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WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) this morning voted against the GOP’s budget reconciliation bill, which would take health care away from millions of Americans, further rig the tax code in favor of the wealthiest households and corporations and add $3.1 trillion to the national debt by 2034. 

The bill passed along party lines in a 215-214 vote.  

“The House GOP had every opportunity to work across the aisle to write a budget that put middle-class families first. Instead, they’re ramming through an extreme agenda that takes health care away from the working poor and borrows trillions of dollars to fund a package of tax cuts tilted in favor of those at the top,” Golden said. “Mainers want more health care, not less. They want a tax code where everyone pays their fair share. And they want Congress to get its fiscal house in order. This bill fails on each of those fronts, so this is one of the easiest ‘no’ votes I’ve ever taken.”

The budget bill — crafted under reconciliation rules that will allow it to pass with a simple majority in the Senate — would cut $800 billion from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Medicaid provides health coverage to 236,000 people in CD2 — more than one-third of the population — according to KFF, while roughly 50,000 Mainers qualify for health insurance tax credits on the state’s ACA marketplace, coverME.gov. The bill’s elimination of enhanced ACA tax credits will increase health care costs by an average of $180 per month for tens of thousands of Mainers. 

The bill’s cuts to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program — which helps 1 in 8 Mainers get the food they need — will put more than 18 million kids nationally at risk of losing school meals. 

The bill uses those savings to partially cover the cost of roughly $5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of the benefit going to the wealthiest households through provisions such as tax breaks for millionaire heirs and deductions for high-income households in high-income states. “In 2027 it gives households earning more than $1 million a year an annual tax cut of roughly $90,000, while low-income households receive an average of just $90 from the tax cuts — the same households who will then bear the brunt of cuts to Medicaid and SNAP,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In a last-minute amendment to the bill, House GOP Leadership added language that bans insurance plans sold on the ACA marketplace from covering abortion care — an attack on women’s reproductive freedom made under cover of darkness. 

Finally, the bill continues Congress’s bad habit of using deficit spending to finance federal expenditures, running up a national debt that threatens the future of critical programs such as Medicare and Social Security. The reconciliation bill would add $3.1 trillion to the national debt, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. This comes at a time when interest on the debt costs the federal government more every year than on national defense or Medicare and second only to Social Security as an annual line item in the federal budget 

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

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WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) today reintroduced the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act, which would ban foreign nationals from making political contributions in state and local ballot initiatives and recall elections. 

“Foreign nationals should never be able to buy influence in state and local elections, but that’s exactly what current campaign finance laws allow,” Golden said. “I’ve long been proud to partner with Rep. Fitzpatrick on making America’s political process cleaner and fairer, and this bipartisan bill would nationalize another one of Maine’s important reforms: banning foreign contributions in all elections.”

“American people. Foreign nationals have no place influencing our laws, our ballots, or our future. Whether it’s a presidential race or a local referendum, every taxpayer-funded election must be protected from foreign interference. This bipartisan legislation closes a dangerous loophole and sends a clear message: our democracy is not for sale,” Fitzpatrick said.

While the Federal Election Campaign Act bars foreign donations in federal, state and local elections, the Federal Elections Commission and Supreme Court have interpreted that the term “election” in the law only applies to candidate campaigns — not ballot initiatives, recall referendums or other forms of lobbying and issue advocacy.

Maine is one of only 15 states to pass its own law banning foreign contributions in ballot initiatives.

Golden has fought to limit foreign influence in American elections during his time in Congress. Last year, the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act was part of Golden’s Government Integrity and Anti-Corruption Plan, a set of 14 bills designed to prevent political leaders from leveraging their position for profit, increase transparency and reduce the influence of dark money and foreign interference in American democracy.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted against the Republican budget proposal that would rip healthcare away from nearly 14 million Americans, take food assistance away from millions more through cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and explode the national deficit by approximately $3.8 trillion to expand tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the legislation takes from the poorest Americans to give another tax break that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest in the nation.

“Today, my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives passed one of the most reckless and fiscally irresponsible bills that I have ever seen in my time in Congress, guaranteeing a massive redistribution of wealth from the poorest families to the wealthiest one percent, while exploding our national deficit by more than $3 trillion,” said Congressman Cleaver. “At a time when income inequality is at historic levels and working class families are pleading for relief, congressional Republicans are making the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in American history, ripping healthcare and food assistance away from vulnerable families, to give another tax break that lines the pockets of billionaires like Elon Musk and Donald Trump. It is a moral monstrosity that will have devastating repercussions in the years to come if the Senate does not take action to stop it.”

According to estimates, the resolution would increase inflation, with the average American household’s purchasing power falling by $300-$1,250 over the next five years. That does not include the average loss of $2,800 for the average American due to the president’s previously announced costly tariff plans.

The Treasury Department found that the extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would give an average annual tax cut of $32,118 for those in the top 1 percent and an average annual tax cut of $314,266 for those in the top 0.1 percent. When adding additional tax breaks included in the Republican budget proposal, the Penn Wharton Budget Model finds an average benefit of $44,365 for those in the top 1 percent and an average benefit of $389,290 for those in the top 0.1 percent. Nearly half the net benefit of extending the law would go to the top 5 percent of households, or those making more than $450,000 per year.

Meanwhile, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, the bottom 40% of households will actually see lower after-tax income if the legislation becomes law, as they only receive a miniscule tax cut while losing access to programs like Medicaid, SNAP, school meals, and more, as well as facing higher costs due to inflationary effects. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Republican budget passed by House Republicans would result in the largest Medicaid cuts in American history—which would be particularly devastating to Missouri.

According to several analyses, the Republican budget proposal will:

• Rip healthcare away from approximately 27,817 Missourians in the Fifth Congressional District, including 13,017 Missourians on Medicaid and 14,800 Missourians receiving coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Across the state, nearly 212,000 Missourians will lose health coverage through Medicaid and the ACA.
• Take food assistance away from approximately 18,000 households in the Fifth Congressional District, with more than 150,000 households losing assistance from the SNAP program across the entire state.
• Increase healthcare costs for Missourians who receive coverage through the ACA, blowing a $710 annual hole in the budget of the 49,000 Missourians who receive health coverage under the ACA.
• Increase the cost of higher education for 12,625 students in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District who receive Pell grants, which make college more affordable for working class families.

“Despite promises to protect Medicaid, lower costs, and fight for working class families across the country, the Republican budget betrayal is the same trickle-down economics that has failed the American people for decades, only on steroids,” said Congressman Cleaver. “It is my hope that sanity will prevail in the Senate, where my colleagues can still block this legislation from harming the most vulnerable members of our community. As it moves closer to the finish line, I will continue speaking out and standing up for those who may not be able to donate to political campaigns but still deserve access to affordable healthcare and nutrition assistance no less.”

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the City of Kansas City a $4 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant. The federal funding will be used to clean up 47 vacant parcels known as the Washington Wheatley Vacant Lots site on Agnes Avenue, Walrond Avenue, East 19th Street, and East 20th Street, as well as the former Benson Manufacturing Company Site, located at the intersection of East 18th Street and Agnes Avenue.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested more than $1.5 billion through EPA’s highly successful Brownfields Program, which included a major increase in EPA Brownfield Grant funding, enabling local communities to clean up, redevelop, and reinvent areas previously contaminated by toxic substances,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I’m pleased to see this highly successful program continue to support the public health and economic development of neighborhoods like Washington-Wheatley in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, and I’ll continue pushing for bipartisan solutions that benefit Missouri families like this one moving forward.”

EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged over $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage over 220,500 jobs from both public and private sources.

The Washington Wheatley Vacant Lots were used primarily as residential properties since 1936 and are contaminated with PCBs, semi-volatile organic contaminants (SVOCs), and heavy metals. Operations at the former Benson Manufacturing Company site included the production of fabricated brass, aluminum, and other metal alloys used in aircraft parts, light fixtures, architectural ornamentation, appliances, and aluminum barrels for breweries. Over time, the site also housed a lumber mill, a coal and ice company, a furniture manufacturer, a printing company, a limousine service, and various other commercial businesses. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), petroleum, and heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used to conduct 16 public meetings.

Additionally, the City of Kansas City Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive $2 million because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 11 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Projects highlighted for use of the funding include the Parade Park Homes Redevelopment site—which Congressman Cleaver has strongly supported—and the Unity Campus.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, and Committee Democrats have introduced H.R. 3573, the Stop Trading, Retention, and Unfair Market Payoffs in Crypto Act of 2025 or the Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act of 2025. The landmark legislation would prevent the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and their immediate families from inappropriately profiting from cryptocurrencies. 

“Whether accepting a $400 million jet as a personal gift or selling access to the White House through his various crypto schemes, President Trump’s ongoing and brazen corruption should have every American deeply concerned and demanding accountability,” said Congressman Cleaver. “As Democrats in Congress seek to uphold the rule of law and ensure the president is not selling out the American people, I’m proud to cosponsor Ranking Member Waters’ proposal to prevent any president, regardless of political party, from using cryptocurrencies to personally profit while in office.”

“Donald Trump is preparing to dine with the top donors of his memecoin who’ve made him, and his family, richer. Meanwhile, American families are getting poorer and growing increasingly anxious under his failed leadership. Nowhere is Trump’s blatant disregard and disrespect for the rule of law more apparent than in the way he has exploited the office of the Presidency to promote shady, fraudulent crypto ventures that hold no real value, and serve no true purpose other than to pad his pockets,” said Ranking Member Waters. “Trump’s crypto con is not just a scam to target investors. It’s also a dangerous backdoor for selling influence over American policies to the highest foreign bidder. For all we know, Russia, China, or even North Korea could be buying Trump’s crypto to secure favors from the White House. That’s why I’ve introduced the ‘Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act.’ This bill will stop Trump’s brazen crypto corruption and prevent any President, Vice President, Members of Congress, or their immediate families from exploiting crypto in this way. Enough is enough. Congress can no longer ignore the biggest scam and abuse of power in American history. I know my Republican colleagues fear Trump, but I urge them to stand with me and my Democratic colleagues to pass this bill and send a clear message that the White House is not a platform for personal profit.”

“President Trump’s disrespect for the rule of law is breathtaking. Never in American history has a sitting president so blatantly violated ethics laws and openly pushed an agenda for his own financial gain. President Trump and his family are exploiting the presidency to line their pockets through their personal crypto scam, World Liberty Financial. These corrupt actions, along with the volatile and risky nature of crypto, will have devastating consequences on Americans’ financial lives, and Congress cannot allow it to continue,” said Congressman Stephen Lynch, Ranking Member on the Digital Assets Subcommittee.

“Trump’s crypto schemes are a shameless abuse of power,” said Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez. “His $TRUMP coin has brought in over $350 million for him, while regular investors lost billions. Add to that the $MELANIA coin and the Trump-backed stablecoin tied to foreign interests, and you have a pattern of massive conflicts of interest that threaten both investors and national security. I’m proud to join Ranking Member Maxine Waters in cosponsoring legislation to end this kind of corruption once and for all.”

“The wealth of nations is reliant on one thing more than any other: whether the nation has an honest government. But, Trump and his family through their crypto coins have put the credibility of the United States up for sale to the highest bidder,” said Congressman Brad Sherman. “I am pleased to join Ranking Member Waters on this bill to prevent the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and their families from using crypto to create a culture of corruption and sell out our country.”

“President Trump’s second presidency has brought corruption in this country to new heights. Nothing illustrates this more than President Trump’s meme coin. This bill is absolutely vital to ensure that future public servants and their families do not repeat President Trump’s ignominious example. I am proud to join Ranking Member Waters as an original cosponsor of this legislation, and I thank her for her leadership,” said Congressman Al Green.

“Trump’s meme coin has allowed him to use his position to further enrich himself—a blatant conflict of interest. Even worse, he’s allowing top buyers, including foreign nationals, to purchase special access to the presidency via this cryptocurrency,” said Congressman Bill Foster. “This legislation is a commonsense measure to prevent this level of corruption from reaching our nation’s highest office or the halls of Congress ever again.”

“Just four months into his second term, President Trump has made hundreds of millions in cryptocurrency ventures by shamelessly abusing the Presidency,” said Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. “I’m proud to join Ranking Member Waters in this critical bill that will establish strict guardrails to prevent crypto-related corruption at the highest levels of the federal government and put a stop to President Trump’s digital assets scams that pad his own pockets at the expense of hardworking American families.”

“The brazen lawlessness and corruption of the Trump Administration is staggering. It is completely unacceptable that shady business owners, corporations, or foreign actors can pour millions of dollars into a venture financially benefiting the President. We cannot allow public officials to use their positions to enrich themselves. I am proud to join Representative Waters in halting this crypto-fueled corruption,” said Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

“In just a few months, Donald Trump has turned the highest office in the land into the tackiest, most shameless grift of our lifetimes—peddling crypto scams while everyday Americans struggle to put food on the table. The mission is clear: Trump and his family get richer. You get poorer. That’s the whole plan—and it needs to stop. No American should ever have to wonder if the President is working for them or just for himself. I’m proud to join Ranking Member Waters to lead one of the most common-sense bills of the year—one that cracks down on Trump’s addiction to corruption and stops this crypto gateway drug from infecting the halls of Congress,” said Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia.

Specifically, the Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act of 2025 would prevent the President, Vice President, Members of Congress, and their immediate families from:

• Owning a proportion of a digital asset that would allow them to unilaterally make changes to the digital asset;
• Serving as an officer, director, or owner of a digital asset issuer;
• Issuing, sponsoring, promoting, or receiving compensation for the sale, marketing, or mining of digital assets; or
• Trading digital assets while in office, if the covered individual has material non-public information about digital assets.

The legislation was introduced just hours before President Trump hosted an exclusive memecoin dinner at his luxury golf resort, in which attendees have spent millions of dollars to secure a seat. In the 24 hours leading up to the event, the value of Trump’s personal cryptocurrency, $TRUMP, surged—further highlighting concerns of corruption.

Since returning to office, President Trump has used the power of the presidency to shamelessly promote and profit from a series of crypto ventures tied to himself and his family. This includes his personal $TRUMP memecoin which reportedly inflated his wealth by over $350 million while defrauding investors of billions; his wife, Melania Trump’s $MELANIA memecoin, linked to insider profits nearing $100 million; and the launch of a Trump-backed stablecoin, USD1 – through his family’s crypto company, World Liberty Financial – which has raised concerns regarding foreign deals and their potential impact on national security. Moreover, Trump’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., recently launched a Bitcoin company while Trump ordered the Treasury to create a Bitcoin Reserve – all moves that appear designed to boost the value of assets held by Trump and his allies, using taxpayer dollars.

Official text of the Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act of 2025 is available here.

A fact sheet of the Stop TRUMP in Crypto Act of 2025 is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s proposal to restructure and relocate Army North and Army South in San Antonio:

“Joint Base San Antonio is very important to San Antonio’s economy and to many of my constituents. I am working alongside city leaders to ensure that San Antonio is not impacted by the chaotic actions of the Trump Administration, which make us less safe and secure.”