MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

Today, Rep. Jack Bergman, joined fellow legislators, Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS), the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Green Beret Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project announcing the launch of the Veteran Alliance for Legislative Outreach and Reform (VALOR).

This first-of-its-kind national coalition aims to unite Veteran-serving organizations, researchers, and policy advocates to transform mental healthcare for those who have served.

Founding members of VALOR include VETS, The Navy SEAL Foundation, The Green Beret Foundation, and Wounded Warrior Project—each bringing a unique perspective, track record, and constituency to this unified effort. Members of the coalition will benefit from access to research resources, advocacy leadership, and a collaborative network committed to confronting the range of mental health challenges impacting Veterans and their families.

Rep. Bergman noted, “The VALOR Coalition is uniting partners nationwide to deliver real solutions for Veterans facing PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI). With more than 185,000 Veterans in VA care suffering TBI, 13 percent diagnosed with PTSD, and over 6,000 dying by suicide each year, it’s clear current treatments aren’t enough. VALOR is advancing innovative therapies – including breakthrough psychedelic-assisted treatments – while driving research, policy, and access to care. I’m proud to stand with VALOR in their mission to give our heroes the care, hope, and healing they deserve.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA)

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Friday morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued the August jobs report, which found that employment in the United States “has shown little change since April.” The U.S. economy has averaged just 27,000 jobs added per month over the past four months, a sharp drop from previous years, amid a clear and dramatic slowdown caused by President Trump’s chaotic and destructive tariff regime. The economy actually lost 13,000 jobs in June, and despite Trump’s supposed focus on strengthening U.S. manufacturing as a primary goal of his trade wars, that sector has now lost 78,000 jobs this year.

Rather than acknowledge and address these realities, however, the Trump Administration responded with bewildering commentary that ranged from ridiculously dishonest to shockingly out of touch:

• President Trump posted a meme with the words “The Golden Age” above a picture of himself a day after Fox Business declared “US job growth missed expectations in August amid economic uncertainty.”
• Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer told FoxNews, of the unemployment rate’s rise to 4.3% for the first time since the pandemic, a figure representing 7.4 million American workers in need of a job: “statistically, it’s nonexistent.”
• Before the report was released, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick predicted the numbers would be more accurate because Trump purged the BLS for the stated reason of large data revisions. Then, after the report was released, Trump’s Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett blamed political bias at BLS for the bad numbers and said those numbers would be revised way up [Aren’t revisions supposed to be bad?]. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent also suggested the data was faulty.
• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that “President Trump is implementing the most aggressive pro-growth agenda in our country’s history,” specifically singling out for praise his leadership in the U.S. manufacturing sector – which lost 12,000 jobs this month.
• Of note: while Trump and his advisers alternated blaming Fed Chair Jerome Powell for disappointing numbers and falsely claiming that the numbers are in fact good because they show jobs all going to native-born workers [which is not true], the President’s Council of Economic Advisers did not take part in this chicanery. In fact, continuing its unusual silence from August, it did not say anything at all about the monthly jobs report.

Rep. Don Beyer, Senior House Democrat on the Joint Committee, said:

“Trump and his team are simultaneously arguing that the jobs report was good, that it was bad but would get better after revisions, and that it was bad because the people who run the data analysis were biased against them. These things obviously cannot all be true, and in fact none of them are. No amount of lies or window dressing will change the fact that Trump’s tariffs are grinding our economy into the ground, the administration will only succeed in convincing everyone that they are totally out of touch. The impacts on American working families will only get worse as long as this administration and Republicans in Congress keep us on this disastrous course.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

Defense Appropriations Ranking Member Betty McCollum says Israel has become a destabilizing force in the Middle East

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Today, U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12) and Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at enhancing the reliability and resilience of the nation’s emergency communications infrastructure. The Emergency Reporting Act and the Kari’s Law Reporting Act would strengthen 9-1-1 systems, ensuring Americans can depend on effective and modern emergency response capabilities when disaster strikes.

“It is vital that we review the communication infrastructure in place after a major weather event to maximize coordinated public safety information during a future crisis,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “These systems must be reliable and standardized to allow for an effective response from local, state and federal leaders as they recover. Our legislation helps to ensure we are ready to achieve that paramount goal.”

“Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time – and in those moments, every second counts,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “That’s why we are introducing these bipartisan bills to make sure Americans can always rely on our 9-1-1 system. The Emergency Reporting Act will strengthen the resiliency of our networks during disasters like California’s wildfires and better equip first responders to protect our communities. The Kari’s Law Reporting Act will ensure that critical protections Congress already enacted are working as intended, and that no American is ever prevented from reaching 9-1-1 in their time of need. Taken together, these bills are a strong step forward to modernize our emergency communications system, improve public safety, and save lives.”

Emergency Reporting Act

Robust and dependable communication networks are essential to public safety. The Emergency Reporting Act directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue reports after major natural disasters detailing any instances where individuals were unable to reach 9-1-1. The legislation also calls for actionable recommendations to improve outage reporting, bolster resiliency, and enhance coordination with state and local emergency officials.  In addition, the bill requires the FCC to examine unreported outages and advise mobile carriers on how to better notify 9-1-1 centers of service disruptions—ensuring that first responders are never left in the dark during life-threatening situations.

Kari’s Law Reporting Act

The Kari’s Law Reporting Act builds on the landmark Kari’s Law of 2018, which requires that multi-line telephone systems (MLTS) allow direct dialing of 9-1-1 without needing to press additional digits (such as “9” for an outside line). The new legislation mandates that the FCC report on industry compliance with these requirements, ensuring that systems in hotels, offices, and other facilities meet the law’s intent.  Kari’s Law was passed after the 2013 murder of Kari Hunt, whose young daughter was unable to reach emergency services from a hotel phone because she was unaware of the need to dial “9” before calling 9-1-1.

Both bills have received strong support from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International, the world’s largest organization representing public safety communications professionals.  “The public deserves reliable access to 9-1-1 during emergencies,” said Mel Maier, CEO and Executive Director of APCO International. “APCO applauds Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) for leading efforts to strengthen our nation’s 9-1-1 systems. The Emergency Reporting Act and the Kari’s Law Reporting Act lay the groundwork to improve communications during crises and help first responders protect their communities. Together these bipartisan, zero-cost bills will ensure emergency communications centers have the information they need to perform their lifesaving work.”

Both bills reflect a bipartisan commitment to public safety and are expected to advance through Congress with broad support.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at the House Appropriations Full Committee Markup of the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill. Below is a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a full video of his remarks.

“I thank the Chairman and the Ranking Member. I’m not sure they were partners on this bill, my friend, but they both were on the committee. There are 63 of us on this committee; 35 Republicans and 28 Democrats. And we are here, presumably, because we’re going to appropriate money that will be spent for the objects that we believe are priorities for our country. Mr. Aderholt said he appreciated DOGE. I condemn DOGE – for taking action, the consequences of which it had no knowledge. It knew how to cut, it didn’t know the ramifications of those cuts. And certainly Mr. Vought does not believe he’s our partner. In fact, he wants to make this a more ‘partisan process’ –that’s a quote from him – and he believes it is but a suggestion to the Executive Department as to how money ought to be spent or could be spent. In fact, he does not believe that he’s a partner. He believes he’s an arbiter. The definition of arbiter is ‘one who settles a dispute and has ultimate authority in a matter.’ That’s who Mr. Vought thinks he is, and that’s who he thinks the President is.

“Trump’s political appointees tell our doctors and scientists that their research can continue, so long as it’s ‘scientifically justifiable’ in the minds of non-scientists. Was it scientifically justifiable to terminate the NIH effort to develop an HIV vaccine after investing decades of time and hundreds of millions of dollars in the program? What about this Administration’s cuts to research grants aimed at cutting sickle cell anemia? Was that based on scientific merit? Was Trump scientifically justified when he ended funding for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium, or the CDC’s 9/11 World Trade Center Health Program?

“Earlier this month, Members of the committee, the Trump Administration canceled hundreds of millions of dollars for vaccine research that has great potential for curing various forms of cancer. In fact, this Administration and these bills that we are adopting cut over $400 billion of money that we appropriate – the bills don’t – money that we previously appropriated and dedicated to certain objectives that we thought were important. $400 billion plus has been arbitrarily, capriciously, and without constitutional authority failed to be [spent]. Is that really the ‘gold-standard of science’ Trump claims to uphold? No. None of what we have seen [these] past nine months has been scientifically justifiable, only politically justifiable by the Republican doctrine of ‘You’re On Your Own.’

“Last month, Trump issued an executive order that gives his political appointees greater power to fund or block, NIH grants, a process normally determined through rigorous peer review from other scientists. Just days later, the Supreme Court allowed, sadly, Trump to maintain his freeze on some $2 billion in NIH grants. By politicizing science, this Administration has endangered both scientists and the American people they serve. A few weeks ago, a conspiracy theorist shot up the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, killing a police officer.

“Every day, my office gets calls from concerned parents who are unsure what vaccine policies are at the national level. Now, we’ve only had three hearings on the Labor-Health bill on substance. We had two others on information from the public. That was good, but only three Secretaries have appeared before the appropriations committee. No NIH personnel – who take up 25% of the expenditures in this bill – came before our committee. Nobody from [the] CDC came before our committee. So, it was the Secretaries who are political appointees, and no matter how good they are, they are not experts on all the facets of the agencies they head. And tragically, we only had three hearings on a bill that appropriates about $180+ billion, which is, by the way, much less than was spent – 11% to be exact – that was spent in ‘75.

“All of this fear, all of this [uncertainty] will continue so long as Trump, Vought, and the rest of the Administration continue their crusade against the health and education of the American people. So long as they do, the text of this bill means very little. So I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill. This bill will not be law. This bill, whatever we do, will be largely dictated by what the Senate can do and what we should do in passing bills in a bipartisan fashion. Not doing so relegates us to an assured C.R., the worst of alternatives, but at least an alternative that funds government.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Representatives David Scott (GA-13), Yvette Clarke (NY-9), and Shontel Brown (OH-11), reintroduced the Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act, legislation that would expand federal research and public education efforts on endometrial cancer. This is the most common form of uterine cancer and one of the most prevalent cancers among women.

This legislation would direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to increase research into endometrial cancer, with a focus on addressing racial disparities, and require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen public education efforts on this disease.

“Far too many women, especially African American women, face devastating outcomes from endometrial cancer due to a lack of treatments, cures, and public education,” said Congressman David Scott. “Inadequate public resources have caused too many women to suffer undiagnosed, even though we know that early detection saves lives. With cases on the rise and disparities growing, Congress must treat endometrial cancer as the public health priority it is. This bill ensures we expand research, close equity gaps, and provide women with the information they need to seek care early.”

“Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the nation, and yet it remains alarmingly underfunded and overlooked. This disparity is especially stark in communities of color, where women face higher mortality rates and systemic barriers to early detection and treatment than their white counterparts,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “I am proud to stand alongside my colleagues, Reps. Scott and Brown, in reintroducing this legislation that takes a vital step toward equity in women’s health by providing research, education, and resources to prevent and treat this aggressive disease.”

“Too many women suffer from reproductive cancers that are not well-studied and not well-screened, with devastating impacts on underserved populations, including Black women,” said Congresswoman Shontel Brown. “The Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act expands federal research into endometrial cancer and strengthens efforts to raise awareness of this disease. I am proud to lead this legislation with Congressman Scott and Congresswoman Clarke, so that we can find a cure, improve treatments, close racial health care gaps, and help more women live healthier lives.”

“Black women are nearly twice as likely to die from endometrial cancer compared to white women, yet the disease remains critically underfunded and underrecognized,” said Candace Bond-Theriault, Senior Director of Policy at the Black Women’s Health Imperative. “The Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act of 2025 is a necessary step toward closing these gaps and saving lives. Black Women’s Health Imperative supports this legislation and applauds its commitment to advancing health equity through research, education, and access to care.”

“Endometrial cancer disproportionately impacts Black women, who are often diagnosed at later stages and face higher mortality rates,” said Angelica Thomas, Ambassador for the Endometrial Cancer Action Network for African Americans. “This proposed bill prioritizes education and research, working in tandem to address the disparities and improve outcomes for all individuals affected by this disease. By doing so, it benefits the greater good and creates a potentially healthier community, increasing life chances and advancing women’s health – a pivotal step forward. These are interesting times. Endometrial cancer does not discriminate – it affects many. The more we know, the more we are aware, and the more we have a fighting chance.”

“The Society for Women’s Health Research thanks Congressman Scott for introducing this legislation to fund additional research into endometrial cancer and address the disparities that exist among the women who are diagnosed,” said Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE, President and CEO of Society for Women’s Health Research. “Every dollar invested in research—and specifically in research that mirrors the treatment population—will bring us one step closer to understanding this disease and to closing the long-standing gaps in women’s health outcomes.”

Key Provisions of the Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act

The bill would:

·         Provide an additional $2 million to the NIH to expand endometrial cancer research, with an emphasis on racial disparities;

·         Require NIH clinical trials on endometrial cancer to ensure African American women are represented in proportion to incidence rates;

·         And direct the CDC to develop and distribute public information materials on endometrial cancer, including resources targeted toward African American women.

With this legislation, Representatives David Scott, Yvette Clarke, and Shontel Brown are ensuring that women’s health remains a federal priority, taking meaningful steps to reduce suffering, advance equity, and save lives.

Full text of the bill can be accessed HERE.

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

U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA), member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, participated in a hearing entitled “Public Safety Communications in the United States.”

Following the hearing, Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:

“For many rural communities, like those in Southwest Virginia, lack of access to secure public safety communications systems hampers community response efforts. I will continue to advocate for solutions that secure and improve rural community access to these systems.”

Congressman Griffith’s questions and remarks during the hearing can be seen here or below.

BACKGROUND

This July, Congressman Griffith was named to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He is serving his first term on the Subcommittee.

Congressman Griffith previously waived onto a Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing to advocate for greater access to broadband in the Ninth District. In 2024, he pressed an official from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and encouraged approval of Virginia’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program submitted by Governor Youngkin.

Congressman Griffith is a member of the Next Generation 9-1-1 Caucus.

Entire footage of today’s hearing can be found here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Baird (R-IN-04)

Today, Congressman Jim Baird (IN-04) introduced the Preventing Auto Recycling Thefts (PART) Act to reduce catalytic converter thefts by marking identifying information on catalytic converters, addressing how the parts are purchased, and strengthening enforcement of catalytic converter theft for local law enforcement. Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) joined Congressman Baird in introducing this legislation.

“Each year, thousands of Americans face costly repairs to their vehicles as catalytic converter thefts have surged nationwide,” said Congressman Baird. “These thefts can have devastating financial consequences on Americans and business owners, and it has become a significant problem in Central Indiana. I first introduced the PART Act after hearing from numerous constituents and local law enforcement officers about the growing prevalence of catalytic converter thefts. I am proud to introduce this bill to take action on this pressing issue by closing the loopholes in our legal system that allow thieves to steal this essential car part and empowering law enforcement to hold these thieves accountable. I also thank Congresswoman Betty McCollum for her continued work with me on this critical issue affecting Hoosiers and Americans across the country.”

“Catalytic converter theft continues to be a common and costly problem for drivers across the nation, and specifically in the Twin Cities,” said Congresswoman McCollum. “I am pleased to join my Republican colleague, Rep. Baird, in reintroducing the PART Act. By working with auto manufacturers in writing the regulations to properly track catalytic converters, the PART Act gives law enforcement the tools they need to prevent this crime. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to pass this vital legislation.”

Congressman Baird and Congresswoman McCollum were also joined by Representatives Brian Babin (TX-36), Buddy Carter (GA-01), Jim Costa (CA-21), Angie Craig (MN-02), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), and Tracey Mann (KS-01) in the introduction of this legislation.

Background:

A catalytic converter is a car part used to reduce the potency of toxic emissions from an internal combustion engine and is a component required for compliance with the Clean Air Act. Catalytic converters are constructed using precious metals such as rhodium, platinum, and palladium, and can be sold to scrap dealers for hundreds of dollars. Replacement of these parts can be very costly for vehicle owners, with many replacements ranging from $500 to $2,300. In some cases, the cost of a catalytic converter theft may even be enough for a total loss to a vehicle.

The theft of catalytic converters has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years, plaguing vehicle owners, scrap yards, and law enforcement officials in communities across the United States. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, the number of reported catalytic converter thefts rose from 3,389 in 2019 to over 64,000 in 2022, though the rate declined in 2023 to 21,200 thefts. Law enforcement officers still only have limited tools to curb thefts as current policy leaves many advantageous loopholes for criminals to exploit. A lack of criminal code in regard to the trafficking of these stolen parts means that law enforcement must catch a criminal in the act of removing the part in order to prosecute a case.

The PART Act seeks to reduce catalytic converter thefts by allowing law enforcement officers to link stolen parts to the vehicle from which they originate by requiring new vehicles to have a unique identifying marker stamped onto the converter, creating a grant program through which entities can stamp these markers onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles, improving record keeping standards for purchasers of used catalytic converters, and establishing enforceability of laws around catalytic converter theft by codifying these crimes as a criminal offense.
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

“Protecting our children, vulnerable seniors and our economy is so important, that it is essential to speak with one voice to shut down any extremist push to undermine life-saving vaccines. Too many lives and jobs are on the line,” said Wasserman Schultz. “The majority of Floridians have confidence in and rely upon universal vaccination programs. So, I’m deeply disappointed that a powerful, bipartisan message could not be sent to our governor and his top health official that makes it clear: this assault on vaccines must be reversed. Democrats are making it clear today where we stand – with the health of our people and our economy.”