Wyden Calls on Colleagues to Oppose Gen. Rudd to Lead NSA

Rudd lacks “familiarity with basic constitutional rights” on surveillance of Americans

Watch a video of Wyden deliver his remarks here

As prepared for delivery

I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Joshua Rudd to be Director of the National Security Agency.

During his confirmation hearing, General Rudd demonstrated a lack of familiarity with basic constitutional rights, which should be a bare minimum qualification for this extremely powerful position. His responses to questions about privacy and transparency were simply unacceptable. I asked the nominee if he would pledge to not secretly violate existing public guardrails on NSA surveillance, and he refused.

Few Americans understand the incredible scope of NSA’s surveillance operations or the broad authorities under which the NSA operates. The agency plays a central role in conducting surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. FISA gets all the attention from the American public and from Congress because it’s a public law and because Congress debates the reauthorization of FISA Section 702 every few years. But the NSA also conducts extensive intelligence and surveillance operations outside of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and pursuant only to Executive Order 12333. And when NSA operates entirely under that executive order, there is no judicial oversight, not even from the secret FISA Court. And congressional oversight is often dependent on what the executive branch wants to disclose. The potential for abuse is enormous. I was here in 2005, when the New York Times revealed that the NSA had conducted an illegal warrantless wiretapping program. For four years, the program had been hidden from the American people. It was also hidden from Congress. I was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee then, as I am now, and even we were not told about the program.

This was one of those infamous “Gang of 8” situations where the Intelligence Community informs only the Committee’s two leaders and instructs them not to tell other members or staff. So when the Committee’s Vice Chair, Jay Rockefeller, was told about the program, he hand-wrote a letter to Vice President Cheney saying he had concerns but that, on his own, he couldn’t fully evaluate the program. And so the program continued on for years, with no oversight and no opportunity for Congress to address it through legislation. This history demonstrates what happens when the NSA’s enormous capabilities are abused by administration officials who are willing to break the law. And, unfortunately, that is an accurate description of this Administration.

It is indisputable that constitutional rights are under attack right now. For example, we only recently learned that, nine months ago, the Administration secretly decided that the government doesn’t need a judicial warrant to break into a private home.

In other words, this Administration thinks it can just ignore the Fourth Amendment. And, if the Administration will ignore the Fourth Amendment to break down doors, what assurance could we possibly have that they won’t also tap Americans’ phones without a warrant? And why should we believe that they wouldn’t do it secretly, hidden from the American people, from the full Congress, or even the full intelligence committees?

When it comes to surveillance, I subscribe to Ben Franklin’s principle that those who would give up liberty for security will lose both and deserve neither. We need both. That’s not a partisan proposition. Refusing to promise to not violate the Constitution does not make us safer.

That is why I was particularly focused on General Rudd’s understanding of the constitutional limitations on the NSA’s operations. So I asked General Rudd whether, if he were directed to target people in the United States for surveillance, he would insist that there be a judicial warrant. I told him in advance that I was going to ask the question. Then, at the hearing, I offered him the opportunity to answer with a yes or a no. I didn’t get an answer.

So I tried to cut him some slack and encouraged him to just offer general thoughts on the matter, but I still got nothing of substance. I did everything in my power to allow him to demonstrate some understanding of the basic guardrails of NSA’s authorities and got only vague assurances that he was interested in following the law.

Given the history of NSA abuses, and this administration’s clear contempt for the Constitution, General Rudd’s inability to answer this question in any meaningful way would have been enough for me to oppose his nomination.

But there were other topics on which General Rudd’s responses were troubling. He wouldn’t associate himself with the NSA’s previous commitment to not buy and use Americans’ location data. Then-NSA Director Nakasone made this commitment in a public letter in 2023. But General Rudd would not stand by that public policy.

Location data, which is bought and sold by sleazy data brokers, can reveal extremely sensitive private information about Americans, including what medical clinics they go to, what houses of worship they visit, what stores they shop at, what protests they attend, and which friends and family they are seeing.

The threat to Americans’ privacy is even more serious when you stop to consider how artificial intelligence can be used against enormous amounts of commercially available data, including location information on Americans. So it is deeply troubling that General Rudd refused to endorse the NSA’s past commitment not to collect and use all this sensitive data on Americans. General Rudd also refused to say whether the government should mandate backdoors into encryption used by Americans. Encryption is the code that protects your messages, pictures and private data from predators and criminals.

For years, officials have argued that the government should force tech companies to build back-doors into their encryption products. But if you talk to security researchers, or cryptographers, they’ll tell you there’s no way to create encryption backdoors that only the government can use. Once you weaken encryption, it is inevitable that foreign spies and criminals will exploit that vulnerability. As hacking has gotten more and more sophisticated, the threat that our adversaries will use any and all cyber vulnerabilities against us has gotten more and more obvious.

In fact, the constant headlines about successful hacking campaigns are probably the reason why we’re not hearing as much these days about weakening encryption. So this question for General Rudd should have been easy, particularly since the job to which he is nominated includes responsibility for the nation’s cyber security. But, again, he refused to take a position. General Rudd’s responses related to transparency were especially troubling. In addition to laws and the Constitution, NSA is bound by numerous policies and procedures which are publicly available. These public policies and procedures are especially important because they provide some guardrails on NSA’s surveillance and intelligence activities under Executive Order 12333, which, again, are not governed by FISA and not reviewed by the FISA Court.

To take just one example, if the NSA is going to conduct a search of its 12333 collection for an American’s communications, it generally needs the Attorney General to determine that there is probable cause that the American is an agent of a foreign power.

This is not a law. It is a policy that has been made public by successive administrations so that Americans could better understand the guardrails that apply to the NSA’s surveillance activities. The NSA is supposed to be hunting for terrorists and spies. It is not supposed to be hunting for Americans who simply do things that the president doesn’t like, such as criticizing their government or buying abortion medication online.

So I asked General Rudd what I thought was another easy question: If he were directed to operate in violation of those public policies and procedures, would he inform the American people? He refused to make that commitment. I also asked him whether, if the administration secretly decided to withdraw or change any of these public policies, he would ensure that the public sees the new policies? He wouldn’t make that commitment either.

Let me be clear. The operational details of the NSA’s operations are sources and methods and must absolutely be protected. National security is at stake. Lives are at stake. But I did not ask General Rudd about sources and methods. I asked him whether Americans can rely on the NSA to conduct its operations within the guardrails that the government has already made public. Based on his response, it’s not clear that they can. And when Americans can no longer trust whether intelligence agencies are respecting their own public policies, it’s bad for Americans, bad for democracy, and bad for the intelligence agencies.

General Rudd was even asked whether, if the President secretly decided not to follow these public policies, would he at least immediately inform the Senate Intelligence Committee. General Rudd wouldn’t even answer that question with a clear yes, which makes me wonder what abuses even the intelligence committee won’t ever hear about

I have great respect for General Rudd’s many years of military service, but, besides his troubling statements about constitutional rights, he is simply not qualified for this job. We are now in the second week of this catastrophic and reckless war that Donald Trump started. This war and its global fallout have created new and serious threats to U.S. national security. The country needs an NSA Director with experience in U.S. signals intelligence activities around the world. General Rudd does not have that experience.

The Director of NSA has another job, that of Commander of U.S. Cyber Command. The demands of this job are mind-boggling. The cyber threat to the United States cannot be overstated. And, as SALT TYPHOON demonstrated, our adversaries have succeeded in inflicting serious damage to U.S. national security. Just last week, the government acknowledged ongoing hacking of U.S. government agencies. And now we are at war and are facing an incredibly complex set of cyber threats and options.

The country needs someone who is prepared from day one to protect this country from cyber adversaries, including Iran as well as China and Russia.

The Commander of CYBERCOM needs to have a deep and sophisticated understanding of this threat and how it is evolving. He or she needs to be able to see this threat in its geopolitical context and to fully grasp the technical capabilities and the policy options that might help NSA and CYBERCOM counter the threat. We are at war, and we cannot afford to promote someone who lacks the experience for the job.

General Rudd’s predecessors in this job had that experience. They came up through CYBERCOM. They were ready. General Rudd is not. And, when it comes to the cybersecurity of this country, there is no time for on-the-job learning. The threat is just too urgent for that.

For all these reasons, I oppose this nomination, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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Kansas City Area Republicans Urge DHS to Release World Cup Security Funding from the Working Families Tax Cut Law

Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) led a letter with Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. The Congressmen are urging Secretary Noem to release World Cup security funding through the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA).

In the Working Families Tax Cut law, Republicans secured $625 million in federal funding for World Cup host cities’ security operations, including Kansas City, without the support of a single Democrat. This funding cannot be allowed to be stalled by Democrats’ reckless shutdown of DHS because it is essential for planning and executing the safety and security operations required to host an international event.

Read the full letter to Secretary Noem here.

Read key excerpts below:

“Dear Secretary Noem:

“We write today regarding the $625 million in federal security funding Congress provided for the 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities. With less than 100 days remaining until kickoff, host cities across the United States, including Kansas City, still have not received notification of their grant awards. This uncertainty is creating serious challenges for local officials who are responsible for preparing security operations for one of the largest global events ever hosted on American soil.

“The ongoing Democrat shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has further complicated this process. As you have noted publicly, by shutting down DHS, Democrats have forced significant portions of FEMA staff to be placed on administrative leave, including many of the personnel responsible for reviewing and processing these grants. The longer Democrats refuse to appropriately fund DHS, the more difficult it becomes for host cities to finalize contracts, procure equipment, and complete the necessary planning to safely host this global event. It is critical that DHS operations return to full capacity as soon as possible so the Department can carry out its essential mission of protecting the American people and preparing our communities for the World Cup.

“Congress appropriated these funds last year through the Working Families Tax Cut Law, one of President Trump’s signature achievements, to ensure that host cities could implement the robust security measures required for an event of this scale. The Notice of Funding Opportunity anticipated that awards would be made no later than January 30, yet those notifications have not been issued. As a result, local governments and host committees remain unable to finalize contracts, procure equipment, or hire the personnel necessary to secure the event.

“This funding is not optional. It is essential for planning and executing the safety and security operations required to protect millions of visitors, athletes, and spectators who will travel to the United States for the tournament.

“Recent events underscore why this funding must be released as quickly as possible. The ongoing major combat operations in Iran have significantly elevated global security concerns, and intelligence officials have warned that Iranian retaliation or proxy activity could target U.S. interests. Experts have specifically warned that large international gatherings such as the 2026 World Cup could present attractive targets for terrorism or lone-actor attacks during periods of geopolitical tension. Ensuring that host cities have the resources necessary to prepare robust counterterrorism measures, coordinate with federal agencies, and secure high-profile venues is therefore not just a logistical matter but a critical national security priority. …

“Despite the reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible Democrat DHS shutdown, we respectfully urge the Department to finalize the review process and release the World Cup security grants as quickly as possible so that host cities can complete their preparations.”

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Barrett Announces 2026 Congressional Art Competition

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Barrett (MI-07) today invited students from Michigan’s 7th Congressional District to participate in the Spring 2026 Congressional Art Competition. This annual competition offers high school students from across the country the opportunity to highlight their creativity and artistic skills.

2025 Winner: “Ethereal Veil” by Sophia Juviler

The first-place artwork from this year’s competition will be displayed for a year in the U.S. Capitol along with other winning pieces from across the country. The winning student will also have the opportunity to travel to our nation’s capital for a reception with other winners. Runners-up may have their art displayed in Congressman Barrett’s Lansing or D.C. offices.

Artwork entered in the contest may be up to 26” × 26” × 4”, including the frame, and must not weigh more than 15 pounds. Accepted mediums include:

Paintings — including oil, acrylics, and watercolor

Drawings — including pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, and markers

Collage

Prints — including lithographs, silkscreen, and block prints

Mixed media

Computer-generated art

Photography


Leading Alzheimer’s Advocates Urge Support for Buchanan’s ASAP Act

459 Organizations and Researchers Call on Congress to Fight Alzheimer’s: “The Need for Action is Urgent.”

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, announced that 459 leading organizations and researchers with the LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease), the Alzheimer’s Association and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) shared their support for Buchanan’s Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (H.R. 6130) and called on members of Congress to support Buchanan’s bill. The ASAP Act would ensure that seniors have timely access to innovative blood-based diagnostic tests that can detect Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in their earliest stages. Read more about the ASAP Act here.

“Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease is key to giving families more time, options and hope,” said Buchanan. “Having served as a caretaker to an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s and with nearly 200,000 seniors in my district, this issue is deeply personal to me. Expanding access to early detection will give millions of Americans the chance to plan ahead and seek care sooner. I’m grateful for the outpouring of support for my Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention Act and call on my colleagues to pass my bill and ensure every American can benefit from these life-saving innovations.”

“A simple blood test can detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear. The bipartisan ASAP Act ensures people benefit from this scientific milestone,” said Robert Egge, Chief Public Policy Officer, Alzheimer’s Association and President, AIM. “Under current law, Medicare cannot cover any dementia screening test for people without symptoms. The ASAP Act clears the roadblock, bringing people closer to timely diagnoses, informed treatment decisions and stronger support for families. We are grateful to the many organizations and researchers standing with us and to the congressional leaders driving this work forward.”

Leading voices within the Alzheimer’s, aging, research, health care and patient advocacy communities signed the letter urging members of Congress to support Buchanan’s ASAP Act, including several Florida-based researchers: Steven T. DeKosky, MD, Deputy Director of the McKnight Brain Institute and Professor Of Neurology and Neuroscience at the University of Florida College of Medicine; Amanda G. Smith, MD, Director of Clinical Research at the University of South Florida’s Byrd Alzheimer's Institute; and Gopal Thinakaran, PhD, Eric Pfeiffer Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s Research at the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida.

“The LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease), the Alzheimer’s Association, and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) strongly support the ASAP Act and urge you to become a cosponsor,” wrote the signatories in the letter. “We appreciate your ongoing commitment to addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia and look forward to continued collaboration to promote risk reduction, strengthen early detection, improve access to care, and enhance quality of life for individuals and families affected by dementia.”

Read the full letter here or below.

Dear Representative,

We appreciate your continued engagement in addressing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, which remain among the most pressing public health challenges facing our nation. Congressional leadership has been instrumental in elevating dementia as a bipartisan priority and advancing policies that are beginning to improve outcomes for individuals, families, and the broader health care system.

On behalf of millions of Americans living with or at risk for dementia, as well as their families, we respectfully urge your support for the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act (H.R. 6130 / S.3267). This legislation would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allow Medicare coverage for blood-based dementia screening tests, creating a clear and predictable clinical pathway for access to emerging detection tools.

The need for action is urgent. More than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, a number that continues to rise. In 2025 alone, health and long-term care costs associated with Alzheimer’s and other dementias were projected to total $384 billion, excluding the enormous contribution of unpaid caregivers (an estimated economic value of $413.5 billion in 2024). Medicare and Medicaid are expected to shoulder nearly two-thirds of these costs, while families are projected to pay $97 billion out of pocket. By 2050, total dementia-related health care and long-term care costs are expected to approach $1 trillion, placing unsustainable pressure on families, employers, and public programs alike.

The American public strongly supports earlier detection and screening of dementia. Nearly four in five Americans report they would want to know if they had Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms become disruptive, and more than nine in ten favor access to a simple medical test that enables earlier diagnosis, care planning, and treatment decisions.

Scientific advances are rapidly transforming the landscape of detection and care for Alzheimer’s and related forms of dementia. Changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease – which can begin developing 20 years before the onset of clinical symptoms – are detectable via blood tests. Especially with the availability of disease-modifying therapies and rigorous scientific evidence supporting non-pharmacological risk reduction interventions, it is essential to ensure individuals receive early and accurate diagnoses. The ASAP Act would help ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can access FDA-approved or cleared blood biomarker screening tests without unnecessary delays, while fully preserving CMS’s existing evidence-based coverage determination processes.

Without the clear coverage pathway enabled by the ASAP Act, it could take many years for Medicare to cover new dementia screening tools, even after FDA approval. The ASAP Act addresses this gap, helping to align scientific innovation with access and allowing individuals and their families to benefit sooner from advances in early detection and care.

For these reasons, the LEAD Coalition (Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease), the Alzheimer’s Association, and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) strongly support the ASAP Act and urge you to become a cosponsor. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to addressing Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia and look forward to continued collaboration to promote risk reduction, strengthen early detection, improve access to care, and enhance quality of life for individuals and families affected by dementia.

To learn more about the ASAP Act or to become a co-sponsor, please contact the offices of Senator Collins, Senator Cortez Masto, Congressman Buchanan, or Congressman Tonko.

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Smith welcomes release of USCIRF’s 2026 Annual Report on global religious persecution; urges strong U.S. response

“The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)’s 2026 Annual Report is a sobering reminder that millions of people around the world still face imprisonment, violence, and discrimination simply because of their faith,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)—a longtime defender of religious liberty—upon the release of USCIRF’s 21st Annual Report, led by USCIRF Chairwoman Vicky Hartzler.

The report evaluates the religious freedom conditions in dozens of countries and makes recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and Congress under the International Religious Freedom Act (PL 105-292), of which Smith was an original cosponsor.

“Global threats to religious freedom are only growing, as evidenced by the additions of Libya and Syra to the CPC recommendation list,” continued Smith, the prime author of the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act (PL 114-281), which enhances and expands the United States’ actions to advance religious freedom globally through enhanced diplomacy, training, counterterrorism, and foreign assistance efforts.

“In light of these unfortunate developments, the United States must use every diplomatic and economic tool at its disposal to fervently defend the fundamental right of religious freedom,” noted Smith.

Smith noted that the report highlights the sustained and systemic religious freedom violations occurring in countries such as China, Cuba, Iran, Nigeria, Nicaragua, and North Korea—places where governments continue to perpetrate or tolerate the persecution and repression of religious communities and minorities.

The report also recommends that two countries—Libya and Syria—be newly added to the Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) list, a designation reserved for governments responsible for “systematic, ongoing, and egregious” violations of religious freedom. It also advises placing Qatar on the Special Watch List (SWL) for severe violations that fall short of the CPC threshold.

To intensify congressional oversight of these abuses, Smith has chaired more than 30 hearings across three congressional committees, where he serves as Co-/Chairman—the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC)—all focused on examining and condemning trends of religious persecution, both region-based and globally.

Recently, on March 5th, Smith chaired a TLHRC hearing entitled, “U.S. Presidency of the G20–An Opportunity to Champion Human Rights,” which assessed how the Trump administration can use the U.S. Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) forum to advance human rights, with a particular emphasis on religious freedom and freedom of speech.

While delivering his opening remarks at the hearing, Smith said, “One of the most pressing crises today is the denial of freedom of religion—of the right to live as people of faith, free from fear and persecution. According to Open Doors, approximately 25,000 Christians have been killed for their faith—globally—in the past five years. Most of them were killed in situations of some connivance or complicity on the part of governments…

“It would be a missed opportunity for the G20 to meet in the U.S. and this issue not to be raised. The G20 is the leading—and perhaps, only effective—international forum for cooperation among leading powers that are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Hindu, at a time when broad civilizational tensions between them seem to be tragically increasing.”

In addition to chairing congressional hearings that call attention to grave religious freedom violations, Smith has authored and introduced legislation to strengthen the United States’ responses to countries whose governments are complicit in or complacent about the religious persecution occurring within their borders.

Smith recently introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 (HR 7457) to combat the widespread religious violence perpetrated against Christians and non-radical Muslims in Nigeria. The bill would require the U.S. Secretary of State to compile and submit to Congress a comprehensive report on U.S. efforts to address the ongoing religious persecution and mass atrocities there.

Moreover, Smith is the author of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 1744), pending legislation to reauthorize the USCIRF board and strengthen its ability to monitor and expose religious freedom abuses.

“For decades, Congress has made it clear that religious freedom is a core American value and a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy,” Smith stated. “Through informative hearings, comprehensive legislation, and incisive oversight, we will continue to press for enhanced accountability and stronger actions against regimes that imprison, torture, or kill citizens because of their beliefs.”

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Higgins Backs Successful Effort to Secure Cutting-Edge Pilot Program for Houma-Terrebonne Airport

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected Louisiana’s proposal for the new Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP).

Louisiana’s project, taking place at the Houma-Terrebonne Airport, will test transportation capabilities for cargo and personnel for flights over the Gulf of America, and to crucial locations for the energy industry in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

Congressman Higgins was a vocal advocate for this selection, delivering two letters to DOT and FAA leadership in support of the project. Read Congressman Higgins’ letter here and a letter from the Louisiana Delegation here.

“The Houma-Terrebonne Airport is uniquely equipped for this important pilot program,” said Rep. Higgins. “I’m proud to have been a consistent voice of support for Louisiana’s bid, and I’d like to thank Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford for choosing our state to be a partner for this endeavor.”


Congressman Cohen Welcomes Addition of Shelby County to Disaster Declaration after January Storms

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today welcomed the announcement that Shelby County has been added to the list of jurisdictions now eligible for Public Assistance funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to address the extensive damage caused by the January 22-27 winter storms. Congressman Cohen wrote to Governor Lee on January 30 and February 9 seeking his intervention in making the disaster relief request.

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“I am pleased that Shelby County will now receive needed Public Assistance funding from FEMA for the extensive damage done during the January storms. In my letters to Governor Lee seeking his request for the federal funding, I pointed out the Shelby County’s validated costs had already met the threshold for the funding and that the funding was necessary to reestablish critical services provided by both the county and its municipalities.”


Davids Delivers Key Federal Investment to Boost City of Princeton’s Flood Resilience

PRINCETON, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited Princeton to highlight how her successful project request to improve the city’s storm drainage system will help prevent flooding, protect local infrastructure, and support future business and job growth. Davids secured $610,000 for the project, which is one of 14 she delivered for Kansas’ Third District to strengthen community safety, improve local infrastructure, and expand economic opportunity across the region.

“This storm drainage project in Princeton will help prevent flooding, protecting homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure while ensuring the community is ready for future growth,” said Davids. “By working with local leaders to identify fiscally responsible projects, we’re making smart investments that strengthen local economies, create jobs, and give families and small businesses the confidence to thrive.”

This project includes ditch repairs, tube replacements, and other upgrades to better manage water flow and reduce flooding throughout Princeton. These improvements will enhance the city’s ability to manage, treat, and recapture stormwater and subsurface drainage water, helping prepare for future storms while making the community safer and more resilient.

“We are grateful for the efforts of Representative Davids to bring funding to the City of Princeton,” said Paul Bean, Executive Director, Franklin County Development Council. “These funds will help this rural community make improvements to the streets and storm drainage that would not be possible without this funding.”

Earlier this year, President Trump signed two bipartisan funding agreements into law, both supported by Davids, which included 14 of her project requests to improve education, public safety, and water infrastructure across Kansas’ Third District. Projects totaling $17.8 million include road safety upgrades in Overland Park, reconstructing the Kansas Avenue Bridge in Wyandotte County, providing body cameras for all Overland Park police officers, and purchasing lab equipment to support domestic manufacturing at K-State Olathe.


Donalds Shares Most Up-To-Date State Department Guidance For Floridians Currently Located In The Middle East

WASHINGTON – Under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Trump administration is providing real-time security alerts and evacuation information for American citizens currently located in conflict zones.

American citizens looking to evacuate the Middle East are instructed to complete this form to request State Department-facilitated departure options as they become available. To reach the State Department by phone, Americans citizens are instructed to call +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad) or +1-888-407-4747 (from the US and Canada).

Prospective evacuees are also instructed to enroll HERE to receive the latest security updates, follow “U.S. Department of State – Security Alerts for U.S. Citizens” on WhatsApp, and visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs destination-specific travel risk information page HERE.

Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) shared the most up-to-date State Department alerts for Floridians located in each affected country below:


Donalds Joins Rollins For Signing Of Disaster Declaration To Deliver Much-Needed Relief To Florida Farmers And Ranchers

WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and members of the Florida Congressional Delegation for the signing of a Secretarial Natural Disaster Declaration coveringFlorida counties impacted by recent freezes, frost, and high winds that resulted in extensive agricultural losses.

The signing of the Disaster Declaration begins the federal process to deliver relief, through emergency loans and programs to affected Florida farmers. Preliminary estimates put out by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimate $3.17 billion in statewide agricultural losses.

In addition to Secretary Rollins and Congressman Donalds, members of the Florida Congressional Delegation in attendance included Representatives Kat Cammack (R-FL), Greg Steube (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Scott Franklin (R-FL), Jimmy Patronis (R-FL), and Randy Fine (R-FL). Congressman Donalds released the following statement:

"This winter, our state faced devastating freezes, frost, and high winds that caused $3.17 billion in agricultural losses. Floridians need relief now. I’m proud to have joined Secretary Brooke Rollins for the signing of the Disaster Declaration that will deliver much-needed emergency loans and programs to our farmers and ranchers."

This Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

For a list of each triggering disaster included in the Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation and impacted areas covered see below:

Triggering Disaster #1

Impacted Area: Florida

Triggering Disaster: Freeze and frost that occurred 1/23/26 – 2/5/26

Application Deadline: 11/4/26

Primary Counties Eligible:

Florida: Dixie, Gilchrist, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Jefferson, Leon, Levy, Madison, Martin, Okeechobee, and Putnam.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Alachua, Bradford, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Flagler, Gadsden, Hamilton, Hardee, Indian River, Lafayette, Lee, Liberty, Marion, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, and Wakulla.

Triggering Disaster #2

Impacted Area: Florida

Triggering Disaster: Freeze, frost, and high winds that occurred 1/23/26 – 2/5/26

Application Deadline: 11/4/26

Primary Counties Eligible:

Florida: Alachua, Bradford, Charlotte, and Collier.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Baker, Broward, Clay, Columbia, DeSoto, Gilchrist, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Levy, Marion, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Putnam, Sarasota and Union.

Triggering Disaster #3

Impacted Area: Florida

Triggering Disaster: Freeze, frost, and high winds that occurred 1/23/26 – 2/5/26

Application Deadline: 11/4/26

Primary Counties Eligible:

Florida: Broward, Palm Beach and Sumter.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Citrus, Collier, Glades, Hendry, Hernando, Lake, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Okeechobee, Pasco and Polk.

Triggering Disaster #4

Impacted Area: Florida

Triggering Disaster: Freeze that occurred 1/23/26 – 2/5/26

Application Deadline: 11/4/26

Primary County Eligible:

Florida: Taylor.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Dixie, Jefferson, Lafayette and Madison.

Triggering Disaster #5

Impacted Area: Florida

Triggering Disaster: Freeze, frost and ice that occurred 1/23/26 – 2/5/26

Application Deadline: 11/4/26

Primary Counties Eligible:

Florida: Citrus, Hernando, Indian River, Jackson, Pasco and St. Lucie.

Contiguous Counties Also Eligible:

Florida: Bay, Brevard, Calhoun, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Holmes, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Osceola, Pinellas, Polk, Sumter and Washington.

More:

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Loan Assistance Tool can help you determine program or loan options. To file a Notice of Loss or to ask questions about available programs, contact your local USDA Service Center.


Chairman Brett Guthrie Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Treatment for Rare Diseases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, introduced the Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act alongside Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Congressman John Joyce, M.D. (PA-13), Congressman Scott Peters (CA-50), Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-02), and Congressman Don Davis (NC-01), . This legislation would improve vulnerable populations’ access to innovative treatments and cures by enabling states to voluntarily enter value-based purchasing (VBP) agreements, which tie the cost of treatments to patient outcomes.

“I’m pleased to reintroduce my bipartisan MVP Act to expand access to innovative, lifesaving treatments for vulnerable Americans with rare diseases. This transformative legislation would give states the flexibility to offer high-cost therapies for rare diseases without raising taxes or cutting other state programs,” said Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02). “The bill’s payment model will incentivize value-based payment arrangements, empowering state Medicaid programs to help vulnerable patients gain access to potentially life-changing treatments, like gene and cell therapies.”

“The science on cell and gene therapies has now outpaced the policy & payment models. That’s going to lead to frustration for patients with rare diseases, including children, who can see cures in the making but cannot access them. This bill helps ensure everyone can access cutting edge gene therapies. It also helps ensure that medicines with value are rewarded, while treatments that don’t work don’t add cost to the health system,” said Congressman Jake Auchincloss.

“The MVP Act represents a profound step forward in delivering life-changing treatments to the patients who need them most. By advancing value-based payments, we can guarantee that the most vulnerable in our society have access to high-cost therapies and cures for rare diseases, while protecting taxpayers and vital federal programs. This bipartisan effort exemplifies a shared commitment to improving health outcomes by ensuring that Medicaid effectively serves patients and families across the country,” said Congressman John Joyce, M.D.

“Today, potentially curative therapies give hope to San Diegans with certain kinds of cancers, hemophilia, spinal muscular atrophy, sickle cell disease, hereditary blindness, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. However, people with Medicaid struggle to access these transformative treatments because of their high costs. I look forward to passing the Medicaid VBPs for Patients (MVP) Act, which will help state Medicaid programs enter value-based payment agreements and give states the flexibility they need to pay for these medicines based on patient outcomes,” said Congressman Peters.

“This legislation strengthens America’s healthcare system by lowering costs, expanding patient access, and reinforcing domestic medical manufacturing,” said Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. “By supporting innovation and bolstering our supply chain here at home, this bill helps ensure patients receive affordable, high-quality care while protecting American jobs and competitiveness.”

“Eastern North Carolinians with rare diseases and their families deserve access to the latest lifesaving treatments close to home, without unnecessary delays or barriers to care. The MVP Act would give states the purchasing flexibility they need to expand access to cutting-edge therapies and innovative treatments, helping ensure these breakthroughs are within reach for the families who depend on them most,” said Congressman Don Davis.

BACKGROUND:

– The MVP Act would modernize the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, allowing manufacturers to submit multiple best prices to state Medicaid programs and for state Medicaid programs to voluntarily enter VBP arrangements with drug manufacturers for these therapies.

– This would better align incentives in the health care system by tying the amount manufacturers receive for high-cost drugs to the effectiveness of the treatment, enabling state Medicaid programs to offer the most advanced treatment options to those battling rare diseases.

Click HERE to read the bill text.


Congressman Pat Harrigan Introduces Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act to Counter Growing Energy Vulnerabilities

Contact: Lexi Kranich (814) 380-4408

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congressman Pat Harrigan (NC-10) introduced the Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act of 2026, bold legislation to harden a critical weak point in the Indo-Pacific balance of power: Taiwan’s energy dependence. As global energy markets reel from heightened conflict in the Middle East and new disruptions to maritime routes, and as Taipei itself monitors impacts on its economy and energy supply chains, this bill ensures Taiwan isn’t left vulnerable to supply shocks or coercion by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or external geopolitical turmoil.

“Energy is leverage,” said Congressman Harrigan. “Beijing knows exactly where Taiwan is weakest—and global events today, from strikes in the Middle East to threats at chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, underscore that energy vulnerability is national security vulnerability. This bill pushes U.S. LNG to Taiwan, backs next-generation nuclear cooperation, and guarantees strategic shipping won’t be held hostage by hostile insurers or hostile powers. If deterrence is to mean anything, it must start with hardening the points our adversaries count on.”

Key Elements of the Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act of 2026:

Taiwan’s acute energy vulnerability: Taipei imports nearly all its energy, leaving it exposed to maritime disruption, gray-zone coercion by the CCP, and global supply shocks. U.S. policy experts highlight energy dependency as one of Taiwan’s most serious strategic weaknesses.

U.S. LNG and export leadership: The bill prioritizes U.S. liquefied natural gas exports to Taiwan and incentivizes projects that diversify and secure supply sources—a stepping stone to reducing energy leverage by hostile powers.

Next-generation nuclear cooperation: Encourages bilateral efforts on advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors, to provide reliable baseload power less susceptible to external disruption.

Energy infrastructure resilience: Enhances cooperation on protecting Taiwan’s critical energy grids and storage systems from cyber, physical, and asymmetric threats.

Maritime insurance authority: Expands U.S. Maritime Administration powers to insure vessels transporting critical energy and vital goods to Taiwan when commercial markets withdraw due to foreign military threats.

Strategic assessment: Mandates an independent analysis of how to redirect U.S. energy exports toward Taiwan and strengthen long-term energy partnerships.

Congressman Harrigan introduced this legislation as part of his broader effort to strengthen deterrence, support democratic partners in the Indo-Pacific, and align America’s energy dominance with national security imperatives. The Taiwan Energy Security and Anti-Embargo Act of 2026 ensures that in a world defined by great-power competition and evolving geopolitical risk, Taiwan’s lights stay on and its economy stays resilient.


LEADER JEFFRIES ON CNN: “THE PRESIDENT HAS FAILED TO ARTICULATE A COMPELLING REASON FOR WHY THE U.S. PREEMPTIVELY STRUCK IRAN”

Last night, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on CNN’s The Story Is with Elex Michaelson, where he emphasized that the taxpayer dollars of the American people should be used to make life better and more affordable for the American people, not to fund Donald Trump’s war of choice.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Mr. Leader, welcome to Story Is for the first time.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Good evening, great to be with you.

ELEX MICHAELSON: What do you think our objective is in Iran, and when is it time to stop the bombing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s an incredibly important question because the President has failed to articulate a compelling reason for why the United States preemptively struck Iran and has now plunged us into a war of choice, where billions of dollars are being spent to drop bombs in the Middle East. In fact, the entire region is in flames right now, and the President and Republicans are unwilling to actually spend a dime to make life more affordable for the American people, to drop the price of groceries, drop the cost of housing or drop the costs of health insurance to make sure that Americans can afford to go see a doctor when they need one. And so, in my view, we’ve advanced this War Powers Resolution that narrowly failed because the American people understand that this war is not making them safer. In fact, I think it’s creating potential harm to our national security, and the President has not offered a justification as to why this should continue unabated.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Well, we know Iranians, though, have attacked Americans and attacked people throughout the world for years through their proxies as well. We have seen thousands of Americans in the streets thanking President Trump, saying that they are grateful for the U.S. finally acting. A lot of them talk about the fact that their family members were killed by that regime. What do you say to those people?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, Iran is definitively a bad actor and needs to be aggressively confronted, and there are a variety of different tools to be able to do that, including aggressive diplomacy or making sure that the sanctions regime continues to tighten as it relates to what had been put in place by Democrats and Republicans over the years. But on matters of war and peace, I mean, the framers were very clear. They gave Congress the sole authority to declare war, understanding that it’s a serious thing when we decide to put our servicemen and women in harm’s way. And we’ve already lost seven heroic, patriotic, brave service members. And certainly it’s the case that our heart goes out to them and our prayers continue to be with them, and our support will continue to be with their families. But this is a very serious decision. And Donald Trump has not taken it seriously. He’s just unilaterally plunged us into this conflict that now has spread to more than a dozen countries. And has not provided us with a compelling justification, sort of a set of objectives as to what we’re trying to accomplish, and hasn’t provided a strategy as to how this all is going to end.

ELEX MICHAELSON: But we know that U.S. presidents have done military actions without going to Congress before. President Obama did this with Libya. And what leverage do you have to stop what you call an illegal war? What leverage do you have to do something about it?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, unquestionably, it’s an unlawful war of choice that Donald Trump has plunged us into—

ELEX MICHAELSON: How is that different from what President Obama did or other leaders have done when they launched military incursions without going to Congress as well? I mean, doesn’t the President have 60 days to launch military action before he has to come to Congress?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, this isn’t simply a series of military strikes. This is an all-out war against Iran that now involves more than a dozen different countries and the expenditure of billions of dollars, perhaps a day, to drop bombs in the Middle East without a clear objective, a clear strategy or a clear endgame. And so that’s the problem. This is the first President, as far as we can tell, to launch this type of military conflict without bothering to try to convince the American people as to why it is all taking place, to persuade the American people. It’s one of the reasons why we believe that the war is already so deeply unpopular with the American people throughout the country.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So is it time to get out now?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, I think our view as it relates to the resolution that we voted on, that I strongly supported, that the overwhelming majority of Democrats supported along with two Republicans, is that these types of hostilities should cease until there’s an actual debate and the President makes his case to Congress and to the American people and seeks the authorization for the use of military force. There’s no justification for it, but that is what the Constitution requires in our view, and that step, of course, has not been taken.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So right now, there is still a sort of fight and shutdown over DHS funding that started before this war happened. There’s a question now that some have raised about this possibility that Iran may enact its sleeper cells and activate them in the United States. President Trump talked about that today. Here’s some of what he said.

RECORDING OF PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, we know a lot about them. The biggest problem we have is the Democrat shutdown. We know a lot about them, but the shutdown doesn’t allow us to do what we have to do.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So the President saying that Americans are being endangered because the Department of Homeland Security cannot go after Iranian sleeper cells. What’s your response to that?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, the President’s lying to the American people. He’s fear-mongering, and he knows that. Now, Republicans have made the decision they would rather shut down every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, which we as Democrats have repeatedly made clear we are prepared to fund—that includes, of course, FEMA and the Coast Guard and TSA and the national security cybersecurity parts of the Department of Homeland Security that are separate and apart from ICE and from the other agencies that have been brutalizing the American people using taxpayer dollars. This is a President who promised to go after the worst of the worst. Instead, ICE agents are targeting law-abiding immigrant families and using taxpayer dollars to brutalize and in some cases kill American citizens, as was horrifically the case with Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. And unfortunately, the administration has decided that they don’t want to get ICE under control. And so they forced the Congress into a situation where DHS funding is not moving forward. And we’ve indicated, both House Democrats and Senate Democrats, that we are prepared to fund every other aspect of the Department of Homeland Security, while making sure that until ICE enacts the type of dramatic, bold and meaningful changes that force ICE to conduct themselves like every other law enforcement agency in the country, that the DHS funding bill with respect to immigration enforcement interior to the country should absolutely not move forward—

ELEX MICHAELSON: Is there any actual negotiation happening on this front? Are you talking with Republicans in a serious way to come to an agreement?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, listen, there are ongoing conversations. And as Democrats, we’ve made clear that we will continue to be prepared to sit down with anyone, anytime, any place to discuss how we can move forward in a way that allows for immigration enforcement in this country to be fair, to be just and to be humane. That’s what the American people want to see. And we’re going to continue to support the notion that changes need to be made that are transformational in terms of the way in which ICE conducts itself.

ELEX MICHAELSON: You’re here in California, there was big news when it comes to the California caucus today. Kevin Kiley, who has been a Republican Member of the House, decided to leave the Republican Party and become an Independent, although he’s still caucusing with the Republicans. Right now, he is running as a no-party-preference person after his district was gerrymandered by Democrats, after Texas Republicans gerrymandered their district. And he said that he may be open to being a Democrat in the next Congress. Take a listen.

RECORDING OF REP. KILEY: As far as next term, you know, I think that the appropriate posture as an Independent is to say, I’m going to do whatever serves my constituents. And so that’s a decision that I’ll make at the time. I think, first and foremost, I’ll be looking at what’s going to best lower the cost of living for the folks that I represent.

ELEX MICHAELSON: So Congressman Kiley is actually our guest next. What’s your message? Are you ready to welcome him into the Democratic Caucus?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I think the Congressman is going to have to explain to the people he hopes to represent in the next Congress why he voted for the Republican One Big Ugly Bill. Think about this: Republicans enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They literally ripped healthcare away from about 14 million Americans. In that same bill, they enacted the largest cut to nutritional assistance ever, $186 billion taken away, literally ripping food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans in order to provide massive tax breaks to their billionaire donors, and in the same bill, gave ICE a $75 billion slush fund so that the Trump administration can unleash these violent individuals who are masked and untrained to brutalize the American people and, in some cases, kill them. And so I think the first question for us is going to be, well, does he regret that vote, and does he plan to partner with Democrats to reverse the damage that has been done by the Trump policies to date?

ELEX MICHAELSON: Okay, so if he does, you’re ready to welcome him in, it sounds like.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, I mean, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it, but there’s a lot of explaining that he has to do to his constituents and to those of us on the Democratic side of the aisle.

ELEX MICHAELSON: Alright, Hakeem Jeffries, thank you so much for sharing your views. We appreciate it.

Full interview can be watched here.

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LEADER JEFFRIES ON MS NOW: “THE PRESIDENT HAS CHOSEN NOT TO EVEN MAKE A CASE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AS TO WHY WE ARE INVOLVED IN THIS CONFLICT”

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MS NOW’s Katy Tur Reports, where he emphasized that Democrats will continue working to hold Donald Trump to account, including on his failed promises to lower costs and keep us out of expensive foreign wars.

KATY TUR: Joining us, House Minority Leader, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. Really good to have you as always. Thank you for being with us. You had said over the weekend that you’ll cross that bridge when it comes regarding extra money for this war. What are you still taking under consideration?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, we’ll meet as a Caucus and have a conversation if the President and administration send up an appropriations bill. But here’s the problem. Donald Trump has entered into this war of choice. They’re spending billions of dollars in the Middle East. Have zero interest—these extremists—in actually trying to lower the high cost of living for the people of this country. In terms of this war of choice, Donald Trump has no clear plan of action, there’s no discernible objective—they shift every day—and there’s no exit strategy to get us out of a conflict when Donald Trump promised as a candidate not to get us into this type of potentially endless war in the Middle East.

KATY TUR: So it sounds like you would vote no to give him more money to keep doing this if there’s no clear objective and he doesn’t know what he’s doing?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well that certainly is the presumption, but I don’t want to get out ahead of the Caucus when we have that conversation. It’s all theoretical right now. What is occurring is that there’s this ongoing war, billions of dollars are being spent, the President has chosen not to try to even make a case to the American people as to why we are involved in this conflict. And, again, the objectives, the rationale shifts every day. One day, its regime change. The next day, it’s because we’ve got to stop Iran, who apparently the President was claiming was on the brink of nuclear weapon capability when just a few months ago he claimed that the nuclear program had been ‘completely and totally obliterated.’ There’s no evidence that the administration has presented to suggest that there was an imminent threat to either the American people at home or our interests in the Middle East. And so there’s a lot that has been left to be desired as it relates to what’s going on in terms of this war of choice that Donald Trump has plunged us into.

KATY TUR: Yeah, and I know Democrats are largely behind the War Powers Act. That has not gone anywhere. Republicans have not supported it. So on the question of funding, which the Democrats are going to need to be involved in, at least in the Senate because of the numbers there—on the question of funding, it seems like that is a moment for Democrats to make a stand on this war. And I know you have to go to your conference, but I wonder what are still the open concerns about not giving additional funding to the Pentagon while we’re in the middle of this? What are the pros and cons, essentially?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, listen, the American people have been very clear. That’s the reason why this war is already deeply unpopular, which is an extraordinary thing. You look at other conflicts, that’s never been the case. But in this particular instance, the American people have been very clear. We’re in the middle of an affordability crisis. I know Donald Trump denies that it exists. In fact, he thinks that the most important thing that Republicans should focus on right now is voter suppression legislation. That’s extraordinary.You got far too many people in this country who are struggling to live paycheck to paycheck. They’re working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but they can’t thrive and they can barely survive. So our view is that taxpayer dollars should be spent to make life more affordable for the American people, to bring down housing costs and healthcare costs and the cost of their grocery bills and electricity prices that are skyrocketing through the roof and child care costs which hold so many families back. And that’s what we should be focusing on right now. Now the President, when you take us to war, has a responsibility to the American people to actually make a compelling case as to why our lives are being put at risk at home and particularly our men and women in uniform who are in a theater of war are risking their lives heroically and patriotically and we’ll continue to support them. But the President owes the country a justification and a rationale and that’s been non-existent.

KATY TUR: Yeah so I guess we’re going to wait and see what happens when and if he does come for more money. On the question of affordability, I wonder, what are the—do you have legislative plans already laid out for if the Democrats are able to retake the House, maybe even the Senate, come November? Do you guys have a clear agenda for what you want to start with in order to get this affordability crisis in hand?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, our topline focus clearly has to be to drive down the high cost of living. One, with respect to housing, I think we need to build more housing in order to make sure that we can drop costs so that everyday Americans can afford to both pay their rent, we can bring down the cost of rent by increasing the supply dramatically. We also need to make home ownership, particularly for first-time home buyers, more affordable. So we want to focus on that. We certainly need to bring down the high cost of healthcare and one of the ways in which we can do it, is to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Now, we’ve managed to do that in the House, but right now John Thune and Senate Republicans are playing games and have refused to do what the American people are demanding, which will bring down healthcare costs and make it more affordable for more than 20 million Americans instantaneously and also have a positive impact on others. Third thing that I would mention, of course, is that we’ve got to ensure that we stop the Trump tariffs. They are increasing costs by thousands of dollars per year on everyday Americans and Congress needs to reclaim that power as opposed to what Republicans have done in the House which is to continue to bury their heads in the sand and be a reckless rubber stamp for Donald Trump’s extreme agenda.

KATY TUR: What about the DHS funding? There are a lot of folks right now that are not getting paid—Coast Guard, along with TSA, there has been quite a few long lines for travelers at the airport. I know that Democrats believe that should just be taken out of the funding package. We’ll fund the—Democrat, or the Democrats say we’ll fund the Coast Guard. We’ll fund TSA. I’m just not gonna fund DHS. Have you been having conversations with Republicans, fruitful conversations, about stripping those agencies out and just focusing the funding, or the lack thereof, on DHS alone? I mean, I’m sorry, on ICE and CBP alone.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, so there haven’t been any formal conversations recently, but of course, we’re ready to sit down with our Republican colleagues anytime, anyplace in order to make clear that one, ICE needs to be brought under control because right now we have a situation—and the American people know it—taxpayer dollars are being used to brutalize or kill American citizens, including, of course, horrifically, Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Pretti. And we need immigration enforcement in this country that’s fair, that’s just and that’s humane. And we want ICE to be able to conduct itself like every other law enforcement agency in the country. That means we need change that is bold, dramatic, meaningful and transformational. At the same period of time, unfortunately, Republicans in both the House and the Senate have said we would rather shut down FEMA, shut down the Coast Guard and shut down TSA as opposed to reining ICE in. And so we’re going to continue to stand on the side of the American people. And we’re ready, willing and able to move legislation forward. It’s been introduced by Rosa DeLauro in the House and Patty Murray in the Senate. And Republicans are blocking legislation that would fund the other aspects of DHS while we work this situation out in terms of getting ICE under control.

KATY TUR: So is the roadblock John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson? Are those the two people that are refusing to negotiate on this? And if so, have you gone over to the Speaker’s office and said, hey, let’s sit down and try to figure this out? Nobody wants to see these long lines at TSA. Nobody wants Coast Guard employees to go without a paycheck. Everybody wants FEMA to get funded. Let’s get this figured out. After all, ICE and CBP just got a ton of money from the Big Beautiful Bill. It’s not like they need any more.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, what we need to see happen are the type of changes like requiring ICE to get judicial warrants before they can rip everyday Americans out of their homes, make sure there are independent investigations by state and local officials when ICE agents violate the law so they can be held criminally accountable. We need to protect sensitive locations from being targeted by ICE, from law-abiding immigrant families being targeted, of course, in places like schools and hospitals, houses of worship and certainly polling sites which is part of Donald Trump’s voter suppression scheme. There’s a whole list of things that can be done, that need to be done, in order to get ICE under control. And I’ve made that clear repeatedly to Mike Johnson, as Leader Schumer has done with John Thune. Unfortunately, it appears that House and Senate Republicans haven’t been given the green light from Donald Trump—that’s their boss. That’s who they work for, unfortunately, not the American people—to actually sit down and negotiate in good faith.

KATY TUR: Alright, Leader Hakeem Jeffries. I was going to ask you about Kevin Kiley becoming an Independent and what that meant for you, but I’m fresh out of time unless you have a very quick answer for me. Does it mean anything at all?

LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, he’s got to explain himself to his voters, including his vote on the One Big Ugly Bill, so right now it doesn’t mean much.

KATY TUR: Alright, Leader Jeffries. Thank you so much for joining us as always.

Full interview can be watched here.

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LEADER JEFFRIES STATEMENT ON APPREHENSION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS NEAR GRACIE MANSION

Know Your Immigration Rights

If you or a loved one encounter immigration enforcement officials, it is essential that you know your rights and have prepared your household for all possible outcomes.

Ask for a warrant: The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects you from unreasonable search and seizure. You do not have to open your door until you see a valid warrant to enter your home or search your belongings.

Your right to remain silent: The Fifth Amendment protects your right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself. You are not required to share any personal information such as your place of birth, immigration status or criminal history.

Always consult an attorney: You have a right to speak with an attorney. You do not have to sign anything or hand officials any documents without speaking to an attorney. Try to identify and consult one in advance.

The New York City Office of Civil Justice and the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) support a variety of free immigration legal services through local nonprofit legal organizations. To access these resources, dial 311 and say “Action NYC,” call the MOIA Immigration Legal Support Hotline at 800-354-0365 Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. or visit MOIA’s website.


American Flood Coalition Recognizes Representative Tim Kennedy as a Federal Champion

As New York faces stronger storms, higher seas, and more frequent flooding, Rep. Tim Kennedy commits to leading on solutions to build resilience and improve disaster recovery processes.

The American Flood Coalition (AFC) today recognized Representative Tim Kennedy (NY) as a Federal Champion for his leadership, public service, and commitment to finding solutions to challenges posed by flooding.

“I have championed flood resilience throughout my career as a public servant, first in the New York State Senate and now as a member of Congress,” said Representative Kennedy. “As a member of the American Flood Coalition during my time as a state legislator, and now as a Federal Champion, I’m excited to continue collaborating on common-sense flooding solutions and improving the disaster recovery system to help communities in Western New York and across the country.”

Rep. Kennedy joins 54 bipartisan AFC Federal Champions, those members of Congress dedicated to combatting the effects of stronger storms and more frequent flooding. Rep. Kennedy is the fifth Federal Champion from the Empire State, joining Reps. Tom Suozzi, Joseph Morelle, Andrew Garbarino, and Nick LaLota.

“Rep. Kennedy continues to be a strong voice for helping local communities better prepare for and recover from flooding and other disasters, just as he did in the New York State Senate,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition. “We are grateful for his leadership to deliver a fairer, faster federal disaster recovery system that builds more resilient communities in New York and beyond.”

As Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology, Rep. Kennedy has oversight of key emergency preparedness, response, mitigation, resilience, and recovery programs at FEMA.

During his tenure in the New York State Senate representing Western New York, Mr. Kennedy secured millions in funding for infrastructure investment as Chair of the Transportation Committee and championed Great Lakes issues.

About the American Flood Coalition

The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group that brings together cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups to drive adaptation to higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding. The Coalition advances solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations. AFC has over 500 members across 22 states, as well as 55 Federal Champions. For more on the organization’s work or how to become a member, visit floodcoalition.org.

About Federal Champions

The American Flood Coalition is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The American Flood Coalition is not a Congressional Member Organization, nothing on this website shall be read to imply official sponsorship by either the U.S. House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate or any of their respective Members, and Federal Champions have no membership obligations or fiduciary responsibilities with respect to the American Flood Coalition. Federal Champion is an honorary title awarded by the American Flood Coalition to recognize Members of Congress who have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.


King-Hinds, Gillen, Mackenzie Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Children from Counterfeit Car Seats

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands), Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D-New York), both members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (R-Pennsylvania) introduced bipartisan legislation to protect children from counterfeit and noncompliant car seats.

The Child Automobile Restraint Safety Education and Training (CAR SEAT) Act would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch a nationwide education campaign on the dangers of counterfeit and noncompliant child restraint systems, including car seats and booster seats. The legislation would also allow states and territories to use federal highway safety funds for public information and education campaigns to help families identify and avoid unsafe products.

For families in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, where many parents rely on imported goods and online marketplaces for essential products, the legislation aims to ensure caregivers have the information they need to choose safe and federally compliant car seats.

“I’m proud to join Congresswoman Gillen and Congressman Mackenzie in introducing this bipartisan legislation to better protect children and give families the information they need to avoid counterfeit or unsafe car seats,” said Rep. King-Hinds. “In the Northern Mariana Islands, where families rely on safe and reliable transportation every day, parents deserve confidence that the products they use meet federal safety standards. This effort strengthens education and awareness so we can help keep children in our communities, and across the nation, safe on the road.”

"As a mother, I know there is nothing more important than the safety of our children,” said Rep. Gillen. “Noncompliant and counterfeit car seats put babies' and children’s lives at risk due to improper testing, inadequate safety features and poor construction. This leaves our children vulnerable in the moments that matter most. This bipartisan bill ensures parents have the education and resources they need to identify and avoid these dangerous products and gives states the tools to keep every child safe on the road. Protecting our children is not optional and we must do everything we can to make sure every car seat is safe for them."

"As a father of two young children, there is nothing more important to me than keeping our kids safe. Parents should be able to trust that the car seat they buckle their child into meets the safety standards designed to protect them," said Rep. Mackenzie. "Unfortunately, counterfeit and noncompliant products are making it harder for families to know whether the equipment they rely on is actually safe. This bipartisan effort will help educate parents and caregivers about how to identify dangerous products and avoid them, so more children are properly protected every time they’re on the road.”

“Infants and toddlers are uniquely vulnerable in a motor vehicle crash, which is why it is important they are secured in a safety seat that is appropriate for their age and height, is installed correctly and meets federal safety standards,” said Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. “We are proud to support Rep. Laura Gillen and Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds’ bipartisan legislation to help ensure families can confidently choose compliant child safety seats and secure every young child on every trip.”

“It is crucial that families have full confidence in the quality of the car seats they purchase, and this campaign will help them choose safe products over unsafe imposters,” said Joe Colella, Director of Child Passenger Safety for the Baby Safety Alliance. “Fully compliant car seats and booster seats are proven to protect children from violent crash forces, saving more than 12,000 lives and reducing countless injuries over the past 50 years.”

"Every time we buckle a child into a car seat, we deserve to know that child is safe," said Courtney Griffin, Director of Consumer Product Safety at the Consumer Federation of America. "Unfortunately, counterfeit and noncompliant child restraints are a silent threat hiding in plain sight. We strongly support giving caregivers the tools to spot dangerous products before tragedy strikes.”

“Children are our most precious cargo and should always be properly secured in a child’s car or booster seat that meets federal regulations,” said Daniel Greene, Senior Director of Consumer Protection & Product Safety at the National Consumers League. “Regrettably, a pipeline of counterfeit and noncompliant child restraint systems is flooding the market, deceiving parents and guardians into strapping their child into dangerous contraptions not fit to withstand crash forces or protect children. The National Consumers League applauds Representatives Gillen and King-Hinds for championing legislation to educate parents and loved ones about the dangers of these defective child restraint systems.”

"Safe Kids Worldwide commends Representatives Gillen and King-Hinds for introducing legislation to help parents and caregivers make safe choices and avoid noncompliant or counterfeit car seats," said Safe Kids Worldwide President Torine Creppy. "The best way to protect children in the event of a crash is to ensure they are properly restrained in a compliant and correctly installed car seat. Too often we have seen car seats that don’t meet federal safety standards being used by well-meaning families, and we support Reps. Gillen and King-Hinds efforts to educate the public on the risks associated with these products.”

The legislation is endorsed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Baby Safety Alliance, Consumer Federation of America, National Consumers League, and Safe Kids Worldwide.


Larson, Neal Blast Another Damning Whistleblower Allegation Against ‘DOGE’ and Social Security

Washington, D.C. — Today, Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (CT-01) and Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (MA-01) released the following statement after the Washington Postreported that another whistleblower has accused a former 'DOGE' employee of illegally copying two Social Security databases onto an unsecured thumb drive for personal gain:

“These continued revelations demand a full investigation with accountability if wrongdoing is confirmed. This is criminal, and the result of a year of lawlessness and mismanaging the people’s data that Republicans have insisted wasn’t happening.

“It wasn’t long ago that Commissioner Bisignano sat across from us and insisted there was nothing nefarious happening with Americans’ data at Social Security. Just last week, he dodged questions in front of the entire Committee, rightfully receiving bipartisan blowback for his lack of transparency. It’s clear that either he’s been asleep at the switch, or he’s deliberately misled members of Congress and the public—neither is acceptable. He must return to Ways and Means and tell Congress the full truth about what’s unfolding under his watch.

“This continued disregard for the law is why the public needs answers on 'DOGE.' Ways and Means Democrats have been sounding the alarm about the Administration’s reckless handling of Americans’ most sensitive data since the start, and these allegations only deepen our determination to get to the truth and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

Larson and Neal introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act in March 2025 to prevent ‘DOGE’ and other Special Government Employees from accessing this private and confidential data. In September, Neal and Larson introduced a Resolution of Inquiry compelling information about ‘DOGE’ access to Social Security’s databases. Last week, Social Security Commissioner Bisignano appeared in front of the Ways and Means Committee in his role as ‘CEO of the IRS,’ where he refused to answer for the IRS data breach to Homeland Security or the voter data agreement between ‘DOGE’ and an ‘unnamed voter advocacy group’ attempting to use personal Social Security data to overturn election results.


ICYMI: Lawler Joins Hudson Valley Leaders to Highlight Over $33 Million in Local Investments

New City, N.Y. – 3/10/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) joined municipal leaders from across the Hudson Valley at Clarkstown Town Hall to highlight more than $33 million in federal investments supporting infrastructure, public safety, transportation, and community priorities across the district.

WATCH: LAWLER JOINS HUDSON VALLEY LEADERS TO HIGHLIGHT OVER $33 MILLION IN LOCAL INVESTMENTS

Representatives from 13 municipalities attended the press conference to discuss how these investments will strengthen their communities and improve quality of life for residents.

“Residents across the Hudson Valley want the basics to work: safe streets, reliable water infrastructure, and public services that meet the needs of their communities. These investments will support law enforcement, improve water and sewer systems, upgrade roads and sidewalks, and expand transportation options across our district,” said Congressman Lawler.

During the congressional appropriations process, Congressman Lawler secured funding for several critical infrastructure and public safety projects, including:

$4.2 million for police equipment for the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office in Clarkstown

$2.6 million for a new Rockland County Sheriff’s training facility

$2.25 million to replace a water storage tank in the Village of Pleasantville

$1.25 million for a water plant project in the Town of Carmel

$1.25 million for the Hallocks Mill Sewer District extension in the Town of Yorktown

$1.25 million for the Croton Falls sewer project in North Salem

$983,200 for a water main project in the Village of Sleepy Hollow

$5 million for the Nanuet Transit-Oriented Development project in Clarkstown

$5 million for sidewalks in the Town of Ramapo

$1.3 million for sidewalks in the Town of Orangetown

$4 million for road infrastructure improvements in the Village of New Square

$1 million for Memorial Drive reconstruction in the Village of Suffern

$1 million for a water main project in Ossining

The FY26 appropriations legislation also included funding for additional New York priorities, which Lawler voted in favor of, including:

$1 million for bus transit in the Village of Kaser

$500,000 for Ready Transit in the Town of Ramapo

$534,000 for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison

“These projects were identified by the communities themselves. Working together with local leaders, we were able to deliver targeted investments that will strengthen infrastructure, support public safety, and improve quality of life across the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Lawler.

PHOTOS: Pictures from today’s press conference can be found HERE.

VIDEO: Remarks from today’s event can be found HERE.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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Rep. Levin & Sen. Schiff Introduce New Bicameral Legislation to Explicitly Ban Death & War Prediction Contracts

Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) are introducing the DEATH BETS Act, new bicameral legislation to explicitly prohibit any Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) registered entity from listing any contract that involves, relates to, or references terrorism, assassination, war, or an individual’s death.

“Betting on war and death should be illegal. While federal law prohibits prediction market contracts on terrorism, war, and assassination, there are still gaping holes that allow traders to profit off death. The result is a system with nothing standing between a prediction market and a contract that lets someone make money off the outbreak of war or the deaths of American service members. We already saw what that looks like: over half a billion dollars was wagered on the timing of U.S. military strikes on Iran alone. That is unacceptable, and this legislation puts a stop to it,” said Rep. Levin.

“Betting on war and death creates an environment in which insiders can profit off of classified information, our national security is jeopardized, and violence is encouraged. There is no justification for gambling on lives, or public benefit to be derived by such a market. With regulators turning a blind eye, prediction markets have rapidly become the Wild West. As the CFTC seeks to rewrite the rules of the road, Congress must make clear that these death bets are unequivocally prohibited, and this bill would do just that,” said Sen. Schiff.

Under the Commodity Exchange Act, the CFTC currently has the authority to prohibit war, terrorism, and assassination contracts from being listed if they are determined by the Commission to be contrary to the public interest. Whether or not these contracts are in the public interest is at the discretion of the CFTC. At a time when CFTC Chair Selig has indicated that he will rewrite the rules on prediction markets, the CFTC can no longer be granted this discretion. The DEATH BETS Act will unequivocally ban these contracts.

The introduction of this bill follows platforms listing prediction contracts relating to war and death, such as whether Iran’s Ali Khamenei would be “out as Supreme Leader" which had $54 million in trading volume on Kalshi before it was paused.

Rep. Levin previously raised alarms on these “death contracts” being offered on offshore exchanges, such as if Maduro would be removed from power and whether the Ukrainian town of Myrnohad would be captured by Russian forces.

The bill would:

codify a prohibition on war, assassination, and terrorism contracts,

explicitly prohibits contracts that involve death or may otherwise be construed to closely correlate with death, which is not currently referenced in the Commodity Exchange Act.

The full text of the bill is available here.

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Representatives Massie and Pingree Introduce Bipartisan Bill Allowing Interstate Traffic of Raw Milk

For Immediate Release

Contact: massie.press@mail.house.gov

Contact #: 202-225-3465

Washington, D.C.- Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) announces the introduction of H.R. 7880, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act. The bill prohibits federal interference with the interstate traffic of unpasteurized milk and milk products that are packaged for direct human consumption. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) is the co-lead on the legislation.

"Executive branch agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), do not and should not have the power to shut down trade between peaceful farmers and willing consumers," said Rep. Massie. "It is Congress's job to legislate. The Interstate Milk Freedom Act would make it easier for families to buy the milk of their choice by reversing the criminalization of specific dairy farmers."

"So many people across the country want to make sure their food is fresh and local—including fruits, vegetables, and even their milk," said Rep. Pingree. "Raw milk is currently the only food banned for interstate commerce—an onerous regulation that hurts small farmers for selling milk straight from their cows to the consumer."

If two states have legalized the sale of unpasteurized milk, the Interstate Milk Freedom Act prevents federal departments, agencies, or courts from taking any action to prohibit or restrict the traffic of milk between those two states. Although Congress has never passed a ban on raw milk, the FDA issued a regulation banning the interstate sale of raw milk in capitulation to a lawsuit decided in 1986.

This legislation was introduced as an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill. It was also introduced as a standalone bill in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2024.

Original cosponsors of H.R. 7880 include Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH), Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA).

Rep. Massie owns 50 head of beef cattle on his off-the-grid farm in northeast Kentucky.

Rep. Pingree lives on a farm that raises grass fed beef, chickens, and vegetables on an island in Maine.

The text of the Interstate Milk Freedom Act is available at this link.

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McIver Calls for Change, Recounts Wins in District Address

Newark, NJ – Last evening, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) gave her first State of the District address. McIver highlighted moments from her first full year representing New Jersey's 10th District in Congress and shared her vision for the year ahead. In attendance were elected officials, local leaders, and constituents.

Clips from the address are available for use. The full recording of McIver’s address is here.

“I am proud to be your voice in Washington,” said McIver. “And it only works because I am listening to you and hearing from you right here in the district.”

“Have things been hard? Yes. Have bad things happened? Yes,” said McIver. “But have we been sitting still? Absolutely not. We got to work. We organized, legislated, and delivered.”

McIver addressed the baseless charges brought against her by the Trump administration head on, spoke about millions of dollars in funding that she has delivered for the district in recent months, and laid out her work on top issues around affordability and justice.

Questions about the address should be directed to NJ10Press@mail.house.gov.

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REP. MIKE THOMPSON PRESENTS $850,000 CHECK TO SUPPORT NAPA VALLEY VINE TRAIL CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUNTVILLE AND ST. HELENA

Napa County, CA — Congressman Mike Thompson (CA-04) yesterday presented an $850,000 federal funding check to the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition to support the development of a key segment of the Napa Valley Vine Trail between Yountville and St. Helena. The funding was secured by Thompson through the federal Community Project Funding process.

“Projects like the Vine Trail make our communities safer, healthier, and more connected,” said Thompson. “This investment will help move forward a key section of the trail that will give residents and visitors a safe place to walk and bike while strengthening connections between communities across Napa Valley. I’m proud to deliver this funding to support transportation alternatives and outdoor recreation throughout our region.”

“This community project funding is helping turn a long-envisioned project into reality,” said Shawn White, Executive Director of the Napa Valley Vine Trail Coalition. “Completing the design for the Yountville–St. Helena segment moves us one step closer to connecting communities across the valley with a safe and accessible trail system. We’re grateful for Congressman Thompson’s continued leadership and support for the Vine Trail.”

Once completed, the project will help close a key gap in the 47-mile regional bicycle and pedestrian transportation network that will eventually stretch from the Vallejo Ferry Terminal to Calistoga, allowing residents and visitors to travel much more of the Napa Valley without relying on heavily trafficked roadways.

Thompson secured the funding as part of the Community Project Funding (CPF) process for Fiscal Year 2026.

Each year, Members of Congress may direct federal funding to a limited number of community projects through the appropriations process. Under this program, each House member may submit up to 15 project requests on behalf of their district for competitive review by the House Appropriations Committee. Projects selected for funding must meet strict transparency and accountability requirements before being included in federal appropriations legislation.


Neal, Larson Blast Another Damning Whistleblower Allegation Against DOGE and Social Security

WASHINGTON, DC— Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) and Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (D-CT) released the following statement after the Washington Post reported that another whistleblower has accused a former DOGE employee of illegally copying two Social Security databases onto an unsecured thumb drive for personal gain:

“These continued revelations demand a full investigation with accountability if wrongdoing is confirmed. This is criminal, and the result of a year of lawlessness and mismanaging the people’s data that Republicans have insisted wasn’t happening.

“It wasn’t long ago that Commissioner Bisignano sat across from us and insisted there was nothing nefarious happening with Americans’ data at Social Security. Just last week, he dodged questions in front of the entire Committee, rightfully receiving bipartisan blowback for his lack of transparency. It’s clear that either he’s been asleep at the switch, or he’s deliberately misled members of Congress and the public—neither is acceptable. He must return to Ways and Means and tell Congress the full truth about what’s unfolding under his watch.

“This continued disregard for the law is why the public needs answers on DOGE. Ways and Means Democrats have been sounding the alarm about the Administration’s reckless handling of Americans’ most sensitive data since the start, and these allegations only deepen our determination to get to the truth and ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

Neal and Larson introduced the Protecting Americans’ Social Security Data Act in March 2025 to prevent ‘DOGE’ and other Special Government Employees from accessing this private and confidential data. In September, Neal and Larson introduced a Resolution of Inquiry compelling information about ‘DOGE’ access to Social Security’s databases. Last week, Social Security Commissioner Bisignano appeared in front of the Ways and Means Committee in his role as ‘CEO of the IRS,’ where he refused to answer for the IRS data breach to Homeland Security or the voter data agreement between ‘DOGE’ and an ‘unnamed voter advocacy group’ attempting to use personal Social Security data to overturn election results.


Neguse Demands Answers as ICE “Death Cards” Investigation Raises Oversight Concerns

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse and Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with the Democratic members of Colorado’s House Delegation, called on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to disclose which ICE field office is conducting the investigation into reports that ace of spade “death cards” were left in cars belonging to individuals detained by ICE agents in Eagle County.

This letter follows a February request from the lawmakers demanding DHS launch an immediate independent investigation. After the inquiry was passed between multiple offices, DHS said that the DHS Office of the Inspector General referred the case to the Office of Professional Responsibility, which then assigned the case to a field office for investigation. DHS failed to specify which field office is overseeing the investigation, which raises serious concerns about transparency and possible conflicts of interest.

“We remain deeply concerned by the allegations that federal agents were falsely acting as local law enforcement and that the ace of spades, long known as the ‘death card’, was used to intimidate Latino communities,” the lawmakers wrote.

“While the investigation is ongoing, we request a formal, detailed briefing on ICE activities in Eagle County, to include information on the field office that is conducting the investigation.” In addition, the lawmakers demanded, “... a report on findings of the investigation, and written confirmation of any disciplinary or corrective actions taken.”

These specific cards found in Colorado had the address and phone number of the Aurora ICE detention facility printed on them.

Congressman Neguse, Senators Hickenlooper and Bennet, and their colleagues requested a response from DHS ahead of Secretary Noem’s last day at the agency, March 31. She was fired last week after Neguse and fellow members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees — including Republican Senators John Kennedy and Tom Tillis — exposed her involvement in a $220 million, taxpayer-funded ad campaign that financially benefited her inner circle.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Noem:

We are writing to follow up on our February 2, 2026 letter regarding disturbing reports about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities in Eagle County, Colorado. Reportedly, ICE agents in unmarked vehicles with attached sirens conducted imitation traffic stops and ultimately detained ten Latino individuals who are now being held at the Aurora Detention Facility. Additionally, according to multiple news reports and local community organizations, family members of the detained individuals found ace of spades cards inside multiple abandoned vehicles, printed with the address of the Aurora Detention Facility:

We remain deeply concerned by the allegations that federal agents were falsely acting as local law enforcement and that the ace of spades, long known as the “death card”, was used to intimidate Latino communities. This behavior undermines public trust in law enforcement, raises civil rights concerns, and falls far short of the professional standards expected of federal agents. Additional death cards were reportedly also found in cars in other Colorado counties, heightening our concerns.

In our February 2 letter, we requested that DHS provide a formal, detailed briefing on ICE activities in Eagle County; a report on findings of the DHS investigation into the incident; an independent investigation by the DHS Office of the Inspector General into the activities of the Denver Field Office; and written confirmation of disciplinary or corrective actions taken. In response, DHS wrote that the DHS Office of the Inspector General referred the complaint to the Office of Professional Responsibility, who assigned the incident to a field office for investigation.

While the investigation is ongoing, we request a formal, detailed briefing on ICE activities in Eagle County, to include information on the field office that is conducting the investigation. We request immediate notification once the investigation is complete. At that time, we request a report on findings of the investigation, and written confirmation of any disciplinary or corrective actions taken.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We respectfully request a response by March 20.

Sincerely,

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