{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"House\", state = \"MA\" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/brigadier-general-andrea-gayle-bennett-lynn-announced-winner-2026-peter-j-gomes", "Brigadier General Andrea Gayle-Bennett of Lynn Announced as Winner of 2026 Peter J. Gomes Service Award", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "SALEM, MA \u2014 Brigadier General Andrea Gayle-Bennett of Lynn was honored last night as the winner of the 11th Annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award. Congressman Seth Moulton presented the award at a ceremony in Salem, where five honorees in total were also recognized for their remarkable contributions to their communities.\n\nThe Peter J. Gomes Service Award recognizes the volunteer work and community contributions of constituents across Massachusetts\u2019 6th District. It\u2019s named after the late Reverend Professor Peter Gomes, who was a Christian minister that served for nearly 40 years at The Memorial Church of Harvard University. Reverend Gomes was a mentor and friend to Congressman Moulton, ultimately inspiring him to serve in the Marines and later to run for Congress.\n\nBrigadier General Gayle-Bennett serves as the Adjutant for Lynn-Swampscott Disabled American Veterans Chapter #64, continuing her dedication to veterans across the district following her post-retirement promotion to Brigadier General by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She works tirelessly on the front lines of veteran care by connecting local heroes with essential housing, food resources, and peer support networks. By spearheading community events and building robust outreach programs, she actively combats isolation and improves the daily quality of life for disabled veterans.\n\n\"Brigadier General Gayle-Bennett embodies the very best of our community and the spirit of service that Reverend Gomes taught us to uphold,\" said Congressman Seth Moulton. \"Her tireless work advocating for our veterans, ensuring they have housing, food, and a strong network of support, is a powerful reminder of what true dedication to community looks like. It is an honor to present her with this year's Gomes Service Award and to celebrate her impact on Lynn and across the Sixth District.\"\n\nInformation about each of the other 2026 honorees can be found here. More information about the Gomes Service Award can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/28/neal-statement-on-trumps-china-capitulation/", "Neal Statement on Trump\u2019s China Capitulation", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced its intention to lower tariffs on China:\n\n\u201cBy every measure, President Trump\u2019s trade war with the world has failed. Coupled with his war of choice with Iran that has sent fuel prices to historically high levels, Trump has brought nothing but higher costs for families, less opportunity for workers, chaos for small business owners, and fractured partnerships abroad. Desperate for a way out of his abysmal economic record, Trump is again selling out American workers and businesses by cowering to China when they\u2019ve done nothing to address their manipulative trade and market behavior.\n\n\u201cThis capitulation comes as he unjustifiably doubles down on his trade war with our most important trading partners. Treating the world\u2019s greatest trade cheat with kid gloves while socking our allies with more job-killing, price-hiking tariffs isn\u2019t a strategy. It\u2019s more weakness that families can\u2019t afford. Enough of the red-carpet rollouts and backroom deals, it\u2019s beyond time to return to sensible trade policy that actually delivers for the American people.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/28/pressley-wu-announce-lawsuit-against-trump-administration-to-protect-20-million-federal-grant-for-roxburys-street-improvements/", "Pressley, Wu Announce Lawsuit Against Trump Administration to Protect $20 Million Federal Grant for Roxbury\u2019s Street Improvements", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "City Argues that the USDOT Illegally Withdrew Funds for Safety, Transit, Accessibility, and Traffic Flow Improvements to Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Warren Street in Roxbury\n\nBOSTON, MA \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the City of Boston is filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration\u2019s unlawful withdrawal of a $20 million federal grant for critical street infrastructure improvements along three major corridors in Roxbury. In 2022, Rep. Pressley helped deliver these investments which would fund safety, transit, accessibility, and traffic flow improvements to essential roadways in Roxbury.\n\nThe grant, awarded to the City in 2022 under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, would fund the Roxbury Resilient Corridors project, including state of good repair, safety, transit, accessibility, and traffic flow improvements to Melnea Cass Boulevard, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Warren Street.\n\n\u201cThese funds are an essential investment in Roxbury and the unlawful cancellation of this grant is more evidence of Sean Duffy and Donald Trump\u2019s contempt for the people we serve,\u201d said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07).\u201cOur shared constituents should be able to get where they need to go and public transit is a public good. The law is on our side here and this lawsuit is a critical step in defense of this project that our office fought hard to secure funding for. There was no good reason to rescind these funds \u2013 DOT should reverse course so we can move this project forward, improve the daily lives of commuters, and enhance the climate resilience of at-risk communities\u2014just as Congress intended.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe\u2019re fighting for every dollar of investment to improve quality of life for Roxbury residents, commuters, and businesses,\u201d said Mayor Michelle Wu. \u201cBoston earned this competitive grant to meet community needs and address long-needed infrastructure upgrades. The City of Boston will continue to fight back against lawless federal attacks, and we urge the court to reverse the Trump administration\u2019s illegal actions and restore these critical funds for Roxbury.\u201d\n\nThe lawsuit seeks to reverse the U.S. Department of Transportation\u2019s (DOT) September 2025 decision to cancel the City\u2019s $20 million grant award. In abruptly withdrawing the award, the City argues that DOT acted against the instruction of Congress, which created the grant program. In its letter cancelling the grant, DOT cited just one reason: the project included a small amount of money for electric vehicle charging (less than 1% of the project costs), which DOT had encouraged the City to include, yet DOT revoked the entire grant on that sole basis.\n\n\u201cFor decades, Roxbury has waited for significant investments to improve our roads and sidewalks, add more trees and public spaces, and keep our families safe. These federal funds are critical in delivering much needed improvements, making it easier for everyone but especially our kids and elders to breathe clean air and get to where they need to safely in their community,\u201d said Rev. Willie Bodrick, II, senior pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church and president & CEO of The American City Coalition. \u201cI\u2019m thankful to Mayor Wu and the City of Boston for standing up for our residents and look forward to continued partnership to ensure Roxbury receives this significant federal investment.\u201d\n\nThe City\u2019s lawsuit argues that DOT\u2019s overtly political decision was illegal. Congress created the RAISE program with the explicit goal of making transportation and environmental investments in historically underserved communities. The Roxbury Resilient Corridors project was designed to do just that, bringing needed upgrades, safety, traffic management, and quality of life improvements to some of Roxbury\u2019s busiest corridors.\n\n\u201cBoston lost a $20 million infrastructure grant over electric vehicle chargers that represented a fraction of 1% of the funding\u2014infrastructure the federal government itself encouraged,\u201d said Toby Merrill, litigation director at Public Rights Project. \u201cThat decision is arbitrary and unlawful. Federal agencies can\u2019t rewrite Congress\u2019s rules or their commitments to cities to fit changing political priorities, especially when residents pay the price. Public Rights Project is proud to represent Boston as it stands up for its residents.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor six decades, Madison Park Development Corporation has invested in the people and families who make Roxbury the vibrant community it is today. This $20 million investment is about more than roads and infrastructure\u2014it is about safer streets for our children, more accessible sidewalks for our seniors and families, better transit for our workers, and a neighborhood that receives the investment it deserves,\u201d said Monica Dean, CEO of Madison Park Development Corporation. \u201cWe thank Mayor Wu, Congresswoman Pressley, and our federal, state, and local partners for standing with Roxbury and fighting to ensure that commitments made to our community are honored.\u201d\n\n\u201cYears ago, I volunteered to work with the City of Boston, and saw acres and acres of land that were cleared for highways and not for the benefit of Roxbury residents and the neighborhood. I agree with Representative Pressley and Mayor Wu\u2019s efforts to restore funding for the Roxbury Resilient Corridors Project,\u201d said Norman Stembridge, co-chair of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee (RSMPOC).\n\nThe City\u2019s lawsuit, City of Boston v. Duffy, was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Docket No. 1:26-cv-14419. The City is represented by attorneys from the City of Boston Law Department and pro bono counsel from Public Rights Project.\n\nRep. Pressley has been advocating for federal funding to support the Roxbury Resiliency Corridors Project and submitted a letter of support for the project to DOT in April 2022. In September 2025, Rep. Pressley vehemently condemned the Trump administration\u2019s cancellation of this essential federal grant.\n\nMore information about the Roxbury Resiliency Corridors Project and the benefits it would bring is available here.\n\nIn July 2025, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Markey re-introduced the Freedom to Move Act, their legislation to support state and local efforts to establish public transportation as a public good through fare-free services. In August 2025, Rep. Pressley, Sen. Markey, and Mayor Wu announced their continued efforts to implement fare-free public transportation in Boston and across the Commonwealth.\n\nIn August 2026, Rep. Pressley and Sen. Markey released a new report, Making Transit Free, Frequent, and Reliable: Massachusetts shows the need for federal investment in fare-free transit, detailing the need for increased federal investments in fare-free transit.\n\nIn December 2025, Rep. Pressley led 14 colleagues in sending a letter to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen urging they prioritize affordability, accessibility, and sustainability in crafting the Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill\u2014including by investing in fare-free transit. These priorities reflect the mission of the Future of Transportation Caucus, which reimagines America\u2019s transportation systems to center equity, access, and sustainability.\n\nIn October 2019, Rep. Pressley founded the Future of Transportation Caucus, a Congressional caucus focused on centering equity, access, and sustainability in our transportation systems. Rep. Pressley also co-chairs the Congressional Bike Caucus.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/28/pressley-schakowsky-booker-colleagues-reintroduce-abortion-is-health-care-everywhere-act-to-repeal-harmful-helms-amendment/", "Pressley, Schakowsky, Booker, Colleagues Reintroduce Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act to Repeal Harmful Helms Amendment", "2026-09-28", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "On International Safe Abortion Day, Lawmakers Renew Effort to Expand Access to Abortion Care Around the World\n\nBill Text (PDF)\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, on International Safe Abortion Day, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) \u2013 alongside Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Norma Torres (CA-35), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) \u2013 reintroduced the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act, legislation that would repeal the harmful Helms Amendment and ensure U.S. foreign assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion care. More than 80 House Members have joined the effort.\n\n\u201cFor decades, the reproductive health of millions of people\u2014especially those in developing nations\u2014has suffered as a result of the Helms Amendment barring U.S. foreign assistance from going to NGOs and clinics that provide abortion care,\u201d said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Co-Chair of the House Reproductive Freedom Caucus. \u201cU.S. foreign aid to support health care in other countries falls desperately short by excluding reproductive health, and reinforces the criminalization and stigmatization of abortion care and reproductive health at home and abroad. This Administration\u2019s cruel approach to gutting foreign aid has cost people around the globe their lives. The United States must reverse course, reinvest in foreign aid, and treat reproductive care as essential care.\u201d\n\n\u201cAbortion is health care, no matter where you live. For nearly 50 years, the racist, harmful Helms Amendment has blocked U.S. foreign assistance from supporting abortion care, even where abortion is legal. That is wrong,\u201d said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. \u201cToday, on International Safe Abortion Day and every day, we must stand with people around the world who deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their bodies and their futures. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act will repeal Helms and help make reproductive health care accessible to everyone, everywhere.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted the use of U.S. foreign assistance for abortion care, with real consequences for women around the world,\u201d said Senator Cory Booker. \u201cWomen are turned away from safe care and denied information and counseling about their options. Providers are forced to treat abortion differently from other essential health services. That is not a policy grounded in science, compassion, or dignity. The Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act would end these restrictions and make clear that U.S. global health assistance can support comprehensive reproductive health care, including safe abortion care.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe right to decide what is best for your body, health and family should not be dictated by borders,\u201d said Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus. \u201cThe Helms Amendment is a draconian policy that has blocked access to essential health care for far too long. It\u2019s time that Congress acts and ensures that no matter what community she calls home, every woman can access the full range of health care she needs \u2014 including abortion care.\u201d\n\n\u201cHealth care should not depend on your ZIP code, your income, or the country you call home,\u201d said Congresswoman Norma Torres. \u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world access to comprehensive reproductive health care. The Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act is important because every woman deserves the freedom to make decisions about her own body, health, and future.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs MAGA extremists unleash their assault on women\u2019s rights, it is imperative to ensure reproductive health care for all,\u201d said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland. \u201cThe Helms Amendment makes it impossible for millions of women across the globe to seek reproductive care \u2013 including routine preventative screenings \u2013 barring economic mobility and worsening the maternal health crisis. I am introducing the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act with Representative Schakowsky and over 80 of my colleagues today to repeal Helms, ensure equality, and continue the fight for women\u2019s rights worldwide.\u201d\n\nThe Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act would repeal the Helms Amendment and replace it with language authorizing U.S. foreign assistance for comprehensive reproductive health care services, including abortion services, training, and equipment.\n\nThe legislation is endorsed by leading reproductive health, global health, and human rights organizations. Text of the bill can be accessed here.\n\n\u201cWith the Trump Administration undermining foreign aid for sexual and reproductive health care, the stakes couldn\u2019t be higher. Repealing the Helms Amendment, which has long prohibited U.S. support for abortion services around the world, is a critical step toward ensuring people everywhere can access safe abortion care,\u201d said Kelly Baden, Vice President of US Policy & Communications, Guttmacher Institute. \u201cWe thank Sen. Booker, Rep. Schakowsky and their co-leads for introducing the Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act. Guttmacher\u2019s research makes the impact clear: ending Helms and supporting health care systems around the globe would avert 19 million unsafe abortions and 17,000 maternal deaths annually.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has denied people around the world reproductive freedom. It undermines global health and human rights. It\u2019s an archaic remnant of U.S. abortion politics that has always been completely divorced from the reality of the lives of the people it harms,\u201d said Brian Dixon, Sr. Vice President, Population Connection Action Fund. \u201cIt\u2019s long past time to repeal this disgraceful law and we are grateful to Senator Booker and Congresswoman Schakowsky for introducing this important legislation. We look forward to its passage.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryone deserves to be able to get the healthcare they need when they need it,\u201d said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. \u201cFor over 50 years, the Helms Amendment has put safe abortion care out of reach for people around the world served by U.S. foreign assistance, including global health, gender-based violence, and humanitarian programs. As we continue to fight back against abortion bans and restrictions in the U.S., we must also work to expand access and eliminate barriers abroad. We\u2019re thankful to Rep. Schakowsky, Sen. Booker, and their co-leads for their leadership in expanding access to essential healthcare.\u201d\n\n\u201cComprehensive abortion care is health care. That is not a political assertion, it is a public health reality,\u201d said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO, PAI. \u201cWhen safe abortion care is not available, abortions do not stop. They become more dangerous, contributing to preventable maternal death and morbidity. For more than 50 years, the Helms Amendment has restricted U.S. foreign assistance for this care, putting women\u2019s health and lives at risk. U.S. global health policy should be grounded in evidence and focused on preventing needless maternal deaths and illness. It\u2019s time for Congress to pass the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act and repeal Helms.\u201d\n\nThe Helms Amendment was first enacted in 1973 and restricts U.S. foreign assistance from being used for abortion as a method of family planning.\n\nIn her time serving in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect and advance reproductive justice and ensure fundamental life-saving reproductive health care for all.\n\nIn September 2026, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Affordability is Access Act, would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs\n\nIn July 2026, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), led more than 250 Senate and House Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on pushing back against Louisiana\u2019s attempt to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.\n\nIn July 2026, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence and the work still to be done to create a nation that lives up to the founding ideals of liberty and justice for all, Rep. Pressley, alongside Representatives Lateefah Simon and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, introduced the America 250 Reproductive Justice Resolution.\n\nIn June 2026, in marking the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley uplifted and engaged families impacted by Republicans attacks on abortion care and issued a call to action to restore and expand access to abortion care, birth control, IVF, and true reproductive freedom.\n\nIn June 2026, during a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley commanded a moment of silence to honor those who have died because they were denied essential abortion care.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley led a press conference with House Democratic Leadership to mark the fourth anniversary of the devastating Supreme Court Dobbs decision and offer her vision of seeing true reproductive justice realized and essential reproductive healthcare protected and expanded.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley joined impacted individuals and abortion storytellers to initiate a powerful day of action for the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, offering a message of resilient community support and a commitment to ensure abortion care is treated as the fundamental human right it is. Video is available here.\n\nOn the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available\u2014without stigma, shame or systemic barriers\u2014for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.\n\nRep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women\u2019s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere.\n\nRep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage\u2014regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.\n\nShortly before the Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide.\n\nRep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court\u2019s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.\n\nRep. Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia\u2019s abortion ban. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana\u2019s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy \u2013 and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia\u2019s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana\u2019s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support.\n\nIn May 2026, Pressley and her colleagues led 250 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone.\n\nOn August 18, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the passage of the updated Shield Act in Massachusetts, signed into law by Governor Maura Healey this month. The expanded Shield Act strengthens legal protections for people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts.\n\nOn July 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the final passage of Republicans\u2019 Big, Ugly Bill that will rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts, push reproductive healthcare further out of reach nationwide, and fuel Trump\u2019s unlawful mass deportation agenda.\n\nOn July 1, 2025, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to Republicans\u2019 Big, Ugly Bill to protect and expand reproductive healthcare.\n\nOn June 26, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the harmful Medina v. Planned Parenthood ruling, the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to allow South Carolina to bar Medicaid patients from receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood.\n\nOn June 24, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Democratic Leadership for a press conference to mark the somber anniversary and renew her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care and expand access to reproductive healthcare.\n\nOn June 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the women of the Massachusetts delegation, Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts President Dominique Lee for a press conference in solidarity with Planned Parenthood as they collectively fight to stop Republicans\u2019 latest attack on reproductive freedom in the GOP\u2019s Big, Ugly Bill.\n\nIn June 2025, Rep. Pressley demanded justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia\u2019s abortion ban.\n\nOn May 29, 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced a resolution demanding equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as \u201cDisability Reproductive Equity Day.\u201d\n\nOn May 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House Floor in which she slammed Republicans\u2019 reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, which is necessary to ensuring safe, healthy reproductive care and maternal health nationwide.\n\nOn April 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Reps. DeGette, Chu, Leger Fern\u00e1ndez, Fletcher, Davids, Williams, sent a letter signed by 162 Members urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and coordinate an urgent meeting on the matter.\n\nOn April 2, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), colleagues, and advocates outside the U.S. Supreme Court for Medicaid patients\u2019 ability to access routine care at Planned Parenthood health centers.\n\nOn March 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the Reproductive Freedom Caucus issued a statement condemning Donald Trump\u2019s plans to drop the U.S. government\u2019s case against Idaho\u2019s violation of Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protections for emergency abortion care.\n\nIn January 2025, Rep. Pressley gave an impassioned speech condemning H.R. 21, Republicans\u2019 cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care.\n\nIn January 2025, Rep. Pressley was announced as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus for the 119th Congress.\n\nIn October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage.\n\nIn September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia.\n\nIn May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances.\n\nIn April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played \u201cFact or Fiction\u201d with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone.\n\nShortly before the Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide.\n\nRep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court\u2019s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.\n\nIn August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.\n\nIn July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities\u2014who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care\u2014get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.\n\nIn July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.\n\nIn May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee\u2019s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.\n\nIn May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.\n\nIn April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.\n\nIn September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court\u2019s inaction on SB-8, Texas\u2019 restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women\u2019s Health Protection Act.\n\nIn April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.\n\nRep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA\u2019s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.\n\nAs Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus\u2019s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden\u2019s FY2022 budget.\n\nIn May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.\n\nIn August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care.\n\nIn January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans\u2019 harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health.\n\nIn May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative\u2019s support for Roe v. Wade.\n\nIn June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription.\n\nIn September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-30T10:57:52Z", "2026-09-30T10:59:04Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3852", "Trahan, Pappas Lead Bipartisan Calls for RFK Jr. to Distribute Energy Assistance Funding Amid Rising Heating Costs", "2026-09-25", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), led dozens of colleagues in a letter to U.S Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding that funding from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) be distributed to states no later than November 1, 2026, as required by the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act for FY 2027, in preparation for the coming colder season.\n\n\u201cWith a history of repeated funding delays by HHS to states, we are especially concerned for households facing high energy prices this winter who rely on LIHEAP. We appreciate the agency\u2019s responsiveness to Congressional requests for expeditious LIHEAP fund releases over Fiscal Year 2026, but with households facing skyrocketing high energy costs, it is of the utmost importance that the agency ensures funds are released on time and without congressional intervention through Fiscal Year 2027,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nSince February, crude oil prices have significantly increased, topping significantly more than $100 per barrel at its peaks in April 2026 and recently on September 15, 2026. These price spikes impact home heating oil prices especially, as it is refined from crude oil. While states do what they can to protect households with utility shutoff moratoriums throughout the coldest months out of the year, these moratoriums do not protect households who rely on home heating oil and face large upfront costs early in the season to fill their home heating oil tank,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\u201d\n\nThe Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income Americans pay for heating or cooling bills as well as receive emergency services during an energy crisis. During the winter season, home heating can average $2,300. Since the start of the Iran war, energy bills have risen for families across America. In the Commonwealth, home heating oil prices jumped nearly 75% from a year ago. Over the past year, Massachusetts has received $163,276,528 in LIHEAP funding, including $6,492,479 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\n\nThe letter sent today requests that funding for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on October 1st, be released expeditiously.\n\nThe LIHEAP program has historically been underfunded, with just 20 percent of eligible households currently receiving assistance through the program each year on average. Despite a temporary increase in funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the program still hasn\u2019t met the need in states across the country. In 2023, Trahan spearheaded an effort to increase federal LIHEAP funding.", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-announces-honorees-11th-annual-peter-j-gomes-service-award", "Moulton Announces Honorees for the 11th Annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Honorees from Gloucester, Saugus, Lynn, Amesbury, and Salem will be honored at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.\n\nSALEM, MA - Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) has selected five honorees for the 11th annual Peter J. Gomes Service Award. Created in 2016 by Congressman Moulton, the award recognizes the volunteer work and community contributions of constituents across Massachusetts\u2019 6th District.\n\nThe five honorees will be honored at a public awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 29 at 6:00 PM in Salem.\n\nThese five members of our community demonstrate the integrity, compassion, and commitment to community that were characterized by the Congressman\u2019s late mentor, Reverend Professor Peter J. Gomes.\n\nThe late Reverend Professor Gomes was a Christian minister who served for nearly forty years in The Memorial Church of Harvard University. As a preacher, teacher, and leader, he influenced many with his wit and wisdom and, above all, with his commitment to service. Reverend Professor Gomes was Congressman Moulton\u2019s mentor and friend, ultimately inspiring him to serve in the Marines and later to run for Congress. The award honors volunteers who demonstrate a similar level of commitment to service and community.\n\nThis year\u2019s honorees are:\n\nPrataap Patrose - Gloucester, MA\n\nPrataap is the Co-founder and President of the 100 Trees Project, a nonprofit advancing environmental equity in Gloucester, Rockport and across Cape Ann. Since 2020, he has spearheaded volunteer-driven tree planting initiatives targeting urban heat islands in public housing, parks, and thoroughfares. Partnering with local municipalities and community groups, Prataap works to transform underserved public spaces into cooler, healthier, and more resilient environments.\n\nLorraine Sanborn - Saugus, MA\n\nLorraine has dedicated herself to teaching English to immigrants and helping them build community. Since 2014, she has volunteered with Catholic Charities Boston's language programs in Salem and Lynn, delivering weekly lessons to nonnative speakers. Through her compassion and commitment, Lorraine creates a welcoming environment that empowers her students with the skills, confidence, and sense of belonging needed to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.\n\nBG (MA)(Ret) Andrea Gayle-Bennett - Lynn, MA\n\nBrigadier General Gayle-Bennett serves as the Adjutant for Lynn-Swampscott Disabled American Veterans Chapter #64, continuing her dedication to veterans across her district following her post-retirement promotion to Brigadier General by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She connects local veterans with housing, food, and peer support while advocating alongside community leaders. By organizing social events and building reliable support networks, she works to reduce isolation and enhance the quality of life for disabled veterans.\n\nJo Hamel - Amesbury, MA\n\nJo founded Caiden\u2019s Crusaders in honor of her grandson to support families facing childhood cancer across the 6th District. The volunteer-run nonprofit provides direct financial assistance to help families direct their focus to their child's care. Through local raffles and fundraisers, Jo mobilizes a strong community network that ensures no family has to navigate childhood cancer alone.\n\nPam Kentley - Salem, MA\n\nPam serves as Vice President of the Woman\u2019s Friend Society, overseeing Salem's historic Emmerton House to provide affordable housing for working women and students. She actively coordinates events, hosts fundraisers, and supports residents daily to build a strong community of women. Beyond her work with the Society, Pam volunteers with local food banks and cat rescue efforts to improve quality of life across Salem.\n\nAward Ceremony Details:\n\nDate: Tuesday, September 29, 2026\n\nTime: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM\n\nLocation: St. Joseph Hall, Second Floor, 160 Derby Street, Salem, MA 01970\n\nMembers of the public with questions about the Gomes Award should reach out to Sam.Scherkenbach@mail.house.gov\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3850", "Trahan, Lofgren Introduce the bipartisan American Leadership in Fusion Act", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Fusion Energy Caucus, joined Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA-18), Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology, as original co-sponsor of the American Leadership in Fusion Act. The legislation would provide $10 billion in direct investments to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy.\n\n\u201cAt a time when families across the country are struggling with rising energy costs, fusion energy offers the promise of delivering clean, reliable, and affordable power. However, turning that promise into reality requires sustained investment and commitment,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cThis legislation will help accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy and strengthen America\u2019s position as a global leader in this critical technology. By investing in the scientists, researchers, and companies developing the next generation of energy technology here in the United States, we can advance our clean energy goals, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen our energy independence. America has always been at its best when we lead the world in innovation, and fusion is our opportunity to lead once again.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the American Leadership in Fusion Act\u2019s invests:\n\n$3.8 billion to build major new test facilities to address fusion materials and fuel cycle challenges.\n\n$3 billion in forward funding for a new milestone-based demonstration program for fusion.\n\n$2 billion for the current milestone-based development program for fusion.\n\n$800 million for fusion materials and fuel cycle research and development.\n\n$300 million to build and operate small and mid-sized test facilities to address research priorities identified in the 2026 DOE Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap.\n\n$100 million for R&D, demonstration, and commercial application activities to establish reliable supply chains for critical fusion energy technologies.\n\nIn addition to Trahan and Lofgren, the bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23), Don Beyer(D-VA-08), and James Gallagher (R-CA-01).\n\nLast year, Trahan, Beyer, and Obernolte introduced bipartisan legislation to formally establish the Office of Fusion in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced companion legislation in the Senate. In 2024, Congresswoman Trahan\u2019sFusion Energy Act was signed into law as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act. The law streamlines the creation of clear federal regulations to support the development of commercial fusion facilities by codifying the Nuclear Regulatory Commission\u2019s regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/24/pressley-murray-colleagues-reintroduce-bill-to-expand-coverage-of-birth-control-and-sound-alarm-on-trumps-relentless-attacks-on-contraception-family-planning/", "Pressley, Murray, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Expand Coverage of Birth Control and Sound Alarm on Trump\u2019s Relentless Attacks on Contraception & Family Planning", "2026-09-24", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Bill Text (PDF)\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Representatives Ami Bera (D-CA) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), reintroduced the bicameral Affordability is Access Act.\n\nThe Affordability is Access Act would require insurers to fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs, once it\u2019s FDA-approved. The legislation also includes a new provision to require health insurance to cover every FDA-approved contraceptive drug or drug-led combination product without cost sharing unless the health plan also covers a therapeutically equivalent generic without cost sharing\u2014this would significantly eliminate barriers that some patients face in accessing contraceptives prescribed by their provider. This reintroduction comes as the Trump administration continues their senseless attacks on reproductive care, family planning, and contraception.\n\n\u201cWhile Trump and his Republican co-conspirators attack our bodily autonomy and make life less affordable, we\u2019re fighting hard to protect reproductive freedom, lower costs, and ensure contraceptives are affordable nationwide,\u201d said Rep. Pressley. \u201cOur bill would make over-the-counter birth control accessible to all who need it, without the burden of prescriptions or out-of-pocket costs. Reproductive justice means protecting and expanding reproductive healthcare, and I\u2019m proud to partner with Senators Murray, Cortez Masto, and Hirono, alongside Reps. Bera and Ocasio-Cortez, and our colleagues to make that a reality for all.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to reintroduce the Affordability is Access Act alongside Representative Ayanna Pressley and Senator Patty Murray, which will make birth control widely accessible and affordable without a prescription,\u201d said Rep Ocasio-Cortez. \u201cAs this administration continues to attack bodily autonomy, we will continue to fight to ensure that people everywhere have access to reproductive care.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen it comes to birth control, the challenge we face isn\u2019t just to stop Trump from setting up new barriers. We have to tear down the barriers that have been standing for far too long\u2014like cost,\u201d said Senator Murray. \u201cWe have to put forward our own vision for the future\u2014not just reject Trump\u2019s far-right dystopia. That\u2019s why we are re-introducing the Affordability is Access Act. This bill would require insurance to fully cover safe, over-the-counter birth control for patients. And this year we made a big update: our bill will also make sure all other FDA-approved forms of contraception are covered for patients. No fees. No hurdles. No out-of-pocket costs. This is especially important because, as of March 2024, there is an over-the counter birth control pill that women can buy at pharmacies and grocery stores. Trump has made his vision painfully clear, he wants to take women\u2019s rights away, he wants to set birth control on fire. Well, this bill is our vision as Democrats. We want to protect women\u2019s rights. And we want to protect your birth control.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Trump regime continues to attack reproductive freedom, fighting for contraception access has never been more important,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cFDA approval of over-the-counter birth control is a major step forward, but approval alone does not guarantee access. By requiring insurance companies to cover over-the-counter contraception at no cost and without a prescription, this legislation will help to ensure women nationwide have the power to control their bodies and their lives.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress must pass the Affordability is Access Act to expand Americans\u2019 reproductive freedoms even as this Administration tries to shrink them,\u201d said Senator Cortez Masto. \u201cBirth control has helped thousands of Nevadans and millions of Americans live healthy lives. It\u2019s past time we made sure every woman who wants it has an affordable over-the-counter option they can buy.\u201d\n\n\u201cBirth control is essential healthcare that everyone, no matter their insurance or income, should be able to get when they need it,\u201d said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America. \u201cThis act is a crucial first step in removing cost barriers and expanding access to contraception. As anti-reproductive health lawmakers continue to do everything in their power to restrict access to care, we\u2019re grateful to Sen. Murray for reintroducing this bill.\u201d\n\n\u201cContraception is a fundamental part of reproductive health care and autonomy\u2014 it gives people the power to shape their own futures,\u201d said Daria Neal, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights. \u201cEveryone who needs contraception should be able to access and afford it. Yet the Trump Administration has repeatedly put that access at risk, from subverting the federal family planning program and ending teen pregnancy prevention grants, to letting millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded contraceptives go to waste overseas. We\u2019re grateful to Senator Murray and her colleagues for standing up for reproductive rights and supporting this critically important legislation.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith the sudden termination of AccessMatters\u2019 teen pregnancy prevention initiative, over 2,500 adolescents in Philadelphia immediately lost access to everything this program provided over the last three years \u2013 including evidence-based education programming, parent workshops, connections to local healthcare providers, assistance setting up medical appointments and accessing contraceptives, and leadership opportunities for the Youth Advisory Board,\u201d said Audrey Ann Ross, Senior Manager of Communications and Policy at AccessMatters. \u201cThis loss of access coupled with the shifts in Title X program priorities further underscore the need for policies that support access to contraceptives and sexual and reproductive health care and information. We urge Congress to pass policies like the Affordability in Access Act and to also demand that HHS immediately restore this funding so that adolescents nationwide can continue benefitting from these programs.\u201d\n\nFull text of the Affordability is Access Act is available here.\n\nUnder the Affordable Care Act, all private health insurance plans are required to fully cover \u2014 without copays or out-of-pocket costs \u2014 prescribed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, granted, or cleared methods of contraception. The Affordability is Access Act would change this to apply to over-the-counter birth control that women can get without a prescription. The Affordability is Access Act would also maintain the FDA\u2019s sole authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and make them available over the counter without a prescription, and ensure retailers provide contraception without a prescription. The legislation states that any retailer that stocks contraception that the FDA has approved, granted, or cleared without a prescription may not interfere with a consumer\u2019s access to or purchase of such contraception.\n\nThe House bill is co-sponsored by Reps. Barragan, Brown, Brownley, Carbajal, Carter (LA), Casten, Chu, Clarke, Conaway, Crockett, Friedman, Garcia (IL), Goldman (NY), Gomez, Johnson (GA), Lee (PA), McClellan, McIver, Meng, Mullin, Norton, Pingree, Quigley, Scanlon, Stansbury, Tlaib, Tokuda, Torres (NY), Underwood, Watson Coleman, Williams (GA), and Wilson (FL).\n\nThe Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Murray (D-WA), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Hirono (D-HI), Baldwin (D-WI), Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Cantwell (D-WA), Duckworth (D-IL), Fetterman (D-PA), Gallego (D-AZ), Gillibrand (D-NY), Hassan (D-NH), Heinrich (D-NM), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kaine (D-VA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Markey (D-MA), Merkley (D-OR), Padilla (D-CA), Reed (D-RI), Rosen (D-NV), Sanders (D-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Schiff (D-CA), Shaheen (D-NH), Smith (D-MN), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warner (D-VA), Warren (D-MA), Whitehouse (D-RI), and Wyden (D-OR).\n\nThe bill is endorsed by: Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI), National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, Reproductive Health Access Project, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Healthy Teen Network, Jacobs Institute of Women\u2019s Health, Reproductive Freedom for All, Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The Center for Biological Diversity, National Council of Jewish Women, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, National Women\u2019s Law Center Action Fund, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women\u2019s Reproductive Justice Agenda, AIDS United, National Asian Pacific American Women\u2019s Forum, National Network of Abortion Funds, Center for Reproductive Rights, National Organization for Women (NOW), Religious Community for Reproductive Choice, The Guttmacher Institute, Population Connection Action Fund, American College of Nurse Mid-Wives, and Ibis Reproductive Health.\n\nIn her time serving in Congress, Rep. Pressley has fought persistently to protect and advance reproductive justice and ensure fundamental life-saving reproductive health care for all.\n\nIn July 2026, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), and Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), Diana DeGette (D-CO), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD), led more than 250 Senate and House Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana v. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on pushing back against Louisiana\u2019s attempt to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone.\n\nIn July 2026, in recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence and the work still to be done to create a nation that lives up to the founding ideals of liberty and justice for all, Rep. Pressley, alongside Representatives Lateefah Simon and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, introduced the America 250 Reproductive Justice Resolution.\n\nIn June 2026, in marking the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley uplifted and engaged families impacted by Republicans attacks on abortion care and issued a call to action to restore and expand access to abortion care, birth control, IVF, and true reproductive freedom.\n\nIn June 2026, during a speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley commanded a moment of silence to honor those who have died because they were denied essential abortion care.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley led a press conference with House Democratic Leadership to mark the fourth anniversary of the devastating Supreme Court Dobbs decision and offer her vision of seeing true reproductive justice realized and essential reproductive healthcare protected and expanded.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley joined impacted individuals and abortion storytellers to initiate a powerful day of action for the fourth anniversary of the devastating Dobbs decision, offering a message of resilient community support and a commitment to ensure abortion care is treated as the fundamental human right it is. Video is available here.\n\nOn the anniversary of the Dobbs decision, Rep. Pressley introduced the Abortion Justice Act, sweeping, intersectional legislation to address access to abortion care and put forth a comprehensive vision of a just America where abortion care is readily available\u2014without stigma, shame or systemic barriers\u2014for all who seek it, regardless of zip code, immigration status, income, or background.\n\nRep. Pressley is a lead co-sponsor of the Women\u2019s Health Protection Act (WHPA), bicameral federal legislation to guarantee equal access to abortion care, everywhere.\n\nRep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of the EACH Act, bold legislation to repeal the Hyde Amendment and help guarantee abortion coverage\u2014regardless of how a patient gets their health insurance.\n\nShortly before the Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide.\n\nRep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court\u2019s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.\n\nRep. Pressley has been outspoken in demanding justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia\u2019s abortion ban. In June 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered an impassioned floor speech in which she underscored that Adriana\u2019s case is far too common in the unjust history of denying Black women their dignity, humanity, and right to bodily autonomy \u2013 and that GOP abortion bans such as Georgia\u2019s deepen this pain and bar critical healthcare freedom. Rep. Pressley issued a statement after Adriana\u2019s infant son Chance was delivered via emergency Cesarean section and Adriana was taken off life support.\n\nIn May 2026, Pressley and her colleagues led 250 House and Senate Democrats in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court urging them to overturn a Fifth Circuit decision that would upend the FDA approval process and restrict access to mifepristone.\n\nOn August 18, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the passage of the updated Shield Act in Massachusetts, signed into law by Governor Maura Healey this month. The expanded Shield Act strengthens legal protections for people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts.\n\nOn July 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the final passage of Republicans\u2019 Big, Ugly Bill that will rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts, push reproductive healthcare further out of reach nationwide, and fuel Trump\u2019s unlawful mass deportation agenda.\n\nOn July 1, 2025, Rep. Pressley filed an amendment to Republicans\u2019 Big, Ugly Bill to protect and expand reproductive healthcare.\n\nOn June 26, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the harmful Medina v. Planned Parenthood ruling, the Supreme Court\u2019s decision to allow South Carolina to bar Medicaid patients from receiving healthcare services at Planned Parenthood.\n\nOn June 24, 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Democratic Leadership for a press conference to mark the somber anniversary and renew her calls for comprehensive legislation to protect abortion care and expand access to reproductive healthcare.\n\nOn June 23, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the women of the Massachusetts delegation, Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts President Dominique Lee for a press conference in solidarity with Planned Parenthood as they collectively fight to stop Republicans\u2019 latest attack on reproductive freedom in the GOP\u2019s Big, Ugly Bill.\n\nIn June 2025, Rep. Pressley demanded justice for Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old pregnant mother who was declared brain dead in February and was forced to remain on life support due to Georgia\u2019s abortion ban.\n\nOn May 29, 2025, Rep. Pressley reintroduced a resolution demanding equitable access to reproductive and sexual healthcare for people with disabilities, and designating a day in May as \u201cDisability Reproductive Equity Day.\u201d\n\nOn May 21, 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House Floor in which she slammed Republicans\u2019 reconciliation bill that would slash Medicaid, which is necessary to ensuring safe, healthy reproductive care and maternal health nationwide.\n\nOn April 3, 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Reps. DeGette, Chu, Leger Fern\u00e1ndez, Fletcher, Davids, Williams, sent a letter signed by 162 Members urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to restore all appropriated funding for Title X providers and coordinate an urgent meeting on the matter.\n\nOn April 2, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), colleagues, and advocates outside the U.S. Supreme Court for Medicaid patients\u2019 ability to access routine care at Planned Parenthood health centers.\n\nOn March 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley and the Reproductive Freedom Caucus issued a statement condemning Donald Trump\u2019s plans to drop the U.S. government\u2019s case against Idaho\u2019s violation of Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) protections for emergency abortion care.\n\nIn January 2025, Rep. Pressley gave an impassioned speech condemning H.R. 21, Republicans\u2019 cruel anti-abortion bill that criminalizes providers and denies families care.\n\nIn January 2025, Rep. Pressley was announced as Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus for the 119th Congress.\n\nIn October 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on Josseli Barnica, who died on Sept. 3, 2021 after being denied emergency abortion care in Texas as she suffered a miscarriage.\n\nIn September 2024, in a House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Hearing, Rep. Pressley highlighted the harmful and deadly impact of abortion bans in America to date, and outlined in detail the shameful circumstances under which Amber Nicole Thurman died after being denied necessary abortion care in Georgia.\n\nIn May 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on a Louisiana bill that would classify medication abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances.\n\nIn April 2024, at a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley played \u201cFact or Fiction\u201d with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Robert Califf to emphasize the safety and efficacy of medication abortion drug mifepristone.\n\nShortly before the Supreme Court\u2019s overturning of Roe v. Wade, Rep. Pressley led a group of her Black women colleagues in writing to President Biden urging him to declare a public health emergency amid the unprecedented threats to abortion rights nationwide.\n\nRep. Pressley condemned the Supreme Court\u2019s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade., and implored the Senate to protect abortion rights and slammed the white supremacist roots of anti-abortion efforts.\n\nIn August 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the Fifth Circuit Court decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.\n\nIn July 2023, Rep. Pressley, alongside Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Rep. Cori Bush (MO-01), and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), reintroduced the Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act, legislation to help people with disabilities\u2014who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care\u2014get better access to reproductive health care and the informed care they need to control their own reproductive lives.\n\nIn July 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s (FDA) approval of over-the-counter birth control.\n\nIn May 2023, Rep. Pressley applauded the FDA Advisory Committee\u2019s unanimous, 17-0 vote to recommend the approval of the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control. She and Senator Murray also held a press conference applauding the decision and urging the FDA to approval over-the-counter birth control without delay.\n\nIn May 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Ami Bera, MD (CA-06) and Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), reintroduced their bicameral Affordability is Access Act to ensure that once the FDA determines an over-the-counter birth control option to be safe, insurers fully cover over-the-counter birth control without any fees or out-of-pocket costs.\n\nIn April 2023, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Texas court ruling on mifepristone, and discussed the Texas case in a recent floor speech in which she affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care and access to mifepristone as essential. She later joined Governor Maura Healey, Senator Elizabth Warren (D-MA), and local leaders in announcing action to protect Mifepristone in Massachusetts.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Reps. Schakowsky, Lee, DeGette, Torres and Strickland, reintroduced the Abortion is Healthcare Everywhere Act harmful and discriminatory Helms Amendment and expand abortion access globally.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Hirono led their colleagues in reintroducing a bicameral congressional resolution honoring abortion providers and clinic staff.\n\nIn March 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a speech in which she discussed the pending court case in Texas, which aims to restrict access to medication abortion across the entire nation. In her remarks, Rep. Pressley affirmed medication abortion as routine medical care, and accessibility to the abortion pill mifepristone as essential.\n\nIn September 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement condemning the Supreme Court\u2019s inaction on SB-8, Texas\u2019 restrictive abortion law. Later that month, she participated in a House Oversight Committee hearing to examine the threat posed by abortion bans and underscored the urgency of the Senate passing the Women\u2019s Health Protection Act.\n\nIn April 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Congresswomen Barbara Lee (CA-13), Diana DeGette (CO-01) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), led a group of 131 Democratic members in reintroducing the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act or the EACH Act, which would repeal the Hyde Amendment and ensure that all people, regardless of income, insurance or zip code, can make personal reproductive health care decisions without interference from politicians. She re-Introduced the legislation In January 2023.\n\nRep. Pressley has led calls in Congress for the FDA to remove medically unnecessary restrictions on the medication abortion drug mifepristone, and applauded the FDA\u2019s action in January 2023 to allow retail pharmacies to dispense abortion medication pills.\n\nAs Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus\u2019s Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, Congresswoman Pressley led the fight to repeal the Hyde Amendments from annual Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations bills and in July 2020 published a Medium post on the importance of doing so. She applauded the removal of the Hyde Amendment in President Biden\u2019s FY2022 budget.\n\nIn May 2020, she led more than 155 Members of Congress in calling on House Democratic leadership to ensure that any future COVID-19 relief packages rejected Republican efforts to use the public health crisis to diminish abortion access.\n\nIn August 2021, Rep. Pressley, Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, and Pro-Choice Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Diana DeGette and Barbara Lee led more than 70 of their House Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution in support of equitable, science-based policies governing access to medication abortion care.\n\nIn January 2023, Rep. Pressley introduced a resolution to condemn all forms of political violence in the U.S., regardless of its target or intent. That same day, she delivered a powerful speech on the House floor slamming Republicans\u2019 harmful, misleading anti-abortion resolution.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley hosted U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra at the Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester for a convening on their work to address the Black maternal health crisis and the criminalization of abortion care in states across the nation following the harmful U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women\u2019s Health.\n\nIn May 2019, she led more than 100 colleagues in introducing H.Con.Res.40, a resolution reaffirming the House of Representative\u2019s support for Roe v. Wade.\n\nIn June 2019, Rep. Pressley introduced H.R. 3296, the Affordability is Access Act, to make oral contraception available without a prescription.\n\nIn September 2016, as a member of the Boston City Council, Pressley championed a resolution calling on Congress and President Obama to repeal the Hyde Amendment and reinstate insurance coverage for abortion services.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-29T11:07:12Z", "2026-09-29T11:08:49Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400462", "McGovern, Ramirez lead 17 Members of Congress in asking Secretary Rubio to support international investigation of massacre of Honduran peasant farmworkers", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) and 15 other House Members sent a letter urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to advocate with the government of Honduras for justice for the victims of a May 2026 massacre of peasant farmworkers and for a just resolution of land disputes.\n\n\u201cPeace, stability, the rule of law, respect for human rights, and sustainable economic development in Honduras are firmly in the strategic interests of the United States,\u201d wrote Representatives McGovern, Ramirez, and the other Members of Congress. \u201cViolence, corruption, and impunity undermine regional stability, facilitate the expansion of criminal activity, and contribute to the conditions that drive migration.\u201d\n\nThe letter notes that the massacre in Rigores in the Lower Agu\u00e1n region of Honduras comes in the context of the new Law for the Strengthening and Protection of the Agroindustrial Sector, Energy, Tourism, Livestock, and Small Agricultural Producers in Honduras that appears to favor agricultural conglomerates at the expense of small-scale farmers, jeopardizing their access to arable land and sustainable work.\n\nIn the letter, the Members of Congress affirm they \u201cbelieve that the United States government must support meaningful action to prevent further violence and promote accountability,\u201d and ask that the State Department make the following requests of the Honduran government:\n\nEstablish, in coordination with the UN, an international investigative commission, with the participation of local and national stakeholders, to identify all those responsible for the Rigores massacre at every level;\n\nProvide the Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office with the resources and political will necessary to dismantle criminal organizations operating in the Lower Agu\u00e1n region and ensure that all forms of collaboration, protection, or collusion involving state agents are identified, investigated, and prosecuted; and\n\nPursue comprehensive and sustainable solutions to land and territorial struggles that address their structural and historical causes, uphold the rule of law, and contribute to a more just and equitable future for all Hondurans.\n\nThe 15 other members who signed the letter include Representatives Greg Casar (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Jes\u00fas G. \"Chuy\" Garc\u00eda (D-IL), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Summer Lee (D-PA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Paul Tonko (D-NY).\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here.\n\nA Spanish translation of the letter is available here.", 1, "2026-09-24T09:44:48Z", "2026-09-24T09:45:52Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/23/ahead-of-xi-visit-pressley-renews-calls-for-tariff-exemption-on-essential-baby-products/", "Ahead of Xi Visit, Pressley Renews Calls for Tariff Exemption on Essential Baby Products", "2026-09-23", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Pressley Has Repeatedly Pressed Trump Admin. to Support an Exemption, Highlighting Harmful Impact on Families with Babies and Young Children\n\nTreasury and Trump Have Said Exemption Was \u201cUnder Consideration,\u201d and Bessent Affirmed That Last Week After Questioning from Pressley\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping\u2019s visit to the United States, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, renewed her calls for the Trump Administration to support an exemption to tariffs on baby products and other items that parents need to care for their kids, such as car seats. Congresswoman Pressley has repeatedly pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to support an exemption, highlighting the harmful impact of Trump\u2019s tariffs on families with young children.\n\nLast week, during questioning from Congresswoman Pressley, Secretary Bessent told the Congresswoman to \u201cwatch this space after President Xi\u2019s visit.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Trump\u2019s reckless and chaotic tariff policy is continuing to wreak havoc on our economy, and families with young children are no exception. With the cost of essential baby products like car seats, strollers, and highchairs skyrocketing due to Trump\u2019s tariffs, it\u2019s time for the Trump Administration to stop hurting America\u2019s families and create an exemption for these essential goods,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement. \u201cWe don\u2019t need any more lip service from this Administration\u2014we need action.\u201d\n\nIn a May 2025 House Financial Services Committee hearing, after sharp questioning from Congresswoman Pressley, Secretary Bessent conceded that such an exemption was \u201cunder consideration,\u201d which was later reaffirmed by President Trump.\n\nIn February 2026, Congresswoman Pressley demanded Secretary Bessent commit to his prior support for exempting baby products from Trump\u2019s tariffs.\n\nIn April 2025, Congresswoman Pressley joined 45 colleagues in sending a Congressional letter to the Trump Administration imploring them to end tariffs on essential baby goods.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-25T10:04:52Z", "2026-09-25T10:05:46Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/22/neal-statement-on-trumps-latest-health-care-sabotage/", "Neal Statement on Trump\u2019s Latest Health Care Sabotage", "2026-09-22", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration announced plans to strip hundreds of thousands of enrollees from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace:\n\n\u201cRepublicans have already created the worst health care crisis ever, but every decision by the Trump Administration is designed to keep making it worse. As if making coverage harder to access through skyrocketing premiums and more red tape wasn\u2019t painful enough, they\u2019re doubling down to take it away entirely.\n\n\u201cPeople don\u2019t stop getting sick when Republicans rip coverage from them. More people will avoid care for as long as possible, show up in emergency rooms, and go into medical debt. That\u2019s an outcome that only strains the system further and raises costs for everyone. It\u2019s clear that the president is perfectly comfortable with that, so long as those at the top can keep cashing in.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://lynch.house.gov/2026/9/rep-stephen-f-lynch-to-host-service-academy-day-on-october-4", "Rep. Stephen F. Lynch to Host Service Academy Day on October 4", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Stephen F. Lynch", "L000562", "lynch.house.gov", "lynch", "https://lynch.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "Boston, MA - On Sunday, October 4th, 2026, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) will host an information session at East Middle School in Braintree, MA for all high school students interested in applying to one of the United States Service Academies. All students and their families are welcome to attend.\n\nWHEN: Sunday, October 4th, 2026, 10:00 AM \u2013 12:00 PM\n\nWHERE: East Middle School, 305 River Steet, Braintree, MA 02184", 1, "2026-09-22T09:42:49Z", "2026-09-22T09:44:35Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400458", "McGovern & Malliotakis Applaud Passage of Bipartisan Medically Tailored Meals Bill from Ways & Means Committee", "2026-09-21", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "For seniors living with chronic illnesses, access to nutritious food tailored to their medical needs can help them manage their conditions and improve their health. Similar programs have already shown promise in Massachusetts and across the country by providing meals designed by registered dietitians for patients with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease.\n\nThe legislation creates a 6-year Medicare pilot program at 40 hospitals to deliver medically tailored meals, in partnership with trusted community-based providers, for Medicare beneficiaries who live at home and have a diet-impacted disease like diabetes or heart failure after they leave the hospital. The meals are medically tailored, meaning they are designed by nutritionists to accommodate the specific health needs of a patient. The legislation is budget neutral with no additional cost to taxpayers.\n\n\"For years, I\u2019ve traveled across Massachusetts and the country learning from experts about how we can help improve nutrition and health outcomes. Incredible providers like Community Servings in Boston, God\u2019s Love We Deliver in New York City, and many others from coast to coast have taught me about the life-saving benefits of Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs),\u201d said Rep. McGovern. \u201cYou can\u2019t be healthy if you\u2019re hungry\u2014and that\u2019s why I'm proud to author this legislation with Rep. Malliotakis to improve health outcomes, reduce hospital visits, and save billions of dollars in healthcare spending. It\u2019s a big step forward in our fight for a country where no one goes to bed hungry and everyone has access to the affordable, quality healthcare they deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased to see our bipartisan Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Program Pilot Act pass the Ways and Means Committee to help seniors who have difficulty shopping or cooking on their own receive healthy meals,\u201d said Rep. Malliotakis. \"For seniors living with serious chronic illnesses, access to nutritious meals tailored to their medical needs can help them better manage their conditions, stay healthier at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits. This pilot will allow us to measure the results and determine how we can improve outcomes for seniors while potentially lowering healthcare costs for taxpayers.\u201d\n\nNow that the legislation has been approved by the committee, it can advance to the House floor for a vote. Both lawmakers will continue working to get the bill across the finish line and signed into law before the end of the year.", 1, "2026-09-22T09:42:49Z", "2026-09-22T09:44:35Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400457", "McGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, Walkinshaw Urge Trump Administration: Do Not Deport People Back to Persecution and Torture in China", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Lawmakers Make Letter Public So Attorneys Can Use It to Support At-Risk Uyghur, Hong Konger, Tibetan and Chinese Asylum Seekers Held in ICE Detention\n\nWASHINGTON\u2014Yesterday, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), along with Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representative James R. Walkinshaw (D-VA), sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the Trump Administration to protect people who have fled repression in China and could face persecution or torture if they are sent back.\n\nMcGovern, Merkley, Duckworth, and Walkinshaw all serve on the CECC\u2014a congressional commission that monitors and documents human rights violations in the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC).\n\nIn the letter, the lawmakers called on the U.S. government to stop the practice of detaining at-risk individuals, release those currently in detention, prohibit them from being deported to the PRC, and give fair and timely consideration of their applications for asylum.\n\n\u201cMany people who have fled persecution in the PRC come to the United States with an expectation that they can find refuge,\u201d the Members wrote. \u201cThey should be given every opportunity to apply for asylum if they have not yet done so and given fair and timely consideration of such application for asylum or other protection. Under no circumstances should at-risk individuals be deported to the PRC.\u201d\n\nThe Members also made the letter public so immigration attorneys and advocates can use it in cases involving Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Tibetans and others who fear persecution if returned to China.\n\n\u201cThere are likely many more detainees at ICE facilities, perhaps lacking representation, who fear deportation to a country run by a government that seeks to do them harm,\u201d the Members continued. \u201cThere are perhaps others who have already been sent back to the PRC who are now experiencing persecution, torture or worse. Thus, we see value in making this letter and its message public.\u201d\n\nThe letter notes that the U.S. government deporting an individual to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened (also known as \u201crefoulement\u201d) would violate both United States and international law, and would also be a betrayal of that promise by then-Senator Marco Rubio to provide refuge to those subject to the repression of the Chinese Communist Party, when he introduced the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here.", 1, "2026-09-19T09:11:33Z", "2026-09-19T09:12:45Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/18/neal-larson-davis-demand-bisignano-answer-for-social-security-staffing-crisis/", "Neal, Larson, Davis Demand Bisignano Answer for Social Security Staffing Crisis", "2026-09-18", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), alongside Social Security Subcommittee Ranking Member John B. Larson (D-CT) and Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL), wrote today to Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano, to demand he answer for the staffing crisis taking hold at SSA after delivering seemingly contradictory testimony before the Ways and Means Committee earlier this year.\n\nDuring his testimony, Commissioner Bisignano asserted that SSA has \u201cthe right amount of staff in the right places,\u201d that they\u2019ve \u201creduced workload in field offices by the equivalent of 600 work years,\u201d and that \u201cwe committed to never close a field office.\u201d However, reports by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Council 220, representing approximately 25,000 SSA employees, contradict him. The union told Congress that severely understaffed field offices are operating as \u201cghost offices\u201d and record-low morale have created the worst staffing crisis in SSA\u2019s history. The union noted that the Administration has forced out roughly one in seven SSA employees nationwide.\n\n\u201cDuring the hearing, you testified that you are delivering \u2018the best all-around performance ever at the Social Security Administration,\u2019\u201d the Democratic lawmakers wrote. \u201cUnfortunately, the experience on the ground as reported by our constituents and as highlighted by AFGE Council 220 in its statement contradicts this testimony.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers requested Commissioner Bisignano answer by October 2, 2026, for the crisis afoot amidst an effort to \u201ctrample on the rights of unionized employees.\u201d The questions probe the changes in SSA\u2019s workplace policy, criteria used to reassign employees and its effect on customer service, and canceling of previously agreed upon employee accommodations. The Democrats demanded to know what notice is given to SSA employees regarding changes to their employment, and what steps are taken to ensure reasonable accommodation and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests.\n\nRead the full letter to Commissioner Bisignano HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/09/17/whip-clark-democrats-will-put-people-first-in-the-peoples-house/", "Whip Clark: Democrats Will Put \u201cPeople First in the People\u2019s House\u201d", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (CA-33) for a press availability on House Democrats\u2019 fight for an affordable America and Republicans\u2019 refusal to lower costs for working families. Below are excerpts of her remarks:\n\nOn Republicans Making Life More Expensive:\n\n\u201cWe have 47 days \u2019til we have a referendum on 47\u2019s economic failure.\n\n\u201cThere were two fundamental promises made by the Republican Party and Donald Trump: \u2018We\u2019ll bring down costs on day one\u2019 and \u2018no new wars.\u2019 Both of those promises have been broken. And what are we seeing across this country? Families who are struggling.\n\n\u201cThe metaphors I hear all the time have to do with drowning. \u2018I can\u2019t keep my head above water. We\u2019re drowning in our bills. We are treading water and not making it.\u2019 Americans can\u2019t work any harder. They need a government that is working for them. That is the promise of the Democratic Caucus.\n\n\u201cWe see your family, and we are going to fight for you. We\u2019re going to fight to lower those costs. Of groceries, of housing, of childcare and elder care. We\u2019re going to make sure that when you need a doctor, you can afford to go to one, and it can be close by to where you live.\n\n\u201cAs the Leader said, there is a cost-of-living price paid for corruption. And we are going to hold them accountable. What we have seen is a bargain that always puts the American people last.\n\n\u201cThey stripped away healthcare to the tune of $1 trillion. And then they said, \u2018Corporations and the very wealthiest people in this country, they will benefit.\u2019 And what have we seen? Healthcare costs skyrocket. In one third of all our counties, there are no OB/GYNs or a safe place to have a baby. And the cost of having a baby continues to go out of reach. The cost of having a baby in this country!\n\n\u201cAnd corporate tax revenues have fallen by 25% \u2014 that\u2019s $96 billion \u2014 while the American people are working at multiple jobs just trying to get by. That is a bargain that we are not going to stand for, and we are going to put the people first back in the People\u2019s House come January.\u201d\n\nOn the Devastating Impacts of Trump\u2019s War in Iran:\n\n\u201cJust this morning, I met with farmers. The cost of diesel fuel that is directly related to this war in Iran is going to further drive farmers out of business and grocery prices even higher.\n\n\u201cWe are seeing now, sort of, the end of oil reserves. Prices going up \u2014 $0.26 at a pump in a 24-hour period. This is so unsustainable.\n\n\u201cAnd [Republicans] are not being transparent about, not only the real costs, but what is happening in our bases and the cost of this war now and to keep it going, and the long-term costs of rebuilding what we have lost.\n\n\u201cSo, all of this ends up on people\u2019s kitchen tables. They don\u2019t have different silos they can go to to pay for different budgets. It all comes out of their paycheck, and they are not making it.\n\n\u201cThis corruption, the pay for play, the ineptitude of the Department of Defense \u2014 starting with Pete Hegseth \u2014 is all coming home to American families and creating anxiety and fear that they\u2019re simply not going to be able to provide for their children.\u201d\n\nOn the GOP\u2019s Refusal to Address AI Safety:\n\n\u201cRight now with AI, we have two things going on: We want to be the leaders in innovation in the world and take the promise of this technology to do amazing things, but we know we have to protect jobs, child safety. We have very real concerns that we have many legislative proposals [for]. But at this moment, we have an industry \u2014 OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta \u2014 all speaking with one voice [and saying] that there is a problem, that there is a true threat to a global existence. It is a true threat that we have to solve globally.\n\n\u201cAnd what we have is a Speaker of the House who says, \u2018They can work that out for themselves.\u2019\n\n\u201cThis is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an American issue. And it is a global issue.\n\n\u201cAs the Leader said, what we are lacking is the leadership from this president to do that. This isn\u2019t about bolstering up the corporations that he\u2019s invested in, his personal enrichment. If there is a fundamental safety issue, let\u2019s address it. Let\u2019s come together and make sure that we can harness the power of this innovation. But also address the safety issue that we are getting warnings about.\n\n\u201cThat should be a top priority that we are working on right now. And so that we can continue and work with global partners who are also developing this technology together on some fundamental guardrails to ensure safety of AI as we move forward.\n\n\u201cAnd what are we seeing instead? We\u2019re going to go home. We\u2019re going to go home and not deal with this issue. We\u2019ve seen this before. When they are pressed on issues, whether it\u2019s Epstein or a fundamental safety issue around AI, the answer is to retreat and not take it on.\n\n\u201cWe will be pushing for this answer that we need. It is not partisan. Let\u2019s meet this moment of safety for the American people who want to benefit from AI, but are worried about what it might do to their privacy, to their kids, and to future jobs.\u201d\n\nWatch the full press availability, HERE. View photos, HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/17/news-with-unemployment-rising-under-trump-pressley-renews-call-for-federal-job-guarantee/", "NEWS: With Unemployment Rising Under Trump, Pressley Renews Call for Federal Job Guarantee", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Historic Resolution Follows in Footsteps of Civil Rights Leaders Coretta Scott King, Economist Sadie Alexander, and Others\n\nJob Guarantee Would Provide Critical Safety Net, Good-Paying Union Jobs, and Close Income Gap\n\nResolution Text (PDF) | Resolution Summary (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, with unemployment surging under Donald Trump, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, reintroduced her historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee. The resolution, which builds on the legacy and work of Black women in the civil rights movement, would help the United States achieve the promise of full employment, establish a more resilient and inclusive economy, and begin to close racial and gender income gaps.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley has consistently called for the Federal Reserve to enforce its dual mandate for maximum employment and address the crisis of Black unemployment, particularly Black women\u2019s unemployment.\n\n\u201cWith Black folks being pushed out of the workforce and unemployment rates at their highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, we need a Federal Job Guarantee now more than ever,\u201d said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. \u201cA federal job guarantee is a central and unfulfilled demand of the civil rights movement and I\u2019m proud to stand on the shoulders of civil rights icons like Coretta Scott King and Sadie Alexander to keep pushing for this historic resolution, which would support working families of every background, help America reach full employment, and help achieve long-term economic security for all.\u201d\n\nA federal job guarantee would provide every person with an enforceable legal right to a quality job. Extending beyond a project-based approach, the resolution calls for the creation of federal jobs that meet long-neglected community, physical and human infrastructure needs, such as delivering quality care for children and seniors, building and sustaining 21st century transit systems, strengthening neighborhoods, and protecting the environment. Funded by the federal government and implemented locally in partnership with communities, the program would provide public jobs for all adults seeking employment.\n\nBy ensuring everyone has access to a good job with dignified wages, safe working conditions, health care and other benefits\u2014including full worker rights and union protections\u2014a federal job guarantee would set a new standard for quality jobs, pressuring low-wage employers to increase wages and benefits. It would create a pathway to stable employment and begin to close the gaping income and wealth gap for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous workers who continue to face discrimination and are often the \u201cfirst ones fired, last ones hired\u201d during economic crises. It would also ensure economic inclusion for those experiencing discrimination in the labor market, including people with disabilities, transgender people, caregivers, and people with criminal records or involvement with the criminal legal system. A permanent job guarantee would operate as an automatic stabilizer, maintaining consumer spending and protecting us from prolonged recessions and jobless recoveries \u2014 making the economy more resilient as well as more inclusive.\n\n\u201cWe applaud Congresswoman Pressley for her steadfast commitment to justice and advancing policies that invest in people. This federal job guarantee resolution recognizes and promotes the infrastructure to put our most productive resources to work for a greener, more just and inclusive economy that works for us all,\u201d said Dr. Darrick Hamilton, Founding Director of the Institute on Race, Power, and Political Economy at The New School.\n\n\u201cWorkers in the U.S. are experiencing unprecedented times: an affordability crisis compounded by record long-term unemployment, disproportionate job losses for Black women, and increasing structural barriers especially impacting younger, older, and immigrant workers. Huge swaths of the American workforce are also not being paid a living wage, especially those in jobs that have been historically undervalued such as care and domestic work,\u201d said Elyse Shaw, Director of Education, Labor and Worker Justice at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). \u201cWe applaud Congresswoman Pressley for introducing the Federal Jobs Guarantee resolution, which calls for proactive policies that address the systemic and discriminatory barriers limiting many workers\u2019 access to quality jobs and careers as well as robust worker protections for all.\u201d\n\nA copy of the resolution can be found here and a summary is here.\n\nRep. Pressley first introduced the historic resolution in February 2021. Following introduction. Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in a House Financial Services Committee hearing about the need for a federal job guarantee to help the United States achieve full employment. In September 2021, she published an op-ed in The Nation outlining the civil rights history of the Federal Job Guarantee and discussed the urgent need to establish one.\n\nRep. Pressley has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the rising number of Black women forced out of the workforce in the United States, called on the Federal Reserve to take action, and convened impacted women and economists to renew those calls. The Federal Reserve responded to the Congresswoman\u2019s letter in October, and Rep. Pressley pushed for further action demanding a briefing for members of the Congressional Black Caucus on how the Fed is responding to this crisis.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3849", "Trahan Secures $180 Million Authorization for MA-03 Sewage System Upgrades", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Yesterday, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) voted to advance the bipartisan 2026 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), reauthorizing federal investments in water infrastructure projects across the country and in Massachusetts. The legislation authorized $180 million in federal funding for communities in the Third District, including $90 million split equally among Fitchburg, Lawrence, and Methuen, plus $90 million for Lowell and Haverhill.\n\nCompared to 2024 funding levels, this legislation would increase Lowell\u2019s authorization from $30 million to $40 million and Haverhill\u2019s from $30 million to $50 million. The additional funding could help address Haverhill\u2019s combined sewer system challenges in the wake of this summer\u2019s main sewer failure.\n\n\u201cFor too long, Washington has passed the buck on costly water upgrades to communities like ours that can't afford them. The result is decades of delay while sewage spills into our rivers every heavy storm. Families deserve better,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cThis authorization puts real support within reach for our gateway cities. I look forward to partnering with our local, state, and federal leaders to turn this authorization into real dollars for our communities.\u201d\n\nReauthorized by Congress every two years, the Water Resources Development Act provides an opportunity to ensure federal investments in local water infrastructure and development projects reflect the needs of communities. Lowell alone has invested over $150 million in CSO projects that have reduced the annual volume of overflows from the Lowell system and drastically reduced street flooding.\n\nMany older cities, including communities across Massachusetts, were built with combined sewer systems. During heavy rain or snowmelt, these systems can become overwhelmed, causing untreated wastewater and stormwater to flow directly into rivers and other waterways. These combined sewer overflows (CSOs) are a major source of water pollution in cities with aging water infrastructure.\n\nFollowing July\u2019s main sewer line failure in Haverhill, Trahan partnered with Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to introduce the Water Emergency and Technical Assistance Act to authorize emergency assistance and grants during clean water and drinking water infrastructure crises. The legislation would create a new emergency grant program under the Clean Water Act, funded at $50 million annually, to help communities respond immediately to failures in their wastewater systems, including combined sewer overflows and other critical system failures that threaten public health.\n\nSince arriving in Congress in 2019, Trahan has successfully fought to increase WRDA funding for MA-03 and address combined sewer overflow (CSO) problems in the district. In 2022, Trahan secured over $100 million in WRDA investments for the district. This year\u2019s WRDA increases on previous authorization to reflect the current needs of cities and towns in MA-03.\n\nThe 2026 WRDA now moves to the Senate. Once law, the community authorizations will be eligible for funding through the appropriations process.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/16/pressley-bill-to-support-renters-passes-out-of-committee-by-a-vote-of-47-2/", "Pressley Bill to Support Renters Passes Out of Committee by a Vote of 47-2", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley Bill to Support Renters Passes Out of Committee by a Vote of 47-2\n\nHouse Financial Services Committee\n\nSeptember 16, 2026\n\nThank you. My bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, creates a seven-year pilot program at the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create and promote a national hotline for people facing eviction.\n\nI want to thank Chairman Hill for including this legislation in today\u2019s markup, and Ranking Member Waters for her continued support and partnership over the years on this priority.\n\nIn my district, the Massachusetts Seventh, and throughout the nation, evictions can be destabilizing life events. Evictions impact everyone: children, women, people of color, veterans, and the elderly.\n\nPregnant women facing low birth weights due to housing instability, children in school at increased risk of illness due to unhealthy living conditions, parents missing work to negotiate with their landlord in the court hallway, and even our elders who are part of the growing gray wave simply because they cannot find an affordable place to live.\n\nHousing is a human right. It is health. It is dignity. It is stability and community. Every single person needs access to a quality home that they can actually afford.\n\nNo matter if you are a Republican or Democrat, you likely know someone that struggled with paying rent because a corporation hiked up the cost unfairly. A 2024 Federal Reserve report found that corporate investors increased rates 60% higher than the average rate.\n\nThat\u2019s why this eviction hotline is so important\u2014so that these families know they are not fighting alone and can know their rights as tenants and get help even before an eviction is filed.\n\nI serve as Vice-Chair of the Renters Caucus, which I like to think of as the Pathway to Homeownership Caucus. Renting is an essential part of the housing journey for millions of adults throughout the country and my bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, can help tenants achieve their dream of homeownership.\n\nThis national hotline serves as a one-stop shop to ensure people know what resources are available to help them, so that an eviction does not become a stain on their future tenant screening reports or credit history.\n\nAs the daughter of a tenants\u2019 rights organizer, this bill is near and dear to my heart, and I have been fighting for this type of eviction-related assistance since I was first elected to Congress and introduced the HELP Act to support renters.\n\nThis bill, the Eviction Helpline Act, is important for families\u2014whether they are in red or blue states, whether they are white or Black, young or old.\n\nAs housing prices continue to climb, renters desperately need a place they can turn to, to know their rights and know what local and federal resources may already be available to them to help.\n\nThank you again for considering this bill today.\n\nI urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan priority. Please vote yes.\n\nI yield back.", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3847", "Trahan, Beyer Lead Bipartisan Push for House Leaders to Act Immediately on Artificial Intelligence", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA-07), a member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, led a bipartisan group of 10 congressional leaders on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pressing House leadership to take immediate, urgent action to address risks posed by this rapidly advancing technology. The push came in the wake of the OpenAI agent cyberattacks on Hugging Face and subsequent warnings from leaders and researchers at prominent AI companies about the societal and existential risks posed by unrestrained advances in the technology.\n\nIn addition to Trahan and Beyer, the letter was signed by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA-33), Ted Lieu (D-CA-36), Scott Franklin (R-FL-18), Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Gabe Amo (D-RI-01), Valerie Foushee (D-NC-04), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16).\n\n\u201cWe call for your joint leadership on an urgent Congressional response to recent incidents involving advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models that have profound implications for economic and national security. Congress has a singular opportunity to respond swiftly and effectively to these warning shots before true catastrophes occur,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cCongress must urgently advance legislation to mitigate the risk of more serious incidents, especially those that could threaten critical infrastructure, our financial system, and other institutions that every American depends on.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe House of Representatives could and should immediately take up legislation that would strengthen AI oversight, security, and transparency. There currently exist dozens of bipartisan bills that committees of jurisdiction have reported. Members of both parties have also worked in recent months to fast-track bipartisan legislation that is ready to be considered by committees of jurisdiction. We believe these bills should be carefully and urgently advanced through the legislative process,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nA copy of the letter sent today can be accessed HERE.\n\nIn July, Trahan and Obernolte introduced the FRONTIER Act, bipartisan legislation that would set the first federal safety rules for the most powerful AI systems, requiring the companies that build them to be transparent about the risks, submit to independent safety reviews, and report dangerous incidents to the government. The proposal has been endorsed by a broad coalition of independent AI safety organizations, industry stakeholders, and others.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3848", "Trahan Votes to Protect Ratepayers from Data Center Price Hikes", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, voted to pass the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, legislation that gives state utility regulators clear standards to make sure large-load customers, including new data centers or information storage facilities, pay for the infrastructure they need. It requires companies to cover the full cost of any additional grid upgrades over time and provide financial guarantees, protecting ratepayers if a data center scales back its operations or shuts down entirely. Trahan also helped pass the legislation when it was considered in the Energy and Commerce Committee in July.\n\n\u201cFamilies are being squeezed by rising costs across the board. The last thing they need is a data center driving up their utility bills and making it even harder to make ends meet,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cThe Ratepayer Protection Act says that if you build a data center, you pay for the data center, including the infrastructure and utility costs that too often get passed onto residents. Communities across the country have made it clear they aren\u2019t going to tolerate these facilities driving up their utility costs and impacting their quality of life. Congress should build on this progress by codifying Governor Healey\u2019s effort to ensure communities have a real say in if and when these facilities.\u201d\n\nLarge scale data centers or information storage facilities that use 100 megawatts or more require extensive cooling systems that are necessary to keep servers from overheating. These cooling systems can account for as much as 40% of a data center's total electricity use. These data centers can use even more electricity during summer months or during heat waves where electric grids are already under strain and electricity is under more demand. Recent studies examining the impact of growing data center demand found that wholesale electricity prices increased by 6% to 29% on average nationwide, with increases of up to 57% in the regions most affected, compared with projected prices without that growth in demand.\n\n\u201cRight now, families across our country are afraid to open up their electric bills. The number keeps climbing, and their paycheck isn't keeping pace. They're doing the math at the kitchen table, wondering what they might have to cut next just to keep the lights on. That fear is real, and too many families have stopped believing that anyone in Washington is listening,\u201d Congresswoman Trahan said when the bill was marked up in the Energy and Commerce Committee in July.\n\nThe Ratepayer Protection Act now moves to the Senate for consideration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-on-the-house-floor-the-american-people-cant-afford-congress-to-hand-trump-more-tariff-power/", "Neal on the House Floor: The American People Can\u2019t Afford Congress to Hand Trump More Tariff Power", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WATCH HERE\n\n(As prepared for delivery)\n\nM/ Speaker, I rise today not only because I\u2019m concerned about what this bill would do to the people but also because of what a stain it will be on this institution.\n\nMy Republican colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee don\u2019t even see the surrender of our constitutional authority as enough of a threat to participate in this debate.\n\nThis is not the time to bury one\u2019s head in the sand and hope for the best. You cannot look at this president and conclude that he won\u2019t abuse any new tariff authority.\n\nWe had to fight all the way to the Supreme Court to constrain his IEEPA tariffs.\n\nWe know very clearly what happens when this President is handed unchecked power, and the American people know it too.\n\nHe weaponized tariffs. He threatened allies. He started petty trade wars. All while forcing the people to \u201chang in there\u201d as prices have skyrocketed.\n\nAnd stunningly, Republicans have looked at that record and decided, yet again, to forfeit the prerogative of Congress and hand Trump even more power.\n\nThis bill is a tariff tyrant\u2019s fantasy come true.\n\nThis bill hands this Administration the ability to put up to 100 percent tariffs on any good, using whatever rationale he wants, on any country this Administration wishes to target.\n\nAnd from what we\u2019ve seen recently, it\u2019s clear this president has all the incentive to let Russia off the hook and punish our allies to extort whatever concessions he fancies at a given time.\n\nHe conveniently exempted Russia last year from his \u201cLiberation Day\u201d tariffs.\n\nAnd now look what he is doing to Canada \u2013 50% tariffs on our closest ally because their Prime Minister stood up to the illegal tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down.\n\nLook how he threatened Brazil and Greenland.\n\nThis president is hellbent on using his presidency to amass more power to enrich himself on the backs of you and me.\n\nUsing data from the Yale Budget Lab, this bill could raise the cost to the average American household by over $8,000 a year.\n\nSo, I ask my colleagues: can families in your district afford that?\n\nWe can stand with Ukraine. We can punish Putin. This bill does neither of those things.\n\nAnd we can impose tough sanctions on Russia without writing President Trump another blank check to raise costs on the people.\n\nCongress has a job to do.\n\nDo it. Don\u2019t give it away.\n\nI yield back.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-opening-statement-at-full-committee-markup/", "Neal Opening Statement at Full Committee Markup", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "(As prepared for delivery)\n\nThank you, Mr. Chairman.\n\nFamilies have had it with the harm of Republican leadership and the broken promises of a President who only looks out for himself. Since January of last year, House Republicans in this Committee and this Congress have surrendered their responsibility as an equal branch of government, twisting themselves into an arm of the White House and allowing President Trump to walk all over them, seize their power, and force them to advance dangerous policies that are hurting their constituents.\n\nWe just watched the price of record-high diesel climb even higher. Major retailers are being forced to ration oil sales because of how Trump is squeezing them. Inflation, fueled by Trump\u2019s war and tariffs, continues to wipe out wage gains and send consumer sentiment to the pits. And yet, as we sit here for the last meeting of Committee business for at least seven weeks, Republicans still haven\u2019t put anything in front of us to put a stop to the economic fallout. The cost of their inaction grows by the day.\n\nStunningly, Republicans have looked at this reality, yet again decided to forfeit the prerogative of the Committee, and move forward with legislation to supercharge the president\u2019s tariff authority. Raising tariffs up to 100%! And more than $8,000 in higher costs to the average household according to analysis from the Yale Budget Lab. To my colleagues, can families in your district afford that?\n\nIt\u2019s not that the opportunities to bring relief haven\u2019t been there. Republicans have been given chance after chance to work with Democrats to turn off the tariffs, end Trump\u2019s war, and lower health care costs. They\u2019ve turned away every time.\n\nNow, the people are living with the consequences: record high prices at the gas pump, in the doctor\u2019s office, at the grocery store, and everywhere else they turn. Meanwhile, the President is nearly $5 billion richer and let Russian oligarchs bankroll his son\u2019s wedding.\n\nAmericans aren\u2019t asking for much, and it\u2019s outrageous Republicans have let it get this bad. All they want is for their wages to start keeping up with prices again. Manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers want markets where they can compete.\n\nWere any Republicans here even consulted on the President\u2019s latest bribe? Instead of doing the hard work of governing, this President can only provide gimmicks. It\u2019s a lot easier to dangle a fake check in front of Americans and hope it numbs the pain long enough to get through November.\n\nWe\u2019ve seen this playbook before. Trump promised $2,000 tariff dividends. Then it was the $5,000 DOGE checks. And the $1,000 meant to paper over rising health care costs. How many times do Republicans think they can make these promises without delivering?\n\nRepublicans have had the power to make life easier and more affordable. Instead, families are paying more, opportunities are shrinking, and wages aren\u2019t keeping up.\n\nFamilies want something different, and Democrats are fighting for a path that puts their needs first. One where making their lives better matters more than ballrooms, helipads, wars, and the President\u2019s own pocket.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/16/neal-statement-on-sanctions-bill-vote/", "Neal Statement on Sanctions Bill Vote", "2026-09-16", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Neal Statement on Trump\u2019s Latest Health Care Sabotage\n\nWASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement...\n\nNeal, Larson, Davis Demand Bisignano Answer for Social Security Staffing Crisis\n\nWASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), alongside Social Security...\n\nNeal Opening Statement at Full Committee Markup\n\n(As prepared for delivery) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Families have had it with the harm of Republican...\n\nNeal on the House Floor: The American People Can\u2019t Afford Congress to Hand Trump More Tariff Power\n\nWATCH HERE (As prepared for delivery) M/ Speaker, I rise today not only because I\u2019m concerned about what this bill...\n\nNeal, Meeks, Beyer Statement on Russia Sanctions Legislation\n\nWASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee...\n\nNeal Makes Sixth Stop on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d Tour with Visit to Southbridge\n\nSouthbridge, MA \u2014 Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan and town...\n\nNeal Statement on August 2026 Jobs Report\n\nSPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following...\n\nNeal Statement on Trump Administration\u2019s Racist Weaponization of the IRS\n\nSPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following...\n\nNeal Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Critical Resources and Supply Chains\n\n(As submitted for the record) President Trump has spent his term running the economy into the ground. Despite...", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-auchincloss-houchin-introduce-bipartisan-16-and-up-social-media-act-to-keep-kids-under-16-off-addictive-social-media-platforms", "Reps. Auchincloss, Houchin Introduce Bipartisan 16 & Up Social Media Act to Keep Kids Under 16 Off Addictive Social Media Platforms", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jake Auchincloss", "A000148", "auchincloss.house.gov", "auchincloss", "https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Georgina.Burros@mail.house.gov (Auchincloss)\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN), co-chairs of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Caucus, introduced the 16 & Up Social Media Act to establish a national age standard of 16 for social media platforms.\n\nSocial media companies are the merchants and miners of digital dopamine, spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually to manipulate, monetize, and attention-frack America\u2019s youth. Platforms built on infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, and personalized feeds are designed to keep users hooked. Children are the least equipped to resist these algorithms, as their prefrontal cortices \u2014 which are vital for controlling behavior \u2014 remain underdeveloped. The 16 & Up Social Media Act sets and enforces a minimum age of 16 for social media use, protecting children from these addictive platforms.\n\nThe 16 & Up Social Media Act:\n\nSets a national age standard of 16: Prohibits covered social media platforms from allowing users under 16 to create or maintain accounts.\n\nFocuses on design features: Applies strictly to platforms that use engagement-driven design features (like infinite scroll and personalized feeds) to target users. It does not regulate content.\n\nEnsures privacy and accountability: Mandates the deletion of children's data upon account termination and requires platforms to implement a clear, five-day appeals process for any account closures.\n\n\u201cSocial media corporations addict children for profit,\u201d said Rep. Auchincloss. \u201cThe exploitation must stop. Our kids deserve their childhoods back.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvery parent knows the feeling of watching a child disappear into a screen,\u201d said Rep. Houchin. \u201cThese platforms were engineered by the smartest people in the world to hold attention, and they are winning that fight against our kids. Studies show that sixteen is the right line. This bill draws it clearly, applies it to every platform that uses these addictive features, and puts real enforcement behind it. Kids get their childhood back, and parents get a bright line they can rely on.\u201d\n\n\u201cChildren's wellbeing is shaped by technologies that were designed for addiction yet face almost no oversight,\u201d said Jonathan Haidt, Social Psychologist, NYU Stern School of Business, and author of The Anxious Generation. \u201cThis is not a parenting problem. It is a structural problem, and it demands a structural response. The goal is to stop addictive design entirely. Until then, gaining access to platforms with manipulative, unsafe design needs age minimums. The 16 & Up Social Media Act delivers exactly that.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://keating.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/keating-report-reveals-trump-admins-corrupt-policies-bosnia-and", "KEATING REPORT REVEALS TRUMP ADMIN\u2019S CORRUPT POLICIES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "William R. Keating", "K000375", "keating.house.gov", "keating", "https://keating.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Subcommittee on Europe Ranking Member Bill Keating (MA-09) released an oversight report entitled \u201cPay for Play in the Balkans: How the Trump Administration\u2019s Bosnia Policy Enriches the President\u2019s Personal Allies and Shortchanges the American People.\u201d This report, the result of almost a yearlong investigation, demonstrates how the Trump administration\u2019s decisions to delist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and facilitate the concession for the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline have made millions for Trump\u2019s friends while undermining U.S. interests in the Balkans.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has fostered an environment of corruption in the White House that is spilling over into his dealings around the world. In Bosnia, I believe the Trump administration\u2019s decisions regarding Milorad Dodik and the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline have furthered this corruption and enabled the president\u2019s cronies to profit millions. Meanwhile, the administration has disregarded the Dayton Peace Accords and upended 30 years of U.S. policy in Bosnia,\u201d said Ranking Member Keating. \u201cThis report represents one part of House Democrats\u2019 efforts to conduct meaningful oversight of the Trump administration\u2019s corrupt policies and fight back against this administration\u2019s dangerous and damaging foreign policy, something Republicans, who control both chambers, have neglected over the past 18 months.\u201d\n\nThe full report, which outlines 1) the delisting of Dodik, 2) the concession for the Southern Interconnection Gas Pipeline, and 3) the impact of these decisions on the issue of state property, can be found here.\n\nHouse Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), as well as Europe Subcommittee Democrats Dina Titus (NV-01), Jim Costa (CA-21), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Sarah McBride (DE-AL) also joined the report.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/house-passes-moultons-war-powers-resolution-reclaim-congressional-authority", "House Passes Moulton\u2019s War Powers Resolution to Reclaim Congressional Authority to Declare War", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 The U.S. House of Representatives tonight passed Congressman Seth Moulton's (MA-06) War Powers Resolution, voting 220-204 to reclaim Congress\u2019s authority to end Donald Trump\u2019s war with Iran. The resolution was cosponsored by 14 House Democrats, including 13 Democratic veterans, reflecting deep concern within the ranks of those who have served about a war that Congress never authorized.\n\nThe resolution's passage comes six months after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared a \"capital V military victory\" in Iran, a claim undercut by continued American casualties, an Iran-controlled Strait of Hormuz, rising gas prices, and a nuclear program that remains intact. Eighteen U.S. servicemembers have been killed and American military installations have come under direct attack since the conflict began, at a cost exceeding $38 billion according to an estimate today by the Congressional Budget Office.\n\n\"By the Trump Administration's own metrics, Iran is winning and America is losing,\u201d said Congressman Moulton. \u201cTonight, Congress did its job under the Constitution and said enough is enough. People at home are hurting because of skyrocketing costs, and our troops\u2019 lives are in danger in a war that never should have happened. We will keep the pressure up until Trump folds.\"\n\nThe other 14 House Democrats cosponsoring the resolution are: Reps. Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jason Crow (CO-6), Jared Golden (ME-2), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-6), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Mike Quigley (IL-5), Pat Ryan (NY-18), Bobby Scott (VA-3), Mike Thompson (CA-4), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Eugene Vindman (VA-7).\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/15/pressley-unveils-first-of-its-kind-bill-to-establish-financial-relief-for-epstein-survivors-survivors-of-sexual-violence/", "Pressley Unveils First-Of-Its-Kind Bill to Establish Financial Relief for Epstein Survivors & Survivors of Sexual Violence", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Legislation Addresses Financial Burden for Survivors Whose Rights Were Violated by Federal Gov\u2019t, Including Lost Income, Medical Costs, Housing Stability, Trauma\n\nAs a Survivor of Sexual Abuse, Pressley Has Led Calls for Accountability, Highlighted Economic & Emotional Harm Borne by Epstein Survivors\n\nBill Text | Bill Summary | Press Conference | Photos\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Congresswomen Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez (D-NM) and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced the Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act, first-of-its-kind legislation that would create a restitution fund in the judicial branch for survivors of sexual violence whose rights were violated by the federal government, including all survivors of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Congresswoman Pressley announced this historic proposal alongside survivors and survivors\u2019 rights advocates at a press conference on Capitol Hill.\n\nAs a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has been a dedicated advocate for survivors\u2019 justice and recently discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that Epstein survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability.\n\nThe Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act would create a historic investment to support survivors of sexual violence and hold the federal government accountable when it fails to protect survivors\u2019 rights under the Crime Victims\u2019 Rights Act. The estimated lifetime cost of rape is $122,461 per victim. This legislation would address the burden survivors carry, including significant long-term economic and non-economic impacts of sexual violence, from lost income and medical costs to housing instability and enduring trauma.\n\n\u201cThe financial, physical, and emotional trauma that survivors of sexual violence carry is a lifetime sentence,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cBy no choice of their own, survivors can incur debilitating costs due to medical needs, lost income, housing instability, and mental health support. Far too often, the federal government has been complicit and failed to meet its moral and legal obligation to fight for accountability and relieve this economic burden\u2014our bill would change that by holding our government, abusers, and their co-conspirators to account and helping our survivors get on a pathway to healing. The ignored burden that survivors carry is a stain in our legal system and must be addressed immediately.\u201d\n\n\u201cSurvivors should never have to pay the price when our government fails to protect them,\u201d said Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez. \u201cFor too long, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s horrific abuse were denied justice while powerful people were protected. That failure has real costs: lost wages, medical bills, housing instability, and trauma that can last a lifetime. We cannot undo the harm, but we can make sure survivors are not left to carry the burden alone. The Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act gives survivors that path to restitution.\u201d\n\n\u201cFar too often, we have seen our government fail survivors of sexual violence who have risked everything to come forward,\u201d said Congresswoman Deborah Ross. \u201cTrauma is often just one part of the burden survivors carry, and it is often compounded by lost income, housing insecurity, and economic hardship. We have seen this play out in the administration\u2019s treatment of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell\u2019s abuse, who have been dismissed and demonized. Now more than ever, we must ensure all survivors receive the justice they deserve. I am proud to introduce this bill to establish a first-of-its-kind economic relief fund for survivors of sexual violence.\u201d\n\nAccording to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are tens of thousands of rape and sexual assault victimizations annually, amounting to 23 violent victimizations for every 1,000 people in 2024. Despite its prevalence, approximately two out of three sexual assaults go unreported.\n\nWhen a survivor takes action to report the crime, the Crime Victims\u2019 Rights Act grants them specific protections, including the right to timely and accurate notice of any release of the accused. However, the Jeffrey Epstein sweetheart deal is proof that these rights are not always enforced. Furthermore, there is no relief for survivors when their victims\u2019 rights are violated.\n\nTo support survivors of sexual violence and empower survivors who choose to come forward, the Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act would:\n\nEstablish the Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Program to provide compensation to eligible victims for harm and losses.\n\nCreate an independent Office of Special Adjudicators for Survivors Restitution within the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to review petitions and determine awards through a streamlined, non-adversarial, and trauma-informed process.\n\nEstablish the Survivors Rights Restitution Fund within the Department of the Treasury to finance awards through federal forfeiture proceeds tied to trafficking and sexual exploitation offenses, voluntary contributions, and authorized appropriations.\n\nThe bill is cosponsored by: Reps. Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Brendan Boyle, Salud Carbajal, Andr\u00e9 Carson, Yvette Clarke, Lou Correa, Jim Costa, Madeleine Dean, Maxine Dexter, Debbie Dingell, Maxwell Frost, Robert Garcia, Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Adelita Grijalva, Hank Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Summer Lee, Stephen Lynch, Sarah McBride, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Gwen Moore, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chellie Pingree, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Emily Randall, Andrea Salinas, Lateefah Simon, Melanie Stansbury, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, James Walkinshaw, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson.\n\nThis bill is endorsed by: Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus; World Without Exploitation; me too. International; Women\u2019s HQ; UltraViolet Action; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Safe Exit Initiative; RIA, Inc.; National Alliance to End Sexual Violence; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); My Life My Choice; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Women\u2019s Law Center Action Fund; Boston Area Rape Crisis Center; Survivor Justice Network; Equal Rights Advocates; Sexual Violence Prevention Association (SVPA); Victim Rights Law Center; Them Apples Music; Justice for Migrant Women; Esperanza United; National Women\u2019s Political Caucus; Feminist Majority; Legal Momentum, the Women\u2019s Legal Defense & Education Fund; South Asian SOAR.\n\n\u201cSex trafficking survivors are often asked to take enormous risks to report their abuse and cooperate with the justice system, only to find that the same institutions demanding their trust can fail to protect their rights,\u201d said Becca Zipkin, Vice President of Policy and Programs, World Without Exploitation. \u201cSurvivors of Jeffrey Epstein experienced that failure in one of the most public cases imaginable, but they are far from alone. At World Without Exploitation, we work alongside survivors who know that justice must include changing the systems that allow exploitation to flourish and holding institutions accountable when they fail the people they are supposed to protect. The Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act is an important step toward that goal by giving survivors a meaningful path to redress when the federal government violates their rights. It also recognizes something survivors have long told us \u2014 economic justice is survivor justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a survivor who has worked alongside thousands of survivors I\u2019m clear that the full story of what it actually takes to survive is not often told. Alongside the mental, physical and emotional toll of the violence that we endured is the financial burden of untangling the web that the trauma creates to try and find our way back to ourselves \u2013 there is an actual cost to that work and it\u2019s rare that we have support footing that bill. This country and our government has to ask itself what does it owe survivors? Rep. Pressley is doing her part to begin answering that question,\u201d said Tarana Burke, Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer, Me Too\n\n\u201cSurvivors have been paying the price for their assault for far too long,\u201d said Liz Speakman, Executive Director, Boston Area Rape Crisis Center. \u201cWe know that money is not what heals trauma but it goes a long way to providing the space, time and resources to make the path a little easier.\u201d\n\n\u201cSurvivors should not have to spend decades paying for crimes committed against us. When institutions fail us, that failure becomes generational trauma. We deserve privacy, dignity, and restitution\u2014not someday, but now. Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s bill gives survivors a path forward,\u201d said Dani Bensky, survivor and advocate.\n\n\u201cAs a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s crimes, I am heartened by the introduction of the Survivors\u2019 Rights Restitution Act of 2026. This vital legislation not only acknowledges our trauma but also provides a pathway to justice with meaningful compensation. It\u2019s time for Congress to act swiftly, reinforcing that survivors deserve to be heard, believed, and supported in our healing journey,\u201d said Lara Blume McGee, Survivor and CEO of Team Up World.\n\nText of the bill can be accessed here and a bill summary is available here. Video from the press conference can be accessed here, and photos can be accessed here.\n\nAs a survivor of sexual abuse herself, Congresswoman Pressley has led Democrats on the House Oversight Committee calling for a full, public Oversight hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice\u2019s records.\n\nRep. Pressley has led the demand for a hearing with survivors as the Committee has continued its investigation and after the Congresswoman successfully helped pass a motion by Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Congresswoman Summer Lee to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.\n\nIn May 2026, Congresswoman Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation and centering survivors\u2019 experience. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s abuse.\n\nIn recent interviews, Rep. Pressley described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her.\n\nThroughout her time in Congress, serving on the Boston City Council, and her entire life, Rep. Pressley has been a champion for justice for survivors of sexual violence and reproductive freedom.\n\nIn May 2026, Pressley and House Oversight Committee Democrats held a field hearing in Palm Beach on the Epstein investigation. Rep. Pressley discussed the long-lasting economic and emotional harms that survivors continue to carry while rarely seeing meaningful accountability. Following the hearing, Rep. Pressley made an impassioned call for accountability, healing, and restorative justice for survivors of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s abuse.\n\nIn April 2026, Pressley joined Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Oversight Democrats in filing a resolution to hold former Attorney General Pam Bondi in civil contempt of Congress after she failed to appear for her legally-binding, bipartisan subpoena to be deposed on the Epstein investigation and the White House\u2019s cover-up of the Epstein files. Less than an hour later, Republicans announced a date for Bondi\u2019s appearance before the committee.\n\nIn April 2026, Pressley issued a statement after First Lady Melania Trump echoed Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s longstanding calls for a Congressional hearing that centers survivors of Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s abuse.\n\nIn March 2026, Pressley delivered an impassioned speech for survivors of sexual violence and trauma\u2014including for activists with the farm workers\u2019 movement, including Dolores Huerta, who shared their stories publicly earlier this month.\n\nIn February 2026, Pressley joined survivors of Epstein\u2019s abuse and members of the Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus to demand transparency, accountability, and healing for survivors. Rep. Pressley condemned the botched, partial release of the Epstein files by Trump\u2019s Department of Justice that exposed the identities of survivors while redacting alleged abusers\u2019 names.\n\nIn December 2025, Pressley condemned the Trump Admin after Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed that the Department of Justice will fail to release all of the Epstein files to the public by the legal deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law that was forced through by House Democrats and signed into law by President Trump in November.\n\nIn November 2025, Pressley applauded the House vote to release the Epstein files and renewed her push for Congressional action and accountability.\n\nIn September 2025, Pressley held a media availability with Ranking Member Robert Garcia and Committee Democrats following a closed-door Oversight Committee roundtable with survivors of unconscionable exploitation and abuse perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators.\n\nIn September 2025, in response to pressure from Rep. Pressley, the House Oversight Committee held a closed-door roundtable with survivors of the unconscionable exploitation by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their co-conspirators.\n\nIn August 2025, Pressley reintroduced the Protections and Transparency in the Workplace Act to combat sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.\n\nIn August 2025, Pressley led committee Democrats in calling for a Congressional hearing to prioritize the individuals who survived the horrific abuse associated with by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their associates, and whose firsthand accounts may not be sufficiently represented in the Department of Justice\u2019s records.\n\nIn August 2025, Pressley issued a statement after Chairman James Comer issued a subpoena to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files relating to child sex trafficker and Trump\u2019s longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein. This action came after Rep. Pressley successfully helped pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.\n\nIn July 2025, Pressley in an interview described why her work to subpoena the Epstein files is deeply personal to her.\n\nIn July 2025, Pressley joined the successful effort to pass a motion by Congresswoman Summer Lee and Ranking Member Robert Garcia to force the Committee to subpoena the Epstein files.\n\nIn July 2024, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the Bringing an End to Harassment by Enhancing Accountability and Rejecting Discrimination (BE HEARD) in the Workplace Act of 2024.\n\nIn June 2024, Rep. Pressley renewed her calls for accountability and survivor-focused solutions following the damning reports of a toxic work environment at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).\n\nIn June 2024, Rep. Pressley also sent a letter to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) requesting information about the botched closure of FCI Dublin, abuse of women while they were being transferred to other facilities, and BOP\u2019s management of investigations into the staff sexual misconduct and abuse at FCI Dublin and other federal BOP facilities.\n\nRep. Pressley is also a lead co-sponsor of H.R. 5388, legislation that would prevent the Secretary of Education from rolling back Title IX protections for survivors, as well as H.Res. 560, a resolution calling for an impeachment inquiry into Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, following reporting on new allegations of sexual misconduct committed by the Associate Justice.\n\nIn April 2019, following the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, Rep. Pressley issued a statement honoring her mother, Sandra Pressley, a survivor of domestic violence. Rep. Pressley is also the lead co-sponsor of an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that would establish the first-ever grant program dedicated to supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, which passed the House of Representatives in March 2021.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/15/watch-pressley-blasts-treasury-secretary-over-trumps-affordability-crisis-skyrocketing-costs-for-families/", "WATCH: Pressley Blasts Treasury Secretary Over Trump\u2019s Affordability Crisis, Skyrocketing Costs for Families", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley Blasts Treasury Secretary Over Trump\u2019s Affordability Crisis, Skyrocketing Costs for Families\n\nHouse Financial Services Committee\n\nSeptember 15, 2026\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Mr. Secretary, I want to continue where we left off the last time you testified before this committee. As you know, hundreds of thousands of Black workers have been pushed out of the workforce, and unemployment rates over the last year haven\u2019t been this high since the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nTo put it simply, more people are out of work now than they were before Trump took office in 2025.\n\nSecretary Bessent, in February, you testified under oath that you would analyze Black unemployment data and report back on its impacts to the financial stability of the U.S. economy. Have you begun working on this report yet?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I will check with my staff. I have not seen it.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Can you make a commitment to honor what you said on the record under oath?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: Of course.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Okay. And when can I expect that report?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I will check with my staff, and they will communicate to you a date certain.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Secretary Bessent, let me be frank here. Something that is having this sort of impact. At one point, there were 300,000 Black women who have been pushed out of the workforce, most of them from the federal government, devastating many black families, in that 80% of those families, Black women, are the primary breadwinner.\n\nSo this is something of great consequence.\n\nI have to also say, again being frank, that you\u2019re on thin ice with me because you sat here in the midst of the tariffs conversation, and I asked for you to be a partner in pushing for an exemption of baby products, and you told me that I had a partner in you in that advocacy, and nothing came of that.\n\nSo twice you\u2019ve come before this committee made a commitment under oath, and you\u2019ve not followed up.\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I would say watch this space after President Xi\u2019s visit.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Okay, I don\u2019t know what that means, but people are struggling. You\u2019ve made commitments. You haven\u2019t kept any of them, and it\u2019s outrageous. Moving on, I have a lot of ground to cover, and I have too much of my time.\n\n[cross talk]\n\nSecretary Bessent, when\u2014reclaiming my time. When Donald Trump launched the unnecessary and unconstitutional war with Iran, how long did he say that would last?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I don\u2019t recall.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: I\u2019ll jog your memory. Four to five weeks. It\u2019s been six months. So he lied, and we\u2019re all paying the cost.\n\nSince the war started, gas prices are up 52 percent. Yes or no? Are you aware of that?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: Gas prices\u2014\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Gas prices are up 52 percent since the war started. Are you aware of this issue? Yes or no?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: From what to what? I think that\u2019s not a good number.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Okay, I\u2019m going to take that as a yes. You\u2019re playing like you don\u2019t know, but you know.\n\nOkay, Secretary Bessent. Working people\u2014reclaiming my time.\n\nSecretary Bessent, working people are paying more for utilities now than they were five years ago. More than 20% more. Are you aware of that?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I am aware of that.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Okay, moving on. Secretary Bessent, people are also paying over three times more on health insurance. Have you heard about this issue? Yes or no?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I am aware that\u2014\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Yes or no? Are you aware?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: You can ask\u2014\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Stop filibustering. And stop acting like you don\u2019t know what the facts are. Moving on.\n\nSecretary Bessent, the Joint Economic Committee found that tariffs cost families on average $1,700. Have you heard about this issue?\n\nSEC. BESSENT: I have not.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: You heard about this issue. Your boss, Donald Trump, said that he was going to give people, or he would reimburse them. He would send them a check for the cost of these tariffs, and he hasn\u2019t done that because he lies on everything.\n\nSEC. BESSENT: Well, the Democratic\u2014\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Moving on. You know about these issues, and I\u2019m questioning your integrity. You know about this.\n\n[cross talk]\n\nCHAIR: Ms. Pressley is recognized. Ms. Pressley is recognized.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Thank you.\n\nMr. Secretary, you know about these issues. The American people are suffering. You know better.\n\nYou go on television and you say that Trump\u2019s economic agenda is a great comeback, and that makes me question not only your integrity, but if you\u2019re operating in the same reality as the people whom you are accountable to.\n\nAnd you are enabling him, and it\u2019s shameful.\n\nSecretary Bessent, the families in my district and across this country are struggling to afford a home, buy food, raise their kids, pay these high utility bills, and they deserve a government that\u2019s going to make their life easier, not harder.\n\nBut that\u2019s exactly what is happening on your watch.\n\nAs the Secretary of Treasury, you\u2019re responsible for overseeing all of our economy. You don\u2019t have anyone else to blame but yourself and Donald Trump.\n\nAnd it is shameful that you\u2019re being an accessory to this and being complicit to this.\n\nYou are a smart man, and you know better.\n\nI yield back.\n\n\u2014\n\nLast year, following Rep. Pressley\u2019s questioning, Secretary Bessent conceded the Treasury Department would consider exempting essential baby care products from tariffs, which was later reaffirmed by President Trump.", 1, "2026-09-16T09:43:13Z", "2026-09-16T09:44:22Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-delivers-opening-remarks-select-committee-china-hearing-human-rights", "Moulton Delivers Opening Remarks at Select Committee on China Hearing on Human Rights in China Ahead of Xi\u2019s Visit to Washington", "2026-09-15", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) delivered opening remarks at the House Select Committee on China hearing examining human rights in the People\u2019s Republic of China ahead of President Trump\u2019s upcoming summit with Xi Jinping in Washington. The hearing focused on U.S. policy responses to the Chinese government's oppression of Uyghur and Tibetan populations, crackdown on Hong Kong, and broader civil rights restrictions.\n\nCongressman Moulton\u2019s opening remarks as delivered are below:\n\n\u201cServing on the Select Committee on China \u2013 the full name of the committee is the Select Committee on Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.\n\n\u201cThe verb there is competition. And the competition between the United States and China is not just for economic dominance or military dominance; it's for leadership, and it comes down to not just which country is stronger, but which country has the values that the rest of the world wants to follow.\n\n\u201cThat's really what's at stake: who will lead the world, not just from power, but values.\n\n\u201cChina under Xi Jinping has spent the past decade and a half systematically eroding the rights of everyone living in China. For most of that time, the United States has pushed back in a strongly bipartisan manner.\n\n\u201cWe engaged on the genocide of Uyghurs in one of the most effective pieces of legislating the U.S. Congress has ever done on a human rights issue with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.\n\n\u201cAnd then under this presidency, we stopped trying. This administration has canceled dozens of grant programs supporting civil society, pro-democracy programming, and independent journalism that were actively undermining the CCP's efforts to suppress independent thought in China.\n\n\u201cThis administration is uniquely good at shooting themselves in the foot. But the decision to gut the U.S. Agency for Global Media was, even for them, a historically tragic decision.\n\n\u201cThis is an institution that, for a very small amount of money, dramatically shaped the world's information environment in ways that align with both U.S. values and the truth.\n\n\u201cMy colleagues on the Select Committee have often heard me harp on the fact that while \u2018competition\u2019 is the verb and the title, the first order of business in our relationship with China today is deterrence. It's to prevent a war, a war that Xi Jinping has made very clear he is ready and willing to start.\n\n\u201cWe think about deterrence usually in just military terms, but if you ask the Pentagon about deterrence, they'll tell you that there are four elements: there's military, economic, diplomatic, and information.\n\n\u201cWe understand the importance of military power. We understand the importance of economic power. But in that information realm, we have to tell our story. We can't cut off the very organisms of our government that are designed to do that and tell a better story, not just to the world but to the people in China today.\n\n\u201cAnd on diplomacy, that brings us back to where I began: the question of moral leadership. Who will be the next great superpower leader of the world? The question, not just of power, but of values. This administration seems to throw those values out the window. It's critical we get them back. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-17T09:52:05Z", "2026-09-17T09:53:00Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/11/neal-meeks-beyer-statement-on-russia-sanctions-legislation/", "Neal, Meeks, Beyer Statement on Russia Sanctions Legislation", "2026-09-11", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Senior House Democrat of Congress\u2019 Joint Economic Committee Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) released the following statement after Republican leadership scheduled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act for a vote in the House next week:\n\n\u201cHouse Democrats are rock solid in our support for Ukraine, but the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act would do more harm than good. This bill would dramatically expand presidential tariff authorities while failing to mandate sanctions on Russia, both of which are unacceptable. These flaws would raise Americans\u2019 prices while undermining support for Ukraine in the long term.\n\n\u201cWe continue to seek bicameral, bipartisan negotiations to craft a bill that can win strong support in both chambers and deliver on our promise to Ukraine. In the meantime, the President has ample authority to expand sanctions on those fueling Russia\u2019s war machine, including those targeted by this bill, and we renew our call on him to do so without further delay.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/10/breaking-pressley-leads-nearly-60-lawmakers-demanding-investigation-into-black-people-found-hanging-invokes-legacy-of-lynching-in-america/", "BREAKING: Pressley Leads Nearly 60 Lawmakers Demanding Investigation into Black People Found Hanging, Invokes Legacy of Lynching in America", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Letter Comes Amidst Alarming Spike in Possible Modern-Day Lynchings\n\n\u201cInaction by the federal government is tantamount to complicity. This is part of the legacy of racial terror in the United States, and this neglect has long-term consequences.\u201d\n\nText of Letter (PDF)\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led 59 colleagues in writing to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demanding a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into the numerous incidents of Black people found hanging across the country. The Congresswoman\u2019s letter follows a series of deaths which raise suspicion of foul play given the role of lynching in American history.\n\nThe growing number of Black people found hanging in public is a national crisis. A recent report documented more than 70 modern-day lynchings in the United States between 2000 and 2025. In 2026 alone, there have already been at least 10 reported hangings of Black people. They were as young as 18 years old and lived in different parts of the country, including Mississippi, Michigan, and New York. Many families have publicly questioned the conclusions of local and state investigations.\n\n\u201cInaction by the federal government is tantamount to complicity. This is part of the legacy of racial terror in the United States, and this neglect has long-term consequences,\u201d the lawmakers continued. \u201cNot only are innocent lives lost, but lynching inflicts deep traumatic and psychological wounds on family members, neighbors, and the entire Black community.\u201d\n\n\u201cCongress enacted the Emmett Till Antilynching Act in 2022 to ensure the DOJ and FBI are empowered to fully investigate suspicious deaths and hold individuals accountable,\u201d the lawmakers continued. \u201cIt is incumbent upon you to do just that.\u201d\n\nThis letter demands a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into every hanging death of a Black individual across the United States. At a minimum, each investigation, with permission of the decedents\u2019 families, should include an independent autopsy, an audit of local and state law enforcement investigations, review of physical and testimonial evidence, and a final report submitted to Congress explaining the agency\u2019s findings. The letter also calls for robust data collection that tracks the hanging deaths of Black people in a transparent and systematic manner.\n\nJoining Congresswoman Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Alma Adams, Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Nanette Diaz Barrag\u00e1n, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Sanford Bishop, Everton Blair, Brendan Boyle, Shontel Brown, Janelle Bynum, Andr\u00e9 Carson, Troy Carter, Yvette Clarke, Jasmine Crockett, Mark DeSaulnier, Sarah Elfreth, Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda, Sylvia Garc\u00eda, Jimmy Gomez, Al Green, Adelita Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Gregory Meeks, Analilia Mej\u00eda, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Pallone Jr., Mark Pocan, Stacey Plaskett, Delia Ram\u00edrez, Terri Sewell, Lateefah Simon, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Ritchie Torres, Lauren Underwood, Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson.\n\nFull text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3845", "Trahan Tours New Dracut Housing Project Made Possible by Significant Federal Investments", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) toured The Avenue at Greenmont, a new housing development in Dracut featuring 56 newly built apartment homes designed for adults aged 62 and older and non-elderly individuals with disabilities. All units are fully affordable to households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI). The project was made possible in part through nearly $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, awarded by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) through its Community-Based Housing program.\n\n\u201cThese 56 homes show what's possible when private partners and every level of government row in the same direction,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cFederal resources like ARPA dollars and Low-Income Housing Tax Credits helped make The Avenue at Greenmont a reality, but we can't stop here. We must continue advancing commonsense legislation like the recently passed 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act so more families can afford a home of their own.\u201d\n\nThe project also received $3 million from the Town of Dracut's Community Preservation Act, $1.4 million from EOHLC's Housing Stabilization Fund, $825,000 in federal HOME funds, $630,000 through the state's MassWorks program, more than $5.5 million in Massachusetts Housing Tax Credits, and nearly $11.4 million in federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.\n\nThe United States continues to face a severe affordable housing and homelessness crisis. According to experts, the U.S. has an estimated shortage of 3.7 million to 5.5 million homes for rent and purchase. The lack of housing, along with other factors, is driving up costs and making housing the single largest expense for Americans across the country. According to a recent poll, half of Massachusetts residents say housing is unaffordable for their household, making it the single biggest financial pressure point.\n\nIn 2021, Trahan supported passage of the American Rescue Plan Act to respond directly to the challenges created and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law invested billions of dollars to expand affordable housing and support Americans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. In Massachusetts, EOHLC put those federal dollars to work through programs like Community-Based Housing, which helped make The Avenue at Greenmont possible.\n\nEarlier this year, Trahan supported passage of the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. The new law, which took effect despite President Donald Trump\u2019s refusal to sign it, makes it easier to build new homes, expand financing opportunities for housing, and provide new protections for renters. The bipartisan legislation also reduces unnecessary regulatory barriers to new home construction, authorizes the use of federal funds to support the development of affordable housing, and establishes a maximum limit for affordable rents.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-11T09:25:29Z", "2026-09-11T09:27:08Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400455", "McGovern, Warren, Pressley Tout Historic New Law to Combat High Cost of Housing in America", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WORCESTER \u2013 Yesterday, Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) visited the Worcester YMCA to discuss the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and how the new law will make it easier to build new housing, lower housing costs, and\u2014for the first time ever\u2014counter private equity from buying single-family homes.\n\nThe lawmakers also discussed the development of Grandfamily Villages, an effort by Senior Connection to provide affordable housing for seniors and their families in Worcester. They heard from families and community leaders about what more can be done to address the housing crisis in Massachusetts.\n\n\u201cThe ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for communities across the country,\u201d said Congressman McGovern. \u201cEverywhere I go, I hear from families struggling to find housing they can afford. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Warren for her leadership in getting this important legislation passed. This is going to make a real difference for people across the Commonwealth and throughout the country. I\u2019m also proud to be working alongside amazing partners like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on our Grandfamily Housing Act to make sure grandparents raising grandchildren have the support they need. These grandparents stepped up for their families, and we need to step up for them, too. That\u2019s what the Grandfamily Village is all about, and I\u2019ll keep fighting to get projects like this across the finish line.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerica is in a housing crisis, and it\u2019s hitting families hard here in Massachusetts. I\u2019m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern to pass the biggest housing bill in decades into law,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cThis new law will help lower housing costs and for the first time ever stop private equity from buying up single family homes. Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Pressley, the new law also includes an Innovation Fund which will help our state build more housing and upgrade our infrastructure. This is one step forward. We have much more work to do to lower costs for Massachusetts families.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to work with Senator Warren and Ranking Member Waters to deliver this historic housing package to support safe, stable, and accessible housing for families in Massachusetts and throughout the country,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cThe ROAD to Housing Act and my four bills within it will bring essential relief to Americans struggling amid Trump\u2019s housing and affordability crises\u2014and I\u2019ll keep pushing to pass our Grandfamily Housing Act without delay. Every individual, family, and grandfamily deserves a place of refuge, rest, and peace. It\u2019s time that we treat housing like human right that it is.\u201d\n\nOther participants of the roundtable included: State Senator Robyn Kennedy, State Representative David LeBoeuf, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Senior Connection, Joanne Calista, CEO, Center for Health Impact, and several grandparents raising their grandchildren.\n\nMcGovern has worked for years to support grandparents raising grandchildren and address the unique housing challenges facing grandfamilies.\n\nHe recently secured $1.2 million in federal funding for a Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Center in Worcester to help connect grandparent-led households throughout central Massachusetts with housing, transportation, health, food, education and other services.\n\nIn 2018, his bipartisan Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act was signed into law, creating a federal advisory council to identify and share resources for grandparents and other relatives raising children.\n\nIn 2019, after McGovern and Pressley held a roundtable in Worcester to hear directly from grandparents about the challenges they face, the lawmakers introduced the Grandfamily Housing Act, which would help grandfamilies access safe, affordable and age-appropriate housing and supportive services. They reintroduced the legislation in 2021, and it passed the House in 2022.\n\nMcGovern and Pressley introduced the latest version, H.R. 5916, the Grandfamily Housing Act of 2025, in November 2025.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/09/in-worcester-pressley-warren-mcgovern-tout-historic-law-to-tackle-housing-crisis-build-safe-affordable-housing/", "In Worcester, Pressley, Warren, McGovern Tout Historic Law to Tackle Housing Crisis, Build Safe, Affordable Housing", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Pressley-Led Bills Will Address Bias in Home Appraisals, Expand Affordable Housing, Strengthen Oversight of Corporate Landlords, and Help Families Reach Financial Stability\n\nPressley-McGovern Grandfamily Housing Act Would Help Grandparents Raising Children Access Safe, Affordable, Age-Appropriate Housing\n\nPhotos (Dropbox)\n\nWORCESTER \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), alongside Massachusetts families and community leaders,visited the Worcester YMCA to discuss the historic 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act and how the new law will make it easier to build new housing, lower housing costs, and\u2014for the first time ever\u2014counter private equity from buying single-family homes.\n\nThe lawmakers also discussed the development of Grandfamily Villages, an effort by Senior Connection to provide affordable housing for seniors and their families in Worcester. They heard from families and community leaders about what more can be done to address the housing crisis in Massachusetts.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to work with Senator Warren and Ranking Member Waters to deliver this historic housing package to support safe, stable, and accessible housing for families in Massachusetts and throughout the country,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cThe ROAD to Housing Act and my four bills within it will bring essential relief to Americans struggling amid Trump\u2019s housing and affordability crises\u2014and I\u2019ll keep pushing to pass our Grandfamily Housing Act without delay. Every individual, family, and grandfamily deserves a place of refuge, rest, and peace. It\u2019s time that we treat housing like human right that it is.\u201d\n\n\u201cAmerica is in a housing crisis, and it\u2019s hitting families hard here in Massachusetts. I\u2019m proud to have worked with Congresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern to pass the biggest housing bill in decades into law,\u201d said Senator Warren. \u201cThis new law will help lower housing costs and for the first time ever stop private equity from buying up single family homes. Thanks to the leadership of Congresswoman Pressley, the new law also includes an Innovation Fund which will help our state build more housing and upgrade our infrastructure. This is one step forward. We have much more work to do to lower costs for Massachusetts families.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for communities across the country,\u201d said Congressman McGovern. \u201cEverywhere I go, I hear from families struggling to find housing they can afford. I\u2019m grateful to Senator Warren for her leadership in getting this important legislation passed. This is going to make a real difference for people across the Commonwealth and throughout the country. I\u2019m also proud to be working alongside amazing partners like Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on our Grandfamily Housing Act to make sure grandparents raising grandchildren have the support they need. These grandparents stepped up for their families, and we need to step up for them, too. That\u2019s what the Grandfamily Village is all about, and I\u2019ll keep fighting to get projects like this across the finish line.\u201d\n\nPhoto Credit: Office of Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley\n\nOther participants of the roundtable included: State Senator Robyn Kennedy, State Representative David LeBoeuf, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista, Doreen Goodrich, District Director, State Senator Mike Moore, Moses Dixon, President & CEO, Senior Connection, Joanne Calista, CEO, Center for Health Impact, and several grandparents raising their grandchildren.\n\nThe 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed Congress in June 2026 and included four bills led by Congresswoman Pressley that would address the housing crisis and increase pathways to equitable and affordable housing. The bills will address bias in home valuations, expand affordable housing, strengthen oversight of corporate landlords, and help families reach financial stability. The bill became law despite Donald Trump\u2019s refusal to sign it.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley and Congressman McGovern are also the lead sponsors of the Grandfamily Housing Act, which would help grandparents raising their grandchildren access safe, affordable and appropriate housing.\n\nPhotos from the event are available here.\n\nRep. Pressley\u2019s four bills in the housing package include:\n\nThe Appraisal Modernization Act. This bill would promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners\u2014especially homeowners of color.\n\nThe Innovation Fund Act. This bill would establish a grant program to reward communities that are taking innovative steps to increase housing supply.\n\nThe Renter Resource Center Act. This bill would protect renters and strengthen oversight of corporations by creating a database of institutional investors that buy single-family homes, requiring HUD to provide resources to renters, and more.\n\nHelping More Families Save Act. This bill would help families receiving federal housing assistance achieve financial independence as a pathway to wealth building by modernizing and expanding HUD\u2019s Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program.\n\nFollowing Trump\u2019s refusal to sign the package into law without advancing his voter suppression bill, Rep. Pressley joined lawmakers in demanding Trump support the housing package and the essential, expanded access to housing it would deliver for Americans.\n\nIn January 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congresswomen Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Ilhan Omar (MN-05) held the Congressional Progressive Caucus\u2019 (CPC) Lowering Costs Taskforce\u2019s first shadow hearing, titled \u201cBuilding the New American Dream: Lowering Housing Costs for All.\u201d The shadow hearing brought together housing experts and CPC Members to advance solutions to lower costs by building more affordable, public, and market-rate housing; cracking down on corporate and landlord greed; and expanding federal assistance for low-income families.\n\nAs a Member of the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance of the House Financial Services Committee (FSC), Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for policies that affirm housing as a human right and center the dignity and humanity of all people.\n\nIn May 2026, during Fair Housing and Second Chance Month, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) reintroduced the Housing for Formerly Incarcerated Reentry and Stable Tenancy (Housing FIRST) Act of 2026, bold legislation to help people who are formerly incarcerated and those with criminal histories access safe and stable housing. The bill would advance housing justice and help disrupt the prison-to-homelessness pipeline by removing unjust barriers to housing and limit tenant screening criteria for criminal records in background checks.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley along with Rep. DeLauro and Rep. Gomez, founder and co-chair of Congressional Renters Caucus, introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to protect tenants facing illegal evictions, crack down on credit reporting of evictions, and more.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Financial Services Committee Democrats in a comment letter condemning HUD\u2019s proposed mixed-status families rule, which would increase evictions, separate families, and increase homelessness across the country.\n\nIn December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened local advocates and community partners to sound the alarm on the housing crisis created by Donald Trump.\n\nIn December 2025, Rep. Pressley underscored the need to support grandfamily and kinship households, which are vital to preventing homelessness and keeping families and communities whole.\n\nIn November 2025, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (CA-35) and 52 colleagues in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, calling on him to rescind a recent HUD decision to slash essential Continuum of Care (CoC) program funding.\n\nIn November 2025, Rep. Pressley introduced the Appraisal Modernization Act, legislation to promote equity and combat systemic bias in the home appraisal process that has disadvantaged many current and aspiring homeowners\u2014especially homeowners of color.\n\nIn May 2025, Rep, Pressley, along with Representatives Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Greg Casar (TX-35), reintroduced the Tenants\u2019 Right to Organize Act, legislation to protect the power of tenants, including those with federal vouchers, to organize.\n\nIn June 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Maxine Waters (CA-43) and Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), re-introduced the Tenant Empowerment Act, bold legislation to strengthen HUD tenant protections and provide renters with the tools necessary to improve the quality of their homes.\n\nIn March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Mayor Wu, visited Roxbury to celebrate the $1,000,000 in federal funding she secured to provide emergency childcare support for families experiencing homelessness in the City of Boston.\n\nIn March 2024, Rep. Pressley, along with Senators Warren and Markey, applauded the final passage of $850,000 in federal community project funding for The Pryde, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors in Hyde Park.\n\nIn March 2024, Rep. Pressley urged Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to cut interest rates to boost home affordability and construction of affordable housing.\n\nIn January 2024, Rep. Pressley, during a House Financial Services Committee Hearing, highlighted the growing housing crisis and how appraisal bias and discriminatory tenant screening practices exacerbate the racial wealth and homeownership gaps, especially for Black communities.\n\nIn January 2024, Rep. Pressley celebrated the $2.4 million in federal funding she secured to support the community-led transformation of the Clarendon Hill housing community, an ethnically, linguistically and economically diverse neighborhood in Somerville.\n\nIn December 2023, Rep. Pressley requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide data on housing needs for Medicaid beneficiaries and feedback on challenges the agency is having in covering housing support for people requiring home and community-based services (HCBS).\n\nIn July 2023, Rep. Pressley, along with Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) and Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), reintroduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act, critical legislation to provide much-needed assistance to those facing eviction amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nIn September 2021, Rep. Pressley joined Rep. Bush and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in introducing the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 to enact an urgently needed nationwide eviction moratorium.\n\nOn July 2021, ahead of the expiration of the previous CDC eviction moratorium, Reps. Pressley, Bush, Gomez and their progressive colleagues sent a letter renewing their calls for President Biden and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky to extend the federal eviction moratorium and prevent the historic and deadly wave of evictions that would occur if the government failed to do so.\n\nOn July 30, 2021, Rep. Pressley joined House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) in introducing the Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021, legislation to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of the year.\n\nIn June 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Gomez and Bush, led over 40 of their colleagues on a letter urging President Biden and CDC Director Walensky to extend and strengthen the moratorium for the duration of the public health crisis.\n\nIn June 2021, Congresswoman Pressley, along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), re-introduced the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nOn May 18, 2021, Reps. Bush and Pressley sent a letter to the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling on the CDC to strengthen and extend the federal moratorium on evictions, ensuring families can remain safely in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 global health emergency.\n\nOn July 28, 2020, Rep. Pressley, Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Harris introduced the Housing Emergencies Lifeline Program (HELP) Act to provide much-needed, layered assistance to those facing eviction amid the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nOn July 24, 2020, in a Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley discussed the unprecedented financial cliff facing millions of renters and homeowners, the economic consequences of millions losing their homes, including the ability to return to work, and why funding for legal representation is so critical.\n\nOn May 11, 2020, Reps. Tlaib, and Joe Neguse (D-CO) urge House and Senate leadership to include $11.5 billion in funding for Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG) in the next relief package to aid the nation\u2019s homeless population who are experiencing heightened vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nOn April 10, 2020, Rep. Pressley urged Congressional leadership to prioritize recurring monthly cash payments to those most at-risk during the COVID-19 crisis. This funding would allow people to cover all their bills, including rent.\n\nOn April 17, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and colleagues introduce the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act, a bill to institute a nationwide cancellation of rents and home mortgage payments through the duration of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nOn March 23, 2020, Reps. Pressley and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) introduced the Public Health Emergency Shelter Act of 2020, legislation to provide critical funding to states and local governments responding to the needs of families and individuals experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis. This legislation was included and passed through the HEROES Act and H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020.\n\nOn March 19, 2020, Rep. Pressley, along with progressive lawmakers and organizations, introduced the Housing is a Human Right Act to authorize more than $200 billion in federal spending over 10 years for crucial housing infrastructure and reduce homelessness.\n\nOn March 18, 2020, Reps. Pressley, Katie Porter (D-CA) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) wrote to HUD calling for a moratorium on evicting renters during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIn July 2019, Rep. Pressley announced legislation that would prohibit the use of biometric recognition technology in most public and assisted housing units funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), protecting tenants from biased surveillance technology.\n\nIn November 2019, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Tlaib wrote to HUD blasting the agency for ignoring low-income tenants seeking to save their homes.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/09/rep-pressley-urges-extension-of-el-salvador-tps-to-save-lives/", "Rep. Pressley Urges Extension of El Salvador TPS to Save Lives", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "\u201cThe termination of Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador would devastate communities, hurt our local and state economies, and spread fear to the nearly 170,00 Salvadoran TPS holders who call this country home.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to represent such a rich, vibrant Salvadoran diaspora community in the Massachusetts 7th. Salvadoran TPS holders are our neighbors. They have been here for decades. Their contributions are felt daily across our district, and they deserve to remain here with their families.\n\n\u201cUnless the Trump Administration reverses course, our neighbors will be at risk of being uprooted from their community despite having done nothing wrong. Their children, many of whom are U.S. citizens, could be displaced to a country they\u2019ve never set foot in. As ICE continues to terrorize our neighborhoods, the termination of TPS would only destabilize our communities and leave entire families at risk of harm, trauma, and separation. We cannot allow that to happen.\n\n\u201cTo the Salvadoran TPS holders that call the Massachusetts 7th home: your humanity, dignity, and lives matter. You deserve to work, to contribute, to take care of your families, and to thrive in the country you call home. Please know that my office is here to help and that this Congresswoman has your back. The Trump Administration must extend TPS for El Salvador without delay, and we must ensure a pathway to permanent residency and protect our Salvadoran neighbors in perpetuity.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3844", "Trahan, Warren Statement Following Burlington ICE Facility Site Visit", "2026-09-09", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) released the following statement following a congressional oversight visit to Burlington ICE facility yesterday, where dozens of individuals have been detained:\n\n\u201cToday we exercised our constitutional duty to conduct unannounced Congressional oversight of an ICE facility. Immigration attorneys and community advocates have shared deeply concerning testimonies with our offices of individuals being detained by ICE for multiple days without access to adequate food, medical care, or sleeping conditions. During the hour-long inspection of the Burlington facility, we witnessed over a dozen individuals held for processing, questioned ICE on our constituents\u2019 concerns, and pressed for humane treatment of those in custody. We\u2019ll continue showing up and fighting for transparency, decency, and accountability.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-10T09:25:58Z", "2026-09-10T09:27:09Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/08/news-pressley-thanks-outgoing-smithsonian-secretary-lonnie-bunch-slams-trumps-fascist-assault-on-museums/", "NEWS: Pressley Thanks Outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Slams Trump\u2019s Fascist Assault on Museums", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Pressley Has Fought to Protect Black History Against Trump\u2019s Crusade to Whitewash Museums; Demanded Investigation Into Trump\u2019s Attack on Smithsonian\n\nPressley Has Drawn Parallels Between Trump\u2019s Attempt Remove Museum Exhibits to Nazi Germany Destroying Jewish Art\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement thanking outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III and slamming the Trump Administration\u2019s ongoing fascist assault on American museums. Secretary Bunch announced that he would step down from his role at the end of this year.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley has led efforts in Congress to protect Black history against Trump\u2019s crusade to whitewash American museums and has demanded an investigation into Trump\u2019s attack on the Smithsonian. In a July committee hearing, the Congresswoman highlighted Trump\u2019s attempts to erase, whitewash, and rewrite American history, through his attacks on Smithsonian museums and cultural institutions.\n\n\u201cSecretary Lonnie Bunch III spent his career making sure America tells the full truth about itself. I am deeply grateful for his extraordinary leadership, his stewardship of American history, and his unwavering defense of our stories during an unprecedented, anti-Black, and fascist assault from the highest levels of power.\n\n\u201cI was honored to meet with Secretary Bunch last year to discuss his work and how we can push back against the Trump Administration\u2019s attacks on the Smithsonian\u2019s independence and its mission to tell the full, complicated, and beautiful story of America. It is a shame that he is stepping down at a moment when Black America and Black history are under attack by an occupant of the Oval Office hell bent on erasing, whitewashing, and rewriting our shared history to push a false narrative about our country.\n\n\u201cWhile Secretary Bunch\u2019s resignation is a loss for the Smithsonian and our country, his work must continue. I wish him the very best in his future endeavors, and I will not stop fighting to protect our museums, defend the truth, and preserve our history for generations to come.\u201d\n\nRep. Pressley has been a leading voice in defending diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, protecting Black history, and pushing back against Republicans\u2019 efforts to deny intellectual freedom\u2014whether by banning books or threatening museums.\n\nRep. Pressley has also led on securing critical funding for museums, arts, and humanities.\n\nIn 2022, she secured $207 million in federal funding for both the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment of the Arts, which has supported communities, schools, and small businesses throughout the Massachusetts 7th Congressional district. She also secured $2,505,000 for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program in the National Parks Service Operations.\n\nRep. Pressley has advocated for support for museums across the country that are dedicated to archiving, researching, and preserving the African American experience, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In FY26, she secured $6 million for the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture\u2014including $500,000 for Boston\u2019s Museum of African American History\u2014which will provide such museums the resources they need to build on their work and continue to make history more accessible to the public.\n\nIn February 2026, Rep. Pressley led 52 of her colleagues in introducing a resolution to honor Black history museums and cultural institutions in their telling of our accurate, shared American history and protect these institutions from erasure, whitewashing, and funding cuts.\n\nIn August 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Trump\u2019s attempt to politicize, editorialize, and whitewash exhibits at Smithsonian museums\u2014particularly museums and exhibits with diverse and factual presentations of American history.\n\nIn May 2025, Rep. Pressley, alongside Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), Co-Chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, led 69 of their colleagues on a letter to the Inspector General of the Smithsonian Institution demanding an investigation on the impact of Donald Trump\u2019s harmful Executive Order attacking Smithsonian museums \u2013 namely, the American Art Museum, the American Women\u2019s History Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture \u2013 attempting to erase histories of marginalized communities. A copy of the letter is available here.\n\nIn May 2025, Rep. Pressley convened a roundtable and press conference at the Museum of African American History in Boston to uplift the vital role of museums in preserving our shared history amid Donald Trump\u2019s attack on cultural institutions and his attempts to erase the documented histories of marginalized communities.\n\nIn April 2025, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech slamming Trump\u2019s attack on Smithsonian museums and affirming that Black history is American history.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3843", "Trahan Joins Over 250 Current & Former Members of Congress Urging Supreme Court to Block Trump\u2019s Executive Order Limiting Mail Voting", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined a bipartisan effort to challenge President Donald Trump\u2019s efforts to limit mail-in voting. The court filing questions the legality of Donald Trump\u2019s Executive Order seeking to exert federal control over mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.\n\n\u201cAs current and former legislators, amici took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States\u2014including its guarantee of the separation of powers. Amici have a particular interest in defending the institutional role of the Legislative Branch under Article I of the Constitution and in vindicating the long-settled principle that the Constitution commits ultimate regulatory authority over federal elections to Congress. The Constitution does not contemplate the Executive Branch acting unilaterally to assert power over federal elections. Yet that is what the Order and Final Rule do,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nTe group, made up of a bipartisan, bicameral coalition of 261 lawmakers, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the matter of United States Postal Service, et al., v. State of California, et al., a lawsuit brought by a coalition of State Attorneys General against the U.S. Postal Service. The court case challenges a Final Rule issued by the USPS pursuant to Trump\u2019s directive that imposes unconstitutional and unworkable restrictions on mail-in voting, including requiring states to provide a \u201ccitizenship verification list\u201d and attempting to give USPS control over who can vote by mail.\n\nThe amici also pointed to a recent federal court ruling blocking the USPS from implementing its newly finalized mail ballot rule for the midterm elections, saying the agency lacked the authority to implement the rule and that its actions are \u201csubstantively unconstitutional and contrary to law.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe district court correctly concluded that Appellees are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims that USPS lacked authority to issue the Final Rule, that the Final Rule unconstitutionally imposes mail-ballot requirements on the States, and that the Final Rule unconstitutionally bars non-compliant State and local election officials from using the USPS to mail ballots at all,\u201d the lawmakers continued.\n\nThe group concluded by asserting states\u2019 power to administer elections and Congress\u2019s power to make or alter rules regulating elections, which the Supreme Court itself has described as an \u201coverride\u201d authority. The president\u2019s illegal incursion on this authority is an attempt to disenfranchise people who depend on mail-in ballots to vote.\n\nThe lawmakers concluded: \u201cThe integrity of our constitutional system depends on each branch keeping to its assigned role. The Framers set up a two-part system that gave the States default authority to regulate federal elections subject to Congress\u2019s authority to override the States. The Framers did not provide the President with any authority to interfere in that system, nor has Congress imbued the Executive Branch with any such authority by statute.\u201d\n\nIn the court filing, the amici curiae argue that Trump\u2019s Executive Order 14399, \u201cEnsuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,\u201d violates the separation of powers and usurps congressional authorities outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which gives the states and Congress exclusive authority over election administration.\n\nOne-third of Americans are expected to vote by mail in the upcoming midterm elections, a voting practice Donald Trump himself used as recently as August 2026, when the president voted in Florida\u2019s Republican primary.\n\nTrahan has been a fierce voice against Donald Trump\u2019s attack on mail-in voting. In 2025, she led calls against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which requires voters to provide a birth certificate, naturalization papers, or passport matching their current name to vote in a federal election. Since arriving to Congress, Trahan has championed legislation to make voting more accessible for all Americans, including co-sponsoring the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and securing House passage of proposals to enhance ballot access for the families of servicemembers and prohibit the agents of foreign governments from exercising influence over the drawing of new congressional districts.\n\nClick HERE to view the full brief.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/08/neal-makes-sixth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-southbridge/", "Neal Makes Sixth Stop\u00a0on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to Southbridge", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Southbridge, MA \u2014 Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan and town officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District.\n\nIn Southbridge, $18.2 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including:\n\n$11.5 million in ARPA funding, consisting of $5 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $6.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Funding\n\n$6.7 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act\n\n\u201cI am delighted to join with Town Manager Jack Jovan, members of the Town Council, and local residents to highlight the Town\u2019s superb work in putting these once-in-a-generation investments to good use. Based on what we saw here today, I am pleased to see another community in the First District that benefited from these landmark laws and put these funds to work for its residents,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cWhether it\u2019s investing in the Town\u2019s infrastructure, supporting food assistance and workforce development programs, or providing a lifeline for small businesses, the Town seized the opportunity to both address immediate needs and make investments for the future. It\u2019s important that we take the time to show the public how these federal dollars were put to use and allow the public to judge for themselves the impact of these investments. That\u2019s what this tour is all about.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the Town of Southbridge was able to pursue more than 60 different initiatives that invested in the Town\u2019s infrastructure, public schools, and local services, and provided critical support to small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Among these initiatives are:\n\n$150,000 for the United Way of South Central Massachusetts Southbridge Resident Community Assistance Program\n\n$100,000 for the YMCA, including $50,000 for the YMCA \u201cWhat\u2019s for Dinner\u201d food assistance program through the Southbridge Community Center, and $50,000 for the YMCA workplace development program for teens\n\n$300,000 for small businesses in the downtown district\n\n$250,000 for infrastructure improvements on West Street\n\n$29,490 for lights at the softball field\n\n$31,120 for playground equipment at Henry Street Playground\n\n$194,219 for a new DPW loader\n\n$27,925 for the Southbridge Senior Center catering services\n\n$270,723 for a new DPW hotbox for road repairs and paving\n\n$39,029 for a new generator at the Southbridge Community Center\n\n$44,972 for design and building phases of a new broadband network at the Jacob Edwards Library\n\n$50,000 for a feasibility study of the Quinebaug Valley Rail Trail. This project also received a $2.6 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan, ultimately supporting completion of the project.\n\n\u201cThe Town of Southbridge was fortunate to receive ARPA funding, and we have worked to use those resources in a thoughtful and responsible manner. These funds allowed us to respond to immediate needs while also investing in infrastructure, public safety, economic development, municipal facilities, and projects that will benefit Southbridge well beyond the life of the ARPA program,\u201d said Southbridge Town Manager Jack Jovan. \u201cThe Rail Trail is a particularly good example of the value of strategic investment. The ARPA-funded feasibility work helped position the Town to pursue significant outside funding and ultimately deliver a major community asset. The Town appreciates the work of the Town Council, department heads, municipal employees, community organizations, and residents who contributed to the successful implementation of these projects. The Town remains committed to responsible stewardship of public funds and to making investments that strengthen Southbridge\u2019s infrastructure, services, economic vitality, and quality of life.\u201d\n\nIn addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received $6.7 million from the IIJA for intersection improvements at Central, Foster, Hook, and Hamilton Streets. This is in addition to a $7.8 million Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant that Southbridge was awarded in FY24 for the reconstruction of Hamilton Street. As a major cut-through in the Town, this street will greatly benefit from added lighting and crosswalks to increase safety, drainage, improved traffic flow, new sidewalks, and paving. The IIJA increased funding for the RAISE Grant Program in FY24, awarding $1.8 billion to projects across the country and enabling communities like Southbridge to finally secure the necessary funding after years of pursuing this investment.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400453", "McGovern Introduces Big Tech Accountability Act to Protect Americans\u2019 Privacy and Hold Tech Giants Accountable", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA) introduced the Big Tech Accountability Act to protect Americans\u2019 online privacy and personal autonomy and hold powerful technology corporations accountable for the harms caused by their platforms.\n\n\u201cBig Tech companies have an enormous amount of power over what we see, what we share, and what happens to our personal information\u2014and for too long, the rules governing that power simply haven\u2019t kept pace,\u201d said Congressman McGovern. \u201cThese platforms should not get a free pass to exploit people\u2019s private data or design systems that knowingly push dangerous content because outrage and division are good for business. This bill is an effort to put some reasonable guardrails in place, give people more control over their own information, and make sure enormously powerful corporations can be held accountable for the choices they make.\u201d\n\nA handful of Big Tech corporations have enormous influence over how Americans communicate, consume information, and participate in public life. At the same time, their business models rely heavily on collecting and monetizing personal data and using algorithms designed to keep users engaged\u2014often by promoting increasingly inflammatory or sensational content.\n\nThe Big Tech Accountability Act provides a framework for addressing both concerns: protecting Americans from the commercial exploitation of their personal information while establishing greater accountability when technology companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence.\n\nThe bill is backed by Free Speech For People, a national nonpartisan nonprofit organization that works to limit the influence of money in politics and protect our democracy.\n\n\u201cBy protecting the biggest social media companies from accountability, current federal law allows them to profit with impunity from amplifying threats of violence and disinformation and exploiting personal information,\u201d said Ben Clements, Chairman and Senior Legal Advisor of Free Speech For People. \u201cWhile this model has made billions for the world\u2019s largest corporations and their owners, it has come at a grave cost to our democracy, to the ability of government to function in the 21st Century, and to the dignity, safety, and privacy of our people. By subjecting the big social media companies to the same accountability that applies to the rest of us, the Big Tech Accountability Act is a long overdue step toward putting people, not corporations and billionaires, first.\u201d\n\nThe Big Tech Accountability Act would establish stronger protections for Americans\u2019 personal information and limit the ability of technology companies to exploit that information for profit. It would also create greater accountability when social media companies actively target and amplify fraudulent disinformation, threats, or criminal violence through their algorithms.\n\nBill text is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3838", "Trahan, Bacon Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Support 988 Call Centers", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, and Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE-02) introduced the bipartisan 988 Call Center Improvement Act. The legislation would authorize $441 million in federal funding for technology and support staff for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, including licensed mental health professionals and training in evidence-based interventions.\n\n\u201cEvery call to 988 is an act of courage made in a moment of crisis,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cMaking sure the people answering those calls have what they need to help is the least we can do. This bill is one piece of the puzzle, not the whole thing. That\u2019s wh\n\nI am working alongside my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support 988 services across the board, so no call goes unanswered and no center is left without what it needs.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen someone calls 988 during a mental health crisis, they should be able to quickly reach trained professionals who can connect them with the care they need,\u201d said Congressman Bacon. \u201cThe 988 Call Center Improvement Act will strengthen local call centers by improving technology, supporting trained staff and expanding follow-up services so more people receive timely, effective help. I\u2019m pleased to join Rep. Trahan on this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our mental health crisis response system.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the 988 Call Center Improvement Act would:\n\nInvest in technology necessary to expand capacity and increase local response rates;\n\nProvide follow-up and follow-through services so that individuals are effectively engaged with local behavioral health crisis options;\n\nSupport staff, including licensed mental health professionals and peer support workers;\n\nTrain staff and volunteers in providing evidence-based interventions, including for high-risk populations.\n\nThe 988 Call Center Improvement Act was included as part of the 988 Implementation Act, acomprehensive legislative package of bipartisan bills led by Trahan, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) to address gaps in care for individuals experiencing mental health crises. The broader bipartisan package would strengthen federal funding for 988 regional and local call centers to deliver timely, 24/7 response to callers while expanding community-based and mobile crisis response and increasing awareness of 988 services.\n\nSince being sworn into Congress in 2019, Trahan has led efforts to expand access to quality mental health care and improve the resources and support of those in need of care. In 2022, President Joe Bidensigned into law Trahan\u2019s Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Reauthorization Act, which reauthorized and strengthening community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts.\n\nEarlier this year,she led a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country. This past May, Trahan introduced the bipartisanCampus Lifeline Act of 2026, legislation aiming to expand awareness and access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for students and young adults.\n\nFull text of the 988 Call Center Improvement Act can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/04/neal-statement-on-august-2026-jobs-report/", "Neal Statement on August 2026 Jobs Report", "2026-09-04", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the August 2026 jobs report:\n\n\u201cRepublicans looked at your out-of-control prices, including the most expensive August at the gas pump and for diesel on record, and decided to give up and go home. They have offered nothing for workers as paychecks still can\u2019t keep up with the President\u2019s inflation, and families are forced to run up their credit cards and drain their savings at record rates to stay afloat. In fact, the White House\u2019s message is to be grateful that things aren\u2019t even worse. The people deserve leaders who don\u2019t ask less of them but more of themselves.\n\n\u201cTrump and House Republicans made this economy too difficult to get by in, never mind get ahead. But for them, crushing you is worth it so long as those at the top can keep cashing in.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/03/video-pressley-mourns-pierre-damas-bel-haitian-tps-holder-and-student-athlete-who-died-of-suicide/", "VIDEO: Pressley Mourns Pierre Damas Bel, Haitian TPS Holder and Student Athlete Who Died of Suicide", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley Mourns Pierre Damas Bel, Haitian TPS Holder and Student Athlete Who Died of Suicide\n\nU.S. House of Representatives\n\nSeptember 3, 2026\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise for the family and loved ones of Pierre Damas Bel, a beloved son and brother, 20-year-old college student and Haitian immigrant with Temporary Protected Status.\n\nHe found joy on the soccer field and dreamed of studying medicine until the Trump administration forced an ankle monitor, really a shackle, on him and threatened his deportation.\n\nTrump\u2019s termination of Haiti TPS robbed this young man of his humanity, stripped him of his dignity, and inflicted mental trauma that became too much for him to bear.\n\nHe simply could not go on.\n\nTrump\u2019s cruel attacks on our Haitian neighbors certainly will take a toll on our economy and our national security, but also a psychological and emotional toll.\n\nMr. Speaker, no parent should lose their child, no sibling, their older brother.\n\nYet Trump is traumatizing communities in every corner of our country.\n\nPierre should be alive today, falling in love, playing soccer, on path to becoming a doctor.\n\nWe honor his memory by doing everything we can to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti.\n\nThe House has already passed our legislation to do just that, and the Senate must follow suit without delay.\n\nPierre\u2019s father\u2019s last words to him were, \u201cPierre, come home.\u201d\n\nBecause of the cruelty, anti-blackness, and anti-immigrant policies of this administration, which I consider to be un-American, sadly, Pierre never will make it home.\n\nRest in eternal peace.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3834", "Trahan Announces Over $2 Million in Federal Funding for Local Community Colleges", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced $2,023,573 in new federal funding for three community colleges across the Third District. The money comes from three U.S. Department of Education programs that help first-generation, low-income, and nontraditional students get to college, stay enrolled, and graduate.\n\n\u201cFor so many students, community college is where a bigger future begins. It's the first person in a family to earn a degree, the parent going back to school, the worker learning a new trade. This funding helps more of them finish what they started,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cI'll always fight for federal investments in our schools and community colleges, because every degree earned here changes a family's story for good.\u201d\n\nThe institutions receiving federal funding include:\n\nMount Wachusett Community College: $1,158,572\n\nNorthern Essex Community College: $453,065\n\nMiddlesex Community College: $411,936\n\nMount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) was awarded a total of $1,158,572 from three different federal programs. Specifically, the school received $468,572 through the Student Support Services Program to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and motivate students toward successful completion of their postsecondary education. It also received $410,000 from the Talent Search Program, which provides grants to increase the number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds who complete high school and enroll in and complete their postsecondary education. MWCC was also awarded $280,000 through the Educational Opportunity Centers Program to increase the number of adult participants who enroll in postsecondary education.\n\n\u201cTRIO Student Support Services has been an important part of Mount Wachusett Community College for nearly five decades, providing students with the guidance, resources, and encouragement they need to reach their goals,\u201d said Mount Wachusett Community College President James Vander Hooven. \u201cThis continued federal investment allows us to build on that legacy, helping more students overcome barriers, complete their education, and create new opportunities for themselves and their families. We are thankful for Congresswoman Trahan's continued partnership and advocacy.\u201d\n\nNorthern Essex Community College (NECC) was awarded $453,065 through the Student Support Services Program, which the school plans to use to support its PACE program, which helps students develop three skills necessary to complete their degrees, succeed in the workforce, or transfer to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor\u2019s degree. Founded in 1980, NECC\u2019s PACE program serves more than 250 students annually.\n\n\u201cNECC\u2019s PACE program has supported thousands of Merrimack Valley students over the past 40 years,\u201d said Northern Essex Community College President Lane Glenn. \u201cWe know funding like this can\u2019t always be guaranteed, and so are grateful for Congresswoman Trahan\u2019s advocacy for our region\u2019s students.\u201d\n\nMiddlesex Community College was awarded $411,936 through the Talent Search Program. This grant continues the institution\u2019s Talent Search Program work with Lowell Public School students at Lowell High School and two middle schools, a partnership dating back to 1989. The new five-year grant will allow the program to serve 824 LPS students annually.\n\n\u201cThank you to the U.S. Department of Education for its generous funding of our TRIO Talent Search Program,\u201d said Middlesex Community College president Phil Sisson. \u201cAt MCC, we meet learners of all ages where they are, including students who take our classes at their high schools. Combined with our strong partnerships with local schools and organizations, this funding strengthens our ability to guide students on their paths from high school to MCC to the student\u2019s transfer institution to successful and stable jobs in the workforce. As Congresswoman Trahan is acutely aware, in our program, students who would not otherwise have the opportunity will gain access to robust and comprehensive resources, support systems, and education that will help them reach their goals and improve their lives.\u201d\n\nSince taking office in 2019, Trahan has been a fierce advocate for community colleges, vocational schools, and workforce development in the region. As the only Massachusetts member of Congress serving on the House Education and Labor Committee during the 116th Congress, she helped craft the College Affordability Act to crack down on predatory for-profit colleges and ensure students can spend less while earning a meaningful degree. In December 2025, the House Education and the Workforce Committee passed Trahan\u2019s bipartisan Student Financial Clarity Act to help students and parents seeking higher education understand the true cost of their degree program.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-04T09:19:37Z", "2026-09-04T09:20:58Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/09/03/npr-tributes-to-gloria-steinem-are-flooding-in-from-hollywood-to-capitol-hill/", "NPR: Tributes to Gloria Steinem are flooding in, from Hollywood to Capitol Hill", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "Journalist and activist Gloria Steinem dedicated her life to fighting for women\u2019s rights, from reproductive freedom to workplace equality.\n\nNow, after her death at age 92, notable figures from politics to pop culture are offering their remembrances \u2014 and personal thanks \u2014 to the feminist icon. They\u2019re also vowing to continue her work.\n\n\u201cShe pushed open doors not just for herself, but for literally millions of women behind her,\u201d former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton \u2014 the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party \u2014 wrote in a lengthy Facebook tribute.\n\nClinton was one of many women in national politics sharing their praise and gratitude for Steinem. Others include former first lady Jill Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority whip Katherine Clark, who said she hung a pair of photos of Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes on her office wall the day she moved in.\n\n\u201cShe wasn\u2019t going to be an astronaut, but my goodness, she made it possible for Sally Ride to be an astronaut,\u201d Clinton wrote. \u201cShe wasn\u2019t going to play college sports, but she stood behind the women in Congress who passed Title IX and opened up opportunities in sports and academics for girls. And she wasn\u2019t on the Supreme Court when Roe v. Wade was decided, but her voice and her activism was behind that advancement for women\u2019s rights.\u201d\n\nSteinem emerged in the 1960s as a leading face of second-wave feminism. That role was firmly cemented the following decade, when she co-founded both the National Women\u2019s Political Caucus and Ms. magazine.\n\nSteinem helped normalize conversations about workplace sexism, bursting onto the scene in 1963 with an expos\u00e9 about her undercover stint as a waitress at Hugh Hefner\u2019s New York Playboy Club, and abortion, after sharing her experience getting one abroad in the 1950s. She is credited with helping increase the number of women in elected office and bringing feminism into the mainstream at a time when the law kept women from obtaining credit cards and bank accounts in their own names.\n\nAfter her death on Wednesday, younger generations of high-profile women took to social media to honor and thank Steinem. Many of their stories were personal.\n\nMeghan, Duchess of Sussex, wrote about working with Steinem to mobilize young voters, making public appearances at interviews and award ceremonies.\n\n\u201cBut privately, she was even better than you would imagine- spending Thanksgiving with our family, introducing me to one of my best friends (forever the champion of female friendship), loving our children with her whole heart, counseling me during hard times, and giving extraordinary advice and perspective with a cup of tea and an unrivaled cheekiness and wit,\u201d she wrote, alongside photos including one of Steinem with her young son.\n\nActress Julianne Moore wrote on Instagram that the time she spent studying Steinem \u2014 to play her in the 2020 film The Glorias \u2014 was \u201cone of the most edifying of my life.\u201d\n\n\u201cEverything I watched, everything I read, everything I observed about her gave me a template for how I wanted to behave,\u201d Moore wrote. \u201cHer honesty, her tolerance, her patience, and her insistence on humanism and inclusion as she moved through the world offers us all a moral roadmap.\u201d\n\nIt wasn\u2019t just women sharing acknowledgments and anecdotes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT., paid tribute, as did former and current New York City mayors Mike Bloomberg and Zohran Mamdani (Steinem called the city home for more than six decades).\n\nRep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., wrote that he first met Steinem while working with Sen. George McGovern (no relation) in the 1970s.\n\n\u201cLater, when I first thought about running for office, she met with me, listened to what I had to say, and told me to run even if the establishment wrote me off,\u201d he added. \u201cShe was a bright light to the very end and never stopped fighting for what she believed in.\u201d\n\nScores of cultural figures \u2014 from Oprah Winfrey to Paris Hilton to Stacey Abrams to Billie Jean King \u2014 shared heartfelt messages and posts about what Steinem meant to them, and the importance of continuing her work. Several peeled back the curtain on their longtime friendships.\n\nIn a lengthy Instagram post, actress and writer Lena Dunham said she first met Steinem as a \u201clost twenty something,\u201d and gratefully received her advice over the years on \u201ceverything from men (can be fun, aren\u2019t required) to activism (it\u2019s a marathon, not a race.).\u201d She said she was one of many such lucky beneficiaries.\n\n\u201cYou weren\u2019t just generous with your life force, your vision or your intellect: you were generous with your time, your laughter and even your jewelry (like the time I admired your silver vulva ring and you plucked it off your hand and placed it on mine.),\u201d Dunham wrote.\n\nBritish actress and activist Jameela Jamil, who called Steinem \u201ca guiding light for me,\u201d wrote about an evening several months ago where the two sat in Steinem\u2019s apartment talking about the world and \u201cour adventures together over the years.\u201d\n\nJamil said Steinem was worried about the state of the world, women and reproductive rights. Steinem saw the Supreme Court affirm the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade in 1973 and decades later, overturn it, in 2022. She said Steinem told her about her plans, \u201c92 and still fighting.\u201d\n\n\u201cI feel such pain that she left in a moment where it appears the rights she fought for us to have are being rolled back,\u201d Jamil wrote. \u201cShe expressed disbelief to me as to how fast the pendulum is swinging back. And it lit a fire in me, to make sure her work and the work of the incredible women before her and around her, was not in vain.\u201d\n\nSteinem told NPR after the reversal of Roe that she didn\u2019t feel her life\u2019s work was being stripped down \u2014 and never doubted that the fight would continue.\n\n\u201cI think it\u2019s important to connect the ancient to the new, because otherwise we don\u2019t understand the strong thread of patriarchy and racism that has been with us and continues to be with us,\u201d she said.\n\nSteinem\u2019s second memoir, An Unexpected Life, is set for release later this month.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3836", "Trahan Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve 988 Services", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, introduced the bipartisan 988 Implementation Act, a comprehensive bipartisan legislative package that will provide states with federal funding and resources to build a crisis response infrastructure behind the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The legislative package is also co-led by Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01).\n\n\u201cCalling 988 takes courage, and answering takes patience and care. Our job is to support both,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cWe all know someone who has struggled with mental health or substance use and wished there was more help within reach. This bill delivers it, with a faster response, a real place to turn, and trained professionals ready to pick up the phone.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen someone reaches out for help in a moment of crisis, we have a responsibility to make sure help is there,\u201d said Congresswoman Matsui. \u201c988 has become a lifesaving resource for millions of Americans, but answering the call cannot be where our responsibility ends. We built a national front door to crisis care with 988. Now we need to strengthen what comes next by expanding mobile crisis response, increasing access to immediate community-based care, and connecting people to the treatment and support they need.\u201d\n\n\u201cEveryday, millions of Americans face mental challenges and are unsure where to go for help,\u201d said Congressman Fitzpatrick. \u201cThe 988 hotline streamlines resources for those in need, as part of a network of over 200 local crisis centers, yet only thirteen-percent of adults are aware of this critical resource. I am proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues in introducing the 988 Implementation Act to build upon the critical progress we have made, and further ensure that our communities are properly equipped with crisis-response services.\u201d\n\nAs America\u2019s mental health crisis worsens, 988 has spent the past four years demonstrating the lifesaving power of connecting people in crisis with the right help at the right time. A study published this year by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) found that suicide deaths among children and young adults fell 11% below projected levels following the launch of 988, the largest declines were seen in states where 988 use increased most.\n\nThe 988 Implementation Act will help address those gaps in access to care by:\n\nStrengthening federal funding for 988 regional and local call centers to deliver timely, 24/7 response to callers;\n\nExpanding community-based and mobile crisis response so trained behavioral health professionals can reach someone who needs in-person support;\n\nImproving access and affordability by requiring health insurance plans to cover crisis services;\n\nGrowing crisis workforce development with more funding for training and scholarship opportunities;\n\nIncreasing awareness of 988 through a national suicide prevention and crisis services campaign.\n\nTrahan, Matsui and Fitzpatrick are joined by original cosponsors Representatives Nanette Barrag\u00e1n (D-CA-44), Troy Carter (D-LA-02), Seth Moulton (D-MA-06), Dan Goldman (D-NY-10), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), and Becca Balint (D-VT-AL).\n\nSince being sworn into Congress in 2019, Trahan has led efforts to expand access to quality mental health care and improve the resources and support of those in need of care. In 2022, President Joe Biden signed Trahan\u2019s Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Memorial Reauthorization Act which ensured the continuation and strengthening of community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts.\n\nEarlier this year, she spearheaded a bipartisan group of 100 House members demanding the Trump administration reverse its decision to terminate thousands of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants that fund local mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery programs across the country. This past May, Trahan led the bipartisan introduction of the Campus Lifeline Act of 2026, legislation aiming to expand awareness and access to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for students and young adults.\n\nFull text of the 988 Implementation Act can be found HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-05T08:49:07Z", "2026-09-05T08:50:44Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/03/neal-statement-on-trump-administrations-racist-weaponization-of-the-irs/", "Neal Statement on Trump Administration\u2019s Racist Weaponization of the IRS", "2026-09-03", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Trump Administration issued proposed regulations that strip the tax-exempt status of schools who don\u2019t conform to their extreme agenda:\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s desperate strong-arming of anyone who refuses to conform to his racist agenda reeks of weakness in the worst way, with those with the least paying the price. He is once again weaponizing the government to punch down and attack minority students, their families, and the schools expanding opportunities to build more financially stable futures.\n\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t about \u2018fairness,\u2019 it\u2019s about the President targeting anyone who stands in the way of his campaign to roll back the clock on civil rights progress that generations of Americans have fought and bled for. To punish private institutions for seeking to diversify their campuses is an affront to true, meaningful equal opportunity. For Republicans, there\u2019s never a problem giving those at the top every advantage money can buy. But when it comes to communities that have been denied opportunities for generations, they are being told to work harder and accept less. Democrats will not stand for this unlawful, gross abuse of power and will fight until these racist attacks are put to a stop once and for all.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/02/pressley-in-hearing-trump-accounts-fail-at-closing-wealth-gap-and-addressing-affordability-crisis/", "Pressley in Hearing: Trump Accounts Fail at Closing Wealth Gap and Addressing Affordability Crisis", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Rep. Pressley Questions Experts on Baby Bonds and Trump Accounts\n\nHouse Financial Services Committee\n\nSeptember 2, 2026\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Mr. Chair. I represent the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, beautiful, diverse district, also deeply unequal.\n\nIn fact, in a three-mile radius from Cambridge, home to Harvard and MIT, to Roxbury\u2019s Nubian Square, the Blackest part of my district, life expectancy drops by 23 years, and median household income by $50,000.\n\nA new report by the Boston Federal Reserve finds that Black families have $7,800 in net wealth, and on average, compared to white families who have an average $549,000 in median net wealth. Over a third of the people in my state cannot cover a $400 emergency, and over a third of the people in Boston, my district, have zero retirement savings.\n\nMy constituents sent me to Congress, and I ran to confront these disparities head-on and to close the racial wealth gap. That\u2019s why I was happy to partner with our witness today, Dr. Hamilton, and Senator Booker, to introduce the American Opportunity Accounts Act to create a federal baby bonds program.\n\nNow, Trump took this idea, entitled it after himself\u2014he likes to name everything after himself\u2014Trump accounts, and unfortunately watered it down so that the benefits are no longer targeted to the communities who need it most.\n\nWhat was once a bold proposal to ensure that every child, regardless of geography, race, and family income, could prosper is ostensibly now just a tax haven for Trump and his cronies, but we can fix this.\n\nDr. Hamilton, currently, parents of newborns and young kids have to apply to set up a Trump Account, but our bill for Baby Bonds would allow for automatic enrollment. Which approach is better for actually helping working families and investing in all of our children?\n\nDR. DARRICK HAMILTON: Without a doubt, having access more universal should be the point.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Okay, Dr. Hamilton, what about the fact that Trump Accounts gives a one-time payment of $1,000 to rich and poor children equally, rather than our ongoing approach of investments to our most vulnerable babies, does that make economic sense for addressing intergenerational poverty?\n\nDR. HAMILTON: It does not. It becomes inflationary, and then here\u2019s the bigger point: the main mechanism to grow the Trump Accounts is a tax-preferred savings mechanism for those people with resources to save in the first place. It ignores the fact that we have an affordability crisis, and the reasons that parents don\u2019t offer resources to their children isn\u2019t a lack of love\u2014it\u2019s a lack of resource.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Would it be fair to say that the very gaps that we aim to close could be deepened?\n\nDR. HAMILTON: They will grow. They will grow. That\u2019s right. And unfortunately, it\u2019s part of a pattern in the ways in which we use our tax code in general. We subsidize the savings of people that have savings to begin with. One quick statistic is that 80% of Americans don\u2019t engage in active savings, again, not because they\u2019re financially illiterate. They don\u2019t have resources to save. The ways in which they grow their wealth is passively, which is why you have that great bill to promote an authentic Baby Bonds program.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. Trump Accounts also punish low-income households by actually kicking them off of public benefits, but our Baby Bonds bill would ensure these assets don\u2019t count against eligibility. I\u2019m losing my time here, but why should the Trump Administration adopt our approach?\n\nDR. HAMILTON: Well, it is correct because it is progressively seeding resources so that we can offer everybody the access to wealth to grow their account. The real quick good news is that we have a new interest in now seeding intergenerational mobility for all our people, so we can get it right.\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Thank you, Doctor. Every child deserves an opportunity to grow and thrive and prosper, but our economy is stacked in favor of the ultra-rich.\n\nTrump Accounts, as currently implemented, actually makes the problem worse, and that\u2019s what we would expect from an Administration that is getting richer while working families by the hour are getting poorer.\n\nSo I am pushing for the adoption of our Baby Bonds bill, the American Opportunity Accounts Act. We need real investments to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, close the racial wealth gap, and create an economy that works for everyone.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/02/watch-pressley-honors-celtics-great-jaylen-brown-on-house-floor/", "WATCH: Pressley Honors Celtics Great Jaylen Brown on House Floor", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley Honors Celtics Legend Jaylen Brown on House Floor\n\nU.S. House of Representatives\n\nSeptember 2, 2026\n\nMr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the contributions of NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the City of Boston, on and off the court.\n\nBorn in Marietta, Georgia and drafted number 3 overall by the Celtics from the University of California Berkeley, Jaylen embraced our community and the City of Boston from the day he arrived in 2016.\n\nFiercely competitive on the basketball court, never missing the playoffs in his ten seasons with the Celtics, he has been equally driven to uplift those around him through mentorship and his non-profit, Boston Xchange, which seeks to build wealth in communities of color, as well as his 7uice Foundation, connecting young people in and around Boston with opportunities.\n\nIn 2022, just before the Celtics turned their season around and made it all the way to the NBA finals, Jaylen stated simply, \u201cThe energy is about to shift.\u201d\n\nWell, Mr. Speaker, thanks to the example, impact, and influence of this brilliant and proud Black man, the energy has shifted in Boston.\n\nJaylen delivered Banner 18\u2014the most in NBA history. His legacy as an advocate, truth-teller, community builder, justice-seeker, and champion will endure.\n\nJob well done, Jaylen. We thank you. Your faith, consistency, and hard work has certainly paid off.\n\nI yield.", 1, "2026-09-03T09:29:33Z", "2026-09-03T09:31:32Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/09/02/neal-statement-at-full-committee-hearing-on-critical-resources-and-supply-chains/", "Neal Statement at Full Committee Hearing on Critical Resources and Supply Chains", "2026-09-02", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "(As submitted for the record)\n\nPresident Trump has spent his term running the economy into the ground. Despite bold promises to deliver for the people on lower prices and abundant jobs and opportunity, he has brought the opposite. He abandoned his promises to chase a relentless campaign of war, chaos, and self-enrichment. All the American people have been left with are out-of-control prices and jobs that are either too hard to find or can\u2019t keep up with the growing costs of the President\u2019s failures.\n\nWe\u2019re six months into the President\u2019s war of choice in Iran. While he struggles to find a way out of what he once promised was only going to be a four-to-five-week excursion, families are watching him botch every negotiation along the way as their costs soar. Gas is up 38 percent in just 6 months! Back home, he\u2019s throwing American cattle ranchers under the bus with the tariff chaos he created, which has beef prices on track to rise nearly 10% this year. And while he plays nice with China, the greatest trade cheat in the world, he\u2019s reignited feuds with our closest allies, stooping so low that he\u2019s more focused on renaming lakes than answering for the 75,000 manufacturing jobs he\u2019s lost since retaking office.\n\nThe President\u2019s trade agenda is a humiliating failure, and American workers, businesses, and families are paying the price.\n\nYet astonishingly, some in Congress are willing to look at that reality and decide now is the time embolden Trump with new tariff powers. He\u2019s proven that he will abuse whatever trade authority he has. He\u2019s only concerned with pursuing vengeance against our trading partners and improving his bottom line.\n\nThe topic of today\u2019s hearing is critical minerals. What you won\u2019t hear from Republicans is any question about the President\u2019s efforts to leverage these markets to benefit his own pocket. Or about how his family or that of the Commerce secretary stood to benefit from billion-dollar mining deals struck by Trump himself.\n\nEverywhere you look, the stench of Trump\u2019s corruption is there, making his life easier and yours harder. Even more troubling is how my Republican colleagues have allowed themselves to become powerless, looking on as this Committee\u2019s constitutional authority is repeatedly ignored and abused.\n\nTrade policy fueled by grievance and retaliation is no way to govern. It is beyond time that we dust off this nonsense and craft a trade agenda that serves the people.\n\nI yield back.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/09/01/pressley-slams-gop-attacks-on-birthright-citizenship-harm-of-great-replacement-theory/", "Pressley Slams GOP Attacks on Birthright Citizenship, Harm of \u2018Great Replacement Theory\u2019", "2026-09-01", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley Slams GOP Attacks on Birthright Citizenship, Harm of \u2018Great Replacement Theory\u2019\n\nHouse Oversight Committee Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses\n\nSeptember 1, 2026\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Today\u2019s hearing is yet another assault on our democracy and our constitution.\n\nNow, Trump tried to dismantle the 14th Amendment through executive order, but even the conservatives on the Supreme Court said that it was wrong, that he was wrong.\n\nAnd now Republicans in Congress are trying to do exactly that. They aren\u2019t just attacking birthright citizenship. They\u2019re attacking Black Americans, my ancestors, who built this country but were denied the fruits of their labor, and Black folks would still be denied citizenship, but for the 14th Amendment.\n\nThey are attacking women. As Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, it\u2019s abundantly clear to me the Republicans want to continue surveying women\u2019s bodies and end the freedom of movement for pregnant people.\n\nThey are attacking immigrants. Changing birthright citizenship is the next step from their Project 2025 playbook after the mass deportations of people who have been legally working, living, contributing to the United States for decades.\n\nThe chair of this task force, Congressman Gill, recently introduced a bill that would label undocumented immigrants and others as quote, unquote \u201cinvaders.\u201d\n\nThat word is not merely inflammatory. That\u2019s more than a dog whistle. Hell, that\u2019s a bullhorn. It\u2019s more than just a wink and a nod to what the bill\u2019s true motivation is.\n\nDr. Camarota\u2014yes or no\u2014are you familiar with the Great Replacement theory?\n\nDR. CAMAROTA: I certainly read an article. I read an article or two about it, so I don\u2019t know exactly\u2014\n\nREP. PRESSLEY: Well, let me elucidate, let me elucidate you and the public watching at home, because it\u2019s foundational to what\u2019s happening here.\n\nThe Great Replacement theory is a conspiracy that falsely claims that white people are being deliberately replaced by immigrants and people of color.\n\nIt is a far-right white supremacist ideology that far too many Republicans believe is real.\n\nIn fact, in 2017 in Charlottesville at the Unite the Right rally, when people were brandishing those tiki torches, that\u2019s what they were saying: \u201cYou will not replace us.\u201d\n\nSo it often relies on invasion rhetoric to advance that narrative by portraying Black and brown families as an invading force rather than as human beings and people that are entitled to dignity.\n\nA parent crossing a border becomes the enemy. A pregnant woman becomes a threat. A child born in the United States becomes proof of a takeover.\n\nThe consequences of this rhetoric have been deadly.\n\nIn 2018, a gunman who embraced anti-Semitic replacement rhetoric murdered 11 worshippers at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.\n\nIn 2019, the El Paso shooter killed 23 people and described his attack as a response to a supposed \u201cHispanic invasion of Texas\u201d.\n\nIn 2022, in Buffalo, New York, a shooter motivated by replacement ideology killed ten Black Americans while they shopped for groceries.\n\nRepublicans have the choice. You could focus on healing and uniting our communities, but you are hell-bent on division and hate.\n\nAs my colleague made clear, we all understand that birth tourism is illegal. It is wrong and it is rare.\n\nThat is not really what today\u2019s hearing is about.\n\nWhat this is about is a strategy to codify the Great Replacement theory in law, to further codify white supremacy, and to weaponize the entire federal government in pursuance of it.\n\nAnd that is the fact of the matter. And I refuse to let that happen.", 1, "2026-09-02T09:19:58Z", "2026-09-02T09:20:51Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/newsletter-moulton-minutes-august-edition", "Newsletter: Moulton Minutes: August Edition", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Dear Friend,\n\nAs August wraps up, I wanted to share a few things my team and I have been working on both in Washington and back home in Massachusetts.\n\nA lot of this work comes back to one thing: making Massachusetts more affordable. That means lowering costs, shortening time spent on commutes, and making it easier for people to build a life here.\n\nHolding ICE accountable\n\nBack home, I made my third unannounced oversight visit to the ICE facility in Burlington. Unfortunately, the basic problems still remain.\n\nI was kept waiting for more than 30 minutes before being allowed inside, while my team watched several vans leave the property. What I saw once I was allowed inside the facility reinforced what I\u2019ve said since my first visit in 2019: this is no place for human habitation.\n\nEnforcing our immigration laws should never come at the cost of due process and basic human dignity. People in government custody need access to their families and lawyers, and I\u2019ll keep pressing ICE until they finally improve the poor conditions at Burlington.\n\nStanding up for veterans\n\nCongresswoman Houlahan and I sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins demanding that the VA restore dedicated LGBTQIA+ veteran care infrastructure. An estimated one million LGBTQIA+ Americans have served or are serving in our military, many during periods when they faced discrimination simply for who they are. Stripping away these dedicated roles and support networks creates confusion, fosters fear of discrimination, and risks driving vulnerable veterans away from critical medical and mental health services.\n\nThey kept their promise to our country. We need to keep ours to them. And that\u2019s why we are taking action.\n\nThat same commitment to our veterans brought me back to Home Base in Charlestown, where I toured their National Center of Excellence and saw firsthand the innovative mental health care they provide to veterans, service members, and military families. Home Base is doing extraordinary work filling gaps in care, from treating PTSD to supporting military families, often when the traditional system falls short. I\u2019m proud to work alongside them as we push for better mental health care and make sure every veteran can get the support they\u2019ve earned.\n\nMaking our streets safer\n\nI reintroduced my Building Safer Streets Act to update the outdated federal standards that help determine how our roads are designed. For too long, we\u2019ve built streets around moving cars quickly instead of getting everyone home safely.\n\nThis legislation was inspired by Sidney Mae Olson, a five-year-old from Andover who was killed by a tractor-trailer in 2023 while crossing with the walk signal. Sidney\u2019s parents have turned an unimaginable loss into a campaign to make our streets safer for other families, and I\u2019m proud to work alongside them in this effort..\n\nMore than 100 Americans die in traffic crashes every day. We can and should design our streets to be safer and smarter, and this legislation will help accomplish that.\n\nNo one should be able to profit from classified information\n\nThis month I also introduced bipartisan legislation, No Insider Trading on National Security Act of 2026with Representatives George Whitesides and Don Bacon to investigate potential insider trading tied to national security information.\n\nPrediction markets have created a troubling new opportunity for people with sensitive information inside our government to make money betting on military operations. Our bill directs the Defense Department Inspector General to investigate trading surrounding Operation Epic Fury and recommend safeguards to prevent abuse in the future.\n\nIt\u2019s time to build the North South Rail Link\n\nFinally, we got some exciting news about a project I\u2019ve been fighting for for years.\n\nA new Harvard Kennedy School analysis found that a fully-built North South Rail Link could generate an estimated $38 billion in benefits for Massachusetts. The idea is pretty simple: connect North Station and South Station so our commuter rail system finally functions as one network.\n\nThe study found the project would lead to faster commutes, dramatically shorter waits for trains, access to tens of thousands more jobs, and new housing opportunities.\n\nFor decades, people have treated the North South Rail Link as a nice idea for some distant future. We now have strong evidence that it\u2019s an economic investment Massachusetts needs today.\n\nCelebrating Seniors\n\nMy team was honored to join the Beverly Council on Aging and the City of Beverly for this year\u2019s Senior Day in the Park. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with seniors and celebrate this year\u2019s Senior of the Year, Ms. Gail Dionne.\n\nMy team celebrated this year\u2019s Salem Senior Day with the City of Salem\u2019s Council on Aging! We were proud to recognize Martha Bagby, Luisa Espinal, and Elwena Tungol for their important contributions in our community. Salem is stronger for their kindness and generosity, and we were grateful for the opportunity to honor them.\n\nThere\u2019s more work ahead here though. Massachusetts is still too expensive, and too many families are feeling squeezed financially. I\u2019ll keep fighting for practical solutions that lower costs and make life a little easier for everyone.\n\nThank you, as always, for the privilege of representing you.", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/31/haiti-caucus-co-chairs-pressley-and-clarke-condemn-deportation-and-dehumanization-of-haitian-nationals/", "Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Pressley and Clarke Condemn Deportation and Dehumanization of Haitian Nationals", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Over 350,000 Haitian Nationals at Risk of Job Loss and Deportation\n\n\u201cThere is no excuse for treating our neighbors with such contempt\u2026We call upon the Senate to immediately take the long overdue step of passing our legislation to restore TPS for Haiti. The lives of Haitians and Americans alike are at stake.\u201d\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Co-Chairs of the House Haiti Caucus, issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cToday, thousands of Haitians are in chains because Donald Trump decided their lives are a crime. They broke no laws, yet that did not stop the Trump Administration from forcing them into the grips of Haiti\u2019s violent gangs and instability. The Trump Administration has declared Haiti unsafe to travel to, and in recent days alone, gang massacres have left dozens dead, more have been kidnapped, and some of the Haitians this administration deported have already been killed.\n\n\u201cThe American people are sickened by the suffering and blatant targeting this administration has inflicted upon thousands of Haitian nationals, who contribute to our communities and whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was unjustly taken away. Instead of listening to the American people, the Trump Administration has doubled down on its cruelty. There is no excuse for treating our neighbors with such contempt.\n\n\u201cThe deportations of Haitian TPS holders may have only started weeks ago, but the vicious dehumanization of their communities began long before. Cruelty to Haitians is a policy choice. Congress has the power to stop it. We call upon the Senate to immediately take the long overdue step of passing our legislation to restore TPS for Haiti. The lives of Haitians and Americans alike are at stake.\u201d\n\nCongresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. Residents of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts can contact Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s office for assistance. Please visit Pressley.House.Gov/TemporaryProtectedStatus for resources and more information.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump\u2019s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE\u2019s attacks against immigrant communities.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation.\n\nIn August 2026, Rep. Pressley issued a statement denouncing the termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria and standing in vigorous support of TPS holders and their families.\n\nIn July 2026, Rep. Pressley alongside Congresswoman Laura Gillen, urged Senators to support legislation to extend Haiti TPS and protect the lives and livelihoods of Haitians and Americans alike.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley commended Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 16 other Senate colleagues, for introducing legislation to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the Senate.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley denounced the Supreme Court\u2019s devastating ruling to allow Trump\u2019s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference outside of the Supreme Court with Senator Markey, other lawmakers, advocates, and impacted community members to highlight the catastrophic impact the termination of TPS would have on our communities, businesses, schools, care economy, and more.\n\nIn May 2026, Rep. Pressley, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey released a new investigative report revealing how President Trump\u2019s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti would devastate the health care, elder care, and disability care workforce, harm patients, and hurt communities.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration\u2019s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley\u2019s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts\u2019 rulings that deemed Trump\u2019s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.\n\nIn February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge\u2019s ruling to temporarily block Trump\u2019s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.\n\nIn January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.\n\nIn January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.\n\nOn June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration\u2019s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.\n\nOn June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump\u2019s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.\n\nOn March 18, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.\n\nOn February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration\u2019s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.\n\nOn April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.\n\nOn April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.\n\nOn March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.\n\nOn March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.\n\nOn March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.\n\nOn December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.\n\nOn December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration\u2019s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.\n\nOn May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island.\n\nOn May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.\n\nIn February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency\u2019s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.\n\nOn March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.\n\nOn February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies \u2013 such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration \u2013 that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.\n\nOn February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency\u2019s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.\n\nIn April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden\u2019s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration\u2019s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Vel\u00e1zquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers\u2019 letter followed the Administration\u2019s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.\n\nOn July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo\u00efse.\n\nOn November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.\n\nOn October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback.\n\nOn September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.\n\nOn August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.\n\nOn July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.\n\nIn July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Mo\u00efse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.\n\nIn May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3833", "Trahan, Fitzpatrick, Pettersen Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Recognize Overdose Awareness Day", "2026-08-31", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force Co-Chairs Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen (D-CO-07) introduced bipartisan legislation legislation to commemorate Overdose Awareness Day, a solemn day to honor those who have lost their lives to overdoses, destigmatize addiction and seeking treatment, and combat the addiction crisis.\n\n\u201cFar too many families in the Commonwealth and across our country know the devastating pain of losing a loved one to an overdose. This bipartisan legislation aims to ensure every person affected by addiction knows that they are not alone,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan, a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee\u2019s Health Subcommittee. \u201cAddiction doesn\u2019t check party affiliation or nationality. It strikes in silence and no family should be forced to fight it alone. By formally recognizing Overdose Awareness Day, we remember the lives lost to addiction and honor the families and communities impacted by this crisis. We must continue working to reduce stigma and expand access to lifesaving treatment and care.\u201d\n\n\u201cMuch of what guides my work in Congress on addiction and recovery has been shaped by sitting across the table from families whose lives have been forever altered by this crisis, and by working alongside the first responders, treatment providers, advocates, and community leaders who devote themselves every day to saving lives and helping people rebuild theirs,\u201d said Congressman Fitzpatrick. \u201cThere is no single policy that will solve this crisis, and no place for partisanship when lives are at stake. But together, we can continue to make meaningful progress by strengthening prevention, expanding education and awareness, improving access to treatment and sustained recovery, and confronting the deadly threat of illicit fentanyl. With this resolution, we remember those we have lost, stand with the families who carry their absence, and renew our resolve to prevent the next loss.\u201d\n\n\u201cFar too many American families, including my own, have felt the devastating impacts of the opioid epidemic. In the fight to save my mom\u2019s life, I saw firsthand how broken our health care system was. But my mom was one of the lucky ones because after 30 years of struggling, she finally had access to the critical care she needed. Unfortunately, far too many people never get that same chance,\u201d said Congresswoman Pettersen. \u201cDeaths from overdoses are preventable. The greatest barrier people face to treatment is the stigma that surrounds this medical disease. That\u2019s why passing this resolution is an important step toward confronting the misunderstanding surrounding this crisis. Addiction isn\u2019t a moral failing; it is a medical condition. I\u2019m proud of the work I did in the legislature to expand access to lifesaving care, but Congress must take urgent action to prevent more families from unnecessarily losing a parent, a sibling, or a child to this disease.\u201d\n\nIn addition to formally recognizing Overdose Awareness Day in the United States, the bipartisan legislation introduced today commits Congress to advancing and passing bipartisan policies that reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and overdoses and underscores Congress\u2019 commitment to working with states and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, healthcare providers, patients, and families to support a comprehensive system that promotes prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery from opioid use disorder.\n\nIn 2025, nearly 70,000 Americans lost their lives to a drug overdose, a decrease of almost 14% from the 81,313 deaths estimated in 2024. It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades and a return to pre-COVID-19 levels. However, fentanyl and other illicit synthetic opioids continue to fuel the overdose epidemic.\n\nIn April, Trahan partnered with Representatives Fitzpatrick and Pettersen to introduce bipartisan legislation recognizing National Fentanyl Awareness Day in order to increase awareness about the growing threat of counterfeit fentanyl pills and their devastating impact on families and young people across the United States.\n\nSince coming to Congress in 2019, Trahan has led multiple efforts to combat the addiction crisis in Massachusetts and across the country. Trahan has used her position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee\u2019s Health Subcommittee to introduce and successfully pass addiction legislation, including her bipartisan Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. In 2022, Trahan secured $1.65 million in federal funding to support the creation of the Middlesex County Restoration Center, an effort led by Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian to create greater opportunities to divert individuals battling addiction and behavioral health conditions away from jails and emergency rooms and to immediate treatment.\n\nIn 2024, Trahan also introduced bipartisan legislation to commemorate Overdose Awareness Day to honor those who have lost their lives to overdoses, destigmatize addiction and seek treatment, and combat the addiction crisis.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/28/save-the-alewife-brook-a-federal-partnership-for-a-cleaner-safer-alewife/", "Save the Alewife Brook: A Federal Partnership for a Cleaner, Safer Alewife.", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "Today was a milestone for Alewife Brook. Congresswoman Katherine Clark met at the Brook with Save the Alewife Brook and our state and local delegation to see the sewage, sediment, and flooding crisis for herself. We talked with her about engaging the Army Corps of Engineers for a project to dredge, dechannelize, and restore Alewife Brook.\n\n\u201cProtecting our environment means protecting our neighbors. I\u2019m grateful for the incredible advocates at Save the Alewife Brook for their continued work to eliminate sewage pollution, safeguard our local ecosystem, and build the cleaner future our kids deserve. I\u2019m looking forward to partnering with them and with leaders at every level of government to keep moving the ball forward.\u201d Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA\u20115)\n\nJoining the Congresswoman at the Brook were State Senator Pat Jehlen and State Representatives Christine Barber, Dave Rogers, Sean Garballey, and Steve Owens. From the Town of Arlington, we were joined by Town Manager Jim Feeney and Select Board members Diane Mahon and Steve DeCourcey. Save the Alewife Brook was represented by steering committee members Kristin Anderson, Gene Benson, Ann McDonald, George Laite, and Mike Lonetto.\n\nWhy this visit matters\n\nA portion of the Alewife Brook is confined to a 27-foot-wide concrete channel that receives untreated sewage from six active Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) outfalls. In 2021, MWRA, Cambridge, and Somerville dumped 51 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Brook.\n\nThe Brook has accumulated 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet of contaminated sediment and, according to the 2024 Inter-Fluve Sediment Study, will lose its remaining capacity as sediment continues to fill in.\n\nThe public health toll is already severe. During CSO discharges, E. coli levels in Alewife Brook reach roughly 950 times the EPA safe standard. A Boston University School of Public Health study found that even living near CSOs can increase the risk of illness serious enough to require an ER visit.\n\nRoughly 5,000 residents of Arlington, Cambridge, and Belmont, many in Environmental Justice neighborhoods, live in the Alewife Brook 100\u2011year floodplain.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3831", "ICYMI: Public Knowledge Calls the FRONTIER Act \u201cthe best proposal (so far)\u201d for Reining In Frontier AI", "2026-08-28", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "In a new analysis, the consumer advocacy group Public Knowledge backed Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03) and Congressman Jay Obernolte\u2019s (R-CA-23) Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act, calling it the strongest proposal yet to manage the risks of the most powerful AI systems.\n\n\u201cThe frontier needs real rules, not voluntary guardrails. That requires binding legal regimes for evaluating and managing the risks from frontier models: as they are being developed, before they are deployed, and after they are in widespread use,\u201d wrote Nicholas Garcia, Senior Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge. \u201cThe best proposal (so far) to move past frameworks, lists of principles, or nibbling at the edges of this challenge is the \u2018Frontier Risk Oversight, National Transparency, Independent Evaluation, and Reporting (FRONTIER) Act\u2019 from Representatives Jay Obernolte and Lori Trahan.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor years, Public Knowledge has been one of the most serious and principled voices fighting to protect the public from the risks posed by cutting edge technologies. When they engaged in the discussion draft process, we took their criticisms seriously and worked with them to address their concerns,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cThat kind of rigorous, good-faith feedback is a big reason the FRONTIER Act is the strongest frontier AI safety legislation ever introduced. Public Knowledge\u2019s support is critical as we work to broaden the coalition backing this bipartisan bill and push for its consideration. We\u2019re in a race against the clock right now, and Congress needs to act before the next major incident.\u201d\n\nThe FRONTIER Act would establish a tiered, risk-based national framework for overseeing the most advanced AI models. It requires the largest developers to publish their safety frameworks, submit to independent third-party audits and verification, and report critical safety incidents to a new Under Secretary of Commerce for AI Security. The bill is an updated version of the Commerce-focused portions of Trahan and Obernolte's Great American AI Act (GAAIA) discussion draft. The sponsors reworked it over seven weeks of stakeholder feedback, narrowing its preemption of state law and sharpening its auditing and reporting provisions.\n\nPublic Knowledge's endorsement marks a notable evolution. When the sponsors released the GAAIA discussion draft in June, Public Knowledge opposed it, warning that its preemption clause reached too far and would lock states out of even light-touch AI transparency and evaluation rules. At the same time, the group made clear it was ready to work with the sponsors to get the policy right.\n\nTrahan and Obernolte took that feedback and rewrote the bill. When they introduced the FRONTIER Act in July, the preemption had been narrowed to cover only the catastrophic-risk issues the federal framework itself addresses, leaving state authority over child safety, privacy, consumer protection, and procurement intact. That change answered Public Knowledge's central concern, and the group now backs the bill.\n\nPublic Knowledge joins a broad, bipartisan coalition of AI policy experts and organizations that have praised the FRONTIER Act as the strongest federal AI safety proposal introduced to date.\n\nRead the full analysis HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-visits-home-base-national-center-excellence-highlight-veterans-mental", "Moulton Visits Home Base National Center of Excellence to Highlight Veterans\u2019 Mental Healthcare Innovation", "2026-08-27", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "CHARLESTOWN, MA\u2014Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) visited the Home Base National Center of Excellence to tour its state-of-the-art facilities, meet with leadership, and discuss how federal policy directly impacts mental healthcare for veterans, active-duty service members, and their families.\n\nGuided by retired Brig. Gen. Jack Hammond, Executive Director of Home Base, Congressman Moulton toured Home Base\u2019s outpatient clinic, clinical research labs, and specialized care facilities. The visit focused on addressing the growing pressure on non-profit healthcare providers amid federal funding cuts imposed by the Trump Administration, ongoing staffing shortages at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the urgent need to expand high-impact, innovative treatments for trauma.\n\n\"Home Base is filling critical gaps in veteran care by eliminating barriers that too often prevent service members from getting help,\" said Congressman Seth Moulton. \"Whether it's pioneering breakthrough psychedelic research for treatment-resistant PTSD, supporting military families, or delivering care regardless of discharge status, their work sets a national standard. As we face staffing challenges and service reductions across the VA, supporting non-profit leaders like Home Base is essential to keeping our promise to those who served.\"\n\nHome Base is a partnership between Mass General Brigham, the Red Sox Foundation, and the Wounded Warrior Project\u2019s Warrior Care Network that provides clinical care, intensive treatment programs, and family support services at zero out-of-pocket cost to patients.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/whip-clark-on-gop-head-start-attacks-democrats-are-going-to-turn-this-ship-around/", "Whip Clark on GOP Head Start Attacks: \u201cDemocrats Are Going To Turn This Ship Around\u201d", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "MALDEN, MA \u2014 Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll alongside local educators, parents, and care advocates at ABCD Head Start Malden to denounce the Trump administration\u2019s continued effort to dismantle the Head Start program and make life harder for working families. Below is a transcript of her remarks:\n\n\u201cWe all know the phrase, \u2018It takes a village to raise a child.\u2019 It takes a city like Malden. It takes a Commonwealth like Massachusetts to be able to raise our kids, have them rise to their full potential, and make sure that our working families can afford and find quality childcare just like we have in this Head Start program.\n\n\u201cI am so proud to be here today with our incredible partners at every level of government. I want to thank Gary Christenson, and the whole mayoral staff, for the work that they do in supporting this program, Head Start, and early education across the city. [Thank you] to our State Representative delegation for all the work that you do to make sure that kids have a Head Start on their lives with full funding. And then we come to our incredible Governor and Lieutenant Governor. It is \u2014 I don\u2019t know if you caught it in her remarks \u2014 just a handful of states have stepped up when this administration and Republicans in Congress have cut funding. We could not do this without your help. And we are so, so grateful to have a leader like Maura Healey really making sure that every single family has a fair shot at opportunity.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve been in this fight for years. [Republicans] told us flat-out in Project 2025 that their objective is to dismantle the Head Start program and spend that money on tax cuts for billionaires.\n\n\u201cAnd first, they tried to defund it totally. They wrote a budget that eliminated funding for Head Start in its entirety, and we beat that back. And they came back this year by trying to slowly dismantle this program.\n\n\u201cAs the Governor set out, it would increase class sizes. It would forbid the use of any language but English. It would curtail developmental screenings that are so important to make sure that when kids hit our public schools, they are ready to learn. And it would eliminate health and safety standards.\n\n\u201cEven the Republican administration has admitted that there are risks with that, but they are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans.\n\n\u201cAs one provider in Wisconsin said, \u2018It wouldn\u2019t be Head Start anymore,\u2019 with the changes that they are proposing.\n\n\u201cSo we are clear eyed. This is not about reform. This isn\u2019t for the benefit of kids or parents or care workers. This is about weakening and watering down a program that serves hundreds of thousands of families across the country every day. 10,000 kids here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. And all of this is to free up money for billionaires.\n\n\u201cRepublicans know that this is not a popular idea. They know they can\u2019t vote to defund it outright. So this is their workaround. Well, they have dramatically underestimated the people in this room. They have dramatically underestimated the American people. Because working families know what this is about. They know who\u2019s behind it, and they are going to hold them accountable.\n\n\u201cAnd when we retake the House of Representatives this fall, Democrats are going to turn this ship around and start enacting an agenda that actually prioritizes our children and families who are working as hard as they can to meet the basic needs for their families and themselves.\u201d\n\nTo watch the press conference, click HERE. To view photos of the press conference, click HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-bacon-whitesides-introduce-bipartisan-bill-investigate-insider-trading", "Moulton, Bacon, Whitesides Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Investigate Insider Trading Within the Department of Defense, Urges Prediction Markets to Crack Down on Harmful Practice", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2013 Congressmen Seth Moulton (MA\u201306), Don Bacon (NE\u201302), and George Whitesides (CA\u201327) introduced the bipartisan No Insider Trading on National Security Act of 2026, legislation that investigates insider trading within the Department of Defense during the war in Iran. The lawmakers introduced the bill following evidence of suspicious trades being made on prediction markets duringOperation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela andOperation Epic Fury in Iran.\n\n\"While Trump's war of choice with Iran makes everyday life unaffordable for the American people, Trump and his associates are busy getting rich off of this war,\u201d said Rep. Moulton. \u201cThe American people deserve to know how this administration uses public announcements as opportunities for market manipulation, insider trading, and self-enrichment. This legislation is the first step towards much-needed accountability from the most corrupt administration in history.\"\n\n\u201cProfiting off of events like war and human suffering by using insider information is a blatantly corrupt and unacceptable practice that cannot be allowed to continue,\u201d said Rep. Whitesides. \u201cWe must crack down on anyone who uses private information to pad their pockets at the expense of our soldiers. This legislation will help us root out bad actors within the administration and restore sanity and trust to our government.\u201d\n\nOn prediction markets like Polymarket, the average win rate for most categories on the site is about 18 percent. For military and defense actions,that number jumps to 52 percent. One user, under the account name \"MAGA-my-man,\"made close to $600,000 by betting on the timing of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Another group of tradersplaced roughly $500 million on an energy market in future oil trades. Minutes later, an announcement was made postponing strikes in Iran. In April, a U.S. Army special forces soldierwas charged with making more than $400,000 betting on the ouster of Nicolas Maduro on Polymarket.\n\nThe No Insider Trading on National Security Act instructs the Department of Defense\u2019s Inspector General to investigate insider trading on both energy and prediction markets during Operation Epic Fury, assess risks posed by the potential trading, and recommend safeguards for future use.\n\nRead the full bill text here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-houlahan-demand-va-restore-lgbtqia-veteran-healthcare-infrastructure-0", "Moulton, Houlahan Demand VA Restore LGBTQIA+ Veteran Healthcare Infrastructure", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) led a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug A. Collins demanding the immediate reversal of recent Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) directives that remove dedicated LGBTQIA+ care infrastructure.\n\nThe lawmakers expressed grave concern over recent administrative decisions to eliminate LGBTQIA+ Veteran Care Coordinators, dismantle specialized support networks, and restrict tailored healthcare resources, dismantling systems designed to provide inclusive medical and mental health services to those who served.\n\n\u201cAn estimated one million LGBTQ+ individuals have served or are currently serving in our nation\u2019s military,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cMany of these veterans served in silence during eras of overt discrimination, including under \u2018Don\u2019t Ask, Don\u2019t Tell,\u2019 and historically faced significant barriers and stigma when seeking care after their service... Stripping away these dedicated roles and support networks creates confusion, fosters fear of discrimination, and risks driving vulnerable veterans away from critical medical and mental health services.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers requested the VA take the following immediate actions:\n\nRe-establish dedicated LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator positions across all VA Health Care Systems with clear guidance to maintain specialized support services.\n\nRescind directives that prohibit or restrict internal and external support groups, staff training, and specialized care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans.\n\nProvide a detailed response outlining the specific steps that will be taken to ensure there veterans have access to the LGBTQ+ veteran support networks.\n\nRead the full letter here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/26/pressley-joins-tlaib-39-colleagues-demanding-release-of-sama-safi-u-s-citizen-in-israeli-military-prison/", "Pressley Joins Tlaib, 39 Colleagues Demanding Release of Sama Safi, U.S. Citizen in Israeli Military Prison", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "\u201cIt is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions.\u201d\n\nText of Letter (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) joined Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) in leading 39 Members of Congress, including six Senators, in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding the immediate and permanent release of U.S. citizen Sama Safi, a 20-year-old student with a severe chronic health condition, from Israeli military prison. On June 2, in the middle of the night, Sama was torn from her family\u2019s home in the occupied West Bank as part of a series of raids targeting Birzeit University students.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley also met virtually with Sama\u2019s parents to discuss efforts for her release, and demanded accountability from the Israeli government and for the Trump administration to secure Sama\u2019s immediate release, continued access to medical care, and end all unjust and arbitrary detentions.\n\n\u201cEvery day that Sama remains wrongfully detained in these inhumane conditions, she is at greater risk of irreversible and life-threatening repercussions,\u201d the lawmakers wrote to Secretary Rubio. \u201cIt is your responsibility to ensure the safety of all Americans abroad, with no exceptions. Her life is at risk on your watch. We urge you to act swiftly and use every tool at your disposal to secure the immediate release of Sama Safi so that she can receive the medical care she urgently needs and return to her family, her studies, and the life and freedom that every 20-year-old deserves.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith every additional day that Sama is subjected to deprivation and abuse by Israel, our fear grows that her spark is being dimmed; that we are losing pieces of her health, her strength, and the vibrant, loving spirit that makes her who she is,\u201d said Sama\u2019s parents. \u201cEvery morning, we wake wishing this was only a nightmare, hoping to open our eyes to the sound of Sama playing music. Every waking moment, we cannot help but imagine what she must be facing alone. Yet we are holding on to hope through those who stand with us and are helping us bring Sama home. We are deeply grateful to Congresswoman Tlaib and all the signatories of this letter for standing with us in our urgent call to free Sama.\u201d\n\nSama has described horrific conditions and violence by guards in Israeli military detention, including frequent physical assault, gas and stun grenades thrown in overcrowded cells, and lack of food and water. Every day, thousands of Palestinians in Israeli detention are subjected to these conditions as part of what the United Nations Committee Against Torture described as \u201ca de facto State policy of organized and widespread torture and ill-treatment.\u201d\n\n\u201cSuch wretched conditions and treatment have caused Sama\u2019s health to rapidly decline to dangerous levels in detention. Sama suffers from a severe and complex chronic medical condition known as Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF), which requires regular monitoring, daily medication, and recurring specialized biologic treatment abroad,\u201d the lawmakers wrote. \u201cSama has reported receiving her medication inconsistently, resulting in several missed doses. Stress positions and shackling have exacerbated her condition, causing severe rheumatoid and chest pain. Her doctors have warned that with her continued military detention and \u2018being constantly exposed to conditions that exacerbate her inflammatory status, the possibility of progressive tissue injury and irreversible organ damage is our greatest concern.\u2019\u201d\n\nOn August 17, over 100 faith-based groups wrote a letter to Secretary Rubio demanding Sama\u2019s release.\n\nThe letter was also signed by 33 Representatives: U.S. Reps. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX\u201335), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Christopher Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jes\u00fas \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Al Green (TX-09), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. \u201cHank\u201d Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Summer Lee (PA-12), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Betty McCollum (MN-04), James McGovern (MA-02), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Derek Tran (CA-45), Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NY-12).\n\nSix U.S. Senators also signed the letter: Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Peter Welch (D-VT).\n\nThe letter is endorsed by 85 organizations: IMEU Policy Project, A New Policy, Action Corps, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action), Arab American Caucus of the California Democratic Party, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies at San Francisco State University, Arab Resource & Organizing Center Action (AROC Action), Arlington for Palestine, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Boston Coalition For Palestine, Brooklyn For Peace, CAIR Action, California Democrats for Justice in Palestine, Center for Constitutional Rights, Christians for a Free Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), Cleveland Peace Action, Codepink, Common Defense, Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), Detroit & MI National Lawyers Guild, Disability Justice for Palestine, Doctors Against Genocide, Emgage Michigan, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Gen-Z for Change, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Hind Rajab Foundation, Historians for Peace and Democracy, IfNotNow Movement, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, Just Foreign Policy, Majdal: Arab Community Center of San Diego, MARUF CT, Massachusetts Peace Action, Methodist Federation for Social Action, Minnesota Peace Project, MPower Change Action Fund, Musicians Against Genocide, Muslim Advocates, Muslims for Just Futures, NE Oakland Indivisible, NH Peace Action, North Carolina Peace Action, Northshore For Palestine, Orange County for Justice in Palestine, Palestine House of Freedom, Palestine Legal, Palestinian House Of New England, Pax Christi New York State, Peace Action Montgomery, Peace Action New York State, Peace Action of San Mateo County, Peace Justice Sustainability NOW, Philly Neighborhood Networks, Pittsburgh Palestine Solidarity Committee, Progressive Democrats of America \u2013 Central New Mexico, Queer Folk Inc., Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice, ReThinking Foreign Policy, River Valley for Palestine, RootsAction, Statewide Indivisible Michigan, Stu Maismith Veterans For Peace, Syrian Community Network, Teaching Palestine: Pedagogical Praxis and the Indivisibility of Justice, The American Council for Judaism, The Justice Coalition, Transition Security Project, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action, US Palestinian Council, Veterans For Peace, Veterans For Peace Chapter 74, Washington for Peace and Justice, and We the People Dissent.\n\nThe full letter is accessible here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-27T16:10:01Z", "2026-08-27T16:10:50Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/boston-globe-an-attack-on-families-and-kids-healey-slams-trumps-proposed-head-start-changes/", "Boston Globe: \u2018An attack on families and kids\u2019: Healey slams Trump\u2019s proposed Head Start changes", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "Governor Maura Healey criticized the Trump administration\u2019s proposal to scale back regulations for the federally funded Head Start child-care program, calling it \u201creckless and wrongheaded\u201d on Wednesday.\n\nThe rollback would result in more children being turned away from free child care, she said, as well as less well-trained teachers and a reduction in medical screenings, mental health services, and other support for low-income families.\n\n\u201cThis is an attack on families and kids,\u201d she said during a press conference after touring the ABCD Head Start center in Malden Wednesday with other elected officials and early education advocates. \u201cThis seems to be all part of Donald Trump\u2019s plan to destroy education in this country.\u201d\n\nThe proposed changes would do away with previous requirements on class size, health and developmental screenings, and home visits. Bilingual instruction would be eliminated outside of Indigenous communities, program hours could be shortened, and teaching standards for literacy, math, and social and emotional development would be dropped.\n\nHead Start facilities would have to comply with state rules, but there are few comparable state-level requirements, raising concerns that quality will suffer and fewer services will be offered to some of the country\u2019s most vulnerable families.\n\nThe federal Administration for Children and Families said the proposed rule changes would remove regulations that go beyond what the Head Start Act requires and give local providers more latitude. The program would continue to require hearing and vision screenings, family support for health, nutrition, and English proficiency, and other federally mandated provisions.\n\n\u201cBy removing hyper-specific directives on how to meet these requirements gives recipients more flexibility to design comprehensive services best suited to their community\u2019s needs,\u201d the agency said in a statement.\n\nEliminating \u201done-sized-fits-all federal mandates\u201d could save as much as $2.2 billion a year and create 236,000 new slots, it said.\n\n\u201cThey are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans,\u201d said Representative Katherine Clark, who was also at the Malden Head Start Wednesday. \u201cThis is about weakening and watering down a program that serves hundreds of thousands of families across the country every day. \u2026 to free up money for billionaires.\u201d\n\nThe administration had previously tried to freeze funding for Head Start, noting in a White House budget document reviewed by The New York Times that it would help end the \u201cradical indoctrination of our children\u201d in a program \u201criddled with social-emotional learning.\u201d In June, a report by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has advised the Trump administration on past policies, called for the administration to \u201csunset Head Start and deregulate the program until officials end it.\u201d\n\nMassachusetts receives $190 million a year to serve about 10,000 children, in addition to $20 million supplemented by the state each year to boost worker wages, said Michelle Haimowitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Head Start Association.\n\nThis would have a definite impact at the Head Start program in Malden, which has 13 teachers and 10 support staff serving 110 children, said director Georgette Chiasson. The state\u2019s strict student-teacher ratios would protect instructors, she said, but the number of support staff who meet with families and provide health support and other services would have to be cut.\n\nMassachusetts has some of the highest standards for health and safety, said Amy Kershaw, the state\u2019s Early Education and Care commissioner, but Head Start regulations go beyond what the state requires.\n\n\u201cOur health and safety standards can\u2019t replace what the federal government is trying to take away,\u201d she said.\n\nThe state has tried to make up for previous federal cuts to food programs and health care, but it can\u2019t cover everything, Healey said.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s hard with the mounting challenges and the cuts coming out of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress,\u201d she said.\n\nThe comment period for the proposed changes to Head Start lasts until Oct. 6, and Healey urged community members to reach out to the White House to advocate for the program.\n\nCarmen Rondash, a single parent with four children, relied on the Head Start program in Charlestown for help with child care, early-intervention checks, and other resources his family needed.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s a really important tool for people like me to change our lives, to empower us, and to let us build ourselves,\u201d said Rondash, who is now on the board of directors for ABCD, one of 28 organizations in the state that administers Head Start programs.\n\nResearch has shown that Head Start increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school and attend college, but it provides much more than early childhood education, said Sharon Scott-Chandler, president of ABCD.\n\n\u201cA child cannot learn when they are hungry,\u201d she said. \u201cA parent cannot always focus on their child\u2019s education when they are worried about healthcare, housing, food, and their child\u2019s development.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe education and wellbeing of our most vulnerable children are key to the success of Massachusetts.\u201d\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/26/boston-herald-gov-healey-whip-katherine-clark-call-on-trump-to-reverse-devastating-proposed-overhaul-of-head-start-program/", "Boston Herald: Gov. Healey, Whip Katherine Clark call on Trump to reverse \u2018devastating\u2019 proposed overhaul of Head Start program", "2026-08-26", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "In reaction to a proposal for a major overhaul to the federal Head Start program by the Trump administration, Gov. Maura Healey and three members of the Massachusetts federal delegation are calling on the president to reverse the newly proposed standards they say will \u201cdismantle\u201d the program in the Bay State.\n\nThe proposed changes to the program, according to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), would give individual states more flexibility regarding the curriculum, staff-to-student rations, and group sizes. It would also lower the cap on administrative expenses from 15% to 5% in an effort to reduce overhead costs and introduce new nutritional requirements along with baseline requirements for physical activity among students.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump has repeatedly targeted Head Start, and now he is trying to dismantle it from the inside out. This proposal would strip away the standards that keep class sizes small, keep kids safe and make sure they get the services they need,\u201d Healey said Wednesday during a press conference at ABCD Head Start in Malden. \u201cThat isn\u2019t flexibility. It means lower-quality care and fewer supports for families. We\u2019re urging people across Massachusetts to speak out and help us protect Head Start.\u201d\n\nHHS says the proposed rule is projected to save U.S. taxpayers $2.2 billion while preserving or expanding up to 236,000 Head Start slots nationwide. Its the largest known reinvestment in the program since it was created 61 years ago, the Trump administration says.\n\n\u201cHead Start began as a bold commitment to the health, dignity, and potential of every child. My uncle, Sarge Shriver, founded the program on a simple conviction: strong families, wholesome nutrition, and healthy childhood development can change the course of a child\u2019s life,\u201d said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. \u201cToday, we are returning Head Start to those roots. We are removing unnecessary bureaucracy, strengthening nutrition and physical health, trusting parents and local communities, and opening Head Start to hundreds of thousands more children. That\u2019s how we renew the promise of Head Start for the next generation.\u201d\n\nHealey and House Minority Whip and Congresswoman Katherine Clark say the new rule would provide no additional funding and eliminate federal standards ensuring consistent care for children in the program.\n\n\u201cThey (Republicans) told us flat out in Project 2025 that their objective is to dismantle the Head Start program and spend that money on tax cuts for billionaires. First they tried to defund it totally. They wrote a budget that eliminated funding for Head Start in its entirety, and we beat that back,\u201d added Clark.\n\n\u201c[The proposed rule] would increase class sizes. It would forbid the use of any language but English. It would curtail developmental screenings,\u201d Clark continued. \u201cEven the Republican administration has admitted that there are risks with that. But they are willing to risk our kids in order to continue to fund the very wealthiest Americans.\u201d\n\nHead Start serves over 10,000 children in Massachusetts, providing early education, child care, health and dental screenings, developmental supports and other services for low-income families.\n\nHealey and Clark are urging Massachusetts residents, educators and providers to speak out against the proposed changes during the federal public comment period, which runs through October 6.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-28T17:11:49Z", "2026-08-28T17:13:14Z"], ["https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-auchincloss-newhouse-moolenaar-and-khanna-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-targeting-chinas-role-in-us-fentanyl-crisis", "Reps. Auchincloss, Newhouse, Moolenaar, and Khanna Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation Targeting China\u2019s Role in U.S. Fentanyl Crisis", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Jake Auchincloss", "A000148", "auchincloss.house.gov", "auchincloss", "https://auchincloss.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\n\nContact: Georgina.Burros@mail.house.gov (Auchincloss)\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2014 Today, Representatives Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA), alongside House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Ranking Member Ro Khanna (D-CA), reintroduced the CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act to hold the Chinese Community Party responsible for its role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis.\n\nAfter its establishment in 2024, the House Select Committee on China\u2019s Fentanyl Policy Working Group uncovered for the first time how the CCP directly subsidizes fentanyl precursors and analogues entering North America.\n\nThe CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act strengthens sanctions on China-based and CCP-backed entities engaged in drug trafficking, by targeting the Chinese chemical manufacturers and online vendors that are profiting by poisoning the American people.\n\nAs Co-Chairman of the Policy Working Group (PWG) last Congress, Auchincloss and his colleagues focused on combating the CCP\u2019s role in the fentanyl epidemic with legislation to curtail the threat via sanctions, trade and customs enforcement, and regulatory and enforcement measures.\n\nThe CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act will address fentanyl exports from China by:\n\nTargeting the \u201cAchilles\u2019 heel\u201d of fentanyl and related synthetic narcotics producers\u2014their exposure to the U.S. banking system courtesy of their licit activity;\n\nCodifying important new authorities to address this threat while working to target those responsible for the epidemic;\n\nCodifying and building on Executive Order 14059, which established critical new sanctions authorities against actors involved in fentanyl trafficking;\n\nExpanding existing sanctions authorities to target PRC vessels or ports that knowingly or recklessly facilitate shipment/transportation of illicit synthetic narcotics, as well as PRC online marketplaces and other entities that knowingly or recklessly facilitate sale of illicit synthetic narcotics;\n\nProviding authority to restrict foreign financial institution correspondent accounts and payable-through accounts if the President determines the account has knowingly facilitated transactions on behalf of individuals engaging in synthetic narcotics trafficking.\n\n\u201cThousands of families in Massachusetts have been scarred by fentanyl,\u201d said Rep. Auchincloss. \u201cChinese chemical manufacturers that are exporting this addictive poison to American shores should bear the full force of U.S. sanctions and anti-money-laundering measures.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for helping manufacture the fentanyl crisis,\u201d said Rep. Newhouse. \u201cFor too long, they have subsidized and exported illicit narcotics, and Congress must take aggressive action to counter this epidemic that\u2019s ruining American lives and families. This bipartisan legislation is a strong step in the right direction, as it targets CCP-backed entities, like Chinese chemical companies, who continue wreaking havoc on our communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party has long had a role in facilitating the fentanyl crisis that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans,\u201d said Chairman Moolenaar. \u201cThe Select Committee\u2019s groundbreaking report in 2024 showed how the CCP subsidized the production of fentanyl precursors sold to the Mexican cartels. The bipartisan legislation we are introducing today targets the entities and individuals who participated in this deadly and illicit practice. It is a crucial step toward holding them accountable for the pain they have caused American families.\u201d\n\n\u201cFentanyl has devastated communities across America,\u201d said Ranking Member Khanna. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Rep. Auchincloss\u2019s bipartisan effort to hold the networks responsible accountable. We must stop the flow of fentanyl and illicit precursors into our country and protect American families.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/24/whip-clark-on-ms-now-democrats-are-fighting-for-an-affordable-america/", "Whip Clark on MS NOW: \u201cDemocrats Are Fighting for an Affordable America\u201d", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "MALDEN, MA \u2014 Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) appeared on MS NOW\u2019s On the Line with Alicia Menendez to discuss House Democrats\u2019 agenda: lowering costs, protecting healthcare, and holding the crooks accountable. Below are excerpts of the conversation.\n\nOn Trump\u2019s Reckless War in Iran:\n\n\u201cIt is Americans who are paying the costs for Trump\u2019s reckless war. All it has done is endanger our troops, cost us money for defense, and driven up the cost of gas in an environment where American families are already struggling to provide the basics.\n\n\u201cAnd that\u2019s why Democrats are fighting for a more affordable America. That\u2019s lowering the cost of living. That\u2019s making sure everybody can afford healthcare where and when they need it. And that\u2019s holding corruption and the people who are perpetrating it accountable.\u201d\n\nOn Democrats\u2019 Fight for an Affordable America:\n\n\u201cWe keep the American people the main character. That\u2019s our focus. What they\u2019re going through, what they\u2019re experiencing.\n\n\u201cWhen 60% of families are telling us they can\u2019t afford the basics for their kids, for their aging parents, for themselves, then that is where our focus has to be.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s why, as I said, we are looking at: How can we bring down the cost of gas by ending this reckless war? How can we bring down the cost of housing and groceries? How can we make sure that we are giving families a chance to find affordable childcare? And small businesses to flourish?\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a Trump administration that is completely cut off from what the American people need. And Republicans in Congress that are just following the Trump administration\u2019s every whim.\n\n\u201cThis has become a administration that is focused on one thing: making Donald Trump and his family, the very, very wealthiest Americans, and their largest donors, wealthier at the expense of everyone else.\u201d\n\nOn Democrats Taking Back the House in November:\n\n\u201cWhen we win the majority in November, we are still going to have a hostile White House. A White House that has turned its back on the American people and their economic needs. So, we are very clear as Democrats, we will work with anyone who\u2019s working for the American people.\n\n\u201cWe are going to hold the crooks accountable. And so we will work with the White House \u2014 that is going to be part of our job and priorities. But, we are going to do everything we can [and] use every tool we have to make life easier and better for the American people. If the White House will join us in that, that is a win for the American people. If they won\u2019t, we are going to continue to push and do what\u2019s right for working people across this country who have waited far too long for this economy to work for them.\u201d\n\nOn Holding the Crooks Accountable:\n\n\u201cThis is a key piece of our work, and it\u2019s the third prong of what we are talking about in the message we\u2019re delivering and winning on: Reducing the cost of living. Allowing access to affordable healthcare. And making sure that we hold those who have been using this system to line their own pockets accountable. And that includes everyone from Donald Trump to Jared Kushner to anyone else who may have used taxpayer money to line their own pockets.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s the work we\u2019re going to continue to do. That is why we are winning in races around the country, because the American people understand that it\u2019s our candidates, Democratic candidates, that are fighting for them. And that\u2019s what every single campaign comes down to: Do you see my family? Are you going to fight for me?\n\n\u201cThe answer from Democrats is \u2018absolutely.\u2019 And we are the answer to the chaos and corruption and cruelty that has become the hallmark of the Republicans in Congress and this president.\u201d\n\nWatch the full interview, HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-25T05:31:37Z", "2026-08-25T05:33:09Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/24/advocate-179-lawmakers-tell-scotus-not-to-let-taxpayer-money-accepting-religious-preschools-reject-lgbtq-families/", "Advocate: 179 lawmakers tell SCOTUS not to let taxpayer money-accepting religious preschools reject LGBTQ+ families", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "The Congressional Equality Caucus said Monday that 179 members of Congress, including 13 senators, had signed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve Colorado\u2019s power to prevent publicly funded preschools from denying admission to children because they or their parents are LGBTQ+.\n\nThe brief in St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy is led by U.S. Rep. Mark Takano of California, the caucus chair, with Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Its signers include Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, Pete Aguilar, Nancy Pelosi, and every Equality Caucus co-chair.\n\n\u201cIn 2020, Coloradans voted to ensure every child in the state would be able to benefit from a publicly-funded universal pre-school program, but the schools in this case want to take these funds and turn away LGBTQ+ kids and kids of LGBTQ+ parents\u2014despite the program\u2019s nondiscrimination policy. This is wrong,\u201d Takano said in a statement. \u201cPublic dollars are for the good of the public, and this publicly funded program\u2019s nondiscrimination policy reflects that.\u201d\n\nHow the preschool case reached the Supreme Court\n\nColorado voters approved a funding source for universal preschool in 2020. The current program offers all 4-year-olds up to 15 hours of free preschool weekly in the year before kindergarten through public, private, and faith-based providers. Participating schools must provide equal enrollment opportunities regardless of characteristics including sexual orientation and gender identity.\n\nTwo Catholic parishes sued alongside the Archdiocese of Denver and parents Daniel and Lisa Sheley. The schools say Catholic teaching requires them to consider the sexual orientation and gender identity of children and parents during admissions. They do not categorically exclude children with same-sex parents, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found, although Wellspring Catholic Academy previously denied admission to a fifth-grade applicant with same-sex parents.\n\nThe Advocate reported when the case went to trial in 2024 that the parishes argued the rule could prevent them from prioritizing Catholic families and require them to admit transgender children and children with same-sex parents. Colorado maintained that Catholic preschools are treated like other providers.\n\nThe schools also argue that Colorado\u2019s matching preferences and temporary waivers for some quality standards favor secular interests while denying religious accommodations. The 10th Circuit held that neither created a comparable exception from the nondiscrimination rule. After a three-day trial, the district court denied the schools an exemption from the sexual orientation and gender identity provisions. A unanimous 10th Circuit panel affirmed that ruling.\n\nLGBTQ+ families tell the court what exclusion means\n\nCOLAGE, Family Equality, and Rocky Mountain Equality submitted a separate brief Monday describing the consequences for children with LGBTQ+ parents. The organizations argue that LGBTQ+ families may value religious education for faith formation, community, and tradition even when a school does not fully accept them.\n\nMore than 40 faith-based providers, including six Catholic Charities preschools within the Denver Archdiocese, participated in the program\u2019s first year. The organizations argue Colorado does not regulate religious instruction. Schools may teach their faith but may not reject an eligible child because of the child\u2019s family while receiving public money, they say.\n\n\u201cSt. Mary wants public money to turn a four-year-old away based on who their parents are. I know what that message does to a child,\u201d Joseph Wright, an adult child of a lesbian mother, said.\n\nThe brief describes families losing access to nearby preschools and scrambling to arrange transportation or leave work. It argues that an alternative school does not erase the harm of government-funded exclusion.\n\nWhat the justices will decide\n\nThe Supreme Court will hear arguments November 3 on two questions. The first concerns Employment Division v. Smith, the 1990 ruling allowing neutral, generally applicable laws that incidentally burden religion. The justices will consider what government discretion or secular exceptions trigger strict scrutiny.\n\nThe second concerns Carson v. Makin, the 2022 decision prohibiting Maine from excluding religious schools from a tuition program. The question is whether that rule covers only explicit religious exclusions or also neutral conditions a religious institution says it cannot follow. The justices declined the schools\u2019 request to consider overturning Smith entirely.\n\nCongress divides over public money and discrimination\n\n\u201cIf you want to get taxpayer dollars to educate our kids, you cannot discriminate against them or their parents for who they are or who they love,\u201d Baldwin said.\n\n\u201cDiscrimination against preschoolers and parents who are part of the LGBTQ+ community has no place in America,\u201d Merkley said.\n\nThe congressional brief responds to a filing from 43 Republican lawmakers led by Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma and Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan. They argue Colorado is excluding the schools because of their beliefs. The Trump administration has also sided with the Catholic schools.\n\n\u201cTo let certain schools accept public funding while excluding students solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, or those of their parents, contradicts the very purpose of nondiscrimination laws,\u201d said Sharon McGowan, senior vice president of policy and litigation at the Human Rights Campaign.\n\nA decision is likely by June 2027.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-26T05:33:32Z", "2026-08-26T05:34:56Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/24/neal-makes-fifth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-pittsfield/", "Neal Makes Fifth Stop\u00a0on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to Pittsfield", "2026-08-24", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Pittsfield, MA \u2014 On Monday, August 24, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti and city officials at Zion Lutheran Church to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District.\n\nIn Pittsfield, $87.3 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including:\n\n$53.8 million in ARPA funding, consisting of $40.6 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $13.2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Funding\n\n$33.5 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act\n\n\u201cAs the largest city in Berkshire County, Pittsfield plays a critical role in the economic vitality of the region. As a result, the impact of these investments will extend well beyond the city limits and deliver lasting benefits to residents throughout the Berkshires,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cThanks to the leadership of Mayor Marchetti, former Mayor Linda Tyer, the city council, and city officials, investments that addressed immediate needs and improved quality of life were made across the board. From investments in city infrastructure and services to assistance for local non-profits and businesses, the City capitalized on this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make investments that will benefit the community for years to come.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the City of Pittsfield was able to invest $9.5 million in housing, which supported the development of 86 new housing units and the renovation of an additional 30 units. In addition, funding supported the development of 37 new permanent supportive apartments, with 28 located in a newly constructed building at 111 W. Housatonic Street, and nine located on the second floor of the Zion Lutheran Church. The City was also able to fund a 7,700-square-foot Housing Resource Center, The First, located in the basement of Zion Lutheran Church. The First provides a place for individuals who are housing insecure to receive assistance with basic needs, including access to laundry, showers, and phone chargers.\n\n\u201cEvery federal dollar that is invested into the City of Pittsfield provides us with more opportunity to improve infrastructure, create new housing and support our residents in their day-to-day lives,\u201d said Mayor Peter Marchetti. \u201cWe have a strong partnership with Congressman Neal and all members of our federal delegation and appreciate their continued support for this community.\u201d\n\nIn addition to housing, the City of Pittsfield allocated ARPA funds for a variety of projects and initiatives, including:\n\nPreparing 16.5 acres of land for development\n\nAvoiding $15 million in City borrowing\n\nProviding 130 small businesses with financial assistance\n\nInvesting $9 million in 38 non-profits, including:\n\nBerkshire County Arc\n\nBerkshire County Head Start\n\nChild Care of the Berkshires\n\nPittsfield Community Food Pantry\n\nSoldier On\n\nInvesting $5.9 million towards city infrastructure, including:\n\nUpgrades to the Berkshire Athenaeum\n\nUpgrades to the Pittsfield Fire Station and purchasing new equipment\n\nRenovations to Old Town Hall\n\nTaconic High School track and baseball field backstop\n\nWater and wastewater system upgrades\n\nIn addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received $33.5 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support infrastructure projects that will benefit the City of Pittsfield, including:\n\n$11.3 million for the reconstruction of East Street (Route 9)\n\n$2.9 million for the bridge replacement on East New Lenox Road over Sackett Brook\n\n$1.7 million for the Ashuwillticook Bike Trail Extension from Crane Avenue to Merrill Road. This is in addition to the $17.3 million RAISE Grant that Congressman Neal announced in January 2025 with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, the municipalities of Adams, North Adams, and Williamstown, MASS MoCA, and TOURISTS Hotel.\n\n$3 million for the Superstructure Replacement on Holmes Road over the Housatonic Railroad\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/22/neal-statement-on-trump-blowing-canada-trade-talks/", "Neal Statement on Trump Blowing Canada Trade Talks", "2026-08-22", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after Trump blew up trade negotiations with Canada:\n\n\u201cTrump has once again blown a trade negotiation in the eleventh hour. He moved the goalposts, piling on new demands, and ultimately, tanking negotiations with one of our closest allies and trading partners. The manufactured chaos and picking fights don\u2019t project strength, it shows the world the American president doesn\u2019t give a damn about his people. What a reckless, embarrassing, and astonishing way to run a country\u2014exactly why it\u2019s so dangerous to hand him even more tariff authority.\n\n\u201cAmericans are already getting crushed in Trump\u2019s economy. Jobs are disappearing, gas prices are soaring, borrowing is unaffordable, and the national debt just blew past $40 trillion\u2014all on Republican\u2019s watch. Now, because Trump couldn\u2019t find common ground with one of our closest friends, American workers, businesses, and families will pay another price. He\u2019s driving the economy into the ground, and there\u2019s no relief in sight.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/21/neal-demands-answers-for-trump-administrations-trampling-of-irs-employee-rights/", "Neal Demands Answers for Trump Administration\u2019s Trampling of IRS Employee Rights", "2026-08-21", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014 Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal today sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) CEO Frank J. Bisignano, following up on his March 4, 2026, testimony to the Ways and Means Committee regarding the Administration\u2019s attempt to unilaterally end the collective bargaining agreement between the IRS and the National Employees Treasury Union (NTEU). Bisignano testified that IRS employees \u201care losing nothing\u201d without the collective bargaining agreement.\n\n\u201cFor nearly 90 years (since 1938), the NTEU, or its predecessor, has protected the rights of hundreds of thousands of federal employees to negotiate, take legal action, and advocate for themselves. I continue to stand by my statement that the Trump Administration cannot unilaterally take away the hard-fought rights of IRS employees to unionize.\u201d Ranking Member Neal wrote. \u201cYou testified that \u2018their benefits is under statute\u2019 and that \u2018their time off is under statute.\u2019 However, I understand that the actions taken since termination of the agreement contradict this testimony.\u201d\n\nRanking Member Neal reminded CEO Bisignano that recent administrative actions contradict his testimony, including canceled telework, forced relocations, delayed Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requests, changes to performance evaluations, and unfair overtime allocations.\n\nNeal demanded the Administration provide written answers outlining the legal basis of their actions, and what, if any, reasonable accommodations they are making to impacted employees whose rights they\u2019ve trampled on.\n\nRanking Member Neal closed, \u201cThese actions raise serious concerns about your testimony and this Administration\u2019s attempt to unlawfully terminate the collective bargaining agreement with NTEU by trampling on the rights of unionized employees.\u201d\n\nREAD THE FULL LETTER HERE.", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-conducts-unannounced-visit-burlington-ice-facility-shares-observations", "Moulton Conducts Unannounced Visit to Burlington ICE Facility, Shares Observations", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Burlington, MA \u2014Today, following an unannounced visit to the ICE field office in Burlington, Massachusetts, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) issued the following statement regarding his observations made during his oversight visit:\n\n\"Today I conducted an unannounced visit to the Burlington ICE facility. This was my third visit to Burlington during the second Trump Administration, and my second unannounced visit. I returned today to see whether the problems I\u2019ve seen have been addressed, and whether conditions for detainees have improved at all as ICE arrests have continued in high numbers.\n\n\u201cI was delayed by over 30 minutes today before my tour inside the facility began. During that time period, my team and I noticed multiple vans leave the property. No explanation was given to me regarding this delay and why it was necessary.\n\n\u201cDuring my tour I was reminded of something I\u2019ve known since I first came here in 2019: This is no place for human habitation.\n\n\u201cEnforcing our immigration laws still requires a semblance of due process, including the ability to speak to a lawyer and with family. We must do more to hold ICE accountable, and I will continue to push them to address the poor conditions inside the field office in Burlington.\n\n\u201cI want to thank the activists that I spoke with following my visit. Your continued support for the individuals being detained inside this facility does not go unnoticed.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-21T05:30:57Z", "2026-08-21T05:32:22Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/20/neal-makes-fourth-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-east-longmeadow/", "Neal Makes Fourth Stop on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to East Longmeadow", "2026-08-20", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "East Longmeadow, MA \u2014 On Thursday, August 20, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined East Longmeadow Town Manager Thomas Christensen, East Longmeadow Town Council Vice President James Leydon, East Longmeadow Fire Chief Christopher Beecher, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District thanks to ARPA, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.\n\nIn East Longmeadow, $12.3 million was invested in projects and initiatives thanks to the ARPA, including $4.8 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $7.5 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding.\n\n\u201cIt was a privilege to visit the East Longmeadow Fire Department and meet with Town officials to hear just what this funding meant to their community. Projects and initiatives that once seemed out of reach were suddenly attainable thanks to the legislation we enacted,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cAs we continue this tour, there is a phrase that we consistently hear from local officials: long-term investment. In East Longmeadow, it means fire engines, police cruisers, DPW vehicles, and school resources that will serve the Town for years to come.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the Town of East Longmeadow was able to invest in 30 initiatives that addressed the needs of the Town\u2019s infrastructure, public safety, and education. Among these investments are:\n\n$836,289.58 for purchasing the new Town Hall at 382 N Main Street\n\n$142,264.76 for the replacement of the Fire Department\u2019s Engine 2\n\n$149,970.91 for three new police cruisers, including one unmarked and two marked cruisers\n\n$25,026.80 for firefighter bunker gear\n\n$438,613.09 in IT investments, including:\n\nThe replacement of town and school networking equipment\n\nReplacement of the IT fuel management system, ensuring usage and cost are tracked accurately\n\nReplacement of school Chromebook devices\n\n$179,900 for a new DPW backhoe\n\n$103,609.38 for a new DPW truck\n\n$76,184 for a new DPW Bobcat\n\n$105,278.20 for the Middle School parking lot and playground\n\n$70,750 for the replacement of the gym floor at Mountain View Elementary School\n\n\u201cWith municipal budgets continually being squeezed, ARPA provided a lifeline that enhanced our public safety capabilities and improved our infrastructure,\u201d said Town Council Vice President James Leydon. \u201cAs a result, we were able to consider and fund other essential capital projects in our plan.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/19/news-pressley-ramirez-mcgovern-demand-answers-of-trump-admin-on-persecution-of-political-dissent-targeting-of-left-leaning-political-groups/", "NEWS: Pressley, Ramirez, McGovern Demand Answers of Trump Admin. on Persecution of Political Dissent, Targeting of Left-leaning Political Groups", "2026-08-19", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "\u201cDefining political opposition as an existential threat does not make communities safer\u2014it degrades civil liberties, expands state surveillance, enables violence by state actors, and mirrors the repressive tactics of authoritarian regimes worldwide.\u201d\n\nText of Letter (PDF)\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congressmembers Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), and Jim McGovern (MA-02) led 23 colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent demanding an end to the Trump Administration\u2019s policies to persecute political dissent. In the letter, members raised serious concerns regarding the deployment of the State and Treasury Departments policies against the so-called \u201cfar-left networks\u201d as an attempt to target and silence any person, organization, or institution critical of the Administration\u2019s policies and abuses of power on a global scale.\n\nThe letter also asks for the release of all communications, advisories, and guidance between State, Treasury, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the White House regarding the implementation of the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7, an order that Trump signed last September targeting \u201cdomestic terrorism and organized political violence.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe weaponization of the security apparatus of the state to suppress political dissent, criminalize international solidarity, and intimidate civil society is a direct assault on constitutional rights and democratic governance. Defining political opposition as an existential threat does not make communities safer\u2014it degrades civil liberties, expands state surveillance, enables violence by state actors, and mirrors the repressive tactics of authoritarian regimes worldwide. We urge the Administration to immediately withdraw this policy, abandon plans to export the NSPM-7 framework to foreign governments, and cease deploying the State and Treasury Departments to target political speech and civil society,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nIn July, Secretary Rubio and Bessent announced the \u201cMinisterial on the Resurgence of Political Terrorism\u201d to support President Trump\u2019s National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7)\u2014a federal enforcement framework to target \u201cfar-left terrorists,\u201d their aligned groups, and financial backers. Despite investigations and analysis that established that right-wing attacks account for the vast majority of fatalities from domestic terrorism, the memorandum ignores all mention of right-wing extremism.\n\nThe letter is co-signed by Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Greg Casar (TX-35), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (VA-08), Jes\u00fas G. \u201cChuy\u201d Garc\u00eda (IL-04), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Becca Blint (VT), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez(NY-07), Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Troy A. Carter Sr. (LA-02), Christian D. Menefee (TX-18), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Al Green (TX-09).\n\nTo read the full letter, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-20T05:28:41Z", "2026-08-20T05:29:58Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/19/neal-makes-third-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-palmer/", "Neal Makes Third Stop on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to Palmer", "2026-08-19", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Palmer, MA \u2014 Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Palmer Town Manager Brad Brothers, city councilors, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District.\n\nIn Palmer, $23.5 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including:\n\n$12.5 million in funding from the ARPA, consisting of $3.7 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $8.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding.\n\n$11 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act\n\n\u201cToday marked another terrific stop on this tour, as we continue to show the people of western and central Massachusetts how their local officials have successfully implemented these funds to improve quality of life and local services,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cIn Palmer, the Town Manager and Town Councilors did a terrific job of identifying a variety of challenges confronting their community, and I am so pleased that they were able to take advantage of these generational investments.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the Town of Palmer was able to invest in thirty-four initiatives, some of which include:\n\n$1,363,100.00 for repairs to Duke Track at Palmer High School\n\n$254,800.00 for the Church Street Bridge\n\n$34,610.74 for the Town\u2019s ambulance service\n\n$110,181.00 in investments to the Town Hall, including the security system, front steps and walkway, and interior renovations\n\n$47,310.00 for a handicap ramp for the Council on Aging\n\n$50,000.00 for the gymnasium floor replacement at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School\n\n$864,206.67 to address the Palmer Road sinkhole\n\n$70,445.00 for a Department of Public Works vehicle\n\n$125,073.22 for the Town\u2019s fuel assistance program\n\n$280,000.00 for the energy management system at Palmer High School\n\n\u201cWe are grateful to Congressman Neal for taking the time to visit Palmer and see firsthand the impact that federal investments have had on our community,\u201d said Town Manager Brad Brothers. \u201cThese funds have allowed us to complete important projects such as the Hryniewicz Park improvements, the Palmer High School track renovation, and other community enhancements that may otherwise have remained on the Town\u2019s long-term capital plan. We appreciate the Congressman\u2019s continued support and his willingness to listen not only to our success stories, but also to the ongoing infrastructure and community development needs of Palmer.\u201d\n\nIn addition to ARPA funds received by the Town of Palmer, MassDOT has received $11 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support the complete replacement of the Three Mile Bridge on Palmer Road on the Palmer-Ware border. As a vital access route between the two towns along Route 32, the bridge replacement will strengthen the reliability and resiliency of a key transportation connection, supporting local businesses, regional mobility, and emergency response.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400393", "McGovern, Khanna, and Meeks Lead Colleagues in Demanding the Trump Administration Explain Decision to Lift Sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong Officials", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Raking Member of the Congressional-Commission on China, Ro Khanna, Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and six other House Members sent a letter to President Trump expressing serious concern about his decision to allow an Executive Order to lapse. The decision resulted in sanctions relief for Chinese and Hong Kong officials complicit in Beijing\u2019s dismantling of Hong Kong\u2019s autonomy.\n\n\u201cThe lapse of the national emergency has already resulted in significant changes to the sanctions status of dozens of Hong Kong and Beijing officials, and it raises serious questions about the durability of U.S. policy toward Hong Kong that we believe warrant a direct response from the Administration,\u201d wrote the Members of Congress. \u201cIn effect, this amounts to a downgrade in sanctions exposure for 39 individuals, including the sitting Chief Executive and Chief Secretary of Hong Kong.\u201d\n\nIn his first term, President Trump issued Executive Order 13936 to employ emergency authorities to strip Hong Kong of its preferential trade and export-control treatment it had previously enjoyed as a distinct customs territory and authorize sanctions against individuals. In July 2026, President Trump declined to renew the Executive Order, thereby lifting sanctions on key individuals and sending a signal that the loss of Hong Kong\u2019s autonomy is no longer a major concern for the U.S. government.\n\n\u201cWe are also concerned about the circumstances surrounding this decision. The PRC\u2019s Ministry of Commerce has publicly stated that the non-renewal implements understandings reached during the U.S.-PRC economic and trade consultations in Madrid, and that the United States made commitments concerning Hong Kong and investment-related issues during those talks,\u201d wrote the Members of Congress. \u201cIf accurate, this would mean that sanctions relief for officials responsible for prosecuting pro-democracy activists was used as a bargaining chip in unrelated trade negotiations.\u201d\n\nThe Members requested answers from the President about the decision, including justification for easing sanctions on complicit individuals, whether the decision was part of any quid-pro-quo with PRC officials, and whether the Administration is committed to securing the release of publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/18/neal-makes-first-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-west-springfield/", "Neal Makes First Stop on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to West Springfield", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "West Springfield, MA \u2014 On Tuesday, August 18, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined West Springfield Mayor Will Reichelt, city councilors, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District.\n\nIn West Springfield, nearly $100 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including:\n\n$39.4 million in funding from the ARPA, consisting of $8.5 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $30.9 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding.\n\n$60 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act\n\n\u201cWhen you consider what House Democrats were able to accomplish in just four years, it is truly quite remarkable. The three legislative achievements we are highlighting on this tour are certainly among the most consequential that I\u2019ve been a part of during my career. With those dollars now having been put into action, I think it\u2019s important that we take the time to take stock of these investments and inform the public as to what we\u2019ve been able to accomplish,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cI am pleased to join with Mayor Reichelt and members of the West Springfield City Council, all of whom have done a terrific job investing these federal dollars. Whether it be improvements to the Town\u2019s infrastructure, issuing grants to local nonprofits and businesses, or enhancing public safety, West Springfield demonstrated what an effective partnership with the federal government should look like. I have no doubt that the residents will see the benefits of these investments for years to come.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the Town of West Springfield was able to invest in its infrastructure, parks and recreation, public safety, community organizations, small-business recovery, municipal facilities, technology, and resident services. Projects supported by ARPA funds include:\n\n$1.13 million towards transportation and pedestrian improvements, including:\n\nThe Piper Road/Amostown Road intersection\n\nThe Piper Road Complete Streets/Road Diet project\n\nThe Dewey Street sidewalks\n\nThe South Boulevard/Park Street/River Street intersection\n\nComplete Streets sidewalk improvements\n\nKings Highway\n\n$249,200 for the design work of the Route 5 water main\n\n$2.8 million towards park and school improvements, such as:\n\n$1 million for the Middle School track and improvements to the Middle School athletic fields\n\n$514,000 for the Memorial Pool Splash Pad\n\nMore than $620,000 for townwide playground equipment and ground-cover improvements.\n\nAdditional funding also supported tennis courts, tree planting and maintenance, park entrances, the East-West Bike Trail Study, greenhouse and tree nursery improvements, and other recreational and environmental projects.\n\nInvestments in public safety, including:\n\n$856,000 towards the Town\u2019s consolidated emergency dispatch initiative\n\nAdditional funding supported firefighter turnout gear and emergency call boxes, as well as Police Department equipment, dispatch improvements, police bicycles and e-bikes, and start-up equipment for Animal Control.\n\nInvestments in community organizations and businesses that serve West Springfield residents, including $746,000 to nonprofit and community organizations, such as the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club, the Irish Cultural Center, the Eastern States Exposition/Hooplandia, the Tatham Club, and Friends of the Springfield Veterans Center.\n\nInvestments in municipal and school facility needs, including $648,000 towards improvements to the Municipal Office Building, Council on Aging, Police Department, school buildings, Morgan Road pavilion, and other Town facilities.\n\nInvestments in technology and municipal modernization, including $741,000 towards municipal fiber infrastructure and additional funding for Police Department software upgrades and municipal record digitization.\n\n\u201cWe approached ARPA as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make investments that would have a lasting impact on West Springfield,\u201d said Mayor Reichelt. \u201cThese funds allowed us to take on major projects like our consolidated dispatch center, the Middle School track and the Memorial Pool splash pad while preserving local resources for other important needs. The result is stronger public safety, better community facilities and infrastructure that will serve our residents for years to come.\u201d\n\nIn addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received nearly $60 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support infrastructure projects that will benefit the Town of West Springfield, including:\n\nThe rehabilitation of Route 5 (Riverdale Road) from I-91 to Main Street in Holyoke and from Elm Street to North Elm Street in West Springfield\n\nPavement and bridge preservation on I-91\n\nThe Town also received a $198,603 grant through the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law\u2019s Emerging Contaminants for Small or Disadvantaged Communities program. The funding supports a Granular Activated Carbon Pilot Study for the Southwick Wellfield treatment facility. This project will assist the Town in evaluating treatment strategies for emerging contaminants to ensure the continued safety, reliability, and resiliency of West Springfield\u2019s drinking-water infrastructure.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/18/neal-makes-second-stop-on-landmark-laws-local-investments-tour-with-visit-to-agawam/", "Neal Makes Second Stop on \u201cLandmark Laws, Local Investments\u201d\u00a0Tour with Visit to Agawam", "2026-08-18", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Agawam, MA \u2014 On Tuesday, August 18, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Agawam Mayor Chris Johnson, city councilors, and local officials to highlight the impact of federal investments made possible by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). More than $1.5 billion has been invested across the First Congressional District.\n\nIn Agawam, $42.8 million was invested in projects and initiatives, with funding streams including:\n\n$23.8 million in funding from the ARPA, consisting of $8.6 million in Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery funding and $15.2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III funding.\n\n$19 million in funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act\n\n\u201cAgawam is fortunate to have great leadership in Mayor Johnson and the City Council, who were able to identify three pressing challenges that otherwise may have gone unaddressed for several years. Enabling local governments to pursue critical investments that might otherwise remain out of reach is precisely what we intended, and I could not be more pleased to join with the Town in celebrating their achievements,\u201d said Congressman Neal. \u201cThis tour is a reminder as to why our Founding Fathers entrusted the power of the purse with Congress: we understand the needs of our communities, and we have the responsibility to deliver the federal dollars needed to address them. The investments we are highlighting on this tour speak to that very notion, and I look forward to seeing the tangible results of our efforts.\u201d\n\nAs a result of the ARPA, the Town of Agawam was able to complete three major infrastructure projects, including:\n\n$3.8 million for the Meadow Street Drainage Improvements and Water Main Replacement Project. This project resolved chronic flooding issues and replaced approximately 7,100 linear feet of aging water main. The improvements have strengthened system resilience, enhanced water quality and pressure, and improved fire-flow protection.\n\n$2.6 million for the North Westfield Street Culvert Replacement Project. This project replaced a deteriorating culvert that had previously required emergency intervention. The new structure improves roadway safety, protects key utility infrastructure, and ensures long-term reliability along a critical connection between Agawam and Westfield.\n\n$1.9 million for the North Street Culvert Replacement Project. This project addressed a failing and undersized culvert, improving stormwater flow, reducing erosion, and bringing the crossing into compliance with current standards while protecting nearby utilities and environmental resources. This project was also supported by a $1.28 million earmark secured by Congressman Neal.\n\n\u201cCongressman Neal\u2019s leadership has greatly benefited the Town of Agawam and its residents and businesses,\u201d said Mayor Johnson. \u201cThe Town was able to complete over $8 million dollars of critical infrastructure projects with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, including the replacement of two major stormwater culverts. In addition, Congressman Neal was able to secure the necessary funding to replace a failing portion of a major sewer interceptor near the Westfield River. Finally, Congressman Neal\u2019s support of the Inflation Reduction Act with its clean energy initiatives will likely result in the Town receiving substantial tax credit funding for its new high school which is served by a geothermal heating and cooling system.\u201d\n\nIn addition to the ARPA, MassDOT has received $19 million from the IIJA and the IRA to support infrastructure projects that will benefit the Town of Agawam, including:\n\nPavement and bridge preservation on Route 57.\n\nImprovements to Robinson Park Elementary School.\n\nGuide and traffic sign replacement on I-291 and sections of Route 5.\n\nThe Town will also receive tax credits through the IRA for the new Agawam High School. These tax credits will help finance the school\u2019s geothermal heating and cooling system.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/17/whip-clark-ice-is-a-danger-to-every-person-in-every-community/", "Whip Clark: \u201cICE Is a Danger to Every Person in Every Community\u201d", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "BIDDEFORD, ME \u2014 Today, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-5) joined Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (MS-2), Rep. Chellie Pingree (ME-1), and Rep. Troy Carter (LA-2) for a field hearing on the killing of Johan Sebasti\u00e1n Dur\u00e1n Guerrero by ICE. Below is a transcript of her remarks:\n\n\u201cThank you to Ranking Member Bennie Thompson for convening this important hearing. And a huge thanks to Congresswoman Pingree for being our host, for being an advocate, and for continuing to seek justice and the truth. We are so very grateful to you. I also want to thank my colleague, Congressman Troy Carter from New Orleans, Louisiana. And Governor Mills, thank you for being with us. But my most deep gratitude for our witnesses, especially Mr. Dur\u00e1n Guerrero\u2019s family. We so appreciate you being here in this time of grief, and pain, and loss. And we appreciate all of you, the community members of Biddeford and those who traveled here to make sure that we continue to shine a light on what happened here.\n\n\u201cThis pain is being felt across the country.\n\n\u201cJohan Sebasti\u00e1n Dur\u00e1n Guerrero was a husband and a father who wanted to give his 3-year-old girl a shot at the American Dream. His cold-blooded murder at the hands of a dangerous, out-of-control ICE agent \u2014 at the hands of an abuser with a history of violence against his own family \u2014 it\u2019s not only a tragedy for this community, it\u2019s a despicable moral stain on our country as a whole.\n\n\u201cThis isn\u2019t someone ICE was looking for. This isn\u2019t a warrant they were executing. This wasn\u2019t a suspect. He hadn\u2019t done anything illegal. This was a random traffic stop that quickly escalated into outright murder. All with ICE\u2019s bodycams off. Even ICE knew that this had gone horribly wrong. Even they decided to halt all vehicular stops in the aftermath, until Trump reversed that decision\u2026 24 hours later.\n\n\u201cIf this can happen to Johan, it can happen to anyone. If this can happen in Biddeford, Maine, this can happen anywhere. ICE is a danger to every person in every community in which they are active if they are not held accountable. We are witnessing systematic, state-sanctioned terror inflicted on innocent people by their own government.\n\n\u201cAnd we condemn it. House Democrats condemn it. All of us across this country condemn it, except for a specific group.\n\n\u201cRepublicans in the House and in Congress continue to fund, greenlight, and cover up for this reckless agency.\n\n\u201cSo our job here today, together, is to shine a light on the truth. And the truth is these are not protectors of our communities, of our laws, of our borders. This is a masked, secret police force that has terrorized children, trampled on our Constitution, and wielded violence as a political weapon.\n\n\u201cAnd the truth is the American people have had enough. Enough fear. Enough terror. Enough inaction from Republicans that won\u2019t stand up to this injustice.\n\n\u201cSo, we thank you again for being here today. I thank the witnesses, not only for being here today but the work you do across Maine every single day for immigrant communities. And I thank you for speaking out and for sharing your stories. I\u2019m grateful to my colleagues and to the family of Johan Sebasti\u00e1n for this important and urgent discussion. I yield back.\u201d\n\nTo watch the full hearing, click HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-18T05:27:41Z", "2026-08-18T05:29:06Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/17/wcvb-democrats-hold-shadow-hearing-on-deadly-ice-shooting-in-maine/", "WCVB: Democrats hold \u2018shadow hearing\u2019 on deadly ICE shooting in Maine", "2026-08-17", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "BIDDEFORD, Maine \u2014 Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark and other high-ranking Democrats held a hearing in Maine on Monday about the killing of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement\n\nofficer last month, raising questions about the agency\u2019s actions and the information it used during the operation.\n\nFederal investigators said ICE officers opened fire when Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, a Colombian husband and father, drove his car toward an officer.\n\nIn a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said agents were conducting surveillance when a car left the residence. DHS said the driver failed to stop, and an officer opened fire, fearing for public safety. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras.\n\nGuerrero\u2019s parents, Dora Guerrero and Omar Dur\u00e1n Plata, received a standing ovation during the hearing.\n\nSpeaking through a translator, they said, \u201cI ask only of God and the justice system that my son\u2019s case be brought to light.\u201d\n\nThe family\u2019s lawyer, Ben Gideon, questioned the legality of the traffic stop.\n\n\u201cThere was no lawful justification for stopping the car in the first place,\u201d Gideon said.\n\nNew details about ICE\u2019s intended target were revealed during the hearing. Maine Rep. Chellie Pingree said, \u201cWe have learned that ICE\u2019s intended target, Johan Sebastian\u2019s roommate and the owner of the car he was driving that morning, also did not have a final removal order.\u201d\n\nIn July, ICE stated it was targeting someone with a \u201cfinal order of removal\u201d and claimed, \u201cThe vehicle attempted to flee the scene and fearing for public safety an officer discharged his weapon.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe know that Johan Sebastian was not the target of the operation. He did not have a final order of removal. He had a pending asylum case and a valid work permit,\u201d Pingree added.\n\nIn the so-called shadow hearing, an unofficial proceeding, representatives heard from Maine\u2019s governor, Biddeford\u2019s mayor, the Guerrero family\u2019s attorney, and immigrant rights advocates. Clark, the Democratic House Whip, was joined by Pingree and Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security.\n\n\u201cThis is a mass secret police force that has terrorized children, trampled on our Constitution and wielded violence as a political weapon,\u201d Clark said.\n\n\u201cIf ICE cannot be reigned in and fundamentally reformed, then it is time to abolish it.\u201d Her remarks were met with cheers,\u201d Mills said.\n\nMonday\u2019s hearing was held in Biddeford, where Guerrero was killed.\n\nGuerrero\u2019s death was the fourth deadly shooting linked to the federal immigration crackdown this year:\n\nRenee Good, 37, was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Agents stopped her sport utility vehicle during demonstrations and opened fire after video showed her pull forward.\n\nJust a few weeks later, federal agents shot and killed VA nurse Alex Pretti, 37, in Minneapolis during a protest. Part of that confrontation was also caught on video.\n\nOn July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, 52, was shot and killed after allegedly trying to evade ICE agents in Houston. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that Araujo, a Mexican national, ignored commands and attempted to ram an agent who fired his weapon in self-defense.\n\nNo one has been charged in connection with any of the deaths.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-20T05:28:41Z", "2026-08-20T05:29:58Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-applauds-harvard-kennedy-school-study-north-south-rail-link-highlights", "Moulton Applauds Harvard Kennedy School Study on North South Rail Link, Highlights Nearly $40 Billion in Total Benefits for Massachusetts", "2026-08-15", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "SALEM, MA \u2014 Today, the Harvard Kennedy School released a comprehensive cost-benefit economic analysis of building the North South Rail Link, finding that the Rail Link would provide an estimated $36.9 billion in total benefits for the Commonwealth at full build.\n\nThe North South Rail Link is a proposed one mile long underground tunnel that would connect North Station and South Station in Boston. The full build proposal for the project would connect the two stations with two tunnels holding two tracks each, alongside a new Central Station in Downtown Boston adjacent to the Aquarium Blue Line station.\n\nCongressman Moulton has been working with the Kennedy School since 2017 to study the Rail Link; this study is the culmination of those efforts and details ridership growth, modeshift from cars to trains, improved job access, and development opportunities.\n\nThe study found that Rail Link would transform Greater Boston and unify the region, massively expanding access to jobs by reducing commute times, slashing wait times for each line, incentivizing transit-oriented development (including desperately-needed housing) near stations and driving massive ridership gains.\n\nResidents would have significantly more freedom to find housing across the region and would save hours each week by avoiding Boston traffic. Commuters living on Northside rail lines\u2014assuming a full build, regional rail, and electrification\u2014would be able to access 147% (136,600) more jobs within one hour on average, while Southside line commuters would be able to access 26% (40,000) more jobs within one hour on average. The average station wait time would be slashed from 34 minutes to less than 10.\n\n\u201cFor decades, we've talked about the North South Rail Link as a nice idea for the future, but this study proves it's an economic necessity for the present,\u201d said Congressman Moulton. \u201cThis project would bring nearly $40 billion in benefits for Massachusetts, and would bring more jobs, shorter commutes, and less time stuck in traffic for families across Massachusetts. This is how we grow our economy, create good-paying jobs, and make Massachusetts a place where people can afford to live, work, and build a future. The case for the North South Rail Link has never been stronger. It\u2019s time to build it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is the first major study to examine the economic benefits of the NSRL\u2014not just the costs,\u201d said Linda Bilmes, Daniel Patrick Moynihan Chair in Public Policy and Public Finance, Harvard Kennedy School. \u201cOur research shows that the benefits outweigh the costs by a large margin that grows over time. Great public projects begin with people imagining bold ideas. Governors Michael Dukakis and William Weld, along with countless other leaders in Massachusetts, have long shared the vision of a fully connected regional rail system. Congressman Seth Moulton is inspiring a new generation to carry that vision forward.\n\n\u201cOur research found that a North-South Rail Link would create jobs, open up housing, connect people to opportunity and reinvigorate Greater Boston for future generations. After decades of asking whether we can do this, perhaps the better question is: why not?\"\n\n\u201cInstead of your train reaching the end of the line at South Station, just imagine it continuing through Boston and connecting you to the entire northern half of the system. Our study puts numbers around those benefits\u2014and finds a compelling economic case for what is really a pretty simple idea.\u201d said Brian Iammartino, Adjunct Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.\n\nCongressman Moulton will continue to advocate for the construction of the North South Rail Link to bring massive transit-oriented development to Massachusetts and to reduce commute times for many.\n\nThe full report can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-19T05:29:02Z", "2026-08-19T05:30:24Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/14/photos-in-everett-rep-pressley-commissioner-randle-convene-urban-farmers-and-environmental-stewards-for-timely-discussion/", "PHOTOS: In Everett, Rep. Pressley, Commissioner Randle Convene Urban Farmers and Environmental Stewards for Timely Discussion", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "\u201cUrban agriculture is about more than just food\u2014it is community in action, promoting food sovereignty, environmental justice, and climate resilience,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cWhile Trump and Republicans attack urban farmers and rip food away from our families, I\u2019m grateful for the meaningful work done by the Commonwealth and cities like Everett to stand in the gap. It was a joy to see this work up close and discuss how we can continue creating more just, equitable, and sustainable communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cUrban agriculture is a movement and practice that helps to transform communities by tackling the root causes of injustices in food systems and nourishing the souls and stomachs of community members,\u201d said Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner Ashley Randle. \u201cI am deeply grateful for the Congresswoman\u2019s tireless advocacy in her district and beyond to ensure community voices are heard so we can continue advancing and deepening our support of urban agriculture across the Commonwealth. Together, we\u2019re working to ensure that all community members have access to local, fresh food.\u201d\n\n\u201cEvents like this are important because they bring together the people working at every level to improve access to fresh, healthy food,\u201d said Mayor Robert J. Van Campen. \u201cHere in Everett, we\u2019re doing our part through our farmers markets, Community Fridge and partnerships with local organizations, while looking for new opportunities to expand urban agriculture and community gardening. I\u2019m proud to see Everett be part of this larger effort to build healthier, more accessible food systems across Massachusetts.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/14/watch-pressley-mcgovern-lynch-conduct-unannounced-oversight-visit-of-plymouth-ice-facility-renew-calls-for-accountability/", "WATCH: Pressley, McGovern, Lynch Conduct Unannounced Oversight Visit of Plymouth ICE Facility, Renew Calls for Accountability", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Pressley Has Conducted Oversight of ICE Facilities in MA and Acrossthe Country, Advocated for Children Detained by ICE, Named Impacted Families as Honorary State of the Union Guests\n\nPressley Has Stood in Vigorous Defense of Immigrant Communities, Fought to Bring Detained Neighbors Home, and Led Efforts to Address Childhood Trauma\n\nMedia Availability (YouTube) | Photos (Dropbox)\n\nPLYMOUTH, MA \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Congressmen James P. McGovern (MA-02) and Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), conducted an unannounced Congressional oversight visit of the Plymouth County Correctional Facility\u2014the only facility in Massachusetts currently holding civil immigration detainees on a long-term basis. Federal law gives members of Congress the authority to conduct unannounced oversight visits of ICE detention facilities without providing advance notice.\n\nFollowing their visit, the lawmakers held a media availability calling for the release of individuals unlawfully imprisoned there and accountability for the harm and trauma caused by Trump and ICE\u2019s campaign of terror. Congresswoman Pressley also called for the release of her constituent Darwin, whose fianc\u00e9e joined the lawmakers following the visit, and who has suffered from traumatic physical injuries and treatment in prior ICE custody and reported lack of access to health assistive devices, potable water, and nourishing food at the Plymouth facility.\n\n\u201cUnder this cruel, lawless Trump administration, families are being separated, children are traumatized, and our communities are suffering,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cI came to Plymouth to conduct an oversight visit of a major detention facility in our state, check on my constituents, and demand accountability of ICE as they deny the humanity and rights of our community members. Learning of the trauma experienced by innocent individuals like my constituent Darwin and his fianc\u00e9 are a damning reminder of the injustice of these detentions and the need to abolish ICE, end qualified immunity for ICE agents, and stop Trump and ICE\u2019s campaign of terror. Today, I am more resolute than ever in my fight for the freedom, dignity, and humanity of our immigrant neighbors.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn 2018, I became the first Member of Congress to demand that we abolish ICE,\u201d said Congressman McGovern. \u201cAfter hearing heartbreaking stories today at the Plymouth detention facility from folks who were abducted by ICE on their way to work and ripped away from their families, my resolve to abolish ICE has never been stronger. Under orders from the Trump administration, masked federal agents are terrorizing our communities, stalking our streets, and executing American citizens in broad daylight with impunity. Any American with a conscience must join us in calling for this rogue agency to be abolished, for ICE agents to be held accountable, and for the human rights and dignity of immigrants to be respected without condition.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile President Trump claims that ICE operations are targeting the \u201cworst of the worst,\u201d the individuals in ICE custody that we met with today included a police officer and construction workers who were on the job with valid work permits and active Social Security numbers. In fact, many of the individuals in ICE detention at the Plymouth Correctional Facility have open immigration cases and prior to their arbitrary arrests, were seeking to comply with the formal processes governing applications for immigrant visas, asylum, and humanitarian parole. Absent substantive reforms including body camera requirements, a prohibition on agents wearing masks, the termination of arbitrary enforcement operations, and the adoption of humane use of force standards, ICE will continue to operate outside the law and we must keep fighting to oppose agency funding,\u201d said Rep. Lynch. \u201cWe must also keep exercising our legal right, as Members of Congress, to conduct unannounced oversight inspections of ICE detention facilities to better ensure that individuals in custody are treated humanely and that ICE is transparent and accountable to the American people.\u201d\n\nIn Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in pushing back against Trump, defending our immigrant neighbors, and calling for ICE to be abolished. Rep. Pressley has visited individuals behind the wall at detention facilities in Texas, Louisiana, and Massachusetts and leads legislation to bring accountability to families whose loved ones have been murdered and harmed by ICE agents, including the DHS Use of Force Transparency Act and the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act.\n\nA transcript of Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s remarks is available below and the video from the media availability is available here. Photos from the visit are available here.\n\nTranscript: Rep. Pressley\u2019s Remarks Following Unannounced Oversight Visit of Plymouth ICE Facility\n\nU.S. House of Representatives\n\nAugust 14, 2026\n\nWell, and let me just, you know\u2014I know technically they are characterized as detainees\u2014but just to center their humanity, today we met with Jose, we met with Alexis, we met with Darwin.\n\nThese are sons. These are fathers. These are husbands. Men who are loved by their families, whose labor is valued and essential to the functioning of our communities and our economies. They are sorely missed by their families, and they desperately miss their families.\n\nJose, for example, 30 years old, has a four-year-old and a two-year-old. He\u2019s never met his two-year-old daughter Ariella\u2014Ariela, rather. And as Jim mentioned, he was a police officer in Ecuador, and in his time spent here, he has worked in construction.\n\nWe met with, with Darwin and Alexis, and both talked about how they miss working, and they\u2019re, they\u2019re eager to get back to work. They find dignity in their work, they take pride in their work. They take pride in the role that they play, many of them as the sole breadwinners in their families, not only their families here, but money that they are sending back to countries like Ecuador, Honduras.\n\nI asked about where are most of the detainees from, and the countries were Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Honduras, with some rare exceptions.\n\nBut what is very clear is that this is a waste of money and a waste of time. And for what? We have separated families. We are causing trauma, and we have people that are providing valuable contributions to community, of which we are all being denied.\n\nSo it is a tremendous injustice to these families and a great disservice to our communities writ-large.\n\nOne of the, one of the men that we met with, Darwin. This is his fianc\u00e9 Angelina, and I\u2019m going to turn things over to her in a moment. But I want to say two things.\n\nI\u2019ve said repeatedly that our strategy as a Democratic caucus is litigation, legislation, agitation, when necessary, and mobilization.\n\nThe reason we could do this unannounced visit today is because of litigation initiated by our task force, and because that, the court sided with Joe Neguse, Congressman Neguse, and the rest of us who signed on to that\u2014that is why we could do this today.\n\nSo, although the work of litigation can move more slowly than we would like, that is why we could do this unannounced visit today.\n\nSecondly, I reinforced for Jose, Alexis, and Darwin that there are people who\u2019ve never met them, who care about them, and are fighting for their freedom. And they all expressed the relief that they felt in knowing that, that they had not been forgotten.\n\nAnd so, in that aim, I also want to acknowledge that since two of the gentlemen here who were arrested and detained were picked up in Vermont, and so we made sure they knew that Senator Welch and Senator Sanders, that we were here, you know, in their stead, and again that there are people working vigorously on their behalf.\n\nAnd so I now turn it over to Angelina to tell more of Darwin\u2019s story.\n\n\u2014\n\nAs immigrant communities have been under siege by the Trump administration, Rep. Pressley has been a leading voice in pushing back and defending our immigrant neighbors.\n\nIn the Massachusetts 7th, Rep. Pressley has supported the many families torn apart and children suffering from the detention of a loved one\u2014including harrowing attacks on Massachusetts families in their daily lives, abductions of dedicated workers at the Allston car wash, visiting Tufts graduate student R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk during her unlawful detention and pushing to bring her home, and more.\n\nRep. Pressley has shone light on the inhumane attacks by ICE on immigrant communities and pushed back against the reckless agency. During Oversight Democrats\u2019 bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley highlighted the urgency of the moment by uplifting stories of traumatized community members she met with during her trip to Minnesota with Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) and invoking the horrifying detention case of five-year-old Liam Ramos.\n\nRep. Pressley has stridently condemned the trauma that Trump\u2019s terror ICE campaign is forcing upon children. Rep. Pressley\u2019s advocacy to protect children from abuse and trauma dates back to her days as a Boston City Councilor. In her first term in Congress, she partnered with the late Chairman Elijah Cummings to hold the first Congressional hearing on childhood trauma on the Committee on Oversight and Reform.\n\nRep. Pressley leads the STRONG Support for Children Act, which would support communities in addressing childhood trauma through healing-centered, neighborhood-based, gender-responsive, culturally specific, and trauma-informed approaches that acknowledge the impact of systemic racism and inequities over generations.\n\nDuring her time in Congress, Congresswoman Pressley has been a leading advocate for a just and humane criminal legal system, and has visited prisons in Louisiana, Texas, California, and Massachusetts to hear from detainees, advocate for them, and conduct oversight on the conditions in which they are being detained. Rep. Pressley\u2019s visit to Louisiana is a continuation of her advocacy for a People\u2019s Justice Guarantee, her comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system.\n\nIn May 2026, Rep. Pressley pushed for the closure of the Dilley Detention Center and other detention facilities committing human rights abuses. In a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley emphasized the state-inflicted trauma imposed on children by detention centers.\n\nIn April 2026, the House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s bipartisan discharge petition by a vote of 220-207 to extend Haiti TPS for three years. Congresswoman Pressley won a key procedural vote on the discharge petition and managed debate on the House floor prior to the successful final passage vote. Last month, Rep. Pressley\u2019s discharge petition successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support\u2014only the 15th discharge petition to do so in the last 40 years.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley visited the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Boston Field Office in Burlington, to conduct oversight of the operations and conditions of the facility. Rep. Pressley engaged with ICE staff and leadership in a closed-door tour and discussion in the facility.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Dave Min (CA-47) introduced the DHS Use of Force Transparency Act of 2026 to \u200b\u200bincrease transparency and government oversight regarding injuries and deaths caused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.\n\nIn February 2026, during Oversight Democrats\u2019 bicameral shadow hearing on the use of violence by ICE, Rep. Pressley demanded Congress end qualified immunity to ensure federal law enforcement officers are held accountable for breaking the law and murdering civilians. Rep. Pressley called on her colleagues not to settle for bare minimum reforms in funding negotiations for the Department of Homeland Security, instead urging them to fight to rebalance power and restore accountability.\n\nIn February 2026, Rep. Pressley convened immigrant entrepreneurs and small business owners, community advocates, and municipal leaders to hear of the essential role that immigrant-owned small businesses play in Massachusetts\u2019 economy and communities and how they are suffering under Trump\u2019s attacks.\n\nIn January 2026, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey held a field hearing with members of the Haitian community on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. Testimony was documented in the Congressional Record.\n\nIn January 2026, at the invitation of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Congresswoman Pressley went to Minneapolis to meet with organizers and community members impacted by ICE\u2019s violent operation in Minnesota, where they have murdered bystanders, terrorized schools and small businesses, and abducted children and parents.\n\nFollowing the ICE murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, Congresswoman Pressley and Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the Qualified Immunity Abolition Act of 2026, which builds on the lawmakers\u2019 prior work by granting victims the right to sue federal law enforcement officers\u2014not just state and local\u2014for civil rights violations and abolishing the defense of qualified immunity in these suits. The expanded legislation would help deliver accountability for families abused by law enforcement, including ICE agents.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley delivered a floor speech on the need to end qualified immunity for federal law enforcement, including immigration officers. Watch the floor speech here.\n\nIn January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley condemned the ICE murder of Renee Good in Minnesota and motioned to subpoena all records and footage related to the shooting, but Republicans obstructed it. Footage of Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s motion to subpoena is here.\n\nIn December 2025, Rep. Pressley convened and welcomed home the workers and families impacted by the cruel and unlawful ICE raid at an Allston car wash in November. Rep. Pressley delivered a powerful speech on the House floor condemning the Allston ICE raid and defended the vibrant immigrant communities who are being maliciously stolen from their homes, ripped from their families, and unlawfully detained and deported by the Trump Administration and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).\n\nIn June 2025, Congresswoman Pressley convened immigrant justice advocates, local leaders, and impacted families to tell Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): Hands off our immigrant neighbors.\n\nRep. Pressley has also been an outspoken critic against the unlawful detention of R\u00fcmeysa \u00d6zt\u00fcrk, a Tufts PhD student, Somerville resident, and constituent of the Congresswoman\u2019s who was unlawfully detained for weeks in retaliation for her protected speech. After weeks of advocacy and Congressional oversight, including a visit to detention centers in Louisiana, Rep. Pressley and Senator Ed Markey welcomed Ms. \u00d6zt\u00fcrk to Massachusetts following her arrival from ICE detention in Louisiana.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3829", "Trahan Celebrates $140 Million in Federal Funding for Haverhill Line Improvements", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) joined Governor Maura Healey in announcing a $139.6 million investment from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to make major improvements to the Haverhill Commuter Rail line, helping deliver faster, safer and more reliable service for thousands of riders every day.\n\nThe funding will support the final design and construction of the Haverhill Double-Track Project, a major upgrade project that will add approximately 6.8 miles of new track between Reading and Andover to allow trains traveling in opposite directions to keep moving instead of waiting for one another. The project will also upgrade four stations in Reading, North Wilmington, Ballardvale and Andover with high-level platforms, to make those stations more accessible, and will modernize signals to improve safety at 15 rail crossings.\n\nThe federal funding will be matched by $34.9 million from the MBTA, bringing the total investment in the Haverhill Line project to $174.5 million.\n\n\u201cThis is a significant federal investment in the future of commuter rail across the Merrimack Valley. This funding will deliver faster, more reliable service for riders in Haverhill, Lawrence, and communities throughout the region, along with safer crossings and modernized stations that are fully accessible to seniors and riders with disabilities,\u201d said Congresswoman Lori Trahan. \u201cI've been proud to fight alongside Governor Healey for federal funding like this because Massachusetts families deserve a transit system they can count on.\u201d\n\n\u201cSince taking office, we\u2019ve made historic investments to turn the T around, and riders are seeing the difference with fewer slow zones and more reliable service,\u201d said Governor Maura Healey. \u201cNow we\u2019re keeping that momentum going. This $140 million award will help us make major improvements to the Haverhill Line that mean fewer delays, safer and more accessible stations, and better service for riders. We\u2019re grateful to our federal delegation for helping us bring this funding home to Massachusetts.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis $140 million investment is not only going to make major safety, reliability, and accessibility impact along the Haverhill Commuter Rail Line, but it will also directly support Amtrak Downeaster operations and freight rail,\u201d said Interim Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. \u201cNew double track gives us more operational flexibility and the ability to decrease commute time along the line. Upgrading four stations with high-level platforms is another step closer to a fully accessible MBTA system, and modernizing our signals will help to move trains more safely and reliably through the intercity area. Improving freight allows for more efficient movement of goods and helps to control costs for the public. I\u2019m grateful for the leadership of Governor Healey to make these continued improvements possible and for our Congressional Delegation, MassDOT, and the MBTA for advocating for this funding with the foresight that it will have benefits for decades to come. I also want to thank the Federal Railroad Administration for their partnership and ability to move this project forward and through construction.\u201d\n\nWhat This Means for Riders\n\nToday, parts of the Haverhill Line have only one track, which means a train sometimes has to wait for another train traveling in the opposite direction to pass. If there is a problem with a train or the track, that single-track section can also cause delays to ripple across the line.\n\nThis project will add nearly seven miles of second track between Reading and Andover, allowing trains to move in both directions at the same time and giving the MBTA more options to keep service moving when problems arise. It will also make it easier for crews to perform maintenance without disrupting service or requiring shuttle buses.\n\nApproximately 10 miles of new fencing will also be installed along the corridor between Andover and Reading to help prevent unauthorized access to the tracks.\n\nThe project will also make Reading, North Wilmington, Ballardvale and Andover stations more accessible by adding high-level platforms that allow riders to step directly between the platform and train. The MBTA will improve signals at 15 rail crossings, eliminate the Tewksbury Street crossing in Andover and install approximately 10 miles of new fencing to improve safety along the tracks.\n\nThe improvements will benefit not only MBTA Commuter Rail riders but also Amtrak\u2019s Downeaster service, which operates between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, and CSX freight service. By removing delays and increasing capacity, the project will strengthen passenger and freight rail connections throughout the region and support future improvements to rail service.\n\nThis funding is the latest championed by Congresswoman Trahan to support transportation-related projects throughout the district. Just this year, Trahan secured $1.2 million in federal funding for bridge improvements in Lawrence. Last year, she celebrated alongside Governor Maura Healey $251 million in federal funding secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Rourke Bridge Replacement Project in Lowell. Trahan also secured $7,158,564 for the Lowell Regional Transit Authority and $7,194,360 for the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority to purchase new buses and improve service, helping better connect communities across the district.\n\n##", 1, "2026-08-15T05:23:20Z", "2026-08-15T05:24:50Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/14/neal-statement-on-the-91st-anniversary-of-social-security/", "Neal Statement on the 91st Anniversary of Social Security", "2026-08-14", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement celebrating the 91st anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law:\n\n\u201cSocial Security is an enduring promise that after a lifetime of work, every American can retire with dignity, security, and peace of mind. For 91 years, it has served as a pillar of economic security that has uplifted countless workers and families in times of new beginnings, uncertainty, and loss.\n\n\u201cRepublicans continue to threaten that promise with their repeated attempts to dismantle and privatize the system. Trump has hollowed out the Social Security Administration by slashing thousands of staff and putting people\u2019s most sensitive data at risk, creating new challenges for seniors, people with disabilities, and survivors to access their Social Security benefits.\n\n\u201cOur fight to beat back the Republican sabotage is unwavering, as is our commitment to ensuring Social Security is stronger 91 years from now than it is today, because a promise earned over a lifetime of work must be a promise kept.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400391", "McGovern, Castro lead 5 Members of Congress in asking new Colombian President to support broad range of shared priorities including human rights", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, along with Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Westen Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and five other House Members sent a letter to new Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella supporting continued partnership between the United States and Colombia on a broad range of shared priorities.\n\n\u201cThe United States and Colombia have worked in close partnership on a broad range of shared priorities, including security, counternarcotics cooperation, peace, trade and investment, education, migration, the promotion of labor and human rights, and the rights and inclusion of Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities,\u201d wrote Representatives McGovern and the other Members of Congress. \u201cThis partnership has transcended partisan divides, regardless of who leads our nations.\u201d\n\nAbelardo Gabriel De La Espriella was sworn in as President of Colombia on August 7, 2026, after narrowly winning the runoff election on June 21.\n\nIn the letter, the Members of Congress say, \u201dwe stand ready to work with your administration to address these challenges and advance our shared interests,\u201d and make the following points:\n\n\u201cColombia's complex and longstanding security challenges require \u2026 sustained collaboration with civil society, a stronger civilian state presence, and viable economic alternatives that allow communities to turn away from illicit activities;\u201d\n\n\u201c[S]ignificant inequalities in access to education, employment, and economic opportunity remain, particularly for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities and for those from rural and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds\u201d that must be addressed; and\n\n\u201cThe 2016 peace accord, which the U.S. Congress supported on a bipartisan basis, remains a cornerstone for addressing the structural challenges facing your nation. Its transitional justice system, lauded by experts worldwide, remains the most sophisticated model available for advancing truth, justice, and accountability for the many crimes committed by parties to the conflict.\u201d\n\nThe five other members who signed the letter include Representatives Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Dina Titus (D-NV).", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/13/video-pressley-community-leaders-call-for-shift-in-national-priorities-away-from-war-toward-our-families/", "VIDEO: Pressley, Community Leaders Call for Shift in National Priorities: Away from War, Toward Our Families", "2026-08-13", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Transcript: Pressley, Community Leaders Call for Shift in National Priorities: Away from War, Toward Our Families\n\nAugust 12, 2026\n\nBoston, MA\n\nFor those of you who don\u2019t know me well, quickly, I represent the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District. I\u2019ve been in Congress now for eight years.\n\nI represent a district that is vibrant, diverse, and dynamic, and deeply unequal. And it is addressing those inequities and disparities that drives my work every single day to improve the legacy and change the outcomes of this district, where in a three-mile radius from Cambridge to Roxbury, life expectancy drops by 30 years, and median household income by $50,000.\n\nThat is the question that is at the core of my work every single day. I am also a lover of poetry, and so I\u2019ll begin my remarks with the words of the great immortal poet Tupac Shakur, \u201cthey got money for wars, can\u2019t feed the poor.\u201d\n\nAnd so that\u2019s what brings us here today, because every day I\u2019m hearing from community members about how they\u2019re struggling to make ends meet, to afford rent, to keep food on the table, you know, they\u2019re rationing inhalers and rationing insulin.\n\nAnd not only do these choices that are forced upon our neighbors infuriate me, but what really upsets me is that these injustices are not naturally occurring. They are man-made. They are manufactured. They are the results of intentional policy and budgetary choices.\n\nAnd so, when we say equality is the point, we mean it. Because yeah, we get it, elections have consequences, but the fact that this is what you choose to do with your power and your authority and a governing majority. This is what you choose to do: to kick people off of health care, to deny hungry people food?\n\nYou know, Coretta Scott King said, \u201cStarving a child is violence. Medical neglect is violence. Contempt for the working man is violence.\u201d This is violence. These choices are violent.\n\nToday, thanks to Trump\u2019s Big Betrayal of a Bill, nearly 175,000 of our most vulnerable neighbors in Massachusetts have lost access to SNAP benefits. We\u2019re just talking about $6 a day, $2 per meal, and then over 320,000 of our neighbors are estimated to lose their health insurance.\n\nSo we\u2019re here today in condemnation of this, in rejection of this, in resistance of this. We\u2019re here in solidarity with our neighbors and in defiance of these policies, and we must be defiant.\n\nDonald Trump is a dictator, and history has shown us that appeasement does not work. The only way to be a dictator is with defiance.\n\nAnd so, again, you could have been anywhere else today. I thank you for your defiance in showing up here today. You know, in the midst of what is a war of choice, it is a manufactured illegal war unauthorized by the Congress that has destabilized a region, impacting over a dozen countries.\n\nThis war has claimed at least the lives of 18 American service members, hundreds of innocent Iranian children. This is state-sponsored terror and a complete failure.\n\nAnd moreover, even people who voted for Donald Trump didn\u2019t vote for this. He said he was going to be a president of peace. He\u2019s renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War. He\u2019s out here making reckless decisions that this is some sort of video game and not people\u2019s real lives.\n\nHe continues to peddle chaos and fear to distract us from his incompetent leadership.\n\nIt is much easier instead for this man to scapegoat immigrants, to vilify our neighbors, than to make good on his promises.\n\nIt\u2019s much easier to inflate the military budget to $1.5 trillion and throw our country deeper into an endless war with Iran than to create lasting peace.\n\nIt is much easier to strong arm Republicans in Congress to authorize a no-strings-attached $70 billion check for rogue, murderous agencies abducting our immigrant neighbors than to fix our broken immigration system.\n\nNow, let me also just say this: two sides of the same evil for-profit coin. Whether you\u2019re talking about the incentivizing, for-profit incentivizing of criminalizing and incarcerating low-income and Black folks and our mass incarceration system\u2014the same corporations are motivated and benefit by mass deportation, mass kidnapping, mass detainment.\n\nSo if you care about mass incarceration, you should also care about mass kidnappings. That\u2019s what they are, because it\u2019s a complete violation of constitutional rights. Mass detainment and deportation. This is a for-profit system, two evil sides of the same coin.\n\nToday, Trump has spent over $260 billion in this mass deportation campaign. Your money, your tax dollars, are being used to harass, abduct, abuse, and to murder law-abiding people, most of whom have no criminal record and have lived in the United States for decades and contributed to our communities.\n\nWhen I have visited these detention facilities, these concentration camps, I\u2019ve met people that were disappeared, kidnapped on their way to church, on their way to work, on their way to exercise, on their way school shopping.\n\nThey were roofers, landscapers, delivery drivers, daycare providers, Dreamers, undocumented workers, TPS holders from Haiti, Nepal, El Salvador, and Venezuela.\n\nSo these are our neighbors, the people that we love, the people that we live with, and work and worship with.\n\nThe same folks who care for our elders, build our homes, and are the backbone of our economy.\n\nAnd that\u2019s why we can\u2019t stand idly by.\n\nAnd that\u2019s why I\u2019m here, not just as a neighbor, not just as your Congresswoman, but just as a human being who gives a damn about other human beings.\n\nAnd I\u2019m so grateful to Massachusetts Peace Action, to the various advocates for justice, who believe another and a better world is possible-one that is war-free.\n\nAnd that is also why I was proud to vote yes on the War Powers Resolution to stop Trump\u2019s war on Iran and upon the constitutional power of Congress to authorize a war.\n\nThat is also why I was proud to partner and to work with all of you to pass my bill to extend TPS for Haiti, even in a Republican majority.\n\nAnd that is exactly why I\u2019ll continue holding the Trump Administration accountable to end this illegal war, to protect our communities from chaos and harm of an authoritarian administration.\n\nSo again, thank you all for making it easier for me to practice the discipline of hope.\n\nThank you all for being the light in the midst of so much darkness.\n\nAnd I also want to thank you, not only for your partnership, but I thank you for holding me accountable.\n\nI thank many of you in this room for being teachers to me in this broader movement and the work of peace.\n\nThank you.", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400389", "McGovern Tells Secretary Rubio: Prioritize Human Rights in Engagement with Central Sahel", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014Today, Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to center human rights and civilian protection in all United States engagement in the Central Sahel, a region in West Africa that encompasses Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.\n\nCiting expert testimony delivered at a May 14 hearing of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the letter raises alarms about the \u201cprecarity and violence of life in the region, which boasts the world\u2019s fastest growing theaters for armed Islamists allied to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.\u201d It notes that \u201csecurity forces in the Central Sahel have adopted an aggressive counterterrorism approach and themselves been implicated in widespread violations of international humanitarian law.\u201d\n\n\u201cHuman rights violations and war crimes by government forces and their allies are significant drivers of recruitment into armed groups,\u201d McGovern wrote. \u201cFor this reason, meaningful improvement in the regional security situation cannot be achieved unless human rights and civilian protection are treated as the non-negotiable foundation of engagement with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.\u201d\n\nThe letter calls on Secretary Rubio to:\n\nEnsure that any provision of foreign assistance occurs in strict compliance with human rights conditions in U.S. law;\n\nDesignate human rights violators for targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act;\n\nProvide public explanation of the lifting of sanctions on individuals who could be implicated in serious human rights abuses, such as the February 2026 delisting of three Malian officials linked to Russia's abusive Wagner Group;\n\nConsistent with the Elie Wiesel Act, assess the risk of future atrocities in the Central Sahel and report to Congress on regional atrocity prevention;\n\nDemand the immediate release of arbitrarily detained political figures, journalists, and civil society;\n\nSupport inclusive, local peace processes; and\n\nIncrease humanitarian and development aid for essential local services to minimize the grievances that extremist groups exploit.\n\nThe full text of the letter is available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/12/news-in-hyde-park-pressley-markey-advocates-celebrate-850000-delivered-for-lgbtq-senior-housing-at-the-pryde/", "NEWS: In Hyde Park, Pressley, Markey, Advocates Celebrate $850,000 Delivered for LGBTQ+ Senior Housing at The Pryde", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Funds Have Supported the Construction of 74 Units of High-Quality, Service-Enriched Affordable Housing for Seniors in Boston\n\nPhoto | Video\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA) visited Hyde Park to celebrate the $850,000 in federal community project funding they helped deliver, in partnership with Senator Elizabeth Warren, for The Pryde, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors in Hyde Park. The federal dollars, secured at the end of the Biden-Harris Administration, have supported the conversion of a former Boston Public School building into 74 units of high-quality, service-enriched affordable housing for seniors in Boston.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley and Senator Markey toured the facility and participated in a roundtable discussion with residents and community partners. Joining them at the event were Gretchen Van Ness, Executive Director, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc., The Pryde leadership and staff, and residents and community members.\n\n\u201cWhile the Trump Administration attacks our LGBTQ+ siblings and guts essential housing programs, I\u2019m so proud to help deliver these funds and help seniors in the Massachusetts 7th access the affordable housing and community space they deserve,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cIt was a joy to join Senator Markey and our advocates to see the progress being made at The Pryde, and I am more resolved than ever to continue advancing housing justice and help our elders age with dignity.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Pryde is setting the gold standard for what affordable senior housing should be,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cI\u2019m so proud of the joyful community created here by our advocates and partners who know that every LGBTQ+ senior deserves a safe, dignified place to live. It was wonderful to join Representative Pressley today in celebrating this funding for The Pryde, and I\u2019m grateful to have her as a champion fighting with me to protect our LGBTQ+ community.\u201d\n\n\u201cBuilding communities likes The Pryde would not be possible without the support and advocacy of our Congressional delegation. We are forever grateful to Congresswoman Pressley for refusing to back down when Republicans stripped Community Project Funding from the House appropriations bill, and we are forever grateful to Senators Markey and Warren for joining in the fight to restore that funding,\u201d said Gretchen Van Ness, Executive Director, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc. \u201cThe federal Community Project Funding awarded to LGBTQ Senior Housing supports low-income seniors and the underserved Hyde Park community with innovative programs and services that celebrate and serve some of the most vulnerable and marginalized elders in our community. Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s tireless advocacy and support has helped make The Pryde a model for welcoming affordable senior housing for the nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Pryde represents what is possible when federal, city, and non-profit leaders unite behind a shared goal of creating a community where every resident feels safe, valued, and at home,\u201d said Age Strong Commissioner Emily K. Shea. \u201cThrough this strong public-private partnership with LGBT Senior Housing, Inc., we are delivering the innovative housing and programming that every older adult in Boston deserves.\u201d\n\nPhotos from the event are available here and video is available here.\n\nThe funding was included in a series of FY24 government funding bills and was passed after Rep. Pressley worked closely with Senators Warren and Markey to secure the funding after Republicans callously stripped it from a House appropriations bill.\n\nIn November 2023, Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she slammed House Republicans for advancing a housing appropriations bill that excluded critical funding for The Pryde and affirmed her support for the project and the LGBTQ+ community writ large.\n\nRep. Pressley championed funding for The Pryde in this year\u2019s Community Project Funding process. The project \u2013 which despite Republicans\u2019 bigoted ideological opposition to it \u2013 met the requirements for Community Project Funding and will support the conversion of a former Boston Public School building into 74 units of high-quality, service-enriched affordable housing for seniors in Boston. The project will also include 10,000 square feet of community space and help close the gap between the capital funding secured at the launch of this project and the increasing cost to complete it.\n\nIn 2022, Rep. Pressley delivered remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for The Pryde in Hyde Park. Full video of the ceremony is available here and photos are available here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3828", "Trahan Announces $161K in Federal Funding to Support Local Law Enforcement", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Lori Trahan", "T000482", "trahan.house.gov", "trahan", "https://trahan.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) announced a total of $161,035 in federal funding secured to support law enforcement initiatives in Lawrence, Lowell, Haverhill, Fitchburg, and Marlborough. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Justice\u2019s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) Program.\n\n\u201cOur police officers show up for us every day, and this funding helps us show up for them. Byrne JAG grants put real tools in the hands of local departments so officers can do their jobs as safely and efficiently as possible. That means safer communities for all of us to call home,\u201d said Congresswoman Trahan. \u201cI fought for this funding because our local departments asked for it, and I'll keep working to deliver what they need to protect our communities.\u201d\n\nSpecific funding allocations include::\n\nLawrence: $43,500 to enhance public safety and combat violent crime by modernizing its patrol technology and improving officers\u2019 ability to respond quickly and effectively in the field. By providing officers with reliable, modern technology, the project aims to improve operational efficiency, support data-driven crime prevention, and strengthen the safety of Lawrence residents and businesses.\n\nLowell: $41,462 to support the Lowell Police Department\u2019s goal of strengthening its crime prevention, intelligence, and community engagement efforts by investing in personnel, training, and resources that support data-driven and evidence-based policing. Byrne JAG funding will support a Crime Analyst in the Crime Analysis and Intelligence Unit, as well as a Grant Research Analyst and Program Manager in the Research and Development Unit, helping the Department better identify crime trends, develop effective strategies, and maximize available resources.\n\nHaverhill: $39,354 for the City\u2019s goal to enhance officer and community safety by strengthening de-escalation capabilities and providing officers with effective, less-lethal options when responding to volatile or aggressive situations. Continued investment in the Taser 10 program will help reduce use-of-force incidents and associated injuries, ensure officers have the training and equipment necessary to respond safely and proportionally, mitigate legal liability and associated costs, and strengthen community trust through safer, more measured policing practices.\n\nFitchburg: $20,134 for the Fitchburg Police Department\u2019s goal of enhancing officer safety and emergency response capabilities by providing officers with modern protective equipment for high-risk and rapidly evolving incidents. This investment will strengthen the Department\u2019s readiness to respond to violent encounters and emergencies, reduce risks to responding personnel, and improve the Department\u2019s ability to protect both officers and community members.\n\nMarlborough: $16,585 to improve operational efficiency, strengthen internal coordination, and enhance public safety through the continued use and expansion of the City\u2019s Systemsworks Detail Tracking System. Continued investment in this technology will also support data-driven personnel deployment, reduce payroll errors, strengthen compliance with labor agreements, and ensure the Department can maintain efficient, coordinated operations while continuing to provide high-quality service to Marlborough residents.\n\nSince taking office in 2019, Trahan has consistently supported increased funding for the Byrne JAG program and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, the two main initiatives that direct federal funding to local police departments. In 2024, she helped bring over $140,000 to MA-03 police departments. In 2025, Trahan supported legislation containing $964 million in funding for the Byrne JAG program, a $417 million increase from when she first took office, and $800 million for the COPS program, a $457 million increase since 2019.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/12/common-dreams-new-inflation-numbers-prove-catastrophic-mismanagement-of-our-economy-by-trump/", "Common Dreams: New Inflation Numbers Prove \u2018Catastrophic Mismanagement of Our Economy\u2019 by Trump", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "As Americans continue to struggle with the cost of gasoline, groceries, healthcare, housing, and more under President Donald Trump, congressional Democrats and economists on Wednesday used his own government\u2019s latest inflation figures to call out the Republican\u2019s handling of the US economy.\n\nThe US Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the consumer price index\u2014a measure of goods and services bought by households\u2014increased 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted basis in July after falling 0.4% in June. The annual inflation rate was 3.4% before seasonal adjustment.\n\nThe brief reprieve for American consumers in June was tied to Trump\u2019s illegal Iran War cooling off a bit, so the new numbers were expected, given the ramped-up hostilities that followed and persist. The conflict and its various consequences are expected to hurt Republicans in the November elections.\n\n\u201cPrices started climbing again in July, and Trump\u2019s catastrophic mismanagement of our economy means more spikes in the months ahead,\u201d warned Alex Jacquez, a former Obama administration official who is now senior vice president of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, in a statement.\n\n\u201cThe president said it himself: He is only \u2018semi-negotiating\u2019 an end to the war, all while slapping new tariffs on 99% of our imported goods,\u201d noted Jacquez. \u201cTrump is not serious about bringing much-needed relief to working families who are weary of higher prices at the pump and on the shelves, and who are pessimistic about an economy that is bleeding jobs.\u201d\n\nUS Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Wednesday that \u201cas inflation continues to spiral out of control and gas prices remain well above $4, this is how Donald Trump is spending your taxpayer dollars. $900 million for a gilded ballroom at the White House. $0 to lower your costs. The Trump White House in a nutshell.\u201d\n\nHouse Budget Committee Ranking Member Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) recalled when Trump was asked in May how much \u201cAmericans\u2019 financial situations\u201d were on his mind as he tried to negotiate an end to the Iran War, and the president replied, \u201cNot even a little bit,\u201d then returned to his misleading talking points on nuclear weapons.\n\n\u201cMonth after month, Donald Trump continues to prove that he doesn\u2019t \u2018think about Americans\u2019 financial situation,\u2019\u201d Boyle said. \u201cOver the last year and a half, Trump and Republicans in Washington have ripped healthcare away from millions of Americans, forced families to pay expensive tariff taxes, and started a disastrous war with Iran.\u201d\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s report is yet another reminder that Trump\u2019s promise to lower costs on \u2018Day One\u2019 was a lie,\u201d the congressman added. \u201cAmerican families deserve better.\u201d\n\nHouse Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) declared on social media Wednesday, \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s economy is a disaster.\u201d\n\n\u201cHis war is spiking gas costs. Wages are down. Inflation is up,\u201d she said, looking to the midterms. \u201cIn November, Democrats will take back the House and fight for an affordable America.\u201d\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/12/the-center-square-house-democrats-to-hold-congressional-field-hearing-on-ice-shooting-in-maine/", "The Center Square: House Democrats to hold congressional field hearing on ICE shooting in Maine", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "U.S. House Democrats will be holding their second field hearing next week to address fatal shootings committed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.\n\nU.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-ME, has organized the hearing, \u201cSeeking Justice in Biddeford\u201d to conduct oversight of ICE\u2019s use of force after the July 13 ICE fatal shooting of Colombian national Johan Sebasti\u00e1n Dur\u00e1n Guerrero, in Biddeford, Maine.\n\nThe hearing will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 17 at Biddeford High School\u2019s Little Theater.\n\nIt\u2019s the second congressional field hearing in less than a month after members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, all Democrats, held a hearing in Houston, Texas. The hearing addressed the July 7 ICE fatal shooting of Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. Less than a week later, another ICE agent shot and killed Guerrero in Biddeford.\n\nIn both cases, the men weren\u2019t persons of interest that ICE agents were looking for during targeted enforcement operations, officials said. In both cases, the Department of Homeland Security said in separate statements that both men drove their vehicles toward ICE agents who fired in self-defense, killing them.\n\nIn both cases, witnesses and family members dispute the claims made by DHS and ICE, arguing the men didn\u2019t \u201cweaponize\u201d their vehicles and were unarmed. Multiple investigations are ongoing into both shootings. Maine\u2019s bipartisan delegation called for the DHS Inspector General to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and expedited investigation. A state AG investigation is also underway.\n\nAt the Houston hearing, Hispanic Caucus Chair U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-NY, said eight people, including two U.S. citizens, have been killed by ICE agents so far during the second Trump administration, The Center Square reported.\n\nNext week, scheduled speakers include Biddeford Mayor Liam LaFountain, Guerrero family legal representative Ben Gideon, Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project executive director Sue Roche and Maine Immigrants\u2019 Rights Coalition executive director Mufalo Chitam.\n\nU.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., ranking member of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security will co-lead the hearing as he did in Houston. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and other Democratic members of Congress will also participate, according to an announcement from Pingree\u2019s office.\n\nNo Republican members have yet to announce their attendance. However, LaFountain said he hopes that Republican members of Congress will attend \u201cbecause this is an issue that deserves serious attention and oversight from across the political spectrum,\u201d Maine Morning Star reported. \u201cFederal authority must come with federal accountability, and Congress has an important role to play in providing that oversight when the exercise of federal authority results in the death of a member of our community.\u201d\n\nOn Tuesday, more than 150 people protested outside of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins\u2019 Biddeford office, holding \u201cICE OUT!\u201d signs. The protest was organized by Maine People\u2019s Alliance and Center for Popular Democracy, Maine Morning Star reported.\n\nCollins, running for reelection to her sixth term, has recently dropped in the polls. Her challenger, Democrat Troy Jackson, is ahead by 4 points, according to the polling.\n\nHouse Democrats began holding field hearings after assaults against ICE agents are up 1,300% since the Biden administration. Vehicular attacks against ICE agents are up 3,200%; death threats are up by 8,000%, The Center Square reported.\n\nThe hearings are also being held as U.S. citizens continue to raise concerns about ICE agent actions.\n\nIn a video posted on social media on Tuesday, a recorded altercation with ICE agents in Virginia appears to show one ICE agent pointing a gun in the face of a U.S. citizen while she\u2019s seated in her car. He and other agents are recorded shouting and swearing and threatening to \u201clock her up,\u201d according to the video.\n\nU.S. House Democrats posted the video to social media stating, \u201cAn ICE agent pointed a gun inches from a U.S. citizen\u2019s face. This agency is dangerously out of control. If ICE is not held accountable, they will kill another innocent person.\u201d\n\nU.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-VA, said he\u2019d been in contact with her and \u201cshe\u2019s a U.S. citizen and lives in my district.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow many more videos like this will we need to see, with Americans having guns pulled on them by Trump\u2019s untrained ICE agents, before we get real accountability from ICE? I will be demanding answers and consequences,\u201d he said.\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-14T06:13:05Z", "2026-08-14T06:14:08Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/07/breaking-pressley-slams-trumps-ongoing-unlawful-attempt-to-fire-fed-governor-lisa-cook/", "BREAKING: Pressley Slams Trump\u2019s Ongoing, Unlawful Attempt to Fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Trump\u2019s Illegal Bid to Fire Gov. Cook Threatens Fed Independence and Comes After Supreme Court Blocked His Initial Attempt\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued the following statement on social media condemning reports that Donald Trump is moving forward with his unlawful attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook after the Supreme Court blocked his initial attempt.\n\n\u201cTrump is continuing his racist, sexist, and baseless attack on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. But it\u2019s as unlawful today as it was a year ago,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley. \u201cWe must stop this brazen, anti-Black power grab and defend the Federal Reserve\u2019s independence.\u201d", 1, "2026-08-08T05:41:38Z", "2026-08-08T05:43:24Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/07/neal-announces-1000000-earmark-for-forest-park-horticultural-and-learning-center/", "Neal Announces\u00a0$1,000,000 Earmark\u00a0for Forest Park Horticultural and Learning Center", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "Springfield, MA \u2013 Today, Congressman Richard E. Neal joined Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Springfield Parks, Buildings, and Recreation Management Director Tom Ashe, members of the Springfield Garden Club, and local officials to announce a $1,000,000 earmark for the Forest Park Horticultural and Learning Center. This allocation was made possible through Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Congressman Neal included funding for this project in the Fiscal Year 2026 spending bill.\n\n\u201cForest Park is the gem of the Springfield parks system, which is why I am pleased to join Mayor Sarno and his team to announce yet another investment in this treasured landmark. I have long stressed the importance of green spaces in urban living. With today\u2019s announcement, we are not only investing in our green spaces, but also educational opportunities for our children and a valuable driver of economic activity,\u201d said Congressman Richard E. Neal. \u201cBetween the American Rescue Plan, congressional earmarking, and federal initiatives like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, I am proud of the work we\u2019ve been able to do to maintain the stellar reputation of the Springfield parks system. From Adams Park to Calhoun Park, Blunt Park to Magazine Park, we have made meaningful investments that benefit neighborhoods throughout the city. We all have fond memories of growing up in our local park, and these investments will make sure the next generation has the opportunity to make those same memories.\u201d\n\nThanks to generous benefactors like Everett H. Barney and Orrick H. Greenleaf, Springfield\u2019s Forest Park has provided over 140 years of enjoyment to the citizens of western Massachusetts and the Connecticut Valley. The 735-acre park, whose design was influenced by the prestigious architect Frederick Law Olmsted, offers a variety of recreation options and picturesque landscapes, earning the park national acclaim and generations of admiration from residents and visitors alike.\n\nMayor Sarno states, \u201cFrom the initial phase with the Horticulture Center Master Plan, to this $1 million federal earmark secured for our own City of Springfield Forest Park Horticultural and Learning Center, Congressman Neal has been behind us every step of the way. I often say, \u2018once a mayor, always the heart of mayor,\u2019 especially when referring to our dedicated Congressman Richard Neal who previously served as our Springfield\u2019s Mayor and currently is a ranking member in the powerful House Ways and Means Committee in Congress. He continues to make these projects that are important to our city\u2019s success a priority and comes through with support from Washington.\u201d\n\nFunding secured by Congressman Neal will help create the Forest Park Horticultural and Learning Center. Partnerships and collaboration with educational institutions, community organizations, and private sector partners will allow the city to maximize the center\u2019s impact, helping to create lasting, positive changes in the local community. The center will serve as a vibrant hub for learning, community engagement, and economic advancement.\n\n\u201cForest Park is a vibrant oasis in the city, and we have some serious horticulture and gardening talent here in the city that has the potential to be honed and shared,\u201d continued Mayor Sarno. \u201cMy former, now retired, Parks Director Patrick Sullivan \u2013 who worked hard to develop the Master Plan \u2013 and I, along with our Springfield Garden Club envisioned Forest Park as a place to host major flower shows much like is done at Smith College. Flower shows and festivals are major economic drivers for hospitality, tourism, and trade. Not only that, each time I visit one of our parks, I am constantly reminded of the importance that our diverse array of green spaces has in providing a quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of daily city life. Our Forest Park is so beautiful and the City of Springfield Forest Park Horticultural and Learning Center will be a welcome addition to Forest Park and will serve the residents of Springfield and surrounding communities who visit this park for generations.\u201d\n\nParks, Buildings, and Recreation Management Director Tom Ashe states, \u201cForest Park is a unique and historic place, a fact made very apparent over the heavily COVID-influenced years as Forest Park remained open and saw an increase in patrons. I try to remember that Forest Park was gift to the city and the best way to show our gratitude is to continue to take good care of it and make sure everyone can enjoy it. Congressman Neal and Mayor Sarno, along with the Springfield Garden Club have been tremendous supporters of our Department\u2019s work to maintain and expand opportunities to enjoy Forest Park. This $1 million investment in the Horticulture and Learning Center will help us bring more beauty and enjoyment to our city. The Springfield Garden Club\u2019s plant sales and flower shows are very impressive, along with the work they do for the Festival of Flowers at the Springfield Museums. I am also consistently amazed by the terrific work our city gardeners, foresters, and horticulture experts do throughout our parks system. Our Parks especially, Forest Park, are like living art museums with some of the beautiful flowers and plants on display. We are truly grateful for the support and excited Forest Park will be home to Springfield\u2019s Horticulture and Learning Center.\u201d\n\nUnder guidelines issued by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, members of Congress requested CDS funding for projects in their state for Fiscal Year 2026. CDS requests were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities were permitted to receive CDS funding. This project is one of fifteen CDS projects submitted by Congressman Neal, investing in a variety of initiatives throughout the First Congressional District of Massachusetts.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://neal.house.gov/2026/08/07/neal-blasts-senate-vote-to-hand-trump-more-tariff-power/", "Neal Blasts Senate Vote to Hand Trump More Tariff Power", "2026-08-07", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Richard E. Neal", "N000015", "neal.house.gov", "neal", "https://neal.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "SPRINGFIELD, MA\u2014Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released the following statement after the Senate passed legislation to further embolden Trump\u2019s tariff regime and hand him even more power to raise costs on the American people:\n\n\u201cThere is no untangling last month\u2019s jobs losses and the absolute self-own Trump\u2019s tariffs have become. I\u2019ll say it plainly: Americans are losing their jobs because of his tariffs, and those who have kept theirs are stretched because his tariffs continue to hike costs. How can you look at that reality and decide now is the time to give this lawless president more tariff authority? Even the Supreme Court has agreed that he\u2019s gone too far.\n\n\u201cThe Senate just moved toward handing Trump even more power, but this will not stand in the House. There are reasonable ways to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable while also honoring the legacy of a dear colleague, but emboldening Trump is not only unnecessary, it\u2019s counter to our shared goals.\u201d", 1, "2026-09-26T09:43:57Z", "2026-09-26T09:44:55Z"], ["https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases/moulton-reintroduces-building-safer-streets-act-modernize-outdated-federal-road", "Moulton Reintroduces Building Safer Streets Act to Modernize Outdated Federal Road Design Standards", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Seth Moulton", "M001196", "moulton.house.gov", "moulton", "https://moulton.house.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) reintroduced the Building Safer Streets Act, legislation to modernize the federal design standards that shape how roads are planned and built across the country. The legislation directs the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to update decades-old rules that have often prioritized vehicle speed over the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. It also gives state and local engineers more flexibility to design streets that protect everyone who uses them.\n\nMore than 100 people die in traffic crashes in the United States every day, according to federal data, and pedestrian and cyclist deaths have risen even as overall vehicle miles traveled has leveled off. Safety advocates and engineers highlight outdated street design standards that protect car drivers more than they do pedestrians and cyclists as the main culprit for this continued growth.\n\nThe bill was originally introduced in response to the death of Sidney Mae Olson, a 5-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer in May 2023 while crossing a marked sidewalk on Elm Street, in Andover, Massachusetts, on her way to class with the \u201cwalk\u201d signal showing.\n\n\u201cMore than 100 people dying per day in traffic crashes is a symptom of a failing transportation system. It shows that our streets were not designed with the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users in mind,\u201d said Congressman Moulton. \u201cThe Building Safer Streets Act gives engineers the tools to build streets that protect everyone who uses them, not just those people behind the wheel of a car. We owe it to every victim and their family to fix what is broken before it costs another life.\u201d\n\nIn the years since, Sidney\u2019s parents, Eric Olson and Mary Beth Ellis, have become leading advocates for safer street design, founding the Sidney Mae Olson Rainbow Fund and helping launch a Massachusetts chapter of Families for Safe Streets.\n\nThe reintroduction comes at a moment when the risks facing everyone on Massachusetts streets remain top of mind: last month, a City of Boston transportation planner was struck and killed while cycling in Mission Hill. The case is a reminder of why modernizing street design standards for all road users remains an urgent priority.\n\nThe full bill text can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-07T06:11:19Z", "2026-08-07T06:12:42Z"], ["https://katherineclark.house.gov/2026/08/06/bloomberg-affordability-is-top-issue-for-midterms-rep-clark/", "Bloomberg: Affordability is Top Issue for Midterms: Rep. Clark", "2026-08-06", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Katherine M. Clark", "C001101", "katherineclark.house.gov", "clark", "https://katherineclark.house.gov/newsroom/", "scraper", "House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) says progressive Abdul Ed-Sayed\u2019s win in Michigan is a signal that voters are looking for \u201cfighters\u201d who will stand up for them in Congress. She says she believes Democrats will have the majority in the House come November, while signaling openness to a stopgap bill to avert a shutdown, noting that the Senate\u2019s proposal is a \u201cbig improvement.\u201d She speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg\u2019s \u201cBalance of Power.\u201d\n\n\u2014", 1, "2026-08-11T05:54:29Z", "2026-08-11T05:56:25Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/05/pressley-denounces-termination-of-temporary-protected-status-for-haiti-syria/", "Pressley Denounces Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti & Syria", "2026-08-05", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "In April, House Passed Pressley-Led Measure to Extend TPS for Haiti that Awaits Action in the Senate\n\nOver 350,000 Haitian Nationals at Risk of Job Loss and Deportation\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a statement in vigorous support of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders and the families impacted by Trump\u2019s cruel termination of TPS for Haiti and Syria.\n\n\u201cThe termination of Temporary Protected Status for our Haitian and Syrian neighbors will devastate our communities, bulldoze our economy, traumatize our children, and separate families who call this country home. The occupant of the Oval Office has decided he gets to act as judge, jury, and executioner to hundreds of thousands of innocent people who have done nothing but seek refuge, strengthen our communities, and bolster our economy.\n\n\u201cTPS is not only an essential lifeline for those who had to flee countries in crisis, but also for Americans. Businesses will be forced to close from losing their staff and our local economies will suffer. Seniors and their families will lose their caregivers as we face a caregiving crisis. Children will lose their classmates and their friends. America will lose the talent, skills, and culture that our immigrant neighbors contribute every day.\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s why the Senate must immediately pass our legislation to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti, which passed out of the House earlier this year.\n\n\u201cTo our many TPS holders in the Massachusetts 7th and throughout the country from Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, Honduras, and other nations\u2014your worth is not defined by the cruelty of this White House or Supreme Court. Your humanity, your dignity, and your lives matter. This nation is better because of you, and I will do everything in my power to support you and your families.\u201d\n\nResidents of the 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts can contact Congresswoman Pressley\u2019s office for assistance. Please visit Pressley.House.Gov/TemporaryProtectedStatus for resources and more information.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley serves as Co-Chair for the House Haiti Caucus and represents one of the largest Haitian diaspora communities in the country. She has stood in vigorous defense for Haitian communities and all immigrant neighbors amid Trump and ICE\u2019s attacks against immigrant communities.\n\nCongresswoman Pressley has been a leading voice in Congress pushing back against Trump\u2019s threats to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley secured a major victory in the House of Representatives, passing critical legislation to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti by a vote of 224-204. The effort, which Congresswoman Pressley championed through a bipartisan discharge petition, is a watershed moment in her years-long advocacy for Haitian communities and immigrant families and marks an essential step forward in the fight to defend Haitian nationals from deportation.\n\nIn July 2026, Rep. Pressley alongside Congresswoman Laura Gillen, urged Senators to support legislation to extend Haiti TPS and protect the lives and livelihoods of Haitians and Americans alike.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley commended Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 16 other Senate colleagues, for introducing legislation to designate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in the Senate.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley denounced the Supreme Court\u2019s devastating ruling to allow Trump\u2019s attempt to terminate Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians.\n\nIn June 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference outside of the Supreme Court with Senator Markey, other lawmakers, advocates, and impacted community members to highlight the catastrophic impact the termination of TPS would have on our communities, businesses, schools, care economy, and more.\n\nIn May 2026, Rep. Pressley, Senator Warren, and Senator Markey released a new investigative report revealing how President Trump\u2019s attempts to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti would devastate the health care, elder care, and disability care workforce, harm patients, and hurt communities.\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley held a press conference alongside colleagues and a coalition of seniors, care workers, advocates, and allies to demand the Supreme Court defend Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nIn April 2026, Rep. Pressley, alongside Rep. Wasserman Schultz and Senators Ed Markey and Chris Van Hollen, led 26 Senators and 157 Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Miot v. Trump, a consolidated case challenging the Trump administration\u2019s unlawful termination of Haiti and Syria Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn March 28, 2026, Rep. Pressley\u2019s discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti successfully met the 218-signature threshold to move forward with bipartisan support.\n\nIn March 2026, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian faith leaders and advocates to urge the Supreme Court to affirm the lower courts\u2019 rulings that deemed Trump\u2019s push to terminate Haiti TPS unlawful.\n\nIn February 2026, Rep. Pressley applauded a federal judge\u2019s ruling to temporarily block Trump\u2019s move to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians. Ending TPS for Haitians would leave over 350,000 Haitian nationals at risk of deportation, many of whom reside in the Massachusetts 7th congressional district.\n\nIn January 2026, Congresswoman Pressley, alongside Senator Markey, held a field hearing on the importance of extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti. She documented this testimony in the legislative record. Footage from the hearing is available here and photos here.\n\nIn January 2026, Rep. Pressley also organized a press conference in D.C. in January to sound the alarm on the harm of terminating TPS for Haiti on seniors and the U.S. care economy.\n\nOn June 28, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration\u2019s abominable termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti effective September 2nd, 2025.\n\nOn June 5, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement on Donald Trump\u2019s executive order that bans citizens of 12 countries, including Haiti, from traveling to the United States, and places partial restrictions on citizens of seven more nations.\n\nOn March 18, 2025, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led 62 of their colleagues in the House and 23 of their colleagues in the Senate in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem demanding the Trump Administration redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti, which the administration recently canceled on questionable legal authority.\n\nOn February 20, 2025, Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Yvette Clarke (NY-12), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20) issued the following statement condemning the Trump Administration\u2019s decision to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn April 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley, alongside Co-Chairs Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), led a group of 50 lawmakers urging the Biden Administration to redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), pause on deportations back to Haiti, extend humanitarian parole to any Haitians currently detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement\u2019s detention centers, end detention of Haitian migrants intercepted at sea, and provide additional humanitarian assistance for Haiti.\n\nOn April 18, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs led a letter to House Ways and Means Committee leadership emphasizing support for the early renewal of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) and the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Acts, commonly known as HOPE/HELP.\n\nOn April 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Haitian-led activists, organizations, and a directly impacted person in Haiti for a press call urging federal action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Haiti.\n\nOn March 27, 2024, Rep. Pressley joined Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and her colleagues on the Massachusetts congressional delegation in urging the Biden Administration to expedite visa processing for Haitians, particularly for relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents.\n\nOn March 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Cherfilus McCormick and Yvette Clarke issued a statement on the resignation of Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry.\n\nOn March 6, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the recent jailbreak and State of Emergency in Haiti.\n\nOn December 8, 2023, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke urged the U.S. Department of State to withdraw U.S. support for an armed foreign intervention in Haiti and encourage negotiations for a Haitian-led democratic political transition.\n\nOn December 6, 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding the Biden Administration\u2019s extension and re-designation of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti.\n\nOn December 1, 2022, Rep. Pressley, Rep. Cori Bush, and Rep. Mondaire Jones led 14 of their colleagues on a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Department to extend and redesignate Haiti for Temporary Protected Status (TPS).\n\nOn August 17, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings, Yvette Clarke, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), called on President Biden to appoint a new Special Envoy to Haiti, a position that has remained unfilled since September 2021.\n\nOn May 31, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Reverend Dieufort Fleurissaint, chair of Haitian Americans United, published an op-ed in the Bay State Banner in which they called on the Biden administration to withdraw support for de facto ruler of Haiti, Ariel Henry, and instead support an inclusive, civil society-led process to restore stability and democracy on the island.\n\nOn May 26, 2022, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Andy Levin (MI-09), Jim McGovern (MA-02), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24), led a letter to United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Power urging her to act to ensure food security in Haiti.\n\nIn February 2022, Reps. Pressley, Judy Chu (CA-27), and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to CDC Director Walensky demanding answers about the agency\u2019s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more. Days later, Rep. Pressley once again called on the Biden Administration to reverse the Title 42 Order and other anti-Black immigration policies.\n\nOn March 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Mondaire Jones called on Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky to fully end Title 42, cease deportations of people to Haiti and affirm their legal and fundamental human right to seek asylum.\n\nOn February 16, 2022, Rep. Pressley joined Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), and 100 House and Senate colleagues in urging President Biden to reverse inhumane immigration policies \u2013 such as Title 42, originally introduced under the Trump Administration \u2013 that continue to disproportionately harm Black migrants.\n\nOn February 14, 2022, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), alongside Representatives Judy Chu (CA-27) and Nydia Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), led 33 other House Democrats on a letter to Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, demanding answers about the agency\u2019s justification for treating asylum seekers as a unique public health threat, how these expulsions are being coordinated, how asylum seekers being returned to dangerous situations are being cared for, and more.\n\nIn April 2022, she joined her colleagues at a press conference reaffirming her support for President Biden\u2019s decision to end Title 42. Full video of her remarks at the press conference is available here. Rep. Pressley applauded the Biden Administration\u2019s end of Title 42 in a statement in April 2022.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley and Rep. Vel\u00e1zquez led 54 of their colleagues on a letter calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and provide humanitarian parole protections for those seeking asylum. The lawmakers\u2019 letter followed the Administration\u2019s resumption of deportation flights to Haiti as thousands of Haitian migrants continue to await an opportunity to make an asylum claim at the border.\n\nIn September 2022, Rep. Pressley joined her colleagues on the House Oversight Committee in demanding answers regarding the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback and pushing to Biden Administration to end the ongoing use and weaponization of Title 42.\n\nOn July 7, 2022, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Andy Levin (MI-09), Val Demings (FL-10) and Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released a statement marking the one-year anniversary of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Mo\u00efse.\n\nOn November 21, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Senator Elizabeth Warren led the Massachusetts congressional delegation on a letter to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) calling on them to coordinate with the government agencies of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to assist newly arrived families from Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley, and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Val Demings (FL-10), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), and Andy Levin (MI-09) issued a statement following the kidnapping of American and Canadian missionaries in Haiti.\n\nOn October 18, 2021, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on the civil rights complaint filed by Haitian families demanding a federal investigation into the heinous actions perpetrated by federal officials at the border.\n\nOn October 22, 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney, Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and Reps. Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), sent a letter to Troy A. Miller, the Acting Administrator of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), demanding a briefing and answers regarding press reports of the inhumane treatment of migrants in Del Rio, Texas, by Border Patrol agents on horseback.\n\nOn September 17, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07) led 52 of their colleagues calling on the Biden Administration to immediately halt deportations to Haiti and take urgent action to address the concerns of the Haitian Diaspora after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti.\n\nOn August 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) and Mondaire Jones (NY-17) released a statement regarding the recent earthquake in Haiti.\n\nOn July 14, 2021, Rep. Pressley and Haiti Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Andy Levin (MI-09) and Val Demings (FL-10) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on him to take a series of steps to support the Haitian diaspora amid ongoing political turmoil in Haiti.\n\nIn July 2021, the Reps. Pressley, Clarke, Demings and Levin issued a statement condemning the assassination of President Mo\u00efse and calling for swift and decisive action to bring political stability and peace to Haiti and the Haitian people.\n\nIn May 2021, on Haitian Flag Day, Reps. Pressley, Levin, Clarke and Demings announced the formation of the House Haiti Caucus, a Congressional caucus dedicated to pursuing a just foreign policy that puts the needs and aspirations of the Haitian people first.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-06T07:37:31Z", "2026-08-06T07:38:34Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/04/news-pressley-warren-lawmakers-probe-insurance-companies-on-usage-of-credit-based-insurance-scores-as-costs-rise/", "NEWS: Pressley, Warren, Lawmakers Probe Insurance Companies on Usage of Credit-Based Insurance Scores as Costs Rise", "2026-08-04", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "\u201cInsurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than the actual risk associated with a home.\u201d\n\nLetter to USAA | Letter to State Farm | Letter to Progressive | Letter to Liberty Mutual | Letter to Farmers | Letter to Allstate\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, led 18 members of Congress in a set of letters to USAA, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Farmers, and Allstate requesting information on the usage of credit-based insurance scores in homeowners insurance underwriting and pricing.\n\nIn the letters, the lawmakers underscored concerns that insurance companies are unfairly jacking up rates based on customer credit history:\n\n\u201cProperty and casualty insurance products price the risk of loss due to damage to a property and its contents; and unlike debt, these products do not hinge on a customer\u2019s ability to repay or carry the risk of defaulting on a loan. Despite this, recent reporting indicates that Americans with weaker credit history pay significantly more for homeowners insurance, all other characteristics of the policyholder and property held equal.\u201d\n\n\u201cInsurers have cited increasing climate-related disasters \u2013 along with rising building and reinsurance costs \u2013 as the key sources behind rising homeowners insurance premiums. Yet recent research shows that credit scores impact homeowners insurance premiums as much, if not more than, disaster risk in many parts of the country,\u201d continued the lawmakers.\n\n\u201cInsurers should not charge consumers higher premiums simply because of their personal credit history, which could have been impacted by job loss, a surprise medical bill, predatory lending, or simply inaccurate information, rather than an actual risk associated with a home,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.\n\nThe lawmakers called on the insurance companies to provide information on how they use credit-based scoring when offering or pricing homeowners insurance policies, requesting responses from the companies by August 13.\n\nThe letters are cosigned by Representatives Andr\u00e9 Carson (D-Ind.), Sean Casten (D-Ill.), Sylvia Garcia (D-Tex.), Al Green (D-Tex.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Nikema Williams (D-Geo.), and SenatorsRichard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Mary.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"], ["https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=400387", "Federal Disaster Relief for Massachusetts Farmers, Secured by McGovern, Finally on the Way", "2026-08-03", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "James P. McGovern", "M000312", "mcgovern.house.gov", "mcgovern", "https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WORCESTER, MA \u2013 Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA) announced today that over $42 million in federal disaster relief he secured in December 2024, is finally heading to Massachusetts farmers.\n\nThe money comes from a $220 million New England disaster block grant program written by McGovern and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), enacted into law by President Biden in late 2024. Designed specifically to support small and mid-sized producers\u2014particularly those in states like Massachusetts who are often shut out of traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs\u2014the program compensates farmers for crop losses and storm-related damage to on-farm infrastructure sustained during severe weather events in 2023 and 2024.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m thrilled our farmers will finally get the relief they were promised,\u201d said McGovern. \u201cTrump Administration policies are raising costs on producers and making it even harder to farm. This funding will not only help farmers recover from devastating losses, but it will also help Massachusetts continue to build a resilient regional food system that will feed families across our commonwealth. I am grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle and Deputy Commissioner Winton Pitcoff, State Senator Jo Comerford, and former State Representative Natalie Blais for their leadership in making this relief for farmers possible.\"\n\nMcGovern and DeLauro, top Democrats on the Rules and Appropriations Committees, repeatedly pushed top USDA officials in letters, phone calls, and meetings to comply with the law and release the funds\u2014ultimately forcing the Trump Administration to do so. Massachusetts recently executed its contract with USDA, and this week is announcing a process for impacted farmers to apply for funding to support their continued farming operations.\n\nMassachusetts is home to nearly7,100 farms\u2014roughly 2,000 of which lie in Hampshire, Hampden, and Franklin Counties, areas devastated by 2023 flooding of the Connecticut River and battered by multiple severe weather events. Many small farms in the region are ineligible for crop insurance or find USDA aid programs too cumbersome to access, putting them at higher risk of closure following natural disasters.", 1, "2026-08-04T07:35:49Z", "2026-08-04T07:37:27Z"], ["https://pressley.house.gov/2026/08/03/news-pressley-markey-release-report-showing-success-of-fare-free-transit-in-massachusetts/", "NEWS: Pressley, Markey Release Report Showing Success of Fare-Free Transit in Massachusetts", "2026-08-03", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Ayanna Pressley", "P000617", "pressley.house.gov", "pressley", "https://pressley.house.gov/news/", "scraper", "Report calls for passage of their Freedom to Move Act, which invests $25 billion in public transit\n\nFare Free Transit Reduces Costs for Travelers and Boosts Transit Ridership\n\nReport (PDF)\n\nBOSTON \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus, and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today released a new report, Making Transit Free, Frequent, and Reliable: Massachusetts shows the need for federal investment in fare-free transit, detailing the need for increased federal investments in fare-free transit. Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley are lead sponsors of the Freedom to Move Act,which would provide $25 billion to communities to pilot fare free service and expand existing transit service.\n\n\u201cThe data doesn\u2019t lie and this report makes plain what we\u2019ve long known: fare-free transit is essential to building connected communities, improving mobility, and making life more affordable for our families,\u201d said Congresswoman Pressley, Co-Chair of the Future of Transportation Caucus. \u201cTransit equity is an economic, racial, and climate justice issue, and it\u2019s time we invest in public transit as the public good that it is. That\u2019s why Congress must pass our Freedom to Move Act to continue to support fare-free transit across our state and nation.\u201d\n\n\u201cFrom Worcester to Boston to the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts is showing the nation what is possible when transit goes fare-free,\u201d said Senator Markey. \u201cOur report shows that fare-free transit saves families money, increases ridership, and helps make transit easier and simpler for passengers. More transit riders can mean less congestion, cleaner air, and safer streets. This report provides a roadmap for bringing those benefits to communities across the country. Congress should pass the Freedom to Move Act and help any community go fare free.\u201d\n\nMassachusetts has become a national leader in fare-free transit through a range of programs serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. Regional transit authorities in Worcester, the Merrimack Valley, and elsewhere have launched systemwide or targeted fare-free service, while Boston has eliminated fares on several heavily used bus routes. The Commonwealth has also supported statewide pilot programs that have helped transit agencies test and expand fare-free operations.\n\nDrawing on data from these efforts, the report examines how fare-free service is working across different transit systems and communities. The Massachusetts experience shows how eliminating fares strengthens public transit when paired with reliable service and sustained investment. It also demonstrates that communities nationwide could pursue similar programs with stronger federal support.\n\nThe Massachusetts evidence points to five core lessons. Fare-free transit:\n\nLowers costs for riders\n\nBrings riders back to transit\n\nLeads to long-term ridership gains\n\nMakes transit easier to operate\n\nWorks best when paired with operating support\n\nSenator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley have long championed fare-free transit in Congress. In July 2025, they re-introduced the Freedom to Move Act which would provide $25 billion in funding for transit agencies to offer fare free service and improve on existing transit service offerings.\n\nThe Freedom to Move Act would support state and local efforts to promote public transportation as a public good for all by:\n\nEstablishing a $5 billion competitive grant program per year to support state and local efforts to implement fare-free public transportation systems;\n\nInvesting in efforts to improve the safety and quality of public transportation services, particularly in low-income and historically underserved communities; and\n\nEnsuring grantees use funds to address and close equity gaps in current transit systems.\n\nRep. Pressley and Sen. Markey originally introduced the Freedom to Move Act in June 2020. Following the bill\u2019s introduction, Senator Markey, Congresswoman Pressley, and then-Councilor Michelle Wu published an op-ed that discussed the bill and the need to fund public transportation as a public good.\n\nIn July 2020, the House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act that included a fare-free pilot program modeled after the two lawmakers Freedom to Move Act.\n\nIn March 2021, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Pressley reintroduced the Freedom to Move Act.\n\nIn August 2022, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey called on the MBTA to make the entire T fare-free for the duration of the Orange Line\u2019s shutdown.\n\n###", 1, "2026-08-05T07:37:37Z", "2026-08-05T07:38:44Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 593, "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": "MA", "p2": "2026"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 593, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA&year=2026&party=Democrat", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 593, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=MA&year=2026", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "MA", "label": "MA", "count": 593, "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=MA&year=2026", "results": [{"value": "2026", "label": "2026", "count": 593, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2026-08-03,https~3A~2F~2Fpressley~2Ehouse~2Egov~2F2026~2F08~2F03~2Fnews-pressley-markey-release-report-showing-success-of-fare-free-transit-in-massachusetts~2F", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?chamber=House&state=MA&year=2026&_next=2026-08-03%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fpressley~2Ehouse~2Egov~2F2026~2F08~2F03~2Fnews-pressley-markey-release-report-showing-success-of-fare-free-transit-in-massachusetts~2F&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 296.51280818507075, "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"}