{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"LA\" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2940", "Wall Street Journal Editorial Board: The \u2018Affordability\u2019 Democrats? You Have to Be Kidding", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week\u2019s editorial from the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board highlights the hypocrisy of Congressional Democrats \u201caffordability\u201d agenda given their long track record of raising costs on gas, groceries, housing, and health care while in power.\n\n\u201cSo what are Democrats now proposing to improve affordability? More of the same policies\u2014more spending on welfare and \u201caffordable\u201d housing, more green-energy subsidies, more healthcare regulation and higher minimum wages nationwide,\u201d the Editorial Board wrote.\n\nRead the full WSJ Editorial here or below:\n\nThe \u2018Affordability\u2019 Democrats? You Have to Be Kidding\n\nFrom healthcare to housing to energy, their policies have made life more expensive.\n\nWall Street Journal\n\nEditorial Board\n\nSeptember 29, 2026\n\nDemocrats are trying to capitalize on voter frustration with inflation by running on \u201caffordability.\u201d Fair enough, but then let\u2019s look at their record in power on the cost of living and what they propose if they win. Affordable by whom is the question.\n\nOne basic measure is inflation, which captures the overall price level. The consumer price index increased on average 5% a year during the Biden Presidency, versus 1.9% during the first Trump term and 2.9% so far during the second.\n\nBoth parties contributed to the initial burst of inflation during the Biden years with their spending splurge in late 2020. But Democrats in March 2021 fueled the fire with their $1.9 trillion spending blitz, largely for transfer payments and for states and localities. The Federal Reserve made the mistake of accommodating the spending binge. Yet as inflation heated up in 2021, Democrats urged the central bank not to raise interest rates.\n\nThe Biden team also relaxed mortgage underwriting standards, which enabled borrowers to qualify for bigger mortgages and turbocharged the surge in home prices. Housing prices rose 5.3% a year on average during the Biden years, compared to 2.7% during the first Trump term and 3.7% so far in the second.\n\nPrices initially shot up more in Sun Belt areas during the pandemic owing to a demand shock from population migration. But as housing supply caught up, prices have stabilized in these markets. By contrast, home prices and rents are now growing fastest in the Northeast, West Coast and areas of the Midwest where local zoning regulations and burdensome permitting make it harder to build. Rent control and \u201cjust cause\u201d eviction laws in progressive cities also deter new housing.\n\nOver the last year, housing prices have grown significantly faster in metro areas like Boston (4.4%), New York City (4.4%), Minneapolis (3.7%) and Los Angeles (3.4%) than Dallas (1.9%), Atlanta (1.4%), Houston (0.3%) and Tampa (-0.6%).\n\nIt costs on average about 2.8 times as much to build an apartment in California as in Texas, according to the RAND Corp. Some \u201caffordable\u201d housing projects in the Golden State cost more than $1 million per unit to build. One reason is state and local prevailing wage mandates, which Democrats want to require for all projects that benefit from federal funds.\n\nDemocrats also want to raise the $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage to $15 or higher. Most Democratic-run states already impose minimum wages of at least $15 an hour, so this would mainly slam states with lower wage mandates, many of which have contested Senate races this year like Texas, Iowa and New Hampshire (all $7.25) and Ohio ($11). Businesses pass on higher wage costs to consumers to the extent they can.\n\nGasoline prices have shot up amid the war in Iran. But the inflation-adjusted average of $3.43 a gallon across the second Trump term is still lower than the $3.89 average in the Biden years. The average was $3.27 in the first Trump term, as the nearby chart shows.\n\nRecall how the Biden Administration tried to restrict oil and gas production by cancelling leases in Alaska\u2019s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, banning new offshore drilling in much of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts, and pausing leases on federal lands. The result: Higher prices.\n\nOr consider the climate-policy utopia of California, where gasoline costs $6.37 a gallon and diesel $8.40. The state\u2019s cap-and-tax program, low carbon fuel standard and hefty fuel taxes have driven up fuel prices and spurred refineries to shut down. Democrats now talk less about climate than during the Biden years, but their goal of banishing fossil fuels persists.\n\nDemocrats blame President Trump and data centers for rising electricity costs, but rates have generally increased with inflation since the pandemic. The exception is Democratic-led states along the coasts, which have forced fossil-fuel and nuclear plants to shut down prematurely and tried to replace them with more expensive renewables like offshore wind and batteries.\n\nThe average residential retail electricity rates in California (33.6 cents a kilowatt hour), Massachusetts (30.5 cents), New York (29.9), Rhode Island (28.3) and New Jersey (25.2) are about double that of most Republican-led states like Florida (15 cents), Nebraska (13.8), Tennessee (13.7) and Utah (13.1).\n\nSo what are Democrats now proposing to improve affordability? More of the same policies\u2014more spending on welfare and \u201caffordable\u201d housing, more green-energy subsidies, more healthcare regulation and higher minimum wages nationwide.\n\nDemocrats claimed the Affordable Care Act would reduce healthcare costs. But that law\u2019s command-and-control regulations drove industry consolidation and pushed up prices instead. Premiums for employer plans have roughly doubled since 2010, rising at about twice the rate of inflation.\n\nAs for tariffs, Joe Biden vowed in the 2020 campaign to repeal Mr. Trump\u2019s first term border taxes but never did. You can\u2019t believe Democrats will do so now, especially given that labor unions support many of the tariffs. Democrats also want to raise taxes on business, which would flow to consumers in higher prices.\n\nAmericans may choose to vote for Democrats to send a message to President Trump, but expecting daily life to become more affordable under their policies is indulging hope over expensive experience.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2938", "Speaker Johnson: Republicans Have Delivered Lower Taxes, Lower Crime, More Affordable Prescription Drugs, and a Secure Border", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Squawk Box on CNBC with Becky Quick, Joe Kernen, and Andrew Ross Sorkin to discuss striking the responsible balance between AI innovation and safety, the Democrat Party\u2019s ongoing leftward shift towards socialism, and Republicans setting the conditions for a strong America and thriving economy.\n\n\u201cWhat we would do in the next two years is exactly what we have been doing already, and that is putting the conditions in place for a strong America again,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWe\u2019ve restored not just American energy dominance and peace through strength, but a vibrant economy. The stock market indexes are high, jobs numbers exceed expectations, and the Atlanta Fed says 5.1% economic growth is expected in the third quarter. That doesn't happen by happenstance. It's because we did what we said we were going to do and put in pro-growth, free market principles in legislation and in federal policy. We will continue to do that.\u201d\n\nWatch the full interview here.\n\nOn striking the responsible balance between AI innovation and safety:\n\nI'm for striking the right balance. I've been urging this meeting for quite some time. I think the leading minds need to get together at the White House and have this discussion. President Trump's the only one with the gravitas to be able to pull all these people together\u2026 I have resisted the siren song to jump in and do these blanket moratoriums and all of this, you know, hyper-regulation because we cannot lose our edge to China.\n\nSo, this is about striking the right balance. I think we've got to make sure we do this well. We need to keep America ahead in this transformational technology, but also do it in a safe way. There's corporate responsibility here, of course. These folks have to provide safe products. But I think a little oversight, little transparency, a little external auditing of what's going on would calm the nerves of a lot of people. And I think we got to figure out what that exact balance is.\n\nOn the contrast between Congressional Republicans and Democrats:\n\nWe care about the interest of the American people. We're not looking at 2028. I'm looking for the next two years to make sure we keep on pace to grow the economy, to provide more jobs. We had a million private sector jobs created in the economy. We passed landmark legislation in this House against the odds. Remember, the obstructionist Democrats shut down the government this Congress for 120 days, a record long, the two longest shutdowns in US history. They have no objective and no intention of working for commonsense, bipartisan solutions for the American people. They just hate Donald Trump. And they will turn the entire mechanism of the legislative branch of government into an attack mode to go after him. It will not benefit the economy, the American people, business owners, job creators, entrepreneurs, risk takers.\n\nYou have to keep the grownups in charge. You have to keep common sense, steady hands at the wheel in the House and Senate. And that is what we are offering the American people. So, I think if they look at this objectively, it's an easy contest for us. We're running against people who have said and put in writing as their platform, they want to abolish the border. They want to abolish prisons, defund the police, defund the Department of War expand the Supreme Court, abolish the US Senate, and remove the President.\n\nOn the Democrat Party\u2019s ongoing leftward shift towards socialism:\n\nThe DSA has told us what they're all about. By the way, the insurgent left is consuming the Democrat Party. There will be no blue dog Democrats, no free-market Democrats left after this cycle. We will not be having arguments and debates about traditional issues, marginal tax rates and inflation and foreign policy. This will be a battle between whether or not we're going to keep the republic, we're going to break this thing down and go down this dark, dangerous road to Marxism. That is the energy, the excitement, the grassroots on the left is taking over the party. So that's what's at stake. Common sense versus crazy. The Democrat Socialists of America will drive the policy.\n\nOn Republicans setting the conditions for a thriving economy:\n\nWe have to do more of that work across the labyrinth of the federal government. But what we would do in the next two years is exactly what we have been doing already, and that is putting the conditions in place for a strong America again. We restored not just American energy dominance and peace through strength, but a vibrant economy. The conditions are there for this to take off. And that's why the stock market indexes are high; that's why job numbers exceed expectations. The Atlanta Fed says 5.1% economic growth expected in the third quarter. That doesn't happen by happenstance. It's because we did what we say we're going to do and put in pro-growth, free market principles in legislation and in federal policy. We have to continue that. We got so much more to do, and we can make things so much better.\n\nWe have the lowest violent crime rate in 126 years, the biggest decline in prescription drugs in 60 years. You've got the most secure border in a half century \u2013 not a single illegal alien released into the country in 16 straight months.\n\nIn this election cycle in 35 days, do you want to put Democrats back in charge who gave you $5 gasoline, who the Democrats said, Joe Biden himself and all of them, they want to end fossil fuels? Is that going to return to those policies? Is that going to bring gas prices down? Of course not. They want to reopen the borders. We closed the borders. I mean, this is law and order. This is common sense versus crazy. That's what's on the ballot in 35 days. You have to keep the team in charge that is putting the conditions in place for the economy to do better for everybody.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2939", "Speaker Johnson Addresses Press Following Meeting with President Trump, Super Intelligence Industry Leaders", "2026-09-29", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks to the press at the White House following a meeting with President Trump, members of the President\u2019s Cabinet, and super intelligence industry leaders.\n\nWatch the Speaker\u2019s full remarks here.\n\nBelow are the Speaker\u2019s remarks:\n\nI think that the gathering that was held today will go down as one of the most historic that was ever held in this building. It was a very productive meeting. I've urged this meeting for weeks, and I will tell you that it did not disappoint. There was great agreement in the room, a great sense of patriotism, frankly, and an excitement about the future and what will be produced and done for the American people and really for all freedom loving people around the world, for everyone. Congress has been studying and deliberating over the development of this technology since AI was first entering the public consciousness, as you all know.\n\nIn February of 2024, the House worked in a bipartisan task force that I put together. They worked for almost a year, and they published a set of principles, ideas, a regulatory framework, some legislation that could be produced that came out in December of 2024. The Senate had a bipartisan working group that they worked on, and in May of 2024, they came out with a 31-page statement of principles. The challenge has been that finding consensus on all of this in Congress is very difficult. It's been elusive. The technology changes rapidly. In fact, much of what was produced just those many months ago has now been rendered obsolete because the frontier labs are so far in front. The consensus has been difficult to build in the industry as well.\n\nI am so grateful for the extraordinary leaders who are standing behind me. These are some of the greatest technologists and innovators and job creators in the world, in world history, in fact. And to have them all together and assembled to talk about this and to build consensus today was a very, very important first step in what we're all trying to achieve together. What we did today was important because these leading minds came together and had a discussion. Never before had all of these folks been assembled in the same room, and I want to thank President Donald J. Trump, who was the only person on the planet who could have assembled this meeting today and held it here, and it was very timely and appropriate. What was discussed today could be summarized in this way: We have to strike the right balance here. The balance between the interest of the American people and benefiting from the extraordinary advancements that are being made with this new technology, with the necessity of maintaining our edge over China and any other competitors that might emerge around the globe, and that the super intelligence companies ensure the safety of the products that they are producing. They are fiercely dedicated to that, and that was articulated very well today in the meeting.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2937", "Speaker Johnson: This Election is a Contrast Between Common Sense and Crazy; and Common Sense is On Our Side", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Mornings with Fox Business with Cheryl Casone in-studio to discuss President Trump convening AI leaders, striking a responsible balance between AI progress and the concerns of everyday Americans, and Republicans defying history in the midterms.\n\n\u201cOur candidates are right there every day, and they're talking to their constituents in common sense. This is a contrast election between common sense and crazy. Common sense is on our side\u2026\u201d Speaker Johnson said.\n\nWatch the full interview here.\n\nOn convening AI leaders:\n\nWell, let me put it simply. This meeting tomorrow has been a long time coming in my view. I've talked to the president about it several times. He's the only one that has the gravitas to be able to pull them all together. The leaders of all the different AI platforms all have different ideas and prescriptions on what the supposed guardrail should be. Now, your point that you started with here is the right one. They have a corporate responsibility, as every corporation does, to create safe products, right? And there's product liabilities laws that apply and a labyrinth of federal regulations on all this stuff already. We do not need a moratorium. We do not need to jump in and hyperregulate this because we'll lose the race to China. The innovation is important to continue, but we have to strike the right balance.\n\nOn Republicans working to defy history:\n\nI'm telling you that we can win the midterms, and I am very bullish about that. I believe we're going to defy the historic trend. Remember, it's only happened twice in 90 years that a sitting President's picked up seats for his party. But this election is unlike any other. This is not our father's Democratic Party. They're going full Marxist, socialist, communist on the other side, and that helps us in this race. We have better candidates. We have a fundraising advantage for the first time in many, many years. And we're making that case. And so, in the 22 districts that I believe are going to decide this \u2013 remember that President Trump won 21 of those 22 districts just two years ago \u2013 we have a lot of tailwinds that the media's not given us cover for. Remember, the mainstream media is trying to advance the false narrative of the Democrats, but we're running our race. Our candidates are right there every day, and they're talking to their constituents in common sense. This is a contrast election between common sense and crazy. Common sense is on our side.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-ezell-thompson-introduce-fema-workforce-planning-act-ensure", "Reps. Carter, Ezell, Thompson Introduce the FEMA Workforce Planning Act to Ensure the Federal Government Has Capacity for Disaster Response", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), alongside Reps. Mike Ezell (R-MS) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) introduced the Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act. This legislation requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop and submit detailed workforce plans to Congress to ensure the agency can effectively respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. It also requires FEMA to improve employee recruitment and retention efforts, develop strategies to train and deploy its workforce efficiently, and use data to address and fix staffing gaps.\n\n\u201cAmericans rely on FEMA in our most desperate moments,\u201d said Congressman Carter. \u201cAs storms grow more intense and last longer, our commitment to preparedness must grow stronger too. I\u2019m proud to champion this bipartisan legislation that will ensure FEMA has the support they need to maintain an effective and efficient workforce prepared to respond wherever and whenever disaster strikes.\u201d\n\n\u201cCommunities across South Mississippi know firsthand how important it is to have a prepared and capable FEMA workforce when disaster strikes,\u201d said Congressman Ezell. \u201cI\u2019m proud to help introduce the FEMA Workforce Planning Act to ensure FEMA has the right people, training, and resources in place to respond quickly and effectively when Americans need help most. By improving workforce planning and addressing staffing gaps before the next emergency, we can strengthen FEMA\u2019s readiness and better serve communities recovering from disasters.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnfortunately, FEMA\u2019s longstanding workforce problems have only worsened over the last year and a half. In order to respond to worsening disasters, we need FEMA to have the proper analysis, strategies, and plans to ensure its workforce is effective and meeting the needs of the nation. I thank Congressman Carter for introducing this necessary legislation,\u201d said Congressman Thompson.\n\nBackground\n\nThe Federal Emergency Mobilization Accountability (FEMA) Workforce Planning Act requires the FEMA Administrator to develop a human capital operating plan, in accordance with best practices outlined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Comptroller General of the United States, to shape and improve the Agency's workforce. The plan must be submitted to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure every 3 years.\n\nThe workforce plans must include:\n\nPerformance measures to evaluate progress towards the human capital goals of FEMA, including filling staffing gaps, closing skills gaps in mission-critical occupations, and implementing workforce training and, if applicable, progress towards meeting those goals;\n\nDetails of the types of employees of FEMA, including by hiring authority and cadre;\n\nA comprehensive analysis of the projected costs associated with implementing the plan;\n\nStrategies and practices designed to increase cost-efficiency within the workforce operations of FEMA, including reducing overhead costs, improving resource utilization, and avoiding unnecessary expenditures;\n\nA detailed analysis of how FEMA determined its current overall staffing goals;\n\nAn analysis of the current workforce of FEMA and possible gaps in the current staffing structure needed to fulfill FEMA\u2019s mission; and,\n\nA plan of action with specific recommendations for developing and reshaping the workforce of FEMA to address the gaps in critical and emerging skills.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-calls-immediate-action-keep-lb-landry-high-school-open", "Congressman Carter Calls for Immediate Action to Keep L.B. Landry High School Open", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement after a report came out that L.B. Landry High School could be forced to close.\n\n\u201cWe must act now to save L. B. Landry High School.\n\n\u201cThe clock is ticking, and Landry\u2019s students, educators, families, and legacy cannot afford further delay. I am calling on NOLA Public Schools and the Orleans Parish School Board to act immediately to keep Landry open, identify a qualified operator, provide the resources students need, and ensure that the Algiers community has a meaningful voice in every decision.\n\n\u201cI grew up in Algiers, and my mother graduated from Landry in the early 1950s. As a member of the New Orleans City Council, I helped rename the street in honor of Dr. Lord Beaconsfield Landry because I understood what his name\u2014and this school\u2014mean to our community.\n\n\u201cWe understand that Landry faces serious enrollment and financial challenges, but if Algiers Charter does not intend to renew its charter, then NOLA Public Schools must immediately begin a transparent search for a qualified operator, publish a clear transition timeline, and provide the enrollment, financial, and academic support Landry needs to remain open.\n\n\u201cI am also calling on the Orleans Parish School Board to work with NOLA Public Schools to identify funding, approve a viable operating plan, and consider every option for preserving Landry as a public high school, including interim management if necessary. Any potential operator must present a concrete plan to maintain strong academics, recruit and retain experienced educators, support current students, and rebuild enrollment through meaningful partnerships with Algiers families and community organizations.\n\n\u201cNo decision should be made without a public process that gives students, families, educators, alumni, and residents a meaningful opportunity to be heard. The community must have a voice now\u2014not after decisions about Landry\u2019s future have already been made.\n\n\u201cLandry stood before my mother as she walked its halls, and generations of Algiers families have helped shape its story. We owe today\u2019s students a quality education, and we owe future students a genuine effort to keep that story alive. Saving Landry will require urgency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to the families who depend on it.\n\n\u201cPlease contact NOLA Public Schools and the Orleans Parish School Board today. Tell them to keep L. B. Landry High School open, pursue every viable operating option, and include the Algiers community in the process. Your voice matters, and we need it now.\n\n\u201cI also urge you to attend the town hall I will host to hear from the community and discuss what it will take to keep Landry open. Please watch for details and make plans to attend. This is our opportunity to stand together and demand action before it is too late.\n\n\u201cAlgiers has never been a community that gives up on its own. But saving Landry will require all of us to act now. Contact NOLA Public Schools, attend the town hall, and help us protect this vital institution for today\u2019s students and generations to come.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-27T10:23:37Z", "2026-09-27T10:25:08Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/Scalise-LA%20Delegation-The-US-Space-Academy-Can-Thrive-in-Louisiana-the-Worlds-New-Space-Corridor", "Scalise, LA Delegation: The U.S. Space Academy Can Thrive in Louisiana, the World\u2019s New Space Corridor", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "METAIRIE, LA. \u2014 Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) led the Louisiana delegation, including Speaker Mike Johnson, Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, and Representatives Clay Higgins, Julia Letlow, Troy Carter, and Cleo Fields, in a joint letter of support for the permanent establishment of the United States Space Academy (USSA) in Southeast Louisiana.\n\nLeader Scalise released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThere is no better place for the U.S. Space Academy to develop the next generation of space explorers, engineers, and innovators than Southeast Louisiana, home to America\u2019s Rocket Factory. Thanks to President Trump\u2019s leadership, Louisiana is in a position to build on its 60-year NASA relationship and help safeguard the nation\u2019s economic and national security. With our manufacturing infrastructure, private sector momentum, and mission-ready educational institutions, we know the U.S. Space Academy can thrive in Louisiana and produce a pipeline of leaders who can advance American space dominance for generations.\"\n\nWhat Louisiana Leaders are saying:\n\n\"SpaceX is here, Michoud is here, and Louisiana is leading the country in the future of American spaceflight. A Space Academy in New Orleans will prepare our students to be part of that future and build on the incredible space legacy we already have. I\u2019d like to thank the Louisiana delegation for joining together in support of this important investment in our students and our state,\" said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.\n\n\u201cLouisiana has built American manned-space flight for over sixty years; we are now building the future of space travel. This, combined with New Orleans\u2019 central location on the Gulf Space Corridor that stretches from SpaceX to Stennis, makes us a natural location for the US Space Academy,\" said GNO, Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht.\n\nRead the full letter here or below.\n\nDear Presidential Commission on the United States Space Academy,\n\nWe write in strong support of the permanent establishment of the United States Space Academy (USSA) in Southeast Louisiana. We applaud President Trump for his leadership in cultivating the next generation of leaders who will advance America\u2019s dominance in space \u2014 safeguarding the nation\u2019s economic and national security.\n\nThere is no better place for USSA than Southeast Louisiana:\n\nAmerica\u2019s Rocket Factory \u2013 For more than six decades, NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility has been America's premier aerospace manufacturing center. The 800+ acre complex has built the Apollo, Space Shuttle, and today's Artemis programs - including the massive core stages of NASA's Space Launch System. Every single manned spaceflight from America has been built in Louisiana.\n\nThe World\u2019s New Space Corridor - New Orleans sits at the intersection of an emerging American space ecosystem:\n\nMichoud, New Orleans: Human spaceflight manufacturing and advanced aerospace.\n\nStennis Space Center, MS: World-class rocket propulsion testing and research.\n\nStarbase, LA: SpaceX\u2019s newly announced spaceport will be the largest and most active in the world.\n\nHigh Density of Mission-Relevant Universities \u2013 The city and region have a large education and workforce network, with premier institutions like Louisiana State University, Tulane, Loyola University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Dillard University, Southern University at New Orleans, and Delgado and Nunez Community Colleges. These institutions offer world-class Engineering, Science, AI, Cybersecurity, Business, Policy and Entrepreneurship, and are currently feeding NASA and other space companies.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-condemns-nike-converse-sneaker-ad-depicting-lynching", "Congressman Carter Condemns Nike, Converse Sneaker Ad Depicting a Lynching", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement after Converse and Nike released a social media campaign promoting the Chuck 70X sneaker \u2013 including pictures with serious racial implications.\n\n\u201cNike and Converse, what the hell were you thinking?\n\n\u201cYour campaign shows what looks like a hooded Klansman, framed by what appears to be the dangling feet of a lynching victim. There is nothing creative or artistic about it. It is racist, reckless and deeply offensive.\n\n\u201cI am a Black man, a son of the South and a Member of Congress from Louisiana. Where I come from, the image of Black people hanging from trees is not ancient history. That pain still lives in our families and communities. The white hood is not some harmless costume. It is a symbol of terror, murder and generations of racial violence.\n\n\u201cDo not insult our intelligence by dismissing this as an unfortunate misunderstanding. An advertising campaign does not just appear. It is conceived, photographed, reviewed, approved and distributed. At every stage, someone had the opportunity\u2014and the responsibility\u2014to say no.\n\n\u201cWho created this campaign? Who approved it? How many executives saw it? Were there any Black people in the room? If so, did anyone listen to them?\n\n\u201cYou do not get to quietly pull the images, issue a polished apology and move on. You do not get a do-over. The public deserves to know how this happened, who was responsible and what you intend to do about it.\n\n\u201cBlack pain is not a marketing prop. Lynching is not a creative concept. The Ku Klux Klan is not an aesthetic.\n\n\u201cThis campaign should never have been created, approved or released. Nike and Converse must answer for it. You have caused real harm, and repairing that harm will require more than an apology written by your public relations department.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-mciver-menefee-and-ruiz-champion-equity-research-act", "Reps. Carter, McIver, Menefee, and Ruiz Champion the Equity in Research Act", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), alongside Reps. LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Christian Menefee (D-TX), and Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), re-introduced the Equity in Research Act. This legislation creates a targeted National Science Foundation grant program to increase research capacity for under-resourced institutions of higher education.\n\n\u201cFor far too long, students at under-resourced institutions have faced undue barriers to entering high-growth fields in STEM,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cBy strengthening research capacity at institutions that have long been at the forefront of empowering generations of students from historically under-resourced and underserved communities, we can strengthen our nation\u2019s innovation pipeline and ensure that all students, not just some, have the resources and opportunity they need to pursue a future in STEM.\u201d\n\n\u201cResearchers who are Black and brown often don\u2019t get a seat at the table, and their contributions get drowned out,\u201d said Rep McIver. \u201cIt is important that we provide opportunities to research institutions that are typically underfunded and undervalued because their researchers offer unique and valuable perspectives. Their work informs and supports scientific advancement and furthers workforce development and U.S. competitiveness. I am excited to provide grants that will support important long term work, not just one-time investments.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe next lifesaving cure, groundbreaking technology, or scientific discovery could come from a researcher who simply has not been given the resources to pursue it. When we invest in more researchers, more institutions, and more ideas, we expand what is possible,\u201d said Rep Menefee. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m proud to support the Equity in Research Act alongside Rep. Carter and my colleagues in Congress and help ensure that great ideas have the resources they need to become groundbreaking discoveries.\u201d\n\n\"The Equity in Research Act is a great opportunity to give students at community colleges and minority-serving institutions the tools they need to get more out of their education and help them compete at the forefront of cutting-edge research. I thank Rep. Troy Carter for his leadership on this bill, which will expand research participation and STEM pathways.\" Said Rep. Dr. Raul Ruiz.\n\nBackground\n\nThe Equity in Research Act creates a new National Science Foundation (NSF) grant program to strengthen research capacity at institutions of higher education that have historically faced barriers accessing federal research resources. Many minority serving and land grant institutions operate with outdated facilities and limited research infrastructure, restricting their ability to compete for federal grants and contribute fully to the nation\u2019s scientific enterprise.\n\nThe bill authorizes NSF grants of $1\u2013$5 million for eligible institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, and 1890/1994 land grant universities. Funding may be used for upgrades to existing buildings, essential research equipment, infrastructure maintenance, and personnel costs directly tied to research activity.\n\nBy expanding research capacity at under resourced institutions, the Equity in Research Act strengthens the nation\u2019s innovation pipeline and broadens opportunity for students historically underrepresented in STEM. Ensuring that federal research investments reach a more diverse set of campuses supports scientific advancement, workforce development, and long-term U.S. competitiveness.\n\nKey Points:\n\nEstablishes a dedicated NSF grant program to support research infrastructure at under resourced institutions.\n\nProvides $50 million in annual authorization beginning in FY27.\n\nTargets institutions that serve historically underserved communities to expand research participation and STEM pathways.\n\nSupports sustainable, long-term improvements rather than short-term or one-time investments.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-votes-ratepayer-protection-act", "Letlow Votes for Ratepayer Protection Act", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, aimed at shielding consumers from any increased electricity costs associated with data centers or other large-load customers. Congresswoman Julia Letlow supported passage of the bill, which will now head to the Senate.\n\nThe legislation directs state utility commissions to adopt standards requiring large customers to pay the total cost of new power, instead of passing new charges along to consumers.\n\n\u201cThe Ratepayer Protection Act advances the basic principle that Americans should not pay the cost for increased electricity used by data centers,\u201d said Congresswoman Julia Letlow. \u201cWhen developed responsibly, these investments can support our economy by creating new jobs and providing more tax revenue that benefits teachers, law enforcement, and local infrastructure. Louisiana has taken concrete steps to ensure data centers finance their own operations, and this bill will create similar standards to protect ratepayers across the nation.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2936", "House Passes 70+ Bills This Week, Including Ratepayer Protection Act, Legislation to Sanction Russia and Iran, Affordability and Anti-Fraud Measures", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Last night, Speaker Johnson held a press conference alongside Rep. Gabe Evans (CO-08) following House passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act, the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, and legislation to further Republicans war on fraud and overturn costly, Biden-era EPA mandates. Speaker Johnson highlighted Republicans\u2019 record of success in the 119th Congress as Republicans return to their districts before the midterm election.\n\n\u201cThis is record over rhetoric. We have better candidates, we have a great story to tell and to remind people that what's best for you and your family and your aging parents and your young children and the future of liberty and opportunity security is the party that has been delivering on all those things,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cYou cannot put the far left in charge of the American government in this very pivotal and historic moment on the 250th anniversary of the greatest nation in the history of the world.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here\n\nOn House GOP achievements in the 119th Congress:\n\nWe gave the largest middle- and working-class tax cut in US history. We established Trump Accounts so that every American child has a financial stake in the future of this country. We implemented powerful new incentives to build and hire American; that's the America First Agenda. The biggest boost to American businesses in decades. And we're talking about shipyards and plants and factories all coming back home. They're bringing tens of thousands of good paying jobs with them. We restored safety and order to our cities.\n\nViolent crime, the murder rate for example, has plummeted to a 126-year low. We have far fewer Americans dying from the scourge of fentanyl in our communities that had flooded over the border under the Biden-Harris years and onto our college campuses and the streets of so many towns in this country. Last but not least, we closed the border. Illegal crossings are at zero, and they have been for over 15 months. Cartels and criminals are going to jail where they belong after four years of absolute anarchy under Joe Biden's open border policy. That is Republicans\u2019 proven agenda of results, and there's so much more. And by the way, every Democrat voted against everything I just recounted for you.\n\nOn the 70+ bills House Republicans passed this week:\n\nWe just finished voting on several bills that are really of critical importance to the American people. One of them was the Ratepayer Protection Act, and that ensures, of course, that Americans will not foot the bill for the build out of data centers or AI infrastructure anywhere in their communities. Notice how quiet Democrats are now that Republicans are taking action on all this. We also passed the Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. This strengthens economic sanctions against Russia to put maximum pressure on Vladimir Putin's war machine. It's the most significant international action taken so far to bring the unjust war to an end over there. The House has passed over 70 bills this week alone. That adds to our large total, over 900 bills passed through the House so far this Congress. About 700 of them are parked in awaiting action in the Senate right now. And so the House has done its job here. We're on a 48-hour notice to return as necessary. So, we're very hopeful that our colleagues in the Senate can send us bills of substance over here so that we can continue to move that along through the process and get bills to the President's desk. We're awaiting that action. So House Republicans are going now back to our districts, and we're going to make the case to the American people on what we have delivered on their behalf.\n\nOn the radical candidates Democrats are embracing nationwide:\n\nDemocrats are running the most radical class of candidates in the history of their party. And as RFK Jr., as Bobby Kennedy said at the Republican convention in Dallas just last week, this is not his father and his uncle JFK's Democrat Party anymore. It's a radical group. This is the most radical class of candidates ever. You've got Abdul El-Sayed, you've got Darializa Avila Chevalier, you've got William Lawrence and Milat Kiros, just a small cross section of the cultural arsonists that Democrats have nominated to serve in the US Congress. Again, don't take my word for it, look at what they've published in their platform.\n\nThey want to abolish the border. They want to abolish prisons. They want to abolish the Senate, destroy the Supreme Court, destroy the nuclear family that they have disdain for, and embrace an ideology that has been responsible for the deaths of tens of millions of innocent people in the 20th century alone. If Democrats are successful in electing all these radicals, I'm going to be administering the oath to people who are actually avowed as communists in January when we begin the new Congress. It will be the first time in US history that we've administered an oath to people who want to shred the U.S. Constitution. It will be a very interesting time for our country and a very scary time. And that should frighten every American who loves this country.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2933", "House Passes AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 979, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, which ensures all new vehicles are equipped with AM radio.\n\n\u201cWhen disaster strikes \u2013 especially in hurricane and tornado-prone states like Louisiana \u2013 local communities rely on AM radio to deliver accurate, up-to-date information and critical safety alerts,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cYesterday, the House took a major step toward keeping AM radio in every new vehicle, ensuring our constituents never lose access to essential emergency warnings as well as some of their favorite broadcasting. As a longtime champion of this effort, I am proud to see the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act pass the House.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2934", "House Republicans Put Maximum Pressure on Putin\u2019s War Machine", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Tonight, House Republicans passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, legislation to impose sanctions targeting Russia\u2019s war machine and countries who aid Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine. Despite this legislation receiving 86 votes in the Senate \u2013 including from 37 Senate Democrats \u2013 only 58 House Democrats voted to sanction the Russian war machine, while 152 of their colleagues decided they hate President Trump more than they support Ukraine.\n\n\u201cWith House passage of the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, House and Senate Republicans are placing maximum pressure on Vladimir Putin and the Russian war machine. This legislation strengthens economic sanctions against the Russian government, its financial institutions, and the foreign governments that aid Russian aggression against Ukraine by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas and helping the Kremlin evade other sanctions,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cFor too long, Putin has bankrolled this devastating war with money and resources from countries willing to look the other way, and today, that ends. This bill sends a powerful message of American unity and gives the Administration every tool in the toolbox to help bring this war to a just end, and we are proud to send it to the President\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2935", "House Republicans Pass the Ratepayer Protection Act", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson issued the following statement after the House passed Rep. Gabe Evans\u2019 Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation to ensure companies building large data centers \u2013 not hardworking American families \u2013 are responsible for the electricity and infrastructure needed to power them.\n\n\u201cAI companies have a serious responsibility to earn the trust of the communities they invest in and to be good neighbors. The Ratepayer Protection Act guarantees hardworking American families won\u2019t foot the bill for the buildout of AI infrastructure\u2013 or see their energy costs rise to pay for it,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWinning the AI race against China means winning here at home, but it can\u2019t come at families\u2019 expense, and this legislation strikes the right balance of protecting local communities while keeping America on the cutting edge of AI development.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-america-can-embrace-new-technology-the-right-way", "Scalise: America Can Embrace New Technology the Right Way", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014 Yesterday, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) spoke on the House floor about the Ratepayer Protection Act and the importance of local communities, not the federal government, deciding whether to embrace data centers. Leader Scalise highlighted examples in Louisiana and Virginia where AI infrastructure has generated significant economic benefit to the community.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/bipartisan-twice-act-championed-reps-carter-higgins-passes-house", "Bipartisan TWICE Act Championed by Reps. Carter, Higgins Passes in the House", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) announced that the bipartisan TWIC Efficiency (TWICE) Act introduced by himself and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation will improve access to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program by assisting those currently in Federal, State, or local prisons through the TWIC card application process to gain this credential needed for specific transportation sector jobs.\n\n\u201cI am incredibly proud that my colleagues passed the TWICE Act, a bill which I know will have a lasting impact in Louisiana and across the country,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cSo many jobs in the United States require a TWIC card just to work behind a secure facility\u2019s gate, and this bill gives returning citizens a fair shot and ensures that workforce training can improve people\u2019s lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cA man\u2019s character shouldn\u2019t be measured by how he falls, it should be measured by how he stands back up. By cutting red tape and streamlining access to the TWIC program, this legislation will address maritime and transportation workforce shortages in the Gulf of America and Louisiana waterways while extending a second chance to formerly incarcerated Americans,\u201d said Rep. Higgins. \u201cI commend Congressman Carter for his leadership on this effort and hope my Senate colleagues will swiftly deliver these reforms to President Trump\u2019s desk.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nThe TWICE Act would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to:\n\nDevelop guidelines to improve returning citizens' access to the TWIC program.\n\nDevelop guidelines to assist individuals in custody to pre-apply for TWIC cards and to assist those requesting an appeal or waiver after issuance of a \u201cPreliminary Determination of Ineligibility.\u201d\n\nProvide a briefing to Congress within a year on improvements to access to the TWIC program.\n\nThe Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program was created by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002 as a response to September 11th and extenuating concern over national security. TWIC remains critical to national security by regulating access to maritime facilities and vessels. Across the country, there are 13,825 vessels and 3,270 facilities under MTSA\u2019s jurisdiction. These facilities are often major employment hubs \u2013 ports, terminals, factories, refineries, power plants, and more.\n\nTWIC assists in controlling workers\u2019 access, like those involved in the surface transportation of containers in or out of ports or those involved in the construction, maintenance, or operation of adjacent facilities and their associated infrastructure. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) manages TWIC card applications. In total, 2.3 million Americans have TWIC cards, and about 500,000 Americans enroll per year.\n\nTWIC cards are often required for employment in high-demand professions for which labor is in low supply. Facilities within MTSA\u2019s jurisdiction are critical to the supply chain yet are egregiously affected by labor shortages. Nationally, as of October 2023, there is a 2-million-person gap between job openings and unemployed workers, and the labor participation rate has fallen from 67% in 2000 to 62% today.\n\nBefore issuing a TWIC card, TSA will conduct a security threat assessment to determine a person\u2019s eligibility. Applicants with criminal records, depending on the offense, will be temporarily or permanently disqualified from the TWIC program. According to TSA, individuals in the custody of Federal, State, and local prisons are not eligible until after they are released from custody. After, they will receive a \u201cPreliminary Determination of Illegibility\u201d for one-year post-release, regardless of offense. Applicants may appeal a preliminary determination and go through a redress process, and TSA issues a waiver in most circumstances.\n\nBased on a TSA-verified sample, approximately 98% of applicants are issued a TWIC card, including redress cases. However, approximately 62% of applicants do not respond to redress notifications. Only 0.1% of those requesting redress are denied due to TSA standards. The redress process is burdensome and often takes months for TSA to review conviction details, circumstances, and proof of rehabilitation. Assisting applicants with the redress process \u2013 and minimizing the number of applicants going through this process \u2013 can accelerate hiring, increase the labor pool, and reduce TSA\u2019s administrative burden.\n\nNearly 30% of American adults have a criminal record, yet adult incarceration nationally has declined by 30% in the past decade. Just in Louisiana, about 13,000 formerly incarcerated persons are released back into communities each year.\n\nThe TWICE Act is endorsed by American Trucking Association, American Waterways Operators, American Association of Port Authorities, World Trade Center of New Orleans, Transportation Institute, Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), GNO Inc., Right on Crime, IMTT, The Cooper Group, Cooper Consolidated, Prison Fellowship, Riverview Boat Store - St. Louis barge company, We Work the Waterways, Central Ohio River Business Association (CORBA), Bayaud Enterprises, Bridgeways, Church World Service, Commercial Drivers License of California, Community Kitchen Pittsburgh, Conservation Corps of Long Beach, First 72+, JOB1 Business & Career Solutions, Justice & Accountability Center of Louisiana, JustUS Coordinating Council, Michigan Collaborative to End Mass Incarceration, National Skills Coalition (NSC), New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals, REDF, Repowered, The Fortune Society, Trade Institute of Pittsburgh, The Los Angeles Regional Reentry Partnership, Valeo Vocation, Jobs for the Future, JustLeadershipUSA, and Reentry Working Group.\n\nRead the full bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/09/16/higgins-carter-pass-bipartisan-twice-act-to-fill-transportation-workforce-needs/", "Higgins, Carter Pass Bipartisan TWICE Act to Fill Transportation Workforce Needs", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued a statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5109, The TWIC Efficiency (TWICE) Act, under suspension of the rules today. Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) and Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) introduced the bipartisan legislation in September 2025 after first putting it forward as H.R. 7223 in the 118th Congress.\n\nThe TWICE Act directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop guidelines improving returning citizens\u2019 access to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, assist individuals in Federal, State, and local correctional facilities in preparing and submitting applications for TWIC cards, and provide guidance to individuals seeking an appeal or waiver after a Preliminary Determination of Ineligibility. The bill does not change the eligibility criteria for a TWIC card or alter any disqualifying offense that bars an applicant from receiving it. Read the bill text here.\n\n\u201cA man\u2019s character shouldn\u2019t be measured by how he falls, it should be measured by how he stands back up. By cutting red tape and streamlining access to the TWIC program, this legislation will address maritime and transportation workforce shortages in the Gulf of America and Louisiana waterways while extending a second chance to formerly incarcerated Americans,\u201d said Congressman Higgins. \u201cI commend Congressman Carter for his leadership on this effort and hope my Senate colleagues will swiftly deliver these reforms to President Trump\u2019s desk.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2932", "Speaker Johnson: Republicans Have Delivered a Secure Border, Safe Streets, More Affordable Prescription Drugs, and Common Sense", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson highlighted House Republicans\u2019 record of success in the 119th Congress and reminded people of the disastrous Democrat record during the Biden-Harris Administration. Speaker Johnson also condemned Congressional Democrats for their refusal to disavow individuals like Hasan Piker who said America deserved the 9/11 attacks.\n\n\u201cThis is not a campaign over standard political disagreements. We are entering a new era in American politics. In Congress, beginning January 27, we're not going to be arguing over marginal tax rates or inflation or foreign policy,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWe're going to be debating whether we're going to keep the greatest nation in the history of the world or break the thing down to the foundation and go down this dark, dangerous, deadly road to communism. That is not campaign rhetoric; it isn't hyperbole. That\u2019s literally what they\u2019re doing.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nOn the House Republican record of success:\n\nWe have had a steady hand at that wheel, and we are turning the ship of state. And these are some of the results of that. I mean, our agenda is very simple. Get control of the border; check. Let working families keep more of what they earn; absolutely, did it. Increased competition and choice to lower healthcare costs; We are on that path right now. Encourage home building and domestic energy production to make everyday life more affordable, incentivize American companies to build in America, and hire American workers; we've been doing all that. You could summarize it all by just saying that it's common sense. We believe in common sense principles. Listen to what I'm about to tell you and just ask yourself if you agree. Do you think criminals should go to jail and girls' locker rooms should be for girls only? We do. The Democrat Party doesn't.\n\nWe have had the largest drop in prescription drug prices in 60 years since we took back over the government. The largest middle- and working-class tax cut in American history. No tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on social security discussed this morning. More than one million new private sector jobs have been created in the last 19 months. More Americans are working than ever before. The jobs numbers are off the charts. Inflation is finally coming down from the Biden-era highs. Remember, it was a 40-year high, and we've been dragging it back down. The homicide rate hit the lowest level in 126 years. We took care of the violent crime problem. Illegal border crossings plummeted to zero for almost 16 straight months. Trillions of dollars in new investment are flowing into American industries because we are reshoring American jobs and American manufacturing, and that's the American way.\n\nOn the disastrous results of the Biden-Harris Administration:\n\nWe reminded voters of the disastrous effects of the years under Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, what we inherited when we took all this over last January. Remember this because it seems like a long time that's gone by, but this is just less than two years ago. We had a country on the brink of ruin; we had criminals and cartels with free reign over the border. Y'all remember that. Americans of all ages were dying from fentanyl overdoses, a great scourge upon the country. Inflation soared to over 9% under Joe Biden, a 40-year high. Our cities were awash with violent crime. Factories were closing and American jobs were moving overseas. And radical woke politics were invading classrooms from kindergarten to college campuses. The American people were not down with that. In their communities, in their classrooms, in their pocketbooks, families were feeling the devastating effects of Democrat leadership and their false vision for what America is. And in 2024, the people said, \"That's enough.\" They wanted a change.\n\nOn the Democrat agenda:\n\nDemocrats are offering nothing more than grievance politics. You want to know what their 2027 agenda is? I just described what ours is to keep on pace and keep doing that, but this is what they want to do. Political retribution, they're already telling you about it. Reverse the tax cuts. It means taxes go up for your family, all the hardworking families. They want amnesty for illegal aliens. They want to reopen the borders. They want a restoration of taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal aliens. That's quite literally what they're going to do if you give them the reins back. We can't do that. That's their entire agenda.\n\nOn Democrats embracing radical, anti-American candidates and influencers:\n\nThe prevailing view of this new Communist/Marxist wing of the Democrat Party has an entirely different perspective on the tragic events of 9/11. Just observe their actions and their words and what they've said. The Senate Democrat nominee in Michigan, Mr. El-Sayed, openly campaigns with the radical who says America deserved 9/11. He won't denounce it. The socialist candidate in Colorado, Kiros, said the September 11th attacks were quite inevitable. It was our fault, they say. Another candidate in New Jersey, Hamway, has publicly acknowledged past ties to Al-Qaeda as their candidate to run for Congress. It's nuts. And in an unforgettable clip that we've all seen, I don't think you can ever unsee it, during the sacred ceremony honoring the victims of 9/11 at ground zero. The unofficial leaders of the new Democratic Party, the radical left Democrat Party, AOC, and Zohran Mamdani were seen laughing while the names of the victims were being read, those American heroes names being read aloud. It's just disgusting. And the American people see this, and they don't agree with it. I mean, this is the kind of open disdain for America that today's Democrat Party has. They don't even try to hide it. It's despicable. The American people should have none of it.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-democrats-continue-to-side-with-fraudsters-over-the-american-people", "Scalise:\u00a0Democrats Continue to Side With Fraudsters Over the American People", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014 Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) to discuss how House Republicans are continuing their work to root out fraud and protect taxpayer dollars for hardworking American families. Leader Scalise also highlighted Democrats' record of voting against anti-fraud legislation and emphasized the importance of what's at stake this November.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-secures-extension-federally-funded-repair-project-new", "Congressman Carter Secures Extension of Federally Funded Repair Project for New Orleans Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium", "2026-09-14", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02) announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has extended the deadline for the $38 million Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium renovation project through February 2028. The authorized timeline for this Hurricane Katrina recovery project had expired on December 31, 2025, leaving the project\u2019s future uncertain. This extension follows advocacy by Congressman Carter, the Louisiana federal congressional delegation, and partners in state and local government.\n\n\u201cThe deterioration of this historic building in the heart of our city has been a symbol of Katrina\u2019s devastation for over 20 years,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cNow, the project has the resources and certainty needed to turn the Municipal Auditorium into a symbol of renewal. FEMA\u2019s partnership and resources have been the backbone of Louisiana\u2019s rebuilding efforts, and these projects represent a federal commitment to the people of Louisiana to build back stronger. This extension honors that commitment as an investment in both New Orleans\u2019 history and its future. I\u2019m proud to have worked with our delegation to secure this extension and will continue to fight for all the funding our community needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis extension protects approximately $38 million in federal investment and, just as importantly, gives us the opportunity to do the work necessary to get the Municipal Auditorium ready for future redevelopment,\u201d said Mayor Moreno. \u201cWithout this extension, it would have been extremely difficult to move this building toward a viable future. I want to thank FEMA and GOHSEP for working with us to get this critical extension approved, Congressman Troy Carter for his continued advocacy and partnership, and Steve Nelson, who leads my infrastructure team, for pushing this project forward and helping us reach this important milestone. After more than 20 years, we finally have a clear path and a firm deadline. This extension isn\u2019t permission to wait \u2014 it\u2019s our opportunity to get the job done. The clock is running, and so are we.\u201d\n\nThe Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium, a historic 95-year-old venue located within Trem\u00e9 neighborhood\u2019s Armstrong Park, once served as the city\u2019s premier venue for Mardi Gras balls, graduation parties, and touring concert acts. The venue has sat vacant for over 20 years since Hurricane Katrina damaged it in August 2005.\n\nDuring the storm, the five-story building suffered severe roof damage and took on several feet of water. The basement, which housed the building\u2019s electrical and mechanical systems, was inundated, destroying the systems.\n\nThe Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium project will include removing asbestos, replacing the roof, and repairing the exterior to prevent further water intrusion and mold damage to the 95-year-old building. Earlier this year, Congressman Carter pressed Secretary Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a committee hearing to grant time extensions for these projects to ensure they are completed responsibly.\n\nAdditionally, Congressmen Carter and Steve Scalise sent letters this past December and February to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security supporting the state\u2019s extension requests for active Hurricane Katrina recovery projects in Louisiana.\n\nYou can read those letters here and here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2931", "Speaker Johnson Commemorates 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Liberty Garden in Bossier City, LA. He then delivered remarks at the Caddo Magnet High School Jonas Kelsall/Rob Reeves mural presentation ceremony.\n\n\u201cIt's been said throughout history that a crisis reveals the character of a person, and it certainly does a nation as well. For America, the darkness of 9/11 revealed the light of unity, and that's what we remember and memorialize today,\u201d Speaker Johnson said at the remembrance ceremony. \u201cNot just the tremendous, profound, unspeakable losses because of this tragedy, but the light that the darkness could not overcome. We reminded our enemies and the entire free world after that America is filled with people who are kind and generous and resilient.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full remarks here\n\nAt Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks and attended a mural presentation ceremony honoring the lives of Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Rob Reeves and Lt. Cmdr. Jonas Kelsall, two Caddo Magnet graduates, Shreveport natives, and Navy SEALs who died in the August 2011 Extortion 17 helicopter attack in Afghanistan \u2013 the deadliest attack on Naval Special Warfare operators in American history.\n\nLast week, Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries laid a wreath at the 9/11 Memorial in the U.S. Capitol, which honors the courageous passengers of Flight 93 \u2013 the hijacked airplane that was intended to attack our nation\u2019s capital on September 11, 2001.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-statement-secs-expulsion-threat", "Letlow\u00a0Statement on SEC's Expulsion Threat", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Julia Letlow, who represents Louisiana State University, released the following statement on today\u2019s amended lawsuit from the Southeastern Conference seeking to expel LSU.\n\n\"The SEC has long set the gold standard for athletic competition, but now the league has reduced itself to targeting LSU with desperate threats of expulsion.\n\nThe NCAA started this mess with vague, unclear, and confusing rules. The result is unprecedented chaos in college sports. Now SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey is elevating the situation to embarrassing levels, seeking to upend the makeup of the SEC because two players who have never set foot on a professional field dared to seek clarity.\n\nThe SEC\u2019s blatant targeting of LSU is nothing more than an attempt to distract from the league\u2019s blunders and the NCAA\u2019s failure to enact clear and consistent rules. Just like they won in court last week and dominated in Death Valley on Saturday night, no matter whom LSU competes against, they will win.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-troy-carter-re-introduces-prostate-cancer-awareness-month", "Congressman Troy Carter Re-Introduces Prostate Cancer Awareness Month Resolution", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Men\u2019s Health Caucus, introduced a bipartisan House Resolution in recognition of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.\n\n\u201cThis issue is important to me because every year, the Black community is disproportionately affected by prostate cancer. Specifically, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cTo address the disparities in prostate cancer outcomes, we must ensure at-risk populations have access to prevention, early detection, and treatment options. This disease does not have to be a death sentence. Together, we can increase awareness through campaigns like \u2018Prostate Cancer Awareness Month\u2019 and beat prostate cancer once and for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a physician and Co-Chair of the Men\u2019s Health Caucus, I\u2019m proud to support this resolution. Prostate Cancer is one of the leading causes of death for men, affecting 1 in 8 men during their lifetime. As an ER Doctor, I have seen firsthand the devastation Prostate Cancer has on men and their families. I am proud to stand with my colleagues in leading this resolution once again to help break the stigma around seeking help and raise awareness of this horrible disease.\u201d said Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA).\n\n\u201cThroughout my career as a physician, I saw firsthand the difference that early detection can make in the fight against prostate cancer,\u201d said Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL). \u201cProstate cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting American men, yet too many put off important conversations with their doctors about their risk and screening options. This September, I\u2019m proud to once again join my colleagues in recognizing National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and encouraging men across the country to take charge of their health, know their risk, and talk with their doctor about what is right for them.\u201d\n\n\u201cProstate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men,\u201d said Rep. Lieu (D-CA). \u201cIt\u2019s important to talk to a doctor about risk factors and getting screened, especially as you get older and the risk increases. Early detection can save lives. Making September National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month is an important reminder for men to prioritize their health. I\u2019m pleased to join the Men\u2019s Health Caucus on this bipartisan effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cEnsuring that our communities are informed about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to saving lives and protecting families,\u201d said Rep. Rob Menendez (D-NJ). \u201cAs Co-Chair of the Men\u2019s Health Caucus, I am proud to help lead efforts to designate September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and remain committed to making meaningful progress toward improving health outcomes and ending the stigma around men\u2019s health.\u201d\n\nThe full text of the resolution is below, and you can read it here.\n\n\u201cExpressing support for the designation of September 2026 as \u201cNational Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhereas, more than 3,100,000 men have at some point been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are still alive in the United States;\n\n\u201cWhereas 1 in 8 men in the United States will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetimes and 1 in 44 men in the United States will die from prostate cancer;\n\n\u201cWhereas the Men\u2019s Health Network advises that prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed nonskin cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the United States;\n\n\u201cWhereas the American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2026, 333,830 men will be diagnosed with, and more than 36,320 men will die of, prostate cancer;\n\n\u201cWhereas 40 percent of newly diagnosed prostate cancer cases occur in men under the age of 65;\n\n\u201cWhereas the chances of developing prostate cancer rise rapidly after age 50;\n\n\u201cWhereas African-American men suffer from a prostate cancer incidence rate that is significantly higher than that of White men and have more than double the prostate cancer mortality rate than that of White men;\n\n\u201cWhereas having a father or brother with prostate cancer more than doubles the risk of a man developing prostate cancer, with a higher risk for men who have a brother with the disease and the highest risk for men with several affected relatives;\n\n\u201cWhereas screening by a digital rectal examination and a prostate-specific antigen blood test can detect the disease at the earlier, more treatable stages, which could increase the chances of survival for more than 5 years to nearly 100 percent;\n\n\u201cWhereas only 32 percent of men survive more than 5 years if diagnosed with prostate cancer after the cancer has metastasized;\n\n\u201cWhereas there are typically no noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer in the early stages, making appropriate screening critical;\n\n\u201cWhereas the Department of Veterans Affairs has established 21 Precision Oncology Centers of Excellence in order to deliver precision oncology services to veterans suffering from prostate cancer;\n\n\u201cWhereas ongoing research promises further improvements in prostate cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment; and\n\n\u201cWhereas educating people in the United States, including health care providers, about prostate cancer and early detection strategies is crucial to saving the lives of men and preserving and protecting families:\n\n\u201cNow, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives\u2014\n\n\u201c(1) expresses support for the designation of \u2018National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month;\u2019\n\n(2) declares that steps should be taken\u2014(A) to raise awareness about the importance of screening methods for, and treatment of, prostate cancer; (B) to encourage research\u2014\n\n(i) to improve screening and treatment for prostate cancer;\n\n(ii) to discover the causes of prostate cancer; and\n\n(iii) to develop a cure for prostate cancer; and (C) to continue to consider ways to improve access to, and the quality of, health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer; and\n\n(3) calls on the people of the United States, interest groups, and affected persons\u2014(A) to promote awareness of prostate cancer; (B) to take an active role in the fight to end the devastating effects of prostate cancer on individuals, families, and the economy; and (C) to observe National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nCongressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02) is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Men\u2019s Health Caucus. Congressman Carter is joined by Co-Chair Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), and Vice Chairs Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Rob Menendez (D-NJ). The bipartisan Caucus is dedicated to raising awareness about men\u2019s health issues, encouraging men and boys to take an active role in their personal health, and promoting legislation that will improve the health and well-being of men, boys, and their families.\n\nThe Men\u2019s Health Caucus focuses on topics including mental health care, prostate cancer screening, traumatic brain injury, and urological health issues. The Caucus will continue these efforts to educate Congress and the public about important topics in men\u2019s health.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/09/04/higgins-leads-week-of-oversight-to-investigate-cartel-trafficking-of-migrant-children-and-dojs-posture-toward-firearm-suppressors/", "Higgins\u00a0Leads Week\u00a0of\u00a0Oversight\u00a0to Investigate\u00a0Cartel Trafficking\u00a0of\u00a0Migrant Children and DOJ\u2019s Posture Toward Firearm Suppressors", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement Chairman, led two roundtables this week examining federal government failures on two fronts: enabling the criminal enterprise that freely trafficked unaccompanied alien children into the country, and the Department of Justice\u2019s continued prosecution of Americans over firearm suppressors.\n\n\u201cCatch and Release, Lose and Forget: Addressing the Crisis of Unaccompanied Alien Children\u2014Part III\u201d\n\nThe discussion examined how cartels exploited the Biden Administration\u2019s border policies to traffic unaccompanied alien children (UACs) into the country, the Biden Administration\u2019s failure to monitor these children once here, and the role of Chinese money laundering networks in financing the criminal enterprise.\n\nSubcommittee Chairman Higgins opened the roundtable by transitioning from the humanitarian and bureaucratic failures examined in the Subcommittee\u2019s first two hearings to the criminal enterprise profiting from the crisis.\n\n\u201cToday we turn to the engine that has powered this crisis from the start: the cartels who built a multi-billion-dollar business around trafficking children, and the financial networks that keep their profits moving,\u201d said Subcommittee Chairman Higgins.\n\nWatch the full opening remarks here.\n\nDuring questioning, Congressman Higgins asked witnesses to detail how an innocent child ends up indebted to a cartel and unable to escape. Participants described how traffickers prey on the hope of vulnerable migrants, using the prior administration\u2019s open-border messaging to lure families with promises of shelter, schooling, and social programs.\n\nWatch the questioning here.\n\n\u201cSuppressing the Second Amendment: Examining DOJ\u2019s Posture Toward Firearm Suppressors\u201d\n\nThe discussion examined how fiction has shaped what most Americans believe about suppressors, the lack of any data connecting these devices to violent crime, and the Department of Justice\u2019s continued defense of a registration requirement whose tax foundation Congress has already eliminated.\n\nSubcommittee Chairman Higgins opened the roundtable by setting aside the myth of the \u201csilencer\u201d and turning to the law that has criminalized a hearing protection device for more than 90 years.\n\n\u201cToday, the Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement convenes a roundtable to examine the federal government\u2019s posture toward firearms suppressors, and to ask why the Department of Justice is still defending a regulatory scheme that Congress has already dismantled,\u201d said Subcommittee Chairman Higgins.\n\nWatch the full opening remarks here.\n\nDuring questioning, Congressman Higgins asked witnesses whether a suppressor is any more dangerous than a hammer when it is not attached to a firearm. Participants described the device as effectively a paperweight and called its criminalization under the National Firearms Act of 1934 a generational mistake.", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-socialists-have-taken-over-the-democrat-party", "Scalise: Socialists Have Taken Over the Democrat Party", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEW ORLEANS, La.\u2014Last night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News Channel\u2019s Hannity to discuss Democrats' full embrace of socialism and the contrast between House Republicans' commonsense policies and Democrats' radical agenda.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.\n\nHighlights from Leader Scalise's interview:\n\nOn Democrats embracing socialism:\n\n\"If you watch those votes you just talked about, Kellyanne, 96% of House Democrats said socialism's okay. And by the way, in that same resolution, they said illegals voting in our federal elections is okay. 96% of Democrats, that's what they would do if they got control of the House. If conservatives stayed at home, that's what happens. 99%, as you mentioned, said let's pack the Supreme Court. And then you look at Hakeem Jeffries. He's lost control of his party. The socialists have taken over and it's happening everywhere. I mean, you've got Mamdani candidates beating Hakeem's candidates in a lot of these primaries. And Hakeem's candidates are far-left liberals, by the way. You literally could find\u2014 you could find a spotted owl in D.C., Kellyanne, before you could find a Blue Dog. There are no Blue Dog Democrats left. It's liberals versus socialists and the socialists have taken over the Democrat Party now.\"\n\nOn Republicans' commonsense policies and Democrats' crazy agenda:\n\n\"We've cut taxes. We put more money in the pockets of families. We're working to make life more affordable. And we're not done. We're not where we want to be because we had a big mess to mop up. But by the way, all those indicators are coming down. Inflation's coming down. Interest rates are coming down. You know, everybody was talking about egg prices when Joe Biden was in office. They were over $3 a dozen. Today, they're less than $2 a dozen.\n\n\u201cBut at the end of the day, families want to see us continue working to get those things done. They don't want socialists who have said they will raise your taxes, they will open the borders. They want to defund not just the police, they want to defund prisons. That's not where America wants to go, but that is on the ballot. And if people stay at home, the far-left socialists will get their way on those crazy items. We can't let that happen to this country.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/09/04/higgins-introduces-bills-to-protect-americas-elders-from-financial-exploitation-and-government-error/", "Higgins\u00a0Introduces Bills to Protect America\u2019s Elders from Financial Exploitation and Government Error", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) introduced two bills to protect senior citizens from financial harm: H.R. 10242, the Janie Wynn Protecting Elders From Financial Exploitation Act, and H.R. 10243, the Protecting Elders From Government Error Act.\n\nThe Janie Wynn Protecting Elders From Financial Exploitation Act directs the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to issue a rule within 180 days requiring fraud alerts on pre-approved credit cards issued to seniors, sent both to the cardholder and to a trusted contact of their choosing. It also requires banks and credit unions to train fraud detection employees to recognize account activity associated with elder exploitation and to notify the accountholder within 24 hours. Read the text here.\n\nThe Protecting Elders From Government Error Act bars the Social Security Administration from clawing back old-age benefit overpayments that the agency itself caused and failed to catch within six months, and caps monthly withholding at 5 % where recovery is still permitted. The protections do not extend to beneficiaries who have committed fraud. Read the text here.", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-foundry-school-will-help-america-out-build-and-out-compete-china", "Scalise: Foundry School Will Help America Out-Build and Out-Compete China", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg for the launch of Foundry School at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace. The Leader highlighted America\u2019s manufacturing comeback under President Trump and the importance of preparing the next generation of industry leaders and staying ahead of China.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2930", "House Democrats\u2019 Midterm Message: Embrace Radical Socialism, Pack the Supreme Court", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This week, after funding the federal government and preventing another Democrat shutdown, House Republicans offered two commonsense measures to condemn socialism and preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court. Predictably, an overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against both.\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats just confirmed that socialism and the communist playbook are on the ballot this November. 192 House Democrats voted against a resolution condemning socialism, communism, and the 100 million deaths those dangerous ideologies have wrought over time, while an additional 205 Democrats voted to pack the U.S. Supreme Court,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cFor members of Congress who swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, condemning socialism and defending the integrity of the Supreme Court shouldn\u2019t be a controversial vote. Sadly, for today\u2019s Democrats, they are.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nHouse Republicans passed H. Res 1490 from Rep. Jeff Crank to condemn socialism in all forms, the Democrat Socialists of America, and their radical, anti-American platform which calls for the abolition of police and prisons, allowing noncitizens to vote, and packing the Supreme Court.\n\n192 House Democrats voted against this resolution.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-announces-18-million-federal-funding-northwestern-state", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS ANNOUNCES $1.8 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY EQUIPMENT EXPANSION", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NATCHITOCHES, LA \u2014 Congressman Cleo Fields (LA-06) today announced that Northwestern State University has been awarded $1.8 million in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support the university's Innovation Park Equipment Expansion (IPEX) Project. The funding request was submitted in collaboration with U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy.\n\nThe award will allow the university to purchase cutting-edge equipment for Innovation Park, including an AI supercomputer, laser cutters, and advanced 3D printers.\n\n\u201cInnovation Park is a cornerstone of STEM education in Northwestern Louisiana,\u201d said Congressman Fields. \u201cThis funding will expand research and innovation opportunities, empowering students to deepen their STEM expertise and drive groundbreaking discoveries. It will give students the critical skills they need to lead the next wave of scientific and technological innovation, and give Louisiana employers the workforce they need to grow. I was proud to work alongside Senator Cassidy and Senator Kennedy to bring these resources home to Natchitoches and to ensure Louisiana institutions get their fair share of federal investment in research and workforce development.\u201d\n\nThe equipment is expected to expand research and innovation opportunities at Innovation Park, provide students with hands-on experience in high-demand fields, strengthen the university's ability to attract and retain top undergraduate and graduate students and faculty, and support Louisiana's broader economic development priorities in advanced technology, industrial engineering, and biomedical research.\n\nThe award was made under NIST's Congressionally-Identified Projects program (CFDA 11.617).\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2928", "Speaker Johnson: From Alaska to the Rio Grande Valley, the American People Reject Democrats\u2019 Embrace of Socialism", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson highlighted his August travel through 54 cities and towns across 18 states. Speaker Johnson also addressed Democrats\u2019 ongoing embrace of socialism and communism and House Republicans\u2019 efforts to prevent another Democrat-led shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections.\n\n\u201cThe question that voters across the nation have to answer this fall is whether we're going to turn the greatest nation in the history of the world over to communism and big government socialism, as radical left Democrats insist,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cOr whether we're going to maintain our status as a constitutional republic, the grand experiment in self-governance that's built on our foundational principles like individual freedom and unlimited opportunity and human dignity and the rule of law. That's what Republicans stand for and that's what we'll always stand for.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nOn Speaker Johnson\u2019s August travel:\n\nI spent time back in my beloved home state Louisiana, and I met with business owners and farmers and local leaders in my district, and I have heard the same sentiment from where I come from. And throughout the month I took those conversations on the road, went to every corner and pocket of America. In total, went to over 54 cities, did over 75 campaign events and countless meetings with groups and individuals over the time. I think 71 different members and candidates joined at some point along the way. We were across 18 states overall. So, from Alaska to Albuquerque to the Great Lakes down to the Rio Grande Valley, everywhere in between, literally we were everywhere. And our team of common sense, conservative candidates heard from parents and workers and small business owners and retirees on the issues that matter most.\n\nAnd I'll restate what I told the voters in all those cities. I went to over 50, I think it's 54 cities. Listen to what I'm telling you, and you can write it, I hope you quote me \u2013 I've been saying this over and over, but Republicans are going to defy history in 63 days and we're going to hold this House majority. And that's for a simple reason: because the American people recognize the historic stakes of this, and they really do understand that this is a contrast election. We've been saying that for months. It's not a \u2018contract with America\u2019 year. We did that in 2024. We kept our promises. This is a \u2018contrast for America year\u2019, and as we summarize it \u2013 it's a contrast between common sense and crazy, and now common sense and communism.\n\nOn Democrats\u2019 embrace of socialism and communism:\n\nHere's the reality: some of these crazy Democrats, these Marxists, socialists, communists who have won these primaries are going to win in these deep blue districts and they're coming to the people's house and they will be raising their hand to take an oath supposedly to uphold the Constitution, while they're out on the campaign trail trashing it, saying they want to rip it in half.\n\nThey want to abolish the borders. They want to abolish prisons. They want to defund the police. They want to abolish the US Senate. That's kind of an important Article I convention. They want to remove the president. They want one unicameral body of the House to run everything. Why? Because they have calculated that over two or three cycles, they can elect enough Marxists to take the thing over. And then you know what they want to do? They want to take over the means of production. They don't want private property ownership. This is crazy stuff. They want to defund the Department of War. How's that going to go in a dangerous world? It's madness. So, our job is to defeat them.\n\nOn the Continuing Resolution to prevent another Democrat government shutdown:\n\nThe first and most urgent order of business is to take up the Senate-passed CR. Now, we began this work months ago, back in the mid part of the summer. We passed the CR for government funding and now the Senate's done it. We're going to avoid the threat of another Democrat shutdown. We know why this is necessary; these crazy Democrats in Congress don't mind shutting the government down and hurting the American people. They demonstrated that already three times this Congress for a combined 120 days. That's a record, of course. That's roughly one-third of the calendar year of our federal government went without full funding because Democrats tried to play political games. I don't believe they're going to do that anymore. I certainly hope not.\n\nOn this CR we\u2019ll take up, it simply holds funding steady at current levels through December 11 as Republicans work to complete the full year appropriations process. We've done that work in the House, as you know, and we'll continue to push forward. Republicans have made remarkable progress towards returning to regular order and restoring the appropriations process the way it's supposed to work \u2013 to a committee-driven approach, as it should be. And our appropriators have worked very hard to restore that muscle memory, and we are really, really grateful for their work because that is how you act as a good steward of taxpayer dollars and resources, and we're going to continue all that great work.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2929", "House Republicans Prevent Another Democrat Government Shutdown", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks to the media after the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government until December and avoid yet another costly Democrat government shutdown. Speaker Johnson also addressed House Republicans proposed constitutional amendment to ensure the U.S. Supreme Court remains composed of only nine justices.\n\n\u201cThanks to the House Republicans\u2019 leadership and the foresight back in July, we began the necessary processes to ensure that the government would not be shut down,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWe are not going to have our troops in harm's way without getting paychecks, we're not going to have the Coast Guard, TSA, other essential functions of the government shut down, as the Democrats in Congress engineered already three times in this Congress.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nBelow are Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-democrats-socialist-agenda-means-higher-costs-for-american-families", "Scalise: Democrats' Socialist Agenda Means Higher Costs for American Families", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox Business Network\u2019s Mornings with Maria to discuss House Republicans\u2019 work to lower costs and protect taxpayers and the Democrats\u2019 continued embrace of a socialist agenda. Leader Scalise also highlighted how communities are benefiting from data center investment and emphasized that decisions about those projects should remain at the local level.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/08/27/higgins-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-advanced-air-mobility-pilot-program-at-houma-terrebonne-airport/", "Higgins Celebrates Groundbreaking of Advanced Air Mobility Pilot Program at Houma-Terrebonne Airport", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "LAFAYETTE, LA \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) congratulated state and local leaders on breaking ground on Louisiana\u2019s Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) site at the Houma-Terrebonne Airport.\n\nThe project, selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), will test transportation capabilities and deployment of Advanced Air Mobility for cargo and personnel for flights over the Gulf of America, and to crucial locations for the energy industry in Louisiana. Today\u2019s groundbreaking marks the start of construction of the facilities, and once underway, this program will improve connectivity for offshore and coastal communities.\n\nCongressman Higgins was a vocal advocate for Louisiana\u2019s selection in the eVTOL eIPP program, delivering two letters to DOT and FAA leadership in support of this program for the state. Read Congressman Higgins\u2019 letter here and a letter from the Louisiana Delegation here.", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-leads-bipartisan-flood-resilience-caucus-response-fema", "Congressman Carter Leads Bipartisan Flood Resilience Caucus Response to FEMA Review Council NFIP Reform Recommendations", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Recently, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) led the Flood Resilience Caucus in sending a letter to Secretary Markwayne Mullin, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Administrator Cameron Hamilton, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and members of the FEMA Review Council. The Members provided a response to FEMA Review Council Report Key Recommendation 7 \u2013 Reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for Financial Stability and Risk Resilience. The Flood Resilience Caucus is co-chaired by Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), and Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX).\n\n\u201cThe federal government needs a federal flood insurance program that keeps coverage affordable, narrows the insurance gap, and rewards mitigation\u2014yet Risk Rating 2.0 has undermined these goals. Since its October 2021 rollout, our offices have fielded steady complaints from policyholders about the new pricing methodology, which has increased affordability pressure and widened the coverage gap. The average NFIP policy now costs $1,808 annually, a 103.6% jump over legacy rates,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cClearly, NFIP reform is necessary. The FEMA Review Council\u2019s Final Report provides a platform for this action; however, nuance is needed to achieve desired results in line with FEMA\u2019s mission of \u2018helping people before, during and after disasters.\u2019\u201d\n\nOn May 7, 2026, the FEMA Review Council released its final report of findings and recommendations, proposing a range of policy shifts. The report calls for gradually shifting NFIP toward the private market through continued implementation of Risk Rating 2.0, updated flood mapping, risk-based pricing, and a voluntary program to transfer policies to private insurers, with the ultimate goal of moving the bulk of flood coverage into the private market. This approach will weaken a program already struggling to retain policyholders by pulling the lowest-risk policies out to private insurers, leaving NFIP holding a smaller, more concentrated pool of higher-risk properties, driving up average losses, shrinking premium revenue, and deepening the program's debt to the Treasury. Policyholders already face rising premiums under a \u201crisk-based\u201d model whose actual math they cannot see. FEMA has never released the full underlying Risk Rating 2.0 formula or subjected it to independent, third-party verification, leaving homeowners and local officials unable to check whether their individual rating factors (flood distance, elevation, mitigation credits) are correct and fair.\n\nThe lawmakers provided the following feedback to the FEMA Review Council:\n\nEmpower Communities (Better Land-Use Policies)\n\nModernize Risk Assessment (Update Risk Rating 2.0 & Improve Maps)\n\nImplement Risk-Based Pricing & Actual Costs\n\nRevise \u2018Write Your Own\u2019 Compensation\n\nShift to Private Market through Depopulation of Existing NFIP Policies\n\nEvaluate Development of Flood Insurance Marketplace\n\nAddress Repetitive Loss Properties\n\n\u201cCSFI appreciates the Flood Resilience Caucus for uplifting common-sense NFIP improvements, from a means-tested affordability program to a third-party review of Risk Rating 2.0. Flood events have occurred in 99% of counties over the past 20 years, and the peril affects essentially all congressional districts, although only 4% of American households have flood coverage. As NFIP participation continues to fall from a peak of 5.7M to under 4.5M now, CSFI encourages Congress to act on this program before more policyholders are priced out, while advancing sustainable solutions that reduce risk across perils.,\u201d said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) and founder of the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI).\n\nAdditional lawmakers signing onto the effort include Reps. Cleo Fields (D-LA) and LaMonica McIver (D-NJ).\n\nBackground:\n\nMembers of the Bipartisan Flood Resilience Caucus recognize the importance of acting now to adapt communities and build resilience in the face of rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Research shows that proactive investments in adaptive measures, such as elevating homes and retrofitting infrastructure, can save taxpayers an average of six dollars for every one dollar of federal spending.\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-carter-honors-life-jerome-big-duck-smith", "Congressmen Carter Honors the Life of Jerome \u201cBig Duck\u201d Smith", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, New Orleans lost a giant, and I lost a friend.\n\nJerome \u201cBig Duck\u201d Smith was a freedom fighter, a mentor and a servant of this community who loved his people deeply.\n\nDuck didn\u2019t have much patience for excuses. If our children needed something, he was going to fight until somebody listened.\n\nThat was Big Duck.\n\nIt was never about Jerome. It was always about somebody else.\n\nHis civil rights work did not stop with the movement of the 1960s. He spent the rest of his life carrying that work forward through Tambourine and Fan, teaching generations of young people where they came from, what they were capable of, and why they mattered.\n\nI am grateful that I had the chance to know him, work with him, laugh with him and, yes, sometimes be pushed by him. More than anything, I am grateful that I was able to tell him while he was still here what he meant to me and what he meant to this city.\n\nNew Orleans is better because Big Duck walked these streets.\n\nTo his family, his loved ones and the entire Tambourine and Fan family, my prayers are with you.\n\nRest well, my brother. Thank you for loving this city and its people enough to spend your life fighting for them.\n\nRest in power, Big Duck.", 1, "2026-08-22T05:24:59Z", "2026-08-22T05:26:16Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-house-republicans-have-put-money-back-in-working-families-pockets", "Scalise: House Republicans Have Put Money Back In Working Families' Pockets", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News' Fox & Friends to discuss President Trump\u2019s decisive actions against Iran and its allies and how President Trump\u2019s leadership has decimated Iran\u2019s military, economy, and ability to build a nuclear weapon. Additionally, Leader Scalise highlighted Republicans' record of making life more affordable for working families and the Democrat Party embracing radical socialists.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-carter-ezell-carbajal-introduce-storm-fortified-and-wildfire", "Congressmen Carter, Ezell, Carbajal Introduce STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Mike Ezell (R-MS), and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act, or STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act. This legislation would establish funding to help states finance homeowner mitigation projects to reach FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Home, and Wildfire Prepared Home certifications that lower home insurance premiums.\n\n\u201cLouisianians know better than anyone that storms are coming stronger and lasting longer,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cI\u2019m proud to lead this bipartisan initiative that will make it easier for Americans to fortify their homes before the next storm comes. Making these smart investments now will protect homeowners when the next storm inevitably hits and lower their insurance premiums. It\u2019s a win-win solution.\u201d\n\nThe American home insurance industry is in crisis. Louisiana has some of the highest home insurance premiums in the country; the average Louisiana homeowner pays over $3,700 per year, roughly 55% more than the national average. Nationally, premiums rose roughly 24% to 47% between 2021 and 2024, while Louisiana premiums rose roughly 74% during that time. Home insurance premiums now take up about 9% of the typical mortgage payment, and up to 15-20% in high-risk states. Higher premiums are driven largely by worsening natural disasters, rising rebuilding costs, and insurers pulling out of risky markets altogether.\n\nOne proven way to lower rates and stabilize the industry is to harden homes to verified industry standards. The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) sets science-based construction standards called \u201cFORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Home\u201d to make buildings stronger against severe weather like hurricanes, hail, tornadoes, and wildfires. Homes certified to this standard are measurably more storm-resistant, and insurers in over a dozen states, including Louisiana, now reward those mitigation measures with real discounts \u2014 often 25-55% off the wind/hail portion of a premium, as roof damage drives up to 90% of catastrophe claims. For homeowners looking to lower their premiums rather than just absorb premium increases, IBHS-certified upgrades are among the few reliable levers.\n\nWith over 14,000 FORTIFIED designations across the state, Louisiana is quickly becoming a national example of resilience through fortified roof installations. The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program, run by the Louisiana Department of Insurance, has approved 5,459 $10,000 fortified roof grants. However, more funding is needed to expand access to fortified roof funding. The Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is heavily oversubscribed. In February 2026, only about 20% of those who registered in lotteries for the Fortify Homes Program received grants.\n\n\u201cFamilies along the Mississippi Gulf Coast know that preparing for the next storm is not optional, but the cost of making a home more resilient can put critical improvements out of reach,\u201d said Rep. Ezell. \u201cThe STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act gives homeowners another tool to strengthen their homes before disaster strikes, while helping reduce damage and potentially lower insurance costs. This bipartisan legislation is a commonsense investment in stronger homes, safer communities, and greater financial security for families in disaster-prone areas like South Mississippi.\u201d\n\n\u201cCalifornia is no stranger to wildfires and other natural disasters, which have driven home insurance premiums higher in recent years,\u201d said Rep. Carbajal. \u201cI'm proud to co-lead this bipartisan bill that gives homeowners the support they need to make their homes more resilient to extreme weather. These upgrades are a commonsense way to help reduce costs and better protect families and their homes.\"\n\n\u201cLouisiana has emerged as a leader in FORTIFIED roof adoption, and this adaptation has been essential in stabilizing of our state's insurance market. By investing in successful precedents and proven solutions, Congress will strengthen American homes and communities. We applaud this multi-peril approach towards risk mitigation across our nation, and we encourage continued intervention and innovation,\u201d said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc.\n\n\u201cLouisiana families cannot afford to keep paying more for less protection. Louisiana needs nearly 445,000 FORTIFIED roofs, at an estimated cost of approximately $6.161 billion, to make homes safer, stabilize communities, and begin bringing insurance costs back within reach. The STORM Fortified Act is the kind of bold, practical investment we need\u2014providing up to $100 million each year to strengthen homes before the next storm, not after disaster has already taken everything. This is about more than shingles and nails; it is about protecting generational wealth, keeping seniors, workers, and families in their homes, and making sure Louisiana remains a place where our people can afford to live and recover with dignity,\u201d said Andreanecia M. Morris, President of HousingLOUISIANA.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act:\n\nAuthorizes $100 million annually (FY 2027\u20132036) for FEMA to capitalize and recapitalize revolving loan funds for states. States must use funds solely for homeowner mitigation grants.\n\nProvides low-interest loans for homeowner mitigation projects, including fortified roof installations and other upgrades needed for FORTIFIED Roof, FORTIFIED Home, or Wildfire Prepared Home certifications. Loans are eligible to be forgivable for homeowners with incomes below 120% of the area median income (AMI).\n\nAllows states to provide mitigation grants to uninsured homeowners so they can enter the insurance market.\n\nDirects FEMA to promote insurer recognition of mitigation certifications for premium discounts.\n\nThe STORM FORTIFIED and Wildfire Prepared Act is endorsed by Greater New Orleans, Inc., Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance, United Policyholders, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), Habitat for Humanity International, Environmental Defense Fund, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge, Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Orleans, Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, Lafayette Habitat for Humanity, Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA), HousingNOLA, HousingLOUISIANA, and Smart Home America.\n\nRead the full bill text here. Read a one-page summary of the bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/08/18/higgins-urges-president-trump-to-direct-army-corps-action-on-the-vermilion-river-in-conjunction-with-ul-lafayette-renews-call-for-civil-works-reform/", "Higgins Urges President Trump to Direct Army Corps Action on the Vermilion River in Conjunction with UL-Lafayette, Renews Call for Civil Works Reform", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "LAFAYETTE, LA \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump respectfully urging him to direct the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to execute spot dredging of the Vermilion River, a statutorily authorized project since 1956. In the letter, Congressman Higgins details the continued work his office has done to ensure spot dredging the Vermilion can be executed despite the Corps\u2019 continued inaction. Read the full letter here.\n\nCongressman Higgins wrote:\n\n\u201cIn October 2025, my office delivered a white paper to Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought outlining reforms to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works mission to improve the efficiency and execution of federal construction efforts. The history of the Vermilion River in Louisiana\u2019s 3rd District demonstrates why these reforms are necessary.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter I delivered my white paper\u2026 the Corps approached my office with its \u2018Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork Initiative.\u2019 This initiative was largely informed from my white paper. I personally met with Assistant Secretary Telle where a shared vision of execution on delayed projects and the necessity of spot dredging the Vermilion River was discussed.\u201d Read the white paper here.\n\nThe letter details the technical foundation Congressman Higgins built between the Corps and researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette following the historic 2016 flood:\n\n\u201cAfter the historic 2016 flood that impacted more than 7,000 structures across Acadiana, I facilitated the Corps and top researchers at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to develop an objective hydrologic and hydraulic analysis of spot dredging the Vermilion River. In over nine years of official well-documented engagement, my office has worked consistently with the Corps to support the execution of spot dredging the Vermilion River.\u201d\n\nCongressman Higgins closes by urging President Trump to address the barriers holding back the dredging of the Vermilion River:\n\n\u201cAfter years of study, congressional direction, and $50 million in taxpayer funding, the Corps has yet to remove a single bucket of sediment from the Vermilion River in over 25 years. I urge your full and fair consideration of all factors to address bureaucratic barriers that have prevented spot dredging the Vermilion River from moving forward.\u201d\n\nDr. Ramesh Kolluru, President of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, also submitted a letter to the President in support of moving the project forward:", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-introduces-state-offices-womens-health-support-and", "Congressman Carter Introduces State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) introduced the State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act. This legislation creates a $55 million dollar grant program at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to support the creation and maintenance of a new or existing state office of women\u2019s health in states across the country.\n\n\u201cEvery state deserves the tools to prioritize women\u2019s health,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cIn Louisiana, our office of women\u2019s health has shown what\u2019s possible when states invest in the specific needs of women throughout every stage of life. This bill takes that model and makes it available nationwide, giving states the resources to build or strengthen offices that address reproductive and maternal health, chronic disease, and the disparities that too many women, especially women of color and those in rural communities, continue to face. Women\u2019s health should never be an afterthought in our health care system. This legislation is a common-sense investment in making sure it isn't.\u201d\n\nThis bill ensures that states like Louisiana, who currently have a state office of women\u2019s health, will receive funds to support its existing office and expand the programming and services offered. It also provides funds for states who don't have a state office and want to create one.\n\n\u201cEvery woman deserves access to the resources, information, and care she needs, not just to survive, but to live a healthy, thriving life,\u201d said Nourbese Flint, President of All* Above All and All* In Action Fund. \u201cStrengthening and establishing new Offices of Women\u2019s Health in states across the country is a critical step toward ensuring women\u2019s health is not an afterthought, but a priority in policymaking. These offices can help ensure that the needs of women, particularly those too often overlooked by our health care system, are reflected in the decisions that shape their lives. We are proud to support this important legislation because every community deserves the tools, leadership, and accountability needed to confront persistent health inequities and improve health outcomes for women and families.\u201d\n\n\u201cUWSELA applauds Congressman Carter for introducing the State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act! Our advocates know just how important it is to remain focused on ensuring Women\u2019s Health remains a top priority and we are honored to support this legislation!\u201d said Toya Barnes-Teamer, Ph.D., Chairman, United Way of Southeast Louisiana Public Policy Committee.\n\n\u201cAt a time when women's health is being undermined through dangerous abortion bans, devastating cuts to health care, and attacks on birth control, it is more important than ever that states take meaningful steps to invest in women's health care,\u201d said Dorianne Mason, Senior Director of Health Equity at the National Women's Law Center Action Fund. \u201cWe are proud to endorse the State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act, which would help strengthen state efforts to improve health outcomes for women and counter the relentless attacks on women's health. We are grateful to Representative Carter for championing this critical legislation, and we urge the House to pass this commonsense bill without delay.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryone should be able to get the health care they need, when they need it. The health care crisis in this country has denied too many access to preventative care, management for chronic illness, and time-sensitive reproductive health care. As lawmakers continue to try and dismantle our nation\u2019s health care infrastructure, it\u2019s critical to provide states, communities, and providers the resources they need to give patients the care they deserve. We thank Rep. Carter for introducing this bill that will improve access to health care for women, including sexual and reproductive health care,\u201d said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America.\n\n\u201cAt a time when federal investments in public health infrastructure and women\u2019s health research are increasingly uncertain, In Our Own Voice is proud to support the State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act,\u201d said Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women\u2019s Reproductive Justice Agenda. \u201cThese investments in strengthening state-level efforts around public education, research and community-informed initiatives are especially critical for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people who continue to face significant inequities across our health care system. By giving states more tools to identify gaps, share medically accurate information and develop solutions grounded in the needs of their communities, this legislation moves us closer to the full vision of Reproductive Justice.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe State Offices of Women\u2019s Health Support and Expansion Act is endorsed by Power to Decide, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, National Women's Law Center (NWLC), All Above All, National Partnership for Women and Families, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF), LIFT Louisiana, REJAC NOLA, Louisiana Coalition for Reproductive Freedom, Women With a Vision, Birthmark Doula Collective, The Amandla Group, Sauls Light, Nancy Davis Foundation,10,000 Women Louisiana, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, New Orleans Maternal and Child Health Coalition, Mama + Health Policy Collaborative, A'Sani Heartbeat Foundation, and Dad A-Port.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/08/07/higgins-qualifies-for-reelection-to-u-s-house-pledges-to-continue-to-deliver-for-louisiana/", "Higgins Qualifies for Reelection to U.S. House, Pledges to Continue to Deliver for Louisiana", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "LAFAYETTE, LA \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) released the following statement after qualifying for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in Louisiana\u2019s Third Congressional District:\n\n\u201cThis week, I am honored to announce that I have officially qualified for reelection in Louisiana\u2019s Third Congressional District. As a Member of the Board of Directors for the House Freedom Caucus, I have stood shoulder to shoulder with President Trump to advance the America First agenda, secure our border, and cut wasteful Washington spending, earning a 100% conservative voting record recognized by the Heritage Foundation, Club for Growth, and Americans for Prosperity.\n\nAscending each year in seniority on my committees and within the Republican Conference, I have earned a seat at the America First table, where policy decisions are made for our entire Nation. I have backed the men and women of the Thin Blue Line, fought for Louisiana interests, supported our military and my Veteran Brothers and Sisters, and secured billions of dollars for important Louisiana flood mitigation and disaster relief efforts. I will always fight for Constitutionalist and Conservative principles, and with the support of We the People, I will unwaveringly continue to deliver for Louisiana.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2927", "ICYMI: Speaker Johnson Visits Manufacturing Facility to Discuss Historic Success of the Working Families Tax Cuts", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Yesterday, Speaker Johnson joined Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Rep. Juan Ciscomani at the PepsiCo-Frito Lay manufacturing facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the Working Families Tax Cuts have benefitted American workers and manufacturers.\n\nSpeaker Johnson toured the manufacturing facility, participated in a roundtable alongside local business leaders and PepsiCo-Frito Lay employees, and held a press conference with local Arizona media. Throughout their visit, the three leaders highlighted pro-growth, pro-worker WFTC provisions such as No Tax on Overtime, permanent and immediate expensing for domestic R&D, 100% bonus depreciation, and Trump Accounts.\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s press conference remarks here.\n\n\u201cThanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts, American manufacturing is roaring back to life. In the one year since that legislation became law, hundreds of billions of dollars in investments have poured into American businesses and manufacturers, jobs are being created, working families are keeping more of what they earn, and we\u2019re seeing long-term growth in all 50 states that\u2019s raising wages for American workers,\u201d Speaker Johnson said after the visit. \u201cIt was a pleasure to join Secretary Bessent and Rep. Ciscomani at the PepsiCo facility in Casa Grande today to witness firsthand how American businesses are benefitting from the Working Families Tax Cuts, and to discuss how Republicans\u2019 pro-growth agenda is driving America\u2019s industrial renaissance.\u201d\n\n\u201cOne year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, the promise of the American Dream is extending to every factory floor,\u201d Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. \u201cIt was great to join Speaker Johnson and Congressman Ciscomani at the Frito-Lay facility in Casa Grande, Arizona to discuss how the America First pro-growth economic agenda is giving manufacturers the confidence to invest, expand, and hire.\u201d\n\n\"I'm incredibly honored to have welcomed Speaker Mike Johnson and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Arizona's Sixth District to see the real, tangible impact of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act,\" Congressman Ciscomani said. \"Manufacturing has long been a cornerstone of rural Arizona's economy, supporting hundreds of local jobs and strengthening communities across our district. Because of the legislation we passed and signed into law last year, hardworking Arizonans are keeping more of what they earn, and manufacturers have greater confidence to invest here in America. This is exactly what we set out to accomplish by putting more money back into the pockets of working families while creating an environment where businesses can grow and create more jobs here in Southeastern Arizona.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/president-trump-approves-all-requested-federal-disaster-assistance-louisiana", "President Trump Approves All Requested Federal Disaster Assistance for Louisiana Following Tropical Storm Arthur", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Baton Rouge, LA\u2014Today, Governor Jeff Landry and Congresswoman Julia Letlow announced that President Trump has now approved all of Louisiana\u2019s requests for support in parishes impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur. This now includes all assistance requested for Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee and St. Landry Parishes. It also adds St. Charles and Winn Parishes for Public Assistance support.\n\n\"We want to thank President Trump for approving every disaster assistance request we submitted for the communities impacted by Tropical Storm Arthur. We also want to thank Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for his leadership and partnership throughout this process. This support will help our local governments recover more quickly, restore critical infrastructure, and continue moving Louisiana forward,\u201d said Governor Landry and Congresswoman Letlow.\n\nBackground:\n\nThis approval makes FEMA Public Assistance available for eligible government entities and certain private nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, in the five parishes to support response and recovery efforts, including reimbursement for qualifying disaster-related costs.\n\nPublic Assistance (PA) is FEMA\u2019s largest grant program providing funds to assist communities responding to and recovering from major disasters or emergencies declared by the President. The program provides funding for emergency assistance to save lives and protect property and assists with funding for permanently restoring community infrastructure affected by a federally declared incident.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-votes-national-defense-authorization-act", "Letlow Votes for National Defense Authorization Act", "2026-07-27", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Julia Letlow released the following statement after passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes annual operations for the Department of Defense.\n\n\"I voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to support our men and women in uniform and protect our national security. The House-passed NDAA provides a pay raise for our troops while increasing our military readiness amid continued threats from foreign adversaries. It also strengthens America's shipbuilding capacity, strips harmful DEI policies from our Armed Forces, and increases support for our Louisiana bases at Fort Polk and Barksdale,\" said Congresswoman Letlow.\n\nThe legislation passed the House of Representatives and now heads to the U.S. Senate for consideration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-28T07:37:32Z", "2026-07-28T07:38:50Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2926", "Speaker Johnson Announces Nearly $26 Million for Louisiana Infrastructure Improvements", "2026-07-27", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson today announced nearly $26 million in funding for two projects in Louisiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District to improve road safety and connectivity. Through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded $25 million to Bossier Parish for the Bossier Parish East-West Corridor Project and $640,000 to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for the I-10/I-12 Corridor Truck Parking Study.\n\n\u201cThe Department of Transportation\u2019s announcement of nearly $26 million in federal infrastructure funding in Louisiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District is welcome news. These grants are not only a blessing for residents of the Fourth District and for Louisiana, but also for the many individuals who traverse our roads daily,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \"It is investments like these that make the continued rapid growth of the state and Bossier Parish possible. I look forward to the completion of these projects, which will ease traffic and improve connectivity in Bossier Parish and enhance safety along the I-10/I-12 Corridor. I thank Secretary Duffy for his leadership and thoughtful stewardship of taxpayer resources at the Department of Transportation.\u201d\n\n\"Being awarded a federal BUILD grant is a tremendous achievement and a testament to the strength of the vision among local, state, and federal leaders for improving transportation in our state,\u201d DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet, Jr. said. \u201cThese grants are among the most competitive infrastructure funding opportunities in the nation, and Bossier Parish receiving one for their East-West Corridor reflects the merit of the chosen project, and the dedication of everyone who worked to bring that project forward. This investment in Bossier Parish and north Louisiana will strengthen connectivity, and ensure our overall system on all levels is better equipped to meet the needs of the residents, businesses, and visitors for years to come. This is also a reflection of DOTD\u2019s ongoing initiative to vastly improve efficiency and effectiveness, as well as our continued efforts to explore, identify, and secure new funding opportunities.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn behalf of the Bossier Parish Police Jury and the citizens of Bossier Parish, I want to express our sincere appreciation to the U.S. Department of Transportation for awarding $25 million in BUILD grant funding to support critical infrastructure improvements in our parish. This significant investment represents a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our transportation network, improve safety, support Barksdale Air Force Base and its mission, and encourage continued economic growth throughout our community. The fact that Bossier Parish was selected as a recipient from among projects funded through the Department\u2019s $1.73 billion nationwide BUILD grant program speaks to the importance of our project and the value it will bring to residents, businesses, and visitors alike. Reliable infrastructure is essential to maintaining our quality of life and ensuring that Bossier Parish remains a competitive place to live, work, and invest. This funding will help us address current transportation needs while positioning our community for future success. We appreciate the partnership of our federal, state, and local stakeholders, and especially Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who helped make this award possible. We look forward to moving this project forward and delivering lasting benefits for the people of Bossier Parish for generations to come,\u201d Bossier Parish Police Jury President Tom Salzer said.\n\nBackground:\n\nBossier Parish East-West Corridor project: The project will construct a new roadway serving as an east-west connection extending Winfield Road beyond its current terminus at Bellevue Road to connect with Highway 3 (Benton Road).\n\nI-10 / I-12 Corridor Truck Parking Study: The project will evaluate existing and current truck parking demand along the I-10 and I-12 corridors, assess the feasibility of expanding truck parking capacity at publicly owned locations, and develop an implementation plan.\n\nAdditionally, Speaker Johnson supported the Central Louisiana Regional Port\u2019s request for BUILD grant funding, which will be used to further study and meet the needs of Fort Polk and the surrounding communities and parishes. The Port requested and was awarded $722,400 as part of the DOT announcement.\n\nThe DOT announcement included over $50 million in investments throughout Louisiana.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-28T07:37:32Z", "2026-07-28T07:38:50Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/Scalise%27s-Summer-Update%3A-Key-House-Republican-Wins-of-2026", "Scalise's Summer Update: Key House Republican Wins of 2026", "2026-07-27", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "July 27, 2026\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement and accompanying summary of House Republican legislative victories showcasing the Conference's record of delivering results for the American people during the first half of 2026:\n\n\"House Republicans entered this year committed to building on the successes of President Trump's first year back in office\u2014and that's exactly what we've done. We've worked to make life more affordable for hardworking families, passed the SAVE America Act to strengthen election integrity, reinforced our border security, advanced reforms to restore trust in government, and passed commonsense legislation that puts the American people first.\n\n\"While House Republicans have remained intent on governing, Democrats have repeatedly chosen obstruction over solutions. Rather than working to address the issues Americans care most about, they have spent much of the year locked in a public battle over the future of their own party.\n\n\u201cThe contrast between the two parties has never been clearer. House Republicans have built a record of results that speaks for itself. As members return home for the district work period, they can point to these results as evidence of what a governing majority can achieve when it stays focused on the priorities of the American people.\u201d\n\nKeeping America Safe \u2705\n\nBorder\n\nS. 2 (Sen. Graham) \u2013 the Secure America Act: fully funds ICE and CBP through fiscal year 2029, guaranteeing these agencies have the necessary resources to carry out President Trump\u2019s border agenda and ensuring congressional Democrats will no longer be able to stymie funding required to keep Americans safe.\n\nPASSED 214 - 212\n\nRepublicans: 214 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 0 - 211\n\nIndependent: 0 - 1\n\nS. Con. Res. 33 (Sen. Graham) \u2013 establishes a congressional budget to responsibly fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of President Trump\u2019s term, ensuring these agencies are able to keep the American people safe from threats.\n\nPASSED 215 - 211 - 1\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 0 - 211\n\nIndependent: 0 - 0 - 1\n\nH.R. 1958 (Taylor) \u2013 the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026: amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make illegal aliens who commit federal fraud or unlawfully receive public benefits inadmissible and removable from the United States, protecting federal programs from exploitation and defending taxpayer dollars.\n\nPASSED 231 - 186\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 20 \u2013 186\n\nH.R. 4638 (Calvert) \u2013 the Federal Working Animal Protection Act: creates a ground of inadmissibility and a ground of deportability explicitly for aliens who harm law enforcement animals to prevent animal abusers from entering the U.S. and streamline their removal from our nation.\n\nPASSED 228 - 190\n\nRepublicans: 212 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 15 - 190\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nH. Res. 1128 (Mackenzie) \u2013 acknowledges the importance of fully funding the Department of Homeland Security, reiterates that partial funding of individual DHS agencies would degrade coordination and increase uncertainty in a heightened threat environment, emphasizes that the American people are at increasing risk each day DHS goes unfunded, and expresses our deep gratitude to DHS employees for their unwavering commitment to protect the U.S. from those who seek to cause harm.\n\nPASSED 225 - 187\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 9 - 187\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nNational Defense & National Security\n\nH.R. 8800 (Rogers) \u2013 National Defense Authorization Act, 2027: authorizes appropriations to expand U.S. defense production capacity, modernize our military, and ensure America\u2019s armed forces remain the most lethal, ready, and robust in the world, all while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.\n\nPASSED 216 - 212\n\nRepublicans: 209 - 7\n\nDemocrats: 6 - 205\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 261 (Carter) \u2013 Undersea Cable Protection Act: amends NMSA to block the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting or requiring a permit for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have already been authorized by federal and state agencies, getting rid of duplicative permitting laws while protecting national marine sanctuaries.\n\nPASSED 218 - 212\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 3 \u2013 211\n\nH.R. 7084 (Pfluger) \u2013 the Defending American Property Abroad Act: imposes retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any foreign nation that unlawfully seizes American assets, making sure American businesses are safeguarded from unjust expropriation.\n\nPASSED 247 - 164\n\nRepublicans: 205 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 41 - 164\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nCritical Mineral Security\n\nH.J. Res. 140 (Stauber) \u2013 Expresses congressional disapproval of the Public Land Order No. 7917 that implemented a mineral withdrawal of approximately 225,504 acres, banning mining and other resource extraction in Northern Minnesota and putting our nation\u2019s mineral security at risk.\n\nPASSED 214 - 208\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 1 - 207\n\nH.R. 4090 (Stauber) \u2013 The Critical Mineral Dominance Act: bolsters America\u2019s critical mineral supply chains by codifying key provisions of Trump executive orders to streamline permitting, support domestic extraction, deliver certainty and consistency, and map resources as we work to reduce reliance on foreign adversaries and achieve mineral dominance.\n\nPASSED 224 - 195\n\nRepublicans: 214 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 10 - 194\n\nH.R. 3617 (James) \u2013 Securing America\u2019s Critical Minerals Supply Act: unleashes domestic production and bolsters America\u2019s critical mineral supply chain by requiring the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess and strengthen critical energy resource supply chains, reducing our reliance on foreign adversaries and enhancing our energy independence.\n\nPASSED 223 - 206\n\nRepublicans: 214 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 9 - 205\n\nLaw Enforcement\n\nH. Con. Res. 96 (Nunn) \u2013 Expresses congressional support for the brave men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives to uphold our rule of law and keep Americans safe, recognizes their extraordinary sacrifice, and acknowledges their many contributions to our communities.\n\nPASSED 243 - 173 - 3\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 29 - 173 - 3\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 2189 (Fitzgerald) \u2013 Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act: amends federal firearms law to classify \u201cless-than-lethal\u201d devices like tasers, which are meant to stop high-risk situations without using deadly force. This reform makes it easier for law enforcement to procure these devices and enhance officer and community safety.\n\nPASSED 233 - 185\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 22 - 184\n\nH.R. 6260 (Fitzgerald) \u2013 the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act: amends the federal criminal statute dealing with insurance-related crimes to include corporate, for-profit, and non-profit entities that post bail for defendants, subjecting charitable bail funds to federal insurance fraud laws and state licensing requirements, and requiring their employees to pass criminal background checks. This reform will help address the increased frequency of charitable bail funds posting bail for violent offenders, which is associated with higher rates of failing to appear in court.\n\nPASSED 243 - 179\n\nRepublicans: 210 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 32 - 178\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 5625 (Harris-NC) \u2013 the Cashless Bail Reporting Act: requires the Attorney General to publish a list of state and local governments that implement reckless bail \u201creform\u201d policies allowing people who have been accused of certain violent crimes \u2013 including murder, rape, sexual assault, carjacking, assault, and robbery \u2013 to be released pending trial on personal recognizance or upon execution of an unsecured appearance bond.\n\nPASSED 308 - 116\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 2\n\nDemocrats: 96 - 114\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R.2853 (Joyce) \u2013 the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) of 2025: expands federal law enforcement tools to crack down on organized retail theft and supply chain crime by strengthening criminal penalties, targeting money laundering, authorizing criminal forfeiture, and establishing a Department of Homeland Security coordination center to combat organized theft networks.\n\nPASSED 348 - 60\n\nRepublicans: 203 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 144 - 59\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 8365 (Biggs-AZ) \u2013 the Monitor Accountability Act: codifies the Department of Justice's recommendations to establish term limits on monitors, cap fees, allow for public feedback on the selection of monitors, and provide a public accounting of monitors\u2019 activities to ensure court monitors do not abuse their positions.\n\nPASSED 219 - 204\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 5 - 204\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nRestoring Safety in Our Nation's Capital\n\nH.R. 5103 (McGuire) \u2013 the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act: establishes a commission to reduce crime in D.C. by providing necessary federal resources and strengthening the Metropolitan Police Department, and tasks the Department of the Interior with creating a program to clean and maintain popular sites in the nation\u2019s capital\u2014including monuments and parks\u2014and to restore damaged federal properties.\n\nPASSED 218 - 206\n\nRepublicans: 212 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 5 \u2013 206\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nGrowing America\u2019s Economy \u2705\n\nUnleashing American Energy\n\nH.R. 4690 (Langworthy) \u2013 the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act: repeals Section 433 of EISA, which requires the Department of Energy to revise federal energy efficiency performance standards for new buildings and renovations to phase out the use of on-site, fossil fuel-generated electricity for impacted buildings by 2030.\n\nPASSED 215 - 202\n\nRepublicans: 209 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 5 - 201\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nH.R. 5587 (Kim) \u2013 the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act: expedites geothermal energy production by exempting geothermal operators from federal drilling permit requirements, including NEPA, for wells on non-federal land where the United States holds an ownership interest of less than 50 percent of the subsurface geothermal estate.\n\nPASSED 231 - 186\n\nRepublicans: 208 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 22 - 186\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nH.R. 6398 (Joyce-PA) \u2013 the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act: streamlines the review process for federal projects by eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s duplicative review requirement on projects already reviewed by other agencies and covered by the National Environmental Policy Act.\n\nPASSED 222 - 205\n\nRepublicans: 214 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 7 - 204\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 6409 (Pfluger) \u2013 the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act: amends the Clean Air Act to ensure that foreign natural or man-made emissions are not considered when determining states\u2019 compliance with federal air quality standards, preventing U.S. states from facing penalties for emissions outside their control and allowing states to account for such emissions earlier in the regulatory process.\n\nPASSED 220 - 208\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 6 - 207\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nHousing Affordability\n\nH.R. 5184 (Houchin) \u2013 the Affordable HOMES Act: amends EISA to restore sole authority to HUD for setting energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing while allowing DOE to provide recommendations to HUD, streamlining the process for setting energy standards to help lower manufactured housing costs and increase housing affordability for hardworking Americans.\n\nPASSED 263 - 147\n\nRepublicans: 206 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 57 - 147\n\nH.R. 6644 (Hill) \u2013 the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: cuts government red tape to spur housing development and empower families \u2014 not institutional investors \u2014 to become homeowners.\n\nPASSED 358-32\n\nRepublicans: 166 - 32\n\nDemocrats: 191 - 0\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nProtecting Consumer Choice\n\nH.R. 4758 (Goldman-TX) \u2013 Homeowner Energy Freedom Act: repeals three provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act designed to subsidize the electrification movement and end the use of gas appliances, restricting consumer choice and raising the cost of home appliances.\n\nPASSED 210 - 199 - 1\n\nRepublicans: 210 \u2013 1\n\nDemocrats: 0 \u2013 198 - 1\n\nH.R. 4626 (Allen) \u2013 Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act: reforms and modernizes the EPCA to prevent future administrations from implementing unaffordable conservation standards that take away consumer choice, burden American families, and force Americans to use expensive appliances that do not perform as well.\n\nPASSED 217 - 190\n\nRepublicans: 210 \u2013 0\n\nDemocrats: 7 \u2013 190\n\nH.R. 4593 (Fry) \u2013 SHOWER Act: defines \u201cshowerhead\u201d using the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard, clarifies that each nozzle in a multi-head shower system is an individual showerhead that may operate at up to 2.5 GPM, and prevents future reinterpretations of the definition of a showerhead that would limit water flow and take away consumer choice, providing regulatory clarity and improving water flow for Americans by restoring Congress\u2019 original intent.\n\nPASSED 226 - 197\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 11 - 197\n\nSupporting Rural America\n\nH.R. 7567 (Thompson-PA) \u2013 the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026: reauthorizes and reforms Department of Agriculture programs through FY2031 to build on pro-farmer provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, deliver certainty and regulatory clarity to farmers, and expand on investments in rural and agricultural communities, prioritizing responsible spending on agriculture without adding to the deficit.\n\nPASSED 224 - 200\n\nRepublicans: 209 - 3\n\nDemocrats: 14 - 197\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nH. Res. 1182 (Fuller) \u2013 expresses support for rural communities across the United States; acknowledges their work to steward the environment, supply energy, produce food, and stabilize the economy; and recognizes the House\u2019s efforts in the 119th Congress to support these communities.\n\nPASSED 220 - 196\n\nRepublicans: 212 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 7 \u2013 196\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nCutting Taxes\n\nH.J. Res 142 (Gill) \u2013 Exercises Congress\u2019 authority to disapprove and prohibit the enactment of the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025, which decouples the D.C. tax code from specific WFTC tax-related provisions and denies local residents and businesses the tax relief they deserve.\n\nPASSED 215 - 210\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 0 - 210\n\nH. Res. 1156 (Kelly-PA) \u2013 expresses support for tax policies that support working families and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money, and recognizes the significant tax relief provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts for hardworking Americans.\n\nPASSED 219 - 207\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 3 - 207\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nCommonsense Reforms\n\nH.R. 139 (Buchanan) \u2013 the Sunshine Protection Act: ends an outdated practice by making daylight savings time permanent. This legislation will lower crime, save Americans time and money, reduce traffic accidents, and encourage the public to get outside.\n\nPASSED 308 - 117\n\nRepublicans: 193 - 22\n\nDemocrats: 114 - 95\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 2988 (Allen) \u2013 The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings, introduced by Rep. Rick Allen, forces financial institutions to focus on maximizing returns in retirement plans instead of woke ESG factors by ensuring financial institutions base investment decisions on economic factors and complete information is provided to retirement investors\n\nPASSED 213 - 205\n\nRepublicans: 210 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 3 - 205\n\nRestoring Trust in Government \u2705\n\nElection Integrity\n\nS. 1383 (Roy) \u2013 SAVE America Act: amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and an eligible photo identification document before voting in federal elections, shoring up our election integrity.\n\nPASSED 218 - 213\n\nRepublicans: 217 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 1 - 213\n\nCutting Red Tape\n\nH.R. 6387 (Evans-CO) \u2013 the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act: amends the Clean Air Act to make sure communities and manufacturers are not penalized for emissions from wildfires, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events when determining compliance with national air quality standards.\n\nPASSED 220 - 198\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 8 - 197\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 6955 (Hill) \u2013 the Main Street Capital Access Act: eases regulations on community banks and credit unions by tailoring regulatory thresholds, increasing transparency among regulators, making regulation more predictable for small banks, and promoting new bank formation.\n\nPASSED 270 - 155 - 1\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 56 - 154 - 1\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 8884 (Scott) \u2013 Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act: allows the SSA to test different program rules to promote work for disabled Americans and improve work outcomes, so that every American can have an equal opportunity to excel in the workforce.\n\nPASSED 232 - 188\n\nRepublicans: 212-0\n\nDemocrats: 19-188\n\nIndependent: 1-0\n\nHolding Government Accountable\n\nH.R. 7008 (Steil) \u2013 Stop Insider Trading Act: prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing securities from publicly traded companies, establish a required window to alert the House Clerk of any intended sale, as well as impose forfeiture of gains and fees for lawmakers\u2019 noncompliance.\n\nPASSED 232 - 198\n\nRepublicans: 218 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 13 - 198\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 8464 (Comer) \u2013 the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act: strengthens the federal payment system by building on oversight of state-administered programs, preventing federal agencies from making payments when an agency has deemed a program to be at an elevated risk for fraud or improper payments, and gives the U.S. Treasury new authority to return payment requests to agencies if they appear to be at risk for fraud.\n\nPASSED 218 - 200\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 6 - 200\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 8312 (Sessions) \u2013 the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act: expands U.S. Treasury Fiscal Service\u2019s financial and program integrity services and establishes a permanent Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery to provide sustained oversight during future national emergencies and maintain the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee\u2019s (PRAC) anti-fraud data analytics tools.\n\nPASSED 240 - 181\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 28 - 181\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 7892 (Owens) \u2013 the No Aid for Ghost Students Act: tackles fraud in student aid by requiring the Secretary of Education to use a detection system to review, identify, and investigate suspicious FAFSA applications before any aid is distributed. The legislation also strengthens accountability by prioritizing audits of schools that recklessly distribute aid to unscreened or suspicious applicants.\n\nPASSED 249 - 172\n\nRepublicans: 212 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 36 - 172\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH. Res. 1335 (Fallon) \u2013 denounces the individuals who abuse and defraud taxpayer dollars and government entities and pledges that reforms which address fraud prevention will meaningfully improve the financial prosperity of the United States, most notably through up-front verification for eligibility before payments are issued.\n\nPASSED 235 - 177\n\nRepublicans: 211 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 23 - 177\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 7726 (Miller-IL) \u2013 the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026: requires HHS to withhold funds from states that repeatedly misuse child care dollars, increases state reporting requirements, codifies fraud standards, and imposes stricter penalties on both states and providers found to have misused funds under the CCDBG program.\n\nPASSED 217 - 207\n\nRepublicans: 212 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 4 - 207\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nProtecting Sportsmen\n\nH.R. 556 (Wittman) \u2013 the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act: stops the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service from banning lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters for hunting and fishing.\n\nPASSED 215 - 202\n\nRepublicans: 208 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 7 - 201\n\nProtecting American Values \u2705\n\nProtecting Constitutional Rights\n\nH.R. 1181 (Moore-WV) \u2013 the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act: prevents the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes, establishing guardrails to ensure financial institutions and credit card companies are not coerced into surveilling customers during constitutionally protected purchases.\n\nPASSED 221 - 201\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 5 - 200\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 1041 (Bost) \u2013 the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act: bars Veterans\u2019 Affairs from giving the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) sensitive information without due process to protect veterans with fiduciaries.\n\nPASSED 216 - 201\n\nRepublicans: 208 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 7 - 200\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nProtecting Children\n\nH.R. 7757 (Guthrie) \u2013 The Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act: protects children online by requiring age verification for adult websites, banning disappearing messages and targeted ads on children\u2019s accounts, creating transparency with AI chatbots, and providing parental controls on kids\u2019 accounts.\n\nPASSED 267-117\n\nRepublicans: 162-32\n\nDemocrats: 104 - 85\n\nIndependents: 1-0\n\nH.R. 2616 (Walberg) \u2013 the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act: ensures parents remain central in their children\u2019s lives by prohibiting federally funded elementary or middle schools from socially transitioning a child \u2013 such as by changing their name, pronouns, or bathroom access \u2013 without parental consent, and blocking federal funding from supporting gender ideology teachings in classrooms.\n\nPASSED 217 - 198\n\nRepublicans: 208 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 8 - 198\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nSupporting Life & Families\n\nH.R. 6359 (Hinson) \u2013 the Pregnant Students\u2019 Rights Act: requires universities and higher education institutions to communicate and distribute information informing pregnant students of their rights, accommodations, and resources available to them.\n\nPASSED 217 - 211\n\nRepublicans: 216 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 1 - 211\n\nH.R. 6945 (Fischbach) \u2013 the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act: prevents the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers that serve new mothers and families that choose life.\n\nPASSED 215 - 209\n\nRepublicans: 214 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 1 - 209\n\nSupporting Veterans\n\nH.R. 6047 (Barrett) \u2013 the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefit Expansion Act: increases disabled veterans\u2019 monthly compensation by $833.33 \u2013 or $10,000 per year. Additionally, compensation for family members of deceased veterans would increase by 1.5% over the next two years. This would provide meaningful relief for over 500,000 veterans and their families for the first time in decades.\n\nPASSED 235 - 179\n\nRepublicans: 204 - 3\n\nDemocrats: 30 - 176\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nFunding the MAGA Agenda \u2705\n\nAppropriations\n\nH.R. 7006 (Cole) \u2013 the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to bolster our national security, implement the President\u2019s America First foreign policy agenda, boost our economy, protect our financial institutions, and restore fiscal responsibility to Washington spending.\n\nPASSED 341 - 79\n\nRepublicans: 188 - 22\n\nDemocrats: 153 - 57\n\nH.R. 7147 (Cole) \u2013 Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, and enhance public safety.\n\nPASSED by Voice Vote\n\nS. Amdts. To H.R. 7148 (Cole) \u2013 The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to put Americans\u2019 safety first, defend our borders, protect the homeland, support American readiness and competitiveness, implement the President\u2019s America First foreign policy agenda, protect our financial institutions, enhance our transportation system, invest in health and education, and restore fiscal responsibility.\n\nPASSED 217 - 214\n\nRepublicans: 196 - 21\n\nDemocrats: 21 \u2013 193\n\nH.R. 8029 (Ciscomani) \u2013 the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, deter and respond to cyber threats, counter terrorism, and enhance public safety.\n\nPASSED 218 - 206\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 4 - 206\n\nH.R. 6938 (Cole) \u2013 the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to strengthen our energy security, secure our communities, reduce bureaucratic environmental red tape, advance critical programs, and implement President Trump\u2019s America-First agenda.\n\nPASSED 397-28\n\nRepublicans: 191-22\n\nDemocrats: 206-6\n\nH.R. 7744 (Cole) \u2013 the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, sponsored by Chairman Tom Cole, makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, deter and respond to cyber threats, counter terrorism and enhance public safety.\n\nPASSED 221 - 209\n\nRepublicans: 217 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 4 - 209\n\nH.R. 8469 (Carter-TX) \u2013 the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027: provides FY27 appropriations to bolster our national defense and critical infrastructure, deliver on veteran care, and improve quality of life for military families.\n\nPASSED 400 - 15\n\nRepublicans: 210 - 0\n\nDemocrats: 189 - 15\n\nIndependent: 1 \u2013 0\n\nH.R. 8646 (Harris-MD) \u2013 the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027: protect Americans\u2019 food and drug supply, prioritize Americans\u2019 health, and equip America to compete against our adversaries, while upholding the GOP\u2019s commitment to fiscal responsibility through regular order appropriations.\n\nPASSED 213 - 210\n\nRepublicans: 208 - 5\n\nDemocrats: 4 - 205\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 8595 (Diaz-Balart) \u2013 the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027: responsibly funds the America First agenda by safeguarding American national security while exercising fiscal discipline in the handling of taxpayer dollars.\n\nPASSED 217 - 209\n\nRepublicans: 215 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 1 - 208\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH.R. 9770 (Cole) \u2013 Continuing Appropriations, 2027: provides funding to crucial programs, including SNAP, WIC, TANF, and disaster relief through the end of the year. This bill will prevent the September 30, 2026 funding lapse while also allowing Congress to complete the appropriations process in regular order.\n\nPASSED 220 - 205\n\nRepublicans: 213 - 1\n\nDemocrats: 6 - 204\n\nIndependent: 1 - 0\n\nH. Con. Res. 113 (Arrington) \u2013 will establish budget guidelines for fiscal year 2027. This critical step towards providing a full reconciliation bill sets guidelines for funding to support our farmers, invest in our troops, and secure American election integrity.\n\nPASSED 216 - 214\n\nRepublicans: 216 - 2\n\nDemocrats: 0 - 211\n\nIndependent: 0 - 1", 1, "2026-07-28T07:37:32Z", "2026-07-28T07:38:50Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/The-Hill-Scalise-Embraces-House-GOP-Elder-Statesman-Role-Amid-Leadership-Shakeup-Speculation", "The Hill: Scalise Embraces House GOP Elder Statesman Role Amid Leadership Shakeup Speculation", "2026-07-24", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This week, The Hill\u2019s Emily Brooks profiled House Majority Leader Steve Scalise\u2019s (R-La.) storied and successful leadership of the House Republican conference as we go into the 2026 midterm elections. Read the full article below or click here.\n\nThe Hill: Scalise embraces House GOP\u2019s elder statesman role amid leadership shake-up speculation\n\nJuly 23, 2026\n\nBy Emily Brooks\n\nHouse Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has reached his peak elder statesman era in President Trump\u2019s second term.\n\nThe No. 2 House Republican has harnessed policymaking lessons from Trump\u2019s rocky first-term trifecta, providing institutional memory that is unique among the conference\u2019s other top leaders who rose to their positions later. At the same time, Scalise has grown his relationship with Trump and enjoyed more cohesive working relationships with leadership colleagues.\n\nThat experience, plus his conservative bona fides and surviving a brush with death in the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, has positioned Scalise to be a top contender for the House GOP\u2019s No. 1 slot should control of the House flip after the midterms. The always-on-message Scalise brushed off that prospect, though, as he expressed optimism about Republicans\u2019 chances of defying history to keep control of the chamber.\n\nIn an interview with The Hill in his Capitol office last week, Scalise said he has a \u201cunique skill set\u201d with his conservative policy wonk roots and history of building trust with Trump. That has helped him most, he said, in pushing major legislation through a historically slim and complicated Republican majority.\n\n\u201cI think that goes back to being chairman of the Republican Study Committee,\u201d Scalise said, referring to the largest policy-minded, traditionally conservative caucus in the House, which he led more than a decade ago before jumping to be GOP whip in 2014.\n\n\u201cYou\u2019ve got to really take it serious and focus on the details, because the details are what matter.\u201d\n\nAs House Republicans last year crafted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended tax cuts and pushed through partisan spending priorities, Scalise was the only member of House Republican leadership who was also in a top leadership position when Republicans crafted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reconciliation bill in Trump\u2019s first term in 2017.\n\n\u201cI learned from the first Trump term that he was not in sync with all of leadership. Some were fighting President Trump,\u201d Scalise said of Trump\u2019s first term, noting the president\u2019s rough relationship with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and saying Trump \u201cdidn\u2019t have the closest relationship\u201d with former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). That dynamic, Scalise said, led to delays in advancing the party\u2019s legislative agenda.\n\n\u201cWe literally wasted the first six months with everybody being on different pages,\u201d Scalise said.\n\nRepublican leaders didn\u2019t want that to happen again if Trump won the 2024 election and started planning months ahead of time what they would do legislatively if the GOP won trifecta control of government. Scalise said he flew to Mar-a-Lago to talk to Trump about those ideas about six months before the election \u2014 and took his suggestions of what kind of policies to add, like the \u201cno tax on tips\u201d provision for qualified tipped workers.\n\n\u201cOur relationship has grown through the years to where we not only trust each other, but he also knows that I have a really good understanding of how the House works,\u201d Scalise said of his relationship with Trump. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to bridge some gaps through some of that trust.\u201d\n\nThen, Scalise got into the policy weeds \u2014 and management of the committee leaders crafting the various aspects of what would eventually get put into the bill, even months ahead of the election.\n\n\u201cI had tasked the committees with very aggressive things to do, but I gave them the clear direction along the way,\u201d Scalise said. \u201cI gave everybody deadlines \u2014 you know, \u2018Get the bills out by these times. These are your target numbers.\u2019\u201d\n\nIn the end, the House GOP was able to overcome infighting made more complicated by the slim Republican majority and deliver the One Big Beautiful Bill Act \u2014 which Republicans and the White House have since worked to rebrand as the Working Families Tax Cuts \u2014 to Trump\u2019s desk by July 4 last year.\n\nThe dynamics in the House GOP have shifted dramatically in Scalise\u2019s nearly two decades in Congress. Narrow margins and emboldened hard-liners have led to out-in-the-open rebellions on legislative items big and small on a near-weekly basis.\n\nScalise said the aim of the leadership team now is to bring different factions of the conference together to help them understand each other\u2019s perspective.\n\n\u201cThey think leadership\u2019s stopping them from getting it, when it\u2019s really other colleagues of theirs that won\u2019t vote for that stuff,\u201d Scalise said. \u201cI said, well, don\u2019t make it be leadership versus everybody else. Have them in the room, sitting across the table from their own colleagues.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can hash out a lot of problems in an hour-and-a-half, two-hour meeting of some yelling and screaming,\u201d Scalise said.\n\nHe doesn\u2019t do that alone. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has also embraced those kinds of meetings, which he dubs \u201cintense fellowship.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Speaker\u2019s got incredible patience. He and I have a great relationship. We\u2019ve known each other for 30 years,\u201d Scalise said. \u201cI do think that helps.\u201d\n\nIt\u2019s no secret on Capitol Hill that Scalise had a complicated relationship with Johnson\u2019s predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), even though they both publicly downplayed the tension. With fellow Louisianan Johnson at the helm, Scalise comes across as more empowered than in the past, though the majority leader declined to characterize it that way.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not going to compare leadership teams. I\u2019m just going to talk about what we\u2019re doing,\u201d Scalise said.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve been in majorities where we had 35-seat majorities where we didn\u2019t get as much done.\u201d\n\nScalise said leaders now try to emphasize to members that they \u201ccan do big things,\u201d but to do so, \u201cwe\u2019re going to have to come together and work through our differences.\u201d\n\nDespite Johnson\u2019s odds-defying performance as Speaker given the slim majority and rebel culture, Republicans widely assume a midterm loss would result in the Speaker exiting from leadership altogether. Johnson recently told The Wall Street Journal he wants to stay in the post if Republicans win but demurred when asked about the possibility of Republicans being relegated to the minority.\n\nScalise, as the current No. 2 Republican, is an obvious contender to take the No. 1 slot if Johnson departs. But members have also speculated about whether House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) would seek the job, and they suspect House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) could make an insurgent bid \u2014 though none of them have confirmed that interest. All three leaders at various points sought to replace McCarthy as Speaker when he was ousted three years ago.\n\nScalise did not directly answer when asked if he would seek to be minority leader. He said people are always asking him: \u201cAre you going to run against this guy? Are you going to run for that thing?\u201d\n\n\u201cAs long as I do this job well, I don\u2019t worry about the next job, and I\u2019ve never done that,\u201d Scalise said. \u201cI know some people walk in the building thinking they\u2019re going to be president of the United States. That\u2019s never been the approach I\u2019ve had.\u201d\n\nHis short-lived bid for Speaker after McCarthy\u2019s ouster was complicated by uncertainty about whether he would be up for the job health-wise.\n\nScalise, 60, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in August 2023. The cancer was described by his office as \u201cvery treatable,\u201d but some Republicans were hesitant to hand him the high-stress, travel-intensive job just a few months later.\n\nHe announced in February 2024 that his cancer was in \u201ccomplete remission\u201d and has traveled extensively on the campaign trail since. Still, scrutiny of high-powered lawmakers\u2019 health issues has increased in the last few years, with instances like former President Biden being pushed to end his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance; Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) refusing to explain his health-related absence for months; and McConnell waiting weeks to fully explain the circumstances of his hospital stay.\n\nBut Scalise\u2019s cancer battle, combined with his emotional and legendary return after surviving the congressional baseball shooting, also displays personal resilience that has endeared him to the rest of the GOP.\n\nThrough tough votes and turbulent internal politics in the Republican Party, Scalise has been a disciplined messenger for Republicans, seemingly incapable of putting his foot in his mouth.\n\n\u201cI know what I need to do,\u201d Scalise said about his message discipline. \u201cWe have got a tough conference, a complicated conference, but you know, you got to work with everybody. But you also have to be candid with him and go, \u2018OK, it\u2019s time. Now it\u2019s time to get on the train.\u2019\u201d\n\nIt helps, he said, that Trump is engaged in the process. The president will ask Scalise to give him names of members to call to get on board \u2014 and while some might see the attention from Trump as a treat, Scalise insisted: \u201cThat\u2019s not a call you want to have.\u201d\n\n\u201cHe\u2019s our best closer for a reason \u2014 because he also knows what he wants to do, and we\u2019re all helping each other achieve the things we ran on,\u201d Scalise said of Trump.", 1, "2026-07-25T07:13:44Z", "2026-07-25T07:15:09Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2925", "Speaker Johnson: Once Again, House Republicans Deliver", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Yesterday, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks following House passage this week of the budget resolution to unlock Reconciliation 3.0, the Stop Insider Trading Act, the FY27 NDAA, and the clean continuing resolution to fund the government through the midterm elections.\n\n\u201cAmericans demand a few things that are common sense. They demand secure elections, they want a strong national defense capable of countering our adversaries, and they want a Congress that plays by the same rules that they do. These are not big things to ask,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cHouse Republicans delivered on all those promises and those priorities this week and then some.\u201d\n\nNearly every House Democrat voted this week against funding the government, securing American elections, funding the United States military, and a ban on Members of Congress profiting from non-public information.\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nBelow are Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\nThis was obviously a consequential week for House Republicans, but it was a very consequential week for the American people. And we've delivered once again.\n\nAmericans demand a few things that are common sense. They demand secure elections. They want a strong national defense capable of countering our adversaries. They want a Congress that plays by the same rules that they do. These are not big things to ask. House Republicans delivered on all those promises and those priorities this week and then some.\n\nBy way of reminder, this is what we did this week. The House Republicans passed the clean CR to keep the government funded responsibly, the Stop Insider Trading Act that bans lawmakers from trading and buying individual stocks and from abusing their office for financial gain, the NDAA to provide a much needed pay raise for our troops and to rebuild the arsenal of freedom, and the budget resolution that unlocks our third reconciliation bill, which of course is Republican's best shot to get as much of the SAVE America Act into law as possible, in addition to funding our national defense and our farmers.\n\nRepublicans support our troops, our farmers and election security. We're the only team in Washington that does. Many of you doubted our success. Many of you standing around me in this gaggle right now said, let me read you a sample of the headlines: \u2018House Republicans face final week gauntlet.\u2019 Another said: \u2018Johnson's rocky sprint to recess.\u2019 Another said it was \u2018Johnson's make or break week.\u2019 Despite nearly every Democrat voting against everything I just read you, House Republicans delivered.\n\nNow, when many of you like to say that major legislating can't happen in an election year, we just proved you wrong. This week, we continue to deliver for the people, and we're going to continue that streak all the way through the end of this year and into the next Congress. We're increasingly confident that we will hold and grow this majority in the House. We must because you're seeing a demonstration of the two sides \u2013 the divergent views for America. We had been saying that this was an election that was shaping up as a contest between common sense and crazy. And now it is literally in many sectors around the country, common sense versus communism.\n\nWe have done our job; we'll continue to do it. Tomorrow, House Republicans will return to their districts armed with a proven track record of success and in these new legislative victories. Democrats, on the other hand, have to go home. They have to answer for quite a bit. They have to answer for why they voted against funding our troops, against funding the government, against common sense policies like voter ID and proof of citizenship, and against a popular ban on Members of Congress purchasing individual stocks.\n\nWe have three and a half months to go until this election. We are going to run through the tape. We're going to continue to demonstrate here every day as we did this week: the Republicans are on the side of the American people, on the side of common sense, on the side of America. The Democrats simply are not. That's a sad reality of where we are and everybody gets to make a choice in the upcoming election. We're very much looking forward to that.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-dunn-craig-champion-improving-care-youth-act", "Reps. Carter, Dunn, Craig Champion the Improving CARE for Youth Act", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), alongside Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL) and Angie Craig (D-MN) introduced the Improving Coordination and Access to Resources Equitably (CARE) for Youth Act. This bipartisan legislation increases access to mental health services for children enrolled in Medicaid.\n\n\u201cThis is a common-sense, no-cost fix that removes a bureaucratic barrier standing between patients and the integrated care model that providers already want to deliver. When a doctor identifies a need for behavioral health support, that patient shouldn't have to wait \u2014 they should be able to see a provider down the hall, right then and there,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cThe Improving CARE for Youth Act allows Medicaid to reimburse for behavioral health and primary care services delivered on the same day, at the same visit. This is lifesaving care for patients when they need it most.\u201d\n\nUnder current Medicaid policy, health care providers generally may only bill for one service per patient per day. As a result, when a child visits a primary care physician and is identified as needing behavioral or mental health services, practices with an integrated mental health provider often cannot bill for both the primary care visit and the same-day mental health service. This outdated billing restriction discourages same-day treatment, forcing many children to schedule a separate appointment and delaying access to critical care.\n\n\u201cOur nation is facing a growing youth mental health crisis, and we should be removing barriers to care, not creating them,\u201d said Rep. Dunn. \u201cAs a physician, I know that early intervention can make a profound difference in a child's long-term health and well-being. Protecting the future of the youth in our country is too important to be hindered by a Medicaid billing restriction. The Improving CARE for Youth Act ensures children can receive the care they need when they need it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are facing a mental health crisis in our country, and we've got to make sure young people have access to the mental health care they need when they need it,\u201d said Rep Craig. \u201cI\u2019m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan bill alongside my colleagues that will remove barriers to mental health care for children on Medicaid and ensure a better future for our kids and grandkids.\u201d\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-24T07:30:11Z", "2026-07-24T07:31:13Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/23/higgins-outlines-strategy-to-pass-the-save-america-act-through-senate/", "Higgins\u00a0Outlines Strategy to Pass\u00a0the\u00a0SAVE America Act\u00a0through Senate", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued a statement urging the U.S. Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote and require photo identification before voting.\n\n\u201cConservatives in the House of Representatives consider the SAVE America Act to be a non-negotiable, nation-saving piece of legislation. When polled, mandatory voter ID is repeatedly supported by over 70 percent of Americans. Yet some Senators seem indifferent to the will of the American people. The House of Representatives\u2019 hard work on this core issue has produced a 3-track legislative opportunity for the Senate to get the job done.\n\nI, alongside Members of the House Freedom Caucus, have been in constant communication with House Leadership, a handful of true conservatives in the Senate, and the Trump Administration regarding the SAVE America Act to force performance in the U.S. Senate on this critical piece of legislation. We have passed several versions of this legislation through multiple vehicles, and we call on our colleagues in the upper chamber to push it across the finish line. We demand a fight for the SAVE America Act in the Senate.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nSince President Trump took office in January 2025, and the 119th Congress began, the House has sent several versions of the SAVE America Act to the Senate:\n\nThe House passed the SAVE America Act as a standalone bill on April 10, 2025, and sent it to the Senate.\n\nThe House passed the SAVE America Act on February 11, 2026, as an amendment to S. 1313 and sent it to the Senate.\n\nThe House sent the SAVE America Act to the Senate on July 15, 2026, alongside the FY27 State Department Funding bill.\n\nThe House sent the SAVE America Act to the Senate on July 22, 2026, alongside the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\nThe House sent voter ID provisions from the SAVE America Act to the Senate on July 22, 2026, as a section of the Stop Insider Trading Act.\n\nThe House passed instructions to include the SAVE America Act on July 22, 2026, as part of the Budget Reconciliation Framework.", 1, "2026-07-25T07:13:44Z", "2026-07-25T07:15:09Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/23/higgins-works-with-louisiana-farm-bureau-to-modernize-usda-program/", "Higgins\u00a0Works with Louisiana Farm Bureau to Modernize USDA Program", "2026-07-23", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) introduced H.R. 9781, the Defend American Agriculture Act, legislation that raises the borrowing authority of the U.S. Department of Agriculture\u2019s (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) from $30 billion to $45 billion through September 2031. Read the bill text here.\n\nThe CCC is the primary financing arm that USDA uses to fund programs crucial to American farmers. However, the borrowing cap has been frozen at $30 billion since 1987 and is insufficient for modern farm costs. The proposed increase would give USDA more capacity to deliver commodity support, disaster assistance, conservation funding, and export promotion for American farmers and ranchers.\n\n\u201cWith the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation\u2019s strong advocacy behind it, the Defend American Agriculture Act will help ensure our farmers can keep food on Americans\u2019 tables,\u201d said Congressman Higgins. \u201cOur farmers and ranchers have faced rising costs over the past four decades, and modernizing this outdated program is necessary to give our producers the support they need.\u201d", 1, "2026-07-25T07:13:44Z", "2026-07-25T07:15:09Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/22/higgins-asks-fbi-to-examine-orleans-parish-grand-jury-indictment-of-la-ag-murrill/", "Higgins Asks FBI to Examine Orleans Parish Grand Jury Indictment of LA AG Murrill", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel earlier this month, requesting an investigation into the indictment of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill by an Orleans Parish grand jury. In the letter, he pointed to the suspicious origin of the case and irregularities with the grand jury\u2019s proceedings as necessitating federal review. Read the letter here.\n\nCongressman Higgins\u2019 letter was delivered on July 3, 2026, shortly after a Louisiana Supreme Court decision to issue a stay and halt the indictment. The decision cited \u201cdisturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and in the trial court\u2019s handling of those proceedings.\u201d", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/22/higgins-secures-louisiana-wins-in-fy27-national-defense-authorization-act/", "Higgins Secures Louisiana Wins in FY27 National Defense Authorization Act", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the passage of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2027.\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA strengthens America\u2019s standing as the most powerful military force the world has ever known. President Trump has brought new meaning to the term \u2018Peace Through Strength.\u2019 This legislation provides American warfighters with the tools they need to win in any conflict, anywhere around the world. As I ascend in seniority on the Armed Services Committee, we will continue to perform for the country and fight for Louisiana priorities.\u201d\n\nIn his role on the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Higgins helped secure many provisions in this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act that will directly benefit Louisiana. These include:\n\n$259M for Yard, Repair, Berthing, and Messing (YRBM) barge craft.\n\n$152M for the procurement of US Navy 40-foot Patrol Boats.\n\n$5M for Louisiana industry to develop unmanned Arctic-capable vessels.\n\n$35M for defense technology innovation programs in partnership with the Louisiana Defense Research Consortium (LDRC) and UL-Lafayette.\n\nLanguage directing the Navy to develop and report on clear performance standards for integrating mission payloads onto unmanned surface vessels (USVs).\n\n$125M for the Platform Supply Vessel Program to support offshore maritime logistics.\n\nLanguage directing the Navy to evaluate the industrial base\u2019s maintenance, logistics, and sustainment capacity needed to support large unmanned undersea vehicles.\n\n$733M for the Ship to Shore Connector program. The NDAA also authorizes advanced procurement for the Ship to Shore Connector program to maintain its production schedule.\n\nLanguage directing a Navy and U.S. Marine Corps study to inform future requirements for advanced reconnaissance vessels for constituent shipbuilders.\n\n$7M for aerial computer sensor manufacturing in Louisiana.\n\nLanguage directing the Navy to develop a strategy to maintain a competitive and resilient unmanned surface vessel (USV) industrial base.\n\nSupport for design and testing of USVs operating in contested environments.\n\nSupporting continuity of mission and readiness during the transition of F-5 to F/A18 fighter aircraft which will directly benefit Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.\n\n$53M for M917A3 heavy dump trucks for the Louisiana National Guard.\n\nLanguage directing the Army to assess how autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs) could protect U.S. watercraft in contested environments.\n\nAuthorization for the Louisiana National Guard and Navy Reserve to procure F-15EX fighter jets.\n\n$70M for 48-meter autonomous M3OPVs, supporting the Pentagon rapid prototyping initiative for autonomous vessels in contested logistics environments.\n\n$25M to modernize B-52 Agile Pod systems at Barksdale Air Force Base.\n\nLanguage requiring a quality-of-life assessment for the garrison at Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.\n\n$916M for funding additional C-130J aircraft for the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.\n\nLanguage directing, when possible, the domestic production and sourcing of critical minerals for defense supply chains.\n\nLanguage prohibiting the procurement of vehicles and vehicle technologies from adversarial nations like China and Russia.\n\n$25M for the development of a directed energy satellite missile defense system.\n\n$133M and report language for advancing sea-based petroleum distribution systems.\n\n$13.5M for maneuverable spacecraft prototyping to support the U.S. Space Force.\n\nLanguage establishing the National Guard Homeland Defense Service Ribbon for personnel engaged in missions to protect federal personnel and property, support law enforcement, secure the border, and restore public order.\n\nLanguage directing the U.S. Census Bureau to coordinate with the Department of War to provide an accurate count of personnel living on U.S. military installations, to prevent undercounting for congressional apportionment.\n\nCongressman Higgins also worked with his colleagues to align this year\u2019s NDAA with President Trump\u2019s agenda, securing the following conservative victories:", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2922", "House Passes the Stop Insider Trading Act", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson today released the following statement after House Republicans passed H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act.\n\n\u201cFor too long, Americans struggling to make ends meet have watched as lawmakers have entered office just to leave as multi-millionaires. This type of behavior is unacceptable and diminishes the American people\u2019s trust in this institution. Today, with passage of the Stop Insider Trading Act, House Republicans took a critically important step to restore that faith and trust in both Congress and American elections.\n\n\u201cThe Stop Insider Trading Act does exactly what it says. This legislation bans Members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks from publicly traded companies, helps prevent public officials from profiting from inside information, and ensures that voters must show a valid ID when they go to the polls to vote. Despite these commonsense measures enjoying supermajority support among the American people, Democrats overwhelmingly voted against this legislation. While Democrats talk about rooting out corruption, Republicans are taking action and delivering real results.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2923", "House Republicans Pass Budget Resolution Unlocking Legislation to Secure American Elections and Strengthen Our Homeland", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer, and Chairwoman McClain today released the following statement after House passage of the Budget Resolution for Reconciliation 3.0 \u2014 the SAVE and Protect America Act:\n\n\u201cToday, House Republicans passed the Budget Resolution for Reconciliation 3.0 \u2014 the SAVE and Protect America Act \u2014 which puts Congressional Republicans on a path to enacting two fundamentally simple and crucial goals: securing American elections and strengthening our homeland by providing supplemental funding requested by the Administration to support our national defense and protect our nation\u2019s food supply. After the Senate passes this Budget Resolution, our House Committees will begin the process of drafting and passing the SAVE and Protect America Act. This Budget Resolution is our best shot at enacting as much of the SAVE America Act into law as possible. This is a bill that every Republican in Congress can and should get behind.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2924", "House Republicans Are Rebuilding the Arsenal of Freedom", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson released the following statement after House passage of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027.\n\n\u201cThe FY27 National Defense Authorization Act will ensure America maintains the most lethal, most dynamic, most capable fighting force in the world. This year\u2019s NDAA builds on key investments in the Working Families Tax Cuts as Republicans lead the charge to restore America\u2019s military dominance and rebuild the arsenal of freedom.\n\n\u201cThis legislation provides our brave servicemembers with an overdue pay raise, strengthens our nuclear deterrence and missile defense \u2013 including construction of the Golden Dome \u2013 cuts $30 billion in wasteful spending, and revitalizes America\u2019s defense industrial base to secure our safety, security, and prosperity. The NDAA also advances President Trump\u2019s peace through strength agenda by codifying over 65 of the Trump Administration\u2019s executive orders and legislative proposals.\n\n\u201cIn an increasingly dangerous world, we are reminded of President Reagan\u2019s admonition that freedom is not passed along in the bloodstream; it must be fought for and protected so the next generation may enjoy the same level of security and opportunity we have known. And that starts in Congress. Safeguarding our liberties by providing for our common defense is one of our most basic responsibilities as elected representatives, and this year\u2019s NDAA meets the moment.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-house-republicans-are-delivering-results-while-democrats-continue-to-obstruct", "Scalise: House Republicans Are Delivering Results While Democrats Continue to Obstruct", "2026-07-22", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today on the House floor, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) contrasted House Republicans' record of lowering costs, strengthening border security, combatting fraud, and advancing election integrity with Democrats' continued opposition to those priorities. Leader Scalise also pointed to recent reports that New Jersey identified more than 6,600 noncitizens on its voter rolls as evidence of the need for stronger election integrity measures.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-07-23T07:31:02Z", "2026-07-23T07:32:26Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/21/higgins-legislation-cracking-down-on-toxic-foreign-imports-passes-house/", "Higgins\u2019 Legislation Cracking Down on Toxic Foreign Imports Passes House", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2715, the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act.\n\nCongressman Higgins and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) introduced the legislation in April 2025. The bill would authorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to destroy imported products that pose significant health risks. Read the bill text here.\n\nThe legislation comes amid reports of toxic, radioactive seafood entering U.S. ports, as well as health risks posed by illegal foreign-made vapes, both of which would be subject to destruction under this bill. Currently, the FDA can destroy dangerous imported medicine and medical devices, but not food, which allows foreign vessels turned away at one port to unload their cargo at another. While originally crafted to address seafood imports, H.R. 2715 would close this loophole across the board, preventing hazardous products of all kinds from entering U.S. markets.\n\n\u201cThe House is prioritizing the health and safety of the American people by ensuring that predatory foreign actors are not offloading harmful products at our ports,\u201d said Rep. Clay Higgins. \u201cOur bill empowers the FDA to destroy contaminated products, a necessary step to ensure radioactive seafood and counterfeit goods are not reaching American consumers. We are protecting the American people and domestic industry.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation will protect Louisiana\u2019s health and support our seafood economy. By granting the FDA the necessary authority to destroy food products that fail to meet our strict health and safety standards, we are closing a dangerous loophole that has allowed contaminated seafood to enter our markets,\u201d said Rep. Troy Carter, Sr. \u201cThis bill protects consumers from potential health risks and upholds the integrity of our food supply chain, while supporting Louisiana fishermen and seafood processors.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo one should be surprised that foreign exporters choose to ship contaminated food to the U.S. market if the worst that can happen is that the product is returned to them by the FDA,\u201d said Blake Price, Executive Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance. \u201cThis loophole in the law has unintentionally incentivized the flooding of our market with foreign shrimp containing banned antibiotics, harmful pathogens, and, most recently, radioactive substances that undercut hard-working U.S. shrimpers. The American shrimp industry is incredibly grateful for the leadership of Congressmen Clay Higgins and Troy Carter in advancing the Destruction of Hazardous Imports Act, common sense, bipartisan legislation that closes the loophole and gives the FDA authority to destroy goods that pose a significant threat to public health.\u201d", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-statement-upcoming-congressional-election", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS' STATEMENT ON THE UPCOMING CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Cleo Fields released the following statement regarding his decision about the upcoming congressional election:\n\n\u201cAfter a great deal of prayer and reflection, I have decided not to seek re-election to Congress, in the 6th District or any other district in Louisiana. Instead, I will be running to fill the unexpired term for the State Senate in the 14th District. I feel my calling to serve the people is better put to use back home than here in D.C., and I intend to answer that call.\u201d\n\nCongressman Fields will be holding a press conference this Friday at 10 am in Baton Rouge, LA, location to be announced, with more details on his decision. For any questions, comments, or inquiries, please reach out to sydney.broome@mail.house.gov, or (202) 843-2045.", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2919", "Speaker Johnson: Reconciliation 3.0 is Essential to Election Integrity and National Security", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson previewed House Republicans\u2019 consequential week ahead and highlighted Republican efforts to secure American elections and provide for our national defense through the SAVE and Protect America Act. Speaker Johnson also discussed House Republicans taking action to responsibly fund the government, avoid yet another Democrat shutdown, and stop the threat of insider trading in Congress.\n\n\u201cNumber one: secure American elections by passing the SAVE America Act into law, as much of that as possible, that's the objective. Number two: protect and strengthen our homeland. And how do we do that? We'll be providing supplemental funding in line with the Administration's request to support our national defense and our farmers,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWhy is this necessary? Because Democrats have yet again refused to work with Republicans on basic election integrity and strengthening our nation's defense.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full remarks here.\n\nOn Republican efforts to secure American elections and provide for national defense:\n\nOn reconciliation this week, of course, we're going to move the ball forward on Reconciliation 3.0. We\u2019ll pass our budget resolution, send it to the Senate. As a reminder, this legislative vehicle is our best shot at accomplishing two key objectives of the people of this country. These are very popular and important and necessary objectives. Number one: secure American elections by passing the SAVE America Act into law, as much of that as possible, that's the objective. Number two: protect and strengthen our homeland. And how do we do that? We'll be providing supplemental funding in line with the Administration's request to support our national defense and our farmers. Why is this necessary? Because Democrats have yet again refused to work with Republicans on basic election integrity and strengthening our nation's defense. As always, Republicans support our troops, our farmers and election integrity and we will demonstrate that again this week.\n\nOn Republicans preventing yet another Democrat government shutdown:\n\nLater today, House Republicans are going to move closer to responsibly funding the government as well. We're going to pass a totally clean, very simple continuing resolution that will fund the government through November. The CR is as clean as they come. There are no poison pills. There's no maneuvers, there's nothing other than a simple extension of current funding levels. Now this is going to be one to watch. Unfortunately, given the Democrats have already forced the two longest government shutdowns in American history in this Congress \u2013 one of them for 78 days \u2013 they've already demonstrated they don't care what kind of pain they inflict on the American people.\n\nThey do this to try to score political points. I think they're making the wrong calculation here. Republicans are under no illusions about Democrats' intentions ahead of a very consequential midterm election. Today's Democrat Party, I think they have a very false impression. They think that they can score political points by trying to inflict pain. It's not going to work. They\u2019ve shown there's nothing they love more than a government shutdown as tens of millions of Americans head to the polls in November. But this clean CR is an opportunity for both sides. They have an opportunity to demonstrate they're committed to responsibly funding the government through November. And again, I bet you, they don't help us on it. If the Democrats can't support that, this basic principle, then they alone are going to own the chaos that ensues if the government shuts down after September 30th.\n\nOn the Stop Insider Trading Act plus Voter ID:\n\nThis week, House Republicans are going to take an important step to restore Americans' faith and trust in Congress and in American elections with the Stop Insider Trading Act. As Leader Scalise noted, this is something the American people have been very interested in for a long, long time. We have finally cobbled together what we believe is the vote coalition to make that happen. I want to commend the good work of the House Administration Committee and Chairman Bryan Steil for their quarterbacking of this collaborative effort. And they've drafted a bill that I think is really, really well done. Too often, Americans struggling to make ends meet have watched as lawmakers have entered office to leave as multimillionaires. There's a handful of glaring examples. A couple of those people are still serving, notably on the Democrat side.\n\nThe Stop Insider Trading Act does exactly what it says. It bans Members of Congress from purchasing individual stocks from publicly traded companies, and it helps prevent public officials from profiting from inside information. It's a very logical thing to do. The bill also includes a very common sense and popular provision to ensure that voters must show a valid ID when they go to the polls to vote. Virtually all Republicans support that commonsense measure, and over 70% of Democrats do, as acknowledged most recently by Chuck Schumer himself. And yet, watch, I bet you, not a single Democrat in the House or Senate will support these measures. Democrats only talk about corruption. Republicans are actually delivering real solutions to restore the public's faith in our institutions because we believe in this country. We believe in our matchless Constitution that is the envy of everybody around the world. And we believe on the 250th anniversary, now is it a very important time to stand on that.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2920", "Speaker Johnson Welcomes The Right Honorable Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, to U.S. Capitol", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Speaker Johnson hosted The Right Honorable Sir Lindsay Hoyle, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons, for a bilateral meeting at the U.S. Capitol. Their meeting follows Speaker Johnson\u2019s visit to the House of Commons in January, when he became the first U.S. Speaker to address the British Parliament. Both Speaker Johnson and Speaker Hoyle delivered brief remarks following their meeting.\n\n\u201cToday, here in our nation's Capitol, we are certainly proud to celebrate America's unique bond and the enduring friendship that we have with the British people,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cThe United States and the United Kingdom are two of the most exceptional nations the world has ever known, and together, we form the single greatest force for advancing human freedom and preserving the values of western civilization.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full remarks here.\n\nBelow are Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\nGood afternoon, everyone. It's a tremendous privilege of mine personally and officially to welcome the Speaker of the U.K. Parliament, The Right Honorable, Sir Lindsay Hoyle. We've become friends over these last couple of years and have done many events together. And I'm just delighted to welcome him and his wife, Lady Hoyle, to the United States Capitol.\n\nIt's his first visit here, which I'm surprised by, but we're certainly delighted to have him. In January, as part of America's Semiquincentennial celebration, I had the profound honor of visiting and addressing the Parliament in the U.K. I was the first U.S. Speaker of the House ever allowed to do so. And we so enjoyed that.\n\nSpeaker Hoyle graciously hosted my wife, Kelly, and me and our team. Today here in our nation's Capitol, we are certainly proud to celebrate America's unique bond and the enduring friendship that we have with the British people. The United States and the United Kingdom are two of the most exceptional nations the world has ever known, and together, we form the single greatest force for advancing human freedom and preserving the values of Western civilization.\n\nSpeaker Hoyle and I believe wholeheartedly in that special relationship as it is called. We'll continue to be a beacon for liberty and freedom. That's the resolve that both nations have just as it has throughout our history. And this visit reaffirms that shared hope and commitment that we have.\n\nFinally, I'd like to address my well wishes to the newly appointed British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who just took office yesterday. I'm hopeful this new government can work together with the United States to advance the shared interest and the priorities of our people. We thank you for being here and I will yield the podium to the other Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-house-republicans-advance-agenda-to-strengthen-affordability-security-and-trust", "Scalise: House Republicans Advance Agenda to Strengthen Affordability, Security, and Trust", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined CNBC\u2019s Squawk Box to preview a busy week in the House, outlining House Republicans' agenda to keep the government open, strengthen election integrity, reform congressional stock trading, support America's military, and lower costs for American families. Leader Scalise also contrasted Republicans' focus on delivering commonsense solutions with Democrats' embrace of radical collectivist policies that would raise costs and undermine America's security.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-house-republicans-offer-a-clear-contrast-on-freedom-security-and-affordability", "Scalise: House Republicans Offer a Clear Contrast on Freedom, Security, and Affordability", "2026-07-21", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) to highlight the growing divide within the Democrat Party as far-left candidates gain momentum while House Republicans continue advancing legislation to strengthen election integrity, support national security, lower costs, and keep the government open.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-07-22T07:34:13Z", "2026-07-22T07:35:16Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/17/higgins-legislation-naming-lafayette-va-clinic-after-veteran-rodney-c-hamilton-sr-passes-house/", "Higgins\u2019 Legislation Naming\u00a0Lafayette VA Clinic after Veteran Rodney C. Hamilton Sr. Passes House", "2026-07-17", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) issued a statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 6963, legislation designating the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the \u201cRodney C. Hamilton Sr. VA Clinic.\u201d\n\n\u201cRodney Hamilton dedicated his life and career in service to the United States of America and our Veterans. His lifelong advocacy made it possible to establish Lafayette\u2019s state-of-the-art VA clinic, and it is fitting that every Veteran assisted by this clinic will know his name,\u201d said Rep. Higgins. \u201cI am proud to have led this Louisiana delegation effort, and look forward to its swift passage in the Senate.\u201d\n\nLouisiana delegation members Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), Congresswoman Julia Letlow (R-LA), Congressman Cleo Fields (D-LA), and Congressman Troy Carter (D-LA) are co-sponsors of the legislation. Supporting organizations include the American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans state chapters. Read the full text here.\n\nCongressman Higgins led debate in favor of the legislation on the House floor before it passed unanimously by voice vote. Watch his full remarks here.\n\nRodney Hamilton was born in 1932 in Fort Worth, Texas, and moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1948, where he would reside until his death in 2020. At the age of 17, Hamilton joined the Marine Corps and served in the Korean War. He was wounded in combat in September 1951 and was awarded the Purple Heart. After his tenure in the Marine Corps, Hamilton became a Lafayette community leader. He served in Lafayette\u2019s city government from 1968-1972 and later founded the Southwest Louisiana Veterans Action Coalition.\n\nAs a longtime Veterans advocate, Hamilton played a crucial role in establishing the VA clinic in Lafayette, which opened in 2016. The road leading to the Lafayette VA Clinic was named in Hamilton\u2019s honor in 2017.", 1, "2026-07-18T06:58:50Z", "2026-07-18T07:00:34Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/16/higginsreintroduces-legislation-to-combat-computer-generated-comment-abuse-in-federal-rulemaking/", "Higgins Reintroduces Legislation to Combat Computer-Generated Comment Abuse in Federal Rulemaking", "2026-07-16", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) reintroduced H.R. 9643, the Comment Integrity and Management Act, legislation to protect the federal rulemaking process by requiring agencies to verify that public comments are submitted by humans. Read the bill text here.\n\nThis legislation responds to the growing usage of artificial intelligence and automated tools to flood agencies with large volumes of computer-generated comments. These tactics dilute the views of legitimate individuals and can lead to a false sense of public opinion. The bill was previously passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2024.", 1, "2026-07-17T07:15:58Z", "2026-07-18T07:00:34Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2918", "Speaker Johnson on Reconciliation 3.0: Safeguarding American Elections is Important to the American People and it\u2019s Important for the Future", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This afternoon, Speaker Johnson delivered remarks following House Republicans\u2019 conference meeting with Vice President J.D. Vance regarding the budget resolution for Congressional Republicans third reconciliation bill \u2014 the SAVE and Protect America Act.\n\n\u201cIt's our best shot at enacting our party's top priority legislation, the SAVE America Act. It is important to the American people and it's important to the future. And there is nothing in this bill that every Republican in Congress cannot proudly get behind,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cRepublicans support election integrity, our troops, and of course our farmers, and this vehicle will demonstrate all of that.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full remarks here.\n\nBelow are Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\nWe just had a great meeting with the House Republican Conference. We\u2019re delighted to have been joined by the Vice President, J.D Vance. You'll hear from him in just a moment. What we were here to address today, what you're all here to hear about is we're moving forward with Reconciliation 3.0 this morning. After many months of deliberation and discussion and contemplation, the House Budget Committee is moving forward with the budget resolution that will get us to Reconciliation 3.0.\n\nLet me tell you a few of the details about it. Given the Democrats\u2019 absolute refusal to work with us on the nation's top priorities \u2013 and that includes election integrity and strengthening our nation's defense \u2013 we\u2019re moving forward with a narrow, streamlined package to deliver on some of America's top priorities. It is a sad situation. This is where we are; Republicans have to do this on our own.\n\nThe budget resolution instructs four House committees to write Reconciliation 3.0. Those committees are the House Administration Committee, House Armed Services Committee, House Agriculture, and House Intelligence Committee. Each of them will have an important component part of it. The forthcoming reconciliation legislation sets out to accomplish two very important goals: one, to secure America's elections. We're going to pass the SAVE America Act into law as much of that as possible. The SAVE America Act ensures, as you know, that voters have proof of citizenship to register to vote, and they show a valid ID when they turn up to vote at the ballot box. These commonsense policies are reported by 83% of the American people. It's almost a 9 out of 10 public opinion poll in most of the polls that you look at.\n\nThe second objective is to protect and strengthen our homeland. How will we do that? We will provide supplemental funding for our troops with the Administration's request to support national defense and our farmers. That's very important stuff. The Budget Committee is scheduled to vote this budget resolution out of committee tomorrow, and we will pass it through the House next week. We'll send it to the Senate, and then they will pass it before the August district work period. After the Senate passes the budget resolution, our four instructed House committees can go to work to write the reconciliation bill itself. We're looking forward to this process. We intend for this to be a law-making exercise, which means the House and the Senate both have to pass the bill, and of course, the President signs it into law.\n\nThis budget resolution, which kickstarts Reconciliation 3.0 is a process. It's our best shot at enacting our party's top priority legislation, the SAVE America Act. It is important to the American people and it's important to the future. There is nothing in this bill that every Republican in Congress cannot proudly get behind. Republicans support election integrity, our troops, and of course our farmers, and this vehicle will demonstrate all of that. Once again, we're delighted again to have been joined by our Vice President who had a lot to say to the Republicans. They're very encouraged \u2013 he got multiple standing ovations. It's a good day to be a Republican.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-statement-massie-amendment-limiting-funding-israel", "Congressman Carter Statement on Massie Amendment Limiting Funding for Israel", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cI have always supported Israel\u2019s right to defend itself against Hamas and other terrorist organizations that threaten its people. Israel has the right to live in peace and security, and nothing in my position should be interpreted otherwise.\n\n\u201cBut our support for an ally does not mean we should remain silent when innocent lives are being lost on such a devastating scale. The deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians, especially women and children, the destruction of homes, hospitals, schools, and vital infrastructure, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis demand that we speak with both honesty and compassion.\n\n\u201cIn my view, Prime Minister Netanyahu\u2019s government has impeded efforts toward peace and protecting innocent civilians, including from violent attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. America has both the right and the responsibility to ensure that our assistance reflects our values and our commitment to human rights.\n\n\u201cFor that reason, I am supporting Representative Thomas Massie\u2019s amendment. It is a vote for accountability. It is a vote to say that American support should encourage peace, protect innocent lives, and advance the values we stand for as a nation.\n\n\u201cI continue to support the immediate release of every hostage, a permanent ceasefire, the full delivery of humanitarian aid, and renewed negotiations that lead to two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace, security, and mutual respect.\n\n\u201cThe people of Israel and Palestine deserve to live with dignity and hope. We cannot allow another generation of children to grow up surrounded by violence and loss.\n\n\u201cI believe in the long-term partnership that the American people have with the people of Israel and in America\u2019s enduring commitment to a more peaceful, stable, and secure Middle East. That future must include dignity, security, and self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians. I firmly state that the policies of the Netanyahu government cannot continue.\n\n\u201cPeace is never easy. But it is always worth pursuing. That is the future I will continue to work toward.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-budzinski-lead-125-lawmakers-opposing-trump-administrations", "Reps. Carter, Budzinski Lead 125 Lawmakers in Opposing Trump Administration\u2019s Extreme Federal Grantmaking Proposed Rule", "2026-07-15", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Representatives Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) recently sent a letter to Director Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in strong opposition to the Office of Management and Budget's proposed rule to overhaul how federal grants are awarded and administered, impacting over $1 trillion in annual Federal awards.\n\n\u201cThis proposal would represent the most sweeping and destructive transformation of the federal financial assistance system in modern history and would subordinate nonpartisan, merit-based grantmaking to political control, exposing the entire framework to serious constitutional challenge,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cWith more than $1 trillion in annual Federal awards at stake, the consequences would be felt by every state, federally recognized tribe, city, county, research university, hospital, and countless nonprofits, community organizations, and private firms that deliver critical scientific studies and essential public services.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers oppose the proposed rule and urge OMB to withdraw this rulemaking in full.\n\nThis sweeping, partisan, and ideologically driven rewrite of federal grants guidance would, if finalized, overhaul and politicize the entire federal funding regime in America. As outlined in the letter, this proposal would:\n\nConcentrate political control over federal spending, reducing objective peer review of research funding to a non-binding suggestion;\n\nUndermine constitutionally protected rights by requiring compliance with vague, sweeping prohibitions on projects that may include references to \u201cunlawful DEI,\u201d \u201cgender ideology,\" and \u201creligious discrimination;\u201d\n\nDisrupt billions of dollars in existing awards and programs; and\n\nIncrease the compliance burden on the organizations and governments that serve the public.\n\n\u201cThis proposal would hand political appointees unprecedented power to decide which communities deserve access to federal funding that Congress has already approved. Federal grants should be awarded based on law, peer-reviewed science, and community need\u2014not political fealty,\u201d said Jillian Blanchard, Senior Vice President of Climate Change and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government. \u201cIf finalized, this rule would put critical investments in public health, disaster resilience, clean energy, and infrastructure at risk while significantly increasing administrative burdens to the entire federal funding regime. We stand with Congressman Carter in opposing this dangerous proposal and defending a grants system that serves the American people and provides critical funding where it\u2019s needed most.\u201d\n\n\u201cInstead of working to better the lives of the American people, protect public health, and ensure clean air and water for all, the Trump administration is pursuing yet another reckless, short-sighted, and ideologically motivated power-grab,\u201d said Earthjustice Action Senior Legislative Representative Liz Ruben. \u201cWe thank Representatives Troy Carter, Nikki Budzinski, and the over 120 members of Congress who joined them on this letter for standing up for our communities and opposing this dangerous effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cRepresentatives Carter and Budzinski are right to sound the alarm about this sweeping effort to politicize federal grants. OMB\u2019s proposal would allow political appointees to override expert review, disrupt existing awards, and make it harder for communities to secure the funding they need to protect public health and serve the public. We are grateful to every member of Congress standing with them to defend a fair, evidence-based grant system,\u201d said Michelle Roos, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Network.\n\n\u201cGiving political appointees the ability to bury real science and funnel federal research money toward disinformation won't make the problems we face go away, but instead, leave us dangerously unprepared to face very real threats,\u201d said Margie Alt, director of the Climate Action Campaign. \u201cTrump's Polluters First Agenda relies on ignoring the fact that the same fossil fuels causing the climate crisis are also making Trump's industry allies billions in profits. We are grateful to the more than 120 Members for standing up for scientific integrity, and for our lives.\u201d\n\nAdditional lawmakers signing onto the effort include Reps. Gabe Amo (D-RI), Becca Balint (D-VT), Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ami Bera (D-CA), Donald Beyer (D-VA) Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Shontel Brown (D-OH), Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-IN), Ed Case (D-HI), Sean Casten (D-IL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Gilbert Cisneros (D-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Herbert Conaway (D-NJ), Lou Correa (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Sharice Davids (D-KS), Danny Davis (D-IL), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Christopher Deluzio (D-PA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Maxine Dexter (D-OR), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Dwight Evans (D-PA), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), Bill Foster (D-IL), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Laura Friedman (D-CA), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Val Hoyle (D-OR), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Henry \u201cHank\u201d Johnson (D-GA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Timothy Kennedy (D-NY), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Greg Landsman (D-OH), John Larson (D-CT), George Latimer (D-NY), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), John Mannion (D-NY), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Sarah McBride (D-DE), April McClain Delaney (D-MD), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Analilia Mejia (D-NJ), Christian Menefee (D-TX), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Dave Min (D-CA), Joseph Morelle (D-NY), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Scott Peters (D-CA), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Josh Riley (D-NY), Luz Rivas (D-CA), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Patrick Ryan (D-NY), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Adam Smith (D-WA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Mark Takano (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Dina Titus (D-NV), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Lori Trahan (D-MA), Juan Vargas (D-CA), Gabe Vasquez (D-NM), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), George Whitesides (D-CA), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).\n\nThis letter is endorsed by Lawyers for Good Government, Environmental Protection Network, Climate Action Campaign, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, United Auto Workers (UAW), Oncology Advocates United for Climate and Health (OUCH) \u2013 International, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Committee to Protect Public Mental Health, Physicians for Social Responsibility/Maine, Physicians for Social Responsibility/Texas, Physicians for Social Responsibility/San Francisco, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Medical Students for a Sustainable Future.\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-16T07:21:44Z", "2026-07-16T07:23:13Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2917", "Speaker Johnson on the Rise of Radical Communists in the Democrat Party: \u201cThe Barbarians are Inside the Gate\u201d", "2026-07-14", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson joined Leader Scalise, Chairwoman McClain, and Rep. Carlos Gimenez \u2013 whose family fled communism in Cuba \u2013 in highlighting the horrors of socialism and communism. Speaker Johnson also addressed the rise of anti-American, communist candidates currently taking over the Democrat Party.\n\n\u201cThis philosophy has led to the murder of tens of millions of innocent people in the 20th century alone. It is a nightmare and is a trail to certain death. And that's why we're speaking in such stark terms, because we need America to wake up,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201c35 years ago, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the Reagan years, they were fighting communism on a distant shore. Now it's here.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full remarks here.\n\nOn the rise of socialist, communist Democrat candidates:\n\nWe\u2019re fighting right now in Congress over whether we're going to maintain our status as a constitutional republic or we're going to trade that in, dismantle the foundations and go down this dark road of death to communism. That is the question on the ballot this fall. Now, the DSA published their platform \u2013 I hope you're all covering it. I hope you're writing in depth about their platform. I read it out loud at event a few weeks ago, and they've made an ad mocking me reading their platform. Now, they didn't put the clips with the worst parts of it. Well, of course they want to pack the Supreme Court, and they want a unicameral legislature. They want the House to run everything; abolish the Senate, because they believe the House would be run by Marxists communists. They want to remove the President. What they also want to do is abolish all borders. They don't want any borders. They want mass amnesty granted to anyone who can come onto our shores without exception, even for terrorists and hardened, dangerous criminals. They don't want prisons. It's in their platform. They want to remove the carceral state. They said no prisons. They don't want to fund the police. This is not a game. Everybody needs to understand. These crazy little mini-Mamdani\u2019s who are popping up all around the country; they are a danger to you and your family. This is not a game. If they promise you free stuff, there is far more beneath those promises that even some of these people do not understand themselves.\n\nOn the failures of communism historically:\n\nOur rights come from our Creator, God; they do not come from the government. The communist believes the opposite. They believe that the government of the state is God and that the state is the one that gives you all your rights. And you know what? The state can also take those rights away. And that's exactly what happens. It's inevitable in communism. And this philosophy has led to the murder of tens of millions of innocent people in the 20th century alone. It is a nightmare. It is a trail to certain death and that's why we're speaking in such stark terms, because we need America to wake up. 35 years ago, Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the Reagan years, they were fighting communism on a distant shore. Now it's here.\n\nBut in Congress, they all agreed on that. They obviously knew that we had to fight communism. And so, what they were doing here for domestic policy, that was foreign policy, domestic policy, they were arguing over marginal tax rates and the shades of regulation and how large the government should be. There wasn't a huge difference. The chasm between the two parties, those days are gone right now. Domestically, we are arguing, we are debating, we are fighting. The election will be over whether we're going to maintain our freedom in a constitutional republic, the greatest experiment in self-governance in the history of the world, the longest surviving constitution on the planet, the nation that everybody wants to emulate and everybody wants to come here. We have to seal our borders, so they won't flood over them. We're the only nation in the world that has that distinction. We're the last great superpower. We are the greatest nation in the history of the world.\n\nOn the high stakes of the midterm elections:\n\nThere has been a small number of times in the history of America where the actual experiment in self-governance was on the ballot. The idea that we would preserve a constitutional republic, one nation under God, a government of, by, and for the people. All that is in question right now. For the first time, really in my lifetime, this is a real question. The American people have to decide in November, in a midterm election for Congress and Senate. It\u2019s not something that we would've projected. I hoped and prayed it would never come to this, but here we are. The barbarians are in the gate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-15T07:12:08Z", "2026-07-15T07:13:45Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-we-will-not-let-communism-prevail", "Scalise: We Will Not Let Communism Prevail", "2026-07-14", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Rep. Carlos Gim\u00e9nez (R-Fla.) to warn about the growing embrace of communist ideology among a new generation of Democratic candidates, highlight the real-world consequences of communism, and reaffirm House Republicans' commitment to defending American freedom.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-07-15T07:12:08Z", "2026-07-15T07:13:45Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-statement-fatal-ice-shooting-biddeford-maine", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS\u2019 STATEMENT ON FATAL ICE SHOOTING IN BIDDEFORD, MAINE", "2026-07-13", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Cleo Fields released the following statement after a 26-year-old man was shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Biddeford, Maine, the second fatal shooting involving ICE officers in less than a week:\n\n\"This morning, ICE agents shot and killed a 26-year-old man in Biddeford, Maine. He was authorized to work in this country. He had a Social Security number. He was somebody's son, somebody's neighbor. And now he's gone.\n\nJust last week, it was Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston, shot and killed on his way to work. He wasn't even the man those agents were looking for.\n\nTwo shootings in one week. Two lives taken, and neither man was the target of an immigration enforcement operation.\n\nI'll say it plainly: although neither victim was in this country illegally, an immigration violation is not a death sentence. It never has been, and it never should be. But when federal agents can shoot people in our streets with no body cameras, no accountability, and no answers, that's not law enforcement. That's lawlessness.\n\nThe families of these men deserve answers. The American people deserve a full, independent investigation into both killings. And Congress needs to demand that this administration get control of an agency that clearly has none.\n\nI'm praying for these families, and for every community that now looks at their own government and feels afraid.\"", 1, "2026-07-14T07:08:55Z", "2026-07-14T07:10:52Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-statement-meta-expansion-northeast-louisiana", "Letlow Statement on Meta Expansion in Northeast Louisiana", "2026-07-13", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Julia Letlow released the following statement on Meta's announced expansion in Richland Parish, creating jobs while promising to pay for costs related to energy, water, and related infrastructure.\n\n\"Meta\u2019s transformative, $50 billion expansion in Richland Parish will cement the company\u2019s promises and effectively position Northeast Louisiana in the modern economy,\" said Congresswoman Julia Letlow. \"I\u2019m thrilled that Meta is committing to cover the full cost, protecting ratepayers while supporting our local businesses, education, and infrastructure. After years of our children moving away, responsible growth is on the horizon and there is tremendous hope for a brighter future in the Delta region.\"", 1, "2026-07-14T07:08:55Z", "2026-07-14T07:10:52Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2916", "One Year Later: Democrats Tout Tax Cuts They Voted Against", "2026-07-13", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "House and Senate Democrats are regretting their votes in support of a $5 trillion tax hike on working families\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 One year after President Trump signed the Working Families Tax Cuts into law, hardworking American families across the nation are paying lower taxes and keeping more of what they earn \u2013 outcomes the legislation was written to achieve. Democrats unanimously opposed these transformational tax provisions for working families, instead voting for a $5 trillion tax hike \u2013 the largest in history.\n\nHowever, despite Congressional Democrats\u2019 vehement and unanimous opposition and state-level Democrat attempts to actually block implementation of these tax provisions, many Democrats are now claiming to see the wisdom of providing tax relief to working families. Many House and Senate Democrats are lying to their voters, taking credit for legislation they actively opposed.\n\n\u201cWith their unanimous opposition to the Working Families Tax Cuts, Congressional Democrats in unison voted against no tax on tips and overtime, the doubled child tax credit, $50 billion for rural healthcare, and investment accounts for every newborn in America,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cNow, as tens of millions of citizens are benefitting from this historic tax relief, Democrats are attempting to mislead the American people and claim credit for something they opposed vehemently. Republicans will not let the American people forget that if Democrats had it their way, every taxpayer would have faced the largest tax increase in American history.\u201d\n\nA few examples of how Democrats support the Working Families Tax Cuts:\n\nRep. Kristen McDonald Rivet ran two television ads in her district funded using taxpayer dollars to say she \u201cpassed Working Families Tax Credit\u201d and that she is \u201chelping Michiganders claim the Working Families Tax Credit.\u201d Spoiler alert: like every other Democrat in Congress, she opposed the Working Families Tax Cuts. Now she\u2019s trying to take the credit.\n\nSen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) introduced a bill that would make Trump Accounts permanent and automatically enroll newborns into the program, which he renames \u201cAmerican Dream Accounts,\u201d and a bill to make No Tax on Tips permanent, saying \u201cwe must ensure that [...] as many workers as possible can benefit as much as possible.\u201d\n\nReps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), and Susie Lee (D-NV), along with Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent \u201cto ensure the successful implementation of this [No Tax on Tips] provision for our constituents and tipped workers across the country.\u201d They all voted no, despite knowing they are \u201clawmakers representing our nation\u2019s most hospitality and service industry dependent economy.\u201d\n\nReps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) admitted, \u201cThere are certain things that I liked in the big, ugly bill.\u201d He and Emilia Sykes (D-OH) helped introduce a bill to expand eligibility for No Tax on Overtime.\n\nRep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS) sent a joint press release, and Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ) also took credit, for securing hundreds of millions of dollars in security funding for the World Cup \u2013 despite trashing the Working Families Tax Cuts, voting against the legislation which included the funding, and taking repeated voted to keep the Department of Homeland Security \u2013the agency tasked with World Cup security \u2013 closed.\n\nWhy are Democrats taking credit for this monumental legislation? Because the policies \u2013 and the successful results that followed \u2013 speak for themselves:\n\nKEEPING MORE OF YOUR MONEY\n\n97% of filers received a tax cut this past filing season, who would have otherwise owed taxes absent the extension of President Trump\u2019s 2017 tax cuts.\n\n$82 billion has been returned to the American people from the individual tax cuts in the WFTC.\n\n96% of filers receiving a tax cut earned less than $200,000.\n\nFilers earning between $100,000 to $200,000, who claimed one of President Trump\u2019s signature tax cuts, received an average tax cut of over $1,250.\n\nNearly 70% of filers receiving a tax cut earned less than $100,000.\n\nFilers earning between $50,000 to $100,000, who claimed one of President Trump\u2019s signature tax cuts, received an average tax cut over $815.\n\nNo Tax on Tips: Over 7.5 million filers have claimed No Tax on Tips, with an average deduction of over $7,000.\n\n90% of filers claiming the No Tax on Tips deduction had income under $100,000.\n\n99% of filers claiming the No Tax on Tips deduction had income under $200,000.\n\nNo Tax on Overtime: Over 29 million filers have claimed No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100.\n\n75% of filers claiming the No Tax on Overtime deduction had income under $100,000.\n\n96% of filers claiming the No Tax on Overtime deduction had income under $200,000.\n\nEnhanced Senior Deduction: Over 35 million seniors have claimed the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, with an average deduction of over $7,500.\n\n68% of filers claiming the Enhanced Senior Deduction had income under $100,000.\n\n94% of filers claiming the Enhanced Senior Deduction had income under $200,000.\n\nNo Tax on Car Loan Interest: Over 1.4 million filers have claimed No Tax on Car Loan Interest on their new American vehicles, with an average deduction of over $1,800.\n\n62% of filers claiming the No Tax on Car Loan Interest deduction had income under $100,000.\n\n98% of filers claiming the No Tax on Car Loan Interest deduction had income under $200,000.\n\nEnhanced Child Tax Credit: Nearly 40 million families have claimed the enhanced Child Tax Credit, which is permanently doubled and expanded by the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n65% of all families claiming the credit had income under $100,000.\n\n89% of all families claiming the credit had income under $200,000.\n\nDoubled Standard Deduction: Over 127 million filers, or 90% of all tax filers, have claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction, simplifying tax filing for millions across America.\n\nBoosts take home pay for a typical hardworking family by over $10,000 a year.\n\nMore than 6 million Trump Accounts have been opened for American children, and 1.4 million are eligible to receive the initial $1,000 seed contribution from the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\n86% of Trump Accounts opened are linked to families earning less than $200,000 annually.\n\n500,000 children received the $1,000 seed fund on July 4, 2026 from the Trump administration.\n\nTHE WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUTS\n\nPuts American Farmers First: Prevents foreign countries from flooding our markets with biofuel feedstocks that compete with American grown agriculture.\n\nInvests in Rural America: Created the Rural Health Transformation Program and invested $50 billion over five years to transparently and efficiently transform rural health access.\n\nSupports Family Farms: Protects two million family farms from excessive taxation by raising the death tax exemption, helping generational farms stay in the family by increasing the amount family farms can inherit tax free.\n\nExpands Access to Disaster Aid: Expands access to standing disaster programs and conservation programs.\n\nInvests in American Agriculture: Expands affordable crop insurance and improves risk management tools for livestock, aquaculture, honeybees, and specialty crops.\n\nEnsures Tax Dollars Benefit Americans, Not Illegals: Ensures American taxpayers are no longer funding benefits for illegals on Medicaid and SNAP.\n\nProvides Small Business Relief: Provides immediate tax relief to farmers, ranchers, and rural Americans by increasing the small business expensing threshold and permanently extending the Small Business Deduction.\n\nDelivers Historic Tax Relief: This landmark legislation puts more money back into Americans\u2019 pockets with American families and workers claiming $82 billion in individual relief directly from the Working Families Tax Cuts.\n\nMakes Permanent the Child Tax Credit: Permanently increased and enhanced $2,200 child tax credit for tens of millions of families.\n\nSupports School Choice and Parental Rights: Creates the first-ever federal tax credit to provide scholarships to children to attend a K-12 school of their choice.\n\nCreates Trump Accounts: Gives eligible children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, a $1,000 contribution from the Treasury Department.\n\nExpands the Adoption Tax Credit: Improvements to the Adoption Tax Credit make adoption more affordable\n\nExpands Skills-Based Training: Allows students to pay for short-term vocational and technical training programs that align with in-demand, high-skill, high-wage jobs.\n\nExpands Education Savings: Doubles the allowed annual distribution amount for K-12 expenses and expands qualified K-12 expenses to include materials, books, testing fees, online programs, tutoring. Expands qualified distributions for post-secondary career paths to include trade schools, technical certifications, and other workforce development credentialing.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-14T07:08:55Z", "2026-07-14T07:10:52Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-cleo-fields-releases-statement-passing-state-senator-larry-selders", "CONGRESSMAN CLEO FIELDS RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF STATE SENATOR LARRY SELDERS:", "2026-07-08", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BATON ROUGE, L.A. \u2013 Congressman Cleo Fields released the following statement mourning the passing of Louisiana State Senator Larry Selders, who passed away Tuesday evening. Senator Selders represented Louisiana's 14th Senate District and served in the Louisiana Legislature since 2021:\n\n\"Larry Selders was my friend, and Louisiana was better for every day he served it.\n\nI knew Larry a long time. I watched him come up, and I watched him become one of the most genuine leaders our state has produced. He was a Southern University man, like me, and he carried everything that institution stands for into every room he walked into. He never forgot where he came from, and he never stopped working for the people who sent him to the Legislature.\n\nWhen I was elected to Congress, I left behind the state Senate seat I had held for much of my career, a seat that means a great deal to me and to the people of Baton Rouge. There was never a question in my mind about who should carry it forward. I supported Larry because I knew his heart. He didn't see public office as a title; he saw it as a responsibility. And he proved me right every single day he held it.\n\nLarry was a social worker at heart, in his profession and in his politics. He spent his life caring for people struggling with mental health and addiction, and then he went to the State Capitol and wrote that care into law. He expanded mental health services, protected survivors of domestic violence, fought for working families, and opened doors for young people all across our state. He never asked for credit, because credit was never the point, people were.\n\nBut if you asked Larry what he was proudest of, he wouldn't have said any of that. He would have told you about Kendra, LJ, and Luke. Anyone who knew him knew that his family came first, always.\n\nKendra, the boys, and everyone who loved Larry remain in my prayers. Baton Rouge lost a champion, and I lost a brother in service. Rest well, my friend.\"\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-09T08:24:13Z", "2026-07-09T08:26:05Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-voters-face-a-clear-choice-as-the-democrat-party-moves-further-left", "Scalise: Voters Face a Clear Choice as the Democrat Party Moves Further Left", "2026-07-08", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEW ORLEANS, La.\u2014Last night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Fox News's Hannity to discuss how the Democrat Party is increasingly nominating far-left candidates with out-of-touch policies. Leader Scalise also highlighted how Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts are expanding opportunity for hardworking families through lower taxes, Trump accounts, and the first-ever nationwide school choice tax credit.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-07-09T08:24:13Z", "2026-07-09T08:26:05Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/07/06/higgins-announces-lafayette-student-as-winner-of-the-2026-congressional-art-competition/", "Higgins\u00a0Announces Lafayette Student as Winner\u00a0of\u00a0the 2026 Congressional Art Competition", "2026-07-06", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) announced today that Kristian Richard, a Lafayette homeschool student, is the winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Louisiana\u2019s 3rd District.\n\nDownload the full image here.\n\nKristian\u2019s piece, titled \u201cWith God All Things Are Possible\u201d, captures the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette. Congressman Higgins hosted Kristian and her family at the U.S. Capitol last week, where her artwork will remain on display for a year.", 1, "2026-07-07T08:20:12Z", "2026-07-07T08:22:09Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-introduces-nfip-premium-transparency-act-alongside", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS INTRODUCES NFIP PREMIUM TRANSPARENCY ACT ALONGSIDE COSPONSORS", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 This week, Congressman Cleo Fields, along with Representatives Troy Carter, Mike Ezell, and Rob Bresnahan, introduced H.R. 9511, the NFIP Premium Transparency Act, legislation that would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to give the more than 400,000 Louisiana policy holders enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program a full, clear picture of what is driving their premiums and what they can do to bring those costs down:\n\n\"Louisiana families pay more flood insurance premiums than almost anyone in the United States, and for too long they've been handed a bill with no explanation. They deserve to know why their rates went up, when they'll go up again, and what they can do about it. This bill does exactly that,\u201d said Representative Fields.\n\nLouisiana has the most NFIP policies per capita of any other state in the country. Despite that, members of communities throughout the state routinely receive renewal notices with little to no explanation of what factors are driving their costs or how long they can expect their premiums to reach their full risk-based potential. For working families in flood-prone areas, many of whom are already living on tight margins, that lack of information can mean the difference between staying in their home and being priced out of it.\n\n\u201cSince FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 program went into effect, Louisiana families have opened their flood insurance bills with more questions than answers: why their premium jumped and what discounts they're missing,\u201d said Representative Carter. \u201cLouisiana has more riding on this than almost any state in the country. This legislation gives homeowners the information they've always deserved: a clear breakdown of their rates, real savings from mitigation, and a roadmap to full-risk pricing. This isn't a partisan issue. It's about giving working families the tools to protect their homes, their budgets, and their futures.\u201d\n\nThe NFIP Premium Transparency Act addresses this issue directly. Within 12 months of enactment, every NFIP policy declaration page must clearly show the policyholder's current premium, all applicable discounts, the full set of rating factors behind their rate, their claim history, available mitigation options and the savings associated with each, and an estimate of how many years remain before their premium reaches its full risk-based level. If any of that information cannot be provided, FEMA must explain why in writing, on the policy itself, eliminating blank walls and guesswork.\n\n\u201cToo many families in Northeastern Pennsylvania struggle with the impact flooding can have on their homes, businesses, and livelihoods. Flood insurance continues to go up, making it harder for families to sell and first-time homeowners to buy,\u201d said Representative Bresnahan. \u201cFor many homeowners in our region, the NFIP is the only realistic option for protecting their property, but rising premiums are making that coverage increasingly difficult to afford. This legislation ensures that our families, small businesses, and non-profits are not priced out of the peace of mind that flood insurance brings.\u201d\n\nWithin 36 months, FEMA must build a publicly accessible online tool that allows homeowners, prospective buyers, and community leaders to look up any NFIP-covered property and model how improvements like elevating a home would reduce both flood risk and insurance costs. That interactive capability matters. Right now, many constituents know their premiums are high but have no way of knowing whether investing in mitigation would actually move the needle. This tool gives them that answer before they spend a dollar.\n\nThe tool must also account for factors critical to Louisiana specifically, including coastal land loss, coastal restoration projects, and levee reliability. With the state's coastline constantly changing, the families living through that reality deserve a flood insurance system that reflects it.\n\n\u201cFamilies deserve to know exactly how their flood insurance premiums are determined and what steps they can take to lower their costs,\u201d said Representative Ezell. \u201cThe NFIP Premium Transparency Act gives homeowners greater access to the information they need to make informed decisions, invest in mitigation, and better protect their property. For coastal communities like those in South Mississippi, improving transparency within the National Flood Insurance Program is a common-sense step that will help strengthen resilience while making the program more accountable to the people it serves.\u201d\n\nThe legislation also directs FEMA to publish aggregate flood insurance data by state, county, and ZIP code annually, bringing long-overdue transparency to a program that affects millions of Americans. It also directs the Government Accountability Office to study whether the tool can be expanded to give prospective homebuyers access to a property's full flood history before they close, so families are never blindsided after the fact.\n\nThis bill costs taxpayers nothing beyond what FEMA already does, it simply requires the government to share information it already has. Louisiana families have carried the weight of living in a flood-prone state for generations, and the least Congress can do is make sure they have the information they need to protect their homes, plan their finances, and make informed decisions about their future.", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2915", "Speaker Johnson Submits Letter for Bossier Semiquincentennial Time Capsule", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On the eve of America\u2019s 250th Anniversary, Speaker Johnson contributed a letter to the 2026 Bossier Community Time Capsule, which will remain sealed until America\u2019s tricentennial in 2076. In the letter, Speaker Johnson outlined his journey to Congress and the Speakership, the genius of America\u2019s constitutional republic, and emphasized the importance of maintaining our Republic by recommitting to the timeless principles our nation was founded upon. The time capsule was sponsored by Keep Bossier Beautiful in conjunction with the Bossier Parish Police Jury and Keep America Beautiful.\n\n\u201cAs our nation marks this momentous anniversary, we face questions about the very nature of our Republic. How to preserve our God-given rights against government intrusion? How best to champion individual liberty? And, how to restore our moral and religious foundations, which our Founders saw as essential to maintaining this Republic? These are age-old questions that every generation has tackled since the dawn of our country,\u201d Speaker Johnson wrote. \u201cBut today, it is our duty and our responsibility as freedom-loving Americans to answer them anew, and while honoring the timeless truths of Scripture upon which our nation was founded.\u201d\n\nRead the full letter here or below:\n\nTo my future fellow Americans:\n\nGreetings from 2026! My name is Mike Johnson, U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives and proud representative of Louisiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District, which spans from Shreveport to Monroe and down to Lake Charles.\n\nAs America marks its Semiquincentennial, we look back to acknowledge the miracle of our founding and the countless miracles that have followed, as much as we look ahead to you, our future countrymen. It is in that spirit that I write this letter, to share what America looks like today and what we hope the future holds for this great country, which we are blessed to call home.\n\nAs the 56th Speaker of the House, I am fortunate to lead Congress at a time of profound change. My colleagues first elected me to this position during a time of great tumult in the history of the institution, and after serving less than 6.8 years in Congress, the second fastest tenure before receiving this honor. This is the first time someone from Louisiana has held this historic position, something deeply meaningful to me as the son of a Shreveport firefighter and the first person in my family to graduate from college.\n\nNone of this incredible journey would have been possible without the steadfast support of my beautiful wife, Kelly, and our four children, Hannah, Abby, Jack, and Will, and God\u2019s faithful hand upon our lives.\n\nSince my first election to Speaker, I have led the Republican Party through a polarized era of politics and under one of the smallest majorities in American history. I am also proud to be the first U.S. Speaker to ever address the British Parliament, and only the third to be invited to address the Israeli Knesset. It is not lost on me the critical role the U.S. plays in shaping the policies and actions of countries around the globe. Being in this position comes with the enormous weight of preserving the God-honoring, timeless truths that undergird America\u2019s founding \u2013 which contain the necessary ingredients for human flourishing \u2013 and of stewarding these principles beyond our borders.\n\nWe began this fateful year with an auspicious victory abroad. America\u2019s greatest athletes competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, capturing a record 12 gold medals. Both the U.S. Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Hockey Teams triumphed over Canada in dramatic overtime thrillers to secure dual gold medals. For the men, it was their first gold in 46 years since the famous 1980 \u201cMiracle on Ice.\u201d\n\nIn April, NASA achieved a major space exploration milestone with the Artemis II lunar flyby, setting a record for the farthest journey from Earth in human history. King Charles III made his first visit to the United States as monarch, which culminated in a historic address to a Joint Session of Congress. And at this very moment, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway in communities across our country.\n\nIn a matter of days and under the leadership of President Donald Trump, America will celebrate its 250th anniversary in historic fashion, from the Great American State Fair to one of the grandest displays of fireworks here in our nation\u2019s capital. Recently, I was proud to lead tens of thousands of Americans in prayer on our National Mall to rededicate this great country as one nation under God in celebration of 250 years of American Independence.\n\nAs our nation marks this momentous anniversary, we face questions about the very nature of our Republic. How to preserve our God-given rights against government intrusion? How best to champion individual liberty? And, how to restore our moral and religious foundations, which our Founders saw as essential to maintaining this Republic? These are age-old questions that every generation has tackled since the dawn of our country. But today, it is our duty and our responsibility as freedom-loving Americans to answer them anew, and while honoring the timeless truths of Scripture upon which our nation was founded.\n\nWe embrace the challenge of this generation with you, our future fellow Americans, in our hearts and prayers. And while we acknowledge that our work to preserve this grand experiment in self-liberty remains unfinished, we take solace knowing that God\u2019s hand rests firmly upon our country, just as it has since the very beginning of our Founders\u2019 fight for freedom.\n\nAs John Quincy Adams, our nation\u2019s 6th president and a relentless fighter against the scourge of slavery, once said, \u201cDuty is ours. Results are God\u2019s.\u201d It\u2019s your duty now to recommit to the timeless, foundational principles enshrined in our nation\u2019s birth certificate. As you take the baton of freedom on this 300th anniversary, do not do so lightly. Take it boldly and courageously, as the signers of the Declaration did, and with the full weight of history and destiny on your shoulders.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-fields-ezell-bresnahan-introduce-nfip-premium-transparency-act", "Reps. Carter, Fields, Ezell, Bresnahan Introduce the NFIP Premium Transparency Act", "2026-07-01", "2026", "2026-07", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), alongside Reps. Cleo Fields (D-LA), Mike Ezell (R-MS), and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) introduced the NFIP Premium Transparency Act. This bill will require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide comprehensive, transparent flood insurance information to property owners and the public through enhanced policy documents and a new online tool.\n\n\u201cSince FEMA\u2019s Risk Rating 2.0 program went into effect, Louisiana families have opened their flood insurance bills with more questions than answers: why their premium jumped and what discounts they're missing,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cLouisiana has more riding on this than almost any state in the country. This legislation gives homeowners the information they've always deserved: a clear breakdown of their rates, real savings from mitigation, and a roadmap to full-risk pricing. This isn't a partisan issue. It's about giving working families the tools to protect their homes, their budgets, and their futures.\u201d\n\nThe NFIP Premium Transparency Act requires FEMA to overhaul how flood insurance information is shared with property owners, a change with outsized stakes for Louisiana, which holds more than 470,000 National Flood Insurance Program policies. Within 12 months, the bill mandates enhanced information on the declaration pages of each flood insurance policy issued under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to clearly show current premiums, available discounts, claim history, rating factors, mitigation savings, and the timeline to full-risk pricing, giving coastal homeowners facing rising premiums clarity on why and when increases are coming. Additionally, the bill requires FEMA to launch a public online tool that allows property owners to access detailed flood risk data, including premium calculations, replacement costs, and flood history, along with an interactive feature showing how mitigation efforts, such as elevation, could lower both risk and cost.\n\n\u201cLouisiana families pay more flood insurance premiums than almost anyone in the United States, and for too long they've been handed a bill with no explanation. They] deserve to know why their rates went up, when they'll go up again, and what they can do about it. This bill does exactly that,\u201d said Rep. Fields.\n\n\u201cFamilies deserve to know exactly how their flood insurance premiums are determined and what steps they can take to lower their costs,\u201d said Rep. Ezell. \u201cThe NFIP Premium Transparency Act gives homeowners greater access to the information they need to make informed decisions, invest in mitigation, and better protect their property. For coastal communities like those in South Mississippi, improving transparency within the National Flood Insurance Program is a common-sense step that will help strengthen resilience while making the program more accountable to the people it serves.\u201d\n\n\u201cToo many families in Northeastern Pennsylvania struggle with the impact flooding can have on their homes, businesses, and livelihoods. Flood insurance continues to go up, making it harder for families to sell and first-time homeowners to buy,\u201d said Rep. Bresnahan. \u201cFor many homeowners in our region, the NFIP is the only realistic option for protecting their property, but rising premiums are making that coverage increasingly difficult to afford. This legislation ensures that our families, small businesses, and non-profits are not priced out of the peace of mind that flood insurance brings.\u201d\n\nThe NFIP Premium Transparency Act is endorsed by the Americans for Financial Reform, National Association of Counties (NACo), Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance, United Policyholders, American Policyholders Association, Greater New Orleans, Inc., Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans (HBAGNO), Northshore Business Council, Fair Insurance Rates for Monroe (FIRM), Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA), and HousingNOLA.\n\n\u201cIn Southeast Louisiana, flood insurance isn\u2019t optional - it\u2019s a reality that directly impacts housing affordability and community resilience. By requiring clear, detailed information on how premiums are calculated, the NFIP Premium Transparency Act empowers consumers and strengthens the market by bringing much-needed transparency to a complex system,\u201d said Dan Mills, CEO of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans.\n\n\u201cWith climate change driving greater flood risk across the country, it's critical that homeowners, renters, and prospective buyers and residents understand a property's flood history, the long-term trajectory of the flood risk they face, and what they can do to protect their homes and lower their insurance costs. The NFIP Premium Transparency Act would give people the information they need to better protect themselves physically and financially from floods,\u201d said Alex Martin, climate finance policy director at Americans for Financial Reform.\n\n\u201cAs President of FIRM, I am writing to express our strong support for the NFIP Premium Transparency Act introduced by Congressman Fields. This legislation takes a meaningful step forward by requiring clear, detailed information on declaration pages and creating an interactive Flood Insurance Information Tool. These changes will help policyholders better understand their premiums, discounts, and mitigation options, which we believe will improve trust in the program,\u201d said Mel E. Montagne, President, Fair Insurance Rates for Monroe (FIRM).\n\n\u201cIt's no secret that in Louisiana we desperately need comprehensive reform of the National Flood Insurance Program. We know that won\u2019t happen quickly, and in the interim, the NFIP Premium Transparency Act gives homeowners the opportunity to arm themselves with information about costs and risks, and what can be done to address both. While we wait on reform, knowledge is power, and that gives families the opportunity to make the best choices possible. We are grateful that the Louisiana congressional delegation continues to take the lead on critical matters such as this legislation\u2014helping Louisiana families take meaningful steps to #PutHousingFirst,\u201d said Andreanecia M. Morris, President, Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA).\n\n\u201cThe bill is a common-sense measure that brings visibility to property owners' risk factors. At long last, it empowers NFIP policyholders to better understand how NFIP sets premiums, and how to mitigate risk and cost simultaneously. With an NFIP deadline of September 30 nearing, and with a pressing need to reconsider the federal role in insurance through a congressional commission, this bill is an important step forward in bringing light to the insurance crisis,\u201d said Michael Hecht, President & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) and founder of the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI).\n\nBackground:\n\nThe National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is a federal program administered by FEMA that provides flood insurance to homeowners and businesses, aiming to reduce the financial impact of flooding. The program is vital for Louisiana, a state with extensive low-lying areas and frequent exposure to hurricanes and heavy rainfall. The NFIP helps protect residents from devastating financial losses due to flood damage, encourages responsible development in flood-prone areas, and supports rebuilding efforts after disasters\u2014making it a critical safety net for Louisiana\u2019s communities.\n\nSince 2021, Risk Rating 2.0 has been FEMA's flood insurance pricing methodology, replacing the older system that largely based premiums on flood zone and elevation with a more granular model that factors in distance to water, elevation, construction type, and individual property flood risk. Many policyholders saw rates rise sharply without an intuitive explanation tied to flood zone maps they were used to, and FEMA's reluctance to release the full underlying methodology made it hard for homeowners and agents to understand or verify why their specific premium changed\n\nIn December, Rep. Carter authored the National Flood Insurance Program Automatic Extension Act of 2025. The bill ensures that the NFIP automatically continues its core operations even if Congress misses a scheduled reauthorization deadline.\n\nRep. Carter and Ezell also introduced H.R. 2822, the National Flood Insurance Program Authorization Extension Act in April to avoid a lapse in program authorization resulting from a government shutdown. This bill would have extended the program through December 31, 2026. They also introduced H.R. 5848,theNFIP Retroactive Renewal and Reauthorization Act in November, legislation to backdate reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to September 30, 2025, while extending the program\u2019s authorization until December 31, 2026. This bill ensures that policyholders who plan to renew are not penalized for the lapse in NFIP reauthorization caused by the Republican government shutdown.\n\nRep. Carter serves as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Congressional Flood Resilience Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Disaster Preparedness & Recovery Caucus. He continues to advocate for common-sense, bipartisan reforms to strengthen and sustain the NFIP for Louisiana and other flood-prone communities.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-statement-supreme-court-birthright-citizenship-ruling", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS\u2019 STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP RULING", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 This morning, Congressman Cleo Fields released the following statement after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment in Trump v. Barbara:\n\n\u201cThe Constitution won today. For over 150 years, the 14th Amendment has guaranteed that every child born on American soil is an American citizen with no exceptions. The Supreme Court was right to reject this administration\u2019s attempt to rewrite that guarantee by executive order.\n\nThis was never just a legal question. It was about whether a child born in Baton Rouge or Lafayette or anywhere else in our country has to wonder if their citizenship is secure. Today they got their answer.\n\nI\u2019m grateful the Court held the line, and I\u2019ll keep working to make sure every Louisianan\u2019s constitutional rights are protected, not just on paper, but in practice.\u201d", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-house-republicans-are-lowering-costs-strengthening-security-and-protecting-election-integrity", "Scalise: House Republicans Are Lowering Costs, Strengthening Security, and Protecting Election Integrity", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on CNBC\u2019s Squawk Box to discuss how House Republicans are lowering costs for working families, rooting out fraud, and preserving election integrity, while Democrats continue on their march to socialism. Leader Scalise also highlighted President Trump's leadership in confronting Iran and restoring stability to global energy markets.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-republicans-fighting-for-working-families-while-democrats-drift-toward-socialism", "Scalise: Republicans Fighting for Working Families While Democrats Drift Toward Socialism", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) to highlight House Republicans' work to put more money back into the pockets of working families, strengthen America's national defense, protect children online, and celebrate our nation's 250th anniversary. Leader Scalise also warned that the Democrat Party is increasingly embracing a socialist agenda that is out of step with the American people.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-carter-titus-introduce-educate-act", "Reps. Carter, Titus Introduce EDUCATE Act", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced the Establishing and Developing University Cannabis Agriculture Techniques and Excellence (EDUCATE) Act. This bill creates pathways for minority students to explore and study jobs in cultivation, research, business, and policy sectors of the legal marijuana market.\n\n\u201cAs the legal cannabis market continues to grow, this bill helps guarantee that local economies, not just large corporations, benefit from new jobs, new businesses, and new research,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cBy strengthening programs at HBCUs and HSIs, we can ensure students from historically underserved communities can enter high\u2011growth fields in agriculture, research, and advanced manufacturing.\u201d\n\nThe 1890 Land-Grant Institutions are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that offer high-quality agricultural research, education, and extension programs to prepare students from diverse backgrounds to participate meaningfully in the agriculture industry. Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are colleges and universities where at least 25% of the undergraduate student body identifies as Hispanic and play a key role in expanding educational access. The cannabis industry has grown at a significant rate, projecting to generate $100 billion in revenue by 2030. As more states continue to implement or expand marijuana legalization policies, job growth will continue, serving as a pathway to economic empowerment for communities that have often been left out.\n\n\u201cThe legal, responsible use of cannabis has been a major economic driver in Nevada and across the country and deserves further research,\u201d said Rep. Titus. \u201cThe EDUCATE Act would enable students to explore and study jobs in the cultivation, research, business, and policy sectors of the legal marijuana market by providing federal funding to institutions of higher education.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the cannabis plant becomes an increasingly prominent part of America's agricultural landscape, it is vital that we develop robust research and educational systems to grow our knowledge base, improve public health, maintain leadership on the global stage, and train the next generation of farmers and experts. The EDUCATE Act significantly facilitates these goals while creating opportunities for the communities that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. NORML is grateful for the introduction of this legislation, and we urge members of Congress to support it and call for its consideration without delay,\u201d said Morgan Fox, Political Director, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).\n\n\u201cWe are proud to endorse this legislation that will cultivate the next generation of cannabis industry leaders. Black and Latino communities have been most impacted by marijuana criminalization yet have been largely boxed out of the legal industry. This bill will help change that, bringing us one step closer to an equitable marijuana industry,\u201d said Maritza Perez Medina, Director of Federal Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance.\n\n\u201cHBCUs have played a critical role in developing and educating future leaders in our country, from Thurgood Marshall to Kamala Harris. This bill is an opportunity to bolster these historic institutions by providing the resources necessary to empower the next generation of students to study careers in the cultivation, research, business, and policy sectors of the legal cannabis market. For far too long, people of color bore the brunt of an overly punitive criminal justice system that relished the opportunity to throw jail time their way for cannabis. This bill represents an opportunity for those same communities to reap the benefits of the burgeoning billion-dollar cannabis industry, and we are proud to support it,\u201d said Stephanie Shepard, Executive Director, Last Prisoner Project and former federal cannabis prisoner.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe EDUCATE Act will:\n\nProvide $5,000,000 in annual research and operational funding to HBCU 1890 Land-Grant Institutions and HSIs to assist in developing the infrastructure needed to support student engagement and learning in cannabis agriculture.\n\nCreate a $100,000 scholarship annually for undergraduate and graduate students to pursue studies in cannabis agriculture.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\nCongressman Carter is a member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus and is a leader on cannabis policy. He is the author of the Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act which would deliver justice for countless Americans whose lives have been disrupted and deprived because of a misdemeanor Marijuana offense. He also introduced the RESPECT Resolution that outlines steps and practices to create an equitable cannabis industry that addresses, reverses, and repairs the consequences of the failed \u201cWar on Drugs.\u201d Finally, his bipartisan CLIMB Act will allow state-legal American cannabis companies, including small, minority, and veteran-owned businesses the ability to access critical lending and investment opportunities currently available to other domestic and regulated industries.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-01T06:34:07Z", "2026-07-01T06:35:35Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2914", "Speaker Johnson: As America Celebrates Our 250th Anniversary This Week, Democrats Are Noticeably Silent", "2026-06-30", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson discussed the genius of the American experiment in self-governance and celebrated the endurance of our Republic as we mark our 250th Anniversary this week. Speaker Johnson also discussed the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act, which furthers President Trump\u2019s America first, peace through strength agenda.\n\n\u201cThe insurgent Left hates America and hates our founding principles. They hate the idea of borders and prisons. They even want to remove the President and the Supreme Court. Very dangerous stuff,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cWe're no longer in a battle just between Republicans and Democrats arguing over marginal tax rates or the size of regulation this election and this year\u2026 Right now, we have a contrast between people who love the country and its founding principles, and those who have open disdain and hatred for them.\u201d\n\nWatch the press conference here.\n\nOn America\u2019s 250th Anniversary:\n\nYou will hear me remind us of that all the time. The most free, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been on planet Earth. America is back right now, and there are so many reasons to be excited and to celebrate with your family and friends. Celebrate freedom. Celebrate the great blessings we have in this country, the greatest on the planet. We've got challenges, of course, we're working through those every day. But there is no reason not to celebrate. There is no reason to be depressed in any way. We recognize 250 years is still an experiment. We're still a grand experiment in self-governance. In 1776, the Founders came together and they boldly proclaimed this self-evident truth. We call it the nation's creed. It's like a statement of faith. And they said right in the second paragraph of the Declaration, which we celebrate this weekend. We hold these truths to be self-evident. And what is the self-evident truth? It is something that's obvious. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. And I always pause there and note that it doesn't say born equal. It says created equal by God and that it is God, our Creator, who gives us our inalienable rights. That among those the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.\n\nOn the Democrats\u2019 embrace of socialism and communism:\n\nWe have an open contest right now between the Marxists and communists and the Americans. We've been saying for months that this is setting up, this midterm will be a contrast between common sense and crazy. And now you can add another line there. It's, it's common sense versus communism, because that's what's happening in the Democrat Party. The insurgent Left is taking it over \u2013 the insurgent Left that hates America, hates our founding principles.\n\nThey hate the idea of borders and prisons. They even want to remove the President and the Supreme Court\u2026They wipe their hands on the American flag. Many of them have ties to terrorist organizations. You can't make this stuff up. We're no longer in a battle just between Republicans and Democrats arguing over marginal tax rates or the size of regulation this election and this year. The things that are happening in Congress right now are a contrast between people who love the country and its founding principles and those who have open disdain and hatred for them. They want to tear America down. They want to tear down Western civilization. And it's not going to happen on our watch.\n\nOn the National Defense Authorization Act:\n\nWe will invest properly, appropriately, and responsibly in America's national defense. Our policies reflect that. We have a pay raise to our troops that's overdue, another 5 to 7%. We will advance 65 of President Trump's priorities and executive orders in the legislation. We will do the things that are necessary to make sure we maintain our status as the great superpower, the remaining superpower on the planet. It is absolutely essential that we do that for a couple of reasons. Number one, Reagan used to remind us, you hear me say all the time, \u2018Freedom is not passed along in the bloodstream. It's got to be fought for, protected for the next generation or else they won't have the same liberty and opportunity and security that we have known.\u2019 And America is the leader of the world. We are the beacon of freedom.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-02T06:20:02Z", "2026-07-02T06:21:32Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2906", "Speaker Johnson Welcomes Winner of 2026 Congressional Art Competition to the U.S. Capitol", "2026-06-29", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 On Thursday in the U.S. Capitol, Speaker Johnson visited with Maycie Howard, this year\u2019s first-place winner of the 2026 Congressional Art Competition for Louisiana\u2019s Fourth Congressional District. Maycie\u2019s painting, \u201cA Moment at Cypress Black Bayou,\u201d will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year.\n\nThe Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide, visual art contest for high school students, in which one piece of artwork from each congressional district is chosen by a panel of judges to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. The second, third, and fourth place selections will be proudly displayed in Speaker Johnson\u2019s congressional offices. Click here for more on this year's winners.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2913", "House Passes KIDS Act to Protect Children, Teens Online", "2026-06-29", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 7757 \u2013 the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act \u2013 landmark legislation to protect children and teens online and empower parents to make the best decisions for their own children.\n\n\u201cFor years, Congress has worked to find 21st century solutions to the real dangers that children and teens face online, and the bipartisan KIDS Act offers a major remedy to these problems. This legislation represents an important step forward in Congress\u2019 effort to protect children online and hold big tech accountable, while also empowering parents and protecting free speech,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cI commend Chairman Guthrie for working across the aisle to get this done, and we look forward to working with our Senate counterparts to ensure these essential protections for our children become law.\u201d\n\n\u201cParents should be able to trust that their children are safe online. The KIDS Act takes a focused, commonsense approach to strengthening protections for minors, while giving families more tools to help keep their children safe,\u201d Leader Scalise said. \u201cI applaud Chairman Guthrie and the Energy and Commerce Committee for their leadership in advancing this important legislation. House Republicans will continue fighting for policies that put families first.\"\n\n\u201cCongress has spent years searching for how to best protect children and teens online, and today\u2019s overwhelming bipartisan vote indicates that we have found our solution. The KIDS Act creates strong protections with new rules for design features, default settings, and kids\u2019 privacy,\u201d Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Guthrie said. \u201cWe want to thank our colleagues for their strong vote today to protect kids, empower parents, and hold internet platforms accountable.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-30T06:29:10Z", "2026-06-30T06:30:42Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2904", "Speaker Johnson: America is the Most Free, Most Successful, Most Powerful, Most Benevolent Nation the World Has Ever Known", "2026-06-28", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, Speaker Johnson joined Fox News\u2019 Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the significance of the Declaration of Independence and our spiritual foundations as Americans around the country gather to celebrate our 250th anniversary this week. Speaker Johnson also discussed House Republicans\u2019 efforts to make everyday life more affordable for working families and to ensure election integrity.\n\n\u201cThe experiment in self-governance has been a tremendous success. And the reason is because we\u2019re built upon these very firm foundations; this didn\u2019t happen by happenstance,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cIt\u2019s because the Founders studied and prayed and put together a matchless Constitution, a system of government that followed, frankly, the admonitions of Scripture.\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s full interview here.\n\nOn the significance of the Declaration of Independence:\n\nThe great statesman, GK Chesterton, once observed from Great Britain that America is the only nation in the world that was founded upon a creed. And he said that it's listed with almost theological lucidity or clarity in the Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate this week. What is the creed? We hold these truths to be self-evident, the founders said, and what is a self-evident truth? It's something that's obvious. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. It doesn't say born equal. It says created equal, in that it is God, not the government, who gives us our inalienable rights. That foundational truth is what built America. It was the foundation of all of it and is what we still celebrate and are fighting every day right now to preserve.\n\nOn bipartisan legislation to lower the cost of homeownership for working families:\n\nThe housing bill really is a Republican priority because it will lower housing costs. We made a lot of promises to the voters, and we're fulfilling those every single day this Congress. And this is a big part of that because it will increase the availability, the access to more housing, bring down costs, cut regulations, do the things that we know are very important for that market. The President and I talked about that at length. Of course, he wants to do all those things. I'm going to send the bill over to him. It\u2019s passed by both chambers, I'm sending it to him on Monday, and it will become law. And I certainly want him to take the biggest, boldest marker that he has and do that big Trump signature proudly on that legislation because we're delivering for the people. And that's what he wants to do.\n\nOn Republican efforts to secure American elections:\n\nWe passed it three times in the House already. We're going to pass it again. And this time we're going to try to put it on a reconciliation bill. And the reason that's so important, Maria, as you know, is it prevents the necessity of 60 votes in the Senate. The Democrats want no part of this. And remember, this is very basic stuff. We're just going to make sure you have to have proof of citizenship to register to vote and then show an ID when you turn out at the ballot box. These are 90/10 public opinion issues. And more than 70% of Democrats want to do it, but not the Democrats in the House and Senate. And so, we've got to go around them. And look, I told Anna Paulina Luna and a couple other colleagues, I said, it makes no sense for us to shut down our good work in the House just because Senate Democrats refuse to do the the people's will. We've got a lot more to do. We\u2019ve got to keep it going.\n\nOn the House Republican agenda going forward:\n\nThe message [from President Trump] was, listen, don't turn the the Floor over to the radical left. That's what happens when the party in charge, the Republican Party, votes against its own rules to proceed with legislation. So, look, we'll get everybody together on Monday, tomorrow, we're bringing them all back. We've got a big week ahead of us of before we begin all the celebrations on the weekend. Much more left to do. We've got the National Defense Authorization Act; we have appropriations where we're spending less money and doing it more efficiently and effectively. We have the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act we've got to get reauthorized; we've got the Surface Transportation bill, many really important pieces of legislation, and of course, Reconciliation 3.0. I have to have everybody working here on all cylinders, and I'm excited to bring them back.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-29T06:36:11Z", "2026-06-29T06:37:53Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-carter-statement-soot-pollution-ruling", "Congressman Carter Statement on Soot Pollution Ruling", "2026-06-27", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis ruling is a win for Louisianians and for every American who just wants to breathe clean air. The court was clear: the EPA's arguments for walking away from this rule simply did not hold up. That matters. The 2024 standard was grounded in science and built through a public process, and it's projected to prevent thousands of premature deaths and tens of thousands of asthma attacks every single year. Louisianans deserve those protections as much as anyone.\n\n\u201cI understand the concerns raised by industry about compliance costs, and I will always fight for policies that keep Louisiana businesses competitive and our energy workforce strong. But protecting public health and supporting a responsible energy and manufacturing sector are not mutually exclusive goals. Cleaner air doesn't have to come at the expense of good jobs, and an EPA that simply refuses to enforce the law isn't doing right by the people it's supposed to serve.\n\n\u201cI'm glad the courts stepped in here. I'll continue pushing the EPA to implement this standard fully and fairly, and to work with us on a realistic path to compliance that protects both our families and our economy.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-28T06:32:11Z", "2026-06-28T06:33:41Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2902", "Speaker Johnson: Polls, Electoral Results Confirm That Democrats Are Not Proud to be Americans", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 This morning, at the weekly House Republican Leadership press conference, Speaker Johnson addressed the New York primary elections and the socialist takeover of the Democrat Party. Speaker Johnson also addressed Republican efforts to advance a third reconciliation bill to continue lowering costs for working families.\n\n\u201cThese radical candidates are self-described, self-identifying Marxists. They want to fundamentally transform this country. And sadly, many of these Democrat candidates and their voters just don't have the same zeal and affection for America,\u201d Speaker Johnson said. \u201cThey don't appreciate the freedom that we have in this country. They're not even going to celebrate on July 4. There's a new NBC poll that came out. Did you see that only 29% of Democrat voters that they polled said they're proud to be an American? What happened to the Democrat Party?\u201d\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nOn Democrats embracing radical, socialist candidates:\n\nLast night made crystal clear that Zohran Mamdani, AOC, and Bernie Sanders have just taken full control of the Democrat Party, or what was left of it. Across the country, Democrats have candidates winning primaries and rising through the ranks. Here's a few of them. Vang in California, one of the Democrats \u2013 she won't say the Pledge of Allegiance. Hamawy in New Jersey, Democrat candidate, socialist candidate, has ties to Al-Qaeda and other terrorists. Chevalier won last night in New York over Hakeem\u2019s counter-endorsement. She says she wants to abolish the border; she doesn't want a border for the country. Mendoza in Arizona wants to decriminalize trans prostitution, apparently that's a thing. James in Iowa wants to apologize for being white. Garriott in Iowa performed a Satanist wedding, and Bennett in New Jersey stopped going to church because Trump voters were there. This is just a sampling. And these kinds of people have been popping up. You've been hearing me say for weeks. There are many mini Mamdani\u2019s popping up all around the country. It is a dangerous thing. This is not a joke. We are in a fight right now to save the republic, and every American needs to take this seriously. You need to wake up.\n\nOn Democrats\u2019 growing disdain for America:\n\nSadly, many of these Democrat candidates and their voters just don't have the same zeal and affection for America. They don't appreciate the freedom that we have in this country. They're not even going to celebrate on July 4th. There's a new NBC poll that came out. Did you see that only 29% of Democrat voters that they polled said they're proud to be an American? What happened to the Democrat Party? They compared the poll from just 20 years ago where it was 90%. Because that's where Republicans are, above 90%. Over half of Democrats now say they would rather live in another country. What a split screen we're seeing right now. We're triumphantly hosting the World Cup games all around the country, and we're seeing people from different countries come and get a little taste of America, a little taste of freedom, of our culture and our society. And they appreciated so much more than these socialists running for Congress.\n\nFans across the country are truly enjoying our world-class facilities and the incredible atmosphere on the field and off the field. Thanks to social media, we're seeing a lot of these; it has been encouraging to see the visitors appreciate what we have. Dutch travelers are in Buc-ee\u2019s; German players took a midnight trip to the Waffle House. They're the greatest thing you've ever seen. English fans are roaming the Everglades. Japanese tourists marveling over free chips and salsa at Mexican restaurant in Texas. Don't forget your blessings. People from Europe and Latin America, many countries around the world, many of whom, here's the key, grew up under repressive, state-controlled economies. They've never known freedom. They've never known these kinds of things. And they're seeing them for themselves the genius of America's system. A system that rewards risk takers and entrepreneurs and job creators and innovators, and people who create jobs for others and expand the economy and opportunity and broaden the pathway out of poverty for more people. That's what the Republicans stand for.\n\nOn Republicans securing American elections through a third reconciliation bill:\n\nThe President believes in election integrity. He talks about it all the time. And we do as well in act and in deed; we have stood for that. We passed the SAVE America Act. This is very important. That is the top priority because if you do not have safe elections in this grand experiment in self-governance that we have in a constitutional republic, you don't have anything. And we have got to ensure it. And we have to press for election integrity measures. That's why we've made it a top priority. It has been stuck in the Senate, and here's why. Because no Democrat in the House or Senate will vote for the SAVE America Act. Those two things I just told you, they vote against that every single time. And they will. Why, you ask? That's a rhetorical question. You should go ask them the actual question. Why are you against proof of citizenship and a photo ID? Why is that? They can't give you a cogent answer. The reason is they do want to allow for cheating and fraud in the elections, because it is the only way that the Marxists can win. They cannot win on their ideas. That's why this is so important to the president is to us.\n\nYou have to put it on a reconciliation bill. We believe that if you create a grant program that ties it to reconciling the budget and you allow blue states, if they come to their senses and they want to avail themselves to election integrity proposals and ideas and policies, they can draw down from a federal fund and use those funds. We're willing to invest heavily in that. And House Republicans will put together a reconciliation bill, Reconciliation 3.0, that will have that.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-25T06:30:03Z", "2026-06-25T06:31:21Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2903", "Speaker Johnson Hosts Unveiling of Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, Speaker Johnson hosted the unveiling of the Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, which will be sealed for 250 years until America\u2019s quincentennial on July 4, 2276. Speaker Johnson was joined at the unveiling ceremony by Leader Jeffries, Senator Shaheen, Senator Capito, Senator Padilla, Representative Aderholt, Representative Watson Coleman, and Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin. Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and Congressional staff also attended the ceremony.\n\n\u201cIn many ways, the Congressional Time Capsule is a reflection of our faith in the future of this grand experiment in self-governance, faith that this moment is worth preserving, and faith that the great American story will endure for another 250 years,\u201d Speaker Johnson said.\n\nWatch Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks here.\n\nBelow are Speaker Johnson\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\nWell, thank you so much, Leader Jeffries, Members of the House and Senate, distinguished guests. We have so many staff members here today. It's a full crowd, and we're so happy to see you here. It truly is a special occasion, a unique one, obviously. Typically, we gather here in Emancipation Hall to carry on one of the great traditions of this institution. We typically gather here to honor America's great heroes with the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, however, as you know, we gather for a very different reason, to mark a moment in time, to encapsulate the story of this generation and the 119th Congress with the Congressional Time Capsule.\n\nNow, it takes a lot of work to put something like this together, to coordinate a big endeavor like this, which has collected submissions from every state delegation and from both chambers of Congress. So, I want to thank my colleagues in Congress who served as America 250 Commissioners, the dedicated staff of the Architect of the Capitol, Tom himself, and the many institutional partners for all of their important efforts and work that truly made this day possible.\n\nNow, this is only the second time in the history of our great nation, and it is the greatest nation on the earth, that Congress has prepared and sealed a time capsule for future Americans. And just like our forebearers in 1876 when our nation marked its centennial, this is our opportunity to share what America looks like today and what we hope the future holds for this great country, which we are truly blessed to call home.\n\nIn many ways, the Congressional Time Capsule is a reflection of our faith in the future of this grand experiment in self-governance, faith that this moment is worth preserving, and faith that the great American story will endure for another 250 years. When this capsule is finally opened, those Americans will be as distant from us as we are today from the men who signed their names on our Declaration. Just think of it. We don't know who will be alive at that time. We don't know what exactly they'll need or what our country will look like, but we'll seal this anyway because we have faith. One definition of faith describes it simply as the act of believing something to be true and committing our lives to it. And since the very beginning of our story as a nation, courageous Americans have done exactly that.\n\nWhen our founding generation waged war to defend their freedom and fight the tyranny of a mighty empire, victory was very far from certain. Those Americans had certainty only in the cause they served. They didn't know the outcome. They served the cause. And the cause was the timeless self-evident truth, that freedom is the God-given right of all people. Since then, America has endured some tough times, and this experiment has been tested. But in every instance, at every pivotal moment, we have responded as we always have \u2013 with faith and courage and good-old American determination.\n\nToday, as we mark this moment in history. We're counting again on the success of the American cause. We're counting on the fact that all of us at this consequential hour can meet the challenges of this generation, just as our ancestors did in theirs, and God willing, will meet this moment with faith and courage and determination. And the American men and women who opened this capsule 250 years from now will recognize our faithfulness just as we do, the Founders who proceeded us. And hopefully if we've done our duty well, they will say of us: \u2018These Americans worked hard, they looked after their neighbors, they loved their country, and they preserved it as the last best hope of men on earth.\u2019 By God's grace, they will say exactly that of us.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-25T06:30:03Z", "2026-06-25T06:31:21Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-cleo-fields-releases-statement-passage-21st-century-road-housing", "CONGRESSMAN CLEO FIELDS RELEASES STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF THE 21ST CENTURY ROAD TO HOUSING ACT", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Cleo Fields today issued the following statement regarding the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and President Trump's refusal to sign the bipartisan legislation into law:\n\n\u201cLast night, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and now heads to the President's desk. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I have consistently supported it because it directly addresses the housing pressures facing working families across the 6th District.\n\nIt cuts the cost of manufactured homes, blocks corporate investors from buying up single-family homes, locks in disaster recovery housing funds for states like Louisiana, and helps low-income homeowners afford basic repairs. This is the most significant federal housing legislation in a generation, and I'm proud my vote helped move it forward.\n\nThis bill has no partisan strings attached. It passed both chambers with veto-proof margins because it works for American families. President Trump's decision to cancel the signing ceremony and hold this bill hostage over the unrelated SAVE Act, a voting restrictions bill that doesn't have the Senate votes to pass, is wrong. Families in Louisiana cannot afford to wait. I am calling on President Trump to sign this bill into law now.\u201d", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-republicans-embrace-solutions-democrats-embrace-socialism", "Scalise: Republicans Embrace Solutions, Democrats Embrace Socialism", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C.\u2014Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Financial Services Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.) to highlight how House Republicans are advancing solutions to lower costs for American families while Democrats continue their march toward socialism. Leader Scalise pointed to Republican efforts to lower taxes, unleash American energy, and expand housing affordability, while warning that the Democrat Party's embrace of far-left policies is moving it further away from the concerns of working families.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-congressman-carter-redevelopment-charity-hospital", "Statement from Congressman Carter on the Redevelopment of Charity Hospital", "2026-06-24", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEW ORLEANS, LA \u2013 Today, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) released the following statement:\n\n\u201cToday marks a major step forward for New Orleans and for the future of our medical corridor. For far too long, Charity Hospital has stood as a reminder of what was, and what still could be. I have long believed that this historic site deserved new life, new purpose, and a vision worthy of its legacy.\n\n\u201cTulane University\u2019s commitment to help lead this redevelopment is welcome news. This project has the potential to be catalytic and transformative, bringing together healthcare, research, education, housing, jobs, and economic growth in a way that can strengthen downtown New Orleans and benefit our entire region.\n\n\u201cCharity is more than a building. It is part of the soul of New Orleans. Generations of families were born there, cared for there, trained there, and served there. To see real momentum toward its redevelopment is both meaningful and long overdue.\n\n\u201cHats off to Tulane University and to the public-private partnership that helped make this possible. Big projects take vision, patience, persistence, and cooperation. This is the kind of bold partnership New Orleans needs.\n\n\u201cThere is still work ahead, but today we should recognize this important milestone and keep pushing forward. Redeveloping Charity Hospital is not just about restoring a historic landmark. It is about building opportunity, expanding innovation, and shaping a stronger future for New Orleans.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2901", "House, Senate Pass Bipartisan Housing Affordability Legislation to Help Restore American Dream for Working Families", "2026-06-23", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Mike Johnson", "J000299", "mikejohnson.house.gov", "mikejohnson", "https://mikejohnson.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Speaker Johnson issued the following statement after the House passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. This legislation now heads to President Trump to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cWith final passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, Congress is paving a path back to homeownership for American families who have been locked out for far too long. This transformational legislation will help address the housing affordability problem, reduce regulations so builders can build, limit institutional investing in the housing", 1, "2026-06-25T06:30:03Z", "2026-06-25T06:31:21Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-fema-provide-all-resources-necessary-flood-cleanup", "Letlow to FEMA: Provide all resources necessary for flood cleanup", "2026-06-22", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 In the wake of severe storms slamming parts of Louisiana with over two feet of rain, Congresswoman Julia Letlow is asking FEMA to provide all resources necessary for communities to clean up damage left by extreme flooding.\n\nIn a letter to the agency, Letlow noted the extreme impact of torrential rainfall, high winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes produced by Tropical Storm Arthur. Parts of Letlow's district in Avoyelles Parish, as well as surrounding communities, were especially hard hit by severe flooding.\n\n\"Louisianians are strong and resilient in the face of natural disasters. I stand ready to partner with the Trump Administration to support Louisiana's disaster recovery efforts in the wake of Tropical Storm Arthur,\" Congresswoman Letlow wrote. \"I urge FEMA to utilize all resources necessary to ensure appropriate and effective disaster relief is provided to the state and localities during this time of immense need.\"\n\nLetlow's constituents in Avoyelles Parish experienced record rainfall in a short time span, with other parishes in South Louisiana also reporting significant rainfall and damage.\n\nLetlow's letter to FEMA can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-republicans-are-making-america-safer-stronger-and-more-affordable-while-democrats-talk-america-down", "Scalise: Republicans\u00a0Are Making America Safer, Stronger, and More Affordable While Democrats Talk America Down", "2026-06-20", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", "scalise", "https://scalise.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEW ORLEANS, La.\u2014Last night, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo\u2019s Wall Street to discuss how House Republicans are lowering costs, combating fraud, protecting election integrity, and supporting President Trump's efforts to advance peace in the Middle East. Leader Scalise also highlighted the contrast between the millions visiting America for the World Cup, many of whom have gone viral praising what makes our country great, and far-left Democrats who continue to disparage the nation they call home.\n\nImage\n\nClick here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://clayhiggins.house.gov/2026/06/19/higgins-urges-federal-investigation-into-los-angeles-election-fraud-allegations-calls-for-funding-freeze/", "Higgins\u00a0Urges Federal Investigation Into Los Angeles Election Fraud Allegations, Calls for Funding Freeze", "2026-06-19", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Clay Higgins", "H001077", "clayhiggins.house.gov", "clayhiggins", "https://clayhiggins.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "LAFAYETTE, LA \u2014 Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter today to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance urging the administration to launch a federal investigation into alleged election fraud in Los Angeles County and calling for a pause on all federal funding to the city until the investigation is complete. Read the letter here.\n\nThe letter cites reports that LA County Republicans have received mail-in ballot rejection letters over signature issues, and that U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli is probing suspected fraud, an investigation complicated by the state\u2019s vote-by-mail system, ballot harvesting, and delayed counting.\n\nHiggins wrote: \u201cAs the Department of Justice (DOJ) continues to investigate alleged election fraud in California, I urge your administration to pause all federal funding to Los Angeles, including federal projects and grants, until the investigation is complete,\u201d", 1, "2026-06-23T06:27:52Z", "2026-06-23T06:29:20Z"], ["https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-fields-releases-statement-regarding-iran-framework-agreement", "CONGRESSMAN FIELDS RELEASES STATEMENT REGARDING IRAN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT", "2026-06-18", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Cleo Fields", "F000110", "fields.house.gov", "fields", "https://fields.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "BATON ROUGE, L.A. \u2013 Congressman Cleo Fields today issued the following statement expressing his strong disapproval of the preliminary framework agreement announced this week between the United States and Iran:\n\n\u201cLet me be clear about what this agreement actually is. After dragging the country into a conflict that was never a war of necessity, the President is now searching for an offramp from a war of his own choosing, and he is asking the American people to foot the bill for it.\n\nThis war has been extraordinarily costly. It has cost us both in American lives and in America\u2019s standing in the world. Families across Louisiana and across this country have absorbed the consequences of a decision made without a clear objective and without a plan to end it. And after all of that sacrifice, this deal delivers no tangible benefit to the people who paid the price.\n\nI take particular issue with the $300 billion figure at the center of this arrangement. The administration wants Americans to believe this is a costless win, but you cannot wave away a number that large with talking points. Whether it is framed as a private fund, a reconstruction plan, or something else entirely, the language is deliberately vague, and it should alarm every taxpayer and every member of Congress.\n\nThe American people deserve more than a hastily assembled framework designed to let the President declare success and move on. They deserve to know what this is going to cost, what we are actually getting in return, and why they were asked to bear the burden of a war that never had to be fought.\n\nI will be pressing for full transparency and for honest answers about use of the $300 billion. Congress and the American people deserve transparency around how their tax dollars are being put to use.\u201d", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases/letlow-statement-severe-weather-affecting-louisiana", "Letlow Statement on Severe Weather Affecting Louisiana", "2026-06-18", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Julia Letlow", "L000595", "letlow.house.gov", "letlow", "https://letlow.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congresswoman Julia Letlow released the following statement on extreme rainfall hitting Louisiana.\n\n\u201cLouisiana communities continue to experience heavy rainfall as a result of Tropical Storm Arthur, with additional rain and flooding expected. Residents in affected areas should avoid dangerous roads and follow guidance from local officials.\n\nAs the storm progresses, my office is in close contact with local officials, government agencies, and farmers impacted by crop losses. I will continue to closely monitor conditions on the ground and advocate for emergency assistance.\n\nRoad closures and other updates can be viewed at 511la.org, and we will continue to share resources in the days ahead. Stay safe, Louisiana.\u201d", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressmen-carter-higgins-fields-introduce-craw-act", "Congressmen Carter, Higgins, Fields Introduce CRAW Act", "2026-06-18", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA), Clay Higgins (R-LA), and Cleo Fields (D-LA) introduced the bipartisan Crawfish Reclassification for Agricultural Workforce (CRAW) Act. This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to explicitly classify crawfish\u2011processing work\u2014such as washing, sorting, grading, whole\u2011boiling, peeling, and transporting\u2014as \u201cagricultural labor or services.\u201d By recognizing these tasks as agricultural, the legislation makes crawfish\u2011processing employers eligible to use the H\u20112A visa program, which is designed for temporary agricultural labor and is not subject to the annual caps that restrict the H\u20112B program.\n\n\u201cLouisiana's crawfish industry is a cornerstone of our state's agricultural economy and our cultural identity, but for too long, outdated visa classifications have left our processors scrambling for the workforce they need,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cI've heard directly from crawfish processors across Louisiana about the loss of income and crop simply because of bureaucratic definitions that somehow classifies peeling a crawfish tail as less agricultural than picking a tomato. The CRAW Act fixes this by calling crawfish processing what it is: agricultural work. This commonsense fix will give our processors access to a more reliable workforce, protect thousands of jobs, and help ensure Louisiana crawfish stays on dinner tables here at home and across the country.\u201d\n\nThe Louisiana crawfish industry has become one of the state\u2019s most economically significant agricultural sectors, with acreage and production increasing by approximately 200 percent over the past two decades and total economic value surpassing $640 million in 2025. However, the industry has struggled with severe labor shortages due to H\u20112B visa caps, delays, and inconsistent visa releases. These labor issues have forced processing plants to scale down operations or send unprocessed crawfish overseas for peeling, resulting in potential estimated losses of over $100 million. Shifting these jobs into the uncapped H\u20112A program would provide a more dependable workforce, strengthen Louisiana\u2019s agricultural economy, and help prevent supply shortages and price spikes for consumers.\n\n\u201cMy office has long endeavored to correct workforce issues facing the crawfish industry, and I believe the CRAW Act provides long-term stability,\u201d said Rep. Higgins. \u201cThe legislation accounts for the unique nature of crawfish processing and rightly transitions the industry from the H2-B to H2-A visa program. I\u2019m proud to sponsor this commonsense fix, and I\u2019d like to thank Congressman Carter for his work on this issue.\u201d\n\n\u201cI'm proud to support the CRAW Act, which finally recognizes crawfish processing as the agricultural work it has always been,\u201d said Rep. Fields. \u201cOne simple change gives our processors access to the uncapped H-2A program and frees them from the H-2B caps and delays that have left plants short-staffed season after season. This is overdue relief for my constituents. Crawfish is a way of life in Louisiana and a major driver of our economy, yet labor shortages have shut down plants, sent our catch overseas to be peeled, and cost the industry millions. A dependable, legal workforce shouldn't be too much to ask, and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing up for Louisiana's workers and producers.\u201d\n\n\u201cFarm grown commodities need to reach their markets to be of value to both the farmer and the consumer. Farms require a seasonal workforce to do that. Through the CRAW Act, Congressmen Carter, Higgins, and Fields are rightfully recognizing that crawfish processing should be eligible for H-2A, our agricultural guestworker program. Our delegation fought this miscategorized workforce regulatory battle with us in the spring and we are very appreciative of the Louisiana members for carrying this fix forward to legislation,\u201d said Louisiana Farm Bureau President Richard Fontenot.\n\nFull text of the bill can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"], ["https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-troy-carter-introduces-national-mens-health-week-resolution-0", "Congressman Troy Carter Introduces National Men\u2019s Health Week Resolution", "2026-06-17", "2026", "2026-06", "Democrat", "House", "LA", "Troy A. Carter", "C001125", "troycarter.house.gov", "troycarter", "https://troycarter.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 This week, Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Men\u2019s Health Caucus, introduced a bipartisan House Resolution in recognition of Men\u2019s Health Week which occurs annually the week leading up to Father\u2019s Day. This resolution is intended to raise awareness about men's health issues and promote preventive care.\n\n\u201cAs a father, I think about the future my sons will inherit\u2014and that includes making sure I\u2019m here for it,\u201d said Rep. Carter. \u201cToo many men across this country are skipping checkups, ignoring symptoms, and needlessly losing years of their lives. National Men\u2019s Health Week is not just about awareness\u2014it's about action. It\u2019s about telling every man, every father, every son: your health matters. Early detection saves lives. Preventive care isn't optional\u2014it's essential. I\u2019m proud to introduce this resolution because it\u2019s time we change the conversation around men\u2019s health and help more men live longer, healthier lives for the people who count on them most.\"\n\n\"As a physician, I understand the critical importance of men's health. I'm proud to Co-Chair the Congressional Men's Health Caucus and support this resolution recognizing National Men's Health Week,\u201d said Rep. McCormick. \u201cWe must encourage men to prioritize their well-being, seek preventive care, and be proactive about their health. Early detection and regular checkups can save lives and ensure men are there for their families and communities. Let's use this week to raise awareness, break down stigmas, and promote a culture of health and longevity for all men.\"\n\n\u201cKnowing early warning signs and getting regular checkups are essential for men to live healthy lives,\u201d said Rep. Lieu. \u201cWe need to make sure men have the education and access to care they need. I\u2019m pleased to join my colleagues in the Men\u2019s Health Caucus to support Men\u2019s Health Week and raise awareness for men's health issues.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a country, we need to improve the conversation around men\u2019s health\u2014and together, we\u2019re working to make that happen,\u201d said Rep. Menendez. \u201cBy commemorating National Men\u2019s Health Week, we can take an important step to encourage men across the country to prioritize their wellbeing and seek preventative care for both physical and mental health. I\u2019m grateful to my colleagues on the Men\u2019s Health Caucus for leading this important effort.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a urologist, I know that some of the most serious health conditions affecting men are also among the most treatable when caught early,\u201d said Rep. Dunn. \u201cI am proud to join my colleagues in recognizing Men\u2019s Health Week to raise awareness about the value of preventative care and encourage Americans to schedule regular checkups and recommended screenings. Taking proactive steps today can make all the difference for a healthier tomorrow.\"\n\nThe full text of the resolution is below, and you can read it here.\n\n\u201cSupporting the designation of the week of June 14 through June 21, 2026, as \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019.\n\n\u201cWhereas, despite advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of more than 5 years less than women, and American Indian/Alaska Native and African-American men have the lowest life expectancy;\n\n\u201cWhereas heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and unintentional injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, lead to death in men at a higher percentage than women;\n\n\u201cWhereas African American and Hispanic men have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, compared to non-Hispanic White men and are less likely to seek care from a health professional;\n\n\u201cWhereas suicide is among the top 10 causes of death for men, and ranks as the second highest cause of death for men in 2 age groups, from ages 1 through 19 and ages 20 through 44;\n\n\u201cWhereas men on average experience a heart attack 7 years earlier than women;\n\n\u201cWhereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men between the ages of 15 and 34, and when detected early, has a 95-percent survival rate;\n\n\u201cWhereas, according to the American Cancer Society, the number of colorectal cancer cases among men is expected to be over 84,160 in 2026, and over 30,110 men are expected to die from it;\n\n\u201cWhereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 out of every 100 American men will develop prostate cancer during their lifetime;\n\n\u201cWhereas, according to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 333,830 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2026, and an estimated 36,320 of them will die from the disease;\n\n\u201cWhereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence of prostate cancer;\n\n\u201cWhereas African-American men are 1.76 times more likely to be diagnosed with, and 2.2 times more likely to die from, prostate cancer than White men;\n\n\u201cWhereas significant numbers of predominantly male-related health problems, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer, could be detected and treated in the early stages if men were more widely aware of the many early detection and screening tools and preventive measures currently available;\n\n\u201cWhereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for these diseases;\n\n\u201cWhereas appropriate use of tests such as prostate-specific antigen (PSA) exams and blood pressure and cholesterol screens, in conjunction with clinical examination and self testing for problems such as testicular cancer, can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early stages and increases in the survival rates to nearly 100 percent;\n\n\u201cWhereas, according to the 2019 Cleveland Clinic MENtion It Survey, two-thirds (65 percent) of men tend to wait as long as possible to see their doctor if they have any health symptoms or an injury, and among men surveyed, men ages 35 to 54 are more likely to agree they tend to tough it out as long as possible before going to the doctor (72 percent), compared to men 55 and up (59 percent);\n\n\u201cWhereas women are twice as likely as men to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services;\n\n\u201cWhereas men are less likely than women to visit their health center or physician for regular screening examinations of male-related problems for a variety of reasons, including fear of learning or confirming health status or condition, embarrassment, lack of health insurance, lack of information, and high out-of-pockets costs;\n\n\u201cWhereas \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019 was established by Congress and first celebrated in 1994 and urges men and their families to engage in appropriate health behaviors, and the resulting increased awareness has improved health-related education and helped prevent illness;\n\n\u201cWhereas the Governors of all 50 States have issued proclamations annually declaring Men\u2019s Health Week in their States, as have mayors of over 350 cities;\n\n\u201cWhereas, since 1994, \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019 has been celebrated each June by hundreds of States, cities, localities, public health departments, health care entities, churches, and community organizations throughout the Nation that promote health awareness events focused on men and families;\n\n\u201cWhereas the \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019 website has been established at www.menshealthmonth.org and features proclamations from Governors and mayors, and \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019 events;\n\n\u201cWhereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health care can play in prolonging their lifespan and their role as productive family members will be more likely to participate in health screenings;\n\n\u201cWhereas men and their families are encouraged to increase their awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, and medical checkups; and\n\n\u201cWhereas June 14 through June 21, 2026, is \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019, which has the purpose of heightening the awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys:\n\n\u201cNow, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives\u2014\n\n\u201c(1) supports the annual \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019; and\n\n\u201c(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States and interested groups to observe \u2018\u2018National Men\u2019s Health Week\u2019\u2019 with appropriate ceremonies and activities.\u201d\n\nBackground\n\nCongressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02) is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Men\u2019s Health Caucus. Congressman Carter is joined by Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Co-Chair, and Vice Chairs Reps. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Rob Menendez (D-NJ). The bipartisan Caucus is dedicated to raising awareness about men\u2019s health issues, encouraging men and boys to take an active role in their personal health, and promoting legislation that will improve the health and well-being of men, boys, and their families.\n\nThe Men\u2019s Health Caucus focuses on topics including mental health care, prostate cancer screening, traumatic brain injury, and urological health issues. The Caucus will continue these efforts to educate Congress and the public about important topics in men\u2019s health.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:11:26Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 318, "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": "LA", "p2": "2026"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 219, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026&party=Republican", "selected": false}, {"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 99, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 318, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=LA&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "LA", "label": "LA", "count": 318, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 318, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2026-06-17,https~3A~2F~2Ftroycarter~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fpress-releases~2Fcongressman-troy-carter-introduces-national-mens-health-week-resolution-0", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=LA&year=2026&_next=2026-06-17%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Ftroycarter~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fmedia~2Fpress-releases~2Fcongressman-troy-carter-introduces-national-mens-health-week-resolution-0&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 156.6068660467863, "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"}