MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), alongside Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06) and Congressman Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), led several members of New York’s Democratic Congressional delegation in writing to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to demand that the administration reverse their proposed staffing and benefits cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

“This proposal would cut 80,000 employees – over 15% of the VA’s total workforce – who help provide health care, housing, and other services to our veterans, including more than a quarter of whom are veterans themselves. We urge you to immediately reverse course on the proposed firings and ensure that the more than 688,000 veterans in New York State receive timely care, benefits, and peace of mind,” the lawmakers wrote. “It is the federal government’s responsibility to “honor the contract,” – we must honor that commitment by providing the care, benefits, and opportunities every veteran has earned through their sacrifice.” 

A total of 15 lawmakers signed the letter. In addition to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Kennedy, and Rep. Meng, the following members joined in signing: Representatives Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), George Latimer (NY-16), John Mannion (NY-22), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Josh Riley (NY-19), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07). 

The letter details that previous shortages and firings have already affected care quality by leading to reduced patient-provider interactions, longer waiting times, delays in benefits, and increased workloads for existing staff. The lawmakers also emphasize that staffing shortages across VA offices in New York have created a widespread atmosphere of fear and instability across the state, encouraging the Department to stand against any proposed staffing or benefits cuts. 

The full letter is available here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) sent a letter to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to stop the reduction in force (RIF) and reorganization plans at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) impacting FDA’s San Juan Medical Products Laboratory (SJNLMP).

The SJNLMP is one of the few FDA-owned and operated facilities specializing in pharmaceutical drug analysis. It has evaluated and led to removal of thousands of adulterated products from the market that otherwise would have exposed American consumers to unsafe products. The laboratory also plays a critical role in ensuring that the drugs and medical products that are part of HHS’ Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) remain safe and available for the nation’s armed forces and civilian populations during emergencies and conflicts.

According to constituents, on April 1st, 2025, a RIF notice was distributed to the 20 laboratory employees and since then the laboratory has ceased operations.

“Shutting down this laboratory is against your commitment to protect “essential services” and “frontline jobs” as doing so jeopardizes the safety of millions of Americans by weakening FDA’s ability to detect contaminated pharmaceuticals, respond to health emergencies, and safeguard national security,” wrote the lawmakers. “Additionally, this decision would eliminate over 20 highly skilled jobs in Puerto Rico.”

“April 1 was the worst day of my life — receiving the RIF notice shattered me,” a SJNLMP employee said. “After years of dedication to public health, I felt abandoned, invisible, and heartbroken.”

“Receiving the RIF notice felt like having the ground pulled from under us,” a SJNLMP employee said. “After years of sacrifice and commitment to public health, it was devastating to be dismissed so suddenly, without acknowledgment of our work or our worth.”

“Receiving the RIF notice was devastating and left me feeling discarded after years of dedicated public service,” a SJNLMP employee said. “It created uncertainty, fear, and a deep sense of injustice. We were blindsided despite the critical role we played in protecting public health.”

“When I received the RIF notice, I felt an overwhelming sense of shock and betrayal,” a SJNLMP employee said. “It was heartbreaking to see our vital work disregarded so abruptly. The uncertainty about our future was deeply unsettling.”

HHS’ RIF plans at SJNLMP will impact various FDA initiatives. Some are the Health Fraud Program, which focuses on identifying and removing dietary supplements that are unsafe or advertised with misleading claims from the market, the Shelf-Life Extension Program, which verifies the stability of SNS drugs and medical products, an existent Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to advance analytical methods for drug safety, and various Import and Surveillance Programs designed to monitor the safety of pharmaceutical imports. “We urge you to prioritize the health of the American people and the integrity of our pharmaceutical supply chain by ensuring that the San Juan Medical Products Laboratory remains fully staffed and operational,” wrote the lawmakers.

For a full copy of the letter, click here. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC –Today, Congressman Van Drew discussed the passage of H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation.

“This morning, House Republicans passed the budget reconciliation package,” said Congressman Van Drew. “I want to make it clear that in this bill there are NO cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, or Social Security for the people these programs were designed to serve. I have been deeply disturbed by the misinformation the left has been circulating surrounding this bill, so I wanted to take the opportunity to give you a breakdown of what is being said versus what is actually true.”

Medicaid-

FICTION: Millions of eligible Americans will lose their coverage.

FACT: Medicaid for eligible individuals remains fully funded and protected.

• Children, seniors, the disabled, pregnant women, and working families remain fully protected.
• The bill ends loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to access Medicaid.
• The bill enacts work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents—20 hours a week of work/volunteer requirements, including online courses.
• The estimate of eligible Americans losing coverage comes from a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projection which assumes no compliance with these work requirements over 10 years which is just not realistic.

Medicare-

FICTION: Medicare is being slashed by $500 billion.

FACT: Medicare remains untouched, unharmed, and fully funded.

• The $500 billion figure comes from a technical scoring mechanism, not from any policy that is actually in the bill. There will be no cuts.
• House Republicans are already preparing a waiver to the mechanism so no Medicare cuts will ever take effect under this bill.

Social Security-

FICTION: This bill cuts Social Security benefits.

FACT: There are no changes to eligibility, benefits, or payment schedules.

• Not one line of the bill touches Social Security at all.
• The bill even includes a $4,000 tax deduction for individuals over 65, offering relief to our seniors.
• Some may be curious why ‘No Tax on Social Security’ was not included:
  • A Senate rule, the Byrd rule, prohibits non-budgetary items like Social Security changes from being included in a reconciliation bill to ensure that reconciliation legislation focuses strictly on budget-related changes.
• In light of this, I recently introduced H.R. 904, the No Tax on Social Security Act, which would provide much-needed relief for our seniors. I will not give up on this fight to stop taxing Social Security benefits. We need to get this done.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-

FICTION: SNAP benefits are being slashed.

FACT: SNAP remains fully funded and intact under the legislation.

• Vulnerable Americans, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, will not see a reduction in access to SNAP benefits.
• The reforms apply only to able-bodied adults without dependents and are aimed at increasing accountability.
• The reforms focus solely on reducing administrative costs, not cutting benefits.
• The legislation rebalances the cost-sharing structure between the federal government and the states to improve oversight, reduce fraud, ensure benefits go only to eligible recipients, and protect the long-term sustainability of the program.
• States with high payment error rates exceeding 10% will now have to share in the cost of those administrative errors, ensuring that the money is not wasted and that it is actually going to the people who deserve and need it.

“I do want to note the version the House voted on is not the final version of the bill. There will be changes as it now moves to the Senate before final passage and signature into law,” Congressman Van Drew continued. “I have been heavily involved in negotiations for the House version of this bill, and I will continue to closely monitor the bill as changes are made in the Senate to ensure there are no cuts to the programs our people rely on. I have said it before, and I will say it again: we owe it to hardworking American families to ensure these vital programs remain strong and funded.”

Other Key Provisions of the Bill Include:

• Locking in the 2017 Trump tax cuts to prevent a 22% tax increase on working families
• Eliminating federal taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest
• Repealing Biden’s Green New Deal mandates, EV rules, and environmental slush funds
• Resuming oil and gas leasing on federal lands and streamlining energy permitting
• Investing over $140 billion in border security—the largest investment in U.S. history
• Completing the border wall and enabling over 1 million deportations annually
• Hiring 10,000 new ICE personnel and expanding detention capacity to 100,000 beds
• Modernizing national defense with nearly $144 billion in military investments
• Achieving over $1.5 trillion in net deficit reduction—the largest in nearly 30 years

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC –Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement upon learning that Democrat State Senators Vin Gopal and Paul Sarlo have introduced legislation and are pushing for a new referendum to expand casino gaming to Monmouth Park and Meadowlands Racetracks in North Jersey.

“A decade ago, we were told that North Jersey casinos were inevitable and that those of us here in South Jersey should just lie down, play dead, and cut the best deal we can. Sound familiar? Needless to say, we did not listen,” said Congressman Van Drew. “The stakes were too high. We could not allow our local economy to lose up to half a billion dollars annually or, more importantly, 15,000 of our friends and neighbors to lose their jobs. So we fought like hell, and when the dust settled, the 2016 referendum to expand casino gaming outside Atlantic City was defeated by voters in all 21 counties. Make no mistake—we defeated North Jersey casinos once, and we stand ready to do so again, because South Jersey is always worth fighting for, and I will never back down when it comes to protecting our people.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC –Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement in support of President Trump’s executive order, signed today, which will tie what Medicare pays for prescription drugs to the lowest prices paid in other developed countries.

“Today, President Trump took a bold step to lower prescription drug prices for Americans, and I fully support it,” said Congressman Van Drew. “For far too long, American families have been stuck paying outrageous prices for the same drugs sold at a fraction of the cost in other countries. This has to change. In fact, I will be introducing the Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Americans Act in the coming days to build on the President’s action. This bill will make it illegal for drug manufacturers to charge Medicare and privately insured Americans more than what they charge in other countries like Canada, the United Kingdom, or Japan. If they exceed that amount, they will face serious civil monetary penalties of ten times the difference in price for every single dose sold under those insurance plans. It is time to put the interests of the American people first and stop letting Big Pharma get away with price gouging.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Van Drew condemned the actions of three members of Congress and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who, along with protesters, broke into an ICE detention center in Newark earlier today.

“What we saw today is beyond unacceptable,” said Congressman Van Drew. “These elected officials, who swore to uphold the laws of this country, chose to break into a federal detention center, alongside protesters. For months now, I have spoken out against Mayor Baraka’s effort to block the opening of this detention center but today, we reached a breaking point. It was a direct attack on the rule of law. People in New Jersey are paying some of the highest taxes in the country, only to see that money used to fund illegal immigration as part of the state’s sanctuary policies. We are tired of it. No one is above the law. And when elected officials act as if they are, they undermine the very foundation of our democracy.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02)

Washington, DC –Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement after New Jersey joined 16 other states in filing a lawsuit against President Trump for his executive order halting offshore wind.

“You cannot make this stuff up,” said Congressman Van Drew. “The Murphy administration already burned through billions of your tax dollars on offshore wind projects that never worked. They pushed it on us even when towns were saying no, fishermen were saying no, and the tourism industry was saying no. They looked the other way while whales washed up on our beaches. They ignored the Pentagon when it said it was a national security risk. The NJ Ratepayer Advocate said it would raise utility bills. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said the cons outweighed the pros. They did not listen to anyone. And now, after all that, they want to throw even more taxpayer dollars at it in court. It truly is a slap in the face to every taxpayer and every family struggling to pay their energy bill.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

NORTH LAS VEGAS – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) expressed condolences today upon news that longtime lawmaker and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, passed away on May 26, 2025, at the age of 94.

“My condolences are with Charlie Rangel’s loved ones today, and with all of the lives that he touched over his four decades of dedicated public service,” Rep. Horsford said. “Congressman Rangel was larger than life to all who knew him – he was committed to his constituents in New York, but his impact could never be contained by Congressional District lines.

“As the first African American to serve as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, he was a trailblazer and a role model for me and for so many others on the committee today,” Horsford continued. “As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, his work has empowered millions of Black voices across the country, and gave Black lawmakers a powerful tool to express our collective voice.

“On this Memorial Day, we say goodbye to a decorated Korean War veteran who dedicated his life to helping others,” Rep. Horsford added. “Thank you for your service, Charlie, and thank you for all the ways your impact will live on. Rest in peace, Chairman.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Steven Horsford (NV-04) and Donald Norcross (NJ-01) today reintroduced the Securing Continued Healthcare for Our Operations and Logistics (SCHOOL) Professionals Act. 

The SCHOOL Professionals Act would fix a long-standing loophole that prevents contracted school custodians, bus drivers, security guards, nurses, cafeteria workers, and other essential support staff from accessing affordable healthcare coverage. 

The legislation comes on Clark County’s last day of school for the year.

“School support staff are a vital part of our education system – they deserve access to affordable healthcare for their hard work,” Congressman Horsford, Co-Chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, said. “It’s time to end outdated regulatory loopholes that allow for winners and losers among the professionals who help our children learn. The fact is they are all winners, and the SCHOOL Professionals Act will be ensure they have access to the same benefits.”

“Our schools wouldn’t run without essential support staff, and these workers deserve access to affordable healthcare,” Congressman Norcross (NJ-01), Co-Chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus, said. “Today, I joined Congressman Horsford in introducing the SCHOOL Professionals Act to ensure that all school employees who work full-time schedules receive this essential benefit. Whether they are employed by the school district or an outside contractor, these workers are doing the same job and deserve the same rights.”

“The Nevada State Education Association supports the Securing Continued Healthcare for Our Operations and Logistics Professionals (SCHOOL Professionals) Act because it closes a harmful loophole that denies school-based contract workers, such as bus drivers and cafeteria staff, access to the employer-sponsored health coverage they would otherwise earn through full-time service,” Nevada State Education AssociationPresident Dawn Etcheverry said. “These professionals are essential to the functioning of our schools and deserve the same health protections as their directly employed peers. This legislation restores fairness and dignity to the jobs of thousands of workers who support students every day. We urge swift passage of this important bill.”

“For years, a bureaucratic error in the Affordable Care Act has prevented thousands of custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and nurses from accessing the same health care that their colleagues in the classroom receive,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said. “Every worker involved in the education of our children should have reliable access to health care. The Teamsters are proud to support the SCHOOL Professionals Act, which would right this egregious wrong and ensure that all school workers get the care and benefits they need and deserve.”

Currently, employees of private companies contracted by school districts are subject to a 12-month calendar for determining full-time status, unlike their counterparts directly employed by educational institutions who are evaluated on a nine-month school year basis. This discrepancy has left many contracted workers without employer-sponsored health benefits despite their full-time work schedules during the school year. 

This legislation would align the healthcare benefit requirements for contracted employees with those of direct school employees, ensuring that all workers who support educational institutions have access to the same affordable healthcare coverage. 

The SCHOOL Professionals Act is cosponsored by Labor Caucus Co-Chairs Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06). It is endorsed by the Nevada State Education Association, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers. 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressmen Steven Horsford (NV-04)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04) today voted against the Republican budget reconciliation bill that cuts deeply from programs working Americans rely on in order to fund tax giveaways to the billionaires and corporations. The bill, which adds nearly $4 trillion to the national debt, passed by a narrow party line margin. It now goes to the U.S. Senate where Republicans have already expressed opposition.

“The way Congressional Republicans conduct business in the dead of night matches the way they approach policy that harms their own constituents – it’s absolutely asinine,” Rep. Horsford said. “Nevadans deserve a government that prioritizes public health, food security, community safety, education and a dignified retirement for all who earn it. Instead, Republicans just stiffed the Silver State, and every state, with a bill to pay off their billionaire campaign donors and corporate backers.” 

Nevada will be hit particularly hard if the Republican bill becomes law. Medicaid cuts alone could impact 811,000 residents in the Silver State, which will have to either add $6.7 billion to the state budget, or kick hundreds of thousands of people off their coverage. 

In Nevada’s 4^th Congressional District alone, 241,668 people receive medical coverage through Medicaid. The latest estimates are that more than 21,000 of them will lose coverage, along with more than 5,000 who will lose the coverage they now have from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Horsford offered an amendment to extend a tax credit to lower ACA healthcare premiums across America, including nearly 100,000 Nevadans. House Republicans rejected the amendment on a party-line vote. 

Additionally, SNAP food assistance cuts could impact 109,000 Nevadans, including 33,000 people in the 4^th Congressional District. 

The bill adds nearly $4 trillion to the national debt to help pay for tax cuts to the ultra-wealthy: 60 percent of the tax benefits will go to the top 20 percent of households. Meanwhile, due to Trump’s blanket tariffs, households will lose $2,800. 

“The cruelty of this bill is spelled out in staggering numbers, but it isn’t law yet,” Rep. Horsford continued. “The power in American democracy has always been with the people, and now more than ever, lawmakers need a reminder of who they work for.” 

Rep. Horsford raised alarms early about Republican budget plans, devoting his annual address to the Nevada State Legislature on February 19, 2025 to the threat of Medicaid cuts as the Republican budget took shape.

Over the past three months, he has worked with constituents, advocates, and lawmakers to elevate the real-world harm the cuts would inflict on Nevadans, and published an op-ed warning that Republicans were closer than ever to making the cuts a reality. 

When the bill came up for consideration in the Ways and Means Committee that Horsford serves on, he led committee Democrats in submitting amendments that would benefit working class Americans. During the nearly 18-hour meeting that lasted through the night on May 13, 2025, Republicans voted down every single one of the 38 amendments offered. 

Horsford continued his opposition in the House Rules Committee, testifying during a middle-of-the-night hearing about the bill’s failure to address key issues affecting Nevadans, including housing and veterans support. 

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