Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sam Graves (6th District of Missouri)
WASHINGTON, DC – Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (MO-06) statement on the House’s approval of legislation to end the federal government shutdown:
“Senator Schumer’s senseless shutdown is finally coming to an end. Many Americans, including our air traffic controllers, members of our military, and many more, were held hostage for 43 days purely for political gain. I appreciate our air traffic controllers and other professionals who showed up day-in and day-out to do their jobs, without pay, to ensure the safety of our aviation system and the nation. This unnecessary shutdown not only impacted their livelihoods, it also caused thousands of flight delays and cancellations for Americans still trying to fly to visit their families, travel for business, and more. Thankfully, Senator Schumer’s shutdown is over, and I will continue to work with the Trump Administration to minimize any of its ongoing impacts.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
Miami, FL –The office of Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation and member of the Defense Subcommittee on House Appropriations, presented theCongressional Veteran Commendationto the following local veterans in Miami-Dade County for their distinguished service to our country: Navy Petty Officer Alejandro Sanchez and Army Staff Sergeant Frank Torres III.
Navy Petty Officer Jonas Kukelhan, who currently serves at U.S. Southern Command in Doral and regularly volunteers with the Miami-Dade Military Museum, was recognized with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for his outstanding service and leadership.
“It meant a great deal to recognize these outstanding hometown servicemembers and patriots with the 2025 Congressional Veteran Commendation.
Through my work in Congress, I have been a tireless champion for our veterans and troops – from securing a 3.8% pay raise and protecting U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami-Dade, to advancing 139 new housing units for our servicemembers and supporting legislation that expands care and benefits for veterans and their families. Our gratitude can never be enough for their service and sacrifice to our country. May God continue to bless America and our brave men and women who answered the call to serve.
A special thank you to Florida State Representatives Alex Rizo and Omar Blanco, as well as the Town of Miami Lakes Council Members, for their leadership and support.”
The Congressional Veteran Commendation is a nominations-based program designed to recognize the wartime sacrifices and peacetime community involvement of veterans residing in Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Each one of these veterans will be interviewed, and their wartime collection will be added to theVeterans History Project, sponsored by the Library of Congress.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
WASHINGTON, D.C.–Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after voting to reopen the government:
“No shutdown has ever achieved anything, and this one was a colossal failure. All Democrats did was hold hostage the livelihood of Americans, using them as leverage to protect their political survival.
After nearly two months of the longest Democrat-led shutdown in history, costing our country $11 billion, thousands of flight disruptions, and missed paychecks and benefits, the American people are exactly where we started, but with billions wasted, families hurt, and safety compromised.
This shutdown was not only irresponsible but also dangerous. Air traffic controllers, TSA officers, and thousands of other crucial federal workers were forced to work without pay or furloughed, jeopardizing the safety and security of America.
After 42 days, a couple of Senate Democrats finally came to their senses and passed a clean Continuing Resolution, the same solution House Republicans sent to the Senate back in September to keep the government open.
I voted to reopen the government to restore regular order and get back to serving the American people. This ensures that vital benefits, such as WIC and SNAP, reach low-income families, and that servicemembers and federal workers, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, receive their long-overdue back pay. It also allows furloughed employees, such as those at the U.S. agency who oversee the country’s nuclear stockpile, to safely and responsibly resume critical operations.
In addition, I supported passage of three Fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills –– Agriculture, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Legislative Branch — that deliver for our veterans, servicemembers, and their families; support our farmers and growers; strengthen our national security; and ensure that America’s most vulnerable continue to have access to nutritious food.”
Here are some of the highlights:
Supporting our veterans and veterans’ and military families
$50M forJoint Interagency Task Force (JIATF-S) facility upgrades in Key West,to enhance the capabilities of our southernmost military bulwark against illegal narcotics.
$115.1B for veterans’ medical care.
$52.6B to implement that PACT Act and provide health care for veterans exposed to environmental hazards during their service, including burn pits.
$263.7B for Veterans benefits, including disability compensation programs, education benefits, and vocational rehabilitation and employment training.
$80M for Veteran Cancer Research going to the Neurology Centers of Excellence.
$42M for the prevention, diagnoses, and treatment of PTSD going to the National Center for Post-traumaticStress Disorder.
$4.5B to improve the housing and quality of life of servicemembers and their families.
$1.9B for military family housing.
$1.3B for barracks, dorms, and other unaccompanied housing.
$1.3B for quality of life facility improvements to include hospitals, schools, child development centers, fitness centers, dining facilities, and mess halls.
$3.5B for programs to prevent veteran homelessness.
$659M for the Supportive Services for Veterans Families Program.
$702M for Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program case management.
$276M for the Grant and Per Diem Program.
$173M for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program and Legal Services for Veterans grants.
Provides for our farmers and growers
$1.4B for the Farm Service Agency to provide local support for our nation’s farmers and ranchers.
$1.8B for the Agricultural Research Service to ensure that we maintain competitive edge in agricultural production and innovation.
$1.2B for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to protect U.S. agricultural health from pests, diseases and invasive species.
$79.8M for citrus health activities and multi-agency coordination efforts to support Florida’s citrus industry.
Language regarding pasteurized orange juice and Brix levels.
$109M for rural broadband grants and loans for the most hard-to-reach areas.
Ensure that low-income families have access to nutritious food
$107B in mandatory funding for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
$8.2B for the Special Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
Countering our adversaries
Provides additional resources for the Farm Services Agency to improve the tracking system of foreign-owned land and maintains the Secretary of Agriculture’s position on the Committee on Foreign Investment to protect our farmland from being bought by our adversaries.
Provides the Food and Drug Administration with the resource and new authorities needed to crack down on the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of e-cigarettes from China and other countries.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
Naples, FL –The office of Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation and member of the Defense Subcommittee on House Appropriations, presented theCongressional Veteran Commendationto the following local veterans in Collier County for their distinguished service to our country: Army and Marine Corps Colonel Martin B. Spann, Marine Corps Master Sergeant Gerald Van Hecke, Army Specialist Jairo Restrepo, and Air Force Airman 2ndClass Michael Victor Ricci Jr.
“My team proudly recognized these exceptional patriots for the 2024 and 2025 Congressional Veteran Commendations alongside the Collier Veterans community.
With 17,000 veterans in Florida’s 26thDistrict, and over 20,000 veterans in Collier County alone, I’m proud to represent the most veteran-friendly county in Florida, and to work directly with our local veterans to deliver results – from working towards $9 million for a new Veterans Community Center to advancing legislation that expands care and benefits. I remain committed to being a tireless champion in ensuring our distinguished veterans receive all the support they deserve.
I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Golden Gate Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7721 Commander Mike Ricci and former Commander Dr. J.B. Holmes, as well as our Collier County Commissioners Daniel Kowal, Burt Saunders, and Rick LoCastro for their exceptional leadership.
God bless our veterans and troops.”
The Congressional Veteran Commendation is a nominations-based program designed to recognize the wartime sacrifices and peacetime community involvement of veterans residing in Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Each one of these veterans will be interviewed, and their wartime collection will be added to theVeterans History Project, sponsored by the Library of Congress.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
Hialeah, FL —Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation and member of the Defense House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined the City of Hialeah Veterans Day Ceremony to remember and honor veterans who have served and are currently serving our country.
“It was an honor to join the City of Hialeah to pay tribute to our veterans, their families, and the community for their service and sacrifice on Veterans Day.
As Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have delivered for our servicemembers and veterans – from securing a 3.8% pay raise and protecting U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami-Dade, to supporting legislation that expands care and benefits for veterans and their families.
I commend Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves and the City of Hialeah for their steadfast leadership and commitment to honoring and supporting our nation’s heroes.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)
Doral, FL —Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Dean of the Florida Delegation and member of the Defense House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined the City of Doral Veterans Day Ceremony to remember and honor veterans who have served and are currently serving our country.
“It was a privilege to join our veterans, their families, and the Doral community to pay tribute to their service and sacrifice on Veterans Day.
In my role as Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I have delivered for our servicemembers and veterans – from securing a 3.8% pay raise and protecting U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami-Dade, to advancing 139 new housing units for our troops right here in Doral, and supporting legislation that expands care and benefits for veterans and their families.
I’m especially grateful to Mayor Christi Fraga and the City of Doral for their leadership and unwavering support for our veterans.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (15th District of Texas)
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34) released the following statement on voting against a spending bill that will raise health care costs for South Texas families by failing to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits:
“Republicans control the White House, Senate, and House, yet wasted weeks doing nothing to end a government shutdown which continues to hurt hundreds of thousands of South Texas families. I refuse to abandon the 60-year-old couple in my district who earns $82,800 a year and will see their health insurance premiums increase by $16,639, or 280 percent, if the ACA tax credits are allowed to expire. Any deal to reopen the government should have addressed the skyrocketing health care premiums for the nearly 130,000 people in the 34th Congressional District of Texas, who depend on this tax credit to afford the care they need.
“Congress needs to do the work our constituents sent us to Washington to do; I’m ready to work in a bipartisan way to resolve the health care crisis, but not at the expense of South Texans. It’s past time Republicans get serious about putting ‘America First’ as they so eagerly claim. Without an honest negotiation with Democrats, Republicans are once again placing working Americans last.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump administrationannounced it will roll back tariffson essential food items like coffee, bananas, and beef – confirming what Congresswoman Haley Stevens has beenwarningfor months: Trump’s erratic tariffs are making prices too high. The administration’s actions follow Congresswoman Stevens introducing herNo Tariffs on Groceries Actin September, which would stop Trump’s price hikes at the checkout counter to lower costs for Michiganders.
In response to the administration’s reversal, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens issued the following statement:
“It’s about time Trump realized that his reckless tariffs have done nothing but raise costs on Michigan’s hard-working families. That’s exactly why I introduced my No Tariffs on Groceries Act – because Michiganders shouldn’t feel stressed every time they check out at the grocery store. I will continue leading the charge to lower costs, stand up to this administration, and put Michigan families first.”
BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding the reinstatement of her constituent, Ellen Mei—a union leader and career public servant at USDA who has helped to administer food assistance—who was unlawfully terminated after warning the public of the administration’s cuts to SNAP and staff layoffs that would jeopardize access to food for millions.
“Our federal workers and the essential services they provide communities have been under attack by the Trump Administration long before their record setting, manufactured government shutdown, but the retaliatory firing of Ellen Mei for exercising her protected right to free speech is egregious and dangerous,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement alongside the letter. “While communities scrambled to mitigate Trump’s attempts to deny families their SNAP benefits despite court orders, Trump and the USDA were working around the clock to stifle Ellen’s voice and dissuade others from standing up and speaking out. That’s why I’m fighting for Ellen and dedicated federal workers like her who took an oath to serve and give back to our communities daily—to literally feed our neighbors. USDA must immediately reinstate her and allow her to get back to the service she has been called to and provided with distinction.”
Today, November 14th at 1:00pm, Rep. Pressley will be joining Ms. Mei at a rally to speak out in solidarity with her and federal workers unlawfully terminated and mistreated by the Trump administration.
The rally will be held at the Tip O’Neill Federal Building. Media are asked to RSVP here.
Ms. Mei is one of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers impacted by Donald Trump’s unlawful firing frenzy since he entered office and recently received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) after participating in a media interview in her personal capacity. The NOPR came during Trump and Republicans’ government shutdown, in which they weaponized critical food security programs, refused to fund SNAP, and let families go hungry.
“Ms. Mei joined the USDA to serve her country and her fellow Americans who rely on the critical services of the Agency you are charged with leading and stewarding,” wrote Rep. Ayanna Pressley. “Like every public servant, she took an oath to serve this nation, protect and honor the Constitution, and dedicate her labor in pursuit of the USDA’s mission.”
During Republicans’ government shutdown, press outlets nationwide interviewed impacted constituencies, including federal employees, to inform the American public of their lived experiences under the shutdown. On October 2nd, Ms. Mei exercised her right to free speech to share her experience as a federal worker during a nationally televised interview. The next day, October 3rd, Ms. Mei received a Notice of Proposed Removal (NOPR) that noted the interview as cause for her removal from her position – a direct violation of her First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
“Ms. Mei remains committed to continuing that mission and our shared constituents would be well served with her in her current position,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley continued in her letter. “I am urging you to rescind the NOPR and allow her to resume her duties when the federal shutdown ends.”
Congresswoman Pressley, an outspoken champion for workers and organized labor, has led efforts in Congress to halt terminations and protect federal workers. In February, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in writing to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) urging OSC to ensure all unfairly fired civil servants are immediately rehired and protected from greater abuse, and she has applauded numerous court rulings mandating their reinstatement. In March, Rep. Pressley led her Massachusetts colleagues demanding answers about the impact of the Musk-Trump Administration’s mass firings of federal workers in Massachusetts. Rep. Pressley was also proud to welcome Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, AFGE union member, and terminated HUD worker as her guest to the presidential joint address to Congress.
Amid the Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Rep. Pressley has continued to fight to defend healthcare, reopen the government, and protect federal workers and the essential services they provide.
Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans for harming families across America by shutting down the government, unlawfully cutting food assistance, and jacking up healthcare costs. Congresswoman Pressley also questioned witnesses about the harmful, misleading stereotypes pushed by Republicans about who relies on federal programs like the Affordable Care Act, SNAP, and Medicaid.
Rep. Pressley and the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) convened to demand Donald Trump fund SNAP, with the authority and money he has readily available, to keep 42 million people in America fed—63% of whom are women and over 1 million of whom reside in Massachusetts.
Rep. Pressley joined Reps. Jahana Hayes, Angie Craig, and 211 House Democrats on a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to urge the agency to use contingency reserve dollars to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown.
Rep. Pressley joined Senator Ed Markey and leaders from Massachusetts food banks to sound the alarm on the growing crisis of food insecurity under the Republican government shutdown and its impact on Massachusetts families.
Rep. Pressley urged National Grid and Eversource to issue an immediate moratorium on utility shutoffs for households impacted by the government shutdown, including federal workers, federal contractors, and the people who depend on them.
Following the Congresswoman’s letter, National Grid of Massachusetts announced specific support and a payment plan opportunity for federal employees, contractors, and active military personnel in Massachusetts who are impacted by the government shutdown and concerned about paying their energy bill.
Rep. Pressley participated in a House Steering and Policy Committee hearing in which she slammed Republicans for raising healthcare costs for families across the country and shutting down the government instead of addressing the healthcare crisis they created.
Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the Democratic Women’s Caucus to call attention to the impacts of the Republican-manufactured health care crisis and government shutdown on women, families, and workers in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country.
Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning Republicans after they chose to shut down the government rather than work with Democrats to protect families and save healthcare for millions.
Just days into the government shutdown, Rep. Pressley held an emergency convening in Boston to highlight the harm of the shutdown to MA-07 constituents – federal workers, patients, advocates, and more.
Just hours before the Republicans shut down the government, Rep. Pressley rallied with advocates, colleagues, and impacted folks to demand Republicans protect healthcare and keep the government open
Congresswoman Pressley stood in solidarity with workers and families who would be impacted by the government shutdown.
Rep. Pressley also joined an all-day event with House Democrats to hold the line against Trump and Republicans’ efforts to rip away healthcare from millions of Americans.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN News Central, where he made clear that Democrats will continue working to protect the healthcare of the American people and push back against the corruption and extremism being unleashed by this administration.
JOHN BERMAN: With us now is the House Minority Leader, Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us. So it does look like this vote will be next week. What do you think it will tell us? Where are their numbers right now?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, good morning, great to be with you. It’s my expectation that the legislation will pass, potentially pass decisively. Democrats in the House, of course, will strongly support it. We believe in transparency. We believe it’s been far too long that this information has been hidden from the American people. And it’s extraordinary that rather than focus on trying to actually extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, drive down the high cost of living or make life better for the American people, Donald Trump and his folks have spent this week pressuring Republicans not to back the effort to release these Jeffrey Epstein files to the American people.
JOHN BERMAN: Now, this week, Republican Congressman Tim Burchett, once it was clear that the discharge petition would get enough votes, Tim Burchett tried to actually get a vote on the House floor this week. And through House procedures, apparently, it would have required leadership on both sides to sign on. House Speaker Mike Johnson says you wouldn’t sign on to having a vote this week. Why not?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, that’s actually inaccurate. It appears to me Mike Johnson didn’t reach out. He spent seven weeks stopping Representative Adelita Grijalva from being sworn in. And the reason why they were on vacation, a taxpayer-funded vacation for seven weeks, is because they had no answers for the American people on the healthcare crisis that Republicans have created, and they were unwilling to swear in Representative Adelita Grijalva because they knew she would be the 218th signature to trigger this up-or-down vote. So I have no idea what Mike Johnson is talking about.
JOHN BERMAN: It is interesting to me that, as we’re talking about this, you keep on turning the discussion back to healthcare and affordability. What risks are there, do you think, for Democrats in spending too much time on Epstein as opposed to these bread and butter, you know, kitchen table issues for the American people?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we have to focus on a variety of different issues that we know are important to the American people. And the American people deserve better than the extremism that has been unleashed on them from day one of this presidency.And it certainly is the case that we’re going to continue to focus on driving down the high cost of living in this country. America is far too expensive. The American people all across the country have made that clear repeatedly. Housing costs too high. Grocery costs too high. Child care costs too high. Electricity bills through the roof. And, of course, healthcare premiums about to skyrocket for tens of millions of Americans because of Republican inaction. But at the same period of time, we’ve made clear we also need to address the rampant corruption that we see in Washington, D.C., coming out of the Trump administration and enabled repeatedly by Donald Trump’s sycophants in the House Republican Conference. And as part of that—transparency, sunlight, of course, is the best disinfectant. And we’ve maintained from the very beginning that the American people just deserve the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth as it relates to the Epstein files that Donald Trump and his minions made a big deal about for years, but now all of a sudden that they’re in office, they’re trying to bury this information.
JOHN BERMAN: The government obviously now open. It had been shut down for some time, Democrats trying to get an extension of the Obamacare subsidies. When this continuing resolution runs out at the end of January, if there is not an extension of the Obamacare subsidies, what do you want Democrats to do? More importantly, what do you want, I suppose, the Senate to do?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, let’s take one step at a time. The Affordable Care Act tax credits are scheduled to lapse on December 31. And so, we have about 45 days to get this done. House Democrats have introduced legislation to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years to provide working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans the certainty that they need that they’ll be able to actually go see a doctor when they need to see one for themselves, their families or their children in an environment where Republicans have launched an all-out assault on the healthcare of the American people, the largest cut in Medicaid in American history. Hospitals and nursing homes and community-based health centers are closing all throughout America. Now they refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits, John. So we’ve got to work on this issue over the next 45 days, and we’re going to continue to press the case.
JOHN BERMAN: And if you don’t succeed?
LEADER JEFFRIES: The appropriations process is going to proceed on a separate track, and that’s being led, of course, by our appropriators, Rosa DeLauro on the House Democratic side, who’s doing a great job, working with our Senate colleagues. And we’re going to try to enact bipartisan spending agreements that actually meet the needs of the American people, focused on improving their quality of life and, of course, driving down the high cost of living to deal with the Trump affordability crisis that exists in America right now.
JOHN BERMAN: I mean, you know politics. You’ve been in it for a while, and you know this is the type of question that does get asked after a shutdown like this. Who won the shutdown?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the American people lost because Republicans made a decision, made a decision intentionally—they control the House, the Senate and the presidency—that they’d rather shut the government down than actually provide affordable healthcare to everyday Americans all across the country, including in the states that are going to be most affected, which happen to be states like West Virginia, Wyoming, Alaska, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Alabama, North Dakota and South Dakota. Those are the 10 states most affected by the failure to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And Republicans have been able to do everything else, including finding $40 billion to bail out Argentina, but unwilling to find a dime to actually provide affordable healthcare to everyday Americans. And so, hopefully, they’ll adopt a different approach. And we’re going to continue to press the case on these core issues of making life better for everyday Americans in a country that is far too expensive, far too many people struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. They can’t thrive and can barely survive. This should not be the case in the wealthiest country in the history of the world.
JOHN BERMAN: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, we do appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.