MIL USHOR-2b Engine

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

WASHINGTON – In a bipartisan vote this week, the House passed legislation containing Congressman Jim Costa’s (CA-21) Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act, a key reform designed to improve safety, transparency, and reliability for patients waiting for organ transplants. The bill was included as Section 8 of the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act. 
The Permanent OPTN Fee Authority Act, led by Reps. Costa (D-CA) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) in the House and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in the Senate, authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect registration fees directly from Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) members for each patient listed for transplant. This change ensures stable, transparent funding for OPTN operations and completes Congress’s bipartisan effort to modernize the U.S. transplant system following the 2023 law that ended the decades-long UNOS monopoly. 
“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. BACKGROUNDThe Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)was established by Congress in 1984 under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to coordinate organ donation and transplantation nationwide. For 40 years, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) operated the entire OPTN under a single contract. Congressional and independent investigations revealed significant failures in technology, equity, governance, and oversight. In 2023, Congress passed bipartisan legislation to break up the monopoly and enable competitive contracting. 
Why This Matters  

More than 100,000 Americans are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant, and system reliability is critical.
The reform builds on the bipartisan 2023 Securing the U.S. OPTN Act by giving HRSA—not a private contractor—permanent authority to collect and manage OPTN registration fees.
It removes a longstanding financial conflict of interest created by UNOS’s dual role in setting and collecting fees.
It ensures sustainable funding contributed by transplant hospitals, Organ Procurement Organizations, and member institutions.
It increases transparency by requiring quarterly reporting of fees collected, activities funded, and public dashboards with key performance data such as organ utilization and discards. 

The legislation is endorsed by UNOS, the AmericanKidneyFund, and the NationalKidneyFoundation, and now moves to the Senate for consideration. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

Pressley Has Sounded the Alarm on Pushout of Black Women from Workforce Under Trump, Demanded Action from Federal Reserve

Text of Letter (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, along with Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls, Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), led 19 of their colleagues demanding the Department of Labor (DOL) take immediate action to address the rising unemployment crisis among Black women that has taken shape since the start of the second Trump Administration.

In Congress, Rep. Pressley has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States and called on the Federal Reserve to take action. This week, Rep. Pressley issued a statement after the Trump Administration finally released the September jobs report.

“As Members of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls (CCBWG), we write to express our deep concern over the alarming rise in unemployment among Black women since the start of the Trump Administration and the subsequent weakening of the federal systems built to protect them that has followed in its wake,” the lawmakers wrote.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Black women have experienced the most significant percentage-point increase in unemployment of any demographic group for which monthly data is reported since January 2025. In April alone, 106,000 Black women lost jobs, contributing to their unemployment rising from 5.1 to 6.1 percent, even as the national rate remained stable over the same time frame.

“These numbers represent more than statistics — they reflect a crisis of economic displacement for thousands of mothers, caregivers, and heads of households,” the lawmakers continued. “Yet even as these losses mount, the federal government’s capacity to fully understand and address them is shrinking. The BLS, a cornerstone for reliable data on employment trends, has faced sustained budget and political attacks that risk undermining its ability to provide accurate, disaggregated information on race and gender.  Without dependable data, policymakers cannot see or respond to the full scale of the challenges facing Black women workers.”

In their letter to Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Loretta Greene, Acting Director of the Women’s Bureau at the DOL, the lawmakers demanded the DOL review these troubling trends, consider a comprehensive assessment of their impact on Black women in the workforce, and determine what remedial actions may be necessary, specifically:

• Reaffirm the importance of accurate, disaggregated labor data on Black women and other underrepresented groups;
• Ensure that the data collection and analysis functions previously housed within the Women’s Bureau continue robustly within DOL; and
• Identify policy actions to mitigate the disproportionate job losses among Black women workers.

The letter was signed by 23 Members of Congress: Ayanna Pressley, Yvette Clarke, Robin Kelly, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Jennifer McClellan, Rashida Tlaib, LaMonica McIver, Summer Lee, Delia Ramirez, Ilhan Omar, Maxwell Frost, Greg Landsman, Dwight Evans, André Carson, Hank Johnson, Nikema Williams, Bennie Thompson, Danny Davis, Joyce Beatty, Lateefah Simon, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Shri Thanedar, and Wesley Bell.

Full text of the letter can be found here.

Last week, with the unemployment rate for Black women continuing to rise, Congresswoman Pressley convened Black women, economists, civil rights leaders, and community members in Boston for an urgent discussion about the unemployment crisis facing Black women and its impact in Massachusetts and beyond. The roundtable and press conference followed the Trump Administration’s release of the September jobs report, which revealed a 7.5% unemployment rate for Black women—an alarming spike from the 6.7% unemployment rate following the August jobs report and well above the 4.4% national rate.

In September, Congresswoman Pressley wrote to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell sounding the alarm on the rising unemployment rate for Black women in the United States and demanding the Fed take immediate action to uphold its mandate of maximum employment for all. The Congresswoman’s letter comes as the Trump Administration’s mass federal workforce layoffs and anti-DEI policies disproportionately impact Black women and as Donald Trump attempts to seize control of the Fed by illegally firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

A copy of the Congresswoman’s letter is available here.

Later in September, Congresswoman Pressley convened a press conference with a coalition of Black women activists and civil rights leaders to continue sounding the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities.

• Building on the legacy of Black women in the civil rights movement, Rep. Pressley led a historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee.  
• In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on the issue of full employment and the Civil Rights history of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. Powell conceded, for the first time in Federal Reserve history and on the Congressional record, that the Fed alone cannot get the United States to full employment.
• Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker, is the lead co-sponsor of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.
• Rep. Pressley introduced the Equity in Government Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.
• Rep. Pressley has also called on the five largest banks in America to provide a detailed update on the racial equity commitments the institutions made following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
• Rep. Pressley was also a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates like the NAACP—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people.

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Greg Casar (TX-35) today led 42 Members of Congress in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the administration to take concrete action to hold Pakistan’s military accountable and call for the release of political prisoners.

“In recent years, U.S. citizens and residents who have spoken out against authoritarian abuses in Pakistan have faced threats, intimidation, and harassment — often extending to their families in Pakistan,” wrote the Members. “These tactics include arbitrary detentions, coercion, and retaliatory violence, targeting diaspora individuals and their relatives. These actions infringe upon the right to freedom of expression […], further, they set a dangerous precedent for foreign interference on U.S. soil.”

As Pakistan faces an escalating crisis of authoritarianism, democratic institutions have been dismantled, and opposition leaders have been held without charge and denied fair trials. Pakistanis have been arrested for social media posts, and those living in other countries, including the United States, have been threatened or had their family threatened for exercising their right to free speech. The letter calls for real steps to be taken to address these injustices.

“We urge you to swiftly impose targeted measures, including visa bans and asset freezes, against officials responsible for transnational repression, widespread human rights violations, and systematic repression in Pakistan,” continued the Members. “We have called out transnational repression in other countries before and will continue to do so; the same principled approach must be applied here.”

The full letter can be read here.

The letter was signed by Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), John Larson (CT-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Sarah McBride (DE-AL), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Richard Neal (MA-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Marc Veasey (TX-33), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).

Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security

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

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson issued the following statement after the House passed legislation to codify President Trump’s Executive Orders to unleash prosperity through deregulation, empower small businesses, and foster economic growth.

“America’s small businesses owners are forced to navigate outdated, duplicative, and costly federal regulations and unnecessary delays that hold them back. Today, House Republicans passed two commonsense bills to elevate and empower their voices and get Washington bureaucracy out of their way of growth and success,” Speaker Johnson said. “Small businesses are the backbone of America’s economy, and they deserve a direct line to report harmful red tape – and a federal government that adapts and finds a way to fix it. President Trump and Congressional Republicans are restoring accountability and advancing a deregulatory agenda that delivers real positive relief to Main Street.”

“Small business owners should not be weighed down by layers of costly, duplicative regulations that stall growth and restrict opportunity,” House Small Business Committee Chairman Williams said. “These bills demonstrate our commitment to removing those barriers and ensuring small businesses have a direct voice in shaping a more accountable government. With President Trump driving a renewed deregulatory push, House Republicans are advancing a responsible, pro-growth agenda that strengthens America’s small business economy.”

This Week’s House Adopted Legislation to Cut Red Tape for Small Businesses:

H.R. 2965 — Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act (Sponsored by Rep. Beth Van Duyne): Requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to report annually on the regulatory costs imposed by other federal agencies on small businesses.

H.R. 4305 — Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive (DUMP) Red Tape Act (Sponsored by Rep. Tony Wied): Codifies President Trump’s Executive Orders to cut red tape for small business and supports the SBA Office of Advocacy’s establishment of a “Red Tape Hotline” where small businesses can report excessive regulatory burdens. The Red Tape Hotline received and reviewed 96 small business requests in just the First 100 Days of its launch.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and former Division I volleyball player, issued the following statement after House Republicans postponed a scheduled vote on the SCORE Act, legislation that would entrench the dominance of the NCAA and wealthiest conferences by stripping rights away from college athletes, undermining women’s and Olympic sports, and exacerbate the looming financial crisis facing smaller schools and HBCUs:“The SCORE Act was pulled from consideration because it simply didn’t have the votes, a clear sign that Members on both sides saw it for what it was: a gift to the NCAA and Power Two conferences at the expense of athletes.”“This bill would have imposed new restrictions on athletes while doing nothing to address the real instability in college athletics. It ignored the coaching carousel, the erosion of women’s and Olympic sports, and the mounting financial deficits putting small and mid-sized programs and HBCUs at risk. Calling this a solution to the challenges facing college sports was always a stretch, and pulling it from the floor only confirms how unbalanced it was.”“It’s time for Republicans to return to the negotiating table. Dozens of Democrats who support a bipartisan path forward outlined in my College Athletics Reform Act stand ready to work in good faith on durable reforms that strengthen athletes’ rights, support all schools, and secure the future of college sports.”###

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Adam Smith (WA-09) are today introducing the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, legislation to enact guardrails and oversight on immigration detention, and to ensure civil and human rights are protected. 

“Under the Trump Administration, we have seen a shocking surge in the detention of people who have committed no crimes being locked up in increasingly horrifying conditions,” said Jayapal. “People are being held in squalor, largely in private, for-profit detention facilities, all to pad the bottom lines of prison corporations that donate to Donald Trump and Republicans. As Trump has struck down legal pathways and made it nearly impossible to come to or stay in this country, even for those who have been here for decades, this will only continue to get worse. We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.”

“We are witnessing appalling conditions for immigration detention and a clear disregard for basic human rights,” said Smith. “No one should be subjected to overcrowded cells, denied medical care, or held in facilities that profit off of human suffering. This legislation establishes the oversight and guardrails needed to end these abuses and ensure that people are treated with dignity.”

Since President Trump returned to office, the use of immigration detention has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, with over 66,000 people detained. During that period of time, 23 people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Nearly 73 percent of those detained have no criminal convictions, and many of those with convictions have only minor offenses, including traffic violations. 

Detained people in these facilities are being held in inhumane living conditions, with reports of overcrowding forcing 35 men to share one toilet and sleep head to toe on concrete floors, of people being served only a cup of rice a day or rotting food, and of people having their medications withheld or being denied necessary medical care. Further, the Trump Administration has restarted the practice of detaining families and children, which has long been criticized as unsafe and inflicting irreversible harm on children. 

This is while the Trump Administration has blocked Congressional oversight, despite death reports that do not line up with autopsy reports. In the case of Chaofeng Ge, ICE stated that he died by suicide, while his attorney alleges he was found with his hands and feet tied. 

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would: 

• Repeal mandatory detention;
• Prohibit the detention of families and children in family detention;
• Create a presumption of release and impose a higher burden of proof to detain primary caregivers and vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, survivors of torture or gender-based violence, people with serious mental or physical illness or disability, LGBTQ individuals, asylum seekers, and people over age 60;
• Phase out the use of private detention facilities and jails over a three-year period;
• Require DHS to establish civil detention standards that provide, at minimum, the level of protection in the American Bar Association’s Civil Immigration Detention Standards;
• Mandate the DHS Inspector General to conduct unannounced inspections with meaningful penalties for failure to comply with standards; and
• Require DHS to admit Members of Congress to detention facilities for unannounced inspections.

“The reintroduction of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act could not come at a more urgent moment,” said Haddy Gassama, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU. “We are witnessing an unprecedented expansion of the immigration detention system, with billions of taxpayer dollars being funneled into the hands of private prison corporations, profiteers who are building and operating abusive detention facilities, while deaths in custody and other egregious abuses reach record levels. These are not abstract policy failures; they are the lived realities of the 66,000 people disappeared into an inhumane system that has long thrived on opacity, minimal oversight, and virtually no accountability.

“The reintroduction of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act comes at a critical moment, as the harsh realities of immigration detention are no longer hidden but visible in every empty seat once occupied by a loved one sent to detention,” said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Senior Policy Counsel at the National Immigration Law Center. “Real change will take time, but immigration detention is an urgent threat that demands immediate action. The National Immigration Law Center welcomes the re-introduction of this important bill and urges Congress to act quickly to secure its passage.”

“The National Immigrant Justice Center is grateful for members of Congress fighting for communities increasingly under attack, facing inhumane conditions in a system driven by private contractors profiting off the imprisonment of human beings,” said Jesse Franzblau, Associate Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center. “The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is pivotal legislation that works to end the private incentive to fill up prisons, fund communities and not cages, and combat impunity for the persistent human rights violations that occur everyday in immigration detention. This legislation is a guide for Congress working to dismantle walls and prisons and invest in an immigration system grounded in humanity.”

“Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda has reached a previously unimaginable scope and scale, skyrocketing the number of people in immigration detention,” said Setareh Ghandehari, Advocacy Director of Detention Watch Network. “In more than 200 detention facilities across the country ICE subjects people to medical neglect, overcrowding, horrendous conditions of confinement, and rampant transfers that disappear people into the detention system, sowing confusion and cutting people off from their loved ones and support networks.  As the administration aggressively expands the detention system and puts people’s lives in jeopardy at a cost to all Americans, Congress must take immediate and decisive action to intervene. While this bill does not fully end the inhumane and unnecessary system of immigration detention, it takes a bold step forward by ending mandatory detention, ending privatized detention, enacting critical safeguards and reversing the trend of constant, unchecked growth.” 

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is sponsored by Alma Adams (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), André Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo José Hernández (PR-At Large), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The legislation is also endorsed by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Detention Watch Network; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; AFL-CIO; African Communities Together; African Human Rights Coalition; AFT; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); Amica Center for Immigrant Rights ; Amnesty International USA; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; CASA; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Center for Victims of Torture; Church World Service; Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP); Community Change Action; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; Congressional Progressive Caucus; Disability Law United; Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM); Franciscan Action Network; Friends Committee on National Legislation ; Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees; Haitian Bridge Alliance; Human Rights First ; Immigrant Justice Network; Immigrant Legal Resource Center; Immigration Equality Action Fund; Indivisible; Just Detention International ; The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA); LatinoJustice PRLDEF; Make the Road States; Muslim Advocates; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Immigration Project; National Partnership for New Americans; National Religious Campaign Against Torture; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; People’s Action Institute; Refugees International ; Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF); Social Workers for Immigration Justice; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC); Tahirih Justice Center; UndocuBlack Network; UnidosUS; Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice; United Church of Christ; Vera Institute of Justice; Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice; Ayuda; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA); JAMAAT – Jews and Muslims Ana Allies Acting Together; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; Northwest Immigrant Rights Project; OneAmerica; Promise Arizona; Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network; and Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN). 

Issues: Civil Rights, Immigration, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Paul Tonko (Capital Region New York)

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Paul D. Tonko (NY-20) today cheered the advance of his bill H.R. 1355, the Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act, out of the House Energy & Commerce Committee in a unanimous vote of 50-0. Tonko’s bipartisan legislation invests in home weatherization efforts to save low-income families hundreds of dollars on their energy bills, while making homes safer, healthier, and more energy efficient.

“With millions of Americans facing rising utility costs and the cold winter months upon us, Congress can and must take action to help lower energy prices,” Congressman Tonko said. “My Weatherization legislation does just that. We know weatherization works, not only serving to lower energy costs, but also making homes healthier and safer. I’m glad to see this commonsense bill move out of committee. We must continue to improve upon this vital program and ensure that our communities have the resources and support they need.”

Data shows that home weatherization reduces energy burden with cost-effective, energy efficiency retrofit investments. Additionally, households receiving WAP services save an average of $372 each year on their energy bills.

H.R. 1355 would strengthen the program by:

• Reauthorizing the Weatherization Assistance Program through Fiscal Year 2030; and
• Raising the statutory Average Cost Per Unit from $6,500 to $12,000, so that households can receive more assistance, and WAP implementers can pay competitive wages and retain their workforces.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Adam Smith (WA-09) are today introducing the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, legislation to enact guardrails and oversight on immigration detention, and to ensure civil and human rights are protected. 

“We are witnessing appalling conditions for immigration detention and a clear disregard for basic human rights,” said Smith. “No one should be subjected to overcrowded cells, denied medical care, or held in facilities that profit off of human suffering. This legislation establishes the oversight and guardrails needed to end these abuses and ensure that people are treated with dignity.”

“Under the Trump Administration, we have seen a shocking surge in the detention of people who have committed no crimes being locked up in increasingly horrifying conditions,” said Jayapal. “People are being held in squalor, largely in private, for-profit detention facilities, all to pad the bottom lines of prison corporations that donate to Donald Trump and Republicans. As Trump has struck down legal pathways and made it nearly impossible to come to or stay in this country, even for those who have been here for decades, this will only continue to get worse. We must pass this legislation to protect dignity and civil rights in America.”

Since President Trump returned to office, the use of immigration detention has skyrocketed to unprecedented levels, with over 66,000 people detained. During that period of time, 23 people have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Nearly 73 percent of those detained have no criminal convictions, and many of those with convictions have only minor offenses, including traffic violations. 

Detained people in these facilities are being held in inhumane living conditions, with reports of overcrowding forcing 35 men to share one toilet and sleep head to toe on concrete floors, of people being served only a cup of rice a day or rotting food, and of people having their medications withheld or being denied necessary medical care. Further, the Trump Administration has restarted the practice of detaining families and children, which has long been criticized as unsafe and inflicting irreversible harm on children. 

This is while the Trump Administration has blocked Congressional oversight, despite death reports that do not line up with autopsy reports. In the case of Chaofeng Ge, ICE stated that he died by suicide, while his attorney alleges he was found with his hands and feet tied. 

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act would: 

• Repeal mandatory detention;
• Prohibit the detention of families and children in family detention;
• Create a presumption of release and impose a higher burden of proof to detain primary caregivers and vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, survivors of torture or gender-based violence, people with serious mental or physical illness or disability, LGBTQ individuals, asylum seekers, and people over age 60;
• Phase out the use of private detention facilities and jails over a three-year period;
• Require DHS to establish civil detention standards that provide, at minimum, the level of protection in the American Bar Association’s Civil Immigration Detention Standards;
• Mandate the DHS Inspector General to conduct unannounced inspections with meaningful penalties for failure to comply with standards; and
• Require DHS to admit Members of Congress to detention facilities for unannounced inspections.

“The reintroduction of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act could not come at a more urgent moment,” said Haddy Gassama, Senior Policy Counsel at the ACLU. “We are witnessing an unprecedented expansion of the immigration detention system, with billions of taxpayer dollars being funneled into the hands of private prison corporations, profiteers who are building and operating abusive detention facilities, while deaths in custody and other egregious abuses reach record levels. These are not abstract policy failures; they are the lived realities of the 66,000 people disappeared into an inhumane system that has long thrived on opacity, minimal oversight, and virtually no accountability.

“The reintroduction of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act comes at a critical moment, as the harsh realities of immigration detention are no longer hidden but visible in every empty seat once occupied by a loved one sent to detention,” said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Senior Policy Counsel at the National Immigration Law Center. “Real change will take time, but immigration detention is an urgent threat that demands immediate action. The National Immigration Law Center welcomes the re-introduction of this important bill and urges Congress to act quickly to secure its passage.”

“The National Immigrant Justice Center is grateful for members of Congress fighting for communities increasingly under attack, facing inhumane conditions in a system driven by private contractors profiting off the imprisonment of human beings,” said Jesse Franzblau, Associate Director of Policy, National Immigrant Justice Center. “The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is pivotal legislation that works to end the private incentive to fill up prisons, fund communities and not cages, and combat impunity for the persistent human rights violations that occur everyday in immigration detention. This legislation is a guide for Congress working to dismantle walls and prisons and invest in an immigration system grounded in humanity.”

“Trump’s cruel mass detention and deportation agenda has reached a previously unimaginable scope and scale, skyrocketing the number of people in immigration detention,” said Setareh Ghandehari, Advocacy Director of Detention Watch Network. “In more than 200 detention facilities across the country ICE subjects people to medical neglect, overcrowding, horrendous conditions of confinement, and rampant transfers that disappear people into the detention system, sowing confusion and cutting people off from their loved ones and support networks.  As the administration aggressively expands the detention system and puts people’s lives in jeopardy at a cost to all Americans, Congress must take immediate and decisive action to intervene. While this bill does not fully end the inhumane and unnecessary system of immigration detention, it takes a bold step forward by ending mandatory detention, ending privatized detention, enacting critical safeguards and reversing the trend of constant, unchecked growth.” 

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is sponsored by Alma Adams (NC-12), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (VA-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Shontel Brown (OH-11), Julia Brownley (CA-26), André Carson (IN-07), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Sean Casten (IL-06), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Jason Crow (CO-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Pablo José Hernández (PR-At Large), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03), Mike Levin (CA-49), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), James P. McGovern (MA-02), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Darren Soto (FL-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24).

The legislation is also endorsed by American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Detention Watch Network; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; AFL-CIO; African Communities Together; African Human Rights Coalition; AFT; American Friends Service Committee (AFSC); American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); Amica Center for Immigrant Rights ; Amnesty International USA; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; ASISTA Immigration Assistance; Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; CASA; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Gender & Refugee Studies; Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP); Center for Victims of Torture; Church World Service; Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP); Community Change Action; Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces; Congressional Progressive Caucus; Disability Law United; Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM); Franciscan Action Network; Friends Committee on National Legislation ; Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees; Haitian Bridge Alliance; Human Rights First ; Immigrant Justice Network; Immigrant Legal Resource Center; Immigration Equality Action Fund; Indivisible; Just Detention International ; The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA); LatinoJustice PRLDEF; Make the Road States; Muslim Advocates; National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd; National Immigration Project; National Partnership for New Americans; National Religious Campaign Against Torture; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; People’s Action Institute; Refugees International ; Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF); Social Workers for Immigration Justice; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC); Tahirih Justice Center; UndocuBlack Network; UnidosUS; Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice; United Church of Christ; Vera Institute of Justice; Adhikaar for Human Rights and Social Justice; Ayuda; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights; Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy (ISLA); JAMAAT – Jews and Muslims Ana Allies Acting Together; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; Northwest Immigrant Rights Project; OneAmerica; Promise Arizona; Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network; and Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN). 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressman Eugene Vindman (VA-07) and Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) to reintroduce the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would help provide American workers with foundational digital skills through the creation of a new “Digital Skills at Work” grant program.

“Our job market is changing rapidly, and workers need strong digital skills to keep up,” said Congressman Valadao. “The Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act will help people enter the workforce with the foundation they need while easing burdens on employers. I’m proud to join Senator Kaine and Congressman Vindman in reintroducing this bipartisan, bicameral bill that will set American workers on a path to success and strengthen our economy.”

“Virginia is a place where anyone willing to work hard should be able to land their first job, keep a job they love, or build their first company. The jobs of today require new skills that can be mastered with the right training, helping employers retain seasoned workers and attract top talent,” said Congressman Vindman. “I’m proud to introduce bipartisan, bicameral legislation that helps Virginians and people across the country build digital skills that are essential in today’s economy.” 

“As Americans face a rapidly-changing job market, it’s crucial they be empowered with the digital skills they need to succeed in the contemporary workforce,” said Senator Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation to expand access to high-quality digital training programs to help people develop in-demand digital skills—benefiting our workers, employers, and economic growth. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us in supporting this bill.”

Supporting organizations include: National Skills Coalition, American Library Association, Asc3, California EDGE Coalition, Coalition on Adult Basic Education, DAETC, Digitunity, Forum for Youth Investment, Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce, Greater Roanoke Workforce Development Board, Hispanic Federation, Jobs for the Future, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Mohuman, National Coalition for Literacy, National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy, National Digital Inclusion Alliance, National Immigration Forum, National Skills Coalition, Northern Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce, Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, NTEN, Prince William Chamber of Commerce, Third Way, Virginia Community College System, and Virginia Minority Chambers, Inc.

The Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act would:

• Create digital skills training programs.
• This bill would create formula funding grants for states based on a combination of population, number of working-age residents, and number of residents with low digital literacy skills (determined by educational attainment, earnings, and limited English proficiency).
• Increase opportunities for underserved communities.
• This bill would create competitive grants for localities and organizations based on how the funds will be used and the populations that will receive services, including individuals with barriers to employment and underrepresented populations.
• Require performance accountability.
• This bill would require states, localities, and organizations that receive a grant under this bill to report their awards publicly.

Background:

More than 90 percent of today’s jobs require digital skills like email, spreadsheets, and data entry, but more than one-third of workers lack foundational digital skills. This poses a huge obstacle to succeeding in today’s workforce. Existing programs to help job-seekers access employment and support services under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) are not permitted to use federal resources for digital skills training. As a result, one-stop workforce development career centers—physical sites within local workforce development areas where job seekers and employers access programs, services, and resources—do not offer any digital skills training opportunities.

To fix this omission, the Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act would amend WIOA to establish a new “Digital Skills at Work” grant program to expand digital skills training within postsecondary education, adult education, and workforce development issues. This bill would make targeted investments in digital skills training to help Americans seeking jobs or upskilling opportunities, as well as those with barriers to employment, learn, or build digital skills.

Read the full bill here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

Bergman, Dingell Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Permanently Extend Telehealth Flexibilities