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

Today, Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) hosted his annual higher education roundtable at Shenandoah University with higher education leaders from across Virginia’s Sixth District. The event was an opportunity for Rep. Cline to hear directly from participants and discuss technology integration, risk management, and more.

Congressman Cline was joined by Shenandoah University President Dr. Tracy Fitzsimmons, Radford University President Dr. Bret Danilowicz, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Assistant Vice President for Government Relations Stephanie Giesecke, Bridgewater College President Dr. David Bushman, Mary Baldwin University President Dr. Todd Telemeco, Eastern Mennonite University Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon Dycus, Laurel Ridge Community College President Dr. Kimberly Blosser, Washington and Lee University President Dr. William Dudley, Virginia Tech President Dr. Tim Sands, and Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia President The Honorable Chris Peace.

“Educators hold one of the most important roles in our nation. Today, institutions of higher education and their students face a range of challenges, from rising research costs and rapid technological change to internal pressures and student debt. Forums like these help me do my job more effectively by ensuring that federal policies create real opportunities for both students and faculty to succeed,” said Rep. Cline. “It was great to join so many higher education leaders in Shenandoah to hear their ideas and share the steps I’m taking to strengthen higher education across Virginia.”

In the 119^th Congress, Congressman Cline cosponsored the SCORE Act (H.R. 4312), which is designed to protect the rights of college athletes by providing a federal framework for NIL agreements. He also cosponsored the Dismantle DEI Act of 2025 (H.R. 925), which aims to prohibit certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in the federal government and federal funded entities. Finally, he cosponsored the Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025 (H.R. 632), which prohibits the award of federal funds to an institution of higher education that hosts or is affiliated with a school-based service site that provides abortion drugs or abortions to its students or employees.

In the 118^th Congress, Congressman Cline cosponsored the Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act of 2023 (H.R. 1216), which would strengthen loan counseling requirements to ensure colleges are fully preparing their students to take out loans in a responsible manner. He also cosponsored the Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act (H.R. 1250), which would ensure that students of owners of family farms or small businesses would not be unfairly penalized in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.

In the 117^th Congress, Congressman Cline cosponsored the Responsible Education Assistance through Loan (REAL) Reforms Act (H.R. 8655), which offers commonsense, fiscally responsible reforms that protects students, borrowers, and taxpayers. He also cosponsored the Simplified Joint Consolidation Separation Act (H.R. 8909), which would establish a more efficient process for separating joint consolidation loans to ensure timely relief for borrowers and ensure the Education Secretary’s authority is narrowly tailored to help those in need.

In the 116^th Congress, Congressman Cline served on the House Education and Labor Committee’s Subcommittee on Higher Education, and cosponsored the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act of 2019 (H.R. 4098), which revises requirements governing the financing and accreditation of postsecondary education. Congressman Cline also cosponsored the Education Savings Accounts for Military Families Act of 2019 (H.R. 1605), which directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a tax-exempt Military Education Savings Account to provide children with parents on active duty in the uniformed services with funds to pay educational expenses.

Congressman Ben Cline represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia. He previously was an attorney in private practice and served both as an assistant prosecutor and a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Cline and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Botetourt County with their two children.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — On Day Eight of the Democrat Government Shutdown, Speaker Johnson held a press conference alongside House GOP Leadership and Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to highlight the negative consequences being wrought in states around the country by this shutdown, and to remind the American people that the fastest and best way to ensure U.S. troops, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers don’t miss a paycheck is for Senate Democrats to vote to reopen the government.

“I want everybody to listen to me very carefully. Hakeem Jeffries and the House Democrats are clamoring to get back here and have another vote because some of them want to get on record and say they’re for paying the troops. We already had that vote, it’s called the CR,” Speaker Johnson said.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks here.

On the pain caused around the country by the Democrat Government Shutdown:

Today we’re going talk to about some of the consequences of that shutdown and what it means to real people around this country. Real Americans are experiencing the devastating cost of their political antics here. And I’m going to read you some sample quotes and headlines that we just collected yesterday from around the country.

Here’s a headline from The Hill: “GOP Leaders Point to Capitol Police Missed Paychecks as Shutdown Drags On.” So today, the U.S. Capitol police officers are going to come to work to bravely protect U.S. government officials and staff in these dangerous times. And they’re going to do that without pay. Many Democrats in this chamber, by the way I want to note, are going to receive paychecks this month while the men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police who are protecting them will not.

Here’s another headline from the New York Post: “Aviation Groups Warn, A Government Shutdown Will Delay Aircraft Safety Inspections, Maintenance Work on Critical Equipment.” While Air Traffic Controllers are going to continue to serve in their posts, critical safety inspections are going to stop, increasing risk for air travelers that affects everybody.

Here’s another headline from Georgia Local Media: “Central Georgia Food Banks Prepare for a Surge of New Clients During the Government Shutdown.” It’s a sad headline. Remember, Georgia’s two Democrat Senators, Warnock and Ossoff, have now voted five times to keep the government closed down – five times so far. I suspect they may continue and they’re hurting real people in the state of Georgia.

Here’s one from New Hampshire local media: “National Parks Caught in the Crosshairs of Government Shutdown.” Let me point out that both senators from New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen and Hassan, have repeatedly voted to keep the government, and New Hampshire’s National Park sites, closed by extension.

How about New Jersey? Here’s a headline yesterday: “Hospital At-Home Telehealth Programs on Hold Amid Government Shutdown.” You got two Democrat senators in New Jersey, Andy Kim and Cory Booker, and they have repeatedly voted against funding these programs, which New Jerseyans rely upon daily.

Here’s one from Michigan: “Michigan Nonprofit Leaders Said a Shutdown Would Be at Best Disruptive and at Worst, Potentially Devastating for Local Communities”. There are two Democrat senators in Michigan, Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin, and they have voted now five times to enable this devastation upon their communities.

One more, and I could do this all day. Here’s one more from CBS News: “Government Shut Down Fears Have Colorado Food Banks Bracing for Potential New Visitors.” You guessed it. Two Democrat senators from Colorado, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, they keep voting over and over to keep the government closed.

On the House passing the CR to ensure troops and air traffic controllers are paid:

I want everybody to listen to me very carefully. Hakeem Jeffries and the House Democrats are clamoring to get back here and have another vote because some of them want to get on record and say they’re for paying the troops. We already had that vote — it’s called the CR. Every Republican and at least one Democrat had the common sense to say, of course we want the government to stay in operation. Of course we want to pay our troops and our air traffic controllers and our border patrol agents, TSA agents, and everybody else. We did have that vote. The House, I keep saying, the House did its job. We did that almost three weeks ago. And every Democrat in the House, except one, voted against it.

They voted that they did not want the troops to be paid. They did not want TSA agents to be paid. They did not want air traffic controllers, border patrol agents and all the rest. They live with that vote. They made that decision. The House is done. The ball is now in the Senate’s court. It does us no good to be here dithering on show votes. We did it. We sent the product over. It is clean. It is 24 pages in length. It’s the most bare minimum that’s necessary to keep the lights on for the people. Chuck Schumer and 43 of his colleagues, Democrats, continue to do the wrong thing. We’re not having it.

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

Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The 11th Hour, where he highlighted that while Republicans remain radio silent, Democrats are ready to find a bipartisan government funding agreement to reopen the government and end the healthcare crisis that Republicans created. 

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Leader Jeffries, thank you for joining me. We are now in day seven of the shutdown. A week from now, military paychecks could be missed. There are already travel disruptions and a host of other problems. Where are we on ending this thing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good evening, great to be with you. As House Democrats, along with Senate Democrats, we’ve continued to make clear, we’ll sit down with anyone, anytime, anyplace, including the President, we’ll go back to the Oval Office, to have a conversation about reopening the government immediately, ending this Trump shutdown, entering into a spending agreement that actually makes life better for the American people, as opposed to hurting everyday Americans. And, certainly, we need to address the Republican healthcare crisis because it’s devastating everyday Americans all across the country.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Even if Republicans come to the negotiating table, is there any point in agreeing to anything without a binding agreement that the White House actually spends the money?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, exactly to your point, in the continuing resolution that we’ve introduced in both the House and the Senate, we’ve made clear that if we reach an agreement, it has to be ironclad so that the things that have actually been included in an agreement to reopen the government and spend taxpayer dollars are actually executed so we can improve the quality of life of the American people. Listen, we’re dealing with a situation here in America where life has gotten more expensive. The cost of living is too high. Donald Trump promised to lower costs on day one. Costs aren’t going down, they’re going up. And because of the Republican refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, we know for tens of millions of Americans across the country, their premiums, co-pays and deductibles are about to go up. That should not be the case here in America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Well, meanwhile, the President and Republicans are arguing that’s not what it’s about. They’re saying Democrats just want to give free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. If you wanted to play pure politics, why not pass the continuing resolution and make Donald Trump show the American people what he’s actually going to do with the Big Beautiful Bill, which would drastically cut healthcare benefits? Because right now, they’re making it sound like, no, this isn’t about the American people. It’s about undocumented immigrants.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, this is not politics. This is personal for all of us in fighting hard to make sure that the American people can actually go see a doctor when they’re sick. That their hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics don’t continue to close, which is a consequence of the One Big Ugly Bill. In fact, with that piece of legislation, that toxic, extreme piece of legislation, Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They also ripped food from the mouths of hungry children. And all of this was done so that they could provide massive tax breaks that are now permanent to their billionaire donors. Our view is that that’s exactly the wrong approach that we should be taking as a government. We should be helping everyday Americans, not rewarding the wealthy, the well-off and the well connected.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Well, now the President wants to bail out American farmers who were hurt by his tariffs. But he cannot do it without Congress. There is no money to bail them out without congressional approval. Could this be an opening for negotiating with Republicans?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Republicans are going to have to decide that they want to act in good faith. And what we’ve seen, unfortunately, from congressional Republicans from the very beginning of this administration, is that they don’t function like a separate and co-equal branch of government. Instead, they’ve served as a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. And they’re hurting their own people. This is one of the reasons why we believe we have to address the Republican healthcare crisis, and we need to do it now. We know farmers and veterans and federal employees, everyday Americans, working-class Americans, middle-class American, they’ve all been hurt by these toxic and extreme Republican policies from the very beginning of this administration. This is an opportunity for Republicans in the House and the Senate to finally decide to actually be there for the people that they represent. Unfortunately, we’re not holding our breath.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Yes, sir. I can hold my breath or not and say yes, yes, yes. But what is the leverage point that’s going to make them play ball? Speaker Johnson says he’s opening to passing legislation that would pay the troops and air traffic controllers during the shutdown. Is that something you guys would consider?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, certainly, it’s been the case that there’s always been efforts to provide support for our military troops, even in the context of a government shutdown. And there are several members of the House Democratic Caucus who are, in fact, leading that effort. But we do need partners on the other side of the aisle who are willing to abandon their extremism and do the right thing for the American people. What we’ve seen instead is that House Republicans, as we speak right now, Stephanie, are on vacation. House Democrats are on duty. Republicans are scattered all across the country. They canceled votes last week. They canceled votes this week. Donald Trump spent the weekend on the golf course. And they haven’t gotten serious about reopening the government that they’ve shut down, and that’s unfortunate. That’s one of the reasons why we remain in this situation. But at the same period of time, Leader Schumer, myself, House and Senate Democrats have made clear, we want to find a bipartisan path forward to reopen the government, to pass a spending agreement that actually lifts up the American people, but it has to be one that decisively addresses the Republican healthcare crisis.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Vacations, excuse me, vacations and golf courses, phones still work. I know you’re not going to give me names, but behind the scenes, are there any Republicans that you’re talking to right now, that you’re having active conversations with in the last few days?

LEADER JEFFRIES: You know, unfortunately, they went radio silent after the Oval Office meeting last week, and there still haven’t been any meaningful conversations with Republicans, either in the House or in the Senate. I think their approach was just to try to continue to put the same bill forward, a partisan Republican spending bill that we’ve repeatedly made clear we won’t support because it guts the healthcare of the American people. Senate Democrats have now voted against it five times, and things aren’t going to change because this is a very real crisis. Premiums, co-pays and deductibles are about to explode. The open enrollment period starts on November 1st. Notices are going out to everyday Americans right now as we speak, and even Marjorie Taylor Greene has acknowledged this is a very real cost of living crisis, and she’s urged her own Republican leaders to get with the program.

STEPHANIE RUHLE: Leader Jeffries, thank you. It is just extraordinary. When there is a crisis in the business world, everybody shows up and fixes it immediately. Government, it’s something different. Good to see you. Thanks for joining me tonight.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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