Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24), along with Congresswoman Gwen Moore (WI-4), today reintroduced the Financing Lead Out of Water (FLOW) Act to reduce red tape and enable more municipalities to finance water projects focused on replacing lead service lines. The legislation will help shore up Upstate New York’s aging water infrastructure and ensure communities can provide safe, clean drinking water.
Additional cosponsors of the legislation include Representatives Mike Kelly (PA-3) and Haley Stevens (MI-11).
Lead service lines, which are often jointly owned by local governments and private homeowners, are expensive to replace—but they can be financed using tax-exempt bonds. Unfortunately, current law requires water utilities to prove these bonds do not primarily benefit private entities if used on private property—a burdensome and costly process that delays critical infrastructure upgrades.
The FLOW Act would eliminate this barrier by allowing public water utilities to use tax-exempt bonds to replace privately owned lead service lines without triggering the IRS’s “private business use” restrictions.
“Replacing hazardous lead pipes in our communities is a costly, time-consuming process burdened by unnecessary federal hurdles,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “The FLOW Act cuts red tape and eliminates excessive documentation requirements, making it easier for communities to access affordable financing for critical water infrastructure projects. Reducing ineffective bureaucracy will allow more New Yorkers in NY-24, and Americans nationwide, to replace dangerous lead pipes and gain access to safe, clean water.”
“As a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, I am focused on ending the lead epidemic so we can protect the potential of every child in Milwaukee. In Congress, I am working to advance proposals that can help our communities remove this toxin. That’s why I am supporting the FLOW Act, which would allow local governments to better leverage tax-exempt municipal bonds, to fund lead service line replacement projects. We need every tool available to tackle this health crisis,” said Congresswoman Moore.
“In Michigan, we’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact that led-contaminated water can have on families, from Flint to Benton Harbor and beyond. Communities across our state are working hard to replace aging lead service lines, but federal red tape has made that work slower and more expensive than it needs to be. The FLOW Act will cut unnecessary barriers and unlock affordable financing tools to get these dangerous pipes out of the ground faster. I’m proud to be an original cosponsor of this bipartisan bill to help Michigan and communities across the country deliver safe, clean drinking water to every household,” said Congresswoman Stevens.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)
Washington, DC – As first reported in Fox News, today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) introduced a resolution with the California Republican delegation to formally condemn the riots in Los Angeles.
The resolution expresses that the House of Representatives:
Recognizes the right to assemble and protest peacefully;
Condemns unequivocally the violence perpetrated against Federal, State, and local law enforcement;
Calls on local and State elected leadership to work with the Federal government to end the violent riots and restore peace; and,
Expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers for keeping our communities safe in the face of danger.
“Peaceful protests are a constitutional right, but vandalism, looting, violence, and other crimes are not. Protecting public safety shouldn’t be controversial, which is why I am leading the California Republican delegation in a resolution to support law and order as we continue to see unrest,” said Congresswoman Young Kim. “I hope Governor Newsom can come together with President Trump to stop the riots, lower the temperature, and keep our communities safe.”
Congresswoman Young Kim added, “Let’s be clear: the riots escalated before the National Guard was sent in and were enabled by California’s soft-on-crime policies – peddled for years by Governor Newsom, Sacramento, and local prosecutors – that have allowed for lawlessness and endangered public safety of hardworking Californians.”
California Republican Reps. Ken Calvert (CA-41), Vince Fong (CA-20), Darrell Issa (CA-48), Kevin Kiley (CA-03), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Tom McClintock (CA-05), Jay Obernolte (CA-23), and David Valadao (CA-22) joined in introducing the resolution.
Washington, D.C. – 6/10/25… Yesterday, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) introduced new bipartisan legislation to protect the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps millions of families across the country afford their energy bills and stay safe during extreme weather.
The bipartisan legislation would establish a minimum staffing threshold to administer the program, following the Trump Administration’s moves to lay off the entire federal LIHEAP staff earlier this year. This decision, in addition to the Administration eliminating the program entirely in the President’s FY2026 budget request, has put the program’s future in jeopardy, threatening heating and cooling assistance for millions of families, just as summer begins.
“I’m proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill to fix LIHEAP’s staffing crisis, ensuring Hudson Valley families get the energy assistance they need to stay warm this winter. With minimum staffing requirements and smart use of contractors, we’re tackling inefficiency and protecting our most vulnerable who depend on it,” said Congressman Mike Lawler, Co-Chair of the Extreme Heat Caucus.
“Nearly 6 million families nationwide — and 240,000 in Jersey — rely on LIHEAP to keep the heat on in the winter and the AC running in the summer,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05). “President Trump is hell-bent on dismantling this critical program, firing its entire staff back in April and proposing to eliminate LIHEAP completely in his budget to Congress. My new bipartisan bill will stop these reckless cuts and ensure that no family is left in the cold or heat without help. I’ll keep fighting to protect LIHEAP, lower utility bills, and stand up for hardworking Jersey families.”
LIHEAP, established in 1981 with bipartisan support, is a federally funded program that helps low-income households cover heating and cooling costs. In 2025, New Jersey received $120 million in LIHEAP funding.
Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON — This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson condemned the ongoing LA riots and Governor Gavin Newsom’s failed leadership, advocated for swift passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill to provide resources to besieged federal law enforcement officers, and discussed the House’s multi-pronged approach to reducing the deficit.
Watch the Speaker’s full remarks here
On the LA riots:
While the rioters have been burning police cars and looting storefronts and physically assaulting law enforcement officers, it’s important to remember how we got to this point, to this level of chaos, because this didn’t happen overnight. Four quick points to make us all remember. You know, we’re in a busy news cycle and people sometimes forget the facts, but the Biden Administration welcomed maybe as many as 20 million illegal aliens across that border and into our country in a four-year period. Sanctuary states like California rolled out the welcome mat. They embraced it. They offered aliens protection from federal law, think of it, they’re on the wrong side of the law. And they provided them with healthcare and housing and taxpayer-funded benefits. It’s truly almost unbelievable what these Democrat leaders of these cities and states have done.
President Trump delivered on an ironclad mandate from the American people, and just as we said, throughout the entire Biden administration disaster, the law always allowed the president to stop it. And President Trump did it. With bold visionary leadership, he stopped the invasion of our country and he engaged in the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. We’re in the midst of that right now. Rioters, acting on the words of politicians like AOC and Hakeem Jeffries, are trying to stop this effort by burning store fronts and endangering the lives of patriotic law enforcement officers. The contrast cannot be more clear.
On the failed leadership of Democrat leaders like Gavin Newsom:
Time and time again, innocent hardworking Americans have been harmed by the failed leadership of Democrat governors like Gavin Newsom. President Trump was absolutely right to send in the National Guard and to clean up for the governor’s failures. You know, Gavin Newsom has been in this effort for the last several months to try to reinvent himself, to rebrand himself. It’s pretty difficult to do when your state is a safe haven to violent criminal illegal aliens and you’re the one at the helm. You can’t hide this stuff. The President of the United States has a responsibility to maintain law and order, particularly when the lives and livelihoods of federal law enforcement officers are threatened. What we’re doing there with the federal forces is we are protecting federal buildings and property and personnel, and the President is showing strong leadership in doing so.
On passing the One Big Beautiful Bill to deliver resources to ICE and border patrol:
Because, you know, it’s those men and women, the federal law enforcement officers who deserve our support right now. And the One Big Beautiful Bill as Leader Scalise noted, delivers much-needed reinforcements. In this bill, we have funding to hire a minimum of 10,000 new ICE agents. We’re going to provide a $10,000 bonus to Border Patrol and ICE agents on the front lines. We’re going to include $45 billion to expand ICE detention capacity and $14.4 billion for air and ground transport to carry out at least one million deportations every single year. We’ll have to do that for quite some time because they let so many people in. We’re starting with the dangerous illegal aliens and that is exactly who the rioters and the politicians in California are trying to protect, and it’s incredible.
While Republicans are supporting the men and women of ICE through the One Big Beautiful Bill. Democrats are fighting for those illegal aliens and against law enforcement agents. They’re defending the violent anti-ice protesters in LA. They visited a violent MS-13 gang member and human trafficker in El Salvador. They charged an ICE facility and clashed with ICE officers – that was members of the House of Representatives doing that. They’re advocating for people to dox ICE agents and making them targets for threats from radicals. And they’re calling for the elimination of ICE.
On reducing the deficit:
This rescission package is a critical step, and it’s one of many. There will be several of these that will come from the White House, will work together with the administration to cut out all the fraud, waste, and abuse. We’re fighting a multi-front war against the deficit. Don’t get lost in this, okay? This is a multi-step process. I’ve tried to explain on all the interviews I’ve done over the last couple of weeks. The One Big Beautiful Bill is going to reduce spending by over $1.6 trillion, as has been noted this morning. The rescissions package will rescind $9.4 billion in wasteful spending, the first of many of those. The annual appropriations process will allow Republicans to further codify DOGE cuts and spend less money and be careful stewards of each dime. And the revenues found from the President’s tariff agenda will also reduce the deficit by $2.8 trillion over 10 years.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)
WASHINGTON —Thedangerous, destructive border crisis was the defining issue of the Biden Administration. For four years, President Biden purposefully allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood into American communities, placing Americans in grave peril. Illegal aliens with no right to be here, committed acts of unspeakable violence against our citizens, put massive strain on our national and local resources, and overworked our brave law enforcement officers. Those days are over.
“President Trump has kept his word to the American people and secured the border. In fewer than five months, the number of border encounters, known gotaways, drug smuggling, and migrant crossings are at record lows. The Trump Administration has made clear that we didn’t need a new set of laws to secure the border; all we needed was a new President,” Speaker Johnson said.
Click here to watch
“But the safety and security of the American people can only be maintained if the Administration gets the additional resources it needs. Through the One Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans in Congress will deliver the largest investment in border security in a generation and provide federal law enforcement with the resources necessary to permanently fortify our borders against foreign invaders and detain and deport the millions of illegals the Biden Administration allowed into our country.” Speaker Johnson continued.
ALL WE NEEDED WAS A NEW PREDSIDENT
President Biden created and presided over the worst border crisis this country has ever experienced. Over 10 million aliens were encountered at our borders. The average number of monthly border encounters was nearly 160,000. Hundreds from the terrorist watch list were encountered at our southern border, and an untold number of known gotaways escaped into our country. By 2024, there were over 660,000 noncitizenswith criminal histories in our country.
President Trump changed all of that in just a matter of weeks. In March of 2025, the average number of monthly encounters was just under 7,200 – the lowest monthly number of border encounters in recorded HISTORY. This represents a 95.5% reduction in monthly encounters. Since President Trump took office:
Daily border encounters are down by 93%
Encounters with “gotaways” are down by 95%
Migrant crossings are down by 99.99%
It’s not just border security the Trump Administration is delivering on; it’s interior enforcement too. Just last week, the Trump Administration conducted the largest raid ever in Massachusetts, resulting in the arrests of nearly 1,500 illegals, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will enable ICE to detain and deport at least 1 million illegal aliens annually.
THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT HELPS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE DELIVERING ON ITS PROMISES
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes the most significant investment in border security and deportations in history. It funds the completion of the border wall and makes significant investments in ICE and CBP.
Makes the largest investment in border security and interior enforcement, providing over $150 billion to secure the border and deport illegal aliens
Includes $45 billion to expand ICE detention capacity
Provides $46 billion to finish 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
Provides $12 billion in funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, and 1,000 criminal investigators, among others
Includes $1.2 billion to hire 200 immigration judges and to expand immigration courtroom space
Includes $12 billion to reimburse states who expended resources securing the border where the Biden Administration failed
As part of a strategic initiative to organize workers across National Parks and the Forest Service, the IAM Organizing Department and National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) has secured multiple election victories within the National Parks and Forest Service — all in Colorado. These wins collectively cover an impressive 650 employees, laying the groundwork for stronger worker representation and protections in the federal workforce.
IAM Assistant Organizing Coordinator Jerry McCarty, with vital support from IAM Organizing Assistant Director Juan Eldridge, Special Representative Art Jackson, and multiple NFFE-IAM representatives, have filed dozens of election petitions since the start of the year.
“We already knew a lot of these Forest Service folks,” said McCarty. “When the Trump Administration started threatening federal workers, people started reaching out for support. We are the largest union in the Forest Service already, and they knew we had their backs.”
“We had a meeting on top of Yosemite Mountain,” said IAM Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. “Park rangers, biologists, firefighters—it was a wide mix of folks who just wanted a voice and some protection in their workplace.”
Each unit required separate elections for what the forest service deemed professional and non-professional workers, but the energy on the ground among all was overwhelmingly pro-union.
“We ended up signing them all up—just like dominoes,” said McCarty. “We’ve got at least another 30 or 40 election petitions filed right now. We’re talking about 3,000 more people by the end of this year.”
This surge of new members will be covered under a master agreement already in place for Forest Service and National Park Service workers.
A few of the most notable newly-organized locations are Pike San Isabel National Forest, San Juan National Forest, and Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee Grasslands.
“It’s been 99% yes votes in some places,” said McCarty. “These workers are pumped to have union protection.”
McCarty now has his sight set on 7,000 currently unrepresented U.S. Geological Survey employees.
“We don’t plan on losing a single one of these elections,” said McCarty. “It’s been a real team effort, and the IAM Organizing Department has been behind us every step of the way.”
“We are putting a lot of support from the International on these organizing efforts for workers in the federal sector,” said IAM Resident General Vice President Jody Bennet. “During a time when federal employees most need support, the IAM is there to stand with them and fight for them. This is all part of a greater effort to bring strong representation to workers in all our industries with large-scale organizing push.”
As the victories pile up, the IAM’s federal sector campaign is becoming a model of effective organizing, proving that even the most remote workers in the most uncertain times can find power in a union.
The post IAM Union Scores Big Wins in Federal Sector Organizing Effort appeared first on IAM Union.
IAM Union International President Brian Bryant recently expressed his appreciation to a coalition of House Freshmen for signing a letter supporting fair trade practices, including a renegotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the reauthorization of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program.
“On behalf of the 600,000 active and retired members of this very diverse union, I want to thank these House Freshmen who understand the importance of fair trade policy,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “U.S. trade policy has led many news headlines in recent months, and this letter underscores the importance of renegotiating the USMCA to protect domestic manufacturing in areas like aerospace, reauthorizing the U.S. Labor Department’s TAA program, and enacting strategic tariffs that punish bad actors and protect U.S. jobs.”
Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19) and Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12) led 18 of their colleagues in a letter to President Trump and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer calling for a trade policy that strengthens America’s middle class, rebuilds the U.S. industrial base, and safeguards family farms and small businesses.
“For too long, bad trade deals have been written in Wall Street boardrooms and rubber-stamped in political backrooms—while towns from Endicott to Ellenville got sold out,” said Rep. Josh Riley. “I came to Congress to give blue-collar towns a real voice in trade talks. I’ll work with anyone from any party who wants to rethink trade in a way that supports American farmers, builds American factories for American workers, and strengthens national security.”
“I’m proud to represent the Port of Oakland, the largest refrigerated cargo export port in the United States,” said Rep. Lateefah Simon. “Tariffs are not inherently bad, but President Trump’s chaotic, self-imposed tariff war has been a disaster for the U.S. economy. That’s why I am leading my freshman colleagues to call on the president to fix U.S. trade policy to support workers, small businesses, and the environment.”
The members outlined four key areas of proposed collaboration:
1. Improving the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):
Include stronger labor and environmental standards.
S. 1378 would authorize the appropriation of $105 million for fiscal year 2026 and $25 million annually from 2027 through 2030 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop comprehensive datasets for training weather forecasting models, in coordination with other federal entities and technical experts.
The bill also would allow NOAA to:
Use artificial intelligence (AI) to disseminate weather and wildfire risk information,
Partner with nonfederal entities to study and recommend best practices for AI-based weather forecasting, and
Recruit expert personnel to support AI weather forecasting.
In addition, S. 1378 would require NOAA to report to the Congress on AI-based weather forecasting and potential security risks related to foreign access to weather data.
The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment).
Table 1.
Estimated Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation Under S. 1378
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2025
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2025-2030
Authorization
0
105
25
25
25
25
205
Estimated Outlays
0
63
38
36
26
25
188
Using historical spending patterns for similar activities, CBO estimates that implementing S. 1378 would cost $188 million over the 2025-2030 period and $15 million after 2030, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kelly Durand. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Carolina of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought and extreme heat occurring on May 7- Aug. 8, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the North Carolina counties of Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, Perquimans as well as Chesapeake, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach in Virginia.
Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding eligible private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Tennessee of the July 9 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by Tropical Storm Helene occurring Sept. 26, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the counties of Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington.
Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to PNPs providing non-critical services of a governmental nature with financial losses directly related to the disaster. Example of eligible non-critical PNPs include, but are not limited to, food kitchens, homeless shelters, museums, libraries, community centers, schools and colleges.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 3.25% and terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 9, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: United States Small Business Administration
ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Ohio of the July 7 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by drought occurring on Sept. 10, 2024.
The disaster declaration covers the Ohio counties of Erie, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Ottawa, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood.
Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.
EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.
“Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”
The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.
To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 7, 2025.
###
About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
It is a testament to our members and contractors who worked the hours and made safety a priority.
Great Lakes Area Local 374 (Hobart, Indiana) earned the John F. Erickson NACBE Safety Award, announced March 31, during the 2025 Construction Sector Operations Conference in Miami, Florida.
Each year, the National Association of Construction Boilermaker Employers recognizes local lodges for their members’ dedication to making and keeping workplaces safe. NACBE names one nationwide winner and one winner from each of the remaining U.S. sections. The awards are determined by the lowest injury rates followed by the highest percentage of Boilermaker man-hours worked for NACBE contractors participating in the NACBE safety index.
Top sectional winners were Western States, L-549 (Pittsburg, California); Northeast, L-154 (Pittsburgh) and Southeast L-433 (Tampa, Florida).
“It is a testament to our members and contractors who worked the hours and made safety a priority,” said L-374 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Brad Sievers. “We are thankful and proud of our Local 374 brothers and sisters, as well as all the brothers and sisters who traveled to help man our work.”
NACBE Executive Director Ron Traxler talked about how the NACBE safety program has evolved over time.
“We learned we couldn’t just talk about safety without our partners. The Boilermakers recognized it takes everyone to make a safe worksite,” he said. “In 1992, the first regional safety awards were presented to the local with the best safety record. This has promoted the safety culture by cultivating healthy competition among the locals.”
Traxler also presented the 2024 safety index with 27 contractors reporting on 37.63% of all Boilermaker work from NACBE contractors. Lost-time injury rates were down from .40 in 2023 to .25 for 2024. Compensable injuries were up from 3.22 in 2023 to 3.58 for 2024. The OSHA recordable injury rates were up again for the fifth year in a row from 2023’s .92 to 1.40 in 2024, but OSHA recordable eye injuries were down from seven in 2023 to five in 2024. Compensable eye injuries ticked down from 31 in 2023 to 27 in 2024.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) announced the opening of Florida’s Fifth District’s U.S. Service Academy nomination process for the Class of 2030.
“One of my greatest privileges as a member of Congress is nominating talented young men and women from Northeast Florida to attend America’s military academies,” said Rutherford. “Attending a military service academy is more than attending college, it’s making a commitment to serve our great nation. I look forward to nominating students who exemplify the values of hard work, excellence, and integrity to serve our country.”
The U.S. Service Academies include the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Please note, candidates applying to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy do not need a congressional nomination for appointment.
America’s military academies offer a prestigious, fully funded education, along with a monthly stipend in exchange for a commitment to mandatory service upon commissioning. They are consistently ranked among the most esteemed colleges and universities in the United States.
Congressional nominations are selective and chosen based on personal merit. Some criteria include evidence of character, leadership, academic excellence, physical aptitude, and extracurricular activities.
Candidates must exemplify good moral character and meet several requirements. Candidates must be:
U.S citizens
Unmarried without dependents
Between the ages of 17-23
Applicants must receive nominations from their member of Congress, U.S. Senators, and/or the Vice President of the United States to be eligible for an appointment to a U.S. Service Academy.
To apply, visit Congressman John H. Rutherford’s website here. Completing the online form initiates the Congressional Nomination process.
All completed packets must be submitted by Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 4 p.m.
Additional details and instructions are available to help guide applicants through the nomination application process. For further inquiries, please contact FL05.ServiceAcademy@mail.house.gov or by calling Congressman Rutherford’s District Office at (904) 831-5205.
NREL-Developed Neural Networks Uncover New Insights Into Battery Health
NREL’s battery researchers are turning to cutting-edge artificial intelligence models to optimize battery performance for a new generation of energy storage. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL
Resilient energy systems depend on reliable batteries. The lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries powering our world must endure the steady strain of time, charge cycles, and environmental conditions that gradually wear them out through degradation.
Understanding the health of a battery can help manufacturers, researchers, and consumers alike optimize its lifetime performance. Yet diagnosing a battery’s state of health is no easy feat, as each cell is a complex system of chemical reactions and physical changes that standard evaluation models struggle to capture with speed and precision.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers have developed and demonstrated a groundbreaking physics-informed neural network (PINN) model that can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models.
“Li-ion battery lifetime and aging dynamics vary significantly with chemistry, operating conditions, cycling demands, electrode design, and operational history, which makes optimal handling, design, and maintenance difficult,” said Kandler Smith, who leads electrochemical modeling and data science research at NREL. “It’s especially difficult to understand the physical degradation mechanisms of a battery during use without opening it up. We need reliable methods to check in on batteries’ internal state in a nondestructive way.”
NREL’s PINN replaces the traditional, resource-intensive battery physics model with a powerful artificial intelligence approach that mimics the interconnected neurons of our brains to analyze nonlinear, complex datasets. This deep learning process can enhance battery health diagnostics by quantifying physical degradation mechanisms and pave the way for more efficient, scalable approaches to manage battery aging.
Traditional Models and Limitations
NREL researchers have created a vast array of battery lifespan models to diagnose battery health, predict battery degradation, and optimize battery designs. For years, the team has been on the cutting edge of physics-based machine learning techniques to optimize predictive modeling for advanced battery research.
Two such models, the Single-Particle Model (SPM) and the Pseudo-2D Model (P2D), are widely used and accepted approaches to providing a window into how a battery’s internal health parameters—such as electrode inventory and kinetics, Li-ion inventory, and Li transport paths—evolve over time. However, directly using these models is an intensive process that requires massive amounts of computations and limits their ability to offer rapid diagnostics.
“Instead of a physics model, we proposed a PINN surrogate model to separate out a battery’s internal properties from its output voltage,” said NREL Computational Science Researcher Malik Hassanaly, who collaborated closely with the battery research team. “This approach drastically reduces the computational time and resources required, allowing researchers to quickly diagnose battery degradation and provide real-time feedback on battery health.”
The NREL-developed PINN surrogate combines the predictive power of artificial intelligence with the rigor of physics-based modeling. The resulting two-part study published in the Journal of Energy Storage demonstrates how researchers trained and tested the PINN surrogate using conventional SPM and P2D models. This multifaceted approach allowed NREL researchers to train the PINN surrogate on a wide range of internal battery properties. The resulting open-source model offers critical insights into changes that occur during battery aging, helping quickly estimate how long a battery might last in a different setting.
What makes this development especially revolutionary in battery research is the integration of physics-informed principles into neural networks. Traditional neural networks are data-driven models that excel at pattern recognition but often lack the ability to enforce physical laws, which are crucial for accurately simulating battery behavior. PINNs, however, are designed to understand and follow these physical laws by embedding them directly into the model’s training procedure, enabling it to predict battery parameters with a level of scientific rigor previously achievable only by complex, time-intensive models. With the PINN surrogate, techniques typically constrained by high resource requirements can now be applied on a broad scale, bringing real-time insights into battery health within reach.
Applications and Next Steps
The success of NREL’s PINN surrogate offers wide-ranging implications. For battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate can provide rapid state-of-health predictions, allowing for faster decision-making across battery applications. By drastically lowering the computational barriers to battery diagnostics, the PINN surrogate model paves the way for widespread, scalable, and efficient energy storage management—helping ensure energy is available when and where it is needed.
“This approach unlocks new capabilities in battery diagnostics, paving the way for onboard diagnostics of batteries in use,” Smith said. “This means that batteries of the future may include systems to extend their useful life by identifying degradation signals and adapting fast-charge limits with age.”
Currently, researchers are working to transition the PINN surrogate from controlled simulations to real-work data validation, using batteries cycled within NREL’s laboratories. By bridging this gap, researchers hope to deploy PINN-based diagnostics across a wide range of battery systems, enhancing battery performance monitoring and extending lifespans. Future research will focus on refining the PINN model to handle highly dimensional problems, allowing it to predict a broader array of internal battery parameters with increased precision. This means creating models that can both respond to diverse current loads and scale effectively to future battery designs and usage patterns.
Learn more about NREL’s energy storage and transportation and mobility research. And sign up for NREL’s quarterly transportation and mobility research newsletter to stay current on the latest news.
The IAM Union is set to hold its 2025 Transportation Conference at Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas from June 23-25. The IAM Union delegates who will attend the conference work primarily in the airline and railroad industries. The conference will highlight the IAM’s powerful presence in these sectors.
Conference Details:
Location: Caesars Palace Hotel, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd., S. Las Vegas, NV 89109
Conference Dates: Monday, June 23 – Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Under the banner of “Building a Better Tomorrow,” this year’s conference emphasizes the IAM’s dedication to bolstering transportation jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and developing the next generation of labor leaders. Attendees will attend general sessions and targeted committee meetings addressing key industry issues.
A major highlight is the launch of the Young Workers Committee, which aims to bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas into the IAM’s strategies.
“This conference is more than an event, it’s a catalyst for change within the transportation sector,” said IAM Union Air Transport General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “By uniting our members, from airline workers to railroad workers, and welcoming new voices, we’re not just adapting to the future—we’re shaping it.”
Committee discussions will lead to formal reports presented at the conference. The IAM Transportation Conference is a premier gathering for international and national leaders and members within the transportation sector.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
goIAM.org | @IAM_Union
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overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that work is underway on a pair of projects that will rehabilitate key stretches of Interstate 88 in Schoharie and Otsego counties, enhancing safety and resiliency along a major artery that connects the Capital Region with the Catskills and the Southern Tier. Taken together, the two projects represent a nearly $42 million investment that will resurface approximately 40 lane miles of pavement and make other improvements to the highway that will ease travel through this important corridor. The highway stretches from just outside of Albany to the Binghamton area and is often used to reach some of New York’s most popular tourist destinations, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and Howe Caverns in Cobleskill.
“Investing in roads and bridges helps to ensure the well-being and long-term prosperity of our local communities and of our entire state,” Governor Hochul said. “These projects along Interstate 88 will provide improved mobility for thousands of motorists who travel this vital highway every day and enhance the resiliency of one of our most important arteries for the flow of people and commerce in New York.”
Work recently started on a $15.7 million project that will rehabilitate a 5.5-mile stretch of the highway in both directions from the Schoharie/Otsego County line to Exit 20 in Richmondville, Schoharie County, overlaying the existing concrete surface with a two-inch fiber reinforced top course of asphalt to provide smoother travel. Existing road joints will also be repaired.
The eastbound lanes will be resurfaced this year and motorists should expect single lane closures for the entire length of the construction zone. In 2026, work will switch over to the westbound lanes. Completion is expected by the end of the 2026 construction season.
The resurfacing project complements work that got underway last year on another project that is resurfacing a 4.3-mile stretch of I-88 between Exits 18 and 19 in the towns of Worcester and Maryland, Otsego County. The $26 million, two-year project also includes the repair of 10 culverts and the installation of new guide rail. Additionally, the bridges that carry I-88 over South Hill Road will undergo bearing and pedestal replacements.
Currently, crews are working on the westbound side of this stretch of the highway. One lane of traffic in each direction is separated by concrete barrier on the eastbound side of the highway. Construction is expected to wrap up later this year.
Once these two projects are complete, there will only be one stretch of the highway remaining with concrete from the original construction of I-88, which began in 1968. A project for that area between Exits 16 and 17 is in the design phase.
New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “Governor Hochul’s commitment to renewing our critical infrastructure and connecting communities is unwavering and this investment in Interstate 88 is another demonstration of that. These improvements will provide smoother travel, as well as enhanced safety and resiliency of our infrastructure along this vital highway, facilitating continued economic growth and the long-term prosperity for our local communities.”
Senator Charles Schumer said, “Thanks to millions from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law, we are paving the way for key improvements to Interstate 88 to create a more prosperous and safer future for motorists and visitors from the Capital Region to the Southern Tier. This project will repair key stretches of the I-88 between the Binghamton area and Capital Region, improving traffic flow along this vital corridor while creating good-paying jobs. I’m grateful that Governor Hochul is putting these federal dollars to good use to improve safety and connectivity for Upstate New Yorkers.”
Representative Josh Riley said, “I-88 connects our farms, our small businesses, and our families to the rest of the state—and to each other. Fixing it means safer roads, stronger local economies, and a better quality of life for the folks who live and work here. I’m proud to help deliver federal funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and grateful to see it being put to work where it counts.”
About the Department of Transportation
It is the mission of the New York State Department of Transportation to provide a safe, reliable, equitable and resilient transportation system that connects communities, enhances quality of life, protects the environment, and supports the economic well-being of New York State.
Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!
For more information, find us on Facebook, follow us on X or Instagram, or visit our website. For up-to-date travel information, call 511, visit www.511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.
Jefferson City — Today, Governor Mike Kehoe ordered the U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Stoddard County, all police stations, sheriffs’ offices, and Missouri State Highway Patrol general and troop headquarters across Missouri on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, from sunrise to sunset, to honor Bernie Police Department Lieutenant Eddie Mays.
“Lieutenant Eddie Mays devoted his life to serving others, first in the U.S. Air Force and then as a deputy sheriff and police officer,” GovernorKehoe said. “We owe a tremendous debt to the dedicated heroes like Eddie, who take the oath of office and carry out its ideals each day they put on their uniform and badge to answer the call no matter the danger or risk to themselves. Lieutenant Mays fulfilled his oath to serve and protect, and Missouri will be forever grateful.”
On June 5, Lieutenant Mays, 58, was on duty with the Bernie Police Department when he responded to a domestic violence call and, after handcuffing a resisting suspect, suffered a medical emergency and could not be resuscitated.
Mays served in the Air Force from 1988 to 1993. He attended Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Training Academy, was issued a Missouri Peace Officer License on November 22, 1998, and immediately began serving the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff, where he served until January 1, 2005. He also served with the Bloomfield Police Department. He joined the Bernie Police Department in January 2013 and was promoted to sergeant in July 2013 and to lieutenant in December 2023.
The flags will be held at half-staff on the day of Lieutenant Mays’ memorial service. To view the Governor’s proclamation, click here.
More than 100 scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from 16 African countries and the United States discussed advances across a broad range of multi-disciplinary topics, including Biotechnology, New Solutions for Decarbonization, Advances in Space Research, Smart and Connected Cities, and Precision Agriculture. UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin has served as a distinguished member of the Oversight Committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine since its inception.
Sponsored by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S.-Africa program brings together outstanding young scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and the member countries of the African Union to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields. The goal of the meetings is to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the U.S., including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.
Laurencin, an internationally recognized scientist, engineer, and surgeon, is actively involved in Africa through his work with the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and other African scientific organizations. He has been a fellow of the AAS since 2012. Laurencin also participated in the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine symposium, contributing to discussions on research collaboration and scientific exchange between African countries. He also spoke at the 2024 Galien Forum in Dakar, Senegal, on the role of women in STEM in addressing environmental crises in Africa.
Laurencin is a fellow of the Senegalese Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a fellow of the Benin National Academy of Science and Arts. He received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences at the African Union Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Laurencin received the 2019 UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences, becoming the first American to earn this prestigious award. The ceremony took place during the Africa Union Heads of States Summit located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
At UConn Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named for him at the University of Connecticut. A shoulder and knee surgeon, he is a pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. In receiving the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP named him the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He is the first surgeon elected to the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Inventors.
BROSSARD, Quebec, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diagnos Inc. (“DIAGNOS” or the “Corporation”) (TSX Venture: ADK, OTCQB: DGNOF, FWB: 4D4A), a pioneer in early detection of critical health issues using advanced technology based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), is thrilled to announce that Mr. Ed Weiner has joined the Corporation’s Advisory Board.
Mr. Weiner will team up with Dr. Tomas J. Philipson, former vice chairman and acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, to provide valuable insights to DIAGNOS about the US optical market. Mr. Weiner is a seasoned entrepreneur and has been a leader in the optical industry for decades. He was the first to introduce Ralph Lauren Eyewear. He also partnered with Walmart to open 400 optical locations within Walmart’s chain of stores. Mr. Weiner was also chairman and founder of National Vision Associates, one of the largest optical retailers in the USA.
“We are honored to welcome Ed to our Advisory Board,” said André Larente, President and CEO of DIAGNOS. “In our opinion, his deep knowledge of the US optical market will contribute to bring DIAGNOS as one of the main AI driven healthcare solutions among opticians and optometrists across the US.”
Mr. Larente added, “DIAGNOS has built an AI platform to analyze retina images, these images are taken by thousands of optometrists worldwide. According to recent VisionWatch data, the US saw approximately 111 million routine eye exams and 60 million medical eye exams in 2020. DIAGNOS, along with its partners can address this growing market”. DIAGNOS recently opened its US office in south Florida to support its US prospects and clients.
About DIAGNOS DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation dedicated to early detection of critical eye-related health problems. By leveraging Artificial Intelligence, DIAGNOS aims to provide more information to healthcare clinicians to enhance diagnostic accuracy, streamline workflows, and improve patient outcomes on a global scale.
This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
In the U.S., both scholars and news media have been highlighting the connections between far-right Christian ideology and politics.
Trump’s first presidential term ended with the Jan. 6, 2021 violent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Scholars like Matthew Taylor, author of The Violent Take it by Force, have pointed to Christian nationalism and other far-right ideologies as factors that motivated the rioters.
American sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry define Christian nationalism as “a cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union.”
It’s tempting to read “Christian idenity” and “American identity” and assume it does not affect Canada.
Christian nationalism is not synonymous with Christianity or any specific branch of Christianity, like evangelical Christianity.
According to U.S. sociologist Daniel Miller, Christian nationalism is not a set list of ideological or religious beliefs. Instead, Miller says, Christian nationalism emerges when people identify with “a very narrow, idealized prototype of the ‘real or ‘authentic’ American.”
He says two mechanisms connect people to Christian nationalism. The first is perceived loss of power by the people who historically held power. This is known as a “power devaluation crisis.” The second is a narrative of decline — known as a a “declensionist narrative” — which asserts that American society has declined since the 1960s and needs repair and reclamation.
Poilievre’s signals to Christian nationalists
Poilievre is not open about his religion and does not call for Canada to be a Christian nation. But whether Poilievre intends to stir up Christian nationalists, some of his rhetoric has indicated support for the classic definitions of Christian nationalism.
According to Miller, support for Christian nationalism is not always direct. It can be activated by stoking a crisis of lost power, like the decline of the “traditional” family or by asserting a narrative of decline, like “Canada is broken.”
For example, Poilievre’s 2025 campaign mobilized both of the narrative mechanisms that attract Christian nationalist mentioned by sociologists: a power devaluation crisis and the narrative of decline.
In the lead-up to his 2025 campaign, Poilievre repeatedly calledCanada “broken.”. He cited increased crime, addiction, high grocery prices and more as evidence of Canada’s brokenness, accusing the Liberal government of erasing Canada’s past.
When Poilievre calls Canada “broken,” it affirms the world view of Christian nationalists.
Of course, visits to churches are not enough to signal alignment with Christian nationalists. And Poilievre has not espoused any Christian evangelical ideals in any public speech.
But it’s still important for Canadians to remain alert about Christian nationalists and their ambitions to become part of mainstream politics.
Canadian Christian nationalism
A study from the U.S. has linked the rise in Christian nationalist ideologies to attacks on religious minorities. The 2024 qualitative data from the study indicates that when politicians rhetorically supported Christian nationalist values, there was a increased violence against minority groups.
While I know of no studies showing the rise of the far right is directly leading to violence in Canada, Canadians should be aware of the pattern in the U.S. Research shows that growing Christian nationalists and far-right world views south of the border are, in fact, connected to a rise in violence.
Lisa Gasson-Gardner 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 Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)
WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and seven Republican colleagues in sending a letter to acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator David Richardson urging the agency to end the Biden administration’s failed Risk Rating 2.0 program.
Under Risk Rating 2.0, an estimated 80 percent of Louisiana National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholders experienced monthly flood insurance premium increases in 2025.
“Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system,” the senators wrote.
“The lack of transparency surrounding Risk Rating 2.0 is beyond troubling. FEMA has never allowed for meaningful public comment nor has it published the underlying data or assumptions used to justify the steep premium increases and refuses to disclose its actuarial model. Without transparency, communities cannot plan mitigation projects, lenders cannot accurately underwrite mortgages, and citizens cannot appeal punitive rate increases. Worse still, rising costs encourage policy lapses—shifting risk back to taxpayers when disasters strike,” they continued.
“Each month that Risk Rating 2.0 continues unchecked, more families are forced to abandon their insurance coverage, neighborhoods face economic strain, and entire communities risk collapse after the next disaster,” the lawmakers added.
Sens. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jim Justice (R-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) also joined the letter.
Background:
In 2023, Kennedy introduced the Risk Rating 2.0 Transparency Act, which would require FEMA to publish an explanation of how the agency is determining flood insurance prices under Risk Rating 2.0.
In 2023, Kennedy also introduced the Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which would cap annual flood insurance premium increases.
In 2024, Kennedy spoke in the Senate Banking Committee about FEMA’s dishonesty concerning the Risk Rating 2.0 program, noting that the agency “said a million people of the 5 million people [who hold NFIP policies] will see their rates go down. I haven’t talked to a single person who’s seen their rates go down.”
The full letter is available here.
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORDAN FLYTHE, also known as “T,” 32, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 31, 2021, Flythe was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 36 months of imprisonment for distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. He was released from federal prison in September 2022.
In August 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force and Middletown Police Department determined that Flythe was distributing fentanyl and other narcotics in Middletown. Between August and November 2024, investigators made multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from Flythe. On December 18, 2024, a court authorized search of Flythe’s residence on Adelaide Street in Hartford revealed approximately 240 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine and other additives, and approximately 160 grams of cocaine.
Flythe pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Flythe has been detained since his arrest on March 6, 2025.
This investigation has been conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, the Middletown Police Department, and the Hartford Police Department. The task force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, Middletown, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Richard Nieto, age 39, of Morrison, Colorado, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $962,438.85 in restitution for engaging in wire fraud and money laundering in connection with obtaining two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications to a lender seeking $1,117,903.56 and was successful in obtaining two PPP loans totaling $913,551.88.
In the first successful application for $175,384.83, the defendant inflated the number of employees and average monthly payroll for his business, Denver Pro Painting & Contracting, that had operated before the pandemic and fabricated Forms 941 that did not match the tax returns filed with the IRS. He then submitted a second successful PPP application for $738,167.05 to the same lender for another business, DenPro, that had no payroll or employees and was not operating at all. In this second application, the defendant made up $1,771,601.04 in annual payroll while fabricating fourth quarter tax returns to support the lies on the application.
Before making a single payment on either loan, the defendant submitted fraudulent applications for loan forgiveness. In support of the forgiveness applications, the defendant created a total of 87 fake payroll checks and paystubs that falsely indicated that each check related to a specific pay period and employee and that the defendant’s companies had withheld taxes so that they would qualify for loan forgiveness. One of the defendant’s PPP loans was fully forgiven.
Despite telling the lender that he would use the PPP loan money on business expenses, the defendant transferred PPP loan money through multiple intermediate accounts before using it on personal expenditures and investments. Among other transactions, the defendant used loan money to pay a home mortgage, purchase bitcoin, contribute to an investment account, buy gold and silver coins, and invest in a friend’s startup business.
“This is another case of someone using for personal gain a program meant to help people suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting United States Attorney J. Bishop Grewell. “I want the public to know that we are aggressively prosecuting people who stole from this relief program.”
“Mr. Nieto went to great lengths to abuse a program meant for hardworking small business owners, seeking only to enrich himself.” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “We are proud to partner with the U.S Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue those who defrauded this and other CARES Act programs and hold criminals like Mr. Nieto accountable.”
United States District Judge William J. Martinez presided over the sentencing.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Martha Paluch handled the prosecution of the case.
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Michael M. Simpson announced today that YEON SOOK HWANG, a/k/a “Jackie” (“HWANG”),age 50, was indicted on June 5, 2025 for unlawful procurement of naturalization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1425(b).
According to the indictment, HWANG made false statements on an Application for Naturalization in 2015 in the Eastern District of Louisiana. She falsely claimed she had not committed any crimes, when, in fact, she had. If convicted, HWANG faces up to ten years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
BILLINGS – A Crow Agency woman accused of making false statements to federal law enforcement admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Micah Taryn Faith LaForge, 24, pleaded guilty to false statement. LaForge faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set. LaForge was released pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on January 18, 2023, a gunshot victim arrived at the emergency room at the IHS Crow/Northern Cheyenne Hospital in Crow Agency. He was pronounced dead upon arrival. He was transported to IHS in a vehicle driven by LaForge.
LaForge lied to medical personnel and a BIA Special Agent at the hospital and then later that same day to an FBI Special Agent and a different BIA Special agent. She told all of these individuals she was driving between Crow Agency and Dunmore when she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road. LaForge claimed she stopped and loaded him into the passenger side of her vehicle and drove directly to IHS. LaForge continued with the lie by traveling to the purported location where she claimed that she saw the gunshot victim lying in the road with a BIA Special Agent. The agent noted there was no evidence, i.e., blood, shell casings, sign of a struggle that would support LaForge’s claim that this was the location where she encountered the gunshot victim.
The gunshot victim was actually shot at a house on Crow River Road. The day after the initial statement, LaForge contacted law enforcement and admitted she had lied the day before. Her lie about finding the gunshot victim in the middle of the road stymied the investigation for over 15 hours as the investigators had only the false information she provided about the location, which kept the investigators from going to the residence where the victim was shot and collecting evidence. The firearm was never recovered.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI and BIA conducted the investigation.
WASHINGTON – Norman Morris, 44, of the District of Columbia, was found guilty by a federal jury on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP).
The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Sentencing for Morris, aka “Fibble,” is pending and will be set at a later date.
According to court documents and testimony at trial before Judge Dabney L. Friedrich, the DEA and the FBI began conducting a criminal investigation in September 2023 of local PCP and fentanyl distributors, a group that included Morris and co-defendants Lamont M. Langston, Kelvin Sanker, and Jamar Bennett.
Morris conducted apparent drug transactions outside of his residence on the 200 block of 58th Street NE. The transactions were monitored by law enforcement from November 2023 to March 2024. During this same period, Bennett and Langston were observed meeting at Morris’s residence to exchange suspected narcotics and cash.
During the investigation, Bennett sold more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers over the course of nine transactions. The PCP was supplied by Langston and was stored and prepared by Sanker at Sanker’s home. Morris also retrieved 32 ounces of PCP from Sanker at the request of Langston after Langston was arrested with PCP and two firearms. Sixteen ounces of the PCP retrieved by Morris was sold to an undercover officer by Bennett.
Bennett, 45, of the District, pleaded guilty Apr. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to 121 months in prison.
Sanker, 43, of the District, pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and was sentencing to 65 months in prison.
Langston, 44, of the District, pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. Langston’s sentencing is scheduled for June 30, 2025.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was investigated by the the FBI’s Washington Field Office, DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Division, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Michael Asmutis.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
June 10, 2025
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) today led their colleagues in filing an amicus brief in Oregon v. Department of Homeland Security, a key case led by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield challenging the Trump Administration’s abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs.
The brief—which Wyden spearheaded with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)—opposes the Administration’s request for a stay of a recent court decision that struck down these tariffs.
“Donald Trump has been abusing the law on trade since Day One, and the result has been trade chaos that is raising prices and costing American jobs,” said Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee. “I stand with AG Rayfield and Oregonians to tell the court that Congress never intended the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to be a blank check to tax everything Americans buy. The faster these tariffs are struck down and Congress restores its authority over trade and tariffs, the better it will be for American families.”
“Trump’s illegal and chaotic tariffs are harming American consumers and businesses, leaving them to foot the bill for Trumpflation’s rising prices,” Merkley said. “While Trump is doing all he can to make life more expensive for families across the country, we’re fighting back against the Trump tariff wrecking ball with every tool at our disposal.”
“Trump’s tariffs make everything more expensive for all of us – from the food you buy at the grocery store to your monthly utility bill, most Oregonians cannot afford $3800 a year for these tariffs,” Rayfield said. “Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley’s support in this case further illustrates how the president is misusing his emergency powers.”
In May, the U.S. Court of International Trade held that the Trump Administration lacked authority to issue the challenged tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)—a statute that no president prior to President Trump has ever tried to use to impose tariffs. The Senators’ amicus brief argues a stay should be rejected.
“Granting a stay will cause irreparable harm to constituents of?Amici,?particularly thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that will continue to be harmed if the President persists in collecting the unlawful IEEPA tariffs,” the senators wrote. “Small businesses do not have cash-on-hand or capital reserves to pay the increased tariffs, nor can they quickly?adapt to them by modifying supply chains.??If they cannot pass on the tariff costs to consumers—which would create additional harms for?Amici’s constituents—many face letting employees go or filing for bankruptcy. ?Even a few weeks of additional tariffs means small businesses will suffer irreparable harm.”
“The powers to impose tariffs and regulate international trade were given to Congress for a reason,” the senators continued. “Absent authorization from Congress to impose tariffs and approval to enter binding, durable trade agreements, it is contrary to the public interest for the President to arrogate Congress’s power to himself.”
“Further, the broad-based tariffs, which include extensive levies on treaty allies Japan, Canada, and members of the NATO alliance, undermine U.S. national security by weakening U.S. alliances,” the senators concluded. “Amici? regularly?interact?with U.S.-allied leaders who want to work with the U.S. on security and economic matters; IEEPA tariffs have been raised as one of the foremost irritants and obstacles to maintaining strong partnerships with the U.S. ?Multiple allied governments, including Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, have threatened retaliation targeting American exports and American companies—further compounding the economic harm to?Amici’s?constituents. ?Denying a?stay will?ensure the Administration cannot continue to usurp powers granted to Congress, and it will promote?U.S. national security and economic interests.”
The full amicus brief is here.
The amicus brief was signed by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Edward Markey (D-MA).
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
June 10, 2025
Maximus, which has spent millions lobbying federal lawmakers on safety net programs like Medicaid, has a history of raking in profits by ejecting millions of Americans off of their health insurance
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said today they have written to Maximus, the largest contractor for Medicaid eligibility determinations, regarding the company’s potential profiteering under a Republican plan to cut Medicaid.
In a warning of what could come if so-called “work requirements” pass into law, the senators pressed Maximus on its business strategy of kicking millions of low-income Americans off their Medicaid coverage—even when they meet all the program’s eligibility requirements—to earn more profit.
“As the largest contractor for Medicaid eligibility determinations, your company would likely assess whether individuals meet the requirements outlined in the Republican bill, giving you extraordinary power over Americans’ access to health care,” the senators wrote. “But your company has an abysmal track record, with reports of egregious backlogs and service delays and several reported instances of fraud.”
Medicaid is a crucial health insurance program for millions of low- and middle-income Americans, covering about one in three Oregonians enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan. Trump and congressional Republicans are pushing to make the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history, including nearly $350 billion in cuts from implementing so-called “work requirements.” The independent, non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will rip away health insurance coverage from more than 10 million Americans and that work requirements alone will result in almost 5 million people losing Medicaid.
In addition to its troubling track record in Medicaid, Maximus has also:
Required Americans to submit intrusive personal information to complete eligibility checks, which was subsequently stolen in massive data breaches.
Raked in profits for cycling some of America’s poorest individuals in and out of short-term, low-paying jobs rather than placing them in stable, long-term employment.
Spent millions in recent years on lobbying and campaign contributions to federal, state, and local campaigns to persuade political leaders to implement stricter eligibility requirements for programs like Medicaid—knowing that its shareholders and bottom line would benefit when vulnerable Americans faced more red tape.
“Maximus profited not from promoting work—the stated goal of Republican policymakers—but instead from trapping low-income Americans in a cycle of poverty, with individuals falling into and out of employment and eligibility for benefits in part due to the perverse incentives in your state contracts,” the senators wrote.
Maximus’ stock has climbed as Trump and Republicans raced to pass legislation that would impose red tape requirements on Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries. With $100 million set aside in Republicans’ new bill to implement Medicaid red tape requirements just in fiscal year 2026, Maximus potentially stands to gain tens of millions worth of contracts in the coming years, representing a more than 30x return on its lobbying expenditures.
Maximus has even made clear to investors that the “Big Beautiful Bill” creates numerous pathways to profit, stating that “changes that require customer engagement … increase our activity volume” and that “a reduction in Medicaid recipients may not necessarily decrease consumer engagement, especially if eligibility verification or activity reporting requirements become more frequent than today.”
“All of this raises serious questions about your ability to effectively administer Medicaid eligibility determinations and avoid the perverse incentives that allow you to benefit from kicking even more Americans off of Medicaid if Donald Trump and Republicans’ ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ becomes law,” the senators continued. “With millions of dollars spent on lobbyists in Washington and around the nation, you have worked to enact the largest Medicaid cuts in the program’s history—and ensure that your company and you personally will financially benefit.”
The senators are pressing Maximus for information on its lobbying efforts and concerning track record of implementing so-called “work requirements” in other federal programs.
The full text of the letter is here.
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
June 09, 2025
In a speech on the Senate floor, Durbin slammed the Republican reconciliation plan that will kick 16 million Americans off their health care coverage, close rural hospitals, and raise prices for American families in order to pay for tax cuts to billionaires
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today spoke on the Senate floor, making clear that Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act will only raise prices and slash Medicaid and Medicare coverage for working Americans in order to pay for significant tax breaks for billionaires. Durbin reiterated in his remarks that the legislation will harm Americans as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an estimate showing that 16 million Americans will lose their health insurance under the Republicans’ reconciliation bill.
“They [congressional Republicans] are considering a tax bill that will eliminate health insurance coverage for 16 million Americans. More people and families will lose health insurance coverage by virtue of this ‘big, beautiful bill’ than any legislation we passed in modern memory,” Durbin began.
Durbin explained how unpopular it would be to cut health insurance coverage for Americans, which has prompted a small number of Republicans to express their discontent with $800 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid.
“Some Republican Senators, like Josh Hawley in my neighboring state of Missouri, have criticized this because he realizes how many people he represents count on Medicaid, the basic health insurance program. Senator Hawley says even as a Republican, he can’t support that provision,” Durbin said. “No one should support that provision. If you ever lived at a moment in your life with a seriously sick child and no health insurance, you’ll never forget it. I know. I’ve been there.”
“With this analysis from the Congressional Budget Office, we have new estimates on how this bill impacts each and every state. 210,000 people in my neighboring state of Missouri, Senator Hawley’s state, could lose their health insurance coverage. In Iowa, nearly 100,000 people could lose their health plans, and for our neighbor in Indiana, 250,000 Hoosiers could lose the peace of mind that comes with having health insurance,” Durbin said.
“What is it that is so compelling that the Republicans feel they can stand up and tell 16 million people in America, ‘you’ll lose your health insurance.’ What will they use that money for? What will they take it to the bank for? For something very basic. Tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America,” Durbin continued.
Durbin spoke about his recent visit to a children’s hospital in Chicago, emphasizing that patients, including his constituent Layoni, rely on Medicaid in order to receive life-saving care.
“Friday, I visited a hospital in Chicago… It’s La Rabida, a children’s hospital… Ninety percent of the families that bring their children to La Rabida Hospital qualify for Medicaid. These are families of limited means, and they turn to a highly professional hospital which has a reputation of caring for the poorest kids, as well as the richest kids. They treat them all the same, and they treat them well,” Durbin said.
“When I visited the hospital, they told me the story of one of their patients. Her name is Layoni. She was born prematurely at 26 weeks. When she was born she was only the size of the palm of your hand. She was given just days to survive. She needed a ventilator, tracheotomy tube, central line, an IV-like device that brought medicine to her heart, and much, much more. Today, Layoni is four years old. It’s a miracle. Thanks to want incredible cared provided by La Rabida and the love of so many people, she’s there,” Durbin continued. “Layoni’s family was covered by Medicaid, the most highly targeted program for cuts in this ‘big, beautiful bill.’”
Durbin explained the impact the Republicans’ reconciliation bill will have on hospitals across the country, many of which rely on Medicaid reimbursements to stay open. If critical Medicaid funding is cut, hospitals across the country, especially those in rural areas, will be at serious risk of closure. According to America’s Essential Hospitals, uncompensated care costs for hospitals will increase by $42 billion in a single year under this Republican proposal. For rural hospitals that are already struggling financially, this bill could lead to them permanently closing their doors.
“They [20 hospital administrators from downstate and urban Illinois] came out to see me three weeks ago… On their own, they wanted to tell me the story, that the bill that passed the House of Representatives… will be devastating to these hospitals. Some of them won’t survive,” Durbin said.
“What does it mean to a small or medium-size city that’s lucky enough to have a good hospital and lose it? Well, the obvious. If you need emergency medical care, it’s a longer drive. If that baby is about to be born, it’s a longer drive. When it comes down to treatment, these hospitals provide the first in urgent care. And if that hospital closes, what happens? It takes longer to get that care, but in addition to that, it also means a major part of the local economy is gone,” Durbin said. “How will you attract a business or keep a business when you lose your hospital? That’s what’s at stake here because it cuts into the Medicaid program.”
Despite Republican claims that the reconciliation bill will not impact Medicare, the bill also includes a $500 billion cut to Medicare.
“The Trump ‘big, beautiful bill’ is designed to cut the program that these hospitals rely on most, the Medicaid program. Now it turns out because they add trillions of dollars to the deficit for this tax cut, you’re also facing the possibility of something called sequestration, what that means is there will be less coverage for Medicare,” Durbin said. “This would be devastating to many people who count on it. It’s not just La Rabida that would face consequences. Red and blue states would suffer.”
Durbin continued on, stressing that this legislation will also increase the cost of living for Americans while billionaires will enjoy an additional $400,000 in tax cuts.
“As if an increase in the health care premiums isn’t enough, the costs of basic goods will skyrocket under this Republican plan. The ‘big, beautiful betrayal’ will raise energy bills up to $400 a year for families and ten percent for businesses,” Durbin said.
“If housing wasn’t already expensive enough, many Americans will see their mortgages increase by $600 a year. Want to follow your passion and start a business? Small business loans are estimated to increase under the ‘big, beautiful bill’ by $1,000 a year. Tariffs are estimated to raise costs for American households by around $2,500,” Durbin said. “If this last election was about the cost of living and giving families a fighting chance to survive paycheck to paycheck, this bill is devastating for those who aren’t the wealthiest in America.”
Durbin concluded his remarks by calling on his Republican colleagues to push back against this legislation that will eliminate health care for 16 million Americans and raise prices even further.
“This year, for the Fourth of July, the most American thing we can do is, on a bipartisan basis, stop this disaster. What does it take to say, ‘Pause, stop. We don’t want to cut Medicaid. We don’t want to take health insurance away from 16 million people. We don’t want to see the expenses of families going up.’ What will it take? Four Republican Senators who will step up and say this is a mistake,” Durbin said.
“Donald Trump is trying to rush us into something which is not good for American families. [The bill is] good for billionaires… but for ordinary families struggling with their regular bills that they have to pay, the ‘big, beautiful bill’ is a big, beautiful betrayal,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
June 10, 2025
In his speech, Durbin also pointed out the hypocrisy of Trump Administration officials, who supported pardons for January 6 rioters, as they call for the arrest of any protestor that commits violent acts against law enforcement
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, delivered a speech on the Senate floor in response to President Trump’s abuse of power in deploying National Guard troops to California without the request or consent of California state leaders. Durbin began by condemning political violence of all kinds while reiterating that Americans have a right to peacefully protest.
“I condemn violence, vandalism, including violence against law enforcement. There is no place in legitimate protests for that to occur,” Durbin began. “What is happening in Los Angeles, as brought to my attention over the weekend, is something we need to address. However, addressing it effectively means not grandstanding, but giving law enforcement the resources they need to control the situation. Neither the Governor of California nor the Mayor of Los Angeles asked for the National Guard troops that President Trump is sending.”
“Governor Newsom said the decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risked seriously escalating the situation,” Durbin continued. “What is clear is that President Trump manipulated these protests as an excuse to politicize the military and divert resources from pressing national security and disaster relief responsibilities.”
Durbin explained that it’s been 60 years since a president has sent in the National Guard for a domestic operation without a request from the governor. Durbin then noted that while President Trump has made strong statements about his Administration’s intolerance of violence toward law enforcement during these protests, he provided clemency to more than 1,500 individuals who participated in the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The violence at the Capitol that day led to the death of five police officers and the injuries of more than 140 others.
“This weekend, the President wrote on social media that Los Angeles was ‘invaded and occupied’ by ‘violent, insurrectionist mobs,’ and directed three of his top cabinet officials to take any actions necessary to ‘liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion,’” Durbin said. “His FBI Director, Kash Patel, also wrote on X, ‘Hit a cop, you’re going to jail… doesn’t matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you.’”
“It seems President Trump and Mr. Patel forgot what happened on January 6th at the U.S. Capitol when a violent mob—summoned by a bitter, defeated former President—ransacked the Capitol Complex… The insurrectionist mob, the rioters who came into the Capitol on January 6th looked through my desk. You can see it on CSPAN,” Durbin said. “On his first day back in office in his second term, what did President Trump do to these cop haters? He issued a blanket pardon to [nearly] 1,500 of them despite their conviction… for that riot that took place in this building, including those who violently assaulted law enforcement officers.”
“It appears FBI Director Patel’s comment [that] if you, ‘hit a cop, you’re going to jail,’ only applies to people who President Trump doesn’t agree with,” Durbin concluded.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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