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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

On Monday, Pressley to Hold Timely Discussion in Boston on Unemployment Crisis Impacting Black Women, Black Families, and Black Futures

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration finally released the September jobs report revealing a 7.5% unemployment rate for Black women. 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.

On Monday in Boston at 1:00pm ET, Congresswoman Pressley will convene impacted Black women, economists, civil rights leaders, and community members for a timely discussion on the rising unemployment rate for Black women and its impact in Massachusetts and beyond. Media wishing to attend the event are asked to RSVP here.

“These numbers are damning and confirm what we’ve long known to be true: under Donald J. Trump, Black women continue to face a crisis of disproportionately high unemployment—a direct result of Trump’s reckless mass firings, a growing affordability crisis, and relentless attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives. As the primary breadwinners for many households, Black women are the backbones of our families and our economy, and their systematic pushout not only has dangerous consequences for Black women, Black families, Black futures—it is also a glaring red flag for the entire U.S. economy,” said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. “The occupant of the White House must end his racist and fiscally irresponsible economic policies that are destabilizing our communities and harming our economy. The Department of Labor must continue to collect and publish monthly job numbers. And the Federal Reserve must take urgent action to address this crisis. We cannot and will not allow Trump and Republicans’ anti-Black, anti-woman agenda to erase Black women and our contributions from the workforce.”

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 – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released the following statement:

Political violence has no place in America. 

Representatives Jason Crow, Chris Deluzio, Maggie Goodlander and Chrissy Houlahan and Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin all served our country with tremendous patriotism and distinction. We unequivocally condemn Donald Trump’s disgusting and dangerous death threats against Members of Congress and call on House Republicans to forcefully do the same. 

Donald Trump incited a violent attack on the Capitol on January 6th as part of a treacherous attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The President’s violent and unhinged rhetoric against American patriots is consistent with his well-documented history of attacking prisoners of war, Gold Star families and war heroes. There is no bottom when it comes to Donald Trump. 

We have been in contact with the House Sergeant at Arms and the United States Capitol Police to ensure the safety of these Members and their families. Donald Trump must immediately delete these unhinged social media posts and recant his violent rhetoric before he gets someone killed.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Ami Bera (CA-06) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, to protect seniors’ access to care by ensuring Medicare keeps pace with rising health care costs. The bill helps prevent doctor shortages in Medicare by making sure payments better reflect the real cost of delivering care, especially in rural, underserved, and low-income communities.  Millions of seniors rely on Medicare to see their doctors, but year-to-year payment fluctuations have made it harder for physician practices to stay financially stable—forcing some to limit Medicare patients or close their doors entirely. By aligning Medicare payments more closely with inflation, this legislation aims to keep providers in the program so seniors can continue getting timely, high-quality care.

“I’m deeply concerned that our outdated physician payment system is contributing to reduced access and delays for seniors seeking the care they deserve. This important legislation will help create greater stability for older Americans by strengthening access to services and supporting improved health outcomes. The need for this reform is especially acute in the rural communities I represent, where longstanding provider shortages make consistent, reliable Medicare payments all the more essential,” said Congressman Bilirakis.

“Expanding access to health care by strengthening Medicare for Seniors is a priority of mine. It’s becoming more difficult for Seniors to find physicians through Medicare,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which expands access to Medicare beneficiaries by helping ensure their doctors can keep their doors open. Everyone, including people in rural and underserved communities, deserve stable, reliable access to the care they depend on.”

For years, health experts and oversight bodies—including the Medicare Trustees and MedPAC—have warned that failing to update Medicare payments to reflect inflation could lead to reduced access to care for beneficiaries. Costs to run medical practices have risen nearly 50% over the past two decades, while Medicare payments have fallen when adjusted for inflation, putting pressure on physicians who continue to serve Medicare patients.  This legislation answers those warnings by stabilizing access for current and future Medicare beneficiaries.

“In California’s 19th Congressional District, many constituents are finding that doctors’ offices are overwhelmed, and many seniors are stuck waiting months to see a physician,” said Rep. Panetta. “By tying reimbursement rates to inflation, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act would help ensure that more doctors are available to treat patients and improve outcomes. Congress must be responsible to make Medicare work so patients can have affordable and accessible healthcare.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

Congresswoman Dina Titus today released a letter she has sent to Gov. Joe Lombardo asking him to explain why his administration agreed to drop an investigation and over $400,000 in fines against the Boring Company after two firefighters suffered chemical burns in a training exercise and whether he will commit to more stringent regulation of the Boring Company as it constructs miles of underground tunnels beneath Las Vegas.

“I am writing to express my concern about The Boring Company (“Boring”), who, through the dumping of hazardous materials, among other actions, has endangered not only my constituents in Nevada’s First Congressional District, but also our environment. I urge you to hold the company accountable for putting workers, first responders, and the community at increased risk,” Congresswoman Titus said. “I am alarmed by public reporting alleging that your Administration helped Boring evade fines related to the dumping of toxic chemicals in tunnels and putting the safety of firefighters at risk. Our firefighters already risk their lives each and every day to help our community during times of crisis; it is unacceptable for them to face preventable safety hazards.”

Congresswoman Titus asked Gov. Lombardo to provide answers and documents by Dec. 12 for the following:  

1. Will your office cooperate with a public hearing should one be called by the Board of Clark County Commissioners?

2. What procedures did Nevada OSHA follow in its public safety investigation that led to your Administration levying a $425,595 fine on Boring on May 28, 2025? Which officials signed off on the citations and associated fines before they were levied?

3. Why were the three citations issued on May 28, 2025, never mentioned in the OSHA case file for the public record?

4. Are the reports that someone on your team went against protocol to delete documentation of a meeting between your staff and Steve Davis from Boring on May 29, 2025, accurate? If so, why was the record of this meeting deleted from the case diary?

5. Reports suggest that someone “above” Nevada OSHA made the decision to rescind the fine. Who made the decision to rescind the willful citations and fines levied against Boring on May 28, 2025? What, if any, additional information did your team receive after initially levying the penalty that led to the fine being rescinded?

6. Please release the final justification document and/or all draft justification documents behind the decision by your Administration to rescind the fine against Boring, including any documents that have been deleted from public records.

7. Will you commit to making the monthly “update” meetings between the Chief Administrative officer (CAO) of Nevada OSHA and Boring public? At a minimum, will you commit to sharing detailed notes about what was discussed during each meeting between OSHA and Boring?

8. What other safety concerns about Boring’s Nevada project have you and your staff been made aware of? Has your team investigated any other safety concerns involving Boring and, if so, what was the outcome of each investigation?

9. What actions have you and your staff taken to ensure that all safety concerns with The Boring Loop project are addressed appropriately in the future? Should a staff member in the Nevada OSHA office have concerns with how an investigation is being handled, what procedures are in place to protect against retaliation should they voice these concerns?

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Norma Torres (35th District of California)

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, on International Children’s Day (November 20), Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-25) reintroduced the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (CARE Act), legislation that extends the same child-labor protections that apply in every other industry to children working in agriculture.

Current federal law allows children as young as 12 to work long hours in the fields under hazardous conditions — standards far weaker than those for non-agricultural jobs. The CARE Act closes these loopholes by aligning age limits and hazardous-task restrictions, strengthening enforcement, and improving data collection on injuries and fatalities.

“Children particularly those in farmworker communities deserve the same basic protections as every other child. Right now, a child dies in an agriculture-related incident about every three days, and that is unacceptable,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “The CARE Act will finally bring fairness, safety, and accountability to protect the health and futures of vulnerable youth.” 

“We love the Children’s Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety because it levels the playing field for farmworker children and closes exemptions to child labor law that never should have existed,” said Director of Child Labor Advocacy Reid Maki of the Child Labor Coalition and the National Consumers League. “Farmworker children face many dangers working in agriculture, and it makes no sense to allow them to do it at younger ages than teens working in any other sector. It also doesn’t make sense to allow them to do hazardous work at 16 when all other teens must be 18 to perform dangerous work. More than 200 groups agree that these exemptions need to be closed now.”

“The US will not fix the country’s child labor problem until Congress provides children working in agriculture with the same protections as all other working children. Congress should pass this bill without delay to protect children from dangerous work that harms their health and development,” said Jo Becker, children’s rights advocacy director, Human Rights Watch.

Key Provisions of the Bill

• Aligns the age, work-hour, and hazardous-task restrictions for youth in agriculture with those in non‐agricultural occupations.
• Strengthens pesticide and chemical exposure limits for minors working in farm settings.
• Increases civil and criminal penalties for employers who violate child labor protections in agricultural contexts.
• Boosts funding for the monitoring, reporting and enforcement of child labor standards in the agriculture industry.
• Establishes a federal research and data collection initiative aimed at accurately tracking youth injuries and fatalities in farm labor.

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

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), and Ami Bera (CA-06) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, to protect seniors’ access to care by ensuring Medicare keeps pace with rising health care costs. The bill helps prevent doctor shortages in Medicare by making sure payments better reflect the real cost of delivering care, especially in rural, underserved, and low-income communities.

Millions of seniors rely on Medicare to see their doctors, but year-to-year payment fluctuations have made it harder for physician practices to stay financially stable—forcing some to limit Medicare patients or close their doors entirely. By aligning Medicare payments more closely with inflation, this legislation aims to keep providers in the program so seniors can continue getting timely, high-quality care.

“Expanding access to health care by strengthening Medicare for Seniors is a priority of mine. It’s becoming more difficult for Seniors to find physicians through Medicare,” said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25). “That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act, which expands access to Medicare beneficiaries by helping ensure their doctors can keep their doors open. Everyone, including people in rural and underserved communities, deserve stable, reliable access to the care they depend on.”

For years, health experts and oversight bodies—including the Medicare Trustees and MedPAC—have warned that failing to update Medicare payments to reflect inflation could lead to reduced access to care for beneficiaries. Costs to run medical practices have risen nearly 50% over the past two decades, while Medicare payments have fallen when adjusted for inflation, putting pressure on physicians who continue to serve Medicare patients.

This legislation answers those warnings by stabilizing access for current and future Medicare beneficiaries.

“I’m deeply concerned that our outdated physician payment system is contributing to reduced access and delays for seniors seeking the care they deserve. This important legislation will help create greater stability for older Americans by strengthening access to services and supporting improved health outcomes. The need for this reform is especially acute in the rural communities I represent, where longstanding provider shortages make consistent, reliable Medicare payments all the more essential,” said Congressman Bilirakis.

“In California’s 19th Congressional District, many constituents are finding that doctors’ offices are overwhelmed, and many seniors are stuck waiting months to see a physician,” said Rep. Panetta. “By tying reimbursement rates to inflation, the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act would help ensure that more doctors are available to treat patients and improve outcomes. Congress must be responsible to make Medicare work so patients can have affordable and accessible healthcare.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ted Lieu (33 District of California)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County), Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA), and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, introduced legislation that guarantees individuals held at immigration detention centers have access to congressional constituent casework services upon request. The Fairness and Access for Immigrant Rights (FAIR) Act would establish a clear, enforceable process for detainees in immigration detention centers to have access to the necessary privacy release forms (PRFs) and requires detention center facilities to notify the appropriate congressional office within seven days of a detainee’s request for assistance.

“Constituent casework is an essential part of every congressional office’s representational duties because it enables us to advocate for and on behalf of constituents having problems with the federal government,” said Congressman Ted W. Lieu. “Casework has become an incredibly important tool during the Trump Administration’s extreme ICE raids, where we have seen innocent people and children, including American citizens, being inappropriately detained. Creating a clear and enforceable way for detainees to access the services of their congressional office is critical in protecting detainees’ rights. I am pleased to work with Representatives Jacobs and Espaillat on this important issue.”

“Congress can’t effectively conduct oversight and ensure accountability if the people in immigration detention facilities can’t reach out for help,” said Congresswoman Sara Jacobs. “I’ve heard from families of several detainees at Otay Mesa detention facility who didn’t have someone in their corner pushing to protect their legal and human rights simply because they hadn’t been given the forms that allow congressional offices to legally and effectively intervene on their behalf. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce the FAIR Act to guarantee that every detainee can request congressional assistance regardless of where and how someone is detained.”

“Ensuring the privacy of vulnerable individuals and families seeking assistance from any government agency remains at the forefront of public service,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “Whether related to immigration, education, or healthcare coverage, individuals must fill out a privacy release form, not only to provide consent to work on their behalf, but to establish a transparent level of standards for how these cases are managed. I am proud to join Congressman Lieu as a co-sponsor of the FAIR Act to provide clear guidance for how detention centers manage requests for sensitive documents from detainees and their loved ones throughout the casework process.” 

READ FULL TEXT OF THE BILL HERE

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) released a statement following his vote on H.R. 4405, the Epstein Files Transparency Act. 

“I have been a principled “NO” on this bill from the beginning. What was wrong with the bill three months ago is still wrong today. It abandons 250 years of criminal justice procedure in America. As written, this bill reveals and injures thousands of innocent people – witnesses, people who provided alibis, family members, etc. If enacted in its current form, this type of broad reveal of criminal investigative files, released to a rabid media, will absolutely result in innocent people being hurt. Not by my vote. The Oversight Committee is conducting a thorough investigation that has already released well over 60,000 pages of documents from the Epstein case. That effort will continue in a manner that provides all due protections for innocent Americans. If the Senate amends the bill to properly address privacy of victims and other Americans, who are named but not criminally implicated, then I will vote for that bill when it comes back to the House.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

“The system is broken. It’s time for it to end.”

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens joined Senator Slotkin’s call to end the presidential pardon after voting to release the long-blocked Epstein Files, releasing a new video calling to end the pardon.

With Trump threatening pardons for Ghislaine Maxwell and others involved in Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring, Congresswoman Haley Stevens is making it clear: the abuse of power must end, and the presidential pardon must go.

 

For years, presidents have abused the pardon power to reward political allies.

Trump has done it again and again – and now he could even pardon a person who helped run a child sex trafficking ring with Jeffrey Epstein. That’s unacceptable. @SenatorSlotkin has it right. End… pic.twitter.com/Cj0R7U9cKC

— Rep. Haley Stevens (@RepHaleyStevens) November 19, 2025

Watch the video here

Key Excerpts:

• It’s time to stop protecting Donald Trump and start protecting survivors.
• No one is above the law. The presidential pardon has been used to reward political allies.
• Trump has done it again, and again, and again. And now he could even pardon a person who helped run a child sex trafficking ring with Jefferey Epstein. That’s unacceptable.
• Michiganders are sick of seeing this process abused by whatever powerful interest is close to the White House.
• That’s why I’m joining my fellow Michigander, Senator Slotkin, in calling for an end to the presidential pardon.
• The system is broken. It’s time for it to end. Survivors deserve justice.

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