MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Hill (AR-02) and his co-leads — Rep. Gottheimer (NJ-05), Rep. Kean Jr. (NJ-07), Rep. Lawler (NY-17), and Rep. Moskowitz (FL-23) — released the following statements after the House Committee on Foreign Affairs advanced legislation that included language from their bill, H.R. 4179, the Countering Wrongful Detention Act of 2025. This language was incorporated into a broader package, the Department of State Policy Provisions Act.

Congressman Hill said, “At a time when foreign adversaries are increasingly targeting Americans, it’s vital for the U.S. government to have the ability to deter and punish those who would use our citizens as pawns. Including language from the Countering Wrongful Detention Act in the State Authorization bill makes clear that those who wrongfully detain Americans will face real consequences and gives the State Department stronger tools to hold bad actors accountable. Our bipartisan measure is a strong step toward protecting our citizens and keeping Congress fully engaged in the process, and I’m grateful to Chairman Mast and Ranking Member Meeks for their leadership.”

Congressman Kean Jr. said, “Far too many American families have endured the fear and heartbreak of having a loved one taken hostage overseas and used as a political pawn. Hostile regimes like Iran continue to exploit innocent Americans as bargaining chips, subjecting them to mistreatment, dehumanization, and even death. The Countering Wrongful Detention Act, which I co-led, was included in the Department of State Policy Provisions Act that passed out of the Foreign Affairs Committee today. This measure sends a clear message that such actions will carry consequences, and the United States will go to great lengths to protect its citizens. I look forward to advancing this legislation through the House and ultimately seeing it signed into law.”

Congressman Josh Gottheimer said, “As the United States faces increasing threats from foreign adversaries, protecting Americans abroad must remain a top priority. I’m proud that the bipartisan Countering Wrongful Detention Act, which I helped introduce with Congressman Hill, has passed out of committee as part of the State Department Policy Provisions Act. This bipartisan bill will help bring home Americans wrongfully detained around the world and strengthen efforts to prevent future hostage-taking. To those being held, and their families, our message is clear: we stand with you and we are fighting every day to bring you home.”

Congressman Mike Lawler, Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, said, “As a co-lead on the Countering Wrongful Detention Act, I’m proud to see this bipartisan legislation advance through the Foreign Affairs Committee as part of H.R. 5300. Hostile regimes like China, Russia, and Iran have used American citizens as bargaining chips for too long. The United States will not stand by when our citizens are unlawfully detained abroad.”

Background:
The language from the Countering Wrongful Detention Act included in the Department of State Policy Provisions Act creates a new authority for the Secretary of State to formally designate countries or nonstate actors as state sponsors of unlawful or wrongful detention, creating a deterrent framework similar to the existing state sponsors of terrorism designation.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

RELEASE: REP. HILL’S STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF CONTINUING RESOLUTION

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

Congresswoman Stevens cites RFK Jr.’s dangerous cuts to medical research, increased costs to healthcare, abuses of power, and ongoing threats to public health after previously calling on Kennedy to resign

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to HHS Secretary RFK Jr.’s ongoing efforts to jeopardize public health, increase the cost of healthcare, and cut critical medical research – from pediatric cancer initiatives to cutting-edge vaccine developments – Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens released the following statement announcing that she is drafting articles of impeachment against Secretary Kennedy:

“RFK Jr. is making our country less safe and making healthcare less affordable and accessible for Michiganders. His contempt for science, the constant spreading of conspiracy theories, and his complete disregard for the thousands of research hours spent by America’s top doctors and experts is unprecedented, reckless, and dangerous. Enough is enough – we need leaders who put science over chaos, facts over lies, and people over politics, which is why I am announcing today that I have begun drafting articles of impeachment against Secretary Kennedy. 

“Secretary Kennedy has violated his oath of office and proven himself unfit to serve the American people. Congress must act to hold him accountable, and I intend to lead the charge to remove him from office.”

Rep. Stevens’ articles of impeachment against RFK Jr. will focus on: 

• RFK Jr.’s abdication of duty by cutting funding for lifesaving research, including:

• RFK Jr. severely restricting access to vaccines and spreading absurd conspiracies, putting lives in danger, and raising healthcare costs:

• RFK Jr. lying in his confirmation hearing:

  • He made promises to Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-LA), which he has not upheld.

• RFK Jr.’s failure to carry out statutory duties of HHS in administering the FDA and CDC:

  • He fired every member of the CDC’s vaccine expert panel.

  • He has politicized the FDA by calling it a “sock puppet agency,” and oversaw a staffing shortage that has limited the agency’s ability to fulfill its public duties.

  • He suggested eliminating entire FDA departments.

  • He ended public comment for HHS rulemaking, severely limiting the ability for health experts to be involved in HHS policy development, which was widely opposed by major public health advocates and supporters of government transparency.

###
 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) rallied with health care providers from across Los Angeles to demand that Republicans in Washington join Democrats in extending cost-saving Affordable Care Act tax credits that help working families afford health care premiums.  

If Republicans let ACA tax credits expire, 4.2 million people across the country will lose their health insurance, and families could see their premiums increase by an average of 75%. In California, a 60-year-old couple making $82,000 would see premiums jump from $7,000 to more than $26,000.

“In my district alone, 27,000 people rely on ACA credits for their health insurance,” said Rep. Jimmy Gomez. “That’s 27,000 of our family, friends, and neighbors who could lose access to affordable healthcare if Republicans don’t act. Democrats are ready to make a deal to prevent a government shutdown, but Republicans are refusing to even come to the table. I’ll keep pressing them to negotiate so it’s not working families paying the price.”

“Arroyo Vista Family Health Center appreciates Congressman Jimmy Gomez’s unwavering support for affordable health care access and urgently requests Congress to act now and extend the health insurance premium subsidies to prevent 660,000 Californians and millions across the United States from losing essential health care coverage,”  said Irene Holguin, Director of Preventative Care and Community Relations at Arroyo Vista Family Health Center. “Without an extension, Covered CA enrollees will have their premiums doubled, which will price out many hardworking families, leaving them vulnerable and uninsured. People who are uninsured are more likely to delay care and end up in the emergency room for preventable conditions – this leads to increased system costs. Extend health insurance premium subsidies now and protect affordable healthcare for our communities!”

“In Los Angeles county, health centers offer access to comprehensive quality care to over two million Angelenos, and they’re only able to do that because of expansions of the Affordable Care Act and ACA subsidies,” said Louise McCarthy, President and CEO of Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County. “I urge our leaders in DC to look at the big picture to realize we cannot have access without coverage, and we need to prevent these subsidies from expiring now.”

The possible expiration of these tax credits is another part of the health care crisis Republicans have created. In July, Donald Trump and Republicans passed the Big, Billionaire Bill, which cuts Medicaid and takes health care away from millions of Americans, all while giving huge tax breaks to billionaire Republican donors and adding $4 trillion to America’s national debt. Rep. Gomez joined every House Democrat in voting against the bill.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

Washington, D.C. – Rep. French Hill (AR-02) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick applauding the administration for its strong leadership in reforming the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program and urging continued efforts to ensure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently to expand reliable internet access across Arkansas and the United States.

Rep. Hill said, “Internet access is essential to daily life, yet 120,000 homes and businesses across Arkansas still lack reliable broadband. For nearly four years, the BEAD program under the Biden Administration was tied up by red tape that drove up costs and delayed deployment. Despite spending billions, not a single home was connected during that time. Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Lutnick, BEAD is now focused on cutting costs, boosting competition, and delivering for the American people. In Arkansas alone, these changes mean hundreds of millions in savings and expanded opportunities for local providers. This is proof that when results are prioritized over bureaucracy, taxpayers win — and Arkansas is leading the way.”

Background:

Congress appropriated $42.45 billion to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to administer the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program to expand high-speed internet access nationwide. According to NTIA data, nearly four years after its creation, no homes had been connected under BEAD. In June 2025, the Administration issued the BEAD Restructuring Policy Notice, which removed requirements related to labor, climate, fiber-only mandates, and rate regulation in order to streamline implementation. Arkansas projects more than $275 million in savings under the revised framework and has provisionally awarded over $200 million to Arkansas-based internet service providers.

Read the full letter HERE.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Today, Reps. Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Mark Takano (CA-39), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Lou Correa (CA-46), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Amata Coleman Radewagen (AS-AL), and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) reintroduced the Veteran Service Recognition Act. In the Senate, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) is introducing companion legislation.

The Veteran Service Recognition Act would allow noncitizen servicemembers to apply for naturalization during basic training, establish a review process for those who are in removal proceedings, and provide an opportunity for noncitizen veterans who have been removed or ordered removed, and who have not been convicted of a serious crime, to obtain legal permanent residence. 

“The men and women who risk their lives to serve our country should not have to worry about their immigration status when they get home,” said Rep. Nadler. “No matter where they were born, our veterans deserve the utmost respect and should be honored for their bravery and sacrifice, and that includes providing them a path to citizenship. I am proud to join Representative Takano in reintroducing the Veteran Service Recognition Act.”

“If you are willing to raise your right hand, put on the uniform, and defend this country, you should have a clear path to citizenship,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “The Veteran Service Recognition Act makes good on that promise, and it gives us a way to bring home veterans who served honorably but were deported. Standing up for our veterans has always been bipartisan, and this bill carries that tradition forward.”
  
“Immigrants have valiantly served in our nation’s military since its founding,” said Rep. Lofgren. “Those who put their life on the line for our country should not be facing the possibility of deportation. I’m proud to be re-introducing the bipartisan Veteran Service Recognition Act with my colleagues, so that Congress rights these wrongs and ensures that noncitizen veterans are protected and can access the care and benefits that they’ve earned.” 
 
“If you put your life on the line for our country, you deserve the right to stay in our country,” said Rep. Ruiz. “That’s why the Veteran Service Recognition Act works to stop the deportation of noncitizen servicemembers and ensures they have due process here in America and a fair chance at citizenship. With today’s introduction of the Veteran Service Recognition Act, we are one step closer to making sure noncitizen veterans are never treated as second-class veterans.”
 
“Our nation’s veterans served with honor, and they should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of immigration status,” said Rep. Vargas. “The Veteran Service Recognition Act is an important step towards giving noncitizen veterans a pathway to citizenship in the country they put their lives on the line for, and I’m honored to be an original cosponsor of this legislation.”
 
“Veterans put their lives on the line to protect our nation and the ideals it represents,” said Rep. Correa. “This legislation honors that service by making it easier for active duty servicemembers to become citizens and creating a pathway to legal resident status for U.S. Veterans. Fighting for the United States is the ultimate act of patriotism—let’s deliver our vets the justice and equality they deserve.”
 
“Thank you to our many U.S. Service Members who volunteer from our closest allies and Freely Associated States,” said Rep. Radewagen. “After their service, it is common sense and good policy for these Veterans to be able to remain as permanent residents or pursue citizenship if they choose. They strengthened our military and strengthened the country. All our veterans showed commitment to the country through service, in turn we as a nation have a commitment to support our veterans. Thank you Congressman Takano for leading this effort.” 
 
“All members of our Armed Forces deserve to be treated with dignity and respect,” said Rep. Salazar. “Noncitizen veterans, just like their American peers, make the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation with Congressman Takano, to streamline the naturalization process for noncitizen veterans and provide due process for those who were wrongfully deported.”
 
Endorsements: The American Legion, VoteVets, LULAC, AFL-CIO, UnidosUS, ACLU.
 
You can find the bill text here and a one pager here.

###

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

Miami, FL – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) will host his 18th annual Service Academy Day on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. at U.S. Southern Command.

On this day, representatives from the U.S. Naval, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Military, U.S. Merchant Marine, and U.S. Coast Guard Academies will meet with and inform prospective students about educational and career opportunities at the service academies.

Event Details:

RSVP is required due to security restrictions. A valid government ID and media credentials must be presented at the checkpoint for admittance. Please RSVP to Andrea Morales.

WHAT:

Service Academy Day

WHO:

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26)

Representatives from the United States Service Academies

WHEN:

Saturday, September 27, 2025

8:30 a.m. ET 

WHERE:

U.S. Southern Command

9301 NW 33rd Street

Doral, FL 33172

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill earlier this month:

“The FY26 Labor and Health funding bill prioritizes Americans’ healthcare access, expands school choice, and devotes resources for life-saving services and research, all while cutting wasteful spending.

“I am proud to have successfully secured critical funding that directly benefits families in Collier and Miami-Dade counties. This funding will support Community Health Centers, expand Alcee Hastings Advanced Cancer screenings, advance groundbreaking research at Florida International University, and support pediatric care by funding graduate medical education. This legislation ensures families have access to life-saving treatments and prepares the next generation of healthcare providers.

“I thank Chairman Tom Cole and Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt for their leadership in advancing legislation that puts Americans’ health first.”

Funding Higlights for FL-26

Community Health

• Maintains critical funding for Community Health Centers, which serve as the primary point of care for underserved and vulnerable communities in Collier and Miami-Dade
• Maintains robust funding for Alcee L. Hastings Advanced Cancerscreeningsamong vulnerable, medically underserved communities, including those in Collier and Miami-Dade
• Providing $100 million for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative, which will allow the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to invest in prevention and innovation programs for rural communities, telehealth resources for chronic care, and nutrition services.

Family Empowerment and Care

• Increases $60 million in funding to Charter schools, expanding School Choice options for parents and families.
• Maintains critical funding for Magnet schools.
• Maintains critical funding to support students with financial need who receive Pell Grants, renamed Trump Pell Grants.
• Maintains the longstanding Hyde Amendment, ensuring no federal funding can be used for abortion on demand.
• Increases $5 million in funding for children’s hospitals’ graduate medical education, which trains and equips the next generation of future of pediatric healthcare providers.
• Increases $10 million in funding for Low Income Home Energy Assistance, which reduces the burden of energy costs for vulnerable families, including in Collier and Miami-Dade counties.
• Expresses crucial support for revolutionary approaches in functional precision medicine and groundbreaking research for adult and pediatric cancer patients, such as the ones being conducted at Florida International University by Dr. Diana Azzam. 

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Resources

• Providing increased funding for youth and young adult suicide prevention, mental health treatment, and substance abuse prevention and treatment services.
• Strengthening Tribal communities by supporting mental health and substance abuse treatment, elder care, and child and family services, while promoting accountability and self-sufficiency.
• Focusing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on communicable diseases rather than social engineering.
• Reducing funding by 19% and streamlining 35 duplicative and controversial programs while increasing funding to combat emerging and zoonotic infectious diseases.

Bolsters U.S. national security and border protections by:  

• Providing $48 billion in funding to support biomedical research, a necessary counter to China’s growing threat in basic science research.
• Strengthening America’s biodefense and countering global health security threats by providing more than $3 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response.
• Prohibiting the purchase of supplies from China for the Strategic National Stockpile, which supports American manufacturers by expanding the domestic industrial base for these items.
• Prioritizing the safety and well-being of unaccompanied children under custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement through improved sponsor vetting, interagency data sharing, welfare checks, and reporting requirements.
• Securing the nation’s food security by rolling back the Biden Administration’s burdensome one-size-fits-all regulations leading to the closure of small family farms.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill Text is available here.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Commerce, Justice, and Science (CJS) Appropriations bill earlier this month:

“As our community prepares to host some of the world’s largest global events, such as the G-20 Summit in Doral and as one of the U.S. cities hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup – it is more crucial than ever that we ensure the safety of both Americans and visitors to the United States. That’s why I’m proud to have secured over $11 million in the FY26 CJS funding bill to ensure law enforcement has the necessary tools and resources to respond to the immense security and logistical challenges that will result ahead of these major events and keep our communities safe.

“I thank Chairman Tom Cole and the Dean of the House, Congressman Hal Rogers, for crafting a bill that prioritizes safety for law enforcement, Americans, and international visitors, all while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.”

Funding Highlights for FL-26

Supporting Law Enforcement

• Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office: $1.05 million for mobile operations command center upgrades.
• Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office: $4.2 million for global public safety and equipment expansion.
• Miccosukee Tribe Police Department: $350,000 for marked police patrol vehicles.
• City of Miami Springs Police Department: $500,000 for marked fleet modernization.
• City of Hialeah Gardens: $2.04 million for high-priority marked police patrol vehicles.
• Collier County Sheriff’s Office: $2.5 million for marked vehicle expansion project.
• Village of Virginia Gardens’ Law Enforcement: $405,000 for technology upgrades.

Bolstering National Security

• Bill Language for technical corrections for LIBERTAD Title III claimants.
• This language clarifies that a claimant who is eligible to sue under Title III of the LIBERTAD Act of 1996, and who subsequently acquired a claim through inheritance or as a successor-in-interest after March 1996, may successfully bring suit against a person who traffics in the claimant’s confiscated property.
• Bill Language prohibiting the use of funds made available by this Act to license exports to any officer of the Cuban military or intelligence service, or an immediate family member thereof.
• Report Language reiterating the passage of the No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act.
• Report Language on Small Business Contracting, as Hialeah is home to a small business apparel and textile sector manufacturer of U.S. military uniforms for the armed forces, many similar businesses have been driven out of business or are exiting the country due to a preference for Federal Prison Industries contracts with the Department of Defense.
• $6 million for INTERPOL Washington, to support the International Child Sexual Exploitation Database and INTERPOL’s victim identification efforts globally.

Strengthening School Safety

• STOP School Violence Grant Program: $135 million
• Police Act Grants: $12 million for active shooter training for police officers.
• VALOR Initiative: $13 million for police officer safety and wellness programs
• Mental Health/Peer Mentoring: $10 million for mental health awareness training
• Report Language on the challenges that urban and rural school districts encounter when applying for federal funding for school safety-related grants, and requires a detailed explanation of grant denials
• Report Language directing the Department of Justice to report on a plan to improve the timing and duration of the grant period to enable the improved quality of applications and increased participation in the application process.
• Report Language directing the Department of Justice to work with other Federal agencies to notify States, localities, Tribes, and school districts of the availability of funding announced by the STOP solicitation upon release, and to provide microgrants for school districts, including rural, Tribal, and low-resourced schools.

Championing Conservative Priorities, Countering Communist China, and Maintaining America’s Competitive Edge

• Continuing the long-standing Hyde-like prohibition that prevents the use of Department of Justice funds to pay for abortion.
• Upholding prohibitions on funding for COVID vaccine and mask mandates.
• Investing in emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum, and advanced manufacturing.
• Providing funding for DEA above the FY25 enacted level to curb the flow of China’s illicit export of fentanyl and fentanyl precursors into America.
• University of Miami: $3.1 million for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis Research & Innovation Hub Equipment Expansion Project
• $56 million for the Integrated Ocean Observing System to improve weather, flooding, and harmful algal bloom forecasting.
• Supporting the critical Artemis program to advance American leadership in space and countering China’s malign ambitions to steal American research.
• Report Language on Space Infrastructure as the United States’ commercial spaceflight industry has grown exponentially over the past decade, with Kennedy Space Center alone supporting over 72 launches from both NASA and Space Force property in 2023.
• That growth has stretched to capacity much of the Kennedy Space Center’s spaceport infrastructure, which was only sized to support NASA’s requirements. Additional investments are urgently needed to upgrade capabilities and expand capacity to meet projected needs for both governmental and commercial missions.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text is available here.

###