MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (VA-8), Steny Hoyer (MD-5), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Jennifer McClellan (VA-4), Glenn Ivey (MD-4), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Sarah Elfreth (MD-3), Eugene Vindman (VA-7), and April McClain Delaney (MD-6) today issued the following statement on President Trump’s announcement that he would temporarily federalize the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the National Guard in the District of Columbia:

“Donald Trump has personally incited more crime in Washington D.C. than perhaps anyone else living. He pardoned the violent criminals who attacked our Capitol on January 6^th and put them back in American communities. He even made a man who was filmed urging the crowd to kill D.C. police officers a senior adviser at the Justice Department.

“Trump’s “temporary” takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department is not intended to prevent crime, it is a soft launch of authoritarianism. Trump has a longstanding pattern of seeking showy displays of power. As he has shown repeatedly, Trump is working to serve himself and is not concerned with keeping American families safe in cities and towns across our country.

“Inflicting new bureaucracy on the Metropolitan Police Department and clouding their work with heavily politicized National Guard deployments is not a solution to crime. By taking law enforcement away from vital missions for this stunt, for instance pulling counterterrorism officers away from their mission and DEA agents away from fentanyl interdiction, Trump’s misuse of federal police harms crime prevention efforts across the country.

“Crime in our nation’s capital is at historic lows today, but still too high for those who are victimized. We want to build on recent crime-fighting successes in ways that respect, protect, and empower Washingtonians. The President’s announcement this morning is an unserious and unacceptable publicity stunt. If he wants to reduce crime in the District of Columbia, he should focus on getting his Republican allies in Congress to restore the funding they arbitrarily stripped out of the city’s budget, which risks cuts to law enforcement and other public safety measures.”

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

Last week, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) hosted a roundtable with seven Northwest Washington state community members about how the Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ Big Ugly Law will impact their families. You can watch a recording of the roundtable HERE.

“We’re talking about friends and neighbors who will be losing health care, not other people,” said Rep. Larsen in his opening remarks. “This treatment is not accidental. This law will hurt working families.”

“With the Medicaid cuts in the Big Ugly Bill, where are these unfortunate, disabled people, unable to care for themselves, supposed to go?” said Jeannie Dowd, a Mukilteo resident. “The facilities continue to close and only get worse with this horrendous bill. Not only is this terrible for them, but their families suffer too. We all want the best for our family members and sometimes they need more care than we can provide. We need more places to take care of them, not less.” Jeannie Dowd was invited to attend the roundtable after reaching out to Rep. Larsen’s office in April to share her experience as a caretaker for her brother after he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

“This ruse of weeding out waste, fraud and abuse is just a smokescreen,” said Courtney Criss, a Leadership and Advocacy Manager at Arc of Snohomish County. “It’s not a thing! It is so hard to be eligible for DDA and Medicaid. I don’t know how you could fraud the system, honestly.” Courtney Criss was invited to attend the roundtable after meeting Rep. Larsen when he visited the Arc of Snohomish County in March. She is the mother to four children, two of whom have Down syndrome.

Kathryn Sutton, a self-employed Bellingham resident, spoke about the Big Ugly Law failing to extend the premium tax credit (PTC), which reduces the cost of insurance plans purchased from the marketplace: “[My husband and I] have been fiscally conservative all our life. We don’t have any debt. We are working hard to get our kids through college. And to be in a position I can’t even afford basic insurance… it’s frustrating.” Kathryn Sutton was invited to attend the roundtable after sharing her concerns via Rep. Larsen’s ‘share your story’ webpage. In her submission to the ‘share your story’ webpage, she said: “And why are we in this position? So Jeff Bezos can get a big tax cut. We need the PTC, and Jeff can give up some of his tax cut to pay for it.”

“Some of my clients… who are they going to fall back on? Some of them don’t have family. Some of them don’t have community. They tell me ‘if I don’t come to my appointment, if something happens to me, you’re the only person on the planet who will know…’” said Sandra Carrier, an Everett resident and psychiatric nurse practitioner in private practice who treats patients with Medicaid. “Because of this law, my ability to provide for my family in the practice structure that I chose is going to potentially be removed from me. At my age, with my growing disabilities, what am I going to do?” Sandra Carrier was invited to attend the roundtable after sharing her concerns via Rep. Larsen’s ‘share your story’ webpage.

“This is truly trickle down. Trickle down is pain. It’s not economics, it’s pain,” said Rep. Larsen. “Knowing these messages are people, they’re not just messages, they are from people… It will help me make the case as we try to rebuild.”

As of today, 670 Northwest Washington state residents have shared how the Big Ugly Law will impact them via Rep. Larsen’s ‘share your story’ webpage. 32.2% of responses are from Snohomish County residents, 27.6% are from Whatcom County residents, 19.4% are from Skagit County residents, 16.6% are from Island County residents, and 4.2% are from San Juan County residents.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

Last night, the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) presented Congressman Bob Latta (OH-5) with the 2025 Distinguished Leadership Award. Congressman Latta currently serves as the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  

USNIC is the leading U.S. business advocate for advanced nuclear energy and promotion of the American supply chain globally. 

“I’m honored to receive the USNIC Distinguished Leadership Award. Ohio plays a vital role in our nation’s energy landscape, from energy production and research to manufacturing and national security. As Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I recognize the importance of increasing nuclear energy production as a part of an all-of-the-above strategy to fully unleash American energy. I remain committed to advancing America’s nuclear energy agenda and supporting the growth of our nation’s nuclear industry,” Latta said.   

“The U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) is proud to present Congressman Bob Latta with the 2025 Distinguished Leadership Award. His strong support for the U.S. civil nuclear industry throughout his legislative career, including his sponsorship of The Nuclear REFUEL Act of 2025, has proven critical for new American nuclear technology to be developed, deployed, and be able to compete globally,” said Todd Abrajano, President and Chief Executive Officer of USNIC.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

PAOLA, KS — Today, Representative Sharice Davids convened a roundtable with leaders from rural hospitals, community health clinics, and other organizations serving rural Kansans to discuss the harmful impact of recent Trump-pushed Medicaid cuts — made to fund tax giveaways for billionaires. With Kansas already having lost several rural hospitals over the past decade, these new cuts threaten to accelerate closures and further limit access to care in rural communities.

 

“Rural hospitals are already stretched thin, and these reckless Medicaid cuts only make it worse,” said Davids. “If we lose a rural hospital, everyone in that community — whether they’re on Medicaid or not — loses access to life-saving care. And these cuts don’t just put lives at risk. They drive up costs for everyone by forcing people to travel farther, wait longer, and delay the care they need. I’ll keep fighting to protect Kansas hospitals and the families who rely on them.”

 

The extreme budget law, signed by President Trump, includes the largest cuts to Medicaid in American history. According to the U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, the new law will strip coverage from 92,937 Kansans, put six rural hospitals across Kansas at risk of closure, restrict reproductive health care, and increase Affordable Care Act premiums by $708 per year for Third District families.

 

Medicaid is a lifeline for rural hospitals, especially in states like Kansas that haven’t expanded coverage. Cuts pushed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans will strip more than $78 million annually from Kansas hospitals, threatening facilities that already serve large numbers of uninsured patients. With Medicaid covering one-fifth of hospital spending, these cuts will increase uncompensated care, worsen overall public health, and could push struggling hospitals past the breaking point — reducing access, worsening outcomes, and forcing Kansans to travel hours for treatment.

“We appreciate Representative Davids’ continued focus on rural health care and her willingness to engage directly with hospitals throughout the district,” said Chad Austin, President and CEO, Kansas Hospital Association. “Her support on issues like 340B, Rural Emergency Hospitals and Medicare Advantage reflects a strong commitment to ensuring hospitals are appropriately supported so we can continue delivering high-quality care in Kansas communities.”

 

“Elizabeth Layton Center appreciates Representative Davids consistent advocacy for the protection of Medicaid benefits for those in need,” said Leslie Bjork, PsyD, LP, Executive Director, Elizabeth Layton Center, Inc. “As the community mental health center serving rurally designated Franklin and Miami Counties, Medicaid is essential in helping the most vulnerable and disabled individuals in our community to access necessary mental and behavioral health care. When people access the healthcare they need, it improves the quality of life for that person and their family and also allows for full functioning within our community. This is a win for everyone!”

 

Participants in today’s roundtable included AdventHealth Ottawa, Anderson County Hospital, Elizabeth Layton Center, Health Partnership Clinic, Heartland Community Health Center, Kansas Hospital Association, and Miami County Medical Center.

 

The harmful provisions in the budget law go far beyond health care. In the Kansas Third District alone, 15,000 households could lose access to emergency nutrition assistance, and local grocery stores — especially in rural communities — may be forced to close. Cuts to clean energy incentives could eliminate up to 10,000 good-paying jobs and increase utility bills by $670 per household. Meanwhile, the law adds $3.3 trillion to the national debt and gives massive tax breaks to billionaires, even as it raises taxes on hardworking families.

 

Throughout her time in Congress, Davids has championed policies to make health care more affordable and accessible. She voted to cap insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare recipients, extend tax credits that help families afford insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and cap annual out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors. She also supported giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices — saving 74,000 Kansans up to 79 percent — and led efforts to ban surprise medical billing and increase transparency from insurers to help patients avoid costly out-of-network care.

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

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Ami Bera (CA-06) led a group of 17 House Democratics in raising concerns about the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) adding new red tape to traditional Medicare that will delay care and worsen health outcomes. This comes on the heels of an announcement a week prior where the administration took a victory lap on reducing prior authorization in Medicare Advantage. In a letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Memet Oz, the lawmakers also ask for more details about how this announcement will be implemented.

In June, HHS announced a plan to begin adding prior authorization requirements to Medicare Fee-for-Service by contracting with private companies, including some of the Medicare Advantage plans that use the practice to delay and deny care. The proposal would be tested in New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Washington. It would be applied to several services. Days before this announcement, the HHS and CMS touted a non-binding commitment from insurance plans to work to reduce prior authorization in Medicare Advantage.

“The use of prior authorization in Medicare Advantage shows us that, in practice, [this proposal] will likely limit beneficiaries’ access to care, increase burden on our already overburdened health care work force, and create perverse incentives to put profit over patients.” the lawmakers wrote. “The Trump Administration publicly recognized the harm of prior authorization…And yet, not a week after these statements, CMS put forward a new proposal to increase the utilization of prior authorization in a type of health coverage that had seldom used the tactic before, replacing doctor’s medical knowledge with an algorithm designed to maximize care denial in order to increase profits.”

In recent years, HHS revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied. More recently, HHS released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules. The bill focuses on holding Medicare Advantage plans accountable and transparent to the American public.

The letter asks for answers to the following questions about how it’ll be implemented by September 1, 2025:

• What criteria were used to select the six states for this model?
• What services will be subject to prior authorization in each state? Will the model operate on a statewide basis for all services and in all states or will there be variation among states (and if so please describe)?
• How will entities performing prior authorization be selected? What qualifications will be required to ensure that reviewers have appropriate expertise?
• How will patients and providers be educated about the new prior authorization requirements and appeals rights?
• What review of the contracted entities’ algorithms will occur to ensure that inappropriate denials of medically necessary care do not occur?
• What performance metrics will be required for entities performing prior authorization? How quickly must entities issue decisions? Will there be sanctions for participants that to not render decisions timely? Will prior authorization denials count as benefit denials that allow patients to access appeal rights?
• Has CMS studied how prior authorization in Traditional Medicare may increase rates of physician burden and burnout?
• CMS has indicated that model participants will be compensated based on a share of “averted expenditures.” This approach appears to reward participants based on the volume or cost of care they prevent from being delivered or paid, yet past experience from Medicare Advantage and other markets shows that this incentive has often led to inappropriate denials.
• What protections or thresholds will CMS impose to ensure that denials are evidence-based, not volume-driven?

Additional signers of the letter include Representatives Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Danny Davis (IL-07), Don Beyer (VA-08), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Judy Chu (CA-28), Emily Randall (WA-06), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Mary Kaptur (OH-09).

In May, DelBene introduced legislation to help seniors get the care they need when they need it by reforming prior authorization in Medicare Advantage.

The full letter can be found here.

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

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today reintroduced the Supporting Equity for Aquaculture and Seafood (SEAS) Act, a bipartisan bill that would ensure America’s seafood producers receive equal treatment under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs and spark new investment in the aquaculture sector.

The bill is co-led in the House by Representative Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) and will soon be introduced in the Senate by Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), who co-led the bill as a House member in the 118^th Congress. The legislation addresses longstanding disparities in federal support for aquaculture — one of the fastest-growing food sectors in the world.

“Aquaculture has enormous potential to strengthen our food system, reduce our seafood trade deficit, and expand access to safe, sustainable American seafood,” said Pallone. “But for too long, USDA programs have overlooked coastal producers. The SEAS Act fixes that by putting seafood on equal footing with traditional agriculture and making smart investments to help this industry grow.”

“America’s national security is closely tied to our food security. As aquaculture continues to advance with new technologies and techniques, it offers the promise of more affordable, sustainable, and safe seafood for American families. Florida’s aquaculture industry generates over $165 million in annual sales, ranking among the top states nationwide,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I’m proud to work alongside Rep. Pallone in strengthening and supporting USDA’s aquaculture initiatives.”

The United States currently imports up to 85 percent of its seafood – much of it from foreign aquaculture. Despite USDA dietary guidelines recommending Americans eat more seafood, domestic producers often face barriers to accessing federal funding and insurance coverage that are routinely available to land-based agriculture operations.

“Aquaculture in the U.S. is an expanding industry that faces growing pains and the challenges of a highly variable environment, especially with respect to the rapidly changing dynamics of coasts and estuaries. Congressman Pallone’s leadership on this bill will provide additional resources for this industry to thrive, and support the innovation necessary to address key stressors such as disease, increasing water temperature, changes in salinity and range shifts in habitats,” said Mike De Luca, Director of the New Jersey Aquaculture Innovation Center.

“We have to work harder to shrink our seafood deficit and bolster our nation’s own production capabilities. The SEAS Act prioritizes aquaculture and lays out a framework for its future. We are eager to work with Congressman Pallone to strengthen the domestic production of shellfish,” said Matt Gregg, President of the New Jersey Aquaculture Association.

The SEAS Act would:

• Direct USDA to treat aquaculture and seafood producers with the same consideration as livestock and crop farmers for grant and assistance programs.
• Mandates a USDA report to Congress evaluating the Department’s role in supporting aquaculture and detailing USDA spending on seafood-related purchases and program activity.
• Bolsters research into methods of increasing survival rate and adaptability of shellfish and establishes a grant program to develop new, more efficient technologies for the aquaculture industry.
• Expands federal crop insurance to cover aquaculture products.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

Lofgren and Booker Reiterate the Call to Bring Mahmood Habibi Home

SAN JOSE, CA – Today, ahead of the 3^rd anniversary of Mahmood Habibi’s arrest, U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued a statement on their intent to reintroduce a bicameral resolution to reiterate the call to bring Mahmood Habibi home. 

“It is horrendous that Mahmood Habibi is still unlawfully being held by the Taliban. I condemn the Taliban’s actions in capturing and holding Mahmood, and I stand with his family in calling for his immediate release and will continue to do so until he is safely home. I ask anyone with information to come forward to aid in Mahmood’s safe return,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren.

“This Sunday marks three years since Mahmood Habibi, a United States citizen and loving husband and father, was unlawfully arrested by the Taliban,” said Senator Booker. “President Trump and the executive branch must keep working to secure his release and reunite him with his family. I am committed to bringing Mahmood home, and will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to demand the immediate release of every single American wrongfully detained abroad.”

Mahmood’s wife, Zulhija Khan, lives in Soledad, CA – in California’s 18^th Congressional District. His father, Ahmadullah Habibi attended the 2024 State of the Union address as Rep. Lofgren’s guest. In March 2024, Rep. Lofgren introduced a House Resolution demanding Mahmood Habibi’s immediate and unconditional release.

“We are grateful to Rep. Lofgren and Sen. Booker for standing with our family in fighting for my brother’s freedom. He is an innocent U.S. citizen and the Taliban’s denials they arrested him are directly contradicted by witness statements and technical evidence in the possession of the US government,” said Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood’s brother and a resident of New Jersey.

The U.S. State Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently announced a $5 million reward for the location, recovery, and return of Mahmood Habibi under the Rewards for Justice program.

Background

Mahmood Habibi, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in Kabul, Afghanistan by the Taliban’s security service, the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) because the Taliban believed he was involved in the U.S. drone strike that killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri on July 31, 2022. Prior to his abduction, Mahmood worked for a U.S.-based telecommunications company in charge of operating Afghanistan’s civilian airport infrastructure, such as radar and air traffic control. On August 10, 2022, Mahmood and 30 of his colleagues were arrested by the GDI. All those arrested by the GDI were subsequently released, except for Mahmood and one of his colleagues. According to Mahmood’s family, the Taliban continues to make unsubstantiated claims that they are not holding him that are easily contradicted by numerous witness statements and technical evidence in the possession of the US government. His family is confident that Mahmood is alive and remains in Taliban custody.

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

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Oversight Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, and Congressman Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Oversight Committee, launched a formal investigation into Flock Group Inc. over its role in enabling invasive surveillance practices that threaten the privacy, safety, and civil liberties of women, immigrants, and other vulnerable Americans. The investigation follows alarming reports that Flock’s automatic license plate reader (ALPR) system, marketed as a public safety tool, has been exploited by law enforcement to track women across state lines, including into Illinois, following abortion care and to conduct unauthorized immigration enforcement in jurisdictions with sanctuary protections.

“Flock Group Inc. cannot claim to protect public safety while enabling surveillance that undermines reproductive freedom and civil rights,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “When ALPR is used to undermine local public safety laws, it erodes trust and violates the very policies meant to protect our communities. This investigation is about ensuring Americans are not tracked, targeted, or prosecuted simply for exercising their rights.”

The joint letter from Congressmen Krishnamoorthi and Garcia highlights a disturbing case in which a Texas sheriff’s office used Flock’s “National Lookup” tool to search for a woman who accessed reproductive care by entering “had an abortion, search for female.” The search reportedly spanned over 6,800 networks and pulled data from more than 83,000 cameras, including in Illinois and Washington, states where abortion remains legal. One jurisdiction whose data was accessed, the Mount Prospect Police Department in Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s home state of Illinois, later withdrew from the program, calling the search a “misuse” of its systems.

The letter also raises serious concerns about the use of Flock data for immigration enforcement. Recently, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) analyst reportedly accessed Richmond, Virginia’s Flock network to conduct immigration-related queries, despite the city’s explicit policy barring such cooperation with federal agencies. Richmond has since blocked federal access to its Flock data.

Ranking Members Krishnamoorthi and Garcia wrote that these actions represent “a gross misuse and abuse of surveillance technology.” They went on to warn that “individuals cannot choose whether their license plate data is collected and scanned by Flock,” and that this information “becomes accessible to local officials from unrelated jurisdictions across the country.”

The Ranking Members are requesting a full briefing and production of documents from Flock by late July. Specific requests include:

• A full accounting of all National Lookup searches involving the terms “abortion,” “ICE,” or “CBP”
• Contracts or communications between Flock and Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• Internal policies governing data access, justification requirements, and enforcement protocols
• Documentation of any action taken to address misuse or violations of Flock’s “Ethical Creed”

This investigation builds on Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi’s longstanding oversight of data privacy, civil liberties, and post-Roe v. Wade surveillance concerns, and reflects a growing effort to hold technology companies accountable for the real-world consequences of their tools.

The full letter is available here.

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

ROSEMONT, IL – Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) joined American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 31 members, retirees, and community leaders in Rosemont to condemn the Republican budget reconciliation package recently signed into law by President Donald Trump. The event, part of AFSCME’s national August recess tour, highlighted the devastating consequences of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which enacted the largest rollback of health coverage in modern U.S. history. Speaking alongside long-term care workers, Medicaid eligibility and SNAP caseworkers, public health employees, and retired public sector workers, Congressman Krishnamoorthi underscored how the new law will strip coverage from millions, destabilize health infrastructure, and threaten the jobs of frontline caregivers—all while giving permanent tax breaks to billionaires.

“This law doesn’t just kick people off their insurance; it kicks them when they’re down,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “It punishes working parents, seniors, and caregivers to reward the ultra-wealthy. I voted no because health care should be a right, not a bargaining chip for billionaires. I’m proud to stand with AFSCME, a union that never stops fighting for working people and the care they deserve.”

Up to 17 million Americans, including as many as 714,000 Illinoisans, could lose health insurance under the law’s provisions, according to nonpartisan estimates. Harsh new Medicaid work requirements are expected to cause coverage loss even among those who are already working or qualify for exemptions, due to bureaucratic barriers and administrative red tape. Meanwhile, the bill’s changes will increase Medicare out-of-pocket costs for low-income seniors and jeopardize public health services, especially in rural and underserved communities.

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

ST. CHARLES, IL — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) issued the following statement condemning the bomb threat targeting members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus staying in St. Charles, Illinois—located in his congressional district:

“A threat of violence against public officials is an attack on the very foundations of our democracy. I’m grateful no one was harmed and thank law enforcement and Governor Pritzker for their swift response to keep everyone safe. I stand with the Texas lawmakers who are bravely defending free and fair elections in the face of intimidation. In a democracy, we resolve our differences with votes—not violence.”