MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA (May 13, 2026) – Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA-3) has reintroduced a $360 million anti-crime and victim aid bill with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Evans’ bill, the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act, would establish a grant program at the Department of Justice (DOJ) to help state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to solve more crimes and improve clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.

The bill would authorize $60 million per year in grants for each of the next six federal fiscal years, beginning with the one that starts Oct. 1, 2026.

“This bipartisan bill would help our state and local police solve more fatal and non-fatal shooting cases. This would be a huge win for public safety in Philadelphia and across the country – district attorneys can’t bring cases that don’t reach them, so this would help make our neighborhoods safer,” Evans said. “As someone who has pushed for help for victims of gun violence, I’m also very pleased that this bill would provide victims and family members with mental health resources and assistance with shelter, wage, and relocation costs.” 

“The VICTIM Act will provide law enforcement with the funding, training, and technology needed to solve more homicide and non-fatal shooting cases. By helping agencies investigate these serious crimes more effectively, this legislation will deliver justice for victims’ families, support the officers working these cases, and strengthen public safety across Nebraska,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), the lead House Republican co-sponsor.

In the Senate, the bill’s lead sponsors are Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

“When our heroes in blue do not have the resources to solve violent crimes, families and communities pay the price. In Louisiana and across America, too many police departments are being asked to fight today’s violent criminals with yesterday’s tools. The VICTIM Act would give law enforcement the key financial and technical support they need to put violent criminals behind bars and deliver justice for victims,” Kennedy said.

Booker said, “Solving violent crime is the most powerful deterrent we have, and it starts with giving law enforcement what they actually need: detectives, forensic technology, and investigative training. When murders go unsolved, it denies victims and their communities justice, signals that authorities don’t care about public safety, and leaves perpetrators without consequences. With nearly half of homicide cases remaining unsolved, we cannot afford to keep shortchanging law enforcement. I am proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation, which dedicates critical resources to improve clearance rates so that law enforcement can solve these cases and every family gets the accountability they deserve.”

The VICTIM Act would help law enforcement:

• Train detectives and police personnel to investigate, solve, and respond to homicides and non-fatal shootings. 
• Hire additional detectives and investigative personnel. 
• Invest in technology needed to solve crimes. 
• Train police personnel to address the needs of victims and family members of homicides and firearm-related violent crimes. 
• Provide victims and family members with mental health resources and temporary assistance.

The bill would also require recipients of VICTIM Act grants to report how they use the funds to the DOJ, which would collect and provide that information to Congress.

The full text of the VICTIM Act is available here.

Evans represents the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Northwest and West Philadelphia and parts of North, South, Southwest and Center City Philadelphia. Evans’ website is evans.house.gov and his social media handle is @RepDwightEvans on Youtube, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) during Police Week to honor the brave men and women of law enforcement who risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe. Leader Scalise highlighted House Republicans’ efforts to support law enforcement officers and their families, while contrasting Democrats’ repeated pushes to defund the police.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks.
On honoring fallen officers and their families:“Every week, we pay tribute to our men and women in uniform, our law enforcement officers who keep our community safe. But this week is a special week where we all come together as Police Week to pay tribute to especially those law enforcement officers who paid the ultimate price. Over 100 last year that were killed in the line of duty protecting our communities.“Sheriff [Mike] Ezell said it so eloquently – last night, we had a wonderful tribute on the Capitol steps that the Speaker led, where we had not only a large number of members of Congress, but we had some family members – families whose loved ones were lost as law enforcement officers. And it was tear-jerking to hear those stories. A young girl who lost her father and he’ll never be there for her again. And she recalled the memories she had of her father. And then, of course, that morning when she heard her mom answering that phone call to find out that her husband had been killed in the line of duty, killed by a repeat offender, as the Whip talked about, happens way too often because the criminal justice system fails all of us in so many ways. But it puts our law enforcement officers at risk too, which is why we need to make sure we get the policy right.”On the courage law enforcement officers show every day:“I think a lot of you were in the room just a few weeks ago at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and we hear about it a lot. I’ve seen it personally. I would not be alive today if not for the bravery of law enforcement officers. But think about it for everybody who was in the room at the Washington Hilton. We all heard the chaos, and nobody really knew what was going on. You knew there was a shooter. You heard the calls, you didn’t know if he got in, but he didn’t get into the room. And why did he not get into the room? He got through armed, and his intention was to come in and kill the President of the United States and, frankly, kill everybody else he could that was in that room. But he never got there because law enforcement went to the danger. You saw them doing it right in real time. They ran to the danger, when everybody else was running for cover to protect themselves, it was the law enforcement officers who risked their lives.“It takes a special kind of person to answer that call. And thank God they do. And so that’s why we celebrate them every day, but especially this week, we really pause to remember those who gave their life protecting our communities.”On House Republicans’ legislation supporting law enforcement:“We’re bringing a number of bills to the floor this week in remembrance of Law Enforcement Week to try to help give more tools to our police officers across the country. We’re also bringing a really important resolution by Zach Nunn to pay tribute to law enforcement, thank them for what they do, and also to stand up against these crazy ideas like defund the police. It’s still going on today. You know, you saw a major shutdown finally ended two weeks ago, the Department of Homeland Security, all over the idea that Democrats still want to defund police. You know, whether it’s federal law enforcement, local law enforcement, state law enforcement, the titles of the law enforcement officers can change, but the Democrat mantra is the same. They want to defund them at every level, and we will not let it happen. We won’t.“We’re going to always back the blue. It’s a shame everybody doesn’t, but we will. And then you’re going to see that continue to play out this week on the House floor in actual votes, and we’ll be watching those votes closely. Really, really appreciate what our men and women in law enforcement do every day to keep our communities safe. God bless them. God bless their families.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Says “Don’t tell me, John Roberts, that the Supreme Court of the United States is not political. It is an arm of the Trump White House.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) testified to the Rules Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives in support of his legislation, H.R. 8365, the Monitor Accountability Act, which is scheduled to be considered on the floor later this week.

This bill will end the grift exemplified by the federal court monitor in Maricopa County, which has far outlived its original purpose and cost county taxpayers $350 million.

Congressman Biggs’ prepared remarks are as follows:

“As you may know, monitors oversee compliance with consent decrees and settlements. When the federal government enters into a consent decree or other settlement with a state or local government, a monitor is appointed by the court to implement and monitor compliance with the terms of the consent decree or court order. Courts appoint monitors on a case-by-case basis under individual consent decrees and enforcement agreements, resulting in a variable number of active monitors at any given time.

“H.R. 8365 would place conditions on a district court’s appointment of a monitor of a state or unit of local government. These conditions include a cap on fees, a term limit on the monitors and judges overseeing monitor cases, public comment on the selection of the monitor, and providing a public accounting of the activities of the monitor. In several cases, monitorships have remained in place for a decade or longer. The tenure of some monitors has prompted debate over whether this oversight remains narrowly focused on ensuring compliance with the consent decree or if it expands into sustained managerial control of agency operations.

“The tenure of longer-serving monitors has also raised concerns regarding costs, duration, and accountability of monitors. Some court monitors have amassed a great deal of wealth at the taxpayers’ expense and have no incentive to conclude their monitorships. For example, in Maricopa County, Arizona, the monitorship of the County sheriff office has cost the taxpayers almost $350 million since 2013. Since it began, about $32 million has been paid directly to the monitor’s firm. The same monitor has been accused of charging exorbitant fees without producing results in similar monitoring duties in New York, California, Michigan, and Louisiana. 

“To be clear, this bill does not end monitors. It only requires that a fresh set of eyes is placed on jurisdictions subject to a monitor.

“And let me give credit where credit is due. While I agreed very little with the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration, this bill codifies reforms based on five core principles first proposed by the Biden-Harris Administration. In 2021, the Department of Justice reviewed monitor practices and proposed reforms. Those reforms included applying a series of principles that included limiting costs and conflicts of interest, ensuring monitors’ accountability, compliance assessment, community engagement, and efficient reform.

“This is what the Monitor Accountability Act does.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

WASHINGTON – Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at today’s subcommittee hearing entitled, “Building a Safer Future: Private-Sector Strategies for Emerging Safety Issues.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to our witnesses for joining us today.

“All workers deserve to come home at the end of the day healthy, whole, and paid fairly for their labor.  Thanks to agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), workers benefit from standards based on sound science that have pushed companies to modernize and improve their workplaces.

“Today’s hearing revolves around how the private sector has implemented certain programs to track and address workplace health and safety through the use of what they call ‘leading indicators.’  These leading indicators focus on whether an employer is taking proactive measures to prevent injury and illness on the job and identify weak spots where additional action may be needed to prevent worker harm.

“We all want to prevent workplace injuries before they happen, and leading indicators could potentially help with that.  But we must be realistic. Effectively tracking and responding to leading indicators will require a lot of investment and personnel, that small businesses are unlikely to have.  Additionally, some leading indicators, when used improperly, could lead bad employers to blame their workers if an injury occurs, instead of taking the proper steps to correct a hazard in the first place.

“We lack sufficient research and information to determine whether leading indicators can meaningfully improve workplace safety.  Much of the research has been limited to private consultants, putting it out of reach for smaller employers. While I’m relieved that the National Safety Council has attempted to fill that gap with useful case studies, we still need comprehensive, open-sourced scientific research to evaluate these indicators. And this kind of public research would be best conducted by a well-funded and well-staffed NIOSH.

“Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has made sweeping cuts to NIOSH’s staffing.  While those cuts have been reversed, there is still significant concern that NIOSH has lost many valuable experts to attrition, and we do not know whether the agency is being allowed to replace them.  This is yet another example of how the Trump Administration’s recklessness has come at the direct expense of protecting and prioritizing working Americans.

“OSHA and NIOSH are our best, longstanding tools to stop workplace harm. It is vital that we fully fund and staff these agencies to identify and correct unsafe working conditions, because voluntary compliance programs or leading indicators alone will not be enough.

“Finally, Mr. Chairman, I am grateful that we have made emerging safety and health issues an additional theme for this hearing.  As we look ahead to the transition from spring to summer, I worry that the Trump Administration’s weakened OSHA enforcement program on heat stress will leave workers vulnerable. And in turn, the workers who are able to seek medical care for heat stress will be entrusted to our nation’s hardworking health care workers, who still face serious risks of workplace violence, another danger that the Trump Administration has chosen to ignore.

“Our nation’s miners also deserve the same protections from deadly silica dust that other workers enjoy. That is why the Biden Administration published an [Mine Safety and Health Administration] standard, but the Trump Administration has refused to enforce it and instead seems ready to weaken the rule.  And this is now happening at a time when [silicosis] is re-emerging outside of mining as a health crisis, particularly for workers who manufacture or install artificial stone countertops. And yet, Congressional Republicans are actively trying to pass legislation shutting down those workers’ ability to hold irresponsible companies accountable in court. These are sick workers and their families who are just trying to get compensation for lung transplants, cancer treatments, and funeral expenses.

“Every worker deserves to come home safe; it should be one of the most basic obligations that we owe to all of our constituents. But this Congress and this Administration are failing to meet that.

“Thank you, and I yield back.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

Top Energy and Commerce Committee Democrat Questions 25 Major Corporations About Whether They Use Customers’ Personal Data to Charge Them Different Prices

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Beatty’s bill, H.R. 3709 the ‘Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions’ Act unanimously passed the House of Representatives and now awaits Senate passage. This legislation was included in the House-passed bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act, which aims to increase housing supply, prioritize affordability, and advance housing equity.

This critical legislation will codify the Financial Agent Mentor-Protégé Program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; a program that pairs up small and rural financial institutions with large banks and credit unions, providing resources, training, and technical assistance to help them better serve their communities and become Financial Agents to Treasury.

Small financial institutions, including Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), play a critical role in their communities, yet there are only 151 MDI banks left in the United States, and the number of minority-owned banks has dropped more than 30% since its peak in 2008. Although their numbers have largely stabilized in recent years, MDIs generally have much higher expenses and are often forced to merge with other minority-owned banks to survive.

“Small financial institutions serve as the backbone of local economies nationwide, delivering essential resources like mortgage credit, small business capital, and trusted banking services that help neighborhoods thrive,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.“These institutions know the people they serve best and they are uniquely positioned to understand and respond to local financial needs. Formally establishing the Department of Treasury’s Mentor-Protégé Program will strengthen economic opportunity in communities across the country and move us closer to a more equitable and inclusive financial system for all Americans.”

The Advancing the Mentor Protégé Program for Small Financial Institutions Act has garnered support from multiple banking organizations, including the Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA), American Bankers Association (ABA), America’s Credit Unions (ACU), and National Bankers Association (NBA). 

The full bill text can be found HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, today, Congressman Cline (R-VA) introduced the Servicemember Payment Data Privacy and Security Act to ensure federal facilities are not using any Chinese hardware in point-of-sale technology, limiting the exposure and infiltration by foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party.

Bloomberg Government

By: Rachel Schilke

The Defense Department would be barred from using point-of-sale technology owned and operated by companies connected to “foreign adversaries” under a bill Rep. Ben Cline is introducing Wednesday.

Allowing Chinese-owned and operated point-of-sale technology in Defense Department facilities increases the “risk of exposing sensitive data to our foreign adversaries,” Cline (R-Va.), who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement.

“I introduced the Servicemember Payment Data Privacy and Security Act to protect important information from CCP operatives who aim to exploit, undermine, and harm our Nation,” Cline said.

Cline’s office discovered last year PAX-made devices were in use in the House Rayburn and Longworth office building cafeterias. The devices are similar to tap-to-pay kiosks. While current law prohibits the existence of PAX devices, the kiosks in Rayburn and Longworth were able to evade scrutiny because the primary contractor was for a separate service, according to Cline’s office.

After Cline raised concerns with the House Administration Committee, the devices were removed from the cafeterias on March 30.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday urging him to publicly support prohibiting federal officials from participating in prediction markets or providing information to associates for use in prediction markets ahead of this week’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi warned that sensitive nonpublic information tied to U.S.-China negotiations, tariffs, export controls, and geopolitical developments could create opportunities for insider trading and abuse of prediction markets.

“Given the enormous market sensitivity surrounding U.S.-China relations, trade negotiations, tariffs, export controls, and geopolitical developments, any nonpublic information concerning the summit could create substantial opportunities for improper financial gain, particularly in predictive markets,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

Krishnamoorthi also urged Trump to ensure officials, employees, advisors, contractors, and associates involved in the summit understand federal prohibitions on trading using material nonpublic information and the penalties for violating those laws.

The letter cites recent reporting regarding billions of dollars in unusually timed oil market wagers placed shortly before major U.S. policy announcements related to Iran, raising concerns about the misuse of privileged government information.

“I further urge you to publicly support prohibiting federal officials from participating in prediction markets or providing information to associates to participate in prediction markets,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

Krishnamoorthi also noted that the U.S. Senate recently unanimously passed a rule barring senators and Senate staff from trading on prediction markets.

“Senators unanimously agreed that the executive branch should establish similar restrictions,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

“The American people must have confidence that U.S. foreign policy is being conducted in the national interest — not used as an opportunity for private financial gain,” Krishnamoorthi wrote.

The letter is available here.