Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mark DeSaulnier Representing the 11th District of California
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Mark DeSaulnier issued the following statement in response to the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate the Chemical Safety Board and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), the independent agency responsible for investigating chemical disasters, including fatal fires and explosions.
“It is unconscionable that in his drive to amass more and more power, the President would dismantle an agency whose sole purpose is safety. Unfortunately, our community knows all too well what happens when safety is overlooked at oil refineries: death, injuries, unbreathable air, and more. Having spent my career fighting to regulate nearby refineries, I know the vital role the CSB plays in probing the root causes of chemical incidents and in issuing recommendations that have helped keep workers and communities safer. I will do everything possible in Congress to fight this dangerous executive overreach and protect the Chemical Safety Board.”
Congressman DeSaulnier is a senior member of the House Committee on Education and Workforce. During his tenure on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, he played a pivotal role in the Industrial Safety Ordinance and the Refinery Flare Rule for local refineries and chemical facilities following a deadly explosion at the Tosco refinery in 1997. When President Trump previously tried to eliminate the CSB in 2018 and Congressional Republicans proposed to reduce its funding, Congressman DeSaulnier successfully authored an amendment that passed into law to ensure it was fully funded.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ilhan Omar (DFL-MN)
WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) joined a press conference in front of the United States Capitol Building to condemn President Donald Trump’s travel ban and to reintroduce the NO BAN Act.
The Congresswoman emphasized how disastrous Trump’s racist travel ban will be. It will keep families separated and endanger lives.
Rep. Omar also joined her colleagues in reintroducing the NO BAN Act to prevent future presidents from holding the authority to suspend or restrict any group of immigrants from entering the United States by prohibiting religious discrimination from immigration-based decisions.
The full video can be foundhere.
Full transcript below:
“Make no mistake: This discriminatory policy is shameful and as history looks back at this moment, it will be a stain on our country.
“Donald Trump’s proclamation is riddled with outright falsehoods, relies on debunked statistics, and is rife with internal contradictions.
“He claims this is a way to make us safer, let me be absolutely clear: it won’t make us safer, it will separate families and endanger lives.
“Because of this decision, our country will lose out on incredible contributions that people from these countries would’ve otherwise made to our neighborhoods and our society.
“Contributions like becoming educators, doctors, and public servants.
“This decision will not only hurt our country, it will have immediate disastrous implications.
“For some Americans, it will mean their fiancés, or spouses or children will be banned from reuniting with them here.
“It will mean family members will have to miss weddings and graduations and funerals.
“Just as they did in their first term, with their repeated efforts to ban Muslims from coming to the United States, the Trump Administration is using national security justifications to prevent people they deem undesirable from entering the United States.
“That means Muslims again, and it also means Black people.
“In his first term, Trump famously mused about why we didn’t have more Norwegians immigrants and fewer from what he called “shithole countries.”
“Now, he’s banning people from 19 Black and brown countries based solely on their nationality and resettling White South Africans.
“The racism is not exactly subtle.
“All 19 of the nationalities we are now banning have produced Americans that have displayed more patriotism and loyalty and contributed more to this country than Donald Trump and Stephen Miller could ever dream of.
“From the time I arrived in this country as a refugee with my family, I have never lost sight of the extraordinary generosity and hospitality of the United States that allowed us to begin our lives again here, and eventually led me to the United States House of Representatives.
“But I have also always known that the United States did not let us live here purely out of the expansive goodness of its heart.
“We contribute to the economy, we contribute to the political and social life of this country, we join the military, we defend the freedoms enshrined in our founding documents with the passion that comes from having lived a life where those freedoms were not guaranteed.
“It is, and has always been, mutually beneficial, and we have always taken our part in that seriously.
“The United States has never been a white nationalist country, and no matter how much Donald Trump and Stephen Miller try, it never will be.
“This will be remembered, along with so much else they are trying now, as a shameful betrayal of the exact qualities that make America great.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II (5th District Missouri)
(Washington, D.C.) – This week, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) joined with Representatives Dan Goldman (D-NY), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Dina Titus (D-NV), Doris Matsui (D-CA), John Larson (D-CT), and April McClain Delaney (D-MD) to protect federal funding for NPR, PBS, and America’s public broadcasting. Together, the legislators introduced an amendment to remove a provision within the Republican rescission packagethat would eliminate federal funding for these vital institutions, which were included in the unlawful cuts made by DOGE. The package is expected to receive a vote in the House of Representatives later this week.
“At a time when families are struggling to keep up with the cost of living, my Republican colleagues are not focused on lowering costs for hardworking families; instead, they’re working to eliminate funding for public broadcasting services that provide vital information to communities across the country,” said Congressman Cleaver. “Respectfully, I don’t know a single person who voted to kill Sesame Street, but I do know families across my congressional district who rely on the services provided by outlets like NPR and PBS during times of crisis. When Republicans in the past tried to gut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Mr. Rogers himself stepped up to convince Congress to maintain this funding. I’ve always supported investments in our public broadcasters, and I’m hopeful my colleagues across the aisle will come to their senses and listen to the wise words of Fred Rogers before they do long-term damage to these American institutions and the Americans they serve.”
The letter comes as the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress continue to attack public journalism’s editorial independence and crack down on public broadcasting nationwide. Last month, the administration issued an unlawful Executive Order directing the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to cease all funding for NPR and PBS, which support local TV and radio news outlets across the country. CPB-funded public media reaches nearly 99.7% percent of the American population, and its funding supports over 1,500 public television and radio stations across the country, supporting approximately 20,000 local jobs.
Congressman Cleaver has been a longtime supporter of America’s public broadcasting, pushing back on the Trump administration’s effort to undermine these vital services. In March, Cleaver joined a bipartisan coalition of lawmakersto callfor continued funding for public broadcasting following reportsthe FCC had opened a frivolous investigation into NPR and PBS and signaled interest in defunding the outlets. In May, the Congressman again joined a cohort of lawmakers tocall onthe Committee on Appropriations to maintain funding for CPB programs.
Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee’s Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)
Last week, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the landmarkGriswold v. Connecticutdecision affirming the constitutional right to contraception, U.S. Representatives Sharice Davids (KS-03), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Judy Chu (CA-27), and Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) demandedthe Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to immediately restore funding for the Title X Family Planning Program.
Title X is the only federal program solely dedicated to family planning. Despite Congressional approval, the Trump Administration is withholding funding from 16 grantees across 23 states under vague investigations into “possible violations.” Grantees have received no updates or timeline, forcing health centers to slash staff, reduce services, and in some cases close entirely.
This funding freeze is a part of the Trump Administration’s larger attacks on reproductive freedom, including rescinding Biden-era guidance for emergency abortions this week. Title X is essential for preventing unwanted pregnancies and ensuring access to care for all.
“We must not turn a blind eye to the broader mounting threats to our reproductive freedoms. Both contraception and abortion are essential health care services and part of a full range of sexual and reproductive health care that allow every American the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies and their own futures. The overturning of Roe v. Wade dealt a direct blow to people’s privacy rights, access to health care, including imperiling access to contraception. In a world where access to abortion is severely limited or not accessible at all, it is even more important for people who want to prevent pregnancy to be able to affordably and easily access it from trusted family planning providers of their choice,” the Members wrote in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy, Jr.
The Members continued, “That is why Title X is so important. Title X has historically received broad bipartisan support and has been funded by Congress every year since 1970 because we recognize what Griswold holds true: that all individuals should have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and lives.”
“60 years ago the right to birth control was established in Griswold v Connecticut, but today the attacks to take away our reproductive rights are relentless. President Trump’s decision to withhold Title X funding shows he’s so determined to shutter Planned Parenthood health centers that he’s willing to harm millions of people and deny many their only source of health care to do it. In the more than 50 years since this bipartisan, popular program has been in effect, Title X funding has played a critical role in allowing patients to access vital services and has helped Planned Parenthood health centers provide critical care like birth control, cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment. This, along with Trump and Congressional Republicans’ efforts to ‘defund’ Planned Parenthood, reveals a dangerous and unacceptable agenda that will leave millions at risk of losing health care and nearly 200 health centers at risk of closing. This funding must be released so that patients can get the life-saving and affordable care they need,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
“Withholding Title X funds from trusted providers — without transparency or resolution — is not just unjustified; it’s a direct threat to essential health care for millions,” said Clare Coleman, President & CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association. “More than 60 days after this reckless and unlawful HHS action affecting Title X-funded care in 23 states, we are seeing health center closures, staff layoffs, and reduced services — all of which will lead directly to worsening health outcomes. While the right to contraception guaranteed to Americans under Griswold has never been more precarious, the facts stand: everyone deserves the freedom to make their own choices about their lives and health, without political interference.”
Full text of the letter sent to Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. can be found hereand below:
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
On the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut, we write to express our unwavering support for the Title X Family Planning Program (Title X), the only domestic federally-funded program dedicated to family planning. For 60 years, the constitutional right to contraception has been protected by Griswold v. Connecticut, empowering millions with the ability to make their own reproductive health care decisions. However, due to the actions of this Administration, reproductive freedom is under threat. The Administration’s decision to withhold millions in funding for Title X means low income individuals have lost access to contraceptive services and supplies. On this landmark anniversary of Griswold, it is extremely important to protect Title X and reiterate why it has and should continue to serve as the cornerstone of safety-net care for millions of people.
Title X provides access to contraception to help people avoid pregnancies they do not want, and to plan and space pregnancies they do want, decreasing the risk of complications. This is even more critical for patients who face financial barriers to health care. Title X plays an instrumental role in ensuring patients get the care they need and want without cost being a barrier. In 2023, 83% of clients served by Title X-funded clinics had family incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, with 60% qualifying for free services because they had incomes at or below 100% of the federal poverty level ($30,000 for a family of four). Among all Title X clients, 27% were uninsured, while 67% of users with some form of health insurance had public insurance coverage. It is no wonder that 60% of women who receive reproductive health care services from Title X providers say it is the only form of health care they receive in a year. The Title X program supports a network of approximately 4,000 clinics across the country. Without Title X funding, many of these clinics could shutter, ripping access to contraception away from millions.
As we reflect on the significance of Griswold, we must not turn a blind eye to the broader mounting threats to our reproductive freedoms. Both contraception and abortion are essential health care services and part of a full range of sexual and reproductive health care that allow every American the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies and their own futures. The overturning of Roe v. Wade dealt a direct blow to people’s privacy rights, access to health care, including imperiling access to contraception. In a world where access to abortion is severely limited or not accessible at all, it is even more important for people who want to prevent pregnancy to be able to affordably and easily access it from trusted family planning providers of their choice That is why Title X is so important. Title X has historically received broad bipartisan support and has been funded by Congress every year since 1970 because we recognize what Griswold holds true: that all individuals should have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and lives.
On March 31, 2025, your Department notified 16 Title X grantees — representing networks of health care providers in 23 states — that their funding was being withheld until an investigation over ‘possible violations’ of grant terms and conditions, specifically federal civil rights laws and executive orders, could be undertaken. More than two months later, these grantees remain without funding and have received no communication from the Administration regarding the status of the investigations, the expected timeline, or the future of their funding. In that time, several of these entities have been forced to furlough or layoff staff, limit available services or charge for services that were previously available to low-income individuals at low or no cost, and shutter health centers. Congress has already appropriated these funds, and the Administration has a responsibility to distribute them without undue delay or obstruction, ensuring that critical care is not disrupted for millions of people who rely on Title X services.
We urge you to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and work with Congress to ensure that all people have access to the comprehensive contraception services they seek.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tatishe Nteta, Provost Professor of Political Science and Director of the UMass Amherst Poll, UMass Amherst
President Donald Trump signs an executive order barring transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls sporting events on Feb. 5, 2025, in Washington.AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Since becoming president, Donald Trump has aggressively sought to fulfill his campaign promise to reverse the Biden administration’s protection of transgender Americans.
Trump is not alone in attacking the rights of transgender Americans. In 2025, 53 bills have been introduced in the U.S. Congress and over 900 bills have been introduced in 49 states that aim to limit the rights of transgender Americans in education, health care and athletics, according to the Trans Legislation Tracker.
While legal and ethical questions remain about these efforts, restricting the rights of transgender Americans seems to enjoy support among a majority of Americans.
For example, support for restricting the ability of medical professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors has risen from 46% in 2022 to 56% in 2025, according to the Pew Research Center.
We wanted to know what factors contribute to majority support among Americans for these measures. We found that authoritarian attitudes – the desire for social conformity and an aversion to difference – play an important role in Americans’ willingness to restrict transgender rights.
A member, left, of the Idaho Liberty Dogs, a far-right extremist group, argues with attendee Kimberly Rumph near the entrance of the first Pride festival ever held in Nampa, Idaho, on June 9, 2024. Kyle Green for The Washington Post via Getty Images
Preferring conformity, suppressing social difference
Here, we refer to authoritarianism not as a type of political system or the characteristics of a leader, but rather as a person’s preference for social conformity and desire to suppress social difference.
According to this perspective, the attack on transgender rights is intended to appeal to Americans with authoritarian inclinations. As seen in authoritarian regimes such as Russia and Turkey, political leaders first mobilize their citizens on the basis of their desire to suppress transgender individuals in order to advance a broader movement to undermine democracy and restrict the rights of other groups that fail to conform to majority values.
While this perspective is quickly gaining media coverage, there hasn’t yet been hard evidence that authoritarians are particularly supportive of anti-trans legislation. Our goal was to assess the link between authoritarian attitudes and support for measures that restrict transgender rights.
We are political scientists who study the role of authoritarianism in American politics and who field polls that explore Americans’ views on a number of pressing issues.
In April 2025, we fielded a nationally representative survey of 1,000 American adults, asking about their perceptions of the first months of the second Trump presidency, their views toward various groups in society, and their policy preferences. We also asked them for their views about restrictions on the provision of gender-affirming care to transgender Americans.
Here’s how we analyzed and interpreted their responses.
To measure authoritarianism, scholars use a scale that asks respondents to express their preferences for a range of child-rearing practices. The scale asks whether a respondent tends to prefer children who are obedient, well behaved and well mannered or children who are independent, creative and considerate. Those who tend to favor obedient children are scored as having more authoritarian views.
Child-rearing preferences seem to be unrelated to attitudes about conformity in society. But there is good reason to believe that an adult who prefers conformity, obedience and uniformity in children also desires the same in society at large.
This work consistently shows that individuals who are less authoritarian are more likely to support policies that recognize diverse views. Those who rank high on authoritarianism prefer policies that highlight social unity and conformity.
Thus, we expected that Americans with more authoritarian attitudes would more strongly support state laws that seek to restrict transgender Americans’ access to gender-affirming care.
In line with other polling on this issue, our survey found that a little over one-third of Americans – 36% – express support for legislation that would make providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender youth a crime. Among the remaining respondents, 38% expressed opposition, and 26% expressed ambivalence toward this proposal.
We looked at support for banning gender-affirming care by level of authoritarianism. We found clear differences between the most and least authoritarian Americans.
Among those who score highest on the authoritarian scale, 46% express support for this ban, with 18% in opposition. The remaining 36% responded “neither support nor oppose” this ban. Examining the views of Americans who exhibit the least authoritarian views, we find that while 21% support these bans, 61% oppose them and 18% expressed an ambivalent view.
Authoritarianism remains an important contributor to Americans’ support for a ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, even after we take into account other considerations that influence this attitude.
Republican partisanship, conservative ideology and religiosity all increase support for a ban on gender-affirming care. After accounting for these factors, as well as for characteristics such as education, income, age and knowing a transgender person, more authoritarian people are still more likely to support the ban.
The findings from our survey suggest that while partisanship, ideology and religiosity all play key roles in explaining the popularity of these policies, a missing piece of the puzzle is authoritarianism.
Given their aversion to diversity and difference and their preference for the status quo, Americans with authoritarian inclinations likely believe that transgender people pose a threat to the social order. Thus, they are more likely than Americans low in authoritarianism to support policies that seek to restrict transgender rights in order to restore social conformity.
It’s not clear whether the passage of anti-transgender policies alone will lead the nation to turn away from a largely diverse and open democracy toward a more closed and intolerant society. But the fight over transgender rights is not a sideshow in American politics. Instead, it is one of the first of many battles over diversity and difference that will determine the nation’s political future.
Jesse Rhodes has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Demos Foundation, and the Spencer Foundation. He is a member of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Adam Eichen, Lane Cuthbert, and Tatishe Nteta do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Peter C. Mancall, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of the Humanities, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
A statue of Christopher Columbus, toppled by protesters, is loaded onto a truck on the grounds of the state capitol on June 10, 2020, in St Paul, Minn.Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
Nonetheless, Trump posted in April 2025, “Christopher is going to make a major comeback.” By using Columbus’ name, which means “Christ-bearer,” a president who covets the praise of faith leaders yoked the explorer to his campaign promise: “For those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.”
By reasserting the importance of Columbus, the president took a stand against the toppling and vandalism of statues of Columbus. In this case, his act of retribution for his supporters focused on the holiday, which he could declare more easily than returning icons of a fallen man to empty pedestals.
As a historian of early America, I am familiar with how grievance marked the colonial era. Throughout this period, grievance fueled rage and violence.
European grievance in America
Europeans who arrived in the Americas following Columbus’ 1492 journey claimed the territories in the Western Hemisphere through an obsolete legal theory known as the “doctrine of discovery.”
Spanish, English, French, Dutch and Portuguese rulers, according to this notion, owned portions of the Americas, regardless of the claims of Indigenous peoples. This presumption of ownership justified, in their minds, the use of violence against those who resisted them.
In 1598, for example, Spanish soldiers patrolling the pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico demanded food from local residents, whom the colonizers saw as their subordinates. The town’s inhabitants, believing the request excessive, fought instead, killing 11 Spaniards.
In response, the governor of New Mexico, a territory almost entirely populated by Indigenous peoples, ordered the systematic amputations of the hands or feet of residents whom the soldiers thought had participated in the attack. They also enslaved hundreds in the town. Roughly 1,500 residents of Acoma died in the conflict, according to the National Park Service, a response seemingly driven more by grievance than strategy.
English colonizers proved just as quick to deploy extraordinary violence if they believed Native Americans deprived them of what they thought was theirs.
The English labeled the event a “barbarous massacre,” using language that dehumanized the Powhatans and cast them as villainous raiders. An English pamphleteer named Edward Waterhouse castigated these Indigenous people as “wyld naked Natives,” “Pagan Infidels” and “perfidious and inhumane.”
Opechancanough was paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy in present-day Virginia from 1618 until his death in 1646. mikroman6/Getty Images
War began almost immediately. Colonial soldiers embraced a scorched-earth strategy, burning houses and crops when they could not locate their enemies. On May 22, 1623, one group sailed into Pamunkey territory to rescue captives.
As historians who have studied the Salem witch trials have argued, many of the accusers in agricultural Salem Village – modern-day Danvers – harbored resentments against neighbors who had closer ties to nearby Salem Town, which was more commercial.
The aggrieved found a spokesman in the Rev. Samuel Parris, whose own earlier failure in business had led him to look for a new path forward as a minister. Parris’ anger about his earlier disappointments fueled his indignation about what he saw as inadequate economic support from local authorities.
In a sermon, he underscored his financial irritation by emphasizing Judas’ betrayal of Jesus for “a poor & mean price,” as if it was the amount that mattered. The resentful residents and their bitter minister fueled the largest witch hunt in American history, which left at least 20 of the accused dead.
The most obvious forerunner of today’s grievance-fueled politics was a rebellion in the spring and summer of 1676 by backcountry colonists in Virginia who battled their Jamestown-based colonial government. They were led by Nathaniel Bacon, a tobacco farmer who believed that provincial officials were not doing enough to protect outlying farms from attacks by Susquehannocks and other Indigenous residents.
Acts of grievance come in different forms, depending on historical and political circumstance. But the urge to reclaim what someone thinks should be theirs can lead to deadly violence, as earlier Americans repeatedly discovered.
Peter C. Mancall has received support from the University of Southern California, the Huntington Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Oxford University to support his research on early America.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) today issued the following statement in support of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind Biden-era guidance that required emergency room doctors to perform abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), undermining state pro-life laws:
“I strongly commend President Trump and his administration for restoring clarity and integrity to federal law by rescinding the Biden administration’s EMTALA guidance. Congress never intended EMTALA to be a backdoor mandate for abortion. It was designed to ensure that patients receive emergency medical care, regardless of their ability to pay, not to override pro-life state laws.
The previous guidance was not only legally flawed but dangerously misleading. It created unnecessary confusion about the ability of women to receive emergency care in pro-life states—care that is, and has always been, protected. Every state allows physicians to treat conditions like miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or other emergencies where a mother’s life is at risk. To suggest otherwise is irresponsible and politically motivated.
I am grateful that the Administration reaffirmed what many of us have long said: pro-life laws protectbothpatients, the mother and her unborn child. This is a win for life, a win for truth, and a win for the many doctors who provide life-saving care with compassion and integrity.”
Congressman Aderholt is a long-time pro-life advocate and Chair of the House Values Action Team. He has consistently supported legislation to protect both unborn children and the rights of medical professionals who refuse to participate in abortion procedures on moral or religious grounds.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02) will convene a group of next-generation reformers in the House of Representatives to introduce the End Corruption Now legislative agenda. An effort to confront political corruption and clean up government that includes seven bills designed to put power back in the hands of the American people by preventing the President, Executive Branch officials, and Members of Congress from personally benefiting from their offices.
After watching President Trump’s administration engage in brazen corruption, the group of representatives helmed by the Colorado Congressman—including Reps. Angie Craig (MN-02), Seth Magaziner (RI-02), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Hillary Scholten (MI-03), and Emilia Sykes (OH-13)—felt compelled to act.
“Donald Trump’s first 100 days back in office were marked by chaos, corruption, and self-dealing. He spent the time stacking his administration with billionaire donors and promoting shameless cryptocurrency scams, all while his Republican supporters in Congress trade stocks to benefit their own portfolios. The time for this corruption to end is now. We must clean up government for future generations and ensure our government is serving the American people, not special interests,” said Rep. Neguse.
“Elected officials are elected to serve their constituents, not their own self-interests,” said Rep. Craig. “It’s past time we pass legislation to clean up Washington and ensure our tax dollars are being spent as they should – on improving the lives of everyday Americans. That’s why I’m proud to be partnering with my colleagues on this anti-corruption campaign to make common-sense reforms that will restore integrity, transparency and efficiency to our government.”
“Members of Congress are elected to serve the American people, not to enrich themselves,” said Rep. Magaziner. “We must ban Member of Congress from trading stocks, because there should be no opportunity for elected officials to profit off of their positions. I am proud to join Representative Neguse and other colleagues in our effort to bring real ethics reform to Washington.”
“Corporate power has long rigged the system against the American people,” said Rep. Deluzio. “We must root out this corruption to restore the American Dream. Stopping corporate criminals from taking power from inside our government itself is a great place to start. I’m introducing the No Corporate Crooks Act as a part of the ‘End Corruption Now’ legislative agenda because someone convicted of crimes like bribery, embezzlement, fraud, insider trading, and more shouldn’t be let anywhere near the levers of power in the executive branch.”
“For too long, politicians in both parties have put their own gain ahead of what’s best for the American people. The brazen corruption of the last few months has only highlighted the need for urgent action. It is time for comprehensive reform to ensure politicians serve the people, not themselves,” said Rep. Ryan. “No more getting rich off trading stocks. An end to Members of Congress becoming lobbyists. Getting rid of kickbacks for billionaire friends. I’m proud to be working alongside a group of next-generation lawmakers who refuse to accept the status quo – we’re here to clean things up.”
“At a time when public trust in our institutions is at a breaking point, the Integrity in Government Act is about restoring accountability at the highest levels of power. This bill protects the nonpartisan watchdogs who work on behalf of the American people and ensures that the White House–regardless of who is in office–is subject to real oversight to protect taxpayer dollars and ensure efficiency. Our democracy depends on transparency, and the American people deserve nothing less,” said Rep. Scholten.
“When public officials use their power for personal gain and are shielded from accountability, we undermine democracy itself,” said Rep. Sykes. “This bill – and the broader End Corruption Now agenda – is about restoring public trust and ensuring that no one is above the law. The American people deserve a government that works for them, not for the biggest wallets or the best connections.”
The End Corruption Now legislative agenda targets conflicts of interest and would put a stop to the selling of access and influence, including banning Members of Congress from trading stocks or becoming lobbyists, and strengthening anti-corruption laws. It includes the following bills:
The Close the Revolving Door Act, introduced by Rep. Joe Neguse, places a lifetime ban on Members of Congress from serving as lobbyists. The bill is championed in the U.S. Senate by Senator Michael Bennet. Read the bill text HERE.
The Restoring Integrity in Democracy Resolution, introduced by Rep. Angie Craig, would prohibit Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards. Read the bill text HERE.
The Transparent Representation Upholding Service and Trust (TRUST) in Congress Act, introduced by Rep. Seth Magaziner, effectively bans Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from trading individual stocks by requiring them to either divest from individual stock holdings or move their investments into a qualified blind trust during their entire tenure in Congress. Read the bill text HERE.
The No Corporate Crooks Act, introduced by Rep. Chris DeLuzio, prohibits any chief executive officers, in either the public or private sector, convicted of covered financial crimes from serving in the executive branch. Read the bill text HERE.
The Stop Millionaires Using Service for Kickbacks (MUSK) Act, introduced by Rep. Pat Ryan, requires government employees defined as Executive Schedule (I-IV) employees, Special Government Employees, and people in the Executive Office of the President to recuse themselves from any matters affecting the financial interests of their previous employers for the four-year period. Read the bill text HERE.
The Integrity in Government (IG) Act, introduced by Rep. Hillary Scholten, strengthens checks and balances by installing new oversight measures for the White House and its top offices and protecting independent watchdogs from political retaliation. Read the bill text HERE.
The Closing Bribery Loopholes Act, introduced by Rep. Emilia Sykes, closes loopholes in the federal bribery statute by clarifying the definition of an “official act” by a public official. The bill expands the definition to prohibit public officials from improperly using their position for private gain. Read the bill text HERE.
The End Corruption Now agenda is endorsed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Public Citizen, and Project On Government Oversight (POGO).
“Americans should be able to trust that their elected officials and senior policymakers are serving the public’s interest, rather than private financial interests,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “CREW applauds Reps. Neguse, Magaziner, Deluzio, Scholten, Ryan, Sykes, and Craig for their initiative, leadership and collaboration to put together a multi-faceted anti-corruption package. For far too long, some have accepted the status quo, but in the face of recent and unprecedented examples of how the system can be manipulated for private gain, now is the time for Congress to take action and pass effective anti-corruption legislation.”
“Bribery, kickbacks, pay-to-play. These are the components of a criminal enterprise – not a functional federal government. The tsunami of corruption flowing from the White House has flooded all of Washington and left a revolting stench that’s impossible to ignore. This fire hose of anti-corruption measures will blast corruption head on by protecting independent government watchdogs from being weaponized, banning former members of Congress from being lobbyists, and stopping convicted corporate crooks and special government employees from personally profiting at the people’s expense. Now is not a time to worry – it’s time to clean house,” said Lisa Gilbert, Co-President, Public Citizen.
“At a time when the federal government does not have the trust and confidence of the American people, it is more important than ever for leaders to lead and respond accordingly,” said Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, Acting Vice-President of Policy and Government Affairs at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). “Not since the post-Watergate era has there been such a need for a comprehensive anti-corruption, good governance reform agenda. This is why Rep. Neguse and his colleagues should be applauded for this bold reform initiative, aimed at cracking down on corruption and bringing about the government that the American people deserve. Whether it’s reining in the corruption of the revolving door or banning the unethical practice of congressional stock trading or strengthening oversight tools like inspectors general, these reforms are long overdue and now is the time to get them done.”
LOS ANGELES – Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are standing up all states by filing a lawsuit and request to block President Trump and the Department of Defense’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles and the takeover of a California National Guard (Cal Guard) unit. The lawsuit and motion for an emergency temporary restraining order are crucial steps in holding President Trump accountable for his unwarranted and illegal overstep and for putting our democracy and our safety at risk.
Here’s why the federal takeover of the Cal Guard unit must be stopped:
🚨The President’s takeover was not just about California — this action puts EVERY state at risk.
While the President’s rhetoric is aimed at California, his order applies to every state in the country. On June 7, one day after the protests began, President Trump issued a memorandum purporting to authorize the Department of Defense to call up 2,000 National Guard personnel into federal service for a period of 60 days, and declaring a “form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States” and directing the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with state governors and the National Guard to commandeer state militias.
This order was not specific to California and suggests that the President could assume control of any state militia.
🚨The law the President cited to take over a state guard requires the Governor’s approval.
The U.S. Constitution and the Title 10 authority the President invoked require that the Governor consent to federalization of the National Guard, which Governor Newsom was not given the opportunity to do prior to their deployment and which he confirmed he had not given shortly after their deployment. The President’s unlawful order infringes on Governor Newsom’s role as Commander-in-Chief of the California National Guard and violates the state’s sovereign right to control and have available its National Guard in the absence of a lawful invocation of federal power.
🚨There’s no insurrection, no matter how many times Trump says the word out loud.
The situation in Los Angeles didn’t meet the criteria for federalization, which includes invasion by a foreign country, rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States, and being unable to execute federal laws. That is not the case in the Los Angeles area, where local and state law enforcement have remained vigilant and in control and able to subdue unlawful activity.
🚨Local law enforcement had it handled, and the federal government wasn’t equipped to step in.
By the time the National Guard arrived on Sunday morning, the protests had dissipated thanks to local law enforcement, and the streets were quiet. The President’s Actions and the military presence actually inflamed the very protest and violence it was supposedly meant to suppress. The introduction of a military presence on city streets has only led to larger crowds and more problems for law enforcement to solve.
🚨Cal Guard has other things to do …like emergency response and drug interdiction.
The federalization of the California National Guard deprives California of resources to protect itself and its citizens, including those working on drug interdiction at the border, and of critical responders in the event of a state of emergency — such as the January 2025 firestorm in Los Angeles, which Cal Guard responded to.
🚨You can’t threaten to arrest a Governor, just because you don’t agree with them.
We live in a democracy — and the President’s actions and subsequent threats put it at risk. As Governor Newsom said, President Trump’s actions here are “an unmistakable step towards authoritarianism.”
Watch the Governor speak about the lawsuit here.
Press releases, Recent news
Recent news
Jun 10, 2025
News “Turning the military against American citizens” What you need to know: Standing up for American citizens and the Nation’s foundational ban on martial law in peacetime, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are requesting the court step in to…
Jun 9, 2025
News What you need to know: California is surging mutual aid resources to support law enforcement as they clean up the actions caused by President Trump. LOS ANGELES – Moving quickly to support local response to federal actions that have caused unrest in Los Angeles,…
Jun 9, 2025
News “An unmistakable step toward authoritarianism” What you need to know: Standing up for state sovereignty throughout the nation, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are suing the Trump administration for its illegal takeover of the California…
Salt Lake City, Utah, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TruGolf Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRUG), a leading golf technology company, has announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire mlSpatial, a renowned AI and machine learning engineering firm. This strategic acquisition aims to advance the integration of artificial intelligence within TruGolf’s industry-leading products, including the Apogee Launch Monitor, Launchbox, Multisport Arcade, and E6 Apex.
The collaboration between TruGolf and mlSpatial began in March 2024 with a licensing agreement to co-develop an AI engine enhancing the 9-axis spin accuracy of TruGolf’s Apogee Launch Monitor. Building upon this successful partnership, the full acquisition of mlSpatial will enable TruGolf to seamlessly incorporate advanced AI technologies across its entire product suite, delivering unparalleled user experiences, training suggestions, and player insights.
“We are very excited to bring mlSpatial and its AI and machine learning technology into the TruGolf family,” said Chris Jones, TruGolf CEO. He continued, “Acquiring mlSpatial marks a significant milestone in our commitment to revolutionize golf simulation through cutting-edge AI integration. This acquisition empowers us to explore innovative applications of AI across our ecosystem, enhancing realism and interactivity for our users while lowering development costs.”
Josh Pomazal, founder of mlSpatial, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition: “We’re excited to leverage TruGolf’s extensive real-time data, collected daily, to continually refine our products with the advanced machine learning and AI models we’ve developed over the years.”
This acquisition solidifies our deep commitment to innovation and aligns with the broader industry trend of significant investments in AI infrastructure. Notably, in January 2025, President Donald Trump announced a private-sector initiative, the Stargate Project, aiming to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure within the United States. This substantial investment underscores the rapid progress and importance of AI technologies across various sectors.
TruGolf’s acquisition of mlSpatial positions the company at the forefront of AI-driven innovation in golf simulation, promising enhanced performance and immersive experiences for enthusiasts worldwide.
TruGolf is a golf technology company, committed to making golf, easy. From innovative uses for AI to build content and enhance its image and spatial analysis, to gamified golf improvement plans, TruGolf is an industry leader in the growing technological revolution in the sport of golf. Since its founding, TruGolf has redefined what is possible in golf through technology. TruGolf’s suite of Hardware, Software, and Web Products make it easier to Play, Improve, and Enjoy the game of golf.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, whether the Company’s compliance plan will be accepted by Nasdaq and the Company’s expected future cash needs. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ”believes,” ”estimates,” ”anticipates,” ”expects,” ”plans,” ”projects,” ”intends,” ”potential,” ”may,” ”could,” ”might,” ”will,” ”should,” ”approximately” or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting the Company is contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov.
Media Contacts:
TruGolf: Michael Bacal: Phone: 917-886-9071; mbacal@darrowir.com Web: TruGolf.com LinkedIn: @TruGolf
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, June 11 (Xinhua) — Moscow and Washington are directly interacting to eliminate irritants in bilateral relations, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said at a briefing on Wednesday.
“Russia and the United States are directly in contact to eliminate irritants in bilateral relations,” TASS quotes him as saying.
According to D. Peskov, there are many “blockages” in Russian-American relations, but the dialogue between the countries continues. “And of course, one can hardly hope for any quick results. But it is precisely this kind of complex, step-by-step work that has begun and will continue,” he noted.
The Kremlin spokesman noted that the third round of consultations between Russia and the United States on bilateral issues, planned for Moscow, will be carried out through diplomatic agencies.
“As you can see, the dialogue continues. All this is being carried out by diplomatic agencies within the framework of the understandings that were reached between President /of Russia Vladimir/ Putin and President /of the USA Donald/ Trump,” D. Peskov emphasized. –0–
Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)
Headline: Scott Statement on Trump Effectively Closing All Job Corps Centers
As originally released by the Committee on Education and Workforce,Democrats
WASHINGTON – Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and Workforce, released the following statement after the Trump Administration ordered the effective closure of all Job Corps centers across the United States.
“Once again, the Trump Administration is harming those most in need. The Department of Labor sent notices to all 99 Job Corps centers with which it directly contracts, stating they are going to ‘pause’ operations. Let’s be clear: these are not pauses. The Department is effectively closing all Job Corps centers. Without new contracts, these centers will cease to operate and will have to kick at-risk youth off their campuses, many of whom are homeless or in foster care and have nowhere else to go.
“Since its creation in 1964, Job Corps has trained over three million young Americans in trades such as welding, carpentry, and medical assistant training. Job Corps trains young, low-income people, helps them find good-paying jobs, and provides housing for a population that would otherwise be without a home.
“The Administration should be working with Congress to advance a bipartisan reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and improve Job Corps, not end the program altogether. I urge the Trump Administration to reverse this decision and give at-risk youth the support they need to access well-paying, stable jobs that will strengthen our communities and the economy.”
Source: {United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bobby Scott (3rd District of Virginia)
Headline: Scott Statement on Excessive Trump Administration Response in Los Angeles
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement:
“The American people have a constitutional right to peacefully assemble, and I unequivocally condemn all violence and destruction of property. However, President Trump has inflamed the situation in California. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell has said the arrival of military forces ‘presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us tasked with safeguarding this city.’ The actions by the Trump Administration are incompatible with federal law, have increased incidents of violence, and are risking civilian lives.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
Across the nation, conversations this week likely revolved around the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” that passed out of the House, delivering on the mandate handed down by over 77 million Americans to address concerns like border security, increasing costs, healthcare, and more. It was especially exciting to be a part of this process, not only as Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, but also in my capacity as a member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Through each of these committees, we were able to find a combined total of over $55 billion in savings – putting more money back into taxpayers’ pockets.
Hearing directly from my constituents is an important aspect of my role, as it provides me with better insight, enabling me to serve and represent the folks of the Fourth District of Arkansas as best as possible in Washington. It was a great privilege to host a telephone town hall earlier this week where I was able to do just that – listen to the questions and concerns my friends and neighbors back home have regarding this significant piece of legislation. I was encouraged by the number of callers who expressed a deep desire to learn and understand what House Republicans are doing to craft legislation that puts Americans first.
Most notably, there is evident concern around Medicaid and tax breaks for hard working Americans. In recent years, we’ve seen incredible abuse and wasteful spending through programs like Medicaid. This vital program that millions of Americans depend on for healthcare has been abused and mismanaged, endangering access for countless of Americans who rightfully need help. This piece of legislation rights these wrongs and protects vulnerable Americans – pregnant women, single mothers, low-income seniors, and disabled individuals – just as the program was designed.
It certainly does not go unnoticed by me how many working families, small business owners, and hourly workers reside right here in the Fourth District. These hardworking Americans are the backbone of our economy, and as such, are in need of a tax break that allows them to retain their hard-earned money. Taxpayers’ money doesn’t belong to the federal government, it belongs in their pockets, allowing them to spend and save that money as they choose.
Under this big, beautiful bill, working American families will see the largest tax break in our nation’s history. Under the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts, which this bill extends, Americans earning under $100,000 received an average tax cut of 16 percent, while the taxes paid by the top 1 percent were found to increase. Moreover, earners in the bottom 20 percent who make up to $26,000, saw their federal tax rate fall to its lowest level in 40 years. With no tax on tips or overtime pay, expanding and making permanent the 199A small business deduction, and providing additional tax relief for seniors, there is no question that this bill champions the hardworking Americans who provide the greatest, most integral support to our nation’s economy.
No matter how you slice it, this bill works for all Americans – not just one small sect or tax bracket, but every single hardworking American who pours their heart and soul into providing for their families, contributing to their communities, and holding the aspiration of achieving the time-honored goal of “The American Dream.” It is an honor to work alongside House Republicans as we continue to deliver on our mandate and put Americans first.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bruce Westerman (AR-04)
The war against opioids and deadly illicit drugs still rages on, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for those who struggle with substance abuse. As we learn more about the successful ways to address substance use disorders, more opportunities for treatment and recovery are created that reach into our communities and create viable paths forward. Many of these opportunities for recovery are thanks in part to work done not only on the local and state levels, but at the federal level through legislation passed by Congress.
In 2018, Congress passed the Substance-Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act which was ultimately signed into law by President Trump. At that time, it was historically the largest Congressional investment in overdose prevention focused on strengthening the nation’s response to the substance abuse crisis that had already claimed millions of lives. Now, Congress has the chance to extend these life-saving provisions and continue extending critical care and resources to those in need.
Legislation like the SUPPORT Act that is focused on treatment and recovery programs is undoubtedly a contributing factor to the decreasing number of fatal overdoses reported across the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in Arkansas, fatal overdoses fell 25.5% from 517 in 2023 to 385 in 2024. Promising results like this are exactly why we must continue creating avenues to bolster training programs for first responders, fund community-based recovery and youth prevention efforts, and renew funding for prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, among other initiatives.
On the floor this week in the House of Representatives, House Republicans passed legislation reauthorizing key public health programs focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for patients with substance use disorder that were established in the original SUPPORT Act and proved to be successful, providing life-saving solutions. Vital pieces of legislation like this reflect House Republicans’ sincere commitment to improving America’s health, combatting the deadly opioid crisis, and creating opportunities for success among our nation’s most vulnerable.
It is an honor not taken lightly to work diligently and tirelessly in Washington on behalf of the friends and neighbors whom I serve across the Fourth District. In passing legislation like the SUPPORT Act, Congress has the ability to lift up local programs across the Fourth District which directly affect real people with real needs. While there is still much work to be done to put an end to the opioid crisis for good, the SUPPORT Act is an excellent step in the right direction to provide hope for the people of Arkansas and our country.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA
Norfolk, VA – Today, the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee held a hearing on the impacts of the Trump Administration proposed policies and DOGE cuts for veterans. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), a Vietnam war combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient, testified alongside committee Co-Chairs Congresswomen Robin Kelly (D-IL) and Nanette Díaz Barragán (D-CA). The committee heard from policy experts, healthcare providers, and veterans on how Congressional Republican schemes make it more difficult to plan, access care, and utilize critical programs across the federal government.
“Since his first day back in office, the President has gone after our nation’s veterans. The President has fired thousands of veterans and VA staff, taken a sledgehammer to the PACT Act serving veterans exposed to toxic substances, and canceled hundreds of contracts for programs supporting veterans’ mental health and addressing veteran homelessness. Make no mistake: This administration is making our veterans, their families, and the American people worse off,” said Rep. Mike Thompson. “Today, I heard a clear message from veterans, healthcare leaders and VA workers: President Trump’s agenda is making it harder for veterans and their families to receive the care they need,” said Rep. Kelly. “The Trump administration has fired over 6,000 veterans who are federal workers, implemented hiring freezes in the VA hospital system and cut mental healthcare for veterans. These attacks against the brave men and women who served our country in uniform are undignified and disrespectful.” “Our veterans served our country and have earned the care and benefits they were promised,” said Rep. Barragán. “Yet, Donald Trump and House Republicans have fired thousands of veterans, canceled contracts for programs to end veteran homelessness and prevent veteran suicide, frozen hiring new staff at the VA, and cut programs that provide health care and education — all so that they can line the pockets of their billionaire donors. House Democrats will continue to put our veterans over billionaires, fight back against Trump and House Republicans, and work to keep America’s commitment to our veterans.” Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), who hosted the field hearing in his district said, “Today’s hearing highlighted the ways President Trump, Secretary Collins and Congressional Republicans have harmed our nation’s veterans by firing veterans, weakening the VA, and slashing Medicaid. I was proud to host my colleagues in Hampton Roads, home to one of the largest veterans’ populations in the country. I look forward to continuing to work together to protect America’s veterans from these attacks and ensure they receive the quality health care they earned.” “As Ranking Member on the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, I hear heartbreaking stories of our veterans being fired or denied and delayed from receiving their hard-earned benefits and services,” said Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL). “Trump and Republicans are breaking our promise to America’s veterans, letting Elon Musk’s DOGE cut benefits and healthcare our veterans earned while carrying out the largest firing of veterans in American history.” This year, the Steering & Policy Committee has held hearings on Medicaid, SNAP, Social Security Small Business, and Veterans. Each one shared personal stories of how everyday Americans are being harmed by this administration. The Steering & Policy Committee will continue to hear, collect, and share more stories from across the nation in the months ahead. The full video of today’s hearing can be foundhere.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Mike Thompson Representing the 5th District of CALIFORNIA
St. Helena, CA – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) released the following statement on the undue arrest of California SEIU President, David Huerta, and the President’s unwarranted deployment of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles:
“The Trump Administration’s choice to deploy California’s National Guard and arrest California SEIU President David Huerta are typical and unsurprising. The Trump Administration is doing exactly what they do best: dividing the American people and causing chaos.
“People have a right to protest peacefully and within the law. Local law enforcement has not requested federal support. Our Governor has asked this administration to get out of California, so they should get out. I urge Los Angeles residents to continue to stand up to this intimidation by continuing to speak out and demonstrate peacefully.”
Opposition parties say Aotearoa New Zealand’s government should be going much further, much faster in sanctioning Israel.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters overnight revealed New Zealand had joined Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in imposing travel bans on Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Some of the partner countries went further, adding asset freezes and business restrictions on the far-right ministers.
Peters said the pair had used their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution.
Israel and the United States criticised the sanctions, with the US saying it undermined progress towards a ceasefire.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, attending Fieldays in Waikato, told reporters New Zealand still enjoyed a good relationship with the US administration, but would not be backing down.
“We have a view that this is the right course of action for us,” he said.
Behind the scenes job “We have differences in approach but the Americans are doing an excellent job of behind the scenes trying to get Israel and the Palestinians to the table to talk about a ceasefire.”
Asked if there could be further sanctions, Luxon said the government was “monitoring the situation all the time”.
Peters has been busy travelling in Europe and was unavailable to be interviewed. ACT — probably the most vocally pro-Israel party in Parliament — refused to comment on the situation.
The opposition parties also backed the move, but argued the government should have gone much further.
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick has since December been urging the coalition to back her bill imposing economic sanctions on Israel. With support from Labour and Te Pāti Māori it would need just six MPs to cross the floor to pass.
Calling the Israeli actions in Gaza “genocide”, she told RNZ the government’s sanctions fell far short of those imposed on Russia.
“This is symbolic, and it’s unfortunate that it’s taken so long to get to this point, nearly two years . . . the Minister of Foreign Affairs also invoked the similarities with Russia in his statement this morning, yet we have seen far less harsh sanctions applied to Israel.
“We’re well past the time for first steps.”
‘Cowardice’ by government The pushback from the US was “probably precisely part of the reason that our government has been so scared of doing the right thing”, she said, calling it “cowardice” on the government’s part.
“What else are you supposed to call it at the end of the day?,” she said, saying at a bare minimum the Israeli ambassador should be expelled, Palestinian statehood should be recognised, and a special category of visas for Palestinians should be introduced.
She rejected categorisation of her stance as anti-semitic, saying that made no sense.
“If we are critiquing a government of a certain country, that is not the same thing as critiquing the people of that country. I think it’s actually far more anti-semitic to conflate the actions of the Israeli government with the entire Jewish peoples.”
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer . . . “It’s not a war, it’s an annihilation”. Image: RNZ/Samuel Rillstone
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the sanctions were political hypocrisy.
“When it comes to war, human rights and the extent of violence and genocide that we’re seeing, Palestine is its own independent nation . . . why is this government sanctioning only two ministers? They should be sanctioning the whole of Israel,” she said.
“These two Israel far right ministers don’t act alone. They belong to an entire Israel government which has used its military might and everything it can possibly do to bombard, to murder and to commit genocide and occupy Gaza and the West Bank.”
Suspend diplomatic ties She also wanted all diplomatic ties with Israel suspended, along with sanctions against Israeli companies, military officials and additional support for the international courts — also saying the government should have done more.
“This government has been doing everything to do nothing . . . to appease allies that have dangerously overstepped unjustifiable marks, and they should not be silent.
“It’s not a war, it’s an annihilation, it’s an absolute annihilation of human beings . . . we’re way out there supporting those allies that are helping to weaponise Israel and the flattening and the continual cruel occupation of a nation, and it’s just nothing that I thought in my living days I’d be witnessing.”
She said the government should be pushing back against “a very polarised, very Trump attitude” to the conflict.
“Trumpism has arrived in Aotearoa . . . and we continue to go down that line, that is a really frightening part for this beautiful nation of ours.
“As a nation, we have a different set of values. We’re a Pacific-based country with a long history of going against the grain – the mainstream, easy grind. We’ve been a peaceful, loving nation that stood up against the big boys when it came to our anti nuclear stance and that’s our role in this, our role is not to follow blindly.”
Undermining two-state solution In a statement, Labour’s foreign affairs spokesperson Peeni Henare said the actions of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir had attempted to undermine the two-state solution and international law, and described the situation in Gaza as horrific.
“The travel bans echo the sanctions placed on Russian individuals and organisations that supported the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
He called for further action.
“Labour has been calling for stronger action from the government on Israel’s invasion of Gaza, including intervening in South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice, creation of a special visa for family members of New Zealanders fleeing Gaza, and ending government procurement from companies operating illegally in the Occupied Territories.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Several U.S. cities braced for protests on Wednesday against President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration raids, as parts of the country’s second largest city Los Angeles spent the night under curfew in an effort to quell five days of unrest.
The Governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, said he will deploy the National Guard this week, ahead of planned protests. Protesters and police in Austin clashed on Monday.
Trump’s extraordinary measures of sending National Guard and Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles has sparked a national debate on the use of military on U.S. soil and pitted the Republican president against California’s Democrat governor.
“This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk. That’s when the downward spiral began,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a video address on Tuesday.
“He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety. … Democracy is under assault.”
Newsom, widely seen as preparing for a presidential run in 2028, and the state of California sued Trump and the Defense Department on Monday, seeking to block the deployment of federal troops. Trump in turn has suggested Newsom should be arrested.
Hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday under orders from Trump, after he also ordered the deployment of 4,000 National Guard to the city. Marines and National Guard are to be used in the protection of government personnel and buildings and not in police action.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the deployments were not necessary as police could manage the protest, the majority of which have been peaceful, and limited to about five streets.
However, due to looting and violence at night she imposed a curfew over one square mile of the city’s downtown, starting Tuesday night. The curfew will last several days.
Police said multiple groups stayed on the streets in some areas despite the curfew and “mass arrests” were initiated. Police earlier said that 197 people had already been arrested on Tuesday – more than double the total number of arrests to date.
Democratic leaders have raised concerns over a national crisis in what has become the most intense flashpoint yet in the Trump administration’s efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally, and then crack down on opponents who take to the streets in protest.
Trump, voted back into office last year largely for his promise to deport undocumented immigrants, used a speech honoring soldiers on Tuesday to defend his decision.
He told troops at the army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina: “Generations of army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness.”
‘FULL-BLOWN ASSAULT’
“What you’re witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags,” Trump said, adding his administration would “liberate Los Angeles.”
Demonstrators have waved the flags of Mexico and other countries in solidarity for the migrants rounded up in a series of intensifying raids.
Homeland Security said on Monday its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division had arrested 2,000 immigration offenders per day recently, far above the 311 daily average in fiscal year 2024 under former President Joe Biden.
Protests have also taken place in other cities including New York, Atlanta and Chicago, where demonstrators shouted at and scuffled with officers. Some protesters climbed onto the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, while others chanted that ICE should be abolished.
Texas Governor Abbott said late on Tuesday that he will deploy the National Guard, which “will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order.”
“Texas National Guard will be deployed to locations across the state to ensure peace & order. Peaceful protest is legal.
Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest,” Abbott posted on X.
South Texas organizations are expected to hold anti-ICE rallies on Wednesday and Saturday, CNN reported local media as saying.
About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 30 miles (50 km) south of Los Angeles on Tuesday, awaiting deployment to specific locations, a U.S. official said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta told Reuters the state was concerned about allowing federal troops to protect personnel, saying there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.
“Protecting personnel likely means accompanying ICE agents into communities and neighborhoods, and protecting functions could mean protecting the ICE function of enforcing the immigration law,” Bonta said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday posted photos on X of National Guard troops accompanying ICE officers on an immigration raid. Trump administration officials have vowed to redouble the immigration raids in response to the street protests.
The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked President George H.W. Bush to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King.
Billionaire Elon Musk said on Wednesday he regrets some of the posts he made last week about U.S President Donald Trump as they went “too far”.
Trump and Musk began exchanging insults last week on social media, with the Tesla TSLA.O and SpaceX CEO describing the president’s sweeping tax and spending bill as a “disgusting abomination.”
Trump said on Saturday their relationship was over but has since said that he would not have a problem if Musk called and wished him well.
“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X.
He did not say which specific posts he was talking about.
Tesla shares in Frankfurt were up 2.44% after Musk’s post.
Since the dispute began, Musk has deleted some social media posts critical of Trump, including one signaling support for impeaching the president.
Sources close to Musk had said his anger has started to subside, and that they believe he may want to repair his relationship with Trump.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig announced that she has secured $1,836,883 in federal grant funding for Scott, Carver and Dakota County’s Community Action Partnership (CAP) Agency to support Head Start programming.
“Minnesota’s Head Start programs set our kids up for success, and it’s imperative that they remain fully funded,” said Rep. Craig. “I’m proud to have secured this critical federal funding to support students and families in Minnesota’s Second Congressional District and ensure that generations of Minnesotans can achieve their full potential.”
Rep. Craig has been a fierce advocate of Minnesota’s Head Start programs, continuously speaking out about any potential cuts to Head Start programming.
This week, she sent a letterto Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. demanding answers about the Administration’s decision to close five regional Head Start offices – including the regional office that serves Minnesota.
Last week, she held a press conference at the CAP Agency in Rosemount, MN in response to reports that the Administration planned to reduce funding for Head Start in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) federal budget. And earlier last month, she sent a letterto President Donald Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy blasting the Administration’s proposal to eliminate critical Head Start programs that promote early childhood development and ease the burden of child care on working families.
Last year, in Minnesota alone, over 12,000 students attended 33 Head Start and Early Head Start Centers.
Two long-running television current affairs programs are coming to an end at the same time, driving home the fact that no matter what the format, they have a shelf life.
The Project on Channel 10 will end this month after 16 years, and after 18 years on the ABC, Q+A will not return from its current hiatus.
Each was innovative in very different ways.
Q+A was designed specifically to generate public participation. Its format of five panellists, a host and a studio audience of up to 1,000 was a daring experiment, because the audience was invited to ask questions that were not vetted in advance.
This live-to-air approach gave it an edgy atmosphere not often achieved on television. From time to time, the edginess was real.
In 2022, an audience member made a statement supporting Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and repeated Russian propaganda to the effect that Ukraine’s Azov battalion was a Nazi group that had killed an estimated 13,000 people in the Donbas region.
After a brief discussion of these allegations, the host Stan Grant asked the man to leave, saying other audience members had been talking about family members who were dying in the war, and he could not countenance the advocating of violence.
In 2017 the Sudanese-Australian writer Yassmin Abdel-Magied was involved in a fiery exchange with Senator Jacqui Lambie over sharia law.
They had been asked by an audience member if it was time to define new rules surrounding migration to avoid community conflict, to which Lambie replied: “Anyone that supports sharia law should be deported.”
Abdel-Magied questioned if Lambie even knew what that meant, before getting into a heated defence of feminism and Islam.
In 2024, an audience member listening to politicians on the panel debate family violence could not contain his frustration, calling out:
How dare you go into politics, in an environment like this, when one woman is murdered every four days, and all you […] can do is immediately talk about politics? That is just disgraceful.
His outburst went viral.
He had put his finger on what was an increasing problem with the program. It became hostage to fixed political positions among those of its panellists drawn from party politics.
As a result, it became predictable, and although the surprise element supplied by audience participation remained a strength, the panellists’ responses increasingly became echoes of their parties’ policies.
While the objective no doubt was to achieve a range of perspectives, it began to look like stage-managed political controversy.
This is not to criticise the established presenters – Tony Jones, who fronted the program for 11 years, Stan Grant and most recently Patricia Karvelas, all gifted journalists who adroitly managed the time bombs occasionally set off in their midst.
Unfortunately, especially for Grant, the program was a lightning rod for attacks on the ABC by The Australian newspaper. ABC management’s abandonment of him, after a particularly vicious attack in 2023 over his commentary during coverage of the king’s coronation, was disgraceful.
Resigning from the program, Grant said: “Since the king’s coronation, I have seen people in the media lie and distort my words. They have tried to depict me as hate filled. They have accused me of maligning Australia. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
The ABC is promising to continue with audience-participation programming along the lines of Your Say, a kind of online questionnaire which the ABC says was successfully tried during the 2025 federal election.
How such a format would translate to television is not clear.
Meanwhile at Ten, there is promise of a new current affairs program, but details are scant.
The Project will be a hard act to follow. It promised “news done differently” – and it delivered. News stories were given context and a touch of humanity by a combination of humour, accidents, slips of the tongue and the intellectual firepower of Waleed Aly.
Aly is a Sunni Muslim, and his “ISIL is weak” speech in 2015 spoke directly and passionately to the fears of the public at the peak of one of the many panics over terrorism.
Inevitably, much of the attention in the wake of the announced closure has been on the celebrated gaffes of long-time presenter Carrie Bickmore, a little rich to be reproduced in a sober article such as this, but findable here.
It may not be an auspicious time for launching a new current affairs program at Ten. Its ultimate parent company, Paramount, in the United States, is in the process of negotiating a settlement with US President Donald Trump over a trumped-up court case in which the president is suing the company for US$20 billion (A$30.7 billion).
He says an interview done by another Paramount company, CBS News, with the Democrats’ former presidential nominee Kamala Harris during the election campaign was “deceptively edited”.
This is said to have no prospect of succeeding in court, but Paramount wishes to merge with Skydance Media and fears the Trump administration would block it if the company doesn’t come across. The Wall Street Journal is reporting it is proposing to settle for $15 million.
Senior editorial staff at CBS have already resigned in protest at Paramount’s cowardice, so what price editorial independence at Ten?
Denis Muller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
NJ 6th District Congressman calls on Trump’s Interior Secretary to disclose staffing plans, lifeguard coverage by June 30
Sandy Hook, New Jersey — With New Jersey’s beach season now in full swing, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) is sounding the alarm over dangerous staffing shortages at Sandy Hook in the Gateway National Recreation Area. In a letter sent today to Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Pallone demanded answers on why the National Park Service is failing to hire the lifeguards, maintenance staff, and other essential personnel needed to safely operate the beaches and facilities at Sandy Hook this summer.
“For months, the Department of Interior has been blocking information regarding the consequences of new staffing policies from reaching Congress. This unprecedented situation extends to the staff of National Park Service units, who you have forbidden from communicating with Congressional offices without express permission from DOI headquarters – approval which never arrives. I am gravely concerned about the ramifications of the Trump Administration’s policies on Sandy Hook’s future as a place for safe recreation in a clean, natural environment,” Pallone wrote.
Pallone’s letter cites multiple troubling factors behind the current staffing crisis:
Trump’s January 20 executive order freezing all federal hiring;
Cuts to National Park Service permanent and probationary staff ordered by Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency”;
Deferred resignation offers made to remaining permanent staff.
Worse, the Interior Department has blocked basic information about staffing levels from reaching Congress — preventing oversight of whether the beaches and public facilities at Sandy Hook can be safely visited.
“The government should protect the ability of parks such as Sandy Hook to serve Americans and contribute to the tourism economy, not create potentially dangerous and filthy conditions in the parks by failing to hire the necessary lifeguards and maintenance staff to clean bathrooms during the busiest season of the year. It is shameful to deprive American taxpayers of their right to the services their hard-earned dollars are paying for, in this case, the services provided by the National Park Service that preserves and steward natural resources for families to enjoy,” Pallone continued.
In his letter, Pallone demanded Interior provide a full accounting of current staffing levels, beach openings, lifeguard coverage, and facility maintenance at Sandy Hook no later than June 30 before the Independence Day holiday – and called for immediate action to fill any staffing gaps.
A copy of the full letter is linked here and available below:
Dear Secretary Burgum,
I write to express my urgent concern and to demand answers regarding the historically low staffing at the Sandy Hook Unit of the Gateway National Recreation Area (NRA) at the start of the summer beach season. For months, the Department of Interior (DOI) has been blocking information regarding the consequences of new staffing policies from reaching Congress. This unprecedented situation extends to the staff of National Park Service (NPS) units, who you have forbidden from communicating with Congressional offices without express permission from DOI headquarters – approval which never arrives.
I am gravely concerned about the ramifications of the Trump Administration’s policies on Sandy Hook’s future as a place for safe recreation in a clean, natural environment. These include President Trump’s misguided January 20thExecutive Order freezing all hiring of Federal employees, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency cuts to NPS permanent and probationary staff, and the deferred resignation offers made to permanent staff.[1] From the limited public information available, it’s clear the cumulative impact of these policies have left Gateway NRA with a skeleton crew to run the fourth-most visited NPS unit in the country. If the Trump Administration is so proud of these unlawful and chaotic changes, you should not be so secretive about their outcome.
This vacuum of information has created confusion and concern in our community. My constituents and the two million other Americans that visit Sandy Hook for a respite from the summer heat and from their busy lives deserve to know whether the park is ready to accept visitors for safe recreation.[2] The high levels of visitation that Sandy Hook experiences in the summer months are why the park needs to be fully staffed with year-round and seasonal employees.
Historically, despite warnings not to swim, there have been drowning incidents at Sandy Hook when the beaches are not open and fully staffed with lifeguards. We cannot let this situation repeat itself this summer, though I am concerned your disregard for the vital health and safety roles that NPS staff play may result in tragedy at Sandy Hook.
American families from across New Jersey, New York, and surrounding states flock to Sandy Hook’s beautiful beaches and recreational areas every summer to enjoy fishing, swimming, camping, and biking, among other activities.3 These visitors rely on Sandy Hook for their summer vacations, and their visits generate significant contributions to New Jersey’s economy.[5]
To rectify this outrageous lack of information on whether the Gateway National Recreation Area is prepared for basic operations at Sandy Hook this summer, please provide written responses to the questions below by Monday, June 30, 2025:
1. How many total staff currently work at Gateway NRA compared to this time last year?
2. How many total staff have been assigned to work at the Sandy Hook unit compared to this time last year?
3. How many seasonal employees have been hired at Sandy Hook for the summer season compared to this time last year?
4. How many permanent and seasonal positions are currently unfilled?
5. Which Sandy Hook beaches will be open during the 2025 summer season? What are the dates and hours of each beach’s public access?
6. Which Sandy Hook beaches will have lifeguards this summer? What are the dates and hours that each beach will have a lifeguard? How many total lifeguards will work this year compared to last year?
7. Will there be staff to maintain facilities, including restrooms, at the Sandy Hook unit throughout the summer season?
8. How many staff will be there to collect admission at the entrance to the park compared to this time last year?
For decades, I have proudly advocated to keep the beaches and facilities at the Sandy Hook Unit safe, clean, and accessible for all Americans and ensure it continues to be a place of safe harbor for the wildlife which bring delight to visitors. The National Park Service must hire qualified staff in a timely manner and clearly communicate the Sandy Hook’s ability to host the American public. Instead of working against Congress, I hope we can work together to ensure Sandy Hook, Gateway NRA, and the entire National Park Service continue to thrive for generations to come.
Please contact my office immediately with an update on this important issue and formally reply by the date requested.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) joined 198 of his colleagues in signing a bipartisan letter to Trump’s U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging the Department to reverse its decision to shut down Job Corps centers across the country. The letter calls on the Trump administration to preserve this critical program that helps young people build skills and secure stable employment.
“Trump’s economic legacy is already marked by layoffs, chaos, and rising prices. Now he’s pulling the ladder up on the next generation at the very moment our economy needs more skilled workers. That’s why I’ve joined this bipartisan effort to fight back and save Job Corps. I’ll keep working to protect investments that help people get ahead,” Pallone said of the letter.
The bipartisan letter emphasizes that nearly 20,000 young people nationwide rely on Job Corps to build vocational skills in fields like manufacturing, shipbuilding, and business services. With more than 120 centers nationwide, Job Corps provides one of the only targeted workforce development pipelines for Americans aged 16 to 24 who are neither in school nor employed – helping them access apprenticeships, higher education, and careers that fuel the country’s economic growth.
The lawmakers warn that shutting down these centers would undermine both local communities and national workforce needs, particularly as industries seek skilled labor to meet growing demand.
A copy of the letter to Trump’s Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer ishere.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
Warns that Republicans’ reconciliation bill, AI loopholes are undermining fight against scams
WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, warned today that New Jersey residents remain vulnerable to scams perpetrated through robocalls and robotexts despite progress in passing tough federal protections against robocalls.
At an Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing, Pallone called for stronger laws to combat the evolving tactics scammers now use, including artificial intelligence (AI) and spoofing. He also slammed Republican efforts to defund key consumer protection agencies that enforce robocall and robotext laws.
“New Jerseyans know all too well how relentless and dangerous these robocalls and robotexts have become,” Pallone said. “They target seniors, small businesses, and families across our state – trying to steal personal information and hard-earned money. I’ve led this fight in Congress for years, and it’s clear we need to do more in the face of AI.”
Pallone authored the landmark TRACED Act, signed into law in 2019, which strengthened the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to crack down on illegal robocalls. It also required phone carriers to implement call authentication technology and expanded enforcement tools.
But despite that progress, scammers are adapting fast. Americans received more than 52 billion robocalls in 2024—nearly 200 calls per adult—and robotext scams are rapidly increasing, targeting consumers with fraudulent links and fake messages.
“In New Jersey, seniors are particularly at risk from these scams – phony Medicare calls, texts claiming to be from grandchildren in distress, or fake law enforcement threats. It’s infuriating, and we have to stay ahead of the scammers,” Pallone said.
Pallone is pushing to update the TRACED Act to cover robotexts, impose additional penalties against robocalls and texts that use AI to trick consumers, and ensure consumers can access robocall-blocking technology at no extra cost. But he warned that Republican efforts to slash funding for the FCC and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) threaten to roll back enforcement – right as AI-powered scams surge.
He also criticized House Republicans for supporting a 10-year moratorium on state enforcement of state AI laws, which would block adoption of innovative efforts by New Jersey and other states to combat illegal robocalls and robotexts.
“We can’t allow Big Tech loopholes and budget cuts by Republicans and the Trump Administration to undermine the fight against scams. New Jerseyans deserve real protection and I’m going to keep leading this fight,” Pallone said.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)
Legislation Would Take Politics Out of Medicine and Hold Reckless Leaders Accountable
Today, Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (D-WA) introduced the Family Vaccine Protection Act to remove politics from the life-saving immunization schedule, hold Trump Administration officials accountable, and protect children and expectant mothers from vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Secretary Kennedy is governing by conspiracy theory and putting the health of our children at risk,” said Pallone. “After just a few months in office, he’s already broken the promise he made during his Senate confirmation hearing to not interfere with the lifesaving childhood vaccine schedule. He’s simultaneously presided over the largest measles outbreak in decades while actively undermining vaccination efforts for COVID-19, measles, polio, and the flu—especially for pregnant women and the tiniest infants, two of the highest risk populations. Enough is enough—it’s time to take politics out of medicine and ensure all families have access to affordable life-saving vaccines. Dr. Schrier and I are introducing this legislation to keep Secretary Kennedy’s conspiracy theories out of the doctor’s office and to protect moms and their kids.”
“Our current Secretary of Health and Human Services continues to undermine science and peddle conspiracy theories. This nation’s physicians and public health system have relied upon the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for 61 years to evaluate scientific evidence, ask questions, and ultimately make a determination about whether to recommend a vaccine and for whom. This bill ensures that physicians and other scientific experts are the ones who evaluate those studies and make those decisions, as has always been the case. Recent efforts to undermine the ACIP by pressuring physicians like Dr. Lakshmi Panagiotakopoulos to parrot RFK, Jr. talking points have unfortunately made this bill necessary,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “I will continue to stand up for scientific integrity and fight RFK Jr. ‘s peddling of conspiracy theories.”
The Family Vaccine Protection Act comes on the heels of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. ’s unilateral withdrawal of COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for children and pregnant women. This reckless decision—circumventing science-based approval—begins a slippery slope toward a sicker America where Kennedy alone decides what’s best for American children.
For months, RFK, Jr. ’s HHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have ignored science-based recommendations by the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). In April, ACIP voted unanimously to expand its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine recommendation and to provide a meningococcal vaccine to healthy teens and college-aged kids—but Kennedy ignored these recommendations. These actions are setting a dangerous precedent and jeopardizing access through critical programs like the Vaccines for Children program.
Secretary Kennedy is actively backtracking on his own promise in November 2024 that he wouldn’t “take away anybody’s vaccines” and contradicting his own Food and Drug Administration’s framework. His brazen undermining of ACIP’s independence and persistent spreading of anti-vaccine conspiracy theories threatens decades of public health progress—and will put the lives of pregnant women and unvaccinated infants at risk.
The Family Vaccine Protection Act protects access to affordable vaccines by:
Codifying current practices of a rigorous, science-based system for recommending vaccines:
This bill sets a timeline for new vaccine consideration by ACIP and requires that both the CDC Director and HHS Secretary adopt such recommendations if supported by a preponderance of scientific evidence.
Strengthening the independence of the Advisory Committee:
This bill writes the role of ACIP into statute and specifies its structure, its membership selection processes, meeting frequency, and expertise requirements—protecting it from dissolution or undue interference by the HHS Secretary.
Keeping politics out of medicine by ensuring the Secretary cannot unilaterally make or withdraw vaccine recommendations contrary to the advice of scientific experts:
This bill requires the HHS Secretary to adopt the official vaccine decision as set by ACIP—and if the Secretary chooses to depart from an ACIP recommendation, it requires the Secretary to publish the basis for the agency action, including an explanation as to how the action is supported by the best available, peer-reviewed scientific evidence.
Establishing guardrails to ensure vaccines remain accessible to all:
This bill protects the role of ACIP in making immunization recommendations for the Vaccines for Children Program as well as for the purposes of cost-free coverage of vaccines by health insurance plans—ensuring continued widespread access to life-saving vaccines.
The Family Vaccine Protection Act has received the support of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Public Health Association, American College of Physicians, Infectious Disease Society of America, and Vaccinate Your Family.
Read the full bill text HEREand a section-by-section summary HERE.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)
WASHINGTON — During today’s House Appropriations subcommittee markup of the 2026 Defense funding bill, House Democrats highlighted how the bill undermines democracy at home and abroad and includes harmful policy riders that divide our nation.
For fiscal year 2026, the bill provides $831.5 billion, which is equal to current funding levels and $1.3 billion above the Administration’s fiscal year 2026 request.
Republicans have included language directing the Department of Defense to determine $7.75 billion in cuts to amounts listed in the bill. This jeopardizes every program other than intelligence activities. If made uniformly, it would reduce everything by approximately 1 percent, which would mean cuts of almost $2 billion for troop pay, over $2 billion for troop readiness, $409 million for health programs, $5 million each for Israel and Jordan, and over $2 billion for the procurement and modernization of weapons systems. At a time when the Trump Administration is already illegally stealing from American communities by refusing to spend funds, it is unfathomable that the Appropriations Committee would allow the administration to unilaterally make nearly $8 billion in cuts to defense investments.
The legislation:
Weakens Ukraine and empowers Russia by eliminating support for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Undermines democracy at home and abroad by allowing disinformation and extremist views to flourish.
Limits women’s access to abortion by preventing service personnel from traveling to seek reproductive health care
Harms our military readiness with divisive provisions that undermine morale and fail to support our service personnel, by:
Continuing DOGE and the Administration’s cuts to vital civilian positions;
Attacking the LGBTQ+ community with hateful policies; and
Banning funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
From Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Betty McCollum’s (D-MN-04) opening remarksas prepared for delivery:
“The Defense Appropriations Act is an incredibly complex piece of legislation that needs to be written the right way: With the president’s budget, and with thoughtful analysis by the Department of Defense. There are consequences to not following this process. We may end up buying too many of one platform, wasting precious taxpayer dollars. We may end up buying too little of another – leaving a gap in our defense capabilities. When we do not see the budget request, we fail to maximize the buying power for the taxpayer. It is unfortunate that President Trump put us in this situation. Our service members and America’s tax paying public deserve better.”
From Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro’s (D-CT-03) opening remarksas prepared for delivery:
“Rather than working with House Democrats to strengthen our national security and prioritize the issues that matter most to our men and women in uniform, House Republicans are abandoning our allies, undermining democracy at home and abroad, and failing to support our servicemembers. Despite broad support in Congress for helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s brutal invasion, they empower Vladimir Putin by failing to include $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The majority’s bill holds the door open for disinformation created by America’s enemies rather than allowing the Department of Defense to counter the threat, allowing extremism and propaganda to proliferate across the Internet and media landscape. The bill continues House Republicans’ attacks on the right of women to seek an abortion, and the rights of minorities to be protected from discrimination, while destroying the Department’s efforts to build a more inclusive, effective, and modern military. And the bill weakens the Department by continuing the Administration’s reckless and indiscriminate cuts to vital civilian personnel, and yielding to DOGE and Elon Musk.”
A summary of House Republicans’ 2026 Defense bill is here. A fact sheet of the bill is here. The full text of the bill is here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)
(Houston, TX) — On Sunday, May 18, 2025, Congressman Al Green was featured in an article written by Newsweek reporter Peter Aitken titled “Exclusive: Al Green on Trump Impeachment Push—’Don’t Wait’ for ‘Tanks’.” The article highlights Congressman Green’s recently filed articles of impeachment against President Donald John Trump, pointing to the Presidents continued attacks on judicial independence and disregard for the separation of powers. In this piece, Congressman Green addresses the need to confront rising authoritarianism, warning immediate action is necessary to safeguard American democracy.
The article is available on Newsweek’s website by clicking the link here.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)
Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) released the following statement on the White House deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests against Trump’s immigration policies:
“President Trump’s unilateral deployment of the National Guard onto the streets of Los Angeles at a time when state and local law enforcement were defusing the fallout from ICE raids that terrorized immigrant neighborhoods and workplaces, was a move calculated to escalate what had been largely peaceful protests into violence that would create a pretext for suspending habeas corpus and imposing Martial Law.
“Similar to the Chinese Communist Party government crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, Martial Law would create the opportunity for Trump to crackdown on dissent throughout America, stifling freedom and liberty as the 250-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from monarchal tyranny approaches.”
“I stand with my brothers and sisters who are peacefully protesting not only the cruelty of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns but the dictatorship he so desperately is trying to create, and I urge all those engaging in protest and demonstrations to remain non-violent. The time is now for all good people to find and get into trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) issued the following statement in response to confirmed reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was in Whittier over the weekend:
“ICE’s presence in Whittier and throughout Los Angeles does not make our neighborhoods safer. Instead, they are tearing families apart, traumatizing children and undermining trust with our local officials and law enforcement.
“The Trump administration’s raids serve no purpose other than to stoke fear and enforce a cruel and broken immigration system. No one should live under the constant threat of being ripped away from their family.
“I’m working with our local officials to determine if any of our residents were unlawfully detained. These inhumane raids must stop now.”
