Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), and Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) released the following statement on the importance of reauthorizing the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA):
“The United States and Africa share a proud history of partnership in international trade and cooperation. Since 2000, the Ways and Means Committee has been the architect, keeper and champion of AGOA, which has rightfully earned its place in the centerpiece of U.S. trade relations. AGOA has expanded trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa while promoting job creation and strengthening democratic institutions and worker rights throughout the continent.
“Allowing AGOA to expire is unacceptable. It has always been renewed on time and never lapsed. Letting it expire now, while the Trump Administration is already shrinking away from Africa by dismantling USAID and other development assistance programs, would be a grave mistake, undermining decades of trust, stability, and U.S. leadership.
“At a time when the Trump administration is fueling an increasingly hostile and unlawful trade war, that is already shaking confidence and killing investment, turning our backs on African partners would be disastrous. We call on House Republicans to work with us to find a bipartisan solution to lift the IEEPA tariffs and reauthorize AGOA. AGOA has stood proudly as a beacon of bipartisan success, and it must remain so for many years to come.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez issued the following statement on the government shutdown:
“Republicans control the House, Senate and White House. This shutdown is a direct result of their failed leadership.
“Speaker Johnson and House Republicans rushed through a partisan bill that does nothing to prevent health care premiums from rising by as much as 114 percent for millions of Americans – knowing it had no chance of passing the Senate. They then cancelled votes and skipped town instead of negotiating.
“It’s time for Republicans to stop playing political games, return to the table and work with Democrats on a bipartisan solution that protects health care and reopens the government.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez released the following statement in response to President Trump’s announced tariffs on pharmaceuticals and other products to take effect on October 1:
“Prescription drug prices are already unaffordable for many Americans, and President Trump’s new tariffs will only drive costs higher. To make matters worse, he is also threatening additional tariffs on critical medical supplies, including everything from surgical masks to respirators and wheelchairs to hospital beds.
“Seniors and families cannot afford to see their medical bills go up any more under this president. And they can’t delay taking their medicine while they wait years for manufacturing to be moved to the United States — a ridiculous idea with the tariffs set to take effect in a matter of days.
“It’s clear the president has no concrete plan to bring back manufacturing. He hasn’t invested in American workers or created an attractive, stable business climate for domestic investment. Instead, he has just issued thinly veiled threats and shakedowns that are meant to bring in more revenue for him to abuse, while leaving Americans more vulnerable and less healthy.
“It’s on Republicans to stop caving to him and join Democrats to end this chaos and restore some sanity in this country.”
Background
Ranking Member Sánchez introduced the Stopping a Rogue President on Trade Act, a bill that would turn off most of President Trump’s tariffs and require congressional approval for any new tariffs imposed by the president. The bill has the support of all Ways and Means Democrats.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Representatives Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) yesterday introduced the bipartisan Medicare Advantage Prompt Pay Act, a bill to improve Medicare Advantage’s (MA) billing practices, offer certainty to health care providers who contract with MA plans and ensure that seniors are not stuck with unfair, confusing or delayed bills after receiving critical care.
“More than half of seniors eligible for Medicare are enrolled in Medicare Advantage,”said Congresswoman Sánchez. “However, too many are hit with confusing medical bills due to delayed and inconsistent Medicare Advantage billing practices. Our bipartisan bill will bring much-needed clarity to the system, ensuring healthcare providers are paid promptly and patients aren’t hit with unexpected bills long after they received care.”
“Medicare Advantage plans are delaying payments to rural hospitals and providers – resulting in service cuts, staff shortages, forced closures, and patients with unexpected medical bills months or even years later,” said Congressman Arrington. “My bipartisanMedicare Advantage Prompt Pay Actfixes this problem by requiring plans to pay hospitals and doctors on time or face penalty. By holding plans accountable and making the process more transparent, this bill protects patients, supports the hospitals and doctors who care for them, and ensures Medicare Advantage works as intended.”
“Nevadans who rely on Medicare Advantage deserve the peace of mind that when they go to the doctor’s office or hospital, their MA plan will pay providers for their care in a timely manner, and they won’t be sent a delayed bill many months later,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This bipartisan legislation makes commonsense fixes to Medicare Advantage’s billing practices that will help health care providers and patients by bringing transparency and stability to the program.”
“Tennessee seniors should not have to worry about whether their Medicare Advantage plan will pay for their care in a timely manner,” said Senator Blackburn. “TheMedicare Advantage Prompt Pay Actwould improve Medicare billing practices by offering certainty to health care providers who contract with MA plans, ensuring that seniors are not burdened by unfair or overdue bills.”
While Medicare Advantage plans provide critical coverage to seniors, health care providers regularly report service and payment delays, inconsistent policies, and inappropriate denials by MA plans. Currently, there are no clear guidelines for how quickly an MA plan must reimburse providers for in-network claims. This creates unnecessary delays that could lead to providers dropping contracts with plans, jeopardizing in-network access to care for many who rely on Medicare Advantage.
The bill would address these issues by requiring MA plans to pay providers faster and more reliably. It defines ‘clean claims’ according to widely accepted national standards, sets minimum timely payment standards, and aligns rules for in-and out-of-network claims. These commonsense changes would give health care providers the certainty they need to keep partnering with MA plans and ensure that coverage continues to work for seniors.
This legislation is endorsed by the Federation of American Hospitals, American Hospital Association, National Rural Health Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, America’s Essential Hospitals, American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Psychiatric Association, Bipartisan Policy Center Action, Nevada Hospital Association, Texas Hospital Association, California Hospital Association, Vizient and OCHIN.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Representatives Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.) and Blake Moore (R-Utah) today introduced the bipartisanFair Housing for Disabled Veterans Act, a bill to ensure that veterans’ service-related disability benefits are not used to deny veterans access to affordable housing.
Currently, these disability benefits are considered income in calculations for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), often pushing disabled veterans above eligibility thresholds and potentially into homelessness. The bill would exclude service-related disability benefits from those income calculations, ensuring veterans are not denied housing assistance.
“Veterans who have sacrificed for our country shouldn’t face barriers when trying to find a safe, affordable place to live,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “Disability benefits are meant to cover the costs of injuries sustained during their service – they’re not income. Our bill would ensure that veterans aren’t unfairly disqualified from affordable housing, allowing them to live with the dignity they earned through their service.”
“This critical legislation ensures veterans can continue to keep more of their hard-earned money and have the resources they need to purchase an affordable home,” said Congressman Kelly, chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax. “This legislation puts the tax code to work for those who have worn the uniform to protect our great nation.”
“Our veterans are being denied access to affordable housing programs because of a flaw in IRS code that classifies their disability benefits as income. Those who served our country, and especially those who sustained a service-connected disability, should never be turned down from the ability to obtain a safe and stable home,” said Congressman Gomez. “With this bill, we’re making sure veterans can access the housing support they deserve after their service and sacrifice to our country.”
“As the representative of Hill Air Force Base and an active veteran community, improving servicemember housing has been a priority my entire time in Congress. Homelessness among our veteran population is unacceptable, and our veterans are more than deserving of affordable housing – especially when they are injured while serving,” said Congressman Moore. “I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Fair Housing for Disabled Veterans Act with my Ways and Means colleagues to exclude service-related disability payments from the income calculation for LIHTC eligibility to ensure that our servicemembers and their families are better able to access affordable housing when they return home.”
“VA disability compensation should never be a barrier to accessing stable housing for veterans,” said Jose Ramos, vice president for government and community relations for Wounded Warrior Project. “But currently, wounded warriors are penalized for injuries sustained during service to our country when their VA benefits make them ineligible to rent affordable, stable, and often higher-quality housing created through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. These are often our most vulnerable veterans who need both supports – their VA payments and housing assistance. WWP is grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Representatives Linda T. Sánchez and Mike Kelly in introducing theFair Housing for Disabled Veterans Actto address this problem and help veterans across the country.”
Specifically, theFair Housing for Disabled Veterans Actwould amend the Internal Revenue Code to strike consideration of veterans’ service-connected disability and pension payments when determining income qualifications for properties financed with LIHTC and qualified residential bonds.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro202-225-6165
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of his legislation, theContinuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2026, which will keep the government open and serving the American people:
“Today, my House Republican colleagues joined me in taking responsible action to keep our government open and working for the nation. Keeping the lights on is not a partisan issue – and this clean, short-term funding extension reflects that. By acting in good faith to prevent the chaos of a shutdown, we are preserving stability for families and communities, protecting the real progress already made on appropriations bills, and strengthening our position to complete the Fiscal Year 2026 process responsibly,”said Congressman Cole.
“The contrast with Democrats on this is telling. They tried to hijack a simple government funding extension with a partisan grab bag of unrelated provisions – demanding $1.5 trillion in new spending just to keep the government open for four weeks. It is wrong and they know it. House Republicans rejected that approach and chose stability, discipline, and results instead,”said Congressman Cole.
“I am very proud to have voted to keep the government open and serving the American people today, and I remain committed to completing the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process through regular order,”said Congressman Cole.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | Contact: Olivia Porcaro202-225-6165
Last week, and every day since, Senate Democrats have vote to irresponsibly shut down the United States government – and the American people are paying the price.
The impact of this is real. A government shutdown means pain, risked livelihoods, and throwing the entire nation into chaos and uncertainty. It means the paychecks of some of our nation’s finest, like our military men and women, law enforcement, border patrol, and FAA employees, are halted. During the middle of hurricane season, it jeopardizes flood insurance. It cuts off nutrition support for low-income mothers and children in need. It furloughs and risks the jobs of federal employees throughout Oklahoma at Tinker Air Force Base, Fort Sill Army Installation, the FAA training center, Kerr Water Labs, the National Weather Center, and so much more. It threatens healthcare services, as federal health agencies are limited and the funding needed to process grants that support rural hospitals cannot be processed. It delays vital services for veterans, who we owe so much to. It jeopardizes our energy dominance and our national security.
These are not hypothetical consequences. These are very real, and every day families will bear the burden.
I authored the clean, nonpartisan continuing resolution that Democrats rejected and continue to reject day after day. It keeps the government open and working for the American people. Moreover, as the author, I can guarantee you I know exactly what is in the legislation: no partisan provisions, no poison pills, no political gimmicks. It really is just a short-term, responsible extension of government funding.
My House Republican colleagues and I got our job done by passing my continuing resolution. Yet, my Democrat friends on the other side of the Rotunda continue to abandon the most basic duty of public service: keeping the government working for the people.
So, today, as I have every day and every year, I encourage them to put the American people first and join us in voting to keep the government open.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro202-225-6165
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement following Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Glendale, Arizona:
“Charlie Kirk was a good man. He was a dedicated Christian, who allowed his faith to guide him in all he did. He was a true patriot who loved the United States of America with all his heart. He believed in strong family values and was a devoted husband to his wife, Erika, and father to his two children. He was a leader and mentor to many with the talented ability to connect with the American people, particularly the youth, through his public speaking skills and successful conservative nonprofit, Turning Point USA.
“Charlie believed in the importance of civil discourse and public debate. When Charlie visited college campuses, he was not there to give speeches and presentations. Instead, he was there to respectfully take questions from students – no matter what side of the political aisle they were on – and try to find understanding of one another. In fact, I was looking forward to welcoming Charlie to my district this fall, as he was scheduled to be at the University of Oklahoma in Norman on October 16. Now, we unfortunately won’t get that opportunity.
“Yet, it was in this exact setting, while he was in the literal act of public dialogue, that Charlie was assassinated. It is just sick, tragic, and harrowing. It fills me with grief, not only for his family, friends, and Turning Point USA colleagues, but for our entire nation, as political violence of any kind is never acceptable and, quite frankly, is un-American.
“I have full faith in Director Kash Patel, the FBI, and Utah law enforcement as they actively work to bring justice to Charlie Kirk. However, we, as Americans, should also honor his legacy by engaging in genuine civil debate with those on the other side of the aisle, allowing faith and strong family values to guide us in our lives daily, spreading Charlie’s strong conservative message, and by coming together as a nation to fight back against the evil that exists in this country.
“I am confident that we will overcome this dark chapter. In the meantime, please join me in praying for the soul of Charlie Kirk, his family, his friends, his fans, and our country. May Charlie Kirk rest in peace,”said Congressman Cole.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro202-225-6165
Washington, D.C. – Today, on the second anniversary of Iran and Hamas’ evil attack on Israel, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement:
“Today marks two years since the violent October 7th aggression against our great ally, Israel. Hamas and Iran’s inexcusable violence resulted in the deadliest attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, resulting in the death of over 1,200 innocent people. It was just pure evil – and, sadly, Israel is still fighting for its right to survive to this day,” said Congressman Cole. “So, today, as we remember this solemn day, we honor those who were killed, pray for the safe return of every hostage, continue to stand with Israel, and thank President Trump for his efforts to secure long lasting peace in the region.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries joined MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, where he pointed out how Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans continue to impose a reckless healthcare crisis and government shutdown on the American people, while House Democrats continue to stand up for the best interests of everyday Americans.
CHRIS HAYES: Joining me now is Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Leader Jeffries, it’s good to have you on. I know that you have known Tish James for a long time, so first just your response to the news today.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening, Chris. Great to be with you. Tish James is a strong, brilliant, courageous, faithful and patriotic woman and a great Attorney General. And it’s a shame that she’s being victimized in this way by Donald Trump and his corrupt Department of Justice. We’re in the midst of a Trump-caused government shutdown. The military is on the verge of not being paid, notwithstanding the fact that our men and women in uniform continue to put their lives on the line, we have a Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating people all across the country and Donald Trump could care less. The Republicans who are sycophants in the House and the Senate could care less. Instead they’re focused on bringing baseless charges and weaponizing the Department of Justice against perceived political adversaries.
CHRIS HAYES: You put a statement out in response to the news of Tish James’ indictment in which you said, among other things, that those sycophants who aid and abet the President’s vengeful schemes will not be able to hide from serious legal consequences of their behavior. They will be held accountable. What do you mean by that?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well there’s two things to keep in mind here. First of all, there’s accountability for the corruption and the chaos that Donald Trump has unleashed on the American people from the very beginning of his presidency on January 20 that should be tied directly to the Supreme Court and the six right-wing justices who basically gave Donald Trump, without justification, blanket immunity. And he’s been out of control ever since. So that’s problem number one. Problem number two, of course, is the fact that there are so many different corrupt sycophants within the Trump administration, including but not limited to within the Department of Justice. Now these people don’t have immunity. And the reality is, the statute of limitations is five years, and there will be accountability with the next administration, if not before, when Democrats take back control of the House of Representatives.
CHRIS HAYES: There has been now a spate of obviously politically motivated, I think it’s fair to say, indictments. We’ve seen James Comey. We’ve seen now Letitia James. A member of your caucus, LaMonica McIver, already indicted for her presence near an ICE facility, a contracted ICE facility. What are you telling your Members? I mean, you’ve got Adam Schiff, who appears to possibly be next. It’s like, what are you telling your Members about how to operate in a world in which the President seems intent on abusing the Justice Department to go after political opponents.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re not going to be intimidated. We’re not going to bend the knee. We don’t work for Donald Trump. We don’t work for JD Vance. We don’t work for corrupt billionaires who fund these Republicans. We work for the American people. And this moment is gonna continue to require bravery and courage and character and conviction. But we stand on the shoulders of giants like John Lewis, who many of us served with, who also faced adversity, storms, turbulence, as they were trying to turn things around in this country. And we’re going to have to continue to rise to the occasion, and I’m so thankful for my colleagues in the House and in the Senate who continue to do so, including as it relates to defending the healthcare of the American people, holding the line and making sure we can get the things turned around in this country that need to be turned around for all Americans in blue states, in purple states and red states, whether you’re a Democrat or independent or Republican, this is a fight that we’re engaged in on all of the things for all of the people.
CHRIS HAYES: You talked about the issue of military pay and the possibility of it lapsing soon. I wanted to play you an exchange the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, had with a C-SPAN caller about exactly that issue and then ask you if there’s a way to work that out as a kind of side bill. Take a listen.
RECORDING OF C-SPAN CALLER: I have two medically fragile children, and as a Republican, I am very disappointed in my party, and I’m very disappointed in you because you do have the power to call the House back. You did that, or you refused to do that just for show. I’m begging you to pass this legislation. My kids could die.
CHRIS HAYES: You said you would support a stand-alone bill that would allow for full military pay. Do you still feel that way? And has there been any conversation with the Speaker’s office about that possibility?
LEADER JEFFRIES:There has been no conversation with the Speaker’s office, unfortunately. He’s made the decision. They canceled votes last week, canceled votes this week. He’s planning, apparently, to cancel votes next week. House Republicans have been on vacation, notwithstanding the fact that they’ve shut the government down. They refuse to pay our military. They refuse to deal with this healthcare crisis that they’ve inflicted on the American people, which includes but is not limited to the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, the fact that hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all across the country, including in rural America, because of what Republicans have done with their One Big Ugly Bill. And now they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which is going to result in tens of millions of Americans throughout the country experiencing increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles, which could cost the American people thousands of dollars per year, sending many into medical bankruptcy or having to go without seeing a doctor when they need one. The whole enterprise that Republicans have been running over the last several weeks is extraordinary. It’s political malpractice and it is hurting the American people and now it’s going to have an adverse impact on our men and women in uniform and military families.
CHRIS HAYES: So you would—you think Johnson should call the House back and you can have a vote next week about military pay, knock that out of the way, that would be your position, right, if you were given the Speaker’s Gavel?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, my position would be, the Republicans need to get back into town and get off of their vacations. We already, Leader Schumer, myself, Democrats have consistently said, we’ll sit down any place, anywhere, with anyone at any time in order to find a bipartisan path forward, reopen the government, but at the same time we have to address the devastating Republican healthcare crisis that’s impacting people in small town America, rural America, the heartland of America, urban America, as well as in Black and brown communities all across America. So it’s all of the above. The Republicans have been missing in action. You can’t find them. They, along with the President, have been in the witness protection program—it’s extraordinary—while the American people are suffering. So absolutely, Chris, the House should be back in session. Keep in mind that since July, under this Republican control of the House, we’ve only worked 15 days in Washington and during those 15 days Republicans have done nothing to make life better for the American people.
CHRIS HAYES: There’s some reporting from a private call among the Republicans in their own conference that I want to share with you, which happened today. Three GOP lawmakers—Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, Obernolte of California and Julie Fedorchak of North Dakota—raised concerns about the House remaining out of session next week, according to a source on the call. ‘I think we’re going to get to a point where it’s damaging to continue to keep the House out of the session,’ Obernolte told fellow Republicans. ‘I think that we’ve gotten to that point.’ And on that question. It seems as if part of the motivation here is to keep Adelita Grijalva, recently elected to represent, I think, the 7th District in Arizona, from joining Congress, where she would be an addition to the Democratic Caucus and the 218th petition signature on the discharge petition, which, when it happens, would lock the petition and require a vote on it. I asked Ro Khanna this last night. I know you talked to my colleague, Jen Psaki. Is it your belief that that is what is motivating the refusal to swear in Adelita Grijalva, or do you think there’s any other plausible explanation?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think there are only really two explanations. One, Republicans want to keep the government shut down, and they have no willingness to address the healthcare crisis that they’ve inflicted on the American people. And at the same time, they want to prevent the release of the Epstein files. And that certainly is the reason why they don’t want to call us back into session, because calling us back into session would require that Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva be sworn in, and she will be the 218th signature needed to trigger an up or down vote on the release of the Epstein files, and that will pass. And that apparently terrifies Speaker Johnson, it terrifies the Republicans and it certainly terrifies Donald Trump.
CHRIS HAYES: That’s an important point. I just want to stay with that for a second, which is that as long as they’re out of session and they’re doing pro forma sessions, it’s at the Speaker’s discretion, whether she gets sworn in in the pro forma session. But once they come back for session, he no longer has this ability to bar her from swearing in, presumably, right? Like that is the thing that is giving him the power to block her right now is that they are not in session.
LEADER JEFFRIES: That’s absolutely correct. You know he really should be swearing in Adelita in these pro forma sessions that we’ve had—
CHRIS HAYES: In pro forma like they have before, right.
LEADER JEFFRIES: No doubt about it, because as you point out, Chris, that’s been done in terms of Republicans swearing in Republicans in pro forma sessions as recently as April. But if he calls us back into session, there is zero justification.
CHRIS HAYES: So final question for you, and I want to just end on this. You’ve been talking about the ACA subsidies specifically. Johnson said today basically that this is all a red herring. He likes to use that phrase. And that basically, look, we were always gonna deal with that. Of course we’re gonna deal with the subsidies issue. You guys are shutting down the government because you’re throwing a tantrum, but we’ll get to it. Just open the government and then we’ll have a conversation. We’ll figure it out. That seems to be what he’s saying. What’s wrong about that? Why not do that?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our view has been clear over the last several weeks. We were never going to vote for a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. We made that clear in early September, mid-September, late September and we continue to make that clear in October, for several reasons. But the Affordable Care Act tax credits is a matter that needs to be dealt with right now. Open enrollment starts on November 1st. Tens of millions of people are receiving notices right now indicating that their premiums are about to go up by thousands of dollars per year. This has to be dealt with with the fierce urgency of now, and we cannot rely on a wing and a prayer from Republicans or a blank check promise, given that this group of people has tried to gut the healthcare of the American people and has targeted the Affordable Care Act literally for the last 15 years. We need to get this done and we need to this done now.
CHRIS HAYES: Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thanks so much for making the time tonight.