MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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

CHICAGO — Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement on the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) decision to deny a major disaster declaration for Illinois that would have provided disaster relief funds for the August 2025 storms: 

“The Trump administration’s denial of a major disaster declaration for Illinois is a politically motivated decision to punish a blue state, and leave families without the extra help they need.

“It’s a continuation of Trump’s approach to federal assistance: pick winners and losers based on what direction a state swung in the presidential election. The people of California, Maryland, and now Illinois, all impacted by devastating natural disasters, are left to pick up the pieces without the backing of the federal government.

“Chicago’s Southwest Side, a primarily Latino community, was hit hardest by flooding due to the summer storms of 2025. I refuse to let Illinois families be punished for political revenge. I stand ready to work with Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson to support the Southwest Side to find alternative ways to ensure homes are safe and free of mold and other contaminants.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Suzanne Bonamici (1st District Oregon)

WASHINGTON, DC [2/11/26] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) announced that Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield will join the telephone town hall meeting she is hosting during the upcoming State of the Union address.

Bonamici and Rayfield will provide brief opening remarks before answering questions from constituents. The telephone town hall meeting will be held during Donald Trump’s State of the Union, which is expected to take place at 6 p.m. on Feb. 24.

“I will not sit at the State of the Union and listen to Donald Trump as he lies, demonizes immigrants, and threatens democracy,” said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. “I’m holding a telephone town hall meeting so people in NW Oregon can discuss the many policies that are affecting their lives and threatening democracy. I am grateful for Attorney Rayfield’s tireless dedication to protecting the rights of Oregonians and am honored that he will join this town hall meeting to help address the concerns of the people we serve.”

“Instead of more lies from the president, this counterprogramming is a chance to hear directly from Oregonians about the issues impacting their lives,” said Attorney General Dan Rayfield. “We thank Congresswoman Bonamici for the opportunity to answer questions, cut through the rhetoric, and focus on the facts, the law, and what we are doing to protect Oregon.”

Constituents can sign up to receive a call at Bonamici.house.gov/live. Audio of the telephone town hall meeting will also be available via livestream at Bonamici.house.gov/live.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led 38 Democratic Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer condemning the use of language rooted in white nationalist and extremist propaganda in official communications issued by their departments. The Members cited public reporting and expert analysis documenting the use of slogans and imagery closely associated with white nationalist ideology, emphasizing that such rhetoric is inseparable from movements dedicated to “white supremacism, antisemitism, the glorification of violence, and hostility toward immigrants, people of color, and religious minorities.”

“We write to express our grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of official social media posts and communications associated with the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security that have echoed and amplified language rooted in white nationalist and extremist propaganda,” the Members wrote. “When such rhetoric is issued from official government channels, it is a betrayal of public trust and a misuse of federal authority.”

As one example, the letter pointed to a January 9 social media post from the Department of Homeland Security, issued just two days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renée Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis.

“On January 9, just two days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renée Good in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security posted an image on social media of a man riding a horse alongside the words, ‘We’ll have our home again,’” the Members wrote. “That phrase is central to the chorus of a well-known xenophobic song embraced by several far-right groups, including the Proud Boys.”

The letter also highlighted a post issued by the Department of Labor the following day.

“The following day, the Department of Labor posted on X: ‘One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American,’” the Members continued. “This language bears a striking resemblance to a notorious Nazi slogan, ‘One People, One Realm, One Leader,’ and is wholly incompatible with the responsibilities of the agencies you lead.”

The signers warned that the amplification of extremist-adjacent rhetoric from official government channels corrodes public trust and undermines the constitutional and moral obligations of federal institutions.

“The United States must never issue official communications that function as dog whistles to antisemites or echo the slogans of Nazi ideology,” the Members wrote. “When the Department of Labor or the Department of Homeland Security amplifies such language, it undermines the core mission of federal institutions to serve all Americans equally.”

The letter further raised concerns that such rhetoric is being normalized within the departments, citing reports that career civil servants have raised internal objections, and requested written responses detailing review procedures, accountability measures, and steps to prevent similar conduct in the future.

“Allowing this conduct to go unaddressed would signal tolerance for ideologies the United States has fought wars to defeat,” the Members concluded. “The American people deserve a government that rejects the language of hatred and extremism, not one that gives it official sanction.”

The full letter is available here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

SCHAUMBURG, IL — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) sent a follow-up letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem today raising serious concerns about systemic failures in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s hiring, vetting, and oversight processes, as well as troubling DHS recruitment messaging and leadership decisions.

In the letter, Krishnamoorthi wrote that he is “once again raising serious concerns regarding the lapses in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) hiring and vetting processes,” including the decision to elevate officers such as Greg Bovino. He noted that DHS has failed to respond to his November 24, 2025 request for documentation regarding ICE’s vetting practices, including whether recruits are permitted to begin training before completing background checks and how ICE verifies applicant information and detects undisclosed misconduct.

Krishnamoorthi also raised alarm about DHS recruitment content posted shortly after the fatal shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis. He wrote that the decision to use language closely associated with white nationalist and extremist movements “raises serious questions about whether your department is tolerating, or even courting, the attention of individuals and movements rooted in extremist ideology,” adding that “in the context of official recruitment communications, the use of language so closely associated with these movements cannot reasonably be dismissed as accidental.”

Addressing reporting that Greg Bovino had made antisemitic remarks prior to his elevation into a DHS leadership role, Krishnamoorthi wrote that “the decision to promote an individual associated with antisemitic rhetoric reflects a serious failure of judgment” and that, at a moment when antisemitism is surging nationwide, “this episode undermines DHS’s credibility as an institution entrusted with protecting all communities.”

The letter further cites recent reporting describing how individuals can move through ICE’s recruitment process with minimal scrutiny, warning that these accounts, when viewed alongside DHS messaging choices and prior personnel decisions, “point to systemic vetting and oversight failures, not isolated lapses.” Krishnamoorthi emphasized that, as Secretary, Noem is responsible for ensuring DHS leadership reflects “the values of professionalism, integrity, and respect for the rule of law.”

Krishnamoorthi requested that DHS provide responses no later than February 20, 2026, to the following questions:

1. What vetting, review, and approval processes were used in the decision to elevate Greg Bovino, and when did DHS leadership become aware of his antisemitic statements?

2. Has DHS conducted, or does it intend to conduct, a review of Mr. Bovino’s record in light of this reporting?

3. What steps is DHS taking to ensure that individuals with histories of misconduct, credibility issues, or extremist rhetoric are not promoted into positions of authority?

4. Is DHS screening to make sure that it is not hiring agents who participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021?

5. When will DHS provide a response to the outstanding questions raised in my November 24, 2025 letter regarding ICE’s hiring, vetting, and oversight procedures?

Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s letter is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)

WASHINGTON – Workforce Protections Subcommittee Ranking Member Ilhan Omar (MN-05) delivered the following opening statement at today’s subcommittee hearing entitled, “Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workplaces Through Smarter Technology.”

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank to our witnesses for being here today. 

“Automation is not a distant theory.  It is already embedded in hiring, scheduling, surveillance, and safety systems. Right now, employers are making decisions that will shape working conditions for millions of people – often without sufficient transparency, worker input, or guardrails.

“Automation is not new.  However, there is a relatively new way of talking about it, with the advent of ‘artificial intelligence,’ or AI.  This term is sometimes used to tell a story about automation as both a future that we cannot escape and a race that we must win at all costs.  But underneath this story is a very small number of powerful companies with access to massive amounts of data and computing resources.  And the lesson we are supposed to learn is almost always the same: that government must stay out of the way and keep its hands off AI.

“But we do need government to act.  From invasive surveillance systems to dangerous work speed quotas, the workplace risks posed by these automated technologies are real and immediate. 

“And under the Trump Administration, we have seen an eagerness to grant Big Tech corporations unprecedented access to Americans’ data while rolling back guidance intended to protect workers and promote workplace safety.  Weakening those protections does not drive innovation.  It shifts risk onto workers and their families, making our communities and our markets worse off in the long run.

“At the same time, automation and advanced technologies can help make workplaces safer when deployed responsibly.  A fully funded National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health could lead the way in ensuring these tools are used to protect workers rather than harm them.

“Strong safety standards can usually foster innovation.  One well-known example is OSHA’s standard on cotton dust.  As a result of that standard, not only did fewer textile workers develop brown lung disease, but the industry also became more productive and efficient.

“State governments also play a critical role.  About half of our states receive federal funding to enforce OSHA standards, and their state plan agencies can set standards for hazards that OSHA has not addressed.

State health and safety agencies can be leaders in developing important safeguards against technology-related hazards, especially since OSHA’s rulemaking process can take anywhere from 5 to 12 years.

“It is also not too late for Congress to do its job and legislate.  There are already introduced bills that I urge our committee to consider, such as Representative Norcross’s Warehouse Worker Protection Act and my bill with Representative Jayapal, the Empowering App-Based Workers Act.  We must take an active role in shaping how AI is integrated into American workplaces.  AI should be a tool that improves workers’ lives by making jobs safer and more sustainable.  That means ensuring worker safety is prioritized from the start, instead of being treated as an afterthought once the harm has already occurred.

“Finally, as we continue discussing AI, we must look beyond the workplace and consider the broader impact on communities.  The data centers that power AI and other technologies consume enormous amounts of energy, which can strain aging infrastructure, drive up electricity bills, and have adverse effects on the environment. Our constituents deserve greater transparency and accountability about resource use, community benefit agreements that ensure residents share in economic gains, and a real seat at the table as AI development expands.

“But the truth is none of this works if we continue to hollow out our federal agencies responsible for protecting workers and communities.  My Republican colleagues like to talk about government efficiency but then go about it in the most chaotic ways.  Recklessly firing safety inspectors and slashing capacity across our enforcement agencies only makes workers less safe and businesses less certain about the rules they need to follow.

“If AI is going to reshape our economy in the coming years, then we need to make sure that workers and communities truly benefit from, and not just bear the costs of, this technology boom.  Because when we unleash technology without guardrails, workers will always pay the price.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

Yesterday, Representative Rick W. Allen (R-GA-12), alongside Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA-01) and Sanford Bishop (D-GA-02), introduced the Farmers’ AID Relief Act, amending the Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) program to better serve farmers affected by hurricane damage.

The HIP-WI program is a wind-based insurance option managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and designed to protect farmers impacted by hurricanes. The program relies on storm-tracking data systems to determine eligibility for the program; however, those systems are vulnerable to inaccuracies, leaving many farmers who experienced significant crop losses without federal protection. 

For example, during Hurricane Helene, the data used for HIP-WI showed the storm traveling through the middle of Georgia. In reality, Helene shifted east, causing widespread damage to farms in the southeast and eastern parts of Georgia. Unfortunately, USDA is required to use the inaccurate data set when determining HIP-WI eligibility, causing unnecessary financial hardship for Georgia’s farmers.

The Farmers’ AID Relief Act updates HIP-WI so the program better reflects real-world storm paths and protects farmers affected by damage.

“After the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, many of Georgia’s farmers were unfairly denied the relief they needed and deserved. The Farmers’ AID Relief Act directs the USDA Secretary to expand the data considered and identify alternative methods for determining eligibility for indemnity payments under the Hurricane Insurance Protection–Wind Index endorsement. I am proud to co-lead this bill and will continue working diligently to deliver real solutions for our farmers,” said Rep. Allen.

“By enacting this common-sense fix to the HIP-WI program, farmers will be adequately insured and protected against hurricanes that ravage crop yields. We must learn from the failures of Hurricane Helene and protect our farmers from future losses,” said Rep. Carter. “Agriculture is Georgia’s number one industry, and amending this program will strengthen food security and protect our farmers who feed the nation.”

“I am glad to work with Congressman Carter and Congressman Allen to introduce today’s bill which will apply the lessons we learned from Hurricane Helene so that when the next storm hits us, we are better prepared to help farmers in need,” said Rep. Bishop. “When an area is hit by a storm, the Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index, or HIP-WI, is used to determine if agricultural producers can get a portion of the deductible for underlying crop insurance covered as part of disaster relief. When storms knock out the weather monitoring equipment used to measure HIP-WI, we want to make sure our producers are not left behind because these crucial data systems may be down.”

“This legislation ensures that when hurricanes strike and official weather data falters, reliable numbers from trusted sources step in to guarantee that insured farmers aren’t left stranded. It strengthens the promise of the program by providing a commonsense safeguard so Georgia farmers can count on fair assistance when storms hit hardest. We appreciate Congressman Carter’s continued focus on this issue and wholeheartedly encourage its expedited progress towards becoming law,” said Tom McCall, President, Georgia Farm Bureau.

This bill will:

• Direct the Secretary of Agriculture to create an alternate dataset for HIP-WI determinations to be used in the event of an incomplete data set.
• Set uniform standards for the collection and use of the alternate data set. 

Read full bill text here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) convened its Board of Directors for its quarterly business meeting in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. During the meeting, the Board announced plans to extend coal plant operations to generate reliable energy for local power companies in the TVA service area.

In response to the TVA decision, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement: 

“The American electric grid faces serious pressures in delivering needed power for American families. These pressures demand that we use all sources of power available.

“Meanwhile, our grid continues to be tested, most recently by Winter Storm Fern. This extreme weather event threatened blackouts in the TVA region.

“Therefore, it is essential to keep reliable forms of baseload power online. This TVA announcement to extend coal plant operations reflects the urgent need to bolster our electric grid.

“I will continue my work in Washington, DC, to fight against harmful coal plant retirements, highlight a reliable, affordable energy solution and advocate for communities in Virginia’s Ninth District.”

BACKGROUND

The TVA is a federally owned public power corporation that operates four active coal-fired fossil plants with a combined net output of 5,944 megawatts.

The electricity generated and transmitted from TVA plants is sold to local power companies such as Powell Valley Electric Cooperative and the Bristol Virginia Utilities Board, which serve Southwest Virginia communities.

Congressman Griffith is Co-Chair of the Congressional Coal Caucus. 

In April 2025, Congressman Griffith attended a White House event where President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at boosting the American coal industry.

Later in 2025, Congressman Griffith voted to codify one of these executive measures to reestablish the National Coal Council.

In May 2025, Congressman Griffith celebrated the Department of Energy’s announcement to designate metallurgical coal as a critical material.

In June 2025, Congressman Griffith penned an op-ed on federal policies that can help bolster America’s electric grid.

Coal continues to play an essential role in meeting domestic energy demands. During Winter Storm Fern, a 31% jump in coal generation helped the electric grid meet peak demand. For PJM Interconnection, which serves Virginia and 12 other states, coal accounted for a major portion of the energy generation mix.

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

Larsen Releases Statement on Boeing Plans for Fourth MAX Production Line

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

Washington, D.C. – Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet decision to deepen control over the West Bank: 

“The decision by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet to deepen Israeli control over the West Bank and advance de facto annexation is deeply troubling. By making it easier to expand settlements, weakening the Palestinian Authority, and fundamentally alter the facts on the ground, these actions deliberately and potentially irreversibly erode the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution. Policies that make the two-state solution less attainable only make peace harder to achieve, weaken U.S. leverage, and risk undoing progress to de-escalate conflict throughout the region.”