MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Today, Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s order to shut down every Job Corps center nationwide—including the Keystone Center in Hazelton, the Philadelphia Center, and the Red Rock Center in Lopez—by June 30, 2025:

“Job Corps centers are economic engines that support hundreds of good-paying local jobs, keep our communities thriving, and strengthen our broader economy. Closing them now delivers a devastating blow to working families, undermines the workforce pipeline Congress unanimously funded, and jeopardizes Pennsylvania’s economic health. I will continue fighting to keep these centers open, safeguard local jobs, and protect our state’s economic future.”

Background:

On May 29, 2025, the U.S. Department of Labor issued “Termination for Convenience” notices to all 99 Job Corps centers—ordering closures by June 30, 2025—despite funding having been appropriated through June 30, 2026.  Since 2023, more than 4,200 Pennsylvania residents have enrolled at these centers, which collectively train over 1,350 young adults each year, sustain nearly 450 local jobs, and generate more than $67 million annually for our economy. The Philadelphia Center alone serves 400 students in eight in-demand career areas—Construction, Healthcare, Culinary Arts, and Renewable Resources—employs 92 local staff, and contributes roughly $17 million each year to the region.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06) is leading a bipartisan effort to support critical medical research funding for Americans living with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease.

Crow’s letter, signed by 61 bipartisan Members of Congress, highlights the importance of expanding ALS research and the National ALS Registry and Biorepository in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 appropriations budget bills. 

His effort calls for an expansion of funding for the U.S. Department of Defense’s ALS Research Program to improve drug development and also calls for robust support for the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) efforts to develop a new new research initiative focused on ALS and veteran care. The letter requests an increase in funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide treatment with investigational drugs to foster new approaches to ALS research, and calls for authorizing full funding for the FDA Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program created through the ACT for ALS Act passed in the 117th Congress.

“You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases,” the Members write.

The Members continue: “To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies.”

The letter calls for backing research to support people living with ALS and their families, improve patient’s quality of life and prevent future Americans from getting ALS.

ALS can affect anyone – and with no current cure and few treatments, an ALS diagnosis leaves individuals with a 2-5 year life expectancy. It is estimated that up to 20,000 Americans suffer from ALS at any given time. Veterans are twice as likely as civilians to be diagnosed with ALS.

This letter builds on Congressman Crow’s previous work to support ALS research and advocate for patients and families. Congressman Crow previously led a bipartisan effort to champion ALS research for active-duty servicemembers and veterans, and backed the elimination of a five-month waiting period on insurance benefits for ALS patients. He also introduced a resolution designating May as ALS Awareness Month, and co-launched the bipartisan ALS Caucus with his colleagues in the House.

A PDF of the letter can be found here, with full text appearing below:   

May 2, 2025

Dear Chairs Aderholt, Calvert, and Harris and Ranking Members DeLauro, McCollum, and Bishop: 

Thank you for your continued strong support of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) research. Your support for ALS research is instrumental in speeding the development of new treatments and a cure for ALS at the Department of Defense’s (DOD) ALS Research Program (ALSRP), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National ALS Registry and Biorepository, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program. 

As you know, ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that can affect anyone, at any time, and progressively destroys a person’s ability to control muscle movement. As the disease advances, people become trapped inside a body they can no longer control. Their minds, however, often remain sharp so that they are aware of their surroundings, the people in their lives, and what is happening to them. The average life expectancy for a person living with ALS is just 2-5 years after diagnosis. There is no cure and few treatments that delay but do not stop disease progression. Our veterans are twice as likely to develop ALS as civilians. 

You can make a meaningful difference to every American family living with ALS today and to those who will be diagnosed in the future by supporting research to find effective treatments and a cure, to optimize the treatments and technologies available today, and to prevent future cases. To achieve these goals and end ALS, Congress must increase federal funding for ALS research across multiple agencies. 

DEFENSE SUBCOMMITTEE 

Department of Defense ALS Research Program 

We request $80 million for the ALS Research Program (ALSRP). It is especially vital to active military members and veterans who are twice as likely to develop and die from ALS, regardless of the era they served. DOD’s ALSRP is unique. The program is well positioned to expand its portfolio into early-phase clinical trials to bridge the so-called “valley of death” in ALS drug development between promising preclinical research and human studies. These additional funds are vital to increase preclinical research and early phase ALS clinical trials that can accelerate the development of new treatments and a cure. We believe it continues to be important for the DOD to identify and research all diseases that may be related to service in the U.S. military, including ALS.

Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding to $80 million to maintain the pre-clinical research in the ALS Research Program (ALSRP) and expand the program to grant funds in support of clinical trials. We recognize military veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, regardless of the era they served. The ALSRP has a unique ability to fund clinical trials for new ALS treatments and cures with additional funding while making an impact in pre-clinical research. Since FY07, the ALSRP has funded 222 projects that has led to 5 new treatments currently being tested in clinical trials or in preclinical development. 

LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE 

National Institutes of Health (NIH)-ALS Research 

Currently NIH spends $143 million on ALS clinical research each year. We request an increase in funding to $180 million at NIH to increase ALS research that leads to measurable differences in the health of people living with ALS. We also request maintaining $75 million for Expanded Access Grants to provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79). Lastly, we request full funding for Section 3 and 5 of that law at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to foster new approaches to research for ALS. 

Report Language: The Committee recommends increasing funding for extramural research to $180 million to reduce the burdens of people by ALS as quickly as possible. It is crucial for people living with ALS and people diagnosed with ALS in the future, that NIH dramatically grows its ALS research portfolio and the research workforce. This additional funding should focus not only on new drugs for ALS but also on ALS diagnosis protocols, enhancing the quality of care, and studying new ALS biomarkers. NIH ALS research can lead the country to measurable changes in the lives of people living with ALS. 

The Committee recommends funding at $75 million as authorized by the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS, (P.L. 117-79) Expanded Access Grants for the development of ALS research and treatments. Expanded Access Grants provide treatment with investigational drugs for people with ALS who are not eligible for clinical trials and collect relevant data. We recommend NINDS continue to prepare ALS clinics across the country to qualify as expanded access sites to ensure a broad geographic distribution of grants. Furthermore, after the review and awards of eligible applications under Section 2, the Committee recommends NIH apply any unused funds to programs authorized under ACT for ALS including Section 3 public-private research partnership and Section 5 Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program at FDA.

CDC National ALS Registry and Biorepository 

The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This funding will ensure that critical research into risk factors and the prevention of ALS is supported, that biological samples are collected and made available to private and governmental researchers, and that people living with ALS are informed about new clinical trial opportunities. Most importantly, we urge the CDC to fund research and activities that will lead to the prevention of ALS, including funding translational research on ALS risk factors and risk reduction strategies. In addition, we recognize that active military personnel and veterans are at increased risk to develop ALS. We are directing the CDC to initiate new a research initiative with an additional $5 million over FY24 levels, to research causes and prevention strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans. 

Report Language: The Committee recommends a funding level of $15 million for the National ALS Registry and Biorepository at CDC to maintain the National ALS Registry and Biorepository. We urge the CDC to continue its investment in research to reduce the incidence of ALS through ALS prevention and risk mitigation strategies among civilians, active military personnel and veterans in the United States. Additionally, we urge the CDC to collaborate with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide a publicly available report on the incidence and prevalence of ALS among military veterans. This report, due 1-year after enactment, must include a strategy to develop and test risk reduction strategies that will lower the incidence of ALS among active-duty personnel and veterans.

AGRICULTURE SUBCOMMITTEE 

Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program-

The ACT for ALS Act established the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program for clinical grants ALS and other diseases. The FDA has already demonstrated admirable focus and speed in the projects it supported through partial funding of the ACT for ALS. Congress should provide the full authorized funding for this law and allocate $25 million for research that can further accelerate the approval of new therapies and cures for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Report Language: The Committee recommends $25 million as authorized in Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS (P.L. 117-79) to fund research grants in Section 5 of the law, the FDA Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program. We recognize the importance of FDA’s Rare Neurodegenerative Disease Grant Program research into regulatory science tools to expedite the development and approval of new drugs and devices. The Committee also directs the FDA to fund Section 3 of ACT for ALS, the HHS PublicPrivate Partnership for Rare Neurodegenerative Diseases to foster a network of research with funds also from HHS and NIH. 

CONCLUSION 

We appreciate your consideration of our FY2026 appropriations requests for ALS research. People living with ALS urgently need these investments in research to eradicate the disease. We need new treatments and cures, and more preclinical research projects for successful clinical trials. These endeavors will help people living with ALS to live longer, improve quality of life for people living with ALS and their families, prevent loved ones from getting ALS in the future, and allow Americans to live longer in a world without ALS.

###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02), U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Wear Orange Resolution, designating June 6 as National Gun Violence Awareness Day and the entire month as National Gun Violence Awareness Month.

The Resolution honors Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed in Chicago on Jan. 29, 2013, just one week after she performed in President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. Her family and friends started the Wear Orange movement to raise awareness of the 46,000 people who die due to gun violence every year in the U.S.

“When I fight to end gun violence, I fight for every survivor and victim, including Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed in the Second District just months before I was sworn into office,” said Kelly. “Since Hadiya’s family and friends started Wear Orange, the color has become a beacon for action and advocacy. Today, on what would have been Hadiya’s 28th birthday, we remember her legacy and dedicate ourselves to ending this public health crisis that has stolen too many lives.”

“Think about this for a moment—guns are now the number one killer of America’s children. And one in five Americans now say they’ve lost a loved one to gun violence,” said Durbin. “Our country’s gun violence epidemic is simply unacceptable. Hadiya Pendleton was only 15 years old when she was senselessly shot and killed in Chicago. On what would have been—should have been—her 28th birthday, I will proudly ‘Wear Orange’ as a sign of my dedication to finally putting an end to this public health crisis.”

“It’s devastating how often our country is forced to grieve before another wave of senseless gun violence shatters more lives,” said Duckworth. “During this year’s Gun Violence Awareness Month, we must not only honor the victims of gun violence in Chicago and throughout our country, but we must also recommit to taking action that will help keep our children and our communities safe. American families depend on it.”

Kelly has introduced the Wear Orange Resolution every year after June 2, 2015, on what would have been Pendleton’s 18th birthday. June marks Gun Violence Awareness Month as gun violence spikes at the start of summer.

The Wear Orange Resolution has 61 original cosponsors. Read the full text here.

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, as House Republicans were preparing overnight for the final vote on their reconciliation bill, House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chair Lori Trahan (MA-03) offered the Democratic Motion to Recommit, the last opportunity for the House to stop consideration of the bill up for a vote.
“The bill bans federal Medicaid and CHIP dollars from going to Planned Parenthood for ten years – without even naming the organization – by using vague criteria clearly designed to single them out. This provision threatens access to cancer screenings, birth control, and other essential care for millions of Americans, particularly low-income women,” Congresswoman Trahan said.
CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s remarks on the House floor. A transcript is embedded below.

 
House Republicans’ reconciliation legislation, crafted behind closed doors with President Donald Trump and voted on just hours after the text was released, would strip health care away from nearly 14 million Americans, cut billions in federal Medicaid and Affordable Care Act funding to states, and reduce or eliminate food assistance for millions of families on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will explode the deficit by $3.8 trillion due to its tax provisions that will increase incomes for the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans while decreasing take home pay for the poorest 10 percent.
The Motion to Recommit offered by Trahan would have sent the bill back to the committee of jurisdiction for further consideration rather than allowing the House to proceed with a vote on final passage. While offering the motion, Trahan pointed out that in addition to slashing Medicaid for millions of Americans, the Republican reconciliation bill defunds federal funding for Planned Parenthood, despite a current ban on the use of federal funds for abortion services. Instead, this provision will jeopardize vital health services for the 2 million patients that seek care at Planned Parenthood facilities each year, including cancer screenings, contraception, and more. The CBO estimates that the provision defunding Planned Parenthood alone will increase the federal deficit by $300 million.
The Motion to Recommit was rejected, with all House Republicans voting against it.
“My amendment would strike the provision that blocks Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, because no one should lose access to basic care just because of where they go to get it,” Congresswoman Trahan continued.
————————————
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks As Delivered
Motion to Reconsider H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”
May 22, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill because it is a targeted attack on Planned Parenthood, one of the most trusted providers of reproductive health care in our country.
The bill bans federal Medicaid and CHIP dollars from going to Planned Parenthood for ten years – without even naming the organization – by using vague criteria clearly designed to single them out. This provision threatens access to cancer screenings, birth control, and other essential care for millions of Americans, particularly low-income women.
For this reason, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to this bill. My amendment would strike the provision that blocks Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood, because no one should lose access to basic care just because of where they go to get it.
I ask unanimous consent to insert into the record the text of this amendment.
I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit, and I yield back.
###

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) issued the following statement after voting against the GOP reconciliation bill, which was considered by House Republicans overnight and passed before 7:00am this morning:
“While Americans were asleep, House Republicans advanced their disastrous reconciliation bill that rips health care away from 14 million Americans – including 270,000 in Massachusetts – to bankroll tax breaks for their billionaire donors. It slashes $3.7 billion from MassHealth, threatening health care for children, seniors, and working families. At its core, this bill is a heartless transfer of wealth from those who need help the most to those who need it the least.”
“Donald Trump’s so-called ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ guts SNAP benefits, taking food off the tables of thousands of families across the Commonwealth already squeezed by higher prices. Instead of closing tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy, Republicans chose to make it harder for parents to feed their kids. It’s a shameful betrayal of the people we’re elected to serve.”
“Despite all their talk of fiscal responsibility, this bill – crafted in secret by Donald Trump and passed in the middle of the night by House Republicans – adds $3.8 trillion to the deficit. That reckless spending triggers automatic cuts, including nearly half a trillion dollars from Medicare. The math doesn’t lie: this bill isn’t about helping working people – it’s about enriching the wealthy at everyone else’s expense.”
“I voted no, and I will keep fighting to stop this dangerous bill from becoming law. Working families, seniors, veterans and children across this country deserve leaders who fight for them – not sell them out to the highest bidder.”
###

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

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) blasted House Republicans for supporting a ten-year moratorium on state legislation to protect Americans from harms caused by artificial intelligence (AI). The ban was included in the GOP’s reconciliation package passed by the Committee last week and set to be considered on the House floor as soon as today.
CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s remarks during the Committee’s consideration of reconciliation legislation. A transcript is embedded below.

“Under Republican leadership, this committee has failed time and time again to protect Americans’ privacy and safeguard our children online. GOP leaders have blocked whistleblower protections for tech workers who risk their livelihoods to shine a light on their employers’ privacy abuses. They killed comprehensive privacy legislation to minimize data collection and ensure proper use. They said no to simple transparency legislation so independent auditors could make sure Big Tech companies aren’t breaking the law,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “But what Republican members of this committee did find time to do last week – in the middle of the night by the way – is force through an unprecedented giveaway to the tech industry: A ten-year ban on state laws that could make AI safer for our constituents.”
Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up House Republicans’ reconciliation package that will cut $715 billion from Medicaid and eliminate health coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans. Included in that bill is a provision that would ban states from creating or implementing laws to limit potential harms of AI, effectively allowing Big Tech companies to deploy a rapidly changing technology without any accountability for its negative impacts.
During debate over the legislation, Trahan spoke in support of an amendment filed by House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) to strike the 10-year moratorium on state AI regulation. Every Republican on the committee voted against the amendment, preserving the provision in the bill. In response to Republicans’ ban on AI regulation and its passage out of the Committee, hundreds of civil liberties and consumer protection organizations, as well as a bipartisan group of over 40 state Attorneys General, have expressed strong opposition, describing the harmful impact the ban would have on consumers by depriving them of rights duly provided by state legislatures.
“Make no mistake. The families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won’t benefit from this proposal, but you know who will? The Big Tech CEOs who were sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration,” Congresswoman Trahan continued.
—————————————-
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks As Delivered
House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing on “AI Regulation and the Future of US Leadership”
May 21, 2025
I thank the Ranking Member for yielding.
Under Republican leadership, this committee has failed time and time again to protect Americans’ privacy and safeguard our children online.
GOP leaders have blocked whistleblower protections for tech workers who risk their livelihoods to shine a light on their employers’ privacy abuses. They killed comprehensive privacy legislation to minimize data collection and ensure proper use. They said no to simple transparency legislation so independent auditors could make sure Big Tech companies aren’t breaking the law.
But what Republican members of this committee did find time to do last week – in the middle of the night by the way – is force through an unprecedented giveaway to the tech industry: A ten-year ban on state laws that could make AI safer for our constituents.
Make no mistake. The families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won’t benefit from this proposal, but you know who will? The Big Tech CEOs who were sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration.
Now, we can agree that a patchwork of various state laws is not good for innovation, for business, or consumers. But this is a bad policy because it sets another disincentive for us to act urgently or even in time. All the while, Republicans are once again ceding Congress’s duty to protect Americans’ privacy to the very companies who are perpetrating the worst abuses online.
You’re basically inviting the fox into the hen house.
And you’re doing so under the justification that this will somehow motivate Congress to unify the patchwork of state laws currently in existence. But that hasn’t happened yet.
Just look at what happened to the privacy bill that we crafted together on this committee. The moment that Big Tech started lobbying against it, the Republican Speaker and the Majority Leader caved. They killed the bill. And now you turn around and try to deceive the American people into accepting this ridiculous alternative?
Come on. Our constituents aren’t stupid. They want real action from us to rein in the abuses of tech companies, not to give them blanket immunity to abuse our most sensitive data even more.
At the same time, our Republican colleagues are complaining about Europe’s tech laws, which we can acknowledge are imperfect. But at least they had the guts to do something – literally anything – to make the internet better for the folks they represent. Shame on us if we don’t answer the same demands from the American people.
I urge my colleagues to reject this giveaway to the same Big Tech companies that have stymied every attempt at updating our privacy laws. I want to urge my colleagues to vote no on the partisan reconciliation bill when the same leaders who killed our bipartisan privacy legislation bring it to the floor.
And let’s just get to work in a bipartisan way to foster innovation and protect our constituents with sensible guardrails on Big Tech. Thank you. I yield back.
###

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raul Ruiz (36th District of California)

Blythe, CA – Today, Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) issued the following statement after sending a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom urging emergency action to prevent the closure of Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe, California:

 “Palo Verde Hospital, the only acute-care facility within 100 miles of Blythe, is facing closure today. That means shutting down emergency care, discharging critically ill patients, and leaving over 18,000 residents, and thousands more in surrounding rural areas, without access to lifesaving services.

 “This is a public health emergency. The closure of this hospital puts lives at risk and would leave a massive health care gap in one of the most underserved regions of our state. Patients will suffer. People will die.

“I’m calling on Governor Newsom to step in immediately with $4 million in emergency support to keep this hospital open. We need urgent action to stop this closure, protect lives, and give the hospital time to stabilize.

“As an emergency physician, I know what it means when care is out of reach. I will continue fighting to preserve access to rural health care and keep our hospitals open.”

Read the letter, here.

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

SCHAUMBURG, IL — In response to the violent and antisemitic attack on peaceful demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement:

“I am horrified by the antisemitic attack that targeted peaceful demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado — an act of terror that has no place in our country. As members of the Jewish community gathered to honor hostages still held by Hamas, they were met not with solidarity, but with violence and hate.

My prayers are with the victims, including the Holocaust survivor reportedly injured, and I thank law enforcement for their swift response. We must confront antisemitism wherever it rears its head—clearly, forcefully, and without hesitation. I stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Boulder and across America today and every day.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

Washington, D.C.  – Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) sent a letter to Ambassador Ronald D. Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, urging for action against the northward spread of the New World Screwworm (NWS).

“While the U.S. has effectively eradicated NWS in the past, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that the NWS has recently been detected as far north as the Mexican state of Veracruz, roughly 700 miles from the U.S.’s southern border. If an outbreak were to occur in Texas, the USDA estimates it could cause $1.8 billion in damage to the state’s economy – devastating ranchers’ entire livelihoods. If left unaddressed, the NWS will have catastrophic impacts on the U.S. cattle industry and our country’s food supply.

While Mexico has taken some action to try and contain the NWS spread, those efforts remain wholly insufficient. I respectfully request that you leverage all available diplomatic tools to urge the Mexican authorities to fully cooperate with U.S. officials and spur Mexican authorities to take aggressive action to contain the NWS spread. My constituents in the 21st congressional district, many of whom rely on ranching for their livelihoods, cannot afford delays.”

Read the full letter below.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)