Scalise Statement on the Passing of Charlie Kirk

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement after the passing of Charlie Kirk:“I am incredibly sad and disgusted to hear of the passing of Charlie Kirk. Charlie was a loving father, husband, and conservative warrior. He was a man of deep faith and dedicated his life to educating people about civil dialogue while passionately articulating conservative values. “Charlie built a movement by traveling across the country and encouraging young people to engage in thoughtful, peaceful political discourse. He never shied from disagreement; instead, he shared with students the value of having civil conversations with people who hold different opinions – something we need more of today. To see his life taken by political violence is absolutely heartbreaking.“Political violence is NEVER acceptable. The perpetrator of this horrific act must be held accountable, and I strongly support all of our law enforcement officials as they continue their investigation. It’s past time for the incendiary rhetoric to come to an end, and we must see universal condemnation of this gruesome act.“Charlie has inspired a generation of young people by challenging the status quo and standing up for his beliefs. His legacy will live on in his friends, family, countless followers, and in the movement he built and energized. “We are praying for the Kirk family and America as we grieve this horrific loss.”

Scalise: We Have the American People’s Back

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congressman Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) to discuss the work House Republicans are doing to make American cities safe again, despite Democrats prioritizing their hatred of President Trump over the protection of their own citizens. Leader Scalise highlighted legislation the House Oversight Committee is taking up to combat soft-on-crime measures in DC. Additionally, Leader Scalise touted the NDAA on the House Floor this week, which will strengthen America’s national defense and bolster President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
On House Republicans strengthening our military:“This is another busy week in the Republican Majority House, where we’re going to continue to do the people’s work. It’s so important that we get the National Defense Authorization Act passed, where we come together and debate the priorities of our nation’s defense. And if you look at this bill, and I think [Whip] Tom [Emmer] did a great job of talking about some of those important reforms that are in the bill, some of the important priorities, we’re giving a pay raise to our troops, our men and women in uniform, to continue to address something that Chairman Rogers has been focused on for a long time, and that is to increase morale and to focus on making sure we’re taking care of our men and women who take care and defend our freedoms here and abroad. “We’re going to continue to allow President Trump to have the tools that he needs to show peace through strength around the globe as he’s doing. The only reason he’s been able to get so many peace accords with other countries is because he has the military might to back it up. You don’t ever want to have to use it, but if you don’t have it, the bad guys around the world see that weakness, and they’ve exploited it in the past. When we’ve had weak leaders, like we did with the previous administration, the bad guys around the world took advantage of that. It doesn’t just hurt America. It hurts our friends and our allies all around the world. So it’s critical that we refocus our military on its main mission. And part of that refocusing means getting rid of a lot of the wokeness in the military that used to be there. And this bill continues to advance those efforts.”On the House Oversight Committee taking action against DC’s soft-on-crime policies:“Something else you’re going to see here in the House tomorrow, the Oversight Committee is going to be taking up all the DC crime bills. We’ve talked about this in the past. You’ve seen it. You can walk around the city, and it’s actually safer today because of President Trump’s action, bringing in National Guard troops. But we’ve seen and identified many flaws with DC ordinances. When people complain about the revolving door of crime, why is it that some young kid can come and commit a carjacking at gunpoint and walk free the next day? It’s because that’s what the ordinances in DC allow. They actually allow soft-on-crime measures, so we’re reversing that.“We’re going to be bringing bills through committee tomorrow and ultimately to the House floor in the weeks ahead, where we will make DC safe again. We will get rid of all of these ridiculous laws and limitations on law enforcement. No cash bail. Right now, if you’re under 25, you can be treated as a 14-year-old if you commit a violent crime. Crimes at gunpoint, you can walk free the next day if you’re under 25 years old, which, by the way, are the ages of most of the violent criminals here in DC, and so you wonder why there’s a revolving door. We, as House Republicans, are going to address it. I call on every Democrat to join with us and give up their defund the police soft-on-crime mantra. We’ll see if they finally listen to what the voters of this country want. I’m not holding my breath. Luckily, we’re going to do it on our own if they’re not going to join with us. But we’re going to show the American people that we’re not going to sit idly by.”On Democrat governors defending criminals:“You see President Trump talking about making other cities safe. And the Whip talked about Governor Walz. You see Governor Pritzker. You see so many other governors trying to defend criminals, trying to criticize President Trump for stopping murders in their own cities. Those governors should be working with President Trump to figure out ways to stop murders. If Governor Pritzker, instead of trying to come up with tweets to criticize President Trump, he could deploy the National Guard himself in Chicago and stop the seven or eight murders every weekend if he cared about it, but he doesn’t. They want crime to continue. They want to continue defunding the police and try to have it both ways. President Trump is tired of that game because he’s tired of watching people be hurt. There’s no reason for this violent crime wave that we see in so many cities. So we’re going to continue to have the President’s back and, frankly, have the American people’s back. Regardless of their party, regardless of what city they live in, everybody deserves to be safe. And Republicans are going to continue to push policies to help put that in place.”

Scalise Touts Trump’s Commitment to Safety

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

NEW ORLEANS, La.—Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show to discuss how President Trump is taking action to prioritize Americans’ safety by cracking down on drug cartels and by cleaning up crime-ridden cities. Additionally, Leader Scalise countered Democrat lies by highlighting how Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cut promotes economic growth, secures the border, and unleashes American energy production.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
On protecting Americans from foreign drug cartels:“Well, of course, we’ve seen the results of the cartels bringing drugs into America. It’s about 150 dead young people in America every single day. I mean, this is something that’s been going on for too long. President Trump said he would do something about it. It’s not just pictures of drugs that are going to stop these narco-terrorists. It’s going to be the image of the boat being blown up and the idea that if you send another boat, the next boat, and all the people you bring on it with all the drugs is also going to be blown up. That’s going to stop the infiltration of drugs into the United States. “It’s been a war, but it’s been a one-sided war. The narcos have been sending drugs into our country, laden with fentanyl made in China, for decades now. It’s gotten worse the last few years when Biden opened up the border. We saw the flow of illegal drugs and things like fentanyl coming into our country even more, killing people every single day. It’s primarily young people that it’s killing. I mean, literally a plane load of people getting blown up every day would shock the world. Yet it was happening every day by drugs, and everybody was looking the other way. President Trump doesn’t operate like that. He’s not looking the other way. He’s angry, like we all should be, about the deaths of those young people, and he’s doing something about it.”On President Trump prioritizing safety: “You’ve been seeing this for years as the Democrat Party shifted to the socialist left. As they’re about to elect a Marxist in New York, they’ve literally turned their backs on cops. They want to defund the police. They’ve turned their backs on people who want safe communities. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter what your party affiliation is; everybody deserves safe communities. President Trump is trying to keep communities safe. He did it in DC. Finally, the mayor even said, ‘You know what? It’s working. We appreciate it.’ You look at Chicago, some of these other cities where he’s talking about bringing help, and you got the mayors and the governors of some of those places saying that they don’t want to keep their own citizens safe. It’s mind-boggling. Why would you want more murders when you can have less murders of your own people? At least President Trump cares about crime and safety and reducing it. Most people in America do. The Democrat Party is just way out of touch with mainstream America.”On Republicans unleashing economic growth through the Working Families Tax Cut:“The Democrat Party, as usual, seems to be rooting against the success of America just because they hate Donald Trump. But that’s been their playbook for a long time. And look, we’ve got a saying. If they’re going to keep lying about our bill, we’re going to start telling the truth about the bill. The more you tell the truth about what’s in that bill, there are no new tax cuts for the millionaires and billionaires like they lie about. The tax cuts that are new in this bill are for working families, waiters and waitresses, no tax on tips, people that work overtime. Those are shift workers. These are all people that are making less than $100,000 a year that are going to see $1,700 or more in their pockets of new money. Those are people who really could use that money. Every Democrat voted no. Every Democrat voted to keep that money in Washington and grow government. That’s the difference. Democrats want power and control in government. Republicans want to give hardworking families more of their tax money so they can control their own destiny, so they can have better opportunity and a real shot at the American dream that was taken away from them during the Biden years.“I don’t [know any millionaires or billionaires that work for overtime or tips]. And they love using Elon Musk and all these other billionaires. None of those people get paid overtime. But by the way, the average overtime worker, the no-tax-on-tips worker, you go to any local restaurant, your local waiters and waitresses, the average pay is $32,000 a year. And we just said they can have an extra $1,700 in their pocket, and every Democrat said ‘no.’ They lied and talked about billionaires, but the people that they really denied opportunity to were the waiters and waitresses who make $32,000 a year. They’re going to have a hard time explaining that next year and why they voted against border security, why Democrats voted against energy security. We opened up energy from Alaska all the way to the Gulf of America so we can create jobs and lower costs at the pump. That matters to families, by the way. Billionaires, if the price of gasoline goes up a dollar a gallon, it’s not going to affect a billionaire. You know what it affects? It affects those hardworking families who were getting crushed under Biden, under inflation, higher costs. We’re working on lowering all of those costs so that families can have more money in their pockets.”On the Biden Administration’s abuse of the autopen:“Jason, there needs to be real accountability, and you’ll be proud. Your former committee that you chaired, Oversight Committee, Chairman Comer is doing a phenomenal job at getting to the facts, and the facts are not boding well for the Biden Administration, especially Joe Biden.“Autopen is a great example of the abuses… there was one day, just hours before Biden left office, where almost 2,500 people were pardoned in a day by the autopen machine, not by any people signing. There were recommendations by a lot of people in the White House that a pardon of anybody ought to be signed by the President. Instead, they used autopen, and Biden went on TV and defended it and said, ‘Don’t worry, it was all these nonviolent offenders.’ It turned out they found people who murdered people who were pardoned by the autopen. Biden didn’t even know about that, yet it was used, whether it was authorized by anybody of power or not. It wasn’t signed by the President himself, Jason. We’re digging into this. I think the American people, the more they hear, they’re disgusted by it. Who was it that was signing off on the use of an autopen to make major decisions for the government? Major decisions that should have been made only by the President of the United States.”

Congressman Cohen Says National Guard Won’t Solve Memphis’ Endemic Problems

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today responded to President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Memphis with the following statement:

“First, I had hoped the National Guard would not be deployed here. Mayor Young told me earlier this week that it was a possibility and that, if Governor Lee decided to send them, he would work to use them in a manner that is secondary and supportive of the police. 

“Memphis is not ‘a troubled city,’ as President Trump has said. We have a crime problem. We do have problems that may be ‘endemic,’ but they are the result of centuries of racial discrimination, including slavery that separated families without educational opportunities. Even after they were freed, they faced Jim Crow discrimination in the South. These are the historical facts. What Memphis needs is consistent federal investment in police protection with additional, permanent patrols and community policing to establish relationships. We need programs like the Minority Business Development Center that Trump’s Commerce Department just eliminated which helped create jobs and capital accumulation.

“In the short run, the Guard can help the police in a supportive role. In the long run, Memphis needs federal dollars invested in proven programs.

“D.C. has been my second home for 19 years. I have a condo and a car, and I live in the city after work (not in my office). I do not perceive any change in the level of safety since Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in D.C. The president recently went out to a restaurant in D.C. and said that it is now the safest town in the world, and that it is safe to walk anywhere. That’s not true. There have not been ‘many arrests of very bad people,’ as he puts it. Most of the arrests are for low-level offenses. While D.C. crime is bad, it was declining and doesn’t differ much from national trends. 

“For Memphis, major investments in proven programs will make a difference; deploying the National Guard through a short publicity stunt will not. I certainly hope this not a facade for increased ICE enforcement in Memphis. That’s what I think this is about, and that would harm our local economy, particularly the tourist and construction industries. This is all about Trump showing the world that he’s a tough guy. This is the Trump Show 2.0.”

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Congressman Cohen Asks Experts on Georgia about the Impact of American-Sponsored Media and U.S. A.I.D.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

At Helsinki Commission hearing, asks about role of American-sponsored media in promoting freedom

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), the House Ranking Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today expressed his disappointment at the dissolution of democracy in the Republic of Georgia.

In a hearing entitled “From Partner to Problem: Georgia’s Anti-American Turn,” Congressman Cohen focused on the role of American programs like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Voice of America, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (U.S. A.I.D) in promoting freedom and improving health, education and agriculture in the country. All the witnesses agreed that these U.S.-funded programs played a crucial role in promoting democracy in Georgia, and they will be sorely missed after Trump dismantled them earlier this year. These programs helped the Georgian people as well as fostered good relations between the U.S. and Georgia.

See his opening statement here.

See his exchange with hearing witnesses here.

Witnesses at today’s hearing were:

  • President Salome Zourabichvili;  
  • Tinatin Khidashel, Former Minister of Defense of Georgia;
  • Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia, Hudson Institute

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Congressman Cohen Asks a Third Time for ICE Policies and Priorities

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) wrote to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for a third time Tuesday seeking answers about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s policies and priorities and the accuracy of its public statements about them.

Congressman Cohen said that the department’s stated goal of deporting “the worst of the worst” – those convicted of murder, rape or sexual abuse of children — doesn’t appear to be the practice since only 8 percent of detainees by one estimate have ever been convicted of violent crimes. “I find your rhetoric misleading,” the letter says in part.

Congressman Cohen said he returned to Washington after the August recess to discover that the longtime maintenance man in his building had been arrested by ICE. Residents and others have raised more than $56,000 in a GoFundMe campaign for his legal assistance and his family’s support.

“To the best of my knowledge, and that of many of my neighbors, he was never involved in any criminal activity — simply a hard-working man trying to support his American citizen children. There when I left, gone when I came back,” the letter says.

Congressman Cohen reiterated his questions in letters dated February 13 and March 28, for which he has not received a reply, asking for the number of unauthorized immigrants ICE has apprehended since January 20 and how many of those were convicted of crimes and in what jurisdictions.

See the entire letter here.

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Congressman Cohen and Senator Booker Reintroduce Reducing Obesity in Youth Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today reintroduced legislation to address the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate. The measure, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, would create incentives to improve the future health of American children and affect future national health care costs and national security. 

One in three American teens and children is overweight or obese, placing them at risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement: 

“I have long been concerned that Tennessee has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the nation. The national childhood obesity rate is dangerously high but, in recent years, Tennessee has trended even higher than the national average. The Reducing Obesity in Youth Act I am introducing with Senator Booker would help to reverse this trend and improve the health and well-being of America’s children. Research shows that early childhood is an important time for developing positive dietary and physical activity behaviors. The House and Senate bills being introduced would create a competitive grant program to incentivize the development of earlier health and nutrition education environments for our children. That kind of healthy start will lead to healthy lives.”

Senator Booker made the following statement:

“The childhood obesity epidemic is a growing health crisis leading to higher risks of chronic diseases, stroke, and heart conditions. This bicameral bill will create a grant program and enable local and state entities to promote healthy habits for our nation’s children so we can start to build a healthier America.”

In previous Congresses, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act has been endorsed by the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists, Better Children’s Diets, Curricula Concepts, Inc., First Focus Campaign for Children, Florida Chapter for the American Academy of Pediatrics, Health Council of Southeast Florida, Jump in for Healthy Kids, Kids Forward, Laurie M. Trisch Center for Food, Education, and Policy, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Mary Ann Liebert Inc., Nemours Children’s Health System, Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation, Save the Children, and the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

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Congressmen Cohen and Rutherford Reintroduce the RESTORE Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-9) and John Rutherford (FL-5) reintroduced the bipartisan Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act, to repeal the ban on SNAP benefits for drug offenders and allow them to apply to the program before their release dates. The bill would also codify the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver that allows ex-offenders to apply for SNAP up to 30 days before they are released, increasing the likelihood they will be able to meet basic needs as soon as they re-enter society.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“Thousands of people released from state and federal prisons each year re-enter society and find serious challenges, including the lifetime ban on receiving food assistance. The RESTORE Act would repeal the 1996 ban on people with drug felony convictions receiving SNAP, and it would allow them to apply for the program before their release so that they can meet their basic needs on day one, reducing the likelihood of recidivism and increasing the quality of life for people hoping to readapt and thrive in their communities. I am pleased to be working with Congressman Rutherford on this needed reform.”

Congressman Rutherford made the following statement:

“As co-chair of the Second Chance Reentry Task Force, I am focused on reducing barriers for those reentering society as they try to make a fresh start. I am proud to cosponsor the RESTORE Act, which will help reduce recidivism by opening up important nutrition and food resources to formerly incarcerated individuals.”

The measure is endorsed by many re-entry assistance and nutrition advocacy groups, including the Drug Policy Alliance.

“Putting food on the table for your family is a basic right and the cornerstone of a healthy, stable life. Denying someone with a prior drug felony conviction access to SNAP undercuts this basic right and increases the likelihood of that person being re-arrested and returning to jail,” said Hanna Sharif-Kazemi, Federal Policy Manager with Drug Policy Alliance. “In light of recent changes to SNAP, it is more urgent than ever to close the gaps that deny people this vital support as they reenter society. Passing the RESTORE Act is essential to reducing hunger, breaking cycles of incarceration, and strengthening our communities.”

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Miller Speaks on House Floor Honoring Justice Tim Armstead

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) spoke on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to honor the late Justice Tim Armstead. Armstead, who passed away on August 26, 2025, previously served in the West Virginia Legislature as the Speaker of the House of Delegates before being appointed and later elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia. He retained his position on the Court until his passing weeks ago. A video and transcript of the Congresswoman’s remarks can be found below. 

“Mister Speaker, I rise today to posthumously recognize West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Tim Armstead. Tim was born to James and Myrtle Armstead on February 26, 1965 and passed away on Tuesday, August 26th of this year. 

His life was one of dedicated service to our state of West Virginia. Beginning as an intern in the Governor’s office after graduating from the West Virginia College of Law, he rose to work as the Executive Assistant for the Governor’s Chief of Staff and served on the Governor’s Cabinet for Children and Families. 

Tim’s passion for public service eventually led him to be elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1998. He would later serve as the Minority Leader and rise to become Speaker of the House of Delegates in 2015. 

He was appointed and later elected to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia in 2018, and would retain his position until his passing weeks ago.

Tim’s life was one guided by his Christian faith and marked with dedication to our state and its people, especially children suffering from neglect and abuse. 

He worked tirelessly to defend those children through his position on the Court of Appeals and also worked to retain and recruit attorneys to provide guardian ad litem services for those children’s cases.

West Virginia is a better place thanks to the life of Tim Armstead and the lives that he touched will miss his positive influence. 

I was proud to call him my dear friend, and cherish the special time we spent together. I send my sincerest condolences and love to his wife Anna, daughter and son-in-law Katie and Aaron Ferrari, and his grandchildren Benedum and Ann.”
 

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President Approves Steil Request for FEMA Assistance

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Bryan Steil (Wisconsin-1)

WASHINGTON, DC (September 11) – Today, President Donald J. Trump announced that he approved $29.8 million to support recovery efforts in Wisconsin following historic flooding. Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) previously led the Wisconsin congressional delegation to request that President Trump issue a Major Disaster Declaration and unlock federal aid for Wisconsin.  

“This relief will have a meaningful impact on working families throughout Southeast Wisconsin. Thank you President Trump.”