MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Danny K Davis (7th District of Illinois)

Today’s victory proves a simple truth: when Democrats stay unified, listen to the people, and remain focused on results, we win. A people united will never be defeated. Democrats are on a roll, and this vote shows exactly why. We are fighting for ordinary, everyday Americans—not billionaires and trillionaires who already have more than enough power over our economy and our democracy.

I commend House Democratic leadership—Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar—for leading the successful effort, alongside 17 Republicans, to pass legislation restoring Affordable Care Act tax credits and preventing millions of Americans from losing their healthcare. This was a necessary and overdue action to protect working families and seniors from skyrocketing healthcare costs.

Let’s be clear: while Donald Trump and far-right Republicans talk about lowering the cost of living, their actions repeatedly undermine healthcare access for working- and middle-class Americans. House Democrats are doing the opposite—lowering costs, fixing what is broken, and standing up for the fundamental right to affordable healthcare.

Now the Senate must act. The American people cannot afford delay or political gamesmanship. We will take the House back this year, put America back on track, and ensure that decisions in Washington are made by and for the people—not a wealthy few at the top.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids voted to extend the lifesaving Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that reduced health care costs for more than 160,000 Kansans by an average of $700 a year. House Republican leadership had previously blocked action, allowing these tax credits to expire — driving premiums up by an average of 77 percent nationwide and pushing an estimated 4.2 million Americans off their health insurance. After four Republicans previously joined every Democrat to force a vote on the package, it successfully passed the House today with 213 Democrats and 17 Republicans voting in support.

“Families from both parties are seeing their health care costs go up because Washington failed to act. That’s unacceptable,” said Davids. “Extending these tax credits is about keeping care affordable for families, seniors, and small business owners who are already stretching every dollar — and making sure no one must choose between paying their mortgage and seeing a doctor. I’ll keep pushing until Congress delivers the certainty and affordability Kansans deserve.”

Davids previously spoke to Kansans who will pay exponentially more for their health care due to the tax credit expiration. One person faces a staggering increase of more than 3,000 percent, while another will pay more than $17,000 next year.

• Nancy Mays, Mission Woods
  • 2025: $560 per month
  • 2026: $2,030 per month
  • Increase: $17,640 per year (263 percent increase)
• Stephanie Barr, Prairie Village
  • 2025: $20 per month
  • 2026: $646 per month
  • Increase: $7,752 per year (3,130 percent increase)
• Dawn Wheeler, Edwardsville
  • 2025: $69 per month
  • 2026: $248 per month
  • Increase: $2,148 per year (259 percent increase)

Even though the tax credits have expired, Congress can still take action to prevent future premium increases. Forecasting models show that extending the enhanced ACA tax credits now could still slow or reduce the premium hikes.

Due to the price hikes, many healthy people will be forced to drop coverage, leaving the insurance pool made up of individuals with chronic conditions or high-cost medical needs. That will make premiums even higher for those who remain on ACA plans, compounding the financial burden on families who can least afford it.

Davids has sounded the alarm on this issue for more than a year, supporting a proposal to extend the tax credits permanently and a two-party compromise solution that would extend the tax credits through 2027. She also urged Congressional leadership to include an extension of these health care tax credits in a government funding bill, demanded a vote in the U.S. House, and hosted multiple press conferences with Kansans who rely on these savings to afford other everyday necessities.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), issued the following statement after Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD- 5), former House Majority Leader, announced he won’t be running for re-election:

“Steny Hoyer was one of the most dedicated statesmen in U.S. history, an incredible colleague, a passionate legislator, and a true friend.” 

“He’s the representative’s representative, and a towering figure who will be deeply missed. 

“Congress and our country are better because of him. Thank you, Steny.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks on the House Floor urging passage of Leader Jeffries’ bill to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, warning that Republican inaction has already driven up health care costs for families across the country.

In her remarks, Pelosi emphasized that the Affordable Care Act is a pillar of health and economic security for millions of Americans and that the expiration of the ACA tax credits has forced seniors, working families, small business owners and people with chronic illnesses to pay higher premiums.

Pelosi called the bill clear, commonsense and urgent, underscoring that Democrats are united in their belief that health care is a right, not a privilege.

Watch Pelosi’s Floor remarks here.

Read the transcript of Speaker Emerita Pelosi’s Floor remarks below:

Speaker Emerita Pelosi. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to quote him when he said, ‘this is a happy day.’

Thank you, Mr. Leader, for making it so. Mr. Chairman, for bringing us to the Floor. My remarks will be a brief exclamation point to your beautiful comments earlier and those of our distinguished Leader, Mr. Jeffries.

Mr. Speaker, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, ‘of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.’ He said, ‘because people can die.’

The Affordable Care Act, proudly also known as Obamacare, is a pillar of health and financial security for America’s working families.

Today, we vote on Leader Jeffries’ clear, common sense and urgent bill to extend the ACA tax credits signed into law by President Biden so health care remains affordable and accessible for the American people.

Every Democrat supports this bill because we believe health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the few. No family should be pushed out of coverage and we welcome our Republican colleagues who will be voting with us today. This makes it a happy day.

As we vote today, let’s remember the stories of Americans we’ve heard across the country.

Parents saying, ‘my baby was born with a heart condition costing millions of dollars before the Affordable Care Act.’

Husbands saying, ‘my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and we couldn’t afford it.’

Families saying, ‘dad had a stroke and we couldn’t handle the cost.’

That will not happen anymore because we are protecting these families in this bill.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes and support this bill and protect health care and the dignity for America’s working families.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

January 8, 2026

WASHINGTON – Following today’s House passage of legislation extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits, Rep. Jim Costa released the following statement: “House Democrats successfully forced a vote on extending the ACA enhanced tax credits, taking a crucial step to protect working families from rising health care costs. I am proud to support the passage of this legislation, which ensures families across the San Joaquin Valley and millions of Americans nationwide can continue to access affordable health coverage. The bill also strengthens hospitals that serve our Valley, helping them meet the health care needs of local families. These credits are critical to keeping health care accessible and preventing families from delaying care due to cost. I continue to have conversations with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a bipartisan agreement that can be signed into law. While this is an important milestone, the legislation now moves to the Senate. The Senate must pass this legislation as soon as possible so this much-needed relief can be signed into law. Working families should not pay the price while Washington negotiates.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, DC — Today, Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Thomas Massie (KY-04), the leaders of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, sent a letter to Judge Paul Engelmayer of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, requesting the appointment of a Special Master to compel the Department of Justice to release the full Epstein files as required under Rep. Khanna and Rep. Massie’s law.

“The Department of Justice is openly defying the law by refusing to release the full Epstein files. Millions of files are being kept from the public,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. “The DOJ has failed to make the necessary redactions to protect survivors while removing records after publication without any explanation. That is why we are requesting the appointment of a Special Master to oversee the release of the files and ensure that the DOJ is following the law.” 

“Attorney General Pam Bondi is egregiously violating the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” said Rep. Thomas Massie. “Under her leadership, the Department of Justice is missing statutory disclosure deadlines, making excessive redactions, and illegally withholding the Department’s internal communications. Because the Department of Justice has shown it cannot be trusted with making the disclosures required by law, a Special Master should be appointed to oversee the release of the Epstein files.” 

See the full letter below or click here.  

Dear Judge Engelmayer:

We write jointly as Members of the United States House of Representatives who sponsored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, Public Law 119-38 and as amici curiae in the above-caption manner. We respectfully request permission to file this brief as amici curiae given our unique expertise as the leads of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. We are writing to suggest the appointment of a Special Master and Independent Monitor to compel the Department of Justice (DOJ) to make mandatory production under the Act.

As the leads of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, we have urgent and grave concerns about DOJ’s failure to comply with the Act as well as the Department’s violations of this Court’s order.

On December 19, 2025, the Department of Justice released only a portion of responsive materials. That release, however, did not comply with the statute as written. The Department failed to meet the Act’s requirements in multiple respects, including missing the statutory deadline, asserting common-law privileges that the Act does not permit, and applying extensive redactions that appear inconsistent with the Act’s expressed prohibition on withholding or redacting records to protect politically exposed persons.

Several federal courts, including this District, have already recognized that the Act’s disclosure mandate is clear and that its specific statutory language supersedes pre-existing secrecy rules and generalized privilege doctrines. Nonetheless, the Department has continued to rely on arguments that courts have rejected, including the claim that Congress did not “speak clearly” enough to require disclosure of unclassified investigative and internal materials, despite Section 2(a)’s unequivocal language.

Compliance concerns have been further heightened by the Department’s handling of records after their release. Independent investigators identified numerous files that were publicly released on December 19, 2025, and later removed, including file EFTA00000468. While removal may have been undertaken to protect victims depicted in the material, an objective that is both appropriate and required, the Department’s own statements underscore that this issue is more significant than DOJ has suggested.

DOJ has acknowledged that, despite tens of thousands of manual redactions and quality control checks, information that victims believe should have been redacted was nonetheless posted publicly. DOJ also represented to the Court that it interprets the Act to require publication of grand jury and discovery materials unless a statutory basis for withholding applies, with victim privacy protected through appropriate redactions rather than categorical withholding. Consistent with those representations, and with the Court’s order directing DOJ to certify that victim-identifying information is being protected, the Act allows narrowly tailored and consistently applied redactions, not the wholesale removal of records after release or assertions of privilege inconsistent with the Act. Whether the Department’s actions complied with those limits is a fact-specific question that would benefit from neutral, independent review.

We have reviewed the DOJ’s most recent submission to this Court on January 5, 2026, Dkt. 826, where the DOJ states that it has only produced “approximately 12,285 documents (compromising approximately 125,575 pages).” The DOJ claims that there is still “more than 2 million documents potentially responsive to the Act in various phases of review.” Other reports suggest that the DOJ may be reviewing more than 5 million pages. Because these figures are self-reported and internally inconsistent with prior representations, there is reasonable suspicion that the DOJ has overstated the scope of responsive materials, thereby portraying compliance as unmanageable and effectively delaying disclosure. 

The conduct by the DOJ is not only a flagrant violation of the mandatory disclosure obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but as this Court has recognized in its previous rulings, the behavior by the DOJ has caused serious trauma to survivors. 

In addition, the DOJ has not complied with Section 3 of the Act, which requires the Attorney General, within fifteen days of the deadline for release, to submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees identifying the categories of records released and withheld and summarizing all redactions and their legal bases. To date, no such report has been provided. Without it, there is no authoritative accounting of what records exist, what has been withheld, or why, making effective oversight and judicial review far more difficult.

Put simply, the DOJ cannot be trusted with making mandatory disclosures under the Act.

While we believe that criminal violations have taken place and must be addressed, the most urgent need now is for the DOJ to produce all the documents and electronically stored information required by the Act. In its November 26, 2025, letter (Dkt.813), the DOJ represented to this Court the categories of documents in its possession, much of which has not been produced.

Thus, in our capacity as amici curiae, we suggest pursuant to its inherent authority and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53, this Court appoint Special Master and/or Independent Monitor for the purpose of ensuring all the documents and electronically stored information are immediately made public to be in accordance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.  We also suggest the Independent Monitor be given authority to notify and prepare reports to this Court about the true nature and extent of the document production and if improper redactions or other improper conduct is taking place.  We also suggest this Court compel testimony from the person or persons most knowledgeable from the DOJ SDNY office about the production that has been made, the pending productions, and the representations that have previously been made to this Court.

Absent an independent process, as outlined above, we do not believe the DOJ will produce the records that are required by the Act and what it has represented to this Court. 

We appreciate the Court’s attention to this letter. We can make ourselves available to the Court at a future hearing or participate in a briefing on the need for a Special Master or Independent Monitor or any topic this court deems helpful for the full and fair administration of justice.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation, issued the following statement expressing concern following the Democrats’ efforts to bring forward an irresponsible and costly extension of the COVID-era Obamacare subsidy program without proper guardrails.

“Americans deserve affordable health care, but extending a Democrat-led three-year COVID-era Obamacare subsidy program with zero guardrails will not make healthcare more affordable; it will make it costlier.

This approach amounts to a temporary band-aid that ignores the underlying problems in the system. The subsidies will expire again in three years, fraud will continue unchecked, and taxpayers will be left footing the bill, about $80.5 billion over the next ten years. 

The COVID-era subsidies created significant opportunities for massive waste, fraud, and abuse. A GAO report found that 58,000 enrollees matched Social Security death records, with 7,000 of them reported dead before enrollment began. In other words, that equates to $94 million in taxpayer money sent to health insurers on behalf of deceased people. Additionally, some 6.4 million enrollees were improperly enrolled in 2025, costing $27 billion this year alone. This is just one of numerous examples of wasteful spending.

Americans deserve real reforms that lower costs, expand choices, and allow families to see the doctors they choose at a price they can afford. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in delivering real, responsible, lasting solutions.” 

Last December, Díaz-Balart voted for the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act.

Here’s What the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act Does:

• Lowers monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs for everyone by 11%
• It keeps insurance premiums from spiking and helps lower deductibles and copays by implementing cost-sharing reduction payments
• Why it matters: Without this, insurers pass the costs directly to you, the taxpayer, by increasing premiums

 

• Exposes hidden costs from prescription drug middlemen
• It forces drug middlemen to be honest about where your money is going.
• What’s the problem now? Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) negotiate drug prices behind closed doors and keep rebates for themselves – often raising prices for patients and employers. They buy the drug at the real price, sell it at a higher price, and keep the difference.
• What this bill does:
• Requires PBMs to show employers exactly how much drugs cost
• Shows where rebates or reimbursements go
• Exposes hidden markups
• Why it matters? More transparency = lower drug prices and lower premiums

 

• Helps small businesses and self-employed/independent workers to get cheaper insurance
• It lets small businesses and self-employed workers band together to buy insurance like big companies do.
• Why that helps: Big companies get cheaper rates because they buy insurance in bulk.
• This bill lets small businesses, gig workers, and independent contractors do the same thing. Gig workers are most affected by expiration (Uber drivers, photographers, etc.)
• Result: more affordable plans, more doctors to choose from, better coverage.

 

• Lets Americans choose the health plan that works best for them
• Instead of your boss picking one plan, you get the money and choose your own plan.
• How it works:
• Employers give workers tax-free money
• Workers use it to buy the plan they want
• You can keep your plan if you change jobs
• Why it matters: more freedom, more control, and coverage that fits your life – not your employer’s.

 

• Protects small businesses from excessive red tape
• It stops unnecessary regulations that drive up costs for small businesses
• What that means:
• Small businesses can protect themselves from massive medical claims
• They can offer health benefits without drowning in paperwork
• Insurance stays affordable instead of being regulated out of reach
• Why it matters:
• When small businesses can afford coverage, more workers get insured, and small businesses can compete

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement:

“I voted YES to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits and stop health care premiums from skyrocketing for Illinois families. After deliberate inaction from the Republican-controlled Congress, ACA tax credits were allowed to expire at the beginning of this year. Today’s vote was Congress’ last opportunity to pass a clean, three-year extension and reverse these premium increases.

“Republican cuts to the ACA, Medicare, and Medicaid impact everyone, even those who don’t receive health care coverage from those programs. When people lose coverage and go uninsured, they’re more likely to show up to the emergency room. This raises rates for everyone.

“For months, my Democratic colleagues and I have been fighting to extend tax credits, fix our broken health care system, and make life more affordable for people in Illinois. Despite efforts by President Trump and Republican leadership to block action and allow premiums to double or even triple, a few House Republicans joined us to force a vote and pass this bill. It is now up to the Senate to get this legislation to the President’s desk.”

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

Memphis Police, Shelby County District Attorney and Youth Violence prevention projects

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, today addressed the shooting death of a 37-year-old U.S. citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Wednesday in Minneapolis at a committee markup. 

In his remarks, Congressman Cohen said in part:

“What happened in Minneapolis strikes at the heart of this country – strikes freedom, the opportunity to participate in the demonstrations. I guess the way the car was parked was a demonstration of disapproval of what the government was doing…What happened to that woman was unjustified. I didn’t say it was murder; that’s for a jury to decide…

“For Kristi Noem to say it was domestic terrorism…is just false. The president said it was terrorism and that the officer had been hit by the car and was in the hospital. That was lying to the American public…

“What this committee needs to look at, Mr. Chairman, is how these people are trained, what qualifications they have…

“They’re arresting people who are here in the country illegally, which is normally a civil offense and a misdemeanor. That’s who they’re stopping. Over 90 percent of their stops are people who don’t have a criminal record whatsoever. The people of Minneapolis don’t want that. The people of Memphis don’t want that. The people throughout this country think it’s wrong…Get the worst of the worst but don’t tell us you’re getting the worst of the worst when that’s hardly anybody you’re getting.”

Congressman Cohen also expressed his concern that ICE employment recruitment advertising suggests it is seeking local law enforcement officers who feel they are “handcuffed” buy legal restrictions at their agencies with the inference that, as ICE agents, those regulations would be removed.

See Congressman Cohen’s entire remarks here.

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