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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

Today, Representative Sharice Davids released a statement in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement that it would begin firing federal workers during the ongoing government shutdown. While many legal scholars are questioning the legality of this decision, Davids is highlighting the reckless disregard for hardworking federal employees and the communities that depend on them.

“Federal workers are not political pawns,” said Davids. “In Kansas, where federal jobs are a vital part of our economy, these cuts will not only uproot the lives of dedicated civil servants but also threaten public trust and safety. We should be coming together to find a solution to end this government shutdown, not tearing down the very people who keep our country running.”

Earlier this year, Davids convened a discussion with federal workers who were laid off due to the Trump Administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives, led by Elon Musk. The conversation shed light on the personal and community impacts of the substantial federal workforce reductions currently underway.

Kansas City, a major hub for federal employment, has been experiencing widespread impacts from federal layoffs for months. The federal government is the metro’s largest employer, with approximately 30,000 federal workers. These cuts affect Kansas City families, local economies, and the critical services federal employees provide to the public.

Davids is pushing for a bipartisan agreement to reopen the government and protect Kansans from the consequences of partisan gridlock in D.C. She recently announced her support for two bills: one to guarantee pay for aviation workers and another to ensure active-duty service members continue receiving their paychecks. Kansas is home to more than 25,000 federal employees and more than 21,000 active-duty service members.

While Davids works to reopen the government, Kansans impacted by the shutdown can visit davids.house.gov/shutdown for resources that may help during this time. Impacted federal workers can also utilize Davids’ Job Seekers Guide, which provides valuable resources for finding new employment and support during periods of unemployment.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

We’ve all heard the saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” but those spring showers can sometimes turn into severe weather that brings devastating impacts to our communities, homes, and infrastructure. This spring, just about every corner of the Natural State was impacted by tornadoes and severe storms. The compounding damage from these natural disasters brought an abundance of devastation – lives were lost, homes were destroyed, and businesses were impacted, resulting in an estimated total damage of $8.8 million for every county in Arkansas affected.

As a lifelong Arkansan, I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with my friends and neighbors who agree that our current disaster relief efforts, most notably the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are not working the way they should for our communities. As lawmakers from across the country arrived in Washington after a productive district work period, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hit the ground running by holding a full committee markup of the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025.

In this markup, we discussed the FEMA Act legislation and provided amendments to strengthen and streamline our federal government’s disaster and recovery programs. Additionally, this bill makes FEMA a cabinet-level agency that is held directly accountable to the President. This will ensure a more effective and efficient response for our communities that protects taxpayers and cuts burdensome federal red tape.

As several of our neighboring states prepare for hurricane season, states in the west battle wildfires, and winter weather peeks around the corner, it is vital that Congress acts swiftly to strengthen our federal recovery programs and create greater transparency around the emergency management process.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the President’s threats to deploy the National Guard in San Francisco:

“San Francisco does not want or need Donald Trump’s chaos. Our City takes great pride in the steps we’ve taken to significantly increase public safety and reduce crime in partnership with community and state officials — without the interference of a President seeking headlines.

“In San Francisco, we will continue to work together staying in close contact with all relevant parties to keep Californians safe and ensure that our community remains secure amid threats of unwelcome and unnecessary federal intervention.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, D.C.–– Today, Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), introduced the ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution to call on immigration enforcement operations to be transparent, accountable, and consistent with constitutional protections for all people in the United States. 

Recent actions from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) federal agents, including conducting raids in unmarked vehicles, denying members of Congress access to ICE facilities, and more, have raised serious questions about the protections of due process and civil liberties. 

“These tactics are about avoiding accountability and transparency. We need standards of conduct for ICE agents and to ensure agents cannot trample on civil and human rights. I’m proud to put forth this common sense defense of American values that we should all support,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

“We have had enough of ICE abusing their powers and pushing the limits to continue terrorizing our communities. The ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution affirms the bare minimum expectations for our immigration enforcement officers. This resolution builds upon legislation like my own, the CLEAR ID Act, to further demand ICE officers disclose their identity, wear body cameras, get trained to de-escalate situations all to ensure safer interactions during immigration enforcement operations,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Read the full text of the bill here.

The Oversight and Reform Resolution includes: 

• DHS will require ICE and CBP personnel to wear body cameras during enforcement operations, preserving footage for oversight.
• Enforcement personnel cannot conceal their identities, except when an immediate threat to safety exists.
• Officers must visibly display their name, badge number, and agency affiliation during all public operations.
• DHS will establish independent civilian oversight boards to review enforcement actions and recommend reforms.
• All ICE and CBP personnel will be required to undergo mandatory de-escalation training.
• The Department of Justice will enhance oversight of ICE to strengthen civil rights protections.

Cosponsors: Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). 

The resolution has been endorsed by: Hindus for Human Rights, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – United States Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), and Jared Huffman (CA-02), today led 33 Democratic colleagues in opposition to illegal federalization of state national guards. 

In a letter to President Donald Trump, the lawmakers argued, “the wresting of control from governors and deployment of troops to address issues reserved for civilian law enforcement inflames tensions, erodes civilian trust in the military, and is against our nation’s principles set forth by our founding fathers.” 

The lawmakers requested that the President “immediately rescind orders to federalize State National Guards, restore the authority to their respective governors, and refrain from invoking the Insurrection Act in circumstances that do not meet its strict legal threshold.” Members concluded, “The strength of our democracy lies in its adherence to constitutional principles and the separation of powers. We urge you to uphold and prioritize the trust and safety of the American people over actions that threaten to undermine the values and principles of our founding fathers.” 

Read the full letter HERE and below.

Dear President Trump,

We write to express our opposition to your Administration’s decision to federalize and deploy state national guards, including 300 troops from the California National Guard. We firmly believe that the deployments are against the law and the spirit of our constitution. The wresting of control from governors and deployment of troops to address issues reserved for civilian law enforcement inflames tensions, erodes civilian trust in the military, and is against our nation’s principles set forth by our founding fathers. 

Having endured British occupations during the American Revolution, the authors of our nation’s constitution were deeply uneasy about soldiers policing Americans on U.S. soil. That sentiment is the basis for Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code which clearly outlines the circumstances under which national guard troops can be federalized. Those circumstances are met only when there is a threat of an invasion by a foreign nation, a rebellion against the Government of the United States, or if the President is unable to execute the laws of the United States using conventional forces.

The facts surrounding the recent deployments of the National Guard to certain cities fail to meet the criteria outlined by Title 10. Protests, criminal disturbances, and peaceful expressions of free speech do not constitute rebellions or unlawful obstructions against a federal authority. Federal judges have affirmed this in multiple cases. On October 9^th, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from deploying National Guard units in Illinois, citing unreliable evidence of a rebellion and, earlier this month, a federal judge that you appointed ruled that the deployment of National Guard troops into Portland failed to satisfy the legal basis to federalize the state’s National Guard troops.

In addition, state and local officials from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland have made it clear to your Administration that their local and federal law enforcement agencies are capable of enforcing the laws of the United States without the National Guard. Your deployment of federal troops to American cities without state approval defies legal precedent and, as California has argued, violates Title 10, which requires that the Governor consent to federalizing the National Guard. Further, the Constitution grants states sovereign rights to refuse troop movement in and out of their states. Deploying the National Guard against the will of state governments threatens the Tenth Amendment and state sovereignty, setting a dangerous precedent of federal government overreach.

The deployments of the national guard also risk violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which applies to the National Guard when acting under its Title 10 authorities.  The act, passed in 1878, bars soldiers from carrying out direct police work and makes the use of military force against civilians, except in very limited circumstances, a criminal offense. On September 2^nd, 2025, a federal court ruled that the deployment and use of the national guard to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. As such, we believe that the deployments of the National Guard lack clear legal basis and, without the invocation of the Insurrection Act, are in violation of the laws set in place by Congress.

The use of the National Guard as a show of force without legal justification puts our service members in a compromising position as they navigate conflicting legal and ethical obligations while potentially facing criminal liability for actions taken under federal orders. Such deployments undermine the morale of our troops and erode public confidence in the role of the National Guard as a state-led force trusted by communities, placing service members in situations where they may be perceived as adversaries rather than protectors. For example, the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. led citizens of the city to believe that the troops were “leveraging fear,” becoming a “wedge between citizens and the military,” and promoting a sense of “shame” among some troops and veterans.  Those types of sentiments can not only destroy morale of the troops but also make it more difficult for the military to recruit and maintain the support of the American public. The unjustified deployments of the National Guard alienate communities, erode the trust by the public towards our service members, and will create long-term damage to the reputation of our military as a protector of democratic values. 

We ask you to immediately rescind orders to federalize State National Guards, restore the authority to their respective governors, and refrain from invoking the Insurrection Act in circumstances that do not meet its strict legal threshold. The strength of our democracy lies in its adherence to constitutional principles and the separation of powers. We urge you to uphold and prioritize the trust and safety of the American people over actions that threaten to undermine the values and principles of our founding fathers.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry were announced. These awards honor the extraordinary accomplishments and innovations of their recipients. Each year, thousands of nominators submit candidates for the Nobel Prize, and Laureates are announced in October.

“The Nobel Prize is a powerful representation of achievement and progress,” said Ranking Member Lofgren (D-CA). “I extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s laureates. I’m very proud to see so many U.S.-based laureates, and I’m especially proud that many of them are affiliated with California-based research institutions. But it begs the question, as the Trump administration continues to work to destroy American leadership in science and innovation, will we continue to have such robust representation in the Nobel Prize in the future? The impactful contributions of each winner underscores the vital importance of sustained federal investment in science. We must continue to fight for support for research that will ensure innovations and discoveries are made here at home, inspiring the next generation of scientists.”

The 2025 Nobel Prizes in STEM fields are as follows:

• Nobel Prize in Medicine – Awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi
• Nobel Prize in Physics – Awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis
• Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) reintroduced the DOD Entrepreneurial Innovation Act, H.R. 5726, that would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify promising Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs for inclusion in future budgets and plans. This requirement will bring transparency and awareness to entrepreneurial innovation projects. The legislation requires the Service Secretary to pick the top five SBIR/STTR programs that would provide new technologies or processes, future cost savings, or advance the national security capabilities of the United States.

“To support America’s national security mission we need to leverage America’s technological superiority into an advantage on the battlefield,” said Rep. Calvert. “The DOD Entrepreneurial Innovation Act will help the Defense Department nurture and realize the potential of our technological innovations. I will continue to be a champion of the SBIR and STTR programs because small businesses and entrepreneurs are the drivers of innovation in the defense sector and beyond.”

SBIR and STTR programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in federal research/research and development with the potential for commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation’s R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated, and the United States gains an entrepreneurial advantage as it meets its specific research and development needs, with the ultimate goal of fielding capabilities more quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately, the DoD fails to properly engage and grow successful SBIR programs.  Too often, companies make it through Phase I and Phase II, but are never integrated into a program to grow and scale the innovation.  Even when the DoD identifies a promising SBIR, due to inherent conflicts within the organization, there is no incentive to stay with the small business and commercialize, despite preferences written in the SBIR law. This failure to grow and scale innovation through the SBIR program is negatively impacting our ability to maintain and grow, superiority on land, sea, air, cyber, and space.

The Department of Defense’s constantly shifting priorities jeopardize our ability to win the long-term competition with China. Congress has and continues to provide the Department with the tools needed to achieve military superiority. The Department’s top innovation priority should be rapidly capitalizing on advanced technologies generated in the private sector. Rep. Calvert’s legislation will enable them to do just that.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)

Bill would help protect children and families in the Head Start program from the devastating impacts of the government shutdown

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced that he will once again donate his Congressional pay earned during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Foster also donated his paycheck to the food bank during previous Republican Shutdowns in 2013 and 2019.

“It is unacceptable that federal employees are going without a paycheck, health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and families are seeing SNAP benefits threatened, while House Republicans stay out on vacation and refuse to come back to Washington and negotiate a bipartisan funding bill,” said Foster. “Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House, and they remain totally committed to cutting health care and children’s food assistance to preserve tax cuts for their billionaire donors. Until they do their job and work with Democrats to protect vulnerable families and reopen the government, I will be donating my Congressional pay to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.”

Earlier this year, Republicans passed a budget bill that put 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing their SNAP benefits—the largest cut to food assistance in U.S. history. A prolonged government shutdown could further threaten SNAP funding, putting even more families in jeopardy.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is a non-profit organization focused on providing food to those in need across northern Illinois.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) announced that they sent a letter calling on social media platforms to combat foreign bot farms spreading disinformation and encouraging political violence. 

“The recent rise in political violence poses a serious threat to American democracy,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “The Justice Department has found that foreign adversaries are using online bot farms to spread disinformation that fuels this violence. At a time when the American public needs to come together, social media platforms must do more to protect Americans from divisive foreign influence.”

 “With the alarming rise of foreign bot accounts spreading disinformation and fueling political division in the United States, we must take decisive steps to address this threat and hold foreign governments accountable,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “It is critical that we understand how our nation’s largest social media companies are detecting, tracking, and mitigating these malicious bots. We cannot allow foreign actors to exploit our online platforms to sow distrust, incite violence, and undermine the foundations of American democracy.” 

This letter was cosigned by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). A full copy of the letter can be found here and below.

Mr. Zuckerberg, Mr. Musk, Mr. Mohan, and Mr. Huffman:  

We write to you as Members of Congress who are concerned about foreign influence operations and escalating political violence in the United States. Efforts by foreign governments to foment unrest, spread disinformation, and interfere with elections pose an unacceptable threat to the normal operation of democracy. As leaders of some of the largest social media platforms operating in the United States, you fill a unique role in combatting these threats. 

These are not new concerns. The Department of Justice has committed significant resources to combat bot farms on social media. In July of 2024, the Department announced that it had disrupted a covert Russian government-operated social media bot farm, which had used elements of artificial intelligence to create fictitious social media profiles. These profiles then promoted messages in support of Russian government objectives. In October of last year, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an alert on the efforts from foreign threat actors like Iran to spread misinformation in the weeks leading up to the 2024 elections.

Foreign influence operations go beyond specific objectives or election interference. In a press conference following the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said: “There is a tremendous amount of disinformation…we have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence.” At a moment where the American public need to come together to address our shared challenges, foreign governments are actively working to drive Americans apart. We cannot allow these efforts to go unchecked. 

To that end, we ask for your responses to the following questions within 30 days, by November 10, 2025:

1. What is the prevalence of likely bot accounts on your platforms, in terms of percentage of overall accounts, percentage of content creation, and percentage of content interaction? How does your platform detect these likely bot accounts?
2. Of those accounts, what is the breakdown of accounts operated domestically and internationally?
3. How many of the identified bot accounts originating internationally create or interact with explicitly political content?
4. What tools do you use to identify the nature of bot accounts and their countries of origin?
5. What strategies do you currently have in place to prevent malicious attempts by foreign governments to sow discord in the American public?
6. What steps are you taking to ensure your content recommendation and advertising algorithms do not inadvertently amplify disinformation or content created by foreign influence operations?
7. Do you have internal metrics for measuring the effectiveness of your counter disinformation efforts, and if so, will you commit to sharing those metrics with Congress?
8. How does your company coordinate with the FBI, CISA, DOJ, and other relevant agencies when you detect foreign interference operations carried out by bot accounts? 

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

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