MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — All nine Democratic members of the New Jersey House delegation — Reps. Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) — today sent a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David J. Venturella demanding immediate answers and accountability following the third death connected to Delaney Hall Immigration Detention Facility in less than a year.

 

For months, Members of Congress, New Jersey officials, medical advocates, attorneys, and former detainees have documented disturbing allegations of abuse and neglect inside Delaney Hall: delayed emergency care, denied prescription medications, untreated chronic illness, infectious disease outbreaks, and inadequate care for medically vulnerable detainees. The delegation’s June oversight visit was meant to determine whether these were isolated incidents or signs of a deeper, systemic failure. Instead of reform, the facility has now seen a third death in less than a year.

 

“Three deaths, repeated allegations of medical neglect, restricted oversight, and less public transparency are a terrible track record of care for individuals in your custody,” wrote the lawmakers. “At this point, the question is no longer whether ICE knows what is happening inside Delaney Hall. It is, ‘why does ICE continue to allow the GEO Group to put lives at risk?’”

 

The letter states ICE quietly rescinded a longstanding policy requiring public reporting and congressional notification when a person dies within 30 days of being released from ICE custody – a change the delegation says was a deliberate rollback of transparency that makes it easier to obscure the government’s responsibility for deaths connected to time spent in federal custody. The letter also highlights that the State of New Jersey was forced to sue after its own health inspectors were repeatedly denied full access to Delaney Hall, even as ICE’s own inspections identified multiple deficiencies in detainee care and safety.

 

The delegation is requesting, no later than August 12, 2026, that DHS and ICE:

 

• Provide a complete accounting of all three deaths connected to Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations, including timelines, medical care provided, mortality reviews, and any corrective action taken

• Explain ICE’s current policy on detainee death reporting, including when a death is no longer considered a death in ICE custody, and identify any deaths connected to Delaney Hall excluded from public reporting under that policy

• Produce all inspections, mortality reviews, audits, staffing assessments, corrective action plans, and internal communications concerning medical care at Delaney Hall since GEO Group assumed operations

• Describe every contractual, financial, or administrative action ICE has taken against GEO Group in response to repeated allegations of inadequate medical care and the three deaths connected to Delaney Hall

• Commit to granting members of Congress and New Jersey health officials full, unencumbered access to Delaney Hall, including housing units, medical facilities, records, surveillance footage, and relevant personnel

 

 

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries released the following statement:

Sixty-one years ago, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, striking a decisive blow against the inhumanity of Jim Crow and protecting the right to vote. It remains one of the most significant legislative accomplishments in American history. We stand on the shoulders of giants like John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Martin Luther King Jr. and Amelia Boynton who dedicated their lives to ensuring our country could live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.

The Trump administration and their co-conspirators in the Congress, on the Supreme Court and in state legislatures across the country have revived the Jim Crow-like tactics of the past. Far-right Republican extremists are determined to turn back the clock. They continue to peddle baseless conspiracy theories about our elections, attack mail-in voting and redraw congressional maps to decimate Black representation. 

The right to vote is non-negotiable. House Democrats will deploy the largest voter protection effort in modern American history to make sure that the American people can choose their representatives, not the other way around. We will take back the House of Representatives, pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and end the era of voter suppression once and for all.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Judy Chu (CA-28) and Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced the Protect American Values Act, legislation that would prevent federal funds from being used to implement, administer, enforce, or otherwise carry out the Trump administration’s finalized “public charge” rule. Scheduled to take effect on September 18, 2026, the rule would make it more difficult for immigrants who rely on certain government benefits to obtain green cards or adjust their immigration status. 

The Trump administration’s finalized rule rescinds the Biden administration’s 2022 reinstatement of the longstanding public charge policy, which made clear that the use of non-cash public benefits—including SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance—could not be considered when making public charge determinations. The public charge test is intended to determine whether an individual is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for support and use that as grounds for denying admission to the United States or adjustment of lawful permanent resident status. 

Unlike previous policy, Trump’s new public charge rule does not specify which benefits may be considered during a public charge test, granting immigration officers broad discretion to deny green card applications without clear standards or guardrails. As a result, the rule is expected to discourage immigrants from applying for benefits for which they are legally eligible to receive.  The rule also removes an existing safeguard that prevents adjudicating officers from considering benefits used by an immigrant’s family members, meaning U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents in mixed-status families may also be discouraged from accessing benefits they are legally entitled to receive. 

“Donald Trump is once again weaponizing our immigration system against families who are simply trying to build better lives in America,” said Rep. Chu. “His revived ‘Public Charge’ rule is even more expansive and harmful than the version from his first term, when it was ultimately struck down in court. Unlike the previous rule, this finalized policy does not even identify which benefits will be considered in a public charge test, giving Trump’s immigration officers sweeping discretion to deny green card applications based on subjective judgement instead of clear legal standards. We know exactly what the result will be. Millions of immigrants and mixed-status families will be forced to choose between putting food on the table, getting health care, keeping a roof over their heads, or protecting their future in America. And when families are driven away from health care, nutrition assistance, and other basic services they are legally entitled to, every community pays the price through worse health outcomes, greater strain on providers, and a weaker economy. It is cruel, it is arbitrary, and it is fundamentally un-American. That is why I am proud to reintroduce the Protect American Values Act with Senator Hirono to ensure not a single federal dollar can be used to implement this shameful policy.”  

“By removing any guidance for what qualifies as ‘public charge’ the Trump Regime’s rule creates fear and prevents immigrants and their families from accessing services they need—even if they are still entitled to them. In making the pathway to attaining a green card more confusing, the anti-immigrant ideology of this regime is abundantly clear,” said Senator Hirono. “The Protecting American Values Act ensures that American tax dollars cannot be used for promoting the anti-American principles the Trump Regime is attempting to implement.”

“The new public charge rule will create fear and uncertainty that discourage families from accessing health care, nutrition assistance, and other essential supports that children need to grow and thrive. Research has consistently shown that when families fear immigration consequences, many avoid services that they or their children are eligible for, putting children’s health and development at risk,” said Wendy Cervantes, director of Immigration and Immigrant Families of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). “We applaud Representative Chu and Senator Hirono for introducing the Protect American Values Act, which opposes the harmful rule and ensures that children and families can access the supports they need without fear.”

“The Trump administration’s new public charge policy is causing unnecessary fear and confusion for immigrant communities across the country. Immigrant families will be afraid to seek resources that help them stay healthy, fed, and housed because of this harmful policy. We applaud Senator Hirono and Representative Chu for introducing the Protect American Values Act to block the implementation of Trump’s new public charge rule and urge Congress to pass this bill immediately,” said Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center.

“The Trump public charge regulation threatens the health and economic security of millions of U.S. citizen children and other eligible people in immigrant families,” said Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition executive director Adriana Cadena. “This rule could force parents to make the impossible choice between getting a green card and taking their child to the emergency room. And it establishes a secret process for the issuance of green cards, trading accountable government for politics and bias. We applaud Senator Hirono and Congresswoman Chu for introducing the Protect American Values Act, and demand that Congress act quickly on this critical legislation.”
 

The legislation is cosponsored by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Lou Correa (CA-46), Danny Davis (IL-07), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), John Larson (CT-01), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Fredrica Wilson (FL-24).

It is endorsed by over 100 organizations including: Protecting Immigration Families Coalition, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), National Immigration Law Center, African Communities Together, American Academy of Pediatrics, Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), Children’s Defense Fund, Children’s HealthWatch, Church World Service, Coalition on Human Needs, Community Change Action, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, First Focus Campaign for Children, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Hispanic Federation, Hunger Free America, International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), Justice for Migrant Women, Kids Can’t Wait, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Network to End Domestic Violence, National Partnership for New Americans, National WIC Association, National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Stop AAPI Hate, UndocuBlack Network

The full text of the legislation can be found here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Office of Violence Against Women funding supports training and assistance to victims

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) today responded to an assessment by the National Park Service of the impacts on capital region historic sites by President Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch, which found the project would “adversely affect” dozens of major sites, many of which are in Beyer’s district. Beyer represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House that includes Arlington National Cemetery, and is leading congressional efforts to block the project. 

“The Administration itself is confirming that Trump’s illegal arch project would massively disrupt many of the sites that draw millions of people to the capital every year,” said Beyer. “This is ridiculous and unacceptable, and nobody here wants it. Trump’s arch would be an enormous monument to his vanity and insecurity, and an insult to our heroes buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I will do all in my power to ensure that it is never constructed.”

The National Park Service’s “Assessment of Effect” on President Trump’s proposed 250-foot “triumphal arch” found that the arch would “adversely affect” dozens of nearby historic sites and monuments, including Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral, George Washington Memorial Parkway, and many others. The proposal currently faces legal challenges, which allege that it violates the National Historic Preservation Act.

Rep. Don Beyer is leading congressional efforts to block construction of Trump’s arch. His Northern Virginia district includes the Arlington National Cemetery, where his parents, grandparents, and sister are buried. He is the author of the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act, which would explicitly prohibit construction of the arch. He previously raised concerns about the projects impacts on traffic in the region, which the Trump Administration has yet to address. The arch has been a consistent source of anger and concern to Beyer’s constituents, who like much of the country, vociferously oppose the project.

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

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Speaker Johnson joined Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Rep. Juan Ciscomani at the PepsiCo-Frito Lay manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts have benefitted American workers and manufacturers.

Speaker Johnson toured the manufacturing facility, participated in a roundtable alongside local business leaders and PepsiCo-Frito Lay employees, and held a press conference with local Arizona media. Throughout their visit, the three leaders highlighted pro-growth, pro-worker WFTC provisions such as No Tax on Overtime, permanent and immediate expensing for domestic R&D, 100% bonus depreciation, and Trump Accounts.  

Watch Speaker Johnson’s press conference remarks here.

“Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, American manufacturing is roaring back to life. In the one year since that legislation became law, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments have poured into American businesses and manufacturers, jobs are being created, working families are keeping more of what they earn, and we’re seeing long-term growth in all 50 states that’s raising wages for American workers,” Speaker Johnson said after the visit. “It was a pleasure to join Secretary Bessent and Rep. Ciscomani at the PepsiCo facility in Casa Grande today to witness firsthand how American businesses are benefitting from the Working Families Tax Cuts, and to discuss how Republicans’ pro-growth agenda is driving America’s industrial renaissance.”

“One year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, the promise of the American Dream is extending to every factory floor,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “It was great to join Speaker Johnson and Congressman Ciscomani at the Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the America First pro-growth economic agenda is giving manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and hire.”

“I’m incredibly honored to have welcomed Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Arizona’s Sixth District to see the real, tangible impact of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act,” Congressman Ciscomani said. “Manufacturing has long been a cornerstone of rural Arizona’s economy, supporting hundreds of local jobs and strengthening communities across our district. Because of the legislation we passed and signed into law last year, hardworking Arizonans are keeping more of what they earn, and manufacturers have greater confidence to invest here in America. This is exactly what we set out to accomplish by putting more money back into the pockets of working families while creating an environment where businesses can grow and create more jobs here in Southeastern Arizona.”

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

Dingell, Scanlon Introduce Resolution Condemning Department of Justice Action Targeting Disability Rights

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

FRESNO, Calif. – This week, during Affordable Healthcare for Every American Week of Action, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) welcomed Congressman Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, to the Central Valley for a roundtable hosted by Community Health System to hear directly from local hospitals and health care leaders focused on the federal funding reductions under H.R.1, including changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, as well as the Administration’s decision to withhold approximately $867.5 million in federal Medicaid funding from California.
The meeting builds on Congressman Costa’s ongoing efforts to elevate the concerns of Valley health care providers and patients following the enactment of H.R. 1 and its changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Congressman Costa and Congressman Aguilar also highlighted House Democrats’ ongoing efforts to protect and expand access to quality, affordable health care for families across California and communities nationwide.
“Today, Central Valley families, hospitals, and health care providers continue to feel the effects of the largest cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in our nation’s history under H.R. 1,”  said Congressman Costa. “These essential providers are being forced to make difficult decisions about staffing, patient care, and the services they provide. That’s why I was pleased to welcome Congressman Aguilar to the Central Valley—to hear directly from those on the front lines, elevate the challenges they are facing, and reaffirm our commitment to protecting affordable health care for families in the California and across the nation.” 
“From the Central Valley to the Inland Empire, Californians’ healthcare is under attack because of cuts made by Trump’s and Republicans’ budget bill,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. “I was proud to join Congressman Jim Costa and California healthcare leaders for a roundtable on how Republican cuts to Medi-Cal and Medicare have hurt people and healthcare facilities in our state and what House Democrats are doing to fight back. We will keep using every tool at our disposal to stop the Republican healthcare crisis and deliver quality, affordable care to families here in California and across the country.” 
“At a time when federal healthcare funding reductions, including those under H.R. 1, are significantly affecting patient access to care across the Central Valley, we appreciate the collaboration and support of Congressmen Jim Costa and Pete Aguilar,” said Community President and Chief Executive Officer Craig A. Wagoner. “With more than half of our region’s population impacted by Medi-Cal reductions, conversations like these are an important step toward identifying solutions that help ensure continued access to care for our nation’s most vulnerable patients.”
BACKGROUND In July 2025, President Trump signed H.R. 1 into law after it passed Congress. The legislation included significant changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act that health care leaders say are affecting hospitals, providers, and patients throughout California’s Central Valley, where approximately 1.8 million residents—more than half the region’s population—receive health coverage through Medi-Cal. 
Key provisions of H.R. 1 include: 

Biannual Eligibility Redeterminations: Starting in 2026, states must verify Medicaid eligibility every six months, increasing administrative burdens and risking coverage losses. 
New Work Requirements: Beginning January 1, 2027, certain adults aged 19–64 will be required to work or participate in training/community service 80 hours per month to maintain coverage, which could result in coverage loss for millions. 
Increased Cost-Sharing and Reduced ACA Marketplace Subsidies: Low-income individuals face higher out-of-pocket costs, and DACA recipients are barred from ACA marketplace coverage. 
Restrictions on State Financing Tools: Limits on provider taxes and directed payments may undercut funding for hospitals and clinics that rely on Medi-Cal reimbursement. 
Reduced Retroactive Coverage: Beginning January 1, 2027, retroactive Medicaid coverage will be reduced from three months to one month for expansion adults and two months for other beneficiaries, potentially leaving patients responsible for medical bills incurred before enrollment. 

Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP)  H.R.1 created the $50 billion RHTP to strengthen rural health systems nationwide. California was awarded $233.6 million this year (FY26) to support sustainable access, workforce development, technology modernization, and care coordination in rural areas, including the San Joaquin Valley.
California is administering the funding through the California Rural Health Transformation Program, led by the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Funding will be distributed through several competitive grant opportunities rather than automatically allocated to individual hospitals and clinics. 
Current California application deadlines include August 14, 2026, for Accelerator Partners and the Family Medicine Obstetrics Fellowship Program; August 21, 2026, for Electronic Health Record Modernization grants; and August 31, 2026, for Workforce Development Recruitment and Retention grants.  
While these funds provide targeted support, they are not sufficient to offset the broader reductions enacted under H.R.1.
The Administration’s Withholding of $867 Million in Federal Medicaid Funding to California On July 21, 2026, the Trump Administration announced it would withhold approximately $867 million in federal Medicaid funding from California. The Administration stated that the action was intended to target high-risk, disputed Medicaid claims while additional documentation is reviewed to rule out potential fraud. 
This funding deferral creates a significant concern for patients, health care providers, and hospitals that depend on the program to deliver care. 
To view videos and photos of the meeting, click  here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

This funding will support community health centers in San Bernardino County, including in the City of San Bernardino
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) announced a $1,375,920 grant award for the San Bernardino County Public Health Department to expand access to high-quality, affordable and comprehensive healthcare services to residents, regardless of their ability to pay. The funding will support the daily operations and health services provided at four Federally Qualified Community Health Centers in San Bernardino County, including primary care, pediatric care, prenatal care, immunizations, reproductive healthcare, HIV and sexually transmitted infection treatment, oral health services, opioid dependence treatment and counseling.
“San Bernardino County residents should never struggle to access quality, affordable healthcare close to home,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This grant funding will help strengthen the quality care and services that the San Bernardino County Public Health Department provides and ensure that families here in our region get the care they need to be healthy and thrive.” 
“This grant award means more residents can get the care they need close to home, from the High Desert to the Inland Valley and out to the Colorado River region,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “Our federally qualified health centers serve thousands of patients every year, often as their only access point for primary care, pediatrics and preventive services. Funding like this keeps that access open and strengthens the work that the San Bernardino County Public Health Department does to keep families healthy every day.”
This funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration’s Health Center Program (H80) grant awards.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

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