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Congressman Cleaver Receives Carl A.S. Coan, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

Cleaver was presented the award by the National Housing Conference for his work in helping enact the most significant housing proposal in over three decades with the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act

(Washington, D.C.) – At the end of June, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance, received the Carl A.S. Coan, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service from the National Housing Conference.  Congressman Cleaver was presented the award, along with Congressman Mike Flood, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing & Insurance, at the NHC’s Housing Visionary Awards Gala in Washington, D.C. for their work in helping pass the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, including the HOME Reform Act, the most significant housing proposal passed by Congress in nearly four decades. 

“The American people do not wish to see their elected officials bicker and grandstand when they go to Washington—they want to see cooperation, compromise, and concrete solutions that will improve the lives of everyday Americans,” said Congressman Cleaver. “From day one of the 119th Congress, Chairman Flood and I have chosen to work together to deliver real results for those we represent. Because of that bipartisan commitment, we were able to work in partnership with Ranking Member Waters and Chairman Hill to pass the most significant housing reform package in nearly four decades. This award is recognition of the long hours and difficult road it took to arrive at this moment and I’m grateful to the National Housing Conference, and its many member organizations, for helping pave the way. Together, we will continue pushing to expand access to affordable housing and revitalize the American dream for hardworking families in Missouri and all across this great nation.” 

The Carl A.S. Coan, Sr., Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service recognizes their bipartisan leadership on the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, including the HOME Reform Act, an effort to expand the nation’s affordable housing supply at a time when millions of Americans face rising housing costs and limited availability. 

The HOME Reform Act modernizes the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program, one of the primary tools used by states and localities to build and preserve affordable housing, by streamlining regulations, reducing administrative barriers, and strengthening public-private partnerships to help communities more efficiently develop housing and address the nationwide shortage.

Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference is the nation’s oldest and broadest coalition of affordable housing stakeholders, with more than 300 member organizations spanning lending, homebuilding, affordable housing advocacy, real estate, nonprofit development, and housing finance. 

Photos from the event are available here.

NHC tribute video available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
 

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One Year Later: Democrats Tout Tax Cuts They Voted Against

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

One Year Later: Democrats Tout Tax Cuts They Voted Against

House and Senate Democrats are regretting their votes in support of a $5 trillion tax hike on working families

Washington, July 13, 2026

WASHINGTON — One year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, hardworking American families across the nation are paying lower taxes and keeping more of what they earn – outcomes the legislation was written to achieve. Democrats unanimously opposed these transformational tax provisions for working families, instead voting for a $5 trillion tax hike – the largest in history.

However, despite Congressional Democrats’ vehement and unanimous opposition and state-level Democrat attempts to actually block implementation of these tax provisions, many Democrats are now claiming to see the wisdom of providing tax relief to working families. Many House and Senate Democrats are lying to their voters, taking credit for legislation they actively opposed.

“With their unanimous opposition to the Working Families Tax Cuts, Congressional Democrats in unison voted against no tax on tips and overtime, the doubled child tax credit, $50 billion for rural healthcare, and investment accounts for every newborn in America,” Speaker Johnson said. “Now, as tens of millions of citizens are benefitting from this historic tax relief, Democrats are attempting to mislead the American people and claim credit for something they opposed vehemently. Republicans will not let the American people forget that if Democrats had it their way, every taxpayer would have faced the largest tax increase in American history.”

A few examples of how Democrats support the Working Families Tax Cuts:

  • Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced a bill that would make Trump Accounts permanent and automatically enroll newborns into the program, which he renames “American Dream Accounts,” and a bill to make No Tax on Tips permanent, saying “we must ensure that […] as many workers as possible can benefit as much as possible.”
  • Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), and Susie Lee (D-NV), along with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “to ensure the successful implementation of this [No Tax on Tips] provision for our constituents and tipped workers across the country.” They all voted no, despite knowing they are “lawmakers representing our nation’s most hospitality and service industry dependent economy.”  
  • Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) admitted, “There are certain things that I liked in the big, ugly bill.” He and Emilia Sykes (D-OH) helped introduce a bill to expand eligibility for No Tax on Overtime.
  • Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) sent a joint press release, and Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ) also took credit, for securing hundreds of millions of dollars in security funding for the World Cup – despite trashing the Working Families Tax Cuts, voting against the legislation which included the funding, and taking repeated voted to keep the Department of Homeland Security –the agency tasked with World Cup security – closed.

Why are Democrats taking credit for this monumental legislation? Because the policies – and the successful results that followed – speak for themselves: 

KEEPING MORE OF YOUR MONEY

  • 97% of filers received a tax cut this past filing season, who would have otherwise owed taxes absent the extension of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts.
  • $82 billion has been returned to the American people from the individual tax cuts in the WFTC.  
  • 96% of filers receiving a tax cut earned less than $200,000. 
    • Filers earning between $100,000 to $200,000, who claimed one of President Trump’s signature tax cuts, received an average tax cut of over $1,250.
  • Nearly 70% of filers receiving a tax cut earned less than $100,000. 
    • Filers earning between $50,000 to $100,000, who claimed one of President Trump’s signature tax cuts, received an average tax cut over $815.
  • No Tax on Tips: Over 7.5 million filers have claimed No Tax on Tips, with an average deduction of over $7,000.
  • 90% of filers claiming the No Tax on Tips deduction had income under $100,000.
  • 99% of filers claiming the No Tax on Tips deduction had income under $200,000.
  • No Tax on Overtime: Over 29 million filers have claimed No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100.
    • 75% of filers claiming the No Tax on Overtime deduction had income under $100,000.
    • 96% of filers claiming the No Tax on Overtime deduction had income under $200,000.
  • Enhanced Senior Deduction: Over 35 million seniors have claimed the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, with an average deduction of over $7,500.
  1. 68% of filers claiming the Enhanced Senior Deduction had income under $100,000.
  2. 94% of filers claiming the Enhanced Senior Deduction had income under $200,000.
  • No Tax on Car Loan Interest: Over 1.4 million filers have claimed No Tax on Car Loan Interest on their new American vehicles, with an average deduction of over $1,800.
    • 62% of filers claiming the No Tax on Car Loan Interest deduction had income under $100,000.
    • 98% of filers claiming the No Tax on Car Loan Interest deduction had income under $200,000.
  • Enhanced Child Tax Credit: Nearly 40 million families have claimed the enhanced Child Tax Credit, which is permanently doubled and expanded by the Working Families Tax Cuts.
    • 65% of all families claiming the credit had income under $100,000.
    • 89% of all families claiming the credit had income under $200,000.
  • Doubled Standard Deduction: Over 127 million filers, or 90% of all tax filers, have claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction, simplifying tax filing for millions across America.
  • Boosts take home pay for a typical hardworking family by over $10,000 a year.
  • More than 6 million Trump Accounts have been opened for American children, and 1.4 million are eligible to receive the initial $1,000 seed contribution from the Working Families Tax Cuts.
  • 86% of Trump Accounts opened are linked to families earning less than $200,000 annually. 
  • 500,000 children received the $1,000 seed fund on July 4, 2026 from the Trump administration.

THE WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS

  • Puts American Farmers First: Prevents foreign countries from flooding our markets with biofuel feedstocks that compete with American grown agriculture.
  • Invests in Rural America: Created the Rural Health Transformation Program and invested $50 billion over five years to transparently and efficiently transform rural health access. 
  • Supports Family Farms: Protects two million family farms from excessive taxation by raising the death tax exemption, helping generational farms stay in the family by increasing the amount family farms can inherit tax free.
  • Expands Access to Disaster Aid: Expands access to standing disaster programs and conservation programs.
  • Invests in American Agriculture: Expands affordable crop insurance and improves risk management tools for livestock, aquaculture, honeybees, and specialty crops.
  • Ensures Tax Dollars Benefit Americans, Not Illegals: Ensures American taxpayers are no longer funding benefits for illegals on Medicaid and SNAP. 
  • Provides Small Business Relief: Provides immediate tax relief to farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans by increasing the small business expensing threshold and permanently extending the Small Business Deduction. 
  • Delivers Historic Tax Relief: This landmark legislation puts more money back into Americans’ pockets with American families and workers claiming $82 billion in individual relief directly from the Working Families Tax Cuts.
  • Makes Permanent the Child Tax Credit: Permanently increased and enhanced $2,200 child tax credit for tens of millions of families.
  • Supports School Choice and Parental Rights: Creates the first-ever federal tax credit to provide scholarships to children to attend a K-12 school of their choice.
  • Creates Trump Accounts: Gives eligible children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, a $1,000 contribution from the Treasury Department.
  • Expands the Adoption Tax Credit: Improvements to the Adoption Tax Credit make adoption more affordable
  • Expands Skills-Based Training: Allows students to pay for short-term vocational and technical training programs that align with in-demand, high-skill, high-wage jobs.
  • Expands Education Savings: Doubles the allowed annual distribution amount for K-12 expenses and expands qualified K-12 expenses to include materials, books, testing fees, online programs, tutoring. Expands qualified distributions for post-secondary career paths to include trade schools, technical certifications, and other workforce development credentialing.

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Norton Introduces Bill to Address Retirement Issues for Certain Public Servants Under D.C. Revitalization Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) introduced a bill to address several retirement issues for several categories of workers who used to be under the District of Columbia retirement system. First, the service of some employees from 1987-1997 who participated in D.C.’s defined contribution plan and were transferred to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) had those 10 years of service not fully counted for their annuity. The bill would allow those employees to buy into the FERS annuity amount from those 10 years, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they should be entitled.

“D.C.’s dedicated civil servants, including teachers, police, firefighters and judges, should receive the full federal pension benefits they earned,” Norton said. “These workers should have all of their service recognized and counted in determining the annuity they receive.”

The bill also addresses two benefit issues for employees in the teachers, police officers, and firefighters pension plans, whose pre-1997 benefits are funded by the federal government.  First, the bill would recognize domestic partner benefits for pre-1997 benefits, like D.C. enacted for benefits post-1997. Second, the bill would change the age at which a surviving spouse may remarry without losing survivor benefits to bring them in line with both the post-1997 benefits and the retirement benefits for most federal employees, and also make the analogous change for D.C. judges, whose retirement benefits are funded by the federal government.

Norton’s introductory statement follows.

Statement of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton on the Introduction of the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 Technical Corrections Act of 2026

July 13, 2026

Today, I introduce the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 Technical Corrections Act of 2026, which would address several retirement issues for current and former District of Columbia employees that resulted from the National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997 (Revitalization Act). The Revitalization Act, among other things, transferred several categories of employees who were in the D.C. retirement system to the federal retirement system and transferred responsibility from D.C. to the federal government for funding pension benefits earned by D.C. teachers, police officers, firefighters and judges before 1997.

First, the Revitalization Act transferred several categories of employees, primarily related to D.C.’s criminal justice system, who participated in D.C.’s defined contribution plan from 1987 to 1997 to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS).  However, these employees’ service from 1987 to 1997 was not counted for purposes of creditable service or annuity amount in FERS.  In 2009, Congress passed legislation counting this service for creditable service, but not annuity amount.  This bill would allow these employees to buy into the FERS annuity amount for 1987 to 1997 by paying 1.3 percent of their base pay plus interest, essentially the employee contribution for this time, which would give them the full retirement benefit to which they should be entitled.

Second, this bill would address two benefit issues for employees in the D.C. teachers, police officers and firefighters pension plans, whose pre-1997 benefits are funded by the federal government.  In 2018, D.C. enacted a law to provide domestic partner benefits for the police and firefighters pension plan, which mirrored a law already enacted for teachers.  However, these domestic partner benefits apply only to service accrued after 1997, since the federal government funds pre-1997 benefits.  This bill would make the domestic partner benefits available for pre-1997 benefits, too.

Finally, in 2012, D.C. enacted a law that reduced from 60 to 55 the age after which a surviving spouse can remarry without losing survivor benefits in the D.C. teachers, police and firefighters pension plans.  However, these benefits apply only to service accrued after 1997, since the federal government funds pre-1997 benefits.  This bill would bring those pre-1997 benefits in line with both the post-1997 benefits and the retirement benefits for federal employees in the Civil Service Retirement System and FERS and make an analogous change for D.C. judges, whose retirement benefits are funded by the federal government.  In general, for federal retirees, 55 is the age after which a surviving spouse can remarry without losing survivor benefits.

This bill would give these workers the retirement benefits they deserve.  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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ICYMI: Congresswoman Schrier, Local Leaders Hold Roundtable Discussion on Deteriorating Wilderness Conditions at the Enchantments

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

LEAVENWORTH, WA – On Friday, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) joined local leaders, emergency responders, outdoor enthusiasts, and volunteers to discuss the impacts of the Trump Administration’s cuts to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on the Enchantments Wilderness Area. 

Congresswoman Schrier was joined by Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay, Leavenworth Mayor Carl Florea, Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce Director Troy Campbell, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Sergeant Jason Reinfeld, Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Specialist Rich Magnussen, Retired Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Wilderness Program Manager Suzanne Cable, and TREAD Executive Director Mat Lyons, among other local leaders and advocates. 

BACKGROUND: The Trump Administration’s Forest Service cuts forced the Wenatchee River Ranger District, which staffs the Enchantments, down to just one employee from 11 in 2025. Insufficient staffing has led to diminished capacity to serve visitors, inadequate land management, and overflowing toilets that threaten Icicle Creek: Leavenworth’s drinking water source. 

The administration recently proposed an additional 25% cut to USFS research, and is carrying out a complete reorganization of the agency as wildfire season begins. 

Congresswoman Schrier has urged the Trump Administration to remedy these deteriorating conditions and pressed the administration to address poor Forest Service trail conditions and insufficient staffing in the Enchantments.

“The Enchantments are a beloved part of the Eighth District, and it is our duty to protect the area for future generations,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “Due to the Trump Administration’s erratic staffing cuts and reorganization of the Forest Service, and also due to overcrowding, conditions at the Enchantments have deteriorated and even become unsafe – poorly maintained public lands and overflowing toilets have threatened public health and the environment. As wildfires blaze across our state, the failure to properly manage these lands poses a severe threat to the safety of our communities and health of our forests. I was grateful to speak with local leaders and advocates to better understand the impacts they are seeing on the ground, and ways we can advocate to restore healthy conditions. I want to be clear that however incredible these volunteers are, they cannot be expected to backfill the responsibilities of the Forest Service. I will continue to do all I can in Congress to protect the Enchantments Wilderness Area, and fight back against devastating Forest Service cuts.”

“We have demonstrated here at this roundtable discussion broad community support for taking action. We have local elected officials, law enforcement, business owners, and recreation and conservation organizations that are all united in asking the Forest Service to manage day use in the Enchantments to improve conditions not only to benefit the wilderness, but also to benefit the local community and visitors to the area that are important to this rural economy,” said retired Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Wilderness Program Manager Suzanne Cable. 

“The Chelan County Sheriff’s Office is responsible for search and rescue in the Enchantments, which is why it is so important this area is protected. I was grateful to join Congresswoman Schrier and local leaders to talk about how best to improve conditions in the area. The public should be aware that many hikes in the Enchantments area, including Colchuck Lake, are not for beginners. Hikers: Please research the route, bring proper clothing and equipment, and don’t exceed your physical capabilities,” said Chelan County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Sergeant Jason Reinfeld.

“The Enchantments are one of Chelan County’s greatest natural treasures, and protecting both visitors and this unique wilderness requires strong partnerships,” said Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison. “This collaborative effort enhances public safety, helps preserve our natural resources, and supports the Sheriff’s Office as we balance the growing demands of backcountry rescues and law enforcement while continuing to serve the day-to-day needs of our communities.”

“No single organization or agency can protect the Enchantments alone. Lasting solutions require strong partnerships, especially as the Forest Service faces extreme capacity and funding challenges. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Schrier for bringing local leaders together to strengthen our shared commitment to protecting one of Washington’s most iconic landscapes,” said TREAD Executive Director Mat Lyons.  

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New Dems Celebrate ROAD to Housing Package Finally Becoming Law

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

July 13, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Today, Housing, Infrastructure, & Transportation Working Group Chair Norma Torres (CA-35), New Democrat Coalition Vice Chair for Policy Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Housing Task Force Chair Emilia Sykes (OH-13) issued a statement after President Trump’s 10-day window to either sign the bill or veto it expired, and the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act automatically became law.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is a comprehensive plan to address the housing crisis and help families afford to keep a roof over their heads. It delivers on many of the key objectives laid out in the New Democrat Coalition’s Housing Affordability Agenda, such as building more homes and getting them on the market faster, making it easier for families to buy or rent a home, and leveraging better housing data to surge resources where they are needed.

“After countless unnecessary delays, Congress is finally taking a crucial step forward in the fight to lower costs.

“We could not be more proud of the work that so many of our New Dem colleagues have put into this package—which contains provisions from 22 New Dem Member-led bills and two New Dem proposals. They have spent countless hours meeting with housing experts and families from across the country to put forward bold recommendations to drive down housing costs. It is thanks to their hard work that we can finally start to deliver real relief to working Americans.

“By refusing to sign this bill, the President has once-and-for-all proven that he is not willing to lift a finger to address affordability or ensure that all families have a safe, comfortable place to live.”

New Dems has engaged with the House Financial Services Committee, our partners in the Senate, and outside stakeholders to ensure our Members’ priorities are reflected in housing legislation. This bipartisan agreement reflects provisions of numerous New Dem-sponsored or co-led bills, including:

  1. H.R. 5990, Whole-Home Repairs Act, Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05)

  2. H.R. 6363, Build Now Act, Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04)

  3. H.R. 4810, BUILD Housing Act, Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16)

  4. H.R. 4660, Unlocking Housing Supply Through Streamlined and Modernized Reviews Act, Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16)

  5. H.R. 5907, Accelerating Home Building Act, Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05)

  6. H.R. 5591, RESIDE Act, Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16)

  7. H.R. 6293, Housing Supply Expansion Act, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50)

  8. H.R. 7792, Property Improvement and Manufactured Housing Loan Modernization Act, Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04)

  9. H.R. 6025, Appraisal Industry Improvement Act, Reps. Brad Sherman (CA-32) and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)

  10. H.R. 1981, Choice in Affordable Housing Act, Rep. Sean Casten (IL-06)

  11. H.R. 965, Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act, Rep. Brad Sherman (CA-32)

  12. H.R. 4989, Streamlining Rural Housing Act, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)

  13. H.R. 975, Credit Union Board Modernization Act, Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52)

  14. H.R. 6327, Rural Housing Regulatory Relief Act, Reps. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) and Eugene Vindman (VA-07)

  15. H.R. 7791, Increasing Housing in Opportunity Zones Act, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09)

  16. H.R. 6726, Reforms to Housing Counseling and Financial Literacy Program Act, Rep. David Scott (GA-13)

  17. H.R. 2840, Housing Supply Frameworks Act, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)

  18. H.R. 2362, VA Home Loan Awareness Act, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)

  19. H.R. 7504, Housing for America’s Middle Class Act, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-01)

  20. H.R. 1640, HEIRS Act, Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-05)

  21. H.R. 2031, HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization and Improvement Act, Reps. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Bill Foster (IL-11), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), and Juan Vargas (CA-51)

  22. H.R. 3694, VALID Act of 2025, Rep. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07)

Other provisions added:

  1. Sec. 301(d)(2) (Energy Efficiency Standards) – Page 10 of our 118th Congress Housing Action Plan called for streamlining standard setting on energy efficiency for manufactured homes.

  2. Re-authorizing the PRICE Housing Program, which New Dems called to fund in annual appropriations before authorization lapsed.

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Ranking Member Huffman Statement on Trump’s Move to Decimate Habitats, Kill Off Treasured Species

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

July 10, 2026

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s changes to the Endangered Species Act that will allow special interests to destroy imperiled species’ habitats:
“Trump is doing everything in his power to let his billionaire, big industry buddies ravage and obliterate our country to turn a quick buck. This move would let special interests destroy an endangered animal’s home, its food, its clean water – the basic things it needs to survive and recover – with zero repercussions or accountability. He’s pushing species to the brink of extinction and hurting the surrounding communities that depend on thriving ecosystems for their businesses, healthy air and water, and way of life.

“This is corrupt, illegal, and completely untethered from scientific reality.”

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Cole Statement on Passing of Senator Lindsey Graham

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina:

“There are few corners of Capitol Hill where South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham wasn’t known. Whether you knew him personally or simply watched him at work, he was impossible to ignore.

“Lindsey was a ubiquitous presence in Washington – with few office holders as visible, quotable, or energetic as him. For more than three decades, he served throughout the House and Senate – building a reputation as a determined legislator, a media presence, and a dealmaker. From the green rooms to the global stage, Lindsey was always in the middle of the debate, making the case for what he believed in for South Carolina and the nation.

“When it came to foreign affairs, Graham was an old-fashioned statesman and hawk. He believed America was a force for good in the world, and he never hesitated to confront those who threatened our interests and our allies – from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea to terrorist organizations around the globe.

“As Appropriators serving in different chambers, we worked together and shared a commitment to a strong national defense. I always appreciated his insight, his candor, and his willingness to pick up the phone to exchange ideas, discuss Oklahoma figures or issues, or strategize how we could bridge differences between the House and Senate. He was never shy about calling to seek advice, compare notes, or test his own impressions – a quality that reflected both his confidence and his respect for the views of others.

“Lindsey approached public service with boundless energy, sharp wit, and genuine optimism. He loved serving in Congress, and it showed every day. He was a gifted communicator, a persuasive advocate, and someone who never lost his enthusiasm for the institution or for the work of governing.

“I will miss Senator Lindsey Graham, and so will the Congress he served so faithfully. His gregarious nature always left us with points made crispy, cleanly, and with a laugh. That energy and humor certainly made him the ‘happy warrior’ of his political generation. His leadership, collegiality, and unmistakable presence will be deeply missed,” said Congressman Cole.

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Statement on Passing of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum issued the following statement on Sunday following the death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina: 

“I offer my sincere condolences to Senator Graham’s family, his colleagues, and his many friends. Though Senator Graham and I sat on different sides of the aisle, we found common ground in our shared commitment to our Ukrainian allies and their fight to defend their sovereignty against Russian aggression. As a House co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus, Senator Graham and I worked together in partnership with villages and governments across Africa to protect unique and threatened places both today and for future generations.”

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LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

I am shocked to learn of the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones. May he Rest in Peace after his long career of service to the people of South Carolina.

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Tafuna Students Participate in Nationwide Reading of Declaration of Independence

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Pago Pago – Joined by students from the Tafuna High School Summer Bridge program, Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata read the Declaration of Independence as part of the nationwide ‘Sharing the Spirit of America’ project initiated by the Hawai’i America 250 Commission. The American Samoa America 250 Commission organized the local reading with support from the American Samoa Historic Preservation Office, the American Samoa Visitors Bureau, and the American Samoa Cultural Heritage Collective, Inc., while at least 1,098 locations around the world participated. The reading was included as a special stop for the Tafuna High School Summer Bridge program during their scheduled Fagatogo Historic District Walking Tour. 

Reading the Declaration of Independence with Tafuna students

Historically, the public reading is a recognition of the first public reading, July 8, 1776, when Americans began hearing the news. Colonel John Nixon read the Declaration of Independence publicly for the first time at Noon in the State House Yard in Philadelphia, now Independence Square, to a crowd summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell. 

The Commission selected Congresswoman Amata for the reading since she is a Member of the bipartisan Congressional America 250 Caucus, and because of the historic ties between the Declaration and Congress. The Declaration of Independence was passed by the delegates to the Second Continental Congress, forerunners of the U.S. Congress. 

Tafuna Summer Bridge students

“Thank you to the Commission for inviting me, and thank you to our students for their attention and participation in honor of one of the most important documents and watershed moments in history,” said Congresswoman Amata. “We are blessed to be part of the United States, connected to these 250 years of history, and part of an ongoing national legacy of defending freedom.”

The full Declaration is 1,320 words long, with famous sections, but the forefathers reasoning is explained in a center section that is not as widely quoted. Signed by 56 delegates to the Congress, the bold “John Hancock” signature, President of the Congress, became famous in its own right. Thomas Jefferson is the main author, while a Committee including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin advised and edited. The motion for independence in the Congress was made by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, seconded by John Adams of Massachusetts. 

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