MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

BUTLER, PA — This week, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA) highlighted a successful August District Work Period, which included visits to every county in Pennsylvania’s 16th Congressional District.

In all, Kelly completed nearly 100 meetings, site visits, tours, and more during the five-week work period. He also returned to Washington, D.C. on August 8 to lead the U.S. House of Representatives during a pro forma session.

“I’ve always believed the best way to represent constituents is to meet them where they are and to hear directly from them in-person whenever we can,” said Rep. Kelly. “August is a busy month for us, traveling across the district and meeting with so many wonderful folks. I look forward to taking their messages back to Washington when we return in the coming days.”

Below, you will find photos and news clips recapping some of Rep. Kelly’s recent stops around the district.

In The News

Photos from the District

 

Above: Rep. Kelly meets with leaders at Ellwood Quality Steels in New Castle to discuss how the One Big Beautiful Bill will help local businesses. You can watch their recap video here.

Above: Rep. Kelly joins the grand opening of the new Mercer County State Bank headquarters in Sandy Lake.

 

Above: Rep. Kelly dedicates the U.S. Post Office in Titusville after Edwin Drake. Kelly’s legislation to dedicate the post office was signed into law in Jan. 2025.

 

Above: Rep. Kelly presents the latest Community Champion Award to Butler County’s Bill Bellis and Ken Laughlin.

 

Above: Rep. Kelly speaks at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition meeting in Erie.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

---

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

“American efforts to support democracy and punish repression in Venezuela have been far too slow. But now President Trump is openly paying off Maduro’s criminal regime for their compliance in his mass deportation of law-abiding Venezuelan immigrants,” said Wasserman Schultz. “Instead of cutting off Maduro’s cashflow and supporting the democratic opposition, the Trump Administration is cutting democracy assistance and propping up this Putin-backed narco-regime. I hope Republicans and Democrats join me in correcting this grave mistake.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, ahead of Congress’ return to legislative session next week, Speaker Johnson joined ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s CNN News Central, and Fox News’ America’s Newsroom all in studio to recap the August District Work Period, preview the month ahead, and react to news of the day.

Watch Speaker Johnson on ABC here, CNN here, and Fox News here.

On the August District Work Period and the One Big Beautiful Bill:

What happened over the August district work period is Republicans fanned out, Senate and House Republicans, across the country to all their districts to go and explain exactly the extraordinary things that are in this bill. It’s geared and written for lower- and middle-class earners. They’re going to feel the effects of that. We restored American energy dominance, peace through strength, largest tax cuts in US history. People are going to feel that before they vote in that midterm election, and I am very bullish on the outcome of that because they’ll see the results.

And I’ve been in town halls around the country over this break, 12 states in the last week, and people are standing and applauding for what we’ve done. So look, I tell you, the facts are going to speak for themselves, the results, and the things that people experience. And that’s why we’re excited about the midterms coming up. We’re going to win this.

On Republicans’ efforts to stop violent crime: 

The first thing to remember is that we cannot allow crime to devastate and ruin our great cities in America. Certainly not the greatest capital in the world. And we’ve got to end the crime wave. We’ve got to clean up the city, and we’ve got to make sure that it shines as it should, as the greatest nation’s greatest capital. So, we’ll begin to do that. You’ll see some components of legislation that’ll come forward to address the juvenile crime wave that’s happening there.

We’re going to handle D.C. first because that’s directly within our purview and then look to other cities around America as well. We’ve got to also end these policing policies that have prevented law enforcement from actually keeping safety on the streets for residents and visitors who become victims. And that’s an important thing to do. Sometimes local governance does not do the job, and the oversight in D.C. is long overdue.

On Democrats continuing to move leftward:

It’s kind of sad that this is the condition of our national politics. I will point out that of the approval ratings of people in within their own party, there’s a wide chasm between that as well. We have our highest approval rating ever, Republicans in Congress, while the Democrats have the lowest approval rating ever of their own party.

But in the platforms of the two parties, there’s a wide chasm as well. This is not your father’s Democratic party. They’ve gone full Marxist socialist. They’re going to elect a Marxist as the mayor of this great city. And it’s a terrible trend. So look, I’m for bipartisanship when we can do it. We want to bring common sense Democrats along with us to solve these problems. But if they’re not willing to come along, we have to do it ourselves. And that’s why we did the big beautiful bill through reconciliation.

On National Democrats politicizing tragedies:

It’s incredible to me that Jen Psaki and Gavin Newsom and others would attack religion and diminish the faith of millions of Americans at a time of such great tragedy. There are a lot of common-sense solutions, things that can be done to protect children at schools and in churches that do not involve taking away the constitutional rights of law-abiding American citizens. This is not a time to politicize these issues. We mourn for the families, the community that’s affected there. I’m sure you guys saw the father’s remarks yesterday for that little boy who was lost, Fletcher Merkel. It’s such a heart wrenching thing for all of us. And at the end of the day, the problem is not guns. Okay, Jen Psaki, the problem is the human heart. It’s mental health. There are things that we can do, solutions that we can come together to handle, but this is not the time for politics.

###

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

Today, Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), along with Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (NV-01) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), and House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, one of the most comprehensive marijuana reform bills ever introduced in the U.S. Congress. 

Over the past two decades, public support for legalizing marijuana has surged and states across the nation have taken on state-level legalization of marijuana. The MORE Act decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level, ending the patchwork of states laws. The bill also aims to correct the historical and continued injustices of failed drug policies that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income communities by requiring resentencing and expungement of prior convictions, creating new opportunities for individuals as they work to advance their careers, education, and overall quality of life. The MORE Act also ensures that all benefits in the law are available to juvenile offenders. 

“I am proud to reintroduce the MORE Act today. As more states continue to legalize marijuana and public support increases, federal laws must catch up and reverse failed policies criminalizing marijuana,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler. “It is long past time to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge marijuana convictions, and facilitate resentencing, while reinvesting in the communities most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs. I thank my colleagues, Representatives Dina Titus and Ilhan Omar, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, as well as Representative Nydia Velázquez for their work on this legislation as we continue to push for this much-needed change.” 

“As Co-Chair of the Cannabis Caucus, I am proud to support the reintroduction of the MORE Act, comprehensive legislation that is long overdue,” said Rep. Dina Titus, Co-Chair of the Cannabis Caucus. “It’s time to modernize our laws to reflect the reality of cannabis use in the United States, recognize the legitimate industry that has emerged, and fully embrace the medical benefits of the plant. The federal government must catch up to the states, and this bill provides a framework to end the failed War on Drugs while supporting communities and businesses nationwide.” 

“As Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, I understand how deeply the War on Drugs has devastated families and fueled racial disparities in arrests and incarceration without making us safer,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar, Co-Chair of the Cannabis Caucus. “The MORE Act will decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, clear records, and reinvest in the communities most harmed by these failed policies. In Minnesota we have already shown that legalization can deliver both fairness and economic opportunity. It is past time for the federal government to follow our lead and finally end the era of criminalization.”

“For too long, communities of color have carried the weight of unfair marijuana laws that fueled incarceration and denied people opportunity,” said Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez, Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee. “The MORE Act is about justice, about giving people a second chance, and about making sure small businesses and workers in these communities can share in the benefits of legalization. I am proud to stand with my colleagues to reintroduce this bill and keep pushing for fairness and equity.” 

The MORE Act: 

• Requires federal courts to expunge prior convictions, allows prior offenders to request expungement, and requires courts, on motion, to conduct re-sentencing hearings for those still under supervision. 

In addition to Representatives Nadler, Titus, Omar, and Velázquez, the bill is cosponsored by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jesús García (IL-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Hank Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Frank Mrvan (IN-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Adam Smith (WA-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).  

The MORE Act has the support of a broad coalition of civil rights, criminal justice, drug policy, and immigration groups, including: The MORE Act has the support of a broad coalition of civil rights, criminal justice, drug policy, and immigration groups, including: All People’s Health Collective, American Civil Liberties Union, Bucks County NORML, Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), Center for American Progress, Cruel, Consequences Portraits, Delaware NORML INC, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, Drug Policy Alliance, Grassroots Ohioans, JustLeadershipUSA, JustUS Coordinating Council, Last Prisoner Project, Lit by the Sea LLC, Los Angeles Community Action Network, Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Montco NORML, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Association of Social Workers, National Employment Law Project, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), NORML KC., NORML Tallahassee North Florida, Ohio NORML, People’s Action Institute, Reframe Health and Justice, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Southern Poverty Law Center, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), Suncoast NORML, Supernova Women, The National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, The Porchlight Collective SAP, The Weldon Project/Mission Green, and Virginia NORML. 

“Millions of Americans continue to suffer the consequences of the failed war on drugs—harms that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and other marginalized groups. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act represents a critical step forward, not only by decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, but by offering meaningful pathways to justice through expungement and resentencing,” said Akua Amaning, Director for Criminal Justice Reform at Center for American Progress. “Its provisions also prioritize reinvestment and economic opportunity for those most affected by decades of criminalization. We urge Congress to pass this long-overdue legislation and take a decisive step towards ensuring equity, justice, and opportunity for all Americans.” 

“We are proud to again endorse the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. For decades, marijuana criminalization has disproportionately targeted people of color and low-income communities,” said Maritza Perez Medina, Director of Federal Affairs of the Drug Policy Alliance. “This policy of marijuana criminalization has led to mass incarceration, family separation, deportation, and lost economic opportunities. As long as marijuana remains in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), it will remain federally criminalized, regardless of which schedule it is placed in. The MORE Act is the only bill introduced this Congress that would remove (“deschedule”) marijuana from CSA, which would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level nationwide. In addition to clearly and unambiguously descheduling marijuana, the MORE Act would address the vast social and economic harms caused by marijuana criminalization. Anything short of descheduling will continue to perpetuate the harms of federal marijuana criminalization, and we urge members of Congress who oppose these harms to cosponsor MORE.” 

“Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC) endorses the MORE Act because it delivers comprehensive reform America needs – ending prohibition while mandating equity, expungement and investment that communities most impacted by prohibition have long deserved,” said Dasheeda Dawson, Board Chair of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition.  

“For decades, cannabis prohibition has punished people for conduct that the vast majority of Americans believe should be legal. In addition to descheduling cannabis, the MORE Act offers long-overdue relief by automatically expunging convictions and freeing people still suffering behind bars,” said Jason Ortiz, Director of Strategic Initiatives of the Last Prisoner Project. “The Last Prisoner Project is grateful to Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Marijuana Justice Coalition for championing this legislation. Now it’s time for Congress to pass this bill and deliver real justice to the countless individuals and families who continue to bear the scars of cannabis criminalization.” 

“Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) applauds the re-introduction of the MORE Act as a critical step toward dismantling the failed War on Drugs,” said Kat Murti, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). “From the very first introduction of the MORE Act, SSDP has championed this bill as the most comprehensive path toward sensible cannabis policy reform—one which would end federal prohibition, clear past convictions, and begin the process of healing the communities most harmed by federal cannabis prohibition. The House made history when it passed the MORE Act in the 116th and 117th Congresses, marking the only times a chamber of Congress voted in support of removing (“descheduling”) marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). With the House once again leading the way, the Senate must act now to finally deliver on the promise of justice and opportunity nationwide. Young people deserve a future free from the lifelong harms of prohibition, and we urge Congress to act swiftly to pass this legislation and begin repairing the injustices caused by decades of criminalization.” 

“As states continue to move away from their failed experiments with cannabis prohibition, it is incumbent on Congress to resolve the growing conflict between state and federal law and do everything it can to repair the damage caused by nearly a century of disastrous criminalization policies,” said Morgan Fox, Political Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “This legislation embodies the wishes of more than two thirds of the American public, and will create a federal cannabis framework that respects states’ rights and is focused on science, pragmatism, and justice. We strongly urge lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support the MORE Act and call for its immediate consideration.” 

The full text of the legislation is available here. 

###

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

SCHAUMBURG, IL – This week, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the Bringing Back Benefits Act, legislation to repeal Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Trump-backed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) slashed nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid and $186 billion from SNAP, threatening health care for more than 500,000 Illinoisans and cutting off food assistance for over 200,000 families in our state.

“Families across Illinois and the nation are already feeling the devastating impacts of this ‘Large Lousy Law,’ and we must act now to repeal these disastrous provisions before millions more are affected,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “This is Congress’s chance to correct a serious misstep and help working families — we must take it by passing my legislation.”

This week, Illinoisans have heard all about how Congressman Krishnamoorthi is fighting to restore Medicaid and SNAP — see below for a roundup of coverage:

WHAT THEY’RE WATCHING:

Quad Cities:Watch here

Rockford:Watch here

Chicago TV:Watch here

WHAT THEY’RE HEARING:

Chicago:Listen here 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON – Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06) and Kim Schrier (WA-08) led 141 of their House colleagues in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the State Department to reverse its decision to halt temporary medical-humanitarian visas for children from Gaza.

 “On August 16th, the State Department announced it will stop approving all visitor visas for people from the war-torn Gaza strip — including children in need of urgent medical care — while conducting a “full and thorough review of the processes and procedures” used to issue these visas,” the lawmakers write. “This pause comes in the wake of severely injured Palestinian children arriving in the United States on temporary visas to receive medical care in recent weeks. The announcement of the sudden pause came via social media and contained no details on what a full and thorough review entails or any evidence of security risks. The lack of clarity regarding how long this halt will last is concerning.”

 “This pause will deny children the medical care they desperately need. It is wrong to prevent children who are caught in the middle of this horrific conflict from receiving lifesaving medical care,” the lawmakers continue. “In addition, this decision ignores the fact that all Palestinians leaving Gaza for medical treatment or to accompany family members receiving medical treatment are already subject to rigorous vetting by the Israeli government, including an Israeli security clearance, identity verification, and an assessment whether they are linked to Hamas.

 “Prior to this announcement, several children from Gaza have come to the United States to receive medical treatment. These cases have gone on without incident,” the lawmakers conclude. “We appeal to you to immediately reverse the State Department’s decision and resume allowing those from Gaza with approved temporary medical-humanitarian visas to enter the United States to receive the lifesaving care they need.

 The lawmakers requested the Department provide the following information:

• A detailed explanation of the specific concerns or procedural issues identified that led to the suspension of visas.
• The criteria and timeline for the ongoing review process, how long it is expected to take, and what safeguards are being considered to prevent interruption of emergency medical care programs.
• A commitment to temporarily exempt urgent medical-humanitarian cases involving children from Gaza from the suspension until the review is complete.

View the full text of the letter and complete list of signing members here. 

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

WASHINGTON, DC –  Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) warned U.S. Department of Agriculture leadership that closing the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Prince George’s County, as proposed in its reorganization plan announced last month, would irreparably undermine U.S. agricultural innovation and harm the countless farmers who depend on BARC’s research. In their letter submitted for the USDA’s official comment period on its reorganization plan, the lawmakers urge the agency to keep BARC open, pointing out that the required Congressional approval has not been granted for the agency to carry out such a large-scale restructuring effort. They also outline how a move or relocation of BARC will waste taxpayer dollars while jeopardizing the success of American farmers in the immediate and long term – upending important research that can’t be replicated elsewhere.

“We strongly oppose the USDA’s proposed reorganization plan which includes the closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland,” the lawmakers began. “For over 100 years, BARC has been an engine of agricultural research and innovation and the site of numerous research breakthroughs. BARC’s unique capacity has made it the nation’s premier agricultural research facility, and its closure would be deeply harmful to American farmers, as well as a waste of taxpayer dollars. We also have significant concerns about the lack of transparency and the legality of USDA’s proposed plan. We urge you to keep BARC open and to provide a detailed accounting of the full impact of the proposed reorganization plan.”

The lawmakers go on to lay out a thorough, detailed case for BARC and its employees to remain operational in the current location, stressing the following points:

• The plan to close BARC requires Congressional approval; moving forward without it would be illegal;
   
• The plan to close BARC would waste federal resources;
   
• BARC is a world leader in agricultural research; – its closure will irreparably harm the United States’ leadership in agricultural production and research;
   
• BARC helps to train the next generation of agricultural researchers, on whom the future of American agricultural innovation depends;
   
• BARC’s geographic location provides unique benefits to American agricultural research that cannot be replicated elsewhere;
   
• BARC provides regionally-tailored research to the 83,000 farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the loss of which jeopardizes $10 billion in agricultural productivity;
   
• Key BARC research projects cannot be relocated, and decades of work may be lost completely if BARC closes;
   
• Closing BARC and relocating key research activities will not result in lower cost of living for USDA employees; and
   
• No USDA reorganization plan should move forward without a thorough benefit-cost analysis that includes a full accounting of the potential impacts of closing BARC.

“BARC’s excellence in agricultural research is of enormous value to the nation, and so we urge you not to close this critical facility. We also urge USDA to ensure full transparency in any potential reorganization and to follow the letter of the law. We request an urgent meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss our concerns,” the lawmakers concluded.

A copy of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Rollins and Deputy Secretary Vaden,

We strongly oppose the USDA’s proposed reorganization plan which includes the closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) in Beltsville, Maryland. For over 100 years, BARC has been an engine of agricultural research and innovation and the site of numerous research breakthroughs. BARC’s unique capacity has made it the nation’s premier agricultural research facility, and its closure would be deeply harmful to American farmers, as well as a waste of taxpayer dollars. We also have significant concerns about the lack of transparency and the legality of USDA’s proposed plan. We urge you to keep BARC open and to provide a detailed accounting of the full impact of the proposed reorganization plan. 

The plan to close BARC requires Congressional approval; moving forward without it would be illegal. Section 716 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 requires Congressional approval of USDA relocation and reorganization activities before any funding for such activity is obligated or expended through a reprogramming, transfer of funds, or reimbursement; no such approval has been requested or granted. Since any action to carry out the proposed reorganization will undoubtedly require the obligation or expenditure described in Section 716, we expect USDA to seek Congressional approval before taking any final action on the proposed reorganization plan. Furthermore, we caution you that Section 750 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 prohibits USDA from moving any staff office from one mission area to another without enactment of specific legislation authorizing such a move.

The plan to close BARC would waste federal resources. USDA has already invested more than $174 million in BARC facility upgrades and repairs; abandoning a facility right after USDA has made such significant upgrades to it is illogical and wasteful. As one of the world’s largest agricultural research complexes, relocating personnel, as well as all the lab and research equipment, will undoubtedly be a major expense. Furthermore, existing law prevents USDA from selling, leasing, excessing, surplussing or otherwise disposing of BARC land without the specific approval of Congress. Lacking said Congressional approval, which USDA has not secured, the 6,500-acre facility must remain under USDA ownership and stewardship, even if USDA moves forward with the proposal to close BARC. Given USDA’s significant investment in BARC, and the lack of Congressional approval for disposing of the property, closing this critical research facility amounts to an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars.

BARC is a world leader in agricultural research; its closure will irreparably harm the United States’ leadership in agricultural production and research. Established in 1910, BARC has been the site of numerous agricultural breakthroughs that have helped to make the United States an agricultural powerhouse – discoveries that have improved food safety, human health and nutrition, pest and disease control strategies, and agricultural production. As the largest and most diversified agricultural research center in the world, BARC’s agricultural research capacity is unparalleled. Just as capacity was lost at USDA research agencies the last time a reorganization took place, closing BARC, as USDA’s preeminent agricultural research center, will undoubtedly result in a level of lost talent and expertise that will negatively impact American agricultural research – as well as agricultural production. Agricultural research is the backbone of American agricultural production; the innovation occurring at facilities like BARC is what helps ensure the continued competitiveness of American agriculture on the global stage. We are especially concerned about what lost capacity and expertise at BARC will mean for the future of the agriculture industries that are actively served by BARC research, including the poultry, dairy, soybean, and honeybee industries among many others.

BARC helps to train the next generation of agricultural researchers, on whom the future of American agricultural innovation depends. Maintaining a vibrant agricultural research workforce supports American agriculture. BARC already has an impressive track record of training new talent. As USDA itself has said: “Many laboratories in the Beltsville area have strong connections to nearby colleges and universities. In addition to forging research collaborations with scientists at these institutions, Beltsville advances STEM education by hosting numerous student interns throughout the year. In 2023, researchers at BARC, BHNRC, and USNA mentored over 240 trainees at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral level, supporting the development of early career STEM professionals. Through coordination with academic institutions, the Beltsville location plays an important role in supporting the next generation agricultural science leaders.”

BARC’s geographic location provides unique benefits to American agricultural research that cannot be replicated elsewhere. Located close to freshwater and saltwater, mountains and costal lowlands, and situated within the fertile Piedmont Plateau, BARC is within reach of diverse landscapes and a range of climatic conditions. This geography makes it an ideal location for an agriculture research station and its proximity to the nation’s capital allows BARC to take advantage of several key efficiencies. For example:
 

1. BARC works closely with numerous federal agencies and universities in the Washington, D.C. area. BARC effectively leverages its own limited resources through collaborations and partnerships with these neighboring institutions, enabling the facility to cut costs and access a wide range of scientific expertise in a way that is not replicable outside of this region.
    
2. Because of BARC’s proximity to so many other scientific institutions, as well as its long history in Beltsville, there exists an ecosystem of support services that helps BARC run efficiently. From equipment installation and calibration to maintenance and repair – BARC’s location allows it to easily access and share these types of support services that are already available in the greater Washington, D.C. area given the high density of scientific research that occurs there. In addition, the area has a large number of federal contractors who are skilled at supporting BARC’s day-to-day operations.
3. BARC’s proximity to three major airports makes it accessible to collaborators and visitors from around the world and, as your own Department notes, “[BARC’s] proximity to Washington D.C. makes it an optimal destination for congressional visits and agricultural demonstrations. Beltsville can provide a window into the full scope of ARS research for policymakers, stakeholders, and diplomats, right in the nation’s capital. Strong ARS research capacity in the greater D.C. area brings food and agricultural issues to the forefront of federal policy and allows for improved coordination across agencies with related missions.”
    

BARC provides regionally-tailored research to the 83,000 farms throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the loss of which jeopardizes $10 billion in agricultural productivity. One of the stated goals in the July 24, 2025 Secretary Memorandum regarding the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan is to “bring USDA closer to its customers by relocating resources outside of the National Capital region.” However, by eliminating BARC, what this plan actually does is eliminate the research hub serving the entire Northeast Region – from Virginia to Maine. Farmers in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed will feel this loss most acutely given BARC’s record of pursuing research topics specific to the watershed. According to USDA, there are around 83,000 farms in the Chesapeake Bay watershed with nearly 30% of the 64,000-square-mile watershed dedicated to farming. These farms collectively produce over $10 billion annually in agricultural sales per year and grow over 50 different commodities, from staple crops like corn, wheat, and soy to specialty crops like fruits and vegetables. The closure of BARC will leave this key agricultural region under-resourced.

Key BARC research projects cannot be relocated, and decades of work may be lost completely if BARC closes. BARC carries out long-term, place-based research that takes place both in field sites on BARC’s grounds and in sites located in the surrounding area. Various research projects depend on these research sites remaining constant; this allows scientists to collect long-term data, observe changes and effectively isolate different variables over time by keeping the site environment constant. For example, BARC hosts the Lower Chesapeake Bay Long Term Agricultural Research Network (LCB-LTAR), which involves several major field experiments at BARC that would be impossible to physically relocate without compromising the experiments. This research has been and continues to be critical for informing agricultural conservation practices in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and beyond.

Closing BARC and relocating key research activities will not result in lower cost of living for USDA employees. In the Senate Agriculture Committee hearing titled “Review of the USDA Reorganization Plan” on July 30, 2025, Deputy Secretary Vaden stated that: “One of [USDA’s] principal considerations for where to put our regional hubs was cost of living. We want people to come to USDA for a career, to start a family, and to stay with us. And unfortunately, given the cost of living in the National Capital Region, [employees] can no longer do that in the District of Columbia.” However, BARC is located in Prince George’s County, Maryland – not the District of Columbia. The cost of living in Prince George’s County is significantly lower than in the District of Columbia, at an estimated at $121,972 per year for a two-parent, two-child family. The new hubs you propose are in counties that have costs of living that range from $124,856 in Larimer County, CO (Fort Collins) to $101,965 per year in Marion County, IN (Indianapolis). The cost of living in Prince George’s County clearly falls within the cost-of-living range of the proposed hub locations; if cost of living for USDA employees is truly a “principal consideration” of USDA’s proposed relocation plan, as Deputy Secretary Vaden claimed in the hearing, then USDA cannot credibly claim that BARC’s closure has anything to do with affordability concerns on behalf of USDA employees, especially when those employees have not even been consulted on the reorganization plan.

No USDA reorganization plan should move forward without a thorough benefit-cost analysis that includes a full accounting of the potential impacts of closing BARC. In the Senate Agriculture Hearing, Deputy Secretary Vaden claimed that the proposed reorganization plan would save $4 billion. However, USDA has provided no credible information to back up this statement. Americans deserve an accurate, transparent assessment that analyzes both the costs and benefits of the proposed USDA reorganization plan before any action is taken to close BARC and the other National Capitol Region facilities. Such an assessment should be shared publicly after review by the Inspector General to ensure that it fully accounts for all major impacts of the proposed relocations and closures – including the specific impacts of closing BARC as well as any impacts to USDA’s ability to fulfill its mission areas. 

BARC’s excellence in agricultural research is of enormous value to the nation, and so we urge you not to close this critical facility. We also urge USDA to ensure full transparency in any potential reorganization and to follow the letter of the law. We request an urgent meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss our concerns.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Houston, TX)— On Friday, August 29, 2025, Congressman Al Green, the top Democrat on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, which oversees the Federal Reserve System (Fed), will hold a press conference.  Congressman Al Green will condemn President Trump’s unjustified and unprecedented firing of Dr. Lisa Cook, the first Black woman appointed to the Fed’s Board of Governors, as well as his unbridled efforts to undermine the independence of the Fed. 

The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. Its dual mandate is to promote maximum employment and ensure stable prices. In pursuing this dual mandate, the Fed was designed to function independent of political pressure from either the President or Congress. 

Dr. Cook was appointed to the Fed’s Board of Governors by President Biden in 2022 and reappointed in 2023 for a term ending in 2038. The length of Fed governor’s tenure is meant to ensure that the board is insulated from imprudent political pressure emanating from an impetuous president. President Trump dismissed Dr. Cook based on unproven allegations of mortgage fraud. Unproven allegations do not constitute cause to terminate under the law. Dr. Cook has indicated that she will fight her removal in the court of law. The Fed released a statement that it would obey any court decision concerning Dr. Cook’s “ability to continue to fulfill her responsibilities as a Senate-confirmed member [of the Fed].” 

Since retaking office, President Trump has been steadily undermining the Fed’s independence. He has threatened to dismiss Fed Chair Jerome Powell and repeatedly issued statements on how he believes the Fed should conduct economic policy. This pattern of increasing interference in the Fed’s operations, in tandem with Dr. Cook’s termination, could undermine confidence in the Fed’s decisions, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences for our economy. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts undermining the independence of the Turkish central bank contributed to runaway inflation in the country, which it continues to struggle with. President Trump’s firing without just cause of Dr. Cook is eroding confidence in the Fed as an independent central bank. 

Click here to watch the Facebook Live Stream of the event.