MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Small Business Committee, introduced new bicameral legislation to help small businesses comply with beneficial ownership reporting requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) and push back against the Trump administration’s efforts to weaken the law. She was joined in the House by Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA), Ranking Members of the Senate Banking and Small Business Committees; and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
 
The FinCEN–SBA Coordination on Beneficial Ownership Registration Act would require the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to coordinate directly on outreach and education to help small business owners understand and meet their reporting obligations under the CTA.
 
“The Corporate Transparency Act is still the law, and the Trump administration is wrong to stop enforcing it,” said Congresswoman Velázquez. “Turning a blind eye to anonymous shell companies leaves us vulnerable to fraud, corruption, and abuse. These shell companies don’t just enable white-collar crime—they hurt honest small businesses by rigging the system and exploiting programs meant for real entrepreneurs. This bill is about holding bad actors accountable while making sure small business owners have the information and support they need to follow the law.”
 
“The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) is a strongly bipartisan law designed to bust the U.S. registered anonymous shell companies that are abused by fentanyl dealers, Iranian terrorists, financial scammers and more to launder and hide their illicit finances. By ignoring this intent and gutting the law, President Trump and Secretary Bessent are gifting these bad actors a free pass to continue exploiting the system, while leaving consumers, investors, and small businesses who play by the rules in harm’s way,” said Congresswoman Waters.
 
“Anonymous shell companies hurt honest small businesses and open the door to fraud and abuse. The Trump Administration should be working with small businesses, not refusing to enforce the Corporate Transparency Act,” said Senator Warren. “Small businesses deserve a system that works for them — not for scammers and cheats – and that’s why our bill would require the Administration to work with them as part of implementing the law.”
 
“The Trump Administration is allowing bad actors to get away with illicit activities and financial crimes, and we must make sure they do not get away with disregarding the law,” said Ranking Member Markey. “I am grateful for Ranking Member Velazquez’s partnership in introducing the Corporate Transparency Act to crack down on bad actors while giving small businesses the tools to succeed.”
 
Originally passed with bipartisan support, the CTA was designed to crack down on shell companies used to facilitate money laundering, tax evasion, terrorism financing, and other illicit activities. But earlier this year, the Trump administration suspended enforcement for U.S. companies and proposed changes to dramatically narrow the law’s scope.
 
The reporting requirements are minimal for the vast majority of small businesses, 82 percent of which are non-employer firms with only one beneficial owner. FinCEN has previously projected the average cost to file would be about $85, roughly equal to what many states charge to register a business. However, outreach during the initial rollout was limited, and confusion about the law remains persistent.
 
Velázquez’s legislation would help spread awareness and increase compliance with CTA among small businesses by:
 

1. Requiring FinCEN and the SBA to sign a formal agreement within 90 days to coordinate outreach;
2. Distributing guidance in English, Spanish, and other commonly spoken languages;
3. Using SBA field offices and partners to host webinars and town halls;
4. Developing strategies to protect small businesses from scams and fraud;
5. Submitting monthly updates to Congress on outreach and compliance.

 
For a full copy of the bill, click here.
 

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

Washington, D.C. – During World Pride celebrations in the nation’s capital, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi paid a solemn visit to the AIDS Memorial Quilt display at St. Thomas’ Parish in Dupont Circle. The exhibit honors members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C. who died of AIDS in the 1980s and ’90s.

Pelosi, a lifelong champion in the fight against HIV/AIDS, viewed panels created in memory of more than 30 chorus members, many lovingly sewn by grieving friends and family during the height of the epidemic.

“At first, I thought a quilt was a bad idea. But I was wrong,” Speaker Emerita Pelosi said. “The art became the most unifying thing. You see someone’s story laid out before you—their grief, their joy, their love—and suddenly, you understand. That is the power of this movement.”

Pelosi reflected on her decades-long advocacy, recalling her first speech on the House Floor about HIV/AIDS and the initial resistance she faced. “People said, ‘Why would you lead with that?’ And I said, ‘Because that’s why I came here. I came to fight.’”

Read coverage of the visit below:

The Advocate: Nancy Pelosi visits AIDS Quilt exhibit during WorldPride

[John Casey, 6/8/25]

In the hushed sanctuary of St. Thomas’ Parish in Dupont Circle, there is a sacred memorial in fabric and thread. During WorldPride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., in partnership with St. Thomas’ and the National AIDS Memorial, unveiled a deeply personal display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt that includes panels for chorus members who were lost to the epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s.

The exhibit features full quilt blocks and a companion photo display, honoring dozens of chorus members who died of AIDS complications. Some panels are decades-old, sewn by grieving loved ones at the height of the crisis. One in particular, the first made by and for chorus members, holds special meaning.

“For us, this is not just history. These are our people,” said Michael Hughes, the chorus’s outreach manager, who has sung with the group for more than 20 years. “We estimate that about 100 members of our chorus died of AIDS. A hundred voices silenced.”

The idea for the exhibit was sparked earlier this year after chorus members visited a local high school class reading Angels in America. “The students had no context for what life was like in the ’80s and ’90s,” Hughes explained. “We told them about the fear, about watching friends die, and about the quilt.”

After that visit, chorus member Larry Cohen emailed Hughes with an idea and a question: What if they searched for quilt panels made in honor of their fallen members?

“So we spent two and a half months digging into the National AIDS Memorial database, the Names Project records, and the digitized archives in the Library of Congress,” Hughes said. “We were able to confirm 33 individual chorus members who had panels made. Some we remembered personally.”

The setting of St. Thomas’ Parish is itself part of the story. “During the AIDS crisis, only two or three churches in the city would even hold funerals for someone who had died of AIDS,” Hughes said. “St. Thomas’ was one of them.”

On Friday night, the exhibit drew a special guest, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, a longtime and fierce advocate in the fight against AIDS. Pelosi spent time with chorus members and viewed the panels while the group performed two songs in honor of her visit under the direction of Artistic Director Thea Kano.

Addressing the chorus members, Pelosi recalled her own early skepticism about the quilt’s power. “At first, I thought a quilt was a bad idea,” she said. “But I was wrong. The beauty was in the art. And the art became the most unifying thing.”

“People who may not think they have anything in common suddenly find that they do through these panels,” Pelosi continued. “You see someone’s story laid out before you, and the love they had in their lives. The grief, the anger, the joy, all of it. And it moves you.”

Pelosi also reflected on the political and cultural battles of the time, and how vital the LGBTQ+ community’s activism was to making change.

“When I made my first speech in Congress about HIV/AIDS, people said, ‘Why would you talk about that? Why would you lead with that?’” Pelosi recounted. “I said, because that’s why I came here. I came to fight.”

“Yes, we worked to change policies, pass laws, allocate resources,” she said. “But the real miracle was the outside mobilization of the LGBTQ+ community who refused to be silent. That’s what made the difference. That’s what changed the world.”

As Pride Month unfolds, the quilt serves as a memorial, a call to action, and a loving and prophetic testament to the quilt’s ability to humanize loss, to transform mourning into music.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit is open to the public through Sunday at St. Thomas’ Parish. Daily visiting hours and more information are available at GMCW.org.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC), Ami Bera, M.D. (D-CA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)*** Co-Chairs of the Congressional Korea Caucus, released a statement on the election of Lee Jae-myung as President of the Republic of Korea:

“We extend our sincere congratulations to President-Elect Lee Jae-myung and wish him and his administration well as they prepare to lead the Republic of Korea – a key and indispensable U.S. ally – through the many challenges facing the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

“As Co-Chairs of the Korea Caucus, we remain steadfastly committed to defending, strengthening and enlarging the ironclad U.S.-Korea alliance. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War where our relationship was forged on the battlefield and now forms the linchpin of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region. Through our shared values, unshakable bond and common future together, we will continue to ensure peace and prosperity on the Peninsula and in the region.

“We look forward to working together with President-Elect Lee Jae-myung and his administration during this critical time for the alliance. We also wish to recognize the estimated two million Korean Americans throughout the United States who play a vital role in maintaining our strong bilateral relationship.” 

***Note: U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) has assumed the role of Co-Chair following the passing of the Late Honorable Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY) reintroduced the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act. The bill will provide a $5,000, one-time, refundable tax credit to living organ donors who were not reimbursed for the costs of organ donation by the National Living Organ Donor Assistance Center (NLDAC), or any other entity.

     Our nation’s transplant shortage is dire. Seventeen people die every day waiting for a viable organ, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. Currently, there are around 93,000 Americans on the kidney transplant waitlist, with some having to wait as long as six years to receive a transplant, according to UNOS. Patients waiting for a transplant on average cost the U.S. government at least $77,000 a year for dialysis, which adds up to more than $20 billion a year, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Removing the barriers to organ donation will not only increase the number of living donors, therefore saving lives, but also will save the taxpayers money. This tax credit would apply to living kidney, liver, lung, pancreas, intestine, and bone marrow donors, as well as any other viable living organ donation.

     “The gift of living donation is truly priceless. The donors who choose the selfless act of giving a lifesaving organ are making a major life decision, whether gifting to a stranger or a loved one. That lifechanging decision should not be burdened by the costs of donation, and this bill will remove that disincentive to ensure that everyone is able to donate an organ if they choose to, regardless of their financial situation,” said Rep. Wilson. “My predecessor, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Floyd Spence, miraculously received a double lung transplant as the thirtieth in the world to receive the experimental procedure, living an additional 13 years serving America. We are grateful for Dr. Sesshadri Raju at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi for performing the procedure in 1988. I previously worked in the South Carolina State Senate to add a red heart for organ donors to South Carolina Driver’s Licenses at the time of registration. Today, I am grateful to expand this piece of Floyd Spence’s legacy.”

     “When an organ donor decides to donate one of their organs to someone else, they aren’t just saving someone’s life—they’re making one of the most selfless, difficult decisions anyone could ever make. However, donors can face tremendous and often prohibitive costs associated with surgery, including the cost of travel, lodging, follow up care, and lost wages in connection to transplantation. That’s why I’m proud to introduce this bill with Rep. Wilson and continue my work to remove roadblocks to organ donation.” said Rep. Nadler.

     The bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Kidney Patients, American Kidney Fund (AKF), American Nephrology Nurses Association (ANNA), American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN), American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), American Society of Transplantation (AST), Coalition to Modify NOTA, National Kidney Donation Organization (NKDO), National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation, Renal Support Network (RSN), and Waitlist Zero.  

     “We need better public policy to increase living organ donation. The Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act of 2025 represents a positive step forward in helping people who selflessly decide to give the gift of life by donating a kidney by providing a refundable tax credit for associated costs of live organ donation such as lost wages, travel or childcare. People with limited resources should have every opportunity to help save a life.” LaVarne Burton, president and CEO of the American Kidney Fund.

     “The American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) applauds the reintroduction of the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act by Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jerry Nadler (D-NY).  Rates of living kidney donation are declining in the US in both the pediatric and adult populations. This decline persists despite the fact that living donor kidney transplant is well established as the optimal treatment for children and adults with end stage kidney disease due to superior graft and patient survival. This important legislation will encourage living donors and we urge its swift passage,” said President Meredith Atkinson of the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN). 

     “On behalf of the American Society of Transplantation (AST), representing a majority of the nation’s transplant professionals, our Society strongly applauds and endorses the re-introduction of the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act. AST is grateful for the steadfast leadership of Congressmen Wilson (R-SC) and Nadler (D-NY) to protect and support living donation. The Living Donor Tax Credit Act is a patient-focused bill seeking to address financial and policy barriers that might otherwise prevent an individual from providing a lifesaving donor organ.  AST greatly appreciates this bipartisan and patient centric legislation. We look forward to working with you to advance this key legislation in this 119th Congress,” said Dr. Jon Kobashigawa, President of the American Society of Transplantation (AST). 

     “The National Kidney Foundation strongly supports the Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act as an important step toward removing financial barriers to living donation. This legislation provides tax relief solely for documented, unreimbursed expenses actually incurred by the donor—costs like child/elder care, travel, and lost income. Living donors often face unexpected costs that can reach thousands of dollars, and these expenses should never prevent someone from saving a life. By allowing tax credits for legitimate expenses while maintaining strict documentation requirements, this bill supports donors without compromising the altruistic foundation of organ donation that the National Kidney Foundation has always championed. We applaud Reps. Wilson and Nadler for their leadership and urge Congress to pass this measure that will help save lives while preserving the integrity of our transplant system,” said Kevin Longino, CEO, National Kidney Foundation and a transplant recipient.

     “There’s currently no cure for PKD, and while we await scientific breakthroughs, organ donation remains the most effective long-term treatment,” said Susan Bushnell, President and CEO of the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation. “This common-sense, compassionate, and cost-effective policy to reimburse living donors for some of the costs of donation will help to remove needless financial barriers, save more lives, and reduce the burden on our federal health system by decreasing reliance on costly, time-consuming, and often unpleasant dialysis treatments. The PKD Foundation is deeply grateful for the longtime leadership of Representatives Wilson and Nadler in championing living donation,” said Susan Bushnell, PKDF’s President & CEO. 

     “Living donors are true heroes who should not incur financial losses for the life-saving gift they provide. A tax credit is a straightforward method to acknowledge their generosity while simplifying the reimbursement process,” said Lori Hartwell, President & Founder of RSN and kidney transplant recipient.

     “Why should donors go into debt to give the gift of life? Representative Wilson and Representative Nadler’s Living Organ Donor Tax Credit Act will ease the financial strain and empower more people to say yes to donation. For the past 25 years, the number of living kidney donors has remained stagnant. Waitlist Zero proudly supports this crucial bill,” said Elaine Perlman, Executive Director of Waitlist Zero and President of the Coalition to Modify NOTA.

     A copy of the legislation can be found here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Joe Wilson (2nd District of South Carolina)

**MEDIA ADVISORY**

Wilson Announces Commemorative Tree Dedication to Honor the late Congressman Floyd Spence

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Wilson (SC-02) will host the Dedication Ceremony for the Commemorative Tree to honor the life and legacy of the late Congressman Floyd Spence. 

     Congressman Spence served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 1995 until 2001 and served as Congressman for South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District from 1971 until his passing in 2001. 

June 9th

1:00-1:30 PM

Southwest Lawn, U.S. Capitol 

Washington, D.C. 20515

Media interested in attending please RSVP to David Snider at david.snider@mail.house.gov.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Andy Harris (MD-01)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the House Freedom Caucus Board of Directors released the following statement: 

“The House Freedom Caucus delivered real victories for the American people in the One Big Beautiful Bill. We want to be crystal clear: if the Senate attempts to water down, strip out, or walk back the hard-fought spending reductions and IRA Green New Scam rollbacks achieved in this legislation, we will not accept it. The House Freedom Caucus Board will stand united holding the line. The American people didn’t send us here to cave to the swamp — they sent us here to change it.”

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, released the following statement after the Department of Commerce released new guidance regarding the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program. 

“The result of today’s announcement is simple: the Trump administration is delaying once-in-a-generation investments, blocking states from closing the digital divide and getting Americans online,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “Congress was thoughtful and bipartisan when hammering out the details for BEAD, because we realize the stakes for getting connectivity right are sky high. We empowered our states and local communities to use their on-the-ground knowledge to ensure BEAD dollars go where they’re most needed. We have worked hard to ensure access, affordability, and adoption go hand in hand. This is a matter of necessity for our constituents. Reliable, high speed internet access dictates who succeeds and who is left behind in the modern economy.”

“These new changes undo the states’ hard work, punt the broadband deployment timeline further down the line, and ultimately, drive up costs for consumers,” Matsui continued. “This delay is unacceptable. Americans, especially those in rural and underserved areas, are counting on this funding. The Trump Administration is clearly willing to leave everyday Americans behind – but I will continue to fight to ensure we deliver on our promises to close the digital divide.”

Background:

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program provides $42.45 billion to expand high-speed internet access by funding planning, infrastructure deployment and adoption programs in all 50 states. In California, the BEAD program is being implemented by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). California was allocated over $1.8 billion to deploy or upgrade high-speed internet networks and close the digital divide. California is currently selecting the service providers that would deploy last mile broadband infrastructure to unserved and underserved communities. 

Today, the Department of Commerce released new guidelines that would substantially delay broadband projects and increase costs to states by forcing all states to conduct at least another round of applications, rescinding all their preliminary and provisional awards. The new guidelines also would impose burdensome scoring requirements that would hamstring states’ flexibility to choose the right mix of technologies to provide the most reliable, scalable, and future-proof internet service available to a location. Additionally, the Trump administration’s changes would weaken or eliminate protections for affordability, good-paying jobs, climate-resilient networks, and a free and open internet. These changes will drive up costs for consumers while driving down the quality of service.

For a more detailed breakdown of the entire BEAD process in California, click HERE.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09), Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14), and Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20) led a group of 33 lawmakers in a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Executive Director Gloria Shepherd, demanding that they immediately release National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding, following the Government Accountability Office’s finding that the funding freeze is illegal. 

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program provides funding to states to build a nationwide network of publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers along major highways across the country. Congress authorized $5 billion for the NEVI program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program has already had a transformative effect, creating jobs and catalyzing private investment throughout America. However, on February 6, the Trump Administration notified states that they were suspending the program and freezing states’ funding. This has left hundreds of projects and thousands of workers across the country in limbo.

On May 22, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that these actions by the Trump Administration violated the Impoundment Control Act by illegally withholding funds that had been authorized by Congress. Despite this clear and unambiguous finding by Congress’s nonpartisan watchdog, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget instructed DOT on Wednesday to disregard the GAO ruling. 

In response,the lawmakers wrote, “Congress did not give the Executive Branch the authority to withhold or rescind NEVI funding that has been made available to the states, and Congress clearly did not intend for the Administration to retroactively disapprove or suspend approval of state plans.” 

“The Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the U.S. automobile industry are not only unamerican but also illegal,” the lawmakers concluded.  “As such, we request that FHWA immediately rescind the memo issued on February 6th and enable states to begin spending NEVI funds without delay.” 

Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE. 

Dear Secretary Duffy and Director Shepherd,

We write to express our continued alarm and opposition to the Trump Administration’s illegal impoundment of formula funds under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI). The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) has confirmed in a recent legal opinion that the Trump Administration’s actions withholding NEVI funding from expenditure violate the Impoundment Control Act, reaffirming what 52 Members of Congress have previously stated: this funding pause is not only harmful but illegal. Contrary to views expressed by the Office of Management and Budget,  the Administration’s actions clearly do not align with Congressional intent. The Trump Administration must immediately rescind the February 06, 2025, memorandum issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which suspended state electric vehicle infrastructure deployment plans and rescinded related guidance. States must be allowed to spend the funds to which they are legally entitled.  

Congress authorized $5 billion for FY22 through FY26 in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states to deploy EV charging infrastructure. Every state, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico submitted plans in accordance with the statute, and many have awarded contracts and deployed active charging stations. According to the GAO opinion, the $3,270,000,000 made available to states from FY22-FY25 constitutes an obligation and states are entitled to proceed with their programs. Congress did not give the Executive Branch the authority to withhold or rescind NEVI funding that has been made available to the states, and Congress clearly did not intend for the Administration to retroactively disapprove or suspend approval of state plans. The Trump Administration’s actions are therefore plainly counter to Congressional intent and illegal under the Impoundment Control Act.     

NEVI is a critical investment in American infrastructure and innovation and is key to the long-term competitiveness of the American automobile industry. It is designed to increase accessibility and address range anxiety for Americans who choose to drive EVs. The program has already catalyzed significant private investment, and over 13,000 potential jobs could be at risk if the Administration does not release the NEVI funding.  Continued delay could lead to stranded assets and wasted expenditures. Importantly, a 2024 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory projected that the U.S. would need 182,000 publicly accessible direct current fast chargers (DCFC) to accommodate the growing EV market, nearly triple the current capacity of around 55,000 charging ports. 

The Trump Administration’s continued attacks on the U.S. automobile industry are not only unamerican but also illegal. As such, we request that FHWA immediately rescind the memo issued on February 6th and enable states to begin spending NEVI funds without delay. Inaction on this request may very well be unconstitutional.  

 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, led a group of her California colleagues in sending a letter to Senate leadership, strongly objecting to the section of H.R. 1 that would impose a ten-year moratorium on state and local enforcement of their own artificial intelligence laws and regulations. 

“This moratorium’s assumption—that the United States will be unable to lead the world in AI if states identify and implement measures to protect their citizens from potential AI harms—is misguided,” wrote the lawmakers. “It wrongly accepts the premise that identifying and addressing AI-specific risks and harms and imposing guardrails is counterproductive to being the world’s AI leader. Nothing is further from the truth. Common sense AI guardrails can propel innovation by building trust with consumers and future users, while promoting a fair, open, and competitive playing field.” 

In the absence of a federal AI regulatory framework, California and other states across the nation are embracing common-sense safeguards that ensure innovation and competition can continue to thrive. As AI tools grow more sophisticated and more widely deployed, these state measures are crucial to promote safety and trust with consumers. The House-passed moratorium, spearheaded by Republicans, would strip states of their authority to respond to new and evolving AI risks—freezing vital consumer protections for a full decade.

“We should not place consumers in harm’s way by pausing for a decade the good work that states have done and will continue to do,” the lawmakers continued. “Instead, let us work together in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion to create smart, tailored, and consensus-driven legislative solutions that empower Americans’ use of AI and automated decision systems.”

Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE. 

Dear Majority Leader Thune, Minority Leader Schumer, Chairman Cruz, and Ranking Member Cantwell:

We are writing to express our strong objections to the section of H.R. 1 that would impose a sweeping ten-year moratorium on state and local enforcement of their own artificial intelligence (AI) laws and regulations.  

As part of being the global AI leader, the United States must take the lead on identifying and setting common sense guardrails for responsible and safe AI development and deployment. To prevent states, including our state of California, from enforcing state AI regulations that provide such guardrails—particularly without any meaningful federal alternative—is inconsistent with the goal of AI leadership. This moratorium’s assumption—that the United States will be unable to lead the world in AI if states identify and implement measures to protect their citizens from potential AI harms—is misguided.  It wrongly accepts the premise that identifying and addressing AI-specific risks and harms and imposing guardrails is counterproductive to being the world’s AI leader. Nothing is further from the truth. Common sense AI guardrails can propel innovation by building trust with consumers and future users, while promoting a fair, open, and competitive playing field. 

California is the fourth largest economy in the world in part because innovative technology companies, including 32 of the world’s 50 leading AI companies, call the state home. As a hub of AI activity, our state has been a national leader in ensuring that innovation and competition thrive alongside common-sense safeguards, starting with transparency. In our increasingly digital world, AI and other emerging technologies are rapid disruptors. To place a ten-year hold on state and local enforcement of their own AI laws, especially without federal alternatives, exposes Americans to a growing list of harms as AI technologies are adopted across sectors from healthcare to education, housing, and transportation. The resulting regulatory gap created by the AI moratorium in H.R. 1 would decimate the good work that California and other states, led by both Democrats and Republicans, have done, such as:

• requiring transparency regarding training data or the use of AI to communicate with patients in medical settings
• giving performers and their families rights over digital replicas of their likenesses
• protecting American artists’ voice and likeness from unauthorized AI impersonations,
• requiring employers to ensure AI-enabled employment decisions comply with civil rights laws,  and
• requiring mental health platforms to disclose to users that they are interacting with an AI mental health chatbot, not a human therapist. 

These examples and other proposed state legislation exemplify the mounting desire among AI experts and the American public to provide guardrails to promote AI safety, trust, and transparency.  This is an extension of bipartisan concerns over online safety and manipulative algorithms—issues that, if left unchecked, leaves Americans vulnerable to harms impacting their health, their jobs, their education, and ultimately, their lives. Now is the time for Congress to work on bipartisan legislation to address these harms. The House Republican ten-year moratorium, by contrast, would gut protections for the very people we represent. 

This bill provision isn’t limited to state laws and regulations of new and emerging AI. It imposes a ten-year moratorium on laws and regulations regulating “automated decision making systems” which arguably covers any computer processing.  

Furthermore, the provision covers state and local regulations of their own use of AI and of automated decision making systems, which will mean states and localities cannot impose procurement requirements on AI and computer systems that are different than those imposed on other technologies. Under this provision, they would not be allowed, for example, to adopt regulations imposing safeguards on education technology to be used in public schools or on AI systems that they want to use to improve the provision of government services.  That makes no sense at all.

Late in the process, House Republicans added an exception to the ten-year moratorium for state and local laws to the extent they impose criminal penalties.  But that exception only underscores the absurd breadth of the 10-year moratorium.  Why should the federal government incentivize states and localities to adopt criminal penalties to deal with harms from AI models and systems, and automated decision-making systems, in instances where a civil penalty, breach of contract claim, injunctive relief or some other non-criminal remedy is more appropriate to address the problem at hand?

We have already seen an outpouring of opposition to this moratorium, including bipartisan opposition from state attorneys general, state legislators, voters, and over 140 consumer advocacy, online safety, and civil rights groups.  The House Bipartisan AI Taskforce last Congress acknowledged the “risks” of enacting an AI moratorium on state activity and, instead, recommended that Congress “commission a study to analyze the applicable federal and state regulations and laws that affect the development and use of AI systems across sectors.” We should not place consumers in harm’s way by pausing for a decade the good work that states have done and will continue to do. We must learn from them. After all, we have had the opportunity to learn from five years’ worth of several state efforts to criminalize the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery, real and AI-generated, to produce the TAKE IT DOWN Act that President Trump recently signed into law. Now is not the time to deny Congress the critical insight our states provide as laboratories of democracy. 

Additionally, this moratorium is procedurally deficient, as it bears no relationship to the federal budget. House Republicans stretch credulity beyond its breaking point when claiming this moratorium is necessary to effectuate their reconciliation bill’s $500 million for the Department of Commerce to update its IT and cybersecurity systems. Under the Supremacy Clause, states cannot pass laws that restrict or impose obligations on the federal government, including the Department of Commerce and federal procurement rules governing agency IT systems.  Consequently, the moratorium does not impact the federal budget and must fall out as an “extraneous matter” prohibited, under the Senate Byrd Rule, from inclusion in a reconciliation bill. 

 

As you take up the House Republicans’ reconciliation bill for consideration, we urge you to remove the AI moratorium provision. Instead, let us work together in a bicameral, bipartisan fashion to create smart, tailored, and consensus-driven legislative solutions that empower Americans’ use of AI and automated decision systems. We can learn from what the states—like California, New York, Tennessee, Utah, and many others—are doing to leverage the benefits of AI technologies while protecting consumers from their harms.

                                                

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) led a group of 23 lawmakers in a letter to U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) Secretary Howard Lutnick and Acting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Laura Grimm, demanding that the Trump Administration restore 24/7 operations at the National Weather Service’s (NWS) Sacramento and Hanford Forecast Offices. 

It was recently reported that the NWS Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices are unable to maintain 24/7 operations due to severe staffing shortages, following layoffs, resignations, and a hiring freeze by the Trump Administration.

“These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California,” wrote the lawmakers. “Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian.” 

From hurricanes and tornadoes to atmospheric rivers, NWS provides the forecasting necessary to keep Americans safe and prepared for natural disasters. In California, NWS experts are critical for wildfire prediction and water management. NWS also delivers critical services for our farmers, our military, and our critical infrastructure. However, since the Trump Administration took office, over 500 NWS employees have been laid off or pushed into early retirement. Those cuts mean that nearly half of NWS offices have staffing vacancy rates of 20 percent or higher.

“The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters,” the lawmakers concluded. “We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations.”

Full text of the letter can be found below or HERE.

Dear Secretary Lutnick and Acting Administrator Grimm,

Due to terminations, hiring freezes, and vacancies, the National Weather Service (NWS) recently announced that it would cease 24-hour 7-day-a-week operations at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices. These service reductions represent the beginning of a public safety crisis with potentially catastrophic consequences if the NWS is unable to retain the staff necessary to maintain around-the-clock weather monitoring in California. Across the state’s airports, highways, farms, and reservoirs, accurate, reliable, and timely weather forecasting is critical for every Californian. We urge immediate action to halt any service interruptions at the Sacramento and Hanford Weather Forecast Offices by reinstating terminated workers and lifting the federal hiring freeze for NWS.

Across NWS, reports have recently stated that as many as 500 employees have been terminated or taken an early retirement, representing a 12% reduction in staffing since President Trump took office. A recent internal assessment by NWS employees found that nearly half of NWS Weather Forecast Offices had vacancy rates of 20% or higher, a level that represents “critical understaffing.” The Sacramento office currently has seven vacancies for meteorologists, out of 16 positions, while the Hanford office has eight vacancies out of 13 positions—leaving both offices operating at half strength as we approach the peak of wildfire season. Slashing staffing in half at the offices responsible for predicting wildfires, atmospheric rivers, and natural disasters is unacceptable, puts thousands of lives at risk, and does nothing to increase government efficiency.

Recent years have demonstrated that wildfire season in California is now year-round. In 2024, California saw 8,018 wildfires, burning a total of 1,049,963 acres.4 Since 2013, an average of 1,029,049 acres have burned annually.5 NWS fire weather forecasting plays a critical role in predicting wildfire and protecting the lives of millions of Californians who live in fire prone areas. Incident meteorologists at NWS are often at the frontline to provide information to wildfire managers and first responders to safely contain wildfires.

The Office of Water Prediction and the National Water Prediction Service also play a critical role in hydrological predictions, in concert with NOAA’s Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Water managers in California rely on the forecasting expertise of these federal agencies to make reservoir operating decisions. Without the NWS’s expert hydrological forecasters, water managers in California are left blindly guessing and forced to make life-or-death decisions amid the state’s swings between crippling drought and catastrophic flooding.

The National Weather Service is a public safety lifeline and an essential public good. This is not waste or fraud. Americans depend on accurate and timely weather forecasts and alerts not just to plan their day, but to prepare for, and survive, deadly natural disasters. If the NWS weather forecast offices in Sacramento and Hanford, together covering the entire Central Valley, cannot monitor overnight conditions, that puts our constituents in danger. This is a reckless and unnecessary risk that offers no benefit to the American public. We demand that you immediately reinstate all terminated workers at these offices, lift the federal hiring freeze for NWS, and ensure that the Sacramento and Hanford weather forecast offices are adequately staffed to maintain 24/7 operations. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

                                                

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