MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (25th District of FLORIDA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, we mark the eighth anniversary of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which claimed 17 innocent lives, including 14-year-olds Alyssa Alhadeff and Alex Schachter. We remember the victims and their families.

Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart, Dean of the Florida Delegation, continues to lead efforts to strengthen school safety measures. Earlier this week, he met with Parkland families like Mr. and Mrs. Alhadeff, as well as Max Schachter, and joined as an original cosponsor of Congressman Burgess Owens’ (UT-4) Alyssa’s Act, which will establish national school safety standards, including silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement.

“Every February 14 since 2018 has been a somber reminder of the evil that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 young, innocent lives were murdered, and many others were forever changed by this senseless and merciless act of violence.

The safety of our communities and schools has always been a core priority for me, and I am grateful to work alongside Parkland family survivors like Max Schacter, who lost his precious son, Alex, and has since turned unimaginable grief into action to strengthen school safety nationwide. Together, we advanced commonsense legislation like the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, which created SchoolSafety.gov that shares tools and research for schools, districts, and communities, links federal resources that schools can use, and serves educators, parents, law enforcement, and officials.

Since then, we have not stopped working for additional school safety hardening measures, including the EAGLES Act and now Alyssa’s Act, another bipartisan federal legislation establishing national school safety standards, including silent panic alarms directly linked to law enforcement. It’s imperative that we sign these bills into law to make a real and lasting difference. We must and can protect our children and our schools, and I remain committed to leading that effort,” said Díaz-Balart.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bill Foster (11th District of Illinois)

Washington, DC — Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) released the following statement after funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lapsed and the agency shut down:

“Trump and Kristi Noem’s DHS is out of control. From aggressive operations across Illinois to the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, the path forward is clear: DHS must be held accountable, and Congress must step in to enact meaningful changes. 

“Democrats have proposed commonsense reforms including body cameras for ICE agents, requiring judicial warrants for enforcement actions, strict restraints on the use of force, stronger transparency requirements, and independent investigations into misconduct. These are basic guardrails that local law enforcement agencies across the country already follow. As long as Republicans refuse to implement these measures, I will vote against any funding for DHS.” 

Last month, Congressman Foster voted against the DHS appropriations bill that would have funded the agency through September 30, 2026. Read his statement on that vote here. 

Congressman Foster is a cosponsor of Rep. Robin Kelly’s articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem. Read his newsletter calling for accountability from DHS leadership here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. Larson wrote the following the op-ed that appeared in MS NOW.

Months after telling the American people that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency had no access to Americans’ sensitive Social Security data, the Trump administration has finally admitted in court that DOGE illegally accessed and agreed to share that data.

According to a filing by the Department of Justice last month, an advocacy group looking “to overturn election results in certain states” made contact with “two members of SSA’s DOGE Team with a request to analyze state voter rolls that the advocacy group had acquired,” and one of them signed a “‘Voter Data Agreement,’ in his capacity as an SSA employee, with the advocacy group.”

Under the guise of “cutting costs,” the Trump administration allowed what may be the most reckless breach of public trust in Social Security’s history. A whistleblower from the Social Security Administration had already said during the summer that DOGE transferred Americans’ data to a vulnerable server and that the team’s actions constituted “violations of laws, rules, and regulations, abuse of authority, gross mismanagement and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety.” Then last month, we got the government’s acknowledgement that the data may have been shared with a group working to overturn election results.

While Americans may think that the “DOGE” task force Elon Musk oversaw has been disbanded, nothing could be further from the truth. He’s gone, but DOGE staffers remain inside the Social Security Administration, in position to access Americans’ most sensitive personal information, including birth dates, home addresses, work histories and more.

That is why I am calling for any DOGE employees responsible for the reported agreement with the election-denial group to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law — and for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to stop blocking our inquiries, legislation and calls for investigations. Protecting unvetted insiders who appear to have broken the law and certainly broke the public trust is shameful and a betrayal of their oath.

When you grow up in a project like I did, you learn how important it is to stand up to a bully. I will not stand by as Musk, President Donald Trump, or any of their MAGA allies raid the data compiled by the Social Security Administration or diminish the benefits that Americans have earned over a lifetime of work. If Republicans refuse to defend their constituents from this unprecedented overreach, then the American people’s demand for accountability will only grow louder. 

Social Security isn’t the only system being targeted. The Trump regime also reportedly granted unprecedented access to taxpayer information at the Treasury Department to Peter Thiel’s data-mining company, Palantir.

These efforts are not isolated. They form a coordinated attempt to breach systems that safeguard Americans’ economic security.

To understand what’s happening, follow the money.  

Before Trump took office in 2025, he enlisted Musk to identify $2 trillion in cuts, and he sent DOGE into federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though Trump insisted he would never touch Social Security, Musk called the program a “Ponzi scheme,” and he said, ““Most of the federal spending is entitlements. That’s the big one to eliminate.” 

The reason they’re targeting it is simple. The Social Security trust funds hold $2.7 trillion of Americans’ earned benefits, the largest pool of public capital in the federal government.  

For the billionaire class advising Trump, that fund is not a safety net — it is a target. 

DOGE’s actions follow a familiar playbook: Break the system, declare it unworkable and then argue that privatization is the only solution.

Career experts inside Social Security were pushed aside within weeks of Trump taking office in 2025 because they refused to hand over protected records. At the time, I warned that DOGE had nothing to do with government efficiency and everything to do with ensuring the billionaire class controls the levers of power.  

That warning proved accurate. 

Nearly a year ago, Democrats introduced legislation to block DOGE and Palantir from accessing sensitive, protected taxpayer and beneficiary information. As the ranking member of the Social Security Subcommittee, I filed an inquiry demanding transparency. House Republicans killed it the first chance they got and then changed House rules to block any other similar inquiries. 

Given Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s remark that with its Trump Accounts, the administration has created a “backdoor” to privatize Social Security benefits, it’s clear to me that Trump’s plan isn’t to save Social Security but to destabilize it from within, undermine public trust and hand over control of its $2.7 trillion to private interests.

President George W. Bush’s privatization scheme collapsed after public backlash in 2005, but Trump’s effort is quieter, more complex and backed by some of the world’s most powerful tech billionaires.  

Musk has repeatedly attacked Social Security and promoted extreme austerity. CEO Alex Karp’s Palantir profits from government data. Together, they have gained unprecedented access to systems that were never intended for private-sector control. 

While DOGE was undermining Social Security’s internal operations, the administration pursued cuts that would make the program appear dysfunctional. They planned to eliminate telephone support for seniors and people with disabilities, close field offices and reduce thousands of workers, thereby weakening the public-facing infrastructure that millions rely on to access earned benefits. The greater the dysfunction, the easier the argument for privatization: “Look,” they say, “the government cannot run Social Security. Let the private sector handle it.”

The American people know better, as does every Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee charged with overseeing Social Security.  

Social Security is the most successful program in the history of this nation and our No. 1 anti-poverty program. It’s an earned benefit, paid for by workers with every paycheck. It has lifted generations out of poverty and provided security to millions of retirees, people with disabilities and surviving families. It is not a playground for billionaires, an investment scheme or a slush fund for privatization.

Rep. John B. Larson, a Democrat, represents Connecticut’s First District. He sits on the influential House Ways and Means Committee—including the Subcommittee on Trade and the Social Security Subcommittee, where he serves as the Ranking Member.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

Today, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) released the following statement:

“Protecting Washington state’s environment is a top priority of mine. The Trump administration’s decision to ignore established science about climate change is reckless, stupid and dangerous,” said Rep. Larsen. “From flooding to wildfires, Northwest Washingtonians know that climate change is real and causing measurable harm to communities across the Pacific Northwest. I will continue fighting for federal dollars that protect local ecosystems and invest in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure.”

Yesterday, the Trump administration repealed the Endangerment Finding, which is the scientific determination that gives the United States government the authority to combat climate change.

Larsen Fights Against Endangerment Finding Rollback

In September 2025, Rep. Larsen joined 153 of his House Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) opposing Administrator Lee Zeldin’s proposed rollbacks of EPA’s landmark Endangerment Finding and vehicle emissions standards, and also signed a letter that raised concerns with the EPA’s proposal to eliminate federal greenhouse gas pollution standards for light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles.

Rep. Larsen also joined six other members of Washington’s Congressional Delegation in a letter to Administrator Zeldin about how his proposal to eliminate the 2009 Endangerment Finding would harm Washingtonians’ health and welfare by exacerbating wildfires, floods and other extreme weather events.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)

This week’s polar vortex brought snow and ice to many portions of the Fourth District. Many were advised to stay home, stay warm, and stay safe. However, in these moments, there are always the few who must sacrifice their own warmth and safety to keep our communities safe. These men and women are well-deserving of all of our thanks for the tireless hours and selfless work they have contributed in the past week.

We often see firefighters and police officers as the face of our first responders; the public servants who faithfully answer the call of duty. But in severe weather or natural disasters, our EMS workers, nurses, and doctors remain steadfast. Selflessly working around the clock, these men and women oftentimes make the hospital their temporary home in order to ensure Arkansans have the care they need in case of emergencies. We even heard stories of nurses in the Little Rock area organizing a system of volunteer drivers to help over 250 health care workers make it to the hospital in order to cover their shifts.

Plumbers are called when pipes burst and linemen are prepared to face the elements when power lines are affected. Road crews are dispatched to clear the streets and make sure drivers are safe. Nursing home workers often become a crucial lifeline for families, staying overnight to ensure residents are safe when families are unable to visit their loved ones. And our Arkansas National Guard were deployed to countless locations, standing at the ready to assist communities in clearing roads, rescuing stranded drivers, and offering their service wherever they were called. 

There are so many folks who we have to thank for keeping our communities safe and running in times of crisis and difficulty. Their service truly embodies what it means to be a good neighbor, and I hope we can all take that same, others-first spirit of service and implement it into our own lives.

Serving others and taking care of our neighbors isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s an investment in our community. For many of us across Arkansas, this has been our home for generations. We discover the real, deep value of our community when we are proactive in taking care of the people and places outside of our own property lines. And when we can really see its value, we care more for it and work harder to make it a place not only we want to live, but a place for our children and grandchildren to live and in turn, invest in it themselves.

Weeks like these are hard. But with Arkansas grit and spirit, we can take these moments to remind ourselves of the gift we have been given of community and the importance of supporting and investing in the folks around us. Let’s take care of what we’ve been given and each other – it’s the most American thing we can do.

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

WASHINGTON, DC — Last night, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), senior member of the Judiciary Committee, voted against the so-called “SAVE America Act”, a Republican bill that advances President Trump’s call to “nationalize elections”. The SAVE America Act would impose new documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements on voters and make it harder for 21 million Americans to vote, especially impacting seniors, students, lower-income Americans, and others without ready access to citizenship documentation.

“The SAVE Act isn’t about election security—it’s about voter suppression,” said Congressman Cohen. “Noncitizen voting is already illegal and vanishingly rare, but this bill would impose new barriers for eligible Americans, like married women whose documents don’t match, seniors, students, and working people who don’t have a passport or a birth certificate sitting in a drawer. And most Americans won’t be able to use a driver’s license to clear these hurdles, because even REAL ID doesn’t prove citizenship. The SAVE Act forces people to hunt down paperwork, take time off work, and pay unexpected costs just to exercise their constitutional right—and Republicans know exactly who that hurts.” 

“If this was truly about protecting the right to vote,” Congressman Cohen added, “Republicans would join us in advancing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to ensure all Americans can cast their ballot securely, safely, and without fear or intimidation.” 

The SAVE America Act would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship—such as a passport or birth certificate—in order to register to vote in federal elections. It would also require government-issued photo identification to vote in-person and copies of photo ID when requesting and submitting absentee ballots. The bill adds criminal penalties for election officials who register voters who fail to provide documentary proof of citizenship—even if that person is in fact a U.S. citizen. 

According to nonpartisan research, more than 21 million Americans (over 9% of voting age citizens) do not have ready access to proof of citizenship documents, and approximately 140 million Americans do not possess a valid passport.  

Under the SAVE America Act, a standard driver’s license would generally not be sufficient to register to vote. Even state-issued licenses that meet REAL ID standards do not indicate U.S. citizenship and are available to both citizens and lawfully present noncitizens. In practice, the only driver’s license that may serve as documentary proof of citizenship is an Enhanced Driver’s License—which is available in just five states. 

The House passed the SAVE America Act by vote of 218-213, with only one Democrat joining Republicans in favor of the bill. The bill now faces an uncertain path in the Senate. 

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

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced a resolution to condemn and censure President Donald Trump for a social media post shared on February 5 that included a racist image portraying former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Depicting our first Black President and First Lady in that manner was not an accident, not a joke, and not ‘fake outrage’—it’s racist, it’s vile, and it disgraces our entire country,” said Congressman Cohen. “Deleting the post only proves that he knew exactly how vile it was. He doesn’t regret it—he regrets getting called out on it. Members of the House have a duty to stand up and push back when a President uses his platform to spread bigotry and degrade Americans on the basis of race, and that’s what I’m doing. This resolution censures and condemns Donald Trump for this repugnant post and calls on him to apologize to the Obamas and to the country.”

On the night of February 5, 2026, President Trump reposted a 62-second video promoting false claims about voter fraud in the 2020 election that also included a depiction of the Obamas as primates—a widely recognized racist trope. The post drew bipartisan condemnation, including from Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who urged Trump to remove it.

White House officials initially dismissed public backlash as “fake outrage” before later attributing the post to a staffer and deleting it hours later. Trump has claimed he did not watch the full video before it was posted and has refused to apologize.

Congressman Cohen’s resolution outlines that:

• President Trump used his platform to amplify election lies alongside racist imagery depicting the Obamas as primates—a deliberate dehumanizing smear.
• The depiction invoked a longstanding, well-understood racist trope used to dehumanize Black Americans—conduct wholly inconsistent with the dignity and responsibility of the presidency.
• The post drew bipartisan condemnation, including from Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who said he was “praying it was fake” because it was “the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” and urged that it be removed.
• When first confronted, White House officials defended the post and dismissed public outrage as “fake outrage,” rather than immediately condemning the racist imagery.
• After hours of widespread backlash from lawmakers and civil rights organizations, the post was ultimately removed—but President Trump has refused to apologize.
• The resolution states that if a staff member posted the content without review, that staffer should be admonished—but regardless, the President is responsible for what is amplified through his official platform.
• The resolution formally condemns and censures President Trump for the post and calls on him to apologize for conduct that disgraced the Office of the President and dishonored the United States.

To read the full text of Congressman Cohen’s resolution, click here

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Washington, D.C. (February 13, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, and Rep. Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, are demanding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) immediately cease its attempt to obstruct and intimidate Members of Congress by covertly monitoring their searches of the slightly-less-redacted Epstein files.

At an oversight hearing this week with the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Pam Bondi was photographed with a document entitled ‘Jayapal Pramila Search History’ that contained a list of unredacted Epstein files Rep. Jayapal reviewed at DOJ a day prior. This photograph revealed that DOJ had secretly accessed and analyzed Members’ search histories and used that information to prepare Attorney General Bondi to launch partisan attacks instead of answering oversight questions.

“This surveillance of Members as we perform our constitutional oversight duties, done without our knowledge or consent, is a blatant violation of the separation of powers and further evidence that this DOJ will stop at nothing to protect Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s co-conspirators, accomplices, and enablers while denying justice to survivors and the American people,” wrote the Ranking Members.

DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs organized the file review process under false pretenses, disclosing only that it would log Members’ dates and times of access—while concealing any plan to track searches and document views in detail. In a letter authorizing the review of unredacted materials, DOJ made no mention that Members’ search histories would be tracked, recorded, or disseminated for any purpose.

More than a dozen Democratic Members, as well as Rep. Thomas Massie, have reviewed the files and may also have been subjected to DOJ surveillance. Even Republican Speaker Mike Johnson condemned the practice, stating that it is “not appropriate for anybody to be tracking” Members’ review of documents.

The surveillance marks a broader pattern by this DOJ of obstructing congressional oversight of the Epstein matter. Members are required to travel to a DOJ annex, use a limited number of DOJ-controlled computers, navigate cumbersome software, and review files under the watch of DOJ staff. Congressional staff are barred from assisting and have even been prohibited from entering the building.

With only four computers available for Members’ review, the lawmakers warn it would take more than seven years for Members to review the more than three million Epstein-related pages DOJ has partially released—while millions more pages remain fully withheld or heavily redacted.

The Members are demanding a meeting with Attorney General Bondi to develop a new protocol that allows Members of Congress to meaningfully review the fully unredacted documents—including by giving access to review terminals on the Capitol Complex and access for select Committee staffers. They are also demanding that DOJ (1) publicly release all files—with all the survivors’ information, and only the survivors’ information, properly redacted—as required by law and (2) provide information regarding the purpose and extent of the surveillance of Members.

“The American people and federal law demand nothing less,” the Ranking Members concluded.

Click here to read the letter.

Issues: Government Reform & Ethics

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Real price tag for taxpayers to complete the Delta Tunnel could be as high as $100 Billion

Massive trenches, boring holes up to 250 feet deep, and major construction would cause $167 million in damages to Delta region

STOCKTON – Today, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers considers a decision in the yearslong water saga, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) called on the Army Corps to deny the federal permits required for the Delta Tunnel to be completed. Joined by members of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Congressional Delegation, Harder led a letter urging the Army Corps’ final Record of Decision to protect Delta waterways, families, and our regional economy by denying these permits.

If approved, the Delta Tunnel would be a disaster for the Delta:

• First proposed more than 60 years ago, the Delta Tunnel is a monstrous zombie project with ballooning costs, growing to at least $20 billion in 2024 and potentially as high as $100 billion last year according to the latest analysis.
• That doesn’t even factor in the devastating damages that Delta communities would face – Sacramento’s own findings revealed $167 million in damages to Delta agriculture, air quality, and infrastructure.
• Even preliminary work on the Delta Tunnel would be extreme – massive trenches, boring holes up to 250 feet deep, and major installation projects would tear up dozens of sites across the Delta.

“This isn’t just some water heist to ship our Delta water down south to Beverly Hills lawns – this is an existential threat to our waterways, regional economy, and our very way of life,” said Rep. Harder. “And for all that devastation, it wouldn’t create a single new drop of water for anyone. That’s why we’ve been fighting tooth and nail to permanently stop the Delta Tunnel, and today I’m calling on the Army Corps to deny the permits needed for this boondoggle to ever be completed.”

Harder has been leading the charge in Washington to stop the Delta Tunnel devastation:

• Harder has launched legislation to prohibit federal permits necessary for the project to be implemented.
• Last summer, Harder demanded a full audit of the project to ensure transparency for Delta communities that have been cut out of closed-door Sacramento decision-making.
• Harder has rallied Delta residents, local leaders, and agriculture communities in  multiple town halls and a major demonstration at the State Capitol to press Sacramento to give in.

“The proposed Delta Conveyance Project would have a direct, negative impact on environmental justice communities, Delta farms, commercial and recreational fishing, and Delta ecosystems,” said Morgen Snyder, Director of Policy and Programs, Restore the Delta. “The US Army Corps of Engineers relies heavily on DWR’s incomplete EIR, which is currently subject to litigation, to demonstrate minimal impact to the project area, ignoring the cumulative impacts on an already impacted economy and sensitive ecosystem. If the US Army Corps of Engineers moves forward with the record of decision and associated permitting, Delta communities and ecosystems are facing a decade or more of construction, reduced flows resulting in declining water quality, further degradation of a declining ecosystem, and increased negative impacts to the Delta’s declining river economy.”

Read the full letter here.

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

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries spoke at a press availability, where he reiterated that while Democrats are committed to dramatic reforms to ICE and CBP, Republicans are shutting down DHS over their refusal to rein in these out-of-control agencies.

LEADER JEFFRIES: It appears increasingly likely that at midnight tonight, DHS funding for the Coast Guard, for FEMA and for TSA will lapse. Why? Because Donald Trump and Republicans have decided that they have zero interest in getting ICE under control. The American people know ICE is out of control and that they need to be reined in. And Democrats are working hard to do just that.

We believe that taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not brutalize or kill them, which is what we’ve seen in Minneapolis with the cold-blooded killing of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. In this country, immigration enforcement should be fair, it should be just and it should be humane. That’s not what’s taking place right now in the United States of America, where law-abiding immigrant families are being violently targeted and American communities are being brutalized.

Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security in terms of ICE and CBP. Absent that, Republicans have decided to shut down parts of the federal government once again.

Full press availability can be watched here.