities prevent alcohol and substance misuse and make sure students have access to recovery support when they need it. If passed, the bill would fund college prevention and recovery services at $75 million over five years.

“A comprehensive approach to confronting the addiction epidemic must include both prevention efforts and recovery services as well as a focus on young people,” said Congressman Pappas. “This bill provides critical steps forward by bringing evidence-informed treatment to our colleges and universities to educate students on substance misuse and help those working to overcome substance use disorder. The addiction crisis is deeply personal for New Hampshire families, and I will continue supporting efforts that address its root causes, strengthen prevention efforts, and ensure individuals in need receive proper support to recover.” 

College should be a place where students can learn, grow, and build their futures. Yet too many students face substance misuse without access to prevention programs, mental health care, or recovery services that allow them to stay healthy and stay in school. This legislation takes direct steps to support students and prevent illegal substance use, reduce misuse, improve public health, and improve campus safety.

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act:

• Promotes evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies on college campuses.
• Encourages integration and collaboration in campus-based health services to address substance use and mental health.
• Requires the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to identify and promote successful programs.
• Authorizes $15 million annually to help colleges and universities implement proven solutions, including early screening, peer support, counseling, recovery services, and re-entry assistance.

“New Mexico has shown that when we treat education as a foundation for well-being, families and communities thrive. This bill brings that same approach to our college campuses by helping students get the support they need to learn, stay enrolled, and build a future. When students succeed, our whole country is stronger,” said Congresswoman Leger Fernández.

“As elected officials, it’s important that we give families confidence that their children will have the support they need as many of them leave home for the first time,” said Congresswoman McBath. “Substance and alcohol misuse can impact anyone, and unfortunately, we’re seeing those challenges grow. I’m grateful to join with my colleagues once more to empower our education institutions to improve their prevention efforts and expand recovery resources for our students.”

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act is endorsed by a broad coalition of educators, health professionals, advocacy organizations, and higher education institutions, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Council for Mental Wellbeing, American Federation of Teachers – NM (AFT-NM), American College Health Association (ACHA), American Psychological Association Services, National Association of Secondary School Principals, ACPA-College Student Educators International, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Congressman Chris Pappas’s (NH-01) bipartisan Medal of Honor Act, legislation to increase the monthly pension for Medal of Honor recipients, was signed into law. This legislation would increase the monthly pension for recipients to $67,500 annually. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration bestowed by the United States. There are 61 living Medal of Honor recipients.

“The Medal of Honor is our nation’s highest military decoration, symbolizing the valor the distinguished men and women of our military displayed in extraordinary moments. Our responsibility as Americans is to ensure that all our service members and veterans are honored both during and after their service, and one way we will do that is by ensuring all of our Medal of Honor recipients are financially secure after their military service is over,” said Congressman Pappas. “I worked across the aisle to get this legislation passed and signed into law, and I will always work to ensure we keep our promise to our service members and veterans.”

Background:

The first Medal of Honor was given in 1863 to Army Private Jacob Parrott. Since then, there have been 3,536 Medal of Honor recipients, with 61 currently living. In 1916, Congress created a special pension for recipients of $10 per month for life. In 1961, Congress raised the monthly payment from $10 to $100. The last congressional pension raise was in 2002 when the pension was raised to $1,000 per month. The current Medal of Honor pension was set at $1,406.73 per month, without cost-of-living adjustments. This bill provided the first congressional pension raise for Medal of Honor Recipients since 2002.

In January 2025, Pappas reintroduced the bipartisan Medal of Honor Act. Following him speaking on the floor in support of legislation, the bill passed the House in February 2025.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced bipartisan legislation to better support olive growers and producers by pushing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fast-track approval of long-overdue standards of olive oil varieties. Led with Rep. David Valadao (CA-22), the bipartisan Olive Oil Standards Act would require the FDA to create the first-ever standard of identity (SOI) for olive oil products.

The U.S. consumes a lot of olive oil – 381,000 tons in 2022 – and locally olive production is the fourth largest fruit commodity in San Joaquin County. However, there is a wide variety of olive oil types, and mislabeling of products makes it incredibly difficult for healthy, high-quality extra-virgin products to break out from fraudulent alternatives. Significant delays at the FDA in processing requests for a uniform grading standard have made this problem much worse. 

“We already have the best olives grown right here in our own backyard, but Valley products are being crowded out in the grocery aisle by fake and fraudulent products. That hurts local businesses and shoppers,” said Rep. Harder. “It’s past time to crack down on misleading products once and for all. This common sense bill gives shoppers the transparency they need to buy local and keep their families healthy.”

How the Olive Oil Standards Act protects Valley communities: 

• Clear Labels – Mandatory labeling to distinguish authentic virgin and extra virgin products from refined and crude alternatives.
• No Frauds – Enforcement against misleading or fraudulent products intended to deceive consumers.
• Healthier Options – Increased transparency for shoppers who want to be able to make science-based, informed decisions for feeding their family.

“The Central Valley is one of the nation’s leading regions for olive oil production, and as demand grows, it’s important industry standards can keep up,” said Congressman Valadao. “By establishing identity and grade standards, we can protect consumers from misleading labeling, promote transparency in the marketplace, and ensure a level playing field for our domestic olive oil producers. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan solution to bring long-overdue clarity and accountability to the olive oil market.”

“This legislation is a win for U.S. olive oil consumers and farmers,” said Kimberly Houlding, President and CEO of the American Olive Oil Producers Association. “When enacted, it will ensure that what is on the label is in the bottle and that the health benefits and value of extra virgin olive oil are preserved for all.”

Harder has made supporting Valley agriculture communities a top priority. Harder secured language in this year’s government funding legislation to require the FDA to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expedite past efforts to establish an olive oil SOI, as well as report to Congress on progress made. Harder is also leading bipartisan legislation to expand transparency in canned goods.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, leaders of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force and the Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus led a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country.

According to reports, roughly 2,800 SAMHSA grant termination notices were issued nationwide, cutting off funding for critical community programs effective January 13, 2026.

“Addressing mental health and substance use disorders is a bipartisan priority and should never be treated as a partisan issue,” the lawmakers wrote. “Every state relies on SAMHSA funding to respond to pressing mental health and addiction challenges, and abruptly pulling these resources will cause real harm to individuals, families, and communities.”

The letter was spearheaded by Representatives Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Paul D. Tonko (D-NY-20), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04), Donald Beyer (D-VA-08), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA-02), Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), and Kim Schrier (D-WA-08).

The members emphasized that Congress has worked on a bipartisan basis to reduce stigma, expand access to care, and strengthen prevention and recovery efforts nationwide. They warned that the administration’s action directly undermines those efforts and jeopardizes lifesaving services.

The letter urges the administration to immediately rescind all grant terminations and ensure that SAMHSA programs continue to serve their congressionally intended purpose of delivering critical mental health and addiction resources to communities in need. The lawmakers also requested detailed information from the administration by January 16, 2026, including the total number of grants terminated, the programs affected, and the specific rationale for each termination. They further questioned how the cancellations align with the recently signed SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized many of these programs for five years.

“The need for mental health and substance use disorder services has never been greater,” the members continued. “Too many people across the country are already struggling to access care. This decision only makes that crisis worse.”

The members stressed that they will continue to press the administration until the grants are fully restored and communities receive the support Congress intended.

A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that although she was able to get 17 out of 20 anti-D.C. provisions stripped from the fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) D.C. appropriations bill passed by the House last night, the remaining three provisions that impose policies on D.C. without its consent demonstrate the need for D.C. statehood so the 700,000 D.C. residents have the same decision-making power over their own local policies that residents of the states enjoy. 

Norton secured many victories for D.C. in the bill. Importantly, the version passed by the House provides $40 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG), increases the DCTAG annual award from $10,000 to $15,000, and increases the lifetime award from $50,000 to $75,000.

Norton secured the following victories:

• The bill provides $40 million for DCTAG, an increase in the annual DCTAG award from $10,000 to $15,000, and an increase in the lifetime DCTAG award from $50,000 to $75,000.
• The bill would provide $90 million for emergency planning and security costs related to the federal presence in D.C.
• The bill exempts D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2027.
• The bill provides $8 million for D.C. Water for ongoing work to control flooding in D.C. and to clean up the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek Park.
• The bill provides $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.
• The bill provides $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
• The bill provides $53 million for the D.C. Public Defender Service, an entity established by Congress to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $46 million for the Defender Service, which pays private lawyers to represent indigent clients in both criminal and civil matters in the local D.C. courts.

Norton expressed disappointment that the bill would prohibit the District from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and on recreational marijuana commercialization. Norton was also disappointed that the bill devotes substantial funding to the private school voucher program that Congress imposed on the District. The program has failed to improve academic achievement, as measured by math and reading test scores. The D.C. voucher program is the only federally funded voucher program in the U.S. 

“While I was able to get 17 of the 20 anti-D.C. provisions that were present in the original House version stripped from this bill and secure major investments for District residents, including a historic increase in D.C. Tuition Assistance Grants, the remaining riders once again impose policies on D.C. without its consent. 

“As long as Congress can override the will of 700,000 D.C. residents on matters as personal and local as reproductive health and local governance, the case for D.C. statehood remains as urgent and undeniable as ever.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) secured many victories for D.C. in the fiscal year 2027 (FY 27) D.C. appropriations bill, which was marked up and passed last night by the House Rules Committee. The House is expected to consider the bill today. 

In addition to other victories for D.C., the bill would secure $40 million for the D.C. Tuition Assistance Grant Program (DCTAG) and increase the DCTAG annual and lifetime awards. The bill does not include 17 of the anti-home rule riders included in the House version of the bill.

Norton secured the following victories:

• The bill provides $40 million for DCTAG, an increase in the annual DCTAG award from $10,000 to $15,000, and an increase in the lifetime DCTAG award from $50,000 to $75,000.
• The bill has two existing legacy riders: a rider prohibiting D.C. from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and one prohibiting D.C. from spending its own local funds to commercialize adult-use marijuana. The original House version of the bill contained 20 anti-home rule riders.
• The bill would provide $90 million for emergency planning and security costs related to the federal presence in D.C.
• The bill exempts D.C. from federal government shutdowns in FY 2027.
• The bill provides $8 million for D.C. Water for ongoing work to control flooding in D.C. and to clean up the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and Rock Creek Park.
• The bill provides $4 million to combat HIV/AIDS in D.C.
• The bill provides $600,000 for the Major General David F. Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Program.
• The bill provides $53 million for the D.C. Public Defender Service, an entity established by Congress to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $46 million for the Defender Service, which pays private lawyers to represent indigent clients in both criminal and civil matters in the local D.C. courts.
• The bill provides $52.5 million for implementation of the SOAR Act, equally divided among vouchers, charter schools and D.C. Public Schools.

Norton expressed disappointment that the bill would prohibit the District from spending its own local funds on abortion services for low-income women and on recreational marijuana commercialization. Norton was also disappointed that the bill devotes substantial funds to the private school voucher program that Congress imposed on the District. The program has failed to improve academic achievement, as measured by math and reading test scores. The D.C. voucher program is the only federally funded voucher program in the U.S. 

“Although I’m disappointed that House Republicans continue to exert control over D.C., a district they do not represent, by adding anti-home rule riders, I am pleased that the 17 other riders that were included in the original House version weren’t included in the version passed by the Rules Committee,” Norton said. 

“D.C. has a larger population than two states and its residents are equally worthy of making decisions about their own local affairs and the future of their own local government. The 700,000 people who live in the nation’s capital are no less worthy of the benefits of democracy than any other Americans. I’ll use every tool at my disposal to see that they receive as many of those benefits as possible.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, today introduced a bill to apply the District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977 (DCHRA) to employees of the local D.C. courts and the D.C. Public Defender Service (PDS). In 2022, the D.C. Court of Appeals held that the DCHRA, which protects employees of the D.C. government and private employers from discrimination, does not apply to employees of the local D.C. courts. The court has not ruled on the applicability of the DCHRA to PDS employees.

“The local D.C. courts and the D.C. Public Defender Service are unique entities, and they sometimes fall through the regulatory cracks,” Norton said. “They are neither federal nor D.C. government entities, though both were created and are funded by Congress, and their employees are treated as federal employees for some employee benefits. I want to ensure that their employees have comprehensive protections from and remedies for employment discrimination.”

While employees of the local D.C. courts and PDS are protected by federal anti-discrimination laws, the DCHRA provides much broader protections and remedies for workers than federal employment anti-discrimination laws. 

The D.C. Council may have the authority to pass such a bill itself, but only Congress has the clear authority to do so, given the express limitations in the D.C. Home Rule Act on the Council’s authority to legislate on matters affecting the local D.C. courts and given that Congress has generally served as the legislative body for PDS. 

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