Krishnamoorthi Presses BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell to Reduce Carbon Emissions, Citing Evidence Linking Fossil Fuel Emissions to More Severe Wildfires

WASHINGTON — Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today sent letters to the chief executive officers of BP, Chevron, Exxon Mobil, and Shell urging each company to take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, citing growing scientific evidence linking fossil fuel emissions to increasingly severe wildfires.

In the letters, Krishnamoorthi writes:

"I am writing today urging you to take immediate steps to reduce carbon emissions, which have been directly linked to the increase in wildfires across North America. As communities across the nation endure dangerous air quality and the growing impacts of wildfire smoke, the oil and gas industry must acknowledge its role in intensifying this crisis and take immediate, meaningful steps to reduce emissions."

On July 16, wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada pushed Chicago's air quality to record levels, prompting public health warnings, event cancellations, and facility closures. The smoke spread across the Midwest and Northeast, exposing millions of Americans to hazardous air pollution.

The letters point to recent scientific research linking greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry to increasingly severe wildfires:

"Research clearly links wildfires to the heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions of the oil and gas industry. A 2023 study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters found that 37 percent of the total burned forest area in Western Canada and the United States between 1986 and 2021 can be traced back to 88 major fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers. These findings build on previous studies that have quantified the contribution of those same 88 companies to the increase in global temperatures."

Krishnamoorthi concludes that the industry must take responsibility for its role in worsening increasingly destructive wildfires:

"The hazardous air conditions experienced in Chicago and other cities show that wildfire impacts are no longer distant or abstract—they are disrupting daily life, harming health, and straining communities right now. These climate-driven fires demand meaningful action before the damage to our forests, our air, and our communities becomes irreversible. I call on you to take accountability, despite decades of industry denial, for your role in exacerbating the wildfires that threaten the health of millions of Americans."


Following Covert ICE Operations at Bradley, Larson Announces Introduction of Bill Immediately Ending TSA Coordination with ICE

Hartford, CT – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) announced the introduction of the No TSA Data for ICE Act. Itwould immediately cut off the coordination between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that enabled recent covert operations at Bradley—where residents were snatched out of security lines by unidentified ICE agents. The bill would also prevent the Department of Homeland Security from retaliating against critics of ICE and the Trump Administration by revoking their status in trusted traveler programs, including TSA PreCheck and Global Entry.


Lofgren, Amo Refer DOE Secretary Chris Wright to DOJ for Lying to Congress

(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Environment Subcommittee Ranking Member Gabe Amo (D-RI) sent a letter to formally refer Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Chris Wright to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for lying to the Committee during a hearing on June 10th, 2026. Secretary Wright repeatedly denied that $7.5 billion dollars of DOE awards cancelled by the Trump administration in October 2025 were in retaliation against states that leaned Democratic in the 2024 presidential election (Blue States). Three weeks prior to Secretary Wright’s testimony, DOE attorneys admitted to doing exactly that in court.

“Secretary Wright flatly denied that partisan politics lay behind the termination decisions,” the Members wrote in their letter. “He testified that ‘no decisions, no decisions were made on politics’ and that the award terminations ‘weren’t’ based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. But that was not true. In a federal lawsuit related to the same award terminations, DOE’s Principal Deputy General Counsel formally stipulated that ‘the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.’ DOE also stipulated that none of the October 2025 award terminations were ‘based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor,’ and that 'the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.’

“Secretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation, ‘based solely’ on whether recipients were located in Blue States. He lied to Congress. In doing so, he violated 18 USC §1001, which bars individuals from making ‘any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation’ to Congress. We have no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution in this matter.”

The letter can be accessed here, and below.

Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche,

On June 10th, 2026, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright testified before the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (“the Committee”). During his appearance, a Member of the Committee questioned Secretary Wright about the Department of Energy’s (DOE) termination of more than $7.5 billion dollars’ worth of financial awards in October 2025, and whether those terminations were motivated by a partisan desire to retaliate against “Blue States.” In response, Secretary Wright flatly denied that partisan politics lay behind the termination decisions. He testified that “no decisions, no decisions were made on politics” and that the award terminations “weren’t” based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. But that was not true. In a federal lawsuit related to the same award terminations, DOE’s Principal Deputy General Counsel formally stipulated that “the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State.” DOE also stipulated that none of the October 2025 award terminations were “based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor,” and that “the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.”

Secretary Wright lied to the Committee with his statements, which sought to prevent us from learning the truth: that the October award terminations were an act of political retaliation, “based solely” on whether recipients were located in Blue States. He lied to Congress. In doing so, he violated 18 USC §1001, which bars individuals from making “any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation” to Congress. We have no choice but to refer Secretary Wright to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution in this matter.

On October 1st, 2025, DOE announced the termination of hundreds of financial awards. According to the Department’s own analysis, the group of terminated awards was worth approximately $7.56 billion in total. The terminations were immediately criticized as a partisan attack, due to the fact that the “vast majority” of terminated awards were located in states that had voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and currently have two elected Democratic Senators. Secretary Wright publicly denied the accusations of political retaliation. For instance, during an appearance on CNN on October 2nd, 2025, he denied that DOE had acted to punish Blue States in its award terminations and claimed that DOE’s decisions were “all based on facts.” This remained DOE’s public position throughout the fall of 2025 and the first half of 2026. Secretary Wright reiterated his denials during multiple congressional hearings after the award terminations, including as recently as April 2026 in appearances before the House Committee on Appropriations , the House Committee on Energy and Commerce , and the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Secretary Wright testified before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on June 10th, 2026. During his appearance, several Members of the Committee asked direct questions about the October 2025 award terminations. Under questioning by Representative Gabe Amo of Rhode Island, Secretary Wright issued an explicit and unqualified denial that politics played any role in the award termination decisions, and a similarly unqualified denial that the termination decisions were based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. The exchanges between Representative Amo and Secretary Wright are transcribed below:

Secretary Wright: We did not involve politics in the decisions. What the –

Representative Amo: What about the outcomes, Mr. Secretary?

Secretary Wright: The court ruling you read was a choice of announcements of some of the awards, the choice of the announcements, not made by our Department. No decisions, no decisions were made on politics. I keep hearing that charge.

Representative Amo: So –

Secretary Wright: It’s bullshit. We’re going to say it a million times –

Representative Amo: Mr. Secretary –

Secretary Wright: It’s not true.

………………………..

Representative Amo: So my question for you, as my time is rapidly expiring, when will you restore these grants?

Secretary Wright: We work every day for – we’ve gone overboard for New England, for California, for blue states –

Representative Amo: That’s not an answer. I’m reclaiming my clock –

Secretary Wright: Your assertions are incorrect.

Representative Amo: Mr. Secretary, I’m reclaiming my time. That’s not an answer. Do you believe the federal grant decisions should be based in any way on how a state’s voters cast their ballots in a presidential election?

Secretary Wright: They shouldn’t, and they weren’t.

Secretary Wright was very clear in his testimony. No decisions were based on politics. The award termination decisions should not have been based in any way on how a state voted in the 2024 presidential election, and they weren’t. In the Secretary’s own words, it was bullshit to suggest otherwise.

Secretary Wright lied.

On June 4th, 2025, a group of plaintiffs based in California filed a lawsuit against DOE and other federal agencies. As the litigation proceeded under the name Neeta Thakur, et al, v. Trump, the plaintiffs broadened their claims to encompass DOE’s actions in October 2025, alleging that DOE had illegally and unconstitutionally terminated their financial awards in an act of political retaliation against the state of California. DOE eventually agreed to a set of formal stipulations in exchange for the plaintiffs agreeing to forego the discovery process. Those stipulations were signed by DOE’s attorneys on May 15th, 2026 – more than three weeks before Secretary Wright testified in front of the Committee – and filed to the court docket on July 15th, 2026. Several relevant DOE stipulations are reproduced below, numbered as they appear in the court filing:

8. DOE accepts that neither the inclusion of the ARCHES grant nor any other grants in the October notice tranche was based on any programmatic, statutory, cost-reduction, or performance-based factor.

9. DOE accepts that the inclusion of grants in the October notice tranche was based solely on the political identity of the grant recipient’s state, i.e., whether the recipient’s location and/or place of performance was in a Blue State or a non-Blue State. DOE will not contend that it looked beyond the prime grantee(s) to consider the political identity or geographic distribution of downstream beneficiaries of the grant funds.

10. DOE accepts that the differential treatment resulting in the October 2025 termination of Blue State grants and the non-termination of non-Blue State grants was not based on a rational connection between the recipient’s location and/or place of performance and DOE’s past or current agency priorities.

On June 10th, in regards to DOE’s October 2025 financial award terminations, Secretary Wright testified before the Committee that no award termination decisions were based on politics, and no award termination decisions were based on how states had voted in the 2024 presidential election. As noted above, on May 15th, nearly three weeks before Secretary Wright testified before the Committee, DOE signed stipulations that politics was the sole basis for the October 2025 award termination decisions, and that how a state had voted in the 2024 presidential election was the defining factor in the political identity that would determine whether it would experience award terminations or not. Secretary Wright’s testimony to the Committee was unambiguously false and misleading.

Federal law forbids such materially false statements. The federal false statements statute, 18 United States Code §1001, is violated when “whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, knowingly and willfully (1) falsifies, conceals, or covers up by any trick, scheme, or device a material fact; [or] (2) makes any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation [. . .] [in] any investigation or review, conducted pursuant to the authority of any committee, subcommittee, commission or office of the Congress, consistent with applicable rules of the House or Senate.” The aforementioned facts establish that Secretary Wright willfully and knowingly made materially false statements and representations during his testimony before the Committee.

According to the Department of Justice, whether a false statement is criminal under 18 U.S.C §1001 “depends on whether there is an affirmative response to each of the following questions:

1. Was the act or statement material?

2. Was the act within the jurisdiction of a department or agency of the United States?

3. Was the act done knowingly and willfully?”

Satisfying the first element requires that the act or statement be material. Materiality is understood as a matter of importance or consequence. Secretary Wright offered his false statements in response to a direct inquiry by a Member of Congress as to whether grant decisions were based on political considerations and presidential election results. He explicitly and falsely denied that any decisions were based on these factors. The Supreme Court of the United States recently affirmed the high degree of materiality of this type of exchange. The materiality element is affirmatively met.

Satisfying the second element requires that the act or statement lie within “the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States.” Secretary Wright’s statement occurred in the course of a Congressional hearing conducted under the authority of House Rule X(3)(k), which is well recognized as applicable to the statute. The jurisdictional element is affirmatively met.

Satisfying the third element requires that the act or statement be done knowingly and willfully. Courts have previously held that “in general, ‘knowingly’ requires the government to prove that a criminal defendant had knowledge of the facts that constitute the offense [...] willfully [...] usually requires the government to prove that the defendant acted not merely voluntarily, but with a bad purpose, that is, with knowledge that his conduct was, in some general sense, unlawful.” DOE’s July 15th stipulation set forth that the grant decisions in question were based on politics. The stipulation of facts was signed by DOE’s attorneys on May 15th, 2026, more than three weeks before Secretary Wright made his false statements to the Committee. Either Secretary Wright made the false statements despite knowing the facts in the stipulation, or he remained deliberately ignorant of them in order to plead a lack of positive knowledge, which amounts in law to the same thing. Secretary Wright had testified repeatedly about the October 2025 award terminations during multiple prior congressional hearings. He made his denials to the Committee on June 10th with a full understanding of the expectation of truthfulness that accompanied his testimony, while nevertheless voluntarily offering materially false statements related to this matter. The final “knowingly and willfully” element is affirmatively met.

Referring a Cabinet Secretary for potential prosecution is not a step we take lightly. It is a weighty thing to assert that a Cabinet Secretary lied to Congress. We do not treat that assertion as a trivial matter, and we do not use those words carelessly. But the facts of the situation are clear and undeniable. As those facts have met the criminal elements of 18 U.S.C §1001, we refer this matter to the Department of Justice. We request that DOJ review this matter expeditiously and with the utmost seriousness, and if warranted, seek to bring criminal charges against Secretary Wright.

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Congressman Mackenzie Highlights Reform Legislation at White House Anti-Fraud Roundtable

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Ryan Mackenzie (PA-07), representing the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos, joined Vice President JD Vance and other officials from the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud this morning for a roundtable discussion. During the roundtable, which featured an update about ongoing Administration efforts to crack down on fraud in national benefits programs, Congressman Mackenzie detailed his recently-passed legislation, H.R. 8823, the Putting Patients First by Strengthening Provider Accountability in FECA Act. This legislation amends the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to permanently allow the Department of Labor (DOL) to suspend payments to medical providers who have been convicted of fraud.

“As we’ve seen thanks to the efforts of Vice President Vance and others in the Administration, fraud in federal benefit programs is a serious problem, both in terms of scale and impact,” said Congressman Mackenzie. “Not only has this epidemic of fraud robbed taxpayers and eroded public trust, it weakens critical programs and strips resources from some of the most vulnerable in our country. That’s why, as Chairman of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, I held a hearing examining the billions of dollars which have been stolen from federal workers by fraudulent providers, and why I’ve introduced legislation which cracks down on these schemes. Thank you to the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud for giving us the opportunity to discuss these important reforms and our broader efforts to root out fraud.”

According to Vice President Vance, the Administration has uncovered hundreds of billions of dollars in potential fraud and “secured an additional estimated $55 billion in indictments, settlements and civil penalties.” Recent wins by the Task Force include eliminating hundreds of fraudulent hospice and home healthcare providers, cracking down on over $20 billion in fraudulent covid-era Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, and the prosecution of hundreds of fraudsters.

Congressman Mackenzie’s recently-passed legislation will help to safeguard FECA, which provides workers’ compensation benefits for federal workers. At a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing chaired by Congressman Mackenzie earlier in the year, witnesses testified about over $1.7 billion in medical provider fraud targeting the program. Congressman Mackenzie’s legislation permanently codifies DOL’s authority to protect FECA from scammers.

Learn more about Congressman Mackenzie’s anti-fraud legislation HERE

Watch the introduction of the roundtable HERE


ICYMI: Rep. McBride Talks Affordability, Bipartisan Employment Opportunity Bill on The Julie Mason Show

WILMINGTON, Del. — In case you missed it, yesterday, Delaware’s U.S. Representative Sarah McBride (D-Del.) joined SiriusXM’s The Julie Mason Show to discuss her new bipartisan bill, the Disabled Access Credit Modernization Act, which would help small businesses offset the costs of recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities. Rep. McBride also discussed the affordability crisis and how President Trump's decision to go to war with Iran continues to drive up costs for Delawareans.

Below are key excerpts from the conversation. A full recording is available here.

On Expanding Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities:

Julie Mason: . . . So you're working on some legislation ahead of the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. That's interesting. Do tell.

Rep. Sarah McBride: Sure. Well, I was proud just the other week to introduce the Disabled Access Credit Modernization Act. It's bipartisan legislation that I introduced alongside a Republican colleague of mine to make the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act a reality for more of our neighbors. So your listeners might know that, as you mentioned, 36 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by a Republican president, George H.W. Bush, in order to bring down the walls of exclusion for people with disabilities across society, from employment to their ability to get the goods and services that they need to live and thrive. And as part of the ADA, businesses of 15 employees or more are required to make reasonable accommodations to make their businesses more accessible for both employees and customers.

And people often think of this as a ramp to enter or a stall in a restroom that's more accessible. But one of the things that the ADA requires in doing that is those businesses to make those adjustments for employees as well so that we open up employment opportunities for people with disabilities. And to make that something that is more affordable for smaller employers, they passed this tax credit years ago that unfortunately just doesn't cover the full range of needs for employees with disabilities. And so our bill modernizes that tax credit to expand it to include accommodations that folks who are blind or have low vision might need to be able to read screens better to enhance the technology that an office uses for employees who are hard of hearing.

Our bill, which I'm really proud to have introduced with French Hill of North Carolina, would modernize it to guarantee that the full range of reasonable accommodations that smaller businesses have to make to make their spaces more accessible for people with disabilities are truly affordable for those businesses and therefore genuinely available for people with disabilities across our country.

Mason: Wow, that's fantastic. And it seems to me, thinking back, Congresswoman, that the ADA really was an important piece of legislation that really changed things.

McBride: It was life-changing. It fundamentally changed the accessibility of public spaces and private businesses across our country. It has not only opened up goods and services from grocery stores to hotels for people with disabilities, but it also unlocked employment opportunities for people with disabilities. And it's so important that as smaller businesses guarantee that they have accessibility, both physical and other kinds of accessibility, that they're able to do so in a way that is affordable for them and that's why the tax credit was created and it's why we're trying to expand the tax credit so that people with disabilities across different kinds of disabilities, across different accessibility needs are able to have their potential employers or current employers make those accommodations so that they can participate in the workforce and thrive in the workplace.

Mason: I think we see it in ways that we just take for granted now. For example, I'm thinking of braille buttons on an elevator, for example. You know, like things that we just take for granted, like that's just part of the elevator, but it is ADA compliant.

McBride: And you know, when advocates were pushing the ADA in the [1980s] and in 1990, a lot of people, a lot of people said that the ADA was too much too fast. They said that these protections would put too much of a strain on business. They said that it was not necessary. But of course, in the 36 years since it passed, those requirements have become not only everyday realities for us, but they become things that all of us expect. Because when you make a space more accessible for people with disabilities, it becomes more accessible and easier to use for all of us. And so we truly all have benefited from the ADA. And to your point, despite the doomsday scenarios that opponents laid out, it has become so ingrained in our society that the requirements and the expectations laid out in the ADA 36 years ago are just day-to-day obvious expectations that all of us now have.

On Helping Small Businesses Make Workplaces More Accessible:

Mason: As you and I have talked about before, Delaware relies on small business to propel the economy. And it seems to me that over time that that tax credit was insufficient to the needs of small business.

McBride: That's exactly right. Delaware is, we call ourselves a state of neighbors. We are obviously a small state. Everyone knows one another. But we are also, to your point, a state of small businesses. More Delawareans are employed by small businesses than in many other states. And one of the things that I am always trying to do in making the American dream more affordable and accessible for people is to figure out what more we can do to support small businesses. Many of these businesses are operating on thin margins. And obviously, anything we can do to defray any costs that they need to incur to not only abide by federal laws, but to do the right thing, goes a long way in helping those small businesses thrive and grow.

And so this tax credit modernizes that existing tax credit so that it covers things like alternative keyboards or hands-free technology for employees with mobility or dexterity-related disabilities. It allows them to have support if they're making hearing- aid-compatible or amplified telephones for employees who are hard of hearing. And we all benefit when our society is able to tap the talents and full potential of everyone. And so by making it more affordable for these small businesses to employ people with disabilities, not only are they going to benefit by being able to tap the incredible talents that live within our workers with disabilities and communities with disabilities, but allow all of us to benefit from those talents and that potential being tapped by them.

On the Affordability Crisis, the Iran War, and Rising Gas Prices:

Mason: Somewhat along the same lines, I believe you have been traveling around Delaware and talking to the people. And hearing about affordability issues?

McBride: That's without question. You know, we're on our August in-district work period right now. The joy of being here uninterrupted in Delaware for a month straight means that I get to travel across our state. And there is no question that no matter where I am, whether I'm talking to young families or retirees, whether I'm in a bluer area or a redder area, an urban, suburban or rural area of my state, the first, second and third thing that I'm hearing about is the rising cost of living. And quite frankly, the deep sense of betrayal that many voters in my state, 42% of whom voted for Donald Trump, feel from the broken promises that this president has made and broken over the last two years. You know, he said he was going to lower costs and end forever wars. And over the last two years, not only has he failed to fulfill those promises, he has made decisions that have made those crises actively worse. He has started new forever wars and in so doing raised costs. He's implemented these reckless tariffs that have increased costs on working people across the country.

In my home state of Delaware, the average price of gas is now around $4.15 a gallon. Delawareans can't afford this reckless, ill-thought-out, and illegal war of choice in Iran that is not only increasing costs on Delawareans and Americans at the gas pump and elsewhere, but it's actually left us less respected in the world and Iran more geopolitically emboldened than they were five months ago. And so it's been an absolute failure. And I have never seen a presidential decision so clearly tied to a person's pocketbook . . . people who didn't necessarily think about the Strait of Hormuz six months ago are bringing it up to me at the grocery store and bringing it up to me at the gas station and bringing it up to me when I'm out to eat and bringing it up to me when I'm going to a local retail store to visit.

People are bringing this up because they see that this president's decision to go to war in Iran and subsequent actions that have occurred, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, they understand it has impacted their day-to-day lives and it has raised costs for them.

. . .

But we do have a responsibility . . . to make sure that we're doing everything within our power to stop the harm and to lay the foundation for progress now and moving forward. And that's been my focus. I'm proud to be a co-lead of a working group that Leader Jeffries has put together to specifically focus on the cost crisis facing caregivers in our society . . . and we are not going to be able to address the cost crisis that young families in my state are facing, that people across our country are facing, if we don't do all we can as a Democratic Congress to lay the foundation for paid family and medical leave, universal child care and home and elder care that's genuinely quality and affordable for everyone that needs it. We're not going to be able to solve that crisis if we don't make progress on those three major buckets.

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McClain Delaney, Van Hollen, Alsobrooks Announce Over $560,000 for Workforce Development, Supportive Housing in Western Maryland

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman April McClain Delaney and U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (all D-Md.) announced $562,851 in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for education, workforce development, and supportive housing for adults recovering from mental illness or with developmental disabilities in Allegany, Garrett, and Washington Counties.

“Western Maryland is full of talent and potential, and these federal investments will help turn that potential into opportunity,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney. “This funding will expand research and student training at Frostburg’s Appalachian Lab, prepare Garrett College students for good-paying welding jobs, and provide stable housing and employment support through Archway Station. I’ll keep fighting to bring home resources that strengthen our rural communities.”

“When we invest in opportunities for education, workforce training, and supportive housing, we invest in the long-term success of our communities. These federal dollars from the Appalachian Regional Commission will help create educational opportunities, open pathways to good-paying jobs, and strengthen the financial stability of Marylanders,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“When we invest in Western Maryland, our entire state benefits. This federal investment will support research at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg, create more opportunities for Marylanders developing their careers at Garrett College’s Career Technology Training Center, and renovate critical housing for adults recovering from mental illness or developmental disabilities. This isn’t just an investment in Marylanders; it’s an investment in our economy and our future,” said Senator Alsobrooks.

The federal grants have been awarded as follows:

$312,851 to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Lab in Frostburg to acquire advanced scientific equipment and computing infrastructure, including atmospheric gas analyzers, upgrades to a high-capacity computing cluster, a dilution system for laboratory analysis, and more. The funds will expand the Appalachian Lab’s ability to conduct high-precision environmental and agricultural research, improve data processing and artificial intelligence capabilities, and support workforce training opportunities for students and participants.

$200,000 to Archway Station, Inc., to renovate seven apartments to support up to 18 participants in the Archway Recovery Program. Participants will receive temporary supportive housing, assistance with securing permanent housing, obtaining and retaining jobs, and advancing financial stability.

$50,000 to Garrett College to upgrade equipment in the existing welding lab at the Career Technology Training Center. The funds will support the purchase of 11 multi-process welders and one band saw and are anticipated to support 135 students over the course of three years.

These investments are provided through the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership entity of the federal government and 13 state governments, focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. Senator Van Hollen secured $200 million in federal funding for the ARC through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, and the lawmakers have since worked to prevent cuts to the program from the Trump Administration.

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Reps. McClain-Delaney, Whitesides, and Salinas Introduce Bill to Help Study Impact of Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Reps. April McClain-Delaney (MD-06), George Whitesides (CA-27), and Andrea Salinas (OR-06) introduced the Understanding AI in the Classroom Act. The use of artificial intelligence in the classroom has expanded greatly, yet very little research is being done to understand the real effects it has on students. As teachers and administrators evaluate if and how to permanently integrate AI into their classrooms, more data is needed to understand how it could affect students and their learning. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine our knowledge of AI's impact on the classroom and determine what gaps in our understanding need further research.

"As a mom of four and a longtime advocate for children’s online safety and well-being, it’s vital we study how artificial intelligence can impact our kids’ learning and development before it becomes embedded in their classrooms,” said Rep. McClain-Delaney. “While AI holds great potential, it also poses risks when its impact is not well vetted or understood. Our country owes it to our children to study how integrating AI in schools impacts them cognitively, socio-emotionally, and physically. A few years ago, the Children and Media Research Act (CAMRA) authorized NIH to study the impacts of social media on our kids, and I'm proud to co-lead this similar effort with Rep. Whitesides to ensure innovation in the classroom is guided by science and accountability.”

“Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way students learn, but without concrete data, it is nearly impossible to create sustainable policies that protect students’ development,” said Rep. Whitesides. “This bill is a step towards increasing our ability to research and understand AI’s role in our children’s education, and what measures we need to implement to make sure schools are deploying technology responsibly.”

“AI is already changing how students learn, but we still have serious questions about how it affects their attention, development, and reliance on technology,” said Rep. Salinas. “Parents and teachers deserve clear, evidence-based answers before these tools become even more common in classrooms. The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act takes a practical first step by bringing experts together to identify gaps in the research, without imposing new mandates on schools. We need to understand how AI affects children of different ages and needs so educators can make informed choices that help every student succeed.”

The Understanding AI in the Classroom Act specifically creates a pathway for NSF to convene experts that can help us to understand what research needs to be done on AI in the classroom, and how it could impact students. It directs NSF to study childrens’:


Griffith Celebrates $3.6 Million Manufacturing Expansion in Bland County

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger announced a $3.6 million industrial investment from Virginia Steel and Fabrication, Inc. to expand operational capabilities in Bland County, Virginia. According to a press release, this investment will support 52 new jobs. Following news of this announcement, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Earlier this year, I participated in a tour of the Virginia Steel plant in Bastian with Bland County Administrator Cameron Burton. We appreciate Virginia Steel leadership and officials for serving the interests of Virginia’s Ninth District with local manufacturing jobs, successful business practices and quality products.

“This $3.6 million investment by Virginia Steel and Fabrication represents a bright future for Bland County, which is hungry to make a difference in our economy.

“I will continue to support federal policies that help domestic manufacturing growth in rural America.”

BACKGROUND

In April 2026, Congressman Griffith toured Virginia Steel.

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Griffith Statement on USDA Disaster Action for Expanded Ninth District Drought Relief

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is designating more localities in Virginia’s Ninth District as primary natural disaster areas due to recent drought. As part of this action, the Counties of Bland, Craig, Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke and Russell are set for primary natural disaster area designations. Additional localities eligible for drought assistance include the Counties of Bedford, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Franklin, Patrick, Scott, Washington, Wise and Wythe and the City of Radford.

In response to this USDA action, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

“Challenges to the sustainability and operations of our local farms demand federal attention. In response to severe weather and drought events in Virginia, more USDA relief is on the way to farmers in Virginia’s Ninth District.

“With this expansion in primary natural disaster area designations, more eligible Ninth District farmers can access the drought assistance they need.

“I will continue my work to support resources for our farming communities.”

BACKGROUND

Congressman Griffith helped lead federal engagement to secure separate USDA Secretarial natural disaster declarations for Virginia farmers.

In June, Secretary Rollins approved Virginia’s request.

In July, Tazewell County also received a primary natural disaster area designation due to recent drought.

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Murphy Announces New Legislative Director

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., announces that Hannah King will take on the role of Legislative Director.

"Hannah is a veteran on Capitol Hill and a highly respected professional in health policy space," said Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D. "I am proud to announce she will serve as my Legislative Director, leading my team in Washington. Hannah has a wealth of experience leading the fight to improve American healthcare during a very consequential time in Congress. She possesses exceptional leadership qualities and will be a valuable asset to my office. I look forward to her being a part of the team and the meaningful work ahead."

Background

Before joining the office, Hannah King served as Legislative Director for Congressman Bob Onder, M.D., as Senior Legislative Assistant handling health policy for Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., and as Legislative Assistant for former Congressman Phil Roe, M.D.


Nunn, Iowa Delegation Call on President Trump to Approve Disaster Aid for Flooded Central Iowa Counties

DES MOINES, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) joined the Iowa congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Donald Trump requesting the Administration promptly grant Governor Kim Reynolds’ request for a major disaster declaration for Iowa. The Governor is seeking Public Assistance for Jasper, Polk, Story, and Warren counties, after severe weather over the first days of July produced high winds, severe flash flooding, and massive overtopping across central Iowa’s river basins which damaged public infrastructure and private property.

“The damage to public and private property due to these severe weather events is beyond what local governments can or should be expected to carry alone,” said Rep. Nunn. “Our team is working with county and city leaders and the Governor’s office to move this request forward, and we’ll keep working at every level of government — local, state, and federal — until Iowans have the help they need to rebuild.”

Under the Governor’s request, Public Assistance would help rebuild damaged public infrastructure and facilities and cover emergency cleanup costs in Jasper, Polk, Story, and Warren counties. The request also seeks statewide Hazard Mitigation Assistance to support projects that improve future disaster recovery.

The full letter is available here.

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Nunn Secures $2.5 Million Federal Investment to Expand Ankeny Regional Airport Runway

“Central Iowa is competing with every metro in the Midwest to attract new employers, create good-paying jobs, and grow our economy,” said Rep. Nunn. “A modern airport is a key part of that equation. Extending this runway means more businesses can reach Iowa, invest here, and create opportunities for our communities. By completing the extension during the airport’s scheduled runway reconstruction, we’re also reducing costs, minimizing disruptions, and delivering a smarter return for taxpayers.”

Rep. Nunn secured the funding through the FY2026 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The Polk County Aviation Authority will administer the federal award as part of the airport’s larger runway improvement project.

The project extends Runway 18-36 from 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet, allowing the airport to safely accommodate a broader range of business-class aircraft that connect Central Iowa employers with customers, suppliers, and investment opportunities nationwide. Located along the Interstate 35 corridor, Ankeny Regional Airport serves as an important transportation asset to one of Iowa’s fastest-growing regions.

By coordinating the runway extension with the airport’s planned full runway reconstruction, the project will eliminate the need for a second runway closure, streamline construction activities to reduce costs, and save taxpayers an estimated $1 million, according to the Polk County Aviation Authority.

Local leaders praised the investment and its impact on the community.

“The CPF grant that Congressman Zach Nunn was able to secure to help pay for the 500 foot extension to runway 18-36 at the Ankeny Regional Airport will save the taxpayers of Ankeny and unincorporated Polk County millions of dollars,” said Jeff Wangsness, Chairperson, Polk County Aviation Authority.

“We are fortunate in Central Iowa to have both a strong and growing Des Moines Airport and the Ankeny Regional Airport. Together, they meet the commercial and private aviation needs of our region and keep Iowa competitive and connected,” said Bobbi Bentz, Mayor, City of Ankeny. “Ankeny continues to grow because we thoughtfully invest in infrastructure that supports businesses, residents, and future opportunities. Our airport is a key part of that success.”

“Expansion of the Ankeny Regional Airport was one of The Partnership’s federal policy priorities because strong transportation infrastructure helps our region attract and retain businesses and talent,” said Tiffany Tauscheck, President & CEO, Greater Des Moines Partnership. “We’re grateful to the regional and federal partners whose collaboration helped make this investment possible and will create lasting opportunities for Greater Des Moines.”

“The vision of the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce is to be a connector of all businesses of all sizes within our community,” said Aaron Rickelman, Board Chair, Ankeny Chamber of Commerce. “The growth and expansion of Ankeny Regional Airport’s runway is going to expand large employers’ opportunity to come to Ankeny and do their business, and that creates a waterfall effect for small businesses by bringing more jobs, more customers, and more services to our area. With a focus on large business development, we have a great impact on small business development.”

“As Ankeny continues to grow, we have to make sure our infrastructure grows with it,” said State Rep. Ryan Weldon. “This investment strengthens one of our community’s most important transportation assets, supports local businesses, and positions central Iowa for continued economic growth. I appreciate Congressman Nunn for securing this funding and continuing to deliver the federal resources our communities need to succeed.”

“The Ankeny Regional Airport is a key asset for Polk County’s economy and a major reason businesses choose to invest in central Iowa,” said Polk County Supervisor Mark Holm. “This runway expansion will strengthen our region’s competitiveness while saving taxpayers money through smart planning. We’re grateful to Congressman Nunn for securing this investment and helping move this important project forward.”

Photos from today’s press conference are available here.

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WATCH: Nunn, Acting Labor Secretary Sonderling Tour Clive Manufacturer and Ankeny Restaurant to Highlight Tax Relief for Workers

DES MOINES, IA — Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) on Tuesday welcomed Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling to Iowa’s Third District for visits to Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation in Clive and Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny. During the tour, Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling met with Iowa workers, manufacturers, and restaurant employees to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts are helping workers keep more of what they earn through tax relief on overtime and tips while giving small businesses greater certainty to invest and grow.

Full details on the visit are available here. B-roll is available here and embedded below.

“The best way to measure whether a policy is working is to hear directly from the people it’s affecting,” said Rep. Nunn. “Today’s conversations made it clear that working families are keeping more of what they earn through tax relief on overtime and tips, while Iowa manufacturers and small businesses have the certainty they need to invest, expand, and create good-paying jobs. That’s exactly what we set out to accomplish.”

“President Trump’s Working Families Tax Cuts are igniting economic growth and delivering results for American workers,” said Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. “This Administration’s pro-growth policies like full expensing of new equipment and capital expenditures are benefitting Iowa businesses, while Americans are keeping more of their hard-earned paychecks thanks to no federal tax on tips or overtime. Under the President’s leadership, the Department of Labor will continue to support a wave of new investments and jobs that will spur growth in the Hawkeye State and nationwide.”

At Auto-Jet Muffler Corporation, which manufactures specialized aftermarket exhaust systems for trucks and heavy equipment, Rep. Nunn and Acting Secretary Sonderling walked the production floor with Owner John Rapp and General Manager Kelle Vos. Discussions focused on the law’s permanent 20 percent small business deduction, expanded incentives for capital investment, and the new tax deduction for overtime income.

The pair later met with servers, restaurant owners, and hospitality leaders at Whiskey River Bar & Grille in Ankeny to discuss the law’s new deduction for tip income, allowing eligible workers to deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip earnings and keep more of what they’ve earned.

B-roll from the visit is available here and photos are available here.

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OWENS APPLAUDS EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S APPROVAL OF THE NATION’S FIRST WORKFORCE PELL GRANT PROGRAM

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04), Chairman of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, applauded the U.S. Department of Education’s approval of the nation’s first Workforce Pell Grant program.

“America is the land of opportunity, and there is not just one path to success. For too long, Washington told our kids the only way to a better life was through a traditional four-year degree and a mountain of debt. Education opens the door to opportunity and success. Thanks to this incredible step forward with Workforce Pell, hardworking Americans who want to get a good-paying job in a high-demand industry have the same opportunities as those looking for a more traditional path. Both are honorable and needed in today’s society. I’m grateful for the work Chairman Walberg, President Trump, and Secretary McMahon have done to deliver real opportunities and not empty promises to Americans,” said Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04).

What Workforce Pell Does

Established under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, Workforce Pell opens Pell Grant eligibility to short-term, high-quality training programs lasting 8 to 15 weeks. To qualify, a program must meet rigorous earnings, job placement, and completion benchmarks; have been in operation for at least one year; and be approved by both the state’s governor and the U.S. Secretary of Education. The reform gives students a debt-free, faster path to credentials in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand fields.


Pappas Leads 50 Members Demanding Trump Keep Prescription Drugs Affordable for Aging Americans

This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) led 50 of his colleagues in calling on Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz to immediately reverse the planned termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration at the end of 2026.

“More than 17,000 people in New Hampshire have lost health coverage this year because the Trump administration has allowed prices to skyrocket for ACA plans and cut Medicaid coverage for our most vulnerable families. Now they’re ending a program that helps retired Americans afford life-saving prescription drugs,” said Congressman Pappas. “Big pharmaceutical companies are raking in profits while Granite Staters ration their medicine and this administration is making a bad situation worse by eliminating a program that keeps medication affordable and money in people’s pockets. It’s despicable, and the administration must reverse this decision immediately.”

359,292 Granite State adults, 25.4% of New Hampshire’s 2025 population, rely on Medicare either as their primary source of health coverage or in combination with another health insurance plan. Reversing the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration will cause health care costs to skyrocket, costs that have already doubled or even tripled due to the Trump Administration’s elimination of the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits.

Read the full letter here and below:

Dear Administrator Oz,

We write to urge the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse the termination of the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration. The demonstration program has stabilized drug prices for nearly 25 million people and CMS’s decision to end the demonstration puts affordability at risk during a time where seniors continue to face rising costs.

Seniors and disabled beneficiaries have seen prices fall over the past three years as a result of this program. The base beneficiary premium has lowered, which is used to calculate individual plan premiums, and annual increases in monthly premiums have been limited. Since the rollout of the demonstration, enrollment increased from 22.8 million in 2024 to 24.9 million in 2026 and average monthly premiums reduced by $26 in 2025 and $16 in 2026. Lower costs and a rise in covered individuals indicate that the demonstration is working. Despite this fact, CMS has chosen to terminate the program amidst a cost of living crisis.

We want to hold Part D sponsors and drug manufacturers accountable for the prices ultimately paid by beneficiaries, and we welcome the opportunity to work with you to address the underlying drivers of increased costs. Ending this demonstration without a plan to maintain lower costs does not solve these problems, but instead shifts the cost onto beneficiaries least able to afford them. Plan prices are expected to be made available in September and roughly 75% of current enrollees are likely to see their plan costs increase. Ahead of this, we ask that CMS reverse this decision and respond to the following:

CMS claims that insurers no longer need temporary stabilization payments, do you have evidence to support this claim? Has CMS publicly released any analyses, and if not, will it do so?

What analysis has CMS conducted on the impact of premium increases on individuals living on fixed incomes? If no analysis exists, please state so.

If premium increases exceed CMS’s expectations, what corrective actions will you take to help immediately?

What data will be collected to evaluate how the termination of this program is impacting seniors and disabled individuals?

Did CMS consult beneficiary advocates, plan sponsors, or state insurance regulators before deciding to end the demonstration? If so, please identify them and describe what CMS heard.

As health care costs surge, pushing individuals off insurance due to unaffordability, we urge you to reinstate the Medicare Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration immediately. We must do all that we can to protect lower prescription drug prices for those who need it most. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,


DELIVERING A MORE AFFORDABLE HUDSON VALLEY: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN TOURS NEW ULSTER COUNTY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS INITIATED DURING TIME AS COUNTY EXECUTIVE

As County Executive Congressman Ryan helped spearhead several housing projects across Ulster County, including at Golden Hill and Willow Landing in Kingston

Ryan has long led the fight against the housing affordability crisis in the Hudson Valley; his first legislation introduced of the 119th Congress included his comprehensive Housing Affordability Agenda

There are 247 units of new housing between Golden Hill and Willow Landing alone – as well as numerous resident amenities, including on-site childcare and mental health services

KINGSTON, NY – Last week, Congressman Pat Ryan – a fifth-generation Ulster County native – toured new housing developments in his hometown of Kingston that he spearheaded as County Executive.

Ryan has long believed that cutting through red tape and building more housing – particularly for seniors, veterans, and hardworking families forced out of their communities – is vital to fighting the housing affordability crisis in the Hudson Valley. The two sites – Golden Hill, located at the old Ulster County Jail, and Willow Landing at the old Town of Ulster Quality Inn – boast 247 new housing units between them, and offer residents several amenities including onsite childcare and mental health services.

Ryan has continued his fight against the housing affordability crisis in Congress; his first legislation introduced of the 119th Congress included his Housing Affordability Agenda, a comprehensive plan to bring down the cost of housing for hardworking Hudson Valley families by cutting through red tape.

“I hear it from folks every day – costs, specifically housing costs, are way too high. Seniors across our community are under tremendous pressure trying to make ends meet, and far too many hardworking people are unable to afford decent housing in the communities where they work,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “We have a full scale crisis on our hands, and we have to embrace an all-of-the-above approach to address it. I am incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made, especially seeing how far the projects at Golden Hill and Willow Landing have come. No family should have to pick between putting food on the table and having a roof over their heads – I’ll keep fighting every day to bring housing costs down.”

“We’re thrilled that Congressman Ryan was able to witness the construction progress at Willow Landing, a much-needed project in our community that will provide permanent, supportive housing for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, along with an on-site daycare facility and a commissary kitchen space,” said Kevin O’Connor, CEO, RUPCO. “Housing projects like Willow Landing require support from the public, private, and government sectors to succeed and we remain grateful for Congressman Ryan’s constant support of RUPCO’s mission to create homes, support people, and improve communities.”

Michael Berg, Executive Director, Family of Woodstock, Inc. said “The Golden Hill project is the first housing development project to serve the Ulster County workforce in 30 years. The program provides working people and seniors affordable housing with a range of income from 30% to 80% Area Median Income. The project includes a daycare center which affords intergenerational connections.”

In 2022, when Congressman Ryan was serving as Ulster County Executive, he spearheaded the Golden Hill Apartment project. The old Ulster County Jail was torn down to build 164 units of intergenerational, mixed income housing. At least 80 of the units are set aside for seniors, with the rest being aimed towards members of the local workforce who struggle to find housing they can afford in the communities where they work.

In partnership with RUPCO, Ryan also proposed turning the old Town of Ulster Quality Inn along Route 28 into new housing. That project, called Willow Landing, is set to finish construction later this year. In addition to 83 new housing units designed specifically for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, the development will also offer a therapeutic saltwater pool, a two-level daycare center operated by Kingston's YWCA, and onsite supportive services to help residents access the care they need.

Lowering costs, specifically when it comes to the price of housing, is Congressman Ryan’s top priority. Since 2020, single-family home prices in NY-18 have risen by 47.1%. Rent has increased by 15% in each of the three counties Ryan represents. These increases are far outpacing wage growth, leaving the average Hudson Valley family over $150,000 short of being able to buy a home, and $28,600 short of renting a two-bedroom apartment.

Part of Congressman Ryan’s first legislation this Congress was his Housing Affordability Agenda, an all-of-the-above approach to tackling the affordability crisis in housing by eliminating red tape while reducing government waste. The housing agenda is comprised of four common-sense bills:

The Working Families Housing Tax Credit Act builds on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, incentivizing developers to build housing that meets the needs of all hard-working families, not just those at the highest income levels. By authorizing below market rate loans and creating a tax credit specifically for developments with occupants between 60% and 180% AMI, housing inventory will increase for those who need it most: working families. In order to qualify for these tax credits, developers must utilize union labor.

The PRO Housing Act of 2024addresses two of the major issues restricting housing supply in the Hudson Valley: the cost of building from scratch and access to transportation. This bill will provide funding for municipalities to rehabilitate or convert existing housing, commercial spaces, and industrial centers in addition to new development, with a focus on areas near easily accessible transit options. The PRO Housing Act also establishes a pilot program for the General Services Administration (GSA) to transfer unused federal property and office centers to state housing commissions for the development of mixed-use housing. The pilot program would at the same time eliminate government waste and increase housing options for Hudson Valley families.

The Deliver Housing Now Act is all about cutting the red tape and letting cities and towns utilize federal funding according to local priorities and without restrictive one-size-fits-all bureaucracy getting in the way. Currently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development unnecessarily restricts municipalities, forcing them to spend federal dollars in fixed amounts on a variety of different programs. The Deliver Housing Now Act gets rid of the bureaucracy, allowing municipalities to efficiently spend those federal dollars in whatever category of housing is most impactful to the people they serve, whether it is on rehabilitation, or increased vouchers.

The Mortgage Rate Reduction Act establishes an innovative method to increase access to lower mortgage rates. Houses financed with VA, USDA, or FHA loans often have much lower interest rates than homes with a traditional mortgage. This bill simplifies the federal loan assumption process and requires agencies to post a list of assumable federal loans online, making the more than 11.3 million houses with these lower interest rate loans available for home-buyers.

When the Trump Administration announced sweeping cuts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), reducing their staff by 84%, Congressman Ryan raised the alarm on the dozens of Hudson Valley families who would lose their homes. He rallied the community to keep kids, veterans, and disabled people in their homes and restore the majority of the housing contracts – but the fight to keep the entire program afloat continues.

Additionally, Congressman Ryan helped pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which would increase the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and develop more than 200,000 affordable housing units. Ryan has also championed housing in his federal Community Project Funding nominations and awards, securing $1 million for the Rumshock Veterans Foundation to tackle veteran homelessness and $1 million for the Chester Agricultural Center to construct its farmworker housing project. In the fall of 2023, he secured $199,000 for HONOR to provide emergency housing and services for youth facing homelessness in Orange County. Congressman Ryan secured over $6 million in water infrastructure-related funding that would enable the construction of more housing in the Hudson Valley.

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“THIS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF YOUR FAILURE”: CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN BLASTS PETE HEGSETH, RAISES THE ALARM ON DOD’S DECADES-LONG DELAY OF CRITICAL PFAS CLEANUP AT STEWART AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE AND WEST POINT

Ryan successfully fought against adoption of Department of Defense (DoD) proposals to dismantle years of progress in combatting toxic PFAS at U.S. military installations in the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

Last month, Ryan went further; he demanded that Hegseth’s DoD immediately withdraw the proposal and fully recommit to complying with all existing PFAS regulations

Now, Ryan is raising the alarm on how Hegseth’s dangerous plans threaten decades of delays in critical PFAS cleanup efforts in the Hudson Valley and demanding Hegseth recommit to following agreed-upon timelines

NEWBURGH, NY – Today, Congressman Pat Ryan – a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Iraq War combat veteran, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in Congress – is demanding accountability from the Department of Defense (DoD), following new reports of expected decades-long delays in critical cleanup of forever chemicals at U.S. military installations, including at Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point.

In a letter, Ryan slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “failure” to protect Hudson Valley communities plagued by military installation-connected PFAS pollution. Ryan is demanding that DoD immediately restore all existing PFAS remediation efforts and timelines, provide a detailed written briefing within 30 days, and commit publicly and in writing that no further delays will be imposed without written justification citing specific, documented technical or legal necessity.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are toxic “forever chemicals” impacting the health and safety of servicemembers at and around more than 500 U.S. military installations. The PFAS contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base has tainted the drinking water in Newburgh, one of the Hudson Valley’s largest cities.

“Every American – especially our kids – deserves to have clean drinking water. For years we’ve been fighting hard to ensure clean, safe drinking water is available in every Hudson Valley community, including those around Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point. But now, inexplicably, Hegseth’s DoD is doing the opposite, blowing up decades of bipartisan progress,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “It’s a total failure and abandonment of our community, and they deserve better. I’m fighting hard at every level to deliver the support and resources our communities need – including in this year’s NDAA. But we’re still facing a public health crisis in the Hudson Valley, and the last thing we need is the progress we’ve made rolled back. I’ll work with anyone to hold polluters accountable and make sure all our families have access to clean water – and I’ll fight like hell against anyone who stands in our way.”

Ryan’s full letter to Secretary Hegseth is included below.

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

I write as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, an Iraq War combat veteran, a West Point graduate, and the Representative for both Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point to demand that the Department of Defense immediately reverse the latest round of PFAS cleanup delays affecting my district. New reporting from the Times Herald-Record and a USA TODAY analysis of DoD's own records reveal that Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point are among more than 20 New York military installations where the Department has quietly pushed back PFAS remediation deadlines. According to DoD's September 2025 PFAS progress data, the Department has now pushed Stewart's cleanup completion to 2047, more than two decades away, and West Point's to 2035. These interminable delays are the result of your failure, as Secretary of Defense, to take PFAS contamination seriously and to care for our servicemembers and their families.

The contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base poisoned Newburgh's main drinking water source, Lake Washington – a fact the community learned in 2016. For nearly a decade since, the people of Newburgh, one of the largest cities I represent, have been without their primary drinking water source. Families, children, veterans, and servicemembers in the Hudson Valley have lived with the consequences of PFAS contamination caused by DoD's own use of aqueous film-forming foam at Stewart. This is a disaster of the Department's own making and must be fixed immediately.

I have fought on this issue at every level. In the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act, I secured provisions to fund PFAS remedial investigations and force the Department to prioritize cleanup and remediation. When reporting emerged last fall that DoD had quietly delayed cleanup timelines at nearly 140 installations, I joined my House colleagues in a bipartisan letter to you, demanding the Department revert to the December 2024 cleanup timetable. And on June 25, 2026, I sent you a letter demanding the Department withdraw its May 29 legislative proposals to eliminate statutory PFAS reporting requirements – proposals that, if enacted, would have stripped Congress of the very oversight tools needed to hold DoD accountable for exactly the kind of delays we are now seeing at Stewart and West Point. The House Armed Services Committee even rejected your proposals. But now, barely a month later, we have confirmation that the Department is making these cleanups disappear by pushing them so far into the future that communities lose hope and accountability erodes. A 2047 completion date for Stewart and a 2035 date for West Point are unacceptable timelines and abdications of the Department’s responsibilities.

Hundreds of military bases have been putting off PFAS cleanup for years, and the Pentagon's latest round of delays, posted quietly in an obscure corner of its website in May, has pushed some deadlines out decades or removed them altogether. Stewart and West Point are now part of that pattern. This is not bureaucratic scheduling. It is DoD choosing, repeatedly and deliberately, to defer a health crisis of its own making onto the communities and institutions it is supposed to protect.

Accordingly, I demand the following:

1. Immediately restore the December 2024 cleanup timetable for Stewart Air National Guard Base and West Point, and provide a written explanation for every timeline revision made at both installations since that timetable was published – including who authorized the decision to push Stewart's completion to 2047.

2. Provide, within 30 days, a detailed written briefing to my office on the specific causes of delay at Stewart and West Point, the revised milestones for each phase of remediation, and a concrete plan to return to the fastest possible cleanup schedule at both installations.

3. Commit publicly and in writing that no further delays will be imposed at Stewart or West Point without advance notification to my office and the affected communities, and without written justification citing specific, documented technical or legal necessity.

4. Comply fully with all existing PFAS reporting, notification, and briefing requirements mandated by current law and directed by the House Armed Services Committee in the FY27 NDAA.

The people of Newburgh have waited a decade. The cadets and families at West Point deserve better. My constituents and the servicemembers who call these installations home are not optional priorities to be deferred when convenient. I will use every tool available to me as a member of the House Armed Services Committee to ensure the Department honors its obligations, and I will not stop until these communities have the clean water and the accountability they are owed.

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King, Pingree Lead Push to Protect Federal Workforce at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and U.S Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01), are urging the administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal employees, including the nearly 8,000 civilian workers at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). In a letter to Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Charles Ezell and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Chairman Cathy Harris, the lawmakers warned that the proposal would make it more difficult to recruit and retain the skilled civilian workforce responsible for maintaining the Navy's submarine fleet, ultimately threatening national security.

"We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)'s proposed rule 'Promoting Employee Accountability,’” the lawmakers began. “This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule's impact on workers essential to our national security."

"By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness... the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready... We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB's proposed rule," the lawmakers concluded.

Joining King and Pingree on the letter are U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and U.S. Representatives Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02) and Chris Pappas (D-NH-01).

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

+++

Director Kupor and Acting Chairman Kerner,

We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB)’s proposed rule “Promoting Employee Accountability,” Docket OPM-2025-0012 (RIN 3206-AO91). This proposed rule would weaken longstanding civil service protections that promote merit-based employment, due process and the recruitmentand retention of skilled workers. Moreover, as Members of Congress who represent nearly eight thousand civilian workers at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, we are concerned about the proposed rule’s impact on workers essential to our national security.

OPM and MSPB’s joint notice of proposed rulemaking issued on July 2, 2026, unnecessarily weakens civil service protections and undermines workers’ rights to challenge removal. Current law provides agencies with the authority to address misconduct and poor performance while ensuring personnel decisions are appropriate, fair and consistent. This rulewould impose a short 30-day limit for performance improvement periods and make termination the default penalty. Theshortened window, coupled with termination as the default, could result in the loss of skilled workers who could have improved their performance if given sufficient time. Furthermore, the proposed rule weakens workers’ ability to challenge disciplinary measures by barring the use of union time to represent workers in removal proceedings.

Since the MSPB’s decision in Douglas v. Veterans Administration in 1981, agencies must consider 12 factors when examining the reasonableness of an agency’s proposed penalty for adverse action taken under 5 U.S.C. 7513. These include considering mitigating circumstances, rehabilitation potential and length of service. For nearly 50 years across Republican and Democratic administrations, these consistent standards have provided fairness to federal workers facing accusations of misconduct and created a framework for determining approportionate responses. OPM’s and MSPB’s proposal would instead require agencies to rely on an arbitrary, case-by-case examination of whether disciplinary action is reasonable given the “totality of circumstances” and explicitly states that “noparticular factors must be considered in every case.” This could allow agencies to ignore important mitigating factors and more easily remove skilled workers with strong rehabilitation potential from critical industries.

As you are no doubt aware, the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defenseindustrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities. As our military’s “pacing threat,” the People’s Republic of China, is rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons programs, the role that our own submarines play in the survivability of our nuclear triad cannot be overstated. In fact, PNSY currently needs to hire over 700 workers annually to meet the Navy’s demand – which is an increase from 550 over the past two years. Further, policies that reduce workplace protections risk making federal service less attractive to qualified candidates. Due to civilian hiring quotas imposed by the Office of Personnel Management, PNSY has struggled to onboard workers and cannot risk additional delays or departures. If the Administration intends to retain this political litmus test at our public shipyards, the costs of unnecessarily losing more skilled workers through this proposed rule far outweigh any potential benefit.

By stripping away the procedures that keep discipline fair for civilian employees doing the work of naval readiness and refusing toconsider important factors, the proposed rule introduces costly unpredictability in the workforce and needlessly undermines readiness. We are concerned this will increase attrition in the critical and experienced workforce that keeps our submarine fleet ready, ultimately harming the shipyard’s ability to meet the Navy’s needs and threatening our national security.

We, therefore, ask you to withdraw OPM and MSPB’s proposed rule, “Promoting Employee Accountability,” and consider alternatives that preserve federal workers’ longstanding civil service protections.

Sincerely,


Reps. Pingree, Valadao and Sens. Ernst, Padilla Recognize American Producers During National Farmers Market Week

U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), along with Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), reintroduced a bipartisan resolution designating August 2–8, 2026, as National Farmers Market Week. This resolution honors the critical role farmers markets play in bridging the gap between urban and rural communities, helping people better understand the realities of farming and ranching.

“Farmers markets have been a cherished tradition in communities across America for generations. A quarter of Maine farms sell directly to consumers, with more than 100 farmers markets currently operating in our state,” said Congresswoman Pingree, a longtime organic farmer and co-chair of both the Organic Caucus and the Food Recovery Caucus. “By connecting local growers with their communities, farmers markets not only help put healthy food on the table, but also strengthen local economies and help preserve Maine’s agricultural traditions for future generations. This bipartisan, bicameral resolution reminds us that, in red states and blue states alike, farmers markets can be a force for good—and an important part of building a stronger, more resilient food system for all Americans.”

“The Central Valley grows a quarter of our nation’s food on less than one percent of America’s farmland, yet too many people living in urban areas don’t realize what it takes to get food from field to table,” said Congressman Valadao. “Farmers markets provide a valuable opportunity to connect people with the hardworking producers who feed our nation, and they highlight the important role agriculture plays in our communities. I’m proud to join my colleagues in recognizing National Farmers Market Week and honoring the contributions of our CA-22 producers working to support food access, bolster local economies, promote healthy living, and foster sustainable farming.”

“California is home to more than 800 farmers markets that nourish our families, bolster the local economy, and cultivate thoughtful relationships between growers and consumers,” said Senator Padilla. “We cherish these shared spaces which are a vibrant, dependable source of nutrition for our state. I’m proud to lead this Senate resolution celebrating National Farmer’s Market Week to support our local farmers who feed our families and strengthen our communities.”

“Agriculture is the heart of Iowa, and farmers markets make it easier for Iowans to buy fresh, locally grown food in communities across our state,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to lead a bipartisan resolution designating Aug. 2-8 as National Farmers Market Week to recognize the tireless work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who put nutritious food on Americans’ tables every day.”

Read the resolution here.

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Pressley Denounces Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti & Syria

In April, House Passed Pressley-Led Measure to Extend TPS for Haiti that Awaits Action in the Senate

Over 350,000 Haitian Nationals at Risk of Job Loss and Deportation

BOSTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a statement in vigorous support of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and the families impacted by Trump’s cruel termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria.

“The termination of Temporary Protected Status for our Haitian and Syrian neighbors will devastate our communities, bulldoze our economy, traumatize our children, and separate families who call this country home. The occupant of the Oval Office has decided he gets to act as judge, jury, and executioner to hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have done nothing but seek refuge, strengthen our communities, and bolster our economy.

“TPS is not only an essential lifeline for those who had to flee countries in crisis, but also for Americans. Businesses will be forced to close from losing their staff and our local economies will suffer. Seniors and their families will lose their caregivers as we face a caregiving crisis. Children will lose their classmates and their friends. America will lose the talent, skills, and culture that our immigrant neighbors contribute every day.

“That’s why the Senate must immediately pass our legislation to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti, which passed out of the House earlier this year.

“To our many TPS holders in the Massachusetts 7th and throughout the country from Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, Honduras, and other nations—your worth is not defined by the cruelty of this White House or Supreme Court. Your humanity, your dignity, and your lives matter. This nation is better because of you, and I will do everything in my power to support you and your families.”

Residents of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts can contact Congresswoman Pressley’s office for assistance. Please visit Pressley.House.Gov/TemporaryProtectedStatus for resources and more information.

Congresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE’s attacks against immigrant communities.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump’s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

In April 2026, Rep. Pressley secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation.

In July 2026, Rep. Pressley alongside Congresswoman Laura Gillen, urged Senators to support legislation to extend Haiti TPS and protect the lives and livelihoods of Haitians and Americans alike.

In June 2026, Rep. Pressley commended Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 16 other Senate colleagues, for introducing legislation to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the Senate.

In June 2026, Rep. Pressley denounced the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling to allow Trump’s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians.

In June 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference outside of the Supreme Court with Senator Markey, other lawmakers, advocates, and impacted community members to highlight the catastrophic impact the termination of TPS would have on our communities, businesses, schools, care economy, and more.

In May 2026, Rep. Pressley, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey released a new investigative report revealing how President Trump’s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti would devastate the health care, elder care, and disability care workforce, harm patients, and hurt communities.

In April 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

In April 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration’s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley’s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.

In March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts’ rulings that deemed Trump’s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.

In February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge’s ruling to temporarily block Trump’s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.

In January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.

In January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.

On June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.

On June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump’s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.

On March 18, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.

On February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.

On April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.

On April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.

On April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

On March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.

On March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

On March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.

On December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.

On December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration’s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.

On December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

On August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.

On May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island.

On May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.

In February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.

On March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.

On February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies – such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration – that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.

On February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency’s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.

In April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden’s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration’s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.

In September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Velázquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers’ letter followed the Administration’s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border.

In September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.

On July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

On November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti.

On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.

On October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.

On October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback.

On September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.

On August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.

On July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.

In July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Moïse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.

In May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.

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Amata Welcomes Maternal/Child Health Services Grant

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is pleased to welcome notice of a health services grant providing maternal and child health care services.

File photo with Dr. Anaise Uso in Congresswoman Amata's office with a health delegation to DC that included Dr. Aifili John Tufa, Annie Noa, Emma Reid-Alo, Langahelotu Vivao, Francis Vivao

“Thank you in particular to Dr. Anaise Uso for her work on grants like this one, and the medical care and services she and other professionals at LBJ provide for our mothers, babies, and young children,” said Congresswoman Amata. “We appreciate all our hardworking doctors and nurses, and every federal dollar makes a difference, especially in our health care efforts.”

This is a discretionary, supplemental grant of $130,884 for the American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

ASDOH is led by Director Dr. Saipale Fuimaono under the administration of Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula and Lt. Gov. Pulumataala Ae Ae, Jr., and in Washington, D.C., HHS is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and HRSA by Administrator Thomas Engels.

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