MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse sent a letter to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Paul Atkins, calling for the agency to conduct oversight on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s alleged recent utilization of no-bid contracts. 

Since the implementation of Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, ICE has reportedly cited “compelling urgency” for thousands more detention beds as the reason for entering deals with private prison firms without seeking competitive bids. But public reporting on these deals suggests that on more than one occasion this process has allowed for the direct awarding of contracts to politically connected corporations, making it imperative that the SEC conduct appropriate oversight to ensure the American public is protected from potential bad actors. 

Neguse’s letter was co-led by Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Integrity, Security, and Enforcement; Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee; and Bennie Thompson, Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Committee. 

“As the Trump Administration has continued to solicit publicly traded companies to operate detention facilities for immigration enforcement—contracts worth tens of millions of dollars—we, the undersigned, believe that there is an increased need for close oversight by the SEC, in addition to other government accountability measures. Specifically, we believe that it is imperative for the SEC to adequately oversee the timely and accurate disclosure of material information from these companies. Given the speed and opaque nature of these contracts, there is a heightened need to monitor and oversee the release of material information related to these no-bid contracts,” wrote the Members of Congress. 

The lawmakers also pointed out that this responsibility has fallen upon the SEC, after the Trump Administration undermined the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s ability to police itself, gutting congressionally required support for watchdog offices and restricting Members of Congress from conducting oversight at detention facilities. 

“It is your duty to uphold the mission of the SEC: protecting and facilitating a fair and efficient markets for investors. We request you to defend that charge and in so doing, consider whether to investigate publicly traded private immigration detention facilities,” concluded the Members of Congress. 

This letter is the latest in a series of efforts championed by Democratic lawmakers pushing back against the administration’s aggressive and inhumane tactics to deport migrants. 

Click HERE to read the full letter. 

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

Today, Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), the most senior Jewish member of the House of Representatives, delivered the following remarks at the Jews Cry Out: Let Food into Gaza Rally in New York: 

“Thank you to my Rabbi, Rabbi Roly Matalon, for that kind introduction.

Before I begin, I want to recognize all of the New York elected officials, Rabbis, Jewish organizational leaders, and other here with us. Thank you for being here.

I am honored to join you today to echo three key messages that we must demand from the Israeli government and our own government immediately: we must demand they bring the hostages home; we must demand they end the war in Gaza; and we must demand they surge humanitarian assistance to the starving people of Gaza.

As all of us know too well, October 7th was the bloodiest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust. For many of us, time stopped on that day and will not resume until every hostage returns home from brutal Hamas captivity.

I am outraged that Prime Minister Netanyahu has continued to play politics with his own citizens’ lives. Whether by sabotaging hostage negotiations or dragging out Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to prevent a long-awaited ceasefire—Netanyahu has consistently placed his own political future above the wellbeing of the hostages and innocent civilians.

Last month, Brigadier General Asaf Agmon and Colonel Uri Arad, two former Israeli Air Force pilots, published an open letter in which they wrote, that “as the war in Gaza dragged on, it became clear that it was losing its strategic and security purposes and instead served primarily the political and personal interests of the government.”

As these former military leaders suggest, Netanyahu’s ever-changing definition of victory will never be achieved, and defeating Hamas is no longer the actual objective. In fact, 9 months ago, then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzel Halevi said that Israel had already achieved all of its military objectives and that time was ripe for an agreement to end the war. We should no longer entertain Netanyahu’s ever-shifting goalposts and constant gaslighting of the public.

Let’s be clear: the main obstacle to ending the war and bringing the hostages home is the pathologically narcissistic, monomaniacal politics of one man: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Just four months ago, the Israel Democracy Institute conducted a poll that showed nearly 75% of Israelis believe that Netanyahu should resign. The Israeli public no longer has faith in their leader, and while, as Americans, we do not vote in Israeli elections, Prime Minister Netanyahu has been clear on many occasions that he believes he represents the entire Jewish world. So, as a Jew, I say clearly that I believe that Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst leader in Jewish history since the Maccabean king who open the gates of Jerusalem to the Romans almost 2100 years ago.

In the past days and weeks, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s reign has brought horrific new images to our screens. Scenes of hunger and devastation, famine and drought, displacement and disease, ruin and despair have consumed mainstream media, feeding into our 24-hour news cycle—and all of it presented as if it is breaking news.

Like many of us, I have been heartened by the scores of new voices who have spoken out as a result of this renewed focus. But let us be clear: the Gazan civilian pain, suffering, and starvation that we are all witnessing in the press is not new. Many of us have been speaking out and demanding an increase in humanitarian assistance since the beginning of the war almost 22 months ago. Six months after October 7th, I spoke at a rally not far from here in Manhattan. In my remarks I called for more humanitarian aid to Gaza, and some in our Jewish community booed. But many of us here today knew then what the world is seeing now: that additional aid was vital in the effort to prevent the crisis and disaster the world is witnessing today. We also knew then that a prolonged conflict in Gaza was a recipe for a humanitarian disaster. And today we are witnessing the consequences.

While Prime Minister Netanyahu deserves tremendous blame for the situation today, unfortunately, there is another authoritarian-aspiring leader who has made matters worse: Donald Trump.

The Trump administration’s actions have substantively and significantly exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They have done so by seeking to uproot the admittedly imperfect but nonetheless effective assistance delivery system designed and supervised by the Biden Administration, and implement its own shady and potentially corrupt organization. Trump’s Gaza Humanitarian Fund, or GHF, has been accused of heinous and abhorrent conduct. Earlier this month, two private contractors employed by GHF came forward as whistleblowers to the Associated Press. They detailed the use of live ammunition, stun grenades, and pepper spray regularly fired into crowds of desperate and hungry Palestinians at GHF aid distribution sites, resulting in injuries and deaths.

Last week, a group of over 30 democratic nations issued a statement saying the GHF’s “aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.” The statement cited that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at GHF sites. A UNICEF spokesperson added, “these are not humanitarians, they are people with guns.”

All of this after the Trump State Department rushed $30 million to GHF, waiving nine mandatory counterterrorism and anti-fraud safeguards, and overriding 58 objections from USAID staff. These objections included raising serious concerns about GHF’s lack of experience, weak internal controls, and safety protocols.

I believe in an all-of-the-above approach. If the GHF can massively reform and allay all concerns of corruption, impropriety, bias, and perpetuating violence on the ground, I believe that it can theoretically be part of the assistance efforts in Gaza— but that cannot be at the cost of the well-established NGO and UN channel.

The innocent civilians of Gaza are running out of time. While bureaucrats in Washington, Brussels, Abu Dhabi, and Jerusalem discuss the problem over teleconference in air-conditioned buildings, the people of Gaza are starving.

We have a choice: we can stand up and fight against the prevailing winds further entrenching war and hunger, or we can lay back and feel the breeze pass us by— pretending we can’t hear the screams of millions of innocent Gazan civilians between the rustles of the trees.

I pray that we all make the right choice.

Jewish tradition is clear about the importance of feeding the hungry among us. Pirkei Avot 3:17 teaches us, .אִ ם אֵ ין קֶמַ ח, אֵ ין תּוֹרָ ה. אִ ם אֵ ין תּוֹרָ ה, אֵ ין קֶמַ ח. If there is no sustenance, there is no Torah. If there is no Torah, there is no sustenance.

Let us ensure that those all over the world, and especially those living under Jewish dominion, live a life where they need-not struggle to be full of sustenance, so that we all may live a life full of Torah.

Thank you.”

Representative Nadler’s full remarks at the Jews Cry Out: Let Food into Gaza Rally in New York can be watched here and read here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today sent a letter to Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy expressing concern and requesting answers about new detections of dioxane spreading from the Gelman plume. 

“Recent sampling by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Washtenaw County Health Department (WCHD) raises concern that the plume may be continuing to spread, now contaminating at least 52 residential drinking water wells, including six new detections in 2025,” Dingell writes. “These new detections bring the contamination closer to the Huron River and Barton Pond, which provide drinking water to Ann Arbor.”

“Out of 117 private wells tested this year, 47 showed detectable levels of dioxane, indicating the contamination is more widespread than previously understood,” Dingell continues.“Experts have warned that the 4th Amended Consent Judgment has failed to contain the plume, that current cleanup efforts are insufficient, and that Michigan’s cleanup level of 7.2 parts-per-billion (ppb) is not protective.”

“As you know, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed adding the Gelman site to the Superfund National Priorities List in March 2024. However, the site was not included due to a high volume of public comments requiring further review and response,” Dingell concludes. “While I understand the need for thorough consideration, the ongoing spread of this plume into a major urban area’s drinking water supplies demands urgent and coordinated action at the federal, state, and local levels.”

Dingell requested answers to the following questions: 

• What is EGLE’s current assessment of the plume’s location, rate of migration, and risks to private wells, the Huron River, and Barton Pond?
• What actions is EGLE taking to protect residents’ drinking water and monitor further contamination?
• Does EGLE plan to adopt the more sensitive EPA Method 522 (detection limit of 0.12 ppb) in future testing to ensure early detection?
• How will the state improve communication of health risks to residents, given that any detectable level of dioxane is classified by EPA as likely carcinogenic to humans?

View the full text of the letter here. 

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

Lawmakers Urge Company to Return to Table, Respect Workers’ Demands for Fair Wages and Benefits

Text of Letter (PDF)

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), along with Congressmen Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) and Seth Moulton (MA-06), led all House members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation on a letter urging Republic Services to negotiate in good faith and deliver a fair contract for the more than 400 members of Teamsters Local 25 who have been on strike for weeks. As a parent, caregiver, and former service industry worker, Congresswoman Pressley has long been a dedicated champion for workers and organized labor.

In their letter to Republic Services CEO Jon Vander Ark, lawmakers emphasized the vital role these workers play in delivering essential municipal services across the Commonwealth and called on the company to resume negotiations without delay.

“Every community deserves high-quality municipal services, including waste management, but not at the expense of a competitive wage and comprehensive benefits, especially affordable accessible healthcare coverage, that support your workers, their families, and the communities they serve and contribute to on and off the clock,” the lawmakers wrote. “We strongly urge you to return to the bargaining table in good faith and without delay, to negotiate a contract that reflects the dignity of this work, one that ensures fair pay, quality benefits, and a safe workplace.”

The lawmakers expressed concern over the lack of scheduled bargaining sessions and urged the company to return to the table in good faith to secure a contract that includes fair pay, strong benefits, including affordable healthcare and safe working conditions.

“This contract represents an opportunity for Republic Services to acknowledge the vital role your company, through the sweat equity of your employees, plays in our communities and to bring the wages and benefits in line with the industry standards,” the lawmakers wrote. “The workers stand ready to return to work and continue to be the face of your company in the communities that rely on them—but they have spoken with one voice at the table and on the picket line—they demand that dignity and their ability to provide for their families be the foundation of a new contract.”

Joining Representatives Pressley, Lynch and Moulton in sending the letter are Representatives Richard E. Neal (MA-01), James P. McGovern (MA-02), William R. Keating (MA-09), Katherine Clark (MA-05), Lori Trahan (MA-03), and Jake Auchincloss (MA-04).

“Our elected leaders in Massachusetts have stepped-up more than any other state I’ve ever seen, sticking with us and not backing away at any time during this fight for fairness and equity.  All we want, and will not stop until we get it, is to have the Republic employees represented by Local 25 enjoy the same wages and benefits as the employees represented by Local 25 at Capitol and Star currently have.  Republic refuses to treat its employees with dignity and respect. That’s what this strike is all about.  The 400 Local 25 members at Republic are not going back to work until they get what they deserve, no matter how long it takes.” – Teamsters Local 25 President Tom Mari.

A copy of the letter is available here.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

REEDLEY, Calif. – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) visited Adventist Health in Reedley to sound the alarm on the impacts of Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s ‘One Big-Ugly Bill.’ Joined by health care workers and leaders, Costa warned that these cuts would cripple local clinics, overwhelm emergency rooms, and make it harder for everyone, not just those on Medicaid (Medi-Cal), to access basic care.
“Valley families rely on local hospitals like Adventist Health to keep their kids healthy, care for aging parents, and respond in an emergency. I’ve heard directly from doctors and nurses at Adventist Health that they’re already stretched thin,”said Congressman Costa. “Even if you’re not on Medicaid (Medi-Cal), you’ll feel this. When clinics lose funding, emergency rooms get crowded, staffing shortages, and your insurance premiums go up. We need solutions, not devastating cuts that leave our communities behind.
BACKGROUND President Trump and Republicans enacted the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” more like the One Big Ugly Bill. Congressman Costa voted against the law, which slashes more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the largest cuts in U.S. History. 
The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) found that 247,384 people in the San Joaquin Valley, spanning six congressional districts, will be left without Medicaid (Medi-Cal) health coverage.  

District 
# of Medicaid Recipients 
# of People losing Medicaid Coverage 

CA-05
246,709 
27,686 

CA-09 
313,985 
35,236 

CA-13
419,133 
47,036 

CA-20 
260,675 
29,253 

CA-21
456,532 
51,233 

CA-22 
507,388 
56,940 

The American Hospital Associationwarns rural hospitals nationwide stand to lose $50.4 billion in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade. Medicaid payments to hospitals will be reduced by nearly $665 billion, an 18.2% reduction, according to an analysis by Manatt.
On average, rural hospitals are slated to lose 21 cents out of every dollar they receive in Medicaid funding. Total cuts in Medicaid reimbursement for rural hospitals, including both federal and state funds over the ten years covered by the bill, would reach almost $70 billion for hospitals in rural areas. These cuts could result in layoffs, longer emergency room (ER) wait times, reduced services, and higher premiums. 

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

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Virginia Tech, based in Blacksburg, Virginia, a $419,080 grant. This funding supports cancer research into treatments for osteosarcoma. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Osteosarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the bones and mostly affects people between the ages of 10 and 30.

“This HHS grant for more than $419,000 helps Virginia Tech explore treatments for osteosarcoma.”

BACKGROUND

The funds for this grant were made available through the HHS Exploratory/Developmental Grants program. This program encourages the development of new research activities in categorical program areas.

The awarding HHS office of this grant is the National Cancer Institute.

The Virginia Tech Cancer Research Alliance, launched in 2019, consists of talented cancer scientists who seek to introduce novel preventions, diagnostics and therapeutics for a variety of cancers.

Last week, Congressman Griffith announced a separate HHS grant for $414,482 to Virginia Tech for cancer research.

###

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

---

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

Toledo, OH — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to issue a legal decision on whether President Trump’s Department of Energy (DOE) violated key appropriations laws in shifting hundreds of millions of dollars provided for research and development of clean energy sources in the full-year continuing resolution (CR) President Trump signed into law in March and steering those funds to energy sources it favors.

Specifically, Kaptur and Murray requested that GAO look into whether DOE’s spending decisions in fiscal year 2025 violate the Purpose Statute, which dictates that appropriations only be used for the purposes for which the appropriations were provided unless otherwise provided for by law, and the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits federal agencies from spending funds in advance of or in excess of an appropriation made by Congress.

According to recent analysis and internal reporting, the Department of Energy’s spending decision will likely result in the layoffs of more than 3,000 national lab scientists and staff — and will prevent over 50 university awards, over 30 industry awards, over 20 non-profit awards, and several local government awards from being issued.

In making the request, Congresswoman Kaptur and Senator Murray said in a statement:

“In shifting these funds, President Trump is not only defying the law — he is raising working families’ energy bills and undermining America’s energy independence. Shortchanging these energy sources of the future hands an advantage to our global rivals while jacking up Americans’ energy costs. This decision is hurting our national labs, starving our universities of resources to conduct cutting-edge research, and undercutting businesses, local governments, and communities across the country. We are asking GAO to look into whether this decision violates key appropriations laws, and we again call on the Department of Energy to restore the funding levels that were signed into law by President Trump himself.”

In their letter, Kaptur and Murray write: “We are writing to request that GAO issue a legal decision regarding the Department Energy’s (DOE) use of funds in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Specifically, we would like GAO to address whether DOE’s use of funds in several accounts complies with the Purpose Statute and the Antideficiency Act. …. We are concerned that DOE’s actions may not comply with either statute.”

In fiscal year 2024, Congress provided $137 Million for the Department of Energy to support wind energy initiatives and provided $318 Million to support solar energy. The fiscal year 2025 full-year CR that House Republicans wrote and President Trump signed into law continued these fiscal year 2024 funding levels. But in a spend plan made public earlier this month, the Trump administration revealed it is steering hundreds of millions of dollars designated by Congress to support wind and solar energy to other, favored industries — jeopardizing critical progress and ceding ground on key energy solutions of the future — among other harmful cuts. Instead of funding wind energy initiatives at $137 Million, the administration is funding them at $29.8 Million (a 78% cut), and instead of funding solar initiatives at $318 Million, it is funding them at $41.9 Million (an 87% cut).

The full letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. Dodaro:

We are writing to request that GAO issue a legal decision regarding the Department Energy’s (DOE) use of funds in fiscal year (FY) 2025. Specifically, we would like GAO to address whether DOE’s use of funds in several accounts complies with the Purpose Statute and the Antideficiency Act.

For FY 2024, Congress appropriated funds to DOE with direction that the funds be spent in accordance with a table in the explanatory statement accompanying the appropriations act, making the amounts in the table legally binding on DOE. The continuing resolution for FY 2025 maintained this requirement for most DOE appropriations.

DOE’s budget justification for FY 2026 includes a table which shows the FY 2024 and 2025 “enacted” funding levels for various DOE accounts, with subaccounts that correspond to the subaccounts in the FY 2024 explanatory statement. However, the amounts in the “FY 2025 Enacted” column of DOE’s table do not match the amounts Congress provided in the FY 2024 explanatory statement. Specifically, DOE’s table contains deviations in subaccount allocations for the following accounts: “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,” “Nuclear Energy,” “Fossil Energy,” “Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning,” “Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup,” and “Science.” This suggests that DOE’s FY 2025 spending may not be aligned with the congressionally approved spending levels set out in the FY 2024 explanatory statement.

The Purpose Statute provides that “Appropriations shall be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law.” GAO decisions apply the Purpose Statute through a three-part framework: (1) the obligation must bear a reasonable and logical relationship to the appropriation; (2) the obligation must not be prohibited by other law; and (3) the obligation must not be otherwise provided for. Where Congress has directed the expenditure of funds for a particular purpose, the agency may not use the funds for some other purpose, absent statutory authority to do so. Furthermore, the Antideficiency Act prohibits the obligation of funds in excess of available appropriations. GAO decisions describe a nexus between Purpose Statute violations and the Antideficiency Act. We are concerned that DOE’s actions may not comply with either statute.

Therefore, we request that GAO provide a legal decision determining whether DOE’s FY 2025 spending in the identified accounts is in accordance with the FY 2024 explanatory statement, as continued by the full year continuing resolution for FY 2025, and whether DOE has violated the Purpose Statute and the Antideficiency Act.

Sincerely,

 

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) issued the statement below following the Department of Interior’s announcement that Sable Offshore Corp. (Sable) will restart oil production at the Santa Ynez Unit (SYU) off the Gaviota Coast.

“This is a deeply concerning development for Central Coast residents, many of whom vividly remember the devastating impacts of the 1969 Santa Barbara and 2015 Refugio oil spills, from oil-slicked beaches to the piles of dead marine wildlife,” said Rep. Carbajal. “Time and time again, our community has experienced the acute dangers that come with Big Oil’s reckless extraction practices, which jeopardize our coastal ecosystems, public health, and outdoor recreation economy. And let’s be clear: if energy independence were truly the goal, the current Administration would be investing in cleaner—and often more affordable—energy sources like solar and wind, not gutting their federal support. Restarting these rigs only enriches Big Oil, while sacrificing the Central Coast’s environmental and public health. I will continue working with state and local partners to fight back against efforts to expand offshore oil drilling on the Central Coast.”

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

---