MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

U.S. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) led 21 of his colleagues on a letter to President Donald Trump supporting his efforts to get rid of discriminatory Digital Services Taxes (DSTs), specifically focusing on the U.K.’s DST. These taxes sponge economic profit away from American innovators and workers, resulting in American dollars being shifted into foreign coffers. Since 2020, more than $3 billion has been collected by the U.K.’s Digital Services Tax.

The full letter can be found below.

Background:

June 2025 – Rep. Estes Reacts To Canada’s Removal Of DSTs

June 2025 – Rep. Estes Sends Letter to POTUS Urging Removal of Canada’s DST

March 2025 – Newsweek: Congressman: Trump Is Helping U.S. Retake Control of Its Own Tax Policy | Opinion

February 2025 – Rep. Estes Commends Administration on DST Investigation

June 2024 – Rep. Estes Condemns Canada’s Digital Services Tax

March 2023 – Reps. Estes, Kildee Introduce Resolution Condemning Foreign Digital Services Taxes (DSTs)

March 2023 – Rep. Estes Questions Biden Trade Ambassador Tai on DSTs

January 2020 – Rep. Estes Pens Letter to the Editor in Response to French Economic Minister on DSTs

July 2019 – Rep. Estes Applauds Investigation of French Digital Tax

April 2019 – Rep. Estes in Fox Business: US must challenge France’s shakedown of American tech companies

Dear President Trump,

We write to express our serious concerns regarding the United Kingdom’s discriminatory digital services tax (DST) and urge you to seek its removal as soon as possible. The UK’s DST collected $1 billion in 2024 alone, and an estimated $3.1 billion between 2021 and 2024, almost entirely from American companies. The UK itself has stated that 90% of the DST is paid by five companies, which the U.S. Trade Representative believes to all be American owned companies. This discriminatory action undermines American innovation and captures the U.S. tax base.

We applaud you for your attention and action combating discriminatory DSTs that target U.S. companies. We are deeply appreciative of your recent comments that digital taxes must end immediately and that “American Technology Companies, are neither the ‘piggy bank’ nor the ‘doormat’ of the World any longer.” You have demonstrated a focus on eliminating these unfair trading practices from our partners and you have delivered wins for American companies, most notably Canada’s commitment to withdraw its DST. Additionally, India also ended its DST and New Zealand withdrew its DST legislation in response to your resolve.

The UK’s insistence to maintain its DST contradicts its commitment to treat U.S. companies fairly, and if permitted to continue, will set a dangerous precedent for other countries, including those that continue to levy DSTs on U.S. companies or others, such as Poland and Slovakia, that are proposing new DSTs. It is therefore essential that the UK removes this tax promptly.

As you prepare for the upcoming U.S.-UK Leaders’ Summit, we urge you to prioritize securing a commitment that the UK will remove its DST. Should the UK fail to agree, we believe reopening the Section 301 investigation into the DST would be a necessary and appropriate action.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered a letter to social media leaders demanding the immediate removal of posts and accounts that celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Christian, conservative leader whose work and legacy touched tens of millions of Americans.

“Please be advised that your platforms are rightfully expected to expeditiously remove all posts that have celebrated the political assassination of Charlie Kirk. Further, the authors of these posts are to be identified and banned from your platform, as well as any new pages they may create,” Congressman Higgins wrote.

“Gleeful celebration of the heinous murder of an American citizen, brazenly published within the public forums of social media, is not to be tolerated within the accepted and legal parameters of a free and humane society, and I have initiated a Congressional effort to force accountability,” Congressman Higgins continued. “If you shield these offenders, section 230 will not protect your platform from vigorous exposure.”

Read the full letter here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — Tonight, Speaker Johnson hosted a bipartisan vigil in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building for Members of Congress to honor the life of Charlie Kirk following his tragic assassination.

Watch Speaker Johnson’s remarks at the vigil here.

Speaker Johnson delivered the following remarks:

“We thank you all for being here. This has been a very difficult week in America. There’s a wide range of emotions that have been felt by the American people and frankly, by leaders in the nation’s capital: sadness, of course, unspeakable grief that people have felt.

Many of the people assembled here in Statuary Hall today were personal friends of Charlie Kirk, knew him well, watched his ministry and his organization develop over the years. Then the sadness for so many of us turned to anger. There’s been a mixture of emotions that included fear on behalf of a lot of people around the country.

“This was a heinous political violence, an assassination. Our friend, Charlie, did not pass away in a car accident. He was assassinated for standing for his political beliefs. And for so many of us, it has felt as if the ground has been shaken.

“It’s not just the people assembled here, of course, it involves students on the university campuses around America and the over 3,000 chapters of Turning Point that are on university, college campuses, and high school campuses around the country – and all of the people in the network and in the conservative movement and, and throughout the nation that have heard Charlie’s voice and felt a part of all that he was involved with. He was on a mixture of media and his voice was heard loudly and clearly.

“What we do know about Charlie is that he would not want us to be overcome by despair and would want us to carry the message forward to honor his memory and to expand the legacy he left behind.

“I’ve spoken as many of us have at a lot of memorial services over the last several days. Some in my home state. We had one here at the Kennedy Center last night, as you all know. But we felt it was appropriate for us to gather here in the nation’s capital in Statuary Hall to mark the passing of our friend to share in a moment of reflection and a prayer together, which we’ll have in a few moments after a few of the leaders speak here briefly.

“I’ve summarized in every public remark that I’ve given that I think the best way to honor the memory of Charlie Kirk is to live as he lived. I’ve encouraged young people to do two things: Advance his principles and adopt his approach.

“The principles that Charlie stood for were faith and freedom, family and virtue, patriotism and America, which he believed was the greatest nation in the history of the world. Those are good principles to advance, and you honor Charlie by doing so. You honor your country also to adopt his approach, because Charlie was a happy warrior, and he was not angry at anybody over those things that he was advancing.

“He never hated anyone. In fact, in Charlie’s own words, he was motivated by love. He believed in the words of scripture. He identified himself to be a Christ follower, and he tried to model that every single day in everything that he did.

“As I remarked a couple of times already this week, what I loved about Charlie the most is that even though he could win any debate, he never held it against anyone on the other side of the table. To the contrary, he was the very first person to reach out a hand of friendship or to put his arm around the shoulder of someone who was on the complete opposite side of the political spectrum, philosophy, or ideology. It was about the people. That’s what Charlie represented, and his legacy will go on. Scripture reminds us that we should not be overcome by evil, but we should overcome evil with good. That is the legacy of Charlie Kirk.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

September 15, 2025 | Press ReleasesWASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) introduced today the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act. This bill extends the landmark 2024 law providing tax relief for individuals impacted by federally declared disasters. This will permit victims to claim disaster-related personal casualty losses without having to itemize deductions through 2026. Senator Rick Scott has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. 
“Allowing taxpayers to write off damages from natural disasters is a no-brainer. Millions of Floridians have already benefited from my Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act as they rebuild from the last several hurricane seasons. This law provides a much-needed lifeline to families as they navigate the most difficult of times,” said Rep. Steube. “I am grateful to partner with Senator Rick Scott to extend this critical part of the federal government’s emergency response.”
“It is great to have bipartisan support on our common-sense legislation to provide tax relief to victims of natural disasters – this effort sends an important message to families that their federal government is here to support them after disaster strikes,” said Senator Scott. “We have seen the absolute heartbreak families experience after any natural disaster – whether that’s hurricanes, wildfires, or massive flooding – as they’ve lost everything and are working hard to get back on their feet. Our bill extends this relief through the end of 2026 to ensure relief is available for any victims, and expands support for the victims of wildfires like the California fires in January that took innocent lives and caused massive damage that families are still working to recover from. This legislation is an important step to ensure that when disaster strikes, Washington stands with survivors, not against them.”
Rep. Steube’s bipartisan bill is co-led by Representatives Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.).
“Families who lose their homes and livelihoods in a wildfire shouldn’t be hit with the possibility of a tax bill on their equity affecting the very payments meant to help them recover,” said Rep. LaMalfa. “This bill ensures disaster relief is treated fairly and victims aren’t left fighting with the IRS on top of other challenges they may face. I’m pleased to join Congressman Steube in leading it.”
“After disaster strikes, survivors face not only the loss of their loved ones, homes, and livelihoods, but they also face the uncertainty of how to begin again,” said Rep. Thompson. “In those moments, the last thing a survivor should fear is whether they qualify for tax relief. I am proud to work with my colleagues to expand on our disaster tax relief work and ensure survivors have the certainty and support they deserve.” 
“Families and communities recovering from natural disasters shouldn’t face the added burden of arbitrary deadlines that cut off their access to critical tax relief,” said Rep. Panetta.  “Our bipartisan bill extends those deadlines and ensures that wildfire relief payments and hurricane losses continue to qualify for fair tax treatment. By providing this certainty, we can give disaster-impacted Americans the time and tools they need to rebuild and move forward.”
The Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act was first enacted after Representative Steube led a bipartisan coalition with Representatives LaMalfa, Thompson, and Panetta to achieve only the third successful public discharge petition in congressional history. The bill was signed into law on December 12, 2024, following passage by the U.S. Senate.
Read the full bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed Congressman David Valadao’s (CA-22) bill, the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Processing Act. This legislation would standardize software the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) uses to process benefit claims and streamline the process to ensure no veterans or survivors are left behind when seeking benefits they have earned.

Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) originally introduced this bill in the 118^th Congress.

“Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend our nation, and they shouldn’t have to fight another battle just to access the benefits they’ve earned,” said Congressman Valadao. “The VA’s current claims system is inefficient, creates backlogs, and burdens veterans and their families with unnecessary paperwork. House passage of my bill is an important step to expand automation tools, streamline the process, and ensure our veterans receive the care they deserve, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get it across the finish line.”

Congressman Valadao spoke on the House Floor during debate on his legislation. Watch his remarks here or read as prepared below:

Mr. Speaker,

I rise to urge support for my bill, the Modernizing All Veterans and Survivors Claims Act.

Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend this country. When they come home, they shouldn’t have to fight another battle just to get the benefits they’ve earned.

Unfortunately, outdated systems at the VA are causing unnecessary delays that create real hardships for both veterans and their families.

To speed up disability claims, the VA has used automation tools like AI to draft letters and gather documents. But that same technology hasn’t been applied to other types of claims, such as pensions or survivors’ benefits. 

This has led to growing backlogs and, in some cases, missed benefits altogether.

My bill takes steps to fix this. It requires the VA to expand the use of automation tools, ensure documents are properly labeled in the system, and improve coordination between offices. 

It also directs the VA to use these tools for pensions and survivors’ benefits so families aren’t left behind.

By improving coordination across the VA and other federal agencies, we can also reduce overpayments and prevent families from being hit with unexpected debt notices.

This is a commonsense bill that will help ensure veterans and survivors receive the benefits they deserve in a timely and efficient manner, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support.

I also want to thank Chairman Bost and his staff at the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs for their work on this important bill.

Thank you, and I yield back.

Background:

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has several offices that handle different types of benefits claims. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) processes claims, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals reviews denied claims, and the Debt Management Center handles debts caused by VA overpayments. Throughout the claims and appeals process, VA employees gather evidence, send letters to veterans and survivors, and make decisions based on the evidence. To speed up disability claims, the VA has used AI tools to draft letters and gather key documents. However, these tools haven’t been extended to other claims like pensions or survivors’ benefits which leads to long delays—sometimes years—for those decisions. Claims processing is also slowed by mislabeled documents in VA’s electronic system which can cause delays or even missed evidence that could support a veteran’s claim.

Read the full bill here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman French Hill (AR-02)

September Mobile Office Days for Congressman French Hill

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)

Congressmen Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) and Steven Horsford (NV-04) led Congressional Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee in a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Acting Commissioner, Scott Bessent, demanding the agency publicly affirm that the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (Sec. 25C) remains available despite a Republican effort to end the program as part of their Big Ugly Tax Law.

The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit provides significant relief for Americans by offering up to $3,200 annually for qualifying energy-efficient home improvements – helping households lower utility bills and reduce overall living costs. Families using the credit not only saved an average of $882 on their taxes, but also lowered their energy bills by an average of about $130 in the first year according to analysis by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit was created on a bipartisan basis in 2005, and expanded by Congressional Democrats as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The lette reads, in part:
If our colleagues on the other side of the aisle truly intended to eliminate [the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit], they should have cited the law correctly – Congress writes laws, and sloppy drafting is no excuse for the Treasury department to substitute its policy preferences for the language of the law as enacted.
 

Reps. Gomez and Horsford released the following statement:

“I wrote the Home Energy Savings Act, which was signed into law through the IRA, because working families deserve to get real savings on their energy bills,” Rep. Gomez said. “Despite Republican efforts to repeal this tax credit, 25C is still the law of the land through 2032, and families should keep getting the savings they were promised. I led the fight to create this credit, and I’ll keep leading the fight to protect it.”

 “The Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit has helped Americans make ends meet and modernize their energy consumption for two decades,” Rep. Horsford said. “In Nevada, these tax credits make clean energy solutions affordable for more people, help lower energy bills, protect my constituents from extreme heat in the summer, and foster good paying jobs in our community. Despite Republican claims, these credits remain in effect for seven more years,” Horsford continued. “As such, the IRS must update its website to provide accurate information about the program. As President Trump raises costs on everyday goods, the American people deserve to know that programs still exist to help lower energy costs.” 

Full text of the lawmakers’ letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“This bill is an important step to allow for the research necessary to correct these errors and ensure there are resources for that work,” said Wasserman Schultz. “This will make it possible for these brave Jewish servicemembers’ descendants to know that their loved one’s military service, life and religious heritage are properly honored.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter Introduces Resolution to Strip Omar of Committee Assignments Due to Her Vile Remarks Following Charlie Kirk Assassination

Carter Introduces Resolution to Strip Omar of Committee Assignments Due to Her Vile Remarks Following Charlie Kirk Assassination

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

On Wednesday, September 10, Representative Don Beyer led 26 of his colleagues in demanding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio release the congressionally mandated 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report, which was due to Congress on June 30 and is critical to combatting the scourge of human trafficking.

The report comes from the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP), which recently fired over 70% of the human trafficking prevention staff due to reductions in force (RIFs) and other personnel policy changes. Given this purge of anti-trafficking experts, the lawmakers also requested updated information on the current staffing and resources available to J/TIP to fulfill its statutory duties under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. They emphasized that these significant staff cuts pose serious challenges to the international effort to monitor and combat human trafficking crimes.

Additional news coverage:

“The Democratic lawmakers, led by Virginia Rep. Don Beyer and including members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Oversight panel, described the Trafficking in Persons report as ‘a key tool used by law enforcement, foreign governments, and nonprofit organizations in the fight against human trafficking.’ They asked the department to explain why it hasn’t given it to Congress yet…