Posts

Posted on

Months of Silence: Pallone Blasts Trump Administration for Abandoning 9/11 Responders Ahead of Anniversary


Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

NJ Congressman says 9/11 health program has stopped certifying new conditions and Responder Steering Committee has stopped meeting, despite Trump Admin’s claims to otherwise

WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the nation prepares to mark the 24th anniversary of the September 11th attacks this Thursday, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, renewed his demand for answers from the Trump Administration about staffing upheavals and care disruptions at the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP).

Pallone first sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on February 28, 2025 opposing the firing of twenty percent of employees at the WTCHP. Pallone then followed up with an additional letter on May 8, 2025 continuing to raise concerns with disruptions in the administration of the program and participants access to services and providers.  

Pallone continued his oversight of the program in his questions to the Secretary following the June 24th hearing in the Energy and Commerce Committee.  He has warned from the beginning of the Trump Administration that staff terminations and halted certifications of diseases were denying sick responders and survivors lifesaving care. He pledged that commitments made on behalf of our nation following this tragedy must be honored. Nearly seven months from his first inquiry, the Trump Administration has provided no response.  The WTC Health Program has had a significant increase in enrollment since 2017, with 2024 being the year with the highest number of new members — more than 10,000 — as of August 1, 2025.

“Every September 11th, we pledge to never forget. Yet cancer patients are being turned away, oversight has been dismantled, and the Trump Administration is stonewalling Congress. This is betrayal of our 9/11 heroes,” Pallone said.

Recent reports show the scope of the breakdown:

  • The WTCHP has stopped certifying new conditions as eligible for coverage and delayed more than a thousand cases already in the pipeline, leaving many responders unable to begin urgent treatments like chemotherapy.
  • Advocates and physicians warn that petitions to recognize additional 9/11-related diseases – from cardiovascular issues to autoimmune disorders – are stalled, with responders suffering rare conditions like acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia left without coverage.
  • The federally mandated Responder Steering Committee, which had provided accountability and input for nearly 25 years, has not met since January due to Trump Administration restrictions. This pause has silenced a critical forum for tracking new health threats and ensuring the program adapts as science evolves.
  • Survivors and health experts say their inquiries have gone unanswered for months, with no clarity on how conditions are being tracked or when stalled certifications will resume.

“I helped pass the law that created this program because we owed our first responders care for the rest of their lives. That promise is being broken in real time, and the Trump Administration refuses to answer for it,” Pallone said.

The WTCHP provides monitoring and treatment to more than 145,000 responders and survivors across all 50 states. Under Trump, it has been left understaffed, destabilized, and unresponsive.

###

Posted on

Meeks Issues Statement on Trump Administration’s Destruction of $10 Million in Contraceptives

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration’s decision to destroy $10 million worth of family planning commodities rather than sending them to communities in need:

“I am appalled by the Trump administration’s deliberate decision to destroy desperately needed contraceptives and other family planning products that could have protected the health and safety of women and families around the world.

“Organizations offered to buy these family planning commodities from the U.S. government to ensure they could be used and not go to waste. Instead, the administration is purposely wasting $10 million in taxpayer-funded commodities, an act of cruelty and hypocrisy from officials who claim to oppose government waste. This is not due to ignorance; it’s a deliberate choice.

“Members of Congress have been sounding the alarm for months, urging the administration to sell or donate these contraceptives. Our calls have been ignored and legitimate oversight blocked. This is why Representatives Lois Frankel, Grace Meng, and I introduced the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act, along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Brian Schatz, in July. The legislation would ensure U.S. taxpayer-purchased foreign aid commodities reach their intended beneficiaries rather than go to waste or be destroyed. The Trump administration and the State Department under Secretary Rubio have repeatedly demonstrated they cannot be trusted to do the right thing for the American people and our partners and allies abroad.” 

Posted on

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks Urges Trump to Safeguard U.S.-Colombia Partnership

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today sent a letter to President Trump urging him to consider the national security ramifications of a potential U.S. decertification of Colombia for failing to meet counternarcotics benchmarks, without broad waivers to allow continued U.S. assistance to the country. Meeks pointed to Colombia’s significant efforts in counternarcotics cooperation, the positive results of a multidecade U.S.-Colombia partnership, and how diminishing this partnership would jeopardize U.S. national security and bolster transnational crime organizations.  

The full text of the letter can be found below. A PDF copy of the letter can be found here. 

Dear President Trump, 

U.S. law requires the President, by September 15 each year, to report on major drug producing and transit countries, including those that have “failed demonstrably” in the prior 12 months to make “substantial efforts” to adhere to international counternarcotics obligations and take stipulated counternarcotics measures. While the law triggers reductions in assistance, the law permits the President to continue funding levels appropriated by Congress if deemed it is in the U.S. national interest to do so.  

As you fulfill this obligation, I urge you to sustain comprehensive U.S.-Colombia cooperation, which has advanced regional security, prosperity and democracy for more than two decades. A decertification of Colombia, without broad waivers to allow continued U.S. assistance, would endanger U.S. national security by strengthening transnational crime organizations, some of which the administration has designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and fueling further coca production and criminal activity.

Through joint training, intelligence sharing, and combined security operations, the United States and Colombia have together advanced regional stability, disrupted transnational criminal organizations, and supported the rule of law. Colombian forces have become among the most capable and professional in the region, in large part due to sustained U.S. engagement. Between January 2024 and June 2025, for example, 85% of all actionable intelligence used by the Naval Air Station Key West Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF South) originated in Colombia.

Since the launch of Plan Colombia in 2000, the United States has worked closely with the Colombian military and National Police to combat coca production in the country. Less than a month ago, 13 Colombian National Police officers were killed as they took part in coca eradication efforts in Antioquia. The Colombian military and National Police have repeatedly made such sacrifices in service of coca eradication and countering transnational crime organizations that endanger both American and Colombian citizens.

Colombia’s results are clear. In 2024 alone, Colombia seized almost 1,000 tons of cocaine, that represented 65% of global cocaine seizures and the equivalent of 750 million lethal doses and $22.5 billion denied to criminal networks. Most importantly, the Colombian government is currently on pace to reach a record of 288 extraditions of individuals convicted of criminal activity and drug-related crimes in the United States in 2025 alone.   

U.S. assistance to Colombia has also served as a force multiplier for building professional, capable security forces across the region. Through the U.S. Colombia Action Plan (USCAP), Colombia has trained at least eight countries to address the threat of armed groups, transnational crime organizations, and narcotics trafficking. Colombian experts are supported by the United States to train other regional security forces in best practices to counter armed groups and narcotics trafficking. This work has been vital in places like Ecuador and Haiti facing an uptick in gang violence and criminal activity that threaten the stability of the Western Hemisphere. 

This partnership is not charity—it is an essential investment in U.S. national security. Every dollar spent on strengthening Colombia’s security and governance institutions help deny safe haven to drug traffickers, weakens transnational criminal networks that threaten our communities, and bolsters a democratic partner in a region where malign actors, including Russia, China and Iran, seek to expand their influence. The U.S.-Colombia partnership was built to transcend political administrations, and any policy that debilitates our cooperation now would strongly undermine any future president of Colombia’s ability to get control of the security situation and expand counternarcotics operations.  A decertification, without broad waivers would jeopardize America’s national security and be a gift to the transnational crime organizations that have wreaked havoc on the Colombian people, most significantly against the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities that have borne the brunt of their violence. 

Posted on

Rep. Gregory W. Meeks Statement on Voting Against FY26 National Defense Authorization Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) released the following statement:  

“I voted against the FY26 NDAA because it fails to put service members and our national security at the forefront. While I cannot support a bill that prioritizes partisan politics over the real needs of our troops, I am encouraged that my bipartisan amendment to repeal the outdated 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) was included. These Iraq war authorizations are long obsolete, yet administrations of both parties have exploited them to bypass Congress. Ending them is an important step toward restoring congressional oversight and ensuring that decisions about war are made responsibly. 

“Unfortunately, Republicans forced through partisan provisions that do nothing to strengthen our defense or provide meaningful support for service members. They rejected Democratic proposals that would have addressed pressing issues, from preventing the misuse of U.S. military forces for domestic law enforcement, to curbing unilateral executive war-making, to safeguarding the integrity and professionalism of our armed forces.

“These issues include the Trump Administration’s use of the U.S. military for domestic law enforcement, its unilateral decisions on what is a threat and when to take military action, and the politicization of our armed forces, including firings of highly qualified and dedicated individuals who have served our country with honor and distinction.

 “While Republicans play politics with our military, Democrats are focused on strengthening it. We will not allow partisan measures that undermine our troops or take rights from military families. Instead, we will continue fighting for Americans’ healthcare, education, and good-paying jobs.”

Posted on

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks, Mackenzie Introduce the Regional China Officer Authorization Act

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Ryan Mackenzie today introduced legislation to codify the State Department’s Regional China Office (RCO) program, first launched in 2019. The program monitors malign activity by the People’s Republic of China around the world and provides critical insights to strengthen U.S. strategic competition with Beijing.

“The PRC is increasingly conducting malign activities across the globe, often in direct conflict with U.S. interests and the interests of our allies and partners. To effectively compete with China, the State Department must be equipped to monitor and respond to Beijing’s aggressive and destabilizing international behavior. My legislation with Rep. Mackenzie will codify State’s Regional China Officer program to ensure that we have enough dedicated China watchers deployed globally to better inform our diplomatic missions and policies toward China,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

“As China’s regime works to spread its influence throughout the world, it’s essential that the United States stay one step ahead. China’s global influence-peddling operation poses a serious threat to American interests by subverting institutions and destabilizing our partners. Our nation cannot be a bystander while the CCP works to achieve its malign ambitions; we must continue to support programs like the Regional China Office and ensure that the State Department has the means to achieve key foreign policy objectives in the face of Chinese meddling,” said Rep. Mackenzie. 

A PDF copy of the bill can be found here. 

Posted on

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks, Africa Subcommittee Democrats Demand Answers from Rubio on Trump Administration’s Violation of Law Requiring a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Sara Jacobs, Ranking Member of the Africa Subcommittee, and every Democrat on the Africa Subcommittee today sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding answers on why the State Department has failed to comply with the law requiring a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.  

The lawmakers expressed alarm over reports that the Administration does not plan to hold the high-level meeting critical for bolstering collaboration between the U.S. and African nations, despite a statutory requirement to do so.

“As you are aware, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), signed into law on December 23, 2024, stipulates under Section 7803 that a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit must take place ‘not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act’ and then biennially thereafter. The Act also requires the Department of State to form an ‘implementation unit’ within the Bureau of African Affairs to coordinate the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and stipulates that no more than 180 days after the enactment of the Act, ‘the implementation unit shall consult with the appropriate congressional committees on summit planning and the fulfillment of commitments,’” wrote the Ranking Members.

“We are deeply concerned that it is now more than 250 days since the NDAA became law, and the Department of State has not communicated with Congress regarding planning for the 2025 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. Reports now indicate the Administration does not plan to hold the Summit this year,” they continued. 

A PDF copy of the full letter can be found here. 

Posted on

MENG REINTRODUCES LEGISLATION TO COMBAT EXCESSIVE AIRPLANE NOISE OVER QUEENS

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Quiet Communities Act (H.R.5151), a measure to help combat aircraft noise over Queens and other impacted areas around the country.

The bill would require that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take over efforts to mitigate aircraft noise over communities near airports, moving this responsibility from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The EPA’s Office of Nosie Abatement and Control (ONAC) was defunded in 1981 by the Regan Administration due to budget cuts. However, the Quiet Communities Act would reopen this office.

“Airplane noise pollution is a persistent quality-of-life issue that residents in Queens and communities across the country shouldn’t be forced to deal with day and night,” said Congresswoman Meng. “For years, constituents in my communities I represent have been calling for something to be done about the excessive noise they are experiencing. My Quiet Communities Act would address these problems by reopening the Nosie Abatement and Control Office at the EPA. By allowing the EPA to head up the airplane noise battle, it ensures that the federal government addresses this issue from an environmental perspective.”

Although airplane noise has long existed over Queens due to the proximity of New York City’s airports, the increased sounds of jets significantly increased in 2012 when the FAA implemented new flight patterns over the borough. These routes, which are for airplanes departing LaGuardia, have increased the frequency of flights over residential neighborhoods in Queens, and the substantial rise in aircraft noise has negatively impacted borough residents.

This legislation was introduced in the House with 21 cosponsors including Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carabajal (D-CA) , Ed Case (D-HI), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Mike Levin (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Dave Min (D-CA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Norton-Holmes (D-DC), Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Scott Peters (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and Shri Thanedar (D-MI). It must be approved by the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure before it can be brought to the floor for a vote.

A copy of the bill can be viewed here.

Posted on

Velázquez Introduces Amendments for Defense Spending Legislation

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) submitted and cosponsored amendments to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) intended to prevent U.S. Military intervention in Latin America, protect human rights, secure equitable health care for servicemembers and families in Puerto Rico, improve accountability at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and support small government contractors.

 

The Rules Committee is set to review these proposals today ahead of a vote on the full defense bill later this week.

 

The amendments introduced by Rep. Velázquez include:

 

  • Velázquez 508– Codifies the current procedures used to determine when a government contract will be set aside for a small business competition.
  • Velázquez 550– Makes adjustments to certain acquisition thresholds for contracts awarded to small businesses.
  • Velázquez 579– Prohibits military action in Mexico in violation of Congress’s constitutional war powers.
  • Velázquez 972– Requires HUD rules to be reviewed and commented on by the majority and minority of the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs before taking effect.   

Rep. Velázquez also cosponsored the following amendments:

 

  • Ocasio-Cortez 271– Requires a report on the environmental and public health social and economic impacts of abandoned military bases.
  • Ocasio-Cortez 630– Requires a declassification review of documents related to the U.S.’s involvement in Chile’s coup of 1973.
  • Casar 883– Prohibits funds from being used for unauthorized military force against Venezuela.
  • Hernández 942– Directs the Department of Defense to administer TRICARE Prime in Puerto Rico on the same basis as in the States and ensures access to travel and transportation allowances for covered beneficiaries.

 

###

Posted on

Congresswoman Beatty Moves to Subpoena the Release of the Epstein Files

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, moved to subpoena the Secretary of the Treasury Department to release all unredacted documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s financial transactions, including wire transfers, currency transaction reports, suspicious activity reports, and other Bank Secrecy Act data. She issued the motion during a subcommittee oversight hearing with Andrea Gacki, Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The motion failed when every Republican Member present in the hearing room voted to block the subpoena. 

 

For months, the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans have shamelessly circumvented the release of critical files that include detailed information of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring and his network of co-conspirators, preventing the transparency the American people deserve, and withholding justice from Epstein’s victims, many of whom were underage girls. 

 

Congresswoman Beatty, alongside Congresswoman Tlaib and other Democratic Members of the National Security Subcommittee, took action to hold the Trump Administration accountable amidst its ongoing coverup of the Epstein files. Today’s action comes on the heels of Secretary Scott Bessent’s continued refusal to hand over Treasury’s Epstein documents to Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee.

 

“Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal network victimized thousands of women and underage girls, and the American people demand transparency into one of the worst pedophile rings in the history of this country,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. “Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee demanded that the Treasury Department release all Epstein documents and financial transactions, complete and unredacted, to shine a light on the high-profile individuals who have yet to be held accountable. It’s high time that Epstein’s victims get the justice they deserve. What are Republicans in Congress trying to hide?”

 

“The Financial Services Committee should also have oversight in regards to any banking institution. As somebody who serves on Oversight, and sat at a roundtable with girls that were as young as thirteen years old, who asked us to ‘follow the money’, and I think it’s our responsibility as members of Congress to do that”, said Congresswoman Tlaib in the Committee hearing.

 

Watch the full video of Beatty’s motion to subpoena HERE. 

###

Posted on

Congressman Biggs Introduces Crucial Legislation to Bolster President Trump’s Efforts to Rein in D.C. Lawlessness

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

Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) has introduced two pieces of legislation to aid President Trump in his efforts to deter crime in our nation’s capital.

The Make D.C. Safe Again Act amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to extend the emergency period during which the President of the United States may exercise control over Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Home Rule Act currently provides the President with the authority to assume control over MPD during emergencies for thirty days. Congressman Biggs’s legislation extends that period to 180 days, ensuring that President Trump and federal authorities can stabilize conditions in the nation’s capital without being hamstrung by artificial time limits.

The Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act prohibits the practice of cashless bail in the District of Columbia. D.C. law currently permits judges to release criminals back on the street without requiring them to post monetary bail. Congressman Biggs’s bill would stop judges from releasing criminals without bail, giving prosecutors a stronger foundation to uphold the rule of law and keep criminals out of our communities.

“When our nation’s capital faces lawlessness, violent crime, and breakdowns in public order, the federal government has a responsibility and a constitutional duty to act decisively,” said Congressman Biggs.

“The District of Columbia is the seat of our federal government, the home of our institutions, and a symbol of American strength. Weak leadership at the local level too often leaves D.C. vulnerable to the chaos of the radical Left. President Trump has shown time and time again his commitment to restoring law and order in D.C. and across the country. My legislation ensures that President Trump has the necessary time and authority to quell the chaos that has reigned in woke D.C.

“America’s capital must be a city where families feel safe and businesses can thrive. I’m thankful for President Trump’s determination to restore law and order, and I look forward to working with him and his team to make Washington, D.C. safe again.”

Cosponsors of the legislation include: Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD).

The Make D.C. Safe Again Act may be read here. The Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act may be read here.

Just the News covered the legislation here.