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

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS  – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on ABC’s This Week, making clear that Democrats will continue to push back against Republican efforts to shut down the government and gut the healthcare of the American people.

MARTHA RADDATZ: I’m joined now in studio by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Good to see you, Leader Jeffries. We have learned this morning that you will be meeting with Donald Trump on Monday with Mike Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader Thune. How did that meeting come about?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Leader Schumer and I initially requested a meeting last Saturday. Donald Trump agreed to the meeting, and then a few days later abruptly canceled it. We’ve made clear that we’re ready, willing and able to sit down with anyone, at any time and at any place in order to make sure that we can actually fund the government, avoid a painful Republican-caused shutdown and address the healthcare crisis that Republicans have caused that’s impacting everyday Americans all across the country.

MARTHA RADDATZ: So did the White House call you, all of you? Or did you keep asking for a meeting? Did they explain why it was canceled before?

LEADER JEFFRIES: They did not explain why it was canceled other than the statement that Donald Trump issued that mischaracterized the Democratic position. Our position has been very clear: cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare so we can address the issues that really matter to the American people in an environment where the cost of living is too high, where the quality of life of everyday Americans has been undermined consistently since January 20. Speaker Mike Johnson reached out to me yesterday, indicated that there had been a conversation between Republican leaders and the President and, as a result, the meeting is back on.

MARTHA RADDATZ: I know you haven’t had any formal meetings with President Trump. You were around him during inauguration and have obviously met him. What are your expectations from this meeting, and can you compromise?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump has taken a go-it-alone approach from the very beginning of this Congress, and, unfortunately, my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle have behaved not as a separate and co-equal branch of government and a check-and-balance on an out-of-control executive branch, but as a consistent rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. Our view going into the meeting is that we want to find bipartisan common ground to find a spending agreement that avoids a government shutdown and actually meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety and their economic well-being.

MARTHA RADDATZ: If I had to mark this day, do you believe that there will be a government shutdown? They need Democratic votes.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s my hope that we’ll avoid one. At the end of the day, Republicans do control the House, the Senate and the presidency, and what we’ve seen consistently, including with the—

MARTHA RADDATZ: But they need Democratic votes—

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, certainly, any enlightened agreement at the end the day, any sustainable agreement, should always be bipartisan in nature, and that’s been our position. It’s also been our positions quite clearly that we’ve got to address this Republican healthcare crisis. Think about this. The largest cut to Medicaid in American history. A potential $536 billion cut to Medicare if Congress doesn’t act by the end of the year. And if we don’t extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, more than 20 million Americans are going to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles in an environment where the cost of living in America is already too high.

MARTHA RADDATZ: You just said they don’t expire until the end of the year. We know they don’t expire until the year, so why not approve this and just get seven more weeks to negotiate?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, because notices are going to go out in a matter of days, and it’s going to be a shock to the system of everyday Americans who are already struggling to get by. Life is already too expensive. People are already living paycheck to paycheck. And we’re talking about—

MARTHA RADDATZ: So today, you could say, you know, let’s compromise. And those notices wouldn’t go out, right?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we actually need to enact legislation to ensure that the Affordable Care Act tax credits are extended. And the challenge that we have in this particular instance is that, several times over the last few months, Republicans in the House have had the opportunity to vote with Democrats to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, and they’ve repeatedly and consistently declined to do it. They voted no over and over and over again. And we know that Republicans have basically relentlessly attacked the healthcare of the American people, not simply this year in the context of the One Big Ugly Bill, and hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics all across the country, including in rural America, are shutting down. But they’ve been after the Affordable Care Act since 2010. They are obsessed with canceling the healthcare of the American People. We actually are working to save the healthcare of the American people.

MARTHA RADDATZ: Let me talk about the American people. I want to play what you were saying back in December, after then President-elect Trump came out against the bill Congress was working to pass to keep the government open. This is what you said would be the result of a shutdown.

VIDEO RECORDING OF LEADER JEFFRIES: Families will be hurt. Farmers will be hurt. Border security and Border Patrol agents will not be paid. TSA agents will not be paid. Small businesses will be hurt in every single community.

MARTHA RADDATZ: And this time, the threat of mass firings, basically, and telling people they may not be able to come back to work at all. So do you still believe a shutdown would broadly hurt the American people?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We are always of the view that we need to fund the government and make sure that the services that the American people rely upon can continue to be received and also that we stand by our federal civil service. We’ve seen, since January 20, mass firings already taking place by the Trump administration in the absence of a government shutdown because this is what they’ve determined to do, hurt everyday Americans. We consistently have made the point, we want to find a bipartisan path forward and reach a spending agreement with our Republican colleagues that actually meets the needs of the American people but that also addresses the Republican healthcare crisis that is harming everyday Americans all across the country—rural America, urban America, the heartland of America, suburban America, small town America and Black and brown communities throughout America.

MARTHA RADDATZ: If there is a shutdown, then what do you do? We have about 30 seconds left here.

LEADER JEFFRIES: What we’ve seen during the Trump administration, the first time around, a 35-day government shutdown. That was way too long. Ultimately, Donald Trump and Republicans came to their senses. Hopefully, we avoid a shutdown this time around. And if we’re in one, we find a quick path out.

MARTHA RADDATZ: Are you more optimistic this morning?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I’m hopeful.

MARTHA RADDATZ: Okay, thanks very much for joining us, Leader Jeffries.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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

WASHINGTON — This morning, ahead of the September 30 government funding deadline, Speaker Johnson joined Jake Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union and Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures to discuss Republican efforts to prevent a government shutdown and urged Congressional Democrat leaders to drop their $1.5 Trillion in partisan demands and provide the votes to keep the government open.

“It’s shameful that they’re playing politics with all the services that the American people demand and deserve. They’re going to be stopped,” Speaker Johnson said. “Think of it, troops won’t be paid because Chuck Schumer needs political cover. I mean, it’s really that simple and I think everybody is going to see that clearly.”

Watch Speaker Johnson on CNN here, Fox News here. 

On Democrats prioritizing health care for illegal aliens over troop pay for American service members: 

[President Trump] does not want the Democrats to hold up troops pay. You know the people who are serving in the military, they don’t get paid during a shutdown. He doesn’t want WIC funding, women, infants, and children’s nutrition program being held up. He doesn’t want telehealth and mental health and FEMA services to be stopped. That’s what Chuck Schumer is holding hostage. Why? So that he can add $1.5 trillion in new spending at a time when we’re simply just trying to keep the government going for seven weeks so we can have those debates. It’s wrong. He also wants to, what Chuck Schumer is demanding in exchange for all those good things I just listed, he wants to reinstate free healthcare for illegal aliens paid by American taxpayers. We are not doing that. We can’t do that.

On the meeting with President Trump and Congressional Leaders: 

I had a long talk with the president yesterday Jake and he feels the same way that I do about this. He’s always open to discussion, but he wants to operate in good faith, so he decided to bring us all in. He wants to talk with Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries and just try to convince them to follow common sense and do what’s right by the American people. It’s important to point out, the only thing we are trying to do is buy a little time. 

The appropriators in both parties have been working very diligently over the last many weeks to work through the appropriations process. As you know, the law requires us to pass 12 separate appropriations bills and to be good stewards of American taxpayers’ dollars. But that hasn’t happened, it usually doesn’t happen in Washington. Everything gets pushed to the end of the year right before Christmas, and there’s a giant omnibus spending bill. Since I became speaker, I’ve been trying to force back the muscle memory, to force Congress to do its work and we’re doing it. 

Jake, I’m delighted to tell you, in a bipartisan fashion, the appropriators have worked through 12 separate appropriations bills in the House committee. Three are passed off the floor in the House. Three passed off the Senate floor. Those bills don’t match up, so there’s a conference committee between two chambers working as they’re supposed to for the first time since 2019. But here’s the problem. We run out of clock because September 30 is the end of the fiscal year. So, what we did was a simple, clean continuing resolution. It’s 24 pages in length. All it does is keep the government open, so appropriators can continue to do this work together, bipartisan. Chuck Schumer came back with a long laundry list of partisan demands that don’t fit into this process, and he’s going to try to shut the government down. The president wants to talk with him about that and say, don’t do that.

On Democrats attempting to make the government funding deadline a health care policy debate:

There is nothing partisan about this continuing resolution. Nothing. We didn’t add a single partisan priority or policy rider at all. We’re operating completely in good faith to give more time. The only thing that would ‘gut health care,’ using his own phraseology there, is if we took Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer’s demand here because they want to cut $50 billion from rural hospitals. That’s the new fund that we added in, in the big, beautiful bill, the Working Families Tax Cuts that we passed just a couple months ago. They want to gut that. 

They also want to hold up all this funding that I listed. I mean, the WIC program is something that we all champion for women, infants, and children’s nutrition. That would be held up. So, it’s exactly the opposite of what Hakeem is talking about. The Obamacare subsidies is a policy debate that has to be determined by the end of the year, December 31. Not right now while we’re simply trying to keep the government open so we can have all these debates.

On the Office of Management and Budget plans for a potential Democrat-led shutdown:

Russ Vought has a challenge because he’s the Director of the Office Management and Budget and his job is to make very difficult decisions regarding personnel and the priorities of the government. If Chuck Schumer decides, and Hakeem Jeffries and Democrats decide to shut the government down, he’s responsible for determining which services are essential, which employees are essential. And that’s a big task. It’s a burden that can easily be avoided if the Democrats will just apply common sense and do the right thing. But if they force that, you know, the results are going to be on them, not on Republicans. We don’t want this. It’s important to point out the President, Republicans in the Senate, Republicans in the House all agree that we should keep the government open and do the responsible thing. The Democrats are the one trying to force this.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

September 28, 2025 | Press Releases

Watch the Video Here
SARASOTA – U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today released the latest installment in his ongoing Veterans History Project Series, honoring the military service of constituents from Florida’s 17th District. This interview features Lance Corporal Ron Zaleski, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served from 1970 to 1972, including a deployment to Vietnam.
In 1969, when Zaleski’s number was called in the draft lottery, he chose to voluntarily enlist in the United States Marine Corps. Zaleski would serve his country with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7) in Vietnam. For his time in the Marines, Zaleski was awarded the National Defense Service Medal.
Since completing his military service, Zaleski has become a champion for veterans and their families. In 2006, Zaleski formed the nonprofit The Long Walk Home, devoted to assisting veterans with suicide prevention and rehabilitation. That same year, he walked barefoot across the Appalachian Trail to raise awareness for veterans and their families. He would follow this with several other walks across America to highlight the importance of caring for America’s warriors when they return home from war.
“I thank Lance Corporal Ron Zaleski for sharing his story of service to our country with the Veterans History Project,” said Rep. Steube. “From his time in Vietnam to his inspiring work on behalf of our veterans, Zaleski’s life is a testament to the character and goodwill of the U.S. Marine Corps. On behalf of a grateful nation, I salute him for his service and unfailing devotion to his fellow servicemembers and their families.”
Please click here to watch the full interview.
Be sure to check Congressman Steube’s YouTube channel in the future for upcoming interviews.The Office of Congressman Greg Steube will submit the interview to the Veterans History Project, an initiative of the Library of Congress’s American Folklife Center to collect and retain the oral histories of our nation’s veterans.Initially started in 2000, the Veterans History Project aims to collect, preserve, and make accessible the personal accounts of the United States military veterans and Gold Star Families so that future generations may hear directly from the veterans and better understand their service. Researchers, scholars, and educators rely upon VHP collections as a primary source. The oral histories, photographs, manuscripts, and other original materials supplement historical texts and valued cultural resources. Veterans from all branches and ranks of the United States military who served in World War I through the more recent conflicts are eligible to participate. For more information on the VHP, please visit https://www.loc.gov/vets/.If you live in Florida’s 17th Congressional district, please visit https://steube.house.gov/services/vhp to participate.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

September 28, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) joined with Senator Rick Scott on Friday to introduce both the Flood Insurance Transparency Act of 2025 and the Removing Barriers to Private Flood Insurance Act. These two bills would increase transparency with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and facilitate the entrance of private and state insurers into the flood insurance market.
“Florida homeowners depend on flood insurance for long-term financial security from hurricanes and other natural disasters. It is unacceptable that the bloated and inefficient bureaucracy of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has saddled working families in the Sunshine State with higher costs and soaring rates for coverage,” said Rep. Steube. “I am grateful to work with Senator Scott to deliver much-needed reforms that will bring down costs for flood insurance by restoring transparency and flexibility for Floridians.”
“Flood insurance costs remain a top concern for families in Florida and across the country who want access to affordable and dependable coverage when it matters most. Unfortunately, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has long been plagued by inefficiency, crushing debt, and rate hikes that unfairly affect Floridians,” said Senator Scott. “It’s yet another example of how government overreach can lead to a broken system. I’m glad to have my colleague, Congressman Steube, as a partner to bring real reform to the NFIP by promoting greater transparency and expanding private-sector involvement. This will help create a stronger, more competitive market that gives homeowners in Florida more affordable options and greater flexibility. Together, we can get these much-needed changes passed and ensure government works better for American families.”
Both the Flood Insurance Transparency Act of 2025 and the Removing Barriers to Private Flood Insurance Act are co-led by Representative Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.). 
“The National Flood Insurance Program has become burdened by bureaucracy and debt, and Florida families are paying the price through higher premiums and fewer choices,” said Rep. Patronis. “I’m proud to join Congressman Steube and Senator Scott in leading the effort to fix this broken system by pulling back the curtain on how rates are set and by giving the private market room to compete, unleashing free-market solutions that encourage innovation, increase options, and provide reliable coverage for homeowners. These reforms are about fairness, accountability, and making sure families finally have access to the protection they deserve.”
Background: The Flood Insurance Transparency Act would require the NFIP to publicly disclose all ‘data, models, assessments, and analytical tools’ used in establishing premiums or flood elevations in underwriting. This data and information would include the “loss ratio” of a property, historical policy information, and “multiple-loss properties” that have not undergone mitigation measures. The Administrator of FEMA would be required to create a publicly searchable database of this information with safeguards for the privacy of property owners.
The Removing Barriers to Private Flood Insurance Act increases private sector involvement in flood insurance by eliminating the NFIP’s Write Your Own (WYO) non-compete clause. This would allow WYOs to sell private flood insurance products that overlap with NFIP products.
Read the full bill text of the Flood Insurance Transparency Act here.
Read the full bill text of the Removing Barriers to Private Flood Insurance Act here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s Alex Witt Reports, emphasizing that Democrats will continue to fight to save the healthcare of the American people while Trump and congressional Republicans engage in dangerous corruption and recklessly march us toward a government shutdown.

ALEX WITT: Joining me right now we have House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Congressman, glad to have you here, sir. We are going to get to the government shutdown battle in just a moment. But first, President Trump said Comey’s indictment was, quote, ‘about justice, not revenge.’ But his past words would suggest otherwise. And he hinted more charges against his political opponents are coming. How do you respond, sir, to this indictment? And is this the start of Trump’s threat to use the Justice Department to go after his enemies?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump and Republicans at the Department of Justice, who are behaving like corrupt political hacks, have launched this malicious prosecution against the former FBI Director as part of an ongoing revenge tour. Instead of President Trump being focused on actually funding the government, protecting the healthcare of the American people and lowering costs, he is engaging in this unhinged behavior and directing the Department of Justice, which continues to corruptly embarrass itself, to prosecute perceived political adversaries. The whole thing—the whole thing is shameful.

ALEX WITT: Can I ask you, on the heels of what my colleague Yamiche was reporting there at the White House. You had in 2024 December, you had the DOJ and the Inspector General report saying no undercover FBI employees were at protests or at the Capitol on January 6th. Where is Donald Trump getting his information? The fact that he just posts on Truth Social: It was just revealed the FBI secretly placed against all rules, regulations, protocols, standards 274 FBI agents into the crowd prior to, during the January 6th hoax. Where’s that coming from?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump is lying to the American people about the events of January 6th. He can’t justify the fact that he helped to incite a mob of violent individuals who attacked the Capitol as part of an effort to try to reverse and undermine the results of the 2020 presidential election. And then on top of that, we know that the President, during his first day in office, pardoned hundreds of violent felons who brutally beat police officers and then released those violent felons back into communities all across the country, several of whom have been rearrested for doing harm to our communities. And so what we’re seeing right now, Republicans are just peddling, led by Donald Trump and backed by all of the Republicans in the House and in the Senate, this baseless conspiracy theory, as part of this unhinged effort to assault continuously the American way of life, instead of actually being focused on doing the business of the people. It’s one of the reasons why we’re on the verge of Republicans shutting the government down, because they continue to be focused on the wrong thing and unleash chaos—chaos—on the American people.

ALEX WITT: Now we’re going to get to that in just one moment because I know it’s weighing heavily on you. But one more question about Friday, when Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released that trove of new Jeffrey Epstein documents. They include schedules mentioning figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon, and it comes after Adelita Grijalva’s victory in that Arizona special election gave backers of the discharge petition that deciding 218th vote to compel the DOJ—release the complete files. What is your response to these new documents? Do you expect the House to pass the discharge petition soon?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes. Representative elect-Grijalva should be sworn in this Tuesday, we believe, which will be a pro forma session of the House of Representatives. It’s been done before by Republicans. There’s no dispute as it relates to her election, and she should be able to serve in the House next week. And the only reason that may not happen is because Republicans are concerned with the fact that she would be the 218th vote to compel the Trump administration to release the Epstein files. We just want to provide the American people with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and respect the wishes of the victims to make sure that there’s full and complete and total accountability.

ALEX WITT: Okay, let’s go to the shutdown battle now, sir, because the Trump administration has threatened to fire, not to temporarily furlough, tens of thousands of federal employees if the government shuts down. They’re going to try to blame it on Democrats. The administration and DOGE—they’ve been pretty successful so far laying off government workers. So is this a real threat or is it just a pressure tactic?

LEADER JEFFRIES: It seems to me that it’s an effort to try to intimidate Democrats, and we are not going to be intimidated away from our position, which is clear. We’ll sit down with anyone, anytime, any place in order to try to find a bipartisan path forward to fund the government. But we will not support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. We’re going to stand up for Medicaid. Stand up for Medicare. Stand up for the Affordable Care Act. Stand up for our hospitals, our nursing homes and our community-based health clinics, all of which have been under assault. And stand up for the fact that if Congress doesn’t act with respect to the Affordable Care Act tax credits, in a matter of weeks, tens of millions of Americans are going to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles. Understand that the Trump administration has already been engaging in mass firings all throughout the year, and so a government shutdown has nothing to do with what they’ve already shown they are willing to do, which is why we just have to continue to hold the line and make it clear our position: cancel the cuts, lower the cost, save healthcare.

ALEX WITT: Do Democrats, though, risk being blamed if this government shuts down? And if so, how do you change that narrative?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We absolutely do not risk being blamed because the American people will not be fooled by the rhetoric coming from reckless Republicans. Republicans control the House. Republicans control the Senate. Republicans have a President at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Donald Trump. They control the entirety of the federal government. If the government shuts down, it’s because Republicans have made the decision to shut the government down. And it’s entirely unreasonable for them to expect that we’re just going to simply go along to get along with the Republican healthcare crisis that they’ve created. No, we need to reverse the damage that has been done and stand up for people all across the country whose healthcare has been under assault. Black and brown communities under assault. Rural America under assault. Urban America under assault. Small town America under assault. The heartland of America under assault. That’s why Democrats have drawn this line in the sand. And we’re ready to sit down and have this conversation. It’s Donald Trump who canceled the meeting and then decided to go to a golf event of all things rather than try to resolve this government funding issue.

ALEX WITT: So let me get to what Donald Trump said. You’re right. He’s the one that canceled the meeting. It was on the books for you and Senate Minority Leader Schumer to join him and discuss things at the White House. Trump said that a meeting would not be productive and accused Democrats of seeking to fund, quote, ‘radical left views and policies related to healthcare, immigration and crime.’ With so much on the line, how do you respond to the President saying, no, I’m not going to even talk with Democrats?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Donald Trump and Republicans are lying to the American people. They know that their position is not defensible. We have repeatedly made clear we’ll find a bipartisan path forward, but it’s got to be related to funding the government in a manner that actually meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety and their economic well-being. Donald Trump knows, or at least I think he knows, that current federal law prohibits using taxpayer dollars for undocumented immigrants in connection with their healthcare. And no one is trying to change or reverse that law. What we are doing is fighting to protect the healthcare of everyday Americans in the midst of this Republican-caused crisis that is devastating hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health clinics. Largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And the fact that America’s already too expensive and costs aren’t going down under the Trump presidency, they’re going up. And healthcare premiums are about to skyrocket and perhaps drive some people to medical bankruptcy. That should never happen in the United States of America.

ALEX WITT: So this is the banner that Democrats have chosen to carry here. But the New York Times writers are among those saying that healthcare may be the wrong issue to hinge this fight on, saying tariffs, for example, present a clearer case for Trump’s authoritarian actions. Why is healthcare the right issue for Democrats to show voters they are standing up to Trump?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We’re fighting on all of the things that matter. And certainly it is the case that the Trump tariffs are causing the cost of living for the American people to dramatically increase, in many instances, facing thousands of dollars in additional costs. And in fact, the Trump administration just announced the imposition of tariffs on October 1st on prescription drugs, which is going to increase the price of lifesaving medicine that people need to survive and to thrive. Now, it is in fact the case that we are about to enter into a period of time in a matter of days where notices will go out to people all across the country about what’s going to happen with their health insurance and the fact that they’re going to experience dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles. So this is something that has to be dealt with urgently, and at this moment. At the same time, we recognise the fight is around all of the things to protect the American way of life, and that’s the fight we will continue to bring.

ALEX WITT: There is at least one Democrat, that being Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, who says Democrats should avoid a shutdown because if it happens, it might empower the current administration to, quote, ‘remake government in all kinds of ways.’ Do you have the same fears?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I’m not sure what I’m missing here. The Trump administration, in the absence of a government shutdown, has been dramatically remaking government since January 20th in ways that are harmful to the American people. And now they’re asking us to participate in it by signing off on their partisan Republican spending bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. And we’re not down with that. No way, no how.

ALEX WITT: Okay. Let me ask you, as I pivot quickly to ICE and that incident this week where an agent threw a woman to the floor at an immigration courthouse here in Manhattan. The agent has been relieved of his duties. The Trump administration has not said whether the agent was suspended or fired. But what is your reaction to this? Do you agree with other Democratic lawmakers who say that officer should be criminally charged?

LEADER JEFFRIES: The officer needs to be held accountable to the full extent of the law. I’m not as intimately familiar with the details, and so upon reviewing it, I’ll have more to say. But what we do know is that we’ve seen this administration unleash unprecedented extremism on law-abiding immigrant communities all across the country in a manner that the American people are rejecting, and that is inconsistent with our values, both as a nation anchored in the rule of law and a nation of immigrants.

ALEX WITT: Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. I know your time is precious right now. You have so much on your plate, so we’re very appreciative of your time here with us. Thank you sir.

Full interview can be watched here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, where he emphasized that Republicans are to blame for the pending government shutdown and that Democrats are fighting hard to save the healthcare of the American people.

KAITLAN COLLINS: My congressional source tonight is the leader of Democrats in the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. And it’s great to have you here, sir. Obviously, today’s Friday. Government funding runs out midnight Tuesday. I don’t have to tell you that. Is it fair to say that a government shutdown is inevitable at this point?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I’m here in Washington right now. And Democrats are ready, willing and able to sit down with anyone, at any time, at any place here in Washington, D.C., in order to try to find a bipartisan agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, their safety and their economic well-being. And our position has been clear: we will not support this partisan Republican spending bill because it continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. We will support an agreement that actually provides funding to keep the government open that is negotiated in a bipartisan way. The President agreed to a meeting, and then he pulled the meeting. Now he’s fled town and is on the golf course at the Ryder Cup in New York. It makes no sense. They’re trying to shut the government down. And Republicans, of course, control the House, the Senate and the presidency, which is why they will clearly be blamed.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Yeah, and the President returned to Washington earlier, but he canceled his meeting that was planned with you and Chuck Schumer. House Republicans are not in Washington. I think, given that, if there is no one to negotiate with, what power do Democrats have to stop a shutdown from happening?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, that’s exactly the point: that Republicans are in the majority in the House and in the Senate, and Donald Trump is the President. If they decide to shut the government down, then the government is going to shut down. We believe we have a sense of responsibility in terms of trying to find a bipartisan path forward, which we’ve made clear to the White House and to our colleagues on the other side of the aisle in the House and in the Senate. But they’ve refused to have a conversation, and they’ve canceled votes on the eve of the government shutting down next Wednesday. We were scheduled to be in session on Monday and Tuesday. By the way, Democrats will be here in Washington, D.C., on Monday, ready to do our job. Unfortunately, House Republicans will be on vacation, scattered across the country and the world.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Just something you said to Punchbowl News stuck out to me earlier. Is it true that you have never actually met the President?

LEADER JEFFRIES: No, well, we haven’t had a formal meeting during his time in office. We did spend some time together, along with the other legislative leaders, on Inauguration Day, both at the White House when he was greeted formally by former President Joe Biden and then, of course, at the Capitol during the inauguration, which, by the way, was like a supervillain convention that the American people had to witness, and it’s been a national nightmare ever since.

KAITLAN COLLINS: One question on if Tuesday comes and there is no agreement. Once the government shutdown happens, if it does, do you and Senator Schumer have an exit ramp? Basically, how do you—how do you get out of it once the—once the government has shut down?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’ve continued to make clear our position: cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save healthcare. Republicans have launched an unprecedented assault against the healthcare of the American people. Largest cut to Medicaid in American history. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics shutting down. Their refusal to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, which is going to result in a matter of a few weeks, tens of millions of Americans experiencing dramatically increased premiums, co-pays and deductibles. They’ve canceled medical research, effectively, in the United States of America, and, because of their One Big Ugly Bill, have set in motion a possible $536 billion cut to Medicare. It’s an extraordinary assault on healthcare for working-class Americans, urban America, rural America, suburban America, Black and brown America and the country. And all we’re saying is let’s find a path forward to actually fix the healthcare system that Republicans have broken for the good of everyone—Democrats, Republicans and Independents.

KAITLAN COLLINS: And there are some Senate Republicans who say they want to negotiate, actually, on those healthcare subsidies. They’d like to see them extended. But on the Medicaid funding cuts that were just passed in the President’s signature bill, I think the question is, do you really think Republicans are going to vote to undo the legislation they just passed?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump promised—I think it was on January 30—that he was going to love and cherish Medicaid. And then they turned around, passed their One Big Ugly Bill and enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, along with stealing food from the mouths of children. And all of this was being done to reward their billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. It’s deeply unpopular with the American people. And you have Republicans in the House and the Senate who have said we got to do something about these Medicaid cuts that we just voted for because hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics in our communities are closing. We told them that was going to happen. Now they’re starting to see the consequences. And so, yes, we do think that there’s some bipartisan opportunity to deal with their assault on Medicaid and all of the things related to the healthcare of the American people.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Are you and Senator Schumer aligned on your strategy here?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yes, House and Senate Democrats are in complete alignment. We voted together, all of us opposing the One Big Ugly Bill. We’ve been working closely together over the last several months, and Senator Schumer and I talk every day. House and Senate Democrats are in constant contact. And we believe this is the right fight on behalf of the American people: protecting their healthcare and addressing the Republican healthcare crisis.

KAITLAN COLLINS: Well, I ask because Senator Schumer faced a lot of blowback back in March from your party when he supported that Republican written bill to avert a government shutdown. Democrats clearly—at least the base—wanted a fight to at least see some kind of fight from Democrats. So, do you have confidence in Senator Schumer’s handling this on the Senate side this time?

LEADER JEFFRIES: I have complete and total confidence in Leader Schumer, as well as in the partnership House Democrats have with Senate Democrats to stand up for the health, the safety, the economic well-being of the American people. I mean, this is an extraordinary thing that we’re seeing. Just recently, Donald Trump announced that he’s imposing tariffs on October 1 on prescription drugs, which is gonna increase prescription drug prices in addition to the healthcare price increases that we’re experiencing, the increases in grocery cost, the increases in housing costs, the increases in electricity bills. Donald Trump promised to lower the cost of living on day one. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up, and the American people have had enough. And Democrats are standing on their side.

KAITLAN COLLINS: You’re obviously making these demands that Republicans say they’re just unrealistic for—to keep the government funded for seven more weeks as you continue to negotiate. How long are you willing to fight for them?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Republicans had an opportunity over the last several months to actually sit down and have a conversation with us to try to find a bipartisan path forward. They’ve refused, they’ve decided to go it alone. They dropped this reckless partisan bill that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people, and it went down in flames. And so, their bill is dead on arrival. And the only option at this moment in time is for them to actually have a conversation. And as we’ve pointed out, we’re here, we’re ready to talk, we were ready to go to the White House, we’re ready to have a conversation in Washington, D.C. They need to come back to meet us so we can try to work this out, as opposed to staying out on vacation, having canceled votes that they previously scheduled.

KAITLAN COLLINS: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, we’ll see what happens on Tuesday. Obviously, please keep us updated. And thank you for your time and joining us tonight.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

At a time when families are already struggling with high prices and a weak job market, Republicans in Congress are doubling down on a health care crisis of their own making.

 

Deep Medicaid cuts, major changes to Medicare coverage, and the pending expiration of essential health care tax credits are creating immense uncertainty in the health care market. Employers are bracing for the largest annual increase in health care costs in 15 years and mass layoffs are hitting local hospitals hard.

 

Funding for the federal government runs out next week, which threatens to add more instability to a weakening economy. Instead of working with Democrats to keep the government open, President Donald Trump has walked away from the negotiating table. Republicans are going all in on a government funding plan that will cause 80,000 Washingtonians to lose their health insurance and raise health care prices for all of us.

 

In August, I met with a member of the community who the Republicans’ government funding plan will harm: Kathryn, a small business owner who lives in Bellingham.

 

Since she and her husband are self-employed, Kathryn told me that her family paid roughly $30,000 this year for health insurance. If the Republican government funding plan goes through, they expect to have to pay $50,000 to $55,000 next year; more than they can afford. Without tax credits, this hard-working family will be priced out of their health insurance.

 

Kathryn wrote to my office: “And why are we in this position? So Jeff Bezos can get a big tax cut. We need the [tax credits], and Jeff can give up some of his tax cut to pay for it.”

 

I couldn’t agree more.

 

These health care tax credits create economic freedom for small businesses and entrepreneurs to pursue opportunities they otherwise may not have. Starting a business takes risk, and these credits ensure unaffordable health care costs for your family don’t hold you back.

 

Allowing these credits to expire is a devastating continuation of the health care crisis the Trump administration started back in July, when the Big Ugly Law made the largest cuts to Medicaid in its history. Because of the Big Ugly Law, more than 328,000 Washingtonians will lose their health care insurance in the next few years.

 

Taking health care away from hard-working people hurts all of us. Our family, friends and neighbors will be forced to skip or delay getting the medical help that they need. More uninsured individuals create more risk for the health care system, and insurance companies pay for this risk by raising premiums.

 

 

The Trump administration is also threatening to permanently layoff massive numbers of federal employees if a shutdown occurs, effectively using hard-working civil servants — with families to support — as political pawns. More layoffs will further weaken the economy and make it harder for Americans to access critical services the government provides.

 

A Republican government shutdown would be yet another blow to the economy courtesy of the Trump administration. Because of reckless trade wars and stupid tariff policies, prices are up and the economy is down. In August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the worst jobs report in the past 15 years and reported the biggest jump in grocery prices in the past three years. Electricity prices are 6.2 percent higher than in the same month in 2024.

 

Republicans are inflicting more pain on Northwest Washington state families so they can double down on a health care crisis of their own making. Alongside House Democrats, I am fighting to lower the cost of health care and the cost of living for the people I represent.

 

Republicans must come to the negotiating table and work with Democrats to reverse the damage this administration has done. I will keep voting and keep fighting to make health care affordable and accessible, and to get our economy back on the right track.

 

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, D-Everett, represents Washington’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes part of Snohomish County and all of Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. If you or someone you know needs assistance, Rep. Larsen’s office may be able to connect you with services in your community. Please contact Rep. Larsen’s district office at 425-252-3188.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott Peters (52nd District of California)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Scott Peters (CA-50) and Andy Barr (R-KY) reintroduced the Streamlining Powerlines Essential to Electric Demand (SPEED) and Reliability Act, a bill to significantly hasten the siting and permitting of critically needed electric transmission lines. Faster approvals will let us build the electrical lines that carry energy from where it is generated to where it is needed sooner. This will lead to lower costs for consumers and prevent blackouts.

“We cannot wait a decade plus for individual transmission lines to be approved if we don’t want to fall behind China and our adversaries,” said Rep. Peters. “This bill will lower costs for consumers, improve reliability, and help secure America’s energy independence.”

“AI data centers and advanced manufacturing are at the core of America’s economic future, but they can’t run without reliable, affordable power,” said Rep. Barr. “The SPEED and Reliability Act cuts red tape and builds the transmission lines we need to lower costs and ensure we stay ahead of China in the race for AI.”

Under the current National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) program, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) are supposed to work together to designate broad corridors for transmission development, with the goal of streamlining siting and permitting for high-impact transmission lines in the national interest.

However, the process has yet to result in a single transmission project due to widespread opposition to this corridor-based approach. The SPEED and Reliability Act reforms this program by removing the ability of the Secretary of Energy to designate corridors, centralizes environmental reviews at the bipartisan and independent FERC, and includes additional guardrails to protect customers, benefit local communities, and respect state authority.

The SPEED and Reliability Act reforms the existing backstop siting authority for interstate electric transmission lines by removing the redundant, top-down role of the DOE. In particular, the SPEED and Reliability Act:

• Removes the Secretary of Energy’s authority to designate broad NIETCs;
• Allows FERC to issue a construction permit for individual national interest transmission lines that reduce grid congestion, improve reliability, and provide a clear set of economic and reliability benefits to customers;
• Includes guardrails that protect consumers, benefit local communities, and respect state authorities by:
• Allocating costs only to customers that benefit, using a minimum specified list of electric reliability criteria, along with specified economic benefits
• Preserves current law by ensuring that states have at least one year to respond to applications before applicants can seek approval from FERC
• Prioritizes use of existing rights-of-way and advanced conductors to lower impacts and costs;
• Mandates that FERC engage with states, tribes, and private property owners throughout the process

Benefits: The bill would improve grid reliability, lower costs for Americans, and boost economic development and national security.

• Improved Reliability: Increasing power flows between regions can help keep the lights on during extreme weather events.
• In 2023, transmission congestion – the U.S. energy grid’s inability to send power from where it’s abundant to where it’s needed – cost U.S. ratepayers $11.5 billion.
• During Winter Storm Uri, customers in the Great Plains and the Gulf Coast each could have saved in excess of $100 million with each additional gigawatt of transmission interconnection.
• Reduced Costs: Just as an interstate highway can displace the need for disproportionate spending on local roads, high-impact transmission lines can save ratepayers billions of dollars every year by replacing less efficient, smaller projects and connecting customers to the cheapest power sources.
• Nearly 60 utility companies are set to increase electricity rates this year by more than $38 billion, affecting more than 57 million Americans.
• On average, electricity costs are 5.5% higher today than they were a year ago. Residential rates are also projected for a huge increase: up to 18% in the next few years.
• Economic Development: Power demand is growing as manufacturing returns to the U.S. and key, strategic industries like artificial intelligence and microchip manufacturing continue to boom. More high-impact transmission lines will help support this economic development across the country, especially in rural communities.
• Smarter investments in transmission can save residential consumers up to $14 billion per year after accounting for the costs. For every $1 invested in transmission lines, consumers receive between $3.80 to $4.70 in benefits.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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