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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

WASHINGTON – Today, as the U.S. Supreme Court considers overturning skyhigh tariffs, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) released the following statement urging the Court to deliver immediate price relief by striking down tariffs and called on Washington to pass his plan to bring long-term price stability. Today’s hearing will decide whether to uphold lower court rulings that the President cannot unilaterally impose broad tariffs, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.

“Make no mistake – these reckless tariffs are the largest tax hike on working families in decades, raising the price of everything from groceries to cars to clothes for your kids,” said Rep. Harder. “Families are already stretched to the limit. The Supreme Court should shut down this tariff insanity and give families some much-needed breathing room. But we can’t just play defense against rising prices. Congress needs to pass my plan to restore common-sense trade policy and deliver lasting affordability for Valley families.”

Valley products still facing major tariff increases:

Harder also called on congressional leaders to deliver long-term price and trade stability by passing his 3-step tariff plan:

1. Restore Trade Sanity — Harder is championing legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy.
2. Clear Labels — Harder is also supporting a bill to uncover exactly how tariffs are affecting prices.
3. New trade deals — Harder is calling on the U.S. Trade Representative to prioritize new trade deals as soon as possible to give long-term stability to consumers and businesses.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

WASHINGTON – Today, as food assistance funding runs out, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) released the following statement condemning the ongoing and preventable government shutdown that will cut food assistance for more than 100,000 San Joaquin County residents and 5.5 million people across California: 

“I’m infuriated that Washington is so broken that in a few days this shutdown is going to mean millions of people will lose access to CalFresh food assistance benefits. These are real families right here in our community who are going to go hungry. The CalFresh program is a critical lifeline for more than 100,000 of our neighbors and Congress needs to get its act together, come to a deal, and open the government before it’s too late.”

In response, Harder sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling for the Department to use contingency reserve funds to ensure continued access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and CalFresh benefits.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Candy prices up by nearly 80% in the last five years

Average 100-piece assorted candy bag has almost doubled in price to $16.39
 

WASHINGTON – Today, ahead of the busiest days of the month for Halloween shopping, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced a new 3-step plan to tackle rising tariffs that are causing prices to rise across the board. Harder is pushing to restore oversight of chaotic trade policy, investigate tariff price hikes, and prioritize new market stability for consumers. 

Halloween shoppers are getting spooked by tariff sticker shock:

• Candy prices have risen by 78% in the last five years, and a 100-piece candy bag is now up to $16.39.
• 86% of consumers say they’ve noticed candy prices are higher this year, and 79% anticipate higher prices due to tariffs.
• About half of U.S. cocoa imports come from Côte d’Ivoire, which now faces a 21% tariff on products shipped to the U.S.

“Halloween is supposed to be a fun time for parents and kids, not a holiday that’s going to break the bank,” said Rep. Harder. “We’re seeing prices soar across the board because of idiotic tariffs that are squeezing Valley families, and Halloween candy is just the latest example. We need to stop these tariffs, push for smart trade deals, and make it affordable to raise our families again.”

Harder’s 3-step plan to stop the endless trade war:

1. Restore Trade Sanity — Harder is championing legislation to return Congress’ constitutionally authorized role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy.
2. Clear Labels — Harder is also supporting a bill to uncover exactly how tariffs are affecting prices.
3. New trade deals — Harder is calling on the U.S. Trade Representative to prioritize new trade deals as soon as possible to give long-term stability to consumers and businesses.

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

WASHINGTON — Rep. Lauren Underwood released the following statement on the Senate agreement to pass a continuing resolution that does not include an extension of the popular tax credits from her Health Care Affordability Act, and threatens health coverage for millions:

“This “deal” is nothing more than an empty promise from the same people who just passed the largest cut to health care in our nation’s history,” Underwood said. “Republicans created this crisis, and I will not support a bill that fails to address the skyrocketing health care costs that millions of families are facing. If this reaches the House, I will vote NO.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement on her vote against the government funding bill that fails to extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and raises health care costs for millions of Americans. 

“I have said from the beginning of this shutdown that I refuse to abandon the tens of thousands of Minnesotans who could lose their health coverage because of Republicans’ unrelenting attacks on health care. 

“I voted against this so-called ‘deal’ today because Minnesotans are asking their leaders to stand up to the Trump Administration and fight for them when it matters most. 

“Minnesota, I heard you loud and clear. It’s past time for us to lower costs for working folks in this country, and this bill doesn’t do that.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture Angie Craig and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse (CO-02) hosted a press conference on the Trump Administration’s deliberate suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Reps. Craig and Neguse were joined by Reps. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01) and Alma Adams (NC-12).

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has sufficient SNAP contingency funding to provide full benefits for the month of November, despite the Republicans’ government shutdown. However, President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are refusing to release more than $5 billion in available funding taking away food assistance from nearly 42 million Americans.

“In the case of November SNAP benefits, this Administration’s hands are not tied,” Rep. Craig said in her remarks. “Withholding food from hungry children, seniors, people with disabilities and veterans is a choice.”

“The law is clear and unambiguous on this point,” she continued. “I am calling on the President to get back from Asia – to do the right thing and the moral thing. I am calling on the President to follow the law. And where are my Republican colleagues? Silent. Complicit. They have a responsibility to their constituents not to go along with this cruel behavior.”

“This Administration must stop playing politics with America’s hungry seniors, veterans and children,” Rep. Craig concluded.

Yesterday, Rep. Craig joined House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) in a press conference to demand the Trump Administration use previously appropriated funding to fund SNAP in November.

The press conference followed a lawsuit filed by 25 states and the District of Columbia against the Trump Administration for illegally withholding Congressionally appropriated funds that would have helped fund food assistance benefits through November. You can read Rep. Craig’s statement on the lawsuit here. You can watch her interview with MSNBC’s Chris Jansing on the lawsuit and the Administration’s assault on SNAP here. 

You can watch the full clip of Rep. Craig’s remarks from today’s press conference here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture Angie Craig joined House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Appropriations Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) in a press conference to demand the Trump Administration use previously appropriated funding to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

The President and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins have the appropriated funds and legal authority to help fund SNAP benefits for 42 million Americans in November and ensure that Americans can put food on the table during the Republican government shutdown, but they have chosen not to.

“If the president wanted to help feed hungry Americans, he would. He has shown us that he does whatever the hell he wants to, whether it’s legal or not,” Rep. Craig said in her remarks. “But his actions have shown a callous disregard for America’s seniors, veterans and families with children.”

“The Republicans’ one and only priority this Congress has been the Big Ugly Bill, which not only cut health care by $1 trillion but also cut SNAP by $186 billion – a frontal assault on our most effective basic need food assistance program to help vulnerable members of our community who rely on it to keep food on their tables,” she continued. “Now, the Administration is taking food away from 16 million children, 8 million seniors and 1.2 million veterans.”

“Their hands are not tied,” she continued. “The law is clear – as clear as this Administration’s cruelty is clear. The law is as unambiguous as Congressional Republicans’ desire to let ACA tax credits expire. It is unconscionable. It is egregious. And it is illegal.”

Earlier today, 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump Administration for illegally withholding Congressionally appropriated funds that would have helped fund food assistance benefits through November. You can read Rep. Craig’s statement on the lawsuit here. You can watch her interview with MSNBC’s Chris Jansing on the lawsuit and the Administration’s assault on SNAP here. 

You can watch the full clip of Rep. Craig’s remarks from today’s press conference here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative and Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture Angie Craig led 53 of her colleagues in calling on Congressional Republican leadership to work with Democrats to pass a funding bill that will reopen the government and extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits that millions of farmers and rural Americans rely on for affordable health care. 

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Rep. Craig and her colleagues highlighted the damage President Trump and Congressional Republicans have already inflicted on rural Americans by failing to extend the ACA enhanced premium tax credits set to expire at the end of the year and enacting the deepest cuts to Medicaid in American history through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

“We write today on behalf of millions of farmers and rural Americans who are facing increased health costs and decreased access to critical health care services if Congressional Republicans do not work with Democrats to reach a bipartisan deal to open the government and remedy the health care crisis that is already roiling rural America,” Rep. Craig wrote. “Your inaction on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, combined with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s draconian cuts to Medicaid, are a betrayal of all Americans. But the burden of these cuts falls heavily on those who live in rural communities and those who work tirelessly to feed and fuel our nation.”

The Members went on to blast Republicans’ insufficient efforts to mitigate the damage they did to rural health care providers through their One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

“Further, the Rural Health Transformation Program that Republicans are touting as a new investment does not come close to correcting the damage that the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is already doing to rural America’s health infrastructure,” Rep. Craig continued. “This temporary infusion of funds fails to make whole rural hospitals and health care providers that stand to lose a total of $137 billion between the expiration of the ACA enhanced tax credits and cuts to Medicaid. As a result, rural hospitals across the country are closing their doors – forcing those in rural areas to travel further for care or forgo treatment altogether.”

As farmers and rural Americans grapple with the impacts of the President’s trade policies, which have decimated American export markets while increasing the cost of living, Rep. Craig and her colleagues expressed that they are committed to working across the aisle to support our nation’s rural communities. 

“We stand ready to work with you to uplift our nation’s farmers, invest in rural America and avoid a health care cliff that will endanger the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans who are depending on us to do better by them,” Rep. Craig concluded.

If Republicans fail to extend the ACA enhanced tax credits, Minnesotans who get their health insurance through MNSure will see their health insurance premiums increase by an average of 21.5%, according to the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Middle class Minnesotans will be hit the hardest by these price hikes – especially farmers, small business owners and early retirees.

You can read the full text of the letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig called on the Trump Administration to reverse its decision to execute mass layoffs in the Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). In a letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Rep. Craig and 116 of her House colleagues condemned the decision and demanded that the Education Department immediately rescind the termination notices that were sent to OSERS workers.

“These firings, along with other decisions you have made that directly undermine special education, will have a devastating impact on the more than 7.5 million students with disabilities across the country and their families just one month before the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),” the Members wrote.  

 “Decimating these offices threatens accountability for special education and vocational rehabilitation funds, as well as the civil rights Congress has enshrined in federal law, at a time when schools nationwide are already struggling to meet the needs of students and when people with disabilities continue to face barriers to employment,” they continued. “Federal employees at OSERS play a key role in ensuring that federal dollars are spent appropriately and effectively to support students with disabilities.”

 “These reckless terminations are just another in a line of actions by your administration that threaten the rights that individuals with disabilities have fought long and hard for,” the Members concluded. “We urge you to immediately rescind your plans to wrongly fire employees at the agencies listed above so that they can continue working to ensure that every family, no matter where they live or their income, has access to an education that will set them up for a successful future regardless of their child’s disability.”

 Since she came to Congress, Rep. Craig has been a strong advocate for Minnesota’s special education programs – consistently leading legislation to fully fund IDEA.

 Last month, Rep. Craig and Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) introduced their Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act to help schools recruit, train and retain paraeducators. The bill would establish a grant program to fund pipeline and credentialing programs, high-quality professional development and higher wages for paraprofessionals and special education teachers.   

In April, Rep. Craig introduced the bipartisan IDEA Full Funding Act, which would finally ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). She is also a cosponsor of the Protecting Students with Disabilities Act, which would prohibit the use of appropriated funds to eliminate, consolidate or restructure any office with the Department of Education that administers or enforces programs under the IDEA. 

And earlier this year, Rep. Craig brought together special educators, paraprofessionals and parents from Minnesota’s Congressional District to form her inaugural Special Education Advisory Council.

You can read the full text of the letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited a Kansas-based beef company that handles every step of the process — from raising the cattle to butchering, transporting, and selling. Last month, she demanded President Trump and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins rethink their decision to spend $20 billion to bail out Argentina and increase beef imports from the country.

 

“Kansas ranchers work tirelessly to provide quality beef for our communities and across the country,” said Davids. “Bailing out Argentina and increasing their beef imports threatens local jobs, drives up costs for American families, and undermines our farmers and ranchers like Booth Creek Wagyu. We need policies that support Kansans first, not foreign governments.”

 

“Supporting Kansas ag supply chains is vital because our producers face some of the highest levels of risk and complexity of any industry,” said Jarett Wright, Vice President of Supply Chains, Sales, and Marketing, Booth Creek Wagyu. “Weather, disease, and market volatility all impact the flow of products that feed our communities, yet Kansas farmers and ranchers continue to adapt and deliver. Strengthening local supply chains ensures that the hard work, care, and quality that go into raising Kansas beef, often over years, stay right here in our state and benefit the communities that make it possible.”

Booth Creek Wagyu is a fully integrated beef company based in Kansas. The company raises premium Wagyu cattle, oversees processing and butchering, manages transportation, and delivers high-quality beef directly to restaurants and consumers, ensuring a locally sourced, sustainable product from farm to table.

 

Most of Kansas’ congressional delegation, including Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and the state’s other three House members, has also expressed concern about how the President’s trade policies with Argentina could harm Kansas farmers and ranchers.

 

The administration’s plan includes a $20 billion bailout of Argentina’s government and expanded imports of Argentinian beef, despite warnings from industry experts that such policies would undercut U.S. producers. According to recent reports, U.S. farm bankruptcies have risen 60 percent this year, and American soybean exports to China have dropped to zero as Argentina fills the gap left by ongoing tariff disputes.

Davids has made strengthening agriculture supply chains and lowering the cost of groceries a priority, including by: 

 

Reckless tariffs have forced many Kansas producers to pay higher costs for equipment and materials while reducing access to international markets for crops and livestock. Similarly, cuts to USAID programs disrupt food-aid delivery abroad, which in turn affects demand for U.S. agricultural products. Davids has been a consistent advocate for fair-trade policies that hold foreign actors accountable while protecting U.S. competitiveness, and has joined Senator Moran in sounding the alarm.