MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. Larson co-authored the following op-ed with Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-02) that appeared in the Connecticut Mirror:

Whether watching March Madness, the Super Bowl, or even the Oscars, TV viewers in Connecticut for the last three years have been saturated with ads by America’s premier submarine builder, Electric Boat, offering job seekers an opportunity to embark on good-paying careers.

BuildSubmarines.com, a national campaign funded by the U.S. Navy, has echoed this push with logos on the ballfields at Fenway Park and Yankee Stadium and the WNBA floor at Mohegan Sun arena in Uncasville. This unprecedented effort is visible proof that a huge hiring spree is underway, as Congress and the Navy are in a full-throttle push to recapitalize our nation’s undersea fleet. Make no mistake, it is also proof that this is not just a regional phenomenon. The volume of work will require people and supply chain support from across Connecticut.

On July 15 in East Hartford, the Navy, industry, and workforce experts came together to launch “Hire Hartford” which signals the geography and demography of submarine construction will extend beyond the shoreline and into Connecticut’s capital region.

This new initiative, made possible by federal funding we secured, will raise awareness for careers in submarine manufacturing, skill up students and workers of all ages, and connect them to good-paying careers at Electric Boat and suppliers statewide.

Last year, Electric Boat made record strides in building up its workforce with 5,300 new employees and is on track to hit 5,200 new employees this year between the Groton and Quonset Point shipyards. Over the next decade, the submarine industrial base will need to hire 100,000 trained workers at both primary construction yards in Connecticut and Virginia and another 17,000 people at supply chain vendors nationwide.

The Columbia program has been the Pentagon’s and the Navy’s top priority to replace the aging Ohio class submarines. These vessels of technological wonder, which are two and half times larger than a Virginia class submarine, will require a substantial and dedicated workforce well into the 2040s to meet the one boat per-year build rate requested by the Navy beginning in fiscal year 2026. Columbia construction will continue alongside a projected two-per-year construction rate of the Virginia program until 2040 when the Navy expects to begin construction of the Virginia’s successor at a two-per-year cadence well into the 2050s.

In 2021, the United States also entered into a historic trilateral security agreement with Australia and the United Kingdom, called AUKUS. The mission is focused on strengthening collaboration between the three countries to combat China’s coercive and illegal behavior in the Indo-Pacific. It is widely recognized that the Virginia class submarine is the queen of the chessboard in terms of deterring this behavior and protecting peace and prosperity in the region. As part of the AUKUS mission, Congress has authorized the United States Navy to sell three Virginia submarines to Australia to recapitalize the nation’s aging diesel-powered fleet and strengthen our great ally’s presence in the Indo-Pacific.

Fulfilling the Columbia and attack submarine missions, as well as meeting our AUKUS obligations, requires a manufacturing workforce and supply chain that has not been seen in America since the Cold War era.

To meet these workforce demands, manufacturers must expand their recruiting radius beyond traditional shoreline hiring markets.

In 2023, the Navy launched Project Providence — similar to Hire Hartford — to increase the submarine industrial base workforce in Rhode Island. The campaign significantly boosted training and hiring outcomes, leading to 155 accepted offers at Electric Boat’s 2023 and 2024 Rhode Island Signing Day compared to just 14 accepted offers in 2022.

Days ago, the Biden-Harris administration delivered $50 million to Michigan to train workers at local community colleges in skills for maritime construction, particularly welding and machining. The Navy has also targeted funds in areas with high concentrations of submarine suppliers, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Long Island, and across the Gulf Coast. These efforts are part of a larger $15 billion commitment from the Navy and Congress to ultimately increase the build rate of our two submarine programs.

nd through the AUKUS mission, more investments are in the pipeline. Australia has committed to invest $3 billion in the U.S. submarine industrial base in recognition of the historic undertaking, which will turbocharge American manufacturing capacity, joint research partnerships in academia and industry, job creation, and workforce development initiatives like Hire Hartford.

After decades of a decline in American manufacturing, students and workers in Connecticut’s capital region, and Americans from coastal towns to Midwest communities, are beginning to see more opportunities for good-paying careers across the submarine industrial base. This renaissance in American manufacturing will strengthen our Navy’s fleet and protect Americans at home and abroad.

U.S. Rep. John Larson represents Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney represents the 2nd District.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. Larson and Nancy Altman, President of Social Security Works, wrote the following op-ed for Data for Progress:

When Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) was elected speaker of the House, he immediately called for a “debt commission” designed to slash Social Security and Medicare behind closed doors. 

In January, the House Budget Committee approved a bill to create such a commission, with every Republican voting in favor. During the committee’s mark-up of the bill, Democrats offered amendments to protect Social Security and Medicare, which Republicans immediately voted down. The committee’s chairman, Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), has openly discussed plans to have Congress pass the commission into law as part of a must-pass government funding bill.

This is not just idle talk from Johnson, Arrington, and their fellow congressional Republicans. It is an existential threat to Social Security and Medicare. Any cuts to these programs would be fast-tracked with no opportunity for amendment, and could be voted on in the lame-duck Congress, including by those who had just been defeated or were retiring. It is as undemocratic as it can get, designed to exclude any meaningful input from the American people. 

Two major government funding deadlines are approaching in March. If Republicans get their way by leveraging these deadlines to force through a commission, they will do so against the will of the American people — including their own voters.

In the words of White House spokesman Andrew Bates: “The House GOP is now threatening to single-handedly shut the American government down unless they can jam a death panel for Medicare and Social Security down the country’s throat.”

New polling from Data for Progress shows that voters across party lines reject a commission designed to cut government spending, including Social Security and Medicare. Seventy percent of voters, including 71% of Republican voters, oppose the idea.

Furthermore, 70% of voters think the future of Social Security should be decided through the regular lawmaking process in Congress, not through a new closed-door commission. That is the way changes to Social Security have always happened in the past. Even the Greenspan Commission of the 1980s (on which one of us, Nancy Altman, served as staff) only issued recommendations. Unlike the commission Republicans are currently trying to pass, it did not have any force of law.

This commission is designed to give a small group of lawmakers, along with unelected “experts,” the power to craft and vote on a plan for Social Security’s future. What is the purpose of such an undemocratic process? To do what the American people don’t want: cut their Social Security and Medicare.

The new Data for Progress polling shows that 92 percent of voters, and 94 percent of Republican voters, reject the idea of cutting Social Security to reduce the national debt. Yet that’s what Republican politicians want to do. 

The facts are clear: Because Social Security is self-funded, it cannot add to the debt or deficit. At the end of 2022, the trust funds actually had $2.83 trillion in reserves.  

Yet, under the guise of debt reduction, Republicans have their sights set on slashing Americans’ earned benefits. The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a group of about 75 percent of House Republicans, including Speaker Johnson, proposed a budget plan that makes huge cuts to Social Security. The cuts include raising the full retirement age to 69 and decimating middle class benefits. But tellingly, Republicans haven’t actually held a vote on this budget, because they know how unpopular it is with their own base.

Instead, the Republicans want to go behind closed doors with Democrats and emerge with a plan to cut benefits. That way, both parties will have their fingerprints on the cuts and voters won’t know whom to blame.

Fortunately, Democrats have a better idea: protect and expand Social Security benefits, and pay for it by requiring the wealthiest Americans to contribute their fair share. 

Ninety-four percent of Americans contribute to Social Security all year long, but the wealthy stop paying after their first $168,600 in wage income, and they don’t pay in at all on their unearned investment income. That means that someone who makes a million dollars a year is done paying into Social Security for the entire year right around now, the end of February! 

One of us, Rep. John Larson (D-CT), has introduced the Social Security 2100 Act, which is cosponsored by nearly 200 House Democrats. This legislation enhances benefits for all beneficiaries for the first time in more than 50 years, and keeps Social Security strong for decades to come. It is fully paid for by requiring the wealthy — those making over $400,000 a year — to contribute into Social Security on more of their income, including unearned investment income.

The best part about the Social Security 2100 Act? There’s no need for a closed-door commission to pass it into law, because it’s what the American people want to do.

Instead of going behind closed doors, Speaker Johnson should be honest with the American people. What Americans need to see is where Congress stands on Social Security. Congressional Republicans’ commission is one idea, but so is Social Security 2100, which enhances benefits and pays for them, something Congress hasn’t done in more than 50 years.

We need to provide the 70 million Americans who pay into the system and rely on these benefits with the security to know it is solvent and working for them — and they deserve a direct answer on how Congress is going to address it. For more than 40 percent of them, Social Security is the only retirement plan they have. That’s why — across party lines — Americans are so adamant about fixing, maintaining, and enhancing Social Security, not cutting their hard-earned benefits.

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Rep. John Larson (@RepJohnLarson) is the U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District.

Nancy J. Altman is the President of Social Security Works (@SSWorks).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. Larson co-authored the following op-ed with Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-03) and American Veterinary Medical Association President Dr. Rena Carlson that appeared in The Hill:

Veterinarians strengthen our domestic and global food supply — from the farm to the dinner table. They help ensure the health and welfare of animals that produce eggs, milk, meat, wool and other protein and fiber products. Timely veterinary care is key to detecting and preventing highly contagious animal diseases, as well as maintaining a healthy, safe food supply. 

For years, rural communities have struggled with inadequate access to livestock and public health veterinarians. Shortages of these essential veterinarians can leave our food supply and farm animals at risk, all while weakening the nation’s critical animal health infrastructure. This impacts both animal and human welfare. 

The number of United States Department of Agriculture-designated shortage areas continues to increase. In Fiscal Year 2024, we have the highest number of shortage areas ever, with 240 in 47 different states. These shortages jeopardize animal and public health, endanger the nation’s food supply and agricultural economy, and compromise our ability to prevent the introduction and spread of disease.  

More than 80 percent of veterinarians graduate with educational debt that averages more than $185,000. This has a major impact on the ability to attract veterinarians to food animal or public health medicine, as these career opportunities typically pay less than companion animal practices. This earning disparity can make it financially difficult or even impossible for veterinarians to pursue food animal and public health careers.  

We must act now to increase veterinary services in these underserved rural communities by incentivizing more food animal and public health veterinarians to practice in the areas most in need.  

Given the urgency to fill these veterinary voids across the country, it’s time for Congress to pass the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, which assists the USDA in the placement of veterinarians in designated shortage areas.  

Established in 2003 by Congress, the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) has been highly successful in helping place veterinarians in USDA-designated veterinary shortage areas by repaying up to $75,000 in educational debt in exchange for their service; however, unlike similar programs for physicians and other human health care providers, VMLRP awards are federally taxed. Currently, the USDA is required by law to pay the tax on behalf of the award recipient.  

The bipartisan Rural Veterinary Workforce Act would simply end federal taxation on the program and allow more veterinarians to utilize the VMLRP and practice in USDA-designated shortage areas. Without this change, USDA must continue paying an additional 39 percent to the U.S. Treasury, on top of each loan repayment, reducing the number of shortage counties which can be addressed.  

Since the VMLRP’s inception, it has helped establish 795 veterinarians in areas with veterinary shortages; meanwhile, over 2,000 applications have been received by the USDA. In 2023, the program’s applications exceeded available funding due to the then record-high 237 veterinary rural shortages in 47 different states. Enhancing and optimizing the VMLRP would allow the USDA to provide an additional award for every three awards currently made under the program without any additional appropriations.  

Rural communities need and deserve ready access to veterinarians, which is why we are encouraging more veterinarians to join the rural workforce. Allowing more veterinarians to participate in the VMLRP would make a tremendous difference in addressing rural veterinary shortages throughout the country, help remove the financial obstacles blocking veterinarians who want to work in our underserved communities, and increase access to the essential services veterinarians provide nationwide. 

Addressing this vulnerability in our nation’s first-class food safety system calls for a legislative solution. The Rural Veterinary Workforce Act paves the way to further address current rural veterinary shortages while maintaining animal and public health. 

Dr. Rena Carlson, DVM, is president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Rep. Adrian Smith represents the 3rd District of Nebraska and Rep. John Larson represents the 1st District of Connecticut.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (March 4, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after he reintroduced the Financial Reporting Threshold Modernization Act (H.R. 1799) to update the Domestic Currency Transaction Report (CTR) threshold from $10,000 to $30,000, and ensure it is periodically adjusted for inflation in the 119^th Congress. Updating this threshold will protect privacy, reduce compliance costs, and realign the threshold with Congressional intent.

“When Congress passed the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, they did so with the clear intent to monitor significant and unusual financial transactions. Due to the forces of inflation, the $10,000 threshold that the Department of Treasury implemented in the 1970s is now grossly outdated and captures millions of commonplace transactions, like used car purchases and small business cash deposits. It is imperative that Treasury updates these BSA thresholds to meet the realities of the 21^st Century. 

“My bill simply raises the current threshold from $10,000 to $30,000, and indexes it to inflation. This would reduce the compliance burden for banks and credit unions by 60 to 80 percent, while ensuring law enforcement still has access to this tool when needed. Furthermore, raising this threshold will enhance customer privacy and allow federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to focus on the data that really matters.”

Rep. Troy Downing (MT-2) stated, “To protect rural communities, it is critical that financial regulation not discriminate against smaller institutions. For too long, financial institutions have been required to report cash transactions on an arbitrary basis without adjustment for inflation, resulting in unnecessary compliance burdens for firms, especially community banks. Congressman Loudermilk’s legislation rights this wrong, and I am proud to lend it my unwavering support.”

“America’s Credit Unions is proud to support Rep. Loudermilk’s legislation to appropriately modernize the CTR threshold and reduce the reporting burden on credit unions. With economic changes and rise in inflation since the threshold was established in 1972, it no longer serves the goals and original intent. If the current threshold was adjusted for inflation, it would exceed $75,000 – proof that the dollar amount requiring a CTR has shifted from a useful reporting tool to an unnecessary burden. We look forward to working on modernization priorities for the credit union industry with policymakers,” said Carrie Hunt, Chief Advocacy Officer, America’s Credit Unions.

Summary of the Financial Reporting Threshold Modernization Act:

• Raises the Currency Transaction Report (CTR) threshold raised from $10,000 to $30,000.
• Makes continuing adjustments for inflation, updating the CTR threshold every five years.
• Aligns other reporting thresholds for money service businesses with the increase in the CTR threshold, with proportionate increases where applicable.

To read the full bill text, click here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (February 26, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Budget Resolution (H. Con. Res 14). This budget blueprint allows the House to pass one comprehensive bill to deliver on President Trump’s and Congress’s America-First Agenda.

“Our bloated federal spending is catapulting this nation towards bankruptcy and steering crucial programs towards insolvency. We must change this trajectory now. On November 5, last year, seventy-seven million Americans gave President Trump and Congress a mandate to bring common sense back to our government, cut wasteful spending, strengthen the economy, secure our borders, and significantly reduce government intrusion into our lives and pocketbooks. 

“Yesterday, House Republicans passed a bold budget initiative that brings back fiscal sanity, cuts wasteful spending, and prioritizes our national security, individual freedom and economic opportunity. Adopting this budget as the blueprint for government reform will allow the House and Senate to root out waste, fraud, and abuse within our bloated federal agencies, cut taxes for hardworking American families, unleash American energy production, secure our borders, and strengthen our national security. The budget is the first step in restructuring the federal government; and it sets the framework for House committees to find ways to cut wasteful spending and save taxpayers’ dollars through efficiency and modernization. I urge the Senate to quickly pass a budget reconciliation package and we can make good on the promises we made to the American people.”

FY25 Budget Resolution Summary: 

1. RECONCILIATION INSTRUCTIONS
   
   • Requires at least $1.5 trillion in mandatory savings over 10 years. Reconciliation instructions by committee include:
     • Energy and Commerce: Reduce the deficit by at least $880 billion.
     • Education and Workforce: Reduce the deficit by at least $330 billion.
     • Agriculture: Reduce the deficit by at least $230 billion.
     • Oversight and Government Reform: Reduce the deficit by at least $50 billion.
     • Transportation and Infrastructure: Reduce the deficit by at least $10 billion.
     • Natural Resources: Reduce the deficit by at least $1 billion.
     • Financial Services: Reduce the deficit by at least $1 billion.
   • The reconciliation instructions also allow for spending on tax reform, border security and defense, providing up to $300 billion to secure the border and strengthen our national security.Reconciliation instructions by committee include:
   • • • Armed Services: Up to $100 billion for national defense.
       • Homeland Security: Up to $90 billion for border security.
       • Judiciary Committee: Up to $110 billion for border security.
       • Ways and Means: Provides $4.5 trillion to prevent tax hikes and deliver on President Trump’s tax priorities for the American people.
2. REIGNITING GROWTH AND PROSPERITY
   • Grows the economy by $2.6 trillion over 10 years from 2.6 percent average growth compared to the Congressional Budget Office estimate of 1.8 percent growth by:
     • Locking in tax cuts, unlocking opportunities, and restoring the American Dream.
     • Rolling back burdensome regulations from the Biden era and passing the REINS Act.
     • Restoring the dignity of work and unleashing American energy dominance.

Click here to read the full text of the FY25 Budget Resolution.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (February 21, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after reintroducing the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act in the 119^th Congress.

“The SEC’s collection of personal financial information through the Consolidated Audit Trail is unconstitutional and entirely unnecessary; and it exposes American investors to serious cybersecurity risks from foreign adversaries and criminal hackers. This is why I developed the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act in the House. The bill would effectively eliminate the potential for both accidental and intentional breaches by restricting the SEC’s automatic collection of investors’ PII. Among its provisions, the SEC will only be permitted to request this data in cases directly tied to investigating or enforcing violations of federal securities law. I appreciate Senator John Kennedy for introducing the Senate companion to this important bill.”

Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-2) said, “While I welcomed the SEC’s recent decision to exempt the reporting of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in the Consolidated Audit Trail, Congress must go even further. We must make this protection permanent and ensure the privacy of our fellow Americans. No one should be forced to endanger their personal information just to invest and save for their family’s future, and this legislation will give greater confidence to Main Street investors.”

Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the U.S. Senate companion bill, S. 658.

“Americans assume their private information is secure when they invest money in the U.S. stock market. However, the SEC’s unlawful Consolidated Audit Trail could put their data in jeopardy. My bill would protect American investors from foreign enemies and bad actors by preventing the SEC from collecting personal information it doesn’t need and storing it on a dangerous database,” said Senator John Kennedy (R-LA).

“The SEC’s national registry makes every American investor and retirement saver’s personal and financial information an easy target for Russian and Chinese hackers,” said American Securities Association President & CEO Chris Iacovella. “We thank Congressman Loudermilk for his leadership and for standing up to protect America’s mom-and-pop investors and removing the personal and financial information of American investors from the SEC’s Consolidated Audit Trail.”

“SIFMA applauds Congressman Loudermilk and Senator Kennedy for re-introducing the Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act. Consistent with the recent exemption provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), this important legislation would protect investors’ PII from being reported to the Consolidated Audit Trail (CAT), which is the largest database of retail and institutional trading ever created and is a ripe target for cyber criminals. For a decade, SIFMA has consistently provided alternatives to collecting such data that still address the SEC’s enforcement concerns. We commend this bicameral effort to codify the SEC’s recent exemption from the requirement to report certain PII to the CAT, and we look forward to working with Congress to enact this critical bill and ensure investors’ PII is protected,” said Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr.

Click here for a one-page summary, and here for the full House bill text of the Personally Identifiable Information Act.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (February 20, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement applauding U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) for introducing companion legislation in the U.S. Senate to the Modern Employment, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act, to hold inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable.

Rep. Loudermilk introduced the U.S. House version of the MERIT Act, H.R. 687, on January 23, 2025.

“Americans are tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal government bureaucracy. With the passage of the MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust. We will return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas. The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system and creating a more effective government workforce that truly serves the American people. Prioritizing transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining the integrity of our federal government and protecting hard-earned taxpayer dollars. I commend Senator Tim Sheehy for introducing the Senate counterpart to this important bill and for his leadership in this effort,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11).

“It’s well past time for the federal government to stop operating like a runaway train to nowhere and hold itself to the same standards that millions of hardworking Americans in the private sector hold themselves to every day. This legislation is an important step toward bringing an end to bloated bureaucracy and restoring common sense and accountability in the federal government. The American people voted for serious reform in November, and I’m proud to lead this effort in the Senate to deliver on that mandate,” said Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT).

MERIT ACT Summary:

• Addressing misconduct and poor performance: The MERIT Act repeals the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which is unnecessarily time-consuming, and streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.
• Poor Performing Senior Executives: The MERIT Act permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons, rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.
• Recoupment of bonuses and awards: The MERIT Act authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had these issues been known at the time.
• Felonious service: The MERIT Act affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation.

Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Cindy Hyde Smith (R-MS) joined Senator Sheehy in introducing the MERIT Act in the U.S. Senate.

Reps. Buddy Carter (GA-1), Erin Houchin (IN-9), Rick Crawford (AR-1), Burgess Owens (UT-4), Mike Collins (GA-10), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Dan Webster (FL-11), Tracy Mann (KS-1), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Dan Meuser (PA-9), Brian Babin (TX-36), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Jim Baird (IN-4), Greg Steube (FL-17), Tim Burchett (TN-2), Randy Weber (TX-14), and Eli Crane (AZ-2) joined Rep. Barry Loudermilk in supporting the U.S. House version of the MERIT Act.

Click here for a one-page summary, here for the full House bill text, and here for the full Senate bill text of the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (February 6, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after he reintroduced the Respect State Housing Laws Act in the 119^th Congress.

“Hidden in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a temporary provision that requires landlords to provide tenants with thirty days’ notice before a landlord can begin an eviction proceeding. This federal regulation was supposed to be a one-time grace period when the eviction moratorium ended; but a drafting error caused the 30-day notice requirement to remain in place permanently. This overrides state eviction notice laws, which are on average, eight days.

“This federal overreach in the eviction process has caused immeasurable suffering for veterans, retirees, and families who depend on rental income to make ends meet. That is why my Respect State Housing Laws Act is a critical step in easing that burden by simply removing the federal government from the equation, and returning housing policies back to the states, where they should be – and were for decades before the pandemic. It’s time we let this unnecessary provision expire.”

Rep. Loudermilk first introduced the Respect State Housing Laws Act during the 117^th Congress.

“During the pandemic, Congress took various temporary measures to ensure Americans were not left to fend for themselves in the face of so much uncertainty,” said Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-01). “Emergency measures taken during the pandemic were always meant to be temporary, not permanent. Our bill helps give property owners the clarity and tools they need to deal with bad intentioned tenants who have taken advantage of this flaw in federal law. I’m proud to support this legislation that returns notice to vacate jurisdiction back to the states where it belongs.”

“Unnecessary and duplicative federal intrusion into complex state and local law amplifies the financial and operational challenges housing providers across our country continue to face. With 93 cents of each rent dollar paying the bills that keep rental housing operational, prolonged disturbances to standard operating procedures have major implications. On behalf of the nation’s rental housing providers, the National Apartment Association (NAA) thanks Representatives Vicente Gonzalez and Barry Loudermilk and Senators Bill Hagerty and Cindy Hyde-Smith for recognizing this adverse impact and reintroducing the Respect State Housing Laws Act to help restore balance and normalcy to rental housing operations,” said Robert Pinnegar, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Apartment Association.

“For professional housing providers, eviction is always a last resort. This legislation will help ensure that providers can continue to provide stable, affordable housing options for American families. We thank Representative Loudermilk for his leadership on this issue and for his introduction of the ‘Respect State Housing Laws Act’,” said Gail Phillips, Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Residential Property Managers.

“Throughout the pandemic and its aftermath, housing providers and their residents have navigated immense challenges that are only worsened by federal intervention. The legal process for addressing lease violations and non-payment of rent is well established at the state and local levels. Evictions are detrimental to both housing providers and residents. Federal oversight causes confusion that ultimately harms residents and housing providers alike and limits housing affordability and availability,” said Sharon Wilson Géno, President, National Multifamily Housing Council.

Original co-sponsors include Reps. Vincente Gonzalez (TX-34), John Rutherford (FL-5), Andy Barr (KY-06), William Timmons (SC-04), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Rich McCormick (GA-07), Andrew Clyde (GA-09), David Kustoff (TN-08), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Glenn Grothman (WI-6), Morgan Luttrell (TX-08), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Steve Womack (AR-3), and Pete Stauber (MN-08).

Click here for the full bill text of the Respect State Housing Laws Act.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) led a letter with Reps. Mike Quigley (IL-05), Shontel Brown (OH-11), and 21 other Members of Congress urging the Trump administration to reverse its recent announcement to shut down six regional offices in the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of General Counsel. The Region V Office, which would be closed, serves Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The Office of General Counsel protects patients from fraud and bad actors, and in Fiscal Year 2023, the Office returned more than $3.4 billion to the federal government and individuals from civil health care fraud settlements and judgments.

“The planned shutdown of more than half of the regional offices would leave only four offices to serve a country of over 330 million people and directly undermine HHS’s capacity to improve America’s health and effectively safeguard taxpayer dollars,” members wrote in the letter. “In addition to being a shortsighted effort that will severely hinder HHS’s ability to fulfill its mission, the planned office closures stand in direct opposition to the Trump Administration’s purported focus on combatting ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’

“We therefore urge you to reconsider this plan to shutter vital regional offices, including the Region V office in Chicago, and instead work towards ensuring all offices remain fully operational and adequately resourced to do their jobs,” members continued in the letter. “The American people deserve better than this. If you are truly committed to improving the efficiency of our health care system, making America healthy, and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse, we hope you will prioritize the enforcement of our nation’s health laws and the standards that help ensure the safety and dignity of our nation’s most vulnerable.”

Read the full letter here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02) condemned House Republicans’ $880 billion budget cut to Medicaid alongside U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), healthcare providers and community members at Roseland Community Hospital (RCH).

Cuts to Medicaid would force RCH to consider layoffs, service line cuts and even closure. Many of the hospital’s patients also rely on Medicaid, similar to over 300,000 people in Illinois’ Second District.

“House Republicans are willing to exchange people’s healthcare for a $4.5 trillion-dollar tax break. They are betraying their own constituents and Americans across the country – all because Donald Trump wants more money for Elon Musk and his billionaire friends,” said Rep. Kelly. “In the coming weeks and months, they will try to slash Medicaid, and we need to be prepared to push back and show them the American people are not behind them.”

Rep. Kelly also invited two community members, including a Medical Assistant at RCH, to speak on the potential impact of Medicaid cuts to themselves and their own families.

“We need real solutions, not cuts that leave families without options and put people’s health at risk,” said Ikeya Johnson, Medical Assistant at RCH. “Medicaid is a lifeline, and it must be protected.”

“Medicaid has proven to be a very important resource needed to help keep me and my loved ones alive,” said Diane Latiker, who is covered by Medicaid.

“More than three million Illinoisans rely on Medicaid for life-saving medical treatment,” said Senator Durbin. “Efforts by Republicans in Congress to gut Medicaid to pay for tax breaks for billionaires hurts children, seniors, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and families just trying to get by—and puts hospitals at risk of closure. I will continue working alongside Representatives Kelly and Jackson to defend Medicaid, and I hope Republicans in Congress find the courage to listen to us and abandon this harmful plan.”

“Medicaid is a lifeline for over 3.4 million Illinois residents, including over half of our state’s children. In my district alone, 268,901 of my constituents are enrolled in Medicaid,” said Rep. Jackson. “They cannot afford to lose their healthcare. As a Medicaid expansion state, Illinois has made critical investments in healthcare access, ensuring that families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities receive the care they need. Cutting Medicaid funding would have devastating consequences, forcing hospitals to consider layoffs and service reductions, jeopardizing care for those who need it most.”

“The closure of HHS Regional Offices combined with these massive Medicaid cuts represents not just a policy change, but a dangerous abandonment of our most vulnerable communities and the healthcare infrastructure they depend on,” said Michael Cabonargi, former Regional Director of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “As someone who witnessed firsthand how these regional connections save lives during public health crises, I can assure you that dismantling this system while slashing Medicaid will create healthcare deserts in communities that can least afford to lose access to care.”