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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today introduced the HCBS Worker Protection Act, legislation that would enable independent provider home care workers to make deductions from their pay for typical employment benefits. This bill strikes language from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” that would prohibit Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) workers from being able to make deductions from their own pay for health insurance, skills training, union dues, charity contributions, and other employment benefits that other workers enjoy. 

“Expanding access to home care is critical. We know that the majority of people who require long-term care would prefer to receive it in the comfort of their homes and communities where they can live with dignity and independence,” Dingell said. “In order to expand home and community-based care, we must support the workers who provide these crucial services. We cannot expect people to do this work if we deny them the benefits they would receive if they worked for another employer. This bill would help improve pay and benefits for HCBS providers and strengthen the workforce.”  

This bill is endorsed by Caring Across Generations, AFSCME, SEIU, National Domestic Workers Alliance, and National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.

“Home care workers nationwide have long organized for fair pay, benefits, and the freedom to support themselves while caring for seniors and people with disabilities,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “As they continue to fight for dignity and respect on the job, the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ goes out of its way to target this predominantly women- and women-of-color workforce by blocking them from making voluntary paycheck deductions — a basic right most other workers can exercise freely. Rep. Dingell’s HCBS Worker Protection Act of 2025 would strike this unfair and discriminatory measure and protect providers’ hard-fought freedoms. Congress should not tell home care workers how to spend their own paychecks, and we are proud to support this bill.”

“Home care workers do the essential work that keeps our families safe and our communities running. But instead of honoring that work, Republicans in Congress have targeted them with yet another attack—this time through the OBBBA – which blocks these workers from making voluntary paycheck deductions to support their union,” said Leslie Frane, Executive Vice President, SEIU. “This restriction strips them of a fundamental right all workers deserve: the freedom to build a strong union and advocate for better conditions. It’s a move rooted in a long history of systemic racism against a workforce made up largely of women of color and immigrants. Rep. Dingell understands that striking down the harmful restriction is critical to ensuring care workers have the freedom to come together, speak out, and build their union. This isn’t just about paycheck logistics — it’s about dignity, stability, and having a real voice to improve their lives and the care they provide.”

“Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) are a lifeline for families across the country. The quality of this care depends on being able to appropriately compensate the qualified, compassionate workforce who cares for our loved ones,” said Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. “We applaud the introduction of the HCBS Worker Protection Act for taking an important step towards ensuring the care workers who provide these critical services to our aging and disabled family and community members are paid accordingly. Our care workforce deserves the dignity of a living wage and families deserve the peace of mind knowing their loved ones are receiving the care they need.”

“This bill does something that historically our country has not, recognizing the value of direct care workers and the support that they need to care for those who need it,” said Joseph Macbeth, CEO of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. “Given the massive cuts to Medicaid passed in July, and the major impact that will have on this workforce, this legislation is an imperative for direct care workers and the people with disabilities who rely on them.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.

Learn more here: KNOW YOUR IMMIGRATION RIGHTS  – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke on the House Floor to call for a Conference Committee on a spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people and make clear that House Democrats will not vote for legislation that harms the American people.

LEADER JEFFRIES: From the very beginning of this Congress, Democrats have made clear that we are willing to work with anyone in this town who is committed to lowering the high cost of living. America is too expensive and far too many people in this country are working hard and playing by the rules, but they’re unable to get ahead and can barely get by. And yet, what we’ve seen from this Congress is that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle have consistently made life harder for everyday Americans. That’s what the One Big Ugly Bill was all about. Hurt everyday Americans in order, Mr. Speaker, to reward billionaire donors with massive tax breaks. Why was this done? The One Big Ugly Bill rips healthcare away from millions of Americans. Hospitals, nursing homes and community-based health clinics will close. And now the American people are confronting dramatic increases in healthcare premiums, co-pays and deductibles. America is already too expensive. President Trump and House Republicans are making things worse.

Democrats are prepared, under the leadership of Rosa DeLauro, to sit down any time, any place, to negotiate a bipartisan spending agreement that meets the needs of the American people in terms of their health, public safety and economic well-being. What Democrats will not do is support partisan spending legislation put forth by Republicans that continues to gut the healthcare of the American people. Enough is enough. We need to reverse the damage that has been done, not do more. The One Big Ugly Bill steals food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. Why? Once again, to pay for massive tax breaks to Republican billionaire donors. Unacceptable and unconscionable. This motion to instruct will help ensure that in a conference between the House and the Senate, between Democrats and Republicans, we are actually protecting women, infants and children here in the United States of America. All over. In urban America, rural America, small town America, suburban America, ex-urban America and the heartland of America. The assault on the social safety net that Republicans have engineered this Congress, Mr. Speaker, has been completely and totally unacceptable, hurting everyday Americans and exploding the debt and the deficit at the same period of time.

Nothing has been done by this Republican-led Congress to lower the high cost of living. Donald Trump promised that costs would go down on day one. Costs haven’t gone down, they’re going up. Inflation is on the way up. Life has gotten more expensive. Electricity bills skyrocketing out of control and now healthcare premiums on the verge of increasing by thousands of dollars a year for 20 million Americans unless Republicans choose to join us and act with respect to the tax credits that will expire at the end of this year connected to the Affordable Care Act.

There is much work that needs to be done. And again, Democrats ready to sit down any time, any place, to work out a spending bill on a bipartisan basis that actually makes life better for the American people. But we will not allow this administration and the Republican Congress to continue to hurt everyday Americans. That’s why we strongly support this motion to instruct, and that is why we have made clear that under no circumstances will we support a partisan Republican spending bill that continues to rip away healthcare from the American people. Vote yes on this motion to instruct. And I yield back.

The full Floor speech can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

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

WASHINGTON – Every day, 13 Americans die waiting for a lifesaving organ. To address this crisis, Representatives Jim Costa (D-CA) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), along with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), introduced the Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act. This bipartisan legislation modernizes the nation’s organ transplant system by ending outdated private financial control and placing it under direct and fully transparent federal oversight.
“As co-chair of the Organ and Tissue Transplantation Awareness Caucus, I know how critical it is that families waiting for a lifesaving organ can trust the system to be fair, transparent, and accountable. This bipartisan bill ensures that every dollar collected goes directly toward strengthening the network, improving outcomes, and giving patients the best possible chance at life,” said Congressman Costa.
“Two years ago, Congress took a much-needed, bipartisan step to reform the organ donation system, in particular by empowering the federal organization responsible for ensuring the system is safe and effective for donors and recipients. It’s now clear that additional authority is needed to make good on our goal of empowerment and independence. I’m proud to join my House colleagues in this effort, and I hope it can get signed into law soon on behalf of all Americans who expect our nation’s organ donation system to be the best in the world,” said Senator Wyden. 
“Patients and families deserve a system that they can trust, especially when it comes to organ transplantation,” said Congresswoman Van Duyne. “The Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act will increase transparency and accountability in the transplant network. I am glad to join Rep. Costa and Senator Wyden on this bipartisan commonsense reform that will put patients first.”

BACKGROUNDFounded in 1984, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) is a federal program under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that is responsible for coordinating all organ donations and transplants nationwide.
For 40 years, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) has been the sole contractor running the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). That included collecting fees from hospitals every time a patient was added to the transplant list.
This legislation would shift that authority to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), ensuring that registration fees are collected securely, managed openly, and reinvested to strengthen the nation’s transplant system. HRSA would use Pay.gov, a secure government platform, to collect fees and ensure the money is used directly to support the transplant system and improve outcomes for patients.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Diana DeGette (First District of Colorado)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (CA-02), released the following statement after the Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a proposal to rescind President Biden’s Public Lands Rule which conserves and protects America’s public lands. 

“Donald Trump’s reckless ‘drill baby drill’ agenda is once again putting Colorado’s cherished public lands at risk,” Rep. DeGette said. “The Public Lands Rule preserves more of the nation’s public lands from the threat of future development, and by rescinding this rule, the Trump Administration is threatening the very landscapes that make our state special—and undermining years of progress—all to line the pockets of Big Oil and Gas. I will fight tooth and nail against this reversal and continue working to ensure that conservation remains at the heart of how we manage America’s public lands.” 

“Rescinding the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule is the latest move in Trump’s calculated campaign to dismantle protections for America’s public lands,” Rep. Huffman said. “Days ago, his Interior Department quietly issued another order making it harder for BLM to buy land for public access and conservation. Now, they’re doubling down, handing 245 million acres over to oil, gas and mining interests behind closed doors and with no accountability. The Public Lands Rule was popular because it works. It put conservation on equal footing with energy development, grazing, and other uses, while strengthening outdoor recreation on lands that belong to every American. From California’s coastal monuments to Montana’s high plains, these landscapes are part of our natural heritage. Public lands are part of the solution to the climate crisis. They are not Trump’s to sell off. They belong to all Americans, and we’re not about to hand the keys over to the same polluters and profiteers who created this crisis. We will continue to fight to keep public lands in public hands.” 

Under the Biden Administration, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Public Lands Rule to preserve more of the nation’s public lands from the threat of future development, improve land health by advancing restoration efforts, and create new restoration and mitigation leases. It also expanded the definition of “multiple use” to include ecological restoration and protection, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of public lands. 

Rep. DeGette has been a long-time steward of public lands protection and led several pushes to BLM to finalize the Conservation and Landscape Health rule. She and Rep. Huffman applauded the initial ruling from President Biden and BLM last April. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

Every minute of warning could mean hundreds of fewer funerals. Accurate cones of impact allow more families to put smarter preparation and evacuation plans in place, and that’s exactly what NOAA provides for all of us. I’m so proud that my bipartisan amendment to protect NOAA’s current facilities in the face of devastating cuts passed in the committee. And I’ll fight to make it law.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

House Republicans Advance Legislation to Strengthen Border Security and Defend Rule of Law

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

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

WASHINGTON — This morning, to commemorate the tragic 24th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries laid a wreath at the 9/11 Memorial in the U.S. Capitol, which honors the brave passengers of Flight 93 — the hijacked airplane that was intended to attack our nation’s capital on September 11, 2001.

Speaker Johnson issued the following statement to commemorate the anniversary:

“On this day, we mark 24 years since enemies of freedom carried out the most devastating attack ever witnessed on American soil. We honor those 2,977 lives cut tragically short – the spouses and loved ones, sons and daughters who never returned home, including the many servicemembers, law enforcement, and first responders who on that fateful day ran toward danger and awed us with their bravery.

“We remember as well the many thousands of those heroes who have lost their lives due to the illnesses they contracted from exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero.

“America saw the face of evil; yet in our grief and anger, we revealed the best in ourselves. On this solemn anniversary, we take heart in knowing that even in that dark hour, the American people answered with all that is good, decent, and enduring in the human spirit.”

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