Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Monopoly Busters Caucus Chairs, U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Pat Ryan (NY-18), and Angie Craig (MN-02), released the following statement concerning Judge James Boasberg’s ruling against the Federal Trade Commission in its challenge to Meta’s social media monopoly:
“Today’s ruling letting Meta off the hook is dead wrong and dangerous. It’s a judicial rubber stamp for unchecked monopoly power. Meta didn’t succeed by building the best social media network, it bought or buried every serious rival and then exploited its monopoly without accountability.
“The results speak for themselves. Repeated privacy disasters. The theft of millions of people’s data for political manipulation. Algorithms that worsen teenage mental health and amplify hate. Constant ads served based on surveillance of people’s lives and friendships. Terrible for America but very profitable for Meta.
“Real competition isn’t just another app on your phone. It’s the freedom to delete without getting shut out of the conversation. This decision proves our antitrust laws are stuck in a pre-internet age. An appeal is the bare minimum. We need to modernize the law before a single company controls both today’s conversations and tomorrow’s minds.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)
November 19, 2025, marks the 26th anniversary of National Geographic Information System (GIS) Day
Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) and Jay Obernolte (CA-23) introduced a resolution officially designating November 19, 2025 as National Geographic Information System (GIS) Day. As GIS users around the world showcase their work, the resolution encourages GIS users to continue innovating and utilizing GIS as a tool to help drive economic growth and foster a more informed and connected world.
“From navigation to natural disaster response planning to so much more, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) help keep our communities safe and well-connected,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “I applaud the important and innovative work of GIS professionals and their role in boosting our economy and improving the quality of life for countless people with this technology. I am proud to introduce this resolution alongside Rep. Obernolte in honor of National GIS Day and to recognize the incredible impact of this essential technology.”
“Geographic Information Systems are essential tools that help us better understand our communities, strengthen public safety, support infrastructure planning, and drive economic growth,” said Rep. Jay Obernolte. “Here in California’s 23rd District, we see that impact firsthand through Esri, which provides high-quality jobs and supports our local innovation economy. I’m proud to recognize National GIS Day and celebrate the educators, technologists, and students whose work ensures America continues to lead the world in geospatial innovation.”
“I want to commend Representatives Aguilar and Obernolte for introducing the House resolution honoring GIS Day 2025,” said Jack Dangermond, President, Esri. “This annual event celebrates the importance of geographic information systems (GIS) technologies, which are having an ever-increasing impact on all sectors. These tools play a crucial role in operations at every level of government and help nonprofits, educational institutions, and the private sector with geospatial analysis of a wide range of questions and issues. GIS systems are driving significant economic growth and are integrating with AI-enabled tools to better help us solve problems. Happy GIS Day to all!”
“On behalf of the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), I applaud Representatives Aguilar and Obernolte for introducing the GIS Day resolution,” said Linda Foster, PLS, GISP, MGIS, NSPS President. “As partners and stewards of the critical geospatial infrastructure that underpins our country, the land surveying and GIS communities continue to respond to natural disasters, manage land and resources, and advance our nation’s infrastructure for the benefit of society. GIS Day is more than a celebration – it’s a recognition of essential work that ensures our communities thrive.”
“New and exciting applications of geospatial data, services, and technology portrayed, visualized, and accessed in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are brought to the market for the benefit of individual citizens, government at all levels, and private enterprise every day,” said John Palatiello, President and Founder, U.S. Geospatial Executives Organization (U.S. GEO). “And Congress is increasingly recognizing the value of ‘where’ in legislation. GIS Day is a time to recognize how billions of dollars in business activity, the creation and support of tens of thousands of jobs, economic growth and development, protection of the environment, and many of other important activities are supported by GIS. We commend Representatives Aguilar and Obernolte for introducing the GIS Day resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
“The GPS Innovation Alliance applauds Reps. Aguilar and Obernolte for introducing the GIS Day Resolution,” said Lisa Dyer, Executive Director, GPS Innovation Alliance. “Geographic Information Systems and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Systems such as the Global Positioning System and complementary space-based PNT systems work hand-in-hand to deliver lifesaving information that also brings important economic, and national security benefits to the nation. Discovering and mining Rare Earth minerals, building and repairing infrastructure, ensuring first responders arrive at emergencies quickly and efficiently, and mapping boundaries between neighborhoods and districts are just of the few essential applications that rely on GIS and PNT. We appreciate Representatives Aguilar and Obernolte’s initiative to highlight this important technology in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Rep. Barragán’s Introduces the HEAL A.I. Act to Encourage Further Development of A.I. Literacy for Medical Students
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44) introduced the Healthcare Education in AI Literacy (HEAL A.I.) Act, a bill that would establish a grant program for medical schools to create or continue the development of curriculums in literacy for artificial intelligence.
AI can advance health care through its abilities to strengthen diagnostic capabilities, streamline clinical operations, and automate routine tasks such as scheduling and patient documentation. It can also enable providers to dedicate more time to patient care while improving efficiency and accuracy across both research and clinical practices.
To fully embrace the opportunities this technology provides, medical professionals and the upcoming workforce must be prepared to leverage the many benefits of AI. This bill will give medical schools and residency-sponsoring institutions the resources for students and residents to gain hands-on experience with AI tools in health professions, so that they can understand how to optimize A.I.’s ability to improve patient care, streamline workflows, and enhance decision-making before entering the workforce.
“AI can transform the care that millions of Americans receive,” said Rep. Barragán. “With the rapid developments in AI technology, we now have the capability to do more, provide better care, and close the health care disparities that we often see in our underserved and minority communities. But that also means that our next generation of doctors and providers must be knowledgeable in how to best use this technology. This bill will help provide that space to train our next generation of health care providers to give the best care possible for working Americans.”
“The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) supports the Healthcare Education in AI Literacy (HEAL-AI) Act, which prepares future physicians to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly in patient care. This bill ensures that AI training is grounded in ethics, equity, and transparency, which are important principles for reducing disparities in health outcomes. By prioritizing schools that serve Latino and other underrepresented communities, the HEAL-AI Act will help build a physician workforce ready to deliver innovative and equitable care,” said theNational Hispanic Medical Association.
Specifically, the bill creates a grant program at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services for the education and training of medical students, medical residents, and medical faculty in the deployment of artificial intelligence.
The bill authorizes $1,000,000 per year from FY 2026 to FY 2030, with the maximum grant amount to be given to a medical school capped at $100,000 annually.
The bill also requires schools that receive the grant to publicly report how AI education and training were integrated into existing school curricula, the number of learners that enrolled and successfully completed at least one course funded by the grant funds, and to list any organization the school may have collaborated with to carry out the programming made possible by the grant.
Supporting Organizations: National Hispanic Medical Association
The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Ted Lieu (CA-36).
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore met with a delegation of senior members of the Nigerian government, led by Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser to the President of Nigeria, during the delegation’s visit to Washington, D.C. The meeting allowed for a frank, honest, and productive discussion about the ongoing persecution of Christians and ongoing terrorist threats in Nigeria and opportunities for strengthened cooperation and coordination between the United States and Nigeria to end the bloodshed.
During the meeting, Nigerian officials shared their government’s challenges and concerns regarding counterterrorism, security assistance, protection of vulnerable communities, and ongoing issues involving violence across Nigeria.
Congressman Moore clearly stated that the United States stands ready to coordinate and cooperate with Nigeria, and that, as President Trump made abundantly clear, the United States will not tolerate continued violence against Christians or other forms of religious persecution. President Trump does not make idle threats. Congressman Moore will continue monitoring new developments and pushing the Nigerian government to accept the open hand of cooperation to stop the ongoing persecution and violence against Christians and combat the threat terrorist groups pose to the Nigerian population.
Congressman Moore issued the following statement:
“Today, I had a frank, honest, and productive discussion with senior members of the Nigerian government regarding the horrific violence and persecution Christians face and the ongoing threat terrorism poses across Nigeria. I made it crystal clear that the United States must see tangible steps to ensure that Christians are not subject to violence, persecution, displacement, and death simply for believing in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We stand ready to work cooperatively with the Nigerians to help their nation combat the terrorism perpetrated by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants against their population, specifically Christians in the Northeast and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria. The Nigerian government has the chance to strengthen and deepen its relationship with the United States. President Trump and Congress are united and serious in our resolve to end the violence against Christians and disrupt and destroy terrorist groups within Nigeria. I urge the Nigerians to work with us in cooperation and coordination on this critical issue.”
The delegation included:
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu – NSA and Leader of the Delegation
Her Excellency, Bianca Ojukwu – Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
Mr. Kayode Egbetokun – Inspector General of Police
Chief Lateef Olasunkami Fagbemi, SAN – Attorney General of the Federation
General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede – Chief of Defence Staff
Lt. Gen. EAP Undiendeye – Chief of Defence Intelligence
Ms. Idayat Hassan – Special Adviser to ONSA
Ambassador Ibrahim Babani – Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA
Ambassador Nuru Biu – Acting CDA, Embassy of Nigeria
Paul Alabi – Political and Economic Section, Embassy of Nigeria
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today heralded the approval of his legislation, H.R. 1355, the Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, out of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy today. Tonko’s bipartisan legislation invests in home weatherization efforts to save low-income families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills while making homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient.
Tonko spoke in support of his legislation ahead of its advance out of committee by voice vote. His full remarks as prepared for delivery can be read below. His remarks delivered during today’s markup can be viewed HERE:
Weatherization works.
I mentioned earlier that the average household saves $372 on their energy bills each year after receiving services from DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program.
This doesn’t even account for the health and safety benefits that come from being in a more livable home.
When a family goes through this program, it can be life changing. The low-income households that are eligible for the program spend about 14% of their income on energy costs, compared to 3% for other households.
But despite the program’s effectiveness, we know it can be improved.
First, the program’s authorization expired in September.
It was last reauthorized with strong bipartisan support in the Energy Act of 2020, which was signed into law by President Trump.
H.R. 1355 would reauthorize the Weatherization Assistance Program through Fiscal Year 2030.
Second, the program includes a limitation on how much assistance each home can receive, known as the Average Cost Per Unit.
This limit must not only cover the costs of materials, but labor as well.
Statutorily, the limit was set at $6,500 for 2010. It currently stands at about $8,500, and it can be increased annually based on the Consumer Price Index, up to 3%.
Unfortunately, inflation over the past several years has outpaced the program, and that is especially true for the cost of building materials.
This means each home receives fewer services, and there is downward pressure on wages for weatherization crews, making it harder to recruit and retain talent to carry out this work.
Raising the Average Cost Per Unit is a small adjustment that will benefit the long-term health of the program as well as the individual households receiving these services.
H.R. 1355 would re-set the ACPU to $12,000.
Finally, this bill would authorize the Weatherization Readiness Fund, an existing program at DOE that complements traditional weatherization.
In many states, more than 20% of eligible homes cannot receive weatherization because they are in such poor condition.
The Readiness Fund was established to overcome these health and safety issues to get more homes into the weatherization pipeline.
They may have a bad roof, mold, or any number of problems that would render weatherization ineffective or make it unsafe for a crew to work in that home.
I heard one story of a home needing to deal with a snake infestation in an attic before it could be insulated.
There are real barriers that prevent people from receiving weatherization, and the Readiness Fund has proven to work to lower those barriers.
The House Republicans’ Energy and Water Appropriations bill continues to fund the Readiness Program. If funding is going to continue, I think that we, as the Committee of jurisdiction, should actually authorize it.
Mr. Chairman, I understand there is still some work to do to reach agreement on a version of the bill that can be supported by everyone, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue those discussions.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California
Compliance delay for Big Oil is the latest decision in Republicans’ string of polluter handouts
November 19, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, Ranking Member Huffman released a statement on the Trump administration’s announcement to push back the compliance deadline for the Methane Waste Rule, clearing the way for polluters to ignore regulations and avoid paying royalties to public and Indian mineral owners.
“Their first week back after the longest shutdown in American history, Republicans haven’t done a single thing to lower costs or improve the lives of hardworking people. Instead, they’ve prioritized rolling out the red carpet for their billionaire donors,” said Ranking Member Huffman. “Trump is shirking the law and robbing taxpayers blind so Big Oil can keep pumping out emissions without having to pay a cent for polluting our air.
“It has been proven time and again that this pollution gives our kids asthma, spikes cancer rates, and causes miscarriages. Health care prices are about to skyrocket, but instead of solving this Republican-caused crisis, they are clearing the way for corporations to keep poisoning our communities just to pad their pockets.
“Meanwhile, the rest of the world is meeting at COP to work together on curbing this exact kind of pollution to address climate change – but Trump couldn’t be bothered to show up for America. He’s surrendering to China and driving our allies straight into Xi Jinping’s arms to partner with him instead on clean, cheap energy that addresses the climate crisis. Rolling back these safeguards is a complete abdication of our responsibilities and climate leadership on the global stage. This has got to stop. Americans want clean air and clean water––not handouts to polluters.”
Background
The Bureau of Land Management announced it is pushing back deadlines for oil and gas companies to comply with the Methane Waste Rule, which tightened rules on the venting and flaring of methane from oil and gas production on federal lands.
The rule would have charged oil companies royalties for the methane their operations produce but don’t deliver to market as natural gas to compensate public and Indian mineral owners.
BLM will delay enforcement by one year for two of the rule’s provisions that were scheduled to take effect on Dec. 10.
This decision is the latest in a string of attacks on the environment and public health by Republicans. On Monday, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers announced their proposed revision of the Waters of the United States, which would further restrict which water bodies are protected from pollution and destruction under the Clean Water Act. This will let polluters dump in and destroy more waters all across the country.
On Tuesday, House Republicans voted to overturn a series of federal land protections to lock the American people into higher energy costs by sabotaging clean, renewable energy to prop up polluters. The three Congressional Review Acts will handcuff the Department of the Interior, making it illegal for the agency to stop prioritizing fossil fuels — even to protect communities from climate-induced wildfires, save collapsing habitats, or combat prolonged drought.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) reintroduced the Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act, legislation that would accelerate the deployment of bidirectional charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs) and electric buses. Bidirectional charging enables EV owners to send stored power back to their homes, businesses, and even a utility grid.
“As the impacts of the climate crisis become more severe, from stronger wildfires to more destructive storms, preparation and resilience are essential. Bidirectional charging allows electric vehicle owners to power their homes during a blackout or support the grid during peak demand. In effect, EVs can serve as a ‘mini power plant on wheels,’ helping families and communities maintain access to electricity during emergencies,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “Electric buses equipped with this technology can also supply power to schools, hospitals, and emergency operations centers during outages. Given these far-reaching benefits, my bill ensures this smart, innovative technology becomes more widely available throughout the United States.”
“Electric vehicle batteries can help keep the lights on and make electricity more affordable for everyone, even those who don’t own EVs,” said Ellie Cohen of The Climate Center, a climate and energy policy nonprofit. “To prepare for climate extremes from wildfires to floods, we should look to the batteries in our electric cars, trucks, and buses to avoid blackouts — not polluting fossil fuels. That’s why we support the Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act to make electricity cheaper and more reliable for millions of Americans.”
Background
To strengthen grid resilience and expand clean-energy solutions nationwide, the Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act would:
Direct the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a National Electric Vehicle Bidirectional Charging Roadmap.
Direct the U.S. Department of Energy to establish technical standards for EV manufacturers to ensure uniform bidirectional charging capabilities.
Require that all new electric vehicles manufactured beginning in 2029 be capable of bidirectional charging, unless exempted by the Secretary of Energy.
Direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency to require that state and local hazard mitigation plans incorporate bidirectional charging capabilities.
The Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging Act is endorsed by The Climate Center and Récolte Energy.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA) are introducing the Experts Protect Effective Rules, Transparency, and Stability (EXPERTS) Act to re-establish public trust in the federal regulatory process by prioritizing transparency and elevating the voices of subject matter experts over those of corporations with profit-driven interests.
“Many Americans are taught in civics classes that Congress passes a law and that’s it, but the reality is that any major legislation enacted must also be implemented and enforced by the executive branch to become a reality,” said Jayapal. “We are seeing the Trump administration dismantle systems created to ensure that federal regulation prioritizes public safety. At a time when corporations and CEOs have outsized power, it is critical that we ensure that public interest is protected. This bill will level the playing field to ensure that laws passed actually work for the American people.
“Giant corporations and their armies of lobbyists shouldn’t get to manipulate how our laws are implemented,” said Senator Warren. “While Donald Trump keeps selling away influence over our government, we’re fighting to ensure the rules are being written to help working Americans, not corporate interests.”
The federal rulemaking process is how governmental agencies implement and enforce the law. Rulemaking creates essential regulations that carry out the goals of legislation addressing issues ranging from health care to workers’ rights. It requires agencies to give the public notice of proposed regulations and the opportunity to comment or provide feedback. But presently, industry-backed lobbyists hold more negotiating power in the regulatory process than the general public. They are able to schedule private meetings with regulators, fund sham scientific studies to submit with public comments, and misrepresent the negative impact of stricter regulatory oversight.
Last year, in their Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo ruling, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference doctrine that required courts to respect the expertise of federal agencies in implementing laws passed by Congress. This doctrine has led to a broad range of protections for Americans, including reducing worker exposure to hazardous substances, limiting predatory credit card fees, and promoting clean air and water. The Loper Bright ruling gives courts greater leeway to overturn expertise-based policies for the benefit of the Trump Administration and corporations.
The EXPERTS Act would:
CodifyChevronDeference: Require courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of their rules that Congress empowered them to issue in order to implement statutes.
Establish Rulemaking Transparency: Require a full disclosure of who is funding the scientific, economic, and technical studies submitted to agencies during the rulemaking process, mandate a public explanation for the withdrawal of rules, and require the public disclosure of any changes made to a regulatory proposal during the rulemaking process.
Eliminate Industry-Backed Delays to Rulemaking: Accelerate the rulemaking review process by excluding private parties from using the negotiated rulemaking process.
Restore the Time Limit for Legal Challenges: Reinstate a 6-year time limit for legal challenges to agency actions, with the clock starting when the action is finalized.
Empower the Public in the Rulemaking Process: Fine corporations that lie to the government about whether a public interest rule would cost their shareholders, establish an Office of the Public Advocate to serve as an advocate for public interests, and require the government to respond to citizen petitions.
“The EXPERTS Act is urgently needed to respond to the rampant deregulatory efforts happening now. The bill is a comprehensive blueprint for modernizing, improving, and strengthening the regulatory system to better protect the public. The EXPERTS Act would enhance our government’s ability to deliver results for workers, consumers, public health, and our environment. And it would increase participation so that people – not just big corporations – can weigh in on potential rules that affect them,” said Rachel Weintraub, Executive Director, Coalition for Sensible Safeguards (CSS). “For most of the last century, policy, scientific, and technical experts were in charge of writing the rules that protect American workers, consumers, families, and our environment – and it made all of us better off. Expert regulators brought us cleaner air and water, safer food and consumer products, fairer workplaces and markets, and much more. Every year going back decades, studies showed the benefits to the public of new and existing regulations outweighing the costs to industry by a factor of 10-to-1 or more. This is what trusting the experts got us, and it’s what the EXPERTS Act will restore.”
“The EXPERTS Act is the marquee legislation to improve our regulatory system,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President, Public Citizen and CSS Co-Chair. “The bill aims directly at the corporate capture of our rulemaking process, brings transparency to the regulatory review process and imposes a $250,000 fine on corporations that submit false information, among other things. The bill is essential law for the future of our health, safety, environment, and workers. Public Citizen urges swift passage in both chambers.”
This legislation is sponsored by Representatives Alma Adams (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Julia Brownley (CA-26), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-03), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-07), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. (“Hank”) Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Nikema Williams (GA-05). The legislation is also sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (CT), Cory Booker (NJ), Mazie Hirono (HI), Andy Kim (NJ), Ben Ray Luján (NM), Ed Markey (MA), Jeff Merkley (OR), Peter Welch (VT), Bernard Sanders (VT), Adam Schiff (CA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), and Ron Wyden (OR).
The legislation is endorsed by Coalition for Sensible Safeguards; Accountable.US / Accountable.NOW; AFL-CIO; AFT; American Atheists; American Bird Conservancy; American Economic Liberties Project; American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees; Americans for Financial Reform; Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization; Consumer Advocates Against Reverse Mortgage Abuse (CAARMA); Center for Auto Safety; Center for Digital Democracy; Center for Economic Integrity; Center for Economic Justice; Center For Food Safety; Center for Justice & Democracy; Center for Progressive Reform; Center for Science in the Public Interest; Clean Air Council; Coalition on Human Needs; Colorado Fiscal Institute; Consumer Action; Consumer Federation of America; Consumer Federation of California; Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety; Cultivating Lives Educational Services; Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council; Earthjustice Action; Endangered Species Coalition; Economic Policy Institute; GenDemocracy; Genesee Co-op Federal Credit Union; Good Jobs First; Government Information Watch; GreenLatinos; Greenpeace USA; Impact Fund; Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy; Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility; International Center for Technology Assessment; Interfaith Power & Light; International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW); Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health; Jobs to Move America; Kettle Range Conservation Group; Lawyers for Good Government; League of Conservation Voters; Medical Students for a Sustainable Future (MS4SF); National Association of Consumer Advocates; National Consumer Law Center (on behalf of its low-income clients); National Consumers League; National Employment Law Project; National Federation of Federal Employees; National Health Law Program; New Jersey Association on Correction; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; Oregon Consumer Justice; Oregon Consumer League; People Power United; Physicians for Social Responsibility; Public Citizen; Rise Economy; Sciencecorps; Sierra Club; Small Business Majority; South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center; Southern Environmental Law Center; Texas Appleseed; The Conservation Angler; Union of Concerned Scientists; Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice; United Steelworkers; United Way of Central Texas; U.S. PIRG; Virginia Citizens Consumer Council; Voices Organized in Civic Engagement (VOICE); WE ACT for Environmental Justice; Zero Hour; 20/20 Vision.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference, where he emphasized that House Democrats know Americans deserve better then the extremism of the Trump administration and are laser focused on lowering costs, fixing the Republican healthcare crisis and fighting corruption, including with the release of the Epstein files.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Next week, throughout America, families will be gathered together at the dining room table, and millions of Americans are going to experience sticker shock as they prepare for Thanksgiving. The Trump administration itself acknowledges that the cost of turkeys has gone up 40% since last November. Grocery costs are through the roof, housing costs out of control, electricity bills through the roof. And the Trump administration and Republicans here in Congress continue to refuse to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. That means that tens of millions of Americans are about to experience dramatically-increased premiums, copays and deductibles. In some cases, health insurance costs are going to go up $1,000 or $2,000 per month. We have a cost of living crisis in the United States of America, and Donald Trump and Republicans haven’t done a damn thing about it. In fact, costs aren’t going down, costs are going up all throughout America, and the Trump tariffs are costing everyday Americans thousands of dollars in additional expense per year.
Now, House Republicans were on vacation for seven plus weeks, a taxpayer-funded vacation, until they were forced to crawl back into town. We have a week of legislative session that began on Monday and will last until Friday, and House Republicans haven’t brought a single bill to the Floor that actually addresses the high cost of living in the United States of America. It’s perplexing. What is wrong with these people? What did they not get from their shellacking two weeks ago, all across America, up and down the ballot, in state after state after state, where the American people have made clear we don’t support Republican extremism, Republicans have done nothing to make all life better, and we’re thankful for Democrats for continuing to lean in to driving down the high cost of living. And now we’re in the midst of this healthcare affordability fight, and Donald Trump’s response to it is, let’s repeal the Affordable Care Act. No credible plan to make healthcare more affordable for the American people. Donald Trump’s plan, adopted by House Republicans, is let’s repeal the Affordable Care Act, and we’re going to continue to refuse to extend tax credits that make healthcare more affordable for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans and everyday Americans. House Democrats are going to continue to stand on the side of the American people. Our fight will be to continue to lower the high cost of living, to address the Republican healthcare crisis, fix our broken healthcare system, extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits and actually do things that are designed to make life more affordable for the American people.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)
Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s The Weekend, where he made clear that Democrats will continue fighting to end the Republican healthcare crisis and lower costs for everyday Americans.
EUGENE DANIELS: Joining us now is House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Leader Jeffries, thank you for coming to The Weekend again.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Good morning. Great to be with you.
EUGENE DANIELS: I want to get—to start with this discharge petition, because I assume that Marjorie Taylor Greene will sign on because that was her kind of first splintering from President Trump and other Republicans. But what are you doing as leader to get other Republicans to sign on? And who are you targeting?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, there are at least 25 different Republicans who, in a variety of different ways over the last several weeks during the Trump-Republican government shutdown, indicated that there absolutely needed to be an extension of the Affordable Care Act tax credits. And so our view is that we just need a handful to join us, to keep their word to their constituents so we can actually prevent tens of millions of people from experiencing these dramatically-increased premiums, copays and deductibles that will prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: So, Leader Jeffries, the point you just made is an excellent one. Unfortunately, Speaker Johnson doesn’t seem to be quite there yet in terms of holding a vote on ACA benefits. So I want to play for you something he said on Wednesday at the Capitol.
RECORDING OF SPEAKER JOHNSON: Who are you going to trust to fix healthcare? It’s the Republican Party because we have volumes of ideas on how to do this, on how to fix it, on how to drive costs down and how to increase access to care and quality of care. And you’re going to see all that vigorous debate. So the answer to your question is, am I going to guarantee a vote on ACA unreformed COVID-era subsidies that is just a boondoggle to insurance companies and robs the taxpayer? We got a lot of work to do on that.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Leader Jeffries, Speaker Johnson says that Republicans have a whole lot of plans and everything to drive down costs. Have you seen any of them or is he selling wolf tickets?
LEADER JEFFRIES: He’s definitely selling wolf tickets. And Mike Johnson and the Republicans, particularly the leadership, they continue to bury their heads in the sand. They were on a taxpayer-funded vacation for seven plus weeks. Missing in action. Absent without official leave. Nowhere to be found. Uninterested in trying to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits or deal with the Republican healthcare crisis that’s devastating people all across the country. We know what their plan is to the extent that it exists. It’s to destroy the Affordable Care Act. It’s to rip Medicaid away from millions of people. It’s to trigger, you know, closures of hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health centers that are closing all across the country as a result of what they’ve done in their One Big Ugly Bill. And, Jonathan, this is the same group of people who have tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act more than 70 different times over the last 15 years. These people are obsessed with ripping healthcare away from the American people, which is why we’re going to go around them in terms of this discharge petition effort to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits for three years just like we’re going around them now to trigger a vote to release the Jeffrey Epstein files.
JACKIE ALEMANY: Leader Jeffries, I know you’ve been asked repeatedly this week about whether or not Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has your stamp of approval for the way that he handled his group of Democratic colleagues. I’m not going to put you on the spot about that again. But what I am, what I would like to know is you and Leader Schumer obviously have to work very closely together as co-leaders of Democratic lawmakers in Congress. Has he indicated to you whether or not he’s seeking reelection again in 2028?
LEADER JEFFRIES: No, we haven’t had a conversation about that. Our conversation right now is focused on making sure that we can successfully move legislation in the House and in the Senate to deal with this vicious Republican healthcare crisis. I know in the Senate there’s a vote that will be planned over the next few weeks. We want to make sure that that vote is successful. And in the House, our view is that we want to continue to drive home the issues of importance to the American people. Lower the high cost of living, deal with the affordability crisis. And this is a situation where Donald Trump and Republicans lied to the American people repeatedly last year when they said they were going to lower costs. In fact, they said they were going to lower costs on day one. But we know costs haven’t gone down, they’re going up. Housing costs out of control. Grocery costs out of control. Utility costs, electricity bills skyrocketing. Child care costs out of control. And now tens of millions of people facing the possibility of their premiums going up, in some cases by $1,000 or $2,000 per year. These are working-class people and middle-class people. It’s unaffordable for folks to live in America because of the Republican policies that are making things worse right now.
JACKIE ALEMANY: Does it complicate Mr. Schumer’s ability to lead if he’s not seeking re-election?
LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, you know, the House has to run every other year. The Senate does have the privilege of the six-year term. And so, I mean, I think as it relates to Leader Schumer, he’s not even up for reelection until 2028. And we, of course, make these leadership decisions every two years. And so I think Senate Democrats are appropriately focused on making sure we finish the job, like we’re in this fight until we win this fight for the American people on all the things, certainly as it relates to dealing with the high cost of living, the affordability crisis and that certainly is the case in terms of dealing with our broken healthcare system that Republicans continue to destroy. And this is hurting people all across the country—rural America, working-class America, small town America, the heartland of America and Black and brown communities throughout America. This is not a partisan thing for us. It’s a patriotic thing to save the healthcare of the American people.
EUGENE DANIELS: When you talk to younger folks, when all of us talk to younger people, especially as they looked and saw the shutdown ending, they saw these eight Democrats come out. What they see is, like, you guys teased us with a fight, right? That the Senate Democrats teased folks with the fight for a long time. We might have another shutdown because we’re here, January 30th is the next time that you guys have to vote to fund the government. What—how should Democrats do this? How should they actually continue to fight but keep the government open? Do you see a fight coming or is this going to be a smooth sailing one this time around?
LEADER JEFFRIES: I definitely don’t think that it’s going to be smooth sailing if Republicans continue to adopt this my-way-or-the-highway approach, which is basically what they’ve done from the very beginning of Donald Trump’s first day in office, which is, you know, let’s try to jam their right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people. That’s what the One Big Ugly Bill was all about. And Democrats were united in pushing back against that in both the House and in the Senate. But think about it. Their signature legislative accomplishment this year was to rip Medicaid away from 14 million people, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. And in that same bill, they cut SNAP benefits by $186 billion. By the way, that’s also the largest cut to SNAP in American history. And they did all of this so they could provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors. And they made those tax breaks permanent so they can eternally subsidize the lifestyles of the rich and shameless. These people are out of control. It’s extraordinary. And so we’ve got to continue to aggressively push back against that in terms of their toxic policies that are hurting the American people.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Let me get you on one thing before we have to let you go. Michelle Cottle in The New York Times with the headline, ‘Democrats Need a Wartime Consigliere. Hakeem Jeffries Isn’t One.’ And here’s what she writes. ‘Mr. Jeffries’s fatal flaw is that he is too unobjectionable. He comes across as too smooth, too reasonable, too benign to cut a compelling opposition figure in the Trump era, when attention and attitude are everything…to grip the imagination of his political allies and opponents, the Minority Leader needs to find a way to be less even-keeled, maybe even a bit of a jerk.’ Leader Jeffries, when I read that as a Black man, I thought she has no idea what it means to be an African American leader at the level that you are. Just love your reaction to what I just read.
LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, you know, I’ve heard from outraged people all across the country, particularly African Americans, in terms of her assessment. You know, I don’t want to comment on her view one way or the other, other than to say we’ve been fighting hard collectively as House Democrats, aggressively pushing back from the very beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency. And we’re going to continue to do that standing on the shoulders of giants like John Lewis, who always told us, show up, stand up, speak up for what we know is right, be strategic in how you do it. Our civil rights leaders, of course, were strategic in how they approached the fight, but they always brought the righteous indignation toward that fight. And as House Democrats, that’s what we’re going to continue to do. And building on these off-year elections that just occurred, we are going to take back control of the United States House of Representatives. And I’m proud to help lead that fight to end this national nightmare in the United States of America, and continue our country’s great march toward a more perfect union.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Go ahead, Leader Jeffries.
JACKIE ALEMANY: I have another question, but we’re going to have to keep it there. My EP’s going to kill us. House Minority Leader Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, thanks so much for joining us this morning. We always appreciate it.