MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) — On Thursday, September 18, 2025, Congressman Al Green, Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, shared remarks in a Financial Services Hearing entitled, “Fraud in Focus: Exposing Financial Threats to American Families.”

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s remarks to witnesses on the panel here. The hearing remarks highlighted are also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) – On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Congressman Al Green issued a written communique to the U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging a full federal investigation into the recent wave of racist threats against numerous Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). He also called for the immediate deployment of additional security resources to protect students, faculty, and staff. A copy of the letter is accessible here.

In recent days, several HBCUs, including Alabama State University, Virginia State University, Hampton University, Southern University, and Clark Atlanta University, locked down their campuses and canceled classes after receiving terroristic threats in the wake of the murders of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska and political commentator Charlie Kirk. Although the FBI has described the threats as “hoax calls,” they have nonetheless instilled fear, disrupted education, and placed a heavy emotional burden on students, faculty, and families.

Congressman Al Green stated, “Protecting students at HBCU campuses nationwide from ongoing threats is just as important as protecting students at Ivy League schools. This is not only a matter of public safety, but also of educational equity and civil rights. These racist, terroristic threats are an attack on the dignity and future of young people who are simply pursuing an education. No parent should live in fear for their child’s safety in a classroom, and no student should be targeted for choosing to attend an HBCU. This is why I am calling for a full federal investigation and immediate reinforcement of campus security. We cannot allow hate to grow unchecked; we must confront it with vigilance, compassion, and decisive action for all students at all institutions of higher education.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Roger Williams’ bill, the Merchant Banking Modernization Act, passed markup in the House Committee on Financial Services by a vote of 35-17. This legislation amends the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 by extending the holding period for merchant banking investments from the Federal Reserve’s 10-year limit to a statutory minimum of 15 years, ensuring small businesses have the capital they need to grow and succeed.

“Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, but many struggle to secure access to capital,” said Congressman Williams. “Current federal regulations force financial holding companies to exit their merchant banking investments too early, often before a project is complete. My bill gives businesses and their banking partners more time to unlock long-term investments, create jobs, and fuel economic growth in communities across America.”

Click  here to view the bill.

Background:

• Under current law, financial holding companies may make merchant banking investments, but the Federal Reserve limits these investments to a 10-year holding period.
• Many small business projects, from planning and permitting to building and stabilizing, require more than a decade to complete. Forced early exits can disrupt growth and harm entrepreneurs.
• The Merchant Banking Modernization Act sets a statutory floor of 15 years for holding merchant banking investments, aligning financing timelines with real-world business needs.

• By modernizing outdated rules, the bill expands access to capital for Main Street businesses, supports community banks and financial holding companies, and strengthens job creation at the local level.

Supporting Organizations: American Bankers Association, Texas Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, and Independent Community Bankers of America.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Roger Williams (25th District of Texas)

• The bill extends the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, set to expire on September 30, 2025, for one year.

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Congressman Roger Williams is the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee and member of the House Financial Services Committee. He proudly represents the 25th Congressional District of Texas

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Today, Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) took to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to mark Hispanic Heritage Month and call out Trump’s attacks on Latino and immigrant communities 

A video of the speech can be found here. 

Remarks as delivered:

“As we begin Hispanic Heritage Month, I want to honor the millions of Latinos and Latinas who make this country strong. 

“We celebrate our culture and sacrifices. 

“But this year it comes with urgency because we are under attack. 

“Last week, the Department of Homeland Security attacked me on “X,” insisting they only ‘deport criminals.’ 

“If you walk the streets of my district, you see the truth, and it looks nothing like their tweets.

“Last Friday in Franklin Park, a suburb in my district, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez left his home like any other day. 

“He was a restaurant worker. 

“He enjoyed cooking. 

“He was a devoted father. 

“He never came home. 

“ICE agents stopped him. 

“Within minutes of dropping his kids at school. He was shot and killed in broad daylight that morning. 

“First, they said he drove at officers. Videos show otherwise. 

“Then they said he dragged an officer. We’ve yet to see the evidence. 

“They said the officer feared for his life. 

“But neighbors’ video captured gunshots, then a car coasting—Silverio already incapacitated—before crashing into a semi trailer. 

“Those same videos show officers, including one supposedly seriously injured, smashing the window, dragging Silverio’s lifeless body out, slamming him onto the pavement, and handcuffing him as he bled out. Silverio didn’t make it.

“The DHS story doesn’t add up. 

“A man is dead. A family is shattered. And the agency responsible keeps hiding behind masked thugs and unmarked cars. And I use that term because that’s how so many agents are acting, either voluntarily or not.

“ICE and DHS have no credibility, and neither do their stories. They’ve lost it. 

“Reports indicate that officers involved were not wearing body cameras. This is not law enforcement. This is becoming an American Gestapo.

“Silverio’s tragedy is not alone. 

“It affects families every day. That same day in Little Village, ICE arrested Willian, a day laborer, as he walked into a barbershop with his wife. 

“Willian was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against Home Depot and local police for abuse. ICE retaliated.

“And we all saw the Cicero case—children left crying on the side of an industrial road after their parents were taken away by ICE. 

“That is state-sanctioned cruelty against children. The President, especially.  DHS, says they target criminal immigrants. 

“Yet in Elgin, in the dead of night, ICE staged a reckless raid with helicopters and armored trucks, parading detainees for cameras. Secretary Noem showed up for five seconds of fame and rushed to declare “mission accomplished.” Really? Two U.S. citizens were detained—not criminals, not even immigrants. 

“To quote the President: They don’t know what they’re doing.

“What we see are workers punished, children traumatized, U.S. citizens abducted in their sleep, and a father, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, shot dead. 

“There are hundreds, if not thousands, of cases like this. 

“We celebrate Hispanic heritage, but we also issue a warning. Today, it’s Latinos and other immigrants under attack. Tomorrow, it will be others. 

“Once institutions are built to target and control, they don’t surrender—they expand. Like many military-industrial complex, they find new enemies and new missions, new excuses to keep the money flowing and the machinery of fear alive. That’s why we will not look away.

“This is bigger than one community and bigger than one city. It is about the kind of country we are becoming. 

“Chicago will not be intimidated, and I will not stop demanding truth and dignity for Silverio, for Willian, for the children in Cicero, and for every family who deserves to live free from state terror.”

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

Headline: Congressmembers Veasey, Pettersen Introduce Resolution Condemning Charlie Kirk Assassination and All Political Violence

Washington, D.C. –Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33) and Rep.Brittany Pettersen (CO-7), along with 103 House Democrats, introduced a resolution today calling on Congress to condemn all forms of political violence and to reject forms of rhetoric that demonizes political opponents regardless of political ideology. The lawmakers’ call to action comes following the alarming increase of violent and fatal political attacks, including the recent assassination of political figure Charlie Kirk.

“Political violence of any kind threatens the fabric of our democracy” said Congressman Veasey. “As we have seen political violence has taken the lives of people regardless of political views, gender, and race.  It is not who we are as a country, and it is a very real and credible threat that threatens the foundations America. We must stand united in condemning political violence in all its forms and get back to civility and decorum in our democratic institutions.”

“People are reeling at a time when political violence is on the rise – from the assassination of Charlie Kirk, to the fire at Governor Shapiro’s home, to the tragic shooting of Minnesota lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman,” said Congresswoman Pettersen. “It feels like we have lost our way as a country. Nobody should be killed for their views – that is not who we are as a country. This doesn’t affect one party or one community — it impacts all of us. That’s why Congressman Veasey and I are introducing this resolution: to unequivocally condemn all acts of political violence and call on our colleagues to come together to build the future our kids deserve.

Earlier this year, Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman was fatally shot by a right-wing extremist. That same man shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife at their home.

Rep. Veasey and Rep. Pettersen are joined by Rep. Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Rep. Gabe Amo (RI-1), Rep. Becca Balint (VT-AL), Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Rep. Joyce Beatty (OH-3), Rep. Ami Bera (CA-6), Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26), Rep. Shontel Brown (OH-11), Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-5), Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Rep. André Carson (IN-7), Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35), Rep. Sean Casten (IL-6), Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-9), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5), Rep. J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2), Rep. Angie Craig (MN-2), Rep. Jason Crow (CO-6), Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), Rep. Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-4), Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-1), Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-3), Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-6), Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Rep. Dwight Evans (PA-3), Rep. Sarah Elfreth (MD-3), Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-7), Rep. Lois Frankel (FL-22), Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11), Rep. Valerie P. Foushee (NC-4), Rep. John Garamendi (CA-8), Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Rep. Dan Goldman (NY-10), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Rep. Al Green (TX-9), Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT-5), Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-4), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-2), Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-4), Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32), Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Rep. William R. Keating (MA-9), Rep. Robin L. Kelly (IL-2), Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rep. Summer Lee (PA-12), Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-3), Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-7), Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Rep. Gwen Moore (WI-4), Rep. Seth Magaziner (RI-2), Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-7), Rep. Frank J. Mrvan (IN-1), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-2), Rep. Donald Norcross (NJ-1), Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5), Rep. Johnny Olszewski (MD-2), Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-6), Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-2), Rep. Nellie Pou (NJ-9), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (MA-7), Rep. Mike Quigley (IL-5), Rep. Emily Randall (WA-6), Rep. Deborah Ross (NC-2), Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Rep. Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Rep. Andrea Salinas (OR-6), Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Rep. Bradley S. Schneider (IL-10), Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-3), Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-7), Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2), Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-4), Rep. Norma Torres (CA-35), Rep. Paul Tonko (NY-20), Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45), Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-3), Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-4), Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Rep. Gabe Vasquez (NM-2), Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-7), Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-7), Rep. Nikema Williams (GA-5), Rep. Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-6), Rep. John Mannion (NY-22), Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1)

The full text of the resolution condemning political violence can be found here: 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Congressman Baird Supports State Department Reform, Votes for State Department Reauthorization

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Federal Intervention has Disproportionately Criminalized Black and Brown Youth, Immigrant Families

“This is not about safety. This is about suppressing Black leadership, stopping Black progress, and criminalizing Black and brown youth.”

Video (YouTube)

WASHINGTON – Today, in the House Oversight Committee, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) discussed the harmful impact of the Trump Administration’s military occupation of Washington, DC, which has disproportionately criminalized and endangered Black and brown youth, and done nothing to keep communities safe. Through a game of “Fact or Fiction,” Rep. Pressley slammed Trump and Republicans for pushing punitive, fear-based policies and passing legislation that would prosecute children in DC as adults, rather than investing in trauma-informed care and community violence intervention programs that are proven to disrupt cycles of violence.

A full transcript of Congresswoman Pressley’s exchange with witnesses today is below and the full video is available here.

Transcript: Pressley Plays ‘Fact or Fiction,’ Slams Harmful Impact of Trump’s Militarization of Washington, DC

US House of Representatives

September 18, 2025

REP. PRESSLEY: Thank you to our witnesses for being here today.

What we are seeing in this moment is chilling. The current Occupant of the White House is sending federal troops into this beautiful, majority-Black city.

And let’s be plain about who is being targeted:

In this year alone, more than 93 percent of youth arrests in D.C. were of Black youth. More than 40 percent of the arrests tied to this federal surge have been immigrants.

This is not about safety. This is about suppressing Black leadership, stopping Black progress, and criminalizing Black and brown youth.

Mr. Jackson, you have an expertise in reducing crime, specifically gun violence. And you have researched what works and actually keeps people safe.

We’ve heard a lot of rhetoric today – loud, inflammatory, dangerous, misleading at best. So let’s separate fact from fiction.

I’ll make a statement, and you’ll answer with: fact or fiction.

Let’s start.

A 14-year-old has a fully developed brain.

MR. JACKSON: Fiction.

REP. PRESSLEY: Yes, that’s FICTION. Easy. 

Middle schoolers are still learning and growing. Science tells us the brain isn’t fully developed until our mid- to late-twenties, which means children do not have the same judgement, impulse control, or decision-making capacity as adults.

Yet just this week, Republicans passed legislation that would prosecute children as adults and send them to adult prisons. Children. In adult prisons.

Next question, Mr. Jackson.

Fact or Fiction: The criminal legal system incarcerates Black youth at disproportionately higher rates than white youth.  

MR. JACKSON: Fact.

REP. PRESSLEY: Correct, that’s FACT.

Nationally, Black kids are six times as likely as white kids to be incarcerated. 

In D.C., the focus of today’s hearing, the disparities are even more stark. Despite making up only 51% of the youth population, Black children in DC are 98% of youth confinement.

For too long, Black youth have been disproportionately criminalized, policed, and locked up for normal adolescent behavior rather than receiving the resources and support that are proven to help them grow and reach their full potential.

Last one Mr. Jackson.

Fact or Fiction: Trauma-informed strategies like community violence intervention help disrupt cycles of violence.

MR. JACKSON: Fact.

REP. PRESSLEY: Correct, that’s a FACT.

Investing in prevention, mental health, and community-based support keeps people safe. These are real, sustainable solutions.

In the Massachusetts 7^th, which I represent, cities like Boston, which Trump has threatened to attack next – are partnering with organizations like the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute to make these investments and are seeing historic lows in crime as a result.

If Republicans were actually serious about reducing crime, they would follow that example. 

But they are so unserious. Instead of going after predators and pedophiles like Jeffrey Epstein, they are going after children – passing policies to ship middle schoolers to adult prisons.

That is child abuse, and it is consistent with their pattern of abuse and neglect when it comes to all our children.

They let children go hungry by cutting SNAP.

They make children sicker by cutting Medicaid and taking away vaccines.

They strip environmental protections, leaving more kids gasping for air during asthma attacks.

They rip families apart with cruel immigration policies, as children watch their parents taken away from classroom windows.

And they ignore the strange fruit of young Black men like Trey Reed hanging from the trees of Mississippi.

Time and again, Republicans prove they are unserious about the care, the health, and the future of all our children.

They are invested only in fear and control, and that’s what they are doing here today. Republicans are certainly not keeping us safe.

Free DC.

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

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS  – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) chaired an Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement hearing to expose the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) weaponization and overly aggressive regulatory enforcement that targets small business owners.

In his opening statements, Congressman Higgins said, “The EPA’s enforcement actions involved raids on shops by teams of armed EPA agents who intimidate small businesses with threats of criminal prosecution. If achieved, these prosecutions would deprive targeted individuals of their right to vote, their Second Amendment rights, not to mention the destruction of their businesses.”

Later in the hearing, Congressman Higgins questioned Louisiana business owner Kory Willis about the impact of the EPA’s weaponized enforcement on his livelihood. In his testimony, Mr. Willis revealed that in the course of his dealings with the EPA, he and his family lost “probably over $100 million” of business. 

Watch Rep. Higgins’ questioning here.

In his closing statements, Congressman Higgins said, “The federal government crushed an American family’s lives because they were alleged to be in violation of some regulatory complexity. Is this really the country we want to live in? We want tactical teams hitting American homes under no criminal investigation on an alleged regulatory violation?”

Watch Congressman Higgins’ closing statement here.