RELEASE: REP. RO KHANNA INTRODUCES SIX-POINT RESOLUTION TO REFORM ICE AND INCREASE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

Washington, D.C.–– Today, Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17), introduced the ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution to call on immigration enforcement operations to be transparent, accountable, and consistent with constitutional protections for all people in the United States. 

Recent actions from ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) federal agents, including conducting raids in unmarked vehicles, denying members of Congress access to ICE facilities, and more, have raised serious questions about the protections of due process and civil liberties. 

“These tactics are about avoiding accountability and transparency. We need standards of conduct for ICE agents and to ensure agents cannot trample on civil and human rights. I’m proud to put forth this common sense defense of American values that we should all support,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

“We have had enough of ICE abusing their powers and pushing the limits to continue terrorizing our communities. The ICE Oversight and Reform Resolution affirms the bare minimum expectations for our immigration enforcement officers. This resolution builds upon legislation like my own, the CLEAR ID Act, to further demand ICE officers disclose their identity, wear body cameras, get trained to de-escalate situations all to ensure safer interactions during immigration enforcement operations,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Read the full text of the bill here.

The Oversight and Reform Resolution includes: 

  • DHS will require ICE and CBP personnel to wear body cameras during enforcement operations, preserving footage for oversight.
  • Enforcement personnel cannot conceal their identities, except when an immediate threat to safety exists.
  • Officers must visibly display their name, badge number, and agency affiliation during all public operations.
  • DHS will establish independent civilian oversight boards to review enforcement actions and recommend reforms.
  • All ICE and CBP personnel will be required to undergo mandatory de-escalation training.
  • The Department of Justice will enhance oversight of ICE to strengthen civil rights protections.

Cosponsors: Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). 

The resolution has been endorsed by: Hindus for Human Rights, Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)

Reps. Lofgren, Panetta Lead 33 Colleagues in Opposition to Illegal Federalization of State National Guards

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

WASHINGTON, DC – United States Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), and Jared Huffman (CA-02), today led 33 Democratic colleagues in opposition to illegal federalization of state national guards. 

In a letter to President Donald Trump, the lawmakers argued, “the wresting of control from governors and deployment of troops to address issues reserved for civilian law enforcement inflames tensions, erodes civilian trust in the military, and is against our nation’s principles set forth by our founding fathers.” 

The lawmakers requested that the President “immediately rescind orders to federalize State National Guards, restore the authority to their respective governors, and refrain from invoking the Insurrection Act in circumstances that do not meet its strict legal threshold.” Members concluded, “The strength of our democracy lies in its adherence to constitutional principles and the separation of powers. We urge you to uphold and prioritize the trust and safety of the American people over actions that threaten to undermine the values and principles of our founding fathers.” 

Read the full letter HERE and below.

Dear President Trump,

We write to express our opposition to your Administration’s decision to federalize and deploy state national guards, including 300 troops from the California National Guard. We firmly believe that the deployments are against the law and the spirit of our constitution. The wresting of control from governors and deployment of troops to address issues reserved for civilian law enforcement inflames tensions, erodes civilian trust in the military, and is against our nation’s principles set forth by our founding fathers. 

Having endured British occupations during the American Revolution, the authors of our nation’s constitution were deeply uneasy about soldiers policing Americans on U.S. soil. That sentiment is the basis for Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code which clearly outlines the circumstances under which national guard troops can be federalized. Those circumstances are met only when there is a threat of an invasion by a foreign nation, a rebellion against the Government of the United States, or if the President is unable to execute the laws of the United States using conventional forces.

The facts surrounding the recent deployments of the National Guard to certain cities fail to meet the criteria outlined by Title 10. Protests, criminal disturbances, and peaceful expressions of free speech do not constitute rebellions or unlawful obstructions against a federal authority. Federal judges have affirmed this in multiple cases. On October 9th, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from deploying National Guard units in Illinois, citing unreliable evidence of a rebellion and, earlier this month, a federal judge that you appointed ruled that the deployment of National Guard troops into Portland failed to satisfy the legal basis to federalize the state’s National Guard troops.

In addition, state and local officials from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland have made it clear to your Administration that their local and federal law enforcement agencies are capable of enforcing the laws of the United States without the National Guard. Your deployment of federal troops to American cities without state approval defies legal precedent and, as California has argued, violates Title 10, which requires that the Governor consent to federalizing the National Guard. Further, the Constitution grants states sovereign rights to refuse troop movement in and out of their states. Deploying the National Guard against the will of state governments threatens the Tenth Amendment and state sovereignty, setting a dangerous precedent of federal government overreach.

The deployments of the national guard also risk violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which applies to the National Guard when acting under its Title 10 authorities.  The act, passed in 1878, bars soldiers from carrying out direct police work and makes the use of military force against civilians, except in very limited circumstances, a criminal offense. On September 2nd, 2025, a federal court ruled that the deployment and use of the national guard to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act. As such, we believe that the deployments of the National Guard lack clear legal basis and, without the invocation of the Insurrection Act, are in violation of the laws set in place by Congress.

The use of the National Guard as a show of force without legal justification puts our service members in a compromising position as they navigate conflicting legal and ethical obligations while potentially facing criminal liability for actions taken under federal orders. Such deployments undermine the morale of our troops and erode public confidence in the role of the National Guard as a state-led force trusted by communities, placing service members in situations where they may be perceived as adversaries rather than protectors. For example, the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C. led citizens of the city to believe that the troops were “leveraging fear,” becoming a “wedge between citizens and the military,” and promoting a sense of “shame” among some troops and veterans.  Those types of sentiments can not only destroy morale of the troops but also make it more difficult for the military to recruit and maintain the support of the American public. The unjustified deployments of the National Guard alienate communities, erode the trust by the public towards our service members, and will create long-term damage to the reputation of our military as a protector of democratic values. 

We ask you to immediately rescind orders to federalize State National Guards, restore the authority to their respective governors, and refrain from invoking the Insurrection Act in circumstances that do not meet its strict legal threshold. The strength of our democracy lies in its adherence to constitutional principles and the separation of powers. We urge you to uphold and prioritize the trust and safety of the American people over actions that threaten to undermine the values and principles of our founding fathers.

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Ranking Member Lofgren Congratulates 2025 Nobel Prize Winners

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

WASHINGTON, DC – This week, the Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry were announced. These awards honor the extraordinary accomplishments and innovations of their recipients. Each year, thousands of nominators submit candidates for the Nobel Prize, and Laureates are announced in October.

“The Nobel Prize is a powerful representation of achievement and progress,” said Ranking Member Lofgren (D-CA). “I extend my sincere congratulations to this year’s laureates. I’m very proud to see so many U.S.-based laureates, and I’m especially proud that many of them are affiliated with California-based research institutions. But it begs the question, as the Trump administration continues to work to destroy American leadership in science and innovation, will we continue to have such robust representation in the Nobel Prize in the future? The impactful contributions of each winner underscores the vital importance of sustained federal investment in science. We must continue to fight for support for research that will ensure innovations and discoveries are made here at home, inspiring the next generation of scientists.”

The 2025 Nobel Prizes in STEM fields are as follows:

  • Nobel Prize in Medicine – Awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi
  • Nobel Prize in Physics – Awarded to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis
  • Nobel Prize in Chemistry – Awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M. Yaghi

Rep. Calvert Reintroduces Bill to Enhance Defense Department Support for Small Business Innovation Research Programs

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) reintroduced the DOD Entrepreneurial Innovation Act, H.R. 5726, that would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify promising Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs for inclusion in future budgets and plans. This requirement will bring transparency and awareness to entrepreneurial innovation projects. The legislation requires the Service Secretary to pick the top five SBIR/STTR programs that would provide new technologies or processes, future cost savings, or advance the national security capabilities of the United States.

“To support America’s national security mission we need to leverage America’s technological superiority into an advantage on the battlefield,” said Rep. Calvert. “The DOD Entrepreneurial Innovation Act will help the Defense Department nurture and realize the potential of our technological innovations. I will continue to be a champion of the SBIR and STTR programs because small businesses and entrepreneurs are the drivers of innovation in the defense sector and beyond.”

SBIR and STTR programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in federal research/research and development with the potential for commercialization. By including qualified small businesses in the nation’s R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated, and the United States gains an entrepreneurial advantage as it meets its specific research and development needs, with the ultimate goal of fielding capabilities more quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately, the DoD fails to properly engage and grow successful SBIR programs.  Too often, companies make it through Phase I and Phase II, but are never integrated into a program to grow and scale the innovation.  Even when the DoD identifies a promising SBIR, due to inherent conflicts within the organization, there is no incentive to stay with the small business and commercialize, despite preferences written in the SBIR law. This failure to grow and scale innovation through the SBIR program is negatively impacting our ability to maintain and grow, superiority on land, sea, air, cyber, and space.

The Department of Defense’s constantly shifting priorities jeopardize our ability to win the long-term competition with China. Congress has and continues to provide the Department with the tools needed to achieve military superiority. The Department’s top innovation priority should be rapidly capitalizing on advanced technologies generated in the private sector. Rep. Calvert’s legislation will enable them to do just that.

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters Introduces Head Start Shutdown Protection Act on Day 17 of the Trump-Republican Shutdown

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (43rd District of California)

Bill would help protect children and families in the Head Start program from the devastating impacts of the government shutdown

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Ranking Member of the Committee on Financial Services and a former Head Start teacher, introduced the Head Start Shutdown Protection Act in the House of Representatives today.  

“I introduced the Head Start Shutdown Protection Act in order to protect children and families in the Head Start program from the devastating impacts of the Trump-Republican shutdown, which is now in its 17th day,” said Congresswoman Waters. “The Head Start Shutdown Protection Act will require the federal government to reimburse states, local governments, and school districts that use their own funds to continue the operations of Head Start programs in their communities and enable Head Start grant recipients to remain open and continue to serve the children and families who depend on them.” 

Head Start supports early childhood education and school readiness for our nation’s most vulnerable children. Head Start serves low-income children from birth to age five, including those living in poverty, in foster care, and experiencing homelessness. Head Start grant recipients provide quality education, health, and nutrition services to these children as well as parenting, employment, and educational support to their parents. 

 “As a former Head Start teacher, I know that Head Start provides a strong foundation for vulnerable young children, setting them up for academic success and a lifetime of learning,” said Congresswoman Waters. “We cannot allow the government shutdown to disrupt their education, their families, and their potential for success.”

The National Head Start Association reported that six Head Start programs serving 6,525 children are already operating without federal funding, drawing on emergency local resources to stay open. By November 1, 2025, the shutdown will affect 134 additional Head Start programs across 41 states and Puerto Rico, serving 58,627 children, threatening the programs with closure. 

Previous government shutdowns have caused some local Head Start grant recipients to close temporarily, suspending programs and services with little or no warning to the affected families. During the October 2013 shutdown, the Office of Management and Budget reported that six Head Start grant recipients serving nearly 6,300 children were temporarily closed for several days, until their states or philanthropists provided funds for them to reopen. Furthermore, a White House press release about a possible October 2023 shutdown estimated that “10,000 children across the country would immediately lose access to Head Start … with the impacts only growing worse over time.” 

“Vulnerable children and families and the dedicated Head Start teachers and staff who serve them should not have to suffer because of a government shutdown that is beyond their control,” said Congresswoman Waters. “I introduced this bill to ensure that Head Start grant recipients will be able to remain open and continue to serve the children and families who depend on them.” 

The Head Start Shutdown Protection Act is cosponsored by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Andre’ Carson (IN-07), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Angie Craig (MN-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (AL-02), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). 

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Foster to Donate Paycheck to Northern Illinois Food Bank During Shutdown

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) announced that he will once again donate his Congressional pay earned during the government shutdown to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Foster also donated his paycheck to the food bank during previous Republican Shutdowns in 2013 and 2019.

“It is unacceptable that federal employees are going without a paycheck, health insurance costs are skyrocketing, and families are seeing SNAP benefits threatened, while House Republicans stay out on vacation and refuse to come back to Washington and negotiate a bipartisan funding bill,” said Foster. “Republicans control the House, Senate, and the White House, and they remain totally committed to cutting health care and children’s food assistance to preserve tax cuts for their billionaire donors. Until they do their job and work with Democrats to protect vulnerable families and reopen the government, I will be donating my Congressional pay to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.”

Earlier this year, Republicans passed a budget bill that put 360,000 people in Illinois at risk of losing their SNAP benefits—the largest cut to food assistance in U.S. history. A prolonged government shutdown could further threaten SNAP funding, putting even more families in jeopardy.

The Northern Illinois Food Bank is a non-profit organization focused on providing food to those in need across northern Illinois.

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Foster, Kean Demand Action on Foreign Bots Encouraging Political Violence

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) announced that they sent a letter calling on social media platforms to combat foreign bot farms spreading disinformation and encouraging political violence. 

“The recent rise in political violence poses a serious threat to American democracy,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “The Justice Department has found that foreign adversaries are using online bot farms to spread disinformation that fuels this violence. At a time when the American public needs to come together, social media platforms must do more to protect Americans from divisive foreign influence.”

 “With the alarming rise of foreign bot accounts spreading disinformation and fueling political division in the United States, we must take decisive steps to address this threat and hold foreign governments accountable,” said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. “It is critical that we understand how our nation’s largest social media companies are detecting, tracking, and mitigating these malicious bots. We cannot allow foreign actors to exploit our online platforms to sow distrust, incite violence, and undermine the foundations of American democracy.” 

This letter was cosigned by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). A full copy of the letter can be found here and below.

Mr. Zuckerberg, Mr. Musk, Mr. Mohan, and Mr. Huffman:  

We write to you as Members of Congress who are concerned about foreign influence operations and escalating political violence in the United States. Efforts by foreign governments to foment unrest, spread disinformation, and interfere with elections pose an unacceptable threat to the normal operation of democracy. As leaders of some of the largest social media platforms operating in the United States, you fill a unique role in combatting these threats. 

These are not new concerns. The Department of Justice has committed significant resources to combat bot farms on social media. In July of 2024, the Department announced that it had disrupted a covert Russian government-operated social media bot farm, which had used elements of artificial intelligence to create fictitious social media profiles. These profiles then promoted messages in support of Russian government objectives. In October of last year, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released an alert on the efforts from foreign threat actors like Iran to spread misinformation in the weeks leading up to the 2024 elections.

Foreign influence operations go beyond specific objectives or election interference. In a press conference following the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said: “There is a tremendous amount of disinformation…we have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence.” At a moment where the American public need to come together to address our shared challenges, foreign governments are actively working to drive Americans apart. We cannot allow these efforts to go unchecked. 

To that end, we ask for your responses to the following questions within 30 days, by November 10, 2025:

  1. What is the prevalence of likely bot accounts on your platforms, in terms of percentage of overall accounts, percentage of content creation, and percentage of content interaction? How does your platform detect these likely bot accounts?
  2. Of those accounts, what is the breakdown of accounts operated domestically and internationally?
  3. How many of the identified bot accounts originating internationally create or interact with explicitly political content?
  4. What tools do you use to identify the nature of bot accounts and their countries of origin?
  5. What strategies do you currently have in place to prevent malicious attempts by foreign governments to sow discord in the American public?
  6. What steps are you taking to ensure your content recommendation and advertising algorithms do not inadvertently amplify disinformation or content created by foreign influence operations?
  7. Do you have internal metrics for measuring the effectiveness of your counter disinformation efforts, and if so, will you commit to sharing those metrics with Congress?
  8. How does your company coordinate with the FBI, CISA, DOJ, and other relevant agencies when you detect foreign interference operations carried out by bot accounts? 

Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. We look forward to your prompt response.

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Scalise: Hardworking Americans Paying the Price for Schumer’s Shutdown

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) to discuss the radical shift in the Democrat party and Chuck Schumer’s efforts to appease extreme leftists by holding the government hostage. Leader Scalise emphasized the pain Democrats’ shutdown is imposing, pointing to local food banks in Southeast Louisiana that are struggling under growing demand as federal employees miss paychecks.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
On the radical direction of the Democrat party:“Chairman Rogers just laid out some of the dire consequences that are happening today because Chuck Schumer decided to shut down the government. A lot of people ask, ‘What’s the off-ramp?’ Especially, they ask, what changed in Chuck Schumer from just a few months ago, back in March, when Chuck Schumer voted for these very same funding levels? Chuck Schumer himself voted for these funding levels in March, and today he’s shutting the entire government down, jeopardizing America’s national security over those same levels. And so, what changed?“I think you don’t need to look any further than what you saw on the stage in New York last night, a debate between the leading candidates for mayor of New York to see how far Chuck Schumer’s party has moved to the socialist left. When you see Mamdani, who’s the leading candidate, and by all accounts, is going to win going away for mayor of New York, has taken over the Democrat Party in the state of New York. And his main opponent on that stage – there is no bench in the Democrat Party – it was disgraced former Governor Cuomo, who was run out of office for, among other things, instituting policies during COVID that led to the death of thousands of senior citizens. That’s the best that the Democrat Party has to offer in the city of New York.”On Chuck Schumer placating his far-left base for political gain:“So, Chuck Schumer is watching all of this and recognizing that from March till today, his own party has moved so far in the socialist left that he’s now afraid for his own political future. And to try to hold on and grasp one last ounce of power for himself, he’s willing to jeopardize millions of American families. And that is who is paying the consequence for Chuck Schumer’s actions, for the tantrum that he’s having.“He is more concerned, as the Speaker pointed out, at impressing the Hate America rally crowd that’s coming up here tomorrow than he is about solving all of our problems. If he voted today to open up the government, it wouldn’t solve our differences. We all know we have big differences. We have three appropriations bills that are in a conference committee that, frankly, Republicans and Democrats on those committees had already worked out the differences. It was Chuck Schumer who walked away back then a few weeks ago and decided then he was going to shut the government down. Not because we had really big differences on those policies, but because he needed to appease the radical base that had taken over his own party.”On federal employees missing paychecks:“Maybe as Chuck Schumer starts realizing the consequences of his actions, and maybe it’s the people that are holding Chuck Schumer hostage that we need to make an appeal to, to release Chuck Schumer so he can release the American people. But over and over again, we’re going to keep talking about the damage that Chuck Schumer’s actions in shutting down the government are causing on real people. Our men and women in uniform, yes, President Trump was able to stave off for a few more weeks by finding money to pay for them. But as Chairman Rogers pointed out, that account’s about to go dry. But there are other federal employees that were not able to get paid just in this most recent pay schedule.”On the Democrat shutdown’s impact on Southeast Louisiana:“My local media outlet, WWL-TV, just did a story today that went live about the consequences to those federal employees. We’re talking about thousands of people just in Southeast Louisiana. Maybe Chuck Schumer doesn’t care about those people, but his party is causing pain through a lot of corners of this country. I want to read a quote from the director of the food bank in the New Orleans area. He said, ‘Demand is up, supply is down, and now we’re getting hammered by the fallout from the government shutdown as more and more people who may have been expecting to get that paycheck to buy groceries, so now they’ll come to us or one of our 500 partners to get food assistance.’ That was the Chief Strategy Officer of Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans, just representing one area of the country where thousands of federal workers can’t even afford to buy groceries and are going to a local food bank so that Chuck Schumer can appease the most radical socialists in his party. This is affecting real people.“There’s a bill that, again, doesn’t solve all of our differences, but just allows those people to be freed so that they can get back to work, they can get their paychecks, they can provide food for their family while we negotiate those differences for another few weeks. It’s time for Chuck Schumer to end this madness. There’s a bill to open the government. Let’s go solve our differences, negotiate our differences. But in the meantime, stop holding the American people hostage, Chuck Schumer.”

Scalise: Democrats Jeopardizing American Safety Over Personal Politics

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.) to discuss the negative consequences of the Democrat Shutdown, including how it jeopardizes our homeland security. Leader Scalise emphasized that Chuck Schumer needs to stop placating his radical base in fear of AOC and prioritize Americans’ safety instead.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks.
On the Democrat shutdown’s impact on homeland security:“Well, you just heard a very stark, grim reality from Chairman Garbarino of what Chuck Schumer’s shutdown is doing to our nation’s ability to protect the homeland. The Department of Homeland Security is one of the most critical in terms of our ability to keep Americans safe here at home. They’re doing incredible work. Fortunately, like Chairman Garbarino said, 95% of the employees are deemed essential, but they’re on the job, not getting paid. But beyond that, he also pointed out, grants are not going out. The sharing of information on things like cybersecurity is not happening. These are really devastating consequences of Chuck Schumer’s shutdown.”On Chuck Schumer prioritizing his political future over the needs of hardworking Americans:  “Nobody on the Democrat side can still articulate the reason why they’re doing it beyond the obvious: The obvious reason is Chuck Schumer being scared for his political future. Scared from who? From AOC. Last night, as the Speaker mentioned, we saw two of the Democrat Party leaders, Bernie Sanders and AOC, at a forum, town hall, whatever you want to call it on CNN. They were laughing, they were guffawing like it’s some game. In fact, when AOC was pressed to say, ‘What is it that you all are shutting the government down over?’ She couldn’t even give an articulate answer. This is what she said, ‘I think we need to see ink on paper. I think we need to see legislation. I think we need to see these things passed on the floor of the House and Senate and signed by the President.’ Can anybody tell me what she’s talking about? “I mean, they filed an alternative bill that everybody knows is not serious, a $1.5 trillion in new spending to do, among other things, to gut the rural hospital fund, the $50 billion that we put in place, the largest investment in rural hospitals in our country’s history. They want to gut that to give free health care to illegals? That’s not going to happen, and that’s not a serious proposal. But in fact, when you get back to the heart of the question, and that is Chuck Schumer fighting for his political life in New York. They did ask AOC that question, ‘Are you going to primary Chuck Schumer?’ She laughed, and Bernie tried to bail her out of the question, but ultimately, she wouldn’t give a direct response to that because that’s really what this shutdown is about, is Chuck Schumer afraid of the AOC wing of the party primarying and beating him in New York. And so he’s just concerned about his political future, and he’s willing to jeopardize the lives of the American people, to jeopardize our homeland security abilities that Chairman Garbarino talked about.”On the need for Senate Democrats to reopen the government: “These are serious consequences to real people – men and women in uniform, our federal workers that are not getting paid. All for what? For the gibberish you heard last night? They cannot articulate even what they want. We presented a clean CR that Chuck Schumer himself voted for in March. Very straightforward bill to fund the government and open it up, just to give us more time to negotiate our differences, very big differences that we have on policy, but we can’t even get to those policy negotiations while Chuck Schumer is shutting down the government. “Senator Thune is doing a great job of trying to find a way to keep bringing the bills back up until one day, just five more senators on the Democrat side come to their senses and say they’re willing to get the government back open so we can resume those negotiations. We stand ready. We’ve done our job in the House and we’re ready to get back to work. There’s a lot of work stacking up. But while Chuck Schumer keeps the government shut down, it’s hurting millions of real families across America.”

Scalise: Democrats’ Shutdown Causing Real Harm on Real Americans

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and House Main Street Caucus leadership to discuss American families suffering as a result of Democrats holding the government hostage over their partisan demands. Leader Scalise praised President Trump for finding a way to pay our troops, as Senate Democrats voted for an eighth time to withhold paychecks for our men and men in uniform.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
Excerpts from Leader Scalise’s remarks:On Democrats’ opposition to paying our troops:“I want to say thank you to the over one million men and women in uniform who continue to serve right now, despite the uncertainty – that uncertainty that does not need to exist. And why? Because Chuck Schumer is more afraid of the radical leftists in his own party than he is concerned about making sure that those families don’t have to wonder about whether or not they’re going to be able to put food on the table. Their families, while they’re overseas, many of them, are going to be able to put food on the table during this Schumer shutdown. “Keep in mind, over one-third of all men and women who serve in uniform right now, over one-third of them live paycheck to paycheck. That means when Chuck Schumer is voting to deny them pay, many of them will not be able to make their rent payment or their mortgage payment. Many of them will not be able to make their car note payment. The stress that that adds to their lives unnecessarily should not happen, did not need to happen.”On the need for Senate Democrats to reopen the government:  “This House came together. I’m so proud of the men and women I serve with in Congress here in the House, where we did our job, weeks ago, we sent a bill over to the Senate. That doesn’t resolve all of our differences. People often say, ‘Gee whiz, why can’t Washington just get together? Which side is going to win this thing?’ It’s not about which side wins. It’s about stopping the American people from being the losers in Chuck Schumer’s fight while we go negotiate our differences. We have big differences we need to negotiate. The clean CR that we passed over to the Senate does not resolve those differences. It just gives us some more time to have that negotiation.”On Democrats’ wishlist of radical partisan demands:  “How big are those differences? Just look at the wishlist, the hostage list that Chuck Schumer filed weeks ago. His demands that he said have to be met before he’ll even open up the government again – $1.5 trillion in new, unrelated spending, Chuck Schumer demanded, including, yes, eliminating all the verifications so that illegals will get taxpayer-funded health care. That’s in Chuck Schumer’s bill. Chuck Schumer guts the $50 billion rural hospital fund to give taxpayer-funded health benefits to illegals in his hostage demands. That’s not going to happen. When are we going to have a rational conversation? When are Democrats going to actually become serious in this discussion?”On the contrast between Democrats and President Trump:  “In contrast again, just look at what happened yesterday. Some of us were at the White House at just an amazingly emotional ceremony where President Trump posthumously, unfortunately, issued the Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk, and his incredibly brave widow, Erika, was there to receive it on his behalf and gave another emotionally powerful speech. This comes on the heels of President Trump returning from the Middle East, where he was in Israel, he was in Egypt, working with other world leaders to establish historic Middle East peace. “President Trump has been doing all those things, and in the middle of doing all of those things, he had to go find time to figure out, creatively, a way to pay our troops, even though Chuck Schumer wants to defund our troops. Yes, the party, the Democrats, that were for and continue to be for defunding our police, now want to defund our military troops by not paying them, by not opening up the government. The votes are clear. Nobody has to wonder which side is for shutting down the government, which side is for trying to deny troops their pay. “We had yet another vote, the eighth time on the Senate floor yesterday. While we were at the White House, the Senate was having that vote on whether or not to open up the government. You saw Democrats continued, led by Chuck Schumer, to shut down the government and deny troop pay. It’s embarrassing. It’s not just unserious, it’s having devastating consequences on millions of Americans around this country, and it doesn’t need to happen.”