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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Quiet Communities Act (H.R.5151), a measure to help combat aircraft noise over Queens and other impacted areas around the country.

The bill would require that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) take over efforts to mitigate aircraft noise over communities near airports, moving this responsibility from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The EPA’s Office of Nosie Abatement and Control (ONAC) was defunded in 1981 by the Regan Administration due to budget cuts. However, the Quiet Communities Act would reopen this office.

“Airplane noise pollution is a persistent quality-of-life issue that residents in Queens and communities across the country shouldn’t be forced to deal with day and night,” said Congresswoman Meng. “For years, constituents in my communities I represent have been calling for something to be done about the excessive noise they are experiencing. My Quiet Communities Act would address these problems by reopening the Nosie Abatement and Control Office at the EPA. By allowing the EPA to head up the airplane noise battle, it ensures that the federal government addresses this issue from an environmental perspective.”

Although airplane noise has long existed over Queens due to the proximity of New York City’s airports, the increased sounds of jets significantly increased in 2012 when the FAA implemented new flight patterns over the borough. These routes, which are for airplanes departing LaGuardia, have increased the frequency of flights over residential neighborhoods in Queens, and the substantial rise in aircraft noise has negatively impacted borough residents.

This legislation was introduced in the House with 21 cosponsors including Representatives Don Beyer (D-VA), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Salud Carabajal (D-CA) , Ed Case (D-HI), Sean Casten (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Mike Levin (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Dave Min (D-CA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Norton-Holmes (D-DC), Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Scott Peters (D-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), and Shri Thanedar (D-MI). It must be approved by the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure before it can be brought to the floor for a vote.

A copy of the bill can be viewed here.

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

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) submitted and cosponsored amendments to the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) intended to prevent U.S. Military intervention in Latin America, protect human rights, secure equitable health care for servicemembers and families in Puerto Rico, improve accountability at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and support small government contractors.

 

The Rules Committee is set to review these proposals today ahead of a vote on the full defense bill later this week.

 

The amendments introduced by Rep. Velázquez include:

 

• Velázquez 508– Codifies the current procedures used to determine when a government contract will be set aside for a small business competition.
• Velázquez 550– Makes adjustments to certain acquisition thresholds for contracts awarded to small businesses.
• Velázquez 579– Prohibits military action in Mexico in violation of Congress’s constitutional war powers.
• Velázquez 972– Requires HUD rules to be reviewed and commented on by the majority and minority of the House Financial Services Committee and Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs before taking effect.   

Rep. Velázquez also cosponsored the following amendments:

 

• Ocasio-Cortez 271– Requires a report on the environmental and public health social and economic impacts of abandoned military bases.
• Ocasio-Cortez 630– Requires a declassification review of documents related to the U.S.’s involvement in Chile’s coup of 1973.
• Casar 883– Prohibits funds from being used for unauthorized military force against Venezuela.
• Hernández 942– Directs the Department of Defense to administer TRICARE Prime in Puerto Rico on the same basis as in the States and ensures access to travel and transportation allowances for covered beneficiaries.

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (3rd District of Ohio)

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, moved to subpoena the Secretary of the Treasury Department to release all unredacted documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s financial transactions, including wire transfers, currency transaction reports, suspicious activity reports, and other Bank Secrecy Act data. She issued the motion during a subcommittee oversight hearing with Andrea Gacki, Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). The motion failed when every Republican Member present in the hearing room voted to block the subpoena. 

 

For months, the Trump Administration and Congressional Republicans have shamelessly circumvented the release of critical files that include detailed information of Epstein’s sex trafficking ring and his network of co-conspirators, preventing the transparency the American people deserve, and withholding justice from Epstein’s victims, many of whom were underage girls. 

 

Congresswoman Beatty, alongside Congresswoman Tlaib and other Democratic Members of the National Security Subcommittee, took action to hold the Trump Administration accountable amidst its ongoing coverup of the Epstein files. Today’s action comes on the heels of Secretary Scott Bessent’s continued refusal to hand over Treasury’s Epstein documents to Senator Ron Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee.

 

“Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his criminal network victimized thousands of women and underage girls, and the American people demand transparency into one of the worst pedophile rings in the history of this country,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. “Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee demanded that the Treasury Department release all Epstein documents and financial transactions, complete and unredacted, to shine a light on the high-profile individuals who have yet to be held accountable. It’s high time that Epstein’s victims get the justice they deserve. What are Republicans in Congress trying to hide?”

 

“The Financial Services Committee should also have oversight in regards to any banking institution. As somebody who serves on Oversight, and sat at a roundtable with girls that were as young as thirteen years old, who asked us to ‘follow the money’, and I think it’s our responsibility as members of Congress to do that”, said Congresswoman Tlaib in the Committee hearing.

 

Watch the full video of Beatty’s motion to subpoena HERE. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05)

Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) has introduced two pieces of legislation to aid President Trump in his efforts to deter crime in our nation’s capital.

The Make D.C. Safe Again Act amends the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to extend the emergency period during which the President of the United States may exercise control over Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The Home Rule Act currently provides the President with the authority to assume control over MPD during emergencies for thirty days. Congressman Biggs’s legislation extends that period to 180 days, ensuring that President Trump and federal authorities can stabilize conditions in the nation’s capital without being hamstrung by artificial time limits.

The Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act prohibits the practice of cashless bail in the District of Columbia. D.C. law currently permits judges to release criminals back on the street without requiring them to post monetary bail. Congressman Biggs’s bill would stop judges from releasing criminals without bail, giving prosecutors a stronger foundation to uphold the rule of law and keep criminals out of our communities.

“When our nation’s capital faces lawlessness, violent crime, and breakdowns in public order, the federal government has a responsibility and a constitutional duty to act decisively,” said Congressman Biggs.

“The District of Columbia is the seat of our federal government, the home of our institutions, and a symbol of American strength. Weak leadership at the local level too often leaves D.C. vulnerable to the chaos of the radical Left. President Trump has shown time and time again his commitment to restoring law and order in D.C. and across the country. My legislation ensures that President Trump has the necessary time and authority to quell the chaos that has reigned in woke D.C.

“America’s capital must be a city where families feel safe and businesses can thrive. I’m thankful for President Trump’s determination to restore law and order, and I look forward to working with him and his team to make Washington, D.C. safe again.”

Cosponsors of the legislation include: Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD).

The Make D.C. Safe Again Act may be read here. The Keep Offenders Off Our Streets Act may be read here.

Just the News covered the legislation here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

San Francisco – Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement on the passing of former Congressman John Burton:
 
“Today, working families have lost one of the most outspoken, ferocious and unyielding champions our nation has ever known.  John Burton was a towering progressive warrior, who for half a century never pulled a punch in his dogged fight for a fairer future for our children.  Paul and I are heartbroken to hear of his passing, as he was my longtime mentor, close confidant and dear friend.
 
“All who knew John knew that behind his profanity-laden language was a profound progressive vision for how to make real the promise of America.  As I wrote in the forward to his memoir, I Yell Because I Care, John yelled a lot because he cared a lot — especially about our most vulnerable neighbors. He dreamed of a city without homelessness or hunger; a society dedicated to full equality, no matter who you are or who you love; an economy where every working family could succeed; a world at peace where every child could reach their fulfillment.  

“Guided by a big heart, and aided by a brilliant strategic mind, John was boundlessly effective in every arena in which he served – whether protesting the war in Vietnam, bringing the concerns of Californians to Congress, serving in the state Assembly and Senate or twice leading our state Democratic Party. He cultivated his friendships in politics, music, community and sports —  nurturing deep, decades-long relationships and always engaging new people. 
 
“Personally, I will forever be grateful to John for managing my very first campaign for Congress in 1987, to fill the seat that belonged first to his brother, Philip, and then his sister-in-law, Sala.  And for more than three decades in the Congress, I was blessed to have John as a source of wise counsel, sound judgement and brash humor – and he always served as a constant reinvigoration of my inspiration to carry on the fight For The People.
 
“It is fitting that the legacy of this legendary liberal lion will live on in our state in so many ways: from the work of his Foundation to end child homelessness — especially among foster children — to a strengthened California Democratic Party fighting for our values to a new highway that will ensure future generations know his name. 

“May it be a comfort to John’s beloved daughter Kimiko, grandchildren Juanito and Mikala, and all his loved ones that our state, and indeed the entire nation, join them in mourning during this sad time.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. — In the wake of the deadly school shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi joined 129 House Democrats in signing a letter calling on Speaker Johnson to listen to the prayers of millions of Americans and take action to end gun violence.

“Scripture shows examples of leaders like Moses and David standing up to evil to protect their people. Their prayers were not passive but supported them to action. Will this generation of Republican leaders pray not only for the victims, but also for the strength to end gun violence?” wrote the lawmakers.

“Will this generation of Republican leaders look their children and grandchildren in the eyes knowing that they worked to protect them from the leading cause of death for kids and teens?

“Republicans are not bystanders in the gun violence epidemic. You control the White House, House and Senate. The President ended the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, made guns that fire like a fully automatic machinegun legal, and diverted law enforcement dedicated to fighting gun violence to other roles. The House and Senate are off to a terrible start spending $1.7 billion to make silencers, sawed off shotguns and short barreled rifles less expensive and proposing devastating cuts to the law enforcement agency that fights gun violence,” they continued.

“Your actions and inactions will be judged for eternity both by all those who follow you in public office and by what Lincoln called ‘a just God.’ Join us in the essential cause of protecting American children from the brutal and unnecessary horrors of any more gun violence,” the lawmakers concluded.

BACKGROUND

In Speaker Johnson’s short tenure as Speaker of the House, gun violence has killed more than 74,640 people and injured another 55,601 people. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children, teenagers and law enforcement.

For decades, Republicans and Democrats have worked together to pass bipartisan bills to help prevent gun violence:

• In 1934, Congress passed the National Firearms Act to regulate machineguns, silencers, sawed off shotguns and short barreled rifles because they were the weapons of choice for gangsters.
• In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act which required background checks.
• In 1994, Congress passed the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act, which temporarily restricted access to certain classes of extraordinarily dangerous firearms and large capacity magazines.
• In 2022, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which expanded background checks for 18–20-year-olds, cracked down on gun traffickers, closed a loophole exploited by domestic abusers, funded school mental health and encouraged the expansion of state red flag laws.

These bills saved lives, but more action is needed. 

This Congress, Members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force have introduced legislation to expand background checks, keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others, and regulate weapons that are being used by criminals to harm our communities. Congressional Republicans can and should help pass this legislation. 

Read the full text of the letter here.
 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

Washington, D.C. – Earlier this month, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi discussed the urgent need to protect American democracy with Linda Burstyn for The Contrarian’s The Way Forward: Advice from Great Women, the first in a new series of conversations with women who have waged and won political battles about what Americans can do during this unprecedented moment in history.

The Contrarian: Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi
[By Linda Burstyn, 8/27/25]

Every day seems to bring a fresh blow to our democracy, and with it, a chorus of hand-wringing about who has the wisdom to lead us out of this mess. While legal work is crucial, the public needs a philosophical framework to give us the hope we need to move forward. Who better to provide that than women who’ve already gone to war in the political trenches and emerged victorious?

This series, The Way Forward, is about those conversations. We’ll start with Nancy Pelosi, the great political strategist, Speaker Emerita of the House and current California Representative, who doesn’t mince words about the future—or how she expects us to get there.

HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT THIS MOMENT IN US HISTORY?

At the beginning of our country, Thomas Paine wrote that “the times have found us.” Now, the times have found us. It’s no exaggeration that it’s going to take all of us to save our democracy from being paved over by this person who doesn’t care about the Constitution.

HOW DO WE GET OUT OF THIS?

We have to win the House in this next election. Right before I became Speaker, Harry Reid and I made a plan of how we were going to win the congress, and it worked. We did it by preparing the year before. That’s what we’re doing now.

The goofus in the White House knows he’s going to lose and that’s why he’s cheating in Texas; because he knows that, left to the public’s choice, he’s going to lose. I don’t like midterm redistricting and I think it should be outlawed, but it isn’t. I don’t want to be engaged in this, but if that’s what he’s doing, we have to have self-defense, not unilateral disarmament. We will beat him at his own game and we will win the House. That is essential to saving our democracy.

I go back to Lincoln: “Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed..” But for public sentiment to prevail, people have to know what Trump is doing.

People may not care that he’s an insurrectionist and a rapist and a vile creature. They may be okay with that and the fact that he’s harming our democracy. So, we have to go to the kitchen table and to public safety issues and family-oriented issues–and women must lead the way on this because this is our territory. This is our turf.

Now, let me make a complaint about the press. Every time I turned on the TV this summer, reporters were talking about the Big Beautiful Bill. Why use his language? It’s a stinking, lousy, rotten, disgusting, unfair, unjust piece of crap. We have a fight on our hands that’s bigger than just this bozo. He’s put a chilling effect on news and communication, which is not confined to the media.

Why are the scientists not up in arms about what he’s doing with science? Why aren’t the academics up in arms? That’s the chilling effect. Scientists and academics are afraid of losing their jobs. And what about the lawyers? This guy is disregarding the constitution of the US, the Supreme Court is a complete rogue operation, and you’d think the American Bar Association or somebody would raise their voices. You’d think they care about the constitution, right?

HOW DO WE CHANGE THIS?

Winning is the best and biggest antidote; it corrects many other sins he’s trying to put out there and that is what we have to do now and what we fully intend to do. Hakeem Jeffries will be the next Speaker of the House. I have absolutely no doubt about that. We only need three seats—we want thirty, but we only need three to win.

I’m a believer that we must own the ground. Whoever owns the ground wins the election. You can have every ad you want on TV, but if you’re not on the ground knocking on that door or calling or texting, you’re just talking to a narrow group of people. I think women will save the day. In this election, they have the most at risk and most at stake. That’s true in every election but especially this one.

HOW ARE WE PREPARING TO COMBAT FUTURE ELECTION TAMPERING?

There are certain places where we know he’s going to try to change the ballots. With redistricting in Florida and Ohio and places like that. Florida is not to be trusted. They’re completely in sync with him. In order to win, we have to go where we know we’ll get the votes to win. Not spend a hundred million in Texas to come in second.

Trump is a person who breaks the law and dishonors the constitution and violates his oath of office, jeopardizes free and fair elections and gets away with it. Why? Because he’s an excellent snake oil salesman and instiller of fear.

He’s the most vile creature who ever swam out of the swamp since evolution, but we move forward by understanding that elections have ramifications and that we must get out the vote. This is the antidote to many ills and if we don’t win, I fear for our nation. People don’t really believe that our democracy is at stake, I guess. But the fact is, this guy is there to undermine it. He’s following the pattern of autocrats, by the book. Goebbels, the information officer for Hitler, said: Tell a lie over and over and over and over again. Keep telling the lie.

Some of us have to modify our behavior by understanding what is at stake in this election and if it isn’t persuasive enough to say our democracy is at stake, then our messaging has to go to where our elections are usually fought. If what people care about is the price of eggs, let’s talk about the price of eggs.

HOW CAN YOU GIVE PEOPLE HOPE?

I’ll never understand how he could’ve invaded the Capitol, invited an insurrection, caused people to die, violently attacked the police and all of the rest of that, and then changed the narrative of it by saying it was liberals, antifa, or something like that…and that he has yet to pay a price for it. But you know what? It’s not over. It’s far from over. It’s a longer path—and we will win.

We have to be focused on the three M’s: First, mobilization. We have to turn out the vote. Messaging must be disciplined. And we have to create the message from down below and up. And then there’s money. The Republicans will have more than us; but we’ll have enough.

If he insists on going forward with re-redistricting in Texas, we will go forward in California and we will win and neutralize whatever he picks up in Texas. And that will give people hope. That’s what people have to have: hope. We have to realize it’s possible to do this. Every time we’ve won the House in modern times; we’ve won when there was a Republican president.

So, have confidence! Have hope! Know your power; the power of you. It’s an amazing thing when you talk to people and they say: I don’t know…I’m so tired of the whole thing. No! You can’t be tired of the whole thing! You must never tire! You must never tire!

When people ask me: ‘Where is hope?’ It’s where it has always been, sitting comfortably between faith and charity. Faith, hope, charity. You have to believe something can happen and you have to believe in the goodness of enough people to make it happen. Belief in the goodness of our country. That gives us hope.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesteday, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) voted against H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 231-196. Rep. Chu’s no vote came after Republicans went against historical precedent and refused to allow the fair and full consideration of Democratic amendments while filling the bill with partisan poison pills.

“House Democrats offered common-sense amendments to prevent the President from deploying the U.S. military against American civilians, something Donald Trump already did in Los Angeles, and to stop Trump’s continued politicization of our armed forces with the firing of highly-qualified and patriotic military officials who refused to succumb to his loyalty tests. Republicans blocked these reforms, leaving the door wide open for further abuse of military power. 

“Trump’s use of our troops for political theater is a waste of taxpayer dollars and a distraction from real national security threats. Every dollar spent on these stunts is a dollar not spent on readiness, housing, health care, childcare, and the equipment our servicemembers actually need to do their jobs and come home safely.

“This bill also strips protections from women, LGBTQ+ servicemembers and their families, and other minority communities, undermining the core mission of the Department of Defense: to protect all Americans. It greenlights Trump’s political meddling in the ranks, invites retaliation against military professionals who refuse partisan litmus tests, and prioritizes culture-war attacks over the safety and well-being of our servicemembers and our country.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of today’s House Appropriations Committee markup of Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) funding legislation, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Senator Mazie Hirono (HI) led a bicameral letter to stop Republican lawmakers from reinstating the China Initiative, which unfairly targeted and profiled Chinese American and Chinese researchers and scholars.

The program was created in 2018 under the first Trump administration but was disbanded in 2022 after several of the alleged espionage and national security cases ended in acquittal, dismissal, or were dropped altogether. The Trump-era China Initiative questioned the loyalty of Asian Americans, reinforced harmful negative stereotypes, and undermined our nation’s scientific innovation and global partnerships. 

House Republicans are now attempting to restart the program by inserting language into the FY2026 CJS Appropriations bill, which funds the Departments of Commerce, Justice and other science-related programs. Rep. Chu and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Members successfully prevented the inclusion of this language in the FY2025 and FY2024 Appropriations bills. 

In their letter to House and Senate Appropriators, the Members wrote, “This prosecutorial initiative was a blunt instrument wielded against anyone who had ‘some nexus to China’. An unacceptably high number of the aforementioned cases ended in dropped charges, dismissals, and acquittals because prosecutors could not prove allegations.Over the course of this initiative, an increasing number of cases had to do with false statements and the failure to make disclosures—not espionage, theft, or spying.” 

The lawmakers highlight the importance of national security and countering threats against the Chinese Communist Party but recommended a more targeted and responsible approach that does not unfairly criminalize researchers of Chinese descent or their work. They conclude by writing: “A budget is a representation of our priorities and values. It would be both a misallocation of resources and a backsliding for civil rights to restart the China Initiative.”

Click here to read the full letter.

This letter was endorsed by the following organizations: Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Stop AAPI Hate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Asian American Scholar Forum, 1990 Institute, AAPI Equity Alliance, AAPI NJ, AAPI Youth Rising, AAPIs for Justice (SA, TX), ACLU, American Community Media, American Federation of Teachers, APA Justice Task Force, API Council, APIA Vote-Michigan, Asian American Federal Employees for Nondiscrimination (AAFEN), Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Asian American Midwest Progressives , Asian American Psychological Association, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL), Asian Americans United, Asian Law Alliance, Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance (API PA), Aurora Commons LLC, Brennan Center for Justice, Cambodia Town Inc., CAPI USA, Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco Clearinghouse on Women’s Issues, Committee of 100, Defending Rights & Dissent, DRUM – Desis Rising Up & Moving, Feminist Majority Foundation, Georgetown Center for Asian Law , Hate Is A Virus, Hmong Innovating Politics, Japanese American Citizens League, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Justice Is Global, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Missouri Asian American Youth Foundation , NAFSA: Association of International Educators, National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), National Asian Pacific American Families Allied for Substance Awareness and Harm Reduction, National Iranian American Council Action, National Organization for Women, National Pacific Islander Education Network, National Queer Asian American Pacific Islander, National Tongan American Society, New Mexico Asian Family Center (NMAFC), NICOS Chinese Health Coalition, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, Greater Cleveland, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates (Greater Philadelphia Chapter), , OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Seattle, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates Greater Tucson Chapter, OCA Colorado, OCA Columbus, OCA-CVC, OCA-Sacramento Chapter, OCA-San Mateo Chapter, OCA Silicon Valley, OCA-NY , OPAWL-Building AAPI Feminist Leadership, Pacific Asian Counseling Services, Peace Action, Peace Action New York State, Restore The Fourth, Rising Voices, Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN), Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), South Asian Network, Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC), Union of Concerned Scientists, United Chinese Americans (UCA), Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Western States Center, and the Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL)

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today are expressing their opposition to the Administration’s use of Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) for support to federal law enforcement operations in Illinois and demanding written confirmation of how the installation is being used. In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem today, the members are calling on the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide answers after DHS’s refusal to meet with the members at NSGL last week.

“We are gravely concerned about the decision by the Secretary of Defense to designate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installation Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) as a staging location for U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel for federal law and immigration enforcement operations,” the Members wrote. “This decision undermines the integrity of the base’s mission as a training facility for the U.S. Navy and the service’s sole boot camp. We are deeply concerned that this decision will hinder our military’s readiness while sparking confusion and fear in the communities we represent. We urge you not to use our servicemembers and facilities in pursuit of partisan ends instead of our national interest. “

The Members continued, “We visited NSGL because your agencies were uncooperative in our constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the executive branch of government. We were shocked that DHS refused to meet with us. This Administration’s contempt for any oversight of its actions was further underscored by the flippant act of locking the doors to deny Members of Congress access to the office building that DHS is set to occupy. We are concerned that the agencies you oversee would not be operating in secrecy if their actions were legal and defensible.”

The Members are requesting the following documents from DOD and DHS:

• Documentation regarding DoD’s approval of DHS’s Request for Assistance, to include written confirmation of the start and end date of DHS presence on NSGL and written confirmation that any such presence will be funded entirely by DHS.
• Copies of all formal or informal communications – including emails, texts, chats, memoranda or other documents – between DHS and DoD discussing requests for DHS support at NSGL since January 2025.
• Copies of all internal DoD records since January 2025 discussing the range of possible requests for NSGL related support to Federal law enforcement, including NSGL’s ability to support DHS personnel or active-duty personnel, as well as copies of all internal DHS records since January 2025 discussing the range of possible requests of NSGL to support DHS operations in Illinois.
• Copies of all formal or informal communications since January 2025 to and from NSGL personnel – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents – related to available support NSGL could provide to DHS and any installation-level risk assessment of that support and any additional support.
• Copies of any formal or informal communications since January 2025 – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents – internal to DHS, internal to DoD and between DoD and DHS regarding providing facilities on NSGL to DHS for any purpose.
• Written confirmation that no resources currently allocated to or personnel stationed at NSGL will be redirected to support DHS’s activities.
• Written confirmation that no DHS-managed lethal munitions will be stored on NSGL.
• Written confirmation that no individuals apprehended by DHS will be detained on NSGL.
• Written confirmation that no personnel from NSGL will be asked to assist DHS in any way related to arresting, detaining, or engaging in federal law and immigration enforcement against individuals.
• Written confirmation that no housing accommodations will be provided to DHS personnel.
• Records of any guidance DoD has provided to servicemembers assigned to NSGL regarding appropriate interactions with DHS personnel and Federal agents.
• Records of any guidance DHS has provided to its personnel regarding its operations on and out of NSGL.
• Written confirmation that DHS personnel will wear clear labels identifying themselves and their organizational affiliation when within NSGL grounds, entering and exiting NSGL and operating in Illinois.
• Copies of all formal or informal communications – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents – within and between your agencies discussing possible deployments or mobilization of Active-Duty, National Guard or Reserve forces in Illinois since January 2025.

Last week Duckworth, Durbin and Schneider visited Naval Station Great Lakes amid President Trump’s plans to support DHS officers and his threats to deploy the military to Chicago. During the lawmakers’ meeting at the base, they were taken through the process of how the Naval Station Great Lakes’ involvement with President Trump’s plans came to be, but the Members’ request for a meeting with DHS officials was denied. They were also locked out of the office space that DHS intends to use after requesting entry.

Duckworth and Durbin have previously called on Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary Noem, Secretary Hegseth and FBI Director Kash Patel, requesting immediate information regarding President Trump’s imminent actions to send the military and increase federal law enforcement presence in Chicago and on President Trump to demand that he and the Pentagon suspend plans for the deployment of military personnel to Chicago. 

Full text of the letter is available below and on the Senator’s website.

Dear Secretary Hegseth and Noem:

We are gravely concerned about the decision by the Secretary of Defense to designate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) installation Naval Station Great Lakes (NSGL) as a staging location for U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel for federal law and immigration enforcement operations. This decision undermines the integrity of the base’s mission as a training facility for the U.S. Navy and the service’s sole boot camp. We are deeply concerned that this decision will hinder our military’s readiness while sparking confusion and fear in the communities we represent. We urge you not to use our servicemembers and facilities in pursuit of partisan ends instead of our national interest. 

We are further concerned by reports that DoD’s support is based on verbal agreements instead of standard written ones. Verbal agreements are susceptible to mission creep, vulnerable to being incorrectly and poorly communicated, and prevent transparency and accountability to American taxpayers and their elected representatives. This Administration has demonstrated unprecedented, insulting disregard towards our country’s laws and norms, undermining the American people’s rights and our democracy itself. The announced surge of federal law and immigration enforcement activity in Chicago has been conducted in an ad hoc, unprofessional manner that dodges constitutionally-established oversight and accountability to the citizens of this country. 

On August 28, 2025, DHS requested DoD assistance at NSGL, including office spaces and storage of less than lethal munitions for DHS personnel. We have received no official notification from DoD about the approval of this request or any associated plans.

We visited NSGL because your agencies were uncooperative in our constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the executive branch of government. We were shocked that DHS refused to meet with us. This Administration’s contempt for any oversight of its actions was further underscored by the flippant act of locking the doors to deny Members of Congress access to the office building that DHS is set to occupy. We are concerned that the agencies you oversee would not be operating in secrecy if their actions were legal and defensible.

While Navy leadership did meet openly and helpfully with us during and after our visit, sharing details of NSGL’s current scope of support for DHS, we were deeply concerned to hear that these specifics have only been captured in verbal agreements. This sort of unofficial, handshake agreement is not sufficient for operations as sensitive as these. Our understanding from our visit was that DoD support to DHS at NSGL will be confined to reimbursable support in the form of storage for non-lethal munitions and office space, with no access to housing or storage of lethal munitions. 

We are deeply concerned that DoD may be supporting federal law enforcement actions that have not been coordinated with local and state authorities. We believe that common sense limits on DOD support for DHS at NSGL are important for reassuring the local community and minimizing impacts to the Navy’s mission. And of course, we insist that any such guardrails must be in writing.   

In order to continue in our oversight role, we ask that you furnish us with the following documents as they relate to planned DHS operations at or out of NSGL by September 18, 2025:

Documentation regarding DoD’s approval of DHS’s 28 August Request for Assistance, to include written confirmation of the start and end date of DHS presence on NSGL and written confirmation that any such presence will be funded entirely by DHS. 

Copies of all formal or informal communications – including emails, texts, chats, memoranda or other documents – between DHS and DoD discussing requests for DHS support at NSGL since January 2025.

Copies of all internal DoD records since January 2025 discussing the range of possible requests for NSGL related support to Federal law enforcement, including NSGL’s ability to support DHS personnel or active-duty personnel, as well as copies of all internal DHS records since January 2025 discussing the range of possible requests of NSGL to support DHS operations in Illinois. 

Copies of all formal or informal communications since January 2025 to and from NSGL personnel – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents — related to available support NSGL could provide to DHS and any installation-level risk assessment of that support and any additional support. 

Copies of any formal or informal communications since January 2025 – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents – internal to DHS, internal to DoD and between DoD and DHS regarding providing facilities on NSGL to DHS for any purpose. 

Written confirmation that no resources currently allocated to or personnel stationed at NSGL will be redirected to support DHS’s activities.

Written confirmation that no DHS-managed lethal munitions will be stored on NSGL. 

Written confirmation that no individuals apprehended by DHS will be detained on NSGL. 

Written confirmation that no personnel from NSGL will be asked to assist DHS in any way related to arresting, detaining, or engaging in federal law and immigration enforcement against individuals. 

Written confirmation that no housing accommodations will be provided to DHS personnel. 

Records of any guidance DoD has provided to servicemembers assigned to NSGL regarding appropriate interactions with DHS personnel and Federal agents. 

Records of any guidance DHS has provided to its personnel regarding its operations on and out of NSGL. 

Written confirmation that DHS personnel will wear clear labels identifying themselves and their organizational affiliation when within NSGL grounds, entering and exiting NSGL and operating in Illinois. 

Copies of all formal or informal communications – including emails, texts, memoranda or other documents – within and between your agencies discussing possible deployments or mobilization of Active-Duty, National Guard or Reserve forces in Illinois since January 2025.

We strongly urge your agencies to reverse the decision to allow a staging presence for DHS at NSGL and any other military installation in Illinois. We oppose any wasteful diversion of attention and taxpayer dollars away from the core mission of NSGL and any other military installations toward unrelated law enforcement activities and the intimidation of our communities.

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