{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", party = \"Democrat\" and state = \"IL\" sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-booker-colleagues-reintroduce-abortion-health-care-everywhere-act", "Schakowsky, Booker, Colleagues Reintroduce Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act to Repeal Harmful Helms Amendment", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Full Text of Bill (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON - Today, on International Safe Abortion Day, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, legislation that would repeal the harmful Helms Amendment and ensure U.S. foreign assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care.\n\nRepresentatives Diana DeGette (CO-01), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Norma Torres (CA-35), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) joining Schakowsky as House co-leads of the legislation. More than 80+ House Members have joined the effort.\n\n\u201cAbortion is health care, no matter where you live. For over 50 years, the racist, harmful Helms Amendment has blocked U.S. foreign assistance from supporting abortion care, even where abortion is legal. That is wrong,\u201d said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \u201cToday, on International Safe Abortion Day and every day, we must stand with people around the world who deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act will repeal Helms and help make reproductive health care accessible to everyone, everywhere.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted the use of U.S. foreign assistance for abortion care, with real consequences for women around the world,\u201d said Senator Cory Booker. \u201cWomen are turned away from safe care and denied information and counseling about their options. Providers are forced to treat abortion differently from other essential health services. That is not a policy grounded in science, compassion, or dignity. The Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act would end these restrictions and make clear that U.S. global health assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe abortion care.\u201d\n\n\"The right to decide what is best for your body, health and family should not be dictated by borders,\" said Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. \"The Helms Amendment is a draconian policy that has blocked access to essential health care for far too long. It's time that Congress acts and ensures that no matter what community she calls home, every woman can access the full range of health care she needs \u2014 including abortion care.\"\n\n\"For decades, the reproductive health of millions of people\u2014especially those in developing nations\u2014has suffered as a result of the Helms Amendment barring U.S. foreign assistance from going to NGOs and clinics that provide abortion care,\" said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chair of the House Reproductive Freedom Caucus. \"U.S. foreign aid to support health care in other countries falls desperately short by excluding reproductive health, and reinforces the criminalization and stigmatization of abortion care and reproductive health at home and abroad. This Administration\u2019s cruel approach to gutting foreign aid has cost people around the globe their lives. The United States must reverse course, reinvest in foreign aid, and treat reproductive care as essential care.\u201d\n\n\u201cHealth care should not depend on your ZIP code, your income, or the country you call home,\u201d said Congresswoman Norma Torres. \u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world access to comprehensive reproductive health care. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act is important because every woman deserves the freedom to make decisions about her own body, health, and future.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs MAGA extremists unleash their assault on women\u2019s rights, it is imperative to ensure reproductive health care for all,\u201d said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. \u201cThe Helms Amendment makes it impossible for millions of women across the globe to seek reproductive care \u2013 including routine preventative screenings \u2013 barring economic mobility and worsening the maternal health crisis. I am introducing the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act with Representative Schakowsky and over 80 of my colleagues today to repeal Helms, ensure equality, and continue the fight for women\u2019s rights worldwide.\u201d\n\nThe Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act would repeal the Helms Amendment and replace it with language authorizing U.S. foreign assistance for comprehensive reproductive health care services, including abortion services, training, and equipment.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by leading reproductive health, global health, and human rights organizations.\n\n\u201cWith the Trump Administration undermining foreign aid for sexual and reproductive health care, the stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. Repealing the Helms Amendment, which has long prohibited U.S. support for abortion services around the world, is a critical step toward ensuring people everywhere can access safe abortion care,\u201d said Kelly Baden, Vice President of US Policy & Communications, Guttmacher Institute. \u201cWe thank Sen. Booker, Rep. Schakowsky and their co-leads for introducing the Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act. Guttmacher\u2019s research makes the impact clear: ending Helms and supporting health care systems around the globe would avert 19 million unsafe abortions and 17,000 maternal deaths annually.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world reproductive freedom. It undermines global health and human rights. It\u2019s an archaic remnant of U.S. abortion politics that has always been completely divorced from the reality of the lives of the people it harms,\u201d said Brian Dixon, Sr. Vice President, Population Connection Action Fund. \u201cIt\u2019s long past time to repeal this disgraceful law and we are grateful to Senator Booker and Congresswoman Schakowsky for introducing this important legislation. We look forward to its passage.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryone deserves to be able to get the healthcare they need when they need it,\u201d said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. \u201cFor over 50 years, the Helms Amendment has put safe abortion care out of reach for people around the world served by U.S. foreign assistance, including global health, gender-based violence, and humanitarian programs. As we continue to fight back against abortion bans and restrictions in the U.S., we must also work to expand access and eliminate barriers abroad. We\u2019re thankful to Rep. Schakowsky, Sen. Booker, and their co-leads for their leadership in expanding access to essential healthcare.\u201d\n\n\u201cComprehensive abortion care is health care. That is not a political assertion, it is a public health reality,\u201d said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO, PAI. \u201cWhen safe abortion care is not available, abortions do not stop. They become more dangerous, contributing to preventable maternal death and morbidity. For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted U.S. foreign assistance for this care, putting women\u2019s health and lives at risk. U.S. global health policy should be grounded in evidence and focused on preventing needless maternal deaths and illness. It\u2019s time for Congress to pass the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act and repeal Helms.\u201d\n\nThe Helms Amendment was first enacted in 1973 and restricts U.S. foreign assistance from being used for abortion as a method of family planning.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-garcia-host-election-protection-roundtable-local-advocates-election", "Ramirez, Garcia Host Election Protection Roundtable with Local Advocates, Election Officials", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Chicago, IL \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) and Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04) hosted an election security and polling location safety roundtable with public officials, government agencies, community stakeholders, and other partners to discuss preparedness and coordination efforts to keep polling locations safe, secure, accessible, and free from intimidation or disruption.\n\nThe roundtable comes after months of constant threats of the presence of armed federal officials at polling locations made by the Trump administration and the recently released plan for Election Infrastructure Security by the Department of Homeland Security. Just today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration\u2019s SAVE program, a flawed voters database that removes eligible voters from the rolls.\n\n\u201cIn the face of an authoritarian attack on our democracy, it is up to an intergovernmental coalition to protect our elections and ensure every person\u2019s vote is counted and represented. It is up to us to roll up our sleeves and step into the work of cooperation, organizing, and solidarity to protect our democracy,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cOur message is clear: We will not be bullied, we will not be intimidated, and we will not let our constituents be dissuaded from exercising their constitutional rights.\u201d\n\n\"We all know the lengths Trump will go to discredit our elections,\" said Congressman Garc\u00eda. \u201cBut after hearing from the participants of this roundtable today, I'm confident we'll be ready for November. Every eligible citizen deserves to know when, where, and how to cast their ballot, and they should get that information from people they trust, not from Trump's lies and misinformation. While Trump and his anti-voting allies in Congress keep working to undermine confidence in our elections, Congresswoman Ramirez and I will keep working just as hard to defend them.\"\n\nThe members of Congress and organizations reminded constituents that:\n\nIn IL, you don\u2019t need an ID if you are registered to vote.\n\nIn IL, you can vote early at any early voting site.\n\nIn IL, you can register the same day with proper identification.\n\nYou do not need to speak English to vote in any state.\n\nYou do not need to pass a test to vote in any state.\n\nIf you are in line before polling closes, you have the right to vote.\n\n\u201cWe know this administration has consistently abused power, attacking our most basic civil rights and liberties. The ACLU has been there at every turn to push back to make sure that Illinoisans are protected and supported. Access to the ballot is no different. The Trump Administration is attempting to limit access to voting, and the ACLU is working in Illinois and across the country to empower and educate voters about their rights, to protect voting from federal interference, and to continue to show up for all Illinoisans. And, at the same time, we are making it clear to communities that their vote continues the work of standing up for our neighbors and for democracy. Each of us must vote in this election \u2013 vote for the policies we want, vote for the changes we need, and vote like our rights depend on it. Because they do,\u201d said ACLU, Aisha N Davis.\n\n\u201cAll eligible citizens have the right to vote, and at ICIRR we\u2019ve long made it our mission to educate, get out the vote AND protect the rights of all voters at the polling place,\u201d said Bassem Kawar, Sr. Director of Political Department. \u201cHere at ICIRR, we are committed to working with our longstanding partners, many of whom are here with us today and others, to ensure the rights of all voters are respected and upheld on Election Day. We encourage people to visit the 866OURVOTE.org website or call 1-866-OUR-VOTE in advance of early voting and getting in touch with trusted election experts.\u201d\n\n\u201cElection security is built into every part of our process, from our voting equipment to our well-trained Election Judges and our coordination with law enforcement and community partners,\u201d said Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon. \u201cOur job is to make sure every polling place is a safe and protected civic space where voters can cast their ballots without fear or intimidation, and we will be ready to deliver a secure election.\u201d\n\nFor the Homeland Security Committee one-pager on the legality of deploying ICE agents to polling locations, CLICK HERE.\n\nFor the Know Your Rights at the Poll card, CLICK HERE.", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-jayapal-and-garcia-urge-trump-administration-respect-brazils-electoral", "Ramirez, Jayapal, and Garc\u00eda Urge the Trump Administration to Respect Brazil\u2019s Electoral Process", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Yesterday, Congressmembers Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Congressmembers Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04) led 28 colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising serious concerns about the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to undermine the Western Hemisphere\u2019s second-largest democracy ahead of Brazil\u2019s presidential election next month.\n\nIn the letter, the Members of Congress asked Secretary Rubio to confirm whether the administration will commit to respecting Brazil\u2019s electoral process and to recognizing its certified outcome.\n\n\u201cOver the course of President Trump\u2019s second term, we have seen U.S. officials engage in a sustained, multifaceted campaign of interference and destabilization in Brazil,\u201d wrote the members.\n\nLast year, the Trump administration began imposing tariffs and sanctions to pressure Brazil\u2019s Supreme Court over its trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro for his role in an attempted coup, intended to overturn Brazil\u2019s 2022 presidential elections. Recently, the administration designated Brazilian gangs as \u201cforeign terrorist organizations\u201d (FTOs) two days after right-wing presidential candidate Fl\u00e1vio Bolsonaro, Jair Bolsonaro's son, reportedly made such a request to President Trump in the Oval Office.\n\n\u201cRather than helping defend Brazilian democracy, the United States is acting as an agent of interference and destabilization\u2014using diplomatic, economic, and political pressure in ways that risk weakening the country\u2019s democratic institutions, undermining confidence in Brazil's electoral process, and inflicting further damage on our relationship with a strategic U.S. ally and trading partner,\u201d concluded the members.\n\nThe Trump administration\u2019s efforts reflect a deeply troubled pattern of interference in recent electoral processes across Latin America, including Argentina\u2019s midterm elections and the presidential elections in Honduras and Colombia. The pattern risks eroding electorates\u2019 confidence in democratic processes and institutions across the region.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Reps. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Summer Lee (PA-12), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson (GA-04),Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) Mark Pocan (WI-02), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Greg Casar (TX-35), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Jim Costa (CA-21), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Stephen L. Lynch (MA-08), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14),\n\nThe letter has been endorsed by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Washington Brazil Office (WBO), the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), the Latin American Working Group (LAWG), and the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-announces-more-5-million-returned-il-10-constituents-through", "SCHNEIDER ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $5 MILLION RETURNED TO IL-10 CONSTITUENTS THROUGH CASEWORK", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement after his team returned more than $5 million to IL-10 constituents this year through resolving casework issues like delayed Social Security benefits, IRS tax returns, and VA benefits. If you are having an issue with a federal agency, please reach out for assistance at (847) 383-4870.\n\n\u201cRepresenting the people of the 10th district is the greatest responsibility and highest honor of my professional life. Among the many aspects of this job that bring me pride is the work of my team helping constituents across the district,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cEvery day we are seeking solutions to the issues affecting residents, from helping with an urgent passport renewal, to addressing a delayed tax return, or resolving issues with Veterans\u2019 Benefits, Medicare, or Social Security. Navigating federal agency processes is often difficult, if not impossible. My team has the experience, knowledge, and personal relationships to clear away obstacles and cut through red tape. All kudos to them for helping secure more than $5 million for IL-10 constituents this year alone.\u201d\n\nTo learn more about how Rep. Schneider\u2019s office has assisted constituents, visit the Constituent Success Stories page.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-28T11:29:07Z", "2026-09-28T11:30:58Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-gillibrand-call-hearings-after-navy-discloses-8-attempeted-suicides", "SCHNEIDER, GILLIBRAND CALL FOR HEARINGS AFTER NAVY DISCLOSES 8 ATTEMPETED SUICIDES BY SAILORS IN USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN CARRIER STRIKE GROUP", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, called for congressional hearings following the Navy\u2019s confirmation that 8 sailors in the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had attempted suicide during the group\u2019s most recent deployment. This admission was made in a September 22 letter Gillibrand received from Acting United States Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao, weeks after administration officials and the president had dismissed families\u2019 and soldiers\u2019 concerns about conditions on board the ship.\n\nActing Secretary Cao\u2019s response follows the August 2026 letter that Gillibrand and 14 of her colleagues sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling for transparency after reporting detailed dismal conditions for sailors on board the USS Abraham Lincoln. Gillibrand also previously demanded hearings over those reports.\n\n\u201cWhat Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismissed as \u2018fake news\u2019 turned out to be serious and deteriorating conditions for our service members,\u201d said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cOur troops and their families make immense sacrifices every single day, yet the president dismissed them with open disrespect. That this administration can find endless taxpayer dollars for bombs, ballrooms, and billionaires, but cannot take care of our service members, is completely unacceptable. The American people need hearings, accountability, and a clear plan to protect our service members and prioritize American families.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Member of Congress representing Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago, where every Navy recruit receives basic training, the health and well-being of our men and women in uniform is one of my highest priorities,\u201d said Rep. Brad Schneider. \u201cEvery American should be outraged by this Administration\u2019s failure to equip our service members with the tools and support they need to carry out a successful deployment and the blatant lies about the conditions sailors were experiencing on the USS Abraham Lincoln. The new reporting from CNN in response to Senator Gillibrand\u2019s oversight effort is deeply concerning and should alarm everyone. I\u2019m glad to join Senator Gillibrand in calling for open and public hearings to get the answers the American people and our service members deserve.\u201d\n\nIn the response letter, Acting Secretary Cao wrote, \u201cSince the beginning of Lincoln's deployment, there have been a total of eight suicide attempts across the strike group - this number includes the Lincoln crew and Sailors from the carrier air wing, strike group and destroyer squadron staff, escorting destroyers, and all embarked aviation squadrons.\u201d\n\nThe letter detailed one particular suicide attempt, in which \u201cone Sailor attempted to go overboard in March and was stopped by his shipmates. That Sailor was also provided immediate medical care and subsequently returned to homeport.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-28T11:29:07Z", "2026-09-28T11:30:58Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/garcia-ramirez-host-election-protection-roundtable-with-local-advocates-election-officials", "Garc\u00eda, Ramirez Host Election Protection Roundtable with Local Advocates, Election Officials", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Chicago, IL \u2014 Today, Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04) and Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) hosted an election security and polling location safety roundtable with public officials, government agencies, community stakeholders, and other partners to discuss preparedness and coordination efforts to keep polling locations safe, secure, accessible, and free from intimidation or disruption.\n\nThe roundtable comes after months of constant threats of the presence of armed federal officials at polling locations made by the Trump administration and the recently released plan for Election Infrastructure Security by the Department of Homeland Security. Just today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration\u2019s SAVE program, a flawed voters database that removes eligible voters from the rolls.\n\n\"We all know the lengths Trump will go to discredit our elections,\" said Congressman Garc\u00eda. \u201cBut after hearing from the participants of this roundtable today, I'm confident we'll be ready for November. Every eligible citizen deserves to know when, where, and how to cast their ballot, and they should get that information from people they trust, not from Trump's lies and misinformation. While Trump and his anti-voting allies in Congress keep working to undermine confidence in our elections, Congresswoman Ramirez and I will keep working just as hard to defend them.\"\n\n\u201cIn the face of an authoritarian attack on our democracy, it is up to an intergovernmental coalition to protect our elections and ensure every person\u2019s vote is counted and represented. It is up to us to roll up our sleeves and step into the work of cooperation, organizing, and solidarity to protect our democracy,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cOur message is clear: We will not be bullied, we will not be intimidated, and we will not let our constituents be dissuaded from exercising their constitutional rights.\u201d\n\nThe members of Congress and organizations reminded constituents that:\n\nIn IL, you don\u2019t need an ID if you are registered to vote.\n\nIn IL, you can vote early at any early voting site.\n\nIn IL, you can register the same day with proper identification.\n\nYou do not need to speak English to vote in any state.\n\nYou do not need to pass a test to vote in any state.\n\nIf you are in line before polling closes, you have the right to vote.\n\n\u201cWe know this administration has consistently abused power, attacking our most basic civil rights and liberties. The ACLU has been there at every turn to push back to make sure that Illinoisans are protected and supported. Access to the ballot is no different. The Trump Administration is attempting to limit access to voting, and the ACLU is working in Illinois and across the country to empower and educate voters about their rights, to protect voting from federal interference, and to continue to show up for all Illinoisans. And, at the same time, we are making it clear to communities that their vote continues the work of standing up for our neighbors and for democracy. Each of us must vote in this election \u2013 vote for the policies we want, vote for the changes we need, and vote like our rights depend on it. Because they do,\u201d said ACLU, Aisha N Davis.\n\n\u201cAll eligible citizens have the right to vote, and at ICIRR we\u2019ve long made it our mission to educate, get out the vote AND protect the rights of all voters at the polling place,\u201d said Bassem Kawar, Sr. Director of Political Department. \u201cHere at ICIRR, we are committed to working with our longstanding partners, many of whom are here with us today and others, to ensure the rights of all voters are respected and upheld on Election Day. We encourage people to visit the 866OURVOTE.org website or call 1-866-OUR-VOTE in advance of early voting and getting in touch with trusted election experts.\u201d\n\n\u201cElection security is built into every part of our process, from our voting equipment to our well-trained Election Judges and our coordination with law enforcement and community partners,\u201d said Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon. \u201cOur job is to make sure every polling place is a safe and protected civic space where voters can cast their ballots without fear or intimidation, and we will be ready to deliver a secure election.\u201d\n\nFor the Homeland Security Committee one-pager on the legality of deploying ICE agents to polling locations, CLICK HERE.\n\nFor the Know Your Rights at the Poll card, CLICK HERE.\n\nFor photos of the event,CLICK HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-secures-more-6-million-federal-funding-support-child-care-nursing", "Underwood Secures More Than $6 Million in Federal Funding to Support Child Care, Nursing Education Flood Prevention, and More in Northern Illinois", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Lauren Underwood", "U000040", "underwood.house.gov", "underwood", "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week, Representative Lauren Underwood announced a new round of federal funding she has secured for childcare, nursing education, substance abuse treatment, university research, and flood prevention in northern Illinois.\n\nAs a member of the Appropriations Committee, Underwood has made securing federal resources for our community a top priority. The following funds will support programs in the 14th District with federal resources:\n\nChildcare Resource and Referral, Joliet, Illinois \u2013 $1,946,280\n\nChildcare Resource and Referral in Joliet has been awarded $1,946,280 in federal funding through the Office of Head Start at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant increases access to high-quality, full day, full-year child care, including family child care for low-income working families. The grant also supports programming to support the development of infants and toddlers through strong relationship-based experiences and prepares them for the transition into Head Start and preschool.\n\nLewis University, Romeoville, Illinois \u2013 $103,401\n\nLewis University in Romeoville has been awarded $103,401 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports low interest loans to nursing students and loan cancellation for students who then go on to work as faculty. The loans, provided through the Nurse Faculty Loan Program at HRSA, seek to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty nationwide.\n\nWill County Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, Illinois \u2013 $125,000\n\nWill County has been awarded $125,000 in federal funding administered through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant expands the availability of substance abuse treatment and recovery services available to Americans to improve the lives of those affected by alcohol and drug addictions, and to reduce the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on individuals, families, communities.\n\nCity of Ottawa, Ottawa, Illinois \u2013 $2,300,051\n\nThe City of Ottawa has been awarded $2,300,051 in federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Department of Homeland Security.\n\nThis grant will fund the acquisition and demolition of a property in the City of Ottawa that is impacted by overbank flooding from the Fox River. After demolition, the property will be restored to open space, removing the potential for future flood damage.\n\nCity of Joliet, Joliet, Illinois \u2013 $1,000,000\n\nThe City of Joliet has been awarded $1,000,000 in federal funding through Office of Flex Grants at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant funds a no-cost mental health program to connect residents of all ages to rapid counseling and support through coordinated referrals, expanding access to in-person and telehealth services.\n\nNorthern Illinois University, DeKalb Illinois \u2013 $186,250\n\nWill County has been awarded $186,250 in federal funding through the National Eye Institute at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports research into word learning and vocabulary development in blind children being conducted at the university.\n\nNorthern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois \u2013 $147,766\n\nNorthern Illinois University in DeKalb has been awarded $147,766 in federal funding through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports allergy and infectious disease research being conducted at the university.\n\nNorthern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois \u2013 $476,199\n\nNorthern Illinois University in DeKalb has been awarded $476,199 in federal funding through the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports biomedical research and research training being conducted at the university.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-civil-society-community-leaders-announce-community-led-legislation", "Ramirez, Civil Society, & Community Leaders Announce Community-led Legislation to Dismantle DHS, Abolish ICE, Reimagine Community Safety", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Chicago, IL \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee, stood with Illinois public officials, civil society, and community members to announce the Reimagining Safety Act. The landmark community-led legislation would create a new human- and community-centered federal department that promotes collective safety, repeal the authorities that give the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) its power, and redirect DHS funds to programs that working families rely on.\n\nThe Reimagining Safety Act is a first-of-its-kind bill that would dismantle DHS. It is the first time a community has designed a cabinet-level department. The Reimagining Safety Act would:\n\nEstablish the Department of Community Safety\n\nDismantle DHS, preserving CISA, FEMA, TSA, and Customs functions\n\nAbolish ICE and CBP\n\nReinvest funds in our communities\n\nLimit government surveillance, rein in unlawful abuses of data, and curb militarized enforcement\n\nBegin the process of establishing a separate civil immigration system\n\n\u201cToday, I am proud to announce the Reimagining Safety Act, a community-led roadmap to establish the Department of Community Safety, dismantle DHS, abolish ICE and CBP, and reinvest resources in our communities,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cThe Department of Homeland Security was founded out of a profound national trauma. But we cannot add new pains to old ones. We must heal old pain and create new opportunities.\u201d\n\nFor more than a year, the communities that Congresswoman Ramirez represents have been targeted, terrorized, and attacked by DHS through its unlawful mass deportation campaign. Those same communities worked to build the Reimagining Safety Act while protecting their neighbors through Know Your Rights campaigns, observer networks, whistles and cell phones, human school buses, and more.\n\n\u201cBuilding something new, creating in a time of destruction, is a revolutionary act. It is proof of our hope and belief in what is possible even in dark times,\u201d added Ramirez. \u201cThe people have the power to reshape our government and to reimagine how we cultivate safety and collective well-being.\u201d\n\nDuring the announcement, local and national organizations, public officials and community leaders shared the importance of the legislation, highlighted the urgency of the moment, and explained how critical the policy development process was to ensure those closest to the problems are also closest to the solutions.\n\n\u201cWho is this government actually keeping safe? You cannot militarize our neighborhoods, surveil our families, and make people afraid to leave their homes and call that safety. And we cannot separate any of this from the bigger agenda we are witnessing: an agenda that has disproportionately targeted Latino, immigrant, Black and Brown communities, treating the color of our skin, the language we speak, and where we come from as reasons to target us and treat us as if we are less human,\u201d said state IL Representative Norma Hernandez. \u201cThe Reimagining Safety Act gives us the opportunity not just to dismantle what has harmed our communities, but to put our vision for something better on paper, one that is rooted in human dignity.\u201d\n\n\u201cICE today is more than agents at the door. It is an infrastructure of surveillance: government databases, data brokers, technology, and information collected for one purpose and weaponized for another,\u201d said IL State Senator Graciela Guzman. \u201cAnd that is why we are here today, as Congresswoman Ramirez is stepping up to transform what exists on the other side of a federal system with extraordinary power that right now surveils, detains, and separates families and instead reimagines our collective safety via what we know is good government, providing for our people. Our communities have stepped up for each other. Their government must do the same.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor over a year, our Northwest Side Rapid Responders and I have been on the ground responding to ICE agents terrorizing our city. We have witnessed the devastation of parents stolen, elders brutalized, and children left without their caregivers. Despite this harm, DHS has received an increased budget at the expense of our safety nets of Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP,\u201d said Alderperson Jessie Fuentes. \u201cMore cuts to our safety nets mean more strain to families barely getting by. We are a community that has always shown solidarity in protecting our neighbors. The Reimagining Community Safety Act is the tool that will keep us safe. Congress must act now.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat Trump has unleashed on Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, and elsewhere with ICE and CBP is only a symptom of the ever-increasing power granted to the Department of Homeland Security over the past two decades, \u201c said Lawrence Benito, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. \u201cThe proposal announced by Representative Ramirez today shows what is possible when we work together to create something new: we can reimagine collective safety, lift up our communities, and affirm the humanity of all people. This policy is not about tearing something down for the sake of it \u2013 this is an opportunity to invest in the things that matter most to all communities, and not continue pouring resources into an agency determined only to separate our families.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the past, the type of policy we are fighting for would have been written off as outlandish, too \u2018extreme,\u2019 or simply put, impossible. But today, having lived a decade under unprecedented headline after unprecedented headline, I have seen this administration make the most impossible nightmares, possible. And in the most distorted way, it has strengthened my resolve that if the worst can be possible, we can also dare to dream and to believe that the best can be possible TOO because THAT\u2019s what our communities deserve and it\u2019s on all of us to make THAT our reality,\u201d said Viviana Baraja, Immigration Justice Director at Palenque LSNA.\n\n\u201cAs an undocumented person who has lived in the United States for over 26 years, I want to thank Congresswoman Delia Ramirez for creating, in my experience, the first space led by an elected official to truly reimagine safety through a liberatory lens,\u201d said Antonio Gutierrez, Strategic Coordinator at Organized Communities Against Deportations. \u201cThis process has been liberating for me, and for the many constituents I represent through our organization. If we are serious about moving beyond \u201cAbolish ICE\u201d as a slogan, the Reimagining Safety Act is an important first step toward building a future where ICE is no longer needed. Today, we are collectively drafting a more just future\u2014and history will remember this moment.\u201d\n\n\u201cThrough our work with ICIRR, including with Congresswoman Ramirez, JCUA has helped make Illinois one of the most welcoming states in the nation for immigrants. But we know we must go further. We must dismantle DHS and create a new Department of Community Safety,\u201d said Anna Rubin, Executive Director of Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA). \u201cWe know that our safety is bound up together, that true safety is a multiracial democracy where everyone has what they need to flourish. That is the department Congresswoman Ramirez's bill creates. That is why JCUA stands proudly behind it.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince the creation of DHS, the Muslim community in Chicagoland, and America broadly, has been directly, intensely, and unjustly targeted by the department. DHS' profiling has dissolved any sense of privacy and has sought to silence and remove the Muslim community,\u201d said Jordan Esparza-Kelley, Communications Coordinator at CAIR Chicago. \u201cThis legislative effort, led by the Congresswoman, was able to call in directly impacted communities, and reimagine safety and national security from a framework of love, care, and tolerance. Legislation such as the Reimagining Safety Act can change and save lives; it can help us truly be who we say we are as a country.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve long witnessed DHS agents target and attack working immigrant families across the country. Warehouse workers make up a large portion of the workforce, and had to face perpetual fear for simply going to work,\u201d said Marcos Ceniceros, Executive Director of Warehouse Workers for Justice. \u201cThis is why it was important to develop this legislation rooted in real experiences and community. I want to thank Congresswoman Delia Ramirez for her leadership and commitment to all immigrant working people.\u201d\n\n\u201cICE kills people and tears families apart. No one is safe when ICE is present, whether in the streets or in one of the agency\u2019s more than 200 abuse-ridden detention centers. Since last summer, Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security $240 billion for mass detention and deportation,\u201d said Stacy Suh, Program Director of Detention Watch Network. \u201cThank you, Representative Ramirez, for your leadership and for this bold collective vision. People across the country are demanding no more abuse, no more death at the hands of ICE, and no more ICE funding while people lose healthcare, struggle to pay rent, and kids go hungry.\u201d\n\nTo watch the full press conference, CLICK HERE.\n\nFor photos of the event, CLICK HERE.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe legislation comes as the last year became DHS\u2019s deadliest year in more than two decades, with 58 people dying in ICE custody since January 2025, especially in for-profit private detention centers with limited oversight. For more than a year, IL-03 has been targeted, terrorized, and attacked by DHS with zero accountability. And over the last 23 years of the Department of Homeland Security, the agency has targeted and criminalized communities, militarized enforcement, and expanded the surveillance state.\n\nCongresswoman Ramirez has led the calls for accountability of DHS and its leadership.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressional-jewish-caucus-urges-secretary-rubio-preserve-special-envoy", "CONGRESSIONAL JEWISH CAUCUS URGES SECRETARY RUBIO TO PRESERVE SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HOLOCAUST ISSUES AS A DISTINCT AND PERMANENT OFFICE", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Co-Chairs Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), led the Congressional Jewish Caucus, in calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to preserve the office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (SEHI) as a permanent and distinct entity within the Department of State and not for SEHI to be absorbed under the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS). This letter highlights that SEHI is the only office in the federal government solely devoted to pursuing justice for Holocaust survivors and advocating on their behalf, and the need to appoint a career official as the next SEHI, with the seniority, diplomatic experience, and specialized expertise necessary to negotiate complex restitution and compensation matters.\n\n\u201cSince its establishment in 1999, the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues has been the only office in the federal government solely devoted to pursuing justice for Holocaust survivors and advocating on their behalf,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cThe office has also been supported on a bipartisan basis in Congress and administrations of both parties have actively affirmed its importance. For decades, SEHI has worked with foreign governments, international institutions, and Jewish organizations to pursue restitution and compensation for survivors and their families, recover Nazi-looted property, preserve Holocaust memory, and address unresolved Holocaust-era obligations. As the number of living Holocaust survivors continues to decline, this work is only becoming more urgent.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is why we oppose any effort to consolidate or eliminate SEHI and are troubled by the reported plan for the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS) to absorb the SEHI office. SEHI and SEAS have clearly distinct mandates and responsibilities,\u201d the members continued. \u201cBoth are full-time responsibilities that require full-time principals with unique areas of focus and full-time staff with unique expertise. Combining them would not streamline efficiency or eliminate any meaningful duplication; it would risk diminishing the focus, experience, and institutional capacity necessary for each.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe SEHI portfolio requires deep institutional knowledge, advanced diplomatic acumen, and sustained relationships with governments and international organizations,\u201d the members added. \u201cWe ask that you appoint, as soon as possible, a senior career State Department official whose sole and full-time responsibility is serving as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues. That official should have the seniority, diplomatic experience, and specialized expertise necessary to negotiate complex restitution and compensation matters and to maintain the relationships that SEHI has built over decades.\u201d\n\nSigners of the letter include Reps. Jake Auchincloss, Becca Balint, Suzanne Bonamici, Steve Cohen, Lois Frankel, Laura Friedman, Dan Goldman, Josh Gottheimer, Sara Jacobs, Greg Landsman, Mike Levin, Jared Moskowitz, Jerrold Nadler, Jamie Raskin, Jan Schakowsky, Brad Schneider, Kim Schrier, Eugene Vindman, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.\n\nView the full letter here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Rubio,\n\nAs members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, we write to urge you to immediately appoint a new Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues (SEHI) and to preserve SEHI as a distinct, permanent office led by a dedicated career State Department official.\n\nSince its establishment in 1999, the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues has been the only office in the federal government solely devoted to pursuing justice for Holocaust survivors and advocating on their behalf. The office has also been supported on a bipartisan basis in Congress and administrations of both parties have actively affirmed its importance. For decades, SEHI has worked with foreign governments, international institutions, and Jewish organizations to pursue restitution and compensation for survivors and their families, recover Nazi-looted property, preserve Holocaust memory, and address unresolved Holocaust-era obligations. As the number of living Holocaust survivors continues to decline, this work is only becoming more urgent.\n\nThat is why we oppose any effort to consolidate or eliminate SEHI and are troubled by the reported plan for the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (SEAS) to absorb the SEHI office.\n\nSEHI and SEAS have clearly distinct mandates and responsibilities. SEAS is responsible for confronting contemporary antisemitism around the world, while SEHI focuses on Holocaust-era restitution, historical justice, remembrance, and accountability. These missions are complementary, but they are not interchangeable. Both are full-time responsibilities that require full-time principals with unique areas of focus and full-time staff with unique expertise. Combining them would not streamline efficiency or eliminate any meaningful duplication; it would risk diminishing the focus, experience, and institutional capacity necessary for each.\n\nThe effort is also especially troubling given the highly specialized nature of SEHI\u2019s work and the longstanding success of having it led by a career diplomat with the expertise and continuity necessary to conduct sensitive restitution negotiations. The SEHI portfolio requires deep institutional knowledge, advanced diplomatic acumen, and sustained relationships with governments and international organizations. This unique mandate needs an independent office, fully integrated within the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and without additional or perhaps superseding agenda items both with external interlocutors and internal stakeholders.\n\nStrong institutions must outlast individual officeholders and administrations. We are troubled by the suggestion that the plan to merge these offices may be motivated, at least in part, by a desire to expand the influence of certain personnel within the State Department.\n\nJewish organizations across the ideological and institutional spectrum have recognized the importance of maintaining a dedicated SEHI. In their letter to you, leading organizations including the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, World Jewish Restitution Organization, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League, B\u2019nai B\u2019rith International, and more urged you to appoint a senior diplomat promptly and preserve the uniqueness of this important office. Their concern is shared by former SEAS and Holocaust experts who understand that preserving the distinct mission of SEHI is not bureaucratic duplication\u2014it is an essential part of the United States\u2019 commitment to Holocaust survivors and their families.\n\nWe urge you to heed their call and to reject any effort to eliminate, consolidate, or dual-hat the SEHI position. Instead, we ask that you appoint, as soon as possible, a senior career State Department official whose sole and full-time responsibility is serving as Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues. That official should have the seniority, diplomatic experience, and specialized expertise necessary to negotiate complex restitution and compensation matters and to maintain the relationships that SEHI has built over decades.\n\nThis appointment should be made with urgency. The recent departure of Special Envoy Germain creates a vacancy at precisely the moment when continuity is most important. There are fewer Holocaust survivors with each passing year. Every delay risks losing opportunities for restitution, accountability, and historical preservation that may never return.\n\nThe United States created SEHI because Holocaust survivors and their families require a dedicated advocate within our government. That need has not diminished. It has become more urgent. We urge you to put an end to the effort to consolidate these offices and to appoint a new, dedicated, career Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues without delay.", 1, "2026-09-24T10:30:22Z", "2026-09-24T10:31:42Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-calls-ban-ndas-between-data-center-developers-and-government", "Krishnamoorthi Calls for Ban on NDAs Between Data Center Developers and Government Officials and Agencies at Any Level", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "SCHAUMBURG, IL \u2014 Today, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement on government transparency and data center development:\n\n\u201cAmericans have a right to know how data center projects affect their communities, and that is why we need to ban non-disclosure agreements between data center developers and government officials or agencies. These agreements have shrouded critical information from the public, including water and electricity use, infrastructure demands, and taxpayer-funded incentives. Communities deserve this information before decisions are made, not after the fact. We cannot allow secrecy agreements to keep the public in the dark about projects with such significant local impacts.\u201d\n\nAccording to NPR, data center projects across the country have been subject to non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that restrict the disclosure of information about proposed developments. These agreements between developers and government officials or entities have drawn criticism from residents seeking greater transparency into projects that could affect their communities.", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-presses-ai-experts-extinction-risk-china-chip-loopholes-and", "Krishnamoorthi Presses AI Experts on Extinction Risk, China Chip Loopholes, and Data Center Secrecy", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today pressed artificial intelligence and national security experts on catastrophic AI risks, gaps in U.S. export controls governing Chinese access to American computing power, and secretive data center deals that leave communities in the dark.\n\nDuring a Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Democratic shadow hearing, Krishnamoorthi asked Dr. Geoffrey Hinton whether his 2024 estimate of a 10 to 20 percent chance that AI could lead to human extinction within three decades had increased as AI capabilities advanced. Hinton said his \u201cgut instinct is still between 10 and 20%.\u201d\n\nHe also cited CNN reporting that an AI chatbot helped produce a false intelligence assessment claiming a Chinese ship was carrying nuclear cargo, an incident a source said \u201calmost started a war.\u201d\n\nTurning to export controls, Krishnamoorthi questioned retired Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan about reports that DeepSeek trained a recent AI model on Nvidia\u2019s Blackwell chips despite U.S. restrictions, and that Chinese AI companies have accessed restricted chips remotely through data centers in Southeast Asia. He urged Congress to adopt the AI Overwatch Act, which would reinstate Biden-era export controls on advanced chips, and the REMOTE Access Security Act, which would regulate foreign access to cloud compute.\n\n\u201cThe president professes to want us to win the AI competition with China, but he's currently loosening our regulations with regard to export controls instead of tightening them.\u201d\n\nOn data centers, Krishnamoorthi pressed EqualAI President and CEO Miriam Vogel on the use of non-disclosure agreements in data center development. He cited NPR reporting that 25 of 31 projects examined involved NDAs, including a nearly $4 billion Louisiana development where the environmental impact study was kept secret and residents did not learn what was happening until construction had already begun.\n\n\u201cCommunities shouldn't have to fight for the truth about what's coming. And I believe we must prohibit non-disclosure agreements going forward with the construction of data centers.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-accepts-ukrainian-order-merit-president-zelenskyy", "Quigley Accepts Ukrainian Order of Merit from President Zelenskyy", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Mike Quigley", "Q000023", "quigley.house.gov", "quigley", "https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Chicago Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05), Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, received the Ukrainian Order of Merit, Second Class, from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations in Manhattan. Zelenskyy selected Quigley for the award in August of 2025 for \u201ca significant personal contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation, supporting the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, charitable activities, and popularizing the Ukrainian state in the world.\u201d After the presentation of the medal, Quigley released the following statement:\n\n\u201cI was honored to receive the Order of Merit from President Zelenskyy today. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Ukrainians and Ukrainian Americans for many years who have displayed incredible resilience and devotion to a democratic Ukraine. That dedication, Ukraine's critical role in Europe, and the importance of defending free nations everywhere have inspired my work to protect Ukraine's sovereignty and self-determination.\n\n\u201cAs I have long said, Ukraine is on the front line of the fight to save democracy worldwide. The freedoms and values they are fighting for today are the same ones we defended in World War II. Despite nearly five years of relentless attacks by the Russian military and the horrific acts committed in previously occupied areas, Ukrainians have persevered. If Ukraine falls, other nations will follow. They deserve the unwavering support of the United States and all NATO member nations.\n\n\u201cReceiving this award and meeting with President Zelenskyy has strengthened my resolve to continue standing with the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/el-representante-garcia-se-une-a-mas-de-70-legisladores-de-las-americas-para-exigir-el-fin-de-los-ataques-a-embarcaciones-y-las-ejecuciones-extrajudiciales-por-parte-de-eeuu", "El Representante Garc\u00eda se une a m\u00e1s de 70 legisladores de las Am\u00e9ricas para exigir el fin de los ataques a embarcaciones y las ejecuciones extrajudiciales por parte de EE.UU.", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 En una acci\u00f3n interparlamentaria conjunta sin precedentes que re\u00fane a m\u00e1s de 70 legisladores de 13 pa\u00edses de las Am\u00e9ricas, incluyendo los Estados Unidos, y Puerto Rico, el Representante Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), junto con los Representantes Andre Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), y Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) emitieron una declaraci\u00f3n exigiendo el cese inmediato de los ataques del gobierno de Estados Unidos contra embarcaciones en el mar Caribe y el Pac\u00edfico Oriental, los cuales han provocado al menos 234 ejecuciones extrajudiciales. Asimismo, los firmantes reclaman justicia para las v\u00edctimas de estos ataques e instan a los dem\u00e1s gobiernos de la regi\u00f3n a abstenerse de facilitar acciones que, seg\u00fan expertos jur\u00eddicos, organizaciones de derechos humanos y miembros \u2014actuales y retirados\u2014 de las fuerzas armadas de Estados Unidos, constituyen violaciones del derecho internacional.\n\nLos legisladores se\u00f1alan que el propio gobierno estadounidense ha determinado que estas operaciones no han reducido significativamente el flujo de coca\u00edna hacia el pa\u00eds. Destacan que el derecho a la vida y al debido proceso, as\u00ed como las garant\u00edas frente al uso arbitrario de la fuerza, son principios fundamentales del Estado de derecho democr\u00e1tico. Advierten que las acusaciones de narcotr\u00e1fico, por graves que sean, no anulan ni prevalecen sobre estas protecciones. Ante el anuncio de la administraci\u00f3n Trump de continuar con estas operaciones y extenderlas a objetivos terrestres, los legisladores manifiestan su compromiso de utilizar sus \u201cfacultades legislativas y de fiscalizaci\u00f3n para promover la transparencia y la rendici\u00f3n de cuentas en torno a estas ejecuciones extrajudiciales\u201d.\n\nLa declaraci\u00f3n completa y la lista de firmantes est\u00e1n disponibles en este enlace.\n\n\"Donald Trump est\u00e1 lanzando bombas en el Caribe y el Pac\u00edfico en flagrante violaci\u00f3n de la ley y de los derechos humanos fundamentales\", afirm\u00f3 el congresista Jes\u00fas \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda. \"Esto no ha servido para detener el tr\u00e1fico de drogas ni para aumentar la seguridad de los estadounidenses. Por el contrario, ha dejado cientos de muertos, familias destrozadas y comunidades sumidas en el miedo. Llamemos a estos ataques por su nombre: ejecuciones extrajudiciales ilegales. Me enorgullece unirme a legisladores de todo el hemisferio para oponerme a estos graves cr\u00edmenes\".\n\n\"Ante el silencio institucional y la censura gubernamental en Ecuador, esta coalici\u00f3n de parlamentarios de toda Am\u00e9rica Latina es fundamental para romper el secretismo que rodea a las operaciones encubiertas en nuestras aguas\", se\u00f1al\u00f3 Mar\u00eda Ver\u00f3nica I\u00f1iguez Gallardo, miembro de la Asamblea Nacional de Ecuador. \"Esta declaraci\u00f3n transnacional representa un paso decisivo hacia la rendici\u00f3n de cuentas y la transparencia para nuestros pueblos\".\n\n\u201cEstados Unidos debe poner fin a sus ataques en el Caribe y el Pac\u00edfico\u2019, declar\u00f3 Iv\u00e1n Cepeda Castro, senador de Colombia. \u201cLa lucha contra el narcotr\u00e1fico no puede justificar el sacrificio de vidas humanas ni la vulneraci\u00f3n del derecho internacional. Am\u00e9rica Latina y el Caribe deben actuar unidos para defender nuestra soberan\u00eda y el derecho de nuestra regi\u00f3n a la paz, libre de las pretensiones de dominaci\u00f3n hemisf\u00e9rica de cualquier potencia\u201d.\n\n\u201cLa campa\u00f1a de bombardeos de Donald Trump en el Caribe y el Pac\u00edfico es a la vez criminal y cruel, y no ha contribuido en nada a hacer nuestra regi\u00f3n m\u00e1s segura\u201d, afirm\u00f3 Don Davies, miembro de la C\u00e1mara de los Comunes de Canad\u00e1. \u201cLos canadienses sabemos lo que significa ver nuestra soberan\u00eda amenazada por nuestro vecino del sur. Por ello, me solidarizo con los pueblos de todo el hemisferio en el rechazo a estas ejecuciones ilegales\u201d.\n\nEsta declaraci\u00f3n ha sido apoyada por los siguientes grupos: Latin America Working Group (LAWG), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Alianza Americas, Witness at the Border, Minnesota Cuba Committee, The United Methodist Church \u2013 General Board of Church and Society, Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA), Mennonite Central Committee U.S., MADRE, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions, Andean Information Network.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-garcia-joins-more-than-70-lawmakers-across-the-americas-urging-an-end-to-us-boat-strikes-and-extrajudicial-killings", "Rep. Garc\u00eda Joins More Than 70 Lawmakers Across the Americas Urging an End to U.S. Boat Strikes and Extrajudicial Killings", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 In the first joint interparliamentary action of its kind, bringing together more than 70 legislators from 13 countries across the Americas, including the United States, and Puerto Rico, Representatives Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) issued a statement calling for an immediate end to the United States government\u2019s attacks on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific, which have resulted in at least 234 extrajudicial killings. In addition, the signatories call for justice for the victims of the strikes and urge all other governments of the region to refrain from facilitating what amounts to violations of international law according to legal experts, human rights organizations, and current and former members of the United States armed forces.\n\nThe legislators note that the U.S. government itself has determined that these operations have not significantly reduced the flow of cocaine into the country. They note that the rights to life and due process, as well as guarantees against the arbitrary use of force, are fundamental principles of the democratic rule of law. They warn that accusations of drug trafficking, however serious, do not circumvent or override these protections. With the Trump administration having signaled that it plans on continuing these operations and extending them to land-based targets, the legislators announce their commitment to using their \u201clegislative and oversight authorities to promote transparency and accountability surrounding these extrajudicial killings.\u201d\n\nThe full statement and the list of signatories are available here.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump is dropping bombs across the Caribbean and Pacific in blatant violation of the law and of fundamental human rights,\u201d said U.S. Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda. \"This has done nothing to stop the flow of drugs or to make Americans safer. Instead, it has left hundreds dead, families devastated, and communities in fear. Let us call these attacks what they are: illegal extrajudicial killings. I\u2019m proud to stand with legislators from across the hemisphere in opposing these grave crimes.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the face of institutional silence and government censorship in Ecuador, this coalition of parliamentarians across the Americas is essential to break the secrecy surrounding covert operations in our waters,\u201d said Mar\u00eda Ver\u00f3nica I\u00f1iguez Gallardo, Member of the National Assembly of Ecuador. \u201cThis transnational statement is a decisive step toward accountability and transparency for our peoples.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe United States must end its attacks in the Caribbean and Pacific,\u201d said Iv\u00e1n Cepeda Castro, Senator from Colombia. \u201cCombating drug trafficking cannot justify sacrificing human life and overriding international law. Latin America and the Caribbean must act together to defend our sovereignty and our region\u2019s right to peace, free from any power\u2019s claim to hemispheric domination.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s bombing campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific is both criminal and cruel, and it has done nothing to make our region safer,\u201d said Don Davies, Member of the House of Commons of Canada. \u201cCanadians understand what it means to have our sovereignty threatened by our neighbor to the South. That\u2019s why I stand in solidarity with people across the hemisphere in opposing these lawless killings.\u201d\n\nThe statement has been endorsed by the following organizations: Latin America Working Group (LAWG), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Alianza Americas, Witness at the Border, Minnesota Cuba Committee, The United Methodist Church \u2013 General Board of Church and Society, Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas (CEDA), Mennonite Central Committee U.S., MADRE, Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions, Andean Information Network.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-09-23T09:45:16Z", "2026-09-23T09:46:14Z"], ["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-condemns-reports-ice-targeting-us-citizen-evanston", "Schakowsky Condemns Reports of ICE Targeting U.S. Citizen in Evanston", "2026-09-20", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "EVANSTON - Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) released the following statement in response to reports that a U.S. citizen was mistakenly detained and injured by federal immigration agents in Evanston on Sunday:\n\n\u201cI am disgusted and outraged by reports of what happened in my hometown of Evanston on Sunday. A U.S. citizen was mistakenly detained by federal immigration agents, injured, and taken to the hospital.\n\n\u201cThis is unacceptable. For over a year, Trump and his cronies have been trying to terrorize our communities, leaving some of our neighbors afraid to go about their daily lives. No one should have to fear being detained or harmed by their own government.\n\n\u201cMy team and I are continuing to monitor the situation and working with local authorities and partners. We must get to the bottom of exactly what happened, and those responsible must be held accountable.\n\n\u201cOur diversity is our strength. We will not let Trump or anyone else get in our way. Our neighbors have come together and fought back, and we must continue to stand together and stand up for one another. We cannot let fear win. We are stronger together.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/representatives-garcia-hayes-and-senator-booker-introduce-the-diversify-act", "Representatives Garc\u00eda, Hayes and Senator Booker  Introduce the DIVERSIFY Act", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representatives Jes\u00fas \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Jahana Hayes (CT-05) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), reintroduced the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth (DIVERSIFY) Act, legislation that would strengthen and expand the TEACH Grant award and help build a well prepared and diverse educator workforce.\n\nThe TEACH Grant, created in 2007, provides up to $4,000 to undergraduate and graduate students interested in becoming teachers and serving in a high-need field teaching students from low-income families. However, even when the cost of higher education has risen significantly, the statutory maximum of the TEACH grant has not changed.\n\n\u201cStudents deserve to see their own diversity reflected in those who teach them. In Chicago, less than 50% of teachers come from diverse backgrounds while Latino and Black students make up nearly 90% of the student population. As the cost of higher education and student loan debt continue to place a growing financial burden on students, we must do more to make a career in education accessible and affordable,\u201d said Congressman Garc\u00eda. \u201cIncreasing the TEACH Grant will help remove financial barriers for aspiring educators, expand opportunities for students, and ensure this critical program keeps pace with the rising cost of earning a degree.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery student should have the opportunity to learn from educators who understand their experiences, reflect their communities, and help them to break down negative stereotypes and biases. A diverse teacher workforce can strengthen student outcomes, improve school engagement, lower absentee and discipline rates and decrease incidents of misdiagnosis for special education,\u201d said Congresswoman Hayes. \u201cThe DIVERSIFY Act will help encourage more individuals with multiple viewpoints and life experiences to enter the teaching profession and bring their talent back to the communities they call home. I am pleased to partner with Senator Booker and Representative Garc\u00eda on this important legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cTeachers play an essential role in preparing the next generation, yet too many are asked to do more with fewer resources and often spend their own money to support their classrooms,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cWe should be putting money back in teachers\u2019 pockets and making it easier for those who choose a career in education to manage the cost of their own education. By doubling the TEACH Grant and ending harmful annual cuts to the program, this legislation will provide greater support to current and future educators while helping strengthen and diversify our teacher workforce. Every student deserves access to great teachers, including educators who reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the communities they serve.\u201d\n\n\u201cA diverse educator workforce begins with a higher education pathway that is accessible, affordable, and designed to support the language assets of aspiring teachers. For bilingual educators, the cost of earning a bachelor\u2019s degree can be a significant barrier to entering the profession while the demand for bilingual skillsets are needed now more than ever to serve English learners. The DIVERSIFY Act recognizes that strengthening the teacher pipeline by making educator preparation more financially accessible, this legislation can help open the door for more talented, multilingual, and diverse professionals to earn their degrees and enter the classrooms our students deserve,\u201d said Linda X\u00f3chitl Tortolero, CEO and President at the Latino Policy Forum.\n\nThe DIVERSIFY Act will help create a well-prepared and diverse educator workforce by:\n\nIncreasing the maximum TEACH Grant award to $8,000 per year to better reflect the rising cost of higher education and educator preparation.\n\nEnding sequestration cuts to the TEACH Grant award, ensuring eligible students can receive the full grant amount authorized by Congress.\n\nEliminating the harsh loan conversion penalty which can serve as a deterrent to entering the program, and therefore teaching.\n\nEnsuring that the TEACH Grant Program effectively covers the full cost of comprehensive preparation and reduces debt burdens by amending the program to cover the full cost of attendance, rather than just tuition, fees, and institutionally owned housing.\n\nRequiring the Secretary of Education to provide TEACH Grant recipients who have completed their service obligation with electronic certification recognizing their completion.\n\nExpanding TEACH Grant eligibility for early educators by allowing service in a high-need early education program to satisfy service requirements and adding early childhood education as a codified shortage subject.\n\nCo-sponsors of this legislation include Representatives: Summer Lee (PA-12), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Eleanor Norton (DC-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Judy Chu (CA-28), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07).", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-introduces-bill-to-expand-benefits-of-local-transmission-lines", "Casten Introduces Bill to Expand Benefits of Local Transmission Lines", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Sean Casten", "C001117", "casten.house.gov", "casten", "https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) introduced the Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act, legislation that will make electricity more affordable, reliable, resilient, and clean by helping to make best use of key local transmission facilities in the expansion of regional and interregional transmission capacity. Well-planned transmission broadens the pool of electricity generation resources available to customers, increasing access to less expensive electricity \u2013 which tends as well to be the cleanest energy.\n\n\u201cEnsuring that local transmission facilities are considered in regional and interregional transmission planning is vital in creating lower-cost new transmission capabilities,\u201d said Rep. Sean Casten. \u201cThe current transmission planning process can be inefficiently narrow in scope. At a time when our electric grid is under tremendous stress, the Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act offers a fix that can make our grid more efficient, reliable, and resilient, while expanding access to affordable clean energy.\u201d\n\nClaire Wayner and Chaz Teplin of RMI, authors of the landmark 2024 report, \u201cMind the Regulatory Gap,\u201d said, \u201cWe applaud the introduction of the Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act. The Act will help close the regulatory gap by incorporating local transmission projects into regional and interregional transmission planning. This will maximize benefits for ratepayers by reducing overall system costs and maximizing planning and market efficiencies.\u201d\n\nTalia Calnek-Sugin, Senior Energy Policy Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), said, \u201cRight now, transmission planning is done in a disjointed way that produces a less robust grid at a higher cost for Americans. The Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act would harmonize these fragmented and incomplete planning processes and deliver consumers lower electric bills, clean and affordable energy, and a more reliable power grid.\u201d\n\nUnder the Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) will require transmission planning regions to integrate and improve their planning processes for interregional, regional, and certain local transmission facilities, the latter being those which could be useful, if replaced, for regional or interregional transmission.\n\nThe legislation focuses on local transmission facilities for two reasons. First, some existing local transmission lines can be upsized to provide lower-cost regional and interregional transmission, avoiding the need to build new transmission lines.\n\nSecond, local transmission projects often inhabit a \"regulatory gap\u201d \u2013 state overseers are prohibited from objecting to the projects on economic grounds even as they are given a weighty presumption of prudence at the federal level. When transmitting utilities address just their local needs without considering possible regional and interregional benefits, these local transmission investments may foreclose better regional and interregional projects.\n\nSpecifically, the Integrated Local, Regional, and Interregional Transmission Planning Act builds on FERC Order 1920 by requiring FERC to issue a regulation that would require transmission planning regions (excluding the Electric Reliability Council of Texas) to:\n\nIntegrate interregional, regional, and covered local transmission planning processes;\n\nAdvance transmission solutions that are more efficient or cost-effective in the long term to replace the need for less efficient short-term solutions;\n\nUse scenarios of 20 years or more that include a range of factors, including State-approved integrated resource plans; Federal, Tribal, state and local requirements and policy goals; and trends in the costs of fuels, generation and electric storage;\n\nAccount for transmission outages due to extreme weather events;\n\nOptimize the existing transmission system, including through grid-enhancing technologies;\n\nEstablish cost allocation methodologies applicable to projects selected in their transmission plans, while allowing customers to be charged only for those facilities from which they benefit; and\n\nDevelop joint plans with any neighboring Regional Transmission Organizations (RTO) and Independent System Operators (ISO).\n\nThe original cosponsors of the bill are U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (FL-14), Mike Levin (CA-49), George Latimer (NY-16), and James McGovern (MA-02).\n\nA summary of the legislation can be found here.\n\nText of the legislation can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-condemns-brutal-stabbing-sikh-truck-driver-denounces-trump-dhs", "Krishnamoorthi Condemns Brutal Stabbing of Sikh Truck Driver, Denounces Trump DHS Post Demonizing Sikh Driver Amid Rising Anti-Sikh and Anti-South Asian Hate", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "SCHAUMBURG, IL \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today issued the following statement after reports that a Sikh truck driver was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m horrified by the brutal attack on a Sikh truck driver who was stabbed 17 times at a Wyoming rest stop. This comes amid rising hatred targeting Sikh and South Asian Americans, with even the Trump Department of Homeland Security recently posting a racist caricature of a Sikh truck driver telling him to \u2018get off our roads\u2019 and \u2018self-deport or find out.\u2019\n\n\u201cThose spreading this hate, including officials in our own federal government, need to stop. Those who turn it into violence must be held accountable. And all of us need to stand together against both. America must be better than this. I\u2019m praying for Mr. Singh\u2019s full recovery and grateful to the family whose quick action helped save his life.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-answers-after-fbi-director-patel-refuses-rule-out", "Krishnamoorthi Demands Answers After FBI Director Patel Refuses to Rule Out Deploying FBI Agents to Polling Places", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today demanded answers from Attorney General Todd Blanche after FBI Director Kash Patel repeatedly refused to rule out deploying FBI agents to polling places during the November midterm elections, the latest Trump Administration official to leave open the possibility of armed federal agents being sent to polling places on Election Day.\n\nDuring testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, Patel repeatedly declined to give senators an unequivocal commitment that FBI agents would not be stationed at or dispatched to polling places on Election Day. When Senator Richard Blumenthal pressed Patel to commit that zero agents would be present at polling locations, Patel instead declined to rule out deployments in response to reports of \u201cproblems\u201d or \u201cinterference.\u201d\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cThis ambiguity is difficult to reconcile with federal law. Since 1948, 18 U.S.C. \u00a7 592 has made it a felony for any officer \u2018in the civil, military, or naval service of the United States\u2019 to order, bring, or keep \u2018armed men\u2019 at any place where a general election is held, absent the need to repel armed enemies of the United States. The penalty includes up to five years\u2019 imprisonment and disqualification from federal office. The Department\u2019s own manual on the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses has long construed that provision to reach armed federal agents, not merely military personnel.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi noted that Patel\u2019s testimony follows months of similar statements from senior Trump Administration officials. At his confirmation hearing, Blanche declined to categorically rule out armed federal agents at polling locations, while DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said armed federal law enforcement could be sent to polls in response to a \u201cspecific threat.\u201d\n\nThe letter also points to President Trump\u2019s July address claiming that hostile foreign nations could \u201crig\u201d or \u201csteal\u201d American elections, despite the intelligence community\u2019s conclusion that there were no indications any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the 2020 voting process.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cThe purpose of that address was not to inform the public. It was to manufacture a national security predicate for federal intervention in the vote-casting process. This Administration is not responding to a threat to our elections. It is building the justification for one.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested that Blanche respond by September 24, 2026, to the following questions:\n\nDoes the Department of Justice have a written policy, consistent with past practice, prohibiting FBI agents from being stationed at or dispatched to polling places on Election Day absent a specific, credible report of a federal crime in progress? If so, please provide a copy.\n\nHas that policy changed, been suspended, or been reinterpreted at any point during your tenure or Director Patel's tenure? If so, when, by whom, and why?\n\nDid Director Patel or any other Department or FBI official communicate to John James, or any other candidate, party official, or campaign, that FBI personnel would have a \u201cpresence\u201d in specific geographic areas of Michigan \u2014 or any other state \u2014 in the lead-up to the November election? If so, please describe the nature, purpose, and legal basis for that presence.\n\nWill you commit, on behalf of the Department, that no FBI personnel will be stationed at or visibly deployed to polling places during voting hours on Election Day, absent a specific warrant or credible report of an ongoing federal crime?\n\nKrishnamoorthi concludes:\n\n\u201cThe American people deserve an unequivocal answer to a simple question: will armed federal agents be present at their polling places in November? Director Patel had every opportunity today to provide that assurance and did not. I trust that you, as the nation's chief law enforcement officer, will not permit that ambiguity to stand unaddressed.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-opposes-f-35-sale-saudi-arabia-after-us-intelligence-warns", "Krishnamoorthi Opposes F-35 Sale to Saudi Arabia After U.S. Intelligence Warns China Could Obtain Sensitive Technology", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today opposed the Trump Administration\u2019s proposed sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia following reports that U.S. intelligence officials have warned China could gain access to sensitive American military technology through the deal.\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration should not move forward with its proposed sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia when our own intelligence community is warning that it could put the crown jewels of American military technology within reach of the Chinese Communist Party. Beijing has spent decades stealing American intellectual property and technology to close the gap with the United States, and we must not help them do it. We must not sell our most advanced fighter jet anywhere the CCP may be able to get its hands on the technology inside it.\u201d\n\nAccording to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence assessments have warned that China could acquire F-35 technology through espionage in Saudi Arabia or through the kingdom\u2019s military and security relationship with Beijing. A recent Defense Intelligence Agency report raised concerns about Chinese military access to Saudi bases, Chinese technology in Saudi telecommunications infrastructure, and whether sensitive F-35 sites could be adequately secured. The proposed $24 billion sale includes 48 F-35s and a spare engine, with U.S. officials particularly concerned about protecting the aircraft\u2019s advanced radar and surveillance technology.", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-votes-bipartisan-ratepayer-protection-act-protect-against-energy", "SCHNEIDER VOTES FOR BIPARTISAN RATEPAYER PROTECTION ACT TO PROTECT AGAINST ENERGY COST SPIKES CAUSED BY DATA CENTERS", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cEverywhere families look, costs are rising,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cFrom groceries to gas to housing, health care to utilities, it\u2019s getting more and more difficult for Americans to make ends meet. Every day I hear directly from constituents in my District who are concerned about the high cost of living and need relief now. Yesterday\u2019s vote will help address the impact large-load customers like data centers will continue to have on our electric grid and ultimately Illinois residents\u2019 wallets. This is an important first step, but there is much more we must do. I will continue working to ensure data centers do not result in higher utility rates for customers and protect the communities in which they operate. The American people are depending on Congress to come to the table with solutions. There\u2019s no time to waste.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-sorensen-flood-lead-bipartisan-letter-support-us-air-force", "Congressmen Sorensen, Flood Lead Bipartisan Letter of Support for U.S. Air Force Reserve\u2019s \u201cHurricane Hunters\u201d", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Eric Sorensen", "S001225", "sorensen.house.gov", "sorensen", "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (D, IL-17) and Congressman Mike Flood (R, NE-01) announced they led a bipartisan letter of support for the United States Air Force Reserve \u201cHurricane Hunters\u201d of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. The letter emphasizes the need for the unique data collection capabilities of the Hurricane Hunters, as well as the life-saving nature of their work.\n\n\u201cHurricane Hunters carry out vital missions flying directly into storms to garner real-time, precise data on wind speeds, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and temperature. This data, which cannot be gathered through other means, improves our ability to keep the homeland safe,\u201d wrote the Members in their letter. \u201cPrecise forecasts for intensity and zone of landfall allow Emergency Management the time and scope to move people away from danger as well as expedite recovery response, post-landfall. In an active season, our predictive capability saves billions of dollars and countless lives.\u201d\n\nEstablished in 1944, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the \u201cHurricane Hunters of the Air Force Reserve,\u201d is the only Department of Defense organization still flying into tropical storms and hurricanes. The unit is comprised of ten WC-130J aircraft and crews are part of the 403rd Wing, based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi.\n\nJoining Congressmen Sorensen and Flood on this letter were Representatives: Ezell (R, MS-04), Gimenez (R, FL-28), Weber (R, TX-29), Salazar (R, FL-27), Edwards (R, NC-11), Houlahan (D, PA-06), Lawler (R, NY-17), Carson (D, IN-07), Case (D, HI-01), Steube (R, FL-17), Wilson (R, SC-02), Moskowitz (D, FL-23), Deluzio (D, PA-17), Frost (D, FL-10), Davis (D, NC-01), Castor (D, FL-14), and Ross (D, NC-02).\n\nRead the full text of the Representatives\u2019 letter here.\n\nCongressman Sorensen is the Co-Chair of the Weather Enterprise Caucus and is the only Meteorologist serving in Congress. After over two decades on local TV\u2014communicating life-saving information that impacted Illinoisans\u2019 jobs, schools, farms, and safety\u2014Sorensen came to Congress to continue that same work, now from Washington rather than in front of a green screen.\n\nTo learn more about Congressman Sorensen\u2019s continued advocacy on behalf of your community in Washington, visit his website here.\n\nCongressman Eric Sorensen represents Illinois\u2019 17th District in the United States House of Representatives. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for more than 20 years. His district includes Illinois\u2019 Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-introduces-legislation-prevent-veteran-suicides", "Underwood Introduces Legislation to Prevent Veteran Suicides", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Lauren Underwood", "U000040", "underwood.house.gov", "underwood", "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014 This week, Representatives Lauren Underwood and Mike Levin (CA-49) introduced legislation to address the veteran suicide crisis by expanding evidence-based lethal means safety training for all VA employees who regularly interact with veterans, as well as community care providers and family caregivers. Currently, clinical health care providers in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities are the only staff required to receive this training.\n\n\"The evidence is clear: supporting lethal means safety saves lives. The Lethal Means Safety Training Act will make sure that all VA employees and community partners who care for our veterans are equipped to help a veteran in crisis,\" said Representative Underwood. \"The Lethal Means Safety Act is an evidence-based approach that creates valuable time and space between a veteran at risk for suicide and potentially lethal means, a critical step for saving veterans' lives.\"\n\n\u201cVA safety training programs provide VA employees with the tools they need to be successful, especially when discussing storage of firearms and medications with veterans, and they should be offered to anyone who wants to take them,\u201d said Rep. Mike Levin. \u201cThis bill would expand lethal means safety training to ensure more VA employees, caregivers, and community care providers are able to guide veterans in secure storage and help save lives. I thank Rep. Underwood for her partnership on this bill and look forward to it moving through the legislative process.\u201d\n\nVA employees and contractors are essential partners in promoting evidence-based suicide prevention practices, such as lethal means safety, which is one of the few population-level interventions that reduce suicide rates. VA's training equips recipients for conversations with veterans about lethal means safety, helping them to create valuable time and space in the event of a crisis. According to VA researchers, \"for a veteran in crisis, lethal means safety during a critical period can make all the difference.\"\n\nThe Lethal Means Safety Training Act also includes strong compliance and reporting requirements and requires VA to share its training resources with the general public for broader use. The Lethal Means Safety Training Act has been endorsed by Giffords, Brady United, and Everytown, and Walk the Talk America.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-brings-home-22-million-in-federal-funding-for-central-and-southern-illinois-airports", "Budzinski Brings Home $22 Million in Federal Funding for Central and Southern Illinois Airports", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) announced $22,928,305 in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for St. Louis Downtown Airport and Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport. The federal grants will go towards several construction and safety-related upgrades at both airports.\n\n\u201cSt. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights and Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield play a critical role in providing regional air service for our district, but they\u2019re in need of modernization to help better serve travelers and businesses,\u201d said Congresswoman Budzinski. \u201cI\u2019m excited to announce more than $22 million in federal funding that will modernize infrastructure and implement necessary safety and infrastructure upgrades at these airports. These grants ensure our regional airports can continue to serve travelers and support local economic growth.\u201d\n\nThe following projects will receive funding under the grants:\n\n$11,839,322 for Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI): The funding will support the rehabilitation of 7,400 feet of Runway 13/31 to maintain its structural integrity, reduce foreign object debris, and extend the runway\u2019s useful life. This grant will fund Phase 1 of the project, including lighting installation along 2,470 feet of runway.\n\n$11,020,583 for St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS): The funding will support improvements to Taxiway B to bring the airport into conformity with current standards. This grant will fund Phase 7 of the project, shifting 3,200 feet of Taxiway B between Taxiways B1 and B5 by 25 feet.\n\n$68,400 for St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS): The funding will be used to acquire 18 new vehicle movement area transponders, helping bring the airport into conformity with current safety standards.\n\n\u201cThis is a critical community transportation infrastructure asset, and we are grateful for Representative Budzinski\u2019s and the FAA\u2019s continued support of this important project.\u201d said Mark Hanna, Executive Director of the Springfield Airport Authority. \u201cThese discretionary awards are highly competitive, and this year\u2019s award represents nearly ten times the Springfield Airport Authority\u2019s typical annual allocation from the program. This extraordinary level of federal investment of airport improvement funds reflects the importance of maintaining the airport\u2019s infrastructure and ensuring Runway 13-31 remains a safe and reliable air transportation asset for our community and the region.\u201d\n\n\u201cSt. Louis Downtown Airport is grateful for Representative Budzinski\u2019s continued support of the airport as an important transportation asset serving the region and contributing to our economy. The funding announced will support our ongoing Taxiway Bravo project, which is essential to maintaining a safe and efficient operating environment while also helping to drive the airport\u2019s continued growth,\u201d said Sandra Shore, Airport Director of St. Louis Downtown Airport. \u201cThe additional grant for the acquisition of Vehicle Movement Area Transponders will further enhance operational safety by increasing the visibility of vehicles on the airport to Air Traffic Control and providing controllers with greater situational awareness. We appreciate Representative Budzinski\u2019s continued commitment, as well as the support of the FAA for strengthening airport infrastructure and safety at St. Louis Downtown Airport.\u201d\n\nThe grants are provided through the Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) Program, established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The program provides $14.5 billion over five years for investments in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects, terminals, airport transit connections and roadway projects.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-tonko-heinrich-introduce-legislation-to-ensure-federal-energy-investments-create-good-paying-union-jobs-and-benefit-workers-and-communities", "Budzinski, Tonko, Heinrich Introduce Legislation to Ensure Federal Energy Investments Create Good-Paying Union Jobs and Benefit Workers and Communities", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 Today, U.S. Representatives Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Paul Tonko (NY-21) introduced the Good Energy Jobs Act, legislation that ensures federal investments in America\u2019s energy future create good-paying union jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and deliver meaningful benefits to the communities where projects are built.\n\nThe Good Energy Jobs Act would codify labor and community-benefit standards that the Department of Energy (DOE) has used as conditions for certain federal financial assistance, ensuring that taxpayer-supported energy projects provide tangible benefits to American workers and communities.\n\n\u201cIf we want to build the next generation of American energy infrastructure, we need to empower the union men and women who are going to build it. This legislation ensures that workers are paid family-sustaining wages and have a fair shot at organizing, while also ensuring that projects drive local economic development on the front-end through clear, binding commitments,\u201d said Budzinski. \u201cI\u2019m honored to lead this bill with Congressman Tonko and Ranking Member Heinrich and proud to have the support of so many labor unions who see the impact this bill will have on America\u2019s workforce and the communities their members call home.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve always believed that investing in people and communities is the surest way to strengthen our economy,\u201d Tonko said. \u201cOur Good Energy Jobs Act takes that principle to heart, building on the successes of our Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with strong labor standards that create good-paying, union jobs and drive community development. Our legislation envisions a future where the Department of Energy isn\u2019t just an ATM for project developers, but a partner in building a more prosperous economy for everyone. I\u2019m thankful to my colleagues for standing with me to introduce this legislation, and urge Congress to join us in advancing this commonsense bill.\u201d\n\nDOE investments and financial assistance have helped catalyze significant private investment in energy projects across the country, establishing strong labor standards and community benefit plans. The Good Energy Jobs Act would make these standards permanent by codifying labor and community benefit requirements for energy jobs by mandating that DOE financial assistance supports high-quality jobs, broad community benefits, domestic manufacturing, and investments in small and disadvantaged communities.\n\nThe Good Energy Jobs Act:\n\nApplies prevailing wage and registered apprenticeships requirements to construction, maintenance, and repair projects that use DOE funding.\n\nRequires community benefit plans that support initiatives like workforce training, local hiring, union partnerships, and direct commitments to nearby communities and residents.\n\nProhibits offshoring the manufacture of products developed or commercialized using DOE assistance.\n\nEnsures a significant portion of federal energy funding benefits small or disadvantaged communities.\n\nSenator Martin Heirich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is leading companion legislation in the Senate.\u201cMy dad was an IBEW lineman, and he spent his career helping keep the lights on for our community. His union job gave him the ability to provide for our family, buy a home, and give my siblings and me opportunities that neither of my parents had growing up. That\u2019s what a good energy job can do: it doesn\u2019t just power our homes and our economy \u2014 it can power the American dream,\u201d said Heinrich. \u201cThat\u2019s why, when we invest taxpayer dollars in America\u2019s energy future, those investments should create good-paying jobs, strengthen American manufacturing, and deliver real benefits to the communities where projects are built. My Good Energy Jobs Act builds on what has worked by making sure federal energy investments benefit the workers who build these projects and the communities that host them \u2014 not just the companies developing them.\u201d\n\nThe Good Energy Jobs Act is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Laborers\u2019 International Union of North America (LIUNA), Industrial Division of the Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA), United Steelworkers (USW), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART), Iron Workers International, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), BlueGreen Alliance, National Wildlife Federation (NWF), League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Sierra Club, and ReImagine Appalachia.\n\n\u201cToo often Washington fails to consider workers when making decisions on how federal dollars are spent. Fortunately, the Good Energy Jobs Act makes clear that the money Congress spends is accountable to the taxpayers. This legislation builds on the legacy begun under the Investing in America agenda by requiring Department of Energy investments to include real enforceable labor standards, like Project Labor Agreements, prevailing wage, and neutrality. These standards ensure that workers who are building our nation\u2019s energy infrastructure can support their families and communities. On behalf of IBEW\u2019s over 900,000 members, I thank Senator Heinrich and Reps. Budzinski and Tonko for standing with working families and introducing the Good Energy Jobs Act,\u201d said Kenneth W. Cooper, President of the IBEW.\n\n\u201cLIUNA is proud to support the Good Jobs Act of 2026. By building on the proven labor standards established under the Inflation Reduction Act, this legislation will help ensure federal energy investments create good, family-sustaining union careers. Project Labor Agreements, registered apprenticeships, and prevailing wages strengthen our workforce, our industry, and the communities where these projects are built. We thank Senator Heinrich and Reps. Budzinski and Tonko for their leadership and steadfast commitment to America\u2019s working families,\u201d said Brent Booker, General President of LIUNA.\n\n\u201cThe transition to clean energy offers an opportunity to strengthen our communities, build a domestic manufacturing supply chain, and create good union jobs supporting families across the United States. But we cannot reach this goal if green energy manufacturing depends on foreign production or if workers face union-busting and poor job conditions,\u201d said Carl Kennebrew, President of the IUE-CWA. We appreciate Senator Heinrich and Representatives Tonko and Budzinski for taking a positive step with their \u2018Good Energy Jobs Act of 2026\u2019 which ensures clean-energy investments lead to good union jobs, stronger local communities, and true Made-in-America green energy.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a nation, we should ensure that whenever possible, our tax dollars go toward creating good-paying, family supporting jobs, especially the billions of dollars in taxpayer support the Department of Energy provides companies across the country. Our union proudly supports the Good Energy Jobs Act, which builds on existing labor standards and community benefit agreements to improve the lives and communities of the workers who power America,\u201d said Roxanne Brown, President of the USW.\n\n\u201cThe Good Energy Jobs Act provides crucial support to create a skilled workforce and an engaged community.\u201d said Jason Walsh, Executive Director of BlueGreen Alliance. \u201cCommunity support and workforce development are fundamental to a high-quality and efficient build out of our grid. This bill is exactly the kind of legislation our nation needs to get more energy projects done while demand is at an all-time high.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Good Energy Jobs Act would require that federal clean energy spending creates meaningful protections for workers and tangible benefits for communities,\u201d said Shannon Heyck-Williams, Associate Vice President of Climate and Energy at NWF. \u201cWe need to quickly return to building our clean energy future for people and wildlife, and we need to make sure these investments benefit the people who are building the projects and those who are living with them.\u201d\n\n\u201cLCV is proud to support Rep. Tonko, Rep. Budzinski, and Sen. Heinrich\u2019s Good Energy Jobs Act because federal investments into clean, affordable energy infrastructure should provide high-quality jobs and meaningful benefits to communities hosting these projects. This bill ensures that public dollars go towards building good, family-supporting jobs and strengthening domestic manufacturing. Thank you, Rep. Tonko, Rep. Budzinski, and Sen. Heinrich for introducing legislation that ensures clean, affordable energy keeps delivering myriad benefits to communities, including reducing emissions and costs for ratepayers, creating jobs, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and driving investments across the country,\u201d said Matthew Davis, Vice President of Federal Policy at the LCV.\n\nAdditionally, North America\u2019s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), California Forward, and Data for Progress support the bill.\n\n\u201cAt a time where our nation is experiencing unprecedented energy demand, the Good Energy Jobs Act is a huge step in the right direction towards ensuring that the working men and women who build our communities are protected and supported by the federal government. The proposals in this legislation will aid in constructing projects in a timely and safe manner all while benefitting local communities,\u201d said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU.\n\n\u201cWe are in a moment where diversifying our economy to build energy sources beyond fossil fuels is critical to our security, competitiveness, and fiscal stability. By attaching labor and community standards to public dollars, the Good Energy Jobs Act ensures that new clean energy projects will be built faster, better, and with strong and tangible benefits for the places in which they are sited. That\u2019s not just good for these projects today; it\u2019s good for Americans long into the future,\u201d said Kate Gordon, CEO of California Forward.\n\n\u201cWe see consistently in our polling that voters don\u2019t just want clean energy development \u2014 they want clean energy development that will actually benefit their communities,\u201d said Ryan O\u2019Donnell, Executive Director of Data for Progress. \u201cWage standards, community benefits, and the right to unionize are all popular requirements that build local buy-in while helping address the cost-of-living crisis facing Americans right now.\u201d\n\nA fact sheet of the bill is here.\n\nA section-by-section summary of the bill is here.\n\nThe full text of the bill is here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-whitehouse-introduce-legislation-to-restore-epas-core-mission", "Casten, Whitehouse Introduce Legislation to Restore EPA\u2019s Core Mission", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Sean Casten", "C001117", "casten.house.gov", "casten", "https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Environmental Health Restoration Act, legislation to restore and strengthen the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s core mission to protect public health, the environment, and the climate.\n\nThe lawmakers introduced the bill just days after the Trump Administration\u2019s EPA finalized the repeal of major greenhouse gas standards for coal- and gas-fired power plants and moved to eliminate remaining federal climate pollution requirements for the power sector.\n\n\u201cAt a time when the Trump Administration is ignoring the climate crisis and undermining Americans\u2019 ability to breathe clean air, drink clean water, and enjoy the outdoors, it is more important than ever to restore a commitment to science-based environmental protection at the EPA,\u201d said Rep. Casten. \u201cThe EPA was created to protect public health and our environment. I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation to refocus the agency on its core mission.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Trump EPA has fully abandoned its decades-long duty to protect Americans\u2019 health and safety. Its relentless attacks on science have delivered for big political donors while poisoning our air and water and speeding up the climate crisis,\u201d said Sen. Whitehouse. \u201cOur bill would jumpstart the long process of restoring the science, the scientists, and the original mission guiding the EPA.\u201d\n\nOn Wednesday, September 16th, Rep. Casten and Sen. Whitehouse hosted a press conference with Protect Our Winters and Olympic athletes to highlight the bill's importance and the need to protect the great outdoors.\n\n\u201cAs an Olympian training in the mountains all over the world, I\u2019ve seen less and less snow, glaciers shrinking at a not-so-glacial pace, and volatile air quality,\u201d said Tommy Ford, three-time Olympian and World Cup Champion. \u201cThis directly affects our community\u2019s health and economy. A stronger, more durable EPA is essential for clean air, clean water and a strong, healthy community.\u201d\n\n\u201cRolling back environmental protections has real consequences for the places and experiences that define the outdoor community,\u201d said Ben Gubits, Vice President of Campaigns at POW. \u201cIt means dirtier air, greater climate pollution, more threats to public health and accelerating damage to our winters, waterways and public lands. The Environmental Health Restoration Act draws a clear line, the EPA must follow science, enforce the law and put people ahead of polluters. This is a positive vision for the future looking well beyond the Trump years.\u201d\n\nThe Environmental Health Restoration Act responds to recent deregulatory actions that have weakened or delayed protections governing air pollution, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental enforcement. It would reaffirm Congress\u2019s intent that the EPA follow science, regulate harmful pollution, and protect communities from environmental harm.\n\nThe Environmental Health Restoration Act would:\n\nRestore key protections for pollution from power plants, vehicles, and oil and gas operations that were in effect on January 19, 2025.\n\nRequire EPA decisions to be grounded in peer-reviewed science and restore independent scientific advisory bodies.\n\nRebuild the agency\u2019s civil and criminal enforcement capacity and require annual accountability reporting to Congress.\n\nPrioritize monitoring and enforcement in communities facing disproportionate pollution burdens.\n\nRequire public-health and cumulative-impact analyses for EPA actions affecting air and water quality.\n\nPreserve states\u2019 ability to adopt environmental standards stronger than federal requirements.\n\nAllow people harmed by the EPA\u2019s failure to comply with the law to seek relief in federal court.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by Protect Our Winters and the League of Conservation Voters.\n\nText of the legislation can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/con-apoyo-del-congresista-garcia-el-aeropuerto-midway-recibir-55-millones", "Con Apoyo del Congresista Garc\u00eda, el Aeropuerto Midway Recibir $5.5 Millones", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO \u2014 El Congresista Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), miembro del Comit\u00e9 de Transporte e Infraestructura de la C\u00e1mara de Representantes, anunci\u00f3 hoy que el Aeropuerto Internacional Midway de Chicago (MDW), ubicado en su distrito congresional, recibir\u00e1 5,475,808 d\u00f3lares en fondos federales para mejoras y la reconstrucci\u00f3n de pistas de rodaje y pavimentaci\u00f3n. La subvenci\u00f3n fue otorgada por la Administraci\u00f3n Federal de Aviaci\u00f3n (FAA) del Departamento de Transporte de los EE. UU. como parte del Programa de Mejora de Aeropuertos, el cual financia proyectos de infraestructura aeroportuaria tales como pistas, pistas de rodaje, se\u00f1alizaci\u00f3n, iluminaci\u00f3n y marcas en el pavimento. \u201cEl Aeropuerto Midway es un importante centro de viajes nacionales para el Medio Oeste y una fuente de empleo para los residentes de mi distrito\u201d, dijo el Congresista Garc\u00eda. \u201cLos fondos de esta subvenci\u00f3n permitir\u00e1n que siga atendiendo a los viajeros de manera segura y eficiente, para que contin\u00fae siendo una opci\u00f3n atractiva para quienes viajan hacia y desde Chicago. Me enorgullece haber apoyado para conseguir estos recursos\u201d.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-garcia-secures-55-million-for-midway-airport", "Congressman Garc\u00eda Secures $5.5 Million for Midway Airport", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO \u2014 Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, announced today that Chicago\u2019s Midway International Airport (MDW), located in his Congressional District, will receive $5,475,808 in federal grant funding for improvements and reconstruction of paved taxiways and pavements.\n\nThe grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s Federal Aviation Administration as part of the Airport Improvement Program which funds airport infrastructure projects such as runways, taxiways, airport signage, airport lighting, and airport markings.\n\n\u201cMidway Airport is a major domestic travel hub for the Midwest and a source of employment for constituents in my district,\u201d said Congressman Garc\u00eda. \u201cThe funds from this grant will allow it to continue serving travelers safely and efficiently so it can continue to be an attractive option for people traveling to and from Chicago. I am proud to have worked to secure it.\u201d\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-casar-reintroduce-legislation-ensure-federal-contractors-treat", "Schakowsky, Casar Reintroduce Legislation to Ensure Federal Contractors Treat Workers Fairly", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Full Text of Bill (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and Greg Casar (TX-35) reintroduced the Patriotic Corporations of America Act, legislation to ensure federal taxpayer dollars support companies that treat their workers fairly, respect workers\u2019 rights, protect the environment, and pay their fair share.\n\nThe legislation would establish high-road standards for companies seeking federal contracts, requiring contractors to meet baseline standards on wages, workers\u2019 rights, and environmental responsibility. It would also give preference in the federal contracting process to companies that demonstrate strong records on collective bargaining, retirement benefits, CEO-to-worker pay ratios, and diversity in leadership.\n\n\u201cTaxpayer dollars should help create good jobs and strengthen communities, not reward corporations that cut corners at the expense of working people,\u201d said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \u201cIf a company wants to do business with the federal government, it should be held to a higher standard. Our legislation makes clear that federal contracts should go to companies that respect their workers, protect their rights, pay their fair share, and invest in the communities they serve.\u201d\n\n\"Taxpayer dollars shouldn't bankroll corporations that bust unions, dodge taxes, and replace workers with AI,\" said Congressman Greg Casar. \"The Patriotic Corporations of America Act sets a simple rule: if you want a federal contract, you have to do right by working people. Anything less is not patriotic, and not acceptable.\"\n\n\"The AFL-CIO welcomes the introduction of the Patriotic Corporations of America Act of 2026 that would guarantee that U.S. taxpayer dollars go to employers that are headquartered in the United States, play by the rules, ensure fair wages and treat workers with respect,\" said AFL-CIO Policy Director Candace Archer. \"We applaud Representatives Jan Schakowsky and Greg Casar for introducing this important legislation that will promote family- and community-sustaining jobs right here at home.\"\n\nUnder the Patriotic Corporations of America Act, companies would be required to meet standards including:\n\nPay Fair Wages: Pay workers at least $15 per hour or 110 percent of the federal minimum wage, whichever is higher.\n\nCommit to Unions: Agree to remain neutral during union organizing campaigns and not hire replacement workers or close a business in response to a work stoppage.\n\nRespect Workers\u2019 Rights: Demonstrate that the company has not been found in violation of, or settled claims involving, workers\u2019 labor rights.\n\nProtect the Environment: Demonstrate that the company has not paid a penalty or settled a claim involving an EPA violation in the previous five years.\n\nThe bill would also give preference in the federal contracting process to companies that:\n\nMaintain a CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio of no more than 100-to-1.\n\nContribute at least 5% of payroll to a portable pension fund.\n\nHave a collective bargaining agreement with their workers.\n\nHave women and people of color make up at least 40% of top executives and board members.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-opposes-effort-give-trump-broader-tariff-authority", "SCHNEIDER OPPOSES EFFORT TO GIVE TRUMP BROADER TARIFF AUTHORITY", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10), a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, voted against giving President Trump more power to capriciously abuse tariff authority and arbitrarily threaten allies. The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act would grant the President power to enact more sweeping tariffs without Congressional approval and raise costs on American households by thousands of dollars.\n\n\u201cI will always support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people\u2019s fight against Russia\u2019s illegal invasion. I have consistently called on Congress and the President to do more to help Ukraine,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cSadly, President Trump has not responded. If the President had any interest in imposing sanctions on Russia and supporting the Ukrainian people, he already has the necessary authority and power to do so. Yet, after nearly twenty months in office, he\u2019s stubbornly refused to use that power.\n\n\u201cThe President, however, abused his power to attack our important allies and trading powers,\u201d Schneider continued. \u201cThe Supreme Court was crystal clear \u2014 the authority to impose tariffs belongs to Congress, not the President. Trump\u2019s costly tariffs have already cost hardworking Americans thousands of dollars, further burdening families\u2019 already stretched budgets. The American people need relief, but Republicans don\u2019t have a plan for that. Instead, they are letting Trump continue to run rampant and impose tariffs.\n\n\u201cWe can and will continue to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people and hold Russia accountable. But we will not be duped into handing Trump more tariff power to abuse,\u201d concluded Schneider. \u201cPower that he will almost certainly use to give himself more leverage to raise costs on hardworking American families and damage relationships with our allies. I will continue working to both rein in Trump\u2019s trade war and lower costs and pursue comprehensive strategies to push back against Putin\u2019s regime and uphold democracy for the people of Ukraine.\u201d\n\nRep. Schneider has introduced multiple pieces of legislation to rein in Trump\u2019s cost-raising tariffs including the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act and BAD DEAL Act. Rep. Schneider is also a cosponsor of H.Res. 155 reaffirming the United States unwavering support for Ukraine's sovereignty and independence and voted for supplemental security funding for Ukraine in 2024.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-sorensen-applauds-passage-bipartisan-legislation-key-step-towards", "Congressman Sorensen Applauds Passage of Bipartisan Legislation as Key Step Towards Bringing $25 Million+ in Federal Funding to IL-17", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Eric Sorensen", "S001225", "sorensen.house.gov", "sorensen", "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) announced he voted to pass the 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), critical bipartisan legislation which serves as a step towards bringing federal funding for several water resource and flood control project to Illinois\u2019s 17th Congressional District. When the process is complete, over $25 million in federal funding could come to the district as well as renewed support from United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for future evaluations, surveys, and other projects across IL-17.\n\n\u201cOur neighbors should never have to wonder if the water they\u2019re drinking is clean or worry their sewer system could back-up at a moment\u2019s notice,\u201d said Congressman Sorensen. \u201cI\u2019m glad that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle could join together, advance this critical legislation, and forge a path toward making a real difference in our communities. But the work doesn\u2019t end here, and I look forward to working with everyone to ensure these transformative projects go from plans and dreams to shovels in the ground.\u201d\n\nThe most recent WRDA, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, was signed into law on January 4, 2025. Congress has enacted a bipartisan WRDA every two years since 2014, making the upcoming bill the seventh consecutive bipartisan WRDA.\n\nIncluded in this package are authorizations for the following projects:\n\n$15 million for a clearwell replacement in East Moline:\n\nFunding would replace a deteriorating clearwell, which is a critical tool used to disinfect drinking water during the last stage of the purification process. This project has been classified as an emergency by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency because the city does not have a backup clearwell which provides potable water to over 21,000 residents, and approximately 415 businesses including John Deere World Headquarters.\n\n$8 million for water treatment plant and water supply infrastructure improvements in South Pekin:\n\nFunding would replace watermains throughout the community. Upgrading mains will remove current levels of manganese and eliminate the associated health risks currently exposed to the community. Without this additional assistance, the village will have to increase residential water bills by $50 per household for the next 40 years, resulting in a 300% increase in families\u2019 water bills.\n\n$1.5 million for Linn St lift station replacement in Port Byron:\n\nFunding would replace a deteriorating, over 80-year-old sanitary sewer lift station. Doing so will help prevent sewer backups and potential release of untreated sewer water, contaminating impacted residences and businesses.\n\n$1 million for a sewer relocation and water infrastructure replacement project in Shannon:\n\nFunding would relocate their sanitary system and replace an old and failing watermain segment and culvert which serves a large portion of the village\u2019s residents and local businesses. If left unreplaced, a failure would create an immediate public health hazard, including the risk of sewage backups and uncontrolled discharge impacting nearby residents and the environment.\n\nThe bill also contains:\n\nNew language directing the USACE to support the Big Island Local Flood Protection Project:\n\nAlso known as the Big Island River Conservancy District located in Milan, Illinois.\n\nNew language directs the USACE to evaluate the town\u2019s ability to afford the studies and work needed to address their failing levee or provide a better cost-share structure. Should the levee fail, many households and a nearby village\u2014which provides emergency services to the region\u2014will be underwater.\n\nA $7 million funding pool for projects in Rockford:\n\nFunding could potentially be used for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance projects.\n\nThe 2026 WRDA contains authorizations for numerous projects across the country; however, this legislation does not appropriate any federal dollars. For more information on the federal budget and appropriations process, visit this webpage from the Congressional Research Service here.\n\nAdditionally, this legislation contains language that could potentially transfer jobs from the United States Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters at Rock Island Arsenal (USACE-RIA HQ), something Congressman Sorensen is deeply opposed to.\n\n\u201cWhile it remains unclear what the exact impact will be on USACE-RIA HQ and our Quad Cities communities, I\u2019m deeply disappointed this provision was included in a bill designed to do so much good for our region,\u201d continued Sorensen. \u201cI believe the projects supported in this legislation make a compelling case for our continued support of USACE-RIA HQ, and I will continue to be a strong advocate for it in Congress.\u201d\n\nTo learn more about Congressman Sorensen\u2019s continued advocacy on behalf of your community in Washington, visit his website here.\n\nCongressman Eric Sorensen represents Illinois\u2019 17th District in the United States House of Representatives. Prior to serving in Congress, Sorensen was a local meteorologist in Rockford and the Quad Cities for more than 20 years. His district includes Illinois\u2019 Quad Cities, Rockford, Peoria, and Bloomington-Normal.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-blasts-florida-councilmans-latest-anti-indian-attack", "Krishnamoorthi Blasts Florida Councilman\u2019s Latest Anti-Indian Attack", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today responded to Palm Bay, Florida City Councilman Chandler Langevin after Langevin wrote, \u201cI won Rajesh. Take your curry and go home,\u201d the latest in a series of attacks he has directed at Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Indians, and Indian Americans.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m staying. So is the curry. America is my home. No bigot gets to decide who is American, who belongs here, or what they have for dinner. That\u2019s the America I\u2019ll always fight for,\u201d said Congressman Krishnamoorthi.", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-statement-russia-sanctions-bill", "Quigley Statement on Russia Sanctions Bill", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Mike Quigley", "Q000023", "quigley.house.gov", "quigley", "https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Chicago Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus Mike Quigley (IL-05) released the following statement after voting yes on the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation to pressure Russia into reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine. The bill passed on a bipartisan basis by a vote of 262-159.\n\n\u201cAs Ukrainian and Russian officials continue to work toward a peace agreement, the United States must do everything in its power to back Ukraine and pressure Russia to end its invasion. I have said again and again that Vladimir Putin will not end his war until he is forced to feel the pain of his invasion.\n\n\u201cChicago is home to one of the largest Ukrainian American populations in the nation, and I have met with hundreds of people who have lost loved ones to Russia\u2019s invasion or been forced to flee their homeland. I have seen the mass graves from Russian massacres and hidden in bunkers as Russian bombs rained on Kyiv. I am deeply dedicated to helping the people of Ukraine, defending Ukrainian sovereignty, and blocking Putin\u2019s expansionist goals.\n\n\u201cI supported this bill to further those aims and bring us closer to the end of Russia\u2019s war. This was an important first step, but what Ukraine needs now is more than just symbolic support. They need weapons and economic support, and Trump needs to put the full support of the United States government behind Ukraine. Next year, I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that happens.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-joins-bipartisan-letter-led-senators-durbin-and-duckworth-urging", "SCHNEIDER JOINS BIPARTISAN LETTER LED BY SENATORS DURBIN AND DUCKWORTH URGING PRESIDENT TRUMP TO GRANT MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION FOR ILLINOIS COUNTIES FOLLOWING SEVERE WEATHER", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) joined a bipartisan letter led by U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth with all members of the Illinois delegation urging the White House to grant Governor JB Pritzker\u2019s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration authorizing federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), to help Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion, and Will Counties recover from severe storm damage. During the period of August 11-16, severe storms\u2014including tornadoes, straight-line winds, and a derecho\u2014crossed the state, resulting in serious damage to Illinoisans\u2019 homes and businesses.\n\nToday\u2019s letter comes after the Trump Administration twice rejected FEMA aid for Illinois storm victims impacted by severe weather in summer 2025. The Trump Administration offered no serious justification for the repeated rejections. In their letter, the lawmakers request immediate support for Illinois for August\u2019s storms, emphasizing that the severity of damage justifies swift assistance from the federal government. Notably, FEMA has already approved a major disaster declaration request from the Indiana state government for the same storm system, which swept through both Illinois and Indiana in August.\n\n\u201cWe write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker\u2019s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois to help eight Illinois counties recover from severe storm damage that occurred from August 11-16, 2026,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\n\u201cGovernor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments. We support his request for authorization of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA)in the impacted counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide. Additionally, we support his request for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) physical and economic injury disaster declaration for the affected counties. This would enable low interest SBA disaster loans, including physical and economic injury loans, to support affected individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\n\u201cThe initial weather system on August 11 resulted in a derecho across Northern Illinois, producing widespread winds of 70 mph and eight tornadoes with peak winds near 115 mph. Follow-on storms repeatedly struck the same regions with severe weather, exacerbating the wind damage and resulting in historic levels of rainfall in some counties. All eight counties experienced significant damage from downed trees, power outages, and flooding,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cSubsequent damage has impacted homeowners, businesses, roadways, and infrastructure. As such, the Governor seeks timely federal assistance from FEMA and SBA.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is available here and below:\n\nDear Mr. President:\n\nWe write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker\u2019s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois to help eight Illinois counties recover from severe storm damage that occurred from August 11-16, 2026. Specifically, he requests a Major Disaster Declaration for Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion, and Will Counties.\n\nGovernor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments. We support his request for authorization of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance (IA) and Public Assistance (PA)in the impacted counties, and Hazard Mitigation statewide. Additionally, we support his request for a U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) physical and economic injury disaster declaration for the affected counties. This would enable low interest SBA disaster loans, including physical and economic injury loans, to support affected individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations.\n\nDuring the August 11-16, 2026, period, a multi-day severe weather episode passed through Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion, and Will Counties, resulting in multiple rounds of severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding. The initial weather system on August 11 resulted in a derecho across Northern Illinois, producing widespread winds of 70 mph and eight tornadoes with peak winds near 115 mph. Follow-on storms repeatedly struck the same regions with severe weather, exacerbating the wind damage and resulting in historic levels of rainfall in some counties. All eight counties experienced significant damage from downed trees, power outages, and flooding. Subsequent damage has impacted homeowners, businesses, roadways, and infrastructure. As such, the Governor seeks timely federal assistance from FEMA and SBA.\n\nThank you in advance for your consideration of this important request. We stand ready to assist in any way appropriate.", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-and-cloud-introduce-bipartisan-no-flock-act-crack-down-abuse", "Krishnamoorthi and Cloud Introduce Bipartisan No FLOCK Act to Crack Down on Abuse of License Plate Readers", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Michael Cloud (R-TX) have introduced the bipartisan No FLOCK Act (No Federal License-Plate Observation and Camera Keeping Act), legislation to crack down on abuses of automated license plate reader systems, including Flock Safety, following reports of law enforcement officers using the technology to stalk former partners and others for personal reasons.\n\n\u201cAutomated license plate readers can be powerful tools for law enforcement to investigate serious crimes and protect our communities, but they must not become tools for officers to stalk ex-partners or spy on people for personal reasons,\u201d said Congressman Krishnamoorthi (IL-08). \u201cOur investigation into Flock exposed serious gaps in oversight, and this bipartisan bill would put clear limits in place to prevent abuse while preserving legitimate public safety uses.\u201d\n\n\u201cTaxpayers shouldn't be forced to fund the shredding of their own civil liberties or the growth of a surveillance state. Flock cameras are enabling mass surveillance of Americans, infringing on the Fourth Amendment. This bill is a first step toward reining in unchecked surveillance. We can protect public safety without sacrificing the privacy of Americans,\u201d said Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27).\n\nUnder the legislation, states would be required to enact laws limiting automated license plate readers to specific public safety and toll-enforcement purposes. After a two-fiscal-year implementation period, states that fail to have those restrictions in effect would have 10 percent of the federal surface transportation funding apportioned to them under Section 104(b) of Title 23 withheld each fiscal year.\n\nPermitted uses would include:\n\nenforcing toll systems;\n\nidentifying stolen vehicles;\n\nlocating missing or endangered people;\n\nidentifying vehicles registered to individuals with warrants for felony offenses; and\n\ninvestigating vehicles involved in felony offenses.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-applauds-supreme-court-ruling-blocking-trumps-usps-voter", "Krishnamoorthi Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Blocking Trump\u2019s USPS Voter Suppression Scheme", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court rejected the Trump Administration\u2019s latest attempt to enforce new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots, leaving in place a federal court order blocking the policy ahead of the November elections:\n\n\u201cDonald Trump tried to turn the Postal Service into an instrument of voter suppression, and the Supreme Court stopped him. The President has no authority to rewrite our election laws or give USPS the power to decide which eligible Americans receive a ballot. The Postal Service has one job here: deliver the ballots, not decide who gets to vote.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-thanedar-subramanyam-jayapal-bera-blast-trump-dhs-targeting", "Krishnamoorthi, Thanedar, Subramanyam, Jayapal, Bera Blast Trump DHS for Targeting Sikh Identity in Anti-Immigrant Post", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Ami Bera (D-CA) today blasted the Trump Department of Homeland Security for using Sikh identity to portray a dangerous, unwanted foreigner while promoting immigration enforcement, warning that the now-deleted \u201cMr. Singh\u201d post fuels growing racist and xenophobic hostility toward Sikh and South Asian Americans.\n\nThe DHS post depicted a brown, bearded man identified as \u201cMr. Singh,\u201d told him to \u201cget off our roads,\u201d and warned him to \u201cself-deport or find out.\u201d \u201cSingh\u201d is intimately associated with Sikh identity, and the Members warned that its use in the post was not incidental, but degrading.\n\nIn the letter, the Members write:\n\n\u201cWe write to express grave concern about the increasingly open racial and xenophobic hostility directed at South Asian Americans, particularly Sikh Americans, and about the ways federal rhetoric surrounding immigration and visa policy can reinforce the idea that these communities are suspect, disposable, or less American. South Asians are increasingly cast as economic interlopers, immigration cheats, people unwilling to assimilate, or simply people who do not belong here. Against that backdrop, it was appalling to see an agency of the United States government turn a man called \u2018Mr. Singh\u2019 into a racialized movie villain to be driven from the country.\u201d\n\nThe Members also raised concerns that DHS used the post to promote its new ICE tipline for reporting suspected commercial driver\u2019s license fraud, while its social media messaging urged the public to report \u201cillegal aliens on American roads.\u201d They warned that, paired with the depiction of \u201cMr. Singh,\u201d the campaign invites the public to treat perceived ethnicity, religion, or foreignness, rather than evidence of wrongdoing, as grounds for suspicion and creates an \u201cobvious risk\u201d of race-based profiling.\n\nThe letter cites growing hostility toward South Asian Americans. Stop AAPI Hate found that anti-South Asian slurs in monitored online spaces increased 109 percent between January 2023 and December 2025 and that South Asians accounted for 71 percent of anti-Asian online threats of violence identified between August 2024 and December 2025. The Members also pointed to recent anti-Indian hostility in Frisco, Texas, including rhetoric about an \u201cIndian takeover,\u201d \u201cinvaders,\u201d and \u201canchor babies,\u201d and a mayoral candidate referring to South Asian immigrants as \u201crats.\u201d\n\nThe Members write:\n\n\u201cWhen the federal government itself uses a recognizably Sikh identity as shorthand for someone dangerous, incompetent, and unwanted, it reinforces associations that have already had real consequences for Sikh Americans.\u201d\n\nThe Members are urging President Trump to direct his agencies, particularly DHS, to publicly acknowledge the harm caused by the post, establish and enforce standards prohibiting federal communications that traffic in racial, ethnic, religious, or national-origin stereotypes, and make clear that immigration enforcement must never be used to stigmatize South Asian communities.\n\nThe Members conclude:\n\n\u201cSouth Asian Americans are not abstractions in an immigration debate, nor are they convenient symbols of foreignness. They belong in the communities they have helped build. For millions, this is their country and their home. There should be no room for such hate in our country.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-led-health-care-bills-advance-house-energy-and-commerce-committee", "SCHNEIDER-LED HEALTH CARE BILLS ADVANCE IN HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee considered two bipartisan bills led by Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10), the KIDNEY Remote Monitoring Act and the Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act. The Energy and Commerce Committee is actively working to advance these bills to the House floor.\n\nTogether, these bills represent efforts to develop meaningful, long-term solutions to challenges facing providers and patients. The KIDNEY Remote Monitoring Act expands access to remote monitoring and care for Medicare beneficiaries with end stage renal disease, eliminating costly appointments and ensuring they can receive the care they need in the comfort of their home. The Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act provides for Medicare coverage of pharmacist-administered tests for common respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), strep throat, and COVID-19.\n\n\u201cI have been a longtime advocate for a health care system that prioritizes effective, accessible care and ensures patients receive help from providers they know and trust, when and where they need it,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cAs our health care system becomes increasingly expensive and complex, these bills will help cut through the red tape and focus on what matters most \u2014 ensuring seniors receive the care they need and deserve. I will continue working to advance these bills through Congress and support commonsense solutions to lower health care costs and expand access to care.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-blasts-xenophobic-tweet-texas-gop-railroad-commission-nominee", "Krishnamoorthi Blasts Xenophobic Tweet by Texas GOP Railroad Commission Nominee Bo French Targeting South Asian Students", "2026-09-13", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today condemned Texas Republican Railroad Commission nominee Bo French\u2019s racist and xenophobic tweet targeting South Asian students at the University of Texas, after French posted photos of students celebrating a Longhorns football victory and portrayed them as evidence that Americans are being \u201cdisplaced by foreigners.\u201d\n\n\u201cBo French\u2019s xenophobic hate toward South Asian students is disgraceful and part of a broader rise in attacks targeting South Asian Americans across the country. These young people were cheering for their university, and he chose to demonize them based solely on how they look. South Asian Americans are as American as anyone, and this kind of hatred has no place in our politics or our country.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-14T10:19:32Z", "2026-09-14T10:21:05Z"], ["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-statement-25th-anniversary-september-11th-attacks", "Schakowsky Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "EVANSTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) issued the following statement on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks:\n\n\u201cTwenty-five years ago today, I watched in disbelief with the rest of the nation as two planes struck the Twin Towers and our nation came under attack. Later, from my office in the Capitol, I watched smoke rise from the Pentagon. I remember the fear and chaos of that day, but also the extraordinary courage and sacrifice that followed.\n\n\u201cI remember standing on the Capitol steps with my colleagues singing 'God Bless America.' I remember learning about the heroes on Flight 93. I remember our Solidarity March down Devon Avenue, where more than 100 people walked arm in arm, carrying American flags and declaring that we would not let this tragedy divide us.\n\n\u201cLet us honor and mourn the thousands of lives we lost that horrific day, and all those we have since lost to 9/11-related injuries and illnesses.\n\n\u201cWe may come from different backgrounds, nationalities, and cultures, but we all call this country home. Twenty-five years later, let us remember that unity is what carries us through our darkest days.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-12T09:02:30Z", "2026-09-12T09:03:27Z"], ["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-elmhurst-university-celebrate-950000-in-federal-funding-for-health-research-technology", "Casten, Elmhurst University Celebrate $950,000 in Federal Funding for Health Research Technology", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Sean Casten", "C001117", "casten.house.gov", "casten", "https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Elmhurst, Illinois \u2014 U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Elmhurst University celebrated an award of $950,000 in federal funding for the purchase and installation of instructional, simulation, and research equipment to enhance student learning and support faculty research activities within the Health Sciences Building at Elmhurst University.\n\n\u201cEnsuring schools and universities across the 6th District have the resources they need to provide a world-class education is one of my top priorities in Congress,\u201d said Rep. Sean Casten. \u201cI\u2019m proud to have worked with Elmhurst University to secure this Community Project Funding, which will give students the tools and opportunities they need to learn, grow, and prepare for careers serving our community. This federal funding for Elmhurst University is an investment in the students and families of the 6th Congressional District, and I\u2019m proud to have helped deliver it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are thrilled to receive this funding, and deeply appreciate Congressman Casten\u2019s efforts in securing it for Elmhurst University and our students,\u201d said President Troy D. VanAken. \u201cI\u2019m very proud that our new Health Sciences Building, and the new opportunities this funding creates, will give our future healthcare professionals the kind of invaluable educational experiences that will lead to better patient care and a healthier world.\u201d\n\nRep. Casten and Elmhurst University leaders participated in a check presentation to recognize the federal funding coming to the 6th Congressional District. Photos from the event can be found here.\n\nRep. Casten selected the project as one of his Community Project Funding sites for FY 2026. Rep. Casten advocated for the funding in Congress, and it was officially appropriated in the FY 2026 government funding package. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) administers the funds. Learn more here.\n\nElmhurst University\u2019s Health Sciences Research Equipment Project helps enhance teaching, learning, and research opportunities for faculty and students in the newly opened Health Sciences Building. The facility serves as a central hub for the university\u2019s nursing, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and public health programs, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and creating new opportunities for students, faculty, and the broader community.\n\nAs part of this initiative, Elmhurst University plans to install advanced technologies to support teaching and research activities, including a 3-D Anatomage Table anatomy system and other faculty-identified instructional and research equipment essential to the curriculum. These technologies will provide students with hands-on learning experiences that strengthen clinical knowledge, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving skills.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-nhtsa-action-after-tesla-drivers-caught-sleeping-behind", "Krishnamoorthi Demands NHTSA Action After Tesla Drivers Caught Sleeping Behind the Wheel With Driver-Assistance System Engaged System Engaged", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On Wednesday, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) demanded that the Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration take immediate action to address the misuse of Tesla\u2019s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems after an NBC News investigation identified dozens of videos appearing to show Tesla driver asleep or otherwise disengaged behind the wheel while their vehicles were moving.\n\nIn a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Krishnamoorthi cited an NBC News investigation that identified 43 videos appearing to show individuals asleep in the driver\u2019s seat of moving Teslas, including 17 posted this year alone. Tesla\u2019s own documentation states that Autopilot and Full Self-Driving require active driver supervision and are not autonomous driving systems.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cA recent NBC News investigation identified 43 videos that appear to show individuals asleep in the driver\u2019s seat of moving Teslas, including 17 posted this year alone. These incidents are particularly alarming because Autopilot and FSD require active driver supervision and are not autonomous driving systems. As these technologies become increasingly prevalent on American roads, DOT and NHTSA must ensure that manufacturers have adequate safeguards to prevent foreseeable misuse and that drivers are not encouraged to place dangerous levels of reliance on systems that still require their full attention.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi noted that NHTSA has previously identified shortcomings in Tesla\u2019s driver-engagement safeguards. In an earlier engineering analysis of Autopilot, the agency concluded that Tesla\u2019s system did not sufficiently ensure that drivers remained attentive and used the technology appropriately, identifying a mismatch between Autopilot\u2019s substantial control over the vehicle and its safeguards for keeping drivers engaged.\n\nNBC News also reported on videos appearing to show Tesla drivers sleeping at highway speeds, using laptops, watching videos, and otherwise disengaging while FSD was operating. NBC News also reported that some drivers said they had been able to evade the cabin-camera monitoring system, including by wearing sunglasses or obstructing the camera.\n\nKrishnamoorthi also raised concerns about messages Tesla reportedly began displaying to drivers with software update 2025.32.3. WIRED reported that those messages included \u201cDrowsiness detected. Stay focused with FSD\u201d and \u201cLane drift detected. Let FSD assist so you can stay focused.\u201d Because FSD requires continuous human supervision, Krishnamoorthi questioned whether encouraging a driver whom the vehicle has already detected as drowsy to use the system creates an additional safety risk.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cAdvising an alert driver who experiences a momentary lane drift to use a driver-assistance feature is one thing. Encouraging a driver whom the vehicle has detected as drowsy to \u2018stay focused with FSD\u2019 presents a fundamentally different safety question. FSD requires continuous human supervision, yet the message appears to encourage use of the system precisely when the vehicle has detected that the driver may be less capable of providing that supervision.\u201d\n\nThe concerns come as NHTSA conducts an ongoing engineering analysis involving approximately 3.2 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD. The agency is examining whether FSD\u2019s degradation-detection system can identify reduced roadway visibility and provide drivers with an adequate warning and sufficient time to respond. The investigation identifies nine incidents, including one fatality and one injury.\n\nKrishnamoorthi is demanding answers to the following questions:\n\nIs NHTSA aware of the growing body of publicly available videos showing Tesla drivers apparently asleep or otherwise disengaged from the driving task while Autopilot or FSD is operating? Has the agency assessed whether these incidents indicate a systemic problem with Tesla\u2019s driver-monitoring or driver-engagement systems?\n\nHas NHTSA communicated with Tesla regarding videos depicting drivers sleeping, using laptops, watching video, gaming, or otherwise disengaging from the driving task while FSD is operating? If so, what information has Tesla provided regarding the frequency of such behavior and the effectiveness of its safeguards?\n\nWhat data has NHTSA collected or requested from Tesla\u2014through the Standing General Order or other authorities\u2014concerning driver inattention, drowsiness, or apparent driver disengagement in crashes involving Autopilot or FSD? How many such incidents has the agency identified since January 1, 2024?\n\nWhat is NHTSA\u2019s current assessment of the effectiveness of Tesla\u2019s cabin-camera-based driver-monitoring system? Specifically, has the agency evaluated its performance when the cabin camera is obstructed, visibility is impaired, or drivers use sunglasses, hats, or other means that may interfere with detection?\n\nWhat findings would lead NHTSA to conclude that Tesla\u2019s driver-monitoring or driver-engagement systems constitute a safety defect requiring corrective action, including a safety recall?\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested a written response by September 30, 2026.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-denounces-trump-administrations-racist-get-our-roads-mr-singh", "Krishnamoorthi Denounces Trump Administration\u2019s Racist \u201cGet Off Our Roads, Mr. Singh\u201d Tweet", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement condemning an official Department of Homeland Security social media post that depicted a man labeled \u201cMr. Singh\u201d in a Transformers-style deportation graphic, told him to \u201cget off our roads,\u201d and warned him to \u201cself-deport or find out\u201d:\n\n\u201cOur government should never use its power to demonize people or suggest that their faith, heritage, or identity means they do not belong here. Yet in an official social media post styled as a movie poster, the Trump Department of Homeland Security depicted a man labeled \u201cMr. Singh\u201d as the villain, told him to \u201cget off our roads,\u201d and warned him to \u201cself-deport or find out.\u201d More than 160,000 people in the United States share the surname Singh. When the government demonizes a name carried by so many Sikh families, it fuels xenophobia and casts suspicion on an entire community. Sikh and South Asian Americans are as American as anyone. This is our country and our home, and there should be no room for hate here.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-joins-illinois-mental-health-and-lgbtq-leaders-push-restore-988", "Krishnamoorthi Joins Illinois Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Leaders in Push to Restore 988 \u201cPress 3\u201d Crisis Services", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), author of the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act and a Vice Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, today joined Illinois Department of Human Services Secretary Dulce Quintero, The Trevor Project, NAMI Chicago, Equality Illinois, and other mental health and LGBTQ+ advocates for a roundtable and press conference calling on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump Administration to restore specialized 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline services for LGBTQ+ young people.\n\n\u201cWhen an LGBTQ+ person reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, they should be able to reach a counselor trained to understand what they are going through,\u201d Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. \u201cPress 3 provided that lifesaving support, and the Trump Administration shut it down. I worked with partners from both parties to secure $33.1 million for the program and directed the Administration to restore these lifesaving services. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. needs to turn Press 3 back on and make sure every LGBTQ+ person, including transgender young people, can get the help they need when they need it most.\u201d\n\nDuring the roundtable at NAMI Chicago, participants discussed efforts to restore Press 3 and strengthen crisis support in Illinois. The state is working with The Trevor Project to train general 988 counselors in LGBTQ+ crisis competency while the specialized federal service remains unavailable.\n\nCongress directed $33.1 million in Fiscal Year 2026 funding toward restoring the specialized services. In June, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\u2019s Department acknowledged in a response to a bipartisan request led by Krishnamoorthi that Congress had directed the services to be restored, but said it was still assessing implementation while seeking to comply with Executive Order 14168. Krishnamoorthi has also introduced the bipartisan 988 LGBTQ+ Youth Access Act to permanently protect the specialized services and require HHS to reserve at least 9 percent of annual 988 funding for them.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-joins-bipartisan-group-over-250-current-and-former-members-congress", "SCHNEIDER JOINS BIPARTISAN GROUP OF OVER 250 CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS URGING THE SUPREME COURT TO BLOCK TRUMP\u2019S EXECUTIVE ORDER LIMITING VOTING BY MAIL", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013 Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) joined a bipartisan group of over 250 current and former Members of Congress in urging the Supreme Court to block President Trump\u2019s executive order that would require states to provide a citizenship verification list to the Department of Homeland Security and give the Postal Service control over who can vote by mail. Millions of Americans utilize mail-in voting including deployed service members, seniors, and disabled Americans. Trump himself voted by mail last month.\n\n\u201cThe right to vote is a critical pillar of our democracy,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cEvery single American deserves the opportunity to cast their ballot how they wish \u2013 whether that is in-person or by mail. This executive order is a blatant attempt to sow doubt in the integrity of our elections and disenfranchise eligible voters.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s continued attacks on mail-in voting are un-American and anti-democratic. I\u2019m glad to join a bipartisan group of over 250 current and former lawmakers to urge the Court to stand up for the right to vote and stand against any and all attacks that undermine this sacred right,\u201d Schneider concluded. \u201cWe will continue fighting to protect free and fair elections for everyone.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/los-representantes-garcia-ramirez-quigley-y-jackson-funcionarios-electos-locales-y-defensores-de-los-inmigrantes-exigen-plena-rendicion-de-cuentas-por-la-brutalidad-del-dhs-y-una-reforma-migratoria-significativa", "Los Representantes Garc\u00eda, Ramirez, Quigley y Jackson, Funcionarios Electos Locales y Defensores de los Inmigrantes, Exigen Plena Rendici\u00f3n de Cuentas por la Brutalidad del DHS\u00a0 y Una Reforma Migratoria Significativa", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO \u2014 Hoy, los miembros del Congreso Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Mike Quigley (IL-05) y Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) \u2014acompa\u00f1ados por una coalici\u00f3n de funcionarios electos locales, entre ellos la senadora estatal Celina Villanueva, el representante estatal Edgar Gonzalez Jr., la comisionada del condado de Cook Alma Anaya y los concejales Michael Rodriguez y Jessie Fuentes, as\u00ed como organizaciones defensoras de los inmigrantes como Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC), Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) y The Resurrection Project (TRP) \u2014 ofrecieron una conferencia de prensa para marcar un a\u00f1o de resistencia frente a la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz.\n\nLa coalici\u00f3n inst\u00f3 a tomar medidas en materia de reforma migratoria, incluyendo la exigencia de una votaci\u00f3n sobre la Ley Sue\u00f1o y Promesa (Dream and Promise Act), y reclam\u00f3 plena rendici\u00f3n de cuentas por parte de las autoridades locales y federales \u2014incluida la Fiscal Estatal del condado de Cook\u2014 ante la brutalidad y el terror que las acciones de control migratorio del gobierno federal han infligido a las comunidades de toda la regi\u00f3n.\n\n\u201cHace un a\u00f1o, la administraci\u00f3n Trump intent\u00f3 quebrantarnos y arrebatarnos la dignidad enviando a agentes federales enmascarados a nuestra ciudad mediante la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz. Fracasaron; en su lugar, nuestra comunidad se uni\u00f3, alz\u00f3 la voz y desafi\u00f3 su abuso de poder\u201d, declar\u00f3 el Congresista Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda. \u201cUn a\u00f1o despu\u00e9s, estamos m\u00e1s unidos que nunca. Pero la lucha no ha terminado. Los agentes federales enmascarados siguen operando en nuestros vecindarios, y continuaremos exigiendo que se marchen y que los responsables de sus cr\u00edmenes rindan cuentas. Y lo que es m\u00e1s importante: seguiremos luchando por una reforma migratoria significativa para que ninguna comunidad tenga que volver a sufrir las consecuencias de nuestro sistema migratorio fallido\u201d.\n\n\u201cConmemoramos el primer aniversario de Midway Blitz, cuando el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) inici\u00f3 una campa\u00f1a de terror en Chicago. Quienes vivimos ese terror lo tenemos claro: el DHS SIGUE SIENDO la mayor amenaza para nuestra seguridad colectiva\u201d, afirm\u00f3 la Congresista Delia Ramirez. \u201cAl recuperar la mayor\u00eda en el Congreso el pr\u00f3ximo a\u00f1o, nuestro dolor, nuestra indignaci\u00f3n y nuestras exigencias de justicia deben impulsarnos a una acci\u00f3n que honre a todos aquellos que el DHS nos arrebat\u00f3; debemos hacer rendir cuentas a CADA fascista que haya permitido la violencia del DHS y se haya beneficiado de ella, as\u00ed como abolir el ICE y desmantelar el DHS\u201d.\n\n\"La 'Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz' de Donald Trump ten\u00eda un \u00fanico objetivo: aterrorizar a Chicago. Los agentes del ICE y la CBP no fueron tras los peores delincuentes; secuestraron a personas en plena calle, lanzaron gases lacrim\u00f3genos contra escuelas primarias y mataron a un padre de dos hijos\", declar\u00f3 el Congresista Mike Quigley. \"Lamentablemente, el horror de las pol\u00edticas migratorias de Trump no termin\u00f3 con la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz. Apenas el mes pasado, asist\u00ed a una audiencia de deportaci\u00f3n donde vi a ni\u00f1os ante la corte sin sus padres, enfrent\u00e1ndose a una barrera idiom\u00e1tica y teniendo que explicar por qu\u00e9 merecen quedarse en este pa\u00eds. Hay que poner fin a esta crueldad. Estoy m\u00e1s comprometido que nunca a trabajar con mis colegas y con los defensores de derechos para proteger a nuestros vecinos inmigrantes y poner un alto al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) de Trump antes de que causen m\u00e1s da\u00f1o\".\n\n\"Un a\u00f1o despu\u00e9s de la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz, recordamos el da\u00f1o causado por esta operaci\u00f3n autoritaria, pero tambi\u00e9n honramos a los l\u00edderes religiosos, organizadores comunitarios, abogados, educadores y ciudadanos de Chicago que dieron un paso al frente para proteger a sus vecinos y defender los valores que fortalecen a nuestra ciudad\", afirm\u00f3 el Congresista Jonathan Jackson. \"Seguir\u00e9 exigiendo que se rindan cuentas por los abusos cometidos contra los inmigrantes y nuestras comunidades. Me uno a mis colegas del Congreso para reiterar nuestra exigencia de una reforma migratoria integral, basada en la convicci\u00f3n fundamental de que toda persona merece dignidad, equidad y el debido proceso\".\n\n\u201cEsta semana se cumple el primer aniversario de la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz, y los residentes de Chicago a\u00fan se encuentran conmocionados por los horrores que nuestras comunidades se han visto obligadas a enfrentar, mientras agentes enmascarados contin\u00faan sembrando el caos en toda la ciudad, deteniendo a innumerables residentes y desmantelando familias sin miramientos\u201d, declar\u00f3 la Senadora Estatal Celina Villanueva. \u201cDesde que se lanz\u00f3 la operaci\u00f3n el pasado mes de septiembre, las comunidades latinas \u2014especialmente aquellas a las que yo represento\u2014 han vivido con miedo constante: temor a salir de sus hogares y a enviar a sus hijos a la escuela. Tras un a\u00f1o de agresiones brutales contra manifestantes, patrullajes en las calles, redadas en nuestros vecindarios y da\u00f1os a nuestros residentes, ya es hora de exigir rendici\u00f3n de cuentas y justicia a esta administraci\u00f3n, no solo para los latinos de Illinois, sino tambi\u00e9n para todos aquellos afectados por estos actos de odio sin sentido\u201d.\n\n\u201cLa Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz no quebrant\u00f3 a nuestra comunidad; fortaleci\u00f3 nuestra determinaci\u00f3n. Durante un a\u00f1o, nuestras familias inmigrantes, vecinos y organizaciones comunitarias se han mantenido unidos frente al miedo y la intimidaci\u00f3n. Seguiremos defendiendo a cada familia y protegiendo el esp\u00edritu acogedor que define a nuestra comunidad\u201d, afirm\u00f3 el Concejal del Distrito 22, Michael D. Rodriguez.\n\n\u201cYa sean las redadas en apartamentos de South Shore, el tiroteo contra Marimar Mart\u00ednez en Brighton Park o el asesinato de Silverio Villegas Gonz\u00e1lez, ha quedado demostrado que ICE NO nos protege; su funci\u00f3n es intimidar a las comunidades de color y deportar a tantas personas como sea posible. Los l\u00edderes locales y los pol\u00edticos deben apoyar a los inmigrantes y hacer cumplir las leyes y pol\u00edticas por las que nuestras comunidades lucharon para convertir a Illinois en un lugar que d\u00e9 la bienvenida a todos\u201d, afirm\u00f3 Lawrence Benitio, director ejecutivo del ICIRR.\n\n\u201cLa Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz no ha terminado; todav\u00eda sufrimos las consecuencias de ver c\u00f3mo miles de vecinos fueron arrancados de nuestra comunidad. Familias separadas. Empleos perdidos. Comunidades desestabilizadas. Sin embargo, a pesar de todo, nuestra comunidad sigue dando la cara y luchando. Nos negamos a permitir que se normalice este terror\u201d, declar\u00f3 Any Huamami, directora de organizaci\u00f3n del Brighton Park Neighborhood Council.\n\n\u201cHace un a\u00f1o, por estas fechas, nuestras comunidades sufr\u00edan el terror provocado por agentes enmascarados; hubo personas secuestradas sin explicaci\u00f3n y familias separadas a la fuerza debido a la campa\u00f1a de control migratorio de esta administraci\u00f3n federal. El a\u00f1o pasado nos demostr\u00f3 que todos corr\u00edamos el riesgo de ser detenidos simplemente por nuestra apariencia. Las detenciones ilegales se convirtieron en la norma, pero seguimos aqu\u00ed denunciando esas acciones y recordando a la gente que ICE contin\u00faa operando en nuestras comunidades. Es nuestro deber mantenernos alerta y protegernos mutuamente\u201d, afirm\u00f3 Antonio Guti\u00e9rrez, cofundador y coordinador estrat\u00e9gico de Organized Communities Against Deportations.\n\n\u201cEl noroeste de Chicago fue uno de los puntos clave de la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz. Los miembros de la comunidad local se unieron para resistir este ataque, formando parte de la red estatal de respuesta r\u00e1pida coordinada por ICIRR. Nuestra labor no termin\u00f3 cuando concluy\u00f3 la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz; a la fecha, seguimos presenciando secuestros y agresiones por parte del ICE en nuestros vecindarios. Los miembros de la comunidad seguir\u00e1n haciendo su parte para mantenernos a salvo. Ya es hora de que los departamentos de polic\u00eda locales cumplan con su deber e investiguen las acciones de estos agentes para que podamos exigirles responsabilidades. Es lo m\u00ednimo que merecen los miembros de nuestra comunidad y los vecinos que sufrieron ataques con gases lacrim\u00f3genos y gas pimienta, adem\u00e1s de agresiones y violencia por parte del gobierno federal\u201d, declar\u00f3 el pastor Juan Pablo Herrera, presidente de la junta directiva de PLSNA.\n\n\u201cEl miedo que recorri\u00f3 nuestras comunidades es real, pero este a\u00f1o no estuvo definido por el miedo, sino por la belleza y la resiliencia de nuestra comunidad. La administraci\u00f3n Trump se propuso dar un ejemplo con Chicago. En cambio, nosotros dimos el ejemplo: construimos una respuesta coordinada a nivel estatal que ha conectado a decenas de miles de miembros de la comunidad con asistencia legal, as\u00ed como una red de respuesta r\u00e1pida que demuestra que los inmigrantes de todo Illinois nunca est\u00e1n solos\u201d, afirm\u00f3 Er\u00e9ndira Rend\u00f3n, vicepresidenta de Justicia para Inmigrantes de The Resurrection Project.\n\nLea un editorial del Congresista Garc\u00eda sobre la Operaci\u00f3n Midway Blitz aqu\u00ed.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-garcia-ramirez-quigley-jackson-local-elected-officials-and-immigration-advocates-call-for-full-accountability-for-dhs-brutality-and-meaningful-immigration-reform", "Reps. Garc\u00eda, Ramirez, Quigley, Jackson, Local Elected Officials and Immigration Advocates Call for Full Accountability for DHS Brutality and Meaningful Immigration Reform", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO \u2014 Today, Congressmembers Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Mike Quigley (IL-05), and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), joined by a coalition of local elected officials including State Senator Celina Villanueva, State Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr, Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya, Alderperson Michael Rodriguez, Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, and immigration advocacy organizations, including Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Brighton Park Neighborhood Council (BPNC), Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD) and The Resurrection Project (TRP), held a press conference to mark one year of resistance to Operation Midway Blitz.\n\nThe coalition called for action on immigration reform, including by forcing a vote on the Dream and Promise Act, and demanded full accountability from local and federal authorities, including the Cook County State\u2019s Attorney, for the brutality and terror inflicted by the federal government\u2019s immigration enforcement actions on communities throughout the region.\n\n\u201cA year ago, the Trump administration tried to break us and take away our dignity by sending masked federal agents into our city through Operation Midway Blitz. They failed, and instead our community came together, stood up and challenged their abuse of power,\u201d said Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda. \u201cOne year later, we are more united than ever. But the fight is not over. Masked federal agents continue to operate in our neighborhoods, and we will keep demanding that they leave and that those responsible for their crimes be held accountable. Most importantly, we will continue fighting for meaningful immigration reform so that no community has to endure the failures of our broken immigration system again.\u201d\n\n\"We are commemorating the one-year anniversary of Midway Blitz, when the Department of Homeland Security began a campaign of terror in Chicago. Those of us who lived through its terror are clear: DHS REMAINS the biggest threat to our collective safety,\" said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez. \"As we regain the majority next year, our grief, our anger, and our calls for justice must move us to action that honors all those stolen from us by DHS, by holding EVERY fascist who has permitted and profited from DHS\u2019s violence accountable, by abolishing ICE, and by dismantling DHS.\"\n\n\"Donald Trump's Operation Midway Blitz had one goal and one goal only: to terrorize Chicago. ICE and CBP agents didn't go after the worst of the worst, they kidnapped people off the streets, tear gassed elementary schools, and killed a father of two,\" said Congressman Mike Quigley. \"Unfortunately, the horror of Trump's immigration policies didn't end with Operation Midway Blitz. Just last month, I attended a deportation hearing where I saw children in court without their parents, facing a language barrier, and being asked to explain why they deserve to stay in this country. This cruelty must be stopped. I'm more committed than ever to working with my colleagues and advocates to protect our immigrant neighbors and stop Trump\u2019s DHS in its tracks before they can do any more harm.\"\n\n\u201cOne year after Operation Midway Blitz, we remember the harm caused by this authoritarian operation, but we also honor the faith leaders, community organizers, attorneys, educators, and ordinary Chicagoans who stepped up to protect their neighbors and defend the values that make our city strong,\u201d said Congressman Jonathan Jackson. \u201cI will continue to demand accountability for the abuses inflicted on immigrants and our communities. I stand with my Congressional colleagues in renewing our call for comprehensive immigration reform rooted in the fundamental belief that every person deserves dignity, equity, and due process.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis week marks the one-year anniversary of Operation Midway Blitz, and Chicago residents are still reeling from the horrors our communities have been forced to face, as masked officers continue to wreak havoc across our city by taking countless residents into custody and dismantling families left and right,\u201d said State Senator Celina Villanueva. \u201cSince the operation was launched last September, Latino communities, especially those I represent, have lived in constant fear \u2013 afraid of leaving their homes and sending their children to school. After a year of brutalizing protestors, patrolling city streets, raiding our neighborhoods and harming our residents, it is far beyond time to demand accountability and justice from this administration, not only for Latino Illinoisans but also for everyone who has been impacted by these senseless acts of hate.\u201d\n\n\u201cOperation Midway Blitz did not break our community, it strengthened our resolve. For a year, our immigrant families, neighbors, and community organizations have stood together against fear and intimidation. We will continue to defend every family and protect the welcoming spirit that defines our community,\u201d said 22 Ward Alderperson Michael D. Rodriguez.\n\n\u201cWhether it be the apartment raids in South Shore, the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park, or the murder of Silverio Villegas Gonz\u00e1lez, it\u2019s been proven that ICE does NOT keep us safe - they are designed to intimidate communities of color and deport as many people as possible\u2026Local leaders and politicians must stand with immigrants and enforce the laws and policies our communities fought for to make Illinois a welcoming place for all, said Lawrence Benitio, Executive Director, ICIRR.\n\n\u201cOperation Midway Blitz isn\u2019t over - we\u2019re still reeling from the impact of thousands of neighbors being stripped from our community. Families separated. Jobs lost. Communities destabilized. Yet, through it all, our community keeps showing up and fighting back. We refuse to let this terror be normalized,\u201d said Any Huamami, Director of Organizing, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council.\n\n\u201cOn this day, last year our communities were being terrorized by masked agents, kidnapped without explanation, and families have been forcibly broken by this federal administration\u2019s immigration enforcement campaign. Last year showed us we were all at risk of being detained only based on what we look like. Unlawful arrests became the norm, but we are still here exposing those actions and reminding people that ICE is still in our communities. It is our duty to continue to be vigilant and protect each other,\u201d said Antonio Gutierrez, Co-Founder and Strategic Coordinator, Organized Communities Against Deportations.\n\n\u201cChicago's Northwest Side was one of the concentration points for Operation Midway Blitz. Local community members came together to fight back against this attack on our community as part of the statewide network of rapid responders anchored by ICIRR. Our work did not end when Midway Blitz concluded. We continue to see daily ICE abductions and assaults in our neighborhoods to this day. Community members will continue doing their part to keep us safe. It is now long overdue for police departments locally to do their job, and investigate the actions of these agents, so we can hold them to account. It's the least that our community members and neighbors who were tear gassed, pepper sprayed and faced assault and aggression from the federal government deserve,\u201d said Pastor Juan Pablo Herrera, Board President, PLSNA.\n\n\u201cThe fear that swept through our communities is real, but this year wasn\u2019t defined by fear, but by the beauty and resilience of our community. The Trump administration set out to make an example of Chicago. Instead, we led by example\u2014building a statewide coordinated response that has connected tens of thousands of community members to legal support, and a rapid response network that shows that immigrants across Illinois never stand alone, said Er\u00e9ndira Rend\u00f3n, Vice President of Immigrant Justice, The Resurrection Project.\n\nRead an op-ed by Congressman Garc\u00eda about Operation Midway Blitz, HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://robinkelly.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/53-members-congress-demand-hhs-and-cms-halt-medicaid-data-sharing-ice", "53 Members of Congress Demand HHS and CMS Halt Medicaid Data Sharing with ICE", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Robin L. Kelly", "K000385", "robinkelly.house.gov", "robinkelly", "https://robinkelly.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Representatives Robin Kelly (IL-02), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (CA-44), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Emily Randall (WA-06) led 49 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz calling for an immediate end to the sharing of Medicaid enrollee data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).\n\nDespite a federal preliminary injunction limiting data transfers, CMS continues to share private data belonging to millions of enrollees\u2014including U.S. citizens and lawful residents\u2014beyond court-approved limits. Reports also reveal ICE improperly mishandled the data across internal channels and shared it with third-party analytics contractors like Palantir Technologies.\n\n\"The role of HHS should be to protect the health of all those living in this country and provide essential human services, not to be a watchdog for DHS or act as immigration enforcement,\" the Members stated in the letter.\n\nRead the Full Letter Here\n\n###\n\nCONTACT: Kevin Kiser (Kevin.Kiser@Mail.house.gov)\n\n202-603-8390", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-goldman-lead-bipartisan-effort-urging-secretaries-rubio-and-bessent", "SCHNEIDER, GOLDMAN LEAD BIPARTISAN EFFORT URGING SECRETARIES RUBIO AND BESSENT TO PREVENT FURTHER MIDDLE EASTERN INSTABILITY BY PROTECTING THE WEST BANK ECONOMY", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013 Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) along with Congressman Craig Goldman (TX-12), Co-Chairs of the Abraham Accords Caucus, led a bipartisan group of colleagues to urge Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent to continue their efforts to prevent Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups from exploiting economic instability in the West Bank.\n\n\u201cThe United States must confront and degrade terrorist organizations like Hamas and other Iran-backed actors that threaten U.S. interests and our allies, but we must not unnecessarily destabilize the West Bank in the process,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cAs a Co-Chair of the Abraham Accords Caucus, I am committed to advancing efforts that build lasting peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and all the countries across the Middle East. A functioning Palestinian economy promotes greater stability and increased possibility for progress towards peace. The United States must work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to advance reforms that keep clearance revenues flowing, disrupt terror financing, and preserve financial stability. I will continue working with colleagues across the aisle to put peace, stability, and security first, so that Israeli and Palestinian children can build prosperous futures.\u201d\n\n\u201cSupporting Israel\u2019s security and defeating terrorist groups is central to America\u2019s foreign policy,\u201d said Goldman. \u201cEconomic instability in the West Bank risks creating a vacuum that Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist organizations could exploit, further threatening Israel\u2019s security and undermining regional peace and integration. Alongside Rep. Schneider, I\u2019m urging Secretary Rubio and Secretary Bessent to continue policies that promote regional stability while ensuring strict accountability and preventing financial channels from illicitly supporting terrorism.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe recognize Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns since October 7, and we are not asking for Israel to relax vigilance against terror financing,\u201d the members wrote. \u201cHowever, continued withholding of billions in clearance revenues risks accelerating the West Bank\u2019s fiscal collapse \u2013 an outcome that would serve the interests of extremist and Iran-backed groups, not Israel, nor the United States. We therefore urge you to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority on practical, security conscious mechanisms that keep clearance revenues flowing to legitimate Palestinian institutions while ensuring none are diverted to terror financing.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe share the United States\u2019 long-held position that the Palestinian Authority must implement meaningful reforms,\u201d the members continued. \u201cReal and sustainable reform, however, cannot succeed if the Palestinian institutions expected to carry it out are deprived of the revenues and financial infrastructure necessary to function. Despite its significant shortcomings and flaws, the Palestinian Authority remains the only current viable governing alternative to Hamas and thus must play an essential role in promoting regional stability and security. A fiscal collapse of the Palestinian Authority would weaken security cooperation, disrupt essential public services, marginalize pragmatic leadership in the West Bank, and create further openings for Hamas and other extremists.\u201d\n\nThe letter is also signed by Reps. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Ann Wagner (MO-02), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).\n\nView the full text of the letter here and below.\n\nDear Secretary Bessent and Secretary Rubio:\n\nWe write to urge continued attention to preventing Hamas and other Iran-backed bad actors from exploiting economic instability in the West Bank. A fiscal crisis that weakens the Palestinian Authority creates exactly the kind of vacuum these groups seek to exploit for recruitment, weapons smuggling, and the erosion of security cooperation with Israel. A functioning economy in the West Bank is also important to establish greater stability for Palestinian citizens, fostering responsible and accountable governance, sustaining Israel\u2019s long-term security, and preserving momentum toward broader regional integration, including continued expansion of the Abraham Accords.\n\nWe recognize Israel\u2019s legitimate security concerns since October 7, and we are not asking for Israel to relax vigilance against terror financing. However, continued withholding of billions in clearance revenues risks accelerating the West Bank\u2019s fiscal collapse \u2013 an outcome that would serve the interests of extremist and Iran-backed groups, not Israel, nor the United States. We therefore urge you to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority on practical, security conscious mechanisms that keep clearance revenues flowing to legitimate Palestinian institutions while ensuring none are diverted to terror financing. All parties, including the Palestinian Authority, must do their part. Continued reform and anti-corruption measures by the Palestinian Authority are necessary to advance responsible fiscal treatment by the Israeli government. Paired together, these reforms and fiscal actions will support the greater regional stability we all seek.\n\nThe West Bank economy has historically been comparatively strong, with higher real GDP per capita than Jordan and a Human Development Index score in the high-human-development category. Notwithstanding serious economic problems, particularly in refugee camps, this relative prosperity has shown the value of moderation, secular government, and private enterprise. The contrast is especially stark when compared with Hamas\u2019s authoritarian governance over Gaza before October 7, 2023, and the material deprivation of the civilians in Gaza since Hamas\u2019s attack on Israel.\n\nThere can be no doubt that the success of the West Bank is due in part to high levels of human capital and deep integration with Israel\u2019s economy. Additionally, the West Bank private sector depends on functioning correspondent banking relationships and the timely transfer of clearance revenues collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.\n\nWe are concerned that the Finance Ministry\u2019s decision to hold clearance revenue transfers, combined with longstanding failures of governance and reform by the Palestinian Authority, is undermining these relationships and endangering the future of the West Bank. The Trump Administration has appropriately paired support for viable Palestinian institutions with clear demands for reform and accountability. The State Department welcomed the Palestinian Authority\u2019s February 2025 decree restructuring its prisoner-payment system as an apparently positive step while making clear that serious concerns remain as to whether these reforms satisfy the Taylor Force Act, which Congress enacted to end the P.A.\u2019s abhorrent pay for slay practice. We appreciate your commitment to ending this program and refusal to presume compliance before sufficient evidence has been presented. Secretary Rubio, your work through President Trump\u2019s Board of Peace similarly reflects the Administration\u2019s recognition that defeating Hamas requires credible, accountable Palestinian governance. And Secretary Bessent, under your leadership, Treasury has aggressively targeted Hamas\u2019s illicit financial networks while distinguishing them from legitimate Palestinian interests.\n\nWe appreciate the efforts by your respective Departments to preserve correspondent banking relationships between Israeli and Palestinian banks. The State Department welcomed Israel\u2019s extension of indemnification through the end of 2026 and correctly warned that destabilizing regulated banking channels, as we are presently seeing, would push transactions toward cash and other unregulated systems, undermining efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.\n\nWe share the United States\u2019 long-held position that the Palestinian Authority must implement meaningful reforms. Real and sustainable reform, however, cannot succeed if the Palestinian institutions expected to carry it out are deprived of the revenues and financial infrastructure necessary to function. Despite its significant shortcomings and flaws, the Palestinian Authority remains the only current viable governing alternative to Hamas and thus must play an essential role in promoting regional stability and security. A fiscal collapse of the Palestinian Authority would weaken security cooperation, disrupt essential public services, marginalize pragmatic leadership in the West Bank, and create further openings for Hamas and other extremists.\n\nWe ask you to continue your efforts to elevate accountability and ensure a viable future for the West Bank economy. With the risk of increased hostilities involving Iran continuing across the Middle East, we must prevent further instability in the region. We look forward to your response and request that you provide a classified briefing when Congress returns to Washington on the progress you have made on this issue over the summer.", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/video-budzinski-meets-with-gateway-memorial-hospital-ceo-demands-reform-to-improve-operations", "VIDEO: Budzinski Meets with Gateway Memorial Hospital CEO, Demands Reform to Improve Operations", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "GRANITE CITY, IL \u2014 Yesterday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) met with leadership at Gateway Regional Medical Center to address serious concerns surrounding patient-safety and the hospital\u2019s ongoing financial crisis. In an exclusive interview with KMOV David Amelotti, Budzinski shared what was discussed in the closed-door meeting and emphasized what must be done to ensure the community continues to have access to quality care and hospital staff have the resources they need.\n\nWatch the full interview HERE.\n\nIn August, reporting from KMOV raised serious concerns around billing and staffing issues at Gateway that were impacting patient care. Budzinski immediately sprang into action, reaching out to the state and ultimately sending a four-page letter to American Healthcare Systems CEO and Gateway Regional Medical Center CEO, Michael Sarian and Joe Ottolino, demanding clear answers on Gateway\u2019s finances, employee benefits, and staffing stability.\n\nIn response to the letter, hospital leadership agreed to meet with the Congresswoman in person. Budzinski visited the hospital to hear directly about the challenges facing the facility, and discuss a path forward to address concerns about patient care and the hospital\u2019s financial stability. Going forward, Budzinski is pushing Gateway to make serious and meaningful improvements to adequately serve patients in the community and remain in a position to provide the quality care patients deserve and continue receiving critical Medicare and Medicaid funding.", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-khanna-subramanyam-urge-secretary-rubio-strengthen-us-response", "Krishnamoorthi, Khanna, Subramanyam Urge Secretary Rubio to Strengthen U.S. Response to Catastrophic Floods in Nepal", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On Friday, Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Ro Khanna (CA-17), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), joined by 27 of their colleagues, in urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to use every available resource to support ongoing search-and-rescue efforts following the catastrophic flash floods in Nepal and to ensure the safety and recovery of American citizens and others affected by the disaster.\n\nAs of September 4, the death toll from the flash floods had surpassed 1,300 people, and at least 4,000 people remained missing, including at least 75 U.S. citizens.\n\n\u201cWe support the Department\u2019s announcement of $500,000 in assistance through its global award with Catholic Relief Services to support emergency shelter, relief items, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) assistance, as well as the $3.6 million in humanitarian assistance announced on August 29,\u201d the lawmakers write. \u201cNonetheless, given the unprecedented loss of life and countless missing persons, we urge the Department to do much more.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers requested that the State Department:\n\nProvide daily updates to family members of those missing and Congress as rescue efforts continue.\n\nDeploy a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to flood-affected communities.\n\nCoordinate with the interagency and private sector to utilize high-altitude assets and thermal/infrared drones to search for missing persons and share aerial imagery with partners.\n\nEngage Nepali and PRC disaster authorities and international partners to ensure full coverage and access across search areas.\n\nEnsure rapid delivery of disaster assistance and provide additional reconstruction support.", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/first-anniversary-operation-midway-blitz-ramirez-members-illinois-delegation", "On the first anniversary of \u201cOperation Midway Blitz,\u201d Ramirez, Members of the Illinois Delegation Lead Call for Accountability, Oversight Into DHS Excessive Force", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Subcommittee in the Committee on Homeland Security, led 8 members of the Illinois Congressional delegation in requesting that the Office of the Inspector General investigate Department of Homeland Security\u2019s (DHS) agents for a pattern of misconduct, unconstitutional uses of force, and potential criminal violations during immigration enforcement operations, including \u201cOperation Midway Blitz.\u201d The Members are calling on the Inspector General to utilize the findings of the Illinois Accountability Commission's Final Report on \"Operation Midway Blitz,\u201d which documents, at length, patterns of abusive, illegal, and reckless agent behavior.\n\n\u201cEnforcement actions across the country \u2014 from Illinois to Minnesota to Virginia \u2014 reveal a consistent pattern that goes beyond ICE: agents use reckless and unlawful force and then DHS issues public statements justifying the use of force that are repeatedly proven false or highly misleading. We are deeply concerned that DHS has not taken sufficient action to ensure that agents and officers do not engage in this type of misconduct,\u201d wrote the Members.\n\nTo illustrate the pattern, the Members point to Agent Martin Lagunas, who has a history of aggressive, escalatory conduct in both Chicago and Minneapolis before an incident in Maryland. Some of the reports include reckless driving, obstructing observers engaged in legal First Amendment activity, drawing weapons on residents, questionable discharge of chemical irritants, and threatening civilians.\n\n\u201cAgent Lagunas\u2019 behavior is not an isolated incident. This pattern of abusive, illegal, and reckless behavior is documented at length in the Illinois Accountability Commission's Final Report on \"Operation Midway Blitz,\" wrote the Members. \u201c There is little evidence of DHS action to investigate [DHS agent excessive use of force] incidents and hold personnel accountable. Instead, many, like Agent Lagunas, continue to engage in incidents of excessive force around the country with apparent impunity. His example points to a structural failure in how DHS monitors, investigates, and corrects such operational conduct to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and policies.\u201d\n\nThe Members added, \u201cWhen the Illinois Accountability Commission released its findings, a DHS spokesperson attempted to dismiss the report by arguing that states lack the authority to investigate on-duty federal agents. While we disagree with this claim, the Office of Inspector General unquestionably possesses the public duty to investigate federal officers for misconduct, unconstitutional uses of force, and potential criminal violations.\u201d\n\nU.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congressmembers Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Bill Foster (IL-11), Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), and Mike Quigley (IL-05) cosigned the request for investigation.\n\nIn addition to the investigation, the members requested:\n\nA briefing on steps the Inspector General\u2019s office has taken to initiate administrative reviews and investigations into agent misconduct.\n\nThe preservation of all records relating to the incidents described in this letter and to the agents, including body-worn and dashboard camera recordings and associated metadata; radio and dispatch traffic; incident, use-of-force, and after-action reports; supervisory review and referral documentation; personnel and disciplinary files; communications concerning the drafting, approval, and dissemination of public statements regarding these incidents.\n\nThe keeping of records reflecting the assignment, deployment, or transfer of the named agents among Illinois, Minnesota, and Virginia.", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-delivers-250000-build-safer-fox-river-trail-segment-improve", "Krishnamoorthi Delivers $250,000 to Build Safer Fox River Trail Segment, Improve Riverfront Access in Batavia", "2026-09-05", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BATAVIA, Illinois \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi today joined Batavia Mayor Jeffery Schielke and local leaders to present $250,000 in federal Community Project Funding he secured to help build a new, dedicated segment of the Fox River Regional Trail, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists while expanding access to the Fox River.\n\nThe new segment will run along the west side of the Fox River between the river and Batavia\u2019s wastewater treatment facility, replacing a section where trail users can be routed off the dedicated path and alongside the roadway. The project will add new safety and guidance features, improve connectivity along the regional trail, and provide better access to and views of the riverfront. The Fox River Trail stretches from Oswego to Algonquin and serves more than 100,000 Fox Valley residents.\n\n\u201cMore than 100,000 people across the Fox Valley use the Fox River Trail, and they deserve a safe, reliable route. I\u2019m proud to have secured $250,000 to help Batavia build this new dedicated trail segment, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and make it easier for families to enjoy the Fox River,\u201d said Congressman Krishnamoorthi.", 1, "2026-09-08T09:24:24Z", "2026-09-08T09:26:10Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-garcia-leads-members-of-congress-in-demanding-answers-from-education-department-as-nearly-10-million-student-loan-borrowers-face-default", "Rep. Garc\u00eda Leads Members of Congress in Demanding Answers from Education Department as Nearly 10 Million Student Loan Borrowers Face Default", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04) led 27 of his colleagues in a letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon demanding she provide answers and transparency about the growing federal student loan default crisis as nearly a record of 10 million borrowers enter default under the Trump Administration.\n\nThe members warn that as millions of Americans struggle to keep up with student loan payments while also facing the rising costs of housing, food, healthcare and other basic necessities, the Department of Education, under Secretary McMahon\u2019s leadership, has failed to protect borrowers as she focuses on dismantling the Department and undertaking big changes to the federal student loan system.\n\nThe members also raised concerns about changes to federal repayment options enacted under H.R. 1. Several existing repayment plans are being phased out and they worry that these changes could result in higher monthly payments or reduce access to affordable repayment options for some borrowers.\n\nThe Members emphasized that default can have serious and long lasting consequences for borrowers, including damaged credit, wage garnishment, seizure of tax refunds, and barriers to homeownership and economic mobility. These outcomes disproportionately affect low income borrowers, first-generation college students, borrowers of colors, and borrowers who attended institutions with historically lower completion rates.\n\n\u201cStudent loan default should not become an inevitable consequence of pursuing higher education,\u201d the lawmakers wrote in the letter. \u201cBorrowers deserve accurate information, meaningful assistance, and a fair opportunity to remain in good standing with their loans.\u201d\n\nThe letter is co-signed by Representatives: Henry C. \"Hank\" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Alma S. Adams (NC-12), Greg Casar (TX-35), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Greg Landsman (OH-01), James R. Walkinshaw (VA-11), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Dave Min (CA-47).\n\nTo read the letter, including the full list of questions Members are asking click here.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/foster-introduces-bipartisan-legislation-expand-public-service-loan-0", "Foster Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Public Service Loan Forgiveness", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bill Foster", "F000454", "foster.house.gov", "foster", "https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inclusion Act of 2026 to expand the types of student loan repayment plans eligible for forgiveness and support those who forgo potentially lucrative careers to work in public service.\n\nThe Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program was established in 2007 and requires the Department of Education to forgive federal student loans after borrowers make at least 10 years of qualifying payments while working for certain public service employers. Currently, 97 percent of public servants who have applied for loan forgiveness have been denied. Millions of borrowers who enrolled in the PSLF program were told after they had already made payments that they had the wrong type of loan or repayment plan and would not qualify for forgiveness under the program.\n\nThis bill would allow payments made under a broader range of payment plans\u2014including graduated repayment plans, extended repayment plans, and the new tiered standard repayment plans\u2014to count toward PSLF for a borrower\u2019s first 60 qualifying payments.\n\n\u201cThe rising cost of higher education is forcing more Americans to take on significant student debt. This financial burden can often discourage talented individuals from pursuing a career in public service,\u201d said Rep. Foster. \u201cIt\u2019s past time to expand which student loan repayment plans qualify for forgiveness and make the process easier to navigate.\u201d\n\nThe bill is supported by the American Council on Education (ACE), the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Young Invincibles, and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT): Education, Healthcare, Public Services.\n\nIt is cosponsored by Reps. Jes\u00fas \u2018Chuy\u2019 Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN), Angie Craig (D-MN), Shomari Figures (D-AL), and Alma Adams (D-NC).\n\nA copy of the legislation is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-continues-national-push-combat-rising-hate-against-south-asian", "Krishnamoorthi Continues National Push to Combat Rising Hate Against South Asian Americans at Georgia Event", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) participated Thursday in the first stop of Indian American Impact\u2019s national listening tour in Norcross, Georgia, where South Asian elected officials, community leaders, and residents gathered to address the rise in hate, harassment, and violence targeting South Asian Americans. The Georgia gathering followed Wednesday\u2019s national roundtable on Capitol Hill and focused on what communities are experiencing and how federal, state, and local leaders can strengthen prevention, reporting, and accountability.\n\n\u201cThe rise in hate, harassment, and violence against South Asian Americans demands a response across the country,\u201d Krishnamoorthi said. \u201cAfter bringing South Asian leaders together in Washington, we are continuing that work here in Georgia with community members and public officials to improve prevention, reporting, and accountability for hate crimes. South Asian Americans have built their lives here, raised their families here, and strengthened communities across this country. We have to stand shoulder to shoulder against hate and violence whenever our communities are targeted.\u201d\n\nThe listening session included Krishnamoorthi, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi, Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman, Georgia State Representative Akbar Ali, Indian American Impact Executive Director Chintan Patel, SAATH founder Rohan Soni, and community leaders and advocates from across Georgia. Participants discussed what South Asian Americans are seeing and experiencing, how government is responding, and what additional steps could help communities confronting hate and discrimination. The Georgia gathering marked the beginning of Indian American Impact\u2019s national listening tour, which is intended to hear directly from community members about their experiences and what additional steps are needed to confront hate targeting South Asian Americans.\n\nEarlier this year, Krishnamoorthi reintroduced the bipartisan Hate Crimes Commission Act, which would establish a bipartisan commission to examine what is driving hate crimes, including the role of social media and technology, assess barriers to complete reporting, and identify successful prevention and response strategies.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-trump-disclose-whether-he-his-family-or-allies-stand", "Krishnamoorthi Demands Trump Disclose Whether He, His Family, or Allies Stand to Profit from Venezuela Oil Deal", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today demanded President Donald Trump disclose whether he, members of his family, political allies, major donors, or business associates stand to financially benefit from his Administration\u2019s Venezuela oil deal before substantial U.S. taxpayer resources are committed.\n\nTrump announced the deal on August 28, claiming it would give the United States \u201cmajority U.S. control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves\u201d in Venezuela. According to the White House, the agreement includes a 35 percent U.S. stake in the corporate parent of North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP), a private company led by Venezuelan businessman Alejandro Betancourt, as well as preferential rights to purchase a portion of its oil production.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cGiven the limited information your Administration has made public, conflicting statements from Venezuela\u2019s acting President, and questions of the legality of the agreement, I have serious concerns, including whether you, members of your family, your political allies, or major donors stand to financially benefit from this arrangement. Therefore, I urge you to provide greater transparency regarding this deal before the United States commits substantial capital to Venezuela\u2019s energy sector.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi raised particular concerns about Betancourt, who has reportedly faced investigations in Switzerland, Spain, and the United States involving alleged money laundering. Betancourt was identified as a conspirator in a Miami criminal complaint detailing a billion-dollar scheme involving funds from Venezuela\u2019s state-owned oil company PDVSA. Rudy Giuliani, Trump\u2019s personal lawyer at the time, represented Betancourt in discussions with Justice Department officials. Betancourt was also arrested twice in Britain in 2025 at the requests of Spain and Switzerland.\n\nThe letter also raises questions about other potential beneficiaries of the deal, including oil magnate Harry Sargeant III, a Republican donor with longstanding connections to Trump who reportedly advised the Administration on Venezuela. Sargeant agreed last month to sell the company through which he held a minority stake in NABEP to an unidentified buyer for $300 million.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cThe public requires meaningful transparency when government decisions have the potential to create substantial financial benefits for individuals with close connections to the President. Your family members and business associates have extensive investments and commercial relationships around the world. If any individual or entity connected to you stands to benefit from the development, financing, refining, transportation, sale, or export of Venezuelan oil\u2014or from companies receiving U.S. government contracts, financing, licenses, or other benefits as a result of this agreement\u2014the public deserves to know before American taxpayers and U.S. government resources are committed.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi is demanding answers to the following questions:\n\nDo you, any member of your immediate family, or any entity in which you or your immediate family has a direct or indirect financial interest have any financial interest in any entity involved in the Venezuela agreement or in the development, financing, refining, transportation, or sale of Venezuelan oil? If so, please identify each interest and its estimated value.\n\nDo any current or former Administration officials, campaign officials, major political donors, business associates, or other individuals with a personal or professional relationship with you have a direct or indirect financial interest in any entity participating in the agreement? If so, please identify those individuals and entities.\n\nWhat U.S. government agencies, funds, financing mechanisms, or other taxpayer-supported resources will be used to finance, guarantee, insure, or otherwise support the Venezuela oil agreement?\n\nWhat ethics reviews, conflict-of-interest analyses, recusals, disclosure requirements, or other safeguards have the Administration undertaken to ensure that the agreement does not provide an improper financial benefit to you, your family, your political allies, or your business associates?\n\nWhat mechanisms are in place to ensure that individuals with connections to you or your family cannot acquire interests in Venezuelan oil assets or companies participating in the agreement after the agreement has been announced?", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-garcia-frost-demand-census-bureau-rescind-sham-noncitizen", "Krishnamoorthi, Garcia, Frost Demand Census Bureau Rescind Sham Noncitizen Voting Report", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA), and Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee Ranking Member Maxwell Frost (D-FL) today demanded that the U.S. Census Bureau immediately rescind a deeply flawed, defective, and politically motivated report on noncitizen voting in the 2020 election.\n\nThe lawmakers also demanded answers about who was involved in producing the report, how it was developed, what outside individuals or organizations participated in the effort, and what federal resources were used.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump lost the 2020 election, and no deeply flawed, politically motivated Census Bureau report can rewrite that fact. The Census Bureau should be producing rigorous, nonpartisan data, not spending taxpayer resources to prop up Trump\u2019s election lies. Our letter demands that the Bureau rescind this report and provide answers about who was behind it and how it was produced,\u201d said Ranking Member Krishnamoorthi.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump is a loser and a liar who is misusing government resources to cover up the fact that he lost the 2020 election. In the process, he is politicizing and undermining the credibility of the Census, with serious consequences for our country. We need to find out how Trump\u2019s allies were involved in this and what federal funds were wasted on this worthless report,\u201d said Ranking Member Garcia.\n\n\u201cThe Census Bureau is supposed to give the American people reliable information, not help Donald Trump relitigate an election he lost six years ago. Using taxpayer resources to produce a report that serves a political agenda is unacceptable. The Bureau should withdraw this report and be transparent about who commissioned it, who worked on it, and how it was produced,\u201d said Ranking Member Frost.\n\nIn their letter to George M. Cook, Deputy Under Secretary of the U.S. Census Bureau, Krishnamoorthi, Garcia, and Frost raised concerns about the Bureau\u2019s publication of Noncitizen Voting in the 2020 Election, A Beginning Analysis, including questions about the report\u2019s methodology, the individuals involved in producing it, and the use of federal resources.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote:\n\n\u201cThe mere publication of the Beginning Analysis in service of Trump\u2019s big lie threatens to undermine trust in the independence and credibility of the Bureau. The Bureau has been historically regarded as a public institution that employs rigor and integrity in each of its statistical quality standards and operations. As stated by former Census Bureau Director Rob Santos, \u2018[t]he scientific reputation of the Bureau has been beyond reproach. And as long as that document sits on the Census Bureau's website, that's no longer the case.\u2019 To one policy expert, \u2018[t]his is the weakest methodology description I\u2019ve ever seen in a Census Bureau publication.\u2019 Despite clear indicators that the Beginning Analysis lacks thoroughness and integrity, Trump falsely claimed that this initial review proved he \u2018WON THE ELECTION\u2019 in 2020 another attempt to further instigate Trump\u2019s embarrassing hyper fixation on the 2020 presidential election.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi, Garcia, and Frost are demanding that the Census Bureau rescind the report and provide documents and information concerning its production, including the individuals involved, the data and methodology used, communications with outside organizations, the legal authorities relied upon, and the federal funding used to produce the analysis.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-sounds-alarm-trump-administration-continues-threaten-deploy", "Krishnamoorthi Sounds Alarm as Trump Administration Continues to Threaten to Deploy Armed Federal Agents to Polling Places", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today sounded the alarm as the Trump Administration continues to threaten the deployment of ICE, CBP, or other armed federal agents at or near polling places during the 2026 midterm elections, warning that their presence could intimidate voters and suppress lawful participation.\n\nIn a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Krishnamoorthi demanded a definitive statement of DHS policy after Mullin\u2019s latest comments again left open the possibility of ICE appearing at polling places. President Trump has also said he would \u201cdo anything necessary\u201d when asked whether he would send ICE or the National Guard to voting sites.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cWith early voting and Election Day fast approaching, voters should not have to wonder whether federal immigration agents could appear at or near their polling place while they are casting their ballots. The presence of armed federal agents at or near a polling location\u2014even when ostensibly responding to a separate law-enforcement matter\u2014could create confusion, fear, or intimidation and could discourage eligible voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi warned that the threat is no longer theoretical. Republican candidates in Georgia, Maine, and Michigan have publicly discussed sending law enforcement, including ICE agents, U.S. Marshals, retired police officers, and the National Guard, to polling places in November. One candidate for governor of Maine has said he intends to ask the Trump Administration to send ICE agents and U.S. Marshals to voting sites.\n\nThe letter also points to the extraordinary volume of DHS records concerning possible federal deployments at election sites. ICE and CBP have told a federal court that they identified more than 127,000 pages of potentially responsive records concerning possible deployments of federal agents near polling places, ballot drop boxes, or election offices, yet neither agency had produced a single page as of the most recent filing.\n\nFederal law sharply restricts the presence of armed personnel at polling places and separately prohibits federal officials from intimidating voters. Krishnamoorthi noted that election officials in at least eight states have already moved to establish buffer zones and other restrictions on federal agents near polling places in response to the Administration\u2019s refusal to rule out such deployments.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cThe Department cannot simultaneously maintain, on one hand, that ICE has \u2018no reason\u2019 to be near a polling place, and on the other, that its Special Response Teams stand ready to deploy there. As the Department's Secretary, you are uniquely positioned to end this ambiguity.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi is demanding that DHS provide:\n\nA definitive, unqualified statement of Department policy on whether ICE, CBP, or any other DHS component will deploy personnel to, or within sight of, any polling place, ballot drop box, or election office during the early voting period or on Election Day 2026.\n\nAll guidance, directives, memoranda, or operational plans \u2014 including any related to Special Response Team deployment \u2014 concerning the presence of DHS personnel at or near polling locations for the 2026 elections.\n\nA precise definition of the \u201cspecific threat\u201d standard you have described publicly, including who within the Department is authorized to determine that the standard has been met and what review, if any, occurs before agents are dispatched to a polling site.\n\nA status update on ICE's and CBP's document production in the pending Democratic National Committee FOIA litigation, including a timeline for completing review and release of the identified records.\n\nCopies of any communications between Department leadership and the White House, the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, or outside political advisers regarding the potential deployment of federal personnel to polling places in 2026.\n\nConfirmation of what guidance, if any, the Department has issued to field offices regarding compliance with state buffer-zone laws that restrict federal agents' proximity to polling places.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-pressley-investigate-project-homecoming-fraud-and-corruption", "Ramirez, Pressley Investigate \u201cProject Homecoming\u201d Fraud and Corruption", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congressmembers Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Subcommittee in the Committee of Homeland Security, and Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 22 colleagues in opening an investigation into the fraud, corruption, and coercion of the Department of Homeland Security\u2019s (DHS) \u201cProject Homecoming\u201d following reports of immigrants who have been stranded by DHS, defrauded of guaranteed logistical or financial support, and robbed of their promised payments after leaving the United States.\n\nIn the Congressional inquiry addressed to the DHS, the U.S. Department of State, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Members shared the story of Yessica Torres, an immigrant from Venezuela who was stranded by DHS after registering through the CBP Home App.\n\nIn May, President Donald Trump established \u201cProject Homecoming\u201d to encourage immigrants to self-deport by \u201cproviding support\u201d with making travel arrangements, purchasing departure flights, preserving the chance to return legally to the United States, and a post-departure payment, initially $1,000 and later increased to $2,600. It is unclear how many people have departed through the program and have received the promised funds.\n\n\u201cWhile coercing departures, especially if immigrants are pursuing lawful claims for asylum and other immigration benefits, is repugnant, a credible repatriation support program would deliver on its promised benefits, humanely support immigrants transitioning out of the United States, embrace transparency, and be free of any allegations of intimidation and coercion,\u201d wrote the lawmakers. \u201cBy not meeting any of those minimum standards, Project Homecoming proves it is nothing more than a white nationalist, xenophobic scheme meant to defraud our immigrant neighbors and abusively compel them to leave their families, friends, and the communities they have lived in for decades.\u201d\n\nThe agencies must provide an answer by September 14, 2026. Additionally, the Members requested a briefing from the State Department on its role in funding, overseeing, and facilitating the travel of immigrants who lack access to necessary travel documents.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clark (NY-09), Danny Davis (IL-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Reps. Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), James McGovern (MA-02), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Chelli Pingree (ME-01), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-budzinski-pappas-lead-97-members-demanding-usps-halt-trump", "Krishnamoorthi, Budzinski, Pappas Lead 97 Members Demanding USPS Halt Trump-Backed Mail Ballot Rule", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), together with Representatives Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), today led 97 Members of Congress in demanding that Postmaster General David Steiner halt implementation of a new U.S. Postal Service rule carrying out President Donald Trump\u2019s executive order restricting mail ballot delivery. The lawmakers warned that the rule could throw the nation\u2019s election system into uncertainty and chaos just weeks before states begin sending mail-in ballots to millions of Americans. The rule would require USPS employees to cross-reference mail ballots against voter information supplied by states, effectively asking postal workers to act as election judges.\n\nIn their letter, the lawmakers wrote:\n\n\u201cThe evidence is clear: voting by mail is safe, effective, and helps to ensure everyone is able to execute their constitutional right to vote. USPS has played an essential role in elections for generations \u2013 and it is our fear that this final rule risks harming the democratic process and severely damaging USPS\u2019s relationship with the millions of Americans who rely on USPS to deliver ballots every election cycle.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers pointed to USPS\u2019s longstanding record of successfully delivering election mail and the extremely low incidence of mail-voting fraud. During the 2024 election cycle, USPS delivered 99.22 million ballots, including ballots for servicemembers overseas, and delivered 99.88 percent of election mail within seven days. A 2025 Brookings Institution study cited in the letter found an average of just four cases of voter fraud for every 10 million mail-in votes cast.\n\nThe letter also raises serious questions about USPS\u2019s compliance with court orders governing the Trump Administration\u2019s mail-ballot policy. An anonymous whistleblower alleged that USPS resumed development of its Federal Ballot Mail Portal around July 29 while an injunction remained in effect and that work continued even after an August 27 temporary restraining order barred further preparatory steps. The lawmakers wrote that those allegations are difficult to square with USPS\u2019s representation that it would take no action to implement the rule while the injunctions remained in place.\n\nThe lawmakers wrote:\n\n\u201cThis rule is a solution in search of a problem. For these reasons, we respectfully ask that you halt the implementation of this final rule.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi, Budzinski, Pappas, and their colleagues are demanding answers from Steiner by September 10, including whether USPS conducted a financial analysis of the rule, whether development of the Federal Ballot Mail Portal continued while court orders were in effect, whether USPS coordinated with the White House in developing the rule, how many postal employees would participate in ballot verification, and how USPS plans to handle ballots in states that have already printed envelopes that do not comply with the new requirements.", 1, "2026-09-08T09:24:24Z", "2026-09-08T09:26:10Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-pappas-krishnamoorthi-lead-letter-urging-usps-to-revoke-rule-codifying-mail-in-voting-executive-order", "Budzinski, Pappas, Krishnamoorthi Lead Letter Urging USPS to Revoke Rule Codifying Mail-in Voting Executive Order", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), led 97 Members of Congress in a letter to Postmaster General David P. Steiner, calling on him to revoke a Postal Service rule that codifies President Trump\u2019s Executive Order targeting vote-by-mail.\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers argue the rule addresses a problem that doesn\u2019t exist. They point to a 2025 Brookings Institution study finding an average of just four cases of voter fraud for every 10 million mail-in ballots cast \u2014 and that states using universal mail-in voting have among the lowest fraud rates in the country.\n\n\u201cThe evidence is clear: voting by mail is safe, effective, and helps to ensure everyone is able to execute their constitutional right to vote. USPS has played an essential role in elections for generations \u2013 and it is our fear that this final rule risks harming the democratic process and severely damaging USPS\u2019s relationship with the millions of Americans who rely on USPS to deliver ballots every election cycle,\u201d the members wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers warn that if the rule survives legal challenge, it would carry real consequences: disrupting operations for tens of thousands of USPS employees, creating new obstacles for tens of millions of voters who rely on mail-in ballots, and further eroding public trust in the electoral process.\n\n\u201cUnder this rule, USPS would be asking its employees \u2013 many of whom are already overworked and understaffed \u2013 to essentially act as election judges by cross-referencing mail-in ballots with lists provided by states. It is irresponsible to impose these additional and undefined responsibilities that would be outside the normal expectations of a USPS employee,\u201d they continued.\n\nCongresswoman Budzinski has been a staunch advocate of improved mail service, while strongly opposing efforts toward privatization and proposals that would reduce service reliability and speed for rural communities. Budzinski leads the bipartisan Congressional Postal Service Caucus, a bipartisan group that focuses on these issues in the House of Representatives.\n\nThe full text of the letter is HERE and below:\n\nPostmaster General David P. Steiner\n\n475 L\u2019Enfant Plaza SW\n\nWashington, DC 20260\n\nPostmaster General Steiner:\n\nWe write to express our grave concerns with the United States Postal Service\u2019s (USPS) Final Rule entitled \u201cBallot Mail For Federal Elections\u201d issued on August 21, 2026. If implemented, this rule would throw our nation\u2019s entire election system into a state of uncertainty and chaos just weeks before states begin sending mail-in ballots to millions of voters. The implementation of this rule would also further undermine public trust in the USPS\u2019s ability to deliver election mail\n\nto the tens of millions of Americans who utilize the Postal Service to cast their ballot every election cycle.\n\nAs you know, during the 2024 election cycle USPS delivered 99.22 million ballots for Americans from every corner of the country as well as our servicemen and women serving our nation overseas. USPS delivered 99.88% of election mail within seven days of being sent, and 97.73% within three days, with the average time to deliver ballots from voters to election officials being 1 day. USPS was similarly effective in delivering mail-in ballots during the 2022 midterm and 2020 general election and has been relied on to deliver absentee ballots since the Civil War.\n\nVoter fraud through vote-by-mail is incredibly rare. In 2025, the nonpartisan Brookings Institution found that there are on average four cases of voter fraud for every 10 million mail-in votes, comprising about 0.000043% of total mail-in votes cast. Contrary to claims by President Trump and his allies that mail-in voting encourages fraud, Brookings found that universal vote-by-mail states had the lowest percentage of election mail fraud.\n\nThe evidence is clear: voting by mail is safe, effective, and helps to ensure everyone is able to execute their constitutional right to vote. USPS has played an essential role in elections for generations \u2013 and it is our fear that this final rule risks harming the democratic process and severely damaging USPS\u2019s relationship with the millions of Americans who rely on USPS to deliver ballots every election cycle.\n\nThis administration\u2019s actions appear to be a misguided effort to correct a problem that does not exist. As mentioned above, every neutral and nonpartisan study on vote-by-mail shows that there has never been systemic fraud associated with voting by mail. However, the primary comments in support of the rule discussed \u201cvoter fraud as a significant problem and lauded the proposed rule for helping to restore voters\u2019 confidence in election integrity.\u201d6 We believe that it is telling that the primary supporters of the rule are arguing in its favor almost exclusively on the grounds that it would help eliminate an exceedingly rare problem.\n\nFurthermore, these concerns are compounded by questions about USPS\u2019s candor with Congress and the courts. At the June 24, 2026 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, you reiterated that USPS would comply with any court orders governing mail-in voting. Yet an anonymous whistleblower disclosure submitted to Senator Blumenthal describes a different pattern: after USPS halted work on the Federal Ballot Mail Portal following\n\nthe June 25, 2026 injunction, the whistleblower alleges USPS ordered development to resume around July 29, 2026 \u2014 while that injunction remained in effect \u2014 and that work continued even after the August 27, 2026 Temporary Restraining Order again barred USPS from taking further preparatory steps. This is difficult to square with USPS\u2019s own representation in the Final Rule that it would take no action to implement the rule while the injunctions remained in place.\n\nAlthough we believe that this rule is unconstitutional and illegal, we also have grave concerns with how this rule would be implemented given the extremely short time frame before election mail is sent by states and voters. Under this rule, USPS would be asking its employees \u2013 many of whom are already overworked and understaffed \u2013 to essentially act as election judges by cross-referencing mail-in ballots with lists provided by states. It is irresponsible to impose these\n\nadditional and undefined responsibilities that would be outside the normal expectations of a USPS employee.\n\nGiven the Postal Service\u2019s current financial crisis \u2013 which you are asking for support from Congress to solve10 \u2013 and subpar on-time delivery rates11, it does not make sense to dedicate limited USPS resources to implement this rule, especially when USPS\u2019s existing election mail procedures have proved to be extremely effective. This rule is a solution in search of a problem. For these reasons, we respectfully ask that you halt the implementation of this final\n\nrule. We also ask that you respond to the following questions no later than Thursday, September 10, 2026:\n\n1. Has the USPS commissioned or completed a comprehensive financial analysis on the implementation costs of this rule? If so, please provide it to Congress.\n\n2. Did USPS continue development of the Federal Ballot Mail Portal or related IT systems at any time while a court order enjoining implementation of Section 3 of Executive Order 14399 was in effect? If so, please provide the specific dates on which that work occurred and the legal rationale for continuing it while the injunction remained in place.\n\n3. How could USPS represent\u2014both publicly and in the Final Rule itself\u2014that it would take no steps to implement the rule while the relevant injunctions remained in effect, when development work apparently continued during that same period?\n\n4. Prior to issuing this rule, did anyone at USPS coordinate with or seek input from the White House about the contents of the rule? If so, in what form was input requested and please identify all White House political appointees and officials who were consulted?\n\n5. Prior to issuing this rule, did anyone at USPS coordinate with or seek input from local and state election officials about the contents of the rule, specifically surrounding implementation?\n\n6. How many USPS employees are expected to participate in the ballot verification process,\n\nand how will USPS fund additional training for employees without disrupting existing mail operations?\n\n7. Given that multiple states begin mailing absentee ballots in a matter of days, under this rule, how does the Postal Service intend to deliver ballots in states that have already printed envelopes for the 2026 general election that do not comply with the envelope design standards required under the final rule?\n\nThank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to receiving your response.\n\nSincerely,\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-garcia-s-statement-on-the-passing-of-gloria-steinem", "Congressman Garc\u00eda\u2019s Statement on the Passing of Gloria Steinem", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda issued the following statement on the passing of Gloria Steinem:\n\n\u201cGloria Steinem was not just a journalist, activist, organizer \u2014 she was a force of nature and a change-maker. As a towering icon of the women\u2019s movement, she dedicated her life to raise awareness, educate and fight for reproductive rights, equality in the workplace and at home, and to end violence against women.\n\n\u201cHer own experiences facing sexism ignited a lifelong fire to fight on behalf of women. She stood at the forefront of the movement, giving voice and power to a post-war generation trying to find their place in a world dominated by men.\n\n\u201cOn a personal level, I am forever humbled and grateful for her support during my 2015 mayoral campaign in Chicago. Gloria believed in our cause, in me, and in the transformation we envisioned for our city.\n\n\u201cAt a time when the Trump administration is stripping away fundamental rights and women\u2019s bodily autonomy is under siege, as immigrant women face unimaginable cruelty, as working mothers drawn under the cost of childcare and healthcare, and as women\u2019s military service to our nation is questioned, the urge to continue Gloria\u2019s work has never been more vital.\n\n\u201cWe have a moral obligation to protect reproductive rights, provide paid maternity and paternity leave, affordable childcare, equal pay for equal work, and protections against domestic violence. We must do this for Gloria, for our partners and wives, for our sisters, our daughters and granddaughters who deserve a more just world. Rest in power Gloria Steinem.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-dean-introduce-bill-ban-ice-use-shock-gloves", "Ramirez, Dean Introduce Bill to Ban ICE Use of \u201cShock Gloves\u201d", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Subcommittee in the Committee of Homeland Security, and Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04) introduced H.R 10226, the No Shock Act, to ban the use of \u201cshock gloves\u201d by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. This month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its plan to spend $17 million on 6,000 shock gloves \u2014 electric gloves designed to inflict painful shocks with just a touch of the hand \u2014 for ICE officers to enforce the Trump Administration\u2019s policy of mass deportations.\n\nThe No Shock Act would prohibit the use of these gloves for all DHS immigration enforcement, including ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), as well as state and local officers enlisted to carry out federal immigration enforcement.\n\n\"For years, DHS has spent billions of taxpayer dollars to amass paramilitary weapons while simultaneously attempting to shield itself and its agents from accountability. Using surveillance tech and tools of torture, DHS has already proven its capacity to perpetrate state-sanctioned abuse and arbitrary cruelty. Under no circumstances can DHS be trusted with electric shock gloves and the power to inflict \u2018sudden\u2019 death,\u201d said Congresswoman Ramirez. \u201cAfter opening a Congressional inquiry to demand that DHS immediately halt the acquisition and deployment of electric shock gloves, I\u2019m joining Rep. Dean to prohibit these cruel devices from being used during immigration enforcement. We cannot continue letting a dangerous agency access more tools to wage war on our communities. We have to take every weapon, every dollar, every authority away. We have to dismantle DHS.\"\n\n\u201cFor nearly two years, we have witnessed grotesquely un-American behavior from ICE agents \u2014 the tragic killing of innocent Americans, the wrongful arrests of lawful residents and peaceful protesters, and the inhumane conditions at ICE facilities across the country,\u201d Rep. Dean said. \u201cNow, DHS seeks to further arm ICE agents with electric shock gloves, enabling them to inflict even more pain with zero accountability. My bill will prohibit these devices from being used in any immigration enforcement.\u201d\n\nThe legislation comes after Congresswoman Ramirez led 49 colleagues in demanding the immediate cancellation of DHS\u2019s $16.7 million contract to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with electric shock gloves and the total ban of abusive devices across all immigration enforcement and detention operations. The lawmakers also requested information regarding training and protocol for the G.L.O.V.E usage, detailed documents regarding testing of the device, a comprehensive inventory of all \u201cless-lethal\u201d weapons being used by ICE and CBP personnel, and detailed information on internal investigations over the misuse of \u201cless-lethal\u201d weapons. The Secretary must provide an answer by September 18, 2026.\n\nThe Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter (G.L.O.V.E.) devices are manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky, by Compliant Technologies LLC. They are being purchased by DHS through a no-bid contract \u2014 a process typically reserved for emergencies. Human rights organizations and civil rights advocates have heavily criticized the use of the shock gloves, noting the history of abuse from DHS agents. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has also listed the G.L.O.V.E. as violating the Convention Against Torture. A 2024 user manual for the G.L.O.V.E indicates that the device can cause an increase in blood pressure and changes in heart rhythm. It also states that the \u201cCD3s may increase the affects that can cause sudden death\u201d. The manufacturer also states that the gloves should be avoided for subduing elderly or disabled people, small children, and pregnant women\u2014populations that have been subjected to DHS\u2019s immigration enforcement abuse.\n\nImage\n\nFor the full text of the legislation, CLICK HERE.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases/schakowsky-mullin-markey-blumenthal-press-consumer-product-safety-commission", "Schakowsky, Mullin, Markey, Blumenthal Press Consumer Product Safety Commission to Halt Sweeping and Invasive Data Collection on Emergency Department Patients", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Janice D. Schakowsky", "S001145", "schakowsky.house.gov", "schakowsky", "https://schakowsky.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Full Text of Letter (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Ranking Member on the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, along with U.S. Representative Kevin Mullin (CA-15), and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), wrote to Peter Feldman, Acting Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), calling on the Commission to immediately suspend efforts to pressure some of the nation\u2019s largest hospital systems to hand over the detailed, personally identifiable medical records of every patient who visits their emergency departments.\n\nRecent reporting has revealed that the Commission is directing hospitals to transmit sensitive records\u2014including patient names, birthdates, addresses, and diagnoses\u2014to its private contractor as part of changes to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). For decades, hospitals across the country have voluntarily participated in NEISS to report injuries involving consumer products, such as kitchen appliances and toys, to help identify products with a pattern of injuring consumers. But now, the Commission is amassing an unprecedented trove of identifiable health data of emergency department patients, regardless of whether an injury involved a consumer product. This sweeping data collection initiative is particularly alarming considering the Trump administration\u2019s broader pattern of amassing Americans\u2019 sensitive data and repurposing it to advance political priorities. In the letter, the lawmakers raised concerns regarding the necessity and legality of this initiative, the adequacy of its privacy protections, and the purposes to which this trove of sensitive data may ultimately be put.\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers wrote, \u201cThe Commission is advancing this effort amid a broader pattern of the Trump administration seeking unprecedented access to Americans\u2019 private data. From the Office of Personnel Management\u2019s demand for federal workers\u2019 health information to the Department of Health and Human Services sharing Medicaid enrollee data with the Department of Homeland Security, this administration has repeatedly sought to collect sensitive data from everyday Americans without a semblance of transparency.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers continued, \u201cAgainst that backdrop, creating a federal repository of identifiable medical records\u2014with no evidence of any limits on how that data may be used, shared, or repurposed\u2014is deeply alarming. Such data collection could easily discourage people in need from seeking care at an emergency department or from being transparent with their medical providers out of fear of federal surveillance or inappropriate use of their information. Even if the Commission uses these records solely to advance consumer protection, creating a federal database of identifiable medical records gives an administration that has repeatedly sought access Americans\u2019 sensitive data another powerful tool for surveillance and misuse.\u201d\n\nCosigners of the letter include U.S. Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (CA-44), and Kelly Morrison (MN-03), and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-continues-national-push-combat-rising-hate-against-south-0", "Krishnamoorthi Continues National Push to Combat Rising Hate Against South Asian Americans at Georgia Event", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) participated Thursday in the first stop of Indian American Impact\u2019s national listening tour in Norcross, Georgia, where South Asian elected officials, community leaders, and residents gathered to address the rise in hate, harassment, and violence targeting South Asian Americans. The Georgia gathering followed Wednesday\u2019s national roundtable on Capitol Hill and focused on what communities are experiencing and how federal, state, and local leaders can strengthen prevention, reporting, and accountability.\n\n\u201cThe rise in hate, harassment, and violence against South Asian Americans demands a response across the country,\u201d Krishnamoorthi said. \u201cAfter bringing South Asian leaders together in Washington, we are continuing that work here in Georgia with community members and public officials to improve prevention, reporting, and accountability for hate crimes. South Asian Americans have built their lives here, raised their families here, and strengthened communities across this country. We have to stand shoulder to shoulder against hate and violence whenever our communities are targeted.\u201d\n\nThe listening session included Krishnamoorthi, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi, Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman, Georgia State Representative Akbar Ali, Indian American Impact Executive Director Chintan Patel, SAATH founder Rohan Soni, and community leaders and advocates from across Georgia. Participants discussed what South Asian Americans are seeing and experiencing, how government is responding, and what additional steps could help communities confronting hate and discrimination. The Georgia gathering marked the beginning of Indian American Impact\u2019s national listening tour, which is intended to hear directly from community members about their experiences and what additional steps are needed to confront hate targeting South Asian Americans.\n\nEarlier this year, Krishnamoorthi reintroduced the bipartisan Hate Crimes Commission Act, which would establish a bipartisan commission to examine what is driving hate crimes, including the role of social media and technology, assess barriers to complete reporting, and identify successful prevention and response strategies.", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-foster-introduces-bill-improve-financial-sector-security-amid-rising-ai", "Rep. Foster Introduces Bill to Improve Financial Sector Security Amid Rising AI Risks", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bill Foster", "F000454", "foster.house.gov", "foster", "https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced legislation to strengthen oversight of technology service providers that support the financial services industry as advances in artificial intelligence (AI) create new risks for financial institutions and their customers.\n\nThe Strengthening Oversight for the Financial Sector Act would give the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) the authority to oversee third-party vendors used by the entities they regulate. This authority, which is available to other federal financial regulators, had been temporarily granted to the NCUA, but has since expired, leaving a dangerous gap in oversight.\n\nAs AI makes it easier to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, reliance on third-party technology vendors could provide an attractive opening for attacks on financial institutions. This bill would close that gap and help protect consumers, financial institutions, and the broader financial system from outside threats.\n\n\u201cAs AI makes cyberattacks more sophisticated, it is even more important to ensure that third-party vendors don\u2019t become a weak link in our financial system,\u201d said Rep. Foster. \u201cWe have learned the hard way how much damage supply chain vulnerabilities can cause, and third-party vendors are attractive targets. This bill will give regulators the tools they need to better protect Americans\u2019 money and sensitive data as AI-assisted cyber threats grow.\u201d\n\nThe authority to oversee third-party vendors has been requested by NCUA and FHFA directors from both political parties. The Government Accountability Office and the Financial Stability Oversight Council have made similar recommendations regarding the need for oversight of third-party vendors' vulnerabilities to AI risk.\n\nA version of this legislation passed the House Financial Services Committee in the 117th Congress, but did not receive a floor vote.\n\nA copy of the bill is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-and-coalition-south-asian-lawmakers-lead-national-roundtable", "Krishnamoorthi and Coalition of South Asian Lawmakers Lead National Roundtable to Combat Rising Hate Against South Asian Americans", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and a coalition of South Asian lawmakers today led a national roundtable with state and local South Asian elected officials focused on rising hate and discrimination targeting South Asian American communities and concrete steps policymakers can take to combat hate and prevent violence.\\\n\nThe roundtable brought together Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam, and Shri Thanedar, along with state and local elected officials from across the country, Indian American Impact, and Stop AAPI Hate. Participants discussed what South Asian communities are experiencing, the forces driving hate, and strategies to strengthen prevention, reporting, and response.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s roundtable brought together South Asian leaders from across the country to confront the rise in hate, harassment, and violence our communities are seeing and focus on what we can do about it,\u201d Krishnamoorthi said. \u201cThis is about protecting South Asian Americans, but it is also about making clear that no American should be made to feel they do not belong because of where they were born, how they worship, or what their name sounds like. That is why I have been working to strengthen our response to hate crimes, including through the Hate Crimes Commission Act, so we can better understand what is driving this hate and prevent violence before it happens.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, Krishnamoorthi reintroduced the Hate Crimes Commission Act with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Grace Meng and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez. The legislation would establish a bipartisan commission to examine what is driving hate crimes, including the role of social media and technology, assess barriers to complete reporting, and identify successful prevention and response strategies. It would also require a Government Accountability Office audit of federal hate-crime data to improve the accuracy and reliability of information on hate crimes nationwide.\n\nThe roundtable included state and local elected officials from North Carolina, New Jersey, Virginia, California, Michigan, Texas, and Pennsylvania, as well as Indian American Impact Executive Director Chintan Patel and Stop AAPI Hate Co-Founder Manju Kulkarni.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-blasts-trump-cybersecurity-cuts-experts-warn-shockingly-poor", "Krishnamoorthi Blasts Trump Cybersecurity Cuts as Experts Warn of \u201cShockingly Poor\u201d Defenses", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today blasted Trump Administration cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the federal government\u2019s lead cybersecurity agency, as national security experts warned that defenses protecting critical infrastructure in communities across the country remain dangerously weak. During a House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Dr. Seth Jones confirmed his assessment that some U.S. cyber defenses, particularly among municipalities, are \u201cshockingly poor.\u201d Krishnamoorthi pointed to reports of cyberattacks on water systems across at least 12 states this summer before noting that the Trump Administration cut CISA\u2019s workforce by nearly one-third last year. Krishnamoorthi called for strengthening the agency as threats to critical infrastructure grow, rather than cutting its capacity.\n\n\u201cThere is no question that with the end of the Cold War and then the terrorism focus of the last quarter century, our counterintelligence architecture deserves a hard look to make sure the government is connecting the dots in our new era of strategic competition. On a bipartisan basis, we have worked with the majority as they focused on this issue, and this open hearing will help advance the goal of an aggressive but measured approach to improving what exists,\u201d Krishnamoorthi said.\n\nKrishnamoorthi also pressed witnesses on growing Russian threats to the Baltics as rapidly evolving drone technology creates new challenges for protecting military and civilian infrastructure. He cited witness David Feith\u2019s testimony that direct threats to critical infrastructure, particularly from drones, \u201chave matured with astonishing speed over the last five years,\u201d and pressed witnesses on what more can be done now to deter a Russian attack on the Baltics.\n\nWitnesses described the increasing use of inexpensive armed drones, the difficulty of defending critical facilities against them, and efforts by Baltic countries to strengthen their counter-drone capabilities. Krishnamoorthi, who recently traveled to Ukraine, warned that Russia could use drone attacks against the Baltics to test NATO resolve.\n\nThe hearing examined whether the United States\u2019 national security and counterintelligence architecture is keeping pace with threats from China, Russia, and other adversaries. In his opening statement, Krishnamoorthi called for hardening U.S. cyber defenses, better connecting information across the federal government, and ensuring information collected by law enforcement does not remain isolated within individual investigations.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-frost-introduce-no-homeless-detention-centers-act-ban-forced-labor-and", "Ramirez, Frost Introduce No Homeless Detention Centers Act to Ban Forced Labor and Cruel Homeless Encampments", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) joined Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02), and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), to announce the introduction of No Homeless Detention Centers Act, legislation to stop federal housing dollars from being used to force people experiencing homelessness into detention-like facilities or subject them to forced labor.\n\nThe bill would prevent the federal government from funding programs that force people experiencing homelessness into shelters, camps, or other facilities against their will. It would also ban these facilities from making people work in exchange for a place to stay or punishing people for doing basic things they need to survive, like sleeping, resting, eating, drinking, or protecting themselves from the weather.\n\n\u201cTrump and all the authoritarians in the Administration want our lives, our labor, and our freedom to extract every bit of profit they can from us for themselves and their billionaire bosses. Just as they knew that mandatory detention paired with Trump\u2019s mass deportation campaign would be good for business, they know that detention camps for unhoused neighbors will also be a lucrative venture,\" said Congresswoman Ramirez. \"Detention has always been UNSAFE, INAPPROPRIATE, INADEQUATE. We must not continue to fund our death and destruction. That's why I introduced the Melt ICE Act, and why I am proud to join Congressman Frost in introducing the No Homeless Detention Centers Act to demand an end to the detention and punishment of our unhoused neighbors. Together, let\u2019s fight for every single thing our people need to thrive, including HOUSING FOR ALL!\"\n\n\"No one should look at a person who is homeless and think the answer is to lock them up or make them work for a place to sleep,\u201d said Congressman Frost. \u201cPeople need housing, not cages. They need support, not forced labor. At a time when homelessness is growing and housing is becoming more and more unaffordable, we should be investing in getting people into homes\u2014not building cruel encampments and criminalizing people for trying to survive.\"\n\n\"Allowing Americans to live on streets is not a standard our nation should be willing to accept, but forcing unhoused people into detention-style facilities and forcing them to work while corporations rake in profits is a cruel punishment,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonamici. \u201cWe must make clear that we won\u2019t stand for federal dollars being used to detain people simply for being unhoused. Together, let\u2019s advance policies that will actually help people experiencing homelessness instead of making their lives more difficult.\"\n\n\"Homelessness is not a crime \u2013 it is a failure of systems meant to serve the needs of our communities,\" said Congressman Carter. \"The solution to this failure is not locking people up. It is not forcing them to work in exchange for a place to stay. It is not denying them access to care. The Trump Administration\u2019s reckless policies are causing homelessness to rise by the day. If we truly want to address homelessness, we must invest in affordable housing, expand mental health services, and strengthen workforce pathways \u2013 not punish people for simply trying to survive.\"\n\n\u201cWe should be operating from the fundamental truth that every person deserves a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep. When rent, grocery, and gas prices are skyrocketing, and Trump has cut healthcare for tens of millions of people, it is absolutely wrong to criminalize the inability to afford a home. That is why I am proud to co-lead the No Homeless Detention Centers Act to prevent a dime of federal funding from being used to put people experiencing homelessness into the for-profit prison industrial complex,\u201d said Congresswoman Jayapal\n\nThe members were joined by Eric Tars of the National Homeless Law Center, Setareh Gandehari, Advocacy Director, Detention Watch Network, and Wesley Thomas, Guest Advisory Board Member, Miriam\u2019s Kitchen.\n\n\u201cTrump is carrying out a cruel and multi-layered detention expansion plan as part of his mass deportation agenda, locking up tens of thousands of people in facilities rife with egregiously poor conditions, medical neglect, and a culture of violence that results in system-wide abuses, including death. That\u2019s why we are alarmed by the Trump administration\u2019s efforts to criminalize and detain people without homes. We see this is a clear attempt to vilify homeless people and enrich private prison companies and tech surveillance organizations, just as they have done with our immigrant communities - all while ignoring the real affordability crisis in this country,\u201d said Setareh Ghandehari, Advocacy Director, Detention Watch Network\n\n\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t have to be here today, introducing the No Homeless Detention Centers Act, legislation restricting federal funds from going to detention camps for Americans who can\u2019t afford the rent. But we are here today, because it is necessary to fight back against the Trump Administration that is aggressively erasing decades of data-based progress on solving homelessness and instead promoting jails, labor camps, warehouses, and asylums, not because there is any evidence to support them, but because the right-wing Cicero Institute is spoon-feeding Trump detention policies that will enrich its billionaire-backers financially \u2013 and benefit him politically. We know the solution to homelessness is housing, not handcuffs,\u201d said Eric Tars, Senior Policy Director, National Homelessness Law Center\n\nThe bill comes as the far-right Cicero Institute, a conservative think tank backed by wealthy donors and corporate interests, pushes states and the federal government to criminalize homelessness, ban sleeping in public, and move people into temporary shelters or treatment facilities\u2014sometimes against their will. Versions of these policies have already passed in states including Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, with some proposals also including work requirements or forced labor.\n\nThe No Homeless Detention Centers Act is endorsed by National Homelessness Law Center and Detention Watch Network, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Drug Policy Alliance; National Health Care for the Homeless Council; Funders Together for Housing Justice; National Coalition for the Homeless; National Housing Law Project; A Way Home America; Housing Justice Collective; Justice in Aging; National Low Income Housing Coalition; National Association of Social Workers; Poverty & Race Research Action Council; Kids In Crisis; National Organization for Women; The Southern Poverty Law Center; National Network to End Domestic Violence; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); National Partnership for New Americans; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas \u2013 Justice Team; The Workers Circle; Muslim Advocates; DemCast USA; Just Detention International; Coalition on Human Needs; Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR); Freedom Network USA; Latino Community Fund of Washington State; Praxis Health Empowerment; National Legal Aid & Defender Association; Street Democracy; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; Lincoln County Indivisible; Western Center on Law & Poverty; Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center; Access Reproductive Justice and Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/27-billion-and-counting-budzinski-demands-answers-from-va-admin-on-exploding-oracle-costs", "$27 Billion and Counting: Budzinski Demands Answers from VA Admin on Exploding Oracle Costs", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) pressed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence during a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the VA\u2019s plans to give Oracle an additional $17 billion for the Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program. Budzinski, who has been overseeing the VA\u2019s EHRM program as Ranking Member of the Technology Modernization Subcommittee, questioned the growing cost of the Department\u2019s contract with Oracle \u2014 and what it means for veterans, taxpayers, and working families. Budzinski voted with her colleagues to subpoena Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, to come before the committee and speak to these concerns.\n\nThe VA\u2019s contract ceiling with Oracle has grown by $17.6 billion on top of the original $10 billion agreement signed in 2018 \u2014 bringing the total to over $27 billion. This does not account for the additional $439 million paid to Accenture or ongoing sustainment and infrastructure costs shouldered separately by the VA.\n\n\u201cThis is a program that was promised to Congress in 2022 as on-time and on-budget. That didn\u2019t happen,\u201d said Budzinski. \u201cIt makes no sense that this Administration wants to provide billions more for Oracle, without any clear success, while cutting billions from SNAP and Medicaid. Taxpayers should not have to shoulder billions more for one of the richest companies in the world, while they are struggling to make ends meet in this economy. We have to get this program under control and that\u2019s why I voted to subpoena Larry Ellison to come before the committee and answer these basic questions.\u201d\n\nBudzinski noted that Oracle reported record fiscal year 2026 revenue of $67.4 billion, up 17 percent, even as the company has cited \u201cunanticipated complexities\u201d to justify repeated cost increases on the VA contract.\n\nWATCH: $27 Billion and Counting: Budzinski Demands Answers from VA Admin on Exploding Oracle Costs\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-blasts-trump-voter-suppression-effort-revealed-usps", "Krishnamoorthi Blasts Trump Voter Suppression Effort Revealed by USPS Whistleblower", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today responded to a whistleblower report from a U.S. Postal Service official alleging that Trump Administration officials are continuing to implement restrictions on mail voting despite court orders blocking the effort.\n\nThe whistleblower alleges that USPS is secretly rushing to implement an untested ballot-screening system that could prevent millions of Americans from receiving their mail ballots and could reject tens of thousands of ballots because of a single barcode error.\n\n\u201cThe USPS whistleblower\u2019s allegations confirm our worst fears: Trump officials are defying court orders and pressing ahead with a voter suppression effort that could deny millions of Americans their ability to vote by mail just weeks before the election. This is exactly why I have repeatedly warned that the Trump Administration is trying to turn the Postal Service into a tool to deny eligible Americans access to the ballot. Postmaster General Steiner must stop this effort immediately and come before Congress to explain who authorized it, who knew it was continuing despite the court orders, and why.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-renews-demand-answers-trump-doj-republican-officials-raise", "Krishnamoorthi Renews Demand for Answers from Trump DOJ as Republican Officials Raise Alarm Over \u201cAggressive\u201d Election Monitors", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today renewed his demand for answers from Attorney General Todd Blanche as Republican officials in Wyoming raised alarms over the conduct of Department of Justice election monitors during the state\u2019s August primary. The concerns come as Trump DOJ expands election monitoring ahead of the November midterms, including plans to deploy as many as 1,000 federal personnel nationwide.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cAccording to public reporting, the Civil Rights Division dispatched two attorneys to observe polling sites in Laramie County during Wyoming\u2019s primary. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon \u2014 a Republican \u2014 told the state\u2019s canvassing board on August 26 that the monitors\u2019 conduct was \u2018aggressive\u2019 and \u2018irregular,\u2019 and that it \u2018seemed to exceed\u2019 the authority Congress gave them.\u201d\n\nThe monitors reportedly sought to interview voters and examine election equipment and poll-worker training activities, while several state and local officials said they had not been notified in advance of the deployment. Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee, also a Republican, called the operation \u201ca poorly managed exercise\u201d that showed \u201ccomplete disregard for our state laws and administration of our elections.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi continues:\n\n\u201cThese are not the objections of partisan critics. They come from a Republican governor and a Republican County clerk in one of the most reliably Republican states in the country, both of whom raised concerns about the way the Department\u2019s monitors conducted themselves. Regardless of one\u2019s views on the Department\u2019s monitoring initiative, these allegations warrant a clear explanation from the Department about what occurred, what authority the monitors were exercising, and what steps will be taken to prevent similar problems in November.\u201d\n\nDOJ has also deployed Civil Rights Division personnel to monitor elections in Florida, Minnesota, and other jurisdictions this cycle. Krishnamoorthi is seeking information on whether officials elsewhere have raised similar concerns and what changes DOJ will make before deploying monitors during the November general election.\n\nKrishnamoorthi is demanding answers to the following questions:\n\nWhy were the Wyoming Attorney General, the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, and the Laramie County Clerk\u2019s Office not notified in advance of the monitors\u2019 deployment? Was any state or local official notified before the monitors arrived, and, if so, when and by whom? Is advance coordination with state and local election officials the Department\u2019s standard practice?\n\nWhat written guidance governed the monitors\u2019 interactions with voters, poll workers, and election administrators in Laramie County, and does that guidance differ from the guidance provided to monitors in other jurisdictions this primary season?\n\nHas the Department received complaints, concerns, or objections regarding monitor conduct from officials in any other jurisdiction monitored during the 2026 primaries, including Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, or Florida? If so, please identify the jurisdictions, the nature of the complaints, and how the Department responded.\n\nHow many Civil Rights Division personnel have been deployed to monitor elections during the 2026 primary season to date, and to how many jurisdictions have they been deployed?\n\nWhat changes, if any, will the Department make to monitor training, advance coordination, written guidance, or supervisory oversight before deploying monitors for the November general election?\n\nWill the Department commit to notifying appropriate state and local election officials sufficiently in advance of any November deployment, absent an extraordinary circumstance in which advance notice would materially compromise a legitimate federal enforcement objective?\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested responses to these questions, together with those in his August 19 letter, by September 7, 2026.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-statement-no-vote-continuing-resolution", "Ramirez Statement on NO Vote on Continuing Resolution", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cToday, we received notice of another death in ICE detention. We also learned that a 20-year-old Haitian immigrant, Pierre Damas Bel, took his own life in Springfield, Ohio, after the Trump Administration ended TPS for Haitians and fitted him with an ankle monitor.\n\nOur communities are still being surveilled, our children still terrorized, and our neighbors are still dying at the hands of DHS. DHS is the biggest threat to our collective safety, and we must stand strong against any attempt to expand or extend its funding. H.R. 6500 includes funding for DHS operations, including units responsible for terrorizing our communities during Midway Blitz.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases/durbin-duckworth-sorensen-announce-funding-extension-chicago-quad-cities-rail", "Durbin, Duckworth, Sorensen Announce Funding Extension for Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Eric Sorensen", "S001225", "sorensen.house.gov", "sorensen", "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CHICAGO, IL \u2013 U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has approved a grant extension for the remaining federal funding previously secured for the proposed Chicago-Quad Cities passenger rail project, an Amtrak route between Chicago and Moline, Illinois. The extension will allow the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to use the remaining federal funding to complete the rail project after more than a decade of planning.\n\nToday\u2019s announcement comes after Duckworth, Durbin and Sorensen urged U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink to grant the extension for the remaining federal funding previously secured for the project. In their June letter, the lawmakers emphasized that the rail line, which Durbin has been advocating for since 2008, could finally move forward as long as the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) extended the availability of previously granted federal funds beyond the deadline of July 31, 2026.\n\n\u201cIllinois relies on rail to push our economy forward and to ensure statewide connectivity, but we\u2019ve been missing a critical route between Chicago and the Quad Cities,\u201d Durbin said. \u201cFor more than 15 years, we\u2019ve worked with IDOT, Iowa Interstate and BNSF Railroads, and the federal government to make the Chicago-Quad Cities Rail Project possible. With this funding extension from FRA, we can finally make this long-planned project a reality and open up new transit possibilities for Illinoisans.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor too long, the Quad Cities have gone without a passenger rail line to Chicago, limiting Illinoisans\u2019 options to get to school, businesses and visit loved ones. With this funding extension, we\u2019re closer to delivering the passenger rail service that so many have long been waiting for,\u201d Duckworth said. \u201cInvestments in our rail system connect communities, grow local economies and give Illinoisans more freedom to get where they need to go. This is a big milestone for our state, and Senator Durbin, Congressman Sorensen and I will continue working alongside our local leaders to strengthen our rail network and ensure it serves all Illinoisans for generations to come.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m very pleased to see this project move forward and bring us one step closer to completing the Chicago-Quad Cities rail connection,\u201d said Sorensen. \u201cThis investment will strengthen transportation options, support economic growth, and better connect communities across Illinois. Most importantly, it will give our neighbors more reliable ways to get to work, visit family, and access opportunities across the region.\u201d\n\nIn 2010, Durbin secured $177 million in federal funding for the rail project. The rail line was delayed for years because former Governor Rauner refused to provide state funding for it. In 2019, Governor Pritzker renewed the state\u2019s commitment to the project by providing $225 million in state funding through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program. Recent enactment of the state\u2019s transit bill, along with other state funding sources, will provide the additional funding necessary for the project. Durbin has repeatedly secured extensions of the federal funding.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-condemns-prime-healthcare-putting-profits-over-parents", "Underwood Condemns Prime Healthcare Putting Profits Over Parents", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Lauren Underwood", "U000040", "underwood.house.gov", "underwood", "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "JOLIET \u2013 Today, Representative Lauren Underwood released the following the statement after meeting with leadership at Prime Healthcare:\n\n\u201cIllinois deserves better than what Prime Healthcare is offering.\n\nSix weeks ago, I requested a meeting with Prime leadership after reading news reports they were discontinuing inpatient pediatric services at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. After our initial request for a meeting was sent on July 22, Prime delayed several times in finding a time that worked for their leadership team, but finally agreed to schedule the meeting for September 1 at 11 a.m. CT.\n\nAt 11:00 a.m. today exactly, as our meeting started, Prime sent news outlets a press release announcing further closures to units that provide essential maternal health care, including obstetrics services at Saint Joseph and in Aurora at Mercy Medical. They were unable to provide substantive answers on the Saint Joseph pediatric closure \u2013 the topic I had requested the meeting to discuss \u2013 instead steering the discussion to the obstetrics closure announcements being made in real time. Then, 23 minutes into the meeting, we received an email from Prime with materials attempting to justify the obstetrics closures. This is not how a company with nothing to hide operates. I believe my community deserves to see that email, so I\u2019m releasing it publicly here.\n\nBased on my conversation with them today, Prime does not appear to have adequately prepared for the speedy closures announced this morning, which are targeted for October 1. They have made no plans to help moms who will have to travel for care access transportation, or even any efforts to understand how this decision will affect their health. Prime\u2019s justification for the decision hinges on Silver Cross Hospital taking on St. Joseph patients, and Edward Hospital taking on Mercy Medical patients, but Prime confirmed in our meeting today that at least one of those transfer agreements isn\u2019t even in place. This carelessness puts moms and babies in our community at risk.\n\nAs a nurse and founder of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, I\u2019m especially concerned about the impact these closures will have on communities of color across Illinois. Prime\u2019s assertion that consolidating obstetric care in the city of Chicago is somehow \u201caddressing maternal health disparities\u201d the families in Joliet and Aurora face is detached from reality. One in three Illinois counties is already a maternity care desert, and our moms need more support and convenient care, not less.\n\nUnfortunately, these latest developments are consistent with the pattern of revenue-focused decisions and broken promises our community has witnessed since Prime announced its acquisition of the nonprofit Ascension system in 2024. The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board can still stop these closures, and I hope the State will take quick action to preserve access to obstetric and inpatient pediatric care in the areas affected. Our country\u2019s broken system is already on the brink of collapse after Donald Trump signed the biggest healthcare cuts in American history into law last year, and further closures will be devastating for Illinois families.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-blasts-fda-decision-authorize-new-juul2-vaping-products", "Krishnamoorthi Blasts FDA Decision to Authorize New JUUL2 Vaping Products", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus to End Youth Vaping, today criticized the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s decision to authorize the marketing of the JUUL2 e-cigarette device along with tobacco- and menthol-flavored pods.\n\nThe FDA announced Friday that it had authorized the three JUUL2 products after determining that their potential benefits for adults who completely switch from cigarettes outweighed the risks, including the potential appeal of the menthol-flavored product to young people. The decision follows the agency\u2019s authorization of additional JUUL tobacco- and menthol-flavored products in July 2025.\n\n\u201cThe FDA should be cracking down on products that hook kids on nicotine, not authorizing JUUL2, which even the agency acknowledges could appeal to young people. JUUL helped fuel a youth vaping epidemic, and that record cannot be ignored. At a time when the Trump Administration is weakening efforts to combat youth vaping, we should be strengthening protections for kids, not giving the tobacco industry new opportunities to addict them. I will keep fighting to hold Big Tobacco accountable and protect the next generation from nicotine addiction.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/us-house-unanimously-passes-bipartisan-krishnamoorthi-bill-crack-down-ccp", "U.S. House Unanimously Passes Bipartisan Krishnamoorthi Bill to Crack Down on CCP Trade Crimes", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously passed the bipartisan Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes (PAIL) Act, legislation co-led by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) to crack down on trade crimes that undercut American workers and manufacturers. The bill strengthens the Justice Department\u2019s ability to investigate and prosecute tariff evasion, illegal transshipment, forced-labor violations, and other trade crimes.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s unanimous House passage of the PAIL Act is an important victory for American workers and manufacturers who have been forced to compete against companies based in the PRC that violate U.S. trade laws. Tariff evasion, illegal transshipment, forced-labor violations, and other trade crimes hurt American workers and undermine our industries. Our bipartisan bill gives the Justice Department dedicated resources and expertise to investigate and prosecute these crimes and hold repeat offenders accountable. The Senate should pass the PAIL Act without delay and send it to the President\u2019s desk,\u201d said Congressman Krishnamoorthi.\n\nThe PAIL Act would:\n\nEstablish a dedicated structure within the Justice Department\u2019s Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes;\n\nStrengthen coordination and training among federal, state, and local law enforcement;\n\nSupport expanded investigations and prosecutions, including parallel criminal and civil enforcement actions; and\n\nRequire the Attorney General to report annually to Congress on the Justice Department\u2019s efforts to combat trade crimes.\n\nKrishnamoorthi co-led the bipartisan legislation with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI), Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), and a broad bipartisan coalition of lawmakers.\n\n\u201cChina has spent decades finding ways to undermine American workers and our economy. My bill will finally give the DOJ real tools to stop these blatant violations and ensure penalties are meaningfully enforced. Today\u2019s bipartisan passage is a huge win for American workers and domestic manufacturing \u2014 let\u2019s make it the law of the land ASAP,\u201d said Congresswoman Hinson.\n\n\u201cThis bipartisan legislation will arm the Department of Justice with the tools to stop trade crimes often perpetrated by China-backed companies. These crimes devastate American manufacturing, and they are a threat to the prosperity of every single American,\u201d said Chairman Moolenaar.\n\nThe PAIL Act is supported by organizations representing American workers and manufacturers, including the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO, American Iron and Steel Institute, Alliance for American Manufacturing, National Council of Textile Organizations, Steel Manufacturers Association, and Campaign for Uyghurs.", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-49-lawmakers-demand-end-dhss-167-million-contract-purchase-electric", "Ramirez, 49 Lawmakers Demand an End to DHS\u2019s $16.7 Million Contract to Purchase Electric Shock Gloves", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Subcommittee in the Committee of Homeland Security, led 49 colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in demanding the immediate cancellation of DHS\u2019s $16.7 million contract to equip Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents with electric shock gloves, officially called Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters (G.L.O.V.E.) and the total ban of abusive devices across all immigration enforcement and detention operations.\n\nAdditionally, the lawmakers requested information regarding training and protocol for the G.L.O.V.E usage, detailed documents regarding testing of the device, a comprehensive inventory of all \u201cless-lethal\u201d weapons being used by ICE and CBP personnel, and detailed information on internal investigations over the misuse of \u201cless-lethal\u201d weapons. The Secretary must provide an answer by September 18, 2026.\n\n\u201cIntroducing low-visibility electric shock weapons into our immigration enforcement system is an unacceptable escalation that prioritizes physical intimidation and unaccountable force over human safety and administrative accountability. We reiterate our demand that you immediately halt the acquisition and deployment of electric shock gloves, cancel the contract, and refocus the Department\u2019s resources on accountability and humanitarian standards rather than expanding a paramilitary apparatus,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nHuman rights organizations and civil rights advocates have heavily criticized the use of the shock gloves, noting the history of abuse from DHS agents. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture has also listed the G.L.O.V.E. as violating the Convention Against Torture. A 2024 user manual for the G.L.O.V.E indicates that the device can cause an increase in blood pressure and changes in heart rhythm. It also states that the \u201cCD3s may increase the affects that can cause sudden death\u201d. The manufacturer also states that the gloves should be avoided for subduing elderly or disabled people, small children, and pregnant women\u2014populations that have been subjected to DHS\u2019s immigration enforcement abuse.\n\nThe letter was signed by Reps. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Summer Lee (PA-12), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Yassamin Ansari (AR-03), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Henry \u201cHank\u201d Johnson (GA-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Gabe Vazquez (NM-02), Judy Chu (CA-28), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Emily Randall (WA-06), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Adriano Espaillat (BY-13), Robert Menendez (NJ-08), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Mark Takano (CA-39), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Al Green (TX-09), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Don Beyer (VA-08), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), and Greg Casar (TX-35).", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-secures-more-35-million-federal-funding-support-nursing-education", "Underwood Secures More Than $35 Million in Federal Funding to Support Nursing Education, Health Care, Child Care, and More in Northern Illinois", "2026-08-30", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Lauren Underwood", "U000040", "underwood.house.gov", "underwood", "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week, Representative Lauren Underwood announced a new round of federal funding she has secured for nursing education, health care, child care, research, airport improvements, and quantum computing supply chain and manufacturing development in northern Illinois.\n\nAs a member of the Appropriations Committee, Underwood has made securing federal resources for our community a top priority. The following funds will support programs in the 14th District with federal resources:\n\nHead Start, Joliet, Illinois \u2013 $1,946,280\n\nHead Start in Joliet has been awarded $1,946,280 in federal funding through the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports Early Head Start Child Care Partnerships, programs designed to enhance and support early learning settings to provide comprehensive and continuous services. These programs increase access to high-quality, full-day, full-year child care, including family child care, for low-income working families.\n\nFamily Service Agency of DeKalb County, Inc, DeKalb, Illinois \u2013 $582,504\n\nThe Family Service Agency of DeKalb County has been awarded $582,504 in federal funding through the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant supports programming that provides homeless youth with supervised transitional housing, case management, independent service planning, counseling, and developing life skills.\n\nWill County Community Health Center, Will County, Illinois \u2013 $1,153,424\n\nThe Will County Community Health Center has been awarded $1,153,424 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration\u2019s (HRSA) Health Center Program (H80).\n\nThis grant supports health centers that treat medically underserved communities.\n\nCity of Mendota, Mendota, Illinois \u2013 $375,000\n\nThe City of Mendota has been awarded $375,000 in federal funding administered through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).\n\nThis grant expands the availability of substance abuse treatment and recovery services available to Americans to improve the lives of those affected by alcohol and drug addictions, and to reduce the impact of alcohol and drug abuse on individuals, families, communities. The funding also addresses priority mental health needs of regional and national significance and assists children in dealing with violence and traumatic events through by funding grant and cooperative agreement projects.\n\nUniversity of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois \u2013 $337,661\n\nThe University of St. Francis has been awarded $337,661 in federal funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration\u2019s (HRSA) Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) program.\n\nThis grant supports the training and graduation of advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) students/trainees in these disciplines. The grant provides awardees with funding for tuition and other eligible supports to build academic-clinical partnerships to facilitate clinical training, and continue to develop and sustain clinical faculty and preceptors as needed. The program seeks to increase the number of primary care nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives trained and prepared to provide primary care services, mental health and substance use disorder care, and/or maternal health care.\n\nLewis University, Romeoville, Illinois \u2013 $218,502\n\nThe University of St. Francis has been awarded $218,502 in federal funding through the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education.\n\nThis project aims to serve the national interest of training the next generation of scientists by helping faculty access and implement evidence-based laboratory teaching practices. Chemistry laboratory training is a central component of all undergraduate degrees in STEM fields. These hands-on experiences will push students to apply theoretical ideas, deepen their understanding, and develop the skills necessary for success in future STEM careers.\n\nAurora University, Aurora, Illinois \u2013 $396,032\n\nAurora University has been awarded $396,032 in federal funding through the National Science Foundation\u2019s (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education.\n\nThis project seeks to serve the national interest by helping undergraduate students learn chemistry in ways that reflect how modern science is practiced. Computation, data analysis, modeling, and simulation are now central to chemistry research and many STEM careers. Yet chemistry courses often emphasize step-by-step procedures and calculations rather than computational problem solving. This gap is especially important in general chemistry, an introductory course that enrolls large numbers of students and influences persistence in STEM pathways.\n\nLewis University Airport, Romeoville, Illinois \u2013 $444,673\n\nLewis University Airport has been awarded $444,673 in federal funding through the Illinois State Block Grant Program at the Department of Transportation.\n\nThis project constructs a new 40,000 square foot non-exclusive use hangar for aircraft storage to assist the airport to be as self-sustaining as possible by generating revenue.\n\nDeKalb Airport, DeKalb, Illinois \u2013 $287,640\n\nDeKalb Airport has been awarded $287,640 in federal funding through the Illinois State Block Grant Program at the Department of Transportation.\n\nThis project rehabilitates 5,700 feet of existing paved Taxiway B to maintain the structural integrity of the pavement and to minimize foreign object debris to extend its useful life.\n\nBlock Quantum Tech Hub, Illinois \u2013 $30,000,000\n\nBlock Quantum Tech Hub has been awarded $30,000,000 in federal funding through the Economic Development Administration (EDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce.\n\nThis grant supports the development of a quantum supply chain to position the Illinois-Indiana-Wisconsin region as a center for quantum manufacturing. The Block Quantum Tech Hub is working to scale manufacturing in the Midwest and grow and strengthen our nation\u2019s base of quantum manufacturing and supply-chains. More information about the Block Quantum Tech Hub can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-31T11:22:56Z", "2026-08-31T11:24:00Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-bell-together-70-democratic-colleagues-urge-defense-secretary", "SCHNEIDER, BELL, TOGETHER WITH 70+ DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES, URGE DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGESETH AND ACTING SECRETARY OF THE NAVY HUNG CAO TO PROTECT LEGACY OF THE FUTURE USS DORIS MILLER", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013 Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Congressman Wesley Bell (MO-1), joined by 70+ Democratic colleagues, urged Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to reject any effort to rename the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) after reports that the Navy is considering naming the carrier after President Trump.\n\nThe future USS Doris Miller will be the first aircraft carrier named for an African American and the first named in honor of an enlisted sailor. Doris \u201cDorie\u201d Miller remains one of the most celebrated enlisted sailors in American military history for his bravery and courage during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The potential move to name the carrier after a sitting president would break with longstanding Navy tradition and diminish the recognition of Miller\u2019s extraordinary acts of bravery and his service to our nation.\n\nAs home to Naval Station Great Lakes, naval tradition and history run deep throughout Illinois\u2019 10th District. Every enlisted sailor in the Navy begins their journey at Great Lakes, completing basic training before going on to serve our nation. The 10th District has long been proud to play a role in preparing these sailors for service, and we must continue to honor the legacy of those who have helped shape the Navy and our nation.\n\n\u201cA strong Navy is built on the courage and valor of its sailors, both in times of conflict and peace,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cDoris Miller\u2019s extraordinary service, unwavering loyalty to his fellow sailors, and devotion to his country are a source of pride for all Americans. Honoring his legacy is the right thing to do and an opportunity to inspire future generations. Doris Miller should not be robbed of this rightful honor and am proud to join my colleagues in this effort to urge Secretary Hegseth and Acting Secretary Cao to recognize Miller\u2019s heroism and reject another Trump vanity project.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe decision to name CVN-81 for Doris Miller recognized not only one extraordinary sailor, but generations of enlisted servicemembers whose courage and contributions have too often gone unnoticed and unrecognized,\u201d the members wrote.\n\n\u201cWe urge you to reject this plan and ensure that CVN-81 bears the name USS Doris Miller, the members concluded. \u201cOur Navy must continue honoring the courage of those that answered their country\u2019s call to service.\u201d\n\nView the full text of the letter here and below:\n\nDear Secretary Hegseth and Acting Secretary Cao:\n\nWe write regarding the recent reporting that the Department of the Navy is considering renaming the USS Doris Miller potentially in honor of President Trump.1 Renaming this ship after a sitting President would be unprecedented and break longstanding tradition. Most importantly, this would diminish the recognition of one of our country\u2019s greatest military heroes. It was during President Trump\u2019s first term that the Navy announced CVN-81 would bear Doris Miller\u2019s name. Reversing that decision now would be a significant step backward in honoring the courage and sacrifice of those who have served our country.\n\nThe future USS Doris Miller will be the first aircraft carrier to be named for an African American and the first named in honor of an enlisted sailor. Those distinctions reflect the bravery and courage during the attack on Pearl Harbor by Doris \u2018Dorie\u2019 Miller, who was later awarded the Navy Cross, the Navy\u2019s second-highest honor.\n\nOn December 7, 1941, Miller was serving aboard the USS West Virginia when Japan\u2019s attack began. At the time, Miller was a Mess Attendant Third Class, and after his station came under fire, despite lacking proper training, he took control of an anti-aircraft gun and fired at incoming aircraft. Even when the ship began to sink, it was only when he ran out of ammunition did he abandon his position. But in the process, he still managed to assist his fellow wounded sailors and help them reach safety. Doris Miller\u2019s story is one of extraordinary bravery, service, and pure patriotism. When he served, segregation restricted the roles available to Black sailors and servicemembers. Yet, when his country came under attack, Miller did not hesitate for one second to put himself in harms\u2019 way to defend his fellow sailors and his nation. This story embodies the finest traditions of the United States Armed Forces.\n\nBlack Americans have served in every major American conflict, often defending a country that did not provide or even recognize their equal rights while home. Their service and sacrifice are an integral part of our country\u2019s military history. The decision to name CVN-81 for Doris Miller recognized not only one extraordinary sailor, but generations of enlisted servicemembers whose courage and contributions have too often gone unnoticed and unrecognized.\n\nIn 2020, then-Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announced the decision to honor Doris Miller by placing his name on CVN-81, the newest and most powerful warship. It was Acting-Secretary Modly who said that the decision honored \u201cthe contributions of all our enlisted ranks, past and present, men and women, of every race, religion, and background.\u201d\n\nOur aircraft carriers are among the most visible symbols of American military power. They are stationed all over the world, projecting strength, protecting our national security, and reminding our allies that we will have their backs at their time of need. The names these ships carry should preserve the legacies of Americans whose service, sacrifice, and leadership represent the very best of our democracy and our Armed Services.\n\nThere is no question that Dorie Miller meets that standard. His story deserves to be remembered aboard one of the most powerful warships ever constructed. There has never been a time when we have named a warship after a sitting president. Changing course now to satisfy a sitting President\u2019s ego, especially one who dodged military service to his country, would be shamefully wrong.\n\nWe urge you to reject this plan and ensure that CVN-81 bears the name USS Doris Miller. Our Navy must continue honoring the courage of those that answered their country\u2019s call to service.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-eric-sorensen-host-service-academy-night-students-and-families", "Congressman Eric Sorensen to Host Service Academy Night for Students and Families", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Eric Sorensen", "S001225", "sorensen.house.gov", "sorensen", "https://sorensen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "MOLINE, IL \u2013 Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) will host a Service Academy Night on September 8, 2026, to help students and their families learn more about opportunities at the nation\u2019s service academies and the congressional nomination process. The event will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Moline Public Library, 3210 41st St, Moline, IL 61265.\n\nRSVP HERE\n\nIt will feature a brief speaking program followed by an information fair where students and families can meet with representatives from the U.S. service academies, ask questions and learn more about the admissions process, academy life and available opportunities.\n\n\u201cService academies offer students an incredible opportunity to serve their country while receiving a world-class education and developing as leaders,\u201d said Congressman Sorensen. \u201cI want students across Central and Northwestern Illinois to know that these opportunities are available to them and that my office is here to help them navigate the nomination process.\u201d\n\nStudents interested in attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy or U.S. Merchant Marine Academy are encouraged to attend with their families. Congressman Sorensen\u2019s office will also provide information about the congressional nomination application process and requirements.\n\nApplications for Congressman Sorensen\u2019s 2027 service academy nominations are currently open. Students must submit their applications by November 1, 2026.\n\nLearn more by visiting here.\n\nApplicants with questions about the nomination process should contact Hillary Laskonis at hillary.laskonis@mail.house.gov or phone number (779) 513-4960.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases/ramirez-garcia-johnson-tlaib-lead-congressional-inquiry-tsa-data-sharing-ice", "Ramirez, Garcia, Johnson, Tlaib Lead Congressional Inquiry Into TSA Data Sharing, ICE Enforcement at Airports", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Delia C. Ramirez", "R000617", "ramirez.house.gov", "ramirez", "https://ramirez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Ranking Member of a Subcommittee on the Homeland Security Committee, led 28 colleagues in opening an investigation into a new data-sharing agreement between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that has resulted in a spike in immigration enforcement activities at airports across the country. In the inquiry, the members raise the possibility of violations of privacy and civil liberties, as well as safety concerns, for all U.S. residents and international visitors traveling through airports. The letter was co-led by Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) \u2014 Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee, Congressman Henry C. \"Hank\" Johnson (GA-04), and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12).\n\nThe inquiry directed to the Department of Homeland Security follows American Oversight obtaining a partially redacted memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed in May 2025 that formalized a new data-sharing partnership between TSA and ICE. The agreement documents that TSA is sharing personally identifiable information, including passenger names and birth dates, and other data with ICE to conduct immigration enforcement, contradicting former Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill\u2019s sworn congressional testimony that TSA does not send such information to ICE.\n\n\u201cHanding travelers' private information over to immigration officers for the purposes of conducting immigration enforcement without warrants or due process violates long-standing safeguards meant to protect the safety and rights of the American people. TSA must acknowledge the dangerous precedent associated with forging secret agreements that allow the government to expand how it uses residents\u2019 personal information absent consent, guardrails, transparency, or oversight,\u201d wrote the Members. \u201cThe consequences of such action reach far beyond immigration and raise profound concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and public trust. TSA and ICE must change course immediately.\u201d\n\nAccording to a Reuters report, as of April 2026, TSA reportedly shared the personal information of more than 31,000 travelers with ICE, which led to more than 800 immigration-related arrests. Since TSA and ICE have not publicly disclosed the unredacted information-sharing agreement, it remains unclear how information is shared and why immigrants are targeted for arrest.\n\nThe department has until September 7, 2026, to provide details about the agreement and its effect on immigration enforcement and travelers' privacy.\n\nThe letter was signed by Representatives Judy Chu (CA-28), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Jill Tokuda (HI-02).", 1, "2026-08-29T11:31:28Z", "2026-08-29T11:32:37Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/following-50-tariff-levied-canada-rep-schneider-senators-gillibrand-and-welch", "FOLLOWING 50% TARIFF LEVIED ON CANADA, REP. SCHNEIDER, SENATORS GILLIBRAND AND WELCH INTRODUCE BILL TO REPEAL SECTION 338 AND REFUND TARIFFS", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013 Today, Congressman Brad Schneider, a member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, together with Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Peter Welch (D-VT), introduced the Banning Antiquated Duties and Delivering Equitable American Levies (BAD DEAL) Act to repeal Section 338 and refund all duties paid under this authority. Over the weekend, trade talks between the United States and Canada broke down, resulting in the U.S. imposing 50% tariffs on Canada under Section 338. In response, Canada is pledging dollar-for-dollar retaliatory tariffs slated to come into effect after Labor Day. Canada is Illinois\u2019 largest export market, with over $19 billion in exports in 2024.\n\nIn 2025, Rep. Schneider introduced the Repealing Outdated and Unilateral Tariff Authorities Act which would repeal Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930. A recent report from the Midwest Economic Policy Institute shows that average household costs for Illinois families have increased by $2,200 as a result of Trump\u2019s tariffs.\n\nEarlier this year, Rep. Schneider brought the CEO Learning Resources, the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case on Trump\u2019s tariffs, as his State of the Union Guest days after the Supreme Court ruled Trump\u2019s tariffs under IEEPA were illegal.\n\n\u201cEvery American deserves a fair shot to get ahead, and Trump\u2019s capricious and costly tariffs are making it exceedingly difficult to simply make ends meet,\u201d said Schneider. \u201cPresident Trump\u2019s brazen and counterproductive trade war only damages the long-standing, mutually beneficial relationship with our neighbor, and second largest trading partner, Canada. This is a bad deal! It\u2019s a bad deal for American families, and it\u2019s a bad deal for American small businesses. I\u2019m proud to work with my colleagues to introduce the aptly named BAD DEAL Act to repeal this outdated tariff authority AND refund the tariff duties paid. We will continue fighting to rein in Trump\u2019s costly tariffs and reassert Congress\u2019 authority before his on-again, off-again trade policy damages our international relationships for years to come.\u201d\n\n\u201cPresident Trump and Republicans promised to lower costs and make life more affordable, but they\u2019ve used their total power in Washington to make life more expensive than ever,\u201d said Gillibrand. \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: the latest tariffs against Canada are a bad deal for New York families. I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation to end these costly tariffs and refund Americans. It\u2019s past time for President Trump to stop the political games, get back to the negotiation table, and make a deal that lowers costs and strengthens our economy.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo good will come of this trade war with Canada. The only thing these tariffs will create is economic pain on both sides of the border, especially for Vermont and the other 33 states that rely on Canada as their largest trading partner,\u201d said Welch. \u201cImposing on-again, off-again tariffs is the opposite of how we should treat our close friends and longtime allies, but it\u2019s endemic to how the Trump Administration operates. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in leading the BAD DEAL Act to repeal these reckless tariffs and reclaim Congress\u2019 constitutional role in setting our trade policy.\u201d\n\nCosponsors of the BAD DEAL Act include Reps. Don Beyer (VA-08), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10).", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-foster-leads-bipartisan-group-demand-answers-regarding-insufficient-uscis", "Rep. Foster Leads Bipartisan Group to Demand Answers Regarding Insufficient USCIS Correspondence", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bill Foster", "F000454", "foster.house.gov", "foster", "https://foster.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, DC \u2014 Today, Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL) led a bipartisan coalition of 70 Members of Congress in demanding answers from DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow regarding an alarming pattern in Congressional casework over the past several months.\n\nDespite increased funding for USCIS under H.R. 1, the agency\u2019s correspondence with congressional offices has become increasingly problematic. Congressional caseworkers are receiving responses from USCIS liaison services that reference the wrong constituent or case number, fail to address the questions raised in their inquiries, and provide no clear avenue for staff to ask follow-up questions or request additional information.\n\nCongressional USCIS casework often involves children without a parent or guardian and nowhere to go, spouses who are facing separation, or families that have escaped warfare or other traumatic instability. Additionally, USCIS deals with work permits, meaning insufficient correspondence from the agency impacts local businesses.\n\nIn the letter to Secretary Mullin and Director Edlow, the Members wrote:\n\n\u201cCongressional caseworkers have become trapped in a frustrating, never-ending cycle that undermines their ability to effectively assist constituents. The Congressional inquiry process is meant to facilitate communication between USCIS and Members of Congress on behalf of the people they represent.\n\n\u201cWhen inquiries are met with these inadequate responses\u2014and there is no meaningful avenue for follow-up\u2014that purpose is defeated.\u201d\n\nA copy of the letter and a list of cosigners are available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-delivers-nearly-58-million-upgrade-aging-infrastructure-protect", "Krishnamoorthi Delivers Nearly $5.8 Million to Upgrade Aging Infrastructure, Protect Communities from Severe Weather Threats", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "DES PLAINES, IL \u2014 Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined local leaders from Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, DuPage County, Bartlett, and Schaumburg to announce nearly $5.8 million in Community Project Funding he secured for five infrastructure projects across the 8th Congressional District. The investments will upgrade aging water infrastructure, reduce neighborhood flooding, improve road and pedestrian safety, and advance major transportation improvements.\n\n\u201cWhen a water main breaks, a neighborhood floods, or an intersection becomes overwhelmed, families pay the price,\u201d said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to have secured nearly $5.8 million to help our communities fix aging infrastructure before problems become crises. These investments will protect homes from flooding, keep drinking water reliable, and make our roads and intersections safer. With severe weather putting more strain on the infrastructure we rely on every day, investing now will help keep our communities safer, stronger, and more resilient for years to come.\u201d\n\nThe funding includes:\n\n$1.8 million for the City of Des Plaines\u2019 Algonquin Road Grade Separation Project to support Phase II engineering, including final design and preparation of the plans and specifications needed to move the project toward construction. Phase II engineering is expected to take approximately three to four years.\n\n$1.092 million for Elk Grove Village\u2019s Water Main Lining Project to rehabilitate 15 critical sections of the Village\u2019s more than 180 miles of water main, much of which dates to the 1950s and 1960s. The project will be Elk Grove Village\u2019s first use of water-main lining, which requires less roadway excavation than traditional replacement.\n\n$240,000 for DuPage County\u2019s Newton & Second Flood Reduction Project to address recurring flooding in the Nelsons Highview neighborhood near Newton Avenue and Second Street in unincorporated Glendale Heights. Flooding has damaged residential properties and closed roads, limiting emergency vehicle access. Improvements include a detention/retention pond, additional storm sewers, and outlet and downstream improvements.\n\n$1.5 million for the Village of Bartlett\u2019s Route 25/West Bartlett Road Intersection Improvements to add dedicated turn lanes in each direction and a pedestrian crossing bridge to improve traffic flow and safety.\n\n$1.152 million for the Village of Schaumburg\u2019s Hammond Drive/Algonquin Road Intersection Improvements to improve the intersection and mitigate the impacts of industrial traffic on Schaumburg residents.\n\nThe five awards total $5.784 million in Fiscal Year 2026 Community Project Funding secured by Congressman Krishnamoorthi for infrastructure projects across the 8th Congressional District.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-answers-trump-doj-over-reported-hiring-lawyer-convicted", "Krishnamoorthi Demands Answers from Trump DOJ Over Reported Hiring of Lawyer Convicted of Hacking Election Websites for Election Monitoring", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today demanded answers from Attorney General Todd Blanche following reports that a lawyer convicted of hacking election websites joined the Trump Administration\u2019s Civil Rights Division and participated in its election-monitoring operation during Minnesota\u2019s August primary. The reports come as DOJ prepares to deploy as many as 1,000 personnel during the November midterm elections, raising urgent questions about who the Department is entrusting with access to polling locations and voters.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cReports indicate that David Michael Levin\u2014a Florida attorney who pleaded guilty in 2016 to unauthorized computer intrusions involving two election websites\u2014appears to have joined the Department\u2019s Civil Rights Division and participated in the Department\u2019s monitoring of Minnesota\u2019s August primary. Photographs and video reviewed by reporters reportedly show Mr. Levin standing alongside a Civil Rights Division attorney at a Minneapolis polling location, where a local election judge intervened after the two men positioned themselves too close to the polling place.\u201d\n\nAccording to Florida investigators, Levin used SQL injection techniques to obtain the login credentials of the Lee County Supervisor of Elections and used those credentials to access the office\u2019s website as an administrator. He also targeted the Florida Division of Elections website. Levin was originally charged with three felonies, ultimately pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, and served 20 days in jail.\n\nDOJ has not publicly explained Levin\u2019s employment status, his role in the monitoring operation, or how he was selected to participate. Reports have also identified other individuals brought into the Civil Rights Division who have publicly questioned the legitimacy of past elections.\n\nKrishnamoorthi continues:\n\n\u201cThese reports raise a fundamental question: What standards is the Department applying when selecting the personnel who will be responsible for protecting Americans\u2019 voting rights?\u201d\n\nThe letter follows Krishnamoorthi\u2019s August 19 demand for safeguards against voter intimidation and answers on how DOJ will select, train, and supervise as many as 1,000 election monitors it plans to deploy during the 2026 midterms, nearly twice the size of its 2024 effort.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cIf the reports concerning Mr. Levin are accurate, his presence at a polling location would call that confidence into question. An individual with a documented history of unauthorized access to election systems should not be placed in a position of authority or proximity to voters and election officials without a clear explanation from the Department of the vetting, supervision, and legal authority governing that assignment.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested responses to the following questions by September 3, 2026:\n\nIs David Michael Levin currently, or has he previously been, an employee, contractor, detailee, or volunteer of the Civil Rights Division? If so, please identify his position, responsibilities, and dates of service.\n\nWhat vetting process does the Department require before assigning an individual to election-monitoring duties, including criminal background checks and reviews of an individual\u2019s prior involvement with election systems or election-related activities? Was that process followed in Mr. Levin\u2019s case?\n\nWere Department officials aware of Mr. Levin\u2019s 2016 conviction for unauthorized access to election systems before he participated in the Minneapolis monitoring operation? If so, who approved his participation?\n\nUnder what legal authority was Mr. Levin present at the Powderhorn Park polling location? Was he a duly appointed federal election observer, a Civil Rights Division employee, or acting in another capacity?\n\nWhat training and written guidance are provided to election monitors regarding permissible conduct inside or near polling places, including restrictions designed to prevent voter intimidation and interference with election officials?\n\nWhat screening criteria will the Department apply to the approximately 1,000 personnel it plans to deploy in November? Will those criteria include an individual\u2019s criminal history, prior conduct involving election systems, and public efforts to undermine confidence in lawful elections?\n\nWill the Department provide Congress with a written description of the vetting, training, supervision, and disciplinary procedures governing its 2026 election-monitoring program before those personnel are deployed?\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested a complete response by September 3, 2026, citing the proximity of the midterm elections and the scale of DOJ\u2019s planned deployment.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-usda-action-trump-backed-snap-cuts-put-free-school", "Krishnamoorthi Demands USDA Action as Trump-Backed SNAP Cuts Put Free School Meals at Risk", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) today demanded immediate action from the Trump Administration to protect children\u2019s access to free school meals as historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect. In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Food and Nutrition Administration Acting Administrator Shiela Corley, Krishnamoorthi warned that the cuts are already putting additional pressure on school meal programs in Illinois and across the country.\n\nNew data show Illinois has 47 fewer schools and 15 fewer school districts participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) this school year, with nearly 24,000 fewer Illinois students attending schools that provide free meals to all students through the program. Illinois was one of only three states to experience the largest declines nationwide in the number of schools participating in CEP.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cI am writing regarding the severe impact that cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) are having on children\u2019s access to school meals as students across Illinois and the country return to the classroom. I strongly urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) to take immediate action to protect children\u2019s access to nutritious school meals, particularly in Illinois communities already experiencing losses in free meal eligibility as a result of the law\u2019s cuts to SNAP.\u201d\n\nThe OBBBA, enacted by Congress and the Trump Administration in July 2025, imposed new SNAP eligibility and work requirements while making the largest cuts to SNAP in the program\u2019s history. Since the law took effect, an estimated 4.5 million people, including 1.5 million children, have lost SNAP benefits nationwide. In Illinois, more than 300,000 people are expected to lose benefits because of the new work and paperwork requirements alone, while SNAP enrollment has already fallen 16 percent in the year since the law\u2019s enactment.\n\nThose losses can follow children directly into the classroom. Students enrolled in SNAP are automatically certified for free school meals without having to submit a separate household application. When families lose SNAP, children can lose that automatic eligibility even when their underlying need for food assistance has not changed.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cA paperwork failure by one household should not become a food insecurity problem for hundreds of children. If enough families lose direct certification, an entire school can lose access to CEP and its ability to provide free meals to every student.\u201d\n\nUnder CEP, schools and districts where at least 25 percent of students are directly certified through SNAP, Medicaid, or other qualifying programs can provide free breakfast and lunch to all students without collecting individual household applications. As families lose SNAP because of new paperwork requirements, schools can fall below that threshold and lose CEP eligibility.\n\nKrishnamoorthi is demanding that USDA and FNA conduct an immediate state-by-state assessment of the impact of the OBBBA\u2019s SNAP eligibility changes on children\u2019s access to school meals and make the results public. He is also seeking answers to the following questions:\n\nHow many children have lost direct certification for free school meals as a result of losing SNAP benefits since the OBBBA took effect, both nationwide and in each state?\n\nHow many schools and school districts have lost, or are at risk of losing, CEP eligibility as a result of changes in SNAP participation, and how many students attend those schools?\n\nWhat steps are USDA and FNA taking to prevent children who lose direct certification from losing access to free school meals and to help schools preserve CEP eligibility?\n\nWhich states and communities face the greatest risk of reduced access to school meals as a result of these changes, and what assistance are USDA and FNA providing to them?\n\nKrishnamoorthi requested responses to his questions and the results of the state-by-state assessment by September 10, 2026. He also requested that USDA make the assessment public so states, school districts, and families can understand the effects of the changes and the steps being taken to address them.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-urges-state-department-support-search-those-missing-after", "Krishnamoorthi Urges State Department to Support Search for Those Missing After Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi today urged the State Department to use every available resource to support ongoing search and rescue efforts following devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet that have left hundreds of people missing, including American citizens. Krishnamoorthi\u2019s office is also working to assist those seeking help locating missing family members and friends.\n\n\u201cMy thoughts are with everyone affected by the devastating floods in Nepal and Tibet, including the hundreds of people who remain missing. Reports that American citizens are among those still unaccounted for are deeply troubling, and my office is working to assist those seeking help locating family members and friends. The State Department must use every available resource to support search and rescue efforts and help account for those who remain missing. The United States must continue working closely with authorities in Nepal and the region to provide answers to families awaiting news of their loved ones.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/underwood-opposes-dhs-plans-spend-millions-electric-shock-gloves-ice", "Underwood Opposes DHS Plans to Spend Millions on Electric Shock Gloves for ICE", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Lauren Underwood", "U000040", "underwood.house.gov", "underwood", "https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week, Rep. Lauren Underwood, a member of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, wrote to the Department of Homeland Security in opposition to recently reported plans to spend up to $20 million to equip U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel with electric shock gloves.\n\nThe devices, known as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitters, or G.L.O.V.E., are designed to be worn by officers and administer an electrical shock when an officer makes physical contact with an individual.\n\n\u201cThe idea that we would spend millions of taxpayer dollars to put these electric shock gloves on the hands of ICE personnel is disturbing and completely unacceptable,\u201d said Rep. Underwood. \u201cThis agency is already out of control, and they cannot be given another tool to terrorize and brutalize our communities. These devices should not be deployed under any circumstances, and I am demanding DHS abandon this procurement.\u201d\n\nThe manufacturer of G.L.O.V.E., Compliant Technologies, warns against using the devices on elderly people, small children, pregnant women, and people with severe disabilities. Underwood is demanding answers about what restrictions DHS will place on their use, including protections for vulnerable populations and safeguards to prevent involuntary reactions caused by an electrical shock from being mistaken for resistance and used to justify additional force.\n\nUnderwood also raised concerns about accountability, particularly given recent incidents in which DHS\u2019s initial characterization of use of force encounters has been contradicted by video and other evidence, as G.L.O.V.Es can administer shocks without leaving burns, marks, or scars,\n\nThe letter comes just weeks after Underwood met with DHS leadership about gaps in body worn camera deployment, where officials cited the significant costs of fully equipping ICE and CBP personnel with cameras. Underwood questioned why DHS is prepared to spend up to $20 million on electric shock gloves while those gaps remain.\n\nFull text of Underwood\u2019s letter can be found here:\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases/schneider-hosts-cost-living-roundtable-releases-report-about-cost-living", "SCHNEIDER HOSTS COST-OF-LIVING ROUNDTABLE, RELEASES REPORT ABOUT THE COST-OF-LIVING CRISIS IMPACTING FAMILIES ACROSS ILLINOIS\u2019 TENTH DISTRICT", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Bradley Scott Schneider", "S001190", "schneider.house.gov", "schneider", "https://schneider.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LINCOLNSHIRE, IL \u2013 Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) hosted a cost-of-living roundtable in Highwood to hear directly from community leaders, small business owners, and service providers about how the increased cost of living has impacted them and their communities. Rep. Schneider released a report highlighting increased costs Illinois families are seeing for everything from utilities to groceries and health care.\n\nImage", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-attends-child-deportation-hearings-calls-end-cruel-trump", "Quigley Attends Child Deportation Hearings, Calls for End to Cruel Trump Immigration Practices", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Mike Quigley", "Q000023", "quigley.house.gov", "quigley", "https://quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Chicago Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) observed the removal proceedings of unaccompanied children (UACs) appearing on the \u201cmega masters\u201d court docket at the Chicago Immigration Court. Together, they raised concerns about severe due process violations targeting unaccompanied children due to the Trump Administration\u2019s cruel immigration policies. Quigley and Durbin were joined by the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), the Children\u2019s Legal Center (CLC), and community partners.\n\nFollowing the observation, Quigley and Durbin attended a press conference to speak about what they saw.\n\n\u201cThe children I saw today are being put through hell. The Trump administration isn\u2019t going after \u2018the worst of the worst.\u2019 They\u2019re deporting kids. Children are being seen in immigration court without lawyers, without parents, and facing a language barrier, and being asked to explain why they deserve to stay in this country. These are kids young enough to be playing with toys while they wait for their turn in front of a judge. A judge who couldn't even show up to the courtroom to look these children in the eye. As always, the cruelty is the point,\u201d said Quigley. \u201cUsing children to instill fear and intimidate immigrant communities is beyond the pale. I\u2019m going to keep working with the National Immigrant Justice Center, the Children\u2019s Legal Center, and Senator Durbin to protect immigrant kids and families.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-condemns-supreme-court-ruling-trump-mail-voting-restrictions", "Krishnamoorthi Condemns Supreme Court Ruling on Trump Mail-Voting Restrictions, Renews Call for Postmaster General Steiner to Resign or Be Removed", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement after the Supreme Court lifted an injunction against President Trump\u2019s executive order restricting mail voting while a separate nationwide injunction remains in effect:\n\n\u201cToday, the Supreme Court\u2019s conservative majority moved Donald Trump one step closer to upending mail voting just weeks before Americans begin receiving ballots. By throwing out the challenge from 23 states and the District of Columbia on standing without deciding whether Trump\u2019s order is lawful, the Court opened the door to forcing states to turn over voter lists and allowing USPS to withhold ballots from eligible Americans who do not appear on them. A separate nationwide injunction still blocks implementation, yet Postmaster General David Steiner has already pushed ahead with rules to carry out Trump\u2019s restrictions despite a federal judge expressly ordering him not to complete that rulemaking. As a senior member of the House Oversight Committee, I am renewing my call for Steiner to resign and, if he refuses, for the Postal Service Board of Governors to remove him. The Postal Service should deliver ballots, not decide who gets to vote, and I will fight every effort by this Administration to disenfranchise the American people.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-cook-county-clerk-gordon-voting-rights-leaders-highlight", "Krishnamoorthi, Cook County Clerk Gordon, Voting Rights Leaders Highlight Threats to Voting Access Posed by Trump Administration Ahead of November Elections", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "CICERO, IL \u2014 Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon and Illinois voting rights leaders at the Cook County Elections Processing Center for a tour and roundtable discussion on threats to voting access and election administration ahead of the November elections.\n\nCongressman Krishnamoorthi, Clerk Gordon, Becky Simon of the League of Women Voters of Illinois, Christian Harris of Common Cause Illinois, and Ed Yohnka of the ACLU of Illinois discussed President Trump\u2019s efforts to restrict mail voting and reports that his Administration could deploy as many as 1,000 Department of Justice personnel in connection with the November elections.\n\n\u201cDonald Trump is trying to seize powers over our elections that the federal government does not have, including turning the Postal Service into a gatekeeper for who receives a ballot,\u201d said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. \u201cOur elections belong in the hands of the state and local professionals who administer them, not Donald Trump and his political appointees. I will keep fighting every attempt to interfere with Americans\u2019 right to vote. The Postal Service should deliver ballots, not decide who gets to vote.\u201d\n\nCongressman Krishnamoorthi has led efforts to challenge the Trump Administration\u2019s restrictions on mail voting, repeatedly pressing USPS to comply with federal court orders finding that Congress never gave the Postal Service authority to determine which voters receive mail ballots. Yesterday, he renewed his call for Postmaster General David Steiner to resign after USPS finalized its election-mail rule despite a court order barring him from completing that rulemaking. Following yesterday\u2019s Supreme Court ruling allowing parts of the Administration\u2019s plan to move forward while litigation continues, Krishnamoorthi stressed that the fight is far from over: the Court did not rule that Trump\u2019s restrictions are lawful, a separate nationwide injunction remains in place, and legal challenges to the policy are continuing.", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"], ["https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-garcia-participates-in-the-third-panamerican-congress", "Congressman Garc\u00eda Participates in the Third Panamerican Congress", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda", "G000586", "chuygarcia.house.gov", "chuygarcia", "https://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04) participated in the Third Panamerican Congress that took place from Friday, Aug. 21, through Sunday, Aug. 23. The opening day began with a press conference and an opening ceremony at Uruguay\u2019s Legislative Palace led by Uruguayan Vice President Carolina Cosse. The gatherings\u2019 first closed-door working session started right after.\n\nThat afternoon, a public event entitled \u201cThis Is America\u201d brought together more than 600 people to the historic Teatro Sol\u00eds. Former Chilean President Gabriel Boric, former Colombian President Gustavo Petro, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kicillof, former Uruguayan Vice President Luc\u00eda Topolansky, former Chilean presidential candidate Jeannette Jara and former Chilean government spokesperson Camila Vallejo were among the progressive leaders from across the Americas who shared their visions for the region\u2019s future.\n\nOn Saturday, delegations continued with additional closed-door working sessions and workshops on emerging issues, including the defense of democracy, the new global economy and cybersecurity.\n\nThe Third Panamerican Congress concluded Sunday with a closing session at the MERCOSUR Parliament, or Parlasur, in Montevideo. The parliamentary forum of democratic forces across the Americas brought together more than 150 lawmakers, former presidents, ministers and political leaders from 15 countries. Participants reviewed the outcomes of the working sessions held in Montevideo and announced Brazil as the next host country of the fourth Panamerican Congress in 2027.\n\nThe closing session began with presentations of the conclusions from four working groups focused on peace, multilateralism and security; sustainable economic development and regional integration; digital sovereignty and artificial intelligence; and well-being and care for the majority. Lawmakers agreed that the hemisphere\u2019s challenges\u2014from financial coercion and weaponized sanctions to concentrated technological power and the erosion of traditional welfare systems\u2014require coordinated regional action rather than fragmented national responses.\n\nParticipants from the United States included a Congressional delegation led by U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), and Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL-04).\n\nU.S. Rep. Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda said members of the U.S. delegation share the Congress\u2019 vision.\n\n\u201cThose of us who serve in the United States Congress share the vision of this Panamerican Congress,\u201d Garc\u00eda said. \u201cI believe winning back the majority in Congress can open space to change U.S. policy toward the region and the Global South. We will center working-class well-being, respect for human rights and respect for the sovereignty of Latin American nations.\u201d\n\nDavid Adler, General Coordinator of the Panamerican Congress, marked the gathering\u2019s conclusion:\n\n\u201cThe third Panamerican Congress has now concluded. We are very pleased and honored to have brought together 150 leaders and lawmakers from 15 countries across the region around a clear message: We need more dialogue at a hemispheric scale between North and South America, but on a new and more equal footing,\u201d Adler said. \u201cOver these three days, we have shown that it is possible to sit down and discuss concrete issues, including peace and security, care and social welfare systems, in terms that reflect the deep bonds shared across the Americas.\u201d\n\nUruguayan lawmaker In\u00e9s Cort\u00e9s also highlighted the Congress\u2019 accomplishments.\n\n\u201cThis was a very productive Congress,\u201d Cort\u00e9s said. \u201cWe had already held preliminary activities and workshops in several countries across the region on some of these issues. Today, we concluded three days of work in which we built a common agenda and developed legislative priorities designed to outlast political swings in executive leadership across the hemisphere. We are advancing along another path by bringing together legislatures from across the Americas.\u201d\n\nJahiren Noriega, an Ecuadorian National Assembly member representing Pichincha, emphasized the importance of the gathering for her country.\n\n\u201cEcuador is currently experiencing an aggressive militarization policy and deeply unequal security cooperation arrangements between the U.S. and Ecuadorian governments,\u201d Noriega said. \u201cThe cooperation between the Ecuadorian and U.S. militaries has already resulted in serious human rights violations. In that sense, this Congress is not only a space to expose what is happening in Ecuador but, above all, an opportunity to develop strategies for parliamentary cooperation. By working with U.S. lawmakers, we can bring these abuses to light and press for oversight in the United States. As a region, we are facing a wave of far-right governments that are undermining our rights and our democracy. Organizing to develop strategies of resistance is therefore essential.\u201d\n\nRepresenting Brazil, scholar Larissa Ramina underscored the broader regional significance of the gathering.\n\n\u201cThis Congress is especially important because it allows us to sound the alarm publicly about what is happening in Latin America and, at this moment, in Brazil,\u201d Ramina said. \u201cIt also allows us to draw attention to the many issues discussed here, including artificial intelligence, electoral sovereignty, multilateralism, greater cooperation and the importance of strengthening regional integration.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-delivers-1-million-major-lake-michigan-water-infrastructure", "Krishnamoorthi Delivers $1 Million for Major Lake Michigan Water Infrastructure Project to Provide Clean Drinking Water and Combat Microplastics", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "ELMHURST, Illinois \u2014 Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi joined the DuPage Water Commission (DWC) to announce $1 million in federal Community Project Funding he secured to advance Stage 1 of the Lake Michigan Regional Water Supply Initiative, a major regional infrastructure project that will provide safe, reliable drinking water while addressing contaminants including lead, PFAS, and microplastics.\n\nThe approximately $3 billion, 15-year initiative will create a modern regional water system expected to benefit up to 2 million residents across Northeastern Illinois. The project will include a new Lake Michigan raw-water intake, regional drinking-water treatment plant, and tunnels, pipelines, and pumping stations across Cook and DuPage counties. The new treatment plant will be specifically designed to treat microplastics, PFAS, and other emerging contaminants, while the broader project will replace aging infrastructure and help reduce risks associated with lead entering drinking water.\n\nThe $1 million Congressman Krishnamoorthi secured will support geotechnical work to provide a foundational engineering report for the installation of finished-water tunnels that will help deliver Lake Michigan drinking water to communities across the region.\n\n\u201cEvery family deserves to know that when they turn on the faucet, the water coming out is safe to drink,\u201d said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. \u201cI\u2019m proud to have secured $1 million in federal funding for this project, which will provide safe Lake Michigan drinking water to communities across our region while protecting Illinoisans from threats like microplastics and PFAS. As I continue leading the fight in Congress to combat microplastics in our drinking water, I\u2019ll keep supporting investments here at home that will build the modern water infrastructure our families need for generations to come.\u201d\n\nLast month, Congressman Krishnamoorthi led a bicameral letter with Representative Janelle Bynum and Senators Jeff Merkley and Cory Booker, joined by 53 additional lawmakers, urging the Environmental Protection Agency to begin nationwide monitoring of microplastics in drinking water. The lawmakers called on EPA to add microplastics to its Sixth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule to measure Americans\u2019 exposure, inform future health-protective standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and respond to emerging research linking microplastics to serious adverse health effects.\n\n\u201cThis federal funding is an important step forward for the Lake Michigan Regional Water Supply Initiative and a testament to the power of regional collaboration,\u201d said James F. Zay, Chairman of the DuPage Water Commission. \u201cWe are grateful to Congressman Krishnamoorthi for his support of this transformative project. By working together, we are making a long-term investment in the region\u2019s future growth, resiliency, and quality of life.\u201d\n\n\u201cA multi-billion-dollar investment of this scale is about building critical water infrastructure\u2014and sustaining thousands of good-paying jobs, supporting skilled trades, and creating a stable pipeline of work for working families across Northeast Illinois for the next 15 years,\u201d said James M. Sweeney, President-Business Manager of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. \u201cLong-term infrastructure investment gives labor the certainty to train, hire, and build the workforce needed to deliver projects that will serve our communities for generations.\u201d\n\nThe project is expected to provide a more reliable regional water supply while supporting future growth and business investment and creating significant union employment during its approximately 15-year design and construction period.\n\nCongressman Krishnamoorthi and the DuPage Water Commission were joined at the event by state and regional elected officials, labor representatives, professional service associations, and representatives of environmental and state agencies.", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-demands-postmaster-general-steiner-resign-after-usps-finalizes", "Krishnamoorthi Demands Postmaster General Steiner Resign After USPS Finalizes Trump-Backed Mail Ballot Restrictions Despite Court Order", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, today renewed his call for Postmaster General David Steiner to resign after the United States Postal Service finalized a rule restricting the delivery of mail ballots under President Trump\u2019s election mail executive order despite an active federal court order expressly prohibiting Steiner from completing that rulemaking.\n\nIn the letter, Krishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cWhat makes this even more troubling is that you previously assured Congress that you would do otherwise. At a June hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, you stated that the Postal Service \u2018would comply with any court orders regarding voting by mail.\u2019 You reiterated that assurance days later. Those were not casual remarks. They were commitments made under oath before the congressional committee responsible for overseeing your agency.\u201d\n\nOn August 11, Judge Indira Talwani barred Steiner by name from \u201cinitiating or completing rulemaking to promulgate\u201d the rule. Ten days later, at approximately 9:00 p.m. on August 21, USPS finalized the 95-page rule and scheduled it to take effect before it could even be published in the Federal Register. The policy remains blocked by two federal injunctions, and USPS has acknowledged that it lacks the legal authority to implement it for the 2026 election absent further relief from the courts.\n\nKrishnamoorthi continues:\n\n\u201cThat decision has fundamentally undermined the trust required of the Postmaster General. The stakes could hardly be higher. The Postal Service is entrusted with delivering Americans\u2019 election mail fairly, reliably, and without partisan interference. Voters should never have to wonder whether the agency responsible for delivering their ballots is being used to advance a political agenda or whether its leadership will comply with the orders of the federal courts.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi has repeatedly warned against efforts to place USPS in a gatekeeping role over election mail and previously called for Steiner\u2019s removal over his efforts to implement President Trump\u2019s election mail executive order despite federal court rulings blocking key provisions.\n\nThe Trump Administration is now asking the Supreme Court to overturn the lower courts\u2019 rulings and clear the way for the policy before the November midterm elections.\n\nKrishnamoorthi writes:\n\n\u201cA Postmaster General who tells Congress under oath that he will comply with federal court orders, and then completes the very rulemaking that a federal judge ordered him not to complete, has forfeited the confidence necessary to lead the United States Postal Service.\u201d\n\nKrishnamoorthi reiterated his demand that Steiner resign and requested a response by August 31, 2026.", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases/krishnamoorthi-introduce-lessons-ukraine-act-apply-ukraines-battlefield", "Krishnamoorthi to Introduce LESSONS from Ukraine Act to Apply Ukraine\u2019s Battlefield Lessons to U.S. Military Following Official Visit", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Raja Krishnamoorthi", "K000391", "krishnamoorthi.house.gov", "krishnamoorthi", "https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Following his official visit to Ukraine, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, today announced plans to introduce the Learning Effective Strategies and Systems Optimization for National Security (LESSONS) from Ukraine Act, legislation requiring the Pentagon to study and apply lessons from Ukraine\u2019s battlefield innovations to U.S. military doctrine and training.\n\n\u201cDuring my visit to Ukraine, I saw firsthand how the Ukrainians are rapidly adapting to a battlefield where drones and electronic warfare are changing how wars are fought,\u201d Krishnamoorthi said. \u201cAfter years of defending their country against Putin\u2019s invasion, they have learned critical lessons about countering drone swarms, operating through electronic warfare, and sustaining weapons production under attack. We need to draw from their experience to strengthen our own military, protect our servicemembers fighting in the Gulf, and ensure we are prepared to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific.\u201d\n\nThe LESSONS from Ukraine Act would require the Pentagon to study how Ukraine has adapted to a battlefield transformed by drones, including the use of unmanned systems for combat, intelligence, and logistics. The Pentagon would also examine electronic warfare and layered defenses against drone swarms, how forces can operate when GPS and satellite communications are unavailable, and Ukraine\u2019s efforts to disperse weapons production to make its defense industrial base faster and more resilient. Under the LESSONS from Ukraine Act, the Pentagon would further assess how drones are changing the survivability of armored vehicles and battlefield medicine and develop a plan and timetable for incorporating these lessons into U.S. military doctrine and training.", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/budzinski-joins-local-leaders-in-east-st-louis-for-roundtable-on-gun-violence-prevention", "Budzinski\u00a0Joins Local Leaders in East St. Louis for Roundtable on Gun Violence Prevention\u00a0", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, IL \u2014 Last night, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) joined local leaders for a roundtable discussion on gun violence prevention efforts. The meeting comes in the wake of a deadly shooting in East St. Louis last month that took the lives of five and left two more injured. Prior to the roundtable, Budzinski met with the family of those affected by the tragedy.\n\n\u201cWhat happened in East St. Louis is something no family or community should have to endure,\u201d said Budzinski. \u201cI am grateful for the opportunity to meet with them to offer my condolences for their loss and discuss how we can work in Congress to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.\u201d\n\nThe roundtable included local faith leaders, gun violence prevention advocates, city officials, as well as representatives from the local NAACP.\n\nIn Congress, Budzinski is a cosponsor several pieces of legislation on gun violence prevention, including the Break the Cycle of Violence Act (H.R. 4103), aimed at establishing community-based Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs that seek to prevent shootings before they happen, interrupt retaliation, and help people at highest risk of violence move toward safety and stability.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://budzinski.house.gov/posts/springfield-congresswoman-budzinski-and-state-senator-turner-demand-improvements-to-postal-performance", "SPRINGFIELD: Congresswoman\u00a0Budzinski\u00a0and State Senator Turner Demand Improvements to Postal Performance", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Nikki Budzinski", "B001315", "budzinski.house.gov", "budzinski", "https://budzinski.house.gov/press", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, IL \u2013 Yesterday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and State Senator Doris Turner held a press conference to address ongoing mail delivery and service issues in the Springfield area and call for improvements to ensure residents receive timely, reliable postal service.\n\nEarlier in the day, Budzinski toured the local Springfield USPS Processing and Distribution facility, where she heard directly from postal leadership about current operations and ongoing efforts to improve service in the Springfield area.\n\nThis week, Senator Turner participated in a meeting with USPS Government Affairs leadership to discuss the current state of mail delivery in Springfield.\n\n\u201cEvery community across the country \u2013 from sprawling urban areas to rural farm towns \u2013 deserves reliable and efficient postal service,\u201d Budzinski said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve made it a priority in Congress to find solutions to strengthen delivery, protect our postal employees and ensure communities get the service they deserve. Today\u2019s meeting with Springfield USPS leadership was a productive conversation about the current state of service and the steps being taken to improve delivery. I\u2019ll continue holding the Postal Service accountable, standing up for its workers and demanding reliable service across our communities.\u201d\n\nIn 2025, Budzinski co-founded the Congressional Postal Service Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress committed to strengthening the United States Postal Service (USPS), improving service for communities across the country and supporting the more than 600,000 USPS employees nationwide.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 19400, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, 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