MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (15th District of Texas)

Contact: Alexis Torres

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) announced $161,327,669 in Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Title I formula allocation funds for the 34th Congressional District of Texas. 

“Education is the great equalizer,” said Congressman Gonzalez. “We owe it to the children of South Texas to provide the resources and support needed to succeed in and beyond the classroom. As the current Administration continues to threaten the Department of Education’s existence and strip funding from our public schools, I remain steadfast in my commitment to securing federal investments for our communities. Every student, regardless of background or zip code, deserves a fair chance at achieving their full potential.”

Title I is the largest K-12 federal grant program that supports the development and creation of equitable opportunities for student success. Funding can be used for a range of services, including the hiring and training of teachers and support staff, the purchase of instructional materials and technology, and improving student and family engagement programs. In South Texas, nearly all major Independent School Districts qualify as Title I districts and serve eligible campuses.

The following allocations have been allotted to school districts in the 34th Congressional District of Texas:

• Brownsville ISD: $29,938,319

• Donna ISD: $18,518,048

• Edcouch-Elsa ISD: $4,625,062

• Edinburg Consolidated ISD: $24,272,195

• Harlingen Consolidated ISD: $9,206,753

• Kingsville ISD: $2,339,665

• La Feria ISD: $1,024,001

• La Villa ISD: $490,685

• Lasara ISD: $148,647

• Los Fresnos Consolidated ISD: $4,217,529

• Lyford Consolidated ISD: $694,465

• McAllen ISD: $15,040,201

• Mercedes ISD: $3,678,777

• Monte Alto ISD: $1,111,430

• Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD: $23,189,143

• Point Isabel ISD: $1,064,773

• Progreso ISD: $1,622,866

• Raymondville ISD: $1,300,164

• Ricardo ISD: $211,116

• Rio Hondo ISD: $799,794

• Riviera ISD: $108,349

• San Benito Consolidated ISD: $7,164,109

• San Perlita ISD: $101,555

• Santa Maria ISD: $312,323

• Santa Rosa ISD: $446,561

• Weslaco ISD: $9,701,141 

Total: $161,327,669 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Coachella Valley community gathers to celebrate eight years of hunger-relief leadership

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) and Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02), joined by 75 additional Members of Congress, today led a formal letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Director David Venturella, and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Acting Director Angie Salazar, demanding immediate answers on reports that the Administration is preparing to dramatically expand federal detention capacity for unaccompanied children, including at a former Louisiana military installation with a documented history of environmental contamination.

The letter cites a federal solicitation seeking a contractor capable of housing up to 3,000 unaccompanied children per facility, with capacity for at least 400 children within 30 days of contract award, and reports that the former England Air Force Base in Louisiana is under consideration as a detention site. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, portions of the former base have tested for the “forever chemical” (PFAS) contamination at levels among the worst of any military site in the country, with groundwater still being remediated for chlorinated solvents. No cleanup plan for the PFAS contamination has been completed.

“When the federal government takes custody of a child, it takes on full responsibility for that child’s safety,” said Rep. Ruiz. “As an emergency physician, I know exactly what chronic exposure to these chemicals can do to a developing child. PFAS chemicals do not break down and they do not leave the body quickly, they bioaccumulate. In a growing child, that can mean weakened immune systems, developmental delays, a lifetime of elevated cancer risk, thyroid and liver problems, and a weaker response to routine childhood vaccines. Children breathe, drink, and eat more relative to their body weight than adults, and their organ systems are still developing, so these risks compound. Layer in the solvents still being cleaned up in the groundwater, and you have a facility where the water and soil themselves could be a health hazard, in addition to the psychological trauma of detention itself. Before a single child is sent to a site with this kind of contamination history, HHS owes Congress and the American people real answers. No physician would sign off on housing a healthy child there without a complete, independent environmental health assessment. Right now, we don’t have those answers, and neither does the public.”

“Everyone, but especially children, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect as they pursue immigration to America. Legally, we recognize that unaccompanied minors are uniquely vulnerable and require special care when in federal custody. It’s imperative that the administration guarantees these children have a safe place to sleep, access to medical care, and safe living conditions,” said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02).

“This is not a routine capacity planning, it is a rapid, large-scale expansion of child detention, and it demands real oversight,” Ruiz continued. “Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act because unaccompanied children are among the most vulnerable people in our custody. That law is clear: children must be cared for in child-appropriate settings and released to qualified sponsors without unnecessary delay. I am going to make sure HHS, ICE, and CBP are held to that standard.”

The letter comes amid a broader pattern of preventable deaths in federal immigration custody. According to a July 2026 report by Physicians for Human Rights, at least 52 people died in ICE custody in the first 500 days of the current administration, a mortality rate more than double that of the first Trump Administration and nearly four times the rate under the Biden Administration. Reps. Ruiz and Carter warned that expanding detention capacity for children, at facilities with unresolved environmental and safety questions, risks repeating and compounding that pattern.

In the letter, Reps. Ruiz and Carter request written responses within 30 days to a series of questions, including:

• What factors led HHS to determine that capacity for up to 3,000 additional beds per facility is necessary, and what the agency’s current shelter capacity and occupancy rates are;
• What alternatives HHS considered before selecting the former England Air Force Base, and what environmental and public health reviews were conducted;
• What short- and long-term health effects children could face from exposure to site contaminants, and whether personnel previously stationed there have experienced adverse health effects;
• What steps HHS is taking to prioritize licensed, child-appropriate placements and timely release to qualified sponsors, consistent with the TVPRA; and
• How HHS, ICE, and CBP are coordinating to minimize the time children spend in federal custody.

Reps. Ruiz and Carter also request a staff briefing within 30 days on the Administration’s plans for the care of unaccompanied children and the standards that will govern any expansion of detention capacity.

A copy of the full letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), released the following statement regarding the USMCA Joint Review:

“Six years ago, the United States, Mexico, and Canada put in place a trade agreement that has served American workers, farmers, and manufacturers well. Today the Administration has not renewed the USMCA which starts the clock on a decade of annual reviews and years of uncertainty over the rules that govern nearly two trillion dollars in trade across North America.

The trade agreement does not expire today. However, the US, Mexico, and Canada will undergo annual renegotiations. If we fail to come to an agreement, the USMCA will terminate on July 1, 2036. If this trade agreement ends, estimates expect a tax increase of about $300 per household and cost the country roughly 95,000 jobs. Our district feels it first. Laredo is the busiest land port of entry in the US, and when the rules of cross-border trade are thrown into question, it is the truckers, the customs brokers, the warehouse workers, and the producers of South Texas who carry the weight of that doubt. Supply chains are built on decades of planning, not on year-to-year guesswork.

The answer is not to retreat from this agreement. It is to strengthen it. I support a good-faith, trilateral negotiation that keeps all three partners at the table, preserves the enforcement tools that have protected American workers, and modernizes the agreement to meet today’s challenges. I urge the Administration to engage Congress, our industry partners, and our workers throughout this process, and to negotiate in a way that reinforces this agreement rather than weakens it. Congress has the final word in terminating the agreement. The people of South Texas, and communities like ours across the country, are counting on it.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

Rep. Cuellar Helps Introduce Bill to Protect Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans 

Legislation would reverse VA reimbursement reductions of up to 43 percent and protect access to home-based care in rural Texas communities 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (D-TX-28) joined as an original cosponsor of the Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026, which would reverse reductions in Department of Veterans Affairs reimbursement rates for essential home care services. 

The House legislation was introduced by Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), with companion legislation introduced in the Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM). 

Beginning January 1, 2026, reimbursement rates for veterans’ home care services fell by nearly 20 percent in New Mexico and by as much as 43 percent in parts of Texas. Providers have warned that the reductions could force agencies to limit services or close, particularly in rural areas where long travel distances and caregiver shortages already make it difficult to serve veterans. 

“Home-based care allows older and disabled veterans in South Texas to remain in their homes and close to their families,” said Congressman Cuellar. “The Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026 would restore the reimbursement rates needed to keep providers serving our rural communities and require the VA to explain any future reductions before they take effect.” 

The Protecting Home-Based Care for Rural Veterans Act of 2026 would: 

• Require the VA to explain the data, formulas, assumptions, and provider consultation used to establish reimbursement rates. 

Earlier this year, Congressman Cuellar joined Senators Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01), and Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02) in urging VA Secretary Doug Collins to reverse the reimbursement reductions affecting New Mexico and Texas. The VA declined to restore the rates, stating that the previous reimbursement levels exceeded prevailing market rates. 

The House legislation is also cosponsored by Representatives Gabe Vasquez, Melanie Stansbury, Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29), and Al Green (D-TX-09). 

The bill is endorsed by the Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice, New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. 

The VA’s Homemaker and Home Health Aide program helps eligible veterans with daily activities in their homes. For older and disabled veterans, these services can help them maintain their independence, remain near their families, and avoid moving into institutional care. 

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El Rep. Cuellar Ayuda a Presentar un Proyecto de Ley para Proteger la Atención Médica Domiciliaria para los Veteranos de las Zonas Rurales 

La legislación revertiría las reducciones de hasta un 43 por ciento en los reembolsos del Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos (VA) y protegería el acceso a la atención médica domiciliaria para los veteranos en las comunidades rurales de Texas. 

WASHINGTON – El congresista estadounidense Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (D-TX-28), se unió como copatrocinador original de la Ley para Proteger la Atención Médica Domiciliaria para los Veteranos de las Zonas Rurales de 2026, legislación que revertiría las reducciones en las tasas de reembolso del Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos (VA) para los servicios esenciales de atención médica domiciliaria. 

La legislación en la Cámara de Representantes fue presentada por la congresista Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM-03), mientras que la legislación complementaria en el Senado fue presentada por el senador Martin Heinrich (D-NM). 

A partir del 1 de enero de 2026, las tasas de reembolso para los servicios de atención médica domiciliaria para veteranos se redujeron casi un 20 por ciento en Nuevo México y hasta un 43 por ciento en algunas regiones de Texas. Los proveedores han advertido que estas reducciones podrían obligar a las agencias a limitar sus servicios o incluso cerrar sus operaciones, particularmente en las zonas rurales, donde las largas distancias de traslado y la escasez de cuidadores ya dificultan la prestación de atención a los veteranos. 

“Los servicios de atención domiciliaria permiten que los veteranos de edad avanzada y con discapacidades en el sur de Texas permanezcan en sus hogares y cerca de sus familias”, dijo el congresista Cuellar. “La Ley para Proteger la Atención Domiciliaria para los Veteranos de las Zonas Rurales de 2026 restablecería las tasas de reembolso necesarias para que los proveedores continúen prestando servicios en nuestras comunidades rurales y exigiría que el Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos explique cualquier reducción futura antes de que entre en vigor”. 

La Ley para Proteger la Atención Domiciliaria para los Veteranos de las Zonas Rurales de 2026: 

• Exigiría que el VA explique los datos, las fórmulas, los supuestos y el proceso de consulta con los proveedores utilizados para establecer las tasas de reembolso. 

A principios de este año, el congresista Cuellar se unió a los senadores Martin Heinrich y Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), y a los representantes Teresa Leger Fernández, Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01) y Gabe Vasquez (D-NM-02), para instar al secretario del Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos, Doug Collins, a revertir las reducciones en las tasas de reembolso que afectan a Nuevo México y Texas. El Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos (VA) se negó a restablecer las tasas, argumentando que los niveles de reembolso anteriores superaban las tarifas prevalecientes en el mercado. 

La legislación en la Cámara de Representantes también cuenta con el copatrocinio de los representantes Gabe Vasquez, Melanie Stansbury, Marc Veasey (D-TX-33), Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20), Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34), Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX-29) y Al Green (D-TX-09). 

El proyecto de ley cuenta con el respaldo de la Asociación de Texas para la Atención Médica y los Cuidados Paliativos a Domicilio (Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice), la Asociación de Nuevo México para la Atención Médica y los Cuidados Paliativos a Domicilio (New Mexico Association for Home and Hospice Care), Paralyzed Veterans of America y la Elizabeth Dole Foundation. 

El programa de Servicios Domésticos y Asistencia Médica Domiciliaria del Departamento de Asuntos de los Veteranos (VA) ayuda a los veteranos elegibles con sus actividades cotidianas en el hogar. Para los veteranos de edad avanzada y con discapacidades, estos servicios pueden ayudarles a conservar su independencia, permanecer cerca de sus familias y evitar tener que trasladarse a un centro de atención institucional. 

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El congresista Henry Cuellar es miembro del Comité de Asignaciones de la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos. Anteriormente, fue Representante del Estado de Texas y Secretario de Estado de Texas. 

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

Rep. Cuellar Highlights Historic Decline in Prescription Drug Prices

Prescription drug prices see largest 12-month decline since 1963 as Medicare-negotiated prices take effect

WASHINGTON – Prescription drug prices see largest 12-month decline since 1963 as Medicare-negotiated prices take effect 

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (D-TX-28) supported and voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which gave Medicare the authority to negotiate prices directly with pharmaceutical manufacturers for certain high-cost prescription drugs. The first negotiated prices took effect this year.

“Lower prescription drug prices are good news for South Texas seniors and families,” said Congressman Cuellar. “I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act because Medicare should be able to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. Those negotiated prices are now in effect, and I welcome any effort by this administration or Congress that lowers costs for patients.”

The first Medicare-negotiated prices took effect on January 1, 2026, for 10 widely used prescription drugs that treat conditions including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, blood clots, and autoimmune diseases. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates the negotiated prices will save people with Medicare approximately $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs in 2026.

The Inflation Reduction Act also included additional measures to reduce prescription drug costs for people with Medicare, including:

• A $2,100 annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for covered Medicare Part D prescription drugs in 2026;

• Covered insulin products generally costing no more than $35 for a month’s supply;

• Recommended adult vaccines covered under Medicare Part D without cost-sharing; and

• The option to spread out-of-pocket prescription drug costs across monthly payments throughout the year.

Medicare has also negotiated prices for 15 additional high-cost prescription drugs, with those prices set to take effect on January 1, 2027.

“Prescription drug costs are moving in the right direction, but too many South Texas families are still paying too much at the pharmacy counter,” said Congressman Cuellar. “I will continue working with Republicans, Democrats, and the administration to keep prescription drug costs down. No senior should have to choose between filling a prescription and paying their bills.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (D-TX-28) introduced the Ratepayer Bill of Rights Act of 2026 earlier this week. Congressman Cuellar’s legislation would require data centers to disclose those demands, protect local water and electric services, and pay the costs created by data center construction and operations. 

The legislation would establish ten rights for communities affected by these projects: 

1. The Right to Know a Data Center’s Demands. 

The public must be told how much electricity and water a covered project expects to use, where those resources will come from, and how demand may grow.

2. The Right to Know the Agreements, Infrastructure Costs, Rate Effects, and Public Support. 

Communities must be able to see project agreements, infrastructure costs, possible rate effects, and any taxpayer or public support. 

3. The Right to Not Pay a Data Center’s Costs. 

Ratepayers cannot be charged for electricity, water, wastewater, infrastructure, mitigation, or related costs caused by a covered project. 

4. The Right to Reliable and Affordable Community Water. 

A new project cannot come at the expense of dependable and reasonably priced water for the people and businesses already there. 

5. The Right to Protection of Rural Water, Aquifers, and Agriculture. Private wells, rural water systems, farmers, and ranchers must receive monitoring, notice, and fair compensation if a project harms their water supply. 

6. The Right to Reliable Electricity and Disclosure of On-Site Power and Emissions. Electric reviews would have to confirm the project can be served without materially reducing reliability for existing customers. 

7. The Right to Advance Notice, Local Information, and Public Input. Residents and ratepayers must receive advance notice, useful local information, and a public meeting before major commitments are finalized. 

8. The Right to Public Information that Cannot be Hidden by Contract. A private agreement cannot conceal information the public is entitled to know. 9. The Right to Protection Against Loopholes and Evasion. 

A company cannot avoid the law by dividing one project among separate entities, meters, tenants, parcels, or project phases. 

10. The Right to Enforcement, Refunds, and Accountability. 

The rules must be enforceable and improper charges to ratepayers must be corrected. 

“If a family in Laredo sees a higher utility bill because a billion-dollar project needs a new substation, or a farmer in South Texas loses dependable water without notice and protection, that’s not right,” said Congressman Cuellar. “If the project creates the cost, the project pays the cost. The family ratepayer does not.” 

Under the legislation, covered data centers would be responsible for project-driven electricity, water, wastewater, infrastructure, mitigation, and other related costs. Those costs could not be passed on to families and other protected customers through higher utility rates or other charges. The legislation would require independent reviews of a project’s potential effects on local water supplies and electric reliability. Water reviews would consider impacts on households, agriculture, existing businesses, drought conditions, rural wells, and other existing water users. Electric reviews would examine issues including demand, grid reliability, outages, and necessary infrastructure upgrades.

Community members would be required to have ample opportunity to make their voices heard and see their opinions reflected in any project that receives their approval. Relevant information on resource use, costs, public assistance, and potential rate effects would be made available to the public. 

“South Texas welcomes economic development and investment, but growth should not mean higher bills for working families or less dependable water for agriculture,” said Congressman Cuellar. “Tell the public what the project will use, protect our water and electric services, and pay the costs your project creates.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) announced he will hold a live telephone town hall to support military veterans and military families on Wednesday, September 2. Kelly is scheduled to be joined by local county Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) and other veterans’ organizations to help answer questions from constituents.

More than 42,000 civilian veterans call Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District home, according to U.S. Census data.

“Pennsylvanians who serve in our Armed Forces have sacrificed to protect and defend our great nation. This town hall will provide them with more information to make sure they receive the benefits and assistance they have earned,” Rep. Kelly said.

In 2025, more than 30,000 constituents joined Rep. Kelly’s telephone town halls. 30,000 constituents would fill the Erie Insurance Arena for a hockey game more than 4 times.

DETAILS

Who: U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, Veteran Service Officers, and other guests
What: Live telephone town hall
When: Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026 at 6:00p.m. ET
Pin-less Participant Dial-In: 855-531-1063
Livestream: Facebook.com/MikeKellyPA

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

In a new analysis, the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge backed Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Congressman Jay Obernolte’s (R-CA-23) Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act, calling it the strongest proposal yet to manage the risks of the most powerful AI systems.
“The frontier needs real rules, not voluntary guardrails. That requires binding legal regimes for evaluating and managing the risks from frontier models: as they are being developed, before they are deployed, and after they are in widespread use,” wrote Nicholas Garcia, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge. “The best proposal (so far) to move past frameworks, lists of principles, or nibbling at the edges of this challenge is the ‘Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act’ from Representatives Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan.”
“For years, Public Knowledge has been one of the most serious and principled voices fighting to protect the public from the risks posed by cutting edge technologies. When they engaged in the discussion draft process, we took their criticisms seriously and worked with them to address their concerns,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That kind of rigorous, good-faith feedback is a big reason the FRONTIER Act is the strongest frontier AI safety legislation ever introduced. Public Knowledge’s support is critical as we work to broaden the coalition backing this bipartisan bill and push for its consideration. We’re in a race against the clock right now, and Congress needs to act before the next major incident.”
The FRONTIER Act would establish a tiered, risk-based national framework for overseeing the most advanced AI models. It requires the largest developers to publish their safety frameworks, submit to independent third-party audits and verification, and report critical safety incidents to a new Under Secretary of Commerce for AI Security. The bill is an updated version of the Commerce-focused portions of Trahan and Obernolte’s Great American AI Act (GAAIA) discussion draft. The sponsors reworked it over seven weeks of stakeholder feedback, narrowing its preemption of state law and sharpening its auditing and reporting provisions.Public Knowledge’s endorsement marks a notable evolution. When the sponsors released the GAAIA discussion draft in June, Public Knowledge opposed it, warning that its preemption clause reached too far and would lock states out of even light-touch AI transparency and evaluation rules. At the same time, the group made clear it was ready to work with the sponsors to get the policy right.
Trahan and Obernolte took that feedback and rewrote the bill. When they introduced the FRONTIER Act in July, the preemption had been narrowed to cover only the catastrophic-risk issues the federal framework itself addresses, leaving state authority over child safety, privacy, consumer protection, and procurement intact. That change answered Public Knowledge’s central concern, and the group now backs the bill.
Public Knowledge joins a broad, bipartisan coalition of AI policy experts and organizations that have praised the FRONTIER Act as the strongest federal AI safety proposal introduced to date.
Read the full analysis HERE.
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