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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28) and Brad Sherman (CA-32) sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune demanding that any Fiscal Year 2026 government funding package include supplemental disaster assistance for California and victims across the country. 

“In January 2025, the Eaton and Palisades Fires in Los Angeles County destroyed more than 16,000 structures, displaced tens of thousands of people, and took 31 lives,” the Members wrote. “Since these devastating firestorms, federal, state, and local authorities have worked together to clear toxic hazardous waste, remove debris, and begin the process of rebuilding the communities of Altadena, Pasadena, the Pacific Palisades, and Malibu. This progress is made possible by the support and assistance provided by FEMA and other federal agencies pursuant to the Major Disaster Declaration on January 8^th, 2025.” 

However, more assistance is needed, and accordingly Governor Newsom has requested supplemental assistance totaling $34.2 billion to replenish FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund and SBA’s Disaster Loan Program, and fund other programs to support long-term recovery.

It’s not just California that needs this support. North Carolina, which was devasted by Hurricane Helene last Fall, has requested an additional $11.5 billion in assistance, and the United States must replenish the Disaster Relief Fund as we enter hurricane season in the Southeastern U.S. and wildfire season across the West.

Accordingly, the Members urged Speaker Johnson and Leader Thune, who have drafted appropriations proposals without Democratic input, “to ensure that Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations legislation includes supplemental disaster assistance that meets the ongoing needs of disaster survivors across the country.” 

Click here for the full text of the letter.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep Judy Chu (CA-28), a Member of the House Ways and Means Committee, introduced H.R. 5375, the Essential Skills and Child Care for Health Professions Act, to ensure that participants in the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program have access, when needed, to affordable child care as well as foundational educational training such as English language proficiency and adult basic education. The HPOG program provides education and training to low-income individuals for in-demand occupations in health care fields. This program both creates good jobs and helps fill vital jobs in the health care sector. 

“At a time when this country is experiencing a shortage of qualified health care professionals, we should be doing everything we can to remove barriers to these important occupations. The Health Profession Opportunity Grants program is proven to help close the gaps by providing dedicated job training for individuals to fill the specific health care jobs most in demand,” said Rep. Chu. “My bill would expand access to this program by ensuring that challenges like limited English proficiency or lack of access to child care do not prevent hardworking people from being able to participate in the program.”

To read the full bill text, click here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

Lawmakers warn a CR anomaly for NASA is needed to prevent the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from prematurely making dramatic cuts at NASA without the consent of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a group of bipartisan colleagues in sending a letter yesterday to House Appropriations Committee leaders urging them to include language in this week’s anticipated short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) that would explicitly protect NASA funding at no less than the currently-enacted levels.

“Without an anomaly providing guidance on the NASA budget,” the Members wrote, “OMB has pledged to apply its proposed FY 2026 cuts as soon as October 1st. That would result in an unprecedented, single-year cut to NASA, particularly NASA’s space science activities, resulting in irreversible impacts on America’s space leadership and capabilities.”

The letter notes that the cuts to NASA funding proposed in the FY26 President’s Budget Request (PBR) would be devastating for the agency and would affect every state and nearly every congressional district. The lawmakers note that if implemented, the FY26 PBR would: create needless disruption and uncertainty that threatens project timelines and risks unanticipated budget growth, throw away billions of dollars of functioning spacecraft, weaken national security, stifle the space economy, and ultimately surrender American space leadership to our adversaries like China. The letter commends House Appropriators for largely rejecting these cuts in the Committee’s Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, but notes that Congress must act now and provide explicit guidance in the CR to ensure the Administration adheres to Congressional intent.

“We therefore respectfully ask the Committee to include language in the CR explicitly protecting NASA funding at no less than the FY 2024/2025 enacted levels. Congress has acted before to protect essential programs under CRs, and NASA – a vital part of our economy, our national security, and our global standing – deserves the same protection,” concluded the lawmakers.

Click here for the full text of the letter.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California

The Congressman will provide updates on House Democrats’ efforts to stand up for the American people against Republicans’ attempts to slash their health care and President Trump’s increasingly authoritarian policies. He will also take questions live.

 

Virtual Government Funding Town Hall 
Thursday, September 25^th
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. PT
Hosted on Zoom 
Streamed to YouTube

To reserve your spot and receive a Zoom link or to request special accommodations, visit https://desaulnier.house.gov/town-hall-rsvp or call (925) 933-2660. 

This will be Congressman DeSaulnier’s 246^th town hall and mobile district office hour since coming to Congress in January 2015.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“Courtney Wild and other Epstein victims were wrongly denied legal standing to invoke their rights, because a secret plea deal was reached that basically slapped Epstein on the wrist. This bill would fulfill the original intent of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act and prevent gross miscarriages of injustice like that from being repeated,” said Rep. Wasserman Schultz. “Crime victims deserve dignity and adequate support, not further victimization at the discretion of federal prosecutors. And serial sex offenders never deserve sweetheart deals where victims are kept in the dark and accomplices are shielded.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, DC — Today, Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) motioned to subpoena Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Brendan Carr in the House Oversight Committee after Carr pressured ABC to take action against Jimmy Kimmel for his comments about Charlie Kirk. Following Rep. Khanna’s motion, Chairman Comer agreed to work to bring Carr before the committee. To watch Rep. Khanna’s remarks, click here. 

Transcript of Rep. Khanna’s Remarks:

This administration has initiated the largest assault on the First Amendment and free speech in modern history. They’re making comedy illegal. Brendan Carr pressured ABC to cancel Jimmy Kimmel and Disney cancels Jimmy Kimmel. This canceling from an administration that lectured us about cancel culture. That is why today I am introducing a motion to subpoena Brendan Carr to bring him in front of this committee to stop the intimidation of private businesses and to stand up for the First Amendment. And it’s not just Brendan Carr. Attorney General Pam Bondi is prosecuting hate speech even though hate speech is constitutionally protected and even though we’ve had so many lectures from my friends on the other side of the aisle not to prosecute hate speech. 

And what about our Vice President? The champion of free speech as he told us during the campaign. The Vice President is telling Americans to snitch on fellow Americans who have offensive posts and to call their employer so they can be fired, and the Vice President is threatening to prosecute political organizations that he disagrees with. Look, we are Article One of the Constitution – not foot lackeys for Donald Trump and JD Vance. It is time that we stand up for our constitutional role to defend the freedoms of Americans. People are tired of us just giving our power to Donald Trump and JD Vance. We have an obligation to our constitution – not to Donald Trump and JD Vance as they run roughshod over the First Amendment.

So in the name of all those being censored in Washington, DC and around the country, in the name of all those being intimidated in Washington, DC and around the country, in the name of Americans – Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, who believe in the First Amendment and free speech, I motion today to subpoena Brendan Carr and have him explain to the American people why he’s bullying private individuals and private businesses.  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and Senator Alex Padilla (CA) led a bicameral group of colleagues in re-introducing the Redistricting Reform Act of 2025. This legislation, which Lofgren has championed since 2005, would prohibit mid-decade redistricting nationwide and require every state to establish independent redistricting.

The bill already has the support of 50 co-sponsors, including the entire California Democratic Congressional Delegation, which Rep. Lofgren chairs.

“President Trump has unleashed a redistricting war across the country, calling up Republican-controlled states and demanding that they rig their maps. Why? Because he’s an unpopular President who has stripped healthcare from millions, and he knows that rigging the redistricting process is the only way his party doesn’t lose the House in 2026,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18). “When Democrats held the House, we passed independent redistricting in H.R. 1, but Senate Republicans killed it. It can’t be just one side that agrees to stop gerrymandering; it needs to be both. I welcome the support of my Republican colleagues from California, since so many have recently expressed their support for a nonpartisan redistricting process.”

“MAGA Republicans are afraid to run on their unpopular record of cutting health care and escalating tariff wars raising prices for consumers, so they’re redrawing Congressional maps to hand Donald Trump the congressional seats he says he’s ‘entitled’ to,” said Sen. Padilla (CA). “In response, California has no choice but to gear up for a fight. But there is a better way forward. By banning mid-decade gerrymanders and establishing fair criteria so districts are drawn to best represent communities, our bill is a commonsense, nonpartisan solution to Donald Trump’s power grab.”

“Donald Trump and Republicans know their Big Ugly Law and costly policies are so unpopular with the American people, that they risk losing their House majority,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33). “That’s why Donald Trump set out to rig the 2026 midterm elections in his favor. This is not only unfair, it’s dangerous for our democracy. I was proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the Redistricting Reform Act to ban mid-decade redistricting and establish independent redistricting commissions in every state. This will not only restore power to the people but also promote more competitive elections and collaboration in Congress.”

“In my home state of North Carolina, Republicans silenced voters’ voices by enacting egregiously gerrymandered maps, effectively ensuring that Republicans would win the House in 2024,” said Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-02). “North Carolina voters have been subjected to years of Republican redistricting and treated as political pawns. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Redistricting Reform Act. It’s time to end extreme Republican attempts to seize power through gerrymandering – from North Carolina to Texas to Missouri.”

“Republicans are failing. Their policies are unpopular. Instead of trying to win on the issues, they are attempting to rig the outcome of the election and silencing Brown and Black voices. Texas was the beginning of their scheme, and we won’t stand by as it happens across the country. We will fight fire with fire as well as push for fair, constitutional, and fair redistricting. The REFORM Act will make sure redistricting cannot be used as a political weapon by wannabe dictators,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33).

“Right now, we are watching Republican-controlled states — Texas, North Carolina, Missouri — redraw maps to entrench their power and undermine the will of the voters,” said Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26). “The Redistricting Reform Act gives every Member of Congress the opportunity to stop this madness. It gives them a chance to prove they care about fairness and accountability more than Donald Trump’s whims. Independent, citizen-led redistricting puts communities back together. It makes our elections more fair, and it gives voters the ability to hold their elected representatives more accountable to them. Today, my Republican colleagues have a choice: to join us in ending partisan gerrymandering once and for all, or be remembered for undermining the very foundation of our democracy.”

“The democratic process can only work when everyone has the freedom to cast their ballot safely and securely,” said Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01). “Republican mid-decade redistricting efforts are diluting the voices of Black and Hispanic voters for partisan gain in a growing number of states. I commend the legislators in Texas and Missouri who used every tool in their toolbox to try to stop these racial gerrymanders and applaud efforts by Democrats in California to fight fire with fire. But this gamesmanship must end. I am proud to join my colleagues in this effort to fairly reform the redistricting process so every vote counts, no matter your state or zip code. As our late friend John Lewis would say, now is the time for some good trouble. We must preserve our democracy.”

“Our polling shows more than two-thirds of Americans know it’s bad for our country when a single political party controls how voting districts are drawn,” said Virginia Kase Solomón, President & CEO of Common Cause. “But that hasn’t stopped Donald Trump, whose own voters reject the White House’s mid-decade redistricting power grab. Common Cause proudly supports the Redistricting Reform Act of 2025, legislation that responds to Republican, Democrat, and Independent voters’ demands for Congress to protect fair representation for all.”

“The unprecedented and unpopular mid-decade power grabs in Texas and Missouri at the direction of Donald Trump underscore that the current system — a system protected by too many Republicans — does not work,” said Former Attorney General Eric Holder. An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose partisan gerrymandering because it leaves all citizens worse off by sowing extreme division, undermining equal representation, and boosting the influence of powerful special interests. We must pursue a bold, new vision for our country by building a system that gives power back to the people instead of compromised politicians. The Redistricting Reform Act is a crucial step toward achieving that vision and putting our nation back on  the path toward true democracy, where every state is required to have independent commissions draw the maps instead of power-hungry politicians and every state is held to the same standards to achieve fair maps. Any Republicans who demonstrate concern about the threat of gerrymandering should work with their Democratic colleagues to pass this bill right now to put a stop to both Donald Trump’s gerrymandering scheme and unfair redistricting wherever it exists.”

The full text of the bill can be found here, as well as a one-pager. A livestream of today’s re-introduction press conference can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren released the following statement on the passing of her staffer, Alexandra “Sasha” Podkolzina:

I am very sad to announce that Alexandra Podkolzina, a valued member of my staff in California, passed away this morning, lifted up by the love of her husband Kyle who was by her side.

Sasha did marvelous work for many years in my San Jose office. A brilliant young lawyer, she worked diligently on problems presented to us by my constituents. She was able to achieve remarkable, even life-changing,  results for many. I know that those whose life she touched while a member of my staff join us in mourning her loss.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Tonight, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) issued the following statement after voting against the House Republican version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY26.

“In Congress, the NDAA has historically been a bipartisan process focused on strengthening our national security and supporting service members and their families. I’m disappointed that Republican Leadership made the NDAA a venue for divisive partisan politics, attacking the rights of LGBTQ+ service members and refusing to rein in Trump’s misuse of the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement. 

“As a physicist, I’m especially concerned that this legislation continues to waste money on Trump’s push for a “Golden Dome” missile defense system. For decades, scientists have been patiently explaining to politicians that an impermeable Strategic Missile Defense is technically impossible and can be easily circumvented by our opponents. Nonetheless, our government has wasted $250 billion on this technology to date, and President Trump’s continued focus on ballistic missile defense will fail to protect Americans, and ultimately risks making us less safe in the process.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) spoke on the House floor in support of the resolution celebrating the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. Leader Scalise highlighted how Charlie‘s legacy influenced young people to engage in thoughtful discussion, lean on God, and become civically engaged – all ideals that make our nation great.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Leader Scalise’s remarks:“Mr. Speaker, we still have heavy hearts. We’re still mourning the loss of our friend Charlie Kirk, who was such an inspirational leader to millions across this country. As we’ve seen since his horrific assassination, he inspired not only people here in America, but all around the world, as you see the outpouring of love. Charlie was a man who had so much love for other people. He had love for our country. Charlie talked about why it was so important that we debate our differences, something that shouldn’t be a novel issue, Mr. Speaker, something that is part of the foundation of what makes this country great and unique, what separates America from so many other failed examples of government, because we are that experiment in self-governance, in democracy. And part of that ability to self-govern is that we’re going to have disagreements and that we have the ability to express those disagreements with each other, but in a civil way, in a way where it doesn’t lead to political violence. And in times like this, we reflect on a lot of things, but more than anything, Mr. Speaker, we lean on our faith.“Charlie Kirk had tremendous faith. When you look above the Speaker’s rostrum, it says right there, here in the people’s House, ‘In God we trust.’ And it’s times like this where we really do need to trust in God because God knows the answers. Charlie believes strongly in God and that faith in God is what will get us through tough times like this. In fact, Charlie talked a number of times about how he would want to be remembered, and he talked about how he would want to be remembered for his courage in his faith and what an example he was for faith for so many young people. “You look at college campuses all across this country right now, and you see mourning, but you see more young people driven to get involved in this process. Turning Point has had requests from over 50,000 people since Charlie Kirk’s assassination to start new chapters on college or high school campuses. This movement that Charlie started is just getting started. It will only grow. And his incredibly strong widow, Erika, who was just named the head of Turning Point to continue that legacy has vowed to make sure that what Charlie stood for, what he represented, the movement that Charlie Kirk built, will endure. It will grow, and it will continue to inspire millions more people to want to get involved in government, want to question leadership, want to maybe question their own views, the things they might have been taught by people in schools that had ulterior motives, that might have been trying to indoctrinate them into some other viewpoint so that now they had the power and the courage to think for themselves. How powerful is that? “Those are the things that Charlie left behind that will endure, Mr. Speaker. And so this resolution is so important to remember that legacy, remember that this was a young man, still a young man, but even younger, at 18, a young student with an idea that said, ‘What’s happening in the schools is wrong.’ What needs to be taught is something broader. We need to get back to a respect for each other’s differences of opinion. And that’s what drove him to start a movement at such a young age. Let all young people be inspired by that recognition that the power of ideas still can move a nation. That’s what Charlie Kirk reminded all of us. Mr. Speaker, we’re never going to forget that. We’re never going to forget the legacy of Charlie Kirk, but that legacy will live on and only grow stronger. God bless you, Charlie Kirk.”