{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"IN\" and year = 2016 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-announces-2017-town-forum-schedule", "Visclosky Announces 2017 Town Forum Schedule", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013\u00a0Today, Congressman Pete Visclosky announced the following 2017 schedule for Town Forums that will be held throughout Indiana\u2019s First Congressional District.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nSaturday \u2013 January 7, 2017\n\u00a0\n10:00 a.m.\nLake Station City Hall\n1969 Central Avenue\nLake Station, Indiana 46405\n\u00a0\n12:00 p.m.\nPortage Public Library\n2665 Irving Street\nPortage, Indiana 46368\n\u00a0\n2:00 p.m.\nValparaiso Public Library\n103 Jefferson Street\nValparaiso, Indiana 46383\n\u00a0\n4:00 p.m.\nChesterton Town Hall\n726 Broadway\nChesterton, Indiana 46304\n\u00a0\n6:00 p.m.\nMichigan City \u2013 City Hall \u2013 Council Chambers\n100 East Michigan Boulevard\nMichigan City, Indiana 46360\n\u00a0\nSunday \u2013 January 8, 2017\n\u00a0\n12:00 p.m.\nWicker Park Social Center\n2215 Ridge Road\nHighland, Indiana 46322\n\u00a0\n2:00 p.m.\nPurdue University Northwest \u2013 Student Union Library Building \u2013 Room with a View\n2200 169th Street\nHammond, Indiana 46323\n\u00a0\n4:00 p.m.\nSt. John Township Community Center\n1515 West Lincoln Highway\nSchererville, Indiana 46375\n\u00a0\n6:00 p.m.\nCrown Point Civic Center\n101 South East Street\nCrown Point, Indiana 46307\n\u00a0\nMonday \u2013 January 9, 2017\n\u00a0\n10:00 a.m.\nEast Chicago City Hall \u2013 Council Chambers\n4525 Indianapolis Boulevard\nEast Chicago, Indiana 46312\n\u00a0\n12:00 p.m.\nGary YWCA\n150 West 15th Avenue\nGary, Indiana 46407\n\u00a0\n2:00 p.m.\nLake County Public Library\n1919 West 81st Avenue\nMerrillville, Indiana 46410\n\u00a0\nPlease note that all times listed are Central Standard Time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-welcomes-new-sanctions-against-russia-reiterates-call-for-bipartisan-senate-select-committee-to-investigate-russian-hacking-and-interference-in-us-elections", "Donnelly Welcomes New Sanctions Against Russia, Reiterates Call for Bipartisan Senate Select Committee to Investigate Russian Hacking and Interference in U.S. Elections", "2016-12-29", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Welcomes New Sanctions Against Russia, Reiterates Call for Bipartisan Senate Select Committee to Investigate Russian Hacking and Interference in U.S. Elections\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 29, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly today welcomed the Obama Administration\u2019s announcement that it is imposing expanded sanctions against Russian entities and individuals and he again called on the Senate to establish a Senate select committee to undertake a thorough, bipartisan investigation into Russia\u2019s hacking and interference in U.S. elections.\u00a0Donnelly previously called for a bipartisan investigation earlier this month.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cThe sanctions being imposed against Russia are a welcome first step in responding to Russia\u2019s unacceptable interference in our elections. I still believe we should establish a bipartisan Senate select committee to investigate Russia\u2019s actions and determine how to prevent similar attempts in the future. Until that happens, I will work with Senator McCain, Senator Reed, and my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to get the American people the answers they deserve.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://walorski.house.gov/walorski-statement-on-secretary-kerry-speech/", "Walorski Statement on Secretary Kerry Speech", "2016-12-28", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Jackie Walorski", "W000813", "walorski.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 28, 2016\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Walorski Statement on Secretary Kerry Speech \n Secretary Kerry's comments  represent yet another blow to Israel in the final days of the Obama presidency. \nMISHAWAKA, Ind.  U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) today released the following statement after Secretary of State John Kerry in a speech defended the Obama administration's refusal to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements:\nSecretary Kerry's comments today, coming on the heels of the Obama administration's abstention on the U.N. Security Council's disgraceful anti-Israel resolution, represent yet another blow to Israel in the final days of the Obama presidency. These comments show why we need new leadership in the White House, and I look forward to working with President-elect Trump to provide real, substantive support to our good friend and ally Israel.\nWalorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/donnellys-legislation-in-national-defense-authorization-act", "Donnelly's legislation in National Defense Authorization Act", "2016-12-27", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly's legislation in National Defense Authorization Act\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Brian Francisco \r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Tuesday, December 27, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Legislation introduced by Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., was included in the National Defense Authorization Act signed last week by President Barack Obama.\r\nDonnelly's provision allows the Department of Defense to establish a pilot program to expand the availability of physician assistants to provide mental health care evaluations and services for members of the military and their families.\r\nIt was the fourth provision of Donnelly's Servicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package to be signed into law since 2014. The others require yearly mental health assessments for all military service personnel; create a special designation for private-sector mental health providers that demonstrate a strong knowledge of military culture and mental health issues; and require Defense Department primary care and mental health care providers to receive training on suicide risk recognition and management.\r\nObama also recently signed a military veterans bill introduced by Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-2nd. The Veterans Mobility Safety Act of 2016 will require the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish comprehensive standards for providers of automobile adaptive equipment, including wheelchair lifts and reduced-effort steering and braking systems.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/trump-leans-on-carrier-to-keep-2000-us-jobs-from-moving-to-mexico", "Trump Leans on Carrier to Keep 2,000 U.S. Jobs From Moving to Mexico", "2016-12-25", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Trump Leans on Carrier to Keep 2,000 U.S. Jobs From Moving to Mexico\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Nelson Schwartz\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Friday, November 25, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            The value of the bully pulpit of the president of the United States can\u2019t be measured on a corporate spreadsheet or the Excel file of a Wall Street analyst.\r\nBut as President-elect Donald J. Trump tries to stop Carrier from moving more than 2,000 jobs to Mexico, the company is learning that the pulpit can be powerful indeed.\r\nCarrier, in the middle of negotiations with the incoming administration, may end up keeping some of the jobs in Indiana. In exchange, the incoming administration could ease up on regulation for businesses and cool campaign rhetoric on imposing tariffs.\r\nOfficials familiar with the situation, who insisted on anonymity because talks were still underway, described the discussion on Friday as a two-way negotiation, with both sides seeking a compromise.\r\nCarrier and its corporate parent, United Technologies, confirmed on Thursday that executives were in discussions about the fate of two factories in Indiana scheduled to shut down, not long after Mr. Trump posted on Twitter that he was \u201cworking hard, even on Thanksgiving,\u201d to get Carrier to stay. \u201cMaking progress,\u201d he added, in all capital letters.\r\nFor both Mr. Trump and the company, the stakes are huge. His promise to reverse trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement, or Nafta, and bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States was critical in taking the Rust Belt out of the Democratic column and winning the White House.\r\n\u201cTrump cannot afford to back down on this one,\u201d said Robert Dilenschneider, a veteran public relations executive who advises companies and chief executives on strategic communications. \u201cHe prides himself on the art of the deal, and he\u2019s going to make Carrier an offer they can\u2019t refuse.\u201d\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s a hallmark case and if Trump can win it, which I think he will, it will send a message to every single American company that\u2019s thinking of going offshore,\u201d Mr. Dilenschneider added.\r\nFor the company, the costs of defying the president-elect are at least as high, if not higher, and may well outweigh the tens of millions of dollars to be saved by relocating production to Monterrey, Mexico, from Indiana.\r\nUnited Technologies is among the country\u2019s biggest military contractors, producing engines for the Pentagon\u2019s most advanced fighter jets and receiving more than $5 billion annually from the federal government. That equals 10 percent of the company\u2019s revenue.\r\nThe size of the federal government\u2019s dealings with United Technologies has also caught the eye of legislators on Capitol Hill, like Senator Joe Donnelly, Democrat of Indiana.\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s unfair to ask the same workers who have been laid off to pay tax dollars that will go to the company that fired them,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re in this together as Americans. When our workers succeed, our economy succeeds and our defense contractors succeed.\u201d\r\nSenator Donnelly is pushing for the government to consider outsourcing as a factor in deciding which companies receive federal contracts.\r\nKenneth G. Dau-Schmidt, a professor of labor and employment law at the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, said he also thought that Mr. Trump \u201ccould get a win here,\u201d adding, \u201cBecause they are a defense contractor, the federal government has some leverage.\u201d\r\n\u201cWhether he can do something that benefits the working class in general is a different story,\u201d he said. \u201cThe underlying problems are very hard to address. Trying to hold back the economic tide of automation, and the loss of middle-class manufacturing jobs, is something I\u2019m not sure anybody can do.\u201d\r\nWhile Carrier is best known for its air-conditioners, it also sells a variety of other heating and cooling equipment for homes and small businesses, like the furnaces and fan coils made at the Indianapolis factory.\r\nAnd as a consumer-oriented business, Carrier is much more vulnerable to public pressure than firms that primarily deal with other businesses, said Barbara J. Fick, a professor of law at Notre Dame Law School.\r\nShe noted that not far from Notre Dame\u2019s campus, at a plant in South Bend, Honeywell has been engaged in a bitter standoff since May with employees represented by the United Automobile Workers.\r\n\u201cHoneywell doesn\u2019t make a lot of things you can boycott,\u201d Ms. Fick said. \u201cIt\u2019s mostly business-to-business. To the extent that Carrier makes air-conditioners and furnaces, you can hit them with the pocketbook.\u201d\r\nAlthough Carrier workers in Indianapolis say management at the factory has been traveling back and forth to Mexico in recent months, with Mexican engineers measuring machines that are expected to be transported to Monterrey, there is plenty of time for the company to change course.\r\nIn a presentation this week, Carrier\u2019s management told employees that the fan coil line would be the first to close in mid-2017, eliminating 300 to 400 jobs. But as that line closes, about 100 jobs will be saved temporarily by the creation of a new night shift making high-efficiency furnaces.\r\nHigh-efficiency furnace production is not set to end until mid- to late 2018, while the final line to close, mid-efficiency furnaces, won\u2019t he shuttered until early 2019.\r\nThat staggered schedule has given workers some hope that if a compromise between the new administration and the company does emerge, it may revolve around keeping the gas furnace production lines open, even if a smaller number of jobs are relocated to Mexico in the meantime.\r\nIf a deal was reached, it could also help set the tone for a Trump presidency in terms of corporate America, Mr. Dilenschneider said.\r\nMuch as Ronald Reagan\u2019s decision to fire striking air traffic controllers in 1981 signaled to organized labor that political momentum was no longer on their side, keeping Carrier in Indiana would show that a Republican president was willing to stand up to corporate America.\r\nThere are signs that Mr. Trump is already eager to show just that. This month, he took credit for Ford\u2019s decision to keep Lincoln production in Kentucky, although it is not clear that any Ford jobs at the Louisville plant were actually in danger of going to Mexico.\r\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t make any difference who the president is,\u201d Mr. Dilenschneider said. \u201cIf the president of the United States says, \u2018Do it,\u2019 you\u2019ve got to give it some very serious thought.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/donnelly-congress-must-pass-necessary-emergency-funding-to-address-opioid-abuse-and-heroin-use-epidemics", "Donnelly: Congress Must Pass Necessary, Emergency Funding To Address Opioid Abuse And Heroin Use Epidemics", "2016-12-24", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly: Congress Must Pass Necessary, Emergency Funding To Address Opioid Abuse And Heroin Use Epidemics\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Thursday, November 24, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            (GRANGER) - U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly is calling for the Senate to pass necessary, emergency funding to address the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics before the end of the year.\r\nDonnelly and Senators Tammy Baldwin, Jeanne Shaheen, and Edward J. Markey sent a letter to Senate leadership late yesterday, pushing for passage of funding through the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act that is expected to be considered for passage in the coming weeks. Donnelly helped the Senate pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which became law in July, to combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. While CARA is an important step, Donnelly repeatedly has said it's necessary to fund programs and initiatives to address this public health crisis -- and to date, Congress has not provided sufficient funding to implement this new law.\r\nDonnelly and the Senators said, in part, \"Substance use, misuse, and use disorders are national problems that continue to cripple our communities. Our law enforcement, health care system, families, and states simply cannot tackle the problem alone and without necessary resources. As the end of the year fast approaches, it is past time for Republicans and Democrats to come together to provide emergency funding and increase investments in prevention and treatment services for opioid use, misuse, and use disorders...We urge you to act immediately to ensure that Congress fulfills its commitment to the American people by providing adequate resources to help quell this epidemic.\"\r\nSeveral of Donnelly's bipartisan provisions became law in 2016 as part of CARA. His provisions were adopted from his bipartisan legislation to update best prescribing practices for pain management and raise public awareness, as well as a bipartisan provision he authored that encourages first responder units to connect individuals who receive naloxone with treatment and other necessary services. CARA also includes tools to prevent drug addiction and expands access to treatment and support for individuals in recovery.\r\nIn September, Donnelly helped the Senate pass short-term legislation to keep the government running, and it included $37 million in new funding to begin implementation of CARA. These funds are helping jumpstart four grant programs in CARA focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery. As the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics continues to devastate communities in Indiana and across our country, Donnelly has continued to advocate for additional funding to confront this public health emergency.\r\nDonnelly and his colleague's letter:November 22, 2016The Honorable Mitch McConnell\u00a0  Majority Leader, U.S. Senate  The Capitol Building  Washington, DC 20004The Honorable Harry Reid  Minority Leader, U.S. Senate\u00a0  The Capitol Building  Washington, DC 20004Dear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Reid,As the 114th Congress comes to a close and the Senate looks to complete its work for the year, our country's opioid epidemic continues to worsen at an alarming rate. It is now time to follow through on recent efforts to address the epidemic by providing the necessary funding to help our communities combat this crisis. It is our responsibility to all Americans to provide immediate funding to address the opioid epidemic before the end of the year.In July, Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that authorizes important new programs for states and local organizations to address substance use, misuse and use disorders. The legislation expanded access to medication-assisted treatment, provided new resources to strengthen state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, and improve the availability of the overdose reversal drug naloxone. However, Congress has still not provided sufficient funding to implement this new law. In the face of this national crisis it is critical for us to come together as a governing body to make progress on this in order to help those suffering on the front lines of addiction.Congress has debated two proposals to provide needed investments to increase access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services related to opioid use, misuse, and use disorders. Senator Shaheen's Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (S.2423) would immediately commit $600 million in emergency funding to support the work of our first responders, health care providers, and law enforcement as they continue to fight this crisis on the ground. Earlier this year during the CARA debate, this measure received bipartisan support.Second, the Expanded Access to Treatment and Recovery Act (S.3223), which would provide $920 million over two years to support state efforts to expand treatment capacity and make services more affordable. We stand ready to come together to help foster broader bipartisan support for approving funding to address the opioid epidemic. The President-elect has also noted his desire to address this issue. For that reason, we are calling on you to include substantial funding to combat the opioid epidemic in the 21st Century Cures Act that is being considered for passage during the Lame Duck session.This epidemic knows no political party. Substance use, misuse, and use disorders are national problems that continue to cripple our communities. Our law enforcement, health care system, families, and states simply cannot tackle the problem alone and without necessary resources. As the end of the year fast approaches, it is past time for Republicans and Democrats to come together to provide emergency funding and increase investments in prevention and treatment services for opioid use, misuse, and use disorders. Until we do, our job is not done and our communities will continue to hurt. We urge you to act immediately to ensure that Congress fulfills its commitment to the American people by providing adequate resources to help quell this epidemic in the 21st Century Cures Act. We stand ready and look forward to working with you to swiftly achieve this goal.Sincerely,U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly  U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin  U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen  U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/editorial/12-23-2016-rokita-report", "12-23-2016 Rokita Report", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\nThank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 114th Congress.\u00a0 I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.\nFor daily updates, please take a moment to \"Like\" my Facebook page by clicking here \u00a0or follow me on Twitter if you prefer \u00a0@ToddRokita.\n \u00a0 \n   In this week's Rokita Report \n Another Congressman Gets\u00a0a Lump of Coal - And Celebrates Fossil Fuels\nBill of Rights Day; Honoring Our First and Second Amendments\nIndiana Thank You Tour\nOffice Open House for the 115th Congress\n  \u00a0 \n  Another Congressman Gets a Lump of Coal - And Celebrates Fossil Fuels\nIn Mooresville, I was presented with a lump of coal for Christmas from Carolyn whose father was a coal miner.\nDuring my Thank You Tour, I visited Ralph and Ava's Caf\u00e9 in Mooresville and\u00a0was given a bag of coal.\u00a0 Children may get coal when Santa knows they haven't been well behaved in the course of a year, but I recognize the value of coal and other fossil fuels.\nCoal is Indiana's primary energy source.\u00a0 More than three-fourths of our electricity comes from coal-powered plants and nine of our state's ten largest power plants are coal-fired.\u00a0 It is a local energy source too with about 60% of the coal we burn coming from Indiana.\u00a0 We use other fossil fuels for our electrical and transportation needs - including natural gas, oil, and propane.\nBecause fossil fuels are an important part of our lives, I support smart policies on their use.\u00a0 I have opposed the Clean Power Plan because it would drive up electric prices by 16% per year.\u00a0 They also represent an important component for all of the above energy policy - coal is abundantly found in Indiana.\u00a0 I am excited that next year, we will have a pro-coal administration.\u00a0 President-elect Donald Trump has made clear his support for fossil fuels.\n  Bill of Rights Day\nOn December 15, 1791, the Bill of Rights was\u00a0adopted.\u00a0 The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.\u00a0 These amendments were written by James Madison and provide\u00a0constitutional protections for individual liberties and places specific prohibitions on government power.\nOn Bill of Rights Day, I was reminded of the news from Knightstown, Indiana.\u00a0 Hoosiers in Knightstown are witnessing an\u00a0attempt to undermine our constitutional protections.\u00a0 The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued the town over a cross displayed\u00a0on the top the Christmas Tree.\u00a0\u00a0The First Amendment is meant to protect the practice of religion, not hide it.\u00a0 This lawsuit is ridiculous.\u00a0 The accurate meaning of the First Amendment must be reapplied in our schools and civic institutions.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe text of the amendment says that \"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.\"\u00a0 The return of the cross to the three this week is a positive step, but the ACLU continues to prevent the cross from being displayed at the top of the tree.\u00a0\nThe Knightstown Christmas Tree before the ACLU sued to remove the cross.\nAs part of Bill of Rights Day, I took my Thank You Tour to Fort Liberty Firearms in Avon.\u00a0 Our Second Amendment states that \"a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.\"\u00a0 In fact, I read our Second Amendment on the floor of the U.S. House in January to remind Washington that the Second Amendment\u00a0protects a right that cannot be taken away by an executive pen.\u00a0 The crowd at Fort Liberty Firearms was ready for President-elect Donald J. Trump to work with a Republican\u00a0Congress to defend the Second Amendment.\nThanks to Doug Hunter, owner of Fort Liberty Firearms, for hosting me on Bill of Rights Day.\n  Indiana Thank You Tour\nOn Thursday, I visited\u00a0Hendricks and Morgan Counties as part of my Thank You Tour.\u00a0 The Thank You Tour included stops in 16 cities, covering over 626 miles of travel within Indiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District.\u00a0 At each stop, I met with Hoosiers to take their questions and thank them for the opportunity to continue representing and serving\u00a0them in the U.S. House of Representatives.\nRepresenting Hoosiers as a Member of Congress has been the highest honor of my life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving them.\u00a0 As an elected official, I get my marching orders from my constituents, and meetings like those on this tour\u00a0are a great way to hear the needs and thoughts of Hoosiers from across the district.\nThank You Tour Stops\nNovember 21  \n\t\t\t\t\tBrownsburg  \n\t\t\t\t\tGreencastle  \n\t\t\t\t\tCrawfordsville  \n\t\t\t\t\tLafayette  \n\t\t\t\t\tMonticello  \n\t\t\t\t\tDelphi  \n\t\t\t\t\tFrankfort  \n\t\t\t\t\tLebanon\nDecember 12  \n\t\t\t\t\tRussiaville  \n\t\t\t\t\tLogansport  \n\t\t\t\t\tRensselaer  \n\t\t\t\t\tKentland  \n\t\t\t\t\tFowler\nDecember 13  \n\t\t\t\t\tKokomo\nDecember 15  \n\t\t\t\t\tAvon  \n\t\t\t\t\tMooresville\nBe sure to keep up with the Rokita Report to find out about upcoming public meetings in 2017.\n \u00a0 \n  Office Open House for the 115th Congress\nOn Tuesday, January 3, 2017, I invite you\u00a0to celebrate my swearing-in to\u00a0the 115th Congress.\u00a0 I will be hosting an Open House in\u00a0my Washington, DC office.\u00a0 Light refreshments will be served.\nSwearing-In Open House  When: Tuesday, January 3, 2017 from 10:00 AM ET to 2:00 PM ET  Where: 2439 Rayburn House Office Building\nHope to see you there!\n \u00a0 \n  Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.\u00a0\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\tSincerely,    \n\t\t\t\t\tTodd Rokita", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnellys-final-care-package-provision-signed-into-law", "Donnelly’s Final “Care Package” Provision Signed Into Law", "2016-12-23", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly\u2019s Final \u201cCare Package\u201d Provision Signed Into Law\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMarks the Senator\u2019s fourth major military mental health law in four years\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 23, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2014 The final piece of U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly\u2019s \u201cServicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package\u201d (\u201cCare Package\u201d)\u00a0was signed into law today as part of the bipartisan national defense bill. This marks the fourth military mental health reform effort Donnelly has gotten passed and enacted in his four years in the U.S. Senate.\u00a0\r\nDonnelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in part in a video message, \u201cI\u2019m proud to announce that, President Obama has signed into law the third and final piece of my \u2018Care Package\u2019 as part of the national defense bill. This legislation allows the military to expand the availability of physician assistants to provide mental health care at home and in the field.\u201d\r\n\u00a0\r\nTo see Senator Donnelly\u2019s video message about his final \u201cCare Package\u201d provision, click the image above or click here.\r\nDonnelly\u2019s bill that became law today as part of the national defense bill is his\u00a0Frontline Mental Health Provider Training Act.\u00a0Given the shortage of mental health care providers, Donnelly\u2019s provision allows the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a pilot program to expand the availability of Physician Assistants (PAs) to provide mental health care evaluations and services for servicemembers and military families.\r\nDonnelly has worked effectively and tirelessly over the past four years to find commonsense, bipartisan solutions to combat military suicide and strengthen military mental health care. He has already had three military mental health provisions signed into law:\r\n \r\nIn 2014, Donnelly\u2019s bipartisan Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act\u00a0was signed into law. Named for Hoosier Jacob Sexton, a National Guardsman who took his life in 2009, the law, for the first time, requires an annual mental health assessment for all servicemembers including Active, Guard, and Reserve.\r\nIn 2015, two provisions from Donnelly\u2019s \"Care Package\" were\u00a0signed into law, which aim to help expand access to quality mental health care for servicemembers and veterans through both military providers as well as community providers. These included:\r\nA provision that creates a special designation, and an online registry, for private sector, community mental health providers who demonstrate \u2013 either through training or past experience \u2013 a strong knowledge of military culture and evidence-based therapies for mental health issues common to veterans and servicemembers.\r\nA provision that requires all DoD primary care and mental health care providers receive evidence-based training on suicide risk recognition and management.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/press-release/rep-rokita-supports-israel-opposes-un-security-council-resolution", "REP. ROKITA SUPPORTS ISRAEL; OPPOSES UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION", "2016-12-22", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  \n\tCONTACT: 202-225-5037  \n\tDecember 22, 2016\n REP. ROKITA SUPPORTS ISRAEL; OPPOSES UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION \n\u00a0\nDanville, IN \u2013 Today, Rep. Todd Rokita released the following statement on a proposed United Nations (UN) resolution regarding Israel.\n\"The UN should work to keep peace and develop friendly relations among the nations of the world, not to defame and bully Israel.\u00a0 It is a welcome sign that this resolution has been pulled.\u00a0\n\"Because Israel is a friend and ally to the United States, the Obama Administration should take the advice of the House of Representatives and President-elect Donald Trump to veto this resolution were it to return for a vote.\"\nRep. Rokita cosponsored H.Con.Res. 165, which expresses the sense of Congress to reaffirm longstanding American policy in support of a direct bilaterally negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and expressing opposition to UN Security Council resolutions imposing a solution to the conflict.\u00a0 H.Con.Res. 165 passed the House by voice vote on November 29 and was received in the Senate.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://carson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congressman-carson-calls-on-president-elect-trump-to-address-homegrown", "Congressman Carson Calls on President-Elect Trump to Address Homegrown Extremism", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN) sent a letter to President-Elect Trump, along with Democratic Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, calling for the continuation of community engagement programs to stop homegrown extremism. The letter asks the new administration to build on existing programs, often referred to as Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), in order to foster trust and grow partnerships in communities impacted by terrorism. It warns against a narrow focus on threats posed by ISIL and al Qaeda, at the expense of right wing, anarchist, religious, racial, and eco-extremists. \u00a0It cautions against any attempt to combine engagement programs with intelligence collection, which would spur mistrust and eliminate the gains made during the Obama Administration. Finally, the letter raises concerns of the Muslim American community about profiling and surveillance and asks for consideration of the contributions Muslims make to the federal government.\u00a0\n\u201cThroughout his recent campaign, President-Elect Trump raised a number of concerns about domestic threats facing our country. Along with many of my colleagues, I raised serious questions about his characterizations of Muslim Americans and foreigners in general as dangerous and untrustworthy. Despite these concerns, it is critical for us to acknowledge that threats to our homeland are serious and countering them will require strong support from Congress. Developing a robust program to address homegrown extremism in all its forms should be a non-partisan priority.\u00a0 This letter is intended to lay out a framework for the future of community engagement programs. The new Administration must look beyond its past rhetoric and recognize American communities as patriotic partners rather than targets for suspicion. If our new President can develop programs that protect civil rights and privacy while defending against terrorism, I stand ready to work with him.\u201d\nThe text of the signed letter can be seen here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carson-calls-president-elect-trump-address-homegrown-extremism", "Congressman Carson Calls on President-Elect Trump to Address Homegrown Extremism", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", "carson", "https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Congressman Andr\u00e9Carson (D-IN) sent a letter to President-Elect Trump, along with Democratic Members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, calling for the continuation of community engagement programs to stop homegrown extremism. The letter asks the new administration to build on existing programs, often referred to as Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), in order to foster trust and grow partnerships in communities impacted by terrorism. It warns against a narrow focus on threats posed by ISIL and al Qaeda, at the expense of right wing, anarchist, religious, racial, and eco-extremists. It cautions against any attempt to combine engagement programs with intelligence collection, which would spur mistrust and eliminate the gains made during the Obama Administration. Finally, the letter raises concerns of the Muslim American community about profiling and surveillance and asks for consideration of the contributions Muslims make to the federal government.\n\n\u201cThroughout his recent campaign, President-Elect Trump raised a number of concerns about domestic threats facing our country. Along with many of my colleagues, I raised serious questions about his characterizations of Muslim Americans and foreigners in general as dangerous and untrustworthy. Despite these concerns, it is critical for us to acknowledge that threats to our homeland are serious and countering them will require strong support from Congress. Developing a robust program to address homegrown extremism in all its forms should be a non-partisan priority. This letter is intended to lay out a framework for the future of community engagement programs. The new Administration must look beyond its past rhetoric and recognize American communities as patriotic partners rather than targets for suspicion. If our new President can develop programs that protect civil rights and privacy while defending against terrorism, I stand ready to work with him.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:09:43Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-calls-for-bipartisan-senate-select-committee-to-investigate-russian-hacking-and-interference-in-us-elections", "Donnelly Calls for Bipartisan Senate Select Committee to Investigate Russian Hacking and Interference in U.S. Elections", "2016-12-21", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Calls for Bipartisan Senate Select Committee to Investigate Russian Hacking and Interference in U.S. Elections\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly today called on the Senate to establish a Senate select committee to undertake a thorough, bipartisan investigation into Russia\u2019s hacking and interference in U.S. elections.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cForeign interference in American elections is unacceptable and should have serious consequences. As a first step, we should establish a bipartisan Senate select committee to investigate Russia\u2019s actions and determine how to prevent similar attacks in the future against the U.S. electoral system. Until that happens, I will work with Senator McCain, Senator Reed, and my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to get the American people the answers they deserve.\u201d \u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/press-release/rep-rokita-thank-you-tour-visits-16-cities", "REP. ROKITA THANK YOU TOUR VISITS 16 CITIES", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "REP. ROKITA THANK YOU TOUR VISITS 16 CITIES \n\u00a0\nDanville, IN \u2013 On Thursday, Rep. Rokita completed the latest leg of his Thank You Tour, visiting both Hendricks and Morgan Counties.\u00a0 The Thank You Tour included stops in 16 cities, covering over 626 miles of travel within Indiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District.\u00a0 At each stop, Rep. Rokita met with voters and taxpayers to take their questions and thanked them for the opportunity to continue representing them in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\u201cRepresenting Hoosiers as a Member of Congress has been the highest honor of my life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving them.\u00a0 As an elected official, I get my marching orders from my constituents, and meetings like these are a great way to hear the needs and thoughts of Hoosiers from across the district.\u201d\nRep. Rokita regularly conducts these tours throughout the district in addition to multiple stops in each county throughout the year.\u00a0 You can find more details on Rep. Rokita\u2019s tours and events HERE.\n\u00a0\nThank You Tour Schedule\n\u00a0\nNovember 21\nBrownsburg\nGreencastle\nCrawfordsville\nLafayette\nMonticello\nDelphi\nFrankfort\nLebanon\n\u00a0\nDecember 12\nRussiaville\nLogansport\nRensselaer\nKentland\nFowler\n\u00a0\nDecember 13\nKokomo\n\u00a0\nDecember 15\nAvon\nMooresville", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-messer-calls-on-congress-to-overturn-obama-rule-forcing-states-to", "Rep. Messer Calls on Congress to Overturn Obama Rule Forcing States to Fund Abortion Providers", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016) \u2014 Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) is calling on Congress to overturn the recent Obama administration rule that would force states to distribute public tax dollars to abortion providers.\nFederal law currently prohibits government funding for abortion, but it allows certain public dollars, like Title X \u201cfamily planning\u201d grants, to support abortion providers if the funds are directed to non-abortion related health services. The new rule, filed by the Department of Health and Human Services, would prevent states from withholding Title X grants to facilities that provide abortion.\nMesser said the new rule is an attempt to block states from stopping the flow of public dollars to abortion providers, like Planned Parenthood.\nMesser is sponsoring a resolution of disapproval that would overturn this new rule under the Congressional Review Act, which gives Congress 60 days to reject proposed federal agency rules.\n\u201cIt\u2019s no surprise the Obama administration is making last-ditch efforts to trample states\u2019 rights and ignore the will of the people,\u201d Messer said. \u201cI\u2019m confident the next Congress will stand up for states and quickly overturn this rule, alongside President-elect Trump\u2019s efforts to roll back other Obama abuses of power.\u201d\nMesser plans to re-introduce the resolution in the 115th\u00a0Congress and hopes it will come to a vote in early 2017.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/press-release/rep-rokita-statement-passing-mayor-hudnut", "REP. ROKITA STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF MAYOR HUDNUT", "2016-12-18", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "REP. ROKITA STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF MAYOR HUDNUT  \n\u00a0\nDanville, IN \u2013 Rep. Todd Rokita released the following statement regarding the passing of former Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut.\n\u201cIndiana lost one of its great champions today.\u00a0 As Mayor, Bill Hudnut laid the groundwork for Indianapolis to become the great city that it is today.\u00a0 As a Hoosier elected official, I always admired Mayor Hudnut\u2019s dedication and love for our capital city, and his commitment to improving the lives of those who called it home.\u201d\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/in-focus-indiana-lawmakers-discuss-russian-hacking-concerns", "IN Focus: Indiana lawmakers discuss Russian hacking concerns", "2016-12-18", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Concerns about Russian interference during the 2016 campaign are mounting, as lawmakers discuss the potential for a Congressional investigation.\nTwo Republicans and two Democrats called for an investigation into American intelligence agencies\u2019 conclusion that Russian hacking was intended to help President-elect Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.\n\u201cCongress\u2019s national security committees have worked diligently to address the complex challenge of cybersecurity, but recent events show that more must be done,\u201d said Sens. Chuck Schumer, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, Sen. John McCain, the Armed Services Committee chairman, fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, and Sen. Jack Reed, the top Armed Services Committee Democrat, in a joint statement last week.\n\u201cWhile protecting classified material, we have an obligation to inform the public about recent cyberattacks that have cut to the heart of our free society. Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyber-attacks.\u201d\nThe letter is an implicit rebuke of Trump, who has questioned whether Russia actually interfered with the election, including with hacks of Democratic operatives, and came two days after Trump sided with Russia over the CIA and attacked the US intelligence assessment of Russia\u2019s role.\n\u201cThese are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction,\u201d Trump\u2019s transition team said in a terse, unsigned statement targeting the CIA last Friday.\n\u201cThe election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It\u2019s now time to move on and \u2018Make America Great Again.'\u201d\nThe transition team\u2019s reference to the agency\u2019s most humiliating recent intelligence misfire \u2014 over its conclusion that Iraq under Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction \u2014 threatens to cast an early cloud over relations between the Trump White House and the CIA, whose assessments he\u2019ll need to make monumental decisions.\nThe top leadership of the agency that presided over the Iraq failure during the Bush administration has long since been replaced. But the comments from Trump\u2019s camp will cause concern in the Intelligence community about the incoming President\u2019s attitude to America\u2019s spy agencies. CNN reported last week that Trump is getting intelligence briefings only once a week. Several previous presidents preparing for the inauguration had a more intense briefing schedule.\nIn the video above, Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) & Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) discuss the possibility of a Congressional investigation, and the President-elect's response to the situation.\n \n\t\"I do think it's incredibly important for us to make sure the American people have faith in the election process, so when there are claims of hacking, I think it's very important for us to investigate those... I'm pleased that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell have endorsed the idea that an investigation needs to take place\" said Brooks.\n\t\"When you have directives coming from Moscow, or a Presidential candidate making overtures during the campaign to 'hack the emails, hack them all,' that is the kind of gamesmanship that is poisonous,\" said Carson.\n \nCarson also weighed in on Trump's intelligence briefing routine:\n \n\t\"Mr. Trump needs to be in those meetings... if you're going to take a laissez-faire approach to getting intelligence briefings because they sound redundant and you can't contain your ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), then that's problematic.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/ken-de-la-bastide-column-leadership-posts-come-into-focus", "Ken de la Bastide column: Leadership posts come into focus", "2016-12-18", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Susan Brooks, who next month will be starting her third term in the U.S. House representing the 5th District of Indiana, has been elected to another leadership position.\nEarlier this month, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., tabbed Brooks to chair the House Ethics Committee. She was also named Ryan's representative on the GOP Steering Committee that oversees committee assignments.\nThis week, Brooks, a Republican, and Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., were elected co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues.\n\u201cThe Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues is an important, bipartisan forum to discuss major policy issues of our day with a focus on how these issues impact women and families,\u201d Brooks said of her election in a press release. \u201cIn the past, this caucus has been a driving force for a strong Violence Against Women Act and for the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-remarks-on-the-south-shore-expansion-deis-announcement", "Visclosky Remarks on the South Shore Expansion DEIS Announcement", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013\u00a0Below are Congressman Pete Visclosky\u2019s remarks on the announcement of the South Shore expansion Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), as prepared for delivery.\nI want to thank NICTD, the FTA, the Army Corps of Engineers, Governor Pence, members of the Indiana General Assembly, particularly our Northwest Indiana delegation, and the local communities who have supported this investment in the future of our region and who have made today\u2019s announcement possible.\u00a0\nIt is an important announcement and a key benchmark to expanding commuter rail in Northwest Indiana.\nHowever, there is more work to do.\u00a0\nThere remain four communities in Lake County that have yet to fully and financially commit to supporting this transformational investment.\nThere is more work to do.\nThere remains the request to the Federal Transit Administration for federal funds that must be prepared to our best ability, filed, and approved.\nThere is more work to do.\nThere are outstanding decisions and requests that must be made to support this expansion as a part of our efforts to establish a coordinated regional transportation system that includes the double tracking of the South Shore line from Gary to Michigan City and a robust bus network.\nI am proud to be here on a day that acknowledges our ability to make transformational investments when we collaborate and work together with the common purpose to create new jobs for current residents and future generations.\nBut there is more work to do.\u00a0 Not next week or next year or in the next few months.\u00a0 There is more work to do right now.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bucshon.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dr-bucshon-applauds-cms-decision-stop-medicare-experiment", "Dr. Bucshon Applauds CMS Decision to Stop Medicare Experiment", "2016-12-16", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Larry Bucshon", "B001275", "bucshon.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WASHINGTON, D.C.) \u2013\u00a0Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. released the following statement regarding the Obama administration\u2019s announcement that it will halt the Medicare Part B payment experiment released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) earlier this year.\n\u201cThis experiment would have disrupted care for the most vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries,\u201d said Bucshon. \u201cI am happy the administration listened to the bipartisan concerns raised by members of Congress, patient advocates, and physician groups by putting an end to this disastrous proposal. Yesterday\u2019s announcement is a win for patients across the country.\u201d\u00a0\nBucshon, a physician, became a leading opponent of the controversial proposal and introduced legislation in May to block it from moving forward.\u00a0\nIn September, Bucshon also raised concerns that the experiment would limit access to much-needed care and increase costs for seniors during a congressional hearing with the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The interaction can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvJm5DNVD9U.\u00a0\nMore information on Bucshon\u2019s legislation, H.R. 5122, can be found here.\u00a0\nCongressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. is a physician and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee serving his third term representing Indiana's 8th Congressional district. The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/hendricks-county-avon", "Hendricks County - Avon", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders. \u00a0With a unified Republican government, now is an important time to make your voice heard.\n\u00a0\nDecember 15 - 1:30pm to 2:30pm\n\u00a0\nHendricks County - Avon\nFort Liberty Firearms\n\u00a0\nThis visit will promote the 2nd Amendment on National Bill of Rights Day.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/morgan-county-mooresville", "Morgan County - Mooresville", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders. \u00a0With a unified Republican government, now is an important time to make your voice heard.\n\u00a0\nDecember 15 - 3:00pm (ET) to 3:30pm (ET)\n\u00a0\nMorgan County - Mooresville\nRalph and Ava's Cafe", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congressional-caucuses-elect-leadership-for-115th-congress", "Congressional Caucuses Elect Leadership for 115th Congress", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues\nThe Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues elected its leadership for the 115th\u00a0Congress. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Lois Frankel (D-FL) will serve as co-chairs; Reps. Mimi Walters (R-CA) and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) will serve as the vice chairs.\nReps. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) served as co-chairs during the 114th\u00a0Congress; Reps. Brooks and Frankel served as the vice chairs.\nRep. Brooks currently is serving her second term representing the 5th\u00a0District of Indiana. She serves on the Energy and Commerce, Ethics, and Select Benghazi Committees; in the 115th\u00a0Congress, she will chair the Ethics Committee. Rep. Brooks has been an advocate of improving access to health care and education.\nRep. Frankel is serving her second term and represents the 22nd\u00a0District of Florida. She serves on the Foreign Affairs and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. Veterans\u2019 issues and women\u2019s health have been among her top priorities while in Congress.\nRep. Walters is serving her first term representing the 45th\u00a0District of California. She currently serves on the Judiciary and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees and will hold a Republican leadership position in the 115th\u00a0Congress. Addressing violence against women and health care have been among her priorities while in Congress.\nRep. Lawrence is serving her first term representing the 14th\u00a0District of Michigan. She serves as Ranking Member of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Interior, and as a member of the Small Business Committee. Rep. Lawrence has been a strong advocate on behalf of education and veterans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/susan-brooks-85-named-to-leadership-of-congressional-caucus-for-womens", "Susan Brooks, '85, Named to Leadership of Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Susan Brooks, \u201985, has been selected to co-chair the\u00a0Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues. The bipartisan group was created in 1977 and continues to discuss and promote issues of importance to women.\nBrooks is in her second term representing Indiana\u2019s 5th\u00a0District; she was elected in 2012. She serves on the Energy and Commerce, Ethics, and Select Benghazi committees. In the next Congress, she will chair the Ethics Committee. She has been an advocate of improving access to health care and education.\nBrooks has served as senior vice president and general counsel at Ivy Tech Community College, as the U.S. Attorney for Indiana\u2019s Southern District, and as a deputy mayor of Indianapolis. Her legal practice includes stints in the government services practice group at the Indianapolis office of Ice Miller, and as a criminal defense attorney at the Indianapolis firm McClure McClure & Kammen. In addition, she is a member of IU McKinney\u2019s Board of Visitors.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://walorski.house.gov/walorski-tours-riley-hs-engineering-program/", "Walorski Tours Riley H.S. Engineering Program with South Bend Superintendent Spells", "2016-12-14", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Jackie Walorski", "W000813", "walorski.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, December 14, 2016\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Walorski Tours Riley H.S. Engineering Program with South Bend Superintendent Spells \n School's Technology and Engineering Magnet Program Gives Students Hands-On Learning, Scholarship Opportunities \nSOUTH BEND, Ind.  U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) joined Dr. Kenneth Spells, superintendent of South Bend Community School Corporation, on a tour of Riley High School to learn more about its Technology and Engineering Magnet Program and discuss working together to improve education for Hoosier students.\nAs a graduate of Riley High School, I'm inspired to see this school leading the way to innovation and success in the 21st century economy, Congresswoman Walorski said. These young men and women are our future, and with their dedicated teachers and engaging STEM program, they are learning the skills they need to succeed. It's an honor to work with Dr. Spells on Team South Bend to make sure every student has the opportunity to thrive.\nWe are honored to have Congresswoman Walorski on Team South Bend, Dr. Spells said. The staff and students at Riley High School were proud to demonstrate how they create, design, build, discover, and collaborate using technology and engineering through their project-based instruction. We invite her to visit any of our schools to witness dedicated teachers, engaged students, and innovation instruction.\nThe school's magnet program is certified as an Innovation High School through Project Lead the Way, the nation's leading Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum provider. Students in the magnet program engage in project-based learning in areas such as computer science and engineering, and they can earn college credit and access scholarship opportunities.\nIn December 2015, Congress passed and the president signed the Every Student Succeeds Act, which overhauled the No Child Left Behind Act and updated federal education policy. The new law, which Walorski supported, prioritizes STEM education, including through expanded resources for STEM programs and professional development for STEM teachers.\nWalorski is a graduate of Riley High School.\nWalorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-nabs-leadership-job", "Brooks nabs leadership job", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2014\u00a0\u00a0 The women of the U.S. House have chosen Rep.\u00a0Susan Brooks\u00a0to co-chair a congressional caucus on women\u2019s issues.\nThe Carmel Republican has represented Indiana's 5th District since 2013.\nWomen make up about 19 percent of the 535 members of the House and Senate,\u00a0a share unchanged\u00a0by the November elections.\nThe bipartisan Congressional Women\u2019s Caucus, which Brooks will lead with Democratic Rep.\u00a0Lois Frankel\u00a0of Florida, dates to 1977. Fifteen women lawmakers gathered for the first meeting. They kept meeting to talk about Social Security, private pension reform, and the importance of child care and job training in\u00a0moving women off welfare, according\u00a0to a history of the group.\n\n\t\n\t\tBrooks said the caucus is a forum to discuss major policy issues of the day with a focus on how those issues affect women and families. She said the group was a driving force behind past legislation to protect women against violent crimes and to extend health care to lower-income children.\n\t\n\n\u201cWe will work with our colleagues as strong advocates for women and families in the upcoming Congress,\u201d Brooks said in a statement.\nBrooks will also head the House panel overseeing the ethical conduct of her colleagues.\nServing as chairman of the House Ethics Committee is an unenviable assignment as committee members sit in judgment of their colleagues. Serving, however, does build up goodwill with House leaders.\nBrooks was also chosen by House Speaker\u00a0Paul Ryan\u00a0to serve on the influential GOP panel that makes committee assignments and selects the heads of most committees.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-selected-for-committees", "Brooks selected for committees", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Rep. Susan Brooks was selected as Chairwoman of the House Committee on Ethics. The committee is the bipartisan supervising ethics office for the House of Representatives. Brooks also was selected by Speaker Paul Ryan to serve as the speaker\u2019s sole designee on the Republican Conference Steering Committee in the House of Representatives. The Steering Committee is responsible for making committee assignments for Republican members of the House and selecting chairmen for each committee in the House.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/carson-brooks-join-bipartisan-call-for-investigation-of-russian-election", "Carson, Brooks Join Bipartisan Call for Investigation of Russian Election Interference", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Two of\u00a0Indiana's Representatives in the U.S. House\u00a0are backing an investigation of Russian meddling in the presidential election.\nIndiana Democrat Andre Carson serves on the House Intelligence Committee. He says the committee needs to review the apparent Russian hack of Democratic email systems, not so much to look back at the election as to make sure the Trump administration doesn't ignore the threat from Russia. He says the nomination of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson for secretary of state is another worrisome sign that Trump is minimizing the danger of Russia reasserting itself on the world stage.\nCarson says he doesn't see a need for a special investigative committee. He says the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have the resource to handle the probe themselves.\nRepublican Susan Brooks says Congress needs to investigate to guarantee the integrity of American elections.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/deadline-looms-for-coverage-on-federal-marketplace-as-republicans-promise-a", "Deadline looms for coverage on federal marketplace as Republicans promise a quick repeal", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "INDIANAPOLIS \u2013 A last-minute sales pitch Tuesday brought together Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) and federal health officials to tout the Affordable Care Act and encourage Hoosiers to sign up before the Dec. 15 deadline to guarantee coverage on Jan. 1.\n\u201cThe Affordable Care Act has made a difference in so many of our lives,\u201d Kathleen Falk said at an event at the HealthNet Administrative Offices, the U.S. Health and Human Services regional director.\nThe Thursday deadline looms large as questions swirl about the law\u2019s future.\n\u201cThe question becomes,\u201d Carson said. \u201cWill lawmakers be able to get away with political posturing and hurt millions of the American people?\u201d\nWhat was once touted as landmark healthcare legislation by President Obama is promising to be quickly dismantled by President-elect Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans.\n\u201cThe insurance companies have committed to honoring these contracts through the end of 2017,\u201d Falk said, working to reassure participants and encouraged the still uninsured to sign up.\nIn a coordinated effort to tout the law, the Obama administration said Tuesday the number of uninsured Hoosiers has dropped 35 percent since the law was enacted.\n\u201cReinforcing the fact this is important,\u201d Carson said. \u201cKids on their parents plan until they\u2019re 26, eliminating pre-existing conditions.\u201d\nHoosiers, though, are also dealing with price increases with some premiums jumping double digits in 2017, according to state officials. A growing number of insurers in Indiana and nationwide are also pulling out of the federal marketplace.\n\u201cWe want to infuse competition into the marketplace,\u201d Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) said. \u201cRight now fewer and fewer health insurance companies are participating.\u201d\nBrooks said Republicans are demanding a new approach, one that could take several years to implement.\n\u201cWe want to transition it appropriately so people do not lose their health insurance,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI know there\u2019s definitely concerns about that.\u201d\nHoosiers with questions about the Affordable Care Act can call 211\u00a0or click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswomen-frankel-and-brooks-selected-as-chairs-of-bipartisan", "Congresswomen Frankel and Brooks Selected as Chairs of Bipartisan Congressional Womens Caucus", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Congresswoman Susan Brooks (R-IN) have been elected by the women of the House as Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues for the 115th Congress. Congresswomen Mimi Walters (R-CA) and Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) will serve as Co-Vice Chairs.\n\u201cI look forward to working with my colleagues on finding common ground and advocating issues important to the advancement of women and girls,\u201d Frankel said.\n\u201cThe Congressional Women\u2019s Caucus is an important, bipartisan forum to discuss major policy issues of our day with a focus on how these issues impact women and families,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cIn the past, this caucus has been a driving force for a strong Violence Against Women Act and for the Children\u2019s Health Insurance Program. There is more work to be done, and I\u2019m proud to have been selected by my colleagues to serve as Co-Chair with my friend, Congresswoman Lois Frankel. Together, we will work with our colleagues as strong advocates for women and families in the upcoming Congress.\u201d\n\u201cToday, women in America still face serious obstacles in the workplace and academia,\u201d Walters said. \u201cIn the House, we are working to address this by expanding opportunities, increasing flexibility, removing barriers, and empowering the next generation. I am humbled to serve as the Congressional Women\u2019s Caucus Vice Chair, and I look forward to serving with Representatives Brooks, Frankel, and Lawrence, and all of the members of our caucus to ensure that girls and women across the country have equal access to the tools they need to pursue their American dream.\u201d\n\u201cI am honored to be a part of this bipartisan caucus advocating on behalf of women nation-wide,\u201d Lawrence said. \u201cWorking together to support the needs of women and families is a cornerstone of our country\u2019s overall success and I am committed to collaborating in creating legislation that supports the goals of this Caucus. When women succeed America succeeds, and I\u2019m excited to be a part of this Caucus and this continued movement supporting fairness and equality for women.\u201d\nFounded in 1977, the Congressional Caucus for Women\u2019s Issues has been a leading advocate on issues advancing the lives of women and families. Caucus members have helped pass legislation securing tougher child support enforcement, promoting women\u2019s health, helping women business owners, and protecting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The caucus works closely with the Women's Policy Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization whose mission is to bring women policymakers together across party lines to work on issues of importance to women and their families.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-supported-effort-to-fight-opioid-abuse-signed-into-law", "Donnelly-Supported Effort to Fight Opioid Abuse Signed Into Law", "2016-12-13", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly-Supported Effort to Fight Opioid Abuse Signed Into Law\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator successfully advocated for funds to help expand prevention and treatment programs\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 13, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIndianapolis, Ind. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released a video statement after the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which Donnelly voted for, was signed into law. The law includes $1 billion over the next two years to help combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. Funding will be distributed to states to help them address these drug epidemics. In late November, Donnelly and several colleagues called for the Senate to pass this necessary, emergency funding to address these public health crises before the end of the year.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cI\u2019m pleased to share some good news: I helped pass the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which is now law, and will help fund prevention and treatment in Indiana and across the country as we try to stem the tide of opioid abuse. This legislation includes much-needed funding for states to help confront this public health crisis. This funding builds on legislation that I helped pass and get signed into law to address the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics.\u201d\r\n\r\nTo see Donnelly\u2019s video statement about the 21st Century Cures Act click the image above or HERE.\r\nOver the past three years, as Indiana has been devastated by these public health crises, Donnelly has actively fought for both new efforts to help with prevention, treatment, and recovery and the funding necessary to support those programs. To read more about Donnelly\u2019s efforts, click here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/benton-county-fowler", "Benton County - Fowler", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders.\u00a0 With a unified Republican government, now is an important\u00a0time to make your voice heard.\u00a0 That is why I will be holding a series of public events on Monday, December 12,\u00a0where I hope to hear from you directly.\nBenton County100 Mile Rib and Chop House", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/cass-county-logansport", "Cass County - Logansport", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders.\u00a0 With a unified Republican government, now is an important\u00a0time to make your voice heard.\u00a0 That is why I will be holding a series of public events on Monday, December 12,\u00a0where I hope to hear from you directly.\nCass County - LogansportBoardwalk Cafe", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/howard-county-russiaville", "Howard County - Russiaville", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders.\u00a0 With a unified Republican government, now is an important\u00a0time to make your voice heard.\u00a0 That is why I will be holding a series of public events on Monday, December 12,\u00a0where I hope to hear from you directly.\nHoward County - Russiaville  The Wooden Spoon", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/jasper-county-rensselaer", "Jasper County - Rensselaer", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders.\u00a0 With a unified Republican government, now is an important\u00a0time to make your voice heard.\u00a0 That is why I will be holding a series of public events on Monday, December 12,\u00a0where I hope to hear from you directly.\nDecember 12 - 12:30pm (CT) to 1:00pm (CT) / 1:30pm (ET) to 2:00pm (ET)\nJasper County - RennselaerRoyal Oak Family Restaurant", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/newton-county-kentland", "Newton County - Kentland", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "I believe that public service is a public trust and the best way to continue earning that trust is by meeting with Hoosiers to hear my marching orders.\u00a0 With a unified Republican government, now is an important\u00a0time to make your voice heard.\u00a0 That is why I will be holding a series of public events on Monday, December 12,\u00a0where I hope to hear from you directly.\nDecember 12 - 1:50pm (CT) to 2:20pm (CT) / 2:50pm (ET) to 3:20pm (ET)\nNewton County - KentlandGood Table Family Restaurant", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/senate-passes-coats-donnelly-resolution-honoring-indianas-bicentennial", "Senate Passes Coats-Donnelly Resolution Honoring Indiana’s Bicentennial", "2016-12-12", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Passes Coats-Donnelly Resolution Honoring Indiana\u2019s Bicentennial\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 12, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The United States Senate recently passed a resolution introduced by Indiana\u2019s U.S. Senators, Dan Coats (R-Ind.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), honoring Indiana\u2019s bicentennial.\r\nBoth Indiana Senators spoke on the Senate floor about the bicentennial. To watch Donnelly\u2019s speech, click here. To watch Coats\u2019 speech, click here.\r\nText of the resolution follows:\r\nTitle: Recognizing and commemorating the bicentennial of the State of Indiana.\r\nWhereas December 11, 2016, marks the 200th year of the statehood of the State of Indiana, and in honor of the momentous occasion, Hoosiers across the State of Indiana will celebrate the historic past and the prosperous future of the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas, on December 11, 1816, President James Madison signed the Joint Resolution entitled \u201cResolution for admitting the state of Indiana into the Union\u201d, approved December 11, 1816 (3 Stat. 399), which admitted the State of Indiana as the 19th State of the United States and required that the leaders of the State of Indiana draft a State constitution;\r\nWhereas Jonathan Jennings, who spearheaded the effort in Congress to secure Indiana statehood, together with 43 of his peers, drafted the first Indiana State Constitution beneath the shade of a giant elm tree in the city of Corydon, Indiana, during the summer of 1816;\r\nWhereas in recognition of his role in Congress and as president of the constitutional convention of the State of Indiana, Jonathan Jennings was appointed the first Governor of the State of Indiana, the giant elm tree was later dubbed the Constitution Elm, and Corydon, Indiana, served as the first capital of the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas, in October 1824, a coalition of State officials commenced an 11-day trek to move the capital of the State of Indiana 130 miles north from Corydon to Indianapolis;\r\nWhereas, in 1850, a second constitutional convention of the State of Indiana convened with the purpose of establishing more frequent elections, imposing restrictions on State debt, and creating biannual legislative sessions for the Indiana General Assembly, and as of November 2016, the Indiana State Constitution of 1850, as amended, still governs the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas, in 1888, Benjamin Harrison was the first and only Hoosier to be elected President;\r\nWhereas, since 1869, 5 Hoosiers have served the United States as Vice President, and in 2016, the sixth Hoosier to serve as Vice President was elected;\r\nWhereas in celebration of the centennial of the State of Indiana, a design competition for the State flag was held, and the design by Paul Hadley was chosen for its stoic symbolism, including\u2014\r\n(1) the torch that stands for liberty and enlightenment;\r\n(2) the rays that signify that knowledge and freedom are available for all Hoosiers;\r\n(3) the 18 small stars that correspond to the States in the Union before the State of Indiana; and\r\n(4) the 19th and largest star that represents the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas, the Indiana General Assembly adopted the flag designed by Paul Hadley as the flag of the State of Indiana in 1917;\r\nWhereas, in 1937, by the direction of a resolution of the Indiana General Assembly, \u201cthe Crossroads of America\u201d became the official motto of the State of Indiana because the city of Indianapolis serves as an intersection of several major interstate highways that link\u2014\r\n(1) Hoosiers throughout the State of Indiana; and\r\n(2) individuals across the United States;\r\nWhereas the seal of the State of Indiana\u2014\r\n(1) was approved by the Indiana General Assembly in 1963 and originated from a lineage of designs dating back to the period during which Indiana was a territory of the United States;\r\n(2) illustrates a scene from the pioneer era of\u2014\r\n(A) a woodsman cutting into 1 of 2 sycamore trees;\r\n(B) a buffalo in the foreground jumping over a log; and\r\n(C) the sun beginning to set behind 3 hills in the background;\r\nWhereas residents of the State of Indiana embrace the nickname for the State of Indiana, \u201cthe Hoosier State\u201d, pride for the term \u201cHoosier\u201d is deeply rooted in the history of the State of Indiana, and Hoosiers bear the nickname proudly;\r\nWhereas May 29, 2016, marked the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, which is a great source of pride to all residents of the State of Indiana because of its influential role in shaping and defining the city of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission was established in December of 2011 with the objective of honoring the 200 years of history of the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas the Indiana Bicentennial Commission has 4 key pillars, which are\u2014\r\n(1) historical celebration;\r\n(2) youth and education;\r\n(3) nature conservation; and\r\n(4) community involvement;\r\nWhereas, to achieve its 4 main directives, the Indiana Bicentennial Commission has several major projects, including\u2014\r\n(1) a Bicentennial Nature Trust that allocates $30,000,000 in matching funds to acquire land statewide for the purposes of recreation and conservation;\r\n(2) the construction of a Statehouse Education Center in the Indiana State Library;\r\n(3) the building of a Bicentennial Plaza on the west side of the Statehouse that features art and improves public access to the surrounding governmental buildings; and\r\n(4) the construction of a new facility to house the Indiana State Archives to provide increased access to the most important documents of the State of Indiana;\r\nWhereas, on September 9, 2016, a torch relay began in Corydon, Indiana, and ended at the Statehouse on October 15, 2016, during which the torch traveled through all 92 counties of the State of Indiana in\u2014\r\n(1) an effort to fortify the communal connection of all Hoosiers; and\r\n(2) a symbolic culmination of the series of celebratory and educational bicentennial events, concluding on Statehood Day on December 11, 2016; and\r\nWhereas it is fitting that the bicentennial of the State of Indiana and the corresponding 200 years of rich history are celebrated: Now, therefore, be it\r\nResolved, That the Senate recognizes and commemorates the bicentennial of the State of Indiana.\r\nFor the text of the resolution, click here.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/event/celebrate-indiana-ignite-future", "CELEBRATE INDIANA: IGNITE THE FUTURE", "2016-12-11", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Celebrate the finale of Indiana's Bicentennial year at \"Celebrate Indiana: Ignite the Future.\u00a0This\u00a0free,\u00a0family\u00a0event will take place on Statehood Day, Dec. 11, at the Indiana State Fairgrounds\u00a0Indiana Farmers Coliseum\u00a0from 10 a.m. to noon. The two-hour program will include a variety of speakers from diverse faith backgrounds as well as music, dance and more.\nAdditional information can be found at\u00a0http://www.in.gov/ibc/2332.htm.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-heads-to-the-president-s-desk", "21st Century Cures Heads to the Presidents Desk", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The House passed 21st\u00a0Century Cures.\u00a0\nThe Senate passed 21st\u00a0Century Cures.\u00a0\nUp Next: The President\u2019s Desk!After two overwhelmingly bipartisan votes, 21st\u00a0Century Cures is\u00a0headed to the President\u2019s desk.\nThe excitement felt by the People\u2019s House is palpable. As\u00a0Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) says, \u201cAfter three years, our legislative work is finally complete. 21st Century Cures is ready for the president. With this innovation game-changer, a new day for medical research is on the horizon\u2026We all have more reason for hope.\u201d\nAnd Chairman Upton isn\u2019t the only one excited about the possibilities that come with Cures:\n Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) recently penned an\u00a0op-ed published online for \u00a0The Hill\u00a0outlining why we are so proud of Cures and what it can do for the American people:Brooks says 21st\u00a0Century Cures is a real plan to\u00a0\u201cencourage scientific collaboration to find cures fast and ensure that once these life-saving treatments are discovered, there is a modern, streamlined process for developing them and delivering them to patients, like the more than 37 million people diagnosed with cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and other rare diseases.\u201d\n\tRep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), whose experience as a doctor led him to support Cures,\u00a0writes, \u201cAs a physician, I treated patients for more than 30 years. \u2026During that time, a majority of the children with cancer I treated as a young medical student died because of their disease. Today, almost 90 percent of those children live because of advances we\u2019ve made in scientific research to treat and cure diseases. But we have more work to do. I\u2019ve experienced first-hand what a devastating, incurable disease can do to a family. There are 10,000 known conditions and diseases, and we only have cures and treatments for 500 of them. Chances are, all of us know and love someone who has been diagnosed with an incurable, untreatable illness.\u201d\n\tOne of the key provisions of Cures was the\u00a0Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which addresses mental health concerns.Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA), a staunch advocate for the mental health components of Cures, went on New Day to celebrate passage.\u00a0Here, he explains why intervention, strategic programs, and solid funding are key to helping people facing life with mental illnesses.\n\t\"There is no shortage of people who would benefit from 21st Century Cures,\u201d\u00a0says Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). \u201cOur goal is not to provide life-long treatment, but to find life-saving cures. This historic, bipartisan legislation is a sign to the American people that we\u2019ve embraced the moonshot. We\u2019re proving to the 14 million cancer patients, the 25 million adults with chronic pain, and the 5 million with Alzheimer\u2019s in the United States that we won\u2019t accept wishful thinking or \u2018maybe next year\u2019 anymore. Because for the parents, siblings, and children facing a disease without a cure, there isn\u2019t time for maybes.\u201d\n As 21st Century Cures heads to the president\u2019s desk, we invite you to follow along on gop.gov.\u00a0Tomorrow, Chairman Upton will deliver the Weekly Republican Address\u00a0\u2014 here\u2019s a sneak peek from this \u00a0\u00a0leading force behind 21st Century Cures,\u00a0\u201cPatients needed an innovation game-changer, and we have it with 21st Century Cures. The landmark legislation will accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of safe new cures and treatments. For families across the country, this legislation to help deliver #CuresNow marks a renewed dawn of hope.\u201d\u00a0Since the beginning, Chairman Upton listened and advocated for patients and researchers and their stories.Watch the Weekly Republican Address tomorrow, December 10,\u00a0by visiting House Republicans on Facebook.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/who-will-join-house-leadership-if-cathy-mcmorris-rodgers-leaves", "Who Will Join House Leadership if Cathy McMorris Rodgers Leaves?", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The potential departure of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Congress creates an opening in Republican House leadership that\u2019s already drawing interest from a number of ambitious members looking for a promotion within the GOP caucus.\nMs. McMorris Rodgers, a Washington state Republican member of Congress, is\u00a0expected to be named Interior secretary\u00a0in President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s incoming administration. That would open up\u00a0her position as Republican conference chair, the fourth-ranking leadership job in the House, at the start of what is expected to be one of the most intense periods of congressional activity in recent years.\nRepublicans who might seek to replace Ms. McMorris Rodgers include GOP Reps. Mia Love of Utah, Susan Brooks of Indiana, Mimi Walters of California and Doug Collins of Georgia, aides said.\nRepublicans just last month elected Mr. Collins the vice-chair of the House GOP conference. But the House GOP may feel pressure to replace Ms. McMorris Rodgers with another woman, given that white men hold their six other top leadership posts.\nMs. Walters has started having discussions with House Republicans about the post.\n\u201cShould [Ms. McMorris Rodgers] be appointed to serve in the Administration, I will absolutely run for Conference Chair to build on the successes House Republicans have seen in the 114th Congress,\u201d Ms. Walters said in a statement Friday. \u201cI am humbled by the support I have received in preliminary conversations, and I look forward to speaking with all the members of our Conference.\u201d\nMs. Brooks is expected to run for the post as well, if it becomes vacant, according to a person\u00a0close to her.\nThe modern incarnation of the conference chair position mainly involves working on messaging strategy and other communications initiatives designed to communicate the agenda of Republican members of Congress. The job also involves helping to organize the caucus leadership elections and assigning committees to members.\nMs. McMorris Rodgers has served in the conference chair position since 2013. Prior to that, she was the vice chair of conference between 2009 and 2014. She has been in the House since 2005.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-statement-submitted-in-the-congressional-record-on-indiana-s", "Visclosky Statement Submitted in the Congressional Record on Indianas Bicentennial", "2016-12-09", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013\u00a0Today, Congressman Pete Visclosky released the following statement submitted in the Congressional Record on Indiana\u2019s Bicentennial:\nMr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the State of Indiana\u2019s Bicentennial Anniversary.\u00a0 200 years ago, on December 11, 1816, our great state was admitted to be a part of the United States of America, and I am so proud to call Indiana and its Northwest region my home.\nI believe that Northwest Indiana is the best place in the world to live, work, visit, study, and raise a family, and it is an honor and privilege to represent this area on the 200th Birthday of our state.\u00a0 I also want to thank my Indiana colleagues for establishing the time today to discuss this historic event.\u00a0 It is always a privilege to be able to work with you, along with Senator Coats and Senator Donnelly, on behalf of the issues that impact our great state.\nOur state and our region have a rich history in agriculture production, and in addition to the value of Indiana land, I believe that people have been drawn to Northwest Indiana because of the pristine beauty of our lakeshore and the Lake Michigan water.\u00a0 We are so fortunate to be situated along the largest body of fresh water on the planet.\u00a0 For 200 years, our shoreline has been an invaluable natural asset that has attracted people and has driven economic opportunities, and I have no doubt that it will continue to do so for the next 200 years and beyond.\u00a0 \u00a0\nWe also are fortunate that over a hundred years ago, businesses saw the value in the Northwest region of Indiana and decided to make investments to create unprecedented steel mills and oil refineries.\u00a0 It is because of these investments in Northwest Indiana that our steelworkers and steel mills are able to currently make the best and most efficient steel in the world.\u00a0 No other area of our country makes more steel than Northwest Indiana.\u00a0 Steel is the foundation of our economy, our national defense, and is essential for our transportation infrastructure.\u00a0 It has been an economic engine for our state this past century and we must continue to work to see that our industrial base and Indiana manufacturing continue to power us forward in future centuries.\u00a0 \nFinally, I am proud of all the hardworking people in Northwest Indiana and our state and the contributions that they have provided to our nation over the past 200 years.\u00a0 They have built transportation infrastructure in our state that connects rail, road, and waterway systems that traverse our nation.\u00a0 Our airports and ports along Lake Michigan serve as gateways to connect people and economic activity within our state to the rest of the world.\u00a0 Our Indiana National Guard servicemembers have also selflessly protected us every day of our past 200 years, including during the Civil War and the over 17,000 servicemembers who have been deployed overseas since September 11, 2001.\u00a0 \nMr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me now in celebrating the vibrant history of Indiana\u2019s steel and manufacturing industries, our unparalleled natural resources, and our industrious and courageous people, by wishing Indiana a very happy 200th Birthday.\u00a0 \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/alliance-for-biosecurity-praises-senate-passage-of-21st-century-cures-act", "Alliance for Biosecurity praises Senate passage of 21st Century Cures Act", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "The Alliance for Biosecurity commended the U.S. Senate\u2019s passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which contains provisions to promote innovation and efficiency in the development of new medical countermeasures.\nA key issue the organization cited in the bill was a provision for the development of vaccines and treatments to strengthen national security and promote public health preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.\n\u201cA combined and concerted effort among government agencies and biopharmaceutical companies has greatly improved our preparedness capabilities over the last decade, but medical countermeasure programs must evolve to continue functioning efficiently,\u201d the Alliance for Biosecurity said on Wednesday.\nThe Alliance for Biosecurity is a coalition of biopharmaceutical companies and laboratory partners that promote strong public-private partnership to ensure medical countermeasures are available to promote public health.\nThe group said the medical countermeasures provision in the legislation would also encourage private sector development of medical countermeasures by creating a priority review voucher program for national security threats identified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.\nThe company also praised U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bob Casey (D-PA), and U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), and Fred Upton (R-MI) for their work in adding medical countermeasure provisions to the final version of the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-statement-delivered-during-the-house-consideration-of-the", "Visclosky Statement Delivered During the House Consideration of the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013\u00a0Below is the statement of Congressman Pete Visclosky, Ranking Democrat on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, from today\u2019s House consideration of the Fiscal Year 2017 Continuing Resolution, as prepared for delivery.\u00a0\nI thank the Ranking Member for yielding me time. \nI am sorely disappointed that despite the very best efforts of Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey, and the members of our committee, we yet again find ourselves in the position of considering another Continuing Resolution (CR).\nIn June, during the debate on the House floor for H.R. 5293, the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations Act, I expressed my concerns with that bill because it did not provide enough funding to support the warfighter for the full fiscal year.\u00a0 Specifically, I stated that our \u201cfiscal year begins on October 1, 2016, not May 1, 2017, and it is the responsibility of those of us holding office in the 2nd session of the 114th Congress to execute the FY 2017 appropriations process,\u201d and that we should demonstrate some legislative pragmatism and not foist our responsibility upon the 115th Congress.\u00a0 Unfortunately, almost exactly six-months later, it is appropriate to repeat myself.\u00a0 Only in this circumstance it is applicable to nearly the entire federal government and not just a small portion of the Defense Appropriations Bill.\u00a0\u00a0 \nWith regards to the CR, I grant that it has some positive aspects.\u00a0 Most notably it averts a government shutdown until at least April 28, 2017.\u00a0 It provides much needed funding to the Department of Defense for Overseas Contingency Operations and the European Reassurance Initiative.\u00a0 And it contains $170 million to address the infrastructure and health needs of those communities affected by contaminated drinking water.\nHowever, CRs are no way to run a nation and I wholeheartedly agree with Ranking Member Lowey that there is no practical reason that two months into a fiscal year, we are kicking the can down the road for another five months.\u00a0 Congress has no credibility to demand good government if it is incapable of providing appropriations to the whole of the federal government in a timely and predictable manner.\u00a0 \nAs the Ranking Member on the Defense Subcommittee, I feel it is important to highlight some of the complications we are compounding in 2017 should the Department of Defense have to operate under a CR for a total of 6 months and 28 days.\u00a0 \nFirst, CRs hinder the DoD from adapting to emerging conditions around the globe.\u00a0 Although we are including a few anomalies and adjustments in this CR, many more programs and initiatives simply did not make the \u201ccut-list\u201d and we will have created unforeseen but real impacts to our warfighters and their families. \nSecond, the defense budget we are deferring was planned for back in late 2015.\u00a0 Our actions to complete the FY 2017 appropriations by April 28, 2017, will be challenged in synchronizing a final budget solution that is at a minimum 16 months later than when it was drafted and planned by the Defense Department.\u00a0\u00a0 \nThird, it will require a significant amount of interchange with the DoD for Congress to complete the work on the remainder of the FY 2017 appropriations in the spring.\u00a0 Those same individuals and offices in the Department will simultaneously be making adjustments to the FY 2018 budget for the new administration.\u00a0 And while it is likely that the FY 2018 budget request will be delayed beyond the normal first Tuesday in February delivery, the two activities will overlap significantly, which is incredibly inefficient. \nLet me just further that thought by acknowledging that the Department will be well into their development of the FY 2019 budget at that same time.\u00a0 They will be presenting the FY 2018 budget to this Congress.\u00a0 And patiently waiting for the resolution of this FY 2017 budget.\u00a0\u00a0 All the while operating at FY 2016 levels that we extended in two consecutive CRs because we cannot find the initiative and political will to complete our jobs. \nAnd this CR has the likelihood of being particularly disruptive because it also coincides with a change in the Executive Branch.\u00a0 As has been pointed out, no incoming Administration has ever had to inherit a Department of Defense operating under a CR.\u00a0 So while claiming to recognize the difficulty a new President faces by including a provision to allow the expedited consideration in the Senate of legislation that overrides current law in the appointment of the next Secretary of Defense, we add a much greater burden to the incoming administration and Congress by not completing the FY 2017 Appropriation process.\u00a0\u00a0 \nI understand that Chairman Rogers has described the legislation before us as just a Band-Aid to give us time to complete the annual appropriations process.\u00a0 That is unfortunately a refrain we have heard too often in recent Congresses.\u00a0 In what fiscal year will we stop putting Band-Aids over our self-inflicted wounds to the appropriations process?\u00a0 The American people deserve so much more.\nIn closing, I regret that we again find ourselves on the House floor creating manufactured uncertainty.\u00a0 It is imperative that we bring an end to the reliance on CRs and get back into the habit of completing our budgetary work in a timely manner.\nI thank the Ranking Member for yielding.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/senator-donnelly-helps-pass-critical-funding-to-fight-opioid-abuse", "Senator Donnelly Helps Pass Critical Funding To Fight Opioid Abuse", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senator Donnelly Helps Pass Critical Funding To Fight Opioid Abuse\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Thursday, December 8, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Wednesday, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly helped the Senate pass the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion over the next two years to help combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics.\r\nFunding will be distributed to states to help them address these drug epidemics. In late November, Donnelly and several colleagues called for the Senate to pass this necessary, emergency funding to address these public health crises before the end of the year. The 21st Century Cures Act recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support and now goes to President Obama for his signature.Donnelly said, \"I believe it takes all of us working together to confront the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. I pushed for the Senate to pass this funding because it will provide critical resources for states to help fight opioid abuse. I am proud this legislation will soon become law, as it will help fund prevention and recovery initiatives across the country.\"In addition, this will legislation includes funding to spur medical innovation and support research to develop cures for diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.\"Over the past three years, as Indiana has been devastated by these public health crises, Donnelly has actively fought for both new efforts to help with prevention, treatment, and recovery and the funding necessary to support those programs.\u00a0This summer, Donnelly helped the Senate pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which became law in July, authorizing a number of grant programs.Several of Donnelly's bipartisan provisions became law in 2016 as part of CARA. His provisions were adopted from his bipartisan legislation to update best practices for pain management and raise public awareness, as well as a bipartisan provision he authored that encourages first responder units to connect individuals who receive naloxone with treatment and other necessary services. CARA also includes tools to prevent drug addiction and expands access to treatment and support for individuals in recovery.In September, Donnelly helped the Senate pass short-term legislation to keep the government running, and it included $37 million in new funding to begin implementation of CARA. These funds are helping jumpstart four grant programs in CARA focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-honors-indiana-bicentennial-in-senate-floor-speech", "Donnelly Honors Indiana Bicentennial in Senate Floor Speech", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Honors Indiana Bicentennial in Senate Floor Speech\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator delivers remarks in advance of December 11th celebrations\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2014 Today, in advance of Indiana\u2019s Bicentennial on December 11th, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly honored Indiana\u2019s rich history and recognized the important contributions Hoosiers have made to Indiana and the U.S., during a speech on the Senate floor.\r\nDonnelly said, in part, during his remarks, \u201cAs we reflect on Indiana\u2019s 200 years, we have so much to be proud of. And, as we look to the next 200 years, we know that through hard work, and by all working together, we can make our state\u2019s future even more prosperous for our children, grandchildren, and future generations of Hoosiers.\u201d\r\n\r\nTo view Senator Donnelly\u2019s remarks, click the image above or click here.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-statement-in-support-of-carrier-workers", "Donnelly Statement in Support of Carrier Workers", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Statement in Support of Carrier Workers\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released the following statement in support of Carrier workers, represented by United Steelworkers Local 1999.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cI know the workers of Local 1999 and hardworking Hoosiers across Indiana. They are my friends and neighbors, and they help to make America great. If we are going to stop jobs from moving out of the country, it starts by standing with our fellow working Hoosiers. Carrier, not its workers, is chasing $3-an-hour wages. All the workers have done is build quality products and make their employer highly profitable.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnellys-final-care-package-provision-to-become-law", "Donnelly’s Final “Care Package” Provision to Become Law", "2016-12-08", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly\u2019s Final \u201cCare Package\u201d Provision to Become Law\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator passes fourth major military mental health bill in four years\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 8, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2014 The final piece of U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly\u2019s \u201cServicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package\u201d (\u201cCare Package\u201d)\u00a0passed the Senate today as part of the bipartisan national defense bill. The legislation now goes to President Obama\u2019s desk to be signed into law. This will mark the fourth military mental health reform effort Donnelly has gotten passed and enacted in his four years in the U.S. Senate.\u00a0\r\nDonnelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee said, \u201cGetting the final piece of the Care Package signed into law is about getting our servicemembers better access to high-quality mental health care. As we work to reduce the stigma around mental health and continue to combat military suicide, we will have to ensure that the programs from my \u2018Care Package\u2019 are fully implemented by the Defense Department.\u201d\r\nDonnelly\u2019s bill that passed as part of the national defense bill is his\u00a0Frontline Mental Health Provider Training Act.\u00a0Given the shortage of mental health care providers, Donnelly\u2019s provision allows the Department of Defense (DoD) to establish a pilot program to expand the availability of Physician Assistants (PAs) to provide mental health care evaluations and services for servicemembers and military families.\r\nDonnelly has worked effectively and tirelessly over the past four years to find commonsense, bipartisan solutions to combat military suicide and strengthen military mental health care. He has already had three military mental health provisions signed into law:\r\n \r\nIn 2014, Donnelly\u2019s bipartisan Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevention Act\u00a0was signed into law. Named for Hoosier Jacob Sexton, a National Guardsman who took his life in 2009, the law, for the first time, requires an annual mental health assessment for all servicemembers including Active, Guard, and Reserve.\r\nIn 2015, two provisions from Donnelly\u2019s \"Care Package\" were\u00a0signed into law, which aim to help expand access to quality mental health care for servicemembers and veterans through both military providers as well as community providers. These included:\r\n\r\nA provision that creates a special designation, and an online registry, for private sector, community mental health providers who demonstrate \u2013 either through training or past experience \u2013 a strong knowledge of military culture and evidence-based therapies for mental health issues common to veterans and servicemembers.\r\nA provision that requires all DoD primary care and mental health care providers receive evidence-based training on suicide risk recognition and management.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nAccording to the Department of Defense, through the first six months of 2016, 221 servicemembers were lost to suicide. In 2015, 478 servicemembers took their own lives. Last year marked the fourth consecutive year that more troops were lost to suicide than combat. In 2014, 444 servicemembers took their own lives. In 2013, 475 servicemembers were lost to suicide.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-champions-key-measures-to-fortify-us-biodefense-as-part-of-21st", "Brooks champions key measures to fortify U.S. biodefense as part of 21st Century Cures", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) praised the substantive 21st\u00a0Century Cures Act for including bipartisan provisions that she helped author to strengthen national security in the event of a biological attack.\nThe\u00a0Strengthening Public Health Emergency Response Act, a bill aimed at improving U.S. biodefense efforts, was introduced by Brooks and U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) earlier this year. \u00a0Provisions in the biodefense bill were included in the sweeping $6.3 billion 21st\u00a0Century Cures medical research package.\nThe Senate voted 94-5 on Wednesday to approve the legislation, which now goes to President Barack Obama to be signed into law.\nThe bill\u00a0would incentivize investments in vaccines and treatments for dangerous diseases and pathogens.\n\u201cWhen we have enemies that are becoming more and more sophisticated and are trying to find more ways to harm the American people, we have to do everything we can to make ourselves more resilient and to prepare for any possible attack,\u201d Brooks said in a recent interview with the Ripon Advance.\n\u201cI think we have not focused sufficient attention on our national biodefense in this country.\u201d\nThe United States needs a strong biodefense position in the event a terrorist organization should ever weaponize a biological agent such as anthrax or small pox, Brooks said. Naturally occurring biological threats, such as Ebola or Zika, can also pose a risk to national security.\nThe provisions included in the Cures Act help streamline the process for vaccines to be developed to address biological and chemical threats and to enhance the Strategic National Stockpile. \u00a0It would expand the Priority Review Voucher program for material threats identified by the Department of Homeland Security. As a result, pharmaceutical companies would have greater incentive to develop, test and distribute vaccines and treatments for specialized diseases.\nBrooks, who focuses on biodefense issues as part of her membership on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the measure is an important step toward helping the private sector work with government to prepare the country in the event of an attack.\nAlso included is a measure to reinstate the original contracting authority provided to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which would ensure faster development of critical medical countermeasures.\nThe biodefense provisions included in 21st\u00a0Century Cures are a meaningful part of the legislative package, but Brooks said average citizens might not realize their significance.\nBrooks served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana when anthrax attacks occurred following\u00a0the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to several news media offices and two U.S. Senate offices, killing five people and infecting 17 others in what became the worst biological attacks in U.S. history.\n\u201cThat was one of the first times when our country really realized what an incredible threat to our national security something like anthrax could be. This has been an interest of mine personally, but I don\u2019t think it has been something the country has been focused on enough,\u201d Brooks said.\nThe Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, chaired by former Sen. Joseph Lieberman and former Gov. Tom Ridge, sounded an alarm last year when it\u00a0released a report that found America\u2019s national biodefense strategy needed significant improvement.\u00a0The report identified capability gaps and recommended changes to U.S. policy and laws to strengthen national biodefense.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bucshon.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dr-bucshon-s-statement-cr-language", "Dr. Bucshons Statement on CR Language", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Larry Bucshon", "B001275", "bucshon.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WASHINGTON, D.C.) \u2013 Eighth District Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. released the following statement after language to protect the health benefits of retired coal miners was included in the government funding legislation: \u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cAs the son of a retired UMWA coal miner and a physician, I\u2019m happy that Congress has come to a temporary solution that will protect the healthcare benefits of retired miners and their families. Absent this legislative language, these benefits are set to expire at the end of December.\u00a0\n\u201cWhile I understand this is not a permanent solution, it is a step in the right direction that makes sure retirees do not lose their health benefits. I\u2019ve long been working with retired miners, industry leaders, and Congressional leadership to develop a more permanent solution to this impending problem facing Hoosier retirees and will continue working to get one.\n\u201cLet\u2019s also not forget why we are in this position. Unfortunately, President Obama and his allies in Washington, DC have waged a regulatory assault on coal that has devastated the industry and the jobs and benefits it supports. As we work toward a more permanent solution, I\u2019m encouraged to know coal \u2013 and those who depend on it \u2013 will have an ally in the White House beginning January 20, 2017.\u201d\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0\nCongressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. is a physician and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee serving his third term representing Indiana's 8th Congressional district. The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/reps-messer-kennedy-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-grad-students-save", "Reps. Messer, Kennedy Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Help Grad Students Save for Retirement", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Dec. 7, 2016) \u2014 Reps. Luke Messer (R-IN) and Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives today that would help graduate students save for retirement.\nThe Graduate Student Savings Act would allow graduate students or postdoctoral fellows who are paid for their work to save a portion of their stipend in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Fellowship and stipend funding is currently taxed as income by federal and state governments, but it does not qualify as \u201ccompensation\u201d and so it cannot be saved in an IRA.\n\u201cI appreciate working with Congressman Kennedy on this common sense bill to help graduate students start saving while they're still in school,\u201d Messer said. \u201cGrad students and researchers who are studying to improve all of our futures should have the chance to invest in their own.\u201d\n\u201cStudents pursuing advanced degrees should be allowed and encouraged to invest in their future without restrictions or roadblocks,\u201d Kennedy said. \u201cBy reclassifying income that is already taxed, this legislation will allow young adults to save as they begin new careers and build families. Along with Congressman Messer, I look forward to passing this bill and supporting current and future graduate students around the country.\u201d\nThe Graduate Student Savings Act was originally introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Mike Lee (R-UT).\u00a0 It recently passed the Senate Finance Committee, as part of a larger retirement package.\nMesser authored several bills in the 114th Congress aimed at helping Americans save for retirement. He serves on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-graham-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-support-local-crime-reduction-strategies", "Donnelly, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Local Crime-Reduction Strategies", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly, Graham Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Support Local Crime-Reduction Strategies\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tINVEST to Prevent Crime Act would provide funding for local, evidence-based efforts to reduce and prevent crime\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) today introduced the bipartisan Investing in Neighborhood-focused, Vital, Evidence-based Strategies and Trust (INVEST) to Prevent Crime Act of 2016. The INVEST to Prevent Crime Act would authorize grants to local communities as part of the effort to reduce crime, building on an existing federal program. The grants would support bringing local law enforcement, community leaders, stakeholders, and residents together to craft local solutions to the specific causes of crime in their area.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cThe best results to combatting persistent crime come from engaging both the people who live in communities and those tasked to protect them. This bipartisan legislation would support that approach and will help communities across Indiana and our country make life safer for their residents and businesses.\u201d\r\nGraham said, \u201cThis bill will help bring law enforcement and community and business leaders to the table to develop strategies to reduce specific drivers of crime in their communities.\u00a0The grant program enables these communities to revitalize some of their most challenging neighborhoods while improving relationships between police and the citizens they serve.\u201d\r\nThe INVEST to Prevent Crime Act would extend and enhance a targeted program modeled from the promising Department of Justice (DOJ) initiative, the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program (BCJI), to help with planning and implementation of evidence-based strategies to reduce and prevent crime as part of community revitalization efforts. Indiana has two communities currently participating in the BCJI initiative: Indianapolis and Evansville\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-helps-pass-critical-funding-to-fight-opioid-abuse", "Donnelly Helps Pass Critical Funding to Fight Opioid Abuse", "2016-12-07", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Helps Pass Critical Funding to Fight Opioid Abuse\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator successfully advocated for these necessary funds to help prevention and treatment programs that are on the verge of becoming law\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, December 7, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly helped the Senate pass the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which includes $1 billion over the next two years to help combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. Funding will be distributed to states to help them address these drug epidemics. In late November, Donnelly and several colleagues called for the Senate to pass this necessary, emergency funding to address these public health crises before the end of the year. The 21st Century Cures Act recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support and now goes to President Obama for his signature.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cI believe it takes all of us working together to confront the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. I pushed for the Senate to pass this funding because it will provide critical resources for states to help fight opioid abuse. I am proud this legislation will soon become law, as it will help fund prevention and recovery initiatives across the country.\r\n\u201cIn addition, this will legislation includes funding to spur medical innovation and support research to develop cures for diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d\r\nOver the past three years, as Indiana has been devastated by these public health crises, Donnelly has actively fought for both new efforts to help with prevention, treatment, and recovery and the funding necessary to support those programs.\r\nThis summer, Donnelly helped the Senate pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which became law in July, authorizing a number of grant programs.\r\nSeveral of\u00a0Donnelly\u2019s bipartisan provisions became law in 2016 as part of CARA. His provisions were adopted from his bipartisan legislation to update best practices for pain management and raise public awareness, as well as a bipartisan provision he authored that encourages first responder units to connect individuals who receive naloxone with treatment and other necessary services. CARA also includes tools to prevent drug addiction and expands access to treatment and support for individuals in recovery.\r\nIn September, Donnelly helped the Senate pass short-term legislation to keep the government running, and it included $37 million in new funding to begin implementation of CARA. These funds are helping jumpstart four grant programs in CARA focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/news/video-and-audio/view/sen-donnellys-senate-floor-speech-on-senator-coats-retirement", "Sen. Donnelly's Senate Floor Speech on Senator Coats' Retirement", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Evansville, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t123 NW 4th Street, Suite 417\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvansville, IN 47708\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (812) 425-5813\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (812) 425-5817 \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFort Wayne, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 203 E. Berry Street, Suite 702 B\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Fort Wayne, IN 46802\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (260) 420-4955\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (260) 420-4930\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHammond, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 3200\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Hammond, IN 46320\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (219)-852-0089\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (219)-852-0729\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIndianapolis, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t115 N. Pennsylvania Street Suite 100\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIndianapolis, IN 46204\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (317) 226-5555\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (855) 772-7518\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJeffersonville, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t702 North Shore Drive, Suite LL-101\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJeffersonville, IN 47130\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (812)-284-2027\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (812)-284-2044\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSouth Bend, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t205 West Colfax Avenue\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSouth Bend, IN 46601\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (574)-288-2780\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (574)-234-7476\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t720 Hart Senate Office Building\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (202) 224-4814\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (202) 224-5011\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/-citing-trump-rust-belt-democrats-demand-crackdown-on-outsourcers", "Citing Trump, Rust Belt Democrats demand crackdown on outsourcers", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Citing Trump, Rust Belt Democrats demand crackdown on outsourcers\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Mike DeBonis\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Tuesday, December 6, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Six Democratic senators from Rust Belt states won by President-elect Donald Trump called Tuesday for a swift congressional crackdown on U.S. companies that send manufacturing jobs abroad, claiming common cause with Trump\u2019s crusade against outsourcing.\r\nTrump on Sunday tweeted that \u201cany business that leaves our country for another country, fires its employees, builds a new factory or plant in the other country, and then thinks it will sell its product back into the U.S. without retribution or consequence, is WRONG!\u201d He threatened to impose a 35 percent tariff on goods those companies seek to import.\r\nThe Democratic senators from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin stopped short of calling for a protectionist tariff regime. But in a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday, they applauded \u201cthe recent attention President-elect Trump has brought to the issue of outsourcing and its impact on middle-class families\u201d and called for legislation that would penalize companies that send jobs abroad.\r\nThose penalties, they say, should include taking into consideration any history of outsourcing while awarding federal contracts and potentially keeping outsourcers from receiving tax breaks and other federal incentives, and \u201cclawing back\u201d those incentives if companies later ship jobs out of the country.\r\n\u201cThe loss of manufacturing jobs in our states has contributed to the decades-long trend of the declining middle class,\u201d the letter reads. \u201cWe believe these principles \u2014 which we intend to introduce as legislation \u2014 are critical to our shared commitment to encourage companies to invest in the United States and in American workers.\u201d\r\nAlong with the letter, the incoming Senate Democratic leader, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), issued a statement of support Tuesday: \u201cSenate Democrats have fought to reverse the outsourcing trend that hurts American workers for years, and we\u2019re pleased the President-elect wants to address it as well. We hope he\u2019ll put pressure on Congressional Republicans to support real, meaningful policy that will protect jobs here at home.\u201d\r\nThe lead signer of the letter was Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), who praised the decision last month by Carrier Corp., under pressure from Trump, to reverse its decision to send hundreds of Indianapolis manufacturing jobs to Mexico. The company is still planning to move hundreds of other jobs, and Donnelly has pushed Trump to do more.\r\n\u201cI strongly encourage you to make it clear that efforts to ship jobs offshore to chase cheap wages will be addressed head on by the Trump Administration,\u201d Donnelly wrote in a separate letter last week. \u201cI stand ready to assist in any way possible.\u201d\r\nDonnelly is up for reelection in 2018 in a state where Trump won 57 percent of the vote.\r\nAlso signing the letter were Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-and-senators-we-need-swift-action-to-address-outsourcing-of-american-jobs-announce-intent-to-introduce-legislation-", "Donnelly and Senators: We Need Swift Action to Address Outsourcing of American Jobs, Announce Intent to Introduce Legislation", "2016-12-06", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly and Senators: We Need Swift Action to Address Outsourcing of American Jobs, Announce Intent to Introduce Legislation \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDonnelly leads colleagues in letter to new congressional leadership urging quick consideration of legislation to reward companies investing in American workers \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, December 6, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and a group of senators from manufacturing-heavy states urged the leadership of the next Congress to quickly consider legislation to penalize companies outsourcing American jobs and encourage investments in the United States. \u00a0Donnelly and Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced they plan to introduce legislation during the next Congress, which begins in January.\r\nDonnelly and the Senators wrote, in part, \u201cAs Senators representing manufacturing-heavy states, we welcome the recent attention President-elect Trump has brought to the issue of outsourcing and its impact on middle-class families. We also recognize that a meaningful effort to stop the flow of American jobs to countries like Mexico and China will require Congress to cut through the political gridlock and take action to align our policies with the interests of American workers.\u201d\r\nIn the letter to congressional leaders, the Senators highlighted three commonsense principles that will be the basis of their legislation:\r\n \r\nFederal contracts, funded by taxpayers, should go to American companies that employ American workers. Federal contracting policy should take into consideration whether companies have outsourced American jobs.\r\nTax incentives intended to support United States businesses and the domestic economy should go to companies that invest here at home. Federal laws should claw back incentives and prohibit companies from receiving tax breaks for outsourcing jobs and factories, instead of investing in America.\r\nFederal policies should encourage businesses to bring jobs home and invest in American communities. Our policies should provide tax incentives for companies to relocate foreign jobs to the United States.\r\n \r\nFull text of the letter is below and here.\r\nFor months, Donnelly has fought to prevent the outsourcing of Hoosier jobs, including at Carrier in Indianapolis and other Hoosier companies. Donnelly released a white paper and sent proposals\u00a0to the Senate Finance Committee in May aimed at preventing and discouraging major corporations from shipping jobs to foreign countries.\u00a0Last week, Donnelly sent a letter to President-Elect Trump encouraging him to prioritize changes to our federal policies in order to prevent the further outsourcing of American jobs.\r\nDecember 6, 2016\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell, Democratic Leader-elect Schumer, Speaker Ryan, and Democratic Leader Pelosi:\r\nWe write today to reiterate our long-held concern about the outsourcing of American jobs and the need for swift action in the 115th Congress.\r\nAs Senators representing manufacturing-heavy states, we welcome the recent attention President-elect Trump has brought to the issue of outsourcing and its impact on middle-class families. We also recognize that a meaningful effort to stop the flow of American jobs to countries like Mexico and China will require Congress to cut through the political gridlock and take action to align our policies with the interests of American workers.\r\nTo that end, we strongly encourage congressional leadership to quickly consider and pass legislation to meet the following commonsense principles.\r\n \r\nFederal contracts, funded by taxpayers, should go to American companies that employ American workers. Federal contracting policy should take into consideration whether companies have outsourced American jobs.\r\nTax incentives intended to support United States businesses and the domestic economy should go to companies that invest here at home. Federal laws should claw back incentives and prohibit companies from receiving tax breaks for outsourcing jobs and factories, instead of investing in America.\r\nFederal policies should encourage businesses to bring jobs home and invest in American communities. Our policies should provide tax incentives for companies to relocate foreign jobs to the United States.\r\n \r\nThe loss of manufacturing jobs in our states has contributed to the decades-long trend of the declining middle class. We believe these principles\u2014which we intend to introduce as legislation\u2014are critical to our shared commitment to encourage companies to invest in the United States and in American workers.\r\nPlease join us in standing with the workers who have seen too many of their jobs go to foreign countries.\r\nSincerely,\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN)\r\nU.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)\r\nU.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)\r\nU.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)\r\nU.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)\r\nU.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI)\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-passes-house", "21st Century Cures passes House", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed a fully paid for, transformative package of reforms and resources that will bring medical innovation process into the 21st century; accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of life-saving and life-changing treatments and cures; better prepare for biological threats; and address our most pressing national health challenges: mental health and substance abuse.Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) released the following statement after the vote:\u00a0\"I want to thank the countless Hoosiers and Fifth District organizations and advocates who met with me to discuss their ideas to improve this legislation and who shared their personal stories and experiences to inform this bill,\" Brooks said. \"Many of us have watched a friend or loved one struggle with cancer or Alzheimer's disease, only to be told that there was little hope of treatment or a cure. 21st Century Cures provides patients and their families with hope for a future and ensures that the United States will stay on the cutting edge of medical innovation. It is the product of years of bipartisan work with patients, researchers, innovators and health care providers to determine specific steps we can take today to encourage scientific collaboration to find cures faster. \"The 21st Century Cures Act seeks to speed and improve the discovery of promising developments in science, to streamlining the device development process, to unleashing the power of digital medicine and delivery of life-saving and life-improving therapies, thereby transforming the quest for faster cures. In addition, the legislation includes important provisions to combat the opioid and heroin crisis devastating our communities, brings about the first major overhaul of our mental health system in over half a century and includes provisions to enhance our national biodefense.\u00a0\"I'm especially pleased that the final bill includes a number of provisions that I helped lead to improve and protect our national health,\" Brooks continued. \"First, people struggling with mental illness will have more access to the care and treatment they need. Second, our state and local partners will get critical resources to address the heroin and opioid epidemic in our communities. Third, this proposal incentivizes the development and testing of vaccines and treatments for chemical and biological threats and ensures that appropriate vaccines can be added to our existing national stockpile in case of an attack.\"More information about 21st Century Cures is available online at: https://energycommerce.house.gov/cures", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/brooks-hahn-bill-to-honor-wwii-merchant-marines-passes-house", "Brooks, Hahn Bill to Honor WWII Merchant Marines Passes House", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2992, the Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016, a bill introduced by Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA). This legislation will present the highest civilian award Congress can bestow to the Merchant Mariners who acted heroically to transport troops and provide critical supplies of war to U.S. troops by sea during World War II.\"Today, there are less than 5,000 surviving Merchant Mariners, and with nearly 500 World War II veterans dying each day, it is critical that we act this year to recognize and honor the sacrifices and contributions of this group of loyal and courageous men,\" said Brooks. \"The Merchant Marine was the linchpin connecting the fighting forces overseas with the production forces here at home. In the face of certain peril, these brave men provided efficient and reliable transport of combat equipment, fuel, food, commodities, personnel, and raw materials that were pivotal to the Allied victory. Today, I'm proud that the House has taken action to honor their service, and I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will act swiftly to ensure that these men get the recognition they deserve before the end of the year.\"With an estimated 9,300 total casualties, the Merchant Marine bore a higher per-capita casualty rate than any other branch of the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. An additional 11,000 mariners were wounded in action and 663 men and women were taken prisoner.\"Often, the sacrifices and service of these brave men are forgotten,\" Brooks continued. \"Merchant Mariners took part in every invasion from Normandy to Okinawa, risking their lives to provide the needed supplies for war and facing danger from submarines, mines, armed raiders and destroyers, aircraft, 'Kamikaze,' and Mother Nature herself. Despite these efforts, Merchant Mariners were not recognized as veterans until 1988 and never received the benefits that other World War II veterans received under the G.I. Bill.\"H.R. 2992 has 312 bipartisan co-sponsors. Companion legislation, S. 2989, the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016, has been introduced in the Senate and is waiting for consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-american-infrastructure-should-be-built-with-american-made-products", "Donnelly: American Infrastructure Should be Built with American-Made Products", "2016-12-05", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly: American Infrastructure Should be Built with American-Made Products\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator and colleagues demand inclusion of \u2018Buy America\u2019 provision for steel and iron in final Water Infrastructure legislation\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, December 5, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly called for the restoration of a \u2018Buy America\u2019 provision in the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), to require projects funded by the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) to be built with American-made iron and steel products. The \u2018Buy America\u2019 requirement was included in the Senate-passed version of the bill with broad bipartisan support, but was reportedly stripped from the compromise package negotiated by leaders in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Donnelly and his colleagues have asked leadership to put the provision back into the final bill to support U.S. steel and iron workers and manufacturers.\r\nIn the letter to Senate and House leadership, Donnelly and his colleagues wrote, \u201c\u2026Buy America is an important job-creating provision.\u00a0 If subject to the Buy America provisions, DWSRF-funded infrastructure projects will be required to use American iron and steel.\u00a0As a result, companies will have incentives to invest in domestic manufacturing facilities, and U.S. taxpayer dollars will support American manufacturers\u2026\u201d\u00a0\r\n\u201c\u2026The American people spoke clearly in this past election that they want leaders who fight for the working class and who advance policies that create more jobs and grow the U.S. manufacturing sector. We urge you to heed their voices in the WRDA negotiations and ensure the DWSRF Buy America provisions are incorporated in the final bill.\u201d\r\nYou can download a copy of the letter here. Full text is available below.\u00a0\r\nDecember 2, 2016\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell, Democratic Leader Reid, Speaker Ryan, and Democratic Leader Pelosi:\r\nWe write to express our concern that an important Buy America provision for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) has been struck from the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) conference report to be considered by the House and Senate.\u00a0\u00a0 This provision (Section 7117 of S. 2848) was approved by the Senate with broad bipartisan support, and we urge you to ensure that it is included in the final WRDA bill.\r\nSection 7117 of the Senate bill would codify the Buy America procurement preference for American-made iron and steel products that has been applied to the DWSRF for many years through annual appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).\u00a0 The language would ensure that the DWSRF is subject to the same Buy America policies permanently applied to the EPA\u2019s other federal-aid water infrastructure spending programs, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program. \u00a0\r\nBuy America is an important job-creating provision.\u00a0 If subject to the Buy America provisions, DWSRF-funded infrastructure projects will be required to use American iron and steel.\u00a0\u00a0 As a result, companies will have incentives to invest in domestic manufacturing facilities, and U.S. taxpayer dollars will support American manufacturers.\u00a0\r\nRemoving the Buy America provisions from the DWSRF will have the opposite effect.\u00a0 Without domestic content requirements, foreign companies will reap the advantages of U.S. taxpayer spending at the expense of taxpaying U.S. iron and steel producers and workers across the country.\u00a0 An opportunity to support and grow U.S. manufacturers will be squandered.\r\nThe American people spoke clearly in this past election that they want leaders who fight for the working class and who advance policies that create more jobs and grow the U.S. manufacturing sector. We urge you to heed their voices in the WRDA negotiations and ensure the DWSRF Buy America provisions are incorporated in the final bill.\r\nSincerely,\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and 24 colleagues\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/dennis-lanane-column-growth-of-mental-health-coalition-progressing", "Dennis Lanane column: Growth of Mental Health Coalition progressing", "2016-12-04", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Madison County Triad will hold a pitch-in Christmas luncheon on December 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the theater area of Mounds Mall.\nThose wanting to attend the luncheon should bring a dish or dessert. Triad will furnish the main dish. We will also have some door prizes, and Buddy and Joyce Patterson will provide Christmas music.\nWe want to thank St. Vincent Medical Group for providing ophthalmologist Dr. Elizabeth Groves to give a presentation on taking care of your eyes. Dr. Groves explained what causes some eye problems people experience get as they older. This was another program about health maintenance that Triad puts on throughout the year. We want our seniors to have a decent quality of life through education.\nWe have had many great programs this year. Michelle Mayer from the Indiana Attorney General's office, Indiana Attorney Charles Braun, Sheriff Scott Mellinger and Anderson Police Chief Tony Watters have told us how to protect ourselves from being victimized.\nWe've had some health maintenance programs, too. One was aimed at lowering your risks of getting Alzheimer\u2019s. We had two registered dietitians who told us what we should eat that will keep both our hearts and brains healthy. The October Triad meeting was about the resources that are available to those who might be victims of mental health issues such as depression, suicides, addictions and overdoses.\nTriad also started a fall prevention physical therapy program. It meets from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. in the theater area of the mall, right before our regular meeting. This program is without cost and is taught by Darla Gibson, clinic director of ATI Physical Therapy.\nI want to thank the Anderson Mounds Mall for letting us use the theater area to hold our meetings and Garfield's for donating coffee every month. Health care providers also donate snacks for our members.\nIt was mentioned in a previous Triad column that we are starting our own newsletter that will give us enough space to explain some of the programs in more detail. This will happen in the next several months. These will be newsletters that you might want to keep and share the information with others about some of the programs and information we have at the mall on the third Thursday of each month at 10:30 a.m.\nThe Madison County Mental Health Coalition is making progress. Although it is hardly ever mentioned in the media, we are growing. We are starting to get government and churches more involved in our meetings now. The latest participants in the coalition are Mayor Tom Broderick and Autumn Meeker, constituent service representative for Congresswoman Susan Brooks.\nThe coalition is looking for better ways to educate the community on what resources are available to individuals and their families who have issues with mental health care, depression, addictions, etc.\nMadison County has some very serious problems. We are trying to pull all the health care agencies and law enforcement agencies together so that they better understand how to help these victims and their families.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/recovery-law-mired-in-funding-quagmire", "Recovery law mired in funding quagmire", "2016-12-04", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "When Susan Brooks was the\u00a0U.S. district attorney for southern Indiana in the early 2000s,\u00a0she prosecuted an Indianapolis doctor for overprescribing the painkiller\u00a0oxycodone\u00a0and an Evansville resident for injecting his ex-wife with a fatal dose of the same drug. \n\n\u201cUnless we do a lot more education about the problem, we\u2019re going to see a lot more deaths,\u201d Brooks\u00a0told the Evansville Courier and Press in 2004.\nThat year, 98 Indiana residents died from opioid overdoses, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. Over the next 10 years, more than 2,000 Hoosiers died from overdoses of opioids, a family of pain-relief drugs including\u00a0fentanyl,\u00a0heroin,\u00a0hydrocodone,\u00a0methadone\u00a0and\u00a0morphine.\nMore recently, Scott County attracted national attention because of an HIV outbreak linked to the sharing of needles by intravenous drug users. Their drug of choice was the prescription pain reliever\u00a0oxymorphone.\nBrooks today is a Republican member of the U.S. House from Carmel, fresh off election to her\u00a0third term representing central Indiana\u2019s 5th District. This year, she and nearly every other member of Congress voted in favor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law July 22.\nThree years in the making, CARA aims to curb prescription opioid abuse and heroin use through prevention, treatment, recovery, education and law enforcement efforts. Lawmakers and advocates hailed it as an historic approach that regards drug addiction as a\u00a0public health crisis rather than criminal activity.\n\u201cI think what we\u2019ve learned over the decades is we cannot arrest our way out of this epidemic of addictions,\u201d Brooks, who grew up in Fort Wayne, said in a recent phone interview. \u201cWe have to remove the stigma of the addiction, allow families and people to seek help without being afraid of the stigma of having this kind of addiction.\u201d\nWhen CARA is up and running, it is supposed to\u00a0provide\u00a0grants for communities to address drug crises, develop treatment alternatives to jail sentences, receive training in the use of the overdose-reversal drug naloxone and create disposal sites for unwanted prescription medicines.\nOther grants will be available\u00a0for law enforcement to investigate illegal drug activities, for high schools and colleges to support students recovering from substance abuse and for states to assist\u00a0female drug offenders who are pregnant or caring for children.\nThe Department of\u00a0Health and Human Services and the Justice Department\u00a0are the main agencies to\u00a0implement the programs.\nAll they\u00a0need now is money.\n Dual programs? \nDespite overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress for CARA\u00a0\u2013 it passed the House 407-5 and the Senate 92-2\u00a0\u2013 lawmakers have been\u00a0haggling all year over its funding.\u00a0\nDemocrat\u00a0Obama had\u00a0asked the Republican-controlled Congress to spend\u00a0$1.1 billion over two years to fight\u00a0opioid addiction, an amount the White House said\u00a0would have included up to $19 million for Indiana. Congress settled on about $900 million spread over five years, or $181 million a year, for CARA.\n\u201cThis legislation includes some modest steps to address the opioid epidemic. Given the scope of the crisis, some action is better than none,\u201d Obama\u00a0said when he signed the bill in July.\nLawmakers\u00a0so far have appropriated just $7 million for CARA\u00a0as part of a stop-gap government funding measure lasting from Oct. 1 through Dec. 9. Health and Human Services has received only\u00a0$3.3 million.\n\u201cThis appropriation will not allow us to implement most provisions of the bill and will not come close to providing the level of support necessary to make treatment for opioid use disorder available in every state,\u201d HHS said recently in an email statement to The Journal Gazette.\nIt\u00a0appears that CARA might be\u00a0on track to\u00a0receive $37 million for all of fiscal 2017. But advocates on\u00a0the left and the right have said that\u2019s far from enough for the law to be effective.\nBefore Thanksgiving, four Democrats in the Senate, including Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, and 23 Democrats in the House sent letters to congressional leaders of both parties requesting money\u00a0for CARA. The Senate Democrats recommended it be included in the 21st Century Cures Act, which would speed federal approval of drugs and medical devices and increase funding for the National Institutes of Health.\u00a0\nSure enough, over Thanksgiving break, legislators negotiating\u00a0the Cures Act agreed to\u00a0devote\u00a0$1 billion over\u00a0the next two years to fight opioid abuse, about the same amount as Obama had sought last February. The House\u00a0passed the revised bill by a 392-26 vote Wednesday, and the Senate is expected to approve\u00a0the bill this\u00a0week.\nMichael Botticelli, director of National Drug Control Policy, said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters that much of the new money will be spent on \u201cthe opioid treatment gap.\u201d\n\u201cBy substantially investing in treatment across the country, it will, I think, dramatically change the trajectory of this disease,\u201d Botticelli\u00a0said.\nThe Cures Act will award grants to states according to\u00a0their prevalence of opioid\u00a0abuse, and the states will administer the grants. The legislation describes possible uses for the money, including prescription drug monitoring programs, training for health care workers and opioid abuse prevention activities.\nBut none of the money apparently will fund\u00a0CARA, according to Botticelli.\n\u201cThey are two different grant programs,\u201d he\u00a0said.\nIndeed, there is only one reference to\u00a0CARA in the nearly 1,000-page Cures Act, and that is related to \u201csavings in the Medicare improvement fund.\u201d Nowhere is there a mention of naloxone or the community-based coalition enhancement grants established by CARA.\nAsked whether CARA will receive sufficient\u00a0funding,\u00a0Botticelli\u00a0said, \u201cThat\u2019s up to Congress to decide.\u201d He said the $7 million appropriated so far\u00a0is \u201creally insignificant either for Justice grant programs or for the health\u00a0programs to get underway.\u201d\nDonnelly said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters that he believes Cures Act money will go to\u00a0CARA despite Botticelli\u2019s contention. Brooks\u2019 office said Thursday that although the Cures Act and CARA are separate, they may overlap.\nFor example, states might be able to tap Cures Act grants to fund addiction prevention and treatment programs offered through CARA.\nThe Cures Act \u201cis certainly not a replacement for CARA but has a similar goal, which is to fund programs helping people struggling with heroin and opioid abuse,\u201d a Brooks spokeswoman said.\nDonnelly, who like Brooks helped draft provisions of CARA, seemed\u00a0satisfied with the $1 billion infusion regardless of where it ends up.\n\u201cBy all common sense, it should be just a simple matter of providing the distribution,\u201d he said Wednesday.\nNot long before the Cures Act bargain was struck, The Journal Gazette had asked Donnelly whether\u00a0Congress was lacking\u00a0the sense of urgency on opioid addiction that it displayed when debating, amending and approving CARA\u00a0last summer.\n\u201cAll my colleagues have to do is look at the problem in their state. If anything, the sense of urgency should be increased,\u201d he said.\n\u201cIf you look at Kentucky or Ohio or West Virginia or Wisconsin; \u2026 it is killing people of all ages across the board every single day,\u201d he\u00a0said about opioid over\u00addoses.\nSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is from Kentucky, and\u00a0House Speaker Paul Ryan is from Wisconsin. Kentucky\u00a0ranked fourth\u00a0nationally, behind West Virginia,\u00a0New Mexico and New Hampshire, for drug overdose death rates in 2014, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ohio was fifth, and Indiana was 15th. The death rate is the number of deaths per 100,000 people.\nThe CDC has said more than 47,000 Americans\u00a0died from drug overdoses\u00a0in 2014, including 19,000 who died\u00a0from prescription pain relievers.\u00a0\n\u201cThe alternate cost of the damage that this scourge is causing is much, much higher than that billion dollars\u00a0\u2013 the cost of medical care, the cost of family damage, the cost of lost lives,\u201d Donnelly said.\nHe called opioid addiction \u201ca wildfire.\u201d\n Lengthy process \nBrooks said it will take time for opioid abuse grants to reach their destinations.\u00a0\n\u201cHaving been involved in the federal government, having been involved in the Justice Department, nothing moves that quickly. It takes a while to stand up new grant programs,\u201d she said.\nThe process could take longer if only\u00a0because\u00a0President-elect Donald Trump will appoint\u00a0new leadership teams at the federal agencies that administer the drug grants, Brooks said.\nState and local officials said they have received little information\u00a0on available federal funding.\u00a0\n\u201cBecause details of how CARA funding will be implemented are still unclear, it\u2019s impossible to predict how Indiana might be impacted,\u201d\u00a0Jeni O\u2019Malley, public affairs director for the Indiana State Department of Health, said in an email.\nJohn Perlich, public information officer for the city of Fort Wayne, said in an email,\u00a0\u201cGrant eligibility rules, guidelines, etc. that would allow an informed decision about pursuing those grants are still unknown.\u201d\nThere have been other sources of federal money available for preventing and treating substance abuse. HHS spent $94 million this year in Affordable Care Act funds for 271 health centers to expand their delivery of substance abuse services. And the agency\u00a0announced in August it would distribute $53 million to 44 states to fight opioid misuse.\nPark Center Inc., a Fort Wayne nonprofit that provides addiction treatment services, is primarily funded by patients\u2019 private insurance, Medicaid and self-payments, said\u00a0Tom Allman, manager of addiction services.\n\u201cYou can\u2019t really provide services based on grants in a sustainable fashion,\u00a0\u2026 because those grants run out. And when they run out, you\u2019ve got nothing to fall back on,\u201d Allman said.\nBut Allman said he believes CARA is important because it represents the beginning of \u201ca shift in thinking\u201d about addiction by the federal government.\n\u201cI think CARA puts the treatment of the medical disease of addiction on the same playing field with other medical diseases, \u2026 so people will get the help they need,\u201d he said.\nBrooks said federal legislation is only one component in the fight against opioid addiction.\n\u201cJust because we got a big bill passed or just because we put millions of dollars out there, that\u2019s not going to solve this problem,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s going to help, but we\u2019ve got change the culture of the country in the way the country deals with pain, the education level of people who need to learn far more about prescription drugs and the hazards of long-term use of prescription drugs and particularly opioids.\u201d\u00a0\n Also \nThe Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act will set up a federal task force to develop best practices for pain management and pain medication prescribing.\nThe panel will include representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Office of National Drug Control Policy; physicians, dentists, pharmacists and hospitals; emergency first responders; veterans organizations; and pain patients and people recovering from substance use disorder.\nThe Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force must be established by July 22, 2018, according to CARA. It is supposed to propose updates to best practices for pain management and, within a year of convening, recommend ways to address gaps and inconsistencies in those practices.\nSen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Rep. Susan Brooks, R-5th, were among lawmakers who sponsored the CARA provision establishing the task force.\n\u2013 Brian Francisco, The Journal Gazette", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-messer-votes-to-support-america-s-troops-invest-in-national-security", "Rep. Messer Votes to Support Americas Troops, Invest in National Security", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Friday, Dec. 2, 2016) \u2014 Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) today voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which boosts support for America\u2019s military and helps defend our country against radical Islamic terrorism.\nThe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017 (S. 2943) authorizes a $619 billion national defense budget which includes provisions to:\n Provide military members with the largest pay raise in six years\n\tStrengthen military health care\n\tEnhance military training and readiness\n\tStop Obama\u2019s drawdown of troops which has threatened our status on the world stage\n\tProhibit any further transfers of terrorist prisoners from Guantanamo Bay prison to U.S. soil\n\tInvest in cybersecurity defense\n \u201cOur number one job in Congress is to provide for a national defense and keep Americans safe,\u201d Messer said. \u201cAmerica\u2019s military must be second to none as we face unprecedented threats abroad and work to defeat radical Islamic extremism. This bill invests in our national security and our troops, ensuring America is ready to meet to these challenges head on. Just as importantly, it gives our military members the pay raise they deserve and the quality care they need.\u201d\nS. 2943 passed the House of Representatives today and will need approval by the U.S. Senate to move to the president\u2019s desk.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://walorski.house.gov/fy17ndaa-strengthen-military-troop-pay-terrorists-gitmo/", "Walorski Votes to Strengthen Military, Raise Troop Pay, Keep Terrorists in Gitmo", "2016-12-02", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Jackie Walorski", "W000813", "walorski.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 2, 2016\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Walorski Votes to Strengthen Military, Raise Troop Pay, Keep Terrorists in Gitmo \n NDAA Includes Walorski Provisions to Keep Gitmo Terrorists Off U.S. Soil, Boost Electronic Warfare Innovation \nWASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today released the following statement after voting for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which passed the House by a vote of 375 to 34:\nKeeping the American people safe means giving our military the tools and resources needed to confront any threat and defeat any enemy. This bill puts our servicemembers first and provides critical support for their success on and off the battlefield.\nThe U.S. military is the greatest fighting force in the world because of the brave men and women in uniform. With this bill, our troops will get the support they deserve, including their biggest pay raise in years, health care improvements, and more resources for their families here at home.\nThe Obama administration's misguided drawdown has weakened the military, and this bill will rebuild our forces and close the readiness gap. Investments in maintenance and development of equipment will ensure our military can respond to evolving threats. And my provision to boost electronic warfare innovation will help get new technologies into the field faster so our troops have the best tools at their disposal.\nThe terrorist detainees at Guantanamo Bay are the worst of the worst, and they don't belong on U.S. soil. This bill continues existing prohibitions on transferring terrorists to the U.S. or closing Gitmo.\nWith increasing threats around the world, this bill will strengthen our military and help our next commander-in-chief implement a comprehensive strategy to destroy ISIS. The Senate should pass this critical bill and the president should sign it so we can keep our nation safe and secure.\nBackground:\nThe final Conference Report to accompany S. 2943, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which was negotiated by bipartisan members of the House and Senate, is expected to reach the president's desk in the coming days. The legislation:\n \nProhibits transfer of terrorist detainees from Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil or closure of Gitmo detention facility.\n \n \nIncludes Walorski legislation to boost electronic warfare (EW) innovation to get electromagnetic (EM) spectrum technology to warfighters more quickly to better confront existing and emerging threats.\n \n \nFully funds 2.1 percent pay raise for troops required by law.\n \n \nProvides resources to combat ISIS and support allies to counter Russian aggression.\n \n \nIncludes Walorski provision to provide children of fallen servicemembers and children of servicemembers struggling with post-traumatic stress the opportunity participate in special camps.\n \n \nInvests in personnel, training, maintenance, and procurement to close readiness gap.\n \n \nReforms acquisition policies to develop military tools more effectively and efficiently.\n \n \nImproves reporting process to combat military sexual assault and protect victims.\n \n \nProtects National Guardsmen and reservists from Pentagon clawing back re-enlistment bonuses paid in error.\n \n \nCaps size of National Security Council to restore oversight and limit interference with military decisions in the field.\n \nWalorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-selected-as-house-ethics-chairwoman", "Brooks Selected as House Ethics Chairwoman", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN05) was selected as Chairwoman of the House Committee on Ethics. The Committee is the bipartisan supervising ethics office for the House of Representatives. It is responsible for setting and communicating the ethical rules and standards of the House of Representatives; offering current House members, officers and staff guidance and advice about how best to comply with the rules; conducting investigations into allegations of misconduct on the part of current House members, officers and employees; and reprimanding those who are found to have violated the House rules.\n\u201cRestoring confidence in Congress has been a goal of mine since the beginning of my Congressional service,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cWith 2016 Congressional approval ratings hovering between 11 and 20 percent, transparent, responsible and ethical government is critical to rebuilding public trust and confidence in Congress. The House Committee on Ethics has an important role to play in holding members, officers and staff accountable to the American people and to our colleagues. As Chairwoman, I am committed to holding our members to a high standard of conduct; to conducting fair investigations into allegations and questions brought before the Committee; and to effectively and transparently communicating the Congressional ethics rules and standards to Members, staff and the American people.\u201d\nBrooks has served on the House Committee on Ethics since her first term. The House Committee on Ethics is one of 20 standing committees in the House of Representatives. The Committee is the only one in the House made up of an equal number of members from the Republican and Democrat parties.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/21st-century-cures-a-real-plan-for-our-national-health", "21st Century Cures: A real plan for our national health", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Unfortunately, like many of the treatments and cures waiting for approval or stalled by burdensome regulations, 21st Century Cures has languished since then, along with much-needed reforms to our mental health care system, provisions to strengthen and enhance our readiness for biological threats, and desperately sought after resources for states to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic.\n\t\t\t\tToday, nearly 18 months after Judy\u2019s death, 21st Century Cures is once again on the House floor for consideration as part of a package along with these other critical reforms. It is fully offset, represents a real plan to deal with these challenges to our national health, and keeps our country on the cutting edge of medical innovation. This time, we must make sure that this transformational package is enacted into law.\n\t\t\t\tBy the end of 2016, nearly 1.7 million new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States alone. Nearly 40 percent of people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Today, 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with a rare disease.\n\t\t\t\t21st Century Cures is a real plan to encourage scientific collaboration to find cures faster and ensure that once these life-saving treatments are discovered, there is a modern, streamlined process for developing them and delivering them to patients, like the more than 37 million people diagnosed with cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and other rare diseases that I mentioned above.\n\t\t\t\tOne in five Americans struggle with mental illness. Even those who seek treatment can\u2019t get the care they need because mental health resources are lacking and our mental health care system is broken.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t21st Century Cures is a real plan to reform our mental health care system. It will help ensure that people struggling with mental illness will get appropriate care and treatment before a crisis occurs, and that their families and loved ones can be partners in helping to combat the very serious and sometimes dangerous results of mental illness.\n\t\t\t\tReports that ISIS is taking steps towards chemical and biological weapons are especially troubling considering that if a disease like smallpox were weaponized and released in America, one in three people infected would die.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t21st Century Cures is a real plan to streamline and improve our readiness for a biological threat, like smallpox, by incentivizing the development and testing of vaccines for chemical and biological threats and ensuring that appropriate vaccines can be added to our existing national stockpile in case of an attack.\n\t\t\t\tMore Americans are dying of drug overdoses than car crashes today. Heroin and opioid abuse is overburdening our child welfare systems, crippling newborn babies with addiction, and impacting our veterans at alarming rates.\n\t\t\t\t21st Century Cures is a real plan that provides states with much needed resources to address the heroin and opioid epidemic in our communities.\n\t\t\t\tToday, my vote for 21st Century Cures is inspired and driven not only by Judy, but also by the millions struggling with cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s and other rare and deadly diseases; by the millions of Americans struggling with mental illness; by the millions more who are struggling with substance abuse; and by every American who could be the victim of a biological attack.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/21st-century-cures-passes-house-offers-real-solutions-to-nation-s-health", "21st Century Cures Passes House, Offers Real Solutions to Nations Health Challenges", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, the House passed a fully paid for, transformative package of reforms and resources that will bring our medical innovation process into the 21st century; accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of life-saving and life-changing treatments and cures; better prepare for biological threats; and address our most pressing national health challenges: mental health and substance abuse. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN05) released the following statement after the vote:\n\u201cI want to thank the countless Hoosiers and Fifth District organizations and advocates who met with me to discuss their ideas to improve this legislation and who shared their personal stories and experiences to inform this bill,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cMany of us have watched a friend or loved one struggle with cancer or Alzheimer\u2019s disease, only to be told that there was little hope of treatment or a cure. 21st Century Cures provides patients and their families with hope for a future and ensures that the United States will stay on the cutting edge of medical innovation. It is the product of years of bipartisan work with patients, researchers, innovators and health care providers to determine specific steps we can take today to encourage scientific collaboration to find cures faster. \u201d\nThe 21st Century Cures Act seeks to speed and improve the discovery of promising developments in science, to streamlining the device development process, to unleashing the power of digital medicine and delivery of life-saving and life-improving therapies, thereby transforming the quest for faster cures. In addition, the legislation includes important provisions to combat the opioid and heroin crisis devastating our communities, brings about the first major overhaul of our mental health system in over half a century and includes provisions to enhance our national biodefense.\n\u201cI\u2019m especially pleased that the final bill includes a number of provisions that I helped lead to improve and protect our national health,\u201d Brooks continued. \u201cFirst, people struggling with mental illness will have more access to the care and treatment they need. Second, our state and local partners will get critical resources to address the heroin and opioid epidemic in our communities. Third, this proposal incentivizes the development and testing of vaccines and treatments for chemical and biological threats and ensures that appropriate vaccines can be added to our existing national stockpile in case of an attack.\u201d\nMore information about 21st Century Cures is available online at: https://energycommerce.house.gov/cures", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-hahn-bill-to-honor-wwii-merchant-marines-passes-house", "Brooks, Hahn Bill to Honor WWII Merchant Marines Passes House", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, the House passed H.R. 2992, the Merchant Marine of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016, a bill introduced by Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN05) and Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA44). This legislation will present the highest civilian award Congress can bestow to the Merchant Mariners who acted heroically to transport troops and provide critical supplies of war to U.S. troops by sea during World War II.\n\u201cToday, there are less than 5,000 surviving Merchant Mariners, and with nearly 500 World War II veterans dying each day, it is critical that we act this year to recognize and honor the sacrifices and contributions of this group of loyal and courageous men,\u201d said Brooks. \u201cThe Merchant Marine was the linchpin connecting the fighting forces overseas with the production forces here at home. In the face of certain peril, these brave men provided efficient and reliable transport of combat equipment, fuel, food, commodities, personnel, and raw materials that were pivotal to the Allied victory. Today, I\u2019m proud that the House has taken action to honor their service, and I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will act swiftly to ensure that these men get the recognition they deserve before the end of the year.\u201d\nWith an estimated 9,300 total casualties, the Merchant Marine bore a higher per-capita casualty rate than any other branch of the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.\u00a0 An additional 11,000 mariners were wounded in action and 663 men and women were taken prisoner.\n\u201cOften, the sacrifices and service of these brave men are forgotten,\u201d Brooks continued. \u201cMerchant Mariners took part in every invasion from Normandy to Okinawa, risking their lives to provide the needed supplies for war and facing danger from submarines, mines, armed raiders and destroyers, aircraft, \u2018Kamikaze,\u2019 and Mother Nature herself. Despite these efforts, Merchant Mariners were not recognized as veterans until 1988 and never received the benefits that other World War II veterans received under the G.I. Bill.\u201d\nH.R. 2992 has 312 bipartisan co-sponsors. Companion legislation, S. 2989, the Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2016, has been introduced in the Senate and is waiting for consideration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-selected-as-sole-speaker-designee-on-republican-conference", "Brooks Selected as Sole Speaker Designee on Republican Conference Steering Committee", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014\u00a0Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN05) was selected by Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI01) to serve as the Speaker\u2019s sole designee on the Republican Conference Steering Committee in the House of Representatives. The Steering Committee is responsible for making committee assignments for Republican members of the House and selecting chairmen for each committee in the House.\n\u201cAdvocating for my colleagues is a privilege, and it\u2019s an honor to be selected by Speaker Ryan to serve on the Steering Committee in the next Congress,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cEach member of the House brings significant and unique expertise, experiences, interests and perspective to Congress and to their legislative work, and I want to make sure that each member can leverage the assets they bring in our committee work. I\u2019m looking forward to working with my colleagues to make sure that we put the strengths of each member to work for the American people.\u201d\nThe Steering Committee is made up of 31 members of the Republican Conference, including elected members of the leadership team, elected regional representatives, members representing Congressional classes, a Speaker\u2019s designee, and a rotating seat for committee chairs. The members selected last night will serve on the Steering Committee until the end of the 115th Congress.\u00a0A complete list of Steering Committee Members is available here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/visclosky-testifies-at-itc-hearing-on-steel-cut-to-length-plate", "Visclosky Testifies at ITC Hearing on Steel Cut-To-Length Plate", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC - Below are Congressman Pete Visclosky\u2019s prepared remarks from today\u2019s International Trade Commission (ITC) hearing on carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate.\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I want to thank Chairman Williamson and all other members of the Commission, and the dedicated staff, for the opportunity to testify today in the case involving carbon and alloy steel cut-to-length plate from twelve countries, including Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Taiwan, and Turkey.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I am proud to represent the First Congressional District of Indiana, which is the largest steel producing Congressional District in the country.\u00a0 In my District, ArcelorMittal\u2019s plate mill in Burns Harbor produces the product we are discussing today, which is used to protect our national defense and build our infrastructure.\u00a0 I cannot emphasize enough how critical cut-to-length plate is to the security of this nation.\u00a0 This product is used to make armor vests that protect our military personnel.\u00a0 It is used to build ships and aircraft carriers that secure our national defense. \u00a0In fact, of the roughly 50,000 tons of steel plate required for the construction of an aircraft carrier, ArcelorMittal supplies the majority of the steel, of which half is manufactured and produced in Burns Harbor.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I encourage you to continue to be vigilant and ensure that every single country that attempts to violate our trade laws is held accountable for their actions.\u00a0 American steel companies and steelworkers are currently fighting for their survival against illegal imports.\u00a0 Many countries have spent the last several years building their production capacity through illegal subsidies and state-owned enterprises that have unlimited financial resources.\u00a0 For far too long, this steel has been finding its way to be illegally dumped in our market, to the detriment of our steel industry.\u00a0 I appreciate the diligent work the Commission has done to investigate illegal steel imports and to utilize new tools provided by Congress to determine material injury in these cases.\u00a0 We are making progress, but we have more work to do.\u00a0 \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I urge you to recognize the material injury caused by imports of cut-to-length plate to domestic steel producers throughout the nation.\u00a0 Steel production is the foundation of the economy of Northwest Indiana.\u00a0 It is the foundation of our national defense.\u00a0 It is the foundation of our infrastructure.\u00a0 This case is not only a matter of cracking down on illegal trade practices and holding countries that cheat accountable, it is a matter of national security and should be treated with the utmost scrutiny. \u00a0American steelworkers make the best steel in the world, and we should without doubt be using the plate that they produce to protect our citizens and our military service members.\u00a0 \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I thank you all for the opportunity to testify here today and appreciate your thorough investigation of the facts of this case.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bucshon.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dr-bucshon-s-statement-passage-21st-century-cures", "Dr. Bucshons Statement on Passage of 21st Century Cures", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Larry Bucshon", "B001275", "bucshon.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WASHINGTON, D.C.) \u2013On Wednesday, the House passed a landmark medical innovation package \u2013 21st Century Cures \u2013 to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of new cures and treatments. It also provides new funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration. The legislative package includes comprehensive reforms to our nation\u2019s mental health treatment system as well as funding to combat the opioid abuse epidemic. \u00a0\n\t\t\t\tEighth District Congressman Larry Bucshon\u2019s bill to reduce fraud in the Medicaid program (H.R. 3716) is included to help fully fund the $6.3 billion package without adding to the deficit.\n\t\t\t\t\u201cAs a physician who has cared for patients and relied on medical innovation, I can say without a doubt that 21st Century Cures will save lives and give families hope for the future,\u201d said Bucshon. \u201cNearly 10,000 diseases, like ALS and Alzheimer\u2019s, are still without a cure. This legislative package will incentivize the development and discovery of new treatments and improve the delivery of care to patients who so badly need it. It also implements our previous legislative work to reform how mental health is treated and expands on our efforts to address the opioid abuse epidemic. I\u2019m proud to have been a part of this historic process and pleased the savings in my legislation to rid Medicaid of fraudulent providers is helping to fund this much-needed investment in the discovery, development, and delivery of life-saving cures and treatments.\u201d \n\t\t\t\tBACKGROUND: \n\t\t\t\tCutting-Edge Cures: from Discovery to Treatment: \n\t\t\t\tThe 21st Century Cures Act, an innovation game-changer that includes significant investments, $5.3 billion in total, to accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of cutting-edge, life-saving cures and treatments.\n\t\t\t\tThe National Institutes of Health (NIH): \n\t\t\t\t21st\u00a0Century Cures catalyzes cutting-edge research at NIH and helps ensure our health system can keep pace with new advances in science and technology by advancing precision medicine, supporting young and emerging scientists, facilitating collaborative research, promoting pediatric research, and other innovative solutions. \u00a0It also invests:\n\t\t\t\t$1.4 billion for the Precision Medicine Initiative to drive research into the genetic, lifestyle and environmental variations of disease.\n\t\t\t\t\t$1.8 billion for the \"Cancer Moonshot\u201d to speed up the research and development of cancer cures.\n\t\t\t\t\t$1.6 billion for the BRAIN initiative to improve our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases like Alzheimer's.\n\t\t\t\tThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA): \n\t\t\t\t21st Century Cures makes significant reforms to the FDA that will modernize clinical trials and evidence development, bring the FDA into the 21st century, improve the medical device review process, reduce unnecessary regulation, and empower patients to participate in research and development to help expedite the development and review of new life-saving treatments. \u00a0It also directs $500 million in additional funding to the FDA to accomplish these goals.\n\t\t\t\tLandmark Mental Health Reforms: \n\t\t\t\tThe 21st Century Cures package includes landmark reforms to the nation\u2019s mental health treatment system that passed the House in July.\u00a0 The reforms, introduced in H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, help ensure mental and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery programs keep pace with science and technology so that patients with mental illness have access to the treatment they need when they need it.\n\t\t\t\tCombating Opioid Abuse Disorder: \n\t\t\t\tEarlier this year, Congress passed and the President signed into law comprehensive legislation to address the opioid abuse epidemic impacting communities across the country.\u00a0 21st Century Cures builds on that success by including $1 billion in state grants to fight opioid abuse.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tFully funded: \n\t\t\t\tThe investments made by 21st Century Cures are fully funded in part due to savings incurred by legislation introduced by Congressman Bucshon. Bucshon\u2019s bill, H.R. 3716 the\u00a0Ensuring Access to Quality Medicaid Providers Act,\u00a0strengthens the Medicaid program and saves taxpayer dollars by ridding the program of bad actors. Specifically, the bill ensures that providers terminated from Medicare or a state Medicaid program for reasons of fraud, integrity, or quality, are terminated from all other state Medicaid programs.\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tCongressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. is a physician and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee serving his third term representing Indiana's 8th Congressional district. The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-messer-congress-reaffirms-opposition-to-anti-israel-action-by-the-un", "Rep. Messer: Congress reaffirms opposition to anti-Israel action by the UN", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016) \u2014 Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) issued the following statement today applauding the U.S. House of Representatives\u2019 passage of H. Con. Res 165, which affirms\u00a0 Congress\u2019 opposition to any action by the UN Security Council that imposes a unilateral, one-sided solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:\n\u201cThe U.S. must stand up for Israel and be a voice for achieving lasting peace in the region. One-sided, force-fed solutions by the UN will only aggravate tensions. I join my colleagues in urging the Obama administration to block any unilateral action by the UN to recognize a Palestinian state or impose other anti-Israel solutions to this conflict as his term comes to end.\u201d\nThe U.S. House of Representatives passed H. Con. Res 165 on Tuesday, Nov. 29.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://walorski.house.gov/congress-passes-veterans-mobility-safety-act/", "Congress Passes Walorski Bill to Improve Quality and Safety of Disabled Veterans Mobility Equipment", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Jackie Walorski", "W000813", "walorski.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Wednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Congress Passes Walorski Bill to Improve Quality and Safety of Disabled Veterans' Mobility Equipment \n Veterans Mobility Safety Act Will Update VA Standards for Automobile Adaptive Equipment \nWASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02), a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, today applauded final passage of her bill to improve the quality and safety of mobility equipment used by disabled veterans.\nWe owe a debt to our disabled veterans, and that includes making sure the mobility equipment they need is safe and reliable, Congresswoman Walorski said. With this commonsense bill on its way to becoming law, we will keep disabled veterans safe by updating the VA's outdated policies and setting comprehensive standards for the mobility equipment veterans depend on in their daily lives.\nParalyzed Veterans of America members who enjoy the independence and opportunity that driving an adaptive vehicle offers will be greatly impacted by this legislation, said Sherman Gillums, Jr., executive director of Paralyzed Veterans of America. I count myself among them, and I am gratified to see the bill taking us in a direction to make adapted vehicles safer and more functionally efficient for our nation's injured veterans. We applaud Representative Walorski's leadership and perseverance on this important legislation, and we look forward to the President signing the bill into law.\nThe Veterans Mobility Safety Act (H.R. 3471) will require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to set comprehensive standards for providers of automobile adaptive equipment, such as wheelchair lifts and reduced-effort steering and braking systems. The bill now heads to the president's desk to be signed into law.\nCongresswoman Walorski spoke on the House floor after passage of the legislation. Video of her remarks is available here.\nBACKGROUND\nThrough the VA's Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE) program, eligible disabled veterans have access to automotive mobility products, such as wheelchair lifts and reduced-effort steering and braking in vehicles. However, the VA does not require any type of quality standards for providers to participate in the AAE program, resulting in some cases of inferior providers improperly installing equipment, causing serious safety issues for veterans and motorists.\nThe House on Tuesday passed an amended version of H.R. 3471 unanimously by voice vote after it was passed by the Senate. The final version requires the VA to update its outdated policies on adaptive equipment with comprehensive quality standards developed in close consultation with stakeholders, including veteran service organizations, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and industry representatives.\nH.R. 3471 was originally introduced in September 2015 by Walorski, Rep. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36), and Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) to ensure disabled veterans relying on mobility equipment receive the best quality, performance, and safety.\nThe bill also includes provisions authored by Rep. Sean Duffy (WI-07) to improve care for veterans with hearing aids by allowing certified hearing aid specialists to provide certain hearing aid services.\nWalorski represents the 2nd Congressional District of Indiana, serving as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/donnelly-calls-on-trump-to-help-him-encourage-companies-to-grow-in-indiana", "Donnelly calls on Trump to help him encourage companies to grow in Indiana", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly calls on Trump to help him encourage companies to grow in Indiana\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Wednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, is calling on President-elect Donald Trump to work with him to change laws to encourage companies to grow in Indiana.The plea comes after news surfaced Tuesday night that\u00a0Carrier has reached a deal with Trump and Vice president-elect Mike Pence\u00a0to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indianapolis.\r\n\r\n\"While this is good news, in Indiana alone, there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier jobs out of the country,\" Donnelly said in a statement. \"We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home.\"One of the companies is Rexnord Bearings on Indianapolis' west side.\r\nThe company\u00a0is planning to move nearly 300 jobs to Mexico\u00a0in the spring.The other plant is CTS Corporation in Elkhart.The company announced plans in June to phase out production at its Elkhart plant by mid-2018 and move up to 230 Hoosier jobs to foreign countries.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/donnelly-says-he-will-oppose-nomination-of-price-for-hhs-secretary", "Donnelly says he will oppose nomination of Price for HHS secretary", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly says he will oppose nomination of Price for HHS secretary\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Wednesday, November 30, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced that he will vote against Congressman Tom Price, a leader in pushing for Medicare privatization, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Price, the current House Budget Committee Chairman, was an architect of the Republican budget that would end the Medicare guarantee to seniors and transform it into a voucher program. In addition he has helped lead discussions on overhauling and privatizing Medicare and has said it is a top priority.\r\n\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cTom Price has led the charge to privatize Medicare, and for this reason, I cannot support his nomination. I am ready to work with anyone who wants to improve access to quality health care for Hoosier families and seniors, but the nomination of Tom Price would put us on a direct path to end Medicare as we know it, which would raise health care costs and break a fundamental promise to seniors. I have fought to protect Medicare, and I will continue to oppose efforts to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program.\u201d\r\n\r\nLast week Donnelly reiterated his commitment to Medicare and his opposition to privatizing Medicare, saying in part in a video message, \u201cLet me say unequivocally to you now: I have fought to protect Medicare for this generation and for future generations. I have opposed efforts to privatize Medicare in the past, and I will oppose any effort to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program in the future. If my colleagues have pragmatic ideas that strengthen Medicare, reduce the costs of care, crack down on waste, fraud and abuse, count me in, but if they want to phase out Medicare, or privatize the system, count me out.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-to-trump-carrier-is-good-start", "Donnelly to Trump: Carrier is Good Start, But We Must Change Federal Policies to Prevent Offshoring of Jobs", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly to Trump: Carrier is Good Start, But We Must Change Federal Policies to Prevent Offshoring of Jobs\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator sends letter to President-elect in advance of Indianapolis visit; cites other offshoring job losses \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 In advance of President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s visit to Carrier in Indiana on Thursday and on the heels of last night\u2019s news that hundreds of Carrier jobs will be protected, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly sent a letter to Trump encouraging him to prioritize changes to our federal policies in order to prevent the further offshoring of American jobs.\r\nDonnelly said, in part, in the letter, \u201cWhile this is welcome news, particularly to the families who will keep their jobs, there are hundreds of additional workers at the Carrier facility and 700 workers at the UTEC facility in Huntington, all of whom will still lose their jobs. There are also a number of other Hoosier companies planning to move jobs offshore, including CTS Corporation in Elkhart and Rexnord Corporation, a company located just one mile from the Carrier facility in Indianapolis you will visit tomorrow\u2026I hope we can build on the momentum created by your agreement with United Technologies to make changes in order to benefit working Americans across the country.\r\n\u201cHowever, until we update our federal policies to better prevent offshoring, I strongly encourage you to make it clear that efforts to ship jobs offshore to chase cheap wages will be addressed head on by the Trump Administration. I stand ready to assist in any way possible.\u201d\r\nFor months, Donnelly has fought alongside the Carrier workers and pushed to keep these jobs in Indiana. He also released a white paper and sent proposals to the Senate Finance Committee in May aimed at preventing and discouraging major corporations from shipping jobs to foreign countries. The Senator asked that the following policy recommendations be included in any tax reform effort, including: denying expensing for offshoring moving costs; considering offshoring as a factor in federal contracting,; clawing back and restricting tax incentives; and providing incentives to invest in rural and low-income communities.\r\nTo read Donnelly\u2019s letter, click here or see below.\r\nNovember 30, 2016\u00a0\r\nDear President-elect Trump:\r\nI was pleased to learn of the agreement you reached with United Technologies to keep hundreds of Carrier jobs in Indianapolis. I am eager to learn the specific details of the agreement.\r\nWhile this is welcome news, particularly to the families who will keep their jobs, there are hundreds of additional workers at the Carrier facility and 700 workers at the UTEC facility in Huntington, all of whom will still lose their jobs. There are also a number of other Hoosier companies planning to move jobs offshore, including CTS Corporation in Elkhart and Rexnord Corporation, a company located just one mile from the Carrier facility in Indianapolis you will visit tomorrow. There are more than 500 jobs at risk between those two companies.\r\nI have been fighting alongside these workers for years, arguing that we have an obligation to ensure that federal policies are designed to benefit the U.S. economy, and that we encourage investment in the foundation of our economy\u2014American workers, their families, and our communities. To that end, I have also proposed a series of recommendations that would deny and claw back certain tax benefits to companies that move jobs offshore, and ensure offshoring is a factor when awarding federal contracts.\u00a0I hope we can build on the momentum created by your agreement with United Technologies to make these changes in order to benefit working Americans across the country.\r\nHowever, until we update our federal policies to better prevent offshoring, I strongly encourage you to make it clear that efforts to ship jobs offshore to chase cheap wages will be addressed head on by the Trump Administration. I stand ready to assist in any way possible.\r\nThank you for your efforts on behalf of Hoosier workers. I look forward to continuing this fight in the coming months.\r\nSincerely,\r\nJoe Donnelly\r\nUnited States Senator\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/just-ask-joe-donnelly-secures-missing-military-medals-for-knox-veteran-who-served-during-cuban-missile-crisis-", "Just Ask Joe: Donnelly Secures Missing Military Medals for Knox Veteran Who Served During Cuban Missile Crisis", "2016-11-30", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Just Ask Joe: Donnelly Secures Missing Military Medals for Knox Veteran Who Served During Cuban Missile Crisis \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 30, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly today released the latest installment of his \u201cJust Ask Joe\u201d video series, which highlights the many services available to Hoosiers from his office.\u00a0Joe Perch, a Knox resident and Navy veteran, who served during the Cuban Missile Crisis, contacted Donnelly\u2019s office seeking help to get missing military medals he had earned and been waiting for 54 years to receive. Donnelly\u2019s office reached out to the Department of the Navy on Mr. Perch\u2019s behalf and secured four medals in recognition of his efforts to stop Russian ships from unloading cargo into Cuba. \u00a0\r\n\r\nTo watch the \u201cJust Ask Joe\u201d video featuring Knox resident and Navy veteran Joe Perch, click\u00a0here.\r\nDonnelly encourages any Hoosier in need of assistance with a federal agency to contact his Indianapolis office at 317-226-5555. Veterans whose medals have been lost or destroyed can contact Donnelly\u2019s office for assistance replacing them and his office may also be able to help veterans working to access medals they have earned and not received. For more information about these and other services provided by Donnelly\u2019s office\u2014including federal casework, veterans\u2019 resources, and applying for federal grants\u2014please visit his website at\u00a0www.donnelly.senate.gov/help. To see past installments of \u201cJust Ask Joe,\u201d click here.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/press-release/rep-rokita-statement-nomination-dr-tom-price-hhs-secretary", "REP. ROKITA STATEMENT ON NOMINATION OF DR. TOM PRICE FOR HHS SECRETARY", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  \n\tCONTACT: 202-225-5037  \n\tNovember 29, 2016\n REP. ROKITA STATEMENT ON NOMINATION OF DR. TOM PRICE\u00a0FOR HHS SECRETARYThe nomination of Dr. Price is a huge win for the American People \n\u00a0\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Rep. Todd Rokita released the following statement after President-elect Trump announced the nomination of Dr. Tom Price for the Secretary of Health and Human Services position.\n\"I want to congratulate my friend and colleague Dr. Tom Price on his nomination for Health and Human Services Secretary.\n\"Dr. Price\u2019s career as a medical practitioner and as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee make him uniquely qualified for this position.\u00a0 As the architect of the Republican alternative to Obamacare, Dr. Price is now in a position to help President-elect Trump replace Obamacare with a patient centered plan.\u00a0 The nomination of Dr. Price is a huge win for the American people.\"\nAs Vice Chair of Budget Committee, Rep. Rokita intimately knows the inner workings of the budget process and the Committee\u2019s members, and has worked hand in glove with Dr. Price during his Chairmanship, as well as working with Speaker Ryan during his tenure as Budget Committee Chairman.\u00a0 Rep. Rokita has been a member of the Budget Committee since joining Congress in 2011.\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-statement-on-nomination-of-seema-verma-to-serve-as-cms", "Brooks Statement on Nomination of Seema Verma to Serve as CMS Administrator", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.\u00a0 \u2013 Today, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Hoosier Seema Verma to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-IN05) released the following statement:\n\u201cSeema Verma is an outstanding choice to lead CMS, and I\u2019m delighted that she can bring her experience and expertise to the table for the Trump Administration. As the architect of the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP), Indiana\u2019s alternative to traditional Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, and a leader in Medicaid reform in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, Ms. Verma is uniquely positioned to help our country move forward, repeal and replace the broken policies of the Obama Administration and ensure that Americans have access to affordable health care. Since its creation, HIP and its successor, HIP 2.0, have expanded access to hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers, incentivized smarter healthcare spending choices through the use of health savings accounts and connected participating Hoosiers to workforce training and potential employers. I\u2019m confident that Ms. Verma will bring the same kind of proven, consumer-driven solutions to her work as CMS Administrator. I want to congratulate Ms. Verma on her nomination and encourage her swift confirmation.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://visclosky.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressional-steel-caucus-calls-on-cbp-to-fully-enforce-trade-laws", "Congressional Steel Caucus Calls on CBP to Fully Enforce Trade Laws", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Peter Visclosky", "V000108", "visclosky.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressional Steel Caucus Chairman Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Vice-Chairman Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN), along with 41 other members of the Caucus, have called on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Kerlikowske to fully utilize trade enforcement tools provided by Congress. \u00a0\nDetailed in a\u00a0letter, given growing concerns regarding global excess capacity, Congress passed and the President signed into law P.L. 114-125, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which provides CBP with new tools and authorities to increase enforcement of U.S. trade law at our borders. \u00a0The Steel Caucus letter was written in response to concerns over the recent non-initiation of an investigation requested under the new authorities of the alleged duty evasion of Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Pipe from China. \u00a0The Steel Caucus is concerned that the failure to aggressively investigate and initiate allegations of trade cheats will incite foreign competitors to continue to evade our trade laws and deter domestic producers from filing evasion claims.\nChairman Murphy stated, \u201cThe Congressional Steel Caucus has spearheaded the strong legislative remedies passed by Congress, now law, that improve efforts to combat unfair trade practices by foreign trade cheats like China. But our efforts will only work if federal agencies like CBP use all of the enforcement and monitoring tools we\u2019ve provided to stop the evasion schemes at our borders. The Steel Caucus will continue to stand up for American steel producers and we urge the Administration to do the same by upholding the new trade laws.\u201d\nVice-Chairman Visclosky stated, \u201cIt is disappointing that CPB has not allowed the legislative achievement of the Congressional Steel Caucus and Congress to come to fruition. \u00a0This law is designed to prevent unscrupulous actions on our borders and it must be fully enforced. \u00a0I will continue to work to ensure that we are doing everything possible under our trade laws to support and defend American steelworkers and steel-producing communities.\u201d\u00a0\nBelow are the text of the letter and a PDF of the signed version.\nDear Commissioner Kerlikowske:  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tAs members of the Congressional Steel Caucus we encourage you to fully utilize the trade enforcement tools provided to you by Congress to aggressively combat illegal trade practices that threaten the American steel pipe and tube industry and the communities that they serve.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tThe U.S. steel industry is facing a global overcapacity crisis and the need for strong enforcement at our nation\u2019s borders has never been greater. Data from the Government Accountability Office estimates that between 2001 and 2014, there was $2.3 billion in uncollected antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) by federal agencies for a variety of types of products. The influx of foreign imports coupled with the lack of enforcement resources at our federal agencies is devastating American steel companies and the communities that they serve.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tGiven growing concerns regarding global excess capacity, Congress passed and the President signed into law P.L. 114-125, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, which provides CBP with new tools and authorities to increase enforcement of U.S. trade law at our borders. Specifically, the Congressional Steel Caucus worked vigorously to include the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA) in P.L. 114-125 so your agency would have a transparent process for domestic petitioners to submit allegations of fraud and duty evasion by foreign competitors. The intent of this provision and trade law is to improve CBP\u2019s ability to fully investigate allegations of evasion to prevent further injury that is a result of unfair trade practices by foreign competitors.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tForeign competitors, such as China, use increasingly deceptive and fraudulent tactics to evade appropriate duties as their steel products enter the U.S. market. We are aware of the recent investigation of the alleged duty evasion of Circular Welded Carbon Quality Steel Pipe (CWP) from China and are concerned about the CBP\u2019s non-initiation determination and what this will mean for U.S. steel pipe producers and the communities that they serve. As noted in the claim, it was alleged that over $80 million in duties were not collected and further, these CWP imports prevented an opportunity for U.S. steel pipe producers to serve valued customers. We are concerned that the result of this decision may deter other parties from filing EAPA claims as a way to seek trade remedy relief.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tTherefore, we implore you to fully utilize all the enforcement and monitoring tools provided under this new trade law to ensure that all imported products covered by AD/CVD duties are entered in compliance of current law. This is essential to ensure that American companies and workers receive the full benefits of this important law. We are concerned that failure to aggressively investigate and initiate allegations of trade cheats will incite foreign competitors to continue to evade our trade laws and deter domestic producers from filing evasion claims.\u00a0  \n\t\u00a0  \n\tWe appreciate your attention to this critical matter and look forward to working with you to ensure that the American steel industry and steelworkers are afforded every opportunity under U.S. laws to compete on a level playing field.\nSincerely,\nRep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)  \n\tChairman, Congressional Steel Caucus\nRep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN)  \n\tVice-Chairman, Congressional Steel Caucus\nRep. Scott Tipton (R-CO)  \n\tRep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC)  \n\tRep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)  \n\tRep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)  \n\tRep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV)  \n\tRep. Mike Doyle (D-PA)  \n\tRep. Gene Green (D-TX)\u00a0  \n\tRep. James P. McGovern (D-MA)  \n\tRep. Richard M. Nolan (D-MN)  \n\tRep. Pete Aguilar (R-CA)  \n\tRep. Todd Rokita (R-IN)  \n\tRep. Mike Bost (R-IL)  \n\tRep. Rick Crawford (R-AR)  \n\tRep. Brian Higgins (D-NY)  \n\tRep. Bill \u00a0Johnson (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Marcy Kaptur (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)  \n\tRep. David P. Joyce (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Mo Brooks (R-AL)  \n\tRep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL)  \n\tRep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA)\u00a0  \n\tRep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA)  \n\tRep. Lou Barletta (R-PA)\u00a0  \n\tRep. Robin L. Kelly (D-IL)  \n\tRep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)  \n\tRep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL)\u00a0  \n\tRep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT)  \n\tRep. Patrick Meehan (R-PA)  \n\tRep. Terri A. Sewell (D-AL)  \n\tRep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)  \n\tRep. Tom Marino (R-PA)  \n\tRep. Michael R. Turner (R-OH)  \n\tRep. John Garamendi (D-CA)  \n\tRep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI)  \n\tRep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)  \n\tRep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)  \n\tRep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN)  \n\tRep. Glenn 'GT' Thompson (R-PA)\u00a0  \n\tRep. Robert A. Aderholt (R-AL)\u00a0\nSteel Caucus Letter to Customs 11.28.16.pdf\n\u00a0\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://bucshon.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/dr-bucshon-s-statement-president-elect-trump-s-healthcare-related", "Dr. Bucshons Statement on President-Elect Trumps Healthcare Related Nominations", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Larry Bucshon", "B001275", "bucshon.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(WASHINGTON, D.C.) \u2013 Congressman Larry Bucshon, a physician and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, praised President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s nomination of Congressman Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Seema Verma, MPH as Administrator of the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).\n\t\t\t\tRepresentative Tom Price, M.D. (R-GA) as Secretary of Health and Human Services:\n\t\t\t\t\u201cDr. Price is a good man who cares deeply about patients and their access to quality healthcare,\u201d said Bucshon. \u201cAs a physician with firsthand experience caring for patients, a leader on conservative healthcare policy, and Budget Committee Chairman, Dr. Price has both the practical and policy experience to lead the way at HHS. He\u2019s also in a unique position to work with our Republican Congress to fix our nation\u2019s healthcare system.\u201d\u00a0\n\t\t\t\tSeema Verma, MPH as Administrator of the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):\n\t\t\t\t\u201cMs. Verma helped usher in Indiana\u2019s success with our market-based, patient-centered alternative to traditional Medicaid - Healthy Indiana Plan 2.0. Her experience with HIP 2.0 and understanding of our healthcare system will undoubtedly be an asset to the new Administration. I\u2019m looking forward to having a partner in Ms. Verma and CMS as we work in the 115th Congress to advance common-sense healthcare policy.\u201d \n\t\t\t\tCongressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. is a physician and Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee serving his third term representing Indiana's 8th Congressional district. The 8th District of Indiana includes all or parts of Clay, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Greene, Knox, Martin, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warrick counties.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/article/donnelly-opposes-prices-nomination-for-hhs", "Donnelly Opposes Price’s Nomination for HHS", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Opposes Price\u2019s Nomination for HHS\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                    By:\u00a0\r\n                    Brandon Smith\r\n                \r\n            \r\n            \r\n                \r\n                \r\n                \r\n            Tuesday, November 29, 2016\r\n            \n\t\n\r\n            \r\n            Indiana\u00a0Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly says he will oppose President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.\r\nTrump named Georgia Rep. Tom Price as his choice to become HHS Secretary. Price, an outspoken opponent of the Affordable Care Act, has also been part of the House Republican effort to reform Medicare.\r\nDonnelly says Price has \u201cled the charge to privatize Medicare,\u201d a position the Hoosier Democrat strongly opposes. Last week, Donnelly released a\u00a0video discussing his opposition\u00a0to certain Medicare reforms \u2014 including those Price supports.\r\n\u201cI have opposed efforts to private Medicare in the past and I will oppose any effort to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program in the future,\u201d Donnelly says.\r\nDonnelly says he\u2019ll work to improve health care access, but calls Price\u2019s nomination a \u201cdirect path to end Medicare as we know it.\u201d\r\nPrice\u2019s nomination is the first Trump cabinet appointment that Donnelly has publicly declared to oppose or support.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-statement-on-carrier-news-to-keep-hundreds-of-jobs-in-indiana", "Donnelly Statement on Carrier News to Keep Hundreds of Jobs in Indiana", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Statement on Carrier News to Keep Hundreds of Jobs in Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released the following statement about the news that Carrier plans to keep hundreds of jobs in Indiana.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cThis is welcome news for the Hoosier workers who will keep their jobs, and I'm eager to learn the specific details of the agreement.\u00a0For many months I have been fighting alongside the Carrier workers and pushing to keep these jobs in Indiana. While this is good news, in Indiana alone, there are at least two other companies currently planning to move Hoosier jobs out of the country. We need to change our laws to encourage companies to grow here at home. I hope President-elect Trump will work with me toward this goal, so that companies will invest in the foundation of our economy: our workers and our communities.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-to-oppose-price-nomination", "Donnelly Announces He Will Oppose Nomination of Tom Price for HHS Secretary, Cites Medicare Privatization", "2016-11-29", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Announces He Will Oppose Nomination of Tom Price for HHS Secretary, Cites Medicare Privatization\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator has been staunch supporter of Medicare and vocal opponent of efforts to end Medicare as we know it \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 29, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced that he will vote against Congressman Tom Price, a leader in pushing for Medicare privatization, who has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Price, the current House Budget Committee Chairman, was an architect of the Republican budget that would end the Medicare guarantee to seniors and transform it into a voucher program. In addition he has helped lead discussions on overhauling and privatizing Medicare and has said it is a top priority.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cTom Price has led the charge to privatize Medicare, and for this reason, I cannot support his nomination. I am ready to work with anyone who wants to improve access to quality health care for Hoosier families and seniors, but the nomination of Tom Price would put us on a direct path to end Medicare as we know it, which would raise health care costs and break a fundamental promise to seniors. I have fought to protect Medicare, and I will continue to oppose efforts to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program.\u201d\r\nLast week Donnelly reiterated his commitment to Medicare and his opposition to privatizing Medicare, saying in part in a video message, \u201cLet me say unequivocally to you now: I have fought to protect Medicare for this generation and for future generations. I have opposed efforts to privatize Medicare in the past, and I will oppose any effort to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program in the future. If my colleagues have pragmatic ideas that strengthen Medicare, reduce the costs of care, crack down on waste, fraud and abuse, count me in, but if they want to phase out Medicare, or privatize the system, count me out.\u201d\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://rokita.house.gov/editorial/rokita-report-happy-thanksgiving-thank-you-tour-more", "Rokita Report - Happy Thanksgiving, Thank You Tour, & More", "2016-11-24", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Todd Rokita", "R000592", "rokita.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\nThank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 114th Congress.\u00a0 I trust this finds you and your family well, as we work together to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington.\nFor daily updates, please take a moment to \"Like\" my Facebook page by clicking here\u00a0\u00a0or follow me on Twitter if you prefer\u00a0\u00a0@ToddRokita.\n \u00a0 \n   In this week's Rokita Report \n Happy Thanksgiving!\nTouring Indiana's 4th District\nSmall Business Saturday\n  \u00a0 \n  Happy Thanksgiving!\nToday is Thanksgiving. \u00a0This day is a time for us to spend\u00a0with our family and friends to reflect and give thanks for what we have.\nThanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday and traces its origins to our colonial roots.\u00a0 During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress appointed one or more thanksgiving days each year.\u00a0\u00a0Throughout our nation's history, Presidents and Governors would declare days of Thanksgiving.\u00a0 In the middle of the\u00a0Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed a\u00a0national Thanksgiving Day to be celebrated in November of 1863.\nIn 1941, Congress passed and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law a bill making Thanksgiving a federal holiday.\nLike always, I am thankful for my family and friends.\u00a0 Kathy and I are thankful for our two boys, Teddy and Ryan.\u00a0 To leave them a stronger Republic is what truly motivates me to serve in Congress.\nI am thankful too for our Constitution.\u00a0 The wisdom of that document has stood the test of time and guides our nation.\u00a0 Nowhere before or since it's creation have the ideas of self-government of the people, for the people, and by the people ever come together as perfectly.\u00a0 It is a blessing to be an American and for this I am truly thankful.\nThis year, I am thankful that we will have strong partners in our efforts to preserve and strengthen our Republic.\u00a0 President-elect Donald Trump has laid out an agenda that will push back against\u00a0onerous federal government overreach and restore the checks and balances of our government.\u00a0 I am thankful for the optimism that Hoosiers have in the next administration.\nI hope you have a happy Thanksgiving, surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones with much to be thankful for.\n  Touring Indiana's 4th District\nOn Monday, I met with Hoosiers on a whirlwind tour of the 4th District.\u00a0 During this tour, I visited eight of the 4th District's counties and met with Hoosiers to talk about the topics that were on everyone's mind and to thank them for the continued honor of serving them in Congress.\nOutside of Allen's Country Kitchen in Crawfordsville with State Senator Phil Boots.\nI witnessed people's excitement about President-elect Donald Trump.\u00a0 I also heard from Hoosiers who are fed up with\u00a0ObamaCare's rising premiums and other failures.\u00a0 I let them know about our \"A Better Way\" policy\u00a0proposal.\u00a0 This proposal is a collaborative effort from House Republican's on a variety of topics, including health care.\u00a0 The health care proposal includes support for Medicaid block grants, an idea that I have promoted through H.R. 4362, the State Health Flexibility Act.\u00a0 Returning Medicaid power to the states through block grants would save $2.25 trillion in the next decade.\u00a0 Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have both expressed their support for block grant programs.\u00a0 I also let Hoosiers know that as Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee, I have helped coauthor the House Budget and reconciliation legislation.\u00a0 Reconciliation legislation is a\u00a0vehicle that will allow Congress to get\u00a0a bill to the President's desk and skip the Senate's onerous filibuster rules.\nDiscussed ObamaCare, Lakes Freeman and Shafer, and President-elect Donald Trump's agenda with Debbie, Marla, Phil, and Paul at Monticello's USA Restaurant.\nIt was an exciting day and I\u00a0appreciated the chance to hear directly from Hoosiers and get\u00a0marching orders for my work\u00a0in Washington.\u00a0 Through the tour, I visited and met Hoosiers in:\n Flap Jacks in Brownsburg.\nAlmost Home in Greencastle.\nAllen's Country Kitchen in Crawfordsville.\nSacred Grounds in Lafayette.\nUSA Restaurant in Monticello.\nStone House Restaurant in Delphi.\nFlavors Coffee and Deli in Frankfort.\nBekah's Westside Caf\u00e9 in Lebanon.\n \nGreat to see Amelia and Lucas in Bekah's in Lebanon.\u00a0 As Chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, I am committed to ensuring that mothers like Amelia have control over their children's education.\n \u00a0 \n  Small Business Saturday\nAs we embark on a busy holiday shopping season, Hoosiers have a chance to remember our local businesses during Small Business Saturday.\u00a0\u00a0This Saturday is a chance\u00a0for us to remember and visit\u00a0small businesses.\u00a0 The first\u00a0Small Business Saturday was\u00a0held in 2010 to provide a needed reminder between the\u00a0busy shopping of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.\u00a0 In 2012, consumers spent $5.5 billion in small businesses across the country on Small Business Saturday.\u00a0 Last year, that number had tripled to $16.2 billion.\nSmall businesses are the lifeblood of the American economy.\u00a0 There are 28 million small businesses in the United States, that employ nearly half of our total private sector employees, and have accounted for 63% of net new jobs over the last two decades.\u00a0 I hope you will consider visiting and supporting your local businesses on Saturday.\n  Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts to bring Hoosier common sense to Washington. Take care.\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\tSincerely,  \u00a0  \n\t\t\t\t\tTodd Rokita", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-congress-must-pass-necessary-emergency-funding-to-address-opioid-abuse-and-heroin-use-epidemics", "Donnelly: Congress Must Pass Necessary, Emergency Funding to Address Opioid Abuse and Heroin Use Epidemics", "2016-11-23", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly: Congress Must Pass Necessary, Emergency Funding to Address Opioid Abuse and Heroin Use Epidemics\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator helped the Senate pass Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that is now law and has repeatedly pushed for funding to address public health crisis\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, November 23, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly is calling for the Senate to pass necessary, emergency funding to address the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics before the end of the year. Donnelly and Senators Tammy Baldwin, Jeanne Shaheen, and Edward J. Markey sent a letter to Senate leadership late yesterday, pushing for passage of funding through the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act that is expected to be considered for passage in the coming weeks. Donnelly helped the Senate pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), which became law in July, to combat the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics. While CARA is an important step, Donnelly repeatedly has said it\u2019s necessary to fund programs and initiatives to address this public health crisis \u2014 and to date, Congress has not provided sufficient funding to implement this new law.\r\nDonnelly and the Senators said, in part, \u201cSubstance use, misuse, and use disorders are national problems that continue to cripple our communities. Our law enforcement, health care system, families, and states simply cannot tackle the problem alone and without necessary resources. As the end of the year fast approaches, it is past time for Republicans and Democrats to come together to provide emergency funding and increase investments in prevention and treatment services for opioid use, misuse, and use disorders\u2026We urge you to act immediately to ensure that Congress fulfills its commitment to the American people by providing adequate resources to help quell this epidemic.\u201d\r\nSeveral of Donnelly\u2019s bipartisan provisions became law in 2016 as part of CARA. His provisions were adopted from his bipartisan legislation to update best prescribing practices for pain management and raise public awareness, as well as a bipartisan provision he authored that encourages first responder units to connect individuals who receive naloxone with treatment and other necessary services. CARA also includes tools to prevent drug addiction and expands access to treatment and support for individuals in recovery.\r\nIn September, Donnelly helped the Senate pass short-term legislation to keep the government running, and it included $37 million in new funding to begin implementation of CARA. These funds are helping jumpstart four grant programs in CARA focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery. As the opioid abuse and heroin use epidemics continues to devastate communities in Indiana and across our country, Donnelly has continued to advocate for additional funding to confront this public health emergency.\r\nTo read Donnelly and his colleague\u2019s letter, click here or see below.\r\n\r\nNovember 22, 2016\r\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nMajority Leader, U.S. Senate\r\nThe Capitol Building\r\nWashington, DC 20004\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Harry Reid\r\nMinority Leader, U.S. Senate\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Capitol Building\r\nWashington, DC 20004\r\n\r\nDear Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Reid,\r\nAs the 114th Congress comes to a close and the Senate looks to complete its work for the year, our country\u2019s opioid epidemic continues to worsen at an alarming rate. It is now time to follow through on recent efforts to address the epidemic by providing the necessary funding to help our communities combat this crisis. It is our responsibility to all Americans to provide immediate funding to address the opioid epidemic before the end of the year.\r\nIn July, Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) that authorizes important new programs for states and local organizations to address substance use, misuse and use disorders. The legislation expanded access to medication-assisted treatment, provided new resources to strengthen state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, and improve the availability of the overdose reversal drug naloxone. However, Congress has still not provided sufficient funding to implement this new law. In the face of this national crisis it is critical for us to come together as a governing body to make progress on this in order to help those suffering on the front lines of addiction.\r\nCongress has debated two proposals to provide needed investments to increase access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services related to opioid use, misuse, and use disorders. Senator Shaheen\u2019s Opioid and Heroin Epidemic Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (S.2423) would immediately commit $600 million in emergency funding to support the work of our first responders, health care providers, and law enforcement as they continue to fight this crisis on the ground. Earlier this year during the CARA debate, this measure received bipartisan support.\r\nSecond, the Expanded Access to Treatment and Recovery Act (S.3223), which would provide $920 million over two years to support state efforts to expand treatment capacity and make services more affordable. We stand ready to come together to help foster broader bipartisan support for approving funding to address the opioid epidemic. The President-elect has also noted his desire to address this issue. For that reason, we are calling on you to include substantial funding to combat the opioid epidemic in the 21st Century Cures Act that is being considered for passage during the Lame Duck session.\r\nThis epidemic knows no political party. Substance use, misuse, and use disorders are national problems that continue to cripple our communities. Our law enforcement, health care system, families, and states simply cannot tackle the problem alone and without necessary resources. As the end of the year fast approaches, it is past time for Republicans and Democrats to come together to provide emergency funding and increase investments in prevention and treatment services for opioid use, misuse, and use disorders. Until we do, our job is not done and our communities will continue to hurt. We urge you to act immediately to ensure that Congress fulfills its commitment to the American people by providing adequate resources to help quell this epidemic in the 21st Century Cures Act.\u00a0 We stand ready and look forward to working with you to swiftly achieve this goal.\r\nSincerely,\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Donnelly\r\nU.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin\r\nU.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen\r\nU.S. Senator Edward J. Markey", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-calls-for-passage-of-miners-protection-act-before-end-of-year", "Donnelly Calls for Passage of Miners Protection Act Before End of Year", "2016-11-22", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Calls for Passage of Miners Protection Act Before End of Year\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator continues push to ensure retired Hoosier miners receive pension and health care benefits they earned\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 22, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2013 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and a bipartisan group of Senators sent a letter late yesterday to leaders in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives calling for consideration and passage of the Miners Protection Act before the end of the year. The bipartisan\u00a0Miners Protection Act, which Donnelly has continuously supported, would protect the health and pension benefits of thousands of American miners, including more than 4,500 retired Hoosier miners. Without action, their benefits are at risk.\r\nThe letter said, in part, \u201cThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners\u2026 The Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem\u2026 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\u201d\r\nTo read the full letter, click here, or see below.\r\nNovember 21, 2016\r\nThe Honorable Paul Ryan\r\nSpeaker\r\nU.S. House of Representatives\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\r\nThe Honorable Mitch McConnell   Majority Leader   United States Senate\r\nThe Honorable Harry Reid\r\nDemocratic Leader\r\nUnited States Senate\r\nThe Honorable Nancy Pelosi    Democratic Leader    U.S. House of Representatives \r\nDear Senator McConnell, Senator Reid, Speaker Ryan and Representative Pelosi:\r\nDuring the month of October, approximately 12,500 of our nation\u2019s retired coal miners received notices informing them that their healthcare benefits will be terminated at the end of this year.\u00a0The funding provided for Patriot Retirees Voluntary Employee\u2019s Beneficiary Association (Patriot VEBA) will be exhausted by December 31, 2016, leaving these miners and their families without the essential healthcare benefits they earned through a lifetime of hard work.\u00a0 On November 1st, another 3,600 miners began to receive notices.\u00a0 And next year, 6,500 more will suffer the same fate.\u00a0 Additionally, the pension fund that these miners and their widows rely on for life\u2019s basic necessities will reach the point of no return shortly thereafter.\u00a0 Therefore, we ask that you pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\u00a0\r\nIn March of this year, the Miners Protection Act was the subject of a legislative hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance.\u00a0 On September 21st, S. 1714 was approved by the Committee with a strong bipartisan vote of 18 to 8.\u00a0 We worked closely with our colleagues to ensure that the bill was fully offset and that no funding was diverted away from either abandoned mine reclamation efforts or annual payments to certified states.\r\nThis bill is simple \u2013 it is the continuation of a longstanding commitment by our government to lifetime health and retirement benefits for our miners.\u00a0 The Krug-Lewis Agreement was signed in 1946 at the White House in front of President Truman by UMWA president John L. Lewis and Secretary of the Interior Julius Krug.\u00a0 This agreement ended a government seizure of the nation\u2019s coal industry after a widespread strike by coal miners.\r\nWhile the agreement itself was not drafted in perpetuity, Congress essentially codified the promises made in that agreement by subsequently passing the Coal Act.\u00a0 The Coal Act and its 2006 amendments re-committed the government to the health and retirement security of our nation\u2019s miners and their families.\u00a0 In fact, prior to passage of the 1992 Coal Act, the Dole Commission (appointed by President George H.W. Bush) issued a report stating that, \u201cThe UMWA Health and Retirement Funds is as much a creature of government as it is of collective bargaining. There is a line running from the original Boone Report to the present system. In a way, the original Krug-Lewis agreement predisposed, if not predetermined, the system that evolved.\u201d\r\nThe Miners Protection Act is a responsible, bipartisan solution to an immediate problem that is fully offset and has gone through regular order.\u00a0 We strongly encourage you to pass the Miners Protection Act of 2016 (S. 1714) by the end of this year.\r\nSincerely\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN)\r\nU.S. Senator Joe Manchin III (D-WV)\r\nU.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)\r\nU.S. Senator Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-PA)\r\nU.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)\r\nU.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA)\r\nU.S. Senator Mark R. Warner (D-VA)\r\nU.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)\r\nU.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN)\r\nU.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)\r\nU.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)\r\nU.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)\r\nU.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)\r\nU.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)\r\nU.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL)\r\nU.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)\r\nU.S. Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT)\r\nU.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)\r\nU.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)\r\nU.S. Senator James E. Risch (R-ID)\r\nU.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)\r\nU.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS)\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/news/video-and-audio/view/sen-donnelly-opposes-effort-to-privatize-medicare", "Sen. Donnelly Opposes Effort to Privatize Medicare", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Evansville, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t123 NW 4th Street, Suite 417\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEvansville, IN 47708\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (812) 425-5813\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (812) 425-5817 \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFort Wayne, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t 203 E. Berry Street, Suite 702 B\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Fort Wayne, IN 46802\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (260) 420-4955\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (260) 420-4930\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHammond, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t5400 Federal Plaza, Suite 3200\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Hammond, IN 46320\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (219)-852-0089\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (219)-852-0729\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIndianapolis, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t115 N. Pennsylvania Street Suite 100\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIndianapolis, IN 46204\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (317) 226-5555\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (855) 772-7518\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJeffersonville, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t702 North Shore Drive, Suite LL-101\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJeffersonville, IN 47130\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (812)-284-2027\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (812)-284-2044\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSouth Bend, Indiana\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t205 West Colfax Avenue\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSouth Bend, IN 46601\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (574)-288-2780\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (574)-234-7476\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t720 Hart Senate Office Building\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tp: (202) 224-4814\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tf: (202) 224-5011\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet Directions", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-i-will-oppose-any-effort-to-privatize-medicare", "Donnelly: ‘I Will Oppose Any Effort to Privatize Medicare’", "2016-11-21", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly: \u2018I Will Oppose Any Effort to Privatize Medicare\u2019\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAs concerning discussions are under way in Congress, Senator says he will not support privatizing Medicare or turning it into a voucher program\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 21, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSouth Bend, Ind. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced that he will oppose any effort to privatize Medicare, as discussions already are under way by some in Congress to privatize Medicare. More than 1.1 million Hoosiers are enrolled in Medicare. To watch Donnelly\u2019s video announcement, click here.\r\n\r\nClick here to watch Senator Donnelly\u2019s video statement.\u00a0\r\nDonnelly, said in part in a video message, \u201cLet me say unequivocally to you now: I have fought to protect Medicare for this generation and for future generations. I have opposed efforts to privatize Medicare in the past, and I will oppose any effort to privatize Medicare or turn it into a voucher program in the future. If my colleagues have pragmatic ideas that strengthen Medicare, reduce the costs of care, crack down on waste, fraud and abuse, count me in, but if they want to phase out Medicare, or privatize the system, count me out.\u201d\r\nDonnelly is hopeful there will be opportunities for bipartisan cooperation in the new year on commonsense policies to help Hoosier families, but he vowed to stop any effort to undermine the Medicare guarantee for seniors.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-hogsett-press-rexnord-ceo-to-support-taa-benefits-for-workers-and-to-return-tax-incentives", "Donnelly, Hogsett Press Rexnord CEO to Support TAA Benefits for Workers and to Return Tax Incentives", "2016-11-17", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly, Hogsett Press Rexnord CEO to Support TAA Benefits for Workers and to Return Tax Incentives\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 17, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIndianapolis, Ind. \u2013 During a phone call today with Rexnord Corporation President and CEO Todd Adams, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett asked if the company would reconsider its decision to move its Indianapolis manufacturing operations to Mexico, which will impact as many as 350 Hoosier workers. Adams, who is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was unwilling to reconsider. The call came after Rexnord had declined to speak with Donnelly for more than a month and following Hogsett\u2019s offer to fly to Wisconsin in an effort to discuss the company\u2019s plans to ship Hoosier jobs to Mexico.\r\nIn the wake of Rexnord refusing to reconsider its decision, Donnelly and Hogsett encouraged Adams to make every possible accommodation to support workers who will lose their jobs. In addition, Donnelly pressed for Rexnord to support any application by the workers for federal benefits (Trade Adjustment Assistance) and Hogsett emphasized his intention to use every available tool to claw back local tax incentives.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cToday\u2019s call with the Rexnord CEO confirms that the company is chasing cheap wages in Mexico. When corporations make decisions like this, Hoosier families and our communities pay the price. I am committed to doing everything possible to support the Hoosier workers impacted by Rexnord\u2019s decision and that includes supporting efforts to obtain federal benefits that help workers find new jobs or get skills training. \u00a0I also will support efforts by the City of Indianapolis to claw back tax incentives.\u201d\r\nHogsett said, \u201cFor years, Indianapolis and hundreds of hardworking families have invested in Rexnord to sustain and grow its local workforce. Despite every offer I have made and the good-faith efforts of its employees, Rexnord has decided they would rather pursue blind profit than invest in Indianapolis. I made clear to Rexnord\u2019s CEO today that they couldn\u2019t be more wrong. In a competitive global marketplace, Rexnord is making an ill-advised decision to cast aside the quality, productivity and experience of their long-time, dedicated Indianapolis employees to chase cheap labor.\u201d\r\nSince Rexnord\u2019s initial announcement, Mayor Hogsett has vowed to aid employees and their families while addressing the broader economic impact of the closure for the city. This includes a partnership with Pete the Planner\u00ae that will provide workers resources to begin planning for their financial future and support services from community partners including EmployIndy, IUPUI, Vincennes University and a number of local non-profit groups.\u00a0 In addition, the City has secured a federal grant which will hire a full-time Economic Recovery Coordinator, charged with identifying employment opportunities for those impacted by the closure of manufacturing facilities.\r\nDonnelly has consistently pushed for policies that invest in our workers, strengthen the middle class, and promote the American economy. In May,\u00a0Donnelly released a white paper and proposed a series of policy recommendations intended to prevent and discourage\u00a0the further offshoring of Hoosier and American jobs. The recommendations were sent to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration. The proposals would penalize those that offshore jobs to foreign countries and reward companies that invest in the U.S.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-republicans-pass-rep-messer-s-proposal-to-change-house-gop-rules", "House Republicans Pass Rep. Messers Proposal to Change House GOP Rules", "2016-11-16", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016) \u2014 Today Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Luke Messer\u2019s (IN-06) proposal to change House GOP rules, making the conference more responsive to its rank-and-file members.\nMesser\u2019s rule will require committee chairs to hold a hearing on a measure within 30 legislative days if it is cosponsored by a majority of the Republican Conference and the cosponsors include one third of the Republican committee members.\n\u201cIf one thing was clear from the recent election, it\u2019s that the people are still in control of their government,\u201d Messer said. \u201cCongress must be directly responsive to the people it serves. One of the best ways to do that is to remove the barriers that prevent good ideas from succeeding. We can empower the American people by empowering their representatives in Congress to drive results.\u201d\nMesser\u2019s rule ensures that popular legislative proposals have a guaranteed path forward in the legislative process to become law. Previously, a committee chair or other powerful member could kill a proposal regardless of how much support it had from conference members \u2013 even if it was supported by over half of the conference.\n\u201cWhen Americans contact their representatives about an issue, they wonder if it makes a difference. This new rule will make sure it does,\u201d Messer said. \u201cFor the first time, the American people will be able to directly influence whether a policy idea moves forward by picking up the phone and urging their representatives\u2019 support.\u201d\nMesser also authored a rule amendment which was adopted by the House Republicans today to improve conference culture by preventing personal attacks during debate, which impedes constructive policy discussion.\nMesser\u2019s rule changes will now be part of the policies that govern the House Republican Conference for the 115th Congress.\nMesser has been advocating for changes to House Republican Conference rules for more than a year. This September, he sent a letter with Reps. Rodney Davis (IL-13) and Morgan Griffith (VA-9) to all House Republicans urging several rules changes to empower members and help them deliver for the American people.\nMesser is a member of House Republican Leadership, recently reelected to serve as Chair of the Republican Policy Committee in the 115th Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://carson.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/indy-ranks-in-top-ten-for-volunteerism", "Indy Ranks in Top Ten for Volunteerism", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Indianapolis, IN - Today, Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07) along with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, congratulated Indianapolis for having the 10th highest volunteer rate in the nation. In a report released this morning by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Indianapolis ranked 10th among the 51 largest cities across the country for volunteerism.\n\u201cI am fortunate to come from Indiana where a sense of community is the norm,\u201d said Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson. \u201cI am proud of my fellow Hoosiers who, time and again, have demonstrated their willingness to put their skills and experience to good use in improving our neighborhoods and communities.\u201d\nThe report finds residents in Indy volunteered 38.9 million hours equaling an estimated economic impact of $795 million dollars in 2015.\u00a0\n\u201cIndianapolis is blessed to have incredible non-profit, faith-based and community organizations. Yet the work they do wouldn\u2019t be possible without the thousands of volunteer hours our residents pledge to these groups each year,\u201d said Indianapolis Mayor, Joe Hogsett. \u201cWe are honored to have our hard work recognized nationally and will continue to celebrate our community\u2019s dedication to making Indianapolis a great place for all.\u201d\nThe annual report is produced through a partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and provides a comprehensive collection of information on volunteering and civic engagement with detailed data for all 50 states and nearly 200 cities. Current data was obtained during 2015.\nFor a link to the report click here\nTo find out more about local volunteer opportunities in Indiana visit: http://www.in.gov/serveindiana/volunteer/", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases/indy-ranks-top-ten-volunteerism", "Indy Ranks in Top Ten for Volunteerism", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Andr\u00e9 Carson", "C001072", "carson.house.gov", "carson", "https://carson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Indianapolis, IN - Today, Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07) along with Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, congratulated Indianapolis for having the 10th highest volunteer rate in the nation. In a report released this morning by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Indianapolis ranked 10th among the 51 largest cities across the country for volunteerism.\n\n\u201cI am fortunate to come from Indiana where a sense of community is the norm,\u201d said Congressman Andr\u00e9 Carson. \u201cI am proud of my fellow Hoosiers who, time and again, have demonstrated their willingness to put their skills and experience to good use in improving our neighborhoods and communities.\u201d\n\nThe report finds residents in Indy volunteered 38.9 million hours equaling an estimated economic impact of $795 million dollars in 2015.\n\n\u201cIndianapolis is blessed to have incredible non-profit, faith-based and community organizations. Yet the work they do wouldn\u2019t be possible without the thousands of volunteer hours our residents pledge to these groups each year,\u201d said Indianapolis Mayor, Joe Hogsett. \u201cWe are honored to have our hard work recognized nationally and will continue to celebrate our community\u2019s dedication to making Indianapolis a great place for all.\u201d\n\nThe annual report is produced through a partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and provides a comprehensive collection of information on volunteering and civic engagement with detailed data for all 50 states and nearly 200 cities. Current data was obtained during 2015.\n\nFor a link to the report click here", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T21:07:19Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-messer-reelected-to-chair-republican-policy-committee", "Rep. Messer reelected to Chair Republican Policy Committee", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON (Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016) \u2014 Today,\u00a0 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives reelected Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) as Chair of the Republican Policy Committee for the 115th Congress\nThe Republican Policy Committee (RPC) is tasked with developing and promoting policy solutions for the House Republican Conference. As Chair of the RPC, Messer is a member of House Republican Leadership. He previously served as RPC Chair during the 114th Congress.\n\u201cOur nation spoke loud and clear on Election Day, and Congress now has an unprecedented opportunity to deliver on conservative principles,\u201d Messer said. \u201cThe Republican Policy Committee will work with President-elect Donald Trump to drive policy results and get Washington back on the side of the American people.\u201d\nMesser said his priority as RPC Chair will be using the committee as an engine for innovative, thoughtful policy solutions that improve the lives of everyday Americans.As Policy Committee Chair during the 114th Congress, Messer promoted conservative policy by creating working groups on key issue areas, including Millennials, Law Enforcement and Women in the 21st Century Workforce.\u00a0 Next term, Messer intends to create a working group on 2nd Amendment issues.\u00a0\nHe als\u00a0facilitated member forums to discuss pressing policy issues and influence upcoming legislation, as well as held expert panels on issues like trade, health care, education and national security challenges.\nDuring House Leadership elections today, Messer ran unopposed for Republican Policy Committee Chair. Reps. Susan Brooks (IN-05), Elise Stefanik (NY-21) and Morgan Griffith (VA-9) all nominated Messer for RPC Chair.\n\"A famous Hoosier, Kurt Vonnegut, said, 'I don't know what it is about Hoosiers, but wherever you go there is always a Hoosier doing something very important there.' This is certainly true of Rep. Luke Messer, and I'm proud that he will continue his work as a conservative champion and thoughtful policymaker as Republican Policy Chairman in the 115th Congress,\" Rep. Susan Brooks said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-announces-federal-grant-to-help-homeless-hoosier-veterans-in-lake-county", "Donnelly Announces Federal Grant to Help Homeless Hoosier Veterans in Lake County", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Announces Federal Grant to Help Homeless Hoosier Veterans in Lake County\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator supported grant application; funds will assist in housing, case management, and clinical services\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 15, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIndianapolis, Ind. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced that the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority has received a $362,700 federal grant to support rental assistance for homeless veterans in Lake County, enough to aid 75 Hoosier veterans. In addition to housing assistance, the grants will be used to connect veterans with health care, mental health services, and case management assistance. Donnelly wrote a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) supporting the application.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cNo one who has served our country in uniform should be forced to live on the street; they deserve better. This federal grant will mean assistance for homeless Hoosier veterans in Lake County, so that they have a roof over their head and access to health care and mental health services.\u201d\r\nJacob Sipe, Executive Director of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), said, \u201cWe are pleased by the news that the application we submitted for project-based HUD-VASH vouchers has received funding,\u201d said. \u201cThis funding allows us to provide 75 homeless Hoosier veterans in Lake County with rental assistance through the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. With the HUD-VASH voucher, veterans will receive additional support, including case management and clinical services, provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).\u201d\r\nThe grant came from HUD and its Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, which provides rental assistance to homeless veterans along with support services. This funding will provide access for homeless veterans in affordable housing units near the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care center in Lake County reducing the barriers these veterans currently face in trying to access care.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-boozman-urge-senate-to-approve-location-of-national-desert-storm-war-memorial", "Donnelly, Boozman Urge Senate to Approve Location of National Desert Storm War Memorial", "2016-11-15", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly, Boozman Urge Senate to Approve Location of National Desert Storm War Memorial\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTuesday, November 15, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and John Boozman (R-AR) continued their commitment to ensure veterans of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm are honored with a national memorial in Washington, D.C. by introducing a joint resolution to approve the location of the National Desert Storm War Memorial on a prominent area near the National Mall and other war memorials.\r\nDonnelly, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said,\u00a0\u201cI am proud to partner with Senator Boozman on bipartisan legislation to make the Gulf War Memorial in Washington, D.C., a reality, where it will stand alongside other tributes to our nation\u2019s great history.\u00a0It will honor those men and women who served our nation in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, and those we lost, preserving their memories for future generations of Americans.\u201d\r\nBoozman said, \u201cHonoring the men and women who served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm with a dedicated memorial in an important place in our nation\u2019s capital shows the respect and appreciation for those who fought to defend freedom in the Gulf War. I encourage my colleagues to recognize and honor these men and women by approving the location of the future memorial.\u201d\r\nDonnelly and Boozman introduced the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act, to authorize establishment of a National Desert Shield and Desert Storm War Memorial on federal lands within the District of Columbia in 2013. The bill was included in the National Defense Authorization Act and signed into law in December 2014.\r\nSecretary of Interior Sally Jewell approved the location of the monument in August. Congress has 150 days to accept this recommendation.\r\nThe joint resolution is cosponsored by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).\r\nNo federal funds will be spent to build this memorial. All funds will be raised privately by the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association.\r\nScott Stump, CEO and President of the National Desert Storm War Memorial, said, \"Our sincere thanks and appreciation go out to Senators Boozman and Donnelly for introducing this critical piece of legislation which is so vital to our mission of constructing the National Desert Storm War Memorial. Passage of this bill will ensure that the memorial will take its place in a prominent and highly visible location and help\u00a0honor those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for all\u00a0eternity.\"\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/advocating-for-people-who-are-blind", "Advocating for People who are Blind", "2016-11-14", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "With 2016 being a presidential election year, many issues that will shape America\u2019s future are in front of voters. Bosma Enterprises made participating in May\u2019s primary and November\u2019s upcoming election a little more convenient for employees who are blind or visually impaired. In April, a bipartisan group registered employees who were interested for this year\u2019s elections and came back in May to facilitate them casting their primary votes. In addition to providing employees an opportunity to vote onsite, Bosma also allows employees time off on election days to cast their vote at their local precinct. \u201cI am extremely proud of Bosma\u2019s voting initiative. Exercising your right to vote is at its core making your voice heard. It is important,\u201d said Lou Moneymaker, Bosma Enterprises\u2019 President & CEO.\nBosma Enterprises also encourages people who are blind to advocate for themselves. Every year the organization solicits applications from employees to participate in its annual trek to Washington to visit Indiana\u2019s congressional delegation. This year Imran Ahmed, JAWS script writer/assistive technology instructor at Bosma, was selected to go on the trip along with Anthony Scott, communications specialist, Lise Pace, director of marketing, and Kevin Mandrell, past chair, Bosma Enterprises Board of Directors.\nBorn in Pakistan, Imran has been blind since birth. He came to the United States in his early twenties in search of a better life with more opportunities than were available in his birth country. Recently, he became a naturalized United States\u2019 citizen, which made the trip to Washington even more significant. \u201cIn Pakistan, the government is not as centralized. It is difficult, if not impossible, to have access to legislators.\u00a0I am humbled by the opportunity to tell my story and how Bosma Enterprises has provided me the chance to live the American dream,\u201d said Imran Ahmed.\nOn May 25, 2016, the group visited all of Indiana\u2019s AbilityOne Champions to thank them for their support. AbilityOne Champions are critically important to Bosma Enterprises because the AbilityOne Program facilitates government contracts for the purpose of employing people who are blind or have other significant disabilities. Several Indiana members of the U.S. Congress are AbilityOne Champions and support this important program: Reps. Larry Bucshon (IN-8); Susan Brooks (IN-5); Andre Carson (IN-7); Luke Messer (IN-6); Todd Young (IN-9); Todd Rokita (IN-4) and Pete Visclosky (IN-1).\nSpecial thanks to all of our friends in Congress and their staffers who always make time to meet with us. Additionally, thank you to Kevin Mandrell, who dropped everything to fill in at the last minute and come on this important trip. Bosma Enterprises is extremely grateful for his support.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-statement-on-rexnord-decision-to-ship-hoosier-jobs-to-mexico", "Donnelly Statement on Rexnord Decision to Ship Hoosier Jobs to Mexico", "2016-11-14", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Statement on Rexnord Decision to Ship Hoosier Jobs to Mexico\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 14, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIndianapolis, Ind. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly released the following statement after Rexnord formally announced it plans to move its Indianapolis manufacturing operations to Mexico, firing 350 Hoosier employees in the process. Last week, Donnelly called on Rexnord to come clean and explain its proposed plan after the company\u2019s CEO declined to speak with Senator Donnelly for over a month.\r\nDonnelly said, \u201cThis news is extremely disappointing, particularly for the hard-working Hoosier families whose lives will be upended. I stand with these workers and am ready to help them however possible as they try to provide for their families. If Rexnord is going to upend the lives of\u00a0hundreds of Hoosier families, the least they can do is come clean about chasing cheap wages abroad.\u201d\r\nAfter Rexnord announced almost a month ago that it had \u201ctentatively\u201d decided to move its Indianapolis operation to Mexico, Donnelly said\u00a0he was looking for an explanation from Rexnord about its plans.\r\nDonnelly has pushed for policies that invest in our workers, strengthen the middle class, and promote the American economy. In May,\u00a0Donnelly released a white paper and proposed a series of policy recommendations intended to prevent and discourage\u00a0the further offshoring of Hoosier and American jobs. The recommendations were sent to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration. The proposals would penalize those that offshore jobs to foreign countries and reward companies that invest in the U.S.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-veterans-provide-update-on-bipartisan-effort-to-build-gulf-war-memorial", "Donnelly, Veterans Provide Update on Bipartisan Effort to Build Gulf War Memorial", "2016-11-14", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly, Veterans Provide Update on Bipartisan Effort to Build Gulf War Memorial\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator got legislation signed into law authorizing construction of the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMonday, November 14, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tIndianapolis, Ind. \u2014 Today, at the Indiana War Memorial, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly announced his bipartisan effort to establish the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial in Washington, D.C. In the announcement, Donnelly was joined by Scott Stump, President and CEO of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association; Christine Jensen, an Indianapolis resident and former President of the Indiana chapter of Gold Star Mothers, who lost her son Army Specialist Brian Simpson in Operation Desert Storm; Kent Shively, a Kokomo resident, who serves as Vice Chair of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association; and former Mayor of Indianapolis Greg Ballard, who served as a U.S. Marine in the Gulf War.\r\nDonnelly, member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, \u201cI am proud to help make the Gulf War Memorial a reality.\u00a0The men and women who served our nation in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, and those we lost, deserve to be recognized for their service and sacrifice. Bringing the Gulf War Memorial to our nation\u2019s capital will ensure that their memories are preserved for our children and grandchildren, as well as future generations of Americans.\"\r\n\r\nTop L-R: Donnelly speaks about Gulf War Memorial; Donnelly with Marcus Miller of Ft. Wayne and family, son of James Miller who was killed in action in the Gulf War.\r\nBottom L-R: Donnelly with Scott Stump, Christine Jensen, Marcus Miller and family, and Kent Shively; Donnelly speaking about Gulf War Memorial.\r\nFor HD photos, click here.\r\nScott C. Stump, President and CEO of the National Desert Storm War Memorial Association, said,\u00a0\u201cFor years I have been working for six years to get a National Desert Storm War Memorial built in Washington, D.C. As a Gulf War veteran, I believe we must honor the service of the over 600,000 Americans\u00a0who served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield, and pay tribute to those who gave their lives. We are so very thankful for Senator Donnelly and Senator Boozman\u2019s leadership and bipartisan efforts to ensure this memorial is built. We are forever grateful to Senator Donnelly for his unwavering support and belief in the National Desert Storm War Memorial.\u201d\r\nChristine Jensen, a Gold Star mother and former President of the Indiana chapter of Gold Star Mothers whose son Brian Simpson was killed in Operation Desert Storm, said, \u201cReally, this memorial means a lot so that people don\u2019t forget. (My son Brian) was twenty-two years old, he left behind a nineteen-year old widow\u2026I think that is what the memorial is about, to help everyone remember what happened and how many people we lost.\u200e\u201d\r\nIn 2014, Donnelly and Senator John Boozman (R-AR) passed bipartisan legislation to authorize the Memorial as part of that year\u2019s national defense bill, which was signed into law on December 22, 2014. Donnelly and Boozman will soon introduce bipartisan legislation allowing the Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C. No federal funds will be used for construction of the memorial.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/100-years-of-women-serving-in-congress", "100 years of women serving in Congress", "2016-11-11", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Hillary Clinton is hoping to shatter an enormous glass ceiling on Tuesday by being elected to the Oval Office, but today\u2019s story looks across the reflecting pool to Capitol Hill. One hundred years ago today, Montana\u2019s Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.\nThat was even before all American women were given the right to vote by the 19th Amendment, which was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920.*\nWe\u2019ve come a long way since then.\nIndiana has had seven women in Congress, including two Republican women first elected in 2012 who are still serving in the House, hoping to be re-elected on Tuesday.\nU.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, whose husband David is a Hammond High School graduate, is vice chair of the congressional women\u2019s caucus and will become co-chair if re-elected. Brooks, a Republican, represents Indiana\u2019s 5th Congressional District.\nU.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, a fellow Republican, represents the 2nd Congressional District, which includes much of LaPorte County.\nWomen\u2019s role in Congress\nThey\u2019re the only two congresswomen from Indiana currently serving in Congress, but they\u2019re not alone on Capitol Hill.\nWalorski remembers when she, Brooks and the third female Republican elected to Congress that year showed up for the freshmen class photo on Capitol Hill. There were 30-some Democratic women who asked them where the rest of their group was. When the Democrats realized there were only three Republican women, they gave the GOP members hugs and welcomed them, literally, with open arms.\nSince then, the women have been working together on a number of issues of common concern where bipartisan cooperation is feasible, Brooks and Walorski said.\nA number of the congresswomen live in the same apartment building, Walorski said, and they often meet in the lobby and elsewhere and talk about finding ways to work together to get things done.\nWomen have a common bond and reach to their \u201csisters\u201d across the aisle to get things done, she said.\n\u201cThe women in Congress I think do play an incredibly important role,\u201d Brooks said. The bipartisan women\u2019s caucus plans to work together on issues like child care, women\u2019s health and children\u2019s health and welfare, \u201cand raise up some issues that men might not,\u201d Brooks said.\n\u201cWhat I\u2019ve seen out of Congress, the women often check their egos at the door,\u201d she said. \u201cThey often really roll up their sleeves and find ways to work within not only our own parties, but I have really seen the women work across the aisle to find solutions.\u201d\nWomen are good listeners, consensus builders and problem solvers, Brooks said.\nFor Indiana, that\u2019s a tradition that dates back to 1933.\nIndiana\u2019s first congresswoman\nVirginia Jenckes, a Democrat, served 1933-1939. To win election, she had to defeat two incumbents who were in the same district following reapportionment. The farm widow\u2019s campaign strategy was simply to abolish Prohibition, her official House biography said. \u201cGet rid of Prohibition and you will have a market for your corn,\u201d she told farmers in her district.\nJenckes campaigned hard, logging 15,000 miles in a campaign that took her throughout the district in 1932.\nShe was able to help abolish Prohibition, and she was also able to secure funding for Wabash River flood control projects, but she wasn\u2019t appointed to the committees that would have matched her interests. Instead, she served on Mines and Mining, Civil Service and the District of Columbia.\nShe was a fierce anti-communist, her biography said, and pushed legislation to outlaw the mere mention of communism in public schools in the District of Columbia. She pushed for American flags to be flown atop every federal building, too.\nSecond congresswoman\nCecil Harden, the second Hoosier woman elected to the House, was a Republican. She served from 1949 to 1959. She won her first election by just 483 votes.\nHarden joined with Sen. Margaret Chase Smith of Maine and Rep. Frances Bolton of Ohio to criticize male dominance of the Republican Party and push for women\u2019s issues to be included in future platforms.\n\u201cHarden believed women had an important part to play in politics, particularly in local organizations and volunteer groups, which would provide the kind of experience they needed to move into higher offices,\u201d her House biography said.\nWalorski and Brooks have taken up that charge. They are each working to encourage more women to become politically active.\nNeither Brooks nor Walorski grew up in a political family, and neither planned to run for office. They were recruited. That\u2019s a common theme for women in public office.\n\u201cMany women are asked to run for office rather than just raising their hands and saying I\u2019m going to run,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI think we need to do a better job encouraging more women to run, and I spend a lot of time doing that.\u201d\nWalorski said she is humbled and excited when mothers tell her that their daughters look up to her as a role model.\nIn the half century between Murray\u2019s term and Brooks and Walorski, three female Democrats from Indiana served in the House.\nKatie Hall\nKatie Hall, a Democrat from Gary, served the 1st Congressional District from 1981 to 1985. Her claim to fame in the House was authoring legislation to make Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s birthday a federal holiday.\nAfter she left the House, she became Gary city clerk and was convicted on public corruption charges in 2003. She died in 2012.\nJill Long Thompson\nJill Long Thompson, who represented Indiana\u2019s 4th Congressional District near Fort Wayne, has deep roots in Northwest Indiana. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University and was a faculty member there when she served on the Valparaiso City Council. In addition to serving in the House from 1989 to 1995, she ran unsuccessfully for governor against Mitch Daniels in 2008. Long Thompson was named undersecretary in the Agriculture Department by President Barack Obama and became chairman and CEO of the Farm Credit Administration until her term ended in 2015. She now teaches ethics at the Kelley School of Business and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University in Bloomington.\nJulia Carson\nThe late Julia Carson, whose grandson Andre Carson now holds that office in the House, was elected to the House in 1996. Carson grew up poor, working part-time jobs like waiting tables, delivering newspapers and harvesting crops, her biography said.\nShe succeeded her mentor, Rep. Andy Jacobs, upon his retirement after 15 terms in office and represented greater Indianapolis.\nAmong her legislative claims to fame is authoring a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights activist Rosa Parks, whose refusal to move to the back of the bus in 1955 was a key moment in the civil rights movement.\nShe was still a congresswoman when she died in 2007.\nGender issues\nLong Thompson said her college students today don\u2019t realize how difficult it was for women even 20 years ago.\nWhile on the Agriculture Committee, Long Thompson got a law changed to give widows the same rights as widowers in the federal egg program. Prior to that change, women whose husbands died weren\u2019t allowed to continue egg production at the same level as before.\nAnother gender barrier broken.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way since I was elected in that special election in 1989,\u201d she said. That was when Dan Quayle was elevated to the vice presidency and Dan Coats was appointed to the Senate. Long Thompson succeeded Coats in the House.\n\u201cThere were definitely comments that were made that reflected not complete acceptance of women running for high office,\u201d she said. \u201cThere were comments made, for example, that it doesn\u2019t matter if she loses because she\u2019s a woman.\u201d\n\u201cThe research shows very clearly that not everyone is accepting of a woman holding high office, and particularly high executive office, for example governor or president,\u201d she said.\nLong Thompson stressed that those views are a minority, however. The majority believe when you bring a wider variety of talent to the table, you get better decisions.\nFuture congresswomen\n\u201cI think our big challenge is that we need to encourage more women to run for office at all levels, including Congress,\u201d Brooks said. Just 19 percent of the members of the House are female.\n\u201cAfter 100 years of having women in elected office, I\u2019m disappointed in the numbers we have in office,\u201d Brooks said. \u201cI think we have a long way to go to have more women elected to Congress and more women elected to the U.S. House.\u201d\nFormer U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar established a program to give Republican women the encouragement and skills they need to run for office. Brooks volunteers with this program.\nBrooks said women who run for office need to develop public speaking skills, become comfortable asking for campaign donations and leading teams \u2014 office staffs and campaign staffs.\nThere still has not been a female U.S. senator from Indiana, but that glass ceiling will be broken someday, just as the one in the Oval Office could yield as soon as Tuesday.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-visits-st-joseph-county-health-care-center-construction-site", "Donnelly Visits St. Joseph County Health Care Center Construction Site", "2016-11-11", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Visits St. Joseph County Health Care Center Construction Site\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tSenator receives update on facility he helped make a reality, sends letter to VA and Transpo to ensure they work together on providing transportation for local veterans to new center\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, November 11, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tMishawaka, Ind. \u2014 U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly yesterday visited the construction site of the future St. Joseph County Health Care Center. Donnelly toured the site as construction continues and spoke with the leadership of the VA\u2019s Northern Indiana Health Care System (VANIHCS) to get an update on the facility, which is scheduled to open in September 2017. Donnelly has worked to make the St. Joseph County Health Center a reality since he started serving in the House of Representatives in 2007.\r\nDonnelly, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, \u201cI have worked for nearly a decade to make the St. Joseph County Health Care Center a reality, and I wanted to see firsthand the progress being made. This facility will give veterans across north central Indiana expanded options to receive the quality health care they earned through their service to our nation.\u201d\r\n\r\nSenator Donnelly at the St. Joseph County Health Care Center site today.\r\nDonnelly also sent a letter Thursday to Transpo and the VA of Northern Indiana Health Care System asking that they work together to ensure that South Bend and Mishawaka-area veterans are able to access reliable public transportation to the new Health Care Center when it opens in 2017. The Center is expected to create 150 permanent jobs.\r\nBackground on Donnelly\u2019s work on the St. Joseph County Health Care Center:\r\n \r\nIn 2007, while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, Donnelly first asked the VA to evaluate the services provided to South Bend area veterans and provide data to better understand how often, how far, and for what services local Hoosier veterans must travel to receive health care.\r\nDonnelly held roundtables and meetings with veterans, advocates, and community leaders\u00a0to discuss expanding veterans\u2019 services in St. Joseph County.\r\nIn 2009, Donnelly and then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced approval of the St. Joseph County Health Care Center.\r\nDonnelly worked with his colleagues, Republican and Democratic, to secure congressional authorization and funding for the center, and then worked with the VA to open an interim health care center in South Bend in 2012.\r\nDonnelly participated in the groundbreaking for the Health Care Center in 2015.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://messer.house.gov/media-center/editorials/honoring-our-veterans-0", "Honoring our Veterans", "2016-11-10", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Luke Messer", "M001189", "messer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today is Veterans Day. There is no better day to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who have served and defended our country since its founding.\nChances are many of you know someone who served or is currently serving in the U.S. military. Nearly 19 million veterans live in the United States today. Right now, there are also more than 1.4 million people serving in the Armed Forces, all across this country and here at home.\nOur military members and veterans are among the bravest, most honorable people in the world. They may be your grandfathers, brothers,\u00a0mothers, teachers or neighbors; and they are the reason we live in this great country today.\nThey devoted their time, their careers and their lives to preserve our freedom, values and way of life. It is impossible to put a price tag on the liberty and security we enjoy today because of the sacrifices of our veterans and their loved ones.\nToday and every day, it is up to all of us to ensure that those who served this country so proudly know their sacrifice is appreciated. They should never feel lost, uncared for or abandoned. Our veterans shaped our nation\u2019s history and made it the greatest country on earth to call home. They deserve our deepest admiration and our steadfast support.\nI hope each of you takes time today to thank a veteran or military member in your life. Talk to those in your family or your neighborhood who have served. Listen to their stories and remember the difference they made. If you see someone in uniform out in your community, say thank you. These small gestures can mean the most.\nAnd, once this day has passed, I hope you will continue to remember our veterans. They deserve our respect and admiration every day of the year.\u00a0\nFor generations, the American soldier has been willing to stand up and fight for our country. Every one of our veterans is a living reminder that America truly is the land of the free and home of the brave.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-honors-veterans-in-advance-of-veterans-day-", "Donnelly Honors Veterans in Advance of Veterans Day", "2016-11-10", "2016", "2016-11", "Democrat", "House", "IN", "Joe Donnelly", "D000607", "www.donnelly.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Donnelly Honors Veterans in Advance of Veterans Day \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 10, 2016\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tGranger, Ind. \u2013 In advance of Veterans Day on Friday, U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly, today released the following video message thanking veterans and servicemembers for their dedication to our country.\r\n\r\nWatch Senator Donnelly\u2019s remarks here.\r\nDonnelly, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, \u201cI want to take a moment to thank the brave men and women who have served in our Armed Forces and the loving families who support them. I urge you to take a moment to let the veterans in your life know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. We owe our deepest gratitude to the nearly 500,000 veterans who call Indiana home and have served our country in every conflict dating from World War II. These veterans exemplify Hoosier values through their dedication to our country and our communities.\u00a0Today, as Americans, we honor our nation\u2019s veterans and their families, express our gratitude for all they have done, and recommit ourselves to providing them with the support they deserve.\u201d\r\nFor information on how Donnelly\u2019s office can be of service to a veteran in need of assistance with the VA or another federal agency, please visit https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/help/veterans-resources.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 668, "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, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"chamber\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "House", "p1": "IN", "p2": "2016"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 385, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 283, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 668, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=IN&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "IN", "label": "IN", "count": 668, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&year=2016", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016", "results": [{"value": "2016", "label": "2016", "count": 668, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2016-11-10,https~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Edonnelly~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress~2Fdonnelly-honors-veterans-in-advance-of-veterans-day-", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=IN&year=2016&_next=2016-11-10%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fwww~2Edonnelly~2Esenate~2Egov~2Fnewsroom~2Fpress~2Fdonnelly-honors-veterans-in-advance-of-veterans-day-&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 188.29325819388032, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}