MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Toledo, OH – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced that the Williams County Regional Airport Authority is being awarded $264,931 and the Fulton County Board of Commissioners will receive $33,250 in federal Airport Improvement Grant (AIG) funds from the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration. The awards will enable the purchase of a new carrier vehicle equipped with a blower attachment and expand access to hangar development areas—vital equipment that will enhance the airports’ capacities to keep priority areas of the airfield clear during severe weather. This is now part of more than $2 Million Congresswoman Kaptur has secured in aviation infrastructure funding in 2025, underscoring her unwavering commitment to ensuring local airports across Northwest Ohio remain safe, modern, and competitive.

“Northwest Ohio’s airports are essential gateways for commerce, travel, and emergency response,” said Congresswoman Kaptur (OH-09). “These new investments in Williams and Fulton Counties are about more than equipment and design they are about safeguarding lives, protecting the flow of goods, and ensuring our communities remain connected. When our airports succeed, our entire region takes flight. 

These latest awards builds on a series of major aviation investments Rep. Kaptur has delivered in 2025 alone including over $1.4 Million in FAA funding for four Northwest Ohio airports to modernize infrastructure and bolster safety. In July, she announced $342,000 for Fulton County Airport to improve runway conditions. Earlier this year, she brought home $400,000 in FAA funds to strengthen aviation upgrades across multiple airports in the district.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)

(Kansas City, MO) – U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) has joined a number of House Democrats in demanding the Trump administration release nearly $300 million in congressionally obligated funds for core public health programs. In a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Susan Monarez, Rep. Cleaver, Congressman Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), and other House Democrats underline the impact this action has on state and local health departments and public health organizations in communities across the country.

“As you know, the CDC is responsible for executing the federal government’s response for disease prevention and improved public health outcomes through scientific research,” the lawmakers wrote. “Through annual discretionary and mandatory appropriations, CDC funding critical research and development initiatives for disease surveillance, cancer prevention, health education, and public emergency readiness, among others. Many of these funding streams go directly to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments as well as external stakeholders with CDC’s shared goals.”

“These federal funds have been congressionally obligated and are depended upon by the local health departments that execute lifesaving initiatives,” the lawmakers continued. “Funding delays directly harm our constituents who depend on these services, particularly in rural and underserved communities.”

“As Members of Congress, we have constituents and local organizations impacted by these irresponsible funding freezes and have received urgent outreach expressing deep concern about the impact of this administration’s actions. Without reliable, regular, and renewed public health investments from the federal government, this administration risks undoing decades of advancements in disease prevention. We demand that OMB immediately release obligated CDC funds and continue much-needed investments in our communities,” the lawmakers concluded.

The official letter from lawmakers is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – Today, Congresswoman Haley Stevens held a roundtable with Forgotten Harvest CEO Adrian Lewis and other local leaders on the SNAP Cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill and the realities of fighting hunger in metro Detroit.

During the roundtable, Congresswoman Stevens and other participants discussed how hunger is an issue that impacts Michiganders across metro Detroit, and how the recent cuts in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill will make it harder for Michiganders to afford the food and groceries they need. 

“These are YOUR tax dollars. They need to work for our communities. They need to work for our people,” said Congresswoman Stevens. “People need more money in their pocketbooks. We need a tax code that works for Michigan families and workers. When I see 200,000 people are gonna lose SNAP benefits because of this legislation I’m voting No.”

Throughout the month of August, Congresswoman Stevens is traveling across Michigan, hearing from Michigan farmers, manufacturers, and community leaders, and taking their stories back to Congress so she can continue to fight–and win–for Michigan.

Photos are available for media use below

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), coauthor of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, criticized the Trump Administration for using bipartisan Global Magnitsky human rights sanctions authority for a partisan purpose, and  demanded that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminate sanctions against the Brazilian judicial official conducting the trial of Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro for his alleged role in a 2023 coup d’état plot.

“The Global Magnitsky Act is designed to hold accountable individuals who commit acts of corruption and gross violations of human rights,” McGovern wrote. “It is therefore disgraceful that the Trump Administration has deployed GloMag sanctions in a manner contrary to their purpose by undermining the Brazilian judiciary’s efforts to defend democratic institutions and uphold rule of law.”

The Global Magnitsky Act, often referred to as “GloMag,” empowers the president to deny visas to and freeze U.S.-based assets of individuals who engage in corruption and gross violations of human rights. Previous targets of GloMag sanctions include former Gambian president Yahya Jammeh, who killed and tortured political opponents, Chinese officials involved in serious human rights abuses against Uyghurs, and several individuals connected to the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 

Last month, the Departments of Treasury and State announced GloMag sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is presiding over the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally, is one of 34 officials charged with attempting to incite a military coup after Bolsonaro lost the 2022 election. 

“The Administration’s claim that the prosecution of individuals who attempted a coup constitutes an ‘unlawful witch hunt’ is not only false, but an affront to the Brazilian electorate and the entire concept of rule of law,” McGovern said. He further warned that the misuse of Global Magnitsky sanctions makes U.S. human rights policy vulnerable to claims of politicization from countries like China and Russia and reduces our government’s ability to meaningfully address human rights abuses.  

“By cloaking cronyism in the language of human rights, the Administration impairs the credibility of the United States and its ability to promote human rights abroad,” McGovern concluded. 

Representative McGovern is the author of the bipartisan Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012, which imposed sanctions on Russian officials deemed responsible for the death of Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison. The bill is seen as landmark human rights legislation that established the framework of individual sanctions designed to hold human rights abusers accountable. He is also the coauthor of the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016, which applied the Magnitsky framework to all countries.

The full text of the letter is available HERE.

The full text of the letter in Portuguese is available HERE.

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

Griffith Announces $5,225,950 DOT Grant to Develop Virginia Highlands Airport

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

After videos circulated online of federal police officers using excessive force to make arrests as part of President Trump’s unnecessary and inflammatory surge of law enforcement in D.C., Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) announced that they’ll reintroduce their bill to require all federal police officers, including those from Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Park Police, to wear body cameras and use dashboard cameras in marked vehicles when Congress returns in September. 

Norton and Beyer first introduced their bill after U.S. Park Police officers shot and killed 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar, who was unarmed, in November of 2017. The bill passed the House in 2021.

“With a president in the White House abusing his power over federal law enforcement to compel local governments to enforce his cruel and inhumane policies, our country needs this bill. For D.C., that need could not be more urgent,” Norton said.“President Trump’s unjustified and inflammatory surge of federal law enforcement officers in the District has resulted in violent arrests using excessive force, but without body cameras, we’re left to rely on videos filmed by onlookers and public reporting to learn what happened. Federal officers in D.C. have recently been filmed using excessive force during arrests, refusing to identify the agency they belong to, and obscuring their own faces. Body and dashboard camera requirements would provide much-needed transparency and a chance at accountability for victims during this unprecedented timein the nation’s capital.” 

“Every day Washingtonians are confronted with new outrages from Trump’s unwanted and unjustified occupation of D.C., including arrests using excessive force that put people in unnecessary danger,” Beyer said. “Many of these encounters have been captured on video taken by bystanders or journalists, and I cannot help but wonder what we are not seeing because it is not caught on video. I have the same concern with ICE raids in Northern Virginia, which like the federal escalation in DC, are carried out by masked agents in unmarked vehicles who give no justification for their actions. The Administration’s use of such draconian tactics is designed to stoke fear and intimidate law-abiding people who have done nothing wrong. These abuses of power cry out for transparency and accountability, and our bill would answer that need. Every one of these officers should be wearing a body camera.”

Ghaisar was fatally shot in his car by Park Police officers in Fairfax County, Virginia, after he fled a car crash and was pursued by officers down George Washington Parkway. Footage of the shooting was released by the Fairfax County Police Department, which captured it on a cruiser’s dashboard camera. Without that footage, Ghaisar’s family and the public would have had no access to the circumstances surrounding Ghaisar’s death. The District of Columbia and Fairfax County both require officers to wear body cameras and have dashboard cameras in marked vehicles.

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

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded the Twin County Airport Commission, based in Carroll County, Virginia, two separate grants totaling $2,939,800. The funding supports the construction of hangars for aircraft storage and makes improvements to an existing taxiway. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Structural and capacity improvements to airports enhance safety and aviation operations.

“These DOT grants for more than $2.9 million help the Twin County Airport Authority make necessary runway and storage improvements at the Twin County Airport.”

BACKGROUND

These grant funds were made available through the FAA Fiscal Year 2025 Airport Infrastructure Grant program and Airport Improvements Program.

Earlier this week, Congressman Griffith announced an $850,000 DOT grant earmarked to the Twin County Airport Commission. This grant came as a result of Congressman Griffith’s community funding project requests for Fiscal Year 2024.

Twin County Airport is one of the only airports in the region that does not have at least a 5,000-foot runway to accommodate the needs of business jet traffic.

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

Griffith Announces $281,865 DOT Grant to Develop Mountain Empire Airport

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

Griffith Announces $4,335,800 DOT Grant to Develop Blue Ridge Regional Airport

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Efforts Build Upon Successful Pilot Programs in MA, Support State and Local Implementation of Fare-Free Public Transit

Press Conference Photos

BOSTON – Yesterday, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), with the partnership of Mayor Michelle Wu, announced their continued efforts to implement fare-free public transportation in Boston and across the Commonwealth. Following a trip on the 28 bus line – a fare-free route being piloted by the City of Boston – where they spoke with riders about the impact of accessible transit, they highlighted the importance of establishing public transportation as a public good, increasing communities’ connectivity to critical services, and investing in safe, reliable, high-quality public transit systems.

To advance these efforts at the federal level, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey recently reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act, legislation that compliments successful fare-free pilot programs in Boston in collaboration with Mayor Wu and with leadership from Regional Transit Authorities across the Commonwealth.

“Our transportation systems should reflect the needs of our community – connectivity, accessibility, equity, and safety,” said Rep. Pressley. “The success of these fare-free transit pilot programs proves that this investment doesn’t just get our neighbors where they’re going – it addresses severe disparities in financial barriers, reduces emissions, and promotes a more connected community. Fare-free transit – and the Freedom to Move Act’s proposed expansion of these efforts – would give commuters the opportunity to traverse their community without having to worry about cost. I’m proud to work with Senator Markey, Mayor Wu, and transit equity advocates to make this a reality across the Commonwealth and our country.”

“My ride on the 28 bus was quick, easy, and, most importantly, free,” said Senator Markey. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Wu, the Healey administration, and our Regional Transit Authorities, Massachusetts is showing the nation that fare free transit boosts ridership, lowers costs, and advances racial and economic justice. I am proud to partner with Congresswoman Pressley to build on this progress with the introduction of our Freedom to Move Act, which will give communities the resources to make public transportation free and equitable while helping to address the existential challenge of our time, climate change. As I saw firsthand today, fare free is worry free. It’s time for Congress to hop aboard this express route to a brighter, greener, and more affordable future.”

“Fare-free transit in Boston shows what’s possible when we prioritize investing in our communities and ensuring our public transportation system puts our residents and families first,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As fare-free transportation continues to have tremendous success in cities and towns across the state, it’s clear that making routes fare-free increases ridership, improves service reliability, and supports our regional economy. I’m grateful to Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley for their leadership and continued advocacy to ensure we build on our progress. We will continue to partner with community members to improve our efforts here in Boston and look forward to working closely with other municipalities statewide to expand access and better connect our communities.”

Full text of the Freedom to Move Act is available here.

Low-income families have faced the biggest financial burden by spending nearly 30 percent of their household income on transportation expenses. Traffic congestion has also worsened greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, exacerbating climate change and contributing to health disparities like asthma and lung cancer in marginalized communities.

Increasing access to free, safe, reliable, and accessible public transit systems will help improve community livability and mobility, increase connectivity to critical services—particularly for low-income workers and families, people of color, students, seniors, and people with disabilities—and address many of our nation’s most severe inequities.

The Freedom to Move Act would support state and local efforts to promote public transportation as a public good for all by:

• Establishing a $5 billion competitive grant program per year to support state and local efforts to implement fare-free public transportation systems;
• Investing in efforts to improve the safety and quality of public transportation services, particularly in low-income and historically underserved communities; and
• Ensuring grantees use funds to address and close equity gaps in current transit systems.

Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey originally introduced the Freedom to Move Act in June 2020. Following the bill’s introduction, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley, and then-Councilor Michelle Wu published an op-ed that discussed the bill and the need to fund public transportation as a public good.

In July 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act that included a fare-free pilot program modeled after the two lawmakers’ Freedom to Move Act.

In March 2021, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act.

In August 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey called on the MBTA to make the entire T fare-free for the duration of the Orange Line’s shutdown.

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