Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has awarded the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Foundation, whose board is based in Radford, Virginia, a $500,000 grant for workforce development. The funding will support the training of 200 individuals, service to 100 businesses and eight workforce development initiatives. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“The ‘Workforce Ready’ project seeks to train and develop Southwest Virginia’s workforce.
“This ARC grant for $500,000 helps New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Development Foundation strengthen the regional workforce pipeline.”
BACKGROUND
Project “Workforce Ready” will expand training and credentialing opportunities throughout Bland, Carroll, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Montgomery, Pulaski, Smyth, Washington and Wythe Counties. The Cities of Bristol, Galax and Radford will also receive support.
Two groups will be subgrantees of this ARC grant to carry out technical training and outreach efforts. These groups are the Center for Manufacturing Excellence of Southwest Virginia and the Virginia Tech Center for Economic and Community Engagement.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
Griffith Statement on Passing of Damascus Town Council Member Jack McCrady
Damascus Town Councilman Jack Richard McCrady, Jr. passed away on Thursday, October 2. In response to his passing, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Jack McCrady provided strong and experienced leadership that benefitted his Southwest Virginia community. As a mayor, town councilman and Board of Supervisors member, Jack McCrady’s decades-long career served Washington County and his hometown of Damascus. He contributed to many different community ventures, including his service on the very first Appalachian Trail Days committee. I join Washington County officials and residents in mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant.”
BACKGROUND
An obituary for Councilman McCrady can be found here. His visitation is scheduled for this Sunday, October 5.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, where he reiterated that Democrats are ready to negotiate bipartisan legislation that ends the Republican government shutdown and protects the healthcare of the American people.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Leader Jeffries joins us now. Mike Johnson, the Speaker, says real people are being harmed. This has to come to an end. Your response? Also, anything new? Any possibilities a deal could be reached today and the government reopens?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good morning. We’re in day three of the Trump Republican shutdown because Republicans don’t want to provide healthcare to working-class Americans. We know that real people are being hurt, and that unfortunately has been the case since the beginning of the Trump administration on January 20th. It was Speaker Johnson, Republicans in the House and the Senate, along with Donald Trump and the administration, who passed this One Big Ugly Bill that set in motion the healthcare crisis that the American people are dealing with right now. Largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. And all that was done so that they could provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors. Now, they don’t want to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for everyday Americans, and that’s shameful.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Okay, so in a perfect world, you know, this would be about the continuing resolution, about a debate about policy, a debate about healthcare. There wouldn’t be disinformation and lies about—this is about migrants getting healthcare that the Democrats want, and there wouldn’t be Project 2025 aspirations. But I don’t think Democrats can look at this shutdown in a vacuum. The threat of mass firings is as real as the threat of retribution and the threat of ICE raids and deportations. It’s real. So since some who study Project 2025—and we’ve had them on the show earlier now—say the administration is really hoping for a moment like this so they can have these mass firings and weaken the government. Let’s say three or four Democrats break and Republicans get what they want, avoiding these mass firings. What are the consequences for the American people if Republicans get what they want?
LEADER JEFFRIES:Well, listen, we’re ready, willing and able to sit down with anyone, anytime, at any place in order to have a conversation about reopening the government, enacting a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people in terms of their quality of life and addresses the Republican healthcare crisis. And we’ve maintained that position for weeks. Republicans, unfortunately, have shown no interest in doing anything responsible to address the healthcare crisis that they’ve created because they want to continue to wreak havoc on the American people. And the reality is, during the duration, the entirety of the Trump administration, I think we’re on day 257 of the chaos that has been unleashed on the American people, they have already engaged in mass firings. They’ve done this outside of the context of a government shutdown. They’ve already unleashed masked ICE agents on law-abiding immigrant families. They’ve done that outside of the context of a government shutdown. They’ve already enacted this massive tax break for their billionaire donors while taking healthcare away from more than 14 million Americans. Enough already. This is who they are. And the government shutdown is just a continuation of that effort.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: So Leader Jeffries, Senate Leader Thune has said in recent days that, he says anyway, Republicans would be willing to negotiate on ACA, but doing it separately from the government funding situation. And that was something that Minority Leader Schumer agreed with back in the spring. So if that does come to the table, if that’s a real offer here, hey, let’s talk about ACA, let’s fund the government short-term and then let’s deal with ACA now and then revisit the government down the road. Is that something Democrats would be interested in?
LEADER JEFFRIES:Our position is cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare. And that has to be done at this moment in time in the context of this unprecedented Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people. Largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Triggering a possible $536 billion cut to Medicare at the end of this year if Congress doesn’t act because of what Republicans did in their One Big Ugly Bill. We know that hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics all across the country, including in rural America, are closing down right now because of the Republican assault on the healthcare of everyday Americans. And they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which is going to result in more than 20 million Americans receiving notices, many that have already gone out, indicating that their healthcare premiums, copays and deductibles are about to skyrocket. And we already live in a high cost of living environment. America’s too expensive. Donald Trump hasn’t lowered costs on day one, which he promised. They’re making life more expensive. That’s why this has to be dealt with, as Dr. King once observed, with the fierce urgency of now.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: So Leader Jeffries, it’s I guess a very 2025 thing that we’re dealing with this. But as part of these negotiations, apparently, a feature are AI themed videos that President Trump is sending out of you. One the other day in which you’re featuring wearing a sombrero and a mustache and you alongside Senator Schumer saying things that you did not actually say and then one posted overnight where President Trump with a Trump 2028 hat, which he did actually have on his desk in your meeting with him. He threw it in this video on your head and laughed. Can you just talk to us about what that meeting was like with the President of the United States and, you know, what is your response to these antics here at a moment when as you—government is shut down?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s further confirmation that Republicans are the ones who were clearly determined to shut the government down because everything that President Trump has done subsequent to Monday has been unhinged and unserious. In fact, Donald Trump is in the presidential witness protection program. No one can find him when it comes to the government shutdown issue because he knows he’s responsible for having caused it. And the behavior—the erratic behavior that we’ve seen—is further confirmation of that unfortunate fact. Yet as Democrats, Leader Schumer, myself, House Democrats, Senate Democrats we’ve been clear. Listen, we’ll sit down in good faith. We need to reopen the government in this Trump Republican government shutdown. And we can find a bipartisan path toward a spending agreement, but that spending agreement has to actually meet the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety and their economic well-being, particularly as it relates to driving down the high cost of living and lowering healthcare costs as opposed to driving millions of Americans into medical bankruptcy because of the Republicans’ refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.
JOHN HEILEMANN: Leader Jeffries, hey. Heilemann here. So this—I want to ask about the politics of this, right? There’s—people talk about this a game of chicken, really is a game of chicken. It’s really—between the kind of moderates in each party, who’s going to blink first? And in—especially these very narrow margins that we’re talking about in the House and the Senate. In terms of the Democrats in your Caucus, how confident are you in the solidarity, the unity, the cohesion of your Members in the House? And then tell me whether you are as confident about that in terms of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
LEADER JEFFRIES: House and Senate Democrats are united, and House Democrats within our own Caucus are definitively united as it relates to standing up for the healthcare of the American people and fighting to address this healthcare crisis that Republicans have addressed or created as part of this broader challenge where the cost of living environment in the United States of America, it’s out of control. And Donald Trump despite all of his promises is making it worse. The Trump tariffs are making things worse. Thousands of dollars in additional expenses. So this is the right substantive fight on behalf of the American people for us to have and that’s what unites Democrats in the House and in the Senate.
JOHN HEILEMANN: I believe you about House Democrats, okay, but we saw in the last time we did this, we went through this dance, you saw Leader Schumer decide to give the Republicans the votes to keep the government open. You’ve seen two Democrats in the Senate Democratic Caucus already vote to keep the government open, Senator Fetterman and Senator Cortez Masto. You now are hearing talk about Jeanne Shaheen starting to float the possibility of making a deal. So I’ll ask you again, why is it different? Why are you so confident, or why are you saying you’re so confident, that the Senate situation is different this time around when, at least to my eye, you can already start to see some kind of cracks potentially emerging on that side of Capitol Hill in your party?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, when you think about what Republicans have done over the last several months, particularly as it relates to their One Big Ugly Bill and the devastation that has been caused with respect to the healthcare of the American people, House and Senate Democrats were entirely united. Every single House Democrat voted against that toxic piece of legislation, and so did every single Senate Democrat. And we’ve been working in lockstep since that moment, regularly in communication across the Capitol with each other. And we know, listen, if you think about the Republican healthcare crisis, it’s an assault on the healthcare of working class Americans, rural Americans, urban Americans, small town Americans, the heartland of America, as well as Black and brown communities throughout America. That pretty much covers everyone. And so we’re united in this fight to make sure we are defending our constituents and defending the American people and trying to fix this broken healthcare system that Republicans have destroyed.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: So, Leader Jeffries, can you talk a little bit about the effectiveness of the messaging here on both sides? Quite frankly, there have been a lot of claims about what this is about that don’t appear to be what this is about. And the polls are kind of not definitive on this as well. What more can Democrats do to explain to the American people exactly what this is about and exactly what Democrats are doing to try and solve the problem that they say Republicans are putting on the table?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Republicans are lying, of course, because they’re losing. And that’s the reality of the situation. And public sentiment is clearly on the side of understanding that Donald Trump and Republicans have shut the government down. And we know that the public wants to see the Affordable Care Act tax credits renewed for working class Americans. And the public understands that ripping away Medicaid from tens of millions of people affects everyone, whether you’re in a red state, a blue state or a purple state. Now, when Republicans are talking about the notion that Democrats somehow are interested in providing health insurance to undocumented immigrants, we know the law prohibits that. And nothing in any single Democratic proposal has suggested that that’s something that we put on the table. Of course not. Which is why, Mika, in the White House meeting on Monday, which was over an hour, the issue of healthcare for undocumented immigrants was brought up for less than 10 seconds and then dismissed because nobody in that room, including the President, the Vice President, Leader Thune or Mike Johnson, thinks this is a serious issue. It’s an external issue. It’s part of, you know, the Republican disinformation machine, and the American people are not going to buy it.
JONATHAN LEMIRE: So, Leader Jeffries, no question some of these are bad faith arguments. But we do want to return to the soundbite from Speaker Johnson at the beginning of this interview, where he acknowledged that working Americans, regular Americans, are going to be feeling pain from this shutdown. And he did note that during the Biden administration, Republicans had a few opportunities to shut the government down and never did. That is factually correct. So with that, how do you, as the Democrat Leader, respond to that sort of rhetoric, that sort of argument he’s making to the American people?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Every single time we were successfully able to fund the government when Republicans controlled the House during the last two years of the Biden administration, it was done because House Democrats provided the overwhelming majority of support because there was an actual negotiation where we could sit down and figure out a bipartisan path forward. But we know throughout the Trump administration, they’ve taken a go-it-alone approach, a my way or the highway approach. And we’re not going to sit there and simply rubber stamp Donald Trump’s extreme agenda and the harm that they continue to do on the American people. This spending bill that is before us right now, that’s a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people and the process that Republicans have undertaken in the House has been incredibly partisan. We’re talking about, you know, $1.7 billion in cuts to the Centers for Disease Control. We’re taking about $450 million in cuts to the National Institutes of Health. We’re talking about continuing this notion that we’re not going to make vaccines available to children and families. That’s what they want to do in this appropriations process. It’s a continuation of an all-out assault on the healthcare and the well-being of the American people. And we’re not going to sign off on that. Now, what Republicans are going to do as they’ve done from the very beginning, Donald Trump says jump, House Republicans, Senate Republicans say how high. They are a rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. We, as House Democrats, Senate Democrats, we’re actually functioning consistent with the Constitution, a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. That’s why we’re standing on the side of the American people.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: House Minority Leader, Democratic Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Thank you very much for coming on the show today.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
October 03, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) are leading a letter to President Trump, expressing grave concerns regarding his executive order Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization and the related memorandum Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence, also known as NSPM-7, and demanding they be immediately rescinded. These directives dangerously conflate constitutionally protected speech and political dissent with terrorism. The memo specifically targets ideologies such as “anti-capitalism,” “anti-Christianity,” and “hostility toward those who hold traditional American views,” raising serious First Amendment, due process, and civil liberties concerns.
The letter is currently circulating with House offices, but excerpts are below.
“While protecting public safety and countering genuine threats are essential responsibilities of government, the sweeping language and broad authority in these directives pose serious constitutional, statutory, and civil liberties risks, especially if used to target political dissent, protest, or ideological speech,” the Members wrote.
“Your memo uses ideologically charged language (e.g., “hostility toward those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality”) that invites enforcement based on an individual’s personal opinions or political beliefs rather than any objective concern for public safety,” the Members continued. “This approach threatens our constituents’ civil liberties. Regardless of whether the President agrees with someone’s political views, the Constitution guarantees their right to speak and assemble peacefully.
“The memo also characterizes ‘anti-capitalism’ as a hallmark of violent behavior without explaining the term,” the Members go on to say. “This omission allows officials to potentially treat Americans as domestic terrorists for something as routine as organizing a local boycott or operating an employee-owned business. That lack of clarity threatens to chill lawful activism and punish economic alternatives.
“Additionally, the memo’s inclusion of “anti-Christianity” as a concern implies that criticism of Christian doctrines or institutions may qualify as violent behavior,” the Members continued. “This framing conflicts with the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom and its prohibition against government favoritism toward any faith. Non-Christian religious communities, secular groups, and individual dissenters all have the right to express disagreement with religious doctrines without being treated as threats…Labeling criticism as “anti-Christian” would silence their voices and deter Americans from exercising their rights. This risk becomes especially acute if enforcement shifts from protecting religious freedom to penalizing dissent from certain traditions.
“While the threat of political violence demands vigilance, your administration must not use this moment to undermine the very constitutional and democratic principles we are sworn to uphold. These actions are illegal, and we demand you immediately rescind both the memorandum and the executive order. We stand ready to take legislative action should you fail to do so,” the Members concluded.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, joined Congressman Pat Ryan (NY-18), an Army combat veteran, and 25 colleagues in strongly rejecting President Trump’s blatantly political address to senior military officials at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
“We write as freedom-loving Patriots to strongly reject both the rhetoric and substance of your remarks,” the lawmakers’ letter to President Trump began. “We know firsthand what it means to put our lives on the line for our country; and we urge you to hear us when we say that this is not what any of our brave young men and women in uniform signed up for.”
Addressing a group of more than 800 general and flag officers – each abruptly pulled from national security missions across the world – Trump doubled down on his unprecedented, unconstitutional deployment of U.S. troops against U.S. citizens in American cities. Trump ramped up his already extreme rhetoric, suggesting Democratic-run cities should be a “training ground” for troops, and that a major goal of the armed forces will be fighting the “war from within.”
“What kind of message does that send to young Patriots, called to service because they love this country with such ferocity that they want to dedicate their lives to defending it, regardless of who happens to be in power?,” the lawmakers wrote. “Your actions will directly hurt our military in the long run – making every American less safe. In fact, they threaten the very fabric of that sacred apolitical relationship and our position as the world’s preeminent democracy. Men and women who have sacrificed everything to serve in uniform should not and cannot be used as political pawns to wage war against your political foes.”
“This nation and our Constitution demand an apolitical military,” the lawmakers concluded. “We’re teetering on the knife’s edge, and silence is not an option. It is on every Patriot, especially those who served, to stand up and stand against this blatant abuse of the world’s most lethal fighting force. We ignore this moment at the peril of ourselves, our children, and the very future of this country we love so dearly.”
This letter is supported by Representatives Wesley Bell (MO-01), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Jason Crow (CO-06), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Dave Min (CA-47), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Eric Sorensen (IL-17), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Derek Tran (CA-45), Eugene Vindman (VA-07) and James Walkinshaw (VA-11).
The full text of the letter is below.
Mr. President,
We write as freedom-loving Patriots to strongly reject both the rhetoric and substance of your remarks at Marine Corps Base Quantico. In front of more than 800 general and flag officers, pulled from their critical missions around the world, you delivered an overtly partisan political speech and doubled down on your blatantly unconstitutional plans to deploy U.S. troops against U.S. citizens in American cities. As representatives of the American people we want to be clear: our constituents are not made safer by the deployment of American troops against their fellow citizens. In fact, this is deeply antithetical to our country’s founding values of liberty and justice.
Many of us served in combat zones in America’s foreign wars – we know firsthand what it means to put our lives on the line for our country; and we urge you to hear us when we say that this is not what any of our brave young men and women in uniform signed up for.
You suggested that our men and women in uniform deploy on U.S. soil against American citizens, as “training grounds,” threatening something so deeply un-American it may break the fabric of our democracy and the bedrock principles of an apolitical military that this country was founded on.
You looked our finest senior military leaders in the eyes and said “This is going to be a major part for some people in this room. It’s a war too, it’s a war from within.” You would rather the United States military respond to your partisan whims and political agenda than adhere to the Constitution and respond to the real threats that face this nation.
What kind of message does that send to young Patriots, called to service because they love this country with such ferocity that they want to dedicate their lives to defending it, regardless of who happens to be in power?
Your actions will directly hurt our military in the long run – making every American less safe. In fact, they threaten the very fabric of that sacred apolitical relationship and our position as the world’s preeminent democracy. Men and women who have sacrificed everything to serve in uniform should not and cannot be used as political pawns to wage war against your political foes. As the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley said, “We don’t take an oath to an individual. We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.”
This nation and our Constitution demand an apolitical military. We’re teetering on the knife’s edge, and silence is not an option. It is on every Patriot, especially those who served, to stand up and stand against this blatant abuse of the world’s most lethal fighting force. We ignore this moment at the peril of ourselves, our children, and the very future of this country we love so dearly.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Garamendi – Representing California’s 3rd Congressional District
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman John Garamendi (CA-08), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, released the following statement after President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unprecedented and unnecessary meeting with the military’s top leadership:
“In all my years of public service and throughout my time in Congress, I have never seen such a wasteful, pointless, and blatantly partisan display as what Trump and Hegseth staged today.
“To put it in perspective, meetings like this have almost never taken place with this many senior military leaders in one place at one time. There is no strategic or practical need to have the top commanders all in one room.
“It is now clear that in requiring this unprecedented meeting, Trump and Hegseth summoned all of the nation’s top military commanders from around the globe for nothing more than another Trump campaign rally.
“As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, I have worked with many of these generals and admirals. They are exceptional, dedicated, hard-working individuals who have been diverted from the critical functions that they perform in their command responsibilities around the world.
“The taxpayer cost of pulling these leaders from active-duty worldwide is enormous, the national security risks are grave, and for what? To hear Trump incoherently ramble and for Hegseth to lecture our senior military leaders about working out more. A slap in the face to our non-partisan military leaders who swore an oath to the Constitution, not wannabe kings.
“President Trump’s suggestion that we use American cities as training grounds for the U.S. military is just another example of his dangerous rhetoric and willingness to use the world’s strongest military against its own people.
“This is not the conduct of a serious president or a serious Secretary of Defense. It was a meaningless spectacle that undermined readiness, wasted taxpayer dollars, and disrespected our armed forces.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) reintroduced legislation to reduce the cost of higher education for students across California and the United States. The Degrees Not Debt Act would double the maximum Pell Grant award to $14,800, decreasing the amount of burdensome student loan debt for individuals pursuing higher education, and index that award cap to inflation by the 2028-2029 school year.
“I firmly believe higher education should be a ladder to success, not a lifetime of financial strain,”said Rep. Carbajal.“Today, student debt is holding back millions of Americans from building the lives they deserve, and that’s not acceptable. My legislation will double the Pell Grant award, helping students graduate with less debt and more opportunity.”
The Degrees Not Debt Act has the endorsement of the National Education Association, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, University of California System, California State University System, California Community Colleges, Allan Hancock College, Santa Barbara City College, Ventura College, and Cuesta College.
“The University of California is proud to support the Degrees Not Debt Act, which would help ensure that the cost of higher education will not stand in the way of the nation’s college students. By doubling the Pell Grant and indexing it to inflation, this legislation would make an enormous difference. We must invest in the federal financial aid programs that enable students to access a high-quality and affordable education; they represent America’s future. UC appreciates Congressman Carbajal’s leadership and commends his commitment to the success of students across California and the nation,”said University of California Provost Katherine S. Newman.
“We are deeply appreciative of Rep. Carbajal and the cosponsors of the Degrees Not Debt Act for proposing legislation that invests in America’s workforce and communities by increasing the maximum Pell Grant award,” said California State University Chancellor Mildred García. “At the CSU, nearly half of our students rely on the Pell Grant each year to stay enrolled, pursue a life-changing degree and graduate with little to no debt. This legislation will help ensure that talented and diverse students for generations to come will be able to access higher education that would otherwise be out of reach.”
“The California Community Colleges are grateful for the leadership of Rep. Carbajal in standing up for affordability and access. Our guiding framework, Vision 2030, calls for policymakers to double down on ensuring that our students have access to financial aid that will enable to them to complete their education and enter today’s fast-changing workforce. The Pell Grant is such a critical tool and this legislation would be a game changer for students and the workforce nationwide,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian.
Carbajal worked with House Democrats and the Biden-Harris Administration to raise the maximum Pell award for the 2023-2024 school year to $7,395, $500 higher than the previous year and $900 higher than 2021. These increases constitutethe largest Pell increase in a decade.
Student loan debt in the U.S. totals more than $1.8 trillion– significantly larger than thetotal credit card debtheld by Americans. Californians owemore than the average U.S. student loan borrower. As of June 2025, $151.5 billion in student loan debt belongs to California residents, with $38,300 being the average student loan debt. Close to 4 million student borrowers live in California.
About one in three U.S. college students—or more than 6 million students across the nation—currently rely on Pell Grants to help pay the enormous costs of college. But the current maximum Pell Grant award only covers a fraction of the average cost of an American four-year college education.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)
October 03, 2025
RIVERSIDE, CA — Today, Rep. Mark Takano (CA-39) released the following statement after the Department of Energy (DOE) terminated grants that total more than $1,000,000,000 for University of California institutions including UC, Riverside, to lead the way for the transition to clean, cheap energy:
“Trump’s campaign of political retribution continues, this time canceling grants which will halt projects that boost clean energy production. These much-needed investments create jobs, lower energy costs, and help invest in the future of energy right here in the Inland Empire.
“Trump needs to reopen the government and fix the healthcare crisis the GOP created. In my district, 48,275 people will lose health coverage because of Republican cuts to Medi-Cal?in the Big Ugly Law and their plot to gut the Affordable Care Act, and 21,000 people will see their premiums dramatically spike in just two months.
“Instead of cowardly attacking middle-class jobs here in California, Trump needs to cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save healthcare.”
Background on Canceled Grants
California-Based Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) was selected as a finalist for a DOE funding apart of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (H2Hub) program. The California consortium was in negotiations to secure an estimated $1.2 billion in federal funding secured by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The California Hydrogen Hub would have introduced clean hydrogen energy to heavy duty transport, trucking, port operations, and public transportation. The Hub aimed to reduce carbon emissions by 2 million metric tons per year – the equivalent of the annual emissions of 445,000 gas powered cars.
“Today’s decision to withdraw federal funding for ARCHES ignores the critical benefits our projects will deliver – including 220,000 American jobs and stronger national energy security and resilience. The ARCHES Ecosystem and Marketplace will continue to advance in collaboration with state leaders and private sector innovators – building on our strong foundation to create a reliable, future-focused domestic hydrogen network for California and beyond,” said ARCHES CEO, Angelina Galiteva.
UC, Riverside will lose a $6 million federal grant to develop advanced catalytic technology to reduce Earth-warming methane pollution in the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)
LAFAYETTE, LA – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry (R-LA) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins highlighting the lack of Southern representation in the newly proposed regional hub locations of Raleigh, NC; Kansas City, MO; Indianapolis, IN; Fort Collins, CO; and Salt Lake City, UT. The letter proposes adding New Orleans, LA, as an alternative site.
“Despite the Democrat-forced shutdown, my advocacy for Louisiana and access to the White House remain unaffected,” said Congressman Higgins. “President Trump and Secretary Rollins are right to decentralize the Department of Agriculture from Washington D.C. bureaucrats. However, I’m concerned that the Deep South and Gulf Coast are underrepresented in the current slate of proposed locations.”
In the letter, Congressman Higgins and Governor Landry wrote, “I urge your full and fair consideration for Louisiana to be home to a USDA Regional Hub, specifically New Orleans as it is located on the vital Mississippi River and operates as a world-renowned center of trade. A regional hub in New Orleans would represent commodities not served by any of the other hub locations, especially cotton, sugarcane and rice.”
These directives dangerously conflate constitutionally protected speech and political dissent with terrorism. The memo specifically targets ideologies such as “anti-capitalism,” “anti-Christianity,” and “hostility toward those who hold traditional American views,” raising serious First Amendment, due process, and civil liberties concerns.
The letter is currently circulating with House offices, but excerpts are below.
“While protecting public safety and countering genuine threats are essential responsibilities of government, the sweeping language and broad authority in these directives pose serious constitutional, statutory, and civil liberties risks, especially if used to target political dissent, protest, or ideological speech,” the Members wrote.
“Your memo uses ideologically charged language (e.g., “hostility toward those who hold traditional American views on family, religion, and morality”) that invites enforcement based on an individual’s personal opinions or political beliefs rather than any objective concern for public safety,” the Members continued.“This approach threatens our constituents’ civil liberties. Regardless of whether the President agrees with someone’s political views, the Constitution guarantees their right to speak and assemble peacefully.
“The memo also characterizes ‘anti-capitalism’ as a hallmark of violent behavior without explaining the term,” the Members go on to say. “This omission allows officials to potentially treat Americans as domestic terrorists for something as routine as organizing a local boycott or operating an employee-owned business. That lack of clarity threatens to chill lawful activism and punish economic alternatives.
“Additionally, the memo’s inclusion of “anti-Christianity” as a concern implies that criticism of Christian doctrines or institutions may qualify as violent behavior,” the Members continued. “This framing conflicts with the Constitution’s guarantee of religious freedom and its prohibition against government favoritism toward any faith. Non-Christian religious communities, secular groups, and individual dissenters all have the right to express disagreement with religious doctrines without being treated as threats…Labeling criticism as “anti-Christian” would silence their voices and deter Americans from exercising their rights. This risk becomes especially acute if enforcement shifts from protecting religious freedom to penalizing dissent from certain traditions.
“While the threat of political violence demands vigilance, your administration must not use this moment to undermine the very constitutional and democratic principles we are sworn to uphold. These actions are illegal, and we demand you immediately rescind both the memorandum and the executive order. We stand ready to take legislative action should you fail to do so,” the Members concluded.