MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Grace Meng (D-NY) and Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ranking Members of key Appropriations Subcommittees, as well as Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Co-Chairs of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus (RFC), led 67 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue demanding answers about the ongoing waste and destruction of life-saving, taxpayer-funded contraception and other health supplies.

Last year, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) purchased $9.7 million worth of contraceptive supplies including birth control pills, hormonal implants, shots, and intrauterine devices (IUDs) to be distributed to sub-Saharan African countries. When the Trump Administration shuttered USAID, it dismantled international family planning programs and decided to destroy the nearly $10 million in usable products rather than distribute them. They were scheduled to be incinerated in July 2025 but have been sitting in warehouses in Belgium since that time.

The letter asks the State Department to clarify the quantities and types of supplies currently in storage, and the Department’s plans to transport, distribute, or destroy them. It follows reports from November 12, 2025, detailing that four truckloads of contraceptive commodities remain in storage in Geel, Belgium, and could be immediately distributed to communities in need if the State Department reversed its decision to destroy them. Reports also indicated that an additional twenty truckloads of U.S.-funded health supplies were moved to another facility in Kallo, Belgium, and may have been rendered unusable due to improper storage conditions.

In their letter, the Members of Congress wrote, “The destruction of contraceptives and other medical supplies is an appalling waste of taxpayer dollars and denies people lifesaving health care, part of a troubling pattern the State Department has followed—including the spoiling and subsequent incineration of 500 metric tons of emergency food the administration could have provided to hungry people. The human toll of this Administration’s dismantling of international family planning programs is nothing short of devastating. The American people deserve to know the fate of U.S.-funded medical supplies held in Belgium—the very same types of supplies millions of people across the U.S. rely on every day to ensure their reproductive freedom—and the cost of the State Department’s actions that continue to keep lifesaving supplies from reaching communities in need.”

Estimates suggest that if distributed, the $9.7 million in contraceptive supplies could prevent 362,000 unintended pregnancies, 110,000 unsafe abortions, and prevent 718 more maternal deaths.

“It is appalling that the Trump administration has spent months dodging questions and accountability about their decision to destroy nearly $10 million worth of already-purchased contraception,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “The administration’s actions are a disgraceful attack on essential care and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. Unfortunately, this is entirely in line with the president’s anti-sexual and reproductive health agenda abroad that has already had deadly consequences. We thank Rep. Meng, Frankel, and Meeks for championing the fight to distribute these essential commodities.”

Additionally, this letter echoes concerns raised in correspondence sent to the Acting Inspector General for the U.S. State Department in July, led by Meng, Frankel, and Don Beyer (D-VA), and signed by 80 Members of Congress.

A copy of the letter to Secretary Rubio can be viewed here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump signed into law her bipartisan Trafficking Survivors Relief Act.  This bill provides federal criminal record relief to survivors of human trafficking who committed non-violent offenses as a direct result of their exploitation.

“Traffickers and sexual abusers too often force their victims to commit crimes against their will, leaving these vulnerable individuals with a criminal record that stays with them for life.  This indelible mark perpetuates the cycle of exploitation by making it harder for victims to access critical assistance services or get a job, housing, and education that can help them break away from the abuse.  Our justice system should be helping victims, not making life harder for them, and my Trafficking Survivors Relief Act will right that wrong by providing victims with federal criminal record relief so they can live their lives and find justice.  I have worked on this legislation for years with colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I thank President Trump for taking swift action to sign this into law.”

Congresswoman Wagner was the original sponsor of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act in the 114th, 115th, and 116th Congresses, and has worked with Congressman Russell Fry (R-SC) as a co-lead of this legislation in the 118th and 119th Congresses.   

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement on his vote to pass annual appropriations for the departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, and other related agencies:

“Yesterday I voted to pass several key appropriations bills that provide critical support for our national defense and security, including pay raises for our military, increased funding for counter-narcotic and anti-drug trafficking programs, and necessary investments in our shipyards and defense industrial base to bolster shipbuilding and develop next-generation platforms to keep this country safe. The legislation also delivers vital resources to New Hampshire to lower costs on everything from energy to child care, build new affordable housing, and fund Title X family planning, maternal and child health care, and Head Start. I urge the Senate to take up and pass this legislation and send it to the President to be signed into law.”

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 delivers critical support and resources to New Hampshire, including provisions to:

• Fully fund a 3.8% pay raise for all military personnel;
• Strengthen Department of Defense counter-narcotics support, including a 14% increase to the National Guard Counter-Drug Program;
• Increase funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and ensure HHS maintains sufficient staffing to successfully administer LIHEAP;
• Increase funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant and Head Start;
• Maintain funding for building new affordable housing units, Community Development Block Grants, and key infrastructure investments.

This legislation also includes funding secured through Pappas’s Community Project Funding submissions for projects throughout the First District, including: infrastructure upgrades in Rye, Londonderry, and Hooksett; the construction of over 150 units of housing in Dover and Portsmouth; and recreation improvements in Barrington and Manchester. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of a storm that will bring D.C. a projected 5-10 inches or more of snow this weekend, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reminded D.C. residents that her provision in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill allows sledding on Capitol Hill. Capitol Police confirmed this morning that the Capitol grounds will be open to sledders of all ages. 

“The West Front of the Capitol is widely known as one of the best sledding hills in D.C.’s high-density urban environment,” Norton said. “That is why I get a provision included annually in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill directing the Capitol Police to allow sledding on Capitol grounds. With a major snowfall projected this weekend, children and their parents should be able to enjoy one of the best hills in D.C.”

“Sledding is a simple childhood joy, and in the middle of winter, it is the least we can allow our children.”

Norton got her provision included in the bill after the Capitol Police began prohibiting sledding several years ago.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata delivered her message of seabed concerns to Members of the House Natural Resources Committee (HNR) via a statement in a Thursday hearing, as well as submitted comments for the record, and posed key questions to the witnesses.

Congresswoman Amata is a Member of HNR and two of its subcommittees. As she does not routinely serve on this subcommittee that was holding this hearing on national security and other issues surrounding seabed mining, she joined as a Member of HNR, and stated the issue’s importance to her district.

“I reiterated to the committee the united opposition of myself and the entirety of all American Samoa leadership in our territory’s executive and legislative branches to seabed mining in our waters. I provided the committee with my previous comments to BOEM and I stand by those concerns,” she said. “I appreciate our Committee examining the national security and environmental dynamics, and I further emphasized our cultural issues and responsibilities as well.”

Video HERE of Amata’s statement, and questions to witnesses.

In her questions to witnesses, Amata asked about the idea of profit sharing to American Samoa, either the company or the federal government, following up on possibilities that have been discussed and receiving additional assurances in the response. She also raised concerns about environmental damage and the status of new technologies.

Amata’s statement in the mineral resources hearing

After opening with a thank you to Chairman Stauber and Ranking Member Ansari, the testifying witnesses, and American Samoa’s executive and legislative leadership by name, Amata highlighted her concerns:

“The topic of today’s hearing is one that stands to have a major impact on my district of American Samoa. As has been reiterated several times today, the critical minerals issue is also an issue of national security. With one of the highest rates of military enlistment in the nation and being on the front lines of Chinese encroachment in the Pacific, the people of American Samoa understand security very well. However, I want to highlight for my colleagues and the other interested parties present the potential cultural and economic impact this type of deep-sea activity may have for a small island territory,” Amata stated. “To the indigenous people of American Samoa, the ocean is not just the backbone of our local economy, it is sacred. I understand that we are discussing federally controlled waters, but as it stands, the American Samoan people are opposed to deep sea mining. We have yet to be convinced the benefits will outweigh the costs of this occurring so close to our beloved waters. Therefore, if the United States government is going to follow through on this venture, I must insist that we do so with the people of the territories in mind. First and foremost, our fishing stocks and sea floor need to remain intact. Fishing is our lifeblood, and if the technology is not ready or will harm the environment, we simply can’t proceed.”

She continued, “Secondly, if the government does proceed, I ask that we explore and prioritize agreements which directly bolster the economies of communities closest to the mining activity. If this is the tactic we have chosen to combat Chinese influence, we would do well to remember who, where, and what it is we are trying to protect.”

“With the committee’s permission I would like to enter into the record the comments I submitted for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Request for Information and Interest on Commercial Leasing for Outer Continental Shelf Minerals Offshore American Samoa which contains further details of my stance on the matter,” she concluded. “In it, I echo the governor, our local leaders, and the people’s clear wishes not to mine in and around our islands and to ensure a minimum distance of no less than 50 miles – preferably more – as is consistent with other commercial activities.”

NOAA Mapping Announcement

In related news, on Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey announced a hydrographic survey to map and characterize over 30,000 square nautical miles of waters off American Samoa to support the characterization of the seabed composition for abundance and type of critical minerals and nodules, with that mapping work scheduled to begin in February 2026.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD), and U.S. Representatives Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) announced $1,442,360 in federal funding to improve road safety in Harford, Talbot, and Prince George’s Counties and the City of Baltimore.

“We can save lives and prevent injuries by making smart changes that improve road safety. That’s why Federal Team Maryland fought to pass the infrastructure modernization bill, and why we worked to deliver these investments to our local communities. This federal funding will help our local partners better understand where car crashes are happening and take steps to prevent them,” said the lawmakers.

The lawmakers announced the following grants:

• $642,360 to the National Study Center for Trauma and Emergency Medical Systems at the University of Maryland-Baltimore to establish a Health Impact Collaborative, analyze traffic safety and public health data, and develop a public health evaluation framework to inform Baltimore City Department of Transportation’s Safety Action Plan
• $560,000 to Harford County to conduct engineering analyses and develop safety recommendations on high-crash intersections, sight-distance restrictions, and sidewalk connectivity to inform the Harford County Strategic Highway Safety Plan
• $400,000 to the University of Maryland, College Park to conduct a micromobility safety study that gathers community input and video-based behavior data, analyze roadway safety and risks, and deliver findings to inform the Safety Action Plans of the City of College Park and Prince George’s County
• $240,000 to Talbot County to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan, analyze crash data, and produce a prioritized list of evidence-based countermeasures to reduce roadway deaths and serious injuries

The federal funding is provided by the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program, which helps communities develop and implement safety action plans to better ensure the safety of drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians on roadways. The SS4A program was established and funded at $5 billion over five years by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, legislation Federal Team Maryland worked to pass to support infrastructure initiatives in Maryland and across the country.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered remarks at a House Committee on Rules hearing in support of an amendment by Rep. Bill Keating (MA-09) to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, that would prohibit the use of federal funds to invade a NATO member country or territory. Below are a video and transcript of his remarks:

Click here to watch a video of his remarks.

“Thank you very much, Madam Chair and Ranking Member McGovern and distinguished Members of the committee. I’m sorry to say this ought not to be a controversial amendment. Mr. McGovern made the point that we ought to have amendments, we ought to have an open debate. Mr. Roy made the same comment. Happily, I think this amendment ought not to be too controversial. I may be wrong on that, but I thank you all for coming, and I thank Mr. Keating for his leadership on this, which bars any fund in this bill from being used for the invasion of a NATO member country. Frankly, Madam Chair, I think that proposition has broad support in the Congress of the United States. It’s sad that we need an amendment to ensure that doesn’t happen. 

“Last weekend, I laid a wreath at the monument dedicated to young men and women who fought and died to defend liberty and democracy. Engraved on that memorial are the names of familiar theaters of war: Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and others. Madam Chair, that memorial is not in Washington, D.C., it is in Copenhagen, Denmark. Danes have fought side by side with Americans around the world. Indeed, Denmark lost more troops per capita in Afghanistan than we did. Denmark has been a model ally. This Administration’s threat to annex Greenland – an autonomous Danish territory – makes our nation less secure by alienating our allies and emboldening our adversaries. All for the strategic – no strategic gain whatsoever. We presently do whatever we deem necessary in Greenland. Whatever we want to do, we can do in Greenland. Our 1951 bilateral agreement with Denmark grants us virtually complete latitude to do whatever we need, whenever we need, and wherever we need on the island to counter our adversaries. President Trump hasn’t articulated a single national security or economic objective that America has in Greenland that we cannot already achieve through our current agreement. 

“Taking Greenland is [as] unpopular as it is unnecessary. This amendment would be supported by at least 75% of the American people, and a majority of the Republicans who were polled. They oppose annexing Greenland. They are wary for good reason. America has nothing to gain from taking Greenland, but we stand to lose more than anyone else. The ensuing turmoil would severely weaken NATO. NATO has overwhelming support. The thought that America would even consider taking military action this way fills our allies with dread, and our adversaries with glee. That’s not good for America. Putin has made clear his intention to restore the old Soviet empire. Without NATO, there is nothing to stop him from venturing into the Baltic and beyond. President Trump’s – I know everybody’s using their phone, but I really do believe this is an important issue for America, and I believe it is nonpartisan. President Trump’s comment in Davos today, that he does not intend to use military force to seize Greenland, was a welcome assurance. This amendment is consistent with the President’s comments today. 

“Madam Chair, we owe it to the vast majority of Americans who oppose annexing Greenland to give this amendment a vote on the House Floor. Let the Congress speak. It will speak in a bipartisan fashion. Don’t shut them out. We’ve talked about this process being essentially the big four. I will tell you, as [the FSGG] Subcommittee Ranking Member, we had no meeting of the subcommittee on a conference. We owe this assurance to our allies who have never betrayed our trust. We owe it to the countless Americans, Danes, and others who laid down their lives to maintain a world order that does not allow for wars of conquest. If there was ever a time for Congress to exercise its constitutional power of the purse in America’s foreign affairs, now is the time. All this amendment says – and Mr. Keating will be speaking to this specific [amendment] – all it says is that we will not invade a NATO nation. Not one of you does not understand the angst that exists in NATO right now, and this would be coupled with the President’s assurance today that there would not be an invasion. This would support that assertion and give greater confidence to our allies, and that confidence is critically important for our own security. I urge you, make an exception to what appears to be your rule of ‘no democratic amendments.’

“[When] I was House Majority Leader, Madam Chair, I offered a number of open rules when we considered appropriation bills, and we passed all 12 through the House of Representatives in my first term as Majority Leader, by July 30th. All 12, open amendments. At the end, we had so much time, and our friend Patrick McHenry became a good friend of mine, but he was a pain in the neck in his first term, and he had one zillion amendments. So, we had to have some rules cut off. The last two bills we did that but we had open rules. Why? We gave people – and then Madam Chair, when we had a rule, Mr. Boehner – who was your leader at that point in time – and I talked and I said, ‘John, I will give you ten amendments. Whatever amendments you choose to make in order, we’ll do that.’ He turned down that offer because I don’t think he wanted to make that choice, Madam Chair, but the point I’m making is this is the representative body of the people. Please let them speak on this issue. Win, lose or draw, let them speak. Thank you.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) issued the following statement on Thursday following the vote on H. CON. RES. 68:

“President Trump’s continued military escalation in our Southern Hemisphere is unacceptable.  None of the military activities that the President has directed in the Caribbean or Venezuela have been authorized by Congress. That includes the January 3rd operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and authorize military action. Because Congress has not done so, the President’s military activities in the region are unlawful. This War Powers Resolution is a necessary step to rein in this out-of-control administration. Members of Congress must stand with the Constitution and not President Trump’s executive overreach.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. Upon passage of the temporary government funding measure, Congresswoman Betty McCollum, the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, issued the following statement: 

“As Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I am pleased that Republican leadership has finally allowed the Subcommittee to negotiate a bipartisan Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Act that can win broad support in the House. Like previous years, months of delays could have been saved if Republicans had not included outrageous partisan riders in the House version of this bill. I’m pleased that all these partisan provisions were removed in the negotiation process. This compromise legislation provides our service members with the training and equipment necessary to complete their missions and come home safely. The bill also prioritizes our military families by including a 3.8 percent pay increase. Importantly, the bill also includes $1.27 billion for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, which will begin to alleviate some of the damage done to medical research by severe cuts in the previous fiscal year’s Continuing Resolution. I am also pleased that the bill includes robust funding for environmental remediation efforts, including research on PFAS destruction technology.”
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill, taking the next step toward securing $17 million for long-needed safety and capacity improvements along Interstate 81. This latest investment, secured by Rep. Cline, will support critical upgrades and potential widening along the corridor and reflects his advocacy for Virginia’s Sixth District through the House Appropriations Committee. The bill is awaiting final approval in the Senate. 

“For years, residents of Virginia’s Sixth District have told me how dangerous and congested I-81 has become,” said Rep. Cline. “This bill’s passage out of the House puts us one step closer to critical improvements that will make I-81 safer, more efficient, and better equipped to serve commuters, families, and the truck drivers who keep our regional economy moving. This is a meaningful step toward delivering the reliable interstate our communities along the I-81 corridor deserve.”

BACKGROUND:

The I-81 Corridor handles an enormous volume of freight and passenger traffic. Each year, more than 12 million commercial trucks travel along the interstate, moving over $300 billion in goods. As traffic increases, so does the need to modernize the highway to support on-time delivery and reduce disruptions that hurt both local businesses and national commerce.

Originally built over 50 years ago, I-81 has not kept up with growing traffic and freight demands. A 2018 state report identified urgent needs along the corridor, and while Virginia has taken important steps to address them, additional federal investment is necessary.

Travel delays are becoming more frequent and unpredictable, impacting both freight movement and personal travel. To help fix this, Virginia’s Interstate 81 Corridor Improvement Program (CIP) includes plans to widen the road from two to three lanes in critical sections. These upgrades will reduce congestion, create more room for emergency response vehicles, and lower the risk of crashes by allowing more space for vehicles to maneuver.

Congressman Ben Cline represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia. He previously was an attorney in private practice and served both as an assistant prosecutor and a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Cline and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Botetourt County with their two children.

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