Source: United States Coast Guard
|
News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska |
07/03/2025 03:53 PM EDT
JUNEAU, Alaska — The U.S. Coast Guard today announced the renaming of its operational districts from numerical to geographic designations, a key initiative under Force Design 2028 (FD2028). Within this Service-wide renaming initiative, Coast Guard District 17 will now be known as U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District.
Source: United States Coast Guard
|
News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Alaska |
07/03/2025 03:51 PM EDT
JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold a change of command ceremony Friday for the Coast Guard Arctic District commander at the Air National Guard Hangar in Juneau.
Source: United States Coast Guard
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 07/03/2025 04:15 PM EDT
| News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard 7th District PA Detachment Jacksonville |
07/03/2025 03:11 PM EDT
Source: United States Coast Guard
| News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland |
Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:
For more information follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Source: United States Coast Guard
| News Release |
U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Heartland |
Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:
For more information follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Bacon Votes Yes on One Big Beautiful Bill
Washington – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) issued the following statement after voting yes on the “One Big Beautiful Bill”:
“Stopping tax increases of approximately $141 a month on Middle Class Nebraskan families and making the tax code permanent is critical, which is why I voted yes on the bill. In addition, this bill invests in servicemember pay, housing, healthcare, and quality of life. It also helps America grow its naval power, improve DoD systems, and gives the Pentagon the tools to pass a full audit. Furthermore, it enforces work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children, which is supported overwhelmingly by Americans. I think the House bill had better provisions for Medicaid and Renewable Energy, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks overall.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
The U.S. House of Representatives voted and passed Senate Amendment to H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill. This reconciliation package goes to President Trump to be signed into law. Following passage of the bill, U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:
“Today, I voted in favor of H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill. As with every bill, I weighed the pros and the cons. The positives of the bill clearly outweigh the negatives.
“A tax structure that encourages continued growth in the economy is extremely important. This bill contains a number of continuations of pro-small business policies. It helps protect family-owned farms and family-run businesses.
“In addition, it adds no tax on tips for most of our service-industry employees, including wait staff and hospitality workers. It also exempts wages for overtime work for hourly workers.
“Another significant impact is the increased money to help protect our nation’ s borders.
“The unleashing of American energy potential contained in this bill is significant and will lead to increases in production. Because of this American energy costs are expected to stabilize and even be lower in the coming decade.
“On Medicaid, we strengthened the program for the traditional Medicaid population. That population includes pregnant women, the disabled, the elderly, and the young.
“Opponents criticize the community engagement or “work requirement” provisions for able-bodied Medicaid-expansion recipients. I consider this a strength of the bill. While commonly called “work requirements,” the community engagement provision for able-bodied Medicaid-expansion recipients does not require a recipient to work per se but would require them to contribute to our communities. This engagement only requires an average of 18.5 hours a week. Eligibility can be achieved by participating in educational or substance abuse recovery programs, holding a traditional job, or volunteering for community service. I believe it is only fair to expect those able-bodied Medicaid-expansion recipients to contribute to their communities.
“Accordingly, I supported the bill.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)
U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie selected U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) to serve as Chairman of the Committee’s Health Subcommittee. Congressman Griffith issued the following statement:
“I am excited to take on the role as the Health Subcommittee Chairman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee! I look forward to continuing the work of former Chairman Buddy Carter and wish him well in all his endeavors. Further, I am committed to advancing Chairman Guthrie’s priorities.
“I have had the pleasure of working closely with Chairman Guthrie on many health care related issues, particularly while I chaired the Oversight Subcommittee.
“I will remain on the Environment Subcommittee, where I will support Chairman Palmer as we look for reauthorization of numerous important environmental programs.”
BACKGROUND
As part of the July 3 announcement, Congressman Gary Palmer will take over as Chairman of the Environment Subcommittee.
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah 6th District Wisconsin)
Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06) celebrated major victories today following the House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a landmark reconciliation bill that advances President Trump’s America First agenda, delivers crucial tax relief, and reins in waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government.
The legislation protects Americans from devastating tax increases by making President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent. Without action, families in Wisconsin’s Sixth District were facing an average $1,486 tax hike. By locking in the cuts, this bill protects the paychecks of hardworking Americans and ensures they keep more of their hard-earned money. It also eliminates taxes on tips and overtime pay, delivers additional tax relief for seniors, and strengthens the economy for middle-class families.
In addition to economic relief, the bill strengthens national security by fully funding President Trump’s border wall system and increasing immigration enforcement. It restores commonsense work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving taxpayer-funded benefits, ensuring safety-net programs like Medicaid are preserved for those who truly need them.
The bill includes Congressman Grothman’s FEHB Protection Act, which imposes new verification measures and audits on the Federal Employees Health Benefits program to remove ineligible beneficiaries, a reform projected to save taxpayers more than $2 billion.
It also includes parts of Grothman’s CREATE JOBS Act, including extending the bonus depreciation provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, preserving full expensing for research and development investments, and applying neutral cost recovery to manufacturing commercial structures through 2029. These provisions will fuel job creation, support American manufacturing, and foster economic innovation.
“The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill is a historic victory for Americans, as we’ve avoided the largest tax hike in our nation’s history,” said Grothman. “The American people gave us a mandate after four years of failure under President Biden to revive prosperity in our country. I’m proud to stand with Congressional Republicans and President Trump to deliver a bill that works in the best interests of Americans. The One Big Beautiful Bill strengthens our government programs for the people they were intended to serve, while rooting out the waste, fraud, and abuse that have plagued our systems for far too long. Hardworking Americans will see the benefits of our commonsense conservative policies. I was proud to vote yes to help move America toward further greatness.”
U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah) proudly serves the people of Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the House Republican “Big Ugly Bill” that will rip health care coverage, food and Pell grants away from tens of millions of Americans, including children, seniors, Veterans and people with disabilities – all to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The Big Ugly Bill is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong, as it will also add trillions of dollars to the national debt, leading to higher interest rates and inflation. The Big Ugly Bill is the deepest rollback in health care coverage in history – wiping away gains made over the past decade to cover families under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It’s an abominable transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy that will weaken America and hurt millions of families.
As American families struggle with the high cost of living, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are looting the Treasury and leaving families in the lurch with higher health care premiums, food costs and electric bills.
“The billionaire tax giveaway will hit Floridians harder than any other state, as 3.9 million rely on Medicaid and over 4.7 million rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The GOP bill takes health care away from children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with disabilities to fund a massive tax break for billionaires and big corporations. The Big Ugly, no-good, horrible bill will result in an estimated 1.9 million Floridians losing their health care altogether, and soaring premiums for many more. President Trump and Congressional Republicans stick it to working-class Floridians while their wealthiest donors can buy more vacation homes, private jets and luxury vacations. The bill is chock full of special interest side deals and carve-outs – including giveaways for Big Oil and Gas, sweetheart deals for gun manufacturers and their lobbyists, all while cutting Pell Grants and student loans for millions of students,” said Rep. Castor.
“Medicaid, the ACA and SNAP are a lifeline for my neighbors in Florida. Slashing essential care and nutrition assistance means more Floridians will struggle to afford doctor visits, medications, long-term care and critical treatments, or to keep food on the table – essentials needed to stay healthy, keep their heads above water and our country strong.”
Trump and Republicans in Congress did not deviate from the political payback to the oil and gas industry as the Big Ugly Bill slashes initiatives that are lowering costs for American families, including cost-saving clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“It’s the worst bill I’ve seen in my years in Congress as Tampa Bay’s Congresswoman. Families and hardworking Americans will be left to deal with the harsh economic fallout. I will be there for them and will do everything in my power to repair the damage and fight for an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the House Republican “Big Ugly Bill” that will rip health care coverage, food and Pell grants away from tens of millions of Americans, including children, seniors, Veterans and people with disabilities – all to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations. The Big Ugly Bill is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong, as it will also add trillions of dollars to the national debt, leading to higher interest rates and inflation. The Big Ugly Bill is the deepest rollback in health care coverage in history – wiping away gains made over the past decade to cover families under Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It’s an abominable transfer of wealth from the working class to the wealthy that will weaken America and hurt millions of families.
As American families struggle with the high cost of living, President Trump and Congressional Republicans are looting the Treasury and leaving families in the lurch with higher health care premiums, food costs and electric bills.
“The billionaire tax giveaway will hit Floridians harder than any other state, as 3.9 million rely on Medicaid and over 4.7 million rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The GOP bill takes health care away from children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with disabilities to fund a massive tax break for billionaires and big corporations. The Big Ugly, no-good, horrible bill will result in an estimated 1.9 million Floridians losing their health care altogether, and soaring premiums for many more. President Trump and Congressional Republicans stick it to working-class Floridians while their wealthiest donors can buy more vacation homes, private jets and luxury vacations. The bill is chock full of special interest side deals and carve-outs – including giveaways for Big Oil and Gas, sweetheart deals for gun manufacturers and their lobbyists, all while cutting Pell Grants and student loans for millions of students,” said Rep. Castor.
“Medicaid, the ACA and SNAP are a lifeline for my neighbors in Florida. Slashing essential care and nutrition assistance means more Floridians will struggle to afford doctor visits, medications, long-term care and critical treatments, or to keep food on the table – essentials needed to stay healthy, keep their heads above water and our country strong.”
Trump and Republicans in Congress did not deviate from the political payback to the oil and gas industry as the Big Ugly Bill slashes initiatives that are lowering costs for American families, including cost-saving clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“It’s the worst bill I’ve seen in my years in Congress as Tampa Bay’s Congresswoman. Families and hardworking Americans will be left to deal with the harsh economic fallout. I will be there for them and will do everything in my power to repair the damage and fight for an economy that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2025
Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov
Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”
Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, a massive budget package that rips essential safety-net programs away from working families, children, seniors, and veterans to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The bill passed 218 to 214. Every single House Democrat voted against the bill.
House Democrats fought until the very last minute to stop the bill’s passage. Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the floor and delivered the longest “magic minute” speech in House history, stretching his leadership-privileged one-minute speech to nearly 9 hours to shine a national spotlight on the devastating impact this bill would have on American families and to make one last plea for Republicans to choose the well-being of their constituents over the demands of a want-to-be king and their billionaire donors .
The Big Ugly Bill now heads to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Once signed, it will mark the largest Medicaid cut in American history and one of the most aggressive redistributions of wealth from poor and working families to the ultra-rich.
“This bill is a moral failure. It’s an assault on the American people — on children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. It strips away health care, food assistance, and basic dignity from those who need it most to hand nearly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Republicans didn’t just fail our families today, they betrayed the American people,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán.
“House Democrats fought like hell to stop this bill. We held events in every corner of the country to raise the alarm. I held town halls and community conversations across my district — and heard story after story from families terrified of losing their health care, food banks warning they won’t be able to meet growing demand, and clinic directors worried they’ll have to close their doors. We introduced amendment after amendment and stayed up all night in committee hearings to expose Republican lies and cruelty and demanded better for the American people. But in the end, Republicans in Congress chose to serve Trump and their donors over their country and constituents.”
The numbers are staggering:
In California, the damage is severe:
“This bill is theft in plain sight,” Barragán added. “It steals from the poor and middle class to gift the rich. And for what? A few billionaire tax breaks and a cruel vision of America where working families are left behind. House Democrats will never stop fighting to reverse this damage and protect the people we were sent here to serve.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2025
Contact: jin.choi@mail.house.gov
Rep. Barragán Slams Final Passage of Trump’s Big Ugly Bill as a “A Cruel Betrayal of the American People”
Washington, D.C. — Today, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass Donald Trump’s Big Ugly Bill, a massive budget package that rips essential safety-net programs away from working families, children, seniors, and veterans to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The bill passed 218 to 214. Every single House Democrat voted against the bill.
House Democrats fought until the very last minute to stop the bill’s passage. Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the floor and delivered the longest “magic minute” speech in House history, stretching his leadership-privileged one-minute speech to nearly 9 hours to shine a national spotlight on the devastating impact this bill would have on American families and to make one last plea for Republicans to choose the well-being of their constituents over the demands of a want-to-be king and their billionaire donors .
The Big Ugly Bill now heads to President Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law. Once signed, it will mark the largest Medicaid cut in American history and one of the most aggressive redistributions of wealth from poor and working families to the ultra-rich.
“This bill is a moral failure. It’s an assault on the American people — on children, seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. It strips away health care, food assistance, and basic dignity from those who need it most to hand nearly $1.3 trillion in tax breaks to billionaires like Elon Musk. Republicans didn’t just fail our families today, they betrayed the American people,” said Rep. Nanette Barragán.
“House Democrats fought like hell to stop this bill. We held events in every corner of the country to raise the alarm. I held town halls and community conversations across my district — and heard story after story from families terrified of losing their health care, food banks warning they won’t be able to meet growing demand, and clinic directors worried they’ll have to close their doors. We introduced amendment after amendment and stayed up all night in committee hearings to expose Republican lies and cruelty and demanded better for the American people. But in the end, Republicans in Congress chose to serve Trump and their donors over their country and constituents.”
The numbers are staggering:
In California, the damage is severe:
“This bill is theft in plain sight,” Barragán added. “It steals from the poor and middle class to gift the rich. And for what? A few billionaire tax breaks and a cruel vision of America where working families are left behind. House Democrats will never stop fighting to reverse this damage and protect the people we were sent here to serve.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California
WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement in honor of the passing of John Harris, a notable farmer, and philanthropist in the San Joaquin Valley.“John Harris was a respected leader in California and American agriculture. In the San Joaquin Valley, people recognized that John Harris made a difference in numerous ways. A proud graduate of UC Davis, he always understood the importance of education and gave back generously whether through his support of Fresno State’s Maddy Institute or mentoring the next generation of agricultural leaders.John was a pioneer in the development and production of healthy food products that made the Harris Ranch Beef one of the most respected food producers in America. His love of horses and agriculture defined his life. I had the good fortune to know John for over 40 years – he was my friend; he will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on forever.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California
WASHINGTON – Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement in honor of the passing of John Harris, a notable farmer, and philanthropist in the San Joaquin Valley.“John Harris was a respected leader in California and American agriculture. In the San Joaquin Valley, people recognized that John Harris made a difference in numerous ways. A proud graduate of UC Davis, he always understood the importance of education and gave back generously whether through his support of Fresno State’s Maddy Institute or mentoring the next generation of agricultural leaders.John was a pioneer in the development and production of healthy food products that made the Harris Ranch Beef one of the most respected food producers in America. His love of horses and agriculture defined his life. I had the good fortune to know John for over 40 years – he was my friend; he will be deeply missed, but his legacy will live on forever.”
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
Q: Why did Congress seek fiscal integrity changes to the Medicaid program?
A: Six decades ago, Congress added Title XIX to the Social Security Act that created a health care safety net for low-income individuals and families, with primary emphasis on dependent children and their moms, individuals with disabilities and low-income seniors. Since 1965, state governments administer the public health insurance program with cost-sharing from the federal government. Over the years, eligibility expansions and loopholes accelerated expenditures that placed a greater burden on the federal budget. The federal share of Medicaid spending has increased from 60 percent in 1991 to about 74 percent in 2023. Throughout my service on the Senate Finance Committee, which has legislative and oversight jurisdiction of the Medicaid program, I’ve led bipartisan efforts to ensure the most vulnerable populations are served, particularly child and maternal care — including families with children with complex medical conditions — as well as foster and adopted youth. I’ve also supported efforts to strengthen fiscal accountability measures in this federal safety net, such as the passage of my bipartisan Right Rebate Act. Without robust fiscal integrity, the strings of this safety net would unravel at the seams and put an unsustainable and unfair burden on the taxpayer. Just consider, between 2015 and 2024, the amount of improper federal Medicaid payments reached $560 billion. Some estimates suggest that figure exceeds $1 trillion. Americans deserve better fiscal stewardship over their tax dollars and the program’s intended and most vulnerable recipients deserve to know this safety net is strong enough to meet their health care needs. Every dollar lost to waste and mismanagement is one less health care dollar for nursing home residents, low-income moms and foster youth.
Q: How does the Senate-passed budget bill strengthen the Medicaid program?
A: With fiscal responsibility top of mind, the Senate bill includes integrity measures to help ensure Medicaid continues to serve vulnerable Americans in our local communities. Specifically, common sense measures are designed to reduce duplicate enrollment; ensure deceased individuals and health care providers don’t remain enrolled; reduce payments for erroneous excess provider payments; and require states to check twice yearly if an individual is eligible to be on Medicaid, instead of screening once a year. In addition, stronger oversight will save billions by establishing robust verification for individuals receiving premium tax credits through the federal marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act. If a recipient gets more subsidies than allowed, that excessive subsidy must be returned. Through my oversight of taxpayer dollars, I advised the U.S. Treasury Inspector General last year that excessive payments weren’t being recouped to the federal treasury. I discovered more than 40 percent of excessive federal marketplace subsidy payments ran to the tune of more than $10 billion going back a decade. Clawing back these payments will save tens of billions of dollars.
Also, the bill establishes a $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure hospitals, nursing homes, community health care centers and other rural providers can continue serving their communities and improve care. The Rural Health Transformation Program will improve access to care and health outcomes. It also establishes Medicaid work requirements for able-bodied adults age 64 or under, with reasonable exemptions for individuals with disabilities, seniors, pregnant women, children, caregivers and others. Able-bodied adults will have to complete a minimum of 80 hours of work a month by working, job training, going to school or volunteering. In addition, the bill allows states to offer home and community-based services (HCBS) to a broader range of individuals, such as those with developmental disabilities, while ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact those already eligible, and it enables interim HCBS coverage while newly eligible individuals develop their full care plan.
The Senate also prioritizes Medicaid for Americans, not people who broke our laws to enter the country illegally. Our bill ends federal financial support under Medicaid for those who don’t have verified citizenship, nationality or legal immigration status. These program integrity provisions for Medicaid and other health care programs will save over $500 billion, according to a non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate. Despite orchestrated efforts to mischaracterize our program integrity measures with fearmongering and misinformation, the Senate took a big step to save Medicaid for people the program is intended to serve.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jonathan Jackson – Illinois (1st District)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICAGO, IL — Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01) issued a forceful response today to the passage of what Republicans have labeled the “Big Beautiful Bill,” calling it what it truly is: a big brutal lie. The legislation, passed after weeks of political hostage-taking, delivers sweeping cuts to essential programs like Medicaid and SNAP while handing out massive tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy.
“This is not a beautiful bill. It is a brutal betrayal of working families, seniors, and children,” said Congressman Jackson. “The MAGA Republican majority held this country hostage longer than any previous Congress, all to force through a backroom deal that punishes the poor and rewards the powerful.”
At the height of the debate, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries delivered a historic and deeply moving speech on the House floor. Congressman Jackson praised Jeffries for his clarity and conviction.
“Leader Jeffries gave voice to millions of Americans who are struggling to get by. His speech was not just a defense of programs like SNAP and Medicaid, it was a defense of human dignity. I thank him for his leadership in the face of cruelty.”
Congressman Jackson also commended the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which fought to amend the bill to protect the most vulnerable. Although their amendments were ultimately blocked by the majority, the CBC stood firm in defense of justice, equity, and compassion.
“The CBC worked around the clock to demand changes that would protect our communities,” Jackson said. “They fought to make this bill less harmful. We may have lost this vote, but we will not lose the fight.”
The consequences of this bill will hit home for families across Illinois and especially in Chicago:
In the First Congressional District alone, more than 245,000 households risk losing SNAP benefits due to new eligibility restrictions and work requirements.
Chicago could lose more than $380 million in federal support for housing, education, and public health over the next year.
“These numbers are not just data points. They are single mothers. They are elderly neighbors. They are children who will go to school hungry,” said Jackson. “This bill turns its back on the people who need help the most.”
Congressman Jackson is urging voters not to lose hope. Instead, he is calling on them to get organized and stay focused on the 2026 midterm elections.
“To the people of Chicago and across this nation, this is not the end. It is the beginning of the next phase of our fight,” he said. “We must elect leaders who are committed to compassion, fairness, and progress. We must take back the House and ensure that legislation like this never sees the light of day again.”
He closed with the words of the late Senator Edward Kennedy, a reminder that even in dark times, the fight for justice continues:
“The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
“That dream belongs to every child in our district, every parent struggling to make ends meet, every elder who deserves to age with dignity,” Jackson said. “We will not stop until that dream is fully realized.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement after voting to pass President Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill.” It now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
“President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ is the largest tax cut for Iowa families, farmers, workers, seniors, and small businesses in American history. This legislation will dramatically grow our economy, cut deficits, spur U.S. manufacturing, fully fund the border wall, and support American energy independence. It will also help our Main Street businesses invest in their operations and hire new employees while delivering additional death tax relief for farmers, ensuring that Iowa farmland can be passed to the next generation – not China. President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ will unleash economic growth and rural prosperity in Iowa and nationwide.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Tracey Mann (Kansas, 1)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Tracey Mann (KS-01) voted to pass H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill, which delivers on Congressional Republicans and President Trump’s campaign promises of lowering taxes, securing the border, and unleashing American energy dominance, passed by a vote of 219-213. Rep. Mann released the following statement after the vote:
“Over the past four years, Kansans expressed grave concerns to me about our nation’s border security, skyrocketing prices, and a federal government that continually burdened their way of life in rural America through excessive regulations,” said Rep. Mann. “On November 5, 2024, the country overwhelmingly agreed with Kansans in the Big First and rejected even more taxes, Green New Deal regulations, and open border policies. Today, our Republican majorities succeeded in our campaign promises to uproot wasteful spending, prevent the average family from seeing a tax increase of $2,200, and deliver the largest tax cut for middle- and working-class families in American history. I am extremely proud of the work we did to give Kansas families, small businesses, and agriculture some much-needed relief and to continue getting our country back on track. When President Trump signs the One Big Beautiful Bill into law, American families will have with more money in their pockets, secure borders, and accountability for the taxpayer dollar in honor of our 249th birthday.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will now go to the White House for President Trump’s signature.
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer and Chairwoman McClain released the following statement after Congress passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, sending it to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
“Republicans in Congress have succeeded in our mission to enact President Trump’s America First agenda. And importantly, we did it in record time, so that the effects of this nation-shaping legislation can be felt by the American people as soon as possible.
“Today, the House has passed generational legislation that permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, reduces spending more than any other bill ever has, and makes government more efficient and effective for all Americans.
“It should never be forgotten that every single House Democrat voted against all of it — proving once again that they support tax hikes on their constituents, open borders, runaway government spending, and Medicaid for able-bodied adults who can work but choose not to. The One Big Beautiful Bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature, and all hard-working Americans should know — this bill is for you.”
###
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer and Chairwoman McClain released the following statement after Congress passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, sending it to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
“Republicans in Congress have succeeded in our mission to enact President Trump’s America First agenda. And importantly, we did it in record time, so that the effects of this nation-shaping legislation can be felt by the American people as soon as possible.
“Today, the House has passed generational legislation that permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, reduces spending more than any other bill ever has, and makes government more efficient and effective for all Americans.
“It should never be forgotten that every single House Democrat voted against all of it — proving once again that they support tax hikes on their constituents, open borders, runaway government spending, and Medicaid for able-bodied adults who can work but choose not to. The One Big Beautiful Bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature, and all hard-working Americans should know — this bill is for you.”
###
Source: NASA
Many of us grew up using paint-by-number sets to create beautiful color pictures.
For years now, NASA engineers studying aircraft and rocket designs in wind tunnels have flipped that childhood pastime, using computers to generate images from “numbers-by-paint” – pressure sensitive paint (PSP), that is.
Now, advances in the use of high-speed cameras, supercomputers, and even more sensitive PSP have made this numbers-by-paint process 10,000 times faster while creating engineering visuals with 1,000 times higher resolution.
So, what’s the big difference exactly between the “old” capability in use at NASA for more than a decade and the “new?”
“The key is found by adding a single word in front of PSP, namely ‘unsteady’ pressure sensitive paint, or uPSP,” said E. Lara Lash, an aerospace engineer from NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley.
With PSP, NASA researchers study the large-scale effects of relatively smooth air flowing over the wings and body of aircraft. Now with uPSP, they are able to see in finer detail what happens when more turbulent air is present – faster and better than ever before.
In some cases with the new capability, researchers can get their hands on the wind tunnel data they’re looking for within 20 minutes. That’s quick enough to allow engineers to adjust their testing in real time.
Usually, researchers record wind tunnel data and then take it back to their labs to decipher days or weeks later. If they find they need more data, it can take additional weeks or even months to wait in line for another turn in the wind tunnel.
“The result of these improvements provides a data product that is immediately useful to aerodynamic engineers, structural engineers, or engineers from other disciplines,” Lash said.
Robert Pearce, NASA’s associate administrator for aeronautics, who recently saw a demonstration of uPSP-generated data displayed at Ames, hailed the new tool as a national asset that will be available to researchers all over the country.
“It’s a unique NASA innovation that isn’t offered anywhere else,” Pearce said. “It will help us maintain NASA’s world leadership in wind tunnel capabilities.”
How it Works
With both PSP and uPSP, a unique paint is applied to scale models of aircraft or rockets, which are mounted in wind tunnels equipped with specific types of lights and cameras.
When illuminated during tests, the paint’s color brightness changes depending on the levels of pressure the model experiences as currents of air rush by. Darker shades mean higher pressure; lighter shades mean lower pressure.
Cameras capture the brightness intensity and a supercomputer turns that information into a set of numbers representing pressure values, which are made available to engineers to study and glean what truths they can about the vehicle design’s structural integrity.
“Aerodynamic forces can vibrate different parts of the vehicle to different degrees,” Lash said. “Vibrations could damage what the vehicle is carrying or can even lead to the vehicle tearing itself apart. The data we get through this process can help us prevent that.”
Traditionally, pressure readings are taken using sensors connected to little plastic tubes strung through a model’s interior and poking up through small holes in key places, such as along the surface of a wing or the fuselage.
Each point provides a single pressure reading. Engineers must use mathematical models to estimate the pressure values between the individual sensors.
With PSP, there is no need to estimate the numbers. Because the paint covers the entire model, its brightness as seen by the cameras reveals the pressure values over the whole surface.
Making it Better
The introduction, testing, and availability of uPSP is the result of a successful five-year-long effort, begun in 2019, in which researchers challenged themselves to significantly improve the PSP’s capability with its associated cameras and computers.
The NASA team’s desire was to develop and demonstrate a better process of acquiring, processing, and visualizing data using a properly equipped wind tunnel and supercomputer, then make the tool available at NASA wind tunnels across the country.
The focus during a capability challenge was on NASA’s Unitary Plan Facility’s 11-foot transonic wind tunnel, which the team connected to the nearby NASA Advanced Supercomputing Facility, both located at Ames.
Inside the wind tunnel, a scale model of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket served as the primary test subject during the challenge period.
Now that the agency has completed its Artemis I uncrewed lunar flight test mission, researchers can match the flight-recorded data with the wind tunnel data to see how well reality and predictions compare.
With the capability challenge officially completed at the end of 2024, the uPSP team is planning to deploy it to other wind tunnels and engage with potential users with interests in aeronautics or spaceflight.
“This is a NASA capability that we have, not only for use within the agency, but one that we can offer industry, academia, and other government agencies to come in and do research using these new tools,” Lash said.
NASA’s Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities portfolio office, an organization managed under the agency’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, oversaw the development of the uPSP capability.
Watch this uPSP Video
[embedded content]
Source: NASA
The United States flag adorns an aluminum plate mounted at the base of the mast, or “head,” of NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover. This image of the plate was taken on June 28, 2025 (the 1,548th day, or sol, of the mission), by the WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) camera on the end of the rover’s robotic arm.
WATSON, part of an instrument called SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals), was built by Malin Space Science Systems (MSSS) in San Diego and is operated jointly by MSSS and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. JPL, which is managed for the agency by Caltech, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
Learn more about Perseverance’s latest science.
Source: NASA
KOI-134 b and KOI-134 c
A new investigation into old Kepler data has revealed that a planetary system once thought to house zero planets actually has two planets which orbit their star in a unique style, like an old-fashioned merry-go-round.
The KOI-134 system contains two planets which orbit their star in a peculiar fashion on two different orbital planes, with one planet exhibiting significant variation in transit times. This is the first-discovered system of its kind.
Over a decade ago, scientists used NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope to observe the KOI-134 system and thought that it might have a planet orbiting, but they deemed this planet candidate to be a false positive, because its transits (or passes in front of its star) were not lining up as expected. These transits were so abnormal that the planet was actually weeded out through an automated system as a false positive before it could be analyzed further.
However, NASA’s commitment to openly sharing scientific data means that researchers can constantly revisit old observations to make new discoveries. In this new study, researchers re-analyzed this Kepler data on KOI-134 and confirmed that not only is the “false positive” actually a real planet, but the system has two planets and some really interesting orbital dynamics!
First, the “false positive” planet, named KOI-134 b, was confirmed to be a warm Jupiter (or a warm planet of a similar size to Jupiter). Through this analysis, researchers uncovered that the reason this planet eluded confirmation previously is because it experiences what are called transit timing variations (TTVs), or small differences in a planet’s transit across its star that can make its transit “early” or “late” because the planet is being pushed or pulled by the gravity from another planet which was also revealed in this study. Researchers estimate that KOI-134 b transits across its star as much as 20 hours “late” or “early,” which is a significant variation. In fact, it was so significant that it’s the reason why the planet wasn’t confirmed in initial observations.
As these TTVs are caused by the gravitational interaction with another planet, this discovery also revealed a planetary sibling: KOI-134 c. Through studying this system in simulations that include these TTVs, the team found that KOI-134 c is a planet slightly smaller than Saturn and closer to its star than KOI-134 b.
KOI-134 c previously eluded observation because it orbits on a tilted orbital plane, a different plane from KOI-134 b, and this tilted orbit prevents the planet from transiting its star. The two orbital planes of these planets are about 15 degrees different from one another, also known as a mutual inclination of 15 degrees, which is significant. Due to the gravitational push and pull between these two planets, their orbital planes also tilt back and forth.
Another interesting feature of this planetary system is something called resonance. These two planets have a 2 to 1 resonance, meaning within the same time that one planet completes one orbit, the other completes two orbits. In this case, KOI-134 b has an orbital period (the time it takes a planet to complete one orbit) of about 67 days, which is twice the orbital period of KOI-134 c, which orbits every 33-34 days.
Between the separate orbital planes tilting back and forth, the TTVs, and the resonance, the two planets orbit their star in a pattern that resembles two wooden ponies bobbing up and down as they circle around on an old-fashioned merry go round.
While this system started as a false positive with Kepler, this re-analysis of the data reveals a vibrant system with two planets. In fact, this is the first-ever discovered compact, multiplanetary system that isn’t flat, has such a significant TTV, and experiences orbital planes tilting back and forth.
Also, most planetary systems do not have high mutual inclinations between close planet pairs. In addition to being a rarity, mutual inclinations like this are also not often measured because of challenges within the observation process. So, having measurements like this of a significant mutual inclination in a system, as well as measurements of resonance and TTVs, provides a clear picture of dynamics within a planetary system which we are not always able to see.
A team of scientists led by Emma Nabbie of the University of Southern Queensland published a paper on June 27 on their discovery, “A high mutual inclination system around KOI-134 revealed by transit timing variations,” in the journal “Nature Astronomy.” The observations described in this paper and used in simulations in this paper were made by NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope and the paper included collaboration and contributions from institutions including the University of Geneva, University of La Laguna, Purple Mountain Observatory, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Southern Queensland, and NASA’s retired Kepler Space Telescope.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court July 1 to three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 60 consecutive months in prison for murdering three victims as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash. The defendant, who was also sentenced to five other life sentences to run concurrently to all other counts, had others dismember and bury two of the bodies to dispose of evidence of his crimes.
Following a three-week trial in December 2024, a jury found Larry J. Williams, Jr., 44, also known as “J Streets” and “J”, guilty of all 16 counts as charged against him in a second superseding indictment in September 2021.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Williams was a leader of a narcotics conspiracy in 2018 to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash in his residence, which ultimately resulted in the shooting death of another person within that house. To cover up for this murder, Williams murdered a man and a woman with knowledge of the first murder.
On June 27, 2018, defendants robbed at gunpoint a drug premises at 847 E.N. Broadway in Columbus. The co-conspirators planned and carried out the robbery to steal one of the resident’s marijuana and cash and then profit from the sale of the drugs; they recruited Williams to help in the robbery. During the robbery, Williams murdered a different individual present at the residence, Connor Reynolds, a 23-year-old from Grove City.
In August 2018, Williams then murdered Henry Watson, a 52-year-old from Columbus, to prevent him from providing information regarding Connor Reynolds’s murder to law enforcement.
On the same day, and immediately following the murder of Henry Watson, Williams murdered Tera Pennington, a 48-year-old from Columbus, to prevent her from serving as a witness to the previous crimes.
Williams then instructed individuals to clean the crime scene with bleach and other chemicals. Williams conspired to obstruct justice by concealing the bodies of Henry Watson and Tera Pennington. He directed others to dismember and remove the bodies from the crime scene and bury the victims’ remains at another location.
Williams used a residence at 121 Stevens Ave. as a drug premises to sell fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine and allow addicts to use narcotics. On more than one occasion, users overdosed in the basement of the home and co-conspirators provided Narcan to revive the users.
A total of 13 defendants have been convicted and sentenced in this case.
“I’m extremely proud of the agents, partners and prosecutors who all worked so hard to deliver justice in this case,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This case underscores the systemic violence and death that occurs when drug traffickers operate in our communities. ICE HSI remains committed to working with our partners to hold these offenders to account for their crimes.”
Co-defendant Patrick Foster, 41, of Columbus, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison. Foster directed three other co-defendants working for him to assist Williams in moving and disposing of two dead bodies. The co-conspirators jackhammered through the concrete in the basement floor of a residence on Sullivant Avenue owned by Foster. They then buried the dismembered bodies by pouring new concrete.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit: Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Timothy D. Prichard are representing the United States in this case.
The joint investigation includes assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Franklin County Coroner’s Office, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Columbus Division of Fire and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in U.S. District Court July 1 to three consecutive life sentences plus an additional 60 consecutive months in prison for murdering three victims as part of a narcotics conspiracy to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash. The defendant, who was also sentenced to five other life sentences to run concurrently to all other counts, had others dismember and bury two of the bodies to dispose of evidence of his crimes.
Following a three-week trial in December 2024, a jury found Larry J. Williams, Jr., 44, also known as “J Streets” and “J”, guilty of all 16 counts as charged against him in a second superseding indictment in September 2021.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Williams was a leader of a narcotics conspiracy in 2018 to rob a local marijuana dealer of drugs and cash in his residence, which ultimately resulted in the shooting death of another person within that house. To cover up for this murder, Williams murdered a man and a woman with knowledge of the first murder.
On June 27, 2018, defendants robbed at gunpoint a drug premises at 847 E.N. Broadway in Columbus. The co-conspirators planned and carried out the robbery to steal one of the resident’s marijuana and cash and then profit from the sale of the drugs; they recruited Williams to help in the robbery. During the robbery, Williams murdered a different individual present at the residence, Connor Reynolds, a 23-year-old from Grove City.
In August 2018, Williams then murdered Henry Watson, a 52-year-old from Columbus, to prevent him from providing information regarding Connor Reynolds’s murder to law enforcement.
On the same day, and immediately following the murder of Henry Watson, Williams murdered Tera Pennington, a 48-year-old from Columbus, to prevent her from serving as a witness to the previous crimes.
Williams then instructed individuals to clean the crime scene with bleach and other chemicals. Williams conspired to obstruct justice by concealing the bodies of Henry Watson and Tera Pennington. He directed others to dismember and remove the bodies from the crime scene and bury the victims’ remains at another location.
Williams used a residence at 121 Stevens Ave. as a drug premises to sell fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine and allow addicts to use narcotics. On more than one occasion, users overdosed in the basement of the home and co-conspirators provided Narcan to revive the users.
A total of 13 defendants have been convicted and sentenced in this case.
“I’m extremely proud of the agents, partners and prosecutors who all worked so hard to deliver justice in this case,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This case underscores the systemic violence and death that occurs when drug traffickers operate in our communities. ICE HSI remains committed to working with our partners to hold these offenders to account for their crimes.”
Co-defendant Patrick Foster, 41, of Columbus, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison. Foster directed three other co-defendants working for him to assist Williams in moving and disposing of two dead bodies. The co-conspirators jackhammered through the concrete in the basement floor of a residence on Sullivant Avenue owned by Foster. They then buried the dismembered bodies by pouring new concrete.
Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit: Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth A. Geraghty and Timothy D. Prichard are representing the United States in this case.
The joint investigation includes assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), Franklin County Coroner’s Office, Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), the Columbus Division of Fire and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s acting Director Todd M. Lyons, who serves as the current Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group’s chair, is hosting the group’s Annual Principals Meeting next week in San Diego. Representatives from five countries will meet to discuss emergent technology and growing impacts on global safety.
FELEG is a collaborative intelligence-sharing law enforcement community that encompasses the FBI, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, the Australian Federal Police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the U.K.’s National Crime Agency and the New Zealand Police.
This year’s discussions will spotlight the race between law enforcement and criminal networks to harness emerging technologies like crypto, artificial intelligence and next-gen communications to stay ahead in a rapidly shifting digital world.
“As criminal organizations rapidly adapt to new technologies, law enforcement agencies must be equally nimble and innovative,” said Lyons. “This meeting underscores our commitment to leveraging cutting-edge tools and global partnerships to protect communities and uphold the rule of law. By collaborating through the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, we can share critical intelligence, enhance our collective capabilities and respond more effectively to transnational threats. Our unified efforts are essential in maintaining security and ensuring justice across our nations, fosters a global partnership that strengthens our international security framework, and promotes mutual trust and cooperation on a global scale.”
“The key to staying ahead of global criminal networks and emerging threats is collaboration with our most trusted international partners,” said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. “FELEG has long been an effective alliance fighting transnational crime and the FBI remains fully engaged and committed to this partnership.”
“The annual principals meeting is an opportunity for FELEG to enhance coordination in the fight against transnational serious and organized crime,” said Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission CEO Heather Cook. “With criminal groups constantly increasing their sophistication and reach, enabled by evolving technologies, new and continued partnerships across government, industry and academia are integral in hardening the environment that criminal networks seek to exploit.”
“While technology provides law enforcement with powerful tools to prevent and combat crime, it also creates new possibilities for exploitation by criminal organizations,” Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale said. “Countering the risks is a multidimensional challenge and requires effective coordination and collaborative efforts, making partnerships like FELEG more important than ever.”
“Today’s criminal landscape has become increasingly complex with the use of technology as a tool used by serious and organized crime whether it be in drug trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism or financial crime,” said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Mike Duheme. “This is why a forum such as FELEG is so important — to identify international criminal threats to public safety and to work together across domestic and FELEG partners to disrupt criminal organizations who care about making profits without regard to human lives.”
“Serious and organized crime groups do not respect borders,” said National Crime Agency Director General Graeme Biggar. “The harm they cause is felt in communities across the world. While firearms and drug offenses play out on our streets, other crime types are taking place in dark corners online, such as encrypted platforms. The Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, as a global intelligence sharing community, is crucial to our joint efforts to dismantle global criminal networks using technology to enhance their operations. We have a strong track record in doing just this alongside our FELEG partners, including the NCA-led global takedown of ‘Lockbit,’ the highest harm ransomware-as-a-service network, and the convictions of prolific online sex offenders who exploited and abused children across the world.”
“Using contemporary technology and working with our most trusted partners continues to be crucial in combating international criminal networks who create harm in communities across the globe,” said New Zealand Police Commissioner Richard Chamber. “Law enforcement organizations need to be making use of technology advancements to meet the evolving challenges presented by these groups, with the ultimate mission to disrupt and dismantle their organizations.”
Learn more about the international and national partnerships and HSI’s mission here.
Source: US State of Hawaii
Posted on Jul 3, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom, Office of the Governor Press Releases
STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
GOVERNOR, CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION JOINT STATEMENT ON REPUBLICAN TAX BILL
Governor, Delegation: We Are Mobilizing Now To Respond, Protect People
“The Republican tax bill breaks promises, and guts funding for healthcare and food assistance that thousands of Hawai‘i families rely on every day. It’s a terrible bill that we all strongly opposed.
“While it won’t be easy to stop all the damage from these cuts, we’re moving quickly to protect our communities. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be meeting with state and local officials, community partners, and service providers to assess the fiscal impact on Hawai‘i and develop operational plans to blunt the harm. That includes coordinating resources, setting local priorities, and making sure the most vulnerable aren’t left without support. These next few years won’t be easy, but we are mobilizing now to respond, protect our people, and make sure Hawai‘i can weather what’s coming.”
# # #
Media Contacts:
Erika Engle
Press Secretary
Office of the Governor, State of Hawai‘i
Office: 808-586-0120
Email: [email protected]
Makana McClellan
Director of Communications
Office of the Governor, State of Hawaiʻi
Cell: 808-265-0083
Email: [email protected]
Mike Inacay
Communications Director
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz
[email protected]
George Flynn
Communication Director
U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono
[email protected]
Nestor Garcia
Communications Director
U.S. Representative Ed Case
[email protected]
Kristine Uyeno
Communications Director
U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda
[email protected]
Source: US State of California 2
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement after House Republicans passed President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Betrayal:
“This bill is a tragedy for the American people, and a complete moral failure. The President and his MAGA enablers are ripping care from cancer patients, meals from children, and money from working families — just to give tax breaks to the ultra-rich. With this measure, Donald J. Trump’s legacy is now forever cemented: he has created a more unequal, more indebted, and more dangerous America. Shame on him.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The national debt-adding bill is a massive tax break for the wealthiest Americans, at the cost of programs and services used by everyday families. It gives tax breaks to the ultra-rich, balloons our national debt, and guts programs that Americans depend on – including health care, food assistance, and public safety programs.
This bill is a complete betrayal of Americans by the Trump administration. Not only does it cut programs for families trying to make ends meet, but decimates middle-class opportunities – including health care and children’s access to college.
❌ Eliminates American taxpayer jobs
Puts 686,000 California jobs at risk, through the elimination of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. NABTU says that if enacted, “this stands to be the biggest job-killing bill in the history of this country.”
❌ Significantly cuts critical family support programs
More than $28.4 billion slashed in federal Medicaid funding to California – increasing medical debt and jeopardizing health care providers’ ability to keep their doors open.
Roughly 17 million people would lose coverage and become uninsured by 2034 due to various Medicaid reductions and the exclusion of enhanced premium subsidies.
Cuts necessary food assistance for people for 3 million people nationwide in need of quality nutrition and food.
Establishes a tax hike for parents who pay for child care.
Rural hospitals across the state are likely to see care offered cut or doors closed entirely.
❌ Defunds public safety
$646 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for violence and terrorism prevention.
$545 million from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), cutting its workforce by more than 2,000 personnel and reducing its capacity to keep criminals off the street.
$491 million from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), making our cyber and physical infrastructure more vulnerable to attack.
$468 million from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), greatly reducing its ability to crack down on firearm trafficking and reduce gun violence.
$212 million from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), greatly reducing its capacity to help state and local law enforcement and weakening efforts to fight international drug smuggling impacting the United States.
$107 million from Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Public Safety and Justice, exacerbating current understaffing and making tribal communities less safe.
❌ Endangers wildfire-prone communities
Cuts wildfire prevention programs like – raking the forests, forest management services – and eliminates personnel hired to fight wildfires.
❌ Defunds Planned Parenthood
Defunds Planned Parenthood – essentially creating a backdoor abortion ban – that could put health care for 1.1 million patients at risk and force nearly 200 health centers to close, mostly in states where abortion care is legal.
❌ Unfairly targets green vehicles
Creates penalties for families who own a hybrid or electric vehicle – increasing the cost of taking personal responsibility even more.
❌ Unjustly targets American students
Takes away college access from millions of children by limiting families’ ability to access financial aid for college, including Pell Grants.
Betrays student loan borrowers by ending student loan deferment for borrowers who experience job loss or other financial hardships, and forbids any future student loan forgiveness programs.
❌ Raises costs and separates American families
Pours billions of dollars into supercharging the cruel and reckless raids like we have seen in Southern California and across agricultural areas, expanding the targeting of families, workers and businesses and harassment of U.S. citizens nationwide. Americans overwhelmingly agree we should have a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who have been here for years, pay their taxes, and are good members of their communities, such as farmworkers, Dreamers, and mixed-status families.
Source: US State of California 2
SACRAMENTO – Ahead of an expected record-breaking holiday weekend for travel, Californians are seeing the lowest July prices at the pump in years. This comes after Governor Gavin Newsom has taken repeated actions to increase transparency on Big Oil’s balance sheets — putting people over record profits — and another that will give the state more tools to require petroleum refiners backfill supplies and plan ahead for maintenance, helping keep supply and demand more stable.
Additionally, Republicans spent the last 6+ months fearmongering about a supposed “65 cent jump” in price at the pump on July 1, which DID NOT happen. In fact, prices at the pump have gone down leading up to, on, and after July 1, 2025 — the opposite of what Big Oil Republicans claimed would happen.