MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON — Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) wrote to Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDOH) Secretary Dr. Víctor M. Ramos Otero demanding answers about the Department’s abrupt decision to change the administration of the Culebra Center for Diagnosis and Treatment (CDT), the only facility providing hospital services to the island municipality’s residents. The Mennonite Health System has notified PRDOH that it will cease operating the CDT on August 31. Velázquez is requesting a response by that same day.

“For the people of Culebra, this marked the first time they were receiving this range of services, which any U.S. citizen would consider basic, in their own municipality without having to undertake a 17-mile round trip to Puerto Rico’s mainland,” Velázquez wrote. “Now, the Department’s refusal to reach an agreement with the Mennonite Health System is putting this accessibility at risk.”

Before 2019, medical care on Culebra was severely limited. The CDT’s roof was made of galvanized zinc, forcing medical staff to evacuate the building as Hurricane María approached and to treat patients outside the facility during and after the storm. Culebra had also gone without a pharmacy since 2010.

Following the hurricane, efforts led by the Foundation for a Better Puerto Rico funded the renovation of the facility, including a new concrete roof, and supported a significant expansion of services provided by the Mennonite Health System. A pharmacy and laboratory were created. Residents began receiving primary care, preventive medicine, physical examinations, laboratory services, early detection screenings, vaccinations, family planning, health certificates, and school physicals in their own municipality.

In her letter, Velázquez points to a series of public statements from Department officials that conflict with one another and with the documentary record, including claims that the Mennonite Health System chose not to continue, even though the organization submitted a proposal on August 18 to continue services through June 2031 and noted that no active contract has existed since December 31, 2024.

The letter also raises concerns about the timeline facing residents. The Department’s own Request for Proposals, issued August 24, keeps submissions open until September 23, a gap that could leave Culebra without a designated operator for months after the Mennonite Health System’s departure.

Velázquez is asking the Secretary to answer how the Department will honor the position taken by Culebra residents at an emergency assembly to keep the current operator, whether residents should expect any reduction or termination of current services, what compensation range the Department considers appropriate for an administrator serving a remote island municipality, whether the Department identified any contractual breaches by the current administrator, why it opened a competitive procurement rather than reaching an agreement, and what specific measures will guarantee uninterrupted care during the transition.

Read the full letter here.
 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14)

WASHINGTON — This week, Representative Lauren Underwood announced a new round of federal funding she has secured for nursing education, health care, child care, research, airport improvements, and quantum computing supply chain and manufacturing development in northern Illinois. 

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Underwood has made securing federal resources for our community a top priority. The following funds will support programs in the 14^th District with federal resources:

Head Start, Joliet, Illinois – $1,946,280 

Head Start in Joliet has been awarded $1,946,280 in federal funding through the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This grant supports Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships, programs designed to enhance and support early learning settings to provide comprehensive and continuous services. These programs increase access to high-quality, full-day, full-year child care, including family child care, for low-income working families.

Family Service Agency of DeKalb County, Inc, DeKalb, Illinois – $582,504

The Family Service Agency of DeKalb County has been awarded $582,504 in federal funding through the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This grant supports programming that provides homeless youth with supervised transitional housing, case management, independent service planning, counseling, and developing life skills.

Will County Community Health Center, Will County, Illinois – $1,153,424

The Will County Community Health Center has been awarded $1,153,424 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Health Center Program (H80).

This grant supports health centers that treat medically underserved communities.

City of Mendota, Mendota, Illinois – $375,000

The City of Mendota has been awarded $375,000 in federal funding administered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

This grant expands the availability of substance abuse treatment and recovery services available to Americans to improve the lives of those affected by alcohol and drug addictions, and to reduce the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on individuals, families, communities. The funding also addresses priority mental health needs of regional and national significance and assists children in dealing with violence and traumatic events through by funding grant and cooperative agreement projects.

University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois – $337,661

The University of St. Francis has been awarded $337,661 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program.

This grant supports the training and graduation of advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students/trainees in these disciplines. The grant provides awardees with funding for tuition and other eligible supports to build academic-clinical partnerships to facilitate clinical training, and continue to develop and sustain clinical faculty and preceptors as needed. The program seeks to increase the number of primary care nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives trained and prepared to provide primary care services, mental health and substance use disorder care, and/or maternal health care.

Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois – $218,502

The University of St. Francis has been awarded $218,502 in federal funding through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education.

This project aims to serve the national interest of training the next generation of scientists by helping faculty access and implement evidence-based laboratory teaching practices. Chemistry laboratory training is a central component of all undergraduate degrees in STEM fields. These hands-on experiences will push students to apply theoretical ideas, deepen their understanding, and develop the skills necessary for success in future STEM careers.

Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois – $396,032 

Aurora University has been awarded $396,032 in federal funding through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education.

This project seeks to serve the national interest by helping undergraduate students learn chemistry in ways that reflect how modern science is practiced. Computation, data analysis, modeling, and simulation are now central to chemistry research and many STEM careers. Yet chemistry courses often emphasize step-by-step procedures and calculations rather than computational problem solving. This gap is especially important in general chemistry, an introductory course that enrolls large numbers of students and influences persistence in STEM pathways.

Lewis University Airport, Romeoville, Illinois – $444,673

Lewis University Airport has been awarded $444,673 in federal funding through the Illinois State Block Grant Program at the Department of Transportation.

This project constructs a new 40,000 square foot non-exclusive use hangar for aircraft storage to assist the airport to be as self-sustaining as possible by generating revenue.

DeKalb Airport, DeKalb, Illinois – $287,640 

DeKalb Airport has been awarded $287,640 in federal funding through the Illinois State Block Grant Program at the Department of Transportation.

This project rehabilitates 5,700 feet of existing paved Taxiway B to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris to extend its useful life.

Block Quantum Tech Hub, Illinois – $30,000,000

Block Quantum Tech Hub has been awarded $30,000,000 in federal funding through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This grant supports the development of a quantum supply chain to position the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin region as a center for quantum manufacturing. The Block Quantum Tech Hub is working to scale manufacturing in the Midwest and grow and strengthen our nation’s base of quantum manufacturing and supply-chains. More information about the Block Quantum Tech Hub can be found here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s PoliticsNation, on the show’s 15th anniversary, where he made clear that House Democrats are committed to lowering the high cost of living and ending the affordability crisis that extreme MAGA Republicans have visited on the American people. 

REV. AL SHARPTON: Joining me now to kick off this special show, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thanks for starting off this 15th anniversary edition of PoliticsNation. We have a lot to cover, but I want to start off with some of the day’s top headlines. Yesterday marked the six-month anniversary of President Trump’s war with Iran, a conflict the administration told us would be over in a matter of days. That’s still going half a year later. This week, the administration announced an ‘Economic D-Day’ against the Iran—against Iran. But have you seen any signs that we’re getting anywhere close to a resolution that would calm global markets and get our troops out of harm’s way?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, first of all, Rev., great to be with you. Congratulations on 15 amazing years. And so appreciative to be on this anniversary show. And congratulations on a very successful march to defend the vote yesterday. As you indicated, Donald Trump promised that this war of choice in the Middle East would be over in four to six weeks. It’s now raged on for more than six months with no end in sight. What we have seen is that Iran is actually stronger now than they were before this conflict was recklessly entered into, and the American people are economically weaker, particularly as it relates to skyrocketing gas prices and skyrocketing food prices. It’s clear that Donald Trump and Republicans entered into this conflict with no clear objectives, no plan and no exit strategy. And so, now we find ourselves in a mess where you’ve had 18 brave, patriotic service members lose their lives, hundreds have been seriously injured and, of course, tens of billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, staying with global affairs, last night the Trump administration announced what it claims is a deal to take control of 65 billion barrels of Venezuela’s oil reserves. This is eight months after the administration took out the regime of former President Nicolas Maduro. The consequences of this deal for global energy markets are potentially massive. But what do you make of it? Is there something Trump can actually do? Is there something within his purview? Would it lower prices at the pump, like he claims?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Very unlikely to lower prices. Nothing that they’ve done has actually driven down the high cost of living, notwithstanding the fact that Donald Trump and Republicans promised that they were going to lower costs on day one. Costs in the United States of America, of course, have not gone down. Costs have gone up as a result of direct actions being taken by Republicans, including the Trump tariffs, which have increased costs on everyday Americans by thousands of dollars per year. And, of course, this reckless war of choice that has resulted in costs, particularly gas prices and food prices, increasing. So this, to me, seems like another desperate attempt to pretend as though the problems that the American people want Donald Trump and Republicans to solve are going to be solved. The only way to actually move this country in a different direction is going to be to make sure that we take back control of the House as well as the Senate in November. We’re committed to actually fighting for an affordable America, to lower the cost of groceries and gas and housing and to make sure that healthcare is affordable for every single American.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, moving closer to home, President Trump this week massively escalated his trade war with Canada after talks between the two countries collapsed. The White House imposed a new 50% tariff on Canadian products that economists warn could increase costs for American consumers. Trump also signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. In your opinion, is any of this doing anything to help make living expenses more affordable for Americans or to create jobs? And if not, what is it all about?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, again, I think what we’re seeing is Donald Trump throw a temper tantrum because Canada refuses to bend to his will, and I think he’s been so used to a Republican Congress that conducts itself like nothing more than a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda. He doesn’t like it when people push back against his failed, broken and extreme policies. Certainly this trade war with Canada is going to make life more expensive for the American people in an environment where far too many people are already working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they can’t thrive and can barely survive. Life is too expensive in the United States of America. People are drowning in this failed economy, and we’re determined to do something about this affordability crisis. It’s not a hoax. It’s very real. I hear about it every day in the district that I’m privileged to represent in Brooklyn or as I travel the nation. It certainly is also the case, Rev., that pretending to rename Lake Ontario is going to do nothing to actually improve the situation that we’re in relative to this failed economy. And we need serious people to engage in serious behavior and that’s not what’s coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, or the Republican-controlled Congress right now.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, we’re all counting down to the midterms, now just 66 days away. With polls showing approval ratings plummeting for President Trump and his Republican Party, many Democrats are worried this White House is looking for ways to mess with the vote. One area of growing concern is the post office. The administration says it’s moving ahead with restrictions to mail-in voting after the Supreme Court earlier in the week lifted an injunction on procedural grounds. However, there’s already been another partial injunction issued at the district court level and the legal fight is expected to continue. If the order is allowed to be enacted, states could potentially have to hand over their voter rolls, or the post office might not deliver their ballots. Can you talk about the significance of this situation and what Democrats are doing to push back?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We’re going to continue to do everything possible to make sure that this illegitimate, we believe, unlawful and ultimately unconstitutional order does not stand. The Framers of the Constitution were very clear in assigning responsibility to oversee elections to states and local authorities—that was done specifically to avoid some king-like figure from being able to try to parachute in and manipulate an election. And that’s why ultimately we believe that on substantive grounds, we will prevail in the courts, including ultimately if it goes back up to the courts, the United States Supreme Court, perhaps it doesn’t get there because the lower courts continue to do the right thing. Now we also have to be prepared for the reality that Republicans have adopted voter suppression as an electoral strategy. And that’s why, as Democrats, we’re committing to making sure that we stand up the largest voter protection effort in the history of the country. That’s House Democrats working with Senate Democrats, working with the Democratic Governors, the Democratic Secretaries of State, as well as the Democratic Attorneys General like Tish James, of course, here in New York State. And also partnering with civil society—so the civil rights groups, of course, Reverend Sharpton, making sure we partner with civil liberties organizations, organized labor, good government groups and the faith community. This is an all-hands-on-deck effort underway to make sure that it is the American people, at the end of the day, who are the ones who get to decide who’s in control of Congress, who wins these Governors races, not MAGA extremists.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Now, last question. You’re spending the August recess crisscrossing the country for Democratic candidates. And next month, you’ll be hosting a massive fundraiser with former President Obama right here in New York City. At the same time, Republicans are holding their midterm convention. Democrats are feeling hopeful about their chances in November. But as you know, these midterms are coming in the midst of the most intense attack on voting rights and Black representation in this country since the Civil Rights era. That’s why you were with us yesterday at the March on Washington, which I helped organize with the King family in my capacity as head of National Action Network, which you’re a member of. Are you optimistic that your party can overcome the Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act and Republican efforts to redraw congressional maps to eliminate Black-majority districts throughout the South and elsewhere? Will you be holding the Speaker’s gavel when PoliticsNation celebrates its 16th anniversary next year?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’re going to work to do everything that we can to make sure we win back control of the United States House of Representatives on November 3rd. In terms of any change in title, that’ll be a January 3rd issue and if we have the opportunity to work on that we certainly will. But our commitment is to make sure that we continue to aggressively push back against all of the extremism unleashed on the American people and that certainly is the attack—unprecedented in modern American history—on Black political representation and the opportunity for African American communities in the South and throughout America to elect the candidate of their choice. This Callais decision was egregious. It’s why we need dramatic Supreme Court reform and certainly, as House Democrats, we’re committed to making sure one of our top priorities in the majority is passage of the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, so we can end the era of voter suppression here in this great country of ours once and for all.

REV. AL SHARPTON: Well, it’s our honor that you kicked us off on our anniversary of PoliticsNation. Thank you, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Rev.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration has approved two requests from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to loosen restrictions on the timely request for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) replacement benefits due to the major storm damage last Saturday, August 22. The second waiver authorizes replacement of those benefits.

Households already enrolled in the SNAP program in eight ZIP codes are eligible: 38004, 38108, 38111, 38115, 38116, 38119, 38126 and 38141. The number of SNAP beneficiaries in the affected area is estimated at 65,222. The total monthly issuance of benefits to the affected areas is $29,682,489.

Normally, recipients would be required to request replacement benefits within 10 days of an emergency or disaster, but the waiver gives recipients until September 11.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“The severity of the damage and length of time electric power was out after Saturday’s storm makes these sensible waivers necessary. I am hopeful affected recipients will take advantage of this prolonged application period.”

SNAP enrollees can apply for replacement benefits through the Tennessee Department of Human Services through the state’s One DHS portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

Headline: Congressman Veasey Calls on DHS to Immediately Release Iranian Christian Pastor Granted Asylum as Health Deteriorates in Detention

August 28, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey (TX-33) is calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expedite the release of Elmira Azizi, an Iranian Christian pastor currently detained at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, after she was granted asylum in the United States. Azizi fled Iran after facing persecution because of her Christian faith. According to her attorneys, she has now been granted asylum, has no criminal record, and remains in federal immigration custody while awaiting DHS to complete the process necessary for her release. Azizi suffers from a life-threatening medical condition which she was able to successfully manage prior to detention. During her detention, Azizi’s health has rapidly deteriorated, and her declining health has now left her reliant on a wheelchair.  “Elmira came to this country seeking refuge from religious persecution, and the United States granted her asylum. She has no criminal record, and there is no reason for allowing bureaucratic delays to put her life at further risk,” said Congressman Veasey. “Elmira has been detained for months without real justification, all the while her health has been rapidly deteriorating. She is now in a wheelchair, and is still not receiving the necessary medical care. “DHS must act with the urgency her condition demands, complete the remaining process, and release Elmira so she can get the life-saving medical treatment she desperately needs.” Congressman Veasey’s office has previously raised concerns regarding conditions and access to information and services for individuals detained at the Prairieland Detention Center. After several reports of alarming conditions and poor treatment of detainees, Congressman Veasey conducted several oversight inspections and alerted DHS and ICE to the concerns.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today announced that Tipton County, Covington and Munford will share $4,222,558 in grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The City of Covington will receive $3,743,581 to build a multi-purpose facility that can double as a Community Safe Room adjacent to the Covington Police Station. Its maximum occupancy would be 736.

Tipton County will receive $299,171 and Munford will receive $179,606 for weather warning and alert systems.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Tipton County has taken it on the chin recently with severe weather. These precautionary efforts to address the increasing frequency and severity of these events are practical and potentially life-saving.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Health Resources and Services Administration announced a $750,000 award to Princeton Community Hospital Association as part of the Rural Residency Planning and Development program. Funding is used to expand and improve access to health care in rural areas, supporting start-up costs to create new rural residency programs, including Rural Track Programs (RTPs), in qualifying medical specialties. 

“The Rural Residency Planning and Development Program is vital to addressing physician shortages in rural communities. By studying and practicing in rural areas, our next generation of physicians can be better equipped to handle the unique challenges these areas bring, and studies show physicians who train in rural areas are more likely to stay there long-term. I was happy to join in colleagues last December in introducing legislation to authorize the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, and am thrilled to see the Princeton Community Hospital Association receive this award. This funding will improve access to quality, life-saving care in our rural communities, and help Make America Healthy Again,” said Congresswoman Miller.

Background

– In December 2025, Congresswoman Miller introduced the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act, authorizing the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program. 
 
– Only 2% of residency training occurs in rural areas. Training physicians in rural areas improves access to care and also increases the likelihood of practicing in a rural community. 

– Nearly 20% of Americans live in rural areas, but only 10% of physicians practice in these communities. 

– The United States continues to face a serious physician shortage, especially in rural communities. Current projections show the nation may fall short by up to 124,000 physicians in the next decade, with rural areas alone expecting to face a deficit of more than 20,000 primary care doctors by this year.

– Training, recruiting, and retaining physicians in rural communities is essential to ensuring that people living in these areas have reliable access to comprehensive health care services.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 28, 2026) — Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Dean of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Congressional Delegation, along with Representatives Dwight Evans (PA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Chris Deluzio (PA-17) released the following statement:

“This ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Members of Congress must be able to conduct legitimate oversight of the Executive Branch without fear of criminal retaliation. Weaponizing the Justice Department against lawmakers for doing their jobs threatens the checks and balances at the heart of our democracy.

This case is bigger than any one particular Member. No president should be able to use federal law enforcement to intimidate political opponents or silence congressional oversight. We stand with Congresswoman LaMonica McIver as she continues this fight, and we will not be intimidated from carrying out our constitutional responsibilities.”

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

Today, joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered remarks at the 63rd Anniversary event for the March on Washington hosted by the National Action Network and Drum Major Institute.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a high honor and a distinct privilege to stand with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, Reverend Sharpton, the King family, the National Action Network and the civil rights community as we commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington and prepare for the battles ahead.

We certainly have come a long way in the United States of America, but we still have a long way to go. These are challenging times in this country right now. We have a hater in the White House, a reckless and costly war of choice raging in the Middle East, a Supreme Court that’s out of control. Black unemployment is up, Black home ownership is down and Black political representation is under assault with Jim Crow-like tactics all throughout the South. Challenging times. Wickedness in high places. But we’re not distressed because our community knows how to make a way out of no way.

We’re facing a crossroads right now here in the United States of America. The question is which direction will we choose? We want to move America forward. The extremists are trying to turn back the clock. We’re working hard to bring people together. The extremists are tearing the country apart. We believe in truth and reconciliation. The extremists want to erase our history, but Black history is American history. Our story will never be erased.

And so we come today in the spirit of Frederick Douglass. We come today in the spirit of Sojourner Truth. We come today in the spirit of Jackie Robinson. We come today in the spirit of Rosa Parks. We come today in the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. We come today in the spirit of Muhammad Ali. We come today in the spirit of Fannie Lou Hamer. We come today in the spirit of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. We come today in the spirit of Shirley Chisholm. And we come today in the spirit of the great John Lewis, because it’s time for us to get into some good trouble. Necessary trouble. Good trouble.

We fight for liberty and justice for all. We fight for equal protection under the law. We fight for free and fair elections. We fight for work, wages and wealth creation. We fight for jobs and freedom. We fight for racial justice. We fight for economic justice. We fight for social justice. We fight for civil rights. And we fight to pass the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act so we can end the era of voter suppression in the United States of America once and for all.

So let’s continue to show up, to stand up and to speak up to make this country the best version of herself. And when we do, together, I’m confident that we will win the day, win the week, win the month, win the year, win the hearts and minds of the American people and then on November 3rd, win back control of the United States House of Representatives so we can end this national nightmare and continue our march toward a more perfect union.

Full remarks can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)

August 28, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative Mark Takano (CA-39) participated in the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington alongside Minority Leader Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Representative Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Leaders provided remarks at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, then participated in a march to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial led by Reverend Al Sharpton.

Below are Rep. Taknao’s remarks as prepared:

“We are not here simply to remember history. We are here because the work that began 63 years ago is unfinished. We are here because the battles we thought had been long settled have resurfaced:

“Birthright citizenship is under attack. Americans feel the need to carry a passport to prove they belong. Fascists are using their power to intimidate Americans into silence.

“These are not echoes of some distant past. They are the reality of this moment.

“And this moment is an awakening: norms alone will not protect us.

“Every generation must take up the work of renewing and perfecting the idea of America so that America lives up to its promise. There are those who would have us believe America is about blood and soil. Replacing America’s founding principles with a narrow definition of who belongs and who does not. That being an American is about how many generations your family has lived here, where your parents were born, and what you look like.

“But that is not the America generations of people have struggled, marched, bled, and died for.

“And what is the idea of America?

“It is the idea that all of us are created equal. That government derives its power from the people. That every person deserves liberty and justice. And that being an American is not determined by your race, your religion, or where your parents came from, or who you love.

“The work of renewing and perfecting the idea of America does not happen on its own.

“People had to fight for it.

“John Lewis fought for that idea. At 23 years old he stood here in 1963 and demanded that America live up to it promise. Two years later, on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, police beat him for demanding the right to vote. He knew what awaited him on the other side of the bridge. Yet, he crossed it anyway.

“Because America was an idea worth fighting for.

“Wong Kim Ark fought for that idea. Born in San Francisco to immigrant parents, he challenged the government when it tried to deny him entry into his own country. In 1898, he took his fight to the Supreme Court—and won. If you are born here, you are an American. Period. More than a century later, we are fighting that battle again.

“Because America is an idea worth fighting for.

“And my own family fought for that idea. During World War II, my great-uncle Monzo served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Fighting and bleeding alongside other segregated units like the Buffalo Soldiers and Tuskegee Airmen. He fought for the United States while my parents and grandparents were among more than 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated by their own government.

“Think about that contradiction. A country that questioned their loyalty and took away their freedom. And still, Japanese American soldiers fought and died for an America that had not yet lived up to its promise. The motto of the 442nd was simple: Go for Broke. Risk everything. Give everything. And they did.

“Today, we are being called to our own “Go for Broke” moment. To fight for the character of our country. We fight for an America where nobody feels that they have to carry a passport to prove they belong. We fight for an America where citizenship cannot be stripped away because of who your parents are. We must fight for an America where the government does not use fear and intimidation to silence its own people. And we must fight for an America where every eligible citizen can vote and have that vote counted.

“The people who gathered here 63 years ago understood something we cannot afford to forget: Progress is not permanent. Rights do not protect themselves. Democracy does not defend itself.

“Every generation inherits the idea of America—and then must decide whether it is willing to fight for it.

“My great-uncle Monzo made his choice. Wong Kim Ark made his choice. John Lewis made his choice. Dr. King made his choice. Now it is our turn!

“Because America does not belong to one political party. America does not belong to a bloodline. And it certainly doesn’t belong to one man.

“America belongs to all of us. Let’s Go For Broke. Go all in for democracy. Go all in for equality. Go all in for freedom. We cannot turn back. Let’s finish the assignment, make Dr. King’s dream a reality, and fulfill the promise of a better America.”

Video of Rep. Takano remarks can be found here.

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