MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today called on President Trump to immediately fire Acting FEMA Administrator David Richardson, citing his lack of qualifications and failed response to the deadly July 4th floods in Texas that killed at least 135 people, including “elementary school children—some as young as eight—who washed away in the night while FEMA fumbled.”

In a letter sent to the White House today, Pallone warned that Richardson “lacks not only the qualifications but the basic human urgency in emergency management to care for the nation’s people in our greatest hour of need.”

“When it comes to disaster response, our nation should not ‘wing it’ and, yet, that seems to be the leadership principle of your current appointee,” Pallone wrote.

Pallone’s letter outlines a series of damning failures under Richardson’s leadership:

• No experience in emergency management: “Mr. Richardson has never worked in the emergency management sector you appointed him to lead… He was unaware of hurricane season and had no plan for it.”
• Wrong priorities: “Instead of supporting Americans in their darkest hour of need, he is distracted by carrying out your goal of abolishing FEMA… ripping up cooperative agreements between states and the federal government for aid and canceling contracts to support survivor services.”
• Deadly inaction during the Texas floods: “His short time at the head of FEMA put up new red tape that prevented search and rescue teams from being deployed for 72 hours and led to call centers failing to answer 15,323 calls from Americans in need.”
• No presence on the ground: “It was days before the Acting Administrator visited Texas to provide oversight of operations and only after a national outcry.”

Pallone—who represents coastal New Jersey communities still recovering from Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Ida—concluded with a stark warning as the nation heads into peak hurricane season:

“Emergency management isn’t just FEMA’s job, it’s America’s promise. That is why I call on you to immediately fire the Acting Administrator… Americans deserve competency at the top of FEMA, not someone who is out to lunch while kids are dying. Fire him now before another tragedy strikes.”

The full text of Pallone’s letter is available here and below:

Mr. President:  

I write to call on you to immediately fire Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator David Richardson. All Americans grieved for the Hill Country communities in Texas ripped apart by the extreme flooding of the Guadalupe River on Independence Day. The disaster and FEMA’s botched response have dominated headlines as one of the deadliest rain events in recent U.S. history. More than a quarter of the victims were elementary school children—some as young as eight—who washed away in the night while FEMA fumbled.  The tragedy is particularly poignant for New Jerseyans as we carry the memory of upheaval and loss due to Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Ida in 2021. 

In the aftermath of disasters of such magnitude, the knowledge that the federal government’s top emergency management official is competent and proactively working to alleviate hardship is critical to Americans’ faith in government. When it comes to disaster response, our nation should not “wing it” and yet that seems to be the leadership principle of your current appointee. 

Based on all accounts, it is my assessment that Mr. Richardson lacks not only the qualifications but the basic human urgency in emergency management to care for the nation’s people in our greatest hour of need. This is evident by several different measures. 

First, Mr. Richardson has never worked in the emergency management sector you appointed him to lead. His lack of knowledge runs so deep that he was unaware of hurricane season and had no plan for it. In New Jersey, hurricane season and the power of an angry Atlantic Ocean is respected and feared, certainly not something FEMA leadership should regard flippantly. Richardson treated it like a scheduling inconvenience.

Second, Mr. Richardson has misplaced priorities. It seems he wants to work more as an auditor at the Department of Government Efficiency than as Acting Administrator of FEMA. Instead of supporting Americans in their darkest hour of need, he is distracted by carrying out your goal of abolishing FEMA – an objective you reiterated just a few days ago – which means ripping up cooperative agreements between states and the federal government for aid and canceling contracts to support survivor services.    

Third, the Independence Day floods that killed at least 135 Texans were Mr. Richardson’s first major test of leadership, and he simply failed to meet the moment. His short time at the head of FEMA put up new red tape that prevented search and rescue teams from being deployed for 72 hours and led to call centers failing to answer 15,323 calls from Americans in need. It was days before the Acting Administrator visited Texas to provide oversight of operations and only after a national outcry. Where was his sense of urgency? 

Asking communities to face extreme weather alone is wrong. Emergency management isn’t just FEMA’s job, it’s America’s promise. That is why I call on you to immediately fire the Acting Administrator. We are approaching the height of hurricane season. Americans deserve competency at the top of FEMA, not someone who is out to lunch while kids are dying. Fire him now before another tragedy strikes. 

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

LONG BRANCH, NJ – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement after House Republicans advanced a partisan appropriations bill that slashes federal funding for beach replenishment projects for the first time in nearly three decades:

“House Republicans are pulling the sand out from under us. Their partisan bill abandons coastal communities at a time when climate change is accelerating erosion and increasing the risk of devastating storms,” Pallone said. “These projects aren’t luxuries, they’re lifelines. Towns in my district depend on beach replenishment to protect homes, businesses, and local economies. I will fight these cuts every step of the way. We can’t let a bunch of climate-denying Republican ideologues in Congress gamble with New Jersey’s coastline like it’s a slot machine on the boardwalk. The Jersey Shore needs protection from the next big storm.”

Congress typically allocates up to $200 million each year for Army Corps beach nourishment projects that are cost-shared with state and local funds. The Republican spending bill provides just $60 million in funding, which will result in significantly less replenishment work for 2026. Last week, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee advanced their bill but it has yet to receive a full vote in the chamber. 

Pallone, the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Coastal Communities Caucus, is organizing the effort to stop this proposal from becoming law.   

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

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today issued the following statement on the Trump administration withdrawing the United States from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

“Unilaterally withdrawing the United States from UNESCO is another assault by the Trump administration on international cooperation and U.S. global leadership. This decision cedes more ground to U.S. competitors, especially China, who will take advantage of America’s absence to further shape the international system in their favor.  

“Contrary to the Trump administration’s smears against UNESCO, our withdrawal from this body only weakens our ability to combat antisemitism and anti-Israel bias; it is the only UN agency with a mandate to promote Holocaust education globally. UNESCO is also a key forum for shaping global education and technology standards—China will celebrate our empty seat at the UNESCO table as it seeks to gain an edge against the U.S. in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.  

“UNESCO also directly benefits the U.S. economy through its Creative Cities and World Heritage programs, through which the United States has recently secured two new World Heritage inscriptions in Ohio and Pennsylvania—promoting to the world the beauty, culture, and heritage of American cities. The Trump administration’s withdrawal ensures American communities will no longer see such opportunities to shine on the global stage. 

“Once again, this administration is undermining U.S. global leadership and inserting corrosive MAGA culture wars into U.S. foreign policy. It’s reckless, counterproductive, and will harm American interests for years to come.” 

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

July 21, 2025

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Meeks Speech Against GOP’s Reckless Bill Cutting Public Broadcasting and Foreign Aid

“Mr. Speaker, this rescissions package is disastrous. It cuts $8 billion in life-saving and critical U.S. foreign assistance, including food assistance, access to clean water, and lifesaving medicine.   “Let’s stop pretending this is about fiscal responsibility. This package is not about saving money—it’s about selling a con, yet again, to the American people”

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

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; Lois Frankel, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs; and Grace Meng, Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus International Women’s Rights Task Force, issued a statement on their introduction of legislation to ensure U.S. taxpayer-purchased foreign aid commodities reach their intended beneficiaries rather than go to waste or be destroyed.

According to recent reports, the Trump administration plans to destroy more than $9 million worth of family planning supplies and incinerate 500 metric tons of emergency food assistance that expired after officials refused for months to authorize delivery. The food alone could have fed approximately 1.5 million children for a week, or 27,000 people for an entire month. The contraceptives, depending on the method mix, represent millions of doses and other essentials—enough to support the reproductive health needs of hundreds of thousands of women and families. These commodities—meant for some of the world’s most vulnerable people—were purchased with taxpayer dollars but left to rot or burn.

“The Trump administration is incinerating critical U.S.-purchased commodities—like contraceptives and emergency food—denying women health care, keeping meals from starving families, and literally sending millions of taxpayer dollars up in smoke,” said the Members. “This cruel and senseless destruction is a textbook example of the very waste, fraud, and abuse the administration claims to oppose.”

“Our legislation prohibits the destruction of food and medical supplies purchased with taxpayer funds unless every effort has been made to ensure those supplies can be used as intended. That’s common sense—and the humane thing to do—for American taxpayers and for vulnerable communities around the world.”

Additional background: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Ranking Member Brian Schatz introduced the bill in the Senate last week.

The full text of the legislation is available here. 

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

Mr. Speaker, this rescissions package is disastrous. It cuts $8 billion in life-saving and critical U.S. foreign assistance, including food assistance, access to clean water, and lifesaving medicine.

Let’s stop pretending this is about fiscal responsibility. This package is not about saving money—it’s about selling a con, yet again, to the American people.

The President claimed the United States was wastefully sending condoms to Gaza. In fact, they were going to Mozambique to help stop the spread of HIV and AIDS.

The President claimed there was a wasteful 21-million-dollar grant to India. That grant never existed. 

And it goes on from there. He claimed there was a national emergency in Brazil to justify slapping a 50 percent tariff on a country where the US has run a trade surplus for over a decade. There is no emergency.

He shouted about the Epstein files, and now his administration is saying there are no such files.

This is all, once again, in service to a con.

Let’s be clear about what Republicans are voting to defund today: Programs that help educate women and girls. Programs that fight deadly diseases.

Food, clean water, and humanitarian relief for the world’s most vulnerable. Are we really voting to take these things away from the most vulnerable—and with it, America’s credibility and global leadership—just to further the con?

Here’s the truth: the Administration’s foreign assistance cuts were completely haphazard, based on simple word searches for terms they don’t like as part of their culture war: but this wasn’t about addressing waste, fraud, or abuse. This wasn’t a serious, thorough review.

The real waste? It’s incinerating 500 metric tons of expired aid sitting in warehouses meant to feed suffering children in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The real fraud is telling the American people these cuts will help them when they won’t.

The real abuse is letting Elon Musk and his DOGE minions wreak havoc at State and USAID after President Trump fired the independent watchdogs at those agencies.

This is not how you lead a country. This is how you run a scam.

So Mr. Speaker, let’s call this for what it is: a con. Republicans claim they are doing this to save taxpayer money. Yet, while they cut this $8 billion in foreign assistance, they have added AT LEAST $3 trillion to the national debt with their Big Ugly Bill, cutting off the most vulnerable Americans from their health care to give tax breaks to the wealthy.

I urge my colleagues to reject this package and not rubber stamp cuts to U.S. foreign assistance that will certainly lead to more unnecessary deaths and forfeit U.S. leadership abroad.

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

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today filed a discharge petition and is gathering signatures to force a vote on the resolutions he introduced to terminate President Trump’s authority to impose enormous tariffs that harm American families. House Republicans refused to take up the resolutions introduced in April.  

“President Trump’s global trade war is a calamity. His reckless tariffs on our closest economic partners are raising prices on everyday items like clothing, appliances, gas, and groceries. Meanwhile, President Trump’s nonsensical trade policy is only incentivizing other countries to look beyond the U.S. to alternative markets. 

“Republicans voted for President Trump’s Big, Ugly Bill ripping health care and food assistance from millions of hardworking Americans to give tax cuts to the wealthy. And they are avoiding a vote to terminate his beloved tariffs — another betrayal to the American working class. 

“The American people deserve better than to have their everyday cost of living soar because of one man’s insatiable need for attention. It is time for Republicans to do the right thing, sign my discharge petition, and end this tariff tantrum.” 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, today issued the following statement on the deadly military plane crash in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“The deadly crash of the Bangladeshi Air Force training aircraft in Dhaka is devastating. My heart is with the victims and all who are impacted, especially parents who have tragically lost their children and the young students who have lost their friends and classmates. As a mother of two, I can only imagine the heartbreak and pain families are experiencing. I am praying for a quick and full recovery for all who were injured in this accident.

I stand with the Bangladeshi community in grieving this terrible loss. I am grateful for the brave first responders at the scene of this crash, and my office remains ready to assist any constituents whose family members have been impacted.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Grace Meng (6th District of New York)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (NY-06), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), leaders on the Congressional Hellenic Caucus, introduced the United States-Greece Security Cooperation Reporting Act (H.R.4343), a bipartisan bill supporting the U.S.-Hellenic relationship and reinforcing its strategic partnership.

This legislation would require the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the deepening security relationship between the United States and Greece and identify new opportunities to strengthen it. Specifically, the report would include a description of basing rights afforded under the 2021 United States-Greece Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows U.S. military forces access to four additional military bases in Greece, specifically on Greek islands. 

The bill comes as ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have forced the Pentagon to increase military activity in the region. Basing activity at Alexandroupolis and Souda Bay have been essential pillars of US and NATO power projection across the Eastern Mediterranean, East and Southeastern Europe, Ukraine, and the Middle East, playing supply chain and logistics roles, including in the continued resupply of Ukraine as it continues to repel Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. Meng previously introduced a similar version of this legislation as an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives at the time.                                                                                                                                                                                           

“Supporting the U.S.-Greece relationship has been a priority of mine since I first arrived in Congress,” said Congresswoman Meng. “Queens is home to a robust and active Greek community that I am proud to represent. This legislation will help strengthen the bond between our nations by supporting our strong U.S.-Greece defense relationship and expanding horizons for US and NATO collaboration to support our allies and counter our adversaries. Greece is one of our strongest allies, and Congress must continue to foster the partnership between our two countries and honor our Hellenic communities by advancing this legislation.”

“The strategic partnership between the United States and Greece is more vital than ever. As a cornerstone of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean, Greece plays a critical role in promoting regional security, countering malign influence, and supporting NATO’s collective defense,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “The U.S.-Greece Security Cooperation Reporting Act is an important step toward ensuring that our mutually beneficial alliance remains strong, transparent, and forward-looking. By enhancing our defense cooperation and deepening intelligence and security ties, this legislation reaffirms our shared commitment to peace, democracy, and shared prosperity. Strengthening this partnership not only advances American national security interests but also helps safeguard a free and stable Europe.”

“The security relationship that the United States and Greece share is too important to be overlooked. That is why I have joined my colleagues in supporting the US-Greece Security Cooperation Reporting Act and making sure the Administration keeps Congress up to speed on how the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement and the potential for a modified U.S. military presence can support our nations’ continued bilateral cooperation,” said Congresswoman Titus.

“I join my colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that deepens the United States’ enduring security alliance with Greece,” said Congresswoman Malliotakis. “Strengthening cooperation with our Hellenic partners bolsters U.S. security, deters aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean, and promotes regional stability. This bill also requires regular reviews of our force posture and underscores the strategic value of key sites such as Souda Bay and Alexandroupolis. With this measure, we reaffirm that the United States will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Greece to defend our shared democratic values and secure the Eastern Mediterranean for generations to come.”

The bill is supported by the Hellenic American Leadership Council, the American Hellenic Institute, the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA), and the Daughters of Penelope.

“For over a decade, Congress has led the way in the closest US-Greece bilateral relationship ever,” said Endy Zemenides, Executive Director of the Hellenic American Leadership Council. “Congresswoman Meng has long recognized the important role that the bases covered under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement have played.  The legislation she and her colleagues are introducing will help optimize this asset and take the bilateral relationship to the next level.”

“The American Hellenic Institute applauds Congresswoman Grace Meng for her continued leadership on U.S.-Greece defense relations, which is the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship between the two countries,” said Alexander Christofor, Legislative Director of the American Hellenic Institute. “AHI thanks her for introducing this bill, which will allow the U.S. to gain information needed to potentially increase it’s utilization of Greece’s geostrategic locations, including Alexandropolis.”

“The annual United States-Greece security relationship report, as drafted by the Secretary of Defense, is a quintessential piece of cooperation between the United States and the Hellenic Republic,” said Savas C. Tsivicos, AHEPA National President. “A fellow member of NATO, regularly surpassing the 2% of GDP target for military spending, Greece is a close and reliable ally.  Greece’s cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeastern Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East is pivotal to U.S. foreign policy, and Congresswoman Meng’s United States-Greece Security Cooperation Reporting Act seeks only to bolster this. AHEPA, a leading Greek American grassroots association, applauds the bill’s introduction and calls for its passage.”

“We are proud to support Congresswoman Meng’s bipartisan US-Greece Security Cooperation Reporting Act,” said Daughters of Penelope National President Margaret Dritsas. “The bill rightfully recognizes the longstanding and strong security relationship between the NATO allies, and Greece’s vital role in security in the region, as demonstrated by the United States’ increased military investment in Greece. A detailed report to assess the security relationship will serve to further enhance that relationship.”

Meng also serves as a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, which oversees federal funding appropriated to the State Department and other federal agencies supporting national security and foreign operations.

  

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

WASHINGTON— Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) reintroduced the Texture Positive Act of 2025, which will incentivize educational training in cosmetology schools across the country to increase the number of trained professionals with knowledge of working with textured hair. The term “textured hair” means hair that is coiled, curly, or wavy in its natural state.
 
“Too many people with textured hair walk into a salon or onto a set and feel overlooked because so few professionals have been properly trained to care for their hair,” said Congresswoman Velázquez. “This isn’t just an equity issue. It’s a gap in professional training that limits opportunities for both clients and stylists. The Texture Positive Act will help bridge that gap by supporting partnerships between experienced minority- and women-owned businesses and cosmetology schools to build a more inclusive and skilled workforce.”
 
The textured hair industry in the United States is worth around 2.5 billion dollars, yet cosmetology schools are not required to train their students to care for it. The Texture Positive Act of 2025 creates a federal grant program to allow states to award grants to minority or women-owned businesses and nonprofits that have experience with providing textured hair education, partner with cosmetology schools, and implement a more inclusive education and training program.
 
In 2020, a Hair Bias Report study conducted by TRESemme revealed that 86% of Black women surveyed had challenges finding consistent and quality service at salons. These challenges ranged from difficulty finding a stylist who can care for their hair texture to facing blatant bias and discrimination in the salon chair. The study also found that 65% percent of the hairstylists expressed wanting more training on working with textured hair — it was 70 percent for white stylists.
 
The Texture Positive Act of 2025 is co-sponsored by: Reps. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), and Linda Sanchez (D-CA), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
 
The Texture Positive Act of 2025 is endorsed by Youma’s Beauty and the Professional Beauty Association (PBA).
 
“The Professional Beauty Association (PBA) is grateful to Congresswoman Velazquez and her staff for the introduction of the Texture Positive Act of 2025. This legislation recognizes and validates the need for texture hair care education and training. Our members throughout the country appreciate the attention to this long-standing challenge and embracing the beauty, health, and safety for all individuals with textured hair. The Texture Positive Act of 2025 aligns with PBA and the Texture Education Collective’s work to bridge the texture hair care education gap for students, and licensed beauty professionals. Thank you for highlighting education, training, and access to services equally for all individuals with textured hair,” said Myra Reddy, Director of Government Affairs for Professional Beauty Association (PBA).

“At Youma’s Beauty, we are proud to celebrate the reintroduction of the Texture Positive Act—an initiative we helped craft in close collaboration with Congresswoman Velázquez. This important legislation represents a critical step toward building a more inclusive and equitable cosmetology industry. Our continued advocacy centers on ensuring that all cosmetologists have access to high-quality education that includes comprehensive training in textured hair care. We believe that an inclusive hair curriculum isn’t just about education—it’s about empowering cosmetology professionals, expanding their opportunities, and ensuring that every client receives the care they deserve.” -Moussa and Youma Niangadou, Founders of Youma’s Beauty

For a copy of the bill, click here.