MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a former Army Ranger and Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, presented his new vision for American foreign policy. A transcript of the speech as delivered is included below.

I’ve been on Capitol Hill for seven years now, in this job, on the Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Intelligence Committee. Have led the bipartisan Veterans caucus, the Army caucus. I’ve done a lot of work in this field. But all of this policy has always brought me back to the start of my career as a teenager, when I first raised my right hand, and took an oath to this country, and at that point, was Private Crow, the lowest ranking person you can be in the military. 

I was at the very receiving end of all the policy that’s made here in this town. Since that time, from Private Crow to Congressman Crow, the world indeed has been turned upside down. All that we had assumed and taken for granted has been thrown into question. The biggest divide that I see right now, and how we view this problem, is those who believe that Donald Trump is the cause of it, versus those who believe that Donald Trump is a symptom of it. 

And that requires looking back over the last 30 years, and looking at it through the lens of the people that I grew up with in a working class town in the Upper Midwest, those who I fought with, and those who I now serve. In those last 30 years, we’ve had over 20 years of failed military interventions, $3 trillion, three million combat tours, over 7000 of our own dead, tens of thousands of others dead, and what’s not in those numbers is the unequal burden that was borne by the working class.

What I learned as a young man is that when people pound their chest and bang the war drums in Washington, D.C. and talk about going to do tough things, they’re not talking about themselves. They’re talking about young kids from towns many of us haven’t heard of that have to pick up rifles, jump into helicopters, get inside tanks, and do the tough stuff. 

Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, the middle class was gutted by NAFTA and free trade and neoliberal economic policies, that were supposed to deliver for everybody, raised the water for all boats, delivered instead, disproportionate impacts. The industrial portions of our country were left behind in many trade deals and automation. Also, we had a pandemic that shattered Americans’ sense of safety, and once again, the impact felt disproportionately. 

It’s one thing to jump on a zoom if you’re in a white collar office job, but most of the people that I represent couldn’t do that. They’re in the service industry, construction, healthcare, and they lost their jobs or had to show up anyway. Also, meanwhile, we have a surging China that is competing against us, and out competing us in many key ways, and the largest land war in Europe. 

All of this to say that the veil has been pierced, and the last decade of elections have made something very clear: Americans simply no longer trust the foreign policy establishment in this country. And they shouldn’t. Because it’s actually failed them in so many remarkable ways.

So this isn’t predominantly a policy discussion. It’s a discussion about trust, about where we are now, but how we’re going to restore trust to get back to having policy discussions with the people that we’re supposed to serve. Because what is very clear, again, is that America wants something very different. I believe that the way that we answer four key questions will determine whether or not people will trust us again and give us the opportunity to serve. 

The first question you should ever ask a Member of Congress before they ever start talking about foreign policy is: are you willing to reclaim your foreign policy powers?

Our Founders believed that Congress had a fundamental role in our foreign policy, from trade to treaties, to war powers, and to appropriations. For decades, Congress has ceded and given up many of those powers. Our Founders knew that these things were too important to be entrusted simply to the Executive because it needed accountability to those closest to the people. And there’s no one closer to the people than members of Congress, who have to go home every weekend and stand before their constituents and answer questions. We saw over the last 25 years Congress giving blank checks to presidents Republican and Democratic Congresses did it, and they did it to Republican and Democratic presidents across the board.

Nobody here can ever tell me that our 25 years of failed foreign military interventions would have ended differently, or sooner, had members of Congress been forced regularly to go to high school gymnasiums, Rotary Clubs, and any other organization in their community, and explain why Americans should give their sons and daughters to war efforts and billions of their hard earned dollars. It absolutely would have ended differently. 

So any member of Congress must be willing to repeal and replace our AUMFs and reinsert itself in our trade and treaty powers. Because if you’re concerned about the bombing of Iran, the bombing of the Houthis, the strikes in the Caribbean, well, Congress is letting that happen. If you think that our counterterrorism strategy in Africa has largely failed, well, Congress could change that. And if you’re troubled by the weaponization of our National Guard across our country and our president claiming to go to war with the American people? Well, Congress could stop that too. So no Member of Congress can legitimately talk about foreign policy unless they’re willing to take that first step. 

The second question, are we willing to follow our own rules? Americans believe in rules. This town loves to talk about the ‘Rules Based International Order.’ First of all, nobody outside this town really understands what that means. But secondly, a lot of Americans just think it’s bullshit. Not the rules, but our unequal application and our inconsistency in following those rules.

I saw very clearly when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, us making deals with warlords and strongmen. I know our history of aligning, at times, with autocrats because we want to keep oil prices low, we make short-term decision after short-term decision that undermines our credibility, and our ability to actually go to the world and make the case. 

And frankly, there is no more vivid example than the split screen between Ukraine, and the Israel-Gaza war. Ukraine, a just war, a country fighting for its survival and its sovereignty that merited our involvement, and still does, while at the same time us supporting and not being willing to apply our own rules to a war that brought over 60,000 civilian casualties in the Middle East and in Gaza. This town loves to talk about IHL, LOAC [Law of Armed Conflict], National Security Memorandum 20, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, Leahy Vetting. These are all tools that could work, that would work if we actually are willing to apply our own standards and live by them. Americans do indeed want rules to avoid chaos and inconsistency, and it starts with following them ourselves. 

The third question, are you willing to take on corruption seriously, both at home and abroad? The Trump administration has rapidly become the most corrupt in American history. Donald Trump is personalizing American power for the benefit of his family and a handful of associates. He has become a predatory pawn shop dealer looking to cut a deal with the next desperate customer who walks through the door. 

Imposing tariffs on Brazil to support an ally, $20 billion bailout for Argentina, Pakistan giving a golf course deal for favorable treatment, hotel deals around the world too countless to even mention today, jets in exchange for security deals, and on and on. All while billions flow into meme coins from unknown foreign investors directly into the pocket of Donald Trump and the Trump family. 

Trump’s doctrine is simple, it’s pay to play for tech oligarchs and strong men, all of whom will support each other and steal our democracy and our self determination from us, so that only they will control politics, the economy, technology, information, and our daily lives. An ambitious anti-corruption agenda at home and abroad must be our second order priority behind recapturing war powers. And if members of Congress aren’t willing to be serious about that, then they can’t be taken seriously by all of you.

The next and final question is, are we willing to open the door to new talent? When I worked in construction, to help put my way through college, you’d start every day with a handshake, but what that handshake actually was, was a callous check. You’re feeling somebody’s hands and asking yourself, are they one of me? Are they one of us? Because more so than how smart you are, or what you may know, people want to be able to trust you. 

It is just true that our foreign policy and national security system has become too insular and out of touch. We cannot run a system that’s responsive and seen by the American people as responsive to their needs if it’s with the same people, who have gone to the same three colleges, most of whom live within 50 miles of an ocean. 

This town loves its policy dinners, its saloons, its retreats, its nice trips. When I first came to Congress and I started to go to these salons and these dinners, it didn’t take me very long to realize it was the same people saying many of the same things. Americans simply don’t see themselves in their leadership anymore. 

It must reflect not only who we are, but how we think. Our ability to turn this around will be directly related to our ability to tap into the talent that this entire country has to offer. And that means mentoring programs. That means reaching into high schools and colleges around the country. It means changing, radically, our security clearance system so people with actual lived experience can still qualify for important jobs.

And it also means creating a diplomacy and national security system that requires for advancement regular tours in the United States to conduct public diplomacy, to go to Kansas City and run a World Affairs Council, to go to Denver and help organize civic organizations focused on the global economy.

A lot has happened in my almost seven years in Congress, but it all comes back to my time as an Arby’s cashier, a construction worker, a paratrooper and a Ranger. In all of those cases, people simply wanted to trust you first. Most of these folks have lost faith in this town, and rightfully so. I share much of that anger and frustration. There is so much that we must do, but we will never be given the chance to do any of it unless we prove that we are willing to build an entirely new system based on fundamental principles. Thank you. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), a former Army Ranger and Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, presented his new vision for American foreign policy.

In remarks delivered at the Center for American Progress (CAP), Congressman Crow offered a new affirmative vision for the future of American global leadership. His speech presented a foreign policy that is rooted in working-class interests and true American values. He discussed a few key pillars, Congress’ role in our foreign policy and the need to reclaim its authority. The implications of America failing to live up to our values on the global stage. The crucial need to root out corruption both at home and abroad. And how we can find and recruit new talent to bolster our foreign policy institutions.  

American Foreign Policy has Neglected the Working Class

“And that requires looking back over the last 30 years and looking at it through the lens of the people that I grew up with in a working-class town in the Upper Midwest, those who I fought with, and those who I now serve. In those last 30 years, we’ve had over 20 years of failed military interventions, $3 trillion, three million combat tours, over 7,000 of our own dead, tens of thousands of others dead, and what’s not in those numbers is the unequal burden that was borne by the working class.”

“Americans simply no longer trust the foreign policy establishment in this country. And they shouldn’t. Because it’s actually failed them in so many remarkable ways.”

Congress’ Role in our Foreign Policy 

“Because if you’re concerned about the bombing of Iran, the bombing of the Houthis, the strikes in the Caribbean, well, Congress is letting that happen. If you think that our counterterrorism strategy in Africa has largely failed, well, Congress could change that. And if you’re troubled by the weaponization of our National Guard across our country and our president claiming to go to war with the American people? Well, Congress could stop that too.”

Living Up to our Own Standards

“I saw very clearly when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, us making deals with warlords and strongmen. I know our history of aligning, at times, with autocrats because we want to keep oil prices low, we make short-term decision after short-term decision that undermines our credibility, and our ability to actually go to the world and make the case.”

Rooting out Corruption at Home & Abroad 

“Trump’s doctrine is simple, it’s pay to play for tech oligarchs and strong men, all of whom will support each other and steal our democracy and our self-determination from us, so that only they will control politics, the economy, technology, information, and our daily lives.” 

“An ambitious anti-corruption agenda at home and abroad must be our second order priority behind recapturing war powers. And if members of Congress aren’t willing to be serious about that, then they can’t be taken seriously by all of you.”

A Foreign Policy that Represents Every America

“It is just true that our foreign policy and national security system has become too insular and out of touch. We cannot run a system that’s responsive and seen by the American people as responsive to their needs if it’s with the same people, who have gone to the same three colleges, most of whom live within 50 miles of an ocean.”

“It must reflect not only who we are, but how we think. Our ability to turn this around will be directly related to our ability to tap into the talent that this entire country has to offer. And that means mentoring programs. That means reaching into high schools and colleges around the country. It means changing, radically, our security clearance system so people with actual lived experience can still qualify for important jobs.”

As a former Army Ranger, Congressman Crow knows that America’s strength is derived from the strength of its values and has long promoted U.S. global leadership. He has long supported diplomatic efforts to ease tensions around the globe and has strongly spoken out against sending another generation of troops to fight another yet another series of endless conflicts. 

The full speech can be viewed here, and transcript of the speech as delivered is included below:

I’ve been on Capitol Hill for seven years now, in this job, on the Armed Services Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Intelligence Committee. Have led the bipartisan Veterans caucus, the Army caucus. I’ve done a lot of work in this field. But all of this policy has always brought me back to the start of my career as a teenager, when I first raised my right hand, and took an oath to this country, and at that point, was Private Crow, the lowest ranking person you can be in the military. 

I was at the very receiving end of all the policy that’s made here in this town. Since that time, from Private Crow to Congressman Crow, the world indeed has been turned upside down. All that we had assumed and taken for granted has been thrown into question. The biggest divide that I see right now, and how we view this problem, is those who believe that Donald Trump is the cause of it, versus those who believe that Donald Trump is a symptom of it. 

And that requires looking back over the last 30 years and looking at it through the lens of the people that I grew up with in a working-class town in the Upper Midwest, those who I fought with, and those who I now serve. In those last 30 years, we’ve had over 20 years of failed military interventions, $3 trillion, three million combat tours, over 7000 of our own dead, tens of thousands of others dead, and what’s not in those numbers is the unequal burden that was borne by the working class.

What I learned as a young man is that when people pound their chest and bang the war drums in Washington, D.C. and talk about going to do tough things, they’re not talking about themselves. They’re talking about young kids from towns many of us haven’t heard of that have to pick up rifles, jump into helicopters, get inside tanks, and do the tough stuff. 

Meanwhile, while all of this was happening, the middle class was gutted by NAFTA and free trade and neoliberal economic policies, that were supposed to deliver for everybody, raised the water for all boats, delivered instead, disproportionate impacts. The industrial portions of our country were left behind in many trade deals and automation. Also, we had a pandemic that shattered Americans’ sense of safety, and once again, the impact felt disproportionately. 

It’s one thing to jump on a zoom if you’re in a white-collar office job, but most of the people that I represent couldn’t do that. They’re in the service industry, construction, healthcare, and they lost their jobs or had to show up anyway. Also, meanwhile, we have a surging China that is competing against us, and out competing us in many keyways, and the largest land war in Europe. 

All of this to say that the veil has been pierced, and the last decade of elections have made something very clear: Americans simply no longer trust the foreign policy establishment in this country. And they shouldn’t. Because it’s actually failed them in so many remarkable ways.

So, this isn’t predominantly a policy discussion. It’s a discussion about trust, about where we are now, but how we’re going to restore trust to get back to having policy discussions with the people that we’re supposed to serve. Because what is very clear, again, is that America wants something very different. I believe that the way that we answer four key questions will determine whether or not people will trust us again and give us the opportunity to serve. 

The first question you should ever ask a Member of Congress before they ever start talking about foreign policy is: are you willing to reclaim your foreign policy powers?

Our Founders believed that Congress had a fundamental role in our foreign policy, from trade to treaties, to war powers, and to appropriations. For decades, Congress has ceded and given up many of those powers. Our Founders knew that these things were too important to be entrusted simply to the Executive because it needed accountability to those closest to the people. And there’s no one closer to the people than members of Congress, who have to go home every weekend and stand before their constituents and answer questions. We saw over the last 25 years Congress giving blank checks to presidents Republican and Democratic Congresses did it, and they did it to Republican and Democratic presidents across the board.

Nobody here can ever tell me that our 25 years of failed foreign military interventions would have ended differently, or sooner, had members of Congress been forced regularly to go to high school gymnasiums, Rotary Clubs, and any other organization in their community, and explain why Americans should give their sons and daughters to war efforts and billions of their hard earned dollars. It absolutely would have ended differently. 

So, any member of Congress must be willing to repeal and replace our AUMFs and reinsert itself in our trade and treaty powers. Because if you’re concerned about the bombing of Iran, the bombing of the Houthis, the strikes in the Caribbean, well, Congress is letting that happen. If you think that our counterterrorism strategy in Africa has largely failed, well, Congress could change that. And if you’re troubled by the weaponization of our National Guard across our country and our president claiming to go to war with the American people? Well, Congress could stop that too. So, no Member of Congress can legitimately talk about foreign policy unless they’re willing to take that first step. 

The second question, are we willing to follow our own rules? Americans believe in rules. This town loves to talk about the ‘Rules Based International Order.’ First of all, nobody outside this town really understands what that means. But secondly, a lot of Americans just think it’s bullshit. Not the rules, but our unequal application and our inconsistency in following those rules.

I saw very clearly when I was in Iraq and Afghanistan, us making deals with warlords and strongmen. I know our history of aligning, at times, with autocrats because we want to keep oil prices low, we make short-term decision after short-term decision that undermines our credibility, and our ability to actually go to the world and make the case. 

And frankly, there is no more vivid example than the split screen between Ukraine, and the Israel-Gaza war. Ukraine, a just war, a country fighting for its survival and its sovereignty that merited our involvement, and still does, while at the same time us supporting and not being willing to apply our own rules to a war that brought over 60,000 civilian casualties in the Middle East and in Gaza. This town loves to talk about IHL, LOAC [Law of Armed Conflict], National Security Memorandum 20, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, Leahy Vetting. These are all tools that could work, that would work if we actually are willing to apply our own standards and live by them. Americans do indeed want rules to avoid chaos and inconsistency, and it starts with following them ourselves. 

The third question, are you willing to take on corruption seriously, both at home and abroad? The Trump administration has rapidly become the most corrupt in American history. Donald Trump is personalizing American power for the benefit of his family and a handful of associates. He has become a predatory pawn shop dealer looking to cut a deal with the next desperate customer who walks through the door. 

Imposing tariffs on Brazil to support an ally, $20 billion bailout for Argentina, Pakistan giving a golf course deal for favorable treatment, hotel deals around the world too countless to even mention today, jets in exchange for security deals, and on and on. All while billions flow into meme coins from unknown foreign investors directly into the pocket of Donald Trump and the Trump family.

Trump’s doctrine is simple, it’s pay to play for tech oligarchs and strong men, all of whom will support each other and steal our democracy and our self-determination from us, so that only they will control politics, the economy, technology, information, and our daily lives. An ambitious anti-corruption agenda at home and abroad must be our second order priority behind recapturing war powers. And if members of Congress aren’t willing to be serious about that, then they can’t be taken seriously by all of you.

The next and final question is, are we willing to open the door to new talent? When I worked in construction, to help put my way through college, you’d start every day with a handshake, but what that handshake actually was, was a callous check. You’re feeling somebody’s hands and asking yourself, are they one of me? Are they one of us? Because more so than how smart you are, or what you may know, people want to be able to trust you. 

It is just true that our foreign policy and national security system has become too insular and out of touch. We cannot run a system that’s responsive and seen by the American people as responsive to their needs if it’s with the same people, who have gone to the same three colleges, most of whom live within 50 miles of an ocean. 

This town loves its policy dinners, it’s saloons, it’s retreats, it’s nice trips. When I first came to Congress and I started to go to these salons and these dinners, it didn’t take me very long to realize it was the same people saying many of the same things. Americans simply don’t see themselves in their leadership anymore. 

It must reflect not only who we are, but how we think. Our ability to turn this around will be directly related to our ability to tap into the talent that this entire country has to offer. And that means mentoring programs. That means reaching into high schools and colleges around the country. It means changing, radically, our security clearance system so people with actual lived experience can still qualify for important jobs.

And it also means creating a diplomacy and national security system that requires for advancement regular tours in the United States to conduct public diplomacy, to go to Kansas City and run a World Affairs Council, to go to Denver and help organize civic organizations focused on the global economy.

A lot has happened in my almost seven years in Congress, but it all comes back to my time as an Arby’s cashier, a construction worker, a paratrooper and a Ranger. In all of those cases, people simply wanted to trust you first. Most of these folks have lost faith in this town, and rightfully so. I share much of that anger and frustration. There is so much that we must do, but we will never be given the chance to do any of it unless we prove that we are willing to build an entirely new system based on fundamental principles. Thank you. 

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, and Senate Committee on Finance Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) requesting clarification regarding statements made by the organization’s CEO at the House Energy & Commerce Oversight & Investigations Subcommittee hearing titled “Ensuring Patient Safety: Oversight of the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.” The letter seeks detailed responses to questions about federal access to the technology systems that support the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).

During the July hearing, UNOS leadership stated that the organization had never obstructed federal officials’ access to its systems. However, testimony from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) officials during the same hearing and public reporting suggest otherwise, including a 2022 report that UNOS demanded a $55 million fee for government access to its taxpayer-funded technology.

“Technology is the backbone of the organ transplant system. When federal officials cannot fully access the systems they fund, it puts patient safety at risk,” the lawmakers wrote. “Federal agencies should have the ability to oversee and ensure the integrity of the systems they pay for. We are seeking clarity from UNOS so Congress can fully understand whether the OPTN’s technology is being appropriately managed in the public interest.”

The letter requests UNOS provide detailed documentation and answers to questions by November 1, 2025, including:

Current contracts with HRSA related to OPTN technology.

Rules, requirements, and standard operating procedures governing federal access to UNOS systems.

Correspondence with federal officials regarding access to UNOS technology since January 2021.

Details on any restrictions UNOS has imposed on federal access to its code, data, or documentation.

UNOS’s plans to ensure federal agencies have control over OPTN technology, consistent with the bipartisan SHARE-IT Act.

A copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.

###

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

LAFAYETTE, LA – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) delivered a letter to President Trump requesting a pause on foreign shrimp imports due to reports of toxic, radioactive product entering the United States.  

Congressman Higgins wrote, “Radioactive and contaminated shrimp in our country’s grocery stores is a significant public health threat. I have long maintained that imported seafood can be dangerous, and that stronger preventive measures are necessary to ensure tainted products do not reach American consumers.”

“I recommend that you use executive authority to ensure the integrity of our food supply by implementing a pause on shrimp imports until the FDA can guarantee that contaminated and radioactive products are not entering the country. Every shipment of seafood reaching our shores should meet the highest American standards of safety,” continued Congressman Higgins.

Read the full letter here.

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

Today, U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, sent a letter to the Acting Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Kevin E. Lunday to raise concerns about Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s use of U.S. Coast Guard helicopters for local travel in the Washington, D.C. area. 

“It has recently been brought to my attention that the Secretary of Homeland Security is utilizing Coast Guard helicopters for local transit in and around the Washington D.C. area. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I hold concerns that this unprecedented demand is taking resources from an already limited and underfunded service,” wrote Carbajal.

In addition to the strain the Secretary’s travel practices places on an already underfunded and overstretched Coast Guard fleet, the Congressman underscores the unprecedented nature of the Secretary’s requisition of Coast Guard assets.

Carbajal continued, “This Secretary is the first to requisition the Commandant’s living quarters, the first to demand that the Coast Guard purchase a jet and use it for mixed purpose executive travel, and, now, the first to utilize Coast Guard helicopters for local travel. In the past, this sort of treatment has been reserved for the President and Vice President.”

Carbajal questions whether the Secretary’s travel habits compromises the Coast Guard’s mission readiness and general airspace safety in the D.C. area, and requests detailed information about the frequency, justification, and operational impact of these flights.

“Increased use of Coast Guard aircraft not only puts additional strain on the Service but it also complicates an already congested D.C. airspace and jeopardizes Coast Guard mission readiness. Thank you for your time and consideration answering these questions as we work to ensure Coast Guard assets are not being abused and ensure a safe airspace in the Washington D.C. area,” concluded Carbajal. 

In June 2025, at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Carbajal asked Admiral Lunday about Secretary Noem’s intention to slash the Coast Guard shoreside infrastructure budget by 90%, while spending $50 million on a new jet for her executive travel use. Carbajal’s questioning came on the heels of an incident at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment in Santa Barbara, California, where a Coast Guard member fell through a shower because moisture and mold rotted the floor.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

Dear Admiral Lunday:

The U.S. Coast Guard (Coast Guard or Service) has a long-standing history of serving this country honorably but often goes underfunded which has led to the need to recapitalize the fleet of cutters and aircraft. According to a July 29 report provided to Congress by the Coast Guard, the Service has 118 rotary wing aircraft −73 of which are MH-65 that operate well beyond their service life and no longer in production. While the Service intends to transition to all MH-60s and grow the rotary wing fleet to 127 aircraft, this will take time to do so. Simply put, the Service currently does not have a helicopter to spare.

It has recently been brought to my attention that the Secretary of Homeland Security is utilizing Coast Guard helicopters for local transit in and around the Washington D.C. area. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I hold concerns that this unprecedented demand is taking resources from an already limited and underfunded service. Further, I am concerned with the impact on the already congested airspace around Washington National Airport. 

This Secretary is the first to requisition the Commandant’s living quarters, the first to demand that the Coast Guard purchase a jet and use it for mixed purpose executive travel, and, now, the first to utilize Coast Guard helicopters for local travel. In the past, this sort of treatment has been reserved for the President and Vice President. 

In order to best understand the impact this has on the Coast Guard, please respond to the questions below by November 28, 2025. 

• Please provide the dates, times, locations, flight logs, and approval forms associated with instances when the Secretary was transported via Coast Guard helicopter.
• Has the Secretary reimbursed the Coast Guard for the use of housing or aircraft and, if so, at what rate?
• Which rotary wing aircraft were used to transport the Secretary?
• What station or stations were the aircraft moved from?
• How many rotary wing aircraft operational hours have gone towards moving the Secretary in D.C. airspace?
• As a result of airspace restrictions following the crash between Flight 5342 and Priority Air Transport 25, is the Secretary’s helicopter movement causing Ronald Reagan National Airport to halt flights?
• What sort of advanced notice is the Coast Guard and the Secretary providing to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)?
• Is the Secretary’s use of Coast Guard rotary wing aircraft classified as priority aircraft by the FAA? If classified as priority, does that apply to her personal use of the rotary wing aircraft for travel?
• Other than the President and the Vice President, what other government executive travel in D.C. regional airspace is classified as priority aircraft?
• When departing DCA, what route does the helicopter take?
• Has the Coast Guard consulted with the FAA regarding the safety implications with increased air traffic congestion?
• Outside of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of Defense, it is uncommon for Cabinet Secretaries to use government helicopters for travel convenience. What is the Secretary’s justification for this increased use of Coast Guard assets?
• Have there been instances of rotary wing aircraft being unavailable or delays to mission response while the Secretary is utilizing the helicopter?
• Has this use by the Secretary contributed to increased operational hours on the rotary wing aircrafts and what are the anticipated maintenance costs for the use? 

Increased use of Coast Guard aircraft not only puts additional strain on the Service but it also complicates an already congested D.C. airspace and jeopardizes Coast Guard mission readiness. Thank you for your time and consideration answering these questions as we work to ensure Coast Guard assets are not being abused and ensure a safe airspace in the Washington D.C. area.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV-01) led a letter today to Chris Wright, Secretary of Energy, and Brandon Williams, Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) condemning their decision to carry out historic furloughs announced this week in Las Vegas and asking to reinstate furloughed employees to safeguard national security.

“Placing 1,400 federal employees on furlough, including 68 at the Nevada National Security Site, will be devastating for national security and directly impact Southern Nevadans,” Rep. Titus said. “NNSA employees have already been targeted by this Administration through threatened DOGE cuts earlier this year. Now, they are being furloughed because of Republican inaction resulting in the government shutdown.”

“NNSA facilities are charged with maintaining nuclear security in accordance with long-standing policy and the law,” Rep. Titus continued. “Undermining the agency’s workforce at such a challenging time diminishes our nuclear deterrence, emboldens international adversaries, and makes Nevadans less safe. Secretary Wright, Administrator Williams, and Congressional Republicans need to stop playing politics, rescind the furlough notice, and reopen the government.”

Congresswoman Titus’s letter was signed by 27 Members of Congress.

Background

On October 20, Secretary Wright held a press conference in Las Vegas announcing that the Department of Energy would be furloughing 1,400 direct-hire federal employees, leaving only 375 on the job nationwide. NNSA oversees sixteen facilities throughout the United States. One of its premier facilities, the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), is tasked with carrying out the Stockpile Stewardship Program, deploying a wide range of technologies focused on experiments in weapons science to ensure the stockpile’s reliability.

Since the United States no longer conducts full-scale nuclear tests, stockpile scientists at the NNSS obtain data from breakthrough experiments, engineering audits and analysis, high-tech computer simulations, and world-class diagnostic measurement systems to keep warheads reliable, safe, and secure. As the nuclear arsenal is now more than 50 years old, such experiments are imperative to understand and predict how these aging devices will perform if deployed.

Secretary Wright’s announcement on October 20 calls into question the safety and security of the sensitive material at the Nevada National Security Site, other NNSA facilities, and the reliability of our nuclear arsenal. As Secretary Wright noted in his press availability in Las Vegas, furloughing NNSA employees has never happened before. Government shutdowns, however, have occurred throughout the agency’s 25-year history. This is the fourth shutdown President Trump has presided over, but the NNSA has never furloughed employees during prior Trump shutdowns. It brings into question why this step was necessary now and why more NNSA employees were not deemed essential, given the gravity of their duties.

Congresswoman Titus’s letter asks the Secretary to provide answers to several questions, including the legal basis for designating the majority of NNSA’s employees as non-essential; how many employees remain in each of NNSA’s departments, offices, and programs; and a breakdown of the duties of the furloughed employees.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

As Senate Democrats continue to vote against a clean Continuing Resolution and prolong a government shutdown, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency to provide emergency hunger relief for Virginians. 

In response to this news, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: 

“Making poor Virginians starve is a ‘middle ages siege’ mentality. Democratic Congresswoman Katherine Clark’s comments that Americans who suffer from shutdowns are seen as ‘leverage’ in this shutdown fight are plain wrong. 

“I voted for a commonsense solution that could have avoided this outcome. Republicans have a commonsense solution at the table: a clean Continuing Resolution. Senate Democrats voted against it 11 times. If they reverse course, Virginia’s most vulnerable communities can be properly shielded from Democrats’ personal animus with President Trump.

“I applaud Governor Youngkin for taking the necessary steps to protect our families and our children in Virginia’s Ninth District.”

BACKGROUND

Earlier today, Congressman Griffith spoke to Punchbowl News and voiced his concerns about the Democratic Party’s shutdown affecting SNAP.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room, where he reiterated that Democrats will continue working to reopen the government, extend the ACA tax credits and lower the cost of living for everyday Americans.

WOLF BLITZER: Leader Jeffries, thank you so much for joining us. I want to get your reaction to what we heard from the Speaker and talk about the shutdown, which is so, so critical right now. But first, let me quickly get some reaction from you following this FBI U.S. Attorney news conference in your home state of New York about this federal gambling and sports rigging program—probe involving the New York mafia that led to the arrests of Miami Heat Guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups. What’s your reaction to what we heard? To me it was very shocking, especially as a long-time NBA fan.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a stunning development. The indictment seems very wide-ranging. Of course, every single one of the individuals charged are entitled to the presumption of innocence, but it was a development that I think shocks the conscience of a lot of folks, particularly those who follow the NBA closely.

WOLF BLITZER: Well said, indeed. All right. As you know, House Republicans, including the Speaker, they passed what they say is a clean short-term funding bill—a CR, a continuing resolution. But most congressional Democrats have refused to support it. I know you and other Democrats want to address the Affordable Care Act subsidies set to expire at the end of the year. You want to make sure that doesn’t happen. But why not vote to fund the government right now and then negotiate in the coming weeks on the subsidies once the government is open and people are working, they’re getting paid and all of that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: We want to reopen the government, and we want to do that immediately. We want to find a bipartisan path forward toward a spending agreement that actually meets the needs of the American people. We will continue to stand by hardworking federal employees who’ve been targeted by this administration from the very beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency. In fact, Wolf, more than 200,000 federal employees have been run out of their jobs prior to the start of this Trump government shutdown. But at the same period of time, we do need to decisively address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating the American people in so many different ways all across the country, including in rural America. And one of the things that we need to do with urgency is to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits.

WOLF BLITZER: You heard the Speaker suggest you guys, the Democrats, are acting like terrorists holding the American people hostage right now in order to get what you want. You want to just quickly respond to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, that type of language is reckless, it’s irresponsible and it’s going to get someone killed. What do these folks not understand as it relates to the language that they continue to use? We should be able to battle it out in the contest of ideas as opposed to trying to use these extreme terms that have been unleashed on the American people from the very beginning of this presidency, and, matter of fact, for a long period of time by the current President and those sycophants who continue to do nothing more than rubber stamp his extreme agenda and hurt the American people. These are folks in the House, in terms of the Republicans, they’ve been on vacation for the last four weeks. They have actually canceled votes four consecutive weeks in a row. And as Democrats, we’ve been here, Leader Schumer, Senate Democrats, House Democrats making clear we are ready, we are willing, we are able to sit down with anyone, anytime, anyplace in order to reopen the government, enact a spending agreement that actually improves the quality of life of the American people, that lowers costs for the American because this country is too expensive and also does the things necessary to ensure that tens of millions of Americans are not going to experience dramatically increased healthcare premiums that for many may increase by $1,000 or $2,000 per [month]. That is unsustainable. And the average income for folks, in fact, more than 90% of the people who receive Affordable Care Act tax credits make around $63,000 per year. We’re fighting for working-class Americans, for everyday Americans and for middle-class Americans while Republicans continue to do the bidding of their billionaire donors.

WOLF BLITZER: As you know, Leader Jeffries, the White House and the Republicans, they are seizing on this clip—and I’ll play it—from your fellow top House Democrat, Congresswoman Katherine Clark. Listen and watch this. This is what she said.

VIDEO OF WHIP CLARK: I mean, shutdowns are terrible, and of course, there will be, you know, families that are going to suffer. We take that responsibility very seriously, but it is one of the few leveraged times we have.

WOLF BLITZER: Republicans say this is an admission that Democrats are using the American people as political leverage during this shutdown. Do you want to respond?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Donald Trump is the President. Republicans control the House and the Senate. They’ve made the decision to shut down the government, and they are the ones who consistently have taken adverse actions, made clear that they want to hurt the American people during this shutdown that they’ve created, and they refuse to reopen the government because of their unwillingness to provide affordable healthcare to everyday Americans.

WOLF BLITZER: On another very sensitive issue involving your home state of New York, specifically New York City, we’re now learning that the New York City Mayor, Eric Adams, will endorse former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the mayoral race. You recently said you’ll have, more to say about the mayor’s race and about our, in your words, ‘our Democratic nominee prior to early voting beginning.’ Early voting starts in just two days. Will you finally make an endorsement, Leader Jeffries?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, as you indicated, Wolf, early voting starts in a few days, and you know, I look forward to saying much more about the Mayor’s race, as I’ve promised, in advance of that moment. I haven’t gotten the chance to actually review the debate clips from last evening, but I will say that I think it was an important step that our Democratic nominee took when he indicated that he will retain the current Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. She’s doing a tremendous job. She’s well-respected in the communities that I’m privileged to represent. And, you know, we’ll have more to say about the Mayor’s race sometime soon.

WOLF BLITZER: I know you’re a very strong supporter of Israel, the U.S.-Israeli relations. I know that you’re also a strong supporter of the Jewish community, large Jewish community in New York, as we all know. What do you say about the criticism that Mamdani is getting from the Jewish community? Specifically, a lot of rabbis signing documents saying he is a potential threat to the Jewish community in New York. What’s your reaction to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I’m going to continue to stand up strongly for the Jewish community, of course, to uplift the special relationship that the United States and Israel continue to have with each other and lean in on supporting, hopefully, a path toward a just and lasting peace in Israel. I’m thankful that all the hostages have been returned. I’m thankful that humanitarian assistance is being surged into Gaza. We’ve got to get to reconstruction. There’s been far too much suffering in the region. And that needs to be dealt with and dealt with decisively. And, of course, all of us should recommit to finding that path toward a just and lasting peace. And at home, all of us need to make sure, and I’m certainly committed to it, to making sure that every single community remains safe and that we address some of the issues and the challenges that the Jewish community has faced with the stunning rise of antisemitism that has occurred all across the country.

WOLF BLITZER: On another important topic, while I have you, Leader Jeffries, a Trump-pardoned January 6th rioter, was recently arrested and charged with threatening to kill you. Do you feel safe? Have you spoken to President Trump or Speaker Johnson, for that matter, about your concerns?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, not a single Republican has reached out to me since that incident occurred. And that’s no surprise, because they cannot defend the fact that Donald Trump pardoned hundreds of violent felons who brutally beat police officers on January 6th and then released them back in communities all across the country. I’m just thankful for our state and local law enforcement partners for the work that they continue to do each and every day on behalf of the American people. But they’ve been put in a situation all across the nation where these violent felons have been released back into communities and many of whom have already re-offended and that’s a shame.

WOLF BLITZER: Yeah, that’s a serious, serious development. I want you to stay safe. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of the House of Representatives, thanks so much for joining us. We’ll stay in close touch with you for sure.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you.

Full interview can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

Sherman Oaks, CA – Congressman Brad Sherman (CA-32) issued the following statement to mark ten years since the Southern California Gas Company’s SS-25 well ruptured at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility on October 23rd, 2015, triggering the largest release of methane and toxic compounds in U.S. history:

“A full decade has passed since the Aliso Canyon gas blowout — yet families in our community continue to bear the consequences of this preventable disaster. The ongoing health and environmental impacts underscore why this dangerous facility must be permanently closed once and for all.

For years, residents of Porter Ranch and surrounding neighborhoods have lived with uncertainty about their health, their air, and their safety. I have worked tirelessly with local leaders and federal agencies to hold SoCalGas accountable, to secure environmental testing, and to ensure that the community’s voice is heard at every step.

We owe it to the families who were displaced, the children whose schools were closed, and everyone who suffered from this avoidable catastrophe to finally shut down Aliso Canyon and move toward a cleaner, safer energy future for Los Angeles and the nation.”

Background: Congressman Sherman’s home was as close as any residence to the Aliso Canyon blowout. For nearly four months, the northern Los Angeles community of Porter Ranch suffered from the largest methane leak ever recorded in the United States.

More than 7,000 families were forced to evacuate, two local schools were shut down for the remainder of the academic year, and countless residents reported persistent health issues.

Sherman has consistently called for the permanent closure of the Aliso Canyon facility, specifically urging the California Public Utilities Commission to close the Aliso Canyon facility and to reject any plan that would allow for increased storage at the site.

In 2016, Sherman met personally with then-President Barack Obama regarding the Aliso Canyon blowout and received a commitment that the federal government would improve safety regulations for natural gas storage facilities.

Just days after the leak was finally sealed, Congressman Sherman testified before the Congressional committee charged with oversight of natural gas storage facilities, and he urged the passage of legislation that would mandate stronger safety standards for these facilities.

Four months later, Congress unanimously passed the Protecting Our Infrastructure of Pipelines and Enhancing Safety (PIPES) Act, which required the government to establish new federal safety standards for underground natural gas storage facilities.

Congressman Sherman is calling on federal regulators to conduct a comprehensive safety inspection of the Aliso Canyon facility to review its compliance with the enhanced safety standards mandated by Congress.

Congressman Sherman repeatedly called for a comprehensive health study on the effects of the Aliso Canyon Gas Leak. UCLA is currently continuing the Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study with funding through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. This study aims to assess both the short- and long-term health impacts of the disaster. 

Congressman Sherman continues to call for the permanent closure of the Aliso Canyon storage facility while supporting stronger federal oversight to prevent similar disasters from ever happening again.

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