MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is welcoming an announcement from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH) has been awarded a $295,000 federal grant through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support efforts to prevent maternal mortality and improve maternal health in American Samoa.

File photo – March 2026 including Dr. Anaise Uso in Congresswoman Amata’s office with Health Dept delegation

The $295,000 award was provided through the CDC’s program Preventing Maternal Mortality: Supporting Maternal Mortality. The grant will support efforts to address maternal mortality and strengthen health outcomes for mothers and families in American Samoa.

“Supporting mothers and families is essential to the health and future of American Samoa,” said Congresswoman Amata. “I welcome this federal investment in our Health Department and appreciate everyone working to improve maternal health and ensure mothers have access to the care and support they need at LBJ Tropical Medical Center. Special thanks to Dr. Anaise Uso for her work and leadership.”

The CDC’s Preventing Maternal Mortality program supports efforts to identify and address factors contributing to maternal deaths and strengthen systems that can improve maternal health outcomes. The funding will help support continued efforts by ASDOH led by Dr. Saipale Fuimaono to address maternal and infant health in the territory.

“Thank you to HHS and CDC for continuing to invest in strengthening health care and improving outcomes for families in American Samoa,” concluded Congresswoman Amata.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the office of Haley Stevens issued the following statement: 

“Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens is thrilled to announce her engagement to longtime friend, attorney, and Huntington Woods resident Jason Turkish.

“Haley and Jason share a deep love of family, community, and long conversations that have only gotten better over the years. Jason, who is legally blind, has devoted his career as an attorney to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, from the courtroom to Capitol Hill. It was along the path of that work that Haley and Jason first met, brought together by a shared commitment to giving a voice to those too often unheard.

“What began as a friendship grew into a partnership grounded in shared values, plenty of laughter, and a deep love for the community they call home.

“They are overjoyed to begin planning their life together, surrounded by the family and friends they love in Oakland County, Michigan.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

On Friday, August 21, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) hosted a press conference at UC Santa Barbara’s (UCSB) OASIS Facility to highlight a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF grant will go towards UCSB’s COAST PCL, one of 20 facilities in a new national network of programmable cloud laboratories. Carbajal was joined by Dr. Rachel Segalman, Vice Chancellor for Research at UCSB; Dr. Ram Seshadri, Associate Dean for Research in The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering; Dr. Javier Read de Alaniz, Co-Director of COAST PCL; and Dr. Chris Bates, Co-Director of COAST PCL.

Following the speaking program, Carbajal and the university leaders toured the COAST PCL laboratory.

Download photos here.

The $20 million grant will be used to create a remotely accessible, AI- and robotics-enabled laboratory for discovering new polymers and soft materials. Researchers anywhere in the country will be able to design experiments online, have robots conduct the experiments at UCSB, and receive and analyze the results without having to travel to the university.

The initial research focus will be sequence-defined polymers and biomolecular materials, with potential applications in medicine, energy, electronics, aerospace, and other advanced technologies. Additional background is available here.

“As a proud Gaucho, I am thrilled to highlight this $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation to support UC Santa Barbara’s COAST PCL project,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With this federal investment, UC Santa Barbara will host state-of-the-art programmable cloud laboratories, allowing researchers from across the country to perform experiments completely remotely. The work conducted right here on the Central Coast will revolutionize materials research and lay the foundation for breakthroughs across many industries, from medicine and construction to advanced aerospace and energy technology. I will keep fighting in Congress to bring our tax dollars back home to support world-changing projects like this one.”

“We are grateful to Congressman Salud Carbajal for his unwavering support of UC Santa Barbara and the pioneering research made possible through federal investment,” said Rachel Segalman, UC Santa Barbara’s vice chancellor for research and a professor of materials and chemical engineering,” said Rachel Segalman, UC Santa Barbara’s vice chancellor for research and a professor of materials and chemical engineering. “AI is changing how we approach scientific discovery, but it cannot discover new materials on its own. AI needs high-quality experimental data to learn from and validate its predictions. COAST creates a powerful connection between AI, computation and experimentation, allowing researchers to generate new data, learn from it, and move more quickly toward materials that could have applications ranging from medicine and water purification to microelectronics.”

“COAST PCL is a testament to The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering’s proud tradition of materials discovery,” said Ram Seshadri, the associate dean for research and a distinguished professor of materials, and chemistry & biochemistry. “For decades, our faculty have advanced the fundamental understanding of materials while building a culture of collaboration and shared infrastructure that allows ambitious ideas to flourish. This new investment builds on that legacy and on Dean Umesh Mishra’s vision for OASIS as a bridge between laboratory discovery and real-world impact. COAST PCL will be a key part of realizing that vision and shaping how the next generation of materials are discovered.”

“What excites me most about COAST PCL is the opportunity to rethink how experiments are designed and carried out,” said materials professor Chris Bates, who will serve as co-director of COAST PCL. “By automating workflows and making them remotely accessible, we can move toward a model where sophisticated materials research is available to anyone, anywhere, at any time. That has the potential not only to accelerate discovery, but to fundamentally change how the next generation of scientists and engineers approaches experimentation.”

“COAST PCL is about changing what is possible in materials research. A researcher anywhere in the country will be able to design an experiment remotely, have our automated systems carry it out here at OASIS, and use the resulting data to decide what to test next,” said Javier Read de Alaniz, co-director of COAST PCL and a professor of chemistry & biochemistry. “By combining remote access, robotics, and standardized data, we can accelerate discovery while giving a much broader community of researchers access to capabilities they otherwise might never have.”

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

“It is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions.”

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) in leading 39 Members of Congress, including six Senators, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding the immediate and permanent release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, a 20-year-old student with a severe chronic health condition, from Israeli military prison. On June 2, in the middle of the night, Sama was torn from her family’s home in the occupied West Bank as part of a series of raids targeting Birzeit University students.

Congresswoman Pressley also met virtually with Sama’s parents to discuss efforts for her release, and demanded accountability from the Israeli government and for the Trump administration to secure Sama’s immediate release, continued access to medical care, and end all unjust and arbitrary detentions.

“Every day that Sama remains wrongfully detained in these inhumane conditions, she is at greater risk of irreversible and life-threatening repercussions,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary Rubio. “It is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions. Her life is at risk on your watch. We urge you to act swiftly and use every tool at your disposal to secure the immediate release of Sama Safi so that she can receive the medical care she urgently needs and return to her family, her studies, and the life and freedom that every 20-year-old deserves.”

“With every additional day that Sama is subjected to deprivation and abuse by Israel, our fear grows that her spark is being dimmed; that we are losing pieces of her health, her strength, and the vibrant, loving spirit that makes her who she is,” said Sama’s parents. “Every morning, we wake wishing this was only a nightmare, hoping to open our eyes to the sound of Sama playing music. Every waking moment, we cannot help but imagine what she must be facing alone. Yet we are holding on to hope through those who stand with us and are helping us bring Sama home. We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Tlaib and all the signatories of this letter for standing with us in our urgent call to free Sama.”

Sama has described horrific conditions and violence by guards in Israeli military detention, including frequent physical assault, gas and stun grenades thrown in overcrowded cells, and lack of food and water. Every day, thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention are subjected to these conditions as part of what the United Nations Committee Against Torture described as “a de facto State policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment.”

“Such wretched conditions and treatment have caused Sama’s health to rapidly decline to dangerous levels in detention. Sama suffers from a severe and complex chronic medical condition known as Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), which requires regular monitoring, daily medication, and recurring specialized biologic treatment abroad,” the lawmakers wrote. “Sama has reported receiving her medication inconsistently, resulting in several missed doses. Stress positions and shackling have exacerbated her condition, causing severe rheumatoid and chest pain. Her doctors have warned that with her continued military detention and ‘being constantly exposed to conditions that exacerbate her inflammatory status, the possibility of progressive tissue injury and irreversible organ damage is our greatest concern.’”

On August 17, over 100 faith-based groups wrote a letter to Secretary Rubio demanding Sama’s release.

The letter was also signed by 33 Representatives: U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX–35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Derek Tran (CA-45), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NY-12).

Six U.S. Senators also signed the letter: Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT).

The letter is endorsed by 85 organizations: IMEU Policy Project, A New Policy, Action Corps, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Arab American Caucus of the California Democratic Party, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies at San Francisco State University, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Arlington for Palestine, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Boston Coalition For Palestine, Brooklyn For Peace, CAIR Action, California Democrats for Justice in Palestine, Center for Constitutional Rights, Christians for a Free Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Cleveland Peace Action, Codepink, Common Defense, Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Detroit & MI National Lawyers Guild, Disability Justice for Palestine, Doctors Against Genocide, Emgage Michigan, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Gen-Z for Change, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Hind Rajab Foundation, Historians for Peace and Democracy, IfNotNow Movement, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, Just Foreign Policy, Majdal: Arab Community Center of San Diego, MARUF CT, Massachusetts Peace Action, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Minnesota Peace Project, MPower Change Action Fund, Musicians Against Genocide, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for Just Futures, NE Oakland Indivisible, NH Peace Action, North Carolina Peace Action, Northshore For Palestine, Orange County for Justice in Palestine, Palestine House of Freedom, Palestine Legal, Palestinian House Of New England, Pax Christi New York State, Peace Action Montgomery, Peace Action New York State, Peace Action of San Mateo County, Peace Justice Sustainability NOW, Philly Neighborhood Networks, Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee, Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Queer Folk Inc., Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, ReThinking Foreign Policy, River Valley for Palestine, RootsAction, Statewide Indivisible Michigan, Stu Maismith Veterans For Peace, Syrian Community Network, Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice, The American Council for Judaism, The Justice Coalition, Transition Security Project, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, US Palestinian Council, Veterans For Peace, Veterans For Peace Chapter 74, Washington for Peace and Justice, and We the People Dissent.

The full letter is accessible here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative for Western Samoa Congresswoman Aumua Amata

Headline: Last Week for Public Input into APA National Museum, an Amata-Cosponsored Act

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting the last week of public comments for the National Asian Pacific American Museum, the next step in a major project that Congress created to honor Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and their achievements, progress, and lasting impact in strengthening the United States.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata was an original cosponsor of the bipartisan bill that started the project, the Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act (H.R. 3525), which was signed into law by President Biden on June 13, 2022. 

That commission, now generally known as the National Asian Pacific American Museum Commission, was charged by Congress with a plan of action to lay the groundwork for a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Now, the Commission is seeking public comments – up to 500 words – by the extended deadline of August 31, 2026.

The Commission has posted five questions to facilitate comments about their upcoming decisions to present to Congress, including how best to represent history and culture, the location of the Museum, its potential impact on regional museums, and if it should become part of the Smithsonian Institution. 

“I am happy to see this project take shape, with the next steps coming into view. Now is the time to give commissioners your opinion for these important decisions highlighting our stories and cultures. I am friends with some of these dedicated commissioners and I’ve worked with Commissioners Chiling Tong and Tina Wei Smith, and have every confidence in their passion and vision for this effort,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “I look forward to the day when visitors see Pacific Islands cultures and history among the exhibits.”

Comment here.

Learn more here. (https://nationalapamuseum.org/)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

GILBERT, ARIZONA- Today, Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) joined U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon at the East Valley Institute of Technology for a tour and press conference, highlighting the Education Freedom Tax Credit, which was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law last year.

The Education Freedom Tax Credit provides individuals in participating states with a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit, up to the applicable limit, for contributions to approved K-12 scholarship-granting organizations. The program gives taxpayers greater control over how their dollars support educational opportunities while expanding choices for students and families.

Scholarship funds can help K-12 students cover a variety of educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring, technology, special education services, and therapies.

States must opt into the program for their students to receive scholarships funded through the tax credit. To date, thirty states—including some led by Democrat governors—have opted into the program. If a state declines to participate, its taxpayers may still claim the federal tax credit, but their contributions will benefit eligible students in participating states rather than students in their own state.

“I was pleased to vote for this tax credit, which expands educational freedom for thousands of parents who want a better education and a brighter future for their children,” said Congressman Biggs. “It’s a win for families, students, and taxpayers—and it was made possible by Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration.

“Unfortunately, Arizona families are being denied the full benefits of this program because Governor Katie Hobbs has refused to opt our state in,”continued Congressman Biggs. “Because of her failure, Arizona students will miss out on scholarship dollars that could help pay for tuition, tutoring, technology, special education services, and other educational needs. That’s why I’m calling on Governor Hobbs to join the thirty states that have already opted in and give Arizona families access to the Education Freedom Tax Credit. Arizonans should not have to watch their tax dollars create educational opportunities for students in other states simply because their governor refuses to participate.”
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Today, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement: 

“Yes, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts needs structural renovations. No, the administration cannot use that need to strong arm the board into putting the president’s name on the facade; the courts already ruled against that.

“No one is going to be allowed to demolish the Kennedy Center. I’m focused on making sure the Kennedy Center gets the renovations needed to safely entertain its guests. 

“We should leave the Kennedy Center theatrics to the performers.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. — Today, Speaker Emerita Pelosi joined 123 Members of Congress and Senators in a letter urging the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to reverse its proposed rule that would end the Equal Employment Opportunity reporting requirements to collect demographic data. 

Established in 1964, the EEOC was commissioned with bipartisan support to serve as an independent, multi-member body tasked with preventing and addressing employment discrimination. Despite workers coming to rely on the EEOC as a fair and independent regulatory body, the commission’s proposal claims the data reports are inconsistent with equal employment opportunity law, and may raise constitutional concerns.

The EEOC’s proposal would directly undermine its regulatory power. The proposal would undermine the Commission’s ability to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin, and would delay justice for workers across America who are facing unlawful discrimination.

For over 60 years, the EEOC and Congress have relied on this demographic data legally collected by the EEOC as a foundational tool for enforcing equal employment laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and used it to identify discrimination that would have otherwise gone unchecked.

The Members outline how the proposal would undermine Title VII protections: 

“This proposal would rescind this longstanding data collection framework and create confusion regarding employers’ responsibilities, as employers would remain legally required to comply with Title VII, including maintaining employment records that help demonstrate that compliance.”

The Members continue by highlighting how the data is essential for ending workforce discrimination: 

“Ultimately, eliminating the EEO reporting requirements would not eliminate the need for demographic data—it would merely make that information more difficult, more expensive, and more time-consuming for the Commission to obtain. Workers who experience discrimination would wait longer for justice, and systemic violations affecting hundreds or thousands of employees would be less likely to be identified before additional workers are harmed.”

Members also emphasized that the collection of data was both legal and vital:

“Even if strict scrutiny did apply, the Supreme Court has long recognized eliminating discrimination as a compelling government interest, and the collection of demographic data is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. In fact, the Commission’s proposal cites no cases where a Court has found that its data collection is subject to heightened scrutiny or is in any way unconstitutional… Ultimately, the Commission asks the public to conclude that a reporting framework every administration has utilized for nearly sixty years and courts have repeatedly permitted is suddenly unlawful. The proposed rule fails to provide a persuasive legal basis for such a dramatic departure from longstanding law and practice.”

Lastly, members concluded by outlining the long-term damage this proposal would have on Congress’s ability to reduce systemic discrimination: 

“Rescinding these reporting requirements would reduce the Commission’s capacity to detect systemic discrimination, weaken enforcement efforts, and diminish the availability of reliable data that benefits employers, workers, researchers, and policymakers alike. The elimination of this comprehensive reporting tool would further reduce transparency, exacerbate inconsistencies, and limit the Commission’s ability to assess national employment trends over time. We must not further hinder the Commission’s ability to enforce federal laws and prevent discrimination, especially at a time when the Commission’s own workforce has been reduced by nearly 25 percent since fiscal year 2025 under the recent federal staffing reductions.”

Read the full letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

Opportunity Pointe will bring affordable housing to Columbus State campus as Beatty touts federal investments and bipartisan housing reforms to address Central Ohio’s affordability crisis

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04), ranking member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet, issued the following statement:  

“As it did with Trump’s unauthorized and illegal quest to build his golden ballroom, the 6/3 MAGA Supreme Court has used the shadow docket to grant Trump’s emergency petition that allows him to proceed with his nefarious plan to decide who gets to vote by mail. The real emergency is that a hyper-partisan Supreme Court is headed toward allowing Trump to steal the November elections. It is urgent that Congress passes my bill that places term limits on lifetime-tenured, unaccountable Supreme Court justices.

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