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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08) issued the following statement after the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights announced an investigation into the Minnesota Department of Education under Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota State High School League over whether discrimination on the basis of sex occurred after a biological male was allowed to lead the Champlin Park High School girls’ softball team to its first-ever state championship win. 

“As a father to two girls, I was horrified to learn that a recent state championship for young female athletes in Minnesota was dominated by a team with a biological boy. Allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports is not only unsafe, it’s deeply unfair, and this disgraceful sham of a championship is just the latest example. Make no mistake, this unfortunate situation is the result of the failed leadership of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. Their blatant disregard for the Title IX rights of female athletes is what led to this investigation and will almost certainly cost Minnesota nearly $12 million in federal funding. They left the Trump Administration with no other choice but to act in defense of the safety and dignity of Minnesota’s female athletes. I fully support the Trump Administration’s decision to protect Title IX and prevent boys from competing in girls’ sports.”

As a recipient of federal funds, Title IX requires Minnesota to ensure fair and safe opportunities for females to compete on sex-segregated teams – regardless of state law obligations.

Despite a U.S. Department of Justice letter restating the Administration’s position on Title IX, Minnesota’s Attorney General advised the Minnesota State High School Leader to follow state law and disobey President Trump’s Executive Order on Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)

WASHINGTON — In a letter to Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Maine’s Congressional delegation opposed the agency’s attempt to bypass Congress and close Job Corps centers nationwide. The move, which DOL calls a “phased pause in operations,” comes just months after officials froze enrollment at the Loring and Penobscot Job Corps Centers —  exacerbating rural workforce shortages in central and northern Maine.

“By calling this plan a pause, the DOL is closing Job Corps centers without Congressional approval…” the lawmakers wrote. “The agency’s decision, which has been temporarily paused by the courts, to dismantle a widely popular, successful program has put hundreds of low-income Mainers at risk.” 

The lawmakers also wrote that as Job Corps staff in Maine have tried to meet the DOL’s timeline to close the Penobscot and Loring facilities, “complications are impacting students and staff alike. Some students at both Job Corps Centers in Maine are not able to return home and are facing a risk of homelessness, and while organizations around these communities are helping, their resources are limited.”

Maine’s Job Corps is among the agency’s most successful and productive programs, with the Penobscot Center ranking fourth in the most recent national Job Corps Report Card. This report measures how efficiently students at each center attain trade credentials and improve other skills like math and reading. 

Loring’s Job Corps Center currently has 129 staff members and is one of the largest employers in rural northern Maine. It currently enrolls 228 students and opened in 1997 — just a few years after the closure of the Loring Air Force Base devastated the region.

The Penobscot Job Corps has 223 students enrolled, and 65 students have graduated since July 2024. Of those graduates, 58 students have been verified as placements into employment, the military, or higher education, and five have transferred to other centers for advanced training opportunities. Penobscot is home to the only Advanced Marine Pipefitting training program in Job Corps, which is a feeder program for future BIW and PNSY employees.

Yesterday, a federal judge temporarily extended a block on the administration’s Job Corps plan while a lawsuit over the move remains ongoing. 

A copy of the delegation’s letter can be found here, and is included in full below:

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June 26, 2025
 

The Honorable Lori Chavez-DeRemer

Secretary

Department of Labor

200 Constitution Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20210
 

Dear Secretary Chavez-DeRemer,

We write to express our strong opposition to the sudden announcement by the Department of Labor (DOL) to begin a phased pause in operations at Job Corps Centers nationwide. This follows an earlier decision to halt enrollments at centers in Maine with which we also disagree. Given the immediate and significant impact these decisions will have on hundreds of young Mainers currently enrolled at or interested in the Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center, as well as the economic repercussions to the surrounding communities that need a skilled workforce, we urge you to retract this announcement.

Since its inception in 1964, Job Corps has been a vital program for countless young Americans across the country. In Maine, we have seen firsthand the benefits that the Job Corps has both on young students and their communities. The program has provided countless opportunities for low-income students to tap into their true potential and secure good-paying jobs. The job placement rate for the Maine centers is well above the national average, placing students in local healthcare settings, masonry, welding and beyond. Students from the Maine centers have gone on to work within Maine’s storied shipbuilding industry, join the Armed Forces, and work at Maine’s Community Colleges. Employers across the State that hire Job Corps graduates have developed long-standing relationships with the centers, finding that the students have been well-prepared to join the workforce.

By calling this plan a pause, the DOL is closing Job Corps centers without Congressional approval. Since the DOL’s announcement, we have heard from students, parents, local employers, and community officials about the devastating consequences that closing the Maine centers will have on some of our most disadvantaged young people. It bears emphasizing that as small and rural communities in Maine and across the country struggle with labor shortages, Job Corps provides businesses with a reliable source of workers armed with the necessary skills to productively contribute to our local economy.

The agency’s decision, which has been paused by the courts, to dismantle a widely popular, successful program has put hundreds of low-income Mainers at risk. Additionally, the Maine centers provide stable employment for residents of its closest communities. The Loring Job Corps Center is one of the largest employers in Aroostook County, employing nearly 130 Mainers. The DOL’s plan would prevent around 260 highly skilled employees from sharing their knowledge and expertise with Maine’s next generation of students living in small and rural communities.

In Maine, while dedicated Job Corps staff at Loring Job Corps Center and the Penobscot Job Corps Center are working around the clock to comply with DOL’s decision and expedited timeline, complications are impacting students and staff alike. Some students at both Job Corps Centers in Maine are not able to return home and are facing a risk of homelessness, and while organizations around these communities are helping, their resources are limited. There are additional hurdles in securing transportation for students in these rural communities and ensuring that every student’s documents are in order.

We urge the Department of Labor to reopen Job Corps centers in Maine and across the country, and work with Congress to seek a path that can build on the successes of the program. We appreciate your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz released the following statement: 

“The Supreme Court’s decision to limit the authority of federal district courts to issue nationwide injunctions is a reckless blow to our system of checks and balances. But let me be clear: the fight to protect birthright citizenship is far from over.

“Every child born in the United States is a citizen of this nation. That is not up for debate—it is a constitutional right. We will continue to stand up, speak out, and pursue every legal avenue to ensure that this right is robustly defended and fully vindicated.”

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

Larsen Announces Hiring of Chief of Staff

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

Today, Rep. Rick Larsen released the following update on the Cascade Job Corps Center:

“When the Administration announced the terrible decision to close all Job Corps centers earlier this month, I met with local leaders, former Job Corps students, and folks around the region about the negative impact this would have. The people I spoke to wanted me and the community to rally behind Cascade Job Corps Center and fight to keep it open, and that’s exactly what we did.

“I worked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues in Congress to push back against this decision and help the Secretary of Labor understand how important Job Corps centers are. Local leaders from the Port of Skagit, Skagit Valley College, county government, and the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County all banded together to make the case for the Cascade Job Corps Center.

“This week, a federal judge blocked the Administration’s decision to close the Job Corps centers. Cascade Job Corps Center is returning to the important work of helping young people in Northwest Washington state complete college credits and professional certifications.

“I want to thank everyone who contacted my office about this issue and spoke out about how important Job Corps centers are. I’m very glad Cascade Job Corps Center students are back to learning, and staff are continuing the great work they’ve been doing for the past four decades.”

Watch Rep. Larsen’s video statement here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative  Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, yesterday voted in full Committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Legislative Branch Appropriations measure.  

The bill, which funds Congress, provides $5 billion, a decrease of $272 million or 5 percent below the FY 2025 enacted level. This total excludes the Senate items, which are added later in the legislative process.

The bill supports the U.S. House of Representatives, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Library of Congress, the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police. 

“I voted against this bill because it weakens Congress when Congress must most remain a fully functioning separate, independent and co-equal branch of government, including vital oversight and information-gathering agencies like the Library of Congress and the Government Accountability Office,” said Case, who served for four years on the Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

In full Committee, Case especially criticized the Republican majority’s proposal to cut the GAO’s budget by almost 50%. He specifically referred to the GAO’s identified “high risk” areas that Congress should focus on in order to control wasteful spending and asked his majority colleagues how they proposed to address these areas if they denied Congress the oversight resources required. (See Case’s speech here.) 

The measure’s key provisions weakening Congress’s oversight powers include: 

·        $415 million for the GAO, a decrease of $396.5 million or 48.8 percent below fiscal year 2025 and $518.6 million less than the fiscal year 2026 request. 

·        Prohibiting the GAO from bringing civil actions against any department, agency, officer, or employee of the United States for failing to comply with the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 without Congressional approval. The GAO, acting per its statutory direction from Congress, currently has nearly forty open investigations into whether the executive branch is illegally withholding (impounding) money Case’s Appropriations Committee previously appropriated.

·        $767.6 million for the Library of Congress, a decrease of $84.6 million or 10 percent below fiscal year 2025 and $133.7 million less than the FY 2026 request.

This will directly harm the Library’s Congressional Research Service (CRS), which serves as shared nonpartisan staff to Congressional committees and Members of Congress. CRS experts assist at every stage of the legislative process — from the early considerations that precede bill drafting, through committee hearings and floor debate, to the oversight of enacted laws and various agency activities. 

Case was able to secure a number of key programs and provisions he requested, including: 

·        $20.6 million in funding to help pay for interns in House Member Offices. 

·        Supported an amendment that allows the recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program, also known as Dreamers, to work in the United States Congress. The amendment passed by a vote of 32 to 29. 

·        $1.9 million for the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services which helps coordinate services for individuals with disabilities including Members of Congress, staff and visitors to the Capitol.  

This measure is one of the twelve bills developed by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2026 (commencing October 1, 2025). The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.  

A summary of the bill is available here.  

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

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement after the  Supreme Court’s decision to scale back national injunctions related to President Trump’s birthright citizenship order. 
“The Supreme Court’s decision to limit birthright citizenship undermines what our Constitution clearly promises. A baby born in California could be a citizen, while in other states they may not. That’s creating two standards of justice depending upon which state you live in. I’m deeply concerned that this decision makes it harder for all Americans to defend their constitutional rights.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) and the entire Tennessee House Delegation introduced a Resolution in the House of Representatives to honor the founder, chairman, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, Frederick W. Smith. 

“I am pleased to introduce this Resolution to honor the Founder of FedEx, Fred Smith, in the House of Representatives,” said Congressman Kustoff. “Under his leadership, FedEx grew into a global enterprise: revolutionizing international supply chains, transforming how businesses operate, and changing how people connect. However, he will be remembered as not just a titan of industry, but as a lifelong Memphian who dedicated his life to giving back to his community. With this Resolution, we honor and celebrate Fred’s lifetime of inspiring service and leadership.”

The Resolution was cosponsored by Reps. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01), Tim Burchett (TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Scott DesJarlais (TN-04), Andy Ogles (TN-05), John Rose (TN-06), Mark Green (TN-07), and Steve Cohen (TN-09).
 

Click here to read the full text of the resolution. 

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc., which guts federal courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions and enables lawlessness by the Executive Branch: 

“I represent a district where one out of every three people is an immigrant. Today, the Supreme Court betrayed them, millions of others, and the rule of law itself. By gutting the ability of federal courts to strike down illegal policies—like Trump’s Executive Order to ban birthright citizenship—nationwide, the right-wing justices have further opened the floodgates of presidential lawlessness. Unless this Executive Order is stopped by a class action lawsuit within 30 days, Trump will begin to deny citizenship to children born in the United States—a right that is explicitly enshrined in the Constitution. He will continue to succeed in his mission of creating a permanent underclass of immigrants, violating their rights, exploiting and criminalizing their existence, and denying them access to basic services like health care, housing, and food benefits.

“From now on, any President will be able to violate any person’s rights unless that person can hire a lawyer, be part of a complicated class action lawsuit process, or live in a state that is willing to protect their rights. This absurd and lawless regime is incompatible with democracy and justice, and Congress must act to clarify the role of federal courts in blocking illegal policies nationwide. I will continue to fight for my community and for a government that upholds the rights of all people instead of a chosen few.”

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