MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today sent a letter to Barclays Group Chairman Nigel Higgins seeking answers about Barclays’ handling of former CEO Jes Staley’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and the bank’s response after evidence emerged that Staley had misrepresented the nature of that relationship to regulators.

“As has now been extensively reported, however, Staley and Epstein maintained a close professional and personal relationship for nearly two decades, including during his tenure at Barclays. It is deeply unclear how Barclays, in supposedly investigating Staley’s connection to Epstein, failed to uncover this decades-long relationship.”

In October 2019, Barclays informed U.K. financial regulators that Staley had confirmed he “did not have a close relationship” with Epstein. As the lawmakers note, subsequent reporting has shown that Staley and Epstein maintained a close professional and personal relationship spanning nearly two decades, including during Staley’s tenure at Barclays. The letter also details that Staley defended Epstein while serving as a senior executive at JPMorgan, remained in close contact with him after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a child, exchanged more than 1,200 messages with him, visited Epstein’s private island, maintained contact after becoming Barclays’ CEO, and that Epstein reportedly sought to help Staley secure the bank’s top job.

“Barclays’ apparent failure to meaningfully investigate or address Staley’s relationship with Epstein raises significant governance questions regarding the bank’s ability to hold senior executives accountable for wrongdoing.”

Barclays maintains extensive U.S. banking operations, making the firm’s corporate governance and oversight of senior executives matters of significant interest to U.S. regulators and Congress.

The lawmakers are seeking information about Barclays’ due diligence before hiring Staley, its internal investigation into his ties to Epstein, its communications with regulators, the circumstances surrounding Staley’s resignation and compensation, and any contacts with U.S. banking regulators following the release of additional Epstein-related documents. The lawmakers requested responses by August 5, 2026.

The full letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Washington (July 23, 2026) – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today reintroduced the Health Over Wealth Act, legislation that would require greater transparency into private equity firms and for-profit companies that own healthcare entities, including hospitals, nursing homes, and mental or behavioral health facilities. The legislation would put safeguards in place to protect workers, patients, and healthcare quality, access, and safety; create stronger accountability measures for corporate greed; and close tax loopholes that benefit real estate investment trusts making money off of healthcare property.

The bill includes a new provision subjecting private equity companies that own suppliers of medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and hospital beds, to transparency requirements. Private equity-owned wheelchair companies are causing dangerously long waits for wheelchair repairs for Massachusetts residents.

“For decades, private equity firms have been aggressively acquiring health care entities. That’s all-around bad news for patients as consolidation in the healthcare industry leads to worse health outcomes, less transparency, and sky-high bills. We have a responsibility to protect patients from greedy corporations that are prioritizing their bottom line over patient care. I’m proud to be leading the Health Over Wealth Act with Senator Markey to crack down on private equity ownership in healthcare, increase transparency, close loopholes, and ensure that we are putting patients over corporate profits,” said Congresswoman Jayapal.

“Corporate greed is running rampant in every industry, but it is especially dangerous in healthcare,” said Senator Markey. “When private equity firms put profit over patients, our loved ones are harmed, health workers suffer, and communities are left to clean up the mess. The Steward Health Care crisis in Massachusetts was just one symptom of a larger infection in our healthcare system that allows corporate wealth to come before the public’s health. We need guardrails against reckless corporate greed—and that is exactly what the Health Over Wealth Act provides. I am thankful to my partners, including Congresswoman Jayapal and my Senate colleagues, for their leadership in putting people before profit.”

The Health Over Wealth Act is cosponsored by Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Yvette Clarke (NY-09).

Specifically, the Health Over Wealth Act would:

• Require that private equity-owned healthcare entities—including suppliers of durable medical equipment—publicly report on their debt and executive pay, lobbying and political spending, health care costs for patients and insurance plans, and any reductions in services, wages, or benefits
• Require that private equity-owned firms set up escrow accounts to cover five years of expenses to ensure continuation of care in the event of a hospital closure or service reduction
• Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to revoke investment licenses from private equity firms that price gouge, understaff, or create barriers to care
• Establish a task force to review the role of private equity and consolidation in healthcare, including how market trends create or exacerbate healthcare disparities
• Prohibit private equity firms from stripping assets from healthcare entities or undermining quality, safety, or access to healthcare
• Close tax loopholes for real estate investors to disincentivize healthcare entities from selling their property and then paying exorbitant rents to these investors

The legislation is endorsed by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFT: Education, Healthcare, Public Services, Americans for Financial Reform, National Nurses United (NNU), Moral Injury of Healthcare, Private Equity Stakeholder Project, Public Citizen, and United Steelworkers (USW).

Issues: Health Care

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

Congresswoman Dina Titus sent a letter to Governor Joe Lombardo today asking him to halt state tax abatements for data center projects on federal land until the 2027 Nevada Legislature has had an opportunity to review the issue. 

Congresswoman Titus cited the proposed data center on federal land adjacent to Boulder City and concerns raised by residents about its effects on the region’s water supply and other environmental issues when the project was first proposed on city land. The developers of the project then moved it to nearby Bureau of Land Management land where they previously had proposed a solar farm. 

“I am concerned that BLM approved Townsite Solar 2, LLC’s application to amend its ROW grant, without community input or adequate environmental analysis,” Congresswoman Titus said in the letter. “This is despite the fact that when the data center was proposed on an adjacent parcel owned by Boulder City, residents raised significant concerns about the potential impact of the project on our already dwindling water resources, extreme heat, and grid resilience, among other environmental concerns.”

Congresswoman Titus’s letter states: 

Given the community concern and issues raised in this letter, I respectfully request answers to the following questions by August 10, 2026:

1. Have you or anyone in your Administration had conversations with Townsite Solar 2, LLC about their proposed project in Boulder City qualifying for the State data center tax abatement?
2. Since the ROW grant has been revised to allow the construction of a data center, is it your position that Townsite Solar, LLC is still eligible for the State renewable tax abatements that your Administration previously approved?
3. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), will you commit to refraining from approving data center tax rebates for projects on BLM land until the State Legislature reconvenes and has an opportunity to reconsider this issue, given the community concern around the Boulder City project and the precedent this would set for other public lands?
    
4. Do you agree that the regulatory approval process for any proposed projects to build data centers on public lands will be transparent and subject to robust public input?

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

WASHINGTON, DC — Representatives Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) today introduced the Disability Community Act, legislation that would bolster workers who support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). The bipartisan legislation would propose a Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase for states over three years to support providers who rely on Medicaid funding and strengthen care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).

“Despite delivering compassionate, essential care to those with disabilities, our community-based providers have long been left without proper federal support, forced to shoulder continuously rising costs themselves,” Congressman Tonko said. “Our bipartisan legislation would right this wrong, bolstering these workers by covering costs and wages so that Medicaid-funded providers are able to deliver the best possible care. I urge my colleagues to join us in advancing this bill that will ensure our disability community and those who care for them receive the vital support they need.”

“Community-based care gives individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities the freedom to live more independently, remain connected to their communities, and pursue greater opportunity — and protecting that care must be a governing priority, not an afterthought,” Congressman Fitzpatrick said. “I have consistently worked with families, providers, and direct-support professionals to strengthen the system they rely on. The bipartisan Disability Community Act brings balance and accountability to that effort — supporting workers, equipping providers to meet new federal requirements, and ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of the individuals and families they serve.”

“ANCOR is immensely thankful to Representatives Tonko and Fitzpatrick for their continued leadership in supporting people with disabilities and community-based providers by reintroducing the Disability Community Act,” said Barbara Merrill, CEO of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR). “Providers shouldn’t have to go it alone, and this bill will give states a way to ensure they don’t have to. We’re proud to support the Disability Community Act to make sure providers have the resources they need to deliver the quality services people deserve.”

The Disability Community Act amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to temporarily establish a higher federal matching rate with respect to Medicaid expenditures for certain services furnished to individuals with developmental disabilities if such expenditures are attributable to compliance with specified regulations.

Full bill text for the legislation can be found HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen, Trahan, Walkinshaw, DeLauro, Gillen Lead Effort to Expand Access to IVF

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Larsen Stands Firm Against Trump’s Unjustified War

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

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced a bipartisan Resolution that would require the Speaker to initiate or intervene in litigation to support the legal enforcement of H. Con. Res. 86, which requires the President to cease hostilities with Iran and has passed both chambers of Congress.

A PDF of the Resolution can be found here. 

By requiring Speaker Johnson to lead as plaintiff, this Resolution would help address concerns over legal standing in the courts. 

“The power to declare war rests unequivocally with Congress, yet Speaker Johnson and the vast majority of Republicans have allowed President Trump to trample over the Constitution and wage a war that has not been authorized by Congress. Nevertheless, Democrats, together with the few Republicans who upheld their oath, successfully passed my Iran War Powers Resolution that requires the president to end his hostilities in Iran last month. Despite what the administration might say, I believe my War Powers Resolution is binding, and it is time to settle that question in the courts. As the Speaker of the House, Johnson must bring this suit forward. If the Speaker won’t defend congressional prerogatives, we must compel him to do so, which is why I’ve introduced this legislation to force his hand.” 

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

Washington, DC — Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared, at a full committee hearing entitled “United Nations Accountability and Reform: Advancing an America First Foreign Policy Through Strategic Diplomacy and Burden Sharing.”

Members heard testimony from Mike Waltz, Representative of the United States to the United Nations, and Jeff Bartos, Representative of the United States to the United Nations for UN Management and Reform.

“Thank you, Chairman Mast, for calling this hearing. Welcome, Ambassador Waltz and Ambassador Bartos.

“In the eight decades since the United Nations’ formation, the United States has benefitted greatly from the multilateral world order it helped create and led. Of course, the United Nations has never been perfect. It is a complex institution, often slow-moving and imperfect. Congress has often demanded that it pursue reforms so the UN can better deliver on its mandate to promote international peace, security, and human rights.

“That’s because leaders from both parties have understood a fundamental truth: American security and prosperity are strongest when we shape the international system – not when we abandon it.

“The UN is not simply a forum for speeches. It is where sanctions are negotiated, peacekeeping missions are authorized, and pandemic responses are coordinated. It’s where refugees get help, international law is made, and coalitions are built to meet the shared challenges of our time. No nation, not even the United States, can solve these problems alone.

“American leadership at the UN has always been about ensuring those debates and decisions serve the American people. That is why I am deeply concerned by this administration’s ‘burn it down’ approach. Rather than strengthen America’s leadership within the UN system, this administration has surrendered it.

“Since January 2025 the Trump administration has withdrawn the U.S. from 69 UN agencies or entities, including the very UN body responsible for protecting children from sexual violence in war. It has pulled the U.S. out of UNESCO, withdrawn from the Human Rights Council, and abandoned the World Health Organization—even during an active Ebola outbreak, when it refused to let Americans exposed to the virus come home.

“This is not reform. This is retreat.

“And it has failed to pay our UN dues—funds Congress already appropriated—forcing severe budget cuts across UN entities, even ones the administration claims to champion.

“We hear the argument that this is tough love, necessary to drive UN reforms. But you cannot reform an institution by starving it. You can only weaken it, and hand the advantage to those who wish us harm. And the administration’s approach is also confounding our allies and accelerating our decline on the world stage.

“Mr. Waltz, you are leading this American retreat. Under your tenure, China is now paying to keep the lights on at the UN headquarters in New York, using our own austerity to cast itself as the responsible steward of the very system we built. The PRC has even offered to host UN bodies in Beijing and Hong Kong.

“Under your ambassadorship, the U.S. is siding with Russia and other adversaries on key votes, opposing UN resolutions on human rights, women, children, and refugees — not on principle, but over culture war objections to a single word: ‘gender.’

“And, Ambassador Waltz, you have called Trump the ‘peace president,’ yet this administration has gutted UN peacekeeping and replaced experienced negotiators with real estate developers. You have been a defender of President Trump’s war-of-choice in Iran, a war that has cost the lives of 18 U.S. servicemembers and achieved none of our core objectives. This includes one of my constituents, Sgt. Angel Rampersad from Ozone Park, who was killed this past Friday. You’ve done so with indifference to the costs this war has imposed on American families, or its upending of the global economy and our bilateral relationships.

“I cannot imagine a worse time to cede U.S. influence at the U.N than during a war Trump started with Iran—and still cannot end. The threats Iran poses can only be addressed diplomatically, multilaterally, with our allies and partners. Instead, this administration treats our friends like enemies—absurd new tariffs against Canada being the latest example. Countries around the world are asking—if this is how the U.S. acts toward its closest friends, how will it treat us? That doesn’t make them yield to our demands—it drives them to look elsewhere for leadership, and China is happy to provide it.

“The administration casts its foreign policies as putting ‘America First.’ In reality, it is America alone, a foreign policy of chaos and corruption that puts Americans last.

“Let me be frank: Ambassador Waltz, you moved into this job at the UN after a debacle in which you and other senior administration officials texted classified war plans to a journalist. 16 months later, nothing has changed. The incompetence continues—and it is Americans who keep paying the price.

“I welcome the witnesses’ testimony on the matters before us today. Thank you.”

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