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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) released the following statement after Donald Trump announced a freeze of federal funds for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant program in Colorado: 

“Donald Trump’s decision to take federal benefits away from vulnerable children in Colorado is vindictive and illegal. I vehemently oppose his actions as he continues his pattern of political retribution against our state. This devastating freeze will take food from families across the state, in both red and blue areas. Therefore, I urge my Republican colleagues to leverage their relationships with the administration and end this blatantly political attack against the most vulnerable families in Colorado. In addition, as a member of the House Litigation Task Force, I am exploring legal action to reverse these unlawful cuts.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Houston, TX)—Today, Congressman Al Green released the following statement regarding recent events in Venezuela and emphasizing the urgent need to prioritize healthcare access by extending Affordable Care Act subsidies for Americans. See Congressman Al Green’s statement below and access his letter to Speaker Johnson by clicking here.

Congressman Al Green stated, “I oppose putting boots on the ground in Venezuela. We cannot allow President Trump to continue engaging our military in strikes against nations without consulting Congress. I have asked the Speaker of the House to provide a congressional briefing that will explain the President’s authority to bomb another country and capture its president without consulting Congress. Also, know that I will not allow the President’s actions in Venezuela to distract me from fighting to provide necessary healthcare for the American people. For some, these subsidies are a matter of life and death. I will vote to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies for the millions of Americans affected.”

Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott Statement on U.S. Military Strikes in Venezuela and Capture of President Maduro

NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the United States military conducted a large-scale strike against Venezuela and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. 

“I am deeply concerned by reports of U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Maduro. There is no question that Nicolás Maduro is a brutal and corrupt leader who has inflicted enormous harm on the Venezuelan people. However, the reprehensible conduct of a foreign leader, absent a clear and immediate threat to the United States, does not give any president the authority to disregard the Constitution. 

“The Constitution vests in Congress the power to authorize the use of military force. To date, the Trump Administration has yet to identify a clear legal basis for its military strikes in the Caribbean, the Eastern Pacific or now inside Venezuela, for the capture of a foreign head of state, or even to ‘run’ a foreign country. Escalating military action inside a sovereign country without congressional authorization raises serious questions under both U.S. and international law and risks further destabilizing the region. 

“I have repeatedly warned that these heavy-handed and legally dubious military actions carried out in the name of reducing drug use in the United States are among the least effective and most costly ways to address that problem. Decades of evidence and research make clear that the most effective strategies to reduce illicit drug use are education, prevention, and access to mental health and addiction treatment.  Yet at the same time, this Administration has sought to significantly reduce staffing and funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the very federal agency charged with addressing those needs. This contradiction suggests a troubling preference for costly military escalation over evidence-based solutions. 

“Congress and the American people deserve a full accounting of the legal authority, objectives, and consequences of these actions. I will continue to press for answers and for Congress to reassert our constitutional war powers.”

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Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)

Headline: Scott Statement on the Appointment of Dr. Jeffery O. Smith as Virginia’s Next Secretary of Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger nominated Dr. Jeffery O. Smith to lead Virginia’s Department of Education.

“I congratulate Dr. Jeffery O. Smith on his appointment to be Virginia’s new Secretary of Education.  Dr. Smith has over 30 years of invaluable experience in public education, including service as the Superintendent of Hampton City Schools and as an adjunct faculty member of Old Dominion University and the College of William and Mary.  Throughout his remarkable career, he has advocated for and recognized the importance of providing more access to workforce-oriented education and expanding career pathways for students. 

“Dr. Smith’s appointment is critical as schools, students, educators, and parents navigate the Trump Administration’s harmful education agenda, which has threatened funding for low-income and rural K-12 schools, limited access to school meal programs, and made it harder for student loan borrowers to repay their debts.  

“Dr. Smith is a visionary leader who joins a long list of highly qualified appointments to Governor-elect Spanberger’s incoming administration who will work tirelessly on behalf of all Virginians.  I look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Smith and am confident in his ability to lead and strengthen Virginia’s Department of Education in its mission of ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed in life.”

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “I am aware of reports of a shooting involving federal agents that has resulted in the serious injury of a civilian. Sec. Noem must immediately cease and desist the ICE operation to allow state and local law enforcement officials to restore order and prevent further injuries, and to allow for a full and independent investigation into ICE’s actions which led to this incident. It is clear that ICE’s grossly unprofessional conduct is needlessly causing chaos in Minnesota. I share Minnesotans’ concern for those who are impacted by this violence amidst this incredibly volatile situation. I urge community members to remain calm.”
 

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

“We will never forget the courageous law enforcement officers who carry scars – both physically and mentally – for the rest of their lives because of their heroism that day.”

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

“Tim Walz has successfully led Minnesota through challenging times and enacted historic reforms,” says Minnesota Democrat

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

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement on Saturday morning: 

“President Trump must cease U.S. military strikes on Venezuela immediately. The actions taken today by the Trump administration are blatantly illegal. Venezuela poses no imminent national security threat to the United States and Congress has not voted to authorize any use of force in the region. Speaker Johnson must call the House of Representatives back into session immediately to reign in this out-of-control President.”

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

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the administration’s unconstitutional military action in Venezuela.

“The president’s reckless decision to put our servicemembers in harm’s way by attacking a sovereign nation without a coherent rationale or approval from Congress is unconstitutional, destabilizing to the region, and deeply damaging to America’s reputation around the world.

“While there is not a single individual who will defend the actions of a murderous and illegitimate dictator in Nicolas Maduro, the use of military force to enact regime change in a foreign nation has proven disastrous to our national security and economic interests in recent history. Moreover, such shortsighted decision-making will only embolden despots around the world, giving tyrants in Russia and China an excuse to utilize their own military forces to depose leaders with whom they disagree.

“Whether it was the illegal strikes in Iran, Nigeria, or off the coast of South America, there is no question that this careless decision is the culmination of Congressional Republican refusal to hold the Executive Branch accountable and maintain the checks and balances that are essential to strategic and well-informed foreign policy. Now, because of this dereliction of duty, the president claims our troops and tax dollars will ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as a proper transition can take place’. 

“As Congress returns to Washington, the administration must immediately brief the people’s elected representatives about the legal justifications of this attack, the short-term risks to our troops and civilians, and the long-term strategy to ensure the situation in Venezuela does not result in another quagmire that the American people do not support and cannot afford.”

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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.

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

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the January 6^th insurrection and the attack on the U.S. Capitol. 

“Today marks the fifth anniversary of the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol Building and our constitutional Republic, incited by the President of the United States in his despicable attempt to remain in power after knowingly losing a free and fair election. On this solemn day, we are reminded of the fragility of our democracy as well as our sacred duty, entrusted to us by generations prior, to protect it for the generations still to come. 

“As we condemn those who participated in the first violent attempt to prevent the transfer of power in American history, we must also give thanks to the countless law enforcement officers who defended our nation during a time of grave peril. Tragically, some of those heroes are no longer with us today due to injuries sustained during that horrific event, but it is our responsibility to ensure their memory and sacrifice are remembered. It is because of those heroes that our Republic still stands today, even if the assault on the Constitution and the rule of law remain.

“Unfortunately, rather than unifying the nation in defense of the values that have made our nation truly great, the current administration and select members of Congress have actively worked to erase the memory of that day by pardoning those who participated in the violence, lying about the seriousness and coordination of the attack, and even unlawfully denying an honor to the memory of those who defended our democracy. This shameful stain will, rightfully, stick with them until the end of time.

“For a quarter of a millennia, the United States has grown into the most prosperous and powerful nation in the history of the world because of our commitment to the democratic principles of freedom, equality, and the supremacy of the rule of law, not the supremacy of a singular race, religion, or class. Although January 6^th will remain as one of the darkest days in American history, let it also be a flashing signal about the delicacy of democracy and the vigilance necessary to ensure it continues for our progeny.”

“If we do not lay aside our partisan view of what happened on January 6^th, history will surely lay us aside.”

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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.