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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), in collaboration with Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led 77 colleagues on a letter demanding the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to protect English Learners. The agencies recently rescinded 2015 federal guidance that clarified states’ obligations to English Learner students. This rollback threatens to weaken enforcement of existing laws, strip protections for nearly 5 million students nationwide, and limit the ability of parents with limited English proficiency to make informed decisions about their children’s education.

The letter calls on the Departments of Education and Justice to:
 

• Reinstate the 2015 guidance;
• Fully fund and staff the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) and Office of Civil Rights (OCR);
   
• Restore monitoring and enforcement mechanisms; and
  Clarify how they will enforce existing laws and precedents in practice.
   

“Every student in our nation deserves the opportunity to learn, grow and achieve,” said Representative Espaillat. “Yet, the latest actions of the Department of Education are focused on stripping away the progress we have made to support millions of English Learner (EL) students. We cannot afford to leave these students and their families behind. We must do all that it takes to reverse course and put into place protections that will help them thrive.”

“This Administration is doing all it can to create an underclass of people by denying even the most basic right, like education, to people with immigrant roots. Nearly 5 million English Learning students nationwide rely on schools to meet their legal obligations regarding their education, and most of them are U.S. citizens. I once was one of these children, and without the additional resources that helped me become fluent, I would not have thrived,” said Rep. García. “Let me be clear: the law is still the law; pulling the guidance sends a dangerous signal that compliance is optional. This rollback undermines transparency, weakens enforcement and makes it harder for parents with limited English proficiency to make informed choices about their children’s education.” 

“I represent an immigrant-rich community. In South Florida—and across the nation—many of our children in schools are English learners simply trying to build their futures. America is built by immigrants from every walk of life, yet this administration will stop at nothing to terrorize immigrants through every possible avenue, even targeting children in the classrooms,” said Rep. Wilson. “Ripping away resources and guidance for English learners is a cruel and foolish decision. Our education system has always had an obligation to welcome every child who comes through our doors. Stripping away these English learning resources undermines the rights of millions of children, weakens our ability to help them become the English speakers the President claims to want, and betrays this nation’s commitment to immigrants. This decision must be reversed immediately.” 

“Rescinding this civil rights guidance is the latest assault on English learner children by the Trump Administration. Ending the guidance must not be an excuse to deny a student’s right to a quality education. We endorse Representative Garcia’s call for the guidance’s immediate reinstatement,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO, UnidosUS. 

A full text of the letter can be found here.

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Grace Meng (NY-06) reintroduced the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for immigrant first responders, workers, and volunteers who assisted with clean-up and search-and-rescue efforts at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks. 

While saving lives during the attacks and cleaning up Ground Zero, workers were exposed to air contaminants, potential carcinogens, and now live with diseases linked to the exposure. Because of their immigration status, many of these brave New Yorkers face barriers to receiving the medical care they need. 

“September 11th marked one of the darkest days for our nation, and in the aftermath of the attacks, many immigrant workers—undocumented and unseen, stepped forward to help rebuild, clean, and care for a city and nation in crisis,” said Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “Their courage, sacrifice, and determination were vital to our recovery, and their contributions during that critical time is a lasting reminder that the strength of this nation is rooted in the hands and hearts of immigrants. I proudly stand with my colleagues, once again, to introduce the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act to provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers and volunteers who sacrificed at Ground Zero to help our nation recover.” 

 “Twenty-four years ago, thousands of undocumented first responders and volunteers risked their lives to help our city rebuild during one of our nation’s darkest days. They are American heroes. Yet, our country has virtually abandoned them as they struggle with the health impact of asbestos exposures and other related trauma and injury,” said Representative Ocasio-Cortez. “It’s past time Congress delivers a pathway to citizenship for these brave New Yorkers and shows them the gratitude they are owed.” 

“Some 2,000 heroic immigrants worked tirelessly to help clean-up and save lives at Ground Zero,” said Representative Meng. “They made enormous sacrifices by putting their health and safety at risk, and now many struggle with serious health issues. Passing the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act would be the right thing to do for immigrants who bravely answered the call in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. They put themselves in harm’s way for New York and the nation and have more than earned a pathway to citizenship.” 

The full bill text is available here.

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

NEW YORK, NY – Sunday, September 7th at 1:00 p.m. (EDT), Representative Adriano Espaillat, in collaboration with the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, will host a commemorative event celebrating the national historic site designation of Holcombe Rucker Park on Sunday, September 7, 2025.

The celebration will kick-off with a Legends Breakfast at the Renaissance New York Harlem Hotel honoring the Rucker Family, Marius Family and Sandman Simms, followed by a site dedication and exhibition games that will begin at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) showcasing the New York All-Stars vs. Boston All Stars (Girls Middle School Game) and New York All Stars vs. Philly All Stars (Boys High School Game) at the famed Rucker Park at 155th St and 8th Ave. in Harlem.  

“It was an honor to introduce legislation that was signed into law recognizing the tremendous impact of the Harlem community, designating the Holcombe Rucker Park as a national commemorative site,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY-13). “Thank you to my colleagues, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, for their collaborative efforts to secure passage of the bill in the U.S. Senate and to each of the community advocates, who helped get this bill across the finish line. I am deeply appreciative for the support this historic bill has received from the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and our dear friend Lloyd Williams since day one. Our collective efforts have enshrined the legacy of Holcombe Rucker as one of America’s national commemorative sites that will continue to be celebrated for generations to come.”  

“We are excited for the first time in over a century that Upper Manhattan has a new, federally-enshrined commemorative site,” said Voza Rivers, co-founder of HARLEM WEEK. “Rucker Park isn’t just a court; it’s a global sports & cultural mecca for legends like Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Nate “Tiny” Archibald, Bill Bradley, Wilt Chamberlain, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, and Nancy Lieberman to name a few.”  

WHO: U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat
National Park Service
Elected Officials
Rucker Park Honorees

WHAT: Holcombe Rucker Park National Commemorative Site Dedication  

WHEN: Sunday, September 7th at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) 

WHERE: Holcombe Rucker Park — 280 W 155th St, New York, NY 10039

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/. 

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the conclusion of the committee’s markup of State Department authorization bills, which included a bipartisan agreement on providing foreign military financing to Ukraine:

“Regular authorization of the State Department is one of Congress’ core responsibilities. That is why, as Chairman in 2021, I undertook a rigorous effort to negotiate and pass the first authorization of the Department in nearly twenty years. In order to do so, I held key oversight hearings with administration officials and stakeholders to produce a final bill that was signed into law with strong bipartisan support.

“While I believe that Chairman Mast agrees it is this committee’s duty to regularly authorize State, the process he undertook this year broke long-standing bipartisan precedent. Democrats were excluded from the drafting process, resulting in a hastily assembled product that lacked proper consultation or oversight. The amendment process only made matters worse—loading the bill with partisan poison pills while failing to authorize a single dollar in top-line funding. Instead of strengthening American diplomacy, Republicans used this markup to provide cover for the Trump administration’s reckless campaign to hollow out the State Department and USAID.

“As much as committee Republicans attempt to portray this as a bipartisan effort, the final result speaks for itself. They simply did not do the work that an independent Congress should do to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch and effectively legislate.

“I am grateful to my colleagues, including some who worked across the aisle to preserve some vital programs, including my amendment to preserve the Rangel, Pickering, Veteran Innovation Partnership, and Payne fellowships – vital pipelines to the State Department for high-achieving individuals who have historically been excluded from its workforce. I also appreciate bipartisan support for my amendments backing our Baltic allies and foreign military financing to Ukraine to defend against Russia. And Democrats were able to negotiate and amend text to vote yes for three of the nine authorizing bills. However, such agreement was more the exception than the rule.

“Ultimately, Democrats were united in refusing to rubber stamp the Trump administration’s hollowing out of the world’s premier diplomatic institution, or the many MAGA culture-war distractions Republicans tried to inject into this process. We will remain laser-focused on doing our jobs to ensure that the State Department delivers for the American people.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks at the House Foreign Affairs Committee markup of State Department authorization bills.

“I appreciate this Committee’s effort to consider a State Department authorization. This is critical work. Congress has a responsibility to ensure America continues to have the most capable diplomatic and development workforce in the world. And I recognize your commitment to working on an authorization and the hard work of our staffs.

“As Bill Burns, one of America’s finest foreign service officers wrote, ‘diplomats are translators of the world to Washington and Washington to the world; they are early warning radars for threats and opportunities; builders and repairers of relationships; policy makers, drivers, and executors; protectors of our citizens abroad; promoters of America’s economic interests; integrators of military, intelligence, and economic tools; organizers, conveners, negotiators, communicators, and strategists.’

“That is why what we do here matters. Our work must enhance—not diminish—the ability of our diplomats to succeed. That has always required clear eyes, real oversight, and a bipartisan process.

“Mr. Chairman, we had the chance to work together on a rigorous package of bills that addressed the Department’s actual needs and could become law. Instead, the Majority has produced a rushed product—one that codifies many of this Administration’s reckless efforts to hollow out the Department and dismantle USAID.  And in the process, it erodes the bipartisan, bicameral foundation that past authorizations have relied on—one I worked to re-establish as Chairman.

“Meanwhile, the world has not stood still during the eight months your side has spent assembling these bills. We could have been conducting oversight on the Middle East, on Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, on the administration’s alarming march toward confrontation with Venezuela, or on its abuse of the law to impose tariffs that raise costs for American families.

“We could have held extensive oversight hearings on the unprecedented changes President Trump and Secretary Rubio are driving at the State Department and USAID—representing the largest restructuring of America’s diplomatic and development tools in six decades.

“We could have held hearings on why this administration has abandoned our Afghan allies, or our solemn duty to debate matters of war and peace.  Instead, this Committee has been silent.

“That was the Majority’s choice.

“To draw a contrast: in the first nine months of my Chairmanship, we held 17 public oversight hearings with 30 appearances from Biden administration officials. Under Chairman McCaul, the Committee held 26 public hearings with 56 appearances from administration officials. But in the last nine months, under your Chairmanship, this Committee has held only seven hearings with Trump administration officials. Just seven.

“I want to address one claim head-on. My colleagues across the aisle have suggested these bills were prepared in a bipartisan manner. With respect, nothing could be further from the truth. With a handful of exceptions, this product was drafted almost entirely behind closed doors—without meaningful engagement with Democrats, and without oversight on the many challenges facing the State Department today because of President Trump and Secretary Rubio’s reckless decisions.

“The Majority points to an electronic portal as proof of bipartisanship. In practice, that portal was a black box. Democrats submitted hundreds of proposals. What we received in return were email alerts saying modifications had been made to legislative text we weren’t even allowed to see. And the majority withheld valuable  State Department technical assistance on the bill—a basic, bipartisan practice under every previous chairmanship. That is not negotiation. That is not transparency. And it shows in the deeply flawed bills before us today.

“Let me be clear: Democrats want to partner with Republicans to strengthen America’s diplomatic and development capabilities, but we will not rubber stamp an administration’s efforts to diminish U.S. diplomacy and soft power. We will not defer to the Executive Branch without scrutiny. And we will not simply go along to get along with a bill that ignores the damage this Administration is doing to American diplomacy.

“If this Committee’s leadership is serious about our responsibility to authorize the State Department in a way that strengthens American diplomacy and protects Americans around the world, and I believe you are Mr. Chairman, then I urge you—as the first Chairman in two decades to successfully pass a State authorization into law—change course, and let’s work together.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y.), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee; Jim Himes (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; and Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released the following statement in response to President Trump announcing a second U.S. military strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela.

“Yesterday, we were notified that the military has, on President Trump’s orders, carried out another lethal military strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela. As was the case with the first strike on September 2, 2025, the Trump Administration failed to secure authorization for the use of force from Congress. Yet again, the president has made the unilateral decision to carry out a lethal military strike on the premise that a small boat holding three people located off the coast of Venezuela somehow posed an emergency created by an attack upon the United States and warranted lethal military force rather than a law enforcement response. While we agree that the flow of drugs into the United States is a horrific public health crisis that must be addressed, we believe that essential mission should be led by law enforcement.

“Trump’s dangerous expansion and abuse of presidential authority risks dragging us into another endless war. He has failed to state a clear military objective and has provided no explanation of how this use of the military could ever end. A war with cartels places our troops and other U.S. personnel in the region at risk with no clear explanation or plan.

“The lack of transparency and information sharing with Congress, which has the constitutional responsibility to declare war and authorize or limit the use of force, poses an even greater threat to our democratic system of government. The Trump Administration must immediately brief the relevant Congressional committees on the use of military force in the Caribbean Sea and address these critical oversight questions about the details of the strikes, their legal basis, and why the president has made this a military operation.”

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

Today, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released the following statement:

The assassination of Charlie Kirk was horrifying, completely incompatible with American values and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms. 

The intense atmosphere of political violence that exists in America is not sustainable, and requires all leaders, regardless of ideology, to bring the country together. The march toward righteous reconciliation will not be easy, but it is a necessary one to prevent America from exploding. 

We will vote yes on H. Res 719 which is on the floor today. Our vote is not an endorsement of the views espoused by Charlie Kirk in any way, shape or form.

We also strongly support H. Res 746, a resolution introduced by Rep. Marc Veasey that condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the documented explosion of political violence that America has experienced over the last several years. The Veasey resolution has more than 100 co-sponsors, and we urge everyone to join it. 

As set forth in H. Res. 719, we call upon all Americans—regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed—to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans. Political violence against anyone for any reason at any time is not acceptable.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) and Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Tracey Mann (R-KS), Gregory Steube (R-FL), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), David Kustoff (R-TN), Riley Moore (R-WV), Mike Carey (R-OH), Troy Balderson (R-OH), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Randy Feenstra (R-IA) sent a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Resources & Services Administration, and U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect access to ground ambulance services provided to patients in rural areas by promptly updating geographic adjustments to the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule to ensure correct payment for rural and super-rural communities. 

Click HERE for the full letter. 
 
On the lawmakers’ concern regarding the need to preserve and increase access to ambulance services: 

The need to preserve and increase access to ambulance services is clear when considering 4.5 million Americans that live in ambulance deserts – areas located 25 minutes or more away from an ambulance station. Unsurprisingly, 2.3 million of those individuals live in rural counties and 84 percent of rural counties have at least one ambulance desert. Despite the best efforts of rural ambulance providers, rural patients in ambulance deserts often experience care delays that can devastate a person’s health and can lead to death. For example, in the event of a stroke, a patient loses 1.9 million neurons each minute during which a stroke is untreated. Meanwhile, nearly 600 patients per 100,000 in rural America suffer from strokes – a rate nearly 20 percent higher than that of urban America. Limited availability of ambulance services in ambulance deserts results in care delays for all patients, and actively endangers the life of stroke patients or others suffering from significant emergencies.

On the importance of promptly updating ZIP codes to improve the accuracy of identifying underserved areas and ensure the correct providers are benefiting from Medicare ground-ambulance add-on payments:

Congressionally-mandated Medicare ground ambulance add-on payments help ensure adequate funding to ambulance providers in rural areas, but require timely and accurate data inputs to ensure the correct providers are benefiting from this investment. Unfortunately, HRSA and USDA have not modified the ZIP codes used to establish geographic designations in the AFS since the CY 2015 PFS final rule – thereby limiting CMS’s ability to pay add-on payments reflective of the geographies that ambulance providers serve. In fact, an analysis of 2020 U.S. Census data estimates that with updated information, 1,490 ZIP codes would shift from rural to super rural status, and 782 would move from urban to rural status, granting them correct reimbursement to preserve patient access to care. This makes updating the ZIP codes a critical and necessary step to improve the accuracy of identifying these underserved areas to ensure patient access to emergency services. 

We thank you for your consideration of this request and hope to work together to update this information. Our rural communities deserve equitable ambulance access, and updating the geographic designations in the AFS would ensure rural patients are not left behind, especially during medical emergencies.

Background:

In March of this year, Congresswoman Miller and six of her colleagues introduced the Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act to ensure rural and remote communities maintain access to critical emergency services. 

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