Scott Joins Reps. James Walkinshaw and Steny Hoyer, Sen. Chris Van Hollen to Launch Federal Workforce Caucus

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, February 4, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) joined Representatives James Walkinshaw (D-Va.), Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) to announce the launch of the Federal Workforce Caucus. The members are launching this Caucus to bolster efforts to protect federal workers and strengthen our merit-based federal civil service so these dedicated public servants can continue to deliver for the American people without political interference. The lawmakers were joined by Caucus member Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and federal employee union leaders and members at the announcement.

Additional members of the Caucus include U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) and U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.), Sarah Elfreth (D-Md.), Glenn Ivey (D-Md.), Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), April McClain Delaney (D-Md.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Johnny Olszewski (D-Md.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Suhas Subramanyam (D-Va.), and Eugene Vindman (D-Va.).

“President Trump promised Americans that he would make their lives better; unfortunately, since taking office, the administration has only upended the lives of workers and their families,” said Congressman Scott. “The Trump administration’s reckless firing of thousands of civil servants – in some cases unlawfully – has left federal workers on edge and weakened public services. I am proud to support the Federal Workforce Caucus to ensure that workers’ collective bargaining rights are upheld and Americans can access the earned benefits and services they depend on.”

“As Co-Chair and Founder of the Federal Workforce Caucus, I’m proud to lead this effort to advocate for our dedicated federal workers and the good government values they uphold,” said Congressman Walkinshaw. “Virginia is home to nearly 150,000 federal workers, including more than 60,000 in Fairfax, who care for veterans, protect our food supply, respond to disasters, and keep essential programs running. Too often, they are treated as political targets instead of the backbone of an effective, nonpartisan civil service. This Caucus will be on the front lines defending merit-based public service and advancing policies to strengthen recruitment and retention, boost morale, and modernize pay and professional development. We will work every day to ensure government delivers world-class services for all Americans.”

“Federal workers deliver essential public services on behalf of the American people every day – they are the patriotic civil servants who care for our veterans, conduct food safety inspections, provide aid to communities struck by disaster, and so much more. But from day one, the Trump Administration has relentlessly attacked them and jeopardized the services they provide – as they pursue their ultimate goal of replacing qualified civil servants with political cronies who will do Trump’s bidding without regard for the law. We’re launching the Federal Workforce Caucus to stand united against this Administration’s attacks, to support our federal workers, and to protect the integrity of our merit-based civil service,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Donald Trump and Russell Vought claim that our federal workers are ‘villains’ who ought to be ‘put in trauma.’ That’s dead wrong. Federal employees are patriotic professionals who provide vital services to the American people every day. I have fought to protect them from DOGE’s crusade, and Congress must do the same. That’s why I’m pleased to help found the Federal Workforce Caucus,” said Congressman Hoyer.

“Virginia is home to hundreds of thousands of hardworking public servants who keep our country safe and provide critical services to their fellow Americans,” said Senator Kaine. “As the Trump Administration attacks and vilifies this dedicated workforce, we must push back. I’m glad to join my colleagues in launching the Federal Workforce Caucus to protect and strengthen the federal workforce.”

“When federal workers take their oath, they don’t pledge allegiance to whoever is in the Oval Office, they pledge an oath to this nation and our constitution. They deserve our gratitude and respect, yet instead, this Administration has unleashed a witch hunt against our civil servants. The Federal Workforce Caucus is focused – through legislation, advocacy, and dialogue – on protecting our civil servants and allowing them to continue to serve the American people,” said Senator Alsobrooks.

“Federal workers in Virginia and across the country are the backbone of services Americans depend on,” said Senator Warner. “As the Trump administration continues to target federal workers and use them as political bargaining chips, it is critical for lawmakers to come together and defend the job security, pay, and benefits of our dedicated civil service.”

“Over the past year, people and communities have protested, lawyers have sued, and courts have issued orders to protect our civil servants. It is an honor today to mark the establishment of a bipartisan, bicameral congressional caucus to support the people who work for all us – our nonpartisan, merit-based civil service. The Congressional Federal Workforce Caucus could not come at a more pivotal time. As the Trump-Vance administration and its allies escalate threats to our nation’s elections, our nation’s communities, and our nation’s civil servants, it is time to use all tools our democracy provides to push back and move forward. We are grateful to these lawmakers for taking an important step to protect and strengthen the civil service not just for today, but for the ability to build the people-centered government we all will need in the future,” Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward in remarks at the event.

“After a traumatic year for the civil service, including a 43-day government shutdown and unprecedented mass firings, this Caucus is very timely. Your members’ expertise and commitment will amplify the voice of the federal civilian workforce when it matters most. AFGE stands ready to support and work with the Caucus. Our country depends on it,” said Eric Bunn, Sr., National Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE)

“The federal workforce has endured unimaginable harm, with over 300,000 employees separated, agencies wiped out and previously nonpartisan institutions politicized. Congress must stand for federal workers, and I believe the Federal Workforce Caucus will provide the venue to press for oversight and serve as a gathering place for all members who have constituents who rely on well-functioning government services,” said Max Stier, President and CEO, Partnership for Public Service.

“The federal workforce is essential to a legitimate democratic republic, yet our civil service is increasingly under attack – politically, structurally, and rhetorically,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “These attacks weaken public accountability, lawful administration, and the quality of services Americans rely on every single day. The Federal Workforce Caucus will ensure the civil service is protected and strengthened, and critical services are delivered to the public while maintaining a skilled, apolitical workforce. Thank you to the co-chairs of the Caucus – Senator Van Hollen, and Representatives Walkinshaw and Hoyer – for your continued support of federal employees.”

“The federal public service workers who help keep our communities running deserve dignity, respect, and the security of knowing they’ll be paid on time,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Unfortunately, anti-worker politicians continue to exploit them to push their extreme agenda. In the last year, federal workers have been fired arbitrarily, stripped of their collective bargaining rights, and furloughed without pay during the shutdown. I applaud the members of the Federal Workforce Caucus for their focus on restoring dignity and respect to these dedicated public servants. It also highlights why we need solutions like Sen. Van Hollen and Rep. Walkinshaw’s True Shutdown Fairness Act, which will ensure federal workers don’t miss a paycheck or get fired during a shutdown. On behalf of the AFSCME members and the hardworking federal public service workers we represent, we thank the Federal Workforce Caucus for having our backs.”

“IFPTE welcomes the launch of the Federal Workforce Caucus. Over the past year, our members who work for the federal government have witnessed unprecedented political interference, mass firings without cause, and unlawful efforts to deny federal workers their union rights and defund federal agency missions. Our democracy depends on a professional, nonpartisan federal civil service that serves the American public with accountability and integrity. We urgently call on Members of Congress in both chambers and both sides of the aisle to join the Caucus and work to uphold and protect merit system principles, due process protections, and a civil service that ensures that science and innovation, public health, safety, economic security, our national defense, and public services are delivered fairly, effectively, and effectively,” said Matthew Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)

“NTEU applauds Senator Van Hollen and Representatives Hoyer and Walkinshaw for launching the Federal Workforce Caucus to highlight the work and challenges facing federal workers across the country. Given the deluge of attacks employees have faced over the past year, from mass firings and illegal attempts to eliminate their union rights to threats against their pay and benefits, we appreciate the dedicated effort that this caucus will make to strengthen the nonpartisan civil service and ensure that federal employees are treated with dignity and respect so they can continue to provide the critical services the American people rely on,” said Doreen Greenwald, National President, NTEU.

The Federal Workforce Caucus will serve as a forum for Members to:

Support and strengthen the federal civilian workforce and the merit-based civil service system so that it can continue to deliver for American families and businesses;

Protect the integrity and nonpartisan character of federal employment;

Advance policies that improve recruitment, retention, and workforce morale across federal agencies;

Highlight stories that show how government programs and workers improve the lives of the American public;

Develop and advance data-informed policies that encourage modernization and innovative practices across the federal workforce in areas such as pay competitiveness, workforce performance optimization, and professional development;

Facilitate dialogue among Members of Congress, former and current federal employees, organizations, and unions representing federal employees, and subject-matter experts to inform efforts to modernize the federal government and attract the workforce needed to deliver for Americans.

“Federal workers help families put food on the table, protect veterans healing from the wounds of war, and empower communities in the face of environmental crisis. Over the past year, they’ve faced unprecedented attacks – mass firings, union busting, and illegal interference with their work – meant to demoralize and deplete the civil service. Federal workers deserve full support from Congress to protect their bargaining rights and their right to do their jobs without political obstruction,” said Senator Markey.

“Our federal civilian workforce is made up of dedicated public servants who keep our government running. While the Trump Administration fails to see the value in these public servants’ work, the Senate Federal Workforce Caucus, which we are launching today, stands with our government’s employees,” said Senator Durbin.

“The federal workforce is integral to our country and our communities, helping American families and businesses thrive. As this regime attacks federal workers and the critical work they do, I am proud to join this caucus, which will advance policies that support federal workers and the communities they serve,” said Senator Hirono. “As part of this caucus, I reaffirm my commitment to ensuring federal workers are recognized, protected, and receive the support they need to confront challenges and provide for the public.”

“Throughout the last year, President Trump and his administration have used dedicated federal public servants as political pawns. It’s unacceptable,” said Senator Blunt Rochester. “I’m proud to join this bicameral coalition in launching the Federal Workforce Caucus. To the nearly thousands of federal workers in Delaware and the millions around the country, we’ve got your back.”

“I am proud to be a part of the Federal Workforce Caucus to fight for the dedicated federal workers in our Commonwealth and across the country. Recent attacks on the federal workforce not only hurt our community, they hurt every single American by making it harder to deliver essential services and earned benefits. I am thrilled to be a part of this Caucus and look forward to continuing to champion federal workers,” said Congressman Subramanyam.

“Federal employees are the backbone of our national security, safe transportation, safe food, and clean water. But as our federal workforce remains under attack by the very people entrusted to lead it with massive purges designed to hollow out or eliminate key federal agencies, and through wanton cruelty targeting dedicated civil servants – I’m joining the Federal Workforce Caucus to stand up for our public servants. Over the years, I have fought to increase federal employees’ pay and expand their paid leave, and I will continue fighting to support the needs of the men and women who keep our country running,” said Congressman Beyer.

“Virginia is home to tens of thousands of federal workers, contractors, and service members who serve with a dedication to country, not political party. As their Representative, a 25-year Army officer, and as the husband of a former federal employee, I know that federal workers are essential to the success, safety, and stability of our nation,” said Congressman Vindman. “I will never back down from a fight to protect and honor those who choose a life of service. I am proud to be an inaugural member of the federal workforce caucus.”

“Our federal workforce serves as our nation’s backbone, providing services that address the needs and improve the lives of the American people. Yet this past year, the Trump Administration set out to traumatize the very people who show up every day to keep our air and water clean, our roads and travel safe and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” said Congresswoman McClellan. “As the state with the second highest number of federal employees, Virginia has felt the devastating effects of this all-out assault in our communities and local economy. The Federal Workforce Caucus will forefront the interests of our civil servants in Congress, and I’m honored to continue this fight to ensure we afford them the rights, opportunities and dignity they deserve.”

“I’m pleased to join the Federal Workforce Caucus to stand with the dedicated public servants who keep our government working for the American people, tens of thousands of whom live in the nation’s capital,” said Congresswoman Norton. “A strong, merit-based federal civil service — free from political interference — is essential to effective governance and public trust. This caucus will play an important role in protecting federal workers and ensuring they can do their jobs with professionalism, independence, and integrity.”

“President Trump has berated, traumatized and mass-fired federal employees to destroy expertise and science and to remake our government in the image of his imbecilic incompetence,” said Congressman Raskin. “Our institutions were not built by generations of Americans to be broken up and sold for parts; they exist to serve the American people in every age. That’s why I’m proudly standing with my colleagues to establish the Federal Workforce Caucus to defend the professional civil service and the public servants who have helped build our amazing country.”

“The newly established bicameral Federal Workforce Caucus affirms a simple truth: good-paying federal jobs have helped build and sustain the middle class across the country, leveling the playing field while strengthening communities like ours in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area. Public service is the backbone of our country, and these careers should be an opportunity for dedicated Americans to serve the nation with honor while securing economic stability for their families. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues to protect, support, and invest in the federal workforce that keeps America moving forward,” said Congressman Ivey.

“Federal workers are the lifeblood of our democracy, and they perform countless essential duties that our country simply could not go without,” said Congressman Mfume. “They fulfill these duties without fear or favor because they are hard-working, patriotic Americans. I have always been a proud supporter of federal workers, and I am proud to join the Federal Workforce Caucus to work with my colleagues in the Congress on ways to better support the people that make the American government work.”

“Federal workers are not political pawns — they are the dedicated public servants who keep our country running. After Trump’s firings wiped out nearly 25,000 federal jobs in Maryland last year alone, the stakes could not be more clear. I’m proud to serve as a founding member of the Federal Workforce Caucus to defend a strong, nonpartisan civil service, protect merit-based hiring, and invest in recruitment, retention, and modernization so the federal workforce can keep delivering for the American people,” said Congressman Olszewski.

“As the proud daughter of two civil servants and the representative to over 45,000 federal employees in Maryland’s Third District, I am excited to join the Federal Workforce Caucus. The sledgehammer of DOGE not only hurt our hardworking civil servants – it impacted the hundreds of critical services that everyday Americans pay for and rely on. Now more than ever, we must strengthen and rebuild our federal workforce to ensure we continue to recruit the best and brightest into the important tradition of public service,” said Congresswoman Elfreth.

“I’m honored to join as an inaugural member of the Federal Workforce Caucus. Our federal employees and institutions are under relentless attack, with their protections, credibility, and character being eroded with each passing day by this Administration. It’s on us as lawmakers to defend a merit-based, nonpartisan civil service and ensure the next generation feels empowered to answer the call to serve, not turned away,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney.

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Raskin, Bonamici, Colleagues Demand Trump Abandon Plans to Shutter Kennedy Center, Cancel Over 2,200 Annual Performances, Exhibits and 400 Free Community Events

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) led 69 of their colleagues to demand that the Trump Administration immediately halt plans to close the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for two years for supposed renovations, which would likely violate federal law. The Kennedy Center’s closure could cancel more than 2,200 annual performances and exhibits and eliminate 400 free community events.

“Remaking this ‘national memorial’ as a monument to anyone or anything other than President Kennedy is plainly contrary to federal law and ultra vires,” the members wrote. “We are frankly alarmed that this assault on the Kennedy Center community seems to reflect your recurring impulse to destroy independent art and music in our nation. In a radical departure from the Center’s proudly bipartisan history, you purged the Kennedy Center Board of its independent Trustees, amended the Board’s bylaws to vest all voting power in your appointed loyalists, and even, shockingly, added your own name like a delinquent graffiti artist to the only national memorial for the late beloved President John F. Kennedy.”

The members also wrote with specific concern for how the Kennedy Center’s employees, the National Symphonic Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra would be affected by this decision, fearing any closure could “destabilize” these orchestras or “threaten their existence altogether.”

“This decision likely violates the essential purposes and intent of the federal law establishing this beloved national memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy and raises a multiplicity of serious legal and policy questions that need to be addressed before anything irreversible happens,” the members stated.

The letter demanded that President Trump explain in detail how his administration will adhere to the National Cultural Center Act and disclose the source of public and private funds planned for renovations.

President Trump’s meddling with the Kennedy Center has drawn widespread condemnation. Many world-renowned artists including Philip Glass, Renée Fleming and the cast of Hamilton have cancelled performances and the Washington National Opera ended its more than fifty-year residency at the Center.

This letter is also signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01); Nanette Barragán (CA-44); Donald Beyer (VA-08); Brendan Boyle (PA-02); Shontel Brown (OH-11); André Carson (IN-07); Sean Casten (IL-06); Judy Chu (CA-28); Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31); Steve Cohen (TN-09); Madeleine Dean (PA-04); Diana DeGette (CO-01); Rosa DeLauro (CT-03); Maxine Dexter (OR-3); Lloyd Doggett (TX-37); Sarah Elfreth (MD-03); Dwight Evans (PA-03); Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07); Valerie Foushee (NC-04); John Garamendi (CA-08); Sylvia Garcia (TX-29); Daniel Goldman (NY-20); Jahana Hayes (CT-05); Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06); Steny Hoyer (MD-06); Jared Huffman (CA-02); Jonathan Jackson (IL-01); Sara Jacobs (CA-51); Pramila Jayapal (WA-7); Henry Johnson (GA-04); Julie Johnson (TX-32); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37); William Keating (MA-09); Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08); John Larson (CT-01); George Latimer (NY-16); Summer Lee (PA-12); Ted Lieu (CA-36); Zoe Lofgren (CA-18); Stephen Lynch (MA-08); April McClain Delaney (MD-06); Jennifer McClellan (VA-04); Morgan McGarvey (KY-03); Kweisi Mfume (MD-07); Kevin Mullin (CA-15); Jerrold Nadler (NY-12); Richard Neal (MA-01); Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.); Frank Pallone (NJ-06); Jimmy Panetta (CA-19); Nancy Pelosi (CA-11); Chellie Pingree (ME-01); Mark Pocan (WI-2); Emily Randall (WA-06); Deborah Ross (NC-02); Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05); Terri Sewell (AL-7); Darren Soto (FL-09); Melanie Stansbury (NM-1) ; Greg Stanton (AZ-4); Eric Swalwell (CA-14); Mark Takano (CA-39); Dina Titus (NV-01) ; Rashida Tlaib (MI-12); Jill Tokuda (HI-02); Paul Tonko (NY-20); James Walkinshaw (VA-11); Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12); and Robert Garcia (CA-42).

Read the full letter to President Trump here and below.

Dear President Trump:

We write to ask you to immediately provide us with all relevant information about your reported decision to shutter the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the next two years. This decision likely violates the essential purposes and intent of the federal law establishing this beloved national memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy and raises a multiplicity of serious legal and policy questions that need to be addressed before anything irreversible happens.

Far from being “tired, broken, and dilapidated,” the Kennedy Center was beautifully renovated and expanded as recently as 2019. We are thus alarmed by reports of the imminent destruction of the Kennedy Center’s physical structure in the immediate wake of the recent unannounced and unauthorized destruction of the East Wing of the White House, another treasured and iconic part of our national heritage. We do not presume to know what is true about another unannounced, unauthorized but apparently imminent demolition of an essential American memorial and institution, but if published reports are true, we urge you to halt this reckless and impetuous vanity project without the participation of the people's representatives in the United States Congress.

As you doubtless know, following the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, the National Cultural Center Act was amended to create a “living memorial” and “sole national memorial” to President Kennedy. Remaking this “national memorial” as a monument to anyone or anything other than President Kennedy is plainly contrary to federal law and ultra vires.

The Act explicitly requires the Board of Trustees to “present classical and contemporary music, opera, drama, dance, and poetry from this and other countries” for the enjoyment of the American public. The Act also directs the Board to manage the building and site in a manner consistent with its status as a national Presidential memorial and to “provide facilities for other civic activities at the Cultural Center.”

Your putative decision to close the Kennedy Center for two years beginning July 4, 2026 would almost certainly prevent the Board from fulfilling its congressional mandate to provide performing arts activities and facilities for other civic activities which have been enjoyed under the law by the American people for more than half a century.

The closure of this national treasure could cancel more than 2,200 annual performances and exhibits and eliminate 400 free community events, to the sharp detriment of the Center’s two million annual visitors who are the intended audience and beneficiaries of the Act.

It is also unclear how many, if any, Kennedy Center staff will continue to be employed through the prospective closure, or how the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra will feasibly be able to be relocated to continue their outstanding first-class performances. This decision will at the very least destabilize these orchestras and their support staff and could threaten their existence altogether.

We are frankly alarmed that this assault on the Kennedy Center community seems to reflect your recurring impulse to destroy independent art and music in our nation. In a radical departure from the Center’s proudly bipartisan history, you purged the Kennedy Center Board of its independent Trustees, amended the Board’s bylaws to vest all voting power in your appointed loyalists, and even, shockingly, added your own name like a delinquent graffiti artist to the only national memorial for the late beloved President John F. Kennedy.

World-renowned artists including Philip Glass, Renée Fleming, and the cast of Hamilton cancelled performances in protest of these attacks on the independence and integrity of the Kennedy Center, and the Washington National Opera ended its more than fifty-year residency at the Center due to these stunningly tone-deaf and bullying actions.

We urge you to immediately announce a complete halt to your planned closure of the Kennedy Center, and we demand a detailed explanation of your original reasons for seeking to close the Center. Please send written responses to the following questions by no later than February 10, 2026.

Please explain how you will continue to follow the law providing performing arts and facilities for civic activities to the American public as mandated by the explicit language of the John F. Kennedy Center Act.

Please provide an itemized accounting of all public and private funds you plan to use to carry out any planned renovations.

Please provide all "Highly Respected Expert" reports cited in your February 1 announcement that characterizes the Kennedy Center as "dilapidated" and "broken," thus necessitating a total two-year cessation of operations.

Please provide a complete list of all proposed structural renovations during the Kennedy Center’s closure, provide any current architectural renderings of the proposed renovations, and a timeline for the Center’s reopening.

Please provide all documentations and communications pertaining to the decision to close the Center, including a justification for why this renovation could not be a phased renovation, as was done in the most recent REACH expansion, and why the famously spacious Kennedy Center cannot continue its essential functions while renovation takes place.

Please provide your plan to protect the jobs of the people who regularly work or perform at the Kennedy Center.

Please provide a complete and detailed plan as to how you will relocate the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra as well as upcoming touring productions in a manner that allows them to continue their fine work in service of American arts and culture.

Please provide any legal analysis you have assembled about the various levels of historical, architectural and fine arts review that your plans must undergo by relevant local, regional and federal authorities.

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Scott, Sanders, Bonamici, 71 Lawmakers Slam Trump Administration for Making Child Care More Expensive

WASHINGTON – House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01) led 71 of their House and Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter slamming Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s new rule that would make child care more expensive and less accessible for working families.

Specifically, the proposed rule would repeal Biden-era regulations that place a seven percent cap on child care co-payments for families and require child care providers to be paid based on enrollment rather than attendance. By removing these guardrails, child care will be more expensive for working families who receive subsidies and destabilize funding for child care providers.

“Across the country, working families are demanding high-quality, affordable child care. However, child care has been hard to find and expensive for families for years, while many child care providers struggle to stay afloat,”wrote the lawmakers. “An estimated 4.2 million children lack access to a formal care slot in their local community. In many states, depending on the age of the child and child care setting, the cost of child care exceeds annual, average in-state cost of college tuition, rent payments, or even mortgage payments.”

“The proposed rule pushes the child care sector in exactly the wrong direction,”continued the lawmakers. “At a time when our child care system is struggling to stay afloat, this proposal could bring many working families and providers to the brink. We urge you to withdraw the proposed rule and retain policies to actually help children, families, and child care providers.”

Prior to the 2024 Biden Administration rule, families who were already living paycheck to paycheck faced co-payments as high as 27 percent of their family income. By repealing the Biden-era rule, the Trump Administration threatens to further exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis by forcing families to grapple with increased child care costs.

In the House, the letter was signed by: Representatives Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Mark Takano (CA-39), Daniel S. Goldman (NY-10), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Seth Moulton (MA-06), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Katherine M. Clark (MA-05), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Haley M. Stevens (MI-11), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Emily Randall (WA-06), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Scott H. Peters (CA-50), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), William R. Keating (MA-09), Gabe Amo (RI-01), and Donald S. Beyer (VA-08).

In the Senate, the letter was signed by: Senators Bernard Sanders (D-VT), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Cory A. Booker (D-NJ).

To read the full letter, click here.

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ICYMI: Bresnahan: Hospital Sale “Testament to the Dedication and Collaboration of Local, State, and Community Partners”

SCRANTON, PA: This week, U.S. Representative Rob Bresnahan, Jr. (PA-08) penned an opinion editorial on the approval and sale of Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital, and Wilkes-Barre General to Tenor Health from their current owner, Commonwealth Health. The piece first appeared in The Times Tribune on February 3.

“The closure of these hospitals would have left hundreds of thousands of residents living in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and the surrounding communities with fewer options for emergency care, longer travel times during medical crises, and force patients to rely on already overburdened healthcare systems.” Said Rep. Bresnahan.

In the piece, Rep. Bresnahan details the significant partnership and coordination between State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, the governor’s team, local foundations, and his team to ensure the hospitals remained open. He also highlights and thanks the hospitals’ employees, who continued caring for patients amidst fears of closure.

“This outcome is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of local, state, and community partners who came together to make sure a deal got done,” continued Rep. Bresnahan. “It also reflects the selflessness of the workers who continued to show up to care for their neighbors despite instability and uncertainty… The tens of thousands of people who look to these hospitals for medical care and help can sleep easy knowing doctors, nurses, and medical professionals will still be locally available to take care of them.”

You can read the full piece here or below:

Community Worked Together to Close Crucial Hospital Sale

On December 16, 2024, 17 days before I was sworn into Congress, I joined community leaders to discuss the potential closure of three local hospitals, Regional Hospital of Scranton, Moses Taylor Hospital, and Wilkes-Barre General, after a deal between Woodbridge Healthcare and Community Health Systems fell through. It was clear that what was truly at stake was the future of local healthcare in NEPA. I vowed to make protecting it a top priority.

The closure of these hospitals would have left hundreds of thousands of residents living in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and the surrounding communities with fewer options for emergency care, longer travel times during medical crises, and force patients to rely on already overburdened healthcare systems.

Between them, these facilities provided care for 950,000 patients in 2023 alone. The Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital handle 33,000 emergency room visits and 2,000 births every year. Without these hospitals, the added strain on remaining facilities could require Pennsylvania residents to travel longer distances, including across state lines into New York or New Jersey, to access a labor and delivery unit with the capacity to serve them.

Beyond patient care, thousands of good-paying healthcare jobs were on the line, jobs that support families, sustain local economies, and anchor our region. Access to local healthcare depends on the doctors, nurses, caregivers, technicians, therapists, custodial staff, and administrative professionals who show up every day in these hospitals.

That’s why my team and I have been proud to play a role in the locally united effort between the hospitals, State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, the governor’s team, and local foundations to guarantee the doors to these hospitals open and healthcare stays within reach for our communities. It required relentless coordination across every level of government and a shared commitment to put people over politics. Everyone involved knew one thing: failure was not an option.

Over the past year, we have gone through weekly battles and sustained negotiations, and now, we are finally at the finish line.

On Wednesday, we got the news we had been waiting for. The ownership change allowing Tenor Health to assume control was officially finalized and approved guaranteeing all three hospitals will remain open.

This outcome is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of local, state, and community partners who came together to make sure a deal got done. It also reflects the selflessness of the workers who continued to show up to care for their neighbors despite instability and uncertainty. Up until Wednesday, they faced real questions about their own futures, yet they chose their patients over personal job security.

Their dedication to their patients and to their work is appreciated by the entire region. The tens of thousands of people who look to these hospitals for medical care and help can sleep easy knowing doctors, nurses, and medical professionals will still be locally available to take care of them.

This situation has not been an easy one, but I did not take this job to solve easy problems. For me, this was about one thing, and one thing only. Our people.

This sale means stability for families who rely on these hospitals for emergency services, specialty care, and routine treatment. It means healthcare workers can continue serving the communities they live in. It means patients will not have to travel farther during moments when every minute matters. These outcomes are felt not just in hospital hallways, but around kitchen tables and across neighborhoods throughout our region.

To State Rep. Kosierowski and the governor’s team for your continued collaboration to find a solution: Thank you. Your partnership during this effort is greatly appreciated.

To the local foundations who have been involved in this with us from the beginning, covering the operating losses to keep the hospitals open: Thank you. The hospitals would not have made it to where we are now without your support.

To all those who have worked through this uncertainty and have continued to take care of those in need: Thank you. Your tireless efforts have not gone unnoticed.

While we have made it across this hurdle, the responsibility to protect local healthcare does not end here. I remain committed to working with state leaders, healthcare providers, and community partners to ensure these hospitals remain strong and responsive to the needs of our region. This experience has shown what is possible when we come together with purpose and urgency, and it should serve as a model for how we confront future challenges that affect the health and well-being of our people.

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Carter statement on FTC settlement with Express Scripts to bring down prescription drug costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) today released the following statement after the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) confirmed it has reached a historic settlement with Express Scripts, Inc. and its affiliated entities (collectively “ESI”) to bring down patients’ out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs – including insulin – by up to $7 billion over the next decade, strengthen community pharmacies, and secure the Trump Administration’s health care priorities:

“Hours after we secured the largest PBM reforms for patients and pharmacists in decades, Chairman Ferguson and the FTC announced yet another win that will make health care more affordable and accessible. PBMs such as Express Scripts have been robbing us blind for years and are finally, under President Trump’s leadership, facing the consequences of their abuses. This administration is laser-focused on bringing relief to patients at the pharmacy counter, and the results speak for themselves. With this settlement, we will bring portions of our pharmaceutical supply chain back to America, increase transparency and accountability, and work towards a system in which all Americans have access to high-quality, affordable health care.”

ESI, under the FTC’s proposed consent order, has agreed to:

Stop preferring on its standard formularies high wholesale acquisition cost versions of a drug over identical low wholesale acquisition cost versions;

Provide a standard offering to its plan sponsors that ensures that members’ out-of-pocket expenses will be based on the drug’s net cost, rather than its artificially inflated list price;

Provide covered access to TrumpRx as part of its standard offering upon relevant legal and regulatory changes;

Provide full access to its Patient Assurance Program’s insulin benefits to all members when a plan sponsor adopts a formulary that includes an insulin product covered by the Patient Assurance Program unless the plan sponsor opts out in writing;

Provide a standard offering to all plan sponsors that allows the plan sponsor to transition off rebate guarantees and spread pricing;

Delink drug manufacturers’ compensation to ESI from list prices as part of its standard offering;

Increase transparency for plan sponsors, including with mandatory, drug-level reporting, providing data to permit compliance with the Transparency in Coverage regulations, and disclosing payments to brokers representing plan sponsors;

Transition its standard offering to retail community pharmacies to a more transparent and fairer model based on the actual acquisition cost for a drug product plus a dispensing fee and additional compensation for non-dispensing services;

Promote the standard offerings to plan sponsors and retail community pharmacies; and

Reshore its group purchasing organization Ascent from Switzerland to the United States, which will bring back to the United States more than $750 billion in purchasing activity over the duration of the order.


Reps. Carter, Peters, Langworthy, Levin, Carey reintroduce bill encouraging drug development to combat antimicrobial resistance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reps. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Levin (D-CA), and Mike Carey (R-OH) introduced the bipartisan Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to encourage innovative drug development targeting the most threatening infections, improve the appropriate use of antibiotics and antifungals, and ensure domestic availability of critical antimicrobials when needed.

“The United States leads the world in medical innovation, and we must ensure our policies reflect that. As a pharmacist, I’ve seen nothing short of miracles due to drug development in my lifetime, but we must continue to evolve to combat antimicrobial resistance,” said Rep. Carter. “The PASTEUR Act fosters collaboration between the public and private sectors to tackle market challenges in drug development, strengthen public health preparedness, and incentivize the development of new life-saving antibiotics.”

“Antimicrobial resistance poses a growing and significant threat to Americans’ health. Almost 3 million Americans get sick with antibiotic resistant infections and nearly 35,000 die every year,” said Rep. Peters. “The PASTEUR Act will help us develop better antibiotics to counter resistant infections and help doctors ensure these drugs are used responsibly to stop the emergence of new superbugs. Congress must pass the PASTEUR Act and do everything in its power to prevent the next public health crisis."

“The PASTEUR Act is a monumental investment in bridging the gap between groundbreaking research and patient care, ensuring that cutting-edge science drives new antibiotic development while expanding affordable access for the public. By changing how critical antibiotics are paid for, the legislation ensures doctors and patients have reliable tools to fight dangerous infections and achieve better outcomes,” said Rep. Langworthy. “Affordable healthcare is a top priority, and legislation like the PASTEUR Act helps build long-term, sustainable solutions that strengthen our healthcare system, encourage responsible innovation, and protect patients now and in the future.”

“Antibiotic-resistant infections pose a serious and growing threat to millions of Americans, yet we continue to face critical gaps in our ability to bring new antimicrobials to market,” said Rep. Levin. “Right now, the incentives are backwards, making it harder to get new treatments into the hands of those who need them. The PASTEUR Act changes that equation with a smarter approach that pays for access rather than volume, while also supporting stewardship programs from hospitals to outpatient clinics. The pandemic showed us what happens when we're unprepared for health emergencies, and this legislation helps ensure we're ready for the next one. I thank Rep. Carter and Rep. Peters for leading this bipartisan legislation and I look forward to working together to get it done.”

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Americans suffer nearly 3 million antimicrobial-resistant infections annually, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths each year,” Rep. Carey said. “I’m proud to support the PASTEUR Act to help spur the development of innovative new treatments that will equip doctors with more tools to respond to, limit the spread of, and ultimately curb preventable deaths caused by breakthrough cases of infectious diseases.”

Antimicrobials – including antibiotics and antifungals – are medicines used to treat and prevent infections in humans, animals, and plants. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria and fungi mutate and no longer respond to these medicines. As a result, treating infections becomes much harder, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. In the United States, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur each year, resulting in over 35,000 deaths. A 2022 CDC special report found that the United States reversed its progress on AMR during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and antimicrobial-resistant infections and deaths increased in hospitals by at least 15 percent. The estimated national cost to treat infections caused by the most common multidrug-resistant germs in health care is more than $4.6 billion annually, and recent analyses estimate that the broader impact of superbugs on the U.S. economy could reach tens of billions of dollars each year.

The AMR crisis has been further exacerbated by a lack of new drug development due to reduced economic incentives and challenging regulatory requirements, creating a severe market failure. In recent years, many of the innovative antibiotic companies working to develop new antimicrobials have filed for bankruptcy and stopped producing these innovative antibiotics completely.

The PASTEUR Act seeks to address this market failure and increase public health preparedness by keeping novel antimicrobials on the market and improving appropriate use across the health care system. While current contracts between the government and drug makers base payment on volume, the PASTEUR Act would establish a subscription-style model which would offer antibiotic developers predictable payments in exchange for access to their antibiotics, encouraging innovation and ensuring our health care system is prepared to treat resistant infections.

“bioMérieux enthusiastically supports the introduction of the PASTEUR Act and its recognition of the important role that diagnostics and antibiotic stewardship play in addressing antimicrobial resistance, along with the goal to develop new, novel antibiotics,” said Randy Pritchard, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Clinical Operations for bioMérieux North America. “Antimicrobial resistance is a growing problem in the U.S., leaving some infections difficult to treat or untreatable. This is why innovative, rapid, and accurate diagnostics are crucial in identifying infections and promoting better stewardship practices. The need for new therapies and proper utilization of fast, near-patient diagnostics for optimal actionability guiding treatment options will provide immediate benefit to patients today and in the future.”

“Infectious diseases physicians are on the front lines of the fight against antimicrobial resistance, and we urgently need the novel antibiotics and antifungals that the PASTEUR Act will deliver to save lives and to protect our ability to provide modern medical care like cancer chemotherapy, organ transplants, cesarean sections and hip and knee replacements. PASTEUR also makes crucial investments in antimicrobial stewardship to help ensure that antimicrobials are used wisely so patients can get the best possible outcomes. For the benefit of our patients, we call on Congress to advance this bipartisan bill swiftly,” said Ronald G. Nahass, MD, MHCM, FIDSA, President, Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"Legislative solutions to address threats posed by antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are imperative to our health and national security. We applaud the sponsors of the PASTEUR Act for their leadership. This bill will make much-needed, novel antibiotics a reality and fortify the health of Americans for future generations. The fight against AMR is not a partisan issue. We encourage broad support of the PASTEUR Act," said Candace DeMatteis, Vice President of Policy, Partnership to Fight Infectious Disease.

“As patients and caregivers, we see firsthand how antimicrobial resistance affects real lives, not just statistics. I’m encouraged that the PASTEUR Act recognizes patient outcomes and stewardship as essential measures of value. When treatments improve survival, reduce toxicity and side effects, and are easier to take, patients can actually complete therapy and recover. Embedding stewardship and appropriate use helps ensure these lifesaving medicines remain effective and accessible for the communities and patients who need them most,” said Rob Purdie, MyCARE Foundation.

“For people with cystic fibrosis, effective antibiotics are an essential lifeline. While antimicrobial resistance continues to pose an increasing and significant threat, the market is failing to develop new treatments patients need to survive,” said Mary Dwight, chief policy and advocacy officer at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. “The PASTEUR Act offers a smart, sustainable solution that rewards innovation while promoting responsible stewardship. For rare disease patients who are frequently exposed to resistant bacteria, PASTEUR helps ensure that a treatable infection does not become a terminal diagnosis.”

"The introduction of the PASTEUR Act of 2026 is a vital step forward in confronting one of the most urgent public health threats of our time. Antimicrobial resistance continues to claim millions of lives each year, and patients facing drug-resistant infections are left with fewer and fewer effective treatments," said John F. Crowley, President and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO). "This updated PASTEUR legislation would help to repair the broken marketplace for antimicrobials by enabling a business model centered around the appropriate use of new and novel treatments to address the most threatening infections. We commend these bipartisan leaders in Congress for introducing this critical legislation for innovation and for working to ensure patients will have access to life-saving antimicrobials when they need them most."

Specifically, the PASTEUR Act would:

Establish a Federal Subscription Model that provides annual payments to developers of eligible antibiotics and antifungals. Contract values range from $75 million to $300 million per year, with terms up to 10 years or until a generic or biosimilar enters the market. The annual predictable, set level of payment for a given product would be reduced by net revenues the manufacturer makes from its product each year, ensuring no more federal support is provided than necessary to provide a predictable return on investment.

Use a Transparent Scoring System to determine eligibility and contract value, rewarding products that address urgent threats and unmet medical needs and that demonstrate major clinical and public health benefits.

Establish a Critical Need Antimicrobial Advisory Group, consisting of infectious disease physicians, antimicrobial resistance and R&D experts, and patient advocates to guide the design of the program.

Set Terms & Conditions of the subscription contracts that would require developers to ensure commercial availability, reliable supply, public reporting of resistance data, implementation of stewardship and education plans, adherence to manufacturing and environmental best practices, and completion of post-market studies.

Support Antimicrobial Stewardship and Surveillance by funding pilot programs for expanding stewardship efforts, including in outpatient settings (e.g. urgent care, retail clinics) and build on existing frameworks to enhance data collection on antibiotic use, resistance, and diagnostics through the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network and other surveillance systems.

Read the full bill text here.

A summary is available here.


EWTN article on Smith's international religious freedom hearing'Religious leaders descend on Washington in solidarity with Africa'

By Madalaine Elhabbal

Published February 5, 2026 at 12:16 PM ET

Representatives from the U.S. and African bishops’ conferences convened in Washington, D.C., during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill this week in a display of solidarity as religious freedom in Nigeria continues to come into sharper focus.

Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza of the Yola Diocese in northeast Nigeria concelebrated a Mass on Feb. 4 for solidarity between the bishops and faithful of the Catholic Church in the U.S. and Africa alongside Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace, and Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, Illinois, who was the main celebrant.

“The Church in the United States and the Church in Africa are not two separate entities. They are two lungs of the same body, breathing the same spirit,” Mamza said during his homily at the Mass, which took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. “When African bishops speak courageously about war, poverty, corruption, or threats to human dignity, their voices echo in American dioceses. When American bishops defend the sanctity of life, advocate for migrants, or confront the culture of individualism, their witness strengthens the Church in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Congo, and beyond.”

Bishop Stephen Dami Mamza delivers his homily at a Mass for solidarity between the bishops and faithful of the Catholic Church in the U.S. and Africa at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4, 2026. Credit: Julia Convery/EWTN News

Mamza, who is the first vice president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) representing the English-speaking countries, told EWTN News English that he has been in Washington this week to mark the release of a joint Feb. 2 statement between SECAM and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offering guidance on how to strengthen solidarity among bishops and faithful of Africa and the U.S.

“The reason for this statement, in the first place, is not political, it is not economical,” he said in the interview. “This statement is as people of the same faith, the same baptism, the same Church as Catholics.”

“We know we have a lot of problems in Africa,” he acknowledged, “and we need the support of the U.S. as a Church … It is a broad collaboration that we hope to have that will continue with the USCCB.”

Zaidan also weighed in on the necessity of celebrating a Mass in solidarity with Africa, noting that while “the human side is important in the relationship” between the U.S. and Africa, “since we are a Church, God is God, and he deserves our best first.”

The Mass, he said, “is a sign of unity” with the Church around the world, because in the Mass, “God brings us together.”

“Asking for divine providence to the intercession of the Blessed Mary of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, we wanted to place our faith, hope, and pledge our love also to the Mass as well,” Zaidan added. “This is the reason [for] the solidarity Mass.”

Reflecting on the day’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Mamza noted during his homily how Jesus “was amazed” at the “lack of faith” (Mk 6:6) from the people of Nazareth, his hometown. “Today, we proclaim this Gospel in a very particular context: a solidarity Mass uniting the bishops of Africa and the bishops of the United States of America,” he said, describing the Gospel episode as “a mirror held up to the Church today.”

Five bishops — including Zaidan, Mamza, Malloy, Washington Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, and Bishop Jerome Feudjio of the Virgin Islands — were present at the Mass, as well as nine priests.

Mamza warned that often “we can become accustomed to our own ways of worship, governance, theology, and pastoral practice that we fail to recognize the Spirit speaking through voices that sound different from our own.”

The Catholic Churches in the U.S. and in Africa “come from different histories, cultures, and ecclesial experiences,” he said, emphasizing Africa’s vibrance and communal resilience in the face of poverty and persecution, and the U.S. Church’s offerings in theological scholarship, institutional resources, and “long experience engaging pluralistic societies.”

Yet, he said, “we are, in truth, co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord.” Solidarity between the Church in the U.S. and Africa are not grounded in economics or politics, the bishop emphasized, but in faith.

“At the foot of the cross stood people from different places, different experiences, and different wounds — but under the cross, they became one. So too, under the cross, the bishops of the United States and Africa are called to stand together,” he said, concluding: “Solidarity between the Catholic bishops of the United States and African bishops deepens faith, mission, justice, and unity within the Church. It strengthens both regions by promoting mutual respect, shared responsibility, and a common commitment to serving humanity in the light of the Gospel.”

The Mass for solidarity came amid the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C., and the subsequent annual Capitol Hill Advocacy Day, which included a congressional hearing on religious freedom around the world that focused heavily on Nigeria.

The Feb. 4 Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing chaired by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, included testimony from former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, who described Nigeria as “the deadliest place to be a Christian.” Brownback warned against the Nigerian government seeking help from countries like China, which he said has utilized “billions of dollars to suppress people of faith” and has freely shared its resources for oppression with other dictatorships.

Discussing U.S. policy on Nigeria under the Trump administration, Brownback emphasized the need for the reinstatement of foreign aid and called recent strikes on Nigeria “a mistake,” saying the funds used to carry out the strike most likely exceeded the amount of aid that was previously distributed to interreligious aid organizations.

The former ambassador further stressed the need for country of particular concern (CPC) designations to come with more “bite,” such as targeted sanctions, in order to be taken seriously by countries found guilty of religious freedom violations.

Smith expressed thanks to the Trump administration for redesignating Nigeria as a CPC but also stress that “we cannot take our eye off the ball.”

“Christians in the Middle Belt are still being massacred,” he said, noting “a culture of denial by Nigerian officials persists.”


Smith secures over $23.8 million in federal funding for vital infrastructure projects and humanitarian initiatives in Ocean and Monmouth counties

Washington, Feb 5, 2026

Critical and comprehensive infrastructure projects and humanitarian initiatives serving Ocean and Monmouth counties were included in the recently approved consolidated budget and will receive more than $23.8 million in federal funding, thanks to earmarks submitted by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).

“The nearly $24 million in federal funding, which I secured, will go towards vital projects and initiatives that will greatly improve the safety, health, and quality of life of Ocean and Monmouth County residents,” said Smith.

“These funds will go towards critical law enforcement equipment and technology upgrades; significant improvements to water quality and wastewater treatment; enhanced stormwater management and flood mitigation efforts; expanded services for victims of domestic violence; and the implementation of informative human trafficking prevention programs in New Jersey schools,” continued Smith.

“These critical projects will bring innumerable benefits and improvements to the people of Ocean and Monmouth counties, and I am honored to have played a role in securing the funding they need to bring these important initiatives to life.”

The federal funds, which Smith personally secured through congressional earmarks, include:

$1,750,000 for Manchester Township to construct a state-of-the-art permanent water treatment facility to improve drinking water quality and mitigate PFOS contamination;

$2,000,000 for the Ocean County Utilities Authority to help replace aging isolation valves, check valves, slide gates, and channel covers at several pump stations throughout Ocean County to improve wastewater treatment;

$480,000 for the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office to augment its vehicle fleet to meet the growing law enforcement demands of Ocean County and the greater region;

$540,000 for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office to acquire upgraded communications equipment that provides for interoperability between the Sherriff’s Office and the County’s Emergency Management Agency and the multiple law enforcement and emergency services providers throughout the county;

$2,000,000 to address safety and congestion issues along a section of the heavily traveled County Road (CR) 537 corridor from CR 526/571 to Gravel Hill Rd.;

$5,640,000 for Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to facilitate the construction of a critically needed Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar, which would include enhanced physical and cyber security features necessary for integration of advanced technology systems needed to enact the Navy’s Air Wing of the Future Program;

$1,490,000 to restore, renovate, and revitalize the historic Manitou Park School House, which served only African American students and is the only remaining building in Berkeley Township, NJ with ties to the civil rights movement;

$275,000 to upgrade the radio communication infrastructure for the Lakewood Shomrim, a vital volunteer organization that works hand-in-hand with the Lakewood Township Police, Ocean County Sheriff's Office and Ocean County Prosecutors Office, in a commitment to law and public safety;

$271,498 for Dottie’s House, a domestic violence shelter in Brick, NJ, to address a short-term gap for professional clinical casework and support staff and to restore and replace major aged systems in order provide better housing for transitioning families, as well as conserve energy and water and reduce costs;

$3,200,000 for the construction of a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Lakehurst NAS, replacing the current tower constructed in the 1970s, which is now in a state of disrepair;

$1,000,000 for the Borough of Belmar to address critical water quality issues at Silver Lake, a coastal lake located approximately 750 feet west of the Atlantic Ocean, by installing a sustainable and resilient living shoreline to improve water quality; restoring native pollinators, plants, and wildlife, as well as the estuary; and efficiently filtering and managing stormwater;

$247,000 for the Covenant House New Jersey (CHNJ) to launch a comprehensive, statewide human trafficking prevention initiative for schools aimed at reducing exploitation through education, early intervention, and expanded access to services;

$2,000,000 to restore and improve the health, structure, and stormwater management abilities of Shadow Lake, an 80-acre, man-made flood mitigation and stormwater collection pond within the Navesink River system, located between Middletown and Red Bank, NJ;

$2,000,000 for Lakewood Township to provide roadway, drainage, and sewer infrastructure improvements to Maplehurst Avenue, Newport Avenue, Franklin Boulevard, and Faraday Avenue along the Cross Street Corridor; and

$1,000,000 for Eatontown Township to conduct infrastructure repairs and improvements around Wampum Lake to lower its water level in advance of a storm event and bring the road infrastructure up to modern compliance standards to prevent cyclical damage to housing, businesses, roads, transportation and recreational greenspace.

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TAPinto Gold Coast article on Smith's nearly $24 million in federal earmarks'Rep. Smith Secures Federal Funding for Key Infrastructure and Environmental Projects Across Monmouth County'

By Jim Lonergan

Published February 5, 2026 at 6:11 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several municipalities across Monmouth County will receive significant federal funding for infrastructure, environmental, and public safety improvements through earmarks secured by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) in the recently approved consolidated federal budget.

Overall, the legislation includes more than $23.8 million in federal funding for infrastructure and humanitarian initiatives across Ocean and Monmouth counties, with multiple high-impact projects located in Monmouth County.

“This funding will deliver meaningful improvements to public safety, water quality, transportation, and storm resilience for communities across Monmouth County,” said Smith. “These projects address long-standing needs and help prepare our towns for the future.”

Belmar Borough will receive $1,000,000 to address critical water quality issues at Silver Lake, a coastal lake located just west of the Atlantic Ocean. The funding will support installation of a sustainable living shoreline, improved stormwater filtration, restoration of native plants and wildlife, and enhanced resilience against flooding and environmental degradation.

Covenant House New Jersey will receive $247,000 to launch a comprehensive, statewide human trafficking prevention initiative for schools. The program will focus on education, early intervention, and expanded access to support services, helping protect vulnerable youth and prevent exploitation across New Jersey, including communities throughout Monmouth County.

Eatontown Township will receive $1,000,000 to fund infrastructure repairs and improvements surrounding Wampum Lake, including lowering water levels ahead of storm events and upgrading nearby roadways to modern compliance standards. The project aims to reduce recurring flood damage to homes, businesses, roads, and recreational areas.

Middletown Township / Red Bank Borough will receive $2,000,000 to restore and improve Shadow Lake, an 80-acre man-made flood mitigation and stormwater management pond within the Navesink River system. The project will strengthen flood control, improve water quality, and enhance stormwater management for surrounding communities.

Monmouth County will receive $540,000 for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office to acquire upgraded communications equipment, improving interoperability between county law enforcement, emergency management, and local first responders. Additionally, $2,000,000 will be used to address safety and congestion issues along County Road 537, one of the county’s most heavily traveled corridors.

“These investments reflect the diverse infrastructure and environmental needs of Monmouth County communities,” Smith added. “I am proud to have secured funding that will deliver real, lasting benefits for residents.”


Lakewood Alerts article on Smith's nearly $24 million in federal earmarks'Rep. Chris Smith Secures $275K for Lakewood Shomrim in $23.8M Federal Package for Ocean and Monmouth'

Washington, Feb 5, 2026

Lakewood Alerts

By Lakewood Alerts

Published February 5, 2026

Rep. Chris Smith has secured more than $23.8 million in federal funding for infrastructure, public safety, environmental, and humanitarian projects across Ocean and Monmouth counties.

The funding was included in the recently approved consolidated federal budget through congressional earmarks submitted by Smith. His office said the allocations are intended to address a range of local needs, from drinking water and flood control to law enforcement and community services.

Among the earmarks, $275,000 is designated to upgrade Lakewood Shomrim’s radio communication infrastructure. The funding is aimed at improving reliability, coverage, and interoperability with law enforcement and emergency agencies.

Lakewood Shomrim works closely with local and county authorities to assist with missing persons cases, emergency response, and community safety. Officials said improved communications are expected to strengthen coordination during emergencies and large-scale incidents.

In addition to the Shomrim allocation, Smith’s earmarks include the following projects:

$1,750,000 for Manchester Township to construct a permanent water treatment facility to improve drinking water quality and mitigate PFOS contamination.

$2,000,000 for the Ocean County Utilities Authority to replace aging valves, gates, and covers at pump stations to improve wastewater treatment.

$480,000 for the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office to expand and modernize its vehicle fleet.

$540,000 for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office to upgrade communications equipment and improve interoperability with emergency agencies.

$2,000,000 to address safety and congestion issues along County Road 537, from CR 526/571 to Gravel Hill Road.

$5,640,000 for Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to construct a Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar with enhanced physical and cyber security features.

$1,490,000 to restore and renovate the historic Manitou Park School House in Berkeley Township, a former segregated school with ties to the civil rights movement.

$275,000 for Lakewood Shomrim to upgrade radio communications and strengthen coordination with law enforcement.

$271,498 for Dottie’s House, a domestic violence shelter in Brick, to support clinical services and replace aging building systems.

$3,200,000 for construction of a new air traffic control tower at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, replacing the current structure from the 1970s.

$1,000,000 for the Borough of Belmar to improve water quality at Silver Lake through shoreline restoration and stormwater management.

$247,000 for Covenant House New Jersey to launch a statewide human trafficking prevention program in schools.

$2,000,000 to restore and improve stormwater management at Shadow Lake in the Navesink River system between Middletown and Red Bank.

$2,000,000 for Lakewood Township to improve roadway, drainage, and sewer infrastructure along the Cross Street Corridor, including Maplehurst Avenue, Newport Avenue, Franklin Boulevard, and Faraday Avenue.

$1,000,000 for Eatontown Township to repair infrastructure around Wampum Lake and reduce flooding risks.

This article was published on February 5, 2026 and can be found online at: https://lakewoodalerts.com/rep-chris-smith-secures-275k-for-lakewood-shomrim-in-23-8m-federal-package-for-ocean-and-monmouth/


Ocean County Leader article on Smith's nearly $24 million in federal earmarks'Smith secures over $23.8M federal funding boost for Ocean & Monmouth county projects'

By A.M. Dickey

Published February 5, 2026

More than $23.8 million in federal funding has been allocated to infrastructure and humanitarian projects in Ocean and Monmouth counties, following the approval of a consolidated budget. The funding comes from congressional earmarks submitted by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who represents New Jersey’s 4th district in the U.S. Congress.

“The nearly $24 million in federal funding, which I secured, will go towards vital projects and initiatives that will greatly improve the safety, health, and quality of life of Ocean and Monmouth County residents,” said Smith.

“These funds will go towards critical law enforcement equipment and technology upgrades; significant improvements to water quality and wastewater treatment; enhanced stormwater management and flood mitigation efforts; expanded services for victims of domestic violence; and the implementation of informative human trafficking prevention programs in New Jersey schools,” continued Smith.

“These critical projects will bring innumerable benefits and improvements to the people of Ocean and Monmouth counties, and I am honored to have played a role in securing the funding they need to bring these important initiatives to life.”


Reps. Chu and Schrier Secure GAO Study on Hepatitis B Birth-Dose Vaccine Recommendation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) welcomed the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) decision to conduct a comprehensive study on the impacts of eliminating the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation.

On December 16, 2025, Reps. Chu and Schrier led 108 of their Democratic colleagues in a letter to GAO requesting this study after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), appointed by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., voted 8-3 to eliminate the long-standing recommendation.

The GAO study will examine the public health, economic, and equity implications of eliminating the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation. As part of its review, GAO will assess projected public health outcomes, including increased infant infections and long-term conditions such as liver disease and cancer; equity impacts, particularly for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities; and economic effects, including costs to Medicaid and Medicare and any expected changes in cost-sharing for families who choose to continue vaccinating their newborns under the prior standard; and an evaluation of ACIP’s evidence and decision-making process.

“I am thrilled that the Government Accountability Office accepted my request to conduct this important study on the public health, equity, and economic impacts of eliminating the hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation,” said Rep. Chu. “For more than thirty years, doctors, public health officials, and the scientific community have agreed that hepatitis B vaccines are safe and essential to protecting infants from serious illness. These vaccines are especially crucial for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community, who make up only 7% of the U.S. population, yet account for 60% of chronic hepatitis B cases. I look forward to reviewing the findings of this study, and I will continue working to ensure that decisions affecting the health and safety of infants and families are guided by science, evidence, and public health expertise.”

"RFK Jr.'s handpicked Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) decision to roll back the recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth is rooted in reckless conspiracy theories, not science," said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. "I'm glad to see that the GAOhas accepted our request to study the widespread impacts of the decision, and I will continue to fight against these dangerous moves that erode the foundation of our nation's public health and put the health of millions of Americans - particularly children - at risk."

The December 2025 letter was signed by Representatives Gabe Amo (RI-01), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Donald Beyer (VA-08), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Troy Carter (LA-02), Sean Casten (IL-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Angie Craig (MN-02), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Danny Davis (IL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Daniel Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), George Latimer (NY-16), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Lucy McBath (GA-07), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Grace Meng (NY-06), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Scott Peters (CA-50), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Deborah Ross (NC-02), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Janice Schakowsky (IL-09), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), Darren Soto (FL-09), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Norma Torres (CA-35), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Nikema Williams (GA-05).


Reps. Chu, Beyer, and Omar Lead House Democrats in Condemning Trump’s Expanded Travel Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) led 58 of their House Democratic colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Attorney General Pam Bondi condemning their reckless decision to more than double the scope of the administration’s already-sweeping travel ban, and demanding that the policy be immediately reversed.

In the letter, the Members warn that the expanded travel ban is discriminatory, undermines America’s values, and will cause serious harm to families, businesses, universities, and communities across the country and the world. They also raise concerns about the lack of transparency and clear justification behind the administration’s decision, and demand transparency into the elimination of exemptions from President Trump’s previous ban, including those for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and immediate family members of U.S. citizens from impacted countries.

“Over 60% of the countries in Africa, and 20% of all countries worldwide, are now banned from the U.S.” the Members wrote. “This expansion further entrenches a cruel and racist policy agenda disguised as national security, with serious, heartbreaking, and dangerous consequences.”

The letter also underscores that the economic impacts of this travel ban will be devastating. As the United States prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the ban will prevent fans from attending matches, deepen labor shortages in critical fields like medicine and agriculture, and further harm a tourism industry already projected to lose $12.5 billion in 2025.

“President Trump’s actions once again disgrace the founding principles of our nation and enshrine cruelty into our immigration system,” the Members concluded. “We condemn this proclamation and urge President Trump to rescind it immediately.”

Click HERE to read the full letter

This letter was signed by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ‑03), Becca Balint (VT‑AL), Joyce Beatty (OH‑03), Ami Bera (CA‑06), Suzanne Bonamici (OR‑01), Julia Brownley (CA‑26), André Carson (IN‑07), Greg Casar (TX‑35), Judy Chu (CA‑28), Yvette Clarke (NY‑09), Jim Costa (CA‑16), Danny Davis (IL‑07), Madeleine Dean (PA‑04), Diana DeGette (CO‑01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA‑10), Maxine Dexter (OR‑03), Lloyd Doggett (TX‑37), Adriano Espaillat (NY‑13), Dwight Evans (PA‑03), Laura Friedman (CA‑30), John Garamendi (CA‑08), Sylvia Garcia (TX‑29), Daniel Goldman (NY‑10), Jimmy Gomez (CA‑34), Al Green (TX‑09), Jahana Hayes (CT‑05), Jonathan Jackson (IL‑01), Pramila Jayapal (WA‑07), Henry Johnson (GA‑04), Sydney Kamlager‑Dove (CA‑37), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL‑08), Summer Lee (PA‑12), Ted Lieu (CA‑36), Zoe Lofgren (CA‑18), Jennifer McClellan (VA‑04), LaMonica McIver (NJ‑10), Robert Menendez (NJ‑08), Grace Meng (NY‑06), Kweisi Mfume (MD‑07), Jerrold Nadler (NY‑12), Eleanor Norton (DC‑AL), Ilhan Omar (MN‑05), Mark Pocan (WI‑02), Delia Ramirez (IL‑03), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA‑05), Janice Schakowsky (IL‑09), Robert Scott (VA‑03), Lateefah Simon (CA‑12), Adam Smith (WA‑09), Darren Soto (FL‑09), Haley Stevens (MI‑11), Eric Swalwell (CA‑14), Shri Thanedar (MI‑13), Dina Titus (NV‑01), Rashida Tlaib (MI‑12), Paul Tonko (NY‑20), Lori Trahan (MA‑03), Nydia Velázquez (NY‑07), James Walkinshaw (VA‑11), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ‑12).

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REPS. CLARKE AND NEGUSE INTRODUCE THE MAGNUS WHITE AND SAFE STREETS FOR EVERYONE ACT OF 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

February 5, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT:

e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

c: 202.913.0126

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representatives Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Joe Neguse (CO-02) introduced the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act of 2026, legislation that would require passenger motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States to be equipped with automatic emergency braking and other advanced crash-avoidance technologies. By modernizing safety standards and closing dangerous gaps in detection technology, this legislation represents a critical step toward safer streets, fewer fatalities, and a transportation system that works for everyone.

The legislation was named in honor of 17-year-old U.S. National Cycling Champion Magnus White, who tragically lost his life in 2023 while training to represent the United States at the Mountain Bike World Championships when a reckless driver hit and killed him on a designated bike path. The representatives met with the parents of Magnus White in January of this year to provide an update on their legislation and reaffirm their commitment to seeing advanced safety features like those that would have saved their son’s life become a new universal standard in the United States.

“Preventable tragedies like the loss of Magnus should not have happened, and Congress has a moral responsibility to work towards a future where they never do again. That is why Congressman Joe Neguse and I introduced this legislation requiring passenger motor vehicles manufactured for sale in the United States to be equipped with automatic emergency braking and other advanced crash-avoidance technologies. The bill ensures these systems operate effectively across the full range of vehicle speeds in both daylight and low-light conditions, and that they can detect and respond to pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and other vulnerable road users. Furthermore, it requires that these technologies can accurately detect a full range of skin tones, clothing colors, and protective gear, improving road safety conditions for everyone,” said Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke. “I want to thank Jill and Michael White for traveling to Capitol Hill in January to share their memories of Magnus and to shed light on how advanced safety features like Automatic Emergency Braking Systems could have prevented his death. The White family’s nonprofit, The White Line, has collected national, state, and local crash data to help identify vulnerable road user risks. They found that from 2001 to 2023, the nationwide vulnerable road user fatality rate increased by nearly 30%. Even more alarming, they uncovered that people of color face significantly higher fatality rates per capita, with Black Americans facing as much as 2.24 times more risk for every one-hundred-thousand fatalities. I am proud to champion this necessary fight alongside my colleague from Colorado, and I thank all those whose efforts and advocacy paved the way to today.”

“Each year, there are countless preventable tragedies involving pedestrians and cyclists. The Boulder community knows the pain of this far too well, with the tragic death of Magnus White— an extraordinary young man and an avid cyclist who we lost far too soon,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “I’m deeply grateful for his parents, Jill and Michael White, who’ve bravely pushed for common-sense reforms that will truly save lives. And I’m honored to join Rep. Yvette Clarke in introducing this critical legislation in the memory of Magnus White.”

“We know first-hand that humans fail. That’s why vehicle safety technology must be mandatory. Today, with the introduction of the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act, Congress is taking a step that could prevent those failures from becoming fatal. Had the driver’s car that killed our 17-year-old son, Magnus, been equipped with existing safety technology, he would be alive today. Lane Assist would have kept the car in its lane. Automatic Emergency Braking would have seen Magnus and stopped the vehicle before impact. Technology could have done what the driver did not. It could have saved our son’s life. We are grateful to Representatives Clarke, Neguse, and Trahan for introducing this bill today and ensuring Magnus’s story is heard,” said Jill and Michael White,The White Line.

“Magnus White was an extraordinary person, cyclist, and gift to this world. His death was a devastating loss for his family, his friends, and the cycling community. Worst of all, it was entirely preventable. With cyclist fatalities at an all-time high, we need to use every tool in the toolbox to make our roads safer,” said Jenn Dice, President and CEO of PeopleForBikes. “I commend Congresswoman Clarke and Congressman Neguse for their leadership in introducing the Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act of 2026. This bill would equip new vehicles with automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology capable of detecting cyclists and other vulnerable road users. Simply put, this commonsense bill will save lives and is entirely within reach of our automotive and technology partners. PeopleForBikes is proud to support this legislation, and I thank Congresswoman Clarke and Congressman Neguse for honoring Magnus’ legacy.”

“By simply crossing the street or riding a bike or motorcycle on public roads, at one time or another, each of us are at risk of being involved in a crash. The Magnus White and Safe Streets for Everyone Act of 2026 responds to that reality by requiring minimum safety standards for automatic emergency braking (AEB) technology to effectively detect and respond to people outside of a vehicle, including bicyclists and motorcyclists. We thank Reps. Clarke and Neguse for their leadership and urge Congress to include this bill in the surface transportation reauthorization because no one should pay with their life for simply using our roadways,” said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

Endorsing organizations: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, American Motorcyclist Association, Center for Auto Safety, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Families for Safe Streets, GreenLatinos, Impact Teen Drivers, Just Strategy, League of American Bicyclists, National Safety Council, PeopleForBikes, Ride for Your Life / Sarah’s Basket Memorial Fund, Ride Illinois, and The White Line.

Full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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Congressman Cleaver Secures More than $15 Million for Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Economic Development Initiatives in MO-05 Through Appropriations Packages

February 5, 2026

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced that he has secured $15,468,000 in Community Project Funding for public safety, infrastructure, and economic development initiatives across the Fifth Congressional District of Missouri as part of the 2026 appropriations packages that were recently signed into law.

“Responsible governance in the United States of America demands compromise in Congress. While the recent funding packages were by no means perfect, they contained vital investments that are important to communities across western Missouri,” said Congressman Cleaver. “I’m proud to have secured more than $15 million within those funding bills that will support public safety, economic development, and infrastructure initiatives in my congressional district, creating safer and more prosperous communities for all our neighbors. As the Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, I will continue working to bring additional investments back to western Missouri to meet the needs of hardworking families.”

Included in the recently passed funding packages are 15 separate investments for local projects supported by Congressman Cleaver:

$2,000,000 to Kansas City, Missouri for a Brush Creek Park Greenway to create improved pedestrian and recreational opportunities for the neighborhoods that were fractured by the Bruce R Watkins Highway Project and the Brush Creek Flood Control Project.

$1,200,000 to Independence, Missouri for Kentucky Avenue Bridge Replacement to replace the existing bridge that was built in the 1920’s and which has been closed since 2019 due to safety concerns. Replacing the bridge on Kentucky Road, which serves as an arterial roadway for residential and commercial areas through Independence and Sugar Creek, will allow for greater access between communities, quicker response for emergency services, and reduce logistics and scheduling costs for businesses.

$1,039,000 to Lee’s Summit to purchase additional public safety technology equipment, supporting regional public safety communications and their real-time crime center, enhancing emergency response and coordination for Jackson County, Missouri communities.

$1,031,000 to Rockhurst University to expand innovative technology programs focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

$1,031,000 to the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) to purchase automated license plate readers to combat reckless driving and boost traffic safety.

$1,031,000 to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) to support their Transit Ambassador Program, which is aimed at strengthening transit security during the 2026 World Cup.

$1,031,000 to KCATA to purchase a combination of public safety technology, including license plate readers, a security camera system, lighting improvements, gun-shot detection systems, and other installation costs.

$1,031,000 to Foster AdoptConnect to strengthen wraparound support programs intended to provide stability for high-risk youth.

$1,031,000 to the Mattie Rhodes Center in support of their community-based violence intervention and prevention initiatives.

$1,031,000 to the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) to purchase additional police cruisers.

$1,031,000 to KCPD to purchase police aviation technology equipment.

$1,031,000 to Youth Guidance to support school-based education and crime prevention programs for Kansas City children.

$850,000 for to Grandview for a Main Street Market, creating a permanent Main Street Market that will also provide an additional multipurpose community space in downtown Grandview, including the construction of a farmer’s market structure both enclosed and open air, restrooms, public parking, solar power, and the development of green space that provides a pocket park and park amenities.

$850,000 to MCC Longview for their Automotive Institute, providing equipment for training programs within Automotive Technology and Collison Repair, launch a program in Diesel Technology, and permit development of new program tracks focusing on Electric Vehicle Maintenance and Repair.

$250,000 to North Kansas City, Missouri to Modernize the Town Square, supporting the renovation of the town square located in the block between Armour Road, Erie Street, 18th Avenue, and Swift Street, which is currently underutilized by the community and local businesses.

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.


Rep. Clyde Applauds Mulberry-Census Resolution

GAINESVILLE, GA – Today, Congressman Andrew Clyde (GA-09) released the following statement after the City of Mulberry received its certified population letter from the U.S. Census Bureau.

“I’m thrilled that the City of Mulberry received its certified population letter,” said Clyde. “Securing this letter was key to the city’s survival and financial stability. It has been a pleasure to coordinate on this matter with Mayor Coker, and I look forward to continuing to work together as we serve our constituents. I’m always honored to assist our Ninth District communities, especially in advocating for localities facing bureaucratic battles.”

“With the assistance of Congressman Andrew Clyde and his staff, Mulberry was able to secure its population letter in less than one year,” said Mulberry Mayor Coker. “This letter was more than a confirmation of population — it was essential to the city’s survival. It placed Mulberry on equal legal footing with the county, secured the city’s revenue streams, and ensured that the city could continue to operate with fiscally conservative policies and no city property taxes.”

“The entire City of Mulberry owes a deep debt of gratitude to Congressman Clyde for his commitment to supporting Mulberry in its mission for limited government and local control,” Coker added.

Background

From its founding, the City of Mulberry faced strong opposition — including multiple lawsuits from Gwinnett County challenging the city’s creation, tax collection, and services.

Mulberry does not levy a city property tax. Instead, all city revenue comes from existing fees already paid by residents to the county, such as business license fees, insurance premium taxes, and new vehicle purchase fees.

Many of these revenues are collected by the state and distributed to cities and counties based on population. To receive these funds, a city must provide the state with a certified population letter from the U.S. Census Bureau.

When the City of Mulberry first contacted the U.S. Census Bureau, the agency informed local officials that obtaining a certified population letter could take more than two years. Given the ongoing legal challenges to the city’s formation and ever-increasing legal costs, Mulberry could not afford to wait two years to receive the revenue to which it was legally entitled and dependent on for financial stability.

Following effective coordination with Rep. Andrew Clyde and the U.S. Census Bureau, the City of Mulberry received its certified population letter in less than one year.