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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

LINCOLNSHIRE, IL – Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement in response to the shooting death of an American citizen by DHS agents in Minneapolis earlier this morning:

For the second time this month, the US government has the blood of an American citizen on its hands. 

Federal immigration agents shot and killed another American in Minneapolis this morning. DHS agents are out of control, resulting in terrified American cities and needless deaths at the hands of our own government. Meanwhile, President Trump, Kristi Noem, and the rest of their pitiful team continue to encourage the violence and lie about the facts. 

It needs to stop now. The world is watching.

Here’s what needs to happen next. 

ICE and CBP need to get out of Minneapolis.

Every agent involved in this shooting must be suspended pending a full and independent investigation and ultimately held to account for their actions today. 

Every shooting by federal agents must be independently investigated. 

ICE and CBP must suspend all enforcement actions that do not involve a specific court order until an investigation into this violence is complete and proper oversight and accountability measures into their conduct are established. 

And, Kristi Noem has got to go. She needs to resign or be fired. If not, Congress must act.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: Carter spotlights $4 million in funding for road infrastructure improvements in Pooler

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today announced $4 million in funding for Phase II of Quacco Road improvements in Pooler, Georgia, as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026.

This funding will widen, enhance traffic flow, reduce congestion, and improve safety along this key corridor.

“As the former mayor and longtime resident of Pooler, I’ve witnessed the city’s population explode over the past few decades, leading to strong economic activity and an increase in demand for our roadways,” said Rep. Carter. “As Pooler continues to grow and develop into an economic powerhouse, and this funding will help increase efficiency for current and future residents alike.”  

“Representative Buddy Carter’s support for $4 million in transportation funding represents a significant investment in Pooler’s future,” said City Manager Heath Lloyd. “These resources will enhance safety, improve connectivity, and help ensure our transportation network keeps pace with the rapid growth occurring in our community. We appreciate Representative Carter’s continued advocacy for Pooler and his understanding of the infrastructure needs facing growing cities like ours…here we GROW again!”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

Headline: ICYMI: Carter presses insurers, PBMs on rising costs as CEOs face scrutiny

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) led a press conference calling for insurance and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform as the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees questioned the CEOs of the nation’s largest health insurers on practices driving higher costs and limiting patient access.

Rep. Carter was joined by members of these committees, Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), in calling for greater transparency and accountability from insurance companies and reform of the PBM industry. These leaders on reform underscored the negative impact of insurer and PBM practices on patients, including increased integration, higher prescription drug prices, and reduced access to life-saving medications, all while these companies line their pockets at the expense of patients.

Rep. Carter Hosts PBM Press Conference

 

Click here to watch

“Across the country, Americans are paying more in premiums, more out-of-pocket, and more at the pharmacy counter, while, at the same time, seeing fewer choices and more restrictions on their care,” said Rep. Carter. “In 2024, the seven largest insurers raked in $1.5 trillion in revenues and reported $71 billion in profits. That raises a very basic question: Is this system designed to serve patients or the companies’ shareholders? It should not be controversial to say that health insurance exists to serve patients. But too often today, it feels like patients are the ones serving the system.”

“Where do those rebates go? Through the PBM. When they own the pharmacy counter, they control physician referrals, and they are the biggest owner of physician groups in the country. Ten percent of physicians are ruled by these insurance companies. They answer to the insurance companies,” said Rep. Harshbarger. “If you don’t remember anything I say, remember this: That’s not competition. That is control, and they control the health care system.”

“PBM reform and bringing down health care costs for American families is a pressing issue, not only in my rural district in Georgia, but across the nation,” said Rep. Allen. “Community pharmacies, which are critical to our rural communities, have consistently pushed for transparency into PBM operations and reforms to their tactics. I have heard about it time and time again in my district. All they want is a fair playing field.”

“When we talk about affordability and health care, we know that it’s the insurance companies and the pharmacy benefit managers that they own that are the reason why prescription drugs are so high and why health insurance premiums are so unaffordable,” said Rep. Malliotakis. “They have vertically integrated the health care system in a way where they are the insurer, they are the PBM, they are the pharmacy, and they sometimes are even the doctor. They’re controlling each and every step of the process.”

Rep. Carter was also joined at the press conference by pharmacists, pharmacy students and pharmacy owners, including by Leroy Strickland of Clayton Pharmacy in Breman, GA, and Jim and Kimberly Richards of Corner Drugs in Chatsworth, GA. All have firsthand experience with the damage that PBMs and insurers have done to patients by restricting medication access and rising costs.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Today, Representative Suzan DelBene (WA-01) along with the entire Washington congressional delegation, urged President Donald Trump to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance to unlock an estimated $21.3 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resources for families whose homes were destroyed or significantly damaged in the extreme flooding that hit Washington in December.

A Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance ensures that disaster survivors have access to a full range of authorized programs and services, including housing assistance, disaster case management, and crisis counseling. This is the first of two Major Disaster Declaration requests the Governor is expected to make in response to the December flooding; the second will be for funding to help repair Washington state’s damaged infrastructure.

From early to mid-December, severe storms and devastating flooding battered Washington state, threatening lives, property, businesses, and livestock across the state. The flooding caused severe damage that wreaked havoc in communities across Washington and is among the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit the state. Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, nearly 4,000 homes across 17 counties were affected by flooding, more than 11 percent of affected homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and thousands of homes will require significant repair or replacement.

“We write in support of Washington state’s January 21, 2026 request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating flood damages incurred from December 5 through December 22. The individual assistance requested by Governor Ferguson is essential for the thousands of Washingtonians whose homes were destroyed or significantly damaged,” DelBene and the other delegation members wrote in a letter. “We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible.”

Joining DelBene in the letter to President Trump were Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (WA-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).

“This system of ‘atmospheric rivers’ has brought torrential rain, wind, and snow to much of the region, resulting in record-breaking flooding and power outages for thousands of residents. Hundreds of communities were immediately at risk, forcing hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians across the state to evacuate, including the entire city of Burlington and Sedro-Woolley. In the city of Pacific, a breached levee left hundreds of homes vulnerable to floodwater. This storm claimed the life of one Washingtonian and has damaged the homes and livelihoods of many more,” the Members continued.

“From the Olympic Peninsula to Central Washington, communities across the state experienced devastating losses. An initial assessment found that catastrophic flooding and devastating winds affected nearly 4,000 homes across 17 counties. More than eleven percent of affected homes were destroyed or severely damaged and thousands of residences will require significant repair or replacement,” the letter concluded. “While the state was able to provide some assistance for residents whose homes were severely impacted, it requires additional federal support to meet the need across the state.”

If FEMA approves Individual Assistance as part of the major disaster declaration, residents would be able to apply for assistance directly with FEMA. Governor Ferguson’s request currently includes Chelan, Grays Harbor, King, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom counties, as well as 15 federally recognized Tribal nations.

Back in December, Washington’s congressional delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Ferguson’s request for an expedited Emergency Declaration for the devastating storms and severe flooding hitting Washington state. That request was approved. 

The full letter can be found here.

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

From some of our earliest years of education, we were introduced to the words our forefathers wrote as they envisioned what the future of the United States might be. In a small room in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, these words were written onto one of the most pivotal documents in history: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Our founding fathers understood that every man, woman, and child has been created with rights that no man can take away; the most important being the right to life. This week, thousands of Americans gathered in our nation’s capital to celebrate that right to life during the annual March for Life. 

The days leading up to this event always provide an excellent opportunity to reflect on the work being done to advance pro-life and pro-family legislation. We must never forget the importance of crafting policies that continue to protect our most sacred and ultimate gift. It was an honor to be recognized by the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America scorecard this week as an A+ legislator who consistently advocates for these initiatives in Congress. 

Just this week, the House voted on two specific pieces of legislation aimed at supporting pregnant mothers and working families: the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act and the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act. House Republicans understand that true support of an unborn child extends to the health of the mother along with her support system, which is equally valuable for a child’s best chance at a fulfilling and healthy life.

Updates to prenatal care facilities, programs, and opportunities for pregnant women are just as pro-life as fighting to protect the lives of the unborn in their mothers’ wombs. It’s an honor to serve the Fourth District and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. I will continue to advocate for our God-given right to life and always fight against abortion.

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

The United States is one of the only nations in the world that allows child victims of sex trafficking and abuse who retaliate against their abusers to grow up in prison with no chance at parole or rehabilitation. Because of this, I was proud to introduce the Sara’s Law and Preventing Unfair Sentencing Act of 2026 earlier this week.

This legislation ensures that our justice system exempts minors who are victims of abuse from mandatory minimum sentencing, encouraging judges to consider the full story when issuing a sentence.

Several years ago, I met Sara Kruzman, the inspiration for this bill, who was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole when she was seventeen years old. Sara’s story is one many children are unfortunately familiar with: after being groomed at the age of eleven, she was trafficked from ages thirteen to sixteen. After her escape, she returned to kill her abuser.

Without the court’s consideration of her childhood trauma and the darkness she undoubtedly endured, she was sentenced to live out the rest of her life in prison without parole. After serving a little over nineteen years, she was commuted, and her sentence was reduced.

According to Shared Hope International, children as young as thirteen can be sentenced to life in prison without parole, and unfortunately, over 2,500 children in our nation are serving this sentence. Of these children, girls in the juvenile justice system are more likely to have previously experienced high rates of sexual violence.

Children shouldn’t be sentenced to grow up in prison because they chose to fight back. Instead of letting the justice system come to a decision without the full breadth of the child’s history or victimization, we are doing a great disservice to these youth. We must work to create reforms to our juvenile justice system that will empower our future generations to receive the help they need to move forward, grow, and ultimately create wonderful, lasting impacts on our society.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. Larson wrote the following Letter to the Editor that appeared in the Boston Globe.

The Jan. 14 editorial, “Mitt Romney puts a spotlight on Social Security’s looming shortfall,” highlights the importance of both protecting Social Security from cuts and enhancing the nation’s number one anti-poverty program for the elderly and children.

The Trump administration is focused on dismantling it from within, cutting around 7,000 members of the agency’s staff, eliminating regional offices, and slashing phone service. Democrats continue to push back against these attacks on the people’s benefits, but it is time to act.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Richard Neal, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee; and I are introducing comprehensive legislation this year that would expand benefits and ensure that Social Security will continue to provide millions of Americans with their hard-earned benefits. I commend Mitt Romney for joining our continued call to lift the cap on Social Security. Having the wealthy pay their fair share allows us to secure Social Security’s future and expand benefits for the first time in more than 50 years.

Social Security is the safety net that keeps capitalism, entrepreneurialism, and free markets intact. We need action, not more dialogue. We have a plan, and it’s time to vote. Thank you to the former Republican senator from Utah for recognizing Social Security’s value to free markets and capitalism and to the Globe for highlighting the issue.

Representative John B. Larson
East Hartford, Conn.
The writer, a Democrat, is the ranking member of the House Social Security Subcommittee and represents Connecticut’s First Congressional District.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington, D.C. (January 23, 2026) | – Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement following the Financial Reporting Threshold Modernization Act (H.R. 1799) Advancing Out of the House Committee on Financial Services.

“I am pleased that my legislation has passed out of committee, and I extend my sincere thanks to my colleagues for their support on this key issue. When Congress passed the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, they did so with the clear intent to monitor significant and unusual financial transactions. As inflation increased, the 10K threshold that the Department of Treasury implemented five decades ago is now effectively outdated and includes incredible amounts of common transactions, such as used car purchases and small business cash deposits , exemplifying the need for modernization. Treasury must update these thresholds in order to properly align with the realities of the 21st Century.

“My bill simply raises the currency transaction reporting threshold from 10K to 30K, and indexes it to inflation. It would also update certain thresholds for suspicious activity reports, where such thresholds exist, and index them to inflation. These updates would reduce the compliance burden for banks and credit unions by sixty to eighty percent, reduce the need to report arbitrary cash transactions, and ensure law enforcement maintains access to this information as needed. Furthermore, raising these thresholds will enhance customer privacy and allow federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to focus only on the data that really matters. Modern threats deserve modern approaches, to counter evolving risks, encourage proactive reporting and changes in money laundering and terrorist financing ecosystems. ”

Summary of the Financial Reporting Threshold Modernization Act:

•    Raises the Currency Transaction Report (CTR) threshold from $10,000 to $30,000.
•    Raises the Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) thresholds from $5,000 to $10,000
•    Makes continuing adjustments for inflation, updating the CTR and SAR thresholds every five years.
•    Aligns other reporting thresholds for money service businesses with the increase in the CTR and SAR thresholds, with proportionate increases where applicable.
•    Requires Treasury, in consultation with private stakeholders and law enforcement, to review and submit a report to Congress on Bank Secrecy Act forms, reporting, and record-keeping requirements to ensure these forms remain effective and efficient.

Click here to read full bill text

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) secured $1.35 million in federal Community Project Funding in Fiscal Year 2026 to improve traffic and pedestrian safety in New Brunswick and Highland Park, addressing hazardous intersections, speeding, and accessibility challenges.

 

“These projects in New Brunswick and Highland Park address real safety problems on streets people rely on every day,” said Pallone. “By improving signals, slowing traffic, and making sidewalks and crossings safer, this funding will help reduce crashes and protect pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists.”

 

In New Brunswick, Pallone secured $500,000 to upgrade safety at the intersection of Jersey Avenue and Van Dyke Avenue, one of the city’s most dangerous intersections. Improvements include new LED traffic signals, ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps, enhanced pavement markings, and high-visibility signage. City data show more than 60 crashes between 2019 and 2023 at the intersection.

 

“We are thrilled to see this important investment in New Brunswick’s traffic and pedestrian safety move forward.” said New Brunswick Mayor Jim Cahill, “This funding will help transform one of our most heavily traveled intersections with safer walkways, modern signals, and improved accessibility for all residents and visitors. Thank you to our federal partners for recognizing the urgency of this project and helping us make our City’s streets safer for everyone.”

 

In Highland Park, Pallone secured $850,000 for pedestrian and roadway safety improvements along North 8th Avenue and Magnolia and Benner Streets, including traffic-calming measures, upgraded crosswalks, ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps, and improved signage to address persistent speeding concerns.

 

“I’m delighted that, through Congressman Frank Pallone’s leadership, the Borough of Highland Park just secured federal funding to improve our pedestrian, bicycle, and automotive safety” said Elsie Foster, Mayor of Highland Park. “North 8th Ave, Magnolia St., and Benner Street are a few of the busiest roads in our town and they sorely need upgrades. This federal allocation, secured by Congressman Pallone, allows us to stretch local funds and markedly improve the capacity and safety of those roads. Our residents, and our visitors, young and old, will truly benefit from this vital support.”

 

Both projects were requested by Pallone through the Fiscal Year 2026 federal appropriations process, which allows members of the U.S. House to direct Community Project Funding toward locally identified transportation and public safety priorities.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. issued the following statement condemning recent deadly actions by federal immigration agents and opposing additional funding for Trump’s Department of Homeland Security:

 

“There was a time when Republicans in Congress believed in the Constitution and in a basic moral obligation to speak when something was plainly wrong. They must join Democrats in speaking out now.

 

In Minnesota, Americans were shot in the face and in the back in broad daylight. In New Jersey, people are being detained without cause. And the Republican party that once called itself the guardian of law and order says nothing.

 

Trump’s ICE and DHS are out of control. Their actions are reckless, arbitrary, and unworthy of a democratic nation. I mourn Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, two Americans whose lives were taken in the midst of this lawlessness. They deserved better from their government.

 

That is why I voted against the DHS spending package that would hand even more power and money to agencies that have shown they cannot be trusted with either. The Senate must do the same. If this continues, it will not just be lives we lose: it will be the country we thought we were.”